Honest Curse: Sean-Style
Chapter 2
Naruto awoke slowly the next morning. His sleep, while deep and satisfying, had been filled with dreams of Hinata that made him wonder where his mind was. Images of himself touching her body and doing things he'd never even heard of filled his mind. They were nonsensical to him, so he shook his head and ignored them. After a quick shower and breakfast, he dressed and headed for the Hokage's office to see if he could talk to him before class. The old man was likely the only one who would know what was going on with him.
He made his way through the streets of Konoha as the sky was brightening with the dawn. He smiled as the sun warmed his face and the air seemed to sparkle with the moisture still hanging there. This was always his favorite time of day. The village seemed to shine, it wasn't too cold, and no one was out yet to bother him. He sighed, thinking of the issues with the villagers he'd had over the years. He shook his head; that wasn't important right now. He smiled again, breathing in the cool morning air, reveling in the beginning of a new day. A few more minutes and he was at the Hokage's Tower. He looked up at it, grinning as he thought, not for the first time, that one day this would be his place.
Naruto went into the tower and asked one of the secretaries if he could speak to the Hokage. One of them pressed a button and asked. The old man said to send him up, so Naruto went to the old man's door and knocked.
"Come in, Naruto," a voice from within said. Naruto opened the door and went in, slowly. He wasn't his normal self, of course; he had too much on his mind for that. He bowed to the Hokage, who seemed surprised. The old man recovered himself, and asked, "What can I do for you this morning, Naruto?"
Naruto smiled. He always liked it when the old man called him by name for some reason. Foolish maybe, but he still enjoyed it. "Well, old man, I was hoping to ask you about something. I don't know if it's important or not, but I've discovered something."
"Oh? And what would that be?" The old man was genuinely curious.
"Well, you know, as few do, that I've already decided my ninja way is going to be that I'll never back down and never go back on my word." Sarutobi nodded, remembering when Naruto had first told him this. Naruto proceeded to tell him about what had happened with Sakura and Hinata. Sarutobi listened, slowly realizing that the time had come to tell Naruto his secret. "...so I figured out that I can't break my promises, even if I wanted to. So I was wondering if you knew why," Naruto was saying.
"I don't know really, Naruto, though I do have an idea. And I know a way to find out for sure. But I'll need you to do something for me." Naruto looked at the old man, who was still smiling somewhat, though Naruto thought the Hokage's eyes held a devious twinkle. "There's only one person who can really test my theory. And I only have a vague idea of where she is. So I'll need you and two of your fellow students to go find her; you'll have a Jounin supervising you, of course, but it'll just be the four of you, and you can all consider this your first mission."
Naruto grinned, then thought about this. "Wait, why would you want a bunch of academy students to do this?"
Sarutobi grinned and burst out laughing. "Well thought out, my boy. And it's not a bunch, it's three, but mainly you. I want you to find her and bring her back. As to why, I believe you're the only one who would be able to bring her back. She's got a bit of a grudge with the village, which is why she's out there on her own and not considered a rogue. I let her go. But now, it seems, we need her, and I fully believe you can bring her back."
"All right," Naruto said after a moment. "But who would go with me?"
Sarutobi sat back and pondered that a moment. "Why don't you tell me who you think you'd work well with, Naruto?" he suggested, curious what Naruto would say to that.
Naruto sat still, closed his eyes a moment, seemed to come to a decision, nodded, then thought a long time. "Well, I know I'd work well with Hinata. I can't come up with a third member though. What do you think?"
Sarutobi pondered Naruto's choice. Eventually he nodded. Yes, Naruto and Hinata would make a good pair. And for a third? That was indeed a tough choice. He chuckled, thinking of a few people he could put with them. He dismissed Sasuke out of hand, that would certainly not work. He considered Sakura for a moment, then shook his head. That was just asking for trouble. He considered a few more. Ino would probably send Hinata deeper in her shell than she was now, what with her flamboyant manner. Choji might be a good choice, except that Hinata would carry the taijutsu position on the team. No, they needed someone with good enough control to work genjutsu eventually. That left Kiba, Shikamaru, and Shino. Kiba fell in the same category as Choji, so that left either Shikamaru or Shino.
"Well, from what I see, your best choices would be either Shikamaru or Shino," Sarutobi told Naruto, who smiled and nodded.
"I thought the same thing. But I couldn't decide which of them would be better," Naruto said. Sarutobi was somewhat surprised that Naruto had come to the same conclusion as he had himself.
The Hokage pressed a button on his desk and spoke into the intercom. "Could you send Kakashi to me, please?"
"Yes, Lord Hokage," came the reply.
Sarutobi focused on Naruto again. "Okay, once Kakashi gets here, I'll explain the situation to him and the two of you, along with Hinata, can choose your third member. Either Shikamaru or Shino would be excellent choices, so I'll leave it to you three to decide." Naruto nodded, then the two waited for Kakashi.
Naruto had a thought then, while they waited for Kakashi to arrive. "Oh, you said this would be our first mission. So does that mean we'll be getting paid for this?"
Sarutobi chuckled, then nodded. "In fact, I'm assigning this as an A-rank mission, so you'll be paid rather handsomely for it. The high rank is only due to the fact that she may not wish to come back. Don't worry, your lives will be in no real danger." He had carefully considered that particular detail. After all, Tsunade wouldn't really hurt them; at least, not too badly. Plus, she was a medical expert, so even if she did hurt them, she'd heal them.
After about ten minutes, Kakashi appeared in the room in a puff of smoke. Neither Naruto nor Sarutobi seemed surprised to see him. He bowed to the Hokage. "You called for me, Lord Hokage?"
Sarutobi smiled and nodded. "Yes, Kakashi. I have a mission for you."
"What is the mission, sir?" Kakashi was somewhat surprised to be being told this with Naruto there, but he didn't question it.
"Naruto here has a rather peculiar condition..." Sarutobi proceeded to tell Kakashi the particulars of Naruto's situation and the mission to retrieve Tsunade as well as the conundrum of the selection of a third team member.
Kakashi thought about this information very carefully, realizing what this third team member selection would likely mean. He turned to Naruto. "You stay here, I'll retrieve Hinata and send her here. Then I'll pull aside Shikamaru and Shino and talk to each of them. The three of you can listen in," here he indicated the crystal ball on Sarutobi's desk. "And when I get back, you, Hinata, and I can make our choice. Fair?" Naruto and the Hokage both nodded and Kakashi disappeared in another puff of smoke, just as he had appeared.
Naruto chuckled. "Show-off." The Hokage chuckled as well. They both knew Kakashi was a high-level ninja, but still, it was rather odd for the ex-ANBU to come and go like that. He must have been showing off, though even Sarutobi couldn't guess why.
Ten minutes later, Hinata arrived. She had been surprised to get a summons from the Hokage when she was on her way to class and even more so to find Naruto already there. Not that she was complaining of course. She came in and walked over by Naruto, blushing a little. Naruto put a hand on her arm for a moment to comfort her, then the two approached the Hokage's desk together. Sarutobi cast a jutsu and the ball in front of them displayed to all three an image of Kakashi opening a classroom door and requesting to speak with Shikamaru. Iruka seemed reluctant but agreed. Kakashi walked with Shikamaru to a nearby room, which was empty; he sat down in one seat and gestured for Shikamaru to do the same.
With Kakashi
Kakashi was thinking hard about how to approach this with the lazy boy. He knew there was more to the kid than he let on, but Kakashi was at a loss as to how to bring it out of him. He sat and thought a moment, then said, "I guess you're wondering why I pulled you out here."
Shikamaru thought a moment, then chuckled. "Well I noticed both Naruto and Hinata are missing. I'm guessing it has something to do with them."
Kakashi barely stifled a gasp. He was sure now that there was more to this kid than met the eye. He nodded. "Yes, it does." He thought a moment, not sure how much to reveal just yet, then said, "The reason those two are out is that they, along with me, are being sent on a mission. The thing is, we need a third member to their team. You are being considered for the position."
Shikamaru sighed. "I'm sure anything involving those two would be quite a drag." He thought a moment. "I can see that they and I would work well together. I'm not exactly a genjutsu type, but I am pretty good at strategy, another weak point those two share to an extent. I know Naruto can form strategies under fire, but he does it in the heat of the moment; he needs a cool head to balance that. And Hinata, while she can think of how to get herself close to her enemy, doesn't think of much beyond that. The two of them need a strategist, and I am that."
Kakashi nodded, somewhat surprised with the kid's clarity. "All right, Shikamaru. That will do. You may return to class now. And could you send Shino to talk to me, please?"
Shikamaru sighed. "This is such a drag, but sure." He got up and walked out of the room. The three viewers looked at each other, all three thinking the same thing, namely that this kid was indeed insightful, but he would probably slow them down a bit with his laziness. After a few moments, they all saw Shino walk in and sit down in front of Kakashi. With his dark glasses and high collar, it was near impossible to see any of the boy's face.
Shino looked at Kakashi. "I suppose this has something to do with Naruto and Hinata's absence today." Kakashi, surprised for the second time, nodded. "And I suppose that the two of them need a third companion for something, and you are trying to see who would suit the position." Kakashi was getting used to being surprised by these kids now. He nodded again. "And you asked for me to see if I would be good for it; so, can you tell me what's going on?"
Kakashi thought a moment, then said, "Well, the two of them, along with either you or Shikamaru, and myself, will be going on a mission. Yes, I will be the leader, but the three of us will be deciding whether it's you or Shikamaru we take. Shikamaru seemed like he could do it, but he seemed more or less unwilling to work at it. What about you, Shino?"
Shino thought a moment. "Well, if you chose me, it would only be logical for me to work hard at doing it, so that's what I would do. You are aware of my clan's... special techniques, I assume?" Kakashi nodded, and the boy continued, "That said, my abilities would work well for tracking or seeking out a hidden goal. Also, I have decent long-range skills. I know both Naruto and Hinata are short-range fighters so that would cover a glaring weakness those two share. Was there anything else you were looking for in particular?"
Kakashi sat still a moment, absorbing Shino's words. "Well, we were kind of hoping to get a genjutsu type in the team. Naruto specializes in ninjutsu and obviously Hinata is a taijutsu type. Have you considered genjutsu as a possibility for yourself?"
"Well, no, but I will admit I have the control for that. If my team required genjutsu, it would be logical for me to learn it. I will leave that in the open. Anything else I can answer for you?"
"No, I think that will do, Shino. You may go back to class now. And thank you." Shino stood, bowed slightly, and left. Kakashi then disappeared and reappeared in the Hokage's office. Naruto shook his head, Hinata jumped a little and eeped in surprise, and the Hokage just smiled at the former ANBU.
It was Kakashi who broke the silence. "Well, guys, what do you all think?"
Naruto thought quietly a moment and was about to speak when Hinata spoke up. "It seems to me that both of them are smart enough to help us. Shino seems to be the only one of the two with motivation, however. He also seems to be the only one who could supply us with genjutsu at some point. Personally, I think Shino would be a better teammate for us of those two," she spoke quietly, but with confidence. She blushed when Naruto looked at her thoughtfully, then smiled when he nodded his agreement.
"I tend to agree with Hinata," Naruto said. "Both seem intelligent, but I fear Shikamaru's laziness would slow us down. I doubt either would do anything intentionally to hinder us, but Shikamaru would, because of his nature, do so. Shino wouldn't do that, I don't think. He said himself he would work hard to benefit us, whereas Shikamaru seemed unwilling to work at all, never mind work hard."
Kakashi chuckled. "It would seem my opinion doesn't matter much. Since you two agree, I mean. But for the record, I'm with you. I'd choose Shino as well."
The Hokage smiled. "I'm glad you three came to a choice so easily. I'll notify the Aburames of this development, as well as the Hyugas for you, of course, Hinata." He stopped a moment, then pressed his intercom button. "Send Shino Aburame to my office please." He didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he turned back to the three in his office. "Just so you know, if this mission is successful, the four of you will be a team after you all graduate from the academy." He turned his attention to Naruto at this. "Assuming you DO graduate, that is." Naruto knew what he meant. Naruto had tried and failed the final test before, after all. He gulped, then nodded.
About that time, Shino walked into the office. As usual, his face was covered between his collar and his dark glasses. He bowed to the Hokage, then spoke. "I suppose I've been chosen for your third teammate then? I see no other reason for me to be here."
Kakashi nodded. "All three of us agreed that you would be the ideal teammate for us, Shino. Do you accept?"
Shino nodded. "As the three of you have agreed that I would be the best for you, it would be highly illogical for me to refuse. I was told that we were to have a mission. What are the details?" Hinata was curious about this as well, she hadn't been told either as yet.
The Hokage smiled. "The four of you are being sent on a retrieval mission." He held up a picture of a woman who appeared to be in her twenties with blond hair in pigtails and a green spot on her forehead. "This is the lady Tsunade. She is a medical genius, insanely strong, and has been wandering on her own with her apprentice, Shizune, for many, many years. As luck would have it, we got a report of her location just days ago, so we have an idea of where she is. That said, she has a habit of disappearing without a trace for long periods of time, so we need to move on this information immediately. As such, you four should leave within half an hour." He handed a folder to Kakashi. "This contains all the information we have on her recent whereabouts and the mission details. Now go!" The four bowed and left, Kakashi in a puff of smoke, the other three through the door. "Oh, Naruto," Sarutobi said just before Naruto left.
"Yes, old man?" Naruto said, grinning his "gotta love me" grin.
Sarutobi chuckled. In spite of himself, he liked having Naruto call him that. It made him feel close to the boy. He got up and went to a small alcove nearby, got out a large scroll, took it to his desk, and opened it. He got out a smaller scroll and started to copy onto the smaller one. After a few minutes, he handed the smaller scroll to Naruto. "Naruto, do not show this to anyone. Your possession of it is an S-rank secret. Got me?" Naruto nodded, a serious look on his face. "That scroll holds the Shadow Clone Jutsu. I know you have trouble forming normal clones due to your high chakra levels. This jutsu requires less control and more chakra, so I suspect you'll have far less trouble getting it down. And it will suffice for the final exam."
Naruto bowed. "Thanks, old man, I'll see to it that this is put to good use," he said, then rose and left. The Hokage thought about the kids he'd just sent on this mission. Naruto really was the only one who could bring Tsunade back, he believed. Hinata would make a damn good teammate for Naruto. Her quietness would calm Naruto down, while his confidence would bring her out of her shell. Yes, those two would be good for one another. And Shino would complement the team perfectly. Along with Kakashi as their leader, those four would make one hell of a team. He chuckled, thinking that even he wouldn't want to meet those four in battle, even if he were in his prime.
Naruto went home, gathered up his ninja tools (kunai, shuriken, a few scrolls, things like that) and headed out. The team was meeting at the gate, so he headed there. He was the first one to arrive. He had been standing there, wondering what to do to pass time, when Shino walked up.
Naruto gave a friendly wave. "Hey, Shino!" Shino just nodded. Naruto grinned. Shino didn't seem bothered by him, but didn't really react to him either. "Is something wrong, Shino?"
"Not at all, Naruto. I'm here as requested. You, Hinata, and I are now a team. Why do you ask?"
"Well, you're so quiet, and I'm trying to be friendly. You didn't seem to react at all, so I thought maybe you didn't like me or something."
Shino thought about that. He'd have to get used to people thinking with their emotions, he supposed. "Naruto, you are a comrade. Whatever else you may be, you will not cease to be that. Therefore, I will not abandon or betray you. I don't know if you're aware of this, but my clan, like the Inuzukas, value loyalty above all else. You are now a comrade to me personally, so I and my clan will remain loyal to you, no matter what else happens."
Naruto smiled; this was the first person who had ever said anything like that to him. "Thank you, Shino, that means a lot to me. I promise I'll always protect you as well, so long as I am able."
As Naruto was saying this, Hinata walked up. "Better be careful, Naruto. You know how your promises work."
Naruto smiled at the shy girl. "I know, Hinata. And by the way, I promise the same to you. I'll even put my life on the line to protect you, both of you, if that's what it takes."
Hinata blushed and Shino nodded. Shino said, "I believe you just proved yourself more than worthy of the loyalty of both your teammates. I hope sincerely the two of us will prove as worthy of yours as you are of ours."
Hinata grinned. "You're right, Shino. We must both work hard to make ourselves worthy of Naruto's loyalty. And yes, he is more than worthy of ours."
The three teammates moved a little closer to one another, almost unconsciously. Naruto reached out a hand and Hinata took it, smiling shyly. Shino still stood straight, but he took a step or two toward his teammates as well. Naruto smiled happily. He had true comrades now. He wasn't used to this, but he liked it. For Hinata's part, she was blushing and smiling happily at the thought of Naruto being so loyal to her.
Kakashi arrived a few minutes later to find his team standing near one another, Naruto and Hinata's hands linked. He grinned behind his mask, thinking this would indeed be an interesting team to lead. "Let's get going team. We don't have a lot of time. Tsunade could easily move on, and we need to get to where she is before she does."
Some 50 Miles Away
Tsunade was sitting down at a slot machine. She'd been having a losing streak of late, for which she was somewhat glad. It meant her luck in other things would be better. But at the same time, it annoyed her. She never walked away from a losing streak. She dropped a coin into the slot machine in front of her and pulled the lever. The slots spun and started to stop. The first slot showed a 7.
Team Kakashi
Kakashi took off in the direction of an outpost town not far from Konoha that was fairly well-known for its casinos. He was moving fast, but his team was able to keep up with him fairly easily. Naruto was running and reading a scroll at the same time. It was a fairly nondescript ninjutsu scroll from the looks of it. Yet, Naruto's rapt attention seemed to say it was something special. None of the team asked him; they were all too focused on the road ahead of them.
Tsunade
Tsunade's slot machine was still spinning. The second slot came to a rest. Another 7 was displayed. The lines above and below the 7's lined up perfectly as well. The chances of that were astronomical, but it meant nothing if the final slot didn't match up. She tried not to show her fear on her face.
Team Kakashi
They were about ten miles out when Kakashi started to get curious. Naruto was forming a single hand-sign behind the scroll from time to time and focusing his chakra, then releasing it. Kakashi wasn't sure, but something about what he was doing seemed familiar.
Tsunade
The final slot fell into place. It showed another 7. And the two lines around it were matches as well. The machine spat out several coins; in one shot, she had made up for almost half of her losings that day. She knew she should walk away, but she couldn't resist. She had to have another go at it. She plopped another coin in the machine and pulled the lever again.
Team Kakashi
Kakashi fell back to where Naruto was. "What's that you're working on?"
"Oh, just something the Hokage gave me before we left. I'm sorry, Kakashi-sensei, but I can't tell you anything else. The Hokage made it an S-rank secret that I have this."
Kakashi nodded his understanding and moved back up to where he had been. Neither of them noticed Hinata activate her Byakugan.
Tsunade
The first slot fell into place. Yet again, it displayed at 7. Tsunade was getting worried now. If she had suddenly started a winning streak, something was wrong. That's always how it was; when she started to win at her gambling, her luck in other things went to hell within moments. The other two spinning slots held all her attention; she felt they were going to tell her destiny.
Team Kakashi
Naruto kept working at it. He was getting close, he could feel it. He had realized after a short time working at it that this jutsu was a Jounin level one. The amount of chakra it took, along with dividing his chakra between himself and the clone, told him it was easily that. He almost had it down, the only thing stopping him was there were three hand-signs, and one of them was all he thought he really needed. He chuckled to himself, realizing this jutsu had originally probably had a dozen signs or so, and he thought he could do it with one? He eventually nodded, realizing the only really necessary sign was the cross shape made with the first two fingers of each hand. He formed the sign and tried again. He'd been trying to make clones all along and there were several failures laying in the woods along the road, out of sight of his team, or so he thought.
Hinata had seen them. Naruto was doing something and clones kept appearing. They weren't effective, but she could tell they had chakra in them. Were they solid? She wasn't sure, but she suspected they were. What in the world was he doing? She'd never heard of a jutsu like that. It had to be at least Jounin level. She decided that since she had Naruto's loyalty, she would give him hers as well and not say anything. She'd just ask him about it later. She kept her Byakugan active though. She wanted to see what would happen.
Tsunade
The second slot fell into place. A 7. She shuddered. That didn't surprise her. That left her destiny in the hands of the final slot. Her breathing was getting heavier.
Behind her, her apprentice, Shizune, was chanting "Seven, seven, seven...!"
Team Kakashi
Naruto chuckled. He'd done it. That last clone was effective. He dispelled it and had a momentary image of a tree; he thought about it a moment and realized that was what the clone had seen. So, he got their memories huh? That would come in handy. He grinned. Putting the scroll away, he promised himself he'd thank the Hokage for giving him that. Now he'd pass the finals, no problem.
Tsunade
The final slot fell into place, revealing a third 7 for the second time. As the coins fell, Tsunade panicked. She had to get out of this town, RIGHT NOW. She gathered her winnings, which were well over three times what she'd come into the town with. She knew she would be celebrating if she was anyone else, but she also knew her luck was going to go to hell really fast. She ran out of the casino and to her hotel and up to her room and started to pack.
Team Kakashi
The four of them were about a mile out of the town now. Kakashi had spent the last few minutes explaining to his team what to expect from Tsunade. He had told them she was likely to be frequenting casinos, that she would likely not be too happy to see them, and that she would likely run as opposed to attacking them. Naruto chuckled. This could be fun. They ran into the small town and started looking for the blond lady in question. They dove over a wall and there, right in front of them, holding two suitcases, with a brunette holding a pig behind her, was Tsunade.
Tsunade
She was running out of her hotel and toward the wall of the town when four people, one she thought looked familiar and three kids, appeared in front of her. She looked over the kids and saw a Hyuga girl, a boy who looked just like Shibi Aburame, and a blond kid. She looked at this last one again; he was the spitting image of the Yondaime Hokage! She'd heard rumors that he had a kid, and she'd even heard rumors that he'd used his own son to seal the Kyuubi. Considering the chakra this kid had and what he looked like, she figured it must be true.
Tsunade looked at the adult of the group again. "Kakashi Hatake of the Sharingan eye. It's been a while."
Kakashi smiled behind his mask. "Several years, Lady Tsunade. And I see you recognize the ones with me. This is Hinata Hyuga, Shino Aburame, and Naruto Uzumaki. We have been sent here on an A-rank mission to find you and bring you back to Konoha. We need your help."
Tsunade frowned, thinking of all the times she'd sworn she'd never go back there. "And just what do you need me for? I'm sure there's nothing I can do that no one else in that run-down village can do."
Naruto growled. He didn't much care who this was, he wasn't going to just stand by and let her insult the village like that. He ran forward, a fist clenched, and swung hard at Tsunade. She stopped his swing with an open hand, but she was surprised by how much power was behind the attack. Naruto looked up at her, anger flashing in his eyes. "Don't insult my village," he snarled.
"What's your deal, kid? You're not even a genin yet, so why would you care so much?"
"Because I'm going to be Hokage one day! That is my dream! And I'll do whatever it takes to make it come true!" he yelled at her. He'd be damned if he let someone like this insult his village.
Tsunade froze. She'd heard those words before. First Nawaki, her beloved brother, then Dan, her beloved, both had had that dream. She felt herself smiling as she realized their dream was alive in this boy. She looked at him with a different look on her face, one of fondness. But she decided to have a little fun with the kid. "You think you're worthy to be Hokage? Fine, then, prove it to me."
"How?" Naruto asked, still snarling a little, but somewhat surprised at the same time by her change of tone.
Tsunade grinned. "There are two major requirements to be a Hokage. One is the willingness to protect his village and lay his life on the line for it. The other is the ability to perform the jutsu necessary to perform that duty." Naruto nodded for her to continue. "Show me one Jounin level jutsu, and I'll believe you're worthy of being a Hokage some day. What's more, you do that, and I'll come back to the village with you four and do whatever it is you need me to do."
Naruto pulled his fist from her hand and walked over to Kakashi. He gestured him to bend down, then whispered into his ear. Kakashi nodded, then Naruto went back to Tsunade. "One Jounin level jutsu you said, right? That's all?" Tsunade nodded. Naruto didn't say anything, instead he formed a sign where only Tsunade could see it. "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" he yelled out. Suddenly thousands of pops were heard and the entire town was filled with Naruto clones. Tsunade reached out and touched one, expecting her hand to go through it; instead it was solid. Hinata and Shino were doing the same thing. All three were shocked by this. Kakashi just smiled proudly at his student. He was surprised to find he really thought of Naruto as his student already, but he was still proud of the blond.
Tsunade looked down. That was a gamble there, and sure enough she'd lost. She chuckled, realizing this was her bad luck. She looked at Naruto and nodded. "All right, I'll come back." Naruto dispelled his clones, grinning. The six people (Team Kakashi, Tsunade, and Shizune) and one pig all immediately turned to head back to Konoha.
Two Hours Later, Konoha
Naruto and his team along with their mission objective (Tsunade) were standing in front of the Hokage. The old man smiled at his former student. "It's good to see you again, Tsunade."
She bowed a bit to the old man. "It's good to see you as well, Sarutobi-sensei. Though this village could live or die and I wouldn't care," she said the last part rather icily. "I'm only here because I told the kid I would if he could show me a Jounin level jutsu, and he did." She gave her old sensei a glare and the man just nodded.
"Of course he did, I'm sure he was practicing that one his whole way to that town to find you. I'm not surprised he mastered it. However, that particular detail is an S-rank secret, all of you understand that? It will only become open knowledge after the genin exams. Once he's a genin, I don't care who knows, but until then it's S-rank information, got me?"
All four people in front of him nodded. Then Tsunade said, "What is it I'm needed for here, anyway?"
Sarutobi indicated Naruto, then proceeded to explain his situation involving promises to both Tsunade and Shino. "We need you to see if you can figure out a reason for this. I have a hunch, and I want you to see if I'm right." She looked at her old teacher and he ran a finger along a vein in his arm, indicating blood; she nodded, understanding what he meant.
"All right, then, I'll do it." She took Naruto by the arm and led him from the room.
"Naruto, come back for your pay after she examines you." The boy nodded and followed Tsunade. Sarutobi then turned to the other three and handed each one an envelope. "In these are your vouchers for your pay. Kakashi, show them how to collect on them, all right? And show Naruto as well after Tsunade's done with him." The ex-ANBU nodded, then took his students and led them out to get their pay.
Naruto
Naruto was wondering what was going on as Tsunade examined him. He felt her chakra going into him and he knew she was using some kind of medical jutsu, but he had no idea what she was doing. He didn't ask, just sat still and waited, hoping she'd have an answer for him.
Tsunade
Tsunade was examining Naruto's blood at a cellular level. She knew she had to check carefully if she was going to find a bloodline, which was Sarutobi's guess as to what was going on here. She looked a little closer, then suddenly she gasped. This blood! It couldn't be! But his name... and his appearance... He really was their son! She shuddered. Minato and Kushina... and to think their blood had mixed like this.
She looked at Naruto. "Naruto, I've found the answer. You are going to be incapable of breaking any promise you make, unless you are released from that promise by the person you made it to."
He looked at her. "What do you mean? Why?"
"It's a bloodline. Yakusoku, I'll call it. It means promise. Your bloodline makes it so that any promise you make that you are mentally and physically capable of keeping, you MUST keep. Be very careful what promises you make, and remember, it will be the same with any kids you might have in the future."
Naruto
Naruto thought about that, then nodded, remembering the promises he'd made to Hinata and Shino. He didn't mind those promises. He'd do exactly what he said. He would lay his life on the line for Hinata or Shino; then he thought about other promises he could make, such as being faithful to the village. Then he realized that he really couldn't promise that. What if the Hokage was an evil person? Would he still follow that Hokage? He wouldn't, he realized. That being said, he'd have to promise something else; he'd think about that later. For now... "I'll be careful. Thank you, Tsunade."
She nodded. "I'll see you later, Naruto." He nodded and left; he went back to the Hokage's office to get his pay. After Kakashi had showed him how to collect, he went home. It was late and he'd had a long hard day. He got dressed for bed and laid down; he was asleep within seconds.
Tsunade
Tsunade went to the Hokage's office after Naruto left. She told him what she'd found, and the two of them began drawing up the paperwork to register a new bloodline; that done, Tsunade went to her ancestral home, which was now hers, and went to her old room and to bed herself. Shizune was there with her, naturally. She hated to admit it, but it felt good to be back there. She slept, dreaming of the past and the future.