Naruto squinted his eyes, as he felt his consciousness shift, as if he was within mist. Looking ahead of him, he was aware of the area around him. The sky above him seemed as if it extended far higher than usual, with the evening sun half-concealed by the horizon ahead. The sky was tinted a bright hue of orange, and illuminated the area below Naruto. He stood upon the ruins of what could have been once, a large building. All around him, similar buildings had crumbled and the remnants of the structures strewn about on the ground. A single wide river ran through the destroyed ruins of what Naruto imagined had once been a city.
"Where. . . am I?" Naruto asked, hearing his voice but knew he hadn't actually spoke the words from his mouth. Stepping forward, Naruto descended the destroyed building he had been standing upon by carefully walking along a slope of destroyed debris. There was no sound of his footsteps, even the shifting debris remained silent as it dislodged and rolled down the improvised pathway. "Am I in a dream?" Naruto asked again, with the same result as last time.
Reaching the bottom of the building, Naruto looked around, trying to see if there was any indication of life anywhere within the destroyed city. A solitary wind blew through the street, catching corners and moving through any number of objects to create the only sound Naruto heard thus far. Turning towards the wind, Naruto felt as though he was being pulled in the direction of the wind. A small whisper was contained within the wind, a human voice. Naruto strained his hearing, but couldn't make it out.
Deciding to take a step forward, the area he had been in was instantly replaced, and he now found himself at a long path of stone steps upon mountainside just on the outskirts of the city he had been in. At the very top of the stairs, he saw a tori gate with a symbol carved into the center of the top arch. A symbol he was very familiar with; It was the red whirlpool that all Konoha vests incorporated into their design, the symbol of Uzushiogakure.
Then, the wind he had heard before picked up once more and blew across him, a whispered message sounding if spoken by a female contained within. "The answer lies within."
XXXX
Naruto groaned, as he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a white roof through his normal eye, a light blue color through his right. Closing his right eye he thought, Damn, am I in the hospital again?And what the heck was up with that weird dream?Naruto sat up slowly, feeling his sore muscles protest the movement. Looking around, he saw he was indeed in the hospital and judging by the sky that was visible it was morning. He also noticed with shock that half of the shared patient room was jam packed full of flowers, fruit baskets, cards, and too many various gifts than he could count. "What in the. . ." he whispered, reaching over towards the nearest fruit basket that sat on his night stand. Grabbing a banana, he also saw a small card jutting out of the assortment of fruit. Taking the card, he flipped it over, and saw written in red ink '- Thank you for saving my family's lives. You are a true hero. Signed, a grateful Konoha shinobi.'
Feeling a strange sensation in his heart, Naruto placed the card back. Memories of the previous day came back to him, and he scratched the back of his head with a half-smile. He had never even considered that people would have been grateful for his actions that day, all he had been thinking about was wanting to protect Hinata.
He stopped peeling the fruit halfway, his hand frozen in spot as he remembered what had transpired after he defeated Shukaku. His had begun to shake and he dropped the banana, the food completely forgotten. Bringing his right hand in front of his face, he stared at it in disbelief, as if it wasn't his own. And in truth, it wasn't, parts of his body were not his. They were terrible growths upon wounds that should have stayed that way. Naruto understood that now, and the mistake he had made when he arrogantly thought he could control the power of The Kyuubi. I'm nothing more than a goddamn monster! What I did to Hinata. . .
"Naruto, I love you."
Naruto grabbed his head with his hands, clutching the sides of his head as he squeezed his eyes shut. Hinata. . . Gods, why?! I didn't want. . . I didn't. . . he could feel his breathing start to grow shallow and rapid, as the images of The Kyuubi possessing him and violating Hinata ran through his mind at a million miles an hour, her pure confession in the midst of being so terribly attacked making it even worse. He had cared so deeply about her, and to hear her say she loved him, something that he had never even considered, a word that he had never known, had shaken him to the core. He had done everything he could to try and see to it she would never be harmed, and in the end he had been the worst offender to her. And even after all that, she forgave him.
He failed her. The only thing he had ever wanted was to protect her. He failed her father, whom he had sworn upon his death that he would let no harm come to her. Clenching his fists, he looked up towards the wall in front of him and saw the shadow of The Kyuubi's taunting grin, as it had walked away from him in his mindscape. He had even failed to keep his prisoner in check!
Why am I so weak?! What am I doing wrong?! Naruto screamed in his head, beating against his skull with his fist, feeling tears of frustration well up in his eyes. Looking around the room quickly, he saw his sword leaning against the wall near the window. He needed to get out of this room, to do anything he could to get as far away from his thoughts as he could. Hustling out of bed, he grabbed his sword, threw the window open and jumped out.
XXXX
"Yosh! Lee my youthful pupil! Are you ready to start but another day of firey impassioned training?!" Gai roared out, as he and Lee crossed the tree they had designated as the start line for their laps around Konoha.
Lee wiped the sweat off his brow and gave Gai a huge thumbs up. "More than anything would I love to engage in a spirited sparring match after running one hundred laps around Konoha! And then shall we lend our youthful spirit to the reconstruction of our home?!"
Gai looked at his student, his eyes pouring forth a river of tears. "My Lee! Never could I be more proud of my student! Let us depart!"
As the two started to run towards their training ground, Gai heard a loud roar and crash come from further within the forest.
"Gai-sensei, did you hear that too?" Lee asked, staring towards the sound as it was joined by two more loud crashes.
Gai nodded. "Indeed I did, shall we investigate?"
Lee nodded, his eyes gleaming with a hidden fire as he hoped it could be a ninja whom he could have an excellent sparring match with. Leaping forth, Gai followed close behind.
As they neared the sounds, more subtle sounds began to come into effect. More yelling could be heard along with countless yells and the familiar sound of a bunshin being dispelled. As they neared a clearing of trees, the sounds of combat became clear and both saw countless copies of Naruto Uzumaki charging forward into a single target. The source of the previous roar became clear as what must have been the original Naruto unleashed another roar, this one filled with emotion and rage as he completely smashed through a clone's defense and cut it through it's midsection. Two more attempted to attack Naruto but he was far too quick and took them both out with a massive cleave.
Lee watched in amazement as Naruto moved like a whirlwind of steel, slashing anything that he could and parried every attack. With a tremble Lee inhaled a large breath ready to yell out words of encouragement, but an outstretched arm from his sensei stopped him mid-inhalation.
"Lee, this is not something to do that for." Gai spoke, his tone dead serious. "This is not training that comes from youthful fires." he watched Naruto, and it was plain as day to the senior jonin that Naruto was in pain, not only physically but mentally. The battle cries that echoed forth from him spoke of a pain and sadness he could not comprehend.
Lee let out his breath, staring up at his sensei confused. Looking back towards Naruto, he also started to see that he had numerous cuts upon his body, blood trickling lightly from areas where his clones had made contact. It was then that he saw that his clones were not pulling any punches that some of the attacks that were being used could kill Naruto if he didn't avoid them. "Gai-sensei, this is bad, should we stop him?"
Gai nodded his head. "This is something that I hope you never have to understand my young student. This is training that one puts himself through that does not come from youth." With a quiet leap, Gai jumped towards the center of the clone's barrage.
Naruto yelled out as he cut down another clone, but for every attack he landed and every one he received his mind would not clear. He could still see it, Hinata squirming underneath him as the Kyuubi touched her. The look of shock, fear and confusion that played out on her face as she begged him to stop. Naruto-kun, please stop. . .
"Goddammit!" he cried out, swinging his sword again and knocking aside a swipe meant for his head.
"Konoha Senpuu!"
Without warning, he saw a green blur appear above him and take out all the surrounding clones in one sweep. Jumping back away from the unknown threat, Naruto raised his sword defensively. But then, as the green blur came into focus and landed in front of him, he lowered his guard seeing it was Might Gai.
"Gai-sensei. . ." Naruto spoke, staring at the leotard clad ninja.
Gai looked over towards Naruto, his face lacking it's usual joviality. He examined Naruto, seeing that he still hadn't changed from the clothing he had worn from the invasion, and was dirty and torn from heaving training and the fighting he had done. Gai frowned, seeing that it was clear something was bothering Naruto enough to the point of where he neglected his personal needs.
"Naruto, I won't ask you why it is that you're doing this to yourself, but I cannot allow you as a teacher to endanger your life with such foolish training." Gai spoke looking towards Naruto.
Naruto frowned, staring up at Gai. "I need this training Gai-sensei. It's the only way I can become stronger!"
Gai studied him carefully, then shook his head. "Perhaps. But in your current mind set you could not possibly take anything away from this insane training. Come." Gai spoke as he fell into his basic stance. "Allow me the honor of helping you through whatever pain it is you need to work through. It is the duty of a teacher."
Naruto looked at Gai, not quite sure what to make of it, but he knew there was some truth about what he said. Reaching back for his leather sheathe, he started to pull it off before Gai stopped him.
"No. Fight me without any form of limitation, otherwise there will be no point."
Naruto nodded, putting the sheath back and taking a stance. "Fine. Prepare yourself!"
XXXX
It had been two days since the verdict had been passed down by the defacto Clan Head Youta Hyuuga to name Hanabi the new heir to the clan and Hinata's branding, along with many other children of the Main Family. The entire clan had been on edge since then, with hushed whispers of personal opinions being sent around and some hard looks being thrown around from both the Branch and Main Families. But if one thing was clear, the Main Family would honor the word of the elder Hyuuga and the Branch Family had no choice in the matter, the constant threat of the Caged Bird Seal ensuring that.
Within the dining hall of the Hyuuga Compound, Hinata ate her breakfast in silence. For the most part, the rest of the Main Family had been avoiding her. Friendly conversations and polite bows had been replaced with rigid bows and simple greetings. She knew why it was. It hadn't been because she had offended anyone or that they now ostracized her due to her impending branding, but because she had spoken out against her grandfather. As much as she loved her clan and her family, there was no denying that when it came to obeying tradition and the rule of the Hyuuga, nothing else mattered. And in denouncing that before the entire clan, she had brought it upon herself.
With the slightest of frowns, she thought about after the meeting, when Hanabi had confronted her as everyone departed.
"Nee-chan, what did you do?!" Hanabi cried, running to catch up with her sister.
Hinata looked down, a small smile on her face. "I denied our tradition."
"But Nee-chan, you're going to receive the brand!"
Hinata nodded once, stopping. Seeing her little sisters face, completely encompassed in fear and confusion brought a strange sensation to her, as she knelt down and embraced Hanabi. "I know. But I do it because I will never let you go through that. You're my adorable little sister, it's my duty as your big sister to make sure nothing bad happens to you. I could never live with myself if I did."
Hanabi's eyes misted over as she returned the embrace. "Nee-chan . . .Nee-chan!" was all she could utter out before she started crying in earnest, as Hinata patted her back and whispered into her ear, "It's okay, everything's gonna be fine."
Hinata finished her food and began to place her bowls back into the tray a servant had carried them out on. She would never let her grandfather lay a hand on her sister, no matter the price she had to pay.
Neji, she thought, thinking of how her cousin had suffered under the activation of the Caged Bird Seal. She had never seen it before and if she had thought it was barbaric before, now she knew just how terrifying the effects of the seal were.
After cleaning her dishes, much to the protest of the maids in the kitchen, Hinata left the compound to head for the hospital. She had finally been able to leave the day previously, but to her dismay Naruto was still asleep. It worried her, but the doctor had promised her that many ninja who fight to the point of chakra exhaustion have been known to be in a borderline comatose sleep for days at a time. So she had waited the whole time she was allowed by visitation hours, but he never woke up. She watched him sleep, and even in the sweet embrace of blissful sleep, his expression clearly showed his exhaustion.
Then, at some point during her visit gifts had started pouring in by the dozens. It was amazing to her, as civilians and ninja alike came in by the dozen to drop off their tokens of 'get well soon'. She tried to organize them all nicely, but before she knew it there were more than the area around the bed had room for. She was almost glad when they stopped coming.
Later on in the day, the rest of Team Eight came in for a visit as well. Both looked absolutely exhausted, Shino explaining that their clan had taken some losses in the fighting and had been attending funerals. Kurenai had been awake for nearly two days, between the final stages of the defense and sweeping the outlying area ensuring that no enemy ninja were lurking within to regroup for another push. They had all shared idle chatter, with a promise to meet up again after Naruto had awoken and things had calmed down.
Hinata had been sad when the final call for visitation had come in, the nurse who came to inform her doing so with an understanding smile. Hinata had solemnly nodded, and grasped Naruto's hand with a light blush, squeezing it gently.
Trying to leave the worries of her clan behind, she began walking briskly towards the hospital with a forced smile on her face. If she could see Naruto, she would feel much better.
XXXX
Naruto groaned, as he collapsed and hit the ground harshly, face first. The feeling of the dirt and small rocks pressing into his flesh was of little concern as the stinging pulsation of numerous hits that he knew would probably form bruises. His breathing was ragged, and no matter how hard he tried to will his muscles to move they couldn't.
"Are you feeling a bit better now?" Gai asked, standing across from the crumpled Naruto.
Naruto craned his neck up trying to look at his sparring partner, but only could look at his feet. The fight had been completely one sided, no matter how fast or from what angle he attacked Gai had countered everything and beat him down with ruthless strikes. He had been worried during the fight about if the Kyuubi's chakra would come up and force him to stop the fight, but it was strangely absent for the fight. "Geez, you really don't hold back do you Gai-sensei?" Naruto asked through wheezing breathing.
Gai smiled, walking towards the genin. With a careful motion, he knelt down and helped the boy get into a seated position. "If I hadn't, you wouldn't feel as good as you do now about the fight, would you of?"
Naruto looked up towards Gai, thinking about what he had said. It was true, he felt much more calm from his previous state. With a tired laugh, Naruto nodded. "Yeah. I guess so, heh."
"Gai-sensei! You are beyond cool!" Lee roared from where he had been furiously scribbling down notes since Gai had leaped towards the center of the fight. "I could never reach the height of your youthful flames Gai-sensei!"
Gai whipped around with a large smile, "Lee! Never doubt yourself like that! One day you shall learn to harness the same fuel I have found to make my flames burn brighter than the sun! Bwhahahaha!" Gai replied with a hearty laugh, his ego soaring.
Naruto looked between the two of them with a somber smile. Then, he smelled a rather foul odor, and looking down, sniffing, he realized with a grim startle that it was he who produced the malodorous scent. I guess a shower and change of clothing really is in order huh? Ugh, that's if my home is even still there.
Finding the strength to get to his feet, using his sword as an assist he turned towards Gai. "Seriously, Gai-sensei, thank you."
Gai stopped his laughter and looked down towards Naruto with his trademark grin shining, reflecting the sunlight straight into Naruto's face. "Anytime young Naruto. I only hope when next we meet fists it will be upon equal ground of youthful spirit!"
Naruto nodded smiling, feeling a lot of his gloom lift from before.
"Ah, Naruto, here you are. I knew you wouldn't have just laid in bed."
Naruto looked over, recognizing the voice immediately. Walking up to him and Gai was Sarutobi, his arms crossed behind his back and dressed in his usual robes, his hat hanging off the back of his neck. "Old Man," Naruto replied, using his old nickname for the Hokage.
"Hokage-sama!" Gai and Lee both exclaimed, bowing.
"Now now, enough of that you two. I'm here strictly on a personal matter." Sarutobi spoke, chuckling at the two's antics.
"Naruto, might I borrow you for a bit? I'd like to take a walk with you, if you have the time." Sarutobi asked, looking down at Naruto.
"S-Sure thing, but what do you need from me?" Naruto asked, not used to being asked such a question from the Hokage.
Sarutobi smiled, motioning with his head towards a path in the forest. "I'll explain as we walk." Looking towards Gai, Sarutobi gave him a slight nod, "Thank you for your hard work, Gai." he spoke referring to the sparring match he had with Naruto. He had witnessed the last bit of it, watching Gai help Naruto burn through his anger and frustration.
"You honor me, Hokage-sama." Gai replied with a bow, and then silently motioned to Lee that it was their cue to leave.
"Come, Naruto, the forest is rather lovely this time of year." Sarutobi spoke, walking ahead of Naruto and towards the path he had pointed out earlier.
Naruto followed behind the Hokage, not being able to find something to reply with, still confused as to why the Hokage wanted to spend time with him. Not that he minded, to him Sarutobi was like his surrogate grandfather.
Sarutobi led Naruto silently through the forest path. It was a lesser used one, as evidenced by the mostly undisturbed grass that dotted the path. Branches from bushes stuck out just enough on either side in spots that required ducking under or sidestepping around. The forest was peaceful, the canopy above blocking out most of the sunlight, with only spotted shafts of light passing through, allowing for it to be a much cooler temperature. The wind blew gently through the trees, causing the tree branches to move and shake, the sound moving through the forest just behind the wind. Naruto felt goosebumps run up his body, as the wind caressed his naked flesh coated in sweat and cooled him down.
After what Naruto felt was ten minutes or so, they arrived at a large clearing, much larger than which was normal for the area. Sarutobi stopped, seeming as if he was looking around for something that had once been there, but had since long disappeared. Naruto stepped closer to the Hokage, his curiosity finally too much to keep silent. "So," he started with a pause, "What did you want to talk to me about?"
Sarutobi took a deep breath, as if he was preparing for something. Then, after another moment of silence, he spoke, "Naruto, do you remember when you asked me a long time ago, about your parents?"
Naruto stared at the Hokage's back, tilting his head. He could vaguely remember a time, when he had been maybe five years old. It had been Mother's Day, and Naruto had come to Sarutobi, wanting to know why he didn't have a mother he could make a gift for. Sarutobi had looked at him with a face of stone, set into an unreadable mask. What he had replied with however, he couldn't remember. "I remember asking you about my mom kinda, but I can't remember what you told me."
Sarutobi turned towards Naruto, remembering the day in question. His answer then had been a generic one, telling him that his mother was in a place he couldn't reach, and that she had been a brave ninja. "The times you had asked me about your parents, I never gave you a straight answer or any names. It was something that I still regret to this day, but perhaps what I tell you now will have you understand why."
Naruto's eyebrow arched, as he looked at the Hokage confused. Truth be told, he hadn't really ever thought about his parents in more than a longing sort of way, always wishing he had some after he would witness other children with their parents. He would watch some afternoons, after the academy had let out for the day, as he sat upon the lone swing that hung from a tree outside the academy. He would slowly rock himself back and forth on the swing, watching the happy faces of the other children as their parents scooped them up into their arms and hugged them laughing, each happy to see each other after being away from the other. He would sit on his lone swing, watching, and sometimes wouldn't leave until after the sun had fallen and the chill of night had set in, leaving him to walk home alone.
"You remind me of your mother in many ways, you know?" Sarutobi spoke, snapping Naruto from his thoughts.
Naruto stared at him, the odd phrase foreign to the boy, but it left him with the a hunger for information, "I do? How?" he asked, his voice quiet.
Sarutobi smiled, as he walked closer to Naruto, reaching into his robes. "You have her spirit to be certain. She was always hot-blooded and I remember being able to clearly hear at times rampaging in the academy after some of the students would tease her. She was always honest to a fault and blunt with everything. She hadn't earned the nickname the Red-Hot Habanero for nothing." Now by Naruto's side, Sarutobi pulled out an aged photograph, mostly protected through the years by a picture frame. Presenting it to Naruto, the boy looked up at Sarutobi for a moment, before slowly taking the photo.
Looking at the photo, he let out a silent breath he hadn't know he was holding. She was a beautiful woman with long red hair, long enough to almost touch the ground from her seated position. She had a soft, loving face, with violet eyes. He slowly touched the photo, tracing her face with his thumb. "Is this. . ." Naruto started, not being able to speak what he wanted to.
"Yes. That was your mother a few months before she was pregnant with you. Her name was Kushina Uzumaki." Sarutobi replied, placing his hand gently on Naruto's shoulder.
"Kushina Uzumaki," Naruto mirrored slowly, staring at the photo as if it had contained all the knowledge of the universe. Then, he noticed for the first time a man he recognized standing behind her. "Old Man, isn't that the Yondaime? Why is he with my," Naruto paused, faltering on the word, "Mother?" as if it was a word he was just learning.
Sarutobi looked down at the boy, and Naruto's eyes widened, an odd idea taking root in his head. "That would be because Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime of Konoha, was your father."
"W-What?" Naruto replied, snapping his head back down to the photograph. He looked at the Yondaime's picture hard and almost gasped as he started to notice similarities between the Hokage and himself. "But, why. . . how?" Naruto stuttered out, trying to find the right thing to ask, as a million questions filled his mind.
Understanding the boy's confusion, Sarutobi motioned towards a nearby rock. Taking a seat, he motioned for Naruto to join him, which the boy did, his eyes still glued to the photograph in his hands that he held firmly, as if it would disappear from his grasp at anytime.
"I suppose," Sarutobi started, "It would be best to explain from the beginning with your mother." Looking over to see if he had Naruto's attention, he saw the boy hanging off his words. "She came to our village when she had been just a child, having left the still existing Uzushiogakure."
Naruto's ears perked up, as his dream came to him in perfect clarity, and seeing the destroyed ruins with the temple gate bearing the symbol of the Uzushio.
"She had been brought to Konoha, due to her special chakra that would allow her to control The Kyuubi more effectively."
"What?" Naruto asked, as if he hadn't heard him correctly.
Sarutobi nodded, knowing he would have reacted like that, anyone would. "Our village has long been in possession of the Kyuubi, since the time of the First Hokage and his wife Mito Uzumaki." Seeing the boy's confusion grow deeper, Sarutobi added, "Hold that for now Naruto, allow me to finish your mother's story and I'll explain the rest." Seeing the boy nod to his request, he continued, "Mito Uzumaki was getting far too old, and she knew that it wouldn't be long before she would pass on. So to ensure the safety of the village, your mother was chosen to become the next Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi."
"The years passed, and she would eventually meet your father and they fell in love and were married." Sarutobi smiled, briefly stopping as he thought back to happier days and memories of a time long gone. "It wasn't long after they were married that Kushina found out she was pregnant with you, and your father knew he had to begin preparing for the day of your birth. You see, a female Jinchuriki's seal is weakest during childbirth and your father knew he had to make all the preparations he could to ensure that if the Kyuubi managed to break free it could be re-sealed quickly."
Memories of the fateful night the Kyuubi attacked the village came to mind, as Sarutobi remembered the horrifying scream of the beast. "As you know, it did break free. And while I don't know the full details, and the only one who do are now gone, what is clear is that your father sacrificed his life by using the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to stop the Kyuubi's rampage and sealed it within you, right after your birth."
Looking ahead of them, Sarutobi moved his gaze to the very spot he had found Kushina and Minato that fateful night. "It was here within this clearing that your parents lay, during their final moments."
Naruto's breath caught in his throat, as he looked around the field, as if searching for some sign. Some remnant of the past that could lend more information than what he possessed.
"I found your Mother, clinging onto your tiny form, barely hanging onto the last thread of her life. Your father was next to her, holding her hand, already gone. I was there to hear her final words, as she named you and asked me to look after you in their place."
Naruto stared at the ground, as if he could see the scene play out from a ripple in time. Sarutobi grew quiet, as he seemed to be thinking about something deep. "I. . ." Sarutobi started, looking for the right words, "I am sorry Naruto."
Naruto looked towards Sarutobi, trying to find the reason for the Hokage's apology. "For what?"
"I swore to your mother that I would take care of you. And in that respect I have failed. I could make excuses and tell you why I hadn't paid closer attention to you as you grew, but the reality of it is that I failed. There was so much more I could have done for you, and I didn't. For that, I hope you can accept this old man's apology."
Naruto looked at the Hokage, his jaw slightly agape. "I. . .Old man, that's," he started, trying to deny what Sarutobi said. "I-I couldn't judge you for that." he finally replied, remembering his own failures that he had to live with. He could understand all to well the feelings of regret and anguish that came with having to live with yourself after failing someone you swore to protect.
Sarutobi looked down at the boy, knowing his words were not spoken in attempt to comfort him, it was words spoken by one who felt as if he had gone through the same.
"But I have to ask," Naruto asked, "Why was I never told until now?"
"In truth, it was because no one could. I made the events surrounding the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha an S-Class secret, and that would include the truth of your birth. I wanted you to grow up with a generation that wasn't aware of your jailed beast, in hope you would never be treated differently. Your father died, believing that the village would think of you as a hero, but not many saw it that way. All they could see was their hatred towards the Kyuubi, and the loved ones they had lost to it. And the reason I never revealed the name of your father to you was that your father had made many, many powerful enemies during the Third Ninja War. If they knew that the Yondaime had a son, you would be living in constant danger of being attacked from any number of sources. And I would stress that until you're older and have become a powerful ninja in your own right, you keep this information to yourself."
Naruto nodded, understanding the reasoning behind Sarutobi's decision. He was still trying just to wrap his head around the fact that the face he had looked up to every morning had been the face of his own father. Then, remembering the earlier question he had, Naruto asked, "Is there any special connection between Uzumaki and the Kyuubi?"
"Indeed. The Uzumaki clan was a powerful family of fuinjutsu masters, distantly related to the Senju clan that the First Hokage is from. It is because of that connection that Konoha and Uzushio were close allies. It was they who developed the first sealing techniques for the Bijuu we use today and your father based his advanced seal upon their design. Since the first time the Kyuubi was sealed into a human, it has always been an Uzumaki whom carried the beast within them."
"Wait, does that mean I have a clan?" Naruto asked, allowing himself a moment of hope he may have a family somewhere. However, he saw Sarutobi shake his head solemnly. "Tch," Naruto started with a disappointed sigh, "I guess that should have been clear from the 'was a powerful family'."
"Unfortunately, the Uzumaki were powerful enough to draw the attention of the world as a whole, and shortly after your mother came to Konoha, an allied force destroyed Uzushiogakure and attempted to massacre the Uzumaki. Many were able to flee and going into hiding however, and have remained scattered around the elemental lands since."
"Well, I guess I can take some solace from that," Naruto started with a wry laugh, "I might have some distant family members somewhere."
"Which brings me to my next point of why I've told you all this today, Naruto. The Kyuubi has become a real threat, ever since it tampered with your seal as it had. Not only that, but even the man that is considered to be the authority on fuinjutsu cannot figure out how to undue what the Kyuubi has done – I'll introduce the two of you later – but that does not mean we have given up on fixing the seal."
Naruto looked up at the Hokage with some hope, the subject of the Kyuubi bearing down on him heavily.
"If there's an answer to be found to solve this problem, then it would lie within the ruins of Uzushiogakure."
Naruto's eyes widened, as he felt beyond creeped out, his dream now seeming like more than that. Especially since he could remember the voice he heard on the wind just before he woke up.
"The answer lies within." Naruto whispered out, looking towards the sky. Looking over, he saw the Hokage's arched eyebrow, having heard him. Naruto quickly explained the dream he had, noting how Sarutobi's expression remained neutral. After he had finished his explanation, Sarutobi stood, rubbing his beard, deep in thought.
"It seems as though there is something else here in play than what we know. What you described was almost perfectly how I remember seeing the ruins of Uzushiogakure. It's too uncanny to be just a simple coincidence." Looking towards Naruto he continued, "If you have no complaints, I'd like to have you depart for the ruins of Uzushiogakure in a weeks time."
Naruto nodded, standing up as well. "If it means there's even a chance of finding something that could help stop the Kyuubi there, I'm more than ready!"
Sarutobi smiled, seeing the young boy's conviction. Looking down towards the photograh the boy still held carefully in his hands, he motioned towards it. "That, among other things are now yours Naruto. There is no more reason for me to hide the identity of your parents from you."
Naruto smiled, as he looked down towards the photo again, feeling a strange warmth fill him. "What other things?" Naruto asked, his voice hiding a hidden wonder.
Reaching into his robes once more, Sarutobi pulled out a thick white backed scroll and handed it to Naruto. "When you get back home, open that scroll. It contains boxes of your parents possessions, mementos and the like."
Naruto's face lit up as he could only imagine with barely contained joy as to what lay within. Shaking for a moment, as the emotions of everything seemed to catch up with him, Naruto burst forward almost tackling Sarutobi as he embraced him. "Old Man. . .thank you!"
Sarutobi's face softened as he returned the hug and gently patted the boys hair.
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Hinata mumbled to herself with a frown, trying to figure out where Naruto could have gone. She had just left the hospital where the doctors were rather annoyed that the blond had disappeared without a trace. They were at first worried that something bad may had happened to him, but the Hokage had visited shortly after they noticed Naruto was missing and reassured them he had seen the boy jump from his window, as he had come to visit the boy.
Ichiraku maybe? Hinata thought, looking down the road. Then, she remembered that her teammate had a rather bad odor about him, so perhaps he had headed home to clean up. Deciding it was a safer bet, Hinata jumped to the nearby roof and began her trek to Naruto's home.
It didn't take long before she found herself in front of Naruto's door. His neighborhood had been untouched by the fighting and fire by some miracle. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves that hadn't been this bad since before they had become teammates, she knocked at the door.
"One sec!" she heard coming from within. She giggled, hearing what sounded like a crash, accompanied with a, "Shit!" followed by the sound of him running towards the door. The lock turned, and the door opened.
Naruto had been on cloud nine, having run home at full speed. He decided to wait before opening his scroll and took a shower first, as he couldn't stand to be as filthy as he was. After getting as clean as his patience would allow, he dried off quickly and dressed in an old shirt and pants he wore. The shirt he chose had the Uzushio symbol sewn into the front of it, and Naruto had felt a sense of pride, now knowing that symbol had been his clans. As he opened the scroll given to him by Sarutobi, causing a stack of boxes to appear in his living room, the knock from an unknown visitor had sounded off. Tripping over one of the boxes in his hurry to get to the door, he tumbled to the ground cursing, but deftly rolled as he hit the floor and got to the door, only to be greeted by Hinata.
Naruto looked down at his female teammate, his voice seemingly lost. As he studied her face, he saw she was expectantly standing outside his door, silently asking to come in. His manners kicking in before his thoughts did, he stood aside. "C'mon in, sorry about the mess." He spoke awkwardly.
Hinata felt her face flush as she nodded, walking in, the same awkward anxiety taking hold of her.
As he closed the door behind her, he began to have the same thoughts he had when he left the hospital. With a frown, he closed his left eye and tried to banish the thoughts from his mind. For some reason, he couldn't help but think about how the Hokage had given him such a heartfelt apology about not being there for him while he had been growing up. Turning towards Hinata, he saw her looking trying to make eye contact with him, but her gaze kept darting away as she almost did.
Naruto bit his lip. He couldn't stand this anymore. Throwing himself to the ground, he prostrated himself, his head slamming into the wooden floor of his apartment.
"Eh-!?" Hinata cried out, as she was surprised by the sudden action.
"Please Hinata, I'm so sorry about what I did! Nothing I could ever say would fix what I did, but I swear to you, I swear, I'm going to get the Kyuubi under control!" Naruto yelled out, feeling more afraid than anything else as he belted out the first things that came to him as he tried desperately to apologize.
Kneeling down next to him, she felt embarrassed about how he was groveling in front of her. Grabbing his shoulders gently she pulled him back up so she could look at him. "Naruto-kun," she started, looking the boy in the eye, "I already told you I forgave you didn't I? It wasn't your fault." She gently spoke.
Naruto looked at her, his jaw opening, but she caught it and cut him off. "It's not me who needs to forgive you Naruto, it's yourself."
Naruto was dumbfounded, as he tried to comprehend what she said. He could tell by her gentle and soft eyes that everything she had said was true. She truly didn't hate him.
"But, you know about the Kyuubi, aren't you afraid of me?" he asked, trying to find the reaction he dreaded seeing from her.
"I admit I was shocked by it, and there's a lot about it I don't understand but what I do know is that you're you Naruto-kun." Taking a chance, she cupped his face with her hands, even though it caused her to go beet red in the face. "A-And I love you, Naruto-kun. There isn't a single thing about you I could ever hate or reject."
Naruto felt his breath leave him, as he heard the words she had spoken before, but this time, in this situation it felt so much more real than before. Reaching forward with uncertain hands, he slowly wrapped them around her back, and seeing no resistance from her, he pulled her into an embrace, putting his head in the crook of her neck. "H-Hinata.-chan," he whispered, feeling tears well in his eyes as he could no longer take the overwhelming feeling that sprung from his chest. "I . . . I love you." he spoke, the words feeling like a magic phrase he never had spoken before.
Hinata returned the embrace, clutching at the blond like a lifeline, as she felt her heart soar like it never had. Feeling his wet tears run down her neck caused the girl to smile, both for him and the feeling of her love being returned.
Naruto pulled away from Hinata only enough to where their faces were mere inches apart, their heated breaths mingling and touching the other's lips. Naruto blushed as he started feeling a weird tingling in his stomach as he examined Hinata's pure white skin, her soft pink lips. The paleness of her eyes seemed so much more deep being this close, as if it was a color all it's own.
Hinata couldn't help but lose herself in the crystal blue color of her love's eye. Raising her hand to gently caress the right side of his face, making the boy shudder at the gentle touch, she slowly leaned in towards Naruto.
Naruto could tell what she was asking for, and felt his breathing hitch, as his body trembled. Holding her as if she was the most fragile jewel in all the world, he closed his eye and tilted his head, pressing his lips against hers.
It was clumsy, but both felt an electric shock run through them. Naruto marveled at how amazingly soft her lips felt against his own, feeling a light headed sensation take over him as he deepened the kiss, gripping her jacket.
Hinata almost felt like passing out as she could feel Naruto's warmth all over her body, clutching onto him as if he was a lifeline. As he deepened the kiss, she felt a warm rush of euphoria flood her body, and she felt as if she had truly died.
It wasn't long before both had to break away from the kiss, the need to breath finally winning over. Breathing heavily, more from excitement than anything, they stared into each other, lost in the other's eyes. Hinata wordlessly leaned into Naruto, resting her head against his neck and chest.
Naruto moved his arms around her as he rested his cheek against her head and closed his eye. Neither spoke, no words were necessary. The only thing they wanted at that exact moment was to feel the other's warmth. Nothing else in the world mattered.
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Not a lot to say here. Stay tuned for the next installment coming soon. Thank you again for your continued support and reviews, I couldn't be doing this if it wasn't for you folks.
Shinobi no Ryu