Memories

Chapter 5: Forgiveness

By Hibiki

Naruto is owned by Kishimoto, not by me.

Ino and Naruto were shocked by the sudden appearance of two Anbu now standing beside them. Naruto's hands still cupping Ino's shoulders their bodies tense with adrenaline. Their faces flush from the rampant emotions the two had offloaded upon one another by their brief conversation. If one didn't know better they had been caught in the middle of a passionate embrace. Ino knew same as Naruto that when you had Anbu called to get you it was serious, she needed to go, now.

"We'll finish this later." He remarked rather huskily as he let her go. He winked and she understood. She smirked a little trying to disregard how nervous she was as she turned with an extra sway of her hips. A gesture that didn't go unnoticed by the men (Especially Naruto, much to her glee.) as she looked back over her shoulder, nodding.

"You bet your ass we will, Tsunade's monument at sunset and don't be late tiger." She called out flirtingly. It was then the patience of the Anbu reached their peak. Both grabbed a shoulder and made a half ram, flickering the trio directly to the office of Tsunade.

"Man, that Ino sure is something else." Naruto commented to himself. Looking around and finding no one he made a handsign. Next to him came a massive pall of smoke. Ino's words brought up an urge he had been holding in for a while.

* * *

The two assassins bowed then vanished leaving a uneasy Ino facing a sober and entirely too passive Tsunade. Ino rarely saw this Tsunade, the one who was a true Hokage.

"While what you did was not a felony by any means, is it the nature of the material makes it dangerous." She started and Ino was confused. What had she done? "Does the name Konoha no Kiiroi Senkō mean anything to you?" Suddenly it made sense. She watched the Hokage fidget then glance at--a genjutsu covered wall. Her eyes narrowed.

"Ignore the genjutsu Yamanaka, if you know what is good for you and answer the question." Ino's body snapped to attention dropping the half ram she had formed. There was something about that wall the Hokage didn't want her to see, and you would think she would remember it from all the countless times she had been here to receive training and missions. But with the disorganized state of her mind from the rampant recollections Naruto had unwittingly pumped into her brains, it was lucky she even remembered her own name.

"Other than it's the title given to Naruto's father, no." Tsunade sighed and rubbed at her temple. Apparently those where the very words Tsunade didn't want to hear. "Why does Naruto not know about his parents? He deserves to know." Tsunade sighed again before fixing the young mind walker with a stare.

"I agree, however Minato had many enemies, Ino. Both foreign and domestic. Given the life--" Both blondes winced. "--he had, it's entirely possible that Naruto would announce his family at once, alerting his enemies of an heir to the Kiiroi Senkō. That name alone draws the entire fury of Iwa, which puts the villagers hostilities to shame. No, it is better for the village and Naruto that he remains in the dark; and you to remain silent about what you have learned."

"What about Naruto's mother?" Ino's breath was caught in her throat. To be denied the chance to tell Naruto of his father was crushing.

"Kushina--" Tsunade's eyes grew sad and after a few moments Ino understood the look.

"You KNEW them!" Ino pointed accusingly. "You Knew them and you still refuse to tell Naruto!"

"It's not my place." Tsunade remarked, her arms wrapping around herself to ward of whatever she was thinking.

"Bullshit! You're the Hokage! If it's not your place then whose is it!?" Ino demanded, sparking the older blondes anger as well.

"It was that bastard Jiraiya's!" She yelled back loosing all composure, and Ino floundered for a moment in the intensity of the glare. Those amber eyes were not the same as a moment ago. These were of a Tsunade who had lost countless precious people, who was still as emotionally battered as she was when the man she had loved, maybe not in the way he wanted, all her life was killed. A Tsunade who resented the man who had died under her orders, who left her, the last of the Sannin, alone.

"He dead, Tsunade-SAMA." Ino, despite seeing how much telling her again of his death affected the normally strong woman, refused to back down. There was a man, who was still very much a lost and lonely little boy looking for the people he was suppose to call mother and father, and this woman was denying her the chance to ease his pain. Subtlety was overrated. "Where you simply going to take it to your grave? Wait to your dying breath to tell him so you wouldn't see how hurt and betrayed he would be to know you kept it form him?" The Sannin flinched again, Ino had unwittingly struck dirt. However all it did was galvanize the woman's resolve.

"You are hereby ordered to refrain from mentioning this to anyone. As of this moment his parents are classified as a SSS secret for the safety of the village. Exposure of this secret is punishable by death, do you understand, Yamanaka Ino?" the Hokage was back up and any disagreement here would result in a very messy end for the younger woman.

"Hai! Hokage-sama." Tsunade nodded and turned away apparently done with the meeting, but Ino, defiant to the end, had one more thing to add. "However." Tsunade looked at her bewildered. "One more attack, one more brush with death on his part and my death be dammed, he will know." With that she turned and strode out, leaving a shocked Hokage watching her back. Recovering from her stupor the elder kunoichi pulled a jar of sake from a drawer and forewent a saucer and began to drink from the bottle.

"And they found her in his arms, hmm. Seems my apprentice has competition…." She sat back. "I think she'd be good for the gaki, Whadda think, perv?" A toad croaked in the distance. She smiled. "Me too."

* * *

"Hello Daddy, I guess mom's out in the shop?" The elder Yamanaka clan leader smiled as his beautiful daughter entered the house, Little Ino (despite how she hated being called that) was his princess, and it brightened his day when she came to visit.

"Yes, did you need her? I can watch it for a little while if you need to talk to her." Ino shook her head.

"Actually I need to talk to you. I am having a problem with the mind walk." Inoichi frowned then gestured to the chair across from him.

"What sort of problem, honey? Is it not stabilizing as it should?" Ino once again shook her head.

"It works fine--a little TOO fine, actually." Her words deepened his concern.

"Who did you walk?" Ino froze then gathered her courage.

"I walked Uzumaki Naruto's mind." Inoichi tensed at the name. "I'm having problems disassociating myself from these memories. At first I thought the problem was from his end because he was an open mind and I have never encountered one before. But a few days later I started getting other memories, ones not even related to the memories I searched for. Mostly about his time before the Academy and a few during."

"Do you get any from after his Genin Exam?" Ino shook her head and Inoichi sighed in relief before turning his mind back to the problem at hand. "Ino, I cannot tell you how disappointed I am in you for even using this jutsu on a fellow Konoha, not to mention before you have mastered it. This is a serious matter, there are things in that boy that are beyond your comprehension, things I cannot tell you, but what I can is you need to stay away from him. I'll help with the--"

"Why do I have to keep my distance?? What is so horrible about him? He has been nothing but sweet to me and Sakura, loyal and generous to the whole village. What is it about him that is dangerous, that makes his files so censored, and why people are afraid or angry towards him? None of this makes any sense?" Inoichi, ran a hand through his hair as he struggled for an answer he was allowed to give. Apparently she had been doing her homework. He paused and looked towards the kitchen for an out.

"Sweetheart, I bet your starving, your mother made some Onigiri, lets talk about this in the kitchen." It would give him time to think up something. As he moved on, Ino stood, blinking at the words. She had eaten earlier that day and was by no means starving. But that word… Something about Inoichi's words struck a cord in those recessed memories.

Naruto sighed as he held his stomach. The monster in his tummy was growling again. The sound and feeling weren't new to the child however.

"Just a few more hungry days till Jiji comes again and get me food." The boy, no older than four shivered against the chill as he sat, short covered legs drawn against the cold. The child's skin and bone figure remained as it was, despite the countless people walking by, each one bundled up against the coming snow. Naruto's starving form never moved, even as the snow began to cover it. It snowed for four days straight.

Ino horrified at the memories gasped, so loudly that Inoichi froze looking towards his daughter with some concern. A few hand signs later he laid a single hand upon her brow, burrowing into her defenses with a paternal need to help his baby girl.

It was so cold. Everything hurt, yet the pain was dulled as if it wasn't really there.

"It's okay Naruto, I have you." The gentle grandfatherly voice of Sarutobi, the third Hokage, filled his ears before sight was returned to the blackened world. White snow covered the world against a clear blue sky. It was all he saw at first, then as the vision cleared a small half frozen blonde appeared, cradled in the older man's arms as he franticly tried to warm the boy. The Kyuubi Jinchūriki, as he took note of the much more prominent whisker scars against the pale blue cheeks. Confusion at the scene broke over him then nausea as the child's legs came into view. From the knees down, easily seen by the boy's lack of winter clothing, the legs were an ominous blackened green, swelling in some places, peeling in others. Gangrene. The memory skipped a little before it returned, all of them with an elderly doctor inside of a clean white room.

"Hokage-sama, his healing is being restrained by the dead tissue. In order for his… abilities to work, we will need it… as well as the skin surrounding the infected areas… to be removed." The look of horror and sadness in the great man's eyes as he understood what the doctor was implying. After a few moments he wordlessly nodded. As the doctor moved away to prepare, the Hokage moved closer to the child, trying to find a place the poor child was not covered in the dying flesh to give some sort of physical comfort. Whispering softly, his words obscured as the child began to tear up, and despite the obvious fear, nodded. An orderly left and returned shortly thereafter holding out a bit for the Kyuubi container to latch onto as not to bite his tongue. Inoichi's eyes widened as he remembered something in the Jinchūriki's hidden files. No anesthesia. For none could properly work due to his prisoner. With no time to prepare himself, the scalpel blade dug into the flesh, rotting and healthy alike.

The screams were almost inhuman as they filling the hospital to show their owner's pain. Despite his rapid healing factor the child's voice grew more and more ragged as the minutes turned into hours. The level of decay was horrible and as one layer of the rotten skin was shaved off more was shown. The child could not even pass out. His tenant was making impossible for the boy to slip into the blissful state of unconsciousness.

Some of the orderlies rushed off to be sick somewhere. The Anbu stationed next to the Hokage fidgeted uneasily, a sign of how even they were affected by the nightmare they were forced to watch. Thankfully after two hours of the unavoidable torture the child was free of the sickness, covered in bloody bandages from nearly head to toe and finally allowed to fall into an uneasy half awareness, his breath coming in raspy gasps.

"Why does he breathe like so?" The Hokage whispered as he stood behind the glass observation. The Doctor, his hands shaking from the mental stress of the operation, sighed.

"His healing does have a limit Hokage-sama. He was severely malnourished on top of the hypothermia, which had weakened both his bodies immune system along with slowing how his body could repair. IT was so focused on keeping him alive at their weakened state that items like his vestibular fold and vocal folds have sustained prolonged ripping from his… s-screams." The doctor removed his glasses, rubbing his face as if to remove the memory. "Even when the healing returns to normal the damage will be nearly impossible to remove entirely."

"What affect will it have on his life?"

"Little thankfully, however his voice will gain a more guttural tone when excited, and it may be harder for him to breath when active for extended periods of time."

"This will provoke them more." Sarutobi muttered. "I'm so very sorry Naruto-kun." Sarutobi bowed and that was when the blonde man found his daughter. Inoichi stood dumbfounded by Ino's broken appearance as she kneeled next to the sobbing child she desperately wished to comfort.

"… Ino…" She flinched but remained where she was, refusing to look at him.

"Why…?" The timid whisper so unlike his normally vibrant daughter pierced Inoichi's composure. "How could people do such a thing to a little boy? Why would they treat him so badly?"

'I'm… forbidden to tell you." Apparently that was the wrong thing to say as the world warped around her. It reminded him he was a guest inside HER mind, his power was finite while here hers was off the scale.

"HOW could his ENTIRE life be censored away!? From what I have seen from him as well! Just HOW could a child go through this his entire life! Can you even imagine, daddy? How it must feel… So much hatred and hostility…" Ino's arms wrapped around herself as she tried to force the words past her clenched throat. "To be treated with such an resentment so intense it could obliterate a weaker mind… To have around you so many that would deny you even…" She turned back to look softly at the child as he fell asleep. The memory was fading and she was pushing him out of her mind. "The right to exist." Inoichi look horrified at the thought. He pushed for a few more seconds inside her mind looking for the source of these hideous memories. Just as her defenses snapped into place he caught a glimpse of red in the recesses of her subconscious. The very color of the Kyuubi's chakra.

Ino's right hand was upon her own brow while her left held his right, having pulled it away to disconnect him from her. The hurt look in her eyes at his open sign of intrusion was nothing compared to the pain that filtered behind from the memory. Without a word to him and refusing to listen to his hastily crafted apologies, the younger Yamanaka left the house, stopping only to greet her mother then off towards who knows where. Inoichi would have followed but there was other things he needed to do first.

It worried him. The signs were there, and as a shinobi who dealt with the mind it was in good nature to be apprised of possible mental illnesses and conditions. Ino had the classic signs of the kouchou syndrome, along with survivor's guilt. Her irrational and sudden interest in Uzumaki, the overwhelming guilt he could feel emanate from her as they watched the boy's--he refused to call it surgery. Then there was the Kyuubi's link in his daughters mind that connected her to Uzumaki's. The fact there was a taint alone put utter dread for multiple reasons. Kyuubi could be killing or influencing his baby girl, as if that wasn't bad enough the bastard fox could even be using his daughter as a stepping stone to pull its power away from the Yondaime's Shiki Fuujin.

He knew he had to tell the Hokage at once, but the possibility his daughters life was at stake because of this was great and he desperately thought of a solution that would not endanger his only child. He was influenced and bias, so he turned to the only man smarter than himself. As the hawk flew off towards his friends home he ran a hand through his blonde locks. If Shikaku was anything he was abrupt, and even though the mind walker would probably hate it, the Nara would be know exactly what to do.

* * *

She cursed her father for making her bring up such… for the briefest of moments during the height of his pain, she did the unthinkable and delved deeper into his psyche. For half an instant she felt his pain. Respect for his strength, something she had often criticized when she was younger, grew by leaps and bounds by every memory she observed. Ordering her thoughts took some time so she moved slowly and by the time she skirted the city and made her way up the Hokage monument the sun was very low, but had yet to touch the trees against the sky, meaning she was a little early. She was about to pause and take a little break before making it to Tsunade-sama's monument when two voices broke over her. Making her way over to the edge she looked over to see none other than the boy she was to meet and a person she had been dying to reintroduce herself to. With a hop she landed silently behind them, however despite both of them facing the other direction, the boy turned and grinned.

"Ino." He called out. Hitomi turned with a smile.

"Ino-chan!" She greeted.

"Naruto." The slightly exhausted tone in her voice made the man in question worry, she could see it as his smile turned into the happy mask. She pinched his cheek. "No masks please." The mask fell into a stunned look as she brushed past him to kneel next the feminine figure before her.

"Hitomi-chan." The clone looked a little shyly at her, showing off her crystal blue eyes that gave her, her namesake. The girl was dressed in a simple sky blue summer dress that, despite it's rather average cut, showed off her stunning figure. It was amazing just how pretty the invented girl really was and once again Ino found herself to be a little jealous. Naruto was the farthest from a pervert particularly at the age Hitomi was born, so she couldn't help but be amazed at her apperance.

"It's so… different… to hear someone other than me say that name, Ino." Hitomi's soft voice remarked. It's smoothness and hesitance, so unlike her male counterpart, where just one of a hundred different details that became noticeable with the girl clone before her. Mannerisms, movements, every bit the part of a teenaged girl, even her words where correct. How long must he have studied and watched to make this figment of his imagination into such a real person. In fact had she never met Hitomi before there would have been no doubt that this girl was a living breathing person, not merely a shell of chakra and a man's mind. Gently Ino raised a hand to cup Hitomi's cheeks, unsure if she was allowed, but interested to feel the appa-henge. Expecting the electric thrill of chakra or a hard artificial feel when her hand felt the feel of warm gentle skin, the faint lines of her scars and a soft silky bang, Ino was astounded. The girl giggled and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks, murmuring it tickled. To be able to sense touch to such an extent in an artificial body, was nothing short of genius, she remarked again. She soon realized that beyond Naruto, she was the very first to physically touch the girl before. The thought made her feel excited yet sad at the same time, a confusing one to be sure.

"The whole reason I became aware of you, Hitomi. Your Appa-henge is amazing, Naruto." She called softly to the unusually silent boy. He blinked at being addressed, having been contented by merely watching Ino with Hitomi.

"Appa-henge? Wow, that's a good name for it. I always called it Chou-Henge." He said with a smile scratching nervously at the back of his head. The Super Henge? She giggled at that. It did make sense after all, he was only ten when he made it. A smirk appeared as her hand went lower. Just how sensitive WAS this body?

"EEP!" Hitomi squeaked as Ino's hand cupped something else. Naruto's mind went blank unable to comprehend. Ino squeezed a few more times then pulled back to look at the scarlet faced girl's endowments.

"Geez Hitomi, I'm jealous." Naruto was up at once, apologizing.

"G-gomen Ino, I didn't know. D-do I need to make them smaller? I didn't meant to upset you!" Ino, before he could cancel Hitomi, was up blocking his lips with a finger.

"Baka, don't you DARE change her, she's beautiful." She responded with a fiery tone much more reminiscent of the old Ino. Hitomi was blushing from head to toe and despite his unease at the thought of upsetting Ino that same satisfied look appeared as it had when Iruka had nearly passed out. "And don't apologize! If anyone should be it's me!"

Ino quickly kneeled before him, much to his shock, her hands flat upon the stony ground as she bowed low to him. "Forgive me, Naruto. For looking upon your memories, for what those idiots in the village have done, for my own actions. I apologize for hurting and shaming you so much, Naruto!" She remained as she was ready to wait all night to show him how disgraced and sorry she felt. To Ino's surprise she was only down for a few seconds before he spoke, his voice above her as he kneeled down to her, hands once again on her shoulders.

"I told you before Ino-chan." His bright smile and the suffix caught her off guard once more as he pulled her up to face him. "It's okay. There is nothing to forgive." She blushed looking at her knees. Why was this man, so hurt by her and the villagers so willing to forgive what should be the unforgivable?

"Now it's your turn." The cycloptic Jounin began. "Starting with you on the right."

"ME RIGHT?!" Naruto's growling yell called out much to the annoyance of his teammates, of course they don't understand he had a damaged throat, so it was okay, he could forgive them. Kakashi's eye looked a little sad when he heard it--did he know why? "My name, Uzumaki Naruto! What I like is Cup Ramen!" Because Jiji gets it for me! "What I like even better us when Iruka-sensei treats me to Ichiraku Ramen!" Because he and Ayame-oneechan and Techui-otooji are all there then! "My Dream is to one day become HOKAGE! And then all the villagers will have to acknowledge my existence at last!" I'll be liked, no one will look at me bad again! I'll make everyone happy! I'll show them just how much I love this village! Like Jiji!

Naruto tensed for a moment when two soft arms wrapped around him. The feel of her silky hair against his cheek made the man inhale, catching a hint of lavender along with… he couldn't describe it other than 'Ino'. Before now, before her Jutsu, the scent had always been just another in the background, but now it was near and she was… Thank god she couldn't hear him, but she so smelt good. In fact with her so close the scent was intoxicatingly nice. His arms unconsciously went around her to keep the nice smell close, unaware of Ino's increased blush. However he DID feel when her breath caressed his neck and ear.

"You'll make a wonderful Hokage, Naruto-kun." She gave him a squeeze to emphasis her point. "I just know it."

* * *

Nara Shikaku lived an ordinary content Shinobi life. He was average in his class, passed his Chunin and Jounin exams the second run through so he and his team had a good idea what to expect. Other than that he married a pretty (though troublesome) girl, had a kid, and after a few troublesome missions, spent his days behind a desk, telling others what to do. His nights consisted of drinking Sake with his friends (at least those still alive) and playing Shogi with his boy or spending a slightly less troublesome night being whipped, as Shikamaru put it, by doing chores for his wife around the home.

In fact the only moments that were of great irritation was the day Konoha was attacked by Pein, and the attack of the Kyuubi. The letter, brought by a easily recognizable hawk, before him if it's hastily scribbled dictation was correct, was going to prove just if not as great at those attacks combined.

Passing the letter to man next to him, he consulted the board before moving his Kaku to take the lone Uma. The younger man made an exasperated sound as he looked down from the letter to see the move before putting a dropped kyō onto the board. Shikaku watched as the man struggled for a few moments to light a cigarette, a habit his mother had instantly disliked. To anyone else's eye the action would prove nothing but to the analytical side of the Nara it was a motion of distress. To find out your teammate, a person who have known your whole life was unknowingly in trouble, caused accidentally by another friend, had to be greatly concerning.

"Mendokuse. Tell your mother we'll not be home for dinner." The younger man rose lazily, snuffing out his smoke, Yoshino had made a rule about cigarettes in the house, and stuck his head inside as the older man rose just as lazily.

As he called out to his mother, Nara Shikamaru, tumbled over the words in his head.

'Found contamination in Ino's mind. Apparently houkoushin'ed Kyuubi container. Ino unaware, however contamination revealing memories of Uzumaki. Hokage not alerted as of yet. Please Advise. ~Inoichi.'

Why was the Hokage not involved yet? Her ties to Naruto were obvious, and Ino was learning from the Hokage and Sakura herself. This problem had to be dealt with before the Kyuubi got a hold in someone whose could shift bodies. There could only be one reason for this amount of secrecy and hesitance.

'Ino unaware'

Ino still didn't know about Kyuubi.

"Mendokuse" he blurted out at the realization. This complicated things to an entirely different level of annoyance.

"Hn."

_-_-_-_

Next Chapter: Chapter 6: Discoveries

A special treat for my memories fans a bit of art from this chapter by yours truly. It can be found on my profile.

… I have been told that there is no greater an enemy to my characters (the few random comics I have made over the many years I have known Anime and Manga) than my own imagination. I hate that being so very right. It.. Really made me pause when I wrote the freeze scene. I truly thought about upping the rating, but after removing certain parts I felt it was… safer. Also less damaging to read. The concepts I bring up are thoughts, being the curious sort, I have about certain techniques and possible Naruto childhoods.

I have one story written where the entire first chapter is a condensed version of his life (just one of many versions) before Jiraiya and the introduction of a Hatori Sohma (A character from the Shoujo Manga/Anime; Fruits Basket.) based Bloodline. Chapter one alone deserves a M rating. If I can push past chapter two's major writer's blocks I will begin posting it here. Because I feel if I leave it at chapter one it would turn people away. It's not a pretty picture, but shows WHY Naruto would do what he does in the latter chapters. Some of those ideals from 'Cold as Ice' (Name of the story) like Naruto's ignorant/happy mask appear here.

This was MUCH easier to write than the last one and MUCH longer than the others. It throws some more people into the mix, which opens some more doors to work with.

As one reviewer brought up this is an AU beginning from the middle of the Pein attack arc. I cannot put these stories behind the current plot and run with them. Very much like my Reality story. From the moment I wrote it (Which was before the clone sage chakra secret was revealed, and I got that one right ha-ha!) the very next chapter changed it from Kishimoto's.

Please review! The more I get the more excited I am to continue writing these stories.

Chapter Japanese Translations:

Konoha no Kiiroi Senkō: Konoha's Yellow Flash, name given to Namikaze Minato by Iwa in his devistating use of the flying thunder god technique against their forces.

Gaki: Kid, brat. Something I use for my neice and nephew.

こうちょう or Kouchou: The word has many meanings however I use it for the term nightingale. As in The Nightingale effect. The Florence Nightingale effect is a psychological complex where people who are entrusted with the care and wellbeing of vulnerable patients begin to form a romantic attraction and often erotic attraction toward their charges. Medical workers, such as nurses, are typically at risk, and it is a form of psychological counter transference. The effect can also occur in patients who see medical workers as their protector and then develop feelings for them. It was named after nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale. (I was tempted to call it the Tsunade Syndrome but frankly that was a stretch I didn't want to take risking confusion to those who might not have heard of the condition.)

Shogi, Kaku, Uma, Kyō: Shougi: A type of chess played primarily in Asia. Just like western chess the pieces have names and movement restrictions. Kaku is the bishop, Uma or horse is a promoted (much like checkers) bishop, these move much like their western counterparts. Kyō stands for Lance and much like a lance it can only move in one direction thrusting forward until it hit's the promotion or is captured. Dropping is simply using captured pieces as your own, rather like using a enemy rook to replace a captured one.

Hakoushin: Two terms compiled together. Hakou means 'To walk' and Shi(n) means 'Mind' to my poor idiot man's Japanese the way I put it together should be something like 'Walked mind' or basically 'mind walk'. A corrected (if wrong) name would be great but not needed as this jutsu (One I couldn't find so had to make)

Mendoukuse: Troublesome.