AN: Thanks to all those who reviewed. I should have responded to all of them, but if I didn't, then I apologise. All reviews/criticism are welcomed as usual.
'THOUGHTS'
LINEBREAKS=CHANGE OF SCENE/POV
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Kurenai sighed slightly as she and Anko made their way down the stairs of Naruto's apartment building. She had enjoyed spending time with little Naruto again after all these years, but that was tempered by her sadness and anger. Sadness at the condition of Naruto's mind, and anger at the people responsible for it. Namely, the Sandaime.
'How could he? How could he let this happen? He promised! He promised that he was going to protect Naruto.' Well, she had every intention of finding out. Child abuse was not to be tolerated in any form, and she would not allow this to continue.
That's what she tried to tell herself, but another part of her mind reminded her just who she planned to confront. Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't earn the title Shinobi no Kami by chance. He had earned the title through blood. Most notably, the blood of his enemies.
She couldn't help but feel a little nauseous at that thought. At the time, she had been too angry to really notice what she had been doing, but now was another matter. She had scolded the Sandaime Hokage of all people. And while he hadn't seemed to react too negatively to her outburst, who knows what he actually thought. She had actually threatened him, subtle though it was.
She was broken out of her thoughts when Anko finally broke the silence.
Anko Mitarashi was a surprisingly simple individual, and despite what some people may think, she is not insane.
…
…
Well, no more than any other ninja anyway.
But the thing about Anko is she is a very good kunoichi. Orochimaru, sick twisted bastard that he is, chose her as his apprentice for a reason. She was not only skilled, she was a quick learner and had a quick mind. The only reason she was still a Chuunin was rather simple. Orochimaru's Curse Seal.
Ever since the bastard put the prototype seal on her, she'd had to relearn almost everything she knew in order to keep the seal from acting up. This slowed her progress down quite a bit. If the seal hadn't been put on her, then she'd probably be a Jounin by now.
So if she was so skilled, then why did she act the way she did? The answer was really quite simple. She liked to have a good time. Oh, she could be serious when it was called for. Hell, she could be so serious that her enemies -or friends even- would crap their pants. But where's the fun in taking everything seriously? The Hyuuga, Uchiha, and Aburame all did that, and look at them. Complete stuck-ups.
No, Anko much preferred to be a grinning goof if given the choice.
So why wasn't she laughing it up and teasing her friend Kurenai like usual?
'Oh, right, because the woman has a death wish,' Anko thought to herself. 'She's a good person, of that there's no doubt. But you'd think a Genjutsu specialist would be a little more subtle when confronting people.'
Anko loved Kurenai because in many ways, Kurenai was the only family she had. She was an orphan who had never met her parents, and the closet thing she had to a father was now one of Konoha's greatest traitors. A stigma that was quickly passed on to her upon her return.
Anko had been well on her way to drinking herself into oblivion the first time they met. Kurenai Yuuhi had no reason to look after her, no reason to care what happened to her. Yet for some reason, she did.
'It's like the woman is incapable of watching people suffer "unjustly".' Anko thought to herself. 'And no doubt, she plans to get in over her head when she confronts the Sandaime.'
If she was smart, Anko would just stay out it. After all, she was very attached to life and Kurenai was a grown woman. She didn't need Anko to hold her hand or anything.
Glancing over at the older Chuunin, Anko couldn't help but wince. Her friend had that look on her face, the one she wore when she confronted that merchant who spit on Anko a couple years back. Kurenai had marched right up to the man and punched him square in his jaw. His glass jaw, apparently. Needless to say, that man hadn't crossed the two kunoichi since.
Anko mentally cursed to herself as she and Kurenai walked down the stairs of the Brat's apartment. Somehow, she didn't think the Sandaime had a glass jaw…or that Kurenai could actually hit him. Wracking her brain, she tried to think of a way to save Kurenai from herself.
Oh, she understood why Kurenai was so upset, and a part of her felt for the kid, she really did. She knew what it was like to be discriminated against and mistreated, and the kid obviously had it worse than her.
But he didn't seem to want anyone's help and Kurenai getting herself killed wouldn't magically fix the kid's life.
Glancing over at her friend and sighing to herself, Anko decided she had to at least make the attempt to talk Kurenai out of this. She was all Anko had after all.
"You play a dangerous game, Kurenai," she said, breaking her friend from her own thoughts.
"Anko-chan?" Kurenai asked in surprise at seeing such seriousness from her.
"He's not your problem, Kurenai. He's not some puppy you found on the street that you can take home and make your own," Anko said brutally. "It sucks that the world hates him, but that's life. If the Brat's got what it takes, then he'll pull through. If not, oh well."
The crimson-eyed woman frowned at her and came to a stop. "Oh well?" She questioned in a dangerous voice. "Oh well!? He's just a child, Anko! He's supposed to be cared for and protected, not thrown to the wolves! The Sandaime-"
"That's just it," Anko interrupted. "The Sandaime. Did it ever occur to you that the Hokage might be the one that did this to him? Or do you honestly mean to tell me that the kid is on his own because the Hokage thinks it's for the best? He's the Hokage, making tough decisions is what he does. If he feels that the kid needs to be segregated, then he probably knows what he's doing."
"I don't know what the Hokage is thinking," Kurenai replied. "But I do know that he isn't the kind of man who would throw away a child because of the day he was born on." She paused for a moment before adding, "Or a kunoichi because of who her teacher was."
Anko glared at her friend for that comment. Orochimaru was still a very sore subject for her. "I was already a Chuunin then. I could look after myself. The kid can't, and old man Sarutobi doesn't seem to be too bothered by it. After all, the kid didn't get those scars while shaving."
Kurenai looked ready to retort, but Anko cut her off. "Kurenai, you can't go up against the Hokage. You'll lose, and lose badly. I know you want to help the kid but you can't save everyone. Throwing your life away won't accomplish anything, and if you treat the Shinobi no Kami like a disgruntled villager, there won't be enough of you left to fill a sake cup."
Seeing her grow even more stubborn, Anko started to break down. "Please, Kurenai. I'm begging you. Let this one go."
She'd never admit it, not to Kurenai or anyone else for that matter, but the thought of losing Kurenai scared her. It scared her even more than her darkest nightmares of Orochimaru.
It really wasn't that much of an exaggeration to say that Anko didn't have a lot of friends. Acquaintances sure, but only one real friend. Spending time with Kurenai was the only thing she had to look forward to and Anko didn't think she could go back to how she was before Kurenai found her - drinking herself into oblivion in bars, secretly hoping that the next time she passed out would be the last.
She stared Kurenai in the eyes, trying to convince her by force of will alone.
Eventually, Kurenai looked away. "I'm sorry, Anko. But I can't just walk away and pretend today never happened. I'd never be able to forgive myself if I did."
Anko squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to shut out the little voice in her head that was screaming in rage and anguish.
Her best friend was about to confront one of the greatest shinobi the world has ever known, an action that might well cause her death. And there was nothing she could do to stop it.
Well, nothing short of Anko tying her up and forcing her to live with her in some kind of kinky fantasy that some pathetic pervert might think up.
Somewhere in Taki no Kuni.
Jiraiya giggled to himself as he scribbled away at a notepad. 'Yes, this will make me millions,' he thought to himself, just before he sneezed all over his notes.
"Damn it!" Jiraiya cursed over his ruined notes. "Oh well, guess that means some beauty somewhere was thinking about me!" He giggled as he turned the page and began anew.
Back in Konoha.
Sighing in defeat, Anko grinned as she wrapped an arm around Kurenai and began to drag her down the stairs. "Well, as long as you know what you're getting into, I guess it's okay." After all, there was no way she'd let Kurenai do this on her own. And who knows, maybe everything would turn out alright. Besides, all that serious talk made her sound old and boring.
"Anko?" A startled Kurenai asked.
"Don't worry Kurenai-chan. I've got your back. Hey, before we go talk to the Hokage, do you think we should buy some sexy underwear?" Anko suddenly asked.
Flabbergasted, Kurenai managed to choke out, "Wh-what? Why?"
The younger girl just grinned as she explained her reasoning. "Well, we might need to seduce the Sandaime, or at the very least strip for him. And all your underwear is boring."
Her mouth agape in mute protest, Kurenai shouted, "How would you know what my underwear is like?!" She blushed when her question echoed throughout the stairwell.
"Isn't it obvious?" Anko asked. "I looked."
Growing more embarrassed, she asked, "When!?"
Blinking, Anko simply said, "That time you went on that two-week long mission a few months back. I got bored and your underwear drawer was there, so I looked." Anko shrugged and asked, "Why are you getting so bent out of shape about this?"
Growing red in anger this time, Kurenai growled out, "You went digging through my underwear drawer while I was on a mission because you were bored?!"
Anko seemed to pause at that. "Well when you say it like that, I sound like some kind of sex deviant weirdo," she said somewhat accusingly, as if Kurenai was trying to twist a completely innocent event into something perverse.
Seeing her doing an impersonation of a fish, Anko continued, "Besides, you're changing the subject. Sexy underwear would really help if this goes south."
Finally getting her mouth to work, Kurenai asked incredulously, "How would sexy underwear help? And we're not going to seduce or strip for the Hokage!"
Pouting, Anko said, "At least listen to my plan first. If it looks like we can't win, then we'll start seducing him. The Hokage's ancient, and he's probably not getting any. So two young, beautiful kunoichi like us coming on to him will distract him. Then when he's distracted, we can hit him over the head with something, come back here for the kid and make a run for it." Nodding sagely, she finished with, "It's a perfect plan!"
Twitching, Kurenai ground out, "No."
"But-" Anko began only to be cut off by Kurenai.
"No," she repeated.
"Just thin-" Anko tried again.
"No," Kurenai said with an air of finality.
"Fine," Anko said with huff. Crossing her arms as they exited the building, she said, "But while we're on the subject of your underwear, how do you expect to ever get yourself a man with such boring und-"
"There is nothing wrong with my underwear!" Kurenai snapped in annoyance, which quickly turned to embarrassment when she heard a familiar voice.
"While I'm sure your underwear is just fine, we have other things to discuss, Kurenai-san." the Hokage said as he stepped from the shadows to meet them at the door to Naruto's building.
"Holy shit, it's a Kurenai Stalker!" Anko exclaimed as she pointed at the Hokage, much to Kurenai's embarrassment.
For his part, the Sandaime blinked once, glanced over his shoulder, and then raised an eyebrow at the excitable kunoichi. "I assure you, Anko-san, I'm not a… Kurenai Stalker." he said dryly.
"Oh, my bad," Anko said sheepishly before her eyes widened and she shouted, "Holy shit, it's an Anko-sama Stalker!" She pointed at the Hokage again.
"Anko…" Kurenai muttered depressingly, "cut it out."
She looked up from her hand to see the Hokage looking at her with a calculating eye. Anko apparently saw it as well, as she leaned in closer to her and said in a whisper that could be heard a block away, "I bet you wish you had some sexy underwear no-oof," before Kurenai cut her off with a well-placed elbow.
Stilling her face into the mask of a trained shinobi, Kurenai bowed to the village leader. "How may I serve, Hokage-sama?"
When Anko grinned and opened her mouth -no doubt to say something inappropriate- she put her shinobi skill to use and quickly stomped on her foot.
The Sandaime watched all of this, his own face an unreadable mask. When he finally spoke, he simply said, "Walk with me." Then he turned and started away from Naruto's, and back into the village proper.
Kurenai exchanged a glance with Anko, who had also adopted a serious expression. Their eyes met, before Anko glanced up into a nearby tree. Kurenai followed her line of sight and saw what she thought was a brief shifting of a branch. No doubt, it was really an Anbu member.
Their gazes met one last time, before the two quickly moved to follow after the Hokage.
Sarutobi ignored the two kunoichi at his back as he moved through the streets of his beloved village. Everywhere he looked, he saw happy people. Shinobi on a night out with their friends, families going out to dinner or a movie, young blushing couples on their first date.
After decades as a shinobi and as a politician, it was child's play for Sarutobi to keep the disgust off his face. Every one of those people was alive and happy, because of the sacrifices of two. One dead, the other tortured and broken. A father and son, who sacrificed everything to ensure their survival. And how do they repay that sacrifice? By working to finish -either deliberately or by inaction- destroying the young boy who was their savior.
He took a long puff on his pipe to try to calm himself. He couldn't accept it. He couldn't accept that these people could be so happy, could love and cherish one another, while the mere mention of Naruto would send them into a fiery hatred, or an equally intense fear. It enraged him, and it broke his heart all at once.
Oh, he knew that not all hated the boy. If fact, only a minority truly despised the boy himself. Even if you counted those who saw that Naruto and Kyuubi were two separate beings, and yet took out their anger on the boy, it was still a minority.
The problem was, it was also only a minority that truly cared for the boy.
The majority were indifferent to Naruto. They didn't care if the boy lived or died; whether he suffered or flourished. So long as they didn't have to interact with him, they just didn't care. On their own at least. Many were still drawn in by simple mob mentality, or peer pressure, or whatever you want to call it.
Mentally shaking his head, Sarutobi turned his attention to the two kunoichi behind him.
When Anko had shown up in his office to report that Naruto -after yet another disappearing act- was unconscious in Kurenai's apartment, he hadn't known what to think. Especially since Anko's report was rather cryptic, though to him it was obvious that her vagueness was intentional.
The question was, why was she being so vague? Was she trying to hide something? Or perhaps protect one of the few people to call her friend? And if so, why?
It was during their journey to Kurenai's apartment that his paranoia had begun to kick in.
Naruto had been disappearing without notice, and many suspected an outside source to be the cause. Now Naruto had turned up in Kurenai's apartment, a first as far as anyone had reported. How could that have happened? Was it coincidence, or something more?
Add to that, Kurenai happened to be one of the greatest non-clan Genjutsu users he had ever seen. Was it possible that Kurenai was behind Naruto's disappearances? And if so, then what could she be trying to accomplish?
Most of that paranoia had been removed when he and Anko stumbled in on Kurenai hugging a very resistant Naruto. Kurenai had obviously been shocked to find him there, not too mention embarrassed at Anko's statement. Plus Naruto wasn't half the actor he thought he was, so it was easy to determine that the boy didn't know Kurenai or Anko.
Still, some questions remained and he intended to get some answers.
"So explain to me, Kurenai-san," he spoke, gaining the attention of both kunoichi, "just how Naruto wound up in your apartment? Anko-chan was rather vague when she came to get me."
Kurenai blinked and glanced at Anko in consternation before answering. "I picked up on his Genjutsu in the street, Hokage-sama."
"Genjutsu?" He asked with genuine surprise.
Kurenai frowned. "Yes, Genjutsu. Weren't you aware that he could use Genjutsu, Hokage-sama?"
Instead of answering, he asked, "What kind of Genjutsu was he using?"
As he listened to her explanation, he couldn't help but feel a little awe and pride for his surrogate grandson. Awed that a six-year-old with little training and a couple of scrolls managed to create such a complex -if still flawed- Genjutsu, and proud that Naruto was that six-year-old.
It also solved the mystery of how the boy continuously managed to disappear from his apartment. With the Anbu restricted from observing Naruto closer, none of them had the chance to try to fend off the boy's Genjutsu. If Kurenai was telling the truth, then any Anbu who spent just a short time around the Genjutsu would have been able to overcome it.
Now the only question was, why had Naruto been using it? Was he aware that the Anbu were watching, or was this just a new level of his paranoia?
Realizing that Kurenai had finished her explanation and was waiting for his response, Sarutobi thoughtfully muttered, "I see. Tell me Kurenai-san, what are your observations of Naruto?"
The young kunoichi took a breath before responding. "He's unbelievably paranoid and antisocial, especially for a child his age. And he appears to have good reason to be, from what I've seen." Kurenai tried to keep the anger out of her voice when she said that, but Sarutobi was still able to detect it with ease.
"You're correct, unfortunately," he sighed. "Despite his recent progress, he still has a long road ahead of him before he recovers. Even then, I doubt he'll ever return to the way he was."
Shaking his head, he finally turned to face the two kunoichi at his back. "If you have nothing else to report, then you're both free to go." He didn't really expect them to have anything else to say, so after dismissing them, he continued on his way back to the Tower.
So he was quite surprised when the two quickly caught up to him. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Is there something else I should know?"
Kurenai shook her head. "No, Hokage-sama. I was just wondering…" she and Anko shared a quick glance before she continued, "if you could answer some questions for me?"
He sent her and Anko a level look as he considered her request. Deciding that he didn't have any reason not to, Sarutobi nodded his assent. "You can ask, though I can't guarantee that I'll be able to answer." He smiled slightly as he quoted his sensei from the time he was a Genin.
Kurenai hesitated for a moment before she asked her question. "What happened to Naruto-chan?"
The smile left his face instantly as he eyed the crimson-eyed Chuunin. "I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific, Kurenai-san," Sarutobi said as he took another puff on his pipe.
He thought that he had remained calm as he said that, but both kunoichi flinched, however minutely.
Kurenai chewed at her lip slightly before asking, "Hokage-sama… on the night Naruto was born…you said he'd be put in the orphanage and protected…so…what happened?"
Her voice was near whispering by the end as he narrowed his eyes at her question.
Taking another puff, he said evenly, "Perhaps we should continue this conversation in my office. Come." He turned and continued at a faster pace towards the Hokage Tower.
As the trio journeyed in silence, Sarutobi considered what Kurenai had asked and what he would tell her.
On the one hand, she had been one of the first people to show concern for Naruto when he was an infant, and she seemed to still be concerned now. On the other hand, despite her involvement in the Sanada investigation, she didn't really need to know all that much.
As they approached the tower, Sarutobi made his decision and, with Kurenai and Anko in tow, made his way into the building.
"Please take a seat, Kurenai, Anko," the Sandaime said as he stepped behind his desk.
She was more than a little nervous as she followed his subtle order. Earlier, Kurenai had been certain that she had to do this. That she had to find out what had happened to Naruto so she could help him. Now though, sitting in this office alone save for Anko and the Hokage, she couldn't help but wonder if she had bitten off more than she could chew.
Focusing on her leader as he sat himself down, she tried to keep her emotions off her face as he spoke again. "So tell me, Kurenai-san, why are you so interested in young Naruto?"
Kurenai blinked at the simple question. Why did she care? Wasn't that obvious? A child was suffering all alone, and he was asking why she cared? She felt a little angry at the Hokage over this…but luckily, her fear helped keep her calm.
"He's a child, Hokage-sama. He's a child and he's all alone with no one to hold him and tell him that it's not his fault, that they're proud of him," Kurenai tried to explain. "I shouldn't have to be interested in him, because he should have been adopted years ago.
The Sandaime stared at her for a moment, as if judging her answer. When he finally spoke, he said, "Very well then. Ask your questions, Kurenai-san."
Rather nervous at the Sandaime's impassiveness, she glanced at Anko for a brief moment before opening her mouth, only to close it again. She had intended to ask, "What happened to Naruto?" Only to remember at the last second the Hokage's admonishment to be more specific.
Thinking quickly, she asked the first thing that came to mind. "How did Naruto-chan get those scars?"
Probably not the best thing to start off with, if the elderly Kage's flinch was anything to go by.
The Sandaime let out a sigh before explaining all that had happened while Naruto was living at the orphanage.
"Shit…" Anko said when the Sandaime finished explaining. "I'm no stranger to brutality, but even I'd never think about torturing a three year old. And the brat wasn't even unconscious? Shit…"
Kurenai was struggling to keep from shouting out as she asked, "Then how did Naruto-chan end up living by himself?"
For a moment, silence was her only answer as the Sandaime studied her once more. After a minute, she began to grow nervous, wondering if she had somehow offended or angered him. Then her mind began to travel down the path of "what if?". What if she had angered him, what would he do to her for that? Would she find herself on a suicide mission, or in a cell at T and I? Or would she simply never leave the office alive? And what about Anko, whom she had dragged into this with her?
"He was adopted," the Sandaime said carefully, breaking her out of her morbid thoughts. "When Naruto was four, he was taken in by an elderly couple with my blessing. He lived happily with them for nearly seven months."
There was a pause before Anko finally contributed to the conversation. "Seven months? So what happened?"
Both kunoichi had an idea what the answer would be before he even spoke.
"They tried to kill young Naruto, and they paid for it with their lives. Naruto has never been the same since," the Sandaime said with a mixed expression of anger and sadness on his face.
The Hokage then explained Naruto's therapy with Yoshino, as well as what had happened since then. Leaving out only the Anbu attack and the seals in and around Naruto's apartment.
When he finished, Kurenai and Anko were both silent, contemplating all that they had learned, as well as what they suspected.
"Now that you have your answers," the Hokage said gravely, "what do you plan to do with what you know?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Anko began incredulously. "I'm gonna teach that little brat not to belittle dango with his sinful ways."
Even the Hokage blinked in surprise at that, while Kurenai was thinking, 'I hope she's just kidding…Though knowing her, she might actually be serious.'
"So, now that you have your answers," the Hokage repeated, "what do you plan to do with what you know?"
Blinking, she realized that he was looking at her specifically, ignoring Anko's mutterings. Frowning over the question, she considered what she could do. She couldn't say, "Make sure he's taken care of." Since he apparently didn't want anything to do with…anybody. But she couldn't just walk away from this either. So what should she do? Then it hit her.
Her plan needed a little fleshing out, but it seemed simple enough to her.
"Hokage-sama," she began slowly as her plan started coming together, "you've been having members of the Anbu act as pseudo babysitters right?" She waited for his confirmation before continuing. "Well, I'm willing to bet that Naruto could do better with a more…child friendly babysitter."
Naruto was jerked from his slumber by a loud knocking at his door. In fact, he was jerked from his sleep…and into the bottom of his bed.
"Ow…" he whined as clawed his way out from under his bed and stumbled towards his door. "Damn it, Shikamaru!" He snarled as he yanked the door open. "What have I told yo-" He cut himself off as he saw a pair of familiar women standing outside his door.
"Good morning, Naruto-kun." Yoshino greeted him with a gentle smile. "May we come in?"
Naruto stared at her companion suspiciously, before reminding himself that he could trust Yoshino -probably- and nodded as he let them in.
"G'morning, Yoshino," he muttered as he rubbed at his sore head, something that both women picked up on.
"Are you alright, Naruto-kun?" Yoshino asked in concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he muttered before asking, "So what are you doing here, Yoshino? And why'd you bring her?"
"It's nice to see you again too, Naruto-chan," Kurenai said with a hint of sarcasm. "How's your head? Did you sleep well last night?" She continued in a more genuine tone.
He silently cursed her big mouth, as Yoshino was quick to start worrying when she heard the red-eyed Kunoichi's question. "Are you alright? What happened, Naruto-kun?" Yoshino asked worriedly as she pulled him close and began looking him over head to toe.
"I'm fine," he said stiffly as he sent Kurenai a glare. Really, if there was anything about Yoshino that he couldn't stand, it was the way she would try to baby him from time to time. Thankfully, those occurrences were few and far between. Otherwise, he might have had to admit that he enjoyed her attention.
Luckily, he was saved from her questions by his stomach growling, which caused Kurenai to offer to make breakfast. Eyes narrowing at the woman's audaciousness to think she could just come into his apartment and do whatever she wanted, Naruto quickly followed after her, reaching his kitchen just ahead of her.
"I can make my own breakfast," he growled up at her. "I don't need your help."
For her part, Kurenai just smiled and countered, "But you just woke up. Why don't you and Yoshino-sensei relax and let me take care of breakfast?"
"I said, I'm fine," Naruto said through clenched teeth.
"Why don't we all work together?" Yoshino asked. "After all, it's been so long since you and I made a meal together, Naruto-kun. And Kurenai-san can help us."
Scowling, Naruto glanced between the two women. On the one hand, Yoshino was the one asking and he liked to keep her happy. On the other hand, he wasn't quite so fond of Kurenai and wanted her out of his apartment. So he compromised.
"You can set the table," he told Kurenai as he led Yoshino to the fridge.
As Yoshino chatted away happily, Naruto tried to keep an eye on the red-eyed kunoichi. Eventually however, he was forced to focus he attention on the eggs lest he burn them…again.
"So Naruto-kun," Yoshino started, "have you thought about finding a tutor yet?"
"I told you, I don't need a tutor. I'm just fine on my own." Naruto said in exasperation. She'd been bringing this subject up time and time again since he turned down the Academy. Despite being a military institution, the Academy was also responsible for teaching a number of other -no less important- skills to its students. These skills ranged from math, to nutritional matters, to basic map reading skills among others.
Children who didn't attend the Academy were usually taught these things by a family member, a Master if they took up an apprenticeship, or in certain cases, a tutor.
Naruto just happened to fall under one of those certain cases. Despite this, he had no real desire for a tutor, regardless of what Yoshino said. After all, he'd taught himself how to use Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. So, with a few books he could teach himself other things.
Unfortunately, Naruto couldn't convince her of that without actually showing her his skills. Which would defeat the purpose of keeping them secret in the first place.
So she kept bringing it up time and time again, trying to convince him to- "Wait a minute… is that why you brought her here?" Naruto asked. "Because I don't need a tutor, I'm just fine by myself."
"Oh no, that's not why I'm here at all," Kurenai spoke up as she finished setting the table. "I'm here to help take care of you between missions. But if you'd like, I'd be more than happy to help you with your studies."
"…" Naruto looked at her, then looked to Yoshino for confirmation. When Yoshino mentioned how nice that would be, Naruto was quick to interrupt. "I don't need a babysitter. And I don't need a tutor either."
"Naruto-kun," Yoshino sighed sadly before kneeling down in front of him, "you know I care about you, don't you?" She asked as she brushed at his hair to try to give it some semblance of neatness. "I wouldn't be asking this of you unless I really thought it was for the best. At least give them a chance. I even know someone who wouldn't mind teaching you. Please?"
After a moment of grumbling and thinking, Naruto finally agreed. "I'll give it a try. But only the one time. If I don't like him then you have to promise to stop pestering me about this."
Yoshino smiled and agreed, causing Naruto to grin at his own cleverness. Now all he had to do was meet this "tutor", get rid of him, and bam, Yoshino is happy and he doesn't have to deal with her nagging anymore. Perfect plan.
Once their meal was ready, Naruto and Yoshino sat down at his table to enjoy breakfast, only to be surprised to find a third set of dishes laid out as Kurenai sat down across from him.
Glaring at her suspiciously, Naruto tried to keep an eye on her while eating and talking with Yoshino. She must have noticed, but all she did was smile and say, "This is delicious, you're a very good cook, Naruto-chan." He just grunted and turned back to his own plate.
Eventually, the meal ended and Yoshino had to leave but promised to bring Shikamaru by later. This of course left him alone with Kurenai once again. "So, what would you like to do, Naruto-chan?"
"Why are you still here?" He asked bluntly. "I don't need a babysitter, I can take care of myself."
Raising an eyebrow, Kurenai simply said, "I disagree."
Naruto ground his teeth angrily at that for a moment before forcing himself to calm down. After all, all he had to do was the same things he'd always done, and eventually she'd get the message and stop showing up. It was just a matter of time.
Four Months Later
'Why the hell won't she stay away!?' Naruto thought angrily as he once again woke to the smell of breakfast cooking. He couldn't understand it. He had done everything that had worked before, yet Kurenai just kept coming back, even showing up before he was awake to make him breakfast! Even worse, she was around so often that he hadn't been able to practice any of his skills or sneak out to the library. Even his ramen trips were cut back!
Strangely enough, as angry as she made him, his confusion was even greater. None of her predecessors had made much of an effort to get close to him. Hell, most of them only showed up to cook then took off again.
Kurenai on the other hand, acted kind of like Yoshino did. Only without all the weird questions about feelings. She shared at least one meal with him a day when in the village, and insistently tried to get him to play games or even read stories with her.
She showed up with books that she thought might interest him, and she tried to convince him to go into the village with her without his Henge and Genjutsu for shopping or just to go for a walk.
Perhaps the thing he hated most was that she attempted to hug him at every opportunity. Whether it was laughing at him when he said something "silly" or just before she left for the day, she would just suddenly reach out and hug him.
The first few time she did that scared the living shit out of him. After two years, he had grown used to the way his "babysitters" acted. They were more or less politely indifferent. Kurenai apparently had a different viewpoint than the others. One that involved a lot of teasing, attempts at conversation, and just interaction in general really. Oh. And hugs. Lots of hugs.
After the first few times, Naruto had been determined to be alert and keep her at arms length. And it worked…for a while.
If anything, Kurenai was persistent. What followed was a strange kind of cat and mouse game that he tended to lose more often than not. It was strange in that she was careful not to just force her attention on him. In fact, she usually let him go as soon as he started struggling.
After a couple of months, Naruto came to a rather startling conclusion. Gradually, he had stopped avoiding her hugs. It happened so slowly that he didn't even notice that his guard was dropping. It got to the point that he was just tolerating her hugs, much like Shikamaru did when Yoshino hugged him in the middle of one of their games.
When he tried to figure out why he was becoming so relaxed around her, he was faced with a rather disturbing fact. He liked her hugs. He felt…wanted?…comforted?…warm? He wasn't exactly sure. What he did know was that this left him in a very uncomfortable situation. He liked her hugs. He craved them even. But he couldn't understand why. Why was she so attached to him? Why did she care about him when they didn't even know each other not too long ago?
He just didn't understand. And more and more often, he found himself not caring.
Another thing that he didn't understand was that she didn't seem to have told anyone about his ninja skills. The Old Man hadn't said or acted any different when he came around and neither did Yoshino. All she did was offer to give him some advice if he was interested.
As of yet, he hadn't taken her up on the offer. He was still trying to keep as many of his skills secret as possible. Not that he'd been able to work on any of his skills much since she started coming around. She was around so much that he could barely get any practice in.
In fact, the only time he could be sure that she wouldn't be around was when she went on missions, or when Yoshino or her "tutor" were around.
That was something else to consider. His simple plan for appeasing Yoshino had been shot to hell when his tutor, a Special Jounin by the name of Genma Shiranui, had offered to teach him something that he couldn't teach himself. Something that actually interested him.
Flashback
"Naruto-kun?" Yoshino called as she let herself into the apartment. Looking up from the book he had been "reading" while keeping an eye on Kurenai, Naruto was both grateful and surprised. Grateful that he wasn't alone with Kurenai and could relax a bit, yet surprised to see that Yoshino wasn't alone.
She was accompanied by a man wearing a fairly standard Konoha shinobi's uniform. He wore his hitae-ate as some kind of backwards bandanna and he was chewing on a long… needle? He had brown hair and stood about six foot tall, looking to be in his mid to late twenties.
Naruto frowned suspiciously, as Yoshino greeted Kurenai before sitting next to him on the couch. "Naruto-kun, I want you to meet someone," she said gently as she beckoned the man closer. "This is the man I told you about. He's a Special Jounin and he has agreed to tutor you. Naruto Uzumaki, meet Genma Shiranui."
"What's up," the now identified Genma greeted.
Naruto just stared blankly at him for a moment before turning to Yoshino. "This is the guy you want to teach me? He's trying to eat a chunk of metal. How smart could he be?"
"Oi, I'm standing right here you know," Genma said dryly.
"Come on Naruto-kun. You promised me," Yoshino said in slight irritation.
"Fine, fine," Naruto said as he turned to face Genma. "Well, lets see what you can teach me that I can't teach myself."
"Huh?" Genma asked as he looked to Yoshino and back.
"The deal was, I'd give you a chance, and if you couldn't prove that I need you, then I could get rid of you and teach myself," Naruto explained smugly while Yoshino spluttered objections.
"We didn't agr-" Yoshino tried object only for Naruto to rather uncharacteristically interrupt her.
"I promised I'd give him a chance, nothing more," Naruto stated firmly. "So go ahead, Genma. Show me why I should waste my time with you," he said with an insolent grin. Really, he just couldn't wait to be alone again so he could actually do something useful, like work on his Genjutsu, or go for ramen. Once he showed that he didn't need this tutor, he could work on getting rid of his latest "babysitter" and then get back to his usual routine.
"Hmm, something you can't learn by yourself huh?" Genma mused idly as he rolled his needle thing around his mouth. "Well, you don't want to be a ninja," -Naruto shot a quick glare to Kurenai to make sure she didn't say anything- "so that rules out any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu…and you're probably not too interested in Taijutsu either." He paused to think as he glanced around Naruto's apartment. After a moment, he smirked. "Well, I suppose there is this one thing that you might be interested in…"
Naruto tensed as he reached into one of the pockets on his vest and pulled out a… small scroll? He blinked curiously, as Genma unrolled the scroll and placed the book Naruto had been reading on top of it.
"Now you see it," Genma said with a grin, "now you don't." And with that, he channeled a small amount of chakra and the book just disappeared. Genma than handed the scroll over to Yoshino, who placed her hand on it and channeled some chakra of her own, causing the book to reappear in a puff of smoke.
Naruto blinked in surprise as he stared at the book and scroll. 'Well…shit…' he thought in shock. "That…was actually pretty cool…" he said distractedly, missing the grins that lit up the faces of the adults.
"Well, I guess I pass your test then," Genma said with a smirk.
"Yeah I- hey wait a minute!" Naruto objected. "As cool as that…whatever it was, was, I'm sure I could learn it from a book just as well!"
"Nope. Sorry, but information on Fuuinjutsu is restricted," Genma said with mock sadness. "The only way for you to learn is from someone who actually knows what they're doing."
"Restricted?" Naruto asked. "But that would mean it's a ninja thing, and you already said you can't teach me that!" He was grabbing at any possible way out the trap of his own making. As much he liked this Fuuinjutsu, he had no intentions of dealing with this man after today.
"Well, a lot of it is for ninja only," Genma agreed before dashing Naruto's hopes. "But the fact is, sealing is way too useful to keep restricted from civilians. So only the dangerous stuff is restricted. Mostly people only get taught how to make certain seals, like for a storage scroll. Of course, seal experimentation carries a rather hefty punishment for civilians, and even ninja have to take certain precautions. After all, can't have some dumb ass messing up a seal and turning the village into a smoking crater now can we?"
Naruto was dumbfounded to find his plan crumbling around him. Grumbling, he smiled mischievously as he realized something. Once Genma had taught him everything he could about sealing, then Naruto wouldn't need him anymore.
Flashback End
Unfortunately, Genma was the one who decided what to teach him each day. And while Naruto didn't have any proof, he was pretty sure that the Special Jounin was intentionally going slow with his Fuuinjutsu lessons. Even worse, the man was mixing math and law, among other things, into his lessons.
Of course, Naruto didn't take that lying down. He spent most of his free time, aka when he was completely alone, to sneak off to the library and teach himself as much as he could of those other, less interesting subjects. He had hoped that doing so would allow him to breeze through Genma's other lessons so that he could get to the Fuuinjutsu and then, get rid of Genma.
Sadly, no matter how much he studied and how much he was able to learn, Genma always seemed to have more things to teach him.
Despite his frustration, he had to say that his lessons on Fuuinjutsu had been some of the most fun he'd had in a long time. He couldn't effectively put into words just how much he was interested in Fuuinjutsu. He was amazed by its simplicities and mind-boggled at its complexities. His only real regret was that Genma had strictly banned him, with the threat of stopping his lessons, from practicing seals on his own. So Naruto took Genma's threats to heart…and made sure he only practiced a little every now and then.
He hadn't told anyone, but a large portion of his interest came from subtle probing about using seals for security purposes. Just the thought of using seals to secure his apartment made him giddy. Hell, he might even be able to use it to keep out nosy kunoichi who wouldn't take a hint and stay away.
Stomping out of his room he had every intention of lashing out at the woman in his kitchen, he really did. But when he smelt the aroma of breakfast -fish and miso soup this morning- he felt his resolve crumble. Just a little mind you, and he still intended to voice his displeasure. He just decided to wait until after breakfast, that's all.
"Good morning Naru-chan," Kurenai called cheerfully as he entered the kitchen.
Grumbling, he sent her a half-hearted glare for the name. She had started calling him that when it became clear how angry being called Naruto-chan made him. Too many bad memories. So instead, she had decided to give him that little nick name. Which, while annoying, at least didn't force him to relive any of his past.
"Morning, Kurenai." Naruto said in flat voice that clearly voiced his displeasure.
She of course didn't seem to notice it as she turned from the stove and spread her arms out. "Can I get a hug, Naru-chan?" She asked with a pleasant smile.
He just snorted and took a seat at the table.
Kurenai took his dismissal in stride and turned back to her cooking.
Pouring himself a glass of milk, Naruto waited for her to place the food on the table and take her own seat. However, he was caught off guard once again when instead of taking her own seat, she reached out gave him a hug.
'Damn it…' Naruto thought grumpily. 'That's the 597th time she's managed to do that out of the 738 times she's tried.' Not that he was keeping count or anything. That would be childish.
Shrugging her off him, Naruto sent her another glare as he drank his milk. She of course just laughed lightly and sat down next to him. "So, what do you have planned for today, Naru-chan?"
Naruto thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. Genma wasn't around today and he didn't think Yoshino was planning to stop by. So unless Shikamaru showed up, he didn't really have anything planned at all.
Kurenai of course, had been around long enough to know this. So he wasn't too surprised when she asked, "Well, if you have nothing else planned, maybe we could go out for lunch and the park afterwards?"
He stared at her for a moment for her persistence. After four months of trying and failing to get him to go out undisguised, she still insisted on trying periodically. "No," he said simply.
Kurenai sighed quietly as yet another attempt to get Naruto to open up failed. Really, she wasn't exactly surprised that he wanted to go unnoticed, but she certainly didn't want him to spend his entire life hiding from the rest of the world either.
But he stubbornly refused every attempt that she made. She'd hoped that if she could get him to at least go to that ramen stand he loved so much undisguised, and if the owners lived up to her expectations and accepted him, that he would finally start to open up to the world again. Still, at least he didn't react as negatively to her hugs as he used to. There was that at least.
Before she could try again to convince him, the door to the apartment swung open and in strolled Anko Mitarashi. "Goooood Morrrrning, Kurenai-chan!" She called happily as she strode to the table and grabbed herself a helping of soup and rice. Naruto glared at her, which she noticed and said with a smirk, "Oh, and morning Naru-chaaan!"
"Morning, idiot," Naruto responded spitefully.
"Who're you calling idiot!?" Anko shouted around a mouth full of rice and miso.
Kurenai frowned and said, "Anko-chan, don't talk with your mouth full. It's disgusting."
The younger kunoichi just pouted at her, then continued to argue with Naruto.
Really, Kurenai should have foreseen this when she decided to take on the role of Naruto's caretaker. Anko showing up whenever she happened to be bored -which was frequent- had caused a bit of a hassle. Still, Naruto seemed to get along with her well enough…sort of.
The two often acted like squabbling siblings, which helped to bring at least a little normalcy to Naruto's life. She might have even been proud of Anko if it wasn't for one thing. She couldn't decide if Anko was behaving childishly for Naruto's sake…or if she was really just that childish. With Anko one could never be completely sure.
Tuning in to their conversation, she was just in time to hear Anko ask, "So, you finally ready go out Naru-chaaaan?"
Naruto just glared at her and said, "I'm not going anywhere."
Anko blinked in surprise before turning to her. "What gives, Kurenai-chan? I thought you said you were gonna get him to go out today?"
She sighed even as she answered. "I said I was going to try. But it looks like he doesn't want to."
Anko snorted then said derisively, "What, is the little baby still too scared to go out and face the big bad villagers? What a little chicken shit!"
She frowned and opened her mouth to scold her friend, only to be interrupted when Naruto jumped to his feet with a snarl. "I'm not afraid of anything, you dango obsessed bitch!"
"Naruto!" Kurenai gasped angrily only to be interrupted once again.
"Ha! Big words coming from you, ya little bastard! You're so brave that you spend all your time hiding in this shitty little apartment!" Anko yelled back as she stood to her feet and leaned over the table towards Naruto.
"Anko!" Kurenai objected as the argument rapidly spun out of control. This wasn't one of their usual fights where they would argue about any trivial thing. The two of them were serious.
"I'm not hiding," Naruto ground out between clenched teeth as he got in Anko's face.
"Of course you are!" Anko spat back. "Boo hoo, my name's Naruto and nobody likes me so I just stay inside all day and never go anywhere without a disguise because I'm just too worthless for anybody to ever like me!"
"ANKO!" Kurenai shouted angrily, unaccustomed to being ignored. "You're going too far!" Anko of course just ignored her and continued to glare at Naruto in contempt.
"You don't know what you're talking about," Naruto said in a deadly quiet voice, his hair shadowing his eyes.
"Then prove me wrong," Anko challenged disgustedly. "Go to that ramen stand you like so much. No Henge, no Genjutsu. You don't even have to tell them who you are. Just go there and see if they treat you any differently than everybody else. If you can't even do that much, then you might as well admit what a coward you are."
There was silence for a moment as Naruto and Anko continued to stare at each other, with Kurenai looking on anxiously.
The silence was broken when Naruto asked, "And what do I get if you're wrong?"
Anko smirked mischievously and put a finger on her chin as if thinking, before grinning and sensuously running her finger up and down her neck, chest, and stomach as she said, "Well, if I'm wrong I guess I'll be your slave and I'll have to do whatever you want me to."
Kurenai groaned at her behavior until Naruto spoke again, proving that he was too young to understand Anko's insinuations. "Even if I tell you to give up dango and eat only ramen? Oh, and make you wear one of those fluffy pink dresses you hate so much?"
Anko pouted, apparently miffed that her teasing didn't have the desired effect. "Sure, whatever. Not that I have to worry, seeing as how the great Anko-sama is always right." she finished with her trademark grin.
"Whatever." Naruto grunted as he made his way out of the kitchen.
"Come on, Kurenai-chan. We don't want to be left behind now do we?" Anko chirped as she grabbed another mouthful of rice and soup before following Naruto.
Kurenai was dumbfounded. She had tried for months to get Naruto to go outside, and Anko had succeeded in one try. Of course, Kurenai understood that people had boundaries, and Anko tended to just smash through them. Blinking, she heard the door open and close followed by silence. Only then did it hit her. "They left without me!" She said to herself before hurrying out the door as well.
Naruto grumbled to himself angrily as he stomped his way out of his apartment building and towards the Ichiraku Ramen stand. How dare she!? Where did that stupid girl get off calling him scared? What did she know about his life, what he had gone through? Well, he'd show her!
Naruto nibbled at his lower lip as he subtly gazed around the street. He hadn't quite realized just how dependent he'd come to be on his Henge until he stepped out onto the street. Now he distinctly felt the lack of his security blanket.
A distant part of his mind voiced what a horrible idea this was. 'The whole point of your Genjutsu was to help you avoid notice and what are you doing? Walking around without anything, all because some stupid girl insulted you and thought you were hiding. What are you? Stupid? Crazy? Crazy-stupid?'
Not that there was anything wrong with that. He wasn't hiding after all, just being careful. There is nothing wrong with being cautious.
But he'd show her he wasn't afraid, that he didn't care about what people thought about him, and that he was perfectly capable of surviving without jutsu.
Yet even as he told himself that, that treacherous corner of his mind whimpered, 'I wish one of them would say something, anything so that I could have something to focus on.' Not that he was nervous or anything, it's just that he'd gotten used to people talking about something or other these last few months. That's all.
"We're here, Naru-chan."
Naruto experienced a full-body flinch when he heard Kurenai speak. He'd been so wrapped up in his thoughts and surroundings, he'd forgotten that Kurenai and Anko were with him.
"Right." he said steadily, despite what anyone might say. "Lets do this." With that, he strode purposefully into the stand, the two kunoichi following behind.
Once inside, he quickly took a seat at one end and kept his face down, hiding the scars that identified him quicker than his birthmarks ever could.
Now that he was actually here, he kind of regretted agreeing to Anko's challenge. As annoying as Ayame might be, and as whipped as Teuchi was, he really enjoyed coming here. Even if they didn't know who he really was, they still treated him better than almost anyone else ever had. This stand was one of the only places outside his apartment where he felt some measure of safety, and once he saw the Ichiraku's react the way he knew they would to his presence, this place could never be the same to him. Even in Henge, he'd never be able to look the old chef and his daughter in the eye after today, after they did what everyone else had done and rejected him without a second thought.
Glancing out of the corner of his eye he saw Kurenai and Anko sit at the other side of the bar no doubt watching him in some sneaky way. He grimaced when he saw Teuchi approaching the two kunoichi, knowing that that meant he'd have to deal with- "Hello little boy. Are you lost?"- her.
He glanced up to see Ayame smiling down at him as she asked again, "Did you lose your parents? Maybe I can help you find the-"
"I'm fine." Naruto interrupted her, just wanting to get this whole thing over with as quickly as possible. "Can I have some pork ramen please?" he asked as he place the appropriate amount of money on the counter.
She nodded as she took down his order, though he could tell she was still worried about him.
When she returned, she tried to engage him in conversation while they waited for his order to cook. He tried to avoid talking as much as possible, suddenly feeling much more insecure about this whole thing than just moments ago. Especially since she kept asking him to look at her so she could "see what a cute little boy she had here".
"Well, could you at least tell me your name?" she asked when he continued to look down prompting Naruto to gather his resolve and raise his head.
It was obvious that she didn't see his scars at first due to the angle, because she immediately squealed "Oh, you're such a cute little boy! I could just gobble you al-!" Ayame cut herself off with a gasp. "What happened to your face? Did somebody hurt you?"
Naruto blinked and stared at her in surprise. That…wasn't quite the reaction he was expecting.
Taking in his silence Ayame spoke softly, "It's okay, little boy. You can tell Ayame-neechan what happened, and I promise to make sure whoever did this to you can never hurt you again."
Dumbstruck, Naruto could only gape at her as she stared at him with such worried eyes. 'Wha… why…this doesn't make any sense! Why isn't she kicking me out, or acting scared, or at least ignoring me?' he thought in confusion. He'd never once been able to enter any restaurant or store and been treated like this.
As he continued to stare at her, Ayame quickly darted into the back of the stand and returned dragging her father by the arm. "Over here Tou-san! I think someone's been hurting him!" she was saying as she dragged Teuchi over to him.
When Teuchi laid eyes on him, Naruto could see that he recognized him and lowered his head once, waiting for Teuchi's reaction.
He was surprised once again when the old chef's voice came from right in front of him. "Hmm, I'm pretty sure these are old scars, Ayame-chan. Whoever did this is probably long since punished."
Naruto glanced up, surprised to hear Teuchi sound concerned about his scars. When Teuchi saw him looking up, he looked him in the eyes and asked quietly, "You're Uzumaki-san, right?"
Both Naruto and Ayame were surprised, though for different reasons. Naruto, because Teuchi was acting like his usual self, and Ayame because he apparently knew of the "cute little boy".
"Do you know him, Tou-san?" Ayame asked curiously as she looked back and forth between the two.
This time Naruto was sure the answer would be in some of an insult or warning, only to be surprised yet again when Teuchi responded in the same tone of voice. "I know of him, but we've never met before. A few years ago, anyone could recognize him because of his birthmarks. Then one day, rumor started going around that someone had attacked him and scarred his face, but I never expected the scars to be so large." Teuchi shook his head in disgust. "It's a good thing they executed that bastard, we don't need his kind in this village."
Naruto could feel himself starting to panic. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. It never turned out like this when people interacted with him…except for Kurenai…and Yoshino…but other than that, people never treated him like this. What was going on?
He suddenly found his face buried in a ramen smelling apron as Ayame wrapped her arms around him. "You poor little boy. Don't worry Uzumaki-san, you'll always be safe here with m-"
"Get off me!" Naruto demanded as he shoved at the older girl. "And stop calling me a little boy!" he lashed out angrily. None of this made any sense to him and if there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was being confused.
"Naruto?" Teuchi asked slowly. "Is that you?"
Naruto shrunk in on himself when he realized that he had somehow given himself away.
"What are you talking about, Tou-san?" Ayame asked as she stared curiously at Naruto.
Teuchi just remained silent for a moment before he slowly said, "I see…those people who kept coming around looking for a blond-haired, blue eyed child…they were looking for you weren't they…Naruto-san. I imagine you're quite skilled in the Henge if you managed to fool us."
Naruto stared at him in confusion until he remembered Yoshino mentioning sending her clan out looking for him that first time he used his Henge. They must have come through the stand looking for him. "How…how do you know I was using a Henge?" he asked in amazement. Other than Kurenai, no one had ever managed to discover his Henge before, yet this old ramen chef had figured it out within minutes.
"Well, it's a long story, but once upon a time, I was on a Genin team with the Yondaime himself. I retired of course, but I still remember a few things." Teuchi explained with his usual smile.
"You were a ninja? And on a team with the Yondaime?! Why haven't you ever told me that before!" Ayame asked with a pout.
Teuchi just chuckled, "It was a very long time ago, Ayame-chan. Another life even. Besides, the shinobi life wasn't for me. I'm a chef and I'm just fine with that."
For a moment there was silence as the three stared at each other. Just as Naruto began to feel uncomfortable Ayame suddenly burst out, "I can't believe how cute my little Fishcake is! How could you hide this from me!" she cried as she wrapped him in another hug. "Of course, it also explains why your manners were so bad. You are just a little boy after all."
Feeling a familiar annoyance building within him, Naruto began yelling and waving his arms, "How many times do I have to tell you!? I'm not a little boy!"
Ayame scowled and set her hands on her hips. "What did I tell you about your manners? If you don't behave, I'm going to take your ramen away for good!"
"What's it matter?" Naruto asked depressingly, suddenly feeling very tired. "It's not like you're ever gonna let me back in here again."
"What are you talking about?" Ayame asked in concern. "Why wouldn't we let you come back?"
Naruto just snorted, "No one wants me in their restaurants. Or their stores for that matter."
"Well I don't care what other people do." Teuchi said with a huff as he stood up and started walking back to his cooking. "I say you're my favorite customer. Nothing anyone else says will change that. Now, you wanted a pork ramen right? First bowl's on the house."
He stared at the old chef, barely aware of Anko and Kurenai moving over to sit next to him, Anko with a smug grin and Kurenai smiling happily. His mind racing, Naruto dazedly reached out and grabbed Kurenai's fingers in a loose grip and for once, he had no objections as she wrapped an arm around him for a moment.
It would take him awhile to come to grips with the Ichiraku's kindness, though he'd be back to normal by the following day. And no matter what Anko said, Naruto most certainly didn't cry.
Translations:
Shinobi no Kami=God of Shinobi
Henge=Transformation
AN: There you have it. I'm not quite satisfied with this chapter yet, but I can't think of what else to do with it. Anyway, any reviews, criticisms, suggestions, etc. are welcome. Within the next two chapters, Naruto will begin attending the Academy. I know some of you don't like that, but it's far too late in the story for me to consider changing that now. My question for you is, do you want to see alot of his time in the academy, or do you just want me to touch on the really important part in flashbacks? I'll tell you now that I'll write a little about his first few days and introduce a couple of characters, but other than that, I don't have a great deal planned for his time in the Academy.