Geezer Sage and Shima had dissapeared. Only one person could summon them and it was Jiyraiya. That did not help Naruto's anxiety that had been steadily building in the last weeks. Geezer Sage had said they had seldom been summoned to assist Jiyraiya so he already knew Jiyraiya was at the very least struggling. He had left the small hut so he had room to pace in panic. Something was wrong, he knew it and he couldn't go and help. He hadn't been in the rain. He was told it was so closed off he never even tried. And Geezer sage was gone so he was at a stand still in sage mode training. He turned and headed into the clearing he had been using to practice his other jutsu to keep doing that in hopes to calm himself. It had worked, until Gamikichi turned up saying Shima returned alone looking like she had been in a fight. Picking up his shirt he bolted to the temple where she would likely be. Putting it on before he entered only to see her crying. Geezer Sage wasn't there.
"Are you okay, Shima?" Naruto asked softly and knelt down next to her
"Oh Naruto boy!" She cried and he didn't like it. Did something happen to one or both of them? She was inconsolable and despite his growing unease he didn't want to push her. By time she had calmed down the exhaustion took her and he was left in the dark about what happened. Until Geezer Sage returned after dark. He gently put Shima down and walked over to him. He looked awful and ready to pass out.
"Geezer Sage" Naruto whispered
"I'm sorry Naruto boy!" He said "Jiyraiya boy has been killed" he said and Naruto shook his head the old toad spoke but Naruto couldn't hear him, he felt like he had been pushed underwater dulling out the world only hearing his heartbeat as it beat painfully at his closing chest. He'd just found him. He spent years protecting him from the shadows and they were just bonding. Naruto clenched his fists, his jaw, to fight the oncoming tears. How? Jiyraiya was supposed to be strong. Strong enough to concern Akatsuki members he had heard, who could have possibly... A flipper came to his shin and he blinked down at it.
"He left a message, the leaf are working on it. There was something different about this enemy, and Jiyraiya boy figured it out"
"Tell me" he demanded and listened as old Geezer recounted the fight, the last words Jiyraiya had written forever engraved on his back. The description of the eyes bugged him and he couldn't place why.
The brat in the photo Kurama prodded and Naruto noddedbut the orange haired kid didn't have that, he thought. But if Kakashi was anything to go by... they could have easily been given to him. But that didn't explain how the other six had theirs.
"Get some rest Old Geezer. I'm gonna go check something and I might be gone in the morning" he warned
"You aren't going to g-"
"No. I'll have to go speak to Tsunade if I'm right" he patted the toads head and headed to Jiyraiya's hut. He could deal with his grief later. He gave his life to reveal the identity of the Akatsuki leader, for him and he wasn't going to let it go to waste. He searched the hut but as suspected the photograph was not there. Because that would be too easy, he thought. Heading to his hut and getting his gear.
-
I really should have made another marker in the village, he thought standing in Shikamaru's doorway. He was asleep and Naruto was thankful for the open window, seemed the whole family was home. Throwing one of his marked knives he telepored to it and landed silently in front of the house.
"Well well, this is a surprise"
Naruto tensed and turned to face Shikaku.
"Sorry to intrude, its the only place I had available"
Shikaku waved his hand dismissively
"What are you doing here?" He asked and Naruto felt his chest start to tighten
"Jiyraiya" he said simply which resulted in the usual neutral features to become surprised.
"I see" he stood smirking down at Naruto as he approached him "You confuse me. You won't return but yet you have returned twice for people of the village"
"I won't forget the people who saved me" he said looking him in the eye. He knew that meant him too by the way he chuckled in surprised
"Is that why I have found seals everywhere?" He asked and Naruto shrugged
"Don't know what you mean" he feigned "I'm not a threat here, I don't like the place but you guys do. I need to go speak to the Hokage"
Shikaku nodded his lips pulling down as he took in the words before walking back to his house.
"Try the bar on the corner to the Hokage building" he said dismissively and Naruto nodded taking off.
He had a moment where he had to collect himself. Bars were fine he'd unfortunately been to many, bars in Konoha were not. At least when he was unfortunate to pass one with drunk people outside. They don't know you anymore, he told himself, you'll be fine taking a breath he walked into the bar.
She was at the back, with her dark haired student and Sakura tucked away in a booth. He approached and stood next to the table, all three women looked up. The Hokage's face fell her already swollen eyes tearing up more. Sakura smiled softly with cautious eyes, while the dark haired woman seemed a little confused.
"How did you..." The Hokage trailed off not even trying to play her role, not that he could blame her. She was off duty and lost the man he suspected she loved.
"I'm sorry about Jiyraiya" he said softly sitting opposite her, she pressed her lips together her brows turning up in sadness.
"How do you know about that?" She asked with a shakey voice
"Does it matter?" He asked and she glared at him
"You know it does" she deadpanned and he nodded
"Maybe to the order of things. Not to you though" he said and he saw her getting annoyed
"I want to help. These people are after me after all" he shrugged
Sakura frowned and leant forward resting her arms on the table. Naruto spent most of his energy trying to seem unfazed. To seem like he wasn't ready to hide under the table, it was too loud. Too many bad memories tried to claw their way to the front.
"I'm sorry, but why would they be after you?" She asked
"Beats me. No idea what they're planning. I just know Jiyraiya was good to me, and he was important to my parents" he said opening his hands and resting them on the table
"What makes you think you can help?" Tsunade asked taking a long swig of her sake, right from the bottle "your just a brat who ran away"
"This brat left and entered the village undetected" he said leaning back and folding his arms "and I have an idea who it was that may have killed him" he added "but hey, you don't want my help, I'll figure it out myself" he stood up his skin felt tight as boisterous laughing came from accross the room. He froze when the table fell apart under Tsunade's hands as Chakra leaked from her. At the very least it momentarily distracted him from his growing anxiety
"Sit. Down!" She ordered he did so and felt rather impressed she kept the bottle of Sake from hitting the floor too "what do you mean?" She asked
"I spent time with him remember, he told me things. It wasn't all just about my parents but him too"
"And what? You think three days with him and you know him?" She scoffed. He tried not to take it personally. It wasn't her fault, she didn't know Jiyraiya had lied. That he had spent every waking moment with that man for three months, playing catch up on the time he had wasted, he'd stolen time from Jiyraiya and now he was gone... He had no right to take it personally, to put his grief above hers because he didn't have that right. So he closed his eyes and looked at the broken table
"Do you want my information or not?" He asked calmly as he looked back up to her. He swore he saw a flash of guilt.
"If its worth while" she nodded blinking rapidly
"I don't know if it would help, from what I have heard the Hidden Rain isn't even accessible, and you won't be able to just send people over"
"You seem to get places you shouldn't" she said pointing at him with her bottle
"Not there, I'd never tried before because I was told it was so hard"
"Well, you have to be smart to survive the way you did" she sighed "tell me"
"Jiyraiya told me about some orphans he trained for a few years" Tsunade nodded "one of them had those eyes that were discribed"
"Are you breaking into my office?" She asked not even mad about it
"It doesn't matter. The thing is the description tells me it was the other kid, Yahiko" She looked at him in suspicion but he kept going "Did you figure out his code?" He asked. She didn't respond, she only looked at him as tears began to fall down her face. Sakura cleared her throat whilst the dark haired woman put her arms around the Hokage.
"Shikamaru is going to be working with our Intel devision to try and figure it out." She said "the autopsy on the body the toad brought back is due to start tomorrow with Shizune" she said looking to the dark haired lady.
"So you have nothing?" Naruto asked
"Had" Tsuande said wiping her eyes "if your connection is useful we know the possible identity of Pein"
"Yahiko" he nodded
"I'll get a search on him done tomorrow" she said
Something smashed and men started shouting which had Naruto stood up fingertips on his Kunai pack waiting for an attack. Sakura stood up eyes wide and hands outstretched slightly. He didn't miss the widening of Tsunade's eyes either. He took a deep breath and nodded slowly
"Then I'll come back tomorrow or the day after" he said and quickly left the bar jumping up the Hokage tower taking in deep breaths of the cool night air. That was close, he shook his head and couldn't imagine the shit show it would have caused if he lost his shit around the hokage. And she really didn't need it right now.
He looked about and the village was quiet mostly, just the bar and in the direction of his old apartment it was light, the usual bars and brothels were open no doubt.
"It was foolish to come back" a aged voice came from the other side of the roof. Naruto's hair stood on end as he sensed the chakra. Dark and broken, something was very wrong with it.
"Thought you wanted me here" he quipped but Danzo didn't look amused.
"I do not find it amusing the power of a tailed beast is in the hands of a runaway child" he said
"Or not in your hands" Naruto countered smoothly. To his credit he almost remained completely relaxed.
"You aren't the first to try to use its power for themselves, Uchiha clan, Senju, Uzumaki" he listed and Naruto frowned. When had the Uchiha ever? Only two had, Kurama knew Madara was one and the man who stole him from his mother
The clan as far as I know never had Kurama agreed.
"So why not leave him be. Something that strong isn't stupid, I'm sure" Naruto shrugged
"It's too dangerous to let loose" he said stepping closer. "And if I have to lock you up or remove it and put it in someone more trustworthy to protect this village" he banged his cane "then that is what I will do"
"At any cost" Naruto nodded remembering his words "see you Danzo" he took a step back
"If you care about Kakashi and that Nara boy at all you would stay put" he said loudly and Naruto narrowed his eyes
"Are you threatening them?" He asked
"You left this village and because of that we have been vulnerable. Now you know, you have the power to pay back the people who hurt you. But if that hatred consumes you who do you think would be the first to try and pull you out of it?" He asked in an attempted soothing tone. Naruto didn't buy it for a second.
"Just because I know wouldn't make that happen, if I was going to lose control it would have happened long ago, when I was being beaten to an inch of my life as a child, starved and living off cup Ramen because nobody would serve me except Ichiraku's" he put his hands in his pockets and sighed "let me put it this way. When are people at their most dangerous?" He asked
"When they have nothing to lose" Danzo answered his one eyes shadowed under his frown.
"Good" he nodded and glared at him letting some of Kurama's chakra leak out and his eyes shone blood red "so if the two people I consider family are lost, hurt, suspiciously killed" Naruto listed off with obvious forced cheer "I'd have no reason to pretend I care about this place. I'd have no incentive to come back if there was trouble"
Danzo stood straight eye wide and as he tried to step back Naruto caught him in a shadow holding him in place "You understand, right?" He asked
"Yes" he breathed and Naruto nodded as the man copied
"good to know" he smiled brightly and Kurama pulled in his Chakra laughing. "I'll see you around Danzo" he said cloaking his chakra and sunk into the shadows to make is way into the trees. He really needed more markers in this place he thought as he shook out his shaking hand. Threatening an old man was nerve wracking. Even one as distorted as him, it just felt wrong.
-
He entered the house an odd sense of home enveloped him and be figured it was just his mother's chakra from the seal. He made a marker in the living room and sighed feeling very tired. He hadn't lost anyone he cared for to death before, just his parent, obviously. But that wasn't the same, he hadn't known them. It wasn't the same kind of grief. He never allowed someone to mean that much to him, but Jiyraiya worked his way in easily, and he could see why his parents chose him as his Godfather. This deadly ninja who never fully grew up but had wisdom that made you hang onto everything he had to say. Even if he probably wasn't the best influence. But he had loyalty to those he loved. Logalty that ran deeper than the loyalty to the village. Naruto was very glad he never put him in the position to seriously consider betraying him or the village. He wasn't sure what would have come of that. He sat on the floor against the couch and looked at the wall. He wondered how Kiki and the others got on moving into the village. He wondered if he would be able to help, he wondered if this meant they'd come sooner. He had been out the loop on the Intel and he wasn't even sure which tailed beast they were up to yet. And now he clearly had Danzo to worry about. What did he mean the Uchiha clan tried to control Kurama? Naruto felt Kurama's confusion when he said it and it bugged him, was it because Itachi was on his protection? Or that Mikoto wanted to adopt him into her family with the head of the Uchiha?
And now Itachi is trying to collect the tailed beasts Kurama pointed out because Naruto didn't.
"Thought I felt some fox chakra" came Kakashi's voice and Naruto nodded his brain taking a moment to tear his eyes from the wall
"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked turning to look at Kakashi
"I could ask you the same thing" he said walking over and sitting on the floor next to him.
"Came to talk to Tsunade, about Jiyraiya" Kakashi tensed "I'm sorry" Naruto said
"He was a good man, put up with me when I lost myself, reminded me of a few things" Kakashi said not even sounding sad and Naruto supposed that was what made him one of the best Ninja there were.
"What happened?" He asked and Naruto sighed
"Danzo" he said "he basically threatened me and something is off with him and I can't place it. And his chakra is broken and distorted and I can't place why"
"Like mine with the Sharingan?" Kakashi asked surprised and Naruto blinked at him.
"What?" He asked, he knew about it but Kakashi always kept his chakra barely noticeable, Naruto wasn't sure he ever really felt it left alone naturally
"It takes up a lot of chakra, which is why it's covered and why most of the time I conceal it" Kakashi shrugged and suddenly he was there, bright, protective chakra and Naruto frowned as he did feel the broken part, so he concentrated and focused on why it had a crack in it. It was his eye, it was foreign and his chakra had learnt to adjust to it. Except it didn't feel the same, Danzo's was severe, and dark, it didn't have that feeling of... Naruto pressed his lips together because he couldn't place it.
"It's similar" Naruto nodded "but different"
Kakashi nodded as if he agreed his chakra almost dissapearing again.
"Danzo isn't someone I would trust. But he is the Head of the Foundation so he has a say in things" Kakashi said
"He said something, something that's bothering me" Naruto said deciding Kakashi deserved to know. Something told him it was okay if Kakashi knew the truth.
"What did he say?" Kakashi asked
"That the Uchiha clan tried to control the fox" Naruto frowned "but that's not true, An Uchiha did, right?"
"And you know that how?" Kakashi asked so he sat up and faced the Copy Ninja completely
"I found out about Kurama the night Shikaku saved me, I've known the whole time and he has told me a lot"
"That's how you knew me, Mikoto. The jutsu you use" Kakashi said his voice surprised his one visible eye widened slightly. Naruto nodded
"That night I saw him and he told me the truth. And when the Nara elders refused to let me stay I decided it was best to leave" he admitted
"Did he tell you about the night of the attack?" Kakashi asked skeptically and Naruto nodded
"A man with a mask came, stole him from my mother and then he was in the middle of the village chained up and my parents were about to seal him away. So he tried to kill me..." he felt his throat tighten at the way he imagined them diving in front of him, his mother... just given birth, dying and holding a being as strong as Kurama back diving in front of him. "He said it was like when Madara had taken over him before Hashirama sealed him away" Naruto frowned and looked to Kakashi something clicking into place "they thought they did it" he whispered. The elders, the Old Man, Danzo, they thought the Uchiha did it "I'm right aren't I? That's why Mikoto wasn't aloud to adopt me" he said looking at Kakashi with eyes that dared him to lie.
Kakashi sighed and looked to the wall
"It was suspected" he answered after a a while.
"That's stupid, if that was the case Mikoto would have kept me at the house the moment I stepped in" he scoffed
"I agree" Kakashi said "and so did Lord Third, but others didn't"
"How convenient Itachi killed them all fo-" he cut off. What was supposed to be a snide comment felt like it reached in and flipped his stomach. Again he cursed himself for not asking for more information on Itachi. He seemed kind, and the way he was with Sasuke said he loved him. But Naruto couldn't say for sure as a Five year old who always wanted what he had seen in those few moments of the Uchiha brothers. He frowned and sat his back against the cohch again to glare at the wall.
"Why did he do it Kakashi?" He asked
"We don't know. Sasuke gave us the reasoning eventually"
"Which was?" He asked and Kakashi sighed
"To test his strength, and make Sasuke hate him enough to get strong enough to fight him" he sounded bitter, and Naruto understood. That didn't sound like him at all. Unless he was an actual psychopath it didn't make sense. Silence fell between them and Naruto felt exhausted. The entire day had been too much, the tension of waiting for word, trying to console Shima, coming back and having to threaten a crazy old man, and then the feeling something was off about the Uchiha massacre had taken its toll on him. He hadn't realised he had leant on Kakashi until the Copy Ninja spoke again.
"Shikamaru told the Hokage and his dad what he did for you" Kakashi said and Naruto tensed "they weren't too pleased but he had no repercussions, except maybe a lecture from his father"
That relieved him. He worried Shikamaru would be interrogated for more, or be demoted, or punished in some way
"I'm glad" Naruto smiled his eyes falling shut. Shikamaru didn't deserve to be negatively impacted because he cared about Naruto. The loud singular mocking laugh from Kurama was ignored, Naruto didn't want to hear it. Naruto heard paper and cracked his eye open to see Kakashi had pulled out his book. Naruto tried not to focus on the fact it was very likely Jiyraiya's and closed his eyes feeling the darkness of sleep closing in. He did not feel safe as he had when he was a child. He did not feel a slither of relief to be with him again. And he absolutely did not feel the sense of being with family as he had pretended as a child. None of those things were why he was so ready to fall asleep against the Ninja... Not at all...
Thank you all for the support! I am very happy people are enjoying this as it has become a bit of a fixation for me. All I can think about :)
There will be more so don't worry!
