Chapter 26

Naruto awoke to find himself over Ashi's bed.

Killer intent! From where! Behind me!

Naruto quickly turned around, and met the cold eyes of Kegawa Inuzuka. "Naruto, I talked to a ANBU named Crow who explained a certain situation to me," Kegawa drawled out. Naruto suddenly shivered.

He's going to kill me.

Kegawa then stated, "The only reason why you're not dead yet is I feel sorry for your pitiful excuse for a childhood."

Naruto promptly fell down on his hands and knees, "Please forgive Kegawa sir! Please forgive me for hurting your daughter! Please forgive me for being a coward! Please..."

Any further begging by Naruto was cut off by a nurse yelling into the door, "Cut out your infernal yelling! It's bothering the patients!"

But you just yelled...and louder than me...

Kegawa then pulled Naruto up by the scruff of the neck, and dragged him away. Naruto offered no resistance. After a long while of being dragged through the hospital, the streets, and into the park, Kegawa finally stopped.

Kegawa then slammed Naruto against the ground, creating a small crater. Naruto still offered no resistance. Kegawa proceeded to beat Naruto, with punches, kicks, and slamming him against the ground.

I deserve this. I nearly got Ashi killed.

After several minutes of the process, Kegawa finally stopped, let out a huff, and sat down next to Naruto's beaten form. Kegawa then asked, "Naruto, do you know how much worry you put my daughter through?" Naruto remained silent. "First, she became confused at the words of an old friend of hers, more like a grandmother figure. She was told by that lady that you were dangerous. When asked why, she refused to say. You know why." Naruto weakly nodded. "So it confused her more by the fact that you left, with as Ashi described it, shame etching your face."

Kegawa took several breaths before continuing, "So she comes to the conclusion that you were considered dangerous because of your...ANBU status. After all, there was the massacre five years ago committed against the cult of people that tried to kill you. So she comes to me and asks what I think. I gave her my honest answer. That you were a safe person to be around."

Naruto had a small look of shock at the words, but said nothing.

"So then she becomes confused. From the one she considers a grandmother, she is told you are bad. From me, she is told that you are a good. She didn't know who to believe. So she went with her heart. Her heart told her that you a good person, but one that was lost in life. She came to the conclusion that it was up to her to guide your way. She is such a good girl."

A tear fell down from Naruto's eyes.

Kegawa paused again, contemplating, before continuing, "So she tried to find you. She couldn't. She thought you were hiding from her. You may not know this, but your one of Ashi's few friends. Not that you deserve such a title," he bit out. He then continued, more calmly, "It tore her to think you were hiding from her. So she barged into the Shadow's office, and demanded him to order you to stop hiding." Kegawa chuckled to himself. "She then found you were on a mission, a long term one."

"So she waited, her thoughts tearing her to pieces. Worried, that she was going to lose one of her few friends. Has she ever told you what she will do about friends," Kegawa asked?

Naruto finally spoke, whispering out the words, "That she would do anything for them." Tear's were falling from his eyes steadily. His face full of regret.

Kegawa continued, "That right, she would do anything. I personally think that you are undeserving of that title from her. However, I will leave that decision up to Ashi. Don't make me regret that decision," Kegawa stated coldly.

Naruto sat in his bed, staring at his mask. He let out a sigh before placing it on his desk. He walked to the common room, where several groups ANBU sat chatting amongst themselves. He joined the group that Fox was in.

"We finally shut Cloud up for good," Toad said, "Jaguar and Leopard managed to eliminate another one of the ANBU teams that was in Fire. Since then, Cloud has stopped sending teams."

"Has Rock started acting up again yet," slug asked?

Fox answered, "Yep, I'm surprised it took them so long. They stole one of our chakra iron shipments. Over fifty million ryo worth of iron. The third was pissed, and he sent a team to steal Rock's next shipment."

"Did they kill our team," Slug asked?

"Nah, they're not stupid enough to kill a team like that. Only light injuries, one of their Reaper teams doing the work. We'll just counter with some ANBU and even out the odds."

Reaper. Rock villages most diverse groups and the most mobile one in the entire elemental nations. The ones responsible for the destruction of whirlpool. Of course, that was after we destroyed Sky village.

After several more minutes of talking about political maneuvers by the various villages, Naruto got up, and exited the building.

It had been a week since Naruto's 'conversation' with Kegawa. During that time, Naruto had been constantly visiting the unconscious form of Ashi Inuzuka.

The doctors said she would recover. She would be weaker than before, but she would still be able to be a ninja. Thank God. I don't know if I could face her otherwise. But that would hurt her more.

Naruto walked, and walked. After several hours of walking in circles, he arrived before the Leaf Hospital. He slowly walked in, before he started sprinting.

She's awake! Ashi is awake!

He ran passed surprised nurses, disgruntled visitors, and an out of place log. He slammed open the door to Ashi's room, to find a somewhat surprised Ashi.

What do I say? Can I say anything?

Naruto slowly walked up to the chair next to her, and took a seat. The two continued to remain silent. After several minutes of silence, Naruto spoke, "I'm sorry."

Ashi stared at him, and Naruto shrunk from her action. She then finally spoke, asking, "Why? Why do the people here fear you? Not that many people that looked at you funny could know you were an ANBU. Why did you continue run away from me? Why couldn't you at least listen to me? Why couldn't you stay?" By the times Ashi finished asking her series of questions, tears fell down from her face.

Naruto shivered slightly before to speaking as tears fell from his eyes, "Ashi, I'm sorry I am such a coward. I'm sorry for hurting you. I'm sorry for scaring you."

"Why," Ashi repeated.

Naruto let out another shiver, before once again speaking, "Ashi, you obviously have noticed that there are many people in the village that are afraid of me, or hate me." Ashi nodded in response. Naruto continued, "My birthday is October the tenth. I was born twelve years ago, on the night of the nine tails attack."

Ashi looked confused at what he was trying to get at, so asked, "What does that have to do..."

But Naruto cut her off, "On that night, the nine tails was killed by the Fourth. He died in the battle. The Leaf was saved. That is not true." Ashi had a slight look of shock, before Naruto continued, "On that night, the Fourth, who was unable to kill the beast, did the only thing he could do."

"What," Ashi asked?

"He sealed it. The nine tails however is too powerful to be sealed into a normal object." Ashi was fixing to speak, when Naruto again spoke before her, "Ashi, what is the difference between a swordsman, his sword, and a sheath."

"A swordsman uses the sword, and puts it in the sheath when he's not using it," Ashi replied, confused at the change in topic.

"Correct, to be more specific, a sword is a weapon. A weapon that is capable of destruction. It is the sheath that holds the sword at bay. It is what prevents it from always destroying. Finally, there is the swordsman. He is the one in control. He chooses when the sword is out and ready to destroy, and when it is safely put away. That concept applies to me," Naruto stated carefully.

Ashi grew perplexed at his words, and asked, "What do you mean?"

Naruto continued, "The Fourth could not seal the nine tails into a normal object. It had to be something living. Not any living being though. Only a human would suffice. One that was young. He sealed the nine tails..."

"In you," Ashi accused quietly.

Naruto nodded, and then said, "The nine tails is the sword, the seal is the sheath, and I am the swordsman. Unfortunately, many within the village fail to understand this. Instead, they believe me to be the nine tails in human form."

Naruto remained silent for several long moments, before saying. "It was for that reason, that many people give me hateful and fearful gazes. However, they have done more than that before."

Ashi's eyes grew a tint of fear as she asked her next question, "What did they do?"

"You are aware of the massacre that occurred five years ago, the civilian massacre to be specific," Naruto asked? Ashi slowly nodded. "Five years ago, a group of Civilians, and several ninjas, attempted to extinguish the object of their fear and hatred. Me." A small gasp was heard from Ashi who went wide eyed, as Naruto continued, "A large group of people attacked me. The ANBU acted as fast as they could. They weren't fast enough to prevent me from nearly dying. They in return then killed or injured over fifty people. Those that survived they interrogated. Those that were interrogated then were later publicly executed."

"That's horrible," Ashi whispered.

"It was at that point, I came to greatly fear the village. The Third was a grandfather figure to me at the time, and I endlessly begged him one thing."

"What," Ashi asked.

"To join the masked men. The only people that seemed to be nice to me at the time. He initially refused, but after a long while of my pleading, he relented. He gave me a mask, and I hid myself from the village. After five years, I had a mandatory leave schedules, something required of all ANBU. I first encountered you right before my time was up, and met you just when it ended. I ran away from you, because I was afraid of you giving me the same look that countless others gave me."

Naruto paused a moment. Tears once again fell from his eye, and then said, "I am sorry, for not having faith in you Ashi."

The two remained in silence, before Ashi asked, "Naruto, do you promise not to be so stupid again?"

"Yes Ashi, I promise."

She paused a moment before saying, "I forgive you."

A cascade of tears fell down from Naruto's eyes, who then sobbed out, "Thank-you Ashi." He attempted to hug her. She promptly groaned in pain, and Naruto quickly raised his head muttering a quick, "Sorry."

Ashi chuckled slightly, as one laid and the other sat in silence. After a long silence, Ashi's eyes narrowed, and asked, slightly venomously, "Naruto, why did the Fourth seal the nine tails in you. Why couldn't it be someone else?"

Might as well tell her everything. It couldn't hurt, right?

"Well, mother was an Uzumaki, Kushina Uzumaki." Ashi's jaw dropped at the revalation. Naruto continued, "Uzumaki tend to have great life forces, which help in containing tailed beast. She also happened to be the previous swordsman so to say for the nine tails. Not to mention the Fourth was my father, with that in mind, how could he ask anyone else to do it?"

Ashi fainted.

Is he going to kill me for this! I didn't mean to make her faint!

There is chapter 26. This was going to be the original ending, but the reviews have kept me going. This ends what I guess could be the end of the Ashi arc. Don't worry, she will still be seen plenty within the story, but will have a little less attention.