Author Note : Soorry for the wait! I have been having net problems for a couple of days. Don'y worry this chapter is going to be pretty long!
So thanks to the people who are reading, especially those who are taking time to review! Love you guys! (^o^)v
A side note: It may seem odd that Naruto who was exposed to many things as kid never really understood what they actually meant meant in adult world. Naruto is aware of sexual act in itself maybe he saw/read Jiraiya's erotica or maybe accidently walked in on him but he himself only was limited to wet dreams of only kissing Sakura (in a kids mind we usually think it was the biggest thing ever) but it never progressed further for him.
Chapter Two
"Hmmm.… so you are not really dickless. "
Murmured a flat voice thoughtfully as Naruto stepped out of the bathroom after a hot relaxing shower, rubbing a towel to dry his hair.
"AWWWWWWW" Naruto shrieked, jumped and hurriedly tried to cover his important bits upfront with the small towel.
"W**** THE F**** ARE YOU DOING SAI?! " Naruto yelled, and grabbing the towel in one hand upfront and with the other tried to cover his bare ass before racing to get his shinobi garb from the closet and then back to the bathroom, cursing Sai under his breath for startling him like that and quickly dressed, a bit unsteadily as he wasn't used to changing in the bathroom before striding out again, fully dressed this time.
Sai had observed Naruto's naked form in that one second and his artistic mind had capturedit for eternity. Sai didn't think it was a big deal since he was used to changing at ANBU lockers but seeing Naruto struggle for composure as he sat down grumbling and made himself a peanut-butter sandwich and drink milk straight from carton after examining the date carefully, realized that he might have made a faux pas, again.
Despite the emotional therapy sessions Sai had been forcefully suggested on by Lady Tsunade-sama since some years back, he still had trouble understanding the social nuances. He remembered what his therapist had suggested to do if, no when, he might offend someone.
"I apologize, Naruto…"
Naruto's back tensed but he continued munching hungrily on the sandwich. Sai however continued,
"But I can't see any fault here. I would like to draw you in nude. You are pretty beautiful for a guy. You have good bone structure, nice blue eyes and nice golden-blonde hair.. Your body is perfectly proportioned, rightly toned muscles and abs down to your dic -"
Wham.
Naruto stood up with force and breathed deeply couple of times before speaking through clenched teeth Sasuke-style. "Subject closed. Never mention it ever again." Another deep breath, before he opened his piercing blue eyes, "What brought you here?"
"But-" Sai cut offed at Naruto's fierce glare and replied, "Lady Tsunade-sama is waiting for you in the Hokage room. She said you have to come right away. I don't think she likes me though, she was calling me names, disapproving my clothes and was even going to hit me but Shizune san and Hatake Kakashi held her back."
Naruto sighed. Sai was a good friend and a ANBU shinobi but emotionally he was still a never growing child, with no filter between his mouth and brain. "What did you say to her now?"
Sai didn't like being accused of something he hadn't done. "I didn't. She started cursing me first and called my shinobi gear being indecent and vulgar and something about spreading wrong ideas around. She even called me dickless but I assured her that I still have it attached and she can feel it as proof. She went crazy and tried to hit me."
Naruto groaned. Sai and his filter-less mouth. Baa-chan was going to be in a bad mood now. "Okay go. I will follow you out."
"So will you model in nude –"
"OUT I SAID !"
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Tsunade sat behind the desk in the Hokage's official room, her arms crossed she watched Naruto reporting with a speculative look.
After his growth spurt, he had gotten suitably tall around 5'11, his body was gracefully muscled with all the training he did. Other than the light whisker marks on his face, he was quiet good-looking, even more than the Fourth Hokage had been. Maybe because where his father had the classic beauty of a quiet and subtle personality, Naruto's blazing personality always left a scorching impression on every person he met; though many mistook him as an idiot it was usually until too late that they realized that he was titled 'Uzumaki Naruto: The Most Surprising Ninja' for a reason.
His spiky blonde hairs, now nearly shoulder length, were carelessly confined with the Konoha protector with the front bangs getting quiet long, framed his tanned face rather enticingly. His fiery electric-blue eyes' honestly mirroring his each and every emotion.
He had definitely become a beautiful specimen of man.
It's his eyes that hypnotize and beguile a person to trust him, friend or foe. Tsunade mused. Even in his simple shinobi gear he looked attractive. Though she was a little sad to realize that even though he still had the same jacket that Jiraiya had bought for Naruto but rest of his shinobi gear comprised more of black in his ninja pants, vest and jacket sleeves than the bright orange he used to flaunt on previously.
Maybe there is something wrong with the kunoichi eyes' of Konoha, if they can't appreciate such a good sight. I need to add eye checkup for them in the medical exam. Tsunade thoughtfully wrote a memo for Shizune on the notepad in front of her.
Naruto finished the overview and placed the report in front of her for perusal.
Tsunade barely noticed the report; she was fully focused on Naruto and was scrambling her mind on how to bring up such an intimate topic to him, while Kakashi and Yamato were patiently waiting on the perch outside Hokage office's window for Naruto to finally appease their curiosity regarding his pure state.
"Naruto…."
Naruto looked up at Tsunade. "Yes Baa-chan? Any questions regarding the report?"
"No-no-no, you dealt the mission perfectly. In fact I think you have earned at least a 2 time off from Shinobi duties for your superb work these past months."
Naruto was taken back. "What?! Really?! That is awesome!"
"Really-? You are happy?" Tsunade was surprised too.
"Of course! I have been wanting to try this jutsu scroll Gamakichi found-"
"NARUTO!" Tsunade slammed both her hands on the desk and stood up towering Naruto with a glint in her eyes.
"No shinobi work….no training…no learning new jutsus!"
"But -"
"No! It's time you take a break and enjoy life like a young hot blooded male in his prime!" She ordered him hotly with hands on hips in a full nagger mode.
Naruto stared at her clueless. "What?!"
Tsunade pinched her forehead. "Naruto…I don't know how -"she braced herself, "okay, we need to take time to talk and discuss important facts of life that are a necessity in life for an adult …and a male adult at that… I am concerned that your education about adult matters may be remiss and bottling up your emotions in such a manner might harm—uh-uh your constitution. "
Naruto gaped at her in confusion and bafflement. "What?!"
"I think we need to uh-uh" Tsunade was hot with embarrassment never having thought that she would have to explain such matters to Naruto, who was like her own son in her heart. She had always discussed it matter-of-factly before, but looking at her baby Naruto's young, naïve and still innocent face, Tsunade faced the panic of a true mother. The dilemma whether to let him fumble and learn it on his own at his own pace or drag him into the adult world fully prepared. Tsunade you are a world renown medical expert why are you babbling about like some senseless old hag. Focus!
She took a deep breath and then quickly rushed. "—about sexual reproduction between male and female in human species." Then politely coughed softly mumbling, "… sex."
He looked at Tsunade flabbergasted then turned into 3 shades of red before springing on his feet quickly and with his hands placed on his ears and shouting ran towards the door, "NOOO-NOO-NO, PERVERTS! PERVERTS! HOW COULD YOU-YOU-BAACHAN! WHY-WHY IS EVERONE OBSESSED WITH—WITH-THAT! OLD PEOPLE ARE PERVERTS! FIRST-FIRST THE PERVY SAGE AND NOW YOU! I WONT! I WONT!"
Naruto took off one hand from the ear and forcefully yanked on the door knob to open but the door didn't budge, he even placed both legs on the door but the door didn't open.
Shizune had sealed it strongly as per Tsunade's prior instructions, anticipating Naruto's reaction. She jumped back from the door when she heard Naruto rattle it forcefully.
Naruto kicked the door couple of times while covering his ears with both hands once before changing directions and dashing towards the open windows.
Bam.
He hit the invisible seal on the window with impact and bounced back to fall on his ass and knocked out.
10 minutes later
"Are you ready to discuss this rationally, Naruto?" Tsunade asked lifting the small tea cup to her mouth and slowly sipping the energizing green tea.
Naruto glared at her spitefully as he struggled in the chair he was tied in.
"Naruto you need to tell me what that baka Jiraiya told you, so I can repair the damage he did to you and your love life "Tsunade sighed.
"Baa-chan we are not discussing this" Naruto's face resembled a ripe tomato.
"Naruto, we need to discuss this, I am really worried about you." Tsunade said quietly.
"But-but why?!" Naruto leaned forward in the ropes.
"Naruto, life is not just about shinobi work, training, eating ramen and training again!" She grumbled stiffly.
"But I love training, eating ramen and training again! It makes me strong enough to protect everyone!" Naruto retorted hotly.
"Why?" She asked, even more quietly.
"What do you mean why! So I can protect everyone! I don't want to lose the people I care about!" Naruto was confused at Tsunade's countenance and persistent questioning.
"Naruto, they are shinobi, they are not weaklings! They don't need you to shoulder the responsibility of their life at such a young age! Human are living things! Even if they eat, breath and do nothing, they will still die of age or sickness, its part of lifecycle. Aging and Death is inevitable. Even if you want, you cannot save everyone."
"I can try."
Silence filled the office after Naruto's proclamation.
Tsunade got up and moved towards Naruto, gently raising his head to meet her understanding eyes. Seeing the tumult in the blue eyes she leaned her head against Naruto's, patting his head with a hand filled with motherly love and comfort.
"I know." Tsunade's voice was filled with complete belief. "I love your strong and protective heart Naruto, but it also makes you more vulnerable and this is why it worries me. Each time a fellow shinobi is about to get hurt, you risk your life to save them. You take each and every mission that might risk your own life. Your life is of great importance too! To me, Kakashi, Shizune and every other shinobi in this village and many out of it! Have you ever thought how it hurts the people who care about you; to see you risk your life as if it's of no value?!" She paused to take a breath before continuing. "You are also belittling and insulting your fellow shinobi by thinking they can't or won't be able to safe themselves."
She cupped Naruto's face gently, "Don't you know how much we…everyone… I… love you? I want to see you laugh again from heart. I want to hear your boisterous voice echoing again in the village that makes me smile wherever I might have been stuck at. I want to see you move on from this cocoon of war, mission after mission…training after training… I am grateful that Kurame Kyuubi is protecting you from inside but what…suppose…what if you lose your luck one day… what will happen? You think we all will cry for few days at losing you and just move on?!... Many might, but I won't. I WON'T NARUTO! I have enough guilt of not being able to protect my brother, my lover; of turning blind, of turning back on people of Konoha when they needed me. I didn't even notice when my best friend, Orochimaru, my trusted comrade and teammate crossing over to become a psychopath! I only came to consciousness after I lost my beloved sensei in my friend's hands."
Tsunade's voice croaked and broke as she continued, "I am guilty of never understanding, never accepting, never believing the one who stood by me in everything and yet in the end I could not even protect him." She paused to clear her throat before sadly smiling serenely, "I returned to this village for you…and I will shoulder the responsibility of protecting its people for you until then. I promise you I won't turn my back on Konoha and its people. I am now duty bound to protect it. So relax. Don't let your life go… that guilt is the only thing you have left. I have lived my life, I have many great memories that balance my guilt and allow me to live on and watch you, a son I never could have, grow. You are still young…take time to build your life with good memories, happy memories."
Naruto closed his eyes, struggling to hold back the ever present tears from spilling, invoked by the gentle reprimand by Tsunade. He hadn't bothered ever to stop and to think that he wasn't alone any more. People finally accepted him… Uzumaki Naruto. People cared about him…for him. Uzumaki Naruto mattered to someone. Uzumaki Naruto was not an island anymore. He had built bridges made out of bonds of friendship and trust to connect him.
Naruto felt his throat clog up with intense emotions, not knowing how to respond.
Tsunade cleared her throat loudly again and spoke in a firm tone: "Naruto about the other matter-"
Naruto groaned loudly and rolled his eyes up before speaking in a raspy tone: "It's okay. I…know everything. Ero Senin explained everything, like everything…he also told me to never repeat it in front of you."
"WHAT!" Tsunade had turned away to wipe a tear that had escaped when Naruto spoke. She faced him fully with fierce eyes narrowed. "Never repeat to me…why that old pervert… What did he tell you?! Don't make me send for Ibiki Morino!"
Naruto turned red again, fidgeted a little before speaking in a small voice: "All elder perverts are alike. He tied me to a tree after I told him that I liked Sakura and explained the hentai stuff. He-he-he " Naruto was going blazing red and spoke in even a smaller voice, "read and showed me ecchi book after book. He even offered to g-ge-get someone trained for my—- but I co-couldn't and I have never- never-"
Naruto broke off and blushed so hard that Tsunade thought for a moment he was going to explode. She cursed Jiraiya in her head and wanted to drag him back from his watery grave for being so crude in his explaining and turning something that could have been special and beautiful, cheap. Time to fix the damage. But she wasn't going to take it out on poor Naruto who looked like he wanted to jump inside a lava mountain.
"Naruto, despite his crudeness, it's doesn't need to be bizarre like those books or pictures. When you are with the right person it is much more…" Tsunade paused to look at Naruto who looked like he was about to have epilepsy and decided to move along her questioning before he zonked out completely.
"Naruto, you aren't still in love with Sakura, are you?" Tsunade asked, worried.
"Not in that sense anymore. She is just a good friend. I am happy that she finally happy with the person she truly loves." Naruto said with a small wistful smile.
"What about anyone else? There are many other pretty and village girls. You must surely be bombarded by them in hoards." She persisted; trying to find what Shikamaru had said was true.
"No. I am not interested." His voice suddenly unyielding.
"Naruto…" Tsunade also suddenly remembered Yamato's admonishing and delicately said, "Don't take the experience with Sakura too seriously, first love are mostly unrequited and painful. That doesn't mean you won't have any chance of a truly lasting love with any female."
"Baa-chan, I won't ruin anyone's life."Naruto said solemnly.
Tsunade quickly squatted down on her knees in front of Naruto." Naruto you know you can trust me….if you like someone….whoever your partner might be…just tell me. I will support you, no matter what. You don't have to be shamed or hide anything. I am pretty sure that Kaksahi's taste run the same…probably why he hasn't married and he's about to enter his dotage" Tsunade said the last part loudly.
Kakashi hearing the implication and reprimand behind that, turned grey with shock. Yamato turned to look at him with shocked wide eyes.
Thump.
Kakashi fainted and rolled down loudly the perch outside Hokage's room.
Tsunade briefly smirked evilly before turning back to Naruto who looked confused. "Naruto I mean it. I will support you no matter what." Then she quickly, "It can be anyone… except that lewd Sai. I won't let you ruin your life with a vulgar partner like that! "
Naruto's jaw dropped open.
"BAA-CHAN! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING! I AM A MALE! HE IS A MALE!IT IS NOT EVEN HUMANLY POSSIBLE!" Naruto screamed, the whole chair creaking madly.
"Then what do you mean by not ruining any girls life?" Tsunade demanded.
"I meant what sane woman would want to spend her life with me?! I would have nothing to offer her." Naruto snarled out.
"Naruto that's not true!" Tsunade protested. "You are a Hero of the Shinobi World!"
"Baa-cha, I have no manners or polish. I am loud, brash, weird, ugly and stupid! I have a small apartment that is always messy. I can't cook anything except instant ramen. I am useless aside from being a ninja. And I even struggle at that!" Naruto said dejectedly. "Those girls want Uzumaki Naruto: the Shino Hero. Not the real one. They will get disappointed when they find who I really am! They like my strength…but they can't even withstand it!"
Tsunade was stunned. Shikmaru had been right. The careless words of those wretched blind fools, Sakura and Ino as young girls, were now coming out of Naruto's mouth as if those poisonous words had been engraved in his heart.
"Naruto…" Tsunade started.
"I want to have my own person too! I want someone to love me- the real me! Someone to be part of my life. Someone who can be my family and greet me happily when I enter that hauntingly silent apartment…Kurame wants me to find a mate too! .… But-but I how can I compete with Sasuke's coolness, Shikamaru's intelligence, Choji's cooking, Kiba's boldness and Shino's mysteriousness! I am just plain, loud, idiotic Naruto." Naruto growled.
Tsunade just watched Naruto, feeling her heart clench at his misery. Yamato, Shizune and now-awake Kakashi also felt the pain and the longing in his words.
Tsunade realized the seal on the ropes tying Naruto and grabbed him into a crushing warm hug.
Tsunade swore at that moment that she would find that person for Naruto, even if she had to beg, stalk or kidnap every live female across the shinobi world. Shizune, Tsunade activated her telepathic link between the two. Call every Konoha shinobi back. Contact the shinobi families in Konoha with eligible kunoichis. Prepare to send invitations to all the villages to send their most eligible kunoichis Naruto's age.
Yes, Tsunade sama, Shizune replied promptly. Any other requirement?
Tsunade looked at the golden boy tight in her arms. She will have to be worthy of Naruto. She will love and cherish Naruto more than her life.
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Somewhere in Konoha.
A young kunoichi sneezed suddenly.
TBC
Author: So what do you think? Sorry for the grammar mistakes. If you like it than put a ring on it (Beyonce) and in this case review, review! (^w^)n