Ha! You all thought I only updated once a year, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU! :D
Couple important things to mention:
1) I keep forgetting to mention the inspiration behind this story! If you like this, you should all check you Set in Stone by SOC Puppet. It's an abandoned story, but it's a fantastic read nonetheless.
2) This chapter is kind of sad. I wanted to show a couple chapters of Naruto struggling to come to terms with his past – I mean come on, he's been gone for seven years. It's not going to be easy coming back. So I'm sorry for the angsty writing, but it will get happier – eventually! I wanted it to be sometime before we see the return of the old prankster ways.
It's also been a really tough write for me. I'm a pretty happy dude as far as things go, so writing a super depressed Naruto has been an interesting challenge, and I've had to resort to reading interviews about people and how they felt after significant traumas because it isn't anything to which I can relate.
3) I've decided to stick with the chapter length of roughly 16-18 pages. Most people seem to be happy with this, so that's the way it is. If you're in the minority that disagrees, well, I'm sorry? Regardless, this is right on the nose at 16.5 pages. (Half a page shorter than the previous, JFYI.)
4) The ages here. So canon Konahamaru/Hanabi/Moegi/etc are five years younger than Naruto, so they should all be 14. I've decided to make them 12 here – aka, they're just ready for graduation when Naruto returned. Fairly minor change, hope it's not too drastic for anyone.
5) I realize this chapter doesn't have too much actual fighting in it – don't worry. As you'll see in the end of the chapter, much of the next chapter (and the one after that) will have plenty of actual fighting. :)
Enjoy!
Chapter 3: Branded
As Danzou stepped into Tsunade's office, he made sure to wipe the condescension off his face and place a moderately respectful look in his good eye. As respectful as he ever got, anyways. He was getting old. The time to be Hokage had now escaped him, and he'd come to terms with that. If Hiruzen was the one destined for the light, and he was destined for the shadows, then so be it.
But that didn't mean he wasn't done serving the village.
Konoha was everything to him, and he'd be damned if the soft Tsunade – princess be damned – was going to ruin all that he'd worked for.
"Tsunade. You called."
"I'm sure you know by now that Naruto is back."
"Ah yes, the failed container. What are your plans for him?"
Tsunade's brow twitched. She was long used to his tactics, and a part of her was certain he called Naruto "the container" deliberately to anger her. "I intend on having him participate in the Jounin Exams, and once he passes, to put him on a fully functioning team."
He gave a long, arduous sigh. It was one of those "Look how much wiser I am than you" kind of moments that Danzou had perfected. "You're attempting to blackmail him, are you." It wasn't a question. "Glad to see you're finally beginning to see the futility of noble ideals, but I'm afraid it's too little too late. Perhaps you should consider stepping down?"
She rolled her eyes, but internally it was one of the first times she found herself agreeing with the man. She was turning sixty-two this year – the second oldest Hokage by a margin of over two decades – and in seven years she'd be older than her sensei when he passed. A decade of being Hokage had taught her how to deal with these sorts of people – to simply wait out the long drama, but that didn't mean she enjoyed it. Perhaps it was time to pass the torch to a younger candidate soon.
"Uzumaki Naruto, the traitor to Konoha, has been nominated to become Tsuchikage."
Tsunade stared at the bandaged war veteran. "The fuck!?"
The most un-Hokage-like exclamation was ignored. "I see Jiraiya's spy network is still incompetent as ever. Iwa has a tradition of nominating three shinobi for Hokage. Each are given a notoriously dangerous assassination mission."
"And? Who's he here to kill?"
"You know how this works, Tsunade. I don't lay all my cards on the table until I have secured a bargain in exchange."
She did know. "What do you want?" She was trying not to sound desperate, but things involving Naruto... got her wound up.
"Uchiha Sasuke has been a nunekin for long enough. It's time he be branded as such and dealt with." He turned to leave. "I'll give you two days to decide – but be careful; you don't want Naruto accidentally finding out anything." He left Tsunade to her thoughts.
…
So she wasn't single. Did you expect anything different? No, of course he hadn't. Sakura was always a pretty girl – and now, she was well endowed, too. It was perfectly logical for her to be seeing someone. She wasn't a school girl anymore, and her childhood embers regarding Sasuke were long bound to fizzle out.
Shaking his head, he tried to focus on the work in front of him. He was finishing up the last of the scrolls Gaara had let him copy, but it was just as Jiraiya had said. Much of the theory was useful, and they had given many chakra manipulation exercises – all of which he had mastered in days thanks to kage bunshin – but beyond that, they were worthless. Suna was designed to use its windy, hot, dry terrain against invaders, which primarily lent itself to long-range attacks.
But Jiraiya knew of short-range wind users here in Konoha.
He could comb through the Jounins and find one. But was it worth it? It was only a matter of time before he'd be deemed a missing nin, and that meant he'd be ripe for the picking. And there was still the matter of Danzou. The man was not to be taken lightly – even the Sarsen Black Ops program in Iwa knew him well. He played dirty.
Sighing, he burnt the last scroll after committing it to memory.
The nagging issue of the power struggle back in Iwa was another problem. He couldn't do any investigating from thousands of kilometers away. Which meant that the single thing he could do was take down Akatsuki, but even that was unlikely given Tsunade's eye on him. And any more major activity would set Kakashi's paranoia off.
Which meant he was just a sitting duck until this mission was over.
He hadn't felt this restless since he was waiting for "Ero-Sennin" to teach him the Rasengan. Chuckling at the memory, he decided to do something he hadn't done in far too long. With a smile on his face, he set off to Ichiraku Ramen.
…
"Tadaima!" Seven year-old Akihiro entered the building with a grin on his face. "Okaa-san, Okaa-san, guess what we did in school today – just – eh?" The boy looked at the occupied seat in front of him. "Hey! You're in my seat!"
Naruto turned around to look at the little boy. So this is Aki... He looks just like him.Flashing a smile to Ayame, he chuckled. "He's kind of scrawny. Don't tell me you're just feeding him ramen?"
"Hey!" Aki shouted with all the strength a pre-schooler could muster. "Don't you dare insult ramen! It is the food of the Gods! And get off my chair!"
Naruto got down from his chair and squatted to get eye-level with the boy. "Hey, brat! I'll have you know this is my chair."
"I've been sitting on this chair my whole life! And before that, my elder brother sat on this chair his whole life! This is my chair – family members only!" Aki looked at his mom furiously. Didn't she know that? Hadn't she been the one to tell him the story of his incredible older brother, the best shinobi in the world and future Hokage? Why was she letting this random person sit on the family chair?
Naruto tried to hide his grin. "Is that so? Well then, if you can eat more ramen than me, I'll give you this chair."
"It was already mine!"
"Well, it's sure not yours now, brat!"
"Grr! Fine, I'll show you!"
Naruto watched as Aki ate the ramen with a religious appreciation, savoring the flavors.
"Aniki always said – you can't just down the ramen. You have to show it respect. Enjoy the flavors."
"Eh?" Naruto feigned confusion. "You have to eat it slow?"
Aki cutely rolled his eyes. "It's not about speed, it's about savoring." He took another bowl. "Don't know the first thing about ramen, take my seat... Who does he think he is?" He grumbled as he began the second serving.
Naruto stopped after the second bowl, letting the Aki take the victory.
"I think you will see, shinobi-san, that the spot is mine now." Aki said nobly, but he couldn't hide the excitement.
Grinning, Naruto humbly stood up. "I have been defeated." Ruffling the child's hair (much to Aki's dismay), Naruto took out a fat wad of yen and placed it on the counter. When he saw Ayame about the protest, he whispered "Consider it seven years' of birthday presents."
But Aki caught it. Whose birthday was it? What was going on. After the man left, Aki moved to wash the dishes, but when he entered the backroom he saw twenty-five bowls on the sink. That was strange. His mother always did the dishes immediately. How could she have let if pile up throughout the whole day? "Okaa-san, were you busy today? None of the dishes are done!"
"Gomen! I'll do them right now Aki-chan."
No, he thought examining the dishes. They were still warm from the cleaning. His eyes widened with realization. Did that shinobi really eat twenty-five bowls of ramen!? It was like the stories his dad used to tell him about his... brother. Aki looked up at the family picture of his father and older brother smiling. The blonde hair. The marks on the cheek. It couldn't be a coincidence.
"A-Ano, Okaa-san?"
Ayame wiped the tear from her eye. "Yes Aki-chan?"
"Was that Naruto Onii-san?"
…
Naruto sat down on the swing outside the Academy. He hadn't felt so alone since... since the last time he sat on this swing. He screamed, sending birds all over flying away. The corner of his eye caught a parent holding her daughter tighter and leading her away from him. He didn't care. He was too angry. His thoughts raced between why no one told him and how could this happen.
The familiar ramen stand was gone; in its place was a large two-story house with a giant sign. Cautiously entering, he saw a woman with long black hair cooking. Naruto smiled. He had no doubts anymore.
"Ayame-nee-chan!"
The woman turned around. There was a pregnant pause. Ayame couldn't believe it. "N-Naruto?" And before she knew it she they were in a hug, bawling, and she was saying his name over and over. It took several minutes before the two calmed down, but neither could stop smiling. They sat and talked for a long time, catching up on so many irrelavent details.
Ayame wasn't someone to ask annoying questions like where he was or why he didn't contact. She unconditionally supported him, and she was unconditionally happy that he was back. That was the reason he loved her. He wondered if this was how all families were. He pushed the thought away. She was his older sister for all intents and purposes, blood be damned.
"Where's the old man?"
She smiled sadly. "Father passed away several years after he left." Seeing Naruto's face, she quickly added "No, don't be sad. He lived a wonderful life, and he had no regrets, even on his death bed. He was so happy." She pulled out her hand and showed Naruto a gold ring.
"No way! Nee-chan's married!? Who's the luckiest man in the world?"
She giggled. "Iruka, of course. He was a wonderful husband."
Naruto's blood froze.
Ayame faltered. After a pause, "I thought someone told you already. I'm sorry Naruto-kun."
"When?" His voice suddenly became raspy and ugly.
"Three years ago. He was promoted to Jounin, so he began leading some more dangerous missions. It was his first S class mission... I remember arguing with him the night before, but he said he was proud to serve his village. Said it was what you would have done." Ayame's voice was breaking up. Naruto patted her back, trying to tell her it was okay – that she could stop. That he himself wasn't sure if he wanted to hear all of this. Could hear all of this. But she continued. "Hokage-sama was very kind. We couldn't have the body, of course. Hunter nins and all that. But she let us know everything about the mission. About how vital Iruka's work was, and how many lives it had saved." She looked at him with tear-stained eyes. "He loved you very much."
Naruto's heart ached. It felt like Roushi-sensei all over again. This wasn't supposed to happen. He had sealed off his emotions. He didn't want to feel like this. He never wanted to feel like this. He didn't want to feel. "Who killed him?"
"We're not sure. The mission was on the border of Suna and Iwa in a place called – "
"The Demon Pass." Naruto finished. It was like his heart had fallen to his gut. Iwa did many missions there. His village did many missions there. The Sand and Stone were notoriously bad enemies; the pass was named Demon Pass because that single strip of land caused more casualties than all of the other deaths in Iwa combined. Tensions were so bad there that the mere sighting of Sand shinobi would cause an outbreak. Naruto himself had participated in many battles there, reluctantly. Gaara was his friend. Regardless of how Iwa felt about Suna.
Before finding out that Gaara was Kazekage, Naruto himself had done numerous missions there. The number of sand shinobi he killed there... It was impossible to count. He remembered gleefully traveling there just to test out his new jutsus. A place marred by death.
She nodded. "Some Iwa nin... It was a misunderstanding, evidently. Everyone was undercover, you know. Wearing different uniforms, stealth and all that. The Iwa thought he was a Sand shinobi. I'm not sad, though." Her gentle voice lifted him from his desctructive-spiral. "I am reminded of Iruka-kun everyday, and everyday I am more thankful for the time I had with him."
Naruto wanted to scream. That sounded the most painful of all – being constantly reminded of the loss. And then Naruto realized what Ayame had really said. 'We couldn't have the boy.' Her father was already dead. Who was we? Naruto followed Ayame's gaze to the picture on the wall. Iruka on the left, smiling. Ayame on the right, holding a small bundle. "Is that..."
She smiled widely. "Umino Akihiro. Aki-chan is Iruka's gift to me."
Only when she griped his hand tightly did Naruto realize he had been crying.
"Come, I think it's high time you had some ramen, ne?"
Sniffling his tears away, he agreed and moved to his usual spot. It was hard to imagine that the seat on the left would never be occupied by Iruka again. Feeling around underneath the chair, he smiled when his fingers came across the familiar kanji of his name. They kept the same seats from the ramen stand. He chuckled, remembering his brash five year-old self marking this chair as his. He had caused quite the ruckus that day. Ayame's father ultimately ruffled his hair, picked him up and placed him there, declaring that the chair would indeed be his from that day on.
"I hope you don't mind, Naruto-kun. But Iruka and I... we wanted you to be his older brother. Iruka always considered you as his son, and – "
"Of course I'm his older brother! Who else would I be?" Naruto grinned, stuffing ramen (quickly while still savoring the taste!) into his mouth.
Why would Iruka dress up as a Sand shinobi? He'd be better off in his Konoha uniform! The Iwa hated Konoha but not nearly to the same degree as Suna. He should have known better than that! And why didn't his village recognize Konoha ninja? Were they idiots!? Naruto ranted at all the idiotic inconsistencies that led to this tragedy, but it wasn't satisfying.
Ultimately, despite all the anger at everything around him, Naruto was most angry with himself. How could he have let this happen? How could he not have been there for them... For so long he never had any friends, and Ayame and her father were the first people that accepted him. And now, when they needed him the most, he wasn't there.
Even worse, he couldn't be angry with anyone else. It was a war between his two villages... He felt it should have been easy to take sides; he had told himself so many times, over and over, that he held no feelings for Iwa any longer. So why did it hurt so much? There was no possibility of revenge here. There were no winners. Just death and pain.
And why the hell wasn't she angry with him? The guilt coiled around his heart like a vicious viper. He abandoned her, and yet there she was, blindly accepting him with open arms. She hadn't asked a single question about his past. Seeing the pure joy in her face made him all the more angry. She should have been upset with him. How could anyone be so accepting? He had been so accepting, once upon a time. He would have forgiven Sasuke despite everything that had happened. When did he lose himself? Naruto stared into the Academy entrance, almost as if staring hard enough would take him back to a time when he was carefree. When all he had to worry about was the next prank and how to avoid getting caught by Iruka.
If this was unconditional love...
Why did it hurt so much?
…
"We had training scheduled today." She said, sipping tea calmly.
Crap. He had forgotten.
"I waited for an hour."
He looked at her, unsure of what to say. The possibilities hung on the edge of his lips. 'I'm sorry.' 'I had other things on my mind.' 'How could you not tell me about Iruka?' He could have said any of these things, but his mind was still numb. All he managed was a grunt before collapsing onto the couch. Yes, the couch was safe. He wouldn't have to face her. He was still too upset at the whole ordeal.
He flinched when he felt soft fingers making circles around his temples. "Shh, this will ease the migraine." Naruto closed his eyes and concentrated on the soothing voice. She was saying something, but he couldn't find himself to focus on the meaning. He just lay there, letting her voice echo through his brain. A sweet smell wafted through Naruto's consciousness. Sakura's smell. He didn't bother to try and identify it. It had changed since he last saw her. It was more... beautiful, his thoughts betrayed him. He didn't care though. This feeling was bliss. He felt the worries fading away, and through it all, her fingers slowly weaving away the knots of his mind.
He laid there for what felt like hours, but through it all she never stopped. At last, when the headache was gone, Naruto slowly opened his eyes. It was more refreshing than sleep; he couldn't put his finger on what it was. He turned around to face emerald eyes that were closer than he'd been expecting. Close enough to see the unevenness of her lip gloss. Close enough to smell her sweet breath. He stayed there frozen for a moment before his system managed to respond. "I... You're... Thank you."
She didn't move away. "You're welcome. You seemed like you needed it."
He managed to nod before his breath fluttered involuntarily as she gently stroked his whisker.
Her breath was sweet.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
"I..." he whispered.
She held onto it, though, tightly – as if she were afraid she'd never hear the end of that sentence.
Want you to stay. Don't go. Just... stay. He wanted to say. He tried to say. But his pride got in the way somehow, and on their way up the words transformed themselves into an ugly groan.
"Naruto?" The softest of whispers. Say it. I need you to say it. Emerald orbs focused themselves on Naruto.
Kami, her breath was intoxicatingly sweet. "I..." But his words failed him, and he missed his chance. "You should get that," he weakly finished. Embarrassed, he jumped out of the couch and nearly sprinted to the guest bedroom that she had set up and collapsed on the bed.
Rolling over and covering his face with the blanket, he half-heartedly tried to drown out the noise. In truth, he wanted to hear Sakura's voice. He wanted to know who this was. But another part of himself was angry at even admitting that to himself. What was he doing? He knew he could never come back to the Leaf; he knew that seven years ago when he left. And yet, here he was almost flirting with Sakura. Why couldn't he just let her go...
Then he heard the unmistakable sounds of a kiss. Sakura's boyfriend, the realization hit. It wasn't right for him to be here. He didn't want to be here.
"I missed you, hime."
A giggle. "I missed you, too, Daisuke."
How easy it was for her to giggle at those words. How easy it was for her to smile and forget about Naruto... Those were the last words he could stand to hear before he vaulted himself out of her open window.
…
"My brother can kick your ass!"
"Aki," Konahamaru put on a deep, wise voice. Pointing to his forehead protector, he began, "I am an official ninja of Konoha. I won't be defeated that easily. Maybe when you finally join the Academy next year you'll understand."
"Yeah right. Official ninja. My nii-san can still kick your ass!"
"Even if he could kick my ass, my nii-san could kick your nii-san's ass."
Aki gasped. "You take that back! My nii-san is the strongest shinobi in the world!"
Konahamaru chuckled. "Aki, my nii-san will be Hokage. You really think your nii-san can kick my nii-san's butt?"
Ayame sighed. Aki was so thrilled to have finally met his older brother after so many years he'd spent all day today just arguing with strangers about how great Naruto was. Naruto, for his part, had promised he'd visit every day from then on, so it was only a matter of time before the argument hit its peak. Ah, speak of the devil.
"Naruto nii-san!" The two boys screamed simultaneously.
"What!?" In unison.
"He's my nii-san!" The chorus continued with a confused Naruto looking at the scene before him. Was it some sort of rehearsal?
"Nii-san, tell him you're my nii-san!"
Naruto rubbed his eyes, but he in fact was not seeing double. "Konahamaru, Aki. What's up my otoutos."
The two kids stared skeptically. Otoutos? As in, plural? They growled menacingly at each other.
"Hey! We're all family here, so make nice." Naruto sat down on Iruka's traditional seat with Konahamaru to his left and Aki to his right. "So, Konahamaru. It's been a long time. Eh?" Konahamaru was smiling widely, ear to ear. Aki, on the other hand, hadn't bothered getting on his chair at all. Instead, the boy was hugging Naruto's leg, refusing to let go.
Soon enough, tears began to flow. "N-Nii-san! I m-missed you so much! D-Dad would always..."
But exactly what it was Iruka would always, Naruto never found out. The sobs became to violent for any comprehensible speech. Smiling, Naruto picked up the seven year-old and gave him a deep hug, letting the boy cry himself out. Once the crying subsided slightly, Naruto wiped away the child's tears. "Otouto, I promise you. I'm not going away ever again. You will see me every day. That's a promise of a lifetime."
Aki broke down once more, but a smile could be seen on his face. Turning around, he pulled the ramen bowl closer to him and began having some.
Ruffling Konahamaru's hair, he gave the boy a smile. "You too, Konahamaru. You're my otouto. That's not something I take lightly."
Konahamaru pulled away quickly and smoothed out his hair, sticking his tongue out at Naruto. "I'm about to graduate the Academy and become a full-fledged shinobi, nii-san. You don't have to baby me anymore."
"Ah, gomen ne? Too much time has passed hehe." But Naruto couldn't help but notice Konahamaru's attitude was significantly improved after that reassurance as well. He couldn't eat ramen – not with his gut lashing out at him the way it was. This would be the second time he'd break a promise of a lifetime. That put his soul twice in debt. But these were just kids. They wouldn't understand. Couldn't understand, Naruto reminded himself. He was doing the right thing. He was... He had to be.
…
The evening had shaped out quite nicely. Naruto had spent several hours with his two little brothers and his older sister in Ichiraku Ramen, and they had caught up a good deal. He decided it still wasn't worth the hassle to let them know about becoming Tsuchikage or anything like that, but he grudgingly told them about working with Iwa ninjas and seeing Gaara occasionally.
He smiled. Time really had flown by. To think Konahamaru had just passed the Academy exams. It seemed just yesterday Naruto was beating the crap out of Mizuki. He'd be placed on a Jounin team soon enough. And next year Aki would start attending the Academy. The seeds of the next generation were already sprouting. The village was strong.
The village is strong, Naruto repeated in his mind to hear the sound of it. It was true. It had taken him years to understand, but it was undeniably true. The average civilian in Konoha was weak. The average shinobi in Konoha may also have been weak relative to heavily militarized zones like Iwagakure, but there was no doubt that Konoha was strong. It had an incredible feeling to it that he simply couldn't explain. May be it was the 'Will of Fire' crap that the old Sandaime kept spouting. Naruto didn't know.
"So, this is where you've been going off to." Came the unmistakably sweet voice with a not-so-sweet demeanor.
Crap. He'd been so lost in his thoughts that he'd forgotten to henge as a regular civilian. "Sakura-chan."
"Well, I can't say I'm not relieved. When I realized your ventures into the Red Light district were a regular occurrence, I had assumed the worst. This is your safe house, isn't it." It wasn't a question.
Well. So much for that.
"Come." She quietly took his arm and led him to the front of the steps. "Let's talk inside."
"Hold onto me tightly. If you're far apart, the seals won't recognize you." She hugged him tightly, and her familiar scent surrounded him. With a quiet push, he forced his chakras through the seals, and in an instant they were teleported inside. He realized she'd closed her eyes. "We're here." As she let go, a part of him wished he hadn't told her.
She quietly looked around. "No decorations."
"It's a safe house. I wasn't meant to be here long. Why are we here?"
"You said it yourself. It's a safe house. We can talk without being eavesdropped by Tsunade-sama and Kakashi-sensei."
Naruto sat on the sofa while Sakura pulled up a chair facing him. Leaning over, she held his right arm with one hand and measured his pulse with another. The constant contact was... bothersome. It was bothersome that he liked it, and it was bothersome that it kept reminding him of the old days. Before everything changed.
"What do you want..."
"To talk."
"So you said."
"Naruto. I'm worried about you. You're..." she hesitated. "You're showing all the signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."
Fantastic. She was doctoring him. What a day this was shaping out to be. "I'm fine. I'm a shinobi. This is life for us. There is no post. There's just stress and trauma, and then eventually death."
She cocked her head, still measuring his pulse. "Hmm, yup. Definitely type 2 PTSD."
He sighed. "Fine, I'll bite. What's type 2."
"Avoidance. Numbness. Hesitation to do things you enjoy because it will bring back painful memories. Classic symptoms of depression."
"I'm not doing any of those things."
"Really? You haven't been avoiding all of us? You haven't been burying your feelings down and lying through your teeth since you got here? You've said maybe two true things since you got here, and both of those I had to force out of you. Depression don't even get me started."
"I'm on a mission. I can't fraternize with your old pals."
"Our old pals."
"There is no us. There's just me, and there's you and Daisuke-kun." He mocked viciously.
"You don't like him."
"I don't don't like him. I don't care about him. He's a fly in my life – I could care less whether he lived or his heart stopped beating this instant." Yes, you're damn right I don't like him.
She was just reading his pulse, but it felt like she was reading his heart. "Was I supposed to wait for you? I didn't know where you were, or if you were even..." She didn't finish her statement. I'm still waiting for you.
"No, of course not. It doesn't bother me. And I'm glad to see you've moved on. I have no right to demand that from you. I have no right to be upset." I have no right, but I'm still angry.
"You don't have to have a right. You feel what you feel. No justifications, Naruto. If there's one thing I learned from the colossal disaster that was Sasuke-kun, it's that you should never have to justify what you feel."
He rolled his eyes. "Sure, Sakura-hime."
"Hey, look at me." She brought his face to hers. "I'm Sakura-chan. I'll always be Sakura-chan."
He didn't know what to say to that, but with the blood rushing to his face, he couldn't stand to look at her anymore. Not that it helped any. Sitting next to her, bathing in her scent. Her incredibly soft hands holding his. There had to be a jutsu for that. No kunoichi's hands should be that soft. Yeah, like Baa-chan's no-wrinkle jutsu... Something like that. His pulse was skyrocketing. She was a medic ninja. There was no escaping it. He took his arm out of her grip. "You've made your point. After all these years, being next to you still makes my heart skip a beat. Congratulations, you've established me as your default back-up once more. Now can you just leave me be?"
"Naruto, if you think I've done all this to soothe my ego, I hate to break it to you, but your opinion isn't that valuable to me. I've long passed the state where I place my self-worth in someone else's eyes."
"Then why won't you just leave me the fuck alone!?"
"For the same reason you don't let yourself be. The same reason you keep pushing yourself down under all those layers when I know you want out. You're hurting. And the last time, I couldn't be there for you."
"I don't need your help in dealing with this. I've been doing this for nineteen years. I'll be just fine without you."
"Are you happy with just fine? Haven't you ever wanted something more? Isn't that why you wanted to become Hokage?"
"I've long since learned that I'm not entitled to more than just fine. I've learned to accept it."
"It comes to those who ask."
"You don't think I've asked?" It took her sudden wince to realize he was screaming. "I've begged and pleaded and cried for it. I've demanded it unrelentingly, but none of that changes anything. And now you come here and pretend everything will be okay if I just ask?"
"No. No, I don't know if everything will be okay. But ask me anyway, and I promise I will be with you every step of the way, helping you. You don't have to do this by yourself anymore. All of us, all of your friends are with you."
He was suddenly exhausted. He didn't have the energy to argue with her about things she didn't even understand. Was he supposed to give a lengthy flashback of the seven years he was gone, explaining about Roushi-sensei and Emiko and everything that happened? Of course not, what a ridiculous notion. Still, in one and a half months he'd be gone, and he'd never have to deal with this again. "I've come to accept that this is what I've been given, and I'm making the best of it. I think it's time you do the same, Sakura-chan."
"Wait," she placed an arm on his shoulder and turned him around to face her. "Come have dinner with us. Everyone's dying to meet you. Tonight, dinner. Haven't you always wanted to take me out there? Bet you never thought I'd be asking you there." She joked.
He smiled despite himself. "Why not, fine." Her giggles sent butterflies into his stomach.
"See, I always figured that's what I'd end up saying in the end."
"In the end?" His eyes shot up, but she was already gone.
No matter how he tried to shove it away, the annoying smile she had plastered on his face held its ground the rest of the evening.
In what ending?
…
It was an odd scene, seeing almost everyone he associated with in Konoha together. Sakura said he had "bound them together – made them a tight knit family," or something stupidly annoying like that. Ichiraku had evidently thrived after Naruto's "death." The entire rookie 9, Maito Gai's team, and all the respective Jounin senseis were all there constantly. Konahamaru forced his team and Ebisu to join the madness as well, so together they were the loudest, most irritating group of shinobi in Konoha.
His stomach lurched. This was the reason he promised himself that he'd never come back to Konoha. What was the point? Ironically, his supposed death had brought them all together, and now there was no place for him in their group. Too much time had passed. All of them only remembered the thirteen year-old. As they exchanged stories of the old times, Naruto was confronted with a familiar scene. Someone would mention some funny prank Naruto had pulled in the old days, and they would all laugh. Kiba would boast that he had actually done Naruto one better, and Ino would smack his head yelling some variant of "Baka!", to which everyone would laugh. Kakashi would be happily reading a book or engaging Gai in some ridiculous game to prove superiority to the entertainment of all.
For five paralyzingly long minutes, he observed the commotion. It was a surreal experience. He himself wasn't there, of course, but his ghost was. The word "Naruto" was spoken more times than he could count, and worst of all, they were happy – the real kind, not the kind most shinobi seek after a dangerous mission in a haze of PTSD-induced cravings. They really, truly were a family. Sakura hadn't been lying. She just didn't realize he didn't belong anymore.
He didn't belong anywhere.
Only his ghost did.
He couldn't do this. Not this. Not now.
Maybe next time...
…
Tsunade stared at the note in front of her with disbelief. Jiraiya had corroborated Danzou's story and much, much more. All of Iwa was in a furious heat as the contest for a new kage was underway. Of course, the missions themselves would be kept silent until after the kage was selected, but updates would be posted as they occurred. Apparently, the shinobi Naruto had killed was another contestant for Kage. Konosuke, his name was. But who Naruto was meant to kill Jiraiya couldn't say.
She stared at the official seal Danzou had left on her desk. All the paperwork to declare Sasuke a nunekin was already completed. All that was left was for her to sign her official seal at the bottom. Obviously, Danzou had it prepared well ahead of time. Who knew how long he'd been sitting on this, biding his time...
"Alright Danzou. By the end of the week Uchiha Sasuke will be named a missing nin. Who is Naruto's target?" Danzou's eye wrinkled with pleasure. Tsunade suspected it was the closest the man got to smiling.
"You won't believe me when I say – so do us both a favor, and rather than getting angry with me as you kids often do, contact Jiraiya. No doubt you've sent him to Iwa. If he's any use at all, he'll be able to corroborate my story."
"Fine. Now who is it?"
"You."
"Wh-what?"
"Perhaps now you see why I've been working tirelessly. A village without a kage is no village at all. It's time you put aside your petty history with the boy and do what must be done for all of Konoha."
Was the old fart enjoying her misery and shock? Probably. She saw him smirk widely as he hobbled out of the room, leaving Tsunade to her gut-wrenching nausea.
Tsunade had been staring at the not for what seemed like hours. To think Danzou of all people had been trying to save her life. From Naruto!? It was unreal. He was the third. He was the one meant to prove her faith!
She wouldn't have a choice but to cooperate with Danzou this time. "Call him in, I know he's waiting outside."
Sure enough, Tsunade heard the sounds of footsteps entering immediately. But it wasn't whom she expected. "N-Naruto?" His eyes were filled with tears.
"Show me Iruka-sensei's final file."
Tsunade paused. "Don't go down this route. I've been here, and looking at the file doesn't help. Naruto, it wasn't your fault. There's nothing you could have done."
Blood dripped out of Naruto's palms as his fingernails dug into the skin. "Iruka sensei considered me a son. I am Aki's older brother. I have a right to see that file. I once considered you my family, and," pointing to his necklace, "part of me still does. So I'll ask you nicely one more time. Show me Iruka-sensei's file. Please."
"Naruto..." It was just barely above a whisper. "It's because you're family that I can't let you see. If I can't even protect my grandson, then what kind of Hokage am I?"
There was a short scuffle. Naruto zoomed at her, knocking both of them out of the building. With a lightning flash seal, Naruto set up a barrier preventing any ANBU from getting closer.
Tsunade looked up to find a Kage Bunshin holding her in place. She didn't have time for this. She went at him with a chakra-packed punch, but he caught her punch with some strange sealing paper and the chakra she'd stored in her fist instantly disappeared. She had a sinking feeling in her heart. By now the real Naruto would have gotten the information. It was over.
Soon enough, the barrier was removed. Tsunade noticed he was so angry he couldn't keep his fists straight.
"You put him in the ANBU?" It was barely a whisper.
She sighed. "Yes. Danzou had received intel that a Iwa was planning on mobilizing against Suna. Gaara requested several ANBU officers for a long-term three month mission to be undercover Suna shinobi."
"You... You... You..." He was too angry to think or speak clearly. "You stupid Hokage!"
Tsunade ducked as she felt a military dog tag whiz by her. She saw the size of the crater it made. Wind chakra enhanced. He's mastering it already. She turned around to try and comfort Naruto but he keeled over and vomited all over feet. The poor boy tried to get up, but ended up falling face first into his own vomit. Eventually, he managed to get up on two feet and stagger away. A yellow flash was seen fleeing the scene.
He just needs some time. She repeated it to herself like a mantra, praying that it would come true if she just spoke it enough. Umino Iruka. She remembered the case well.
It was a time soon after the recently minted Jounin was married, and he came to her asking for more money. Given everything that had happened, she wasn't in a position to increase the pay for B and A rank missions. He had requested an S rank mission then. She obliged, offering him a trial run at being ANBU. Should he pass the mission, she'd offer him a more permanent position.
"The Kazekage is afraid that Iwa is beginning to mobilize once more. They've been hitting harder than ever at the Devil's Pass – it's an extremely dangerous piece of land. Extremely volatile and it's on the border between the two countries. This no-man's land is not to be taken lightly. There are high ranking missing ninjas that live here, a place that no kami-fearing ninja would willingly go.
"The mission itself is quite simple. The kazekage and I need you to impersonate a Suna shinobi and kill a certain Iwa ninja. We've come to an agreement that it's best Iwagakura doesn't turn its attention towards Konoha. Truth is though, Danzou's intelligence has revealed to us that this is a former ANBU Root ninja gone rogue to Iwa. He's giving away village secrets.
"You're to kill him while impersonating an Suna ninja did this. Of course, we want you to get the body. Our hunter ninjas don't dare enter this area. Seal his body away and bring it back to Konoha for proper jutsu extraction."
"How will I find him?"
She looked at Iruka's young face. Part of her didn't believe he was ready. He needed more experience. But the boy wouldn't take no for an answer. She chuckled. Perhaps she was getting sentimental. Look at her, well into her fifties, worrying about a Jounin. Naruto was right. She really was an old grandma. He'd be fine. "He goes by the code-name 'Kitsune.' Danzou has assured us he resides in this area. Be careful. This is an S-rank missing ninja."
He flashed her a smile. "I'll bring him back, dattebayo!"
She shook her head. It was something she and Iruka had developed after Naruto's death – something small to keep Naruto's ghost alive in both of their lives.
She sighed. Getting up, she moved over to the boulder that had Naruto's dog tag. Given how deeply it was embedded, she wouldn't be able to yank it out without breaking the chain. It was Asuma's trick, she realized. Smiling at how far Naruto had come, she smashed the boulder and picked up the smooth steel from the rubble. The engraving was well done. Even the kanji was written perfectly.
Her blood froze. It couldn't be.
Kitsune.
She stood there, paralyzed, for minutes. Nothing made any sense anymore, but her brain had latched onto a single, indisputable, undeniable fact: this entire thing was Danzou Shimura's fault. But she was quickly knocked back into reality as the volume of malevolent killing intent spiked. Of course Naruto was nearby. There was no way he could travel far in such a state of mind.
She needed to get Yamato.
She winced as the next flare of Ki flowed over Konoha.
Fast.
…
Sakura's eyes wandered from Tsunade to Kakashi to Shizune and back, in a circle, over and over again without gaining any sort of clarity. It was amazing how adults could speak the same language, right in front of you, yet seemingly speak in a code. She didn't understand a thing that was going on.
"How many?" Tsunade asked.
"Yamato said nine." It was Kakashi, Sakura's ears told her, and her eyes wandered over, trying to keep up with the mysterious conversation.
"H-How? Shikifuujin..." Shizune this time.
"Oink!" She mindlessly looked at TonTon before furiously changing her glare to Tsunade out of embarrassment. How could TonTon have contributed anything? She should have guessed that when the adults had agreed all too easily to her listening in that they would do something sneaky like this. Like they were almost ninjas or something, Inner Sakura cheekily replied.
Even worse, it seemed like Tsuande was purposefully trying to spite her. "You're right, TonTon. I didn't believe it either."
"Sensei stopped it." Kakashi finally said. "That's what he said."
"You're joking."
Between wondering who Kakashi-sensei's sensei was, and what exactly it was that he (or she, shannaro!) stopped, Sakura decided that she couldn't keep up with the spiraling conversation and decided to just stare at the ground. Only one thing was for certain: all of this involved Naruto somehow.
"Something must have happened to set this off. The last two times... there was a very specific cause." Kakashi said lightly.
Yup, they were definitely talking about Naruto now.
"There was." The Hokage said. "You should understand, Kakashi. What happened with Rin." She said simply.
For once, Sakura was glad she wasn't the only one who was out of the loop. Shizune was obviously lost as well, but somehow Sakura felt that the older apprentice handled it more gracefully than herself.
"How? Who?"
"He's Kitsune."
Sakura privately thought that if her cyclops sensei's jaw dropped any lower, it would pull his mask off.
When she finally decided she couldn't take the resounding silence anymore, the door opened and an ANBU delivered a note to Tsunade, who then immediately stood up. "Come, it's time for us to visit Naruto in the hospital. He's awake."
…
In a faraway cave, several shinobi immediately stopped their meeting as an abnormally pale man emerged from the earth below. "There's no mistaking it. The chakra you sensed... It's the Kyuubi."
"It seems that the 9-tails Jinchuuriki is finally back from his seven-year slumber." A deep voice hissed.
"Our numbers may have dwindled, but we still have strength." A split personality commented.
"Who do you want to capture it?"
"Kakuzu, Tobi. Get the 8-tails. I will go myself to get Uzumaki Naruto. It's time for Konoha to finally pay for its sins."