Chapter 31 - A New Journey Begins
Hospital
After Tsunade and Co. reached Konoha, their first course of action was to visit Itachi. "It didn't take as long as I expected it to be," Jiraiya said.
"Yeah. You can thank Garuda for that." Naruto said.
"So, what is his condition? Can you cure it?" Jiraiya asked Tsunade. She was currently reading the reports prepared by Naruto.
"Who made this report?" Tsunade asked.
"I did. Is something the matter?" Naruto asked.
"Yes. Who taught you medical ninjutsu?" Tsunade asked.
"No one. I learnt it by reading books and observing other Medics. And four years ago, sensei realized that I know enough Medical Ninjutsu to actually be a medic." Naruto said.
"That is evident. To think that you learnt all this by merely reading and observing, you are a genius. But Medical Ninjutsu is something to be learnt under the supervision of an expert. There are a few errors in your diagnosis of Itachi, but the overall conclusion is nearly accurate." Tsunade said.
"And despite your claims, he would have survived 3 more years on medication alone. But would have succumbed to death nonetheless." Tsunade said.
"I am sorry. But you can't blame me for not having a better master." Naruto said.
"Yeah, it is not your fault. Anyways, as for Itachi, I can cure him. But it will take over a month for the treatment to be completed, though he can do his office work after a week." Tsunade said.
"Thank you. I will inform the Uchiha Clan about this." Naruto said.
"Sure. And you have the talent for Medical Ninjutsu, and it doesn't require any hand seals to perform either. So if you want, I can teach it to you." Tsunade said.
"I-I am at a loss of words. To be able to learn from the best medic to ever exist would be an honour." Naruto said.
A Week Later
"So, How are you feeling?" Tsunade asked.
"A little better. The pain in my chest is relieved." Itachi said.
"Good. You will be visiting me every third day for the next 30 days. But you are free to go for now. Good day, Hokage-Sama." Tsunade said.
"I am deeply indebted to you. Thank you, Lady Tsunade." Itachi said as he stood up from his chair and shunshined away.
Hokage Office
"So, why have you summoned me?" Naruto asked.
"I have to discuss something with you," Itachi said.
"And that would be?" Naruto said.
"Regarding your identity. Do you still wish to keep it a secret?" Itachi said as Naruto walked to the window to look at the Hokage faces.
"What do you think? Should I or should I not?" Naruto asked.
"I think you should not. There is simply no need. The only merit in that decision was to keep you safe from Lord Fourth's enemies. But as it stands now, you are more than capable of protecting yourself." Itachi said.
"Then I won't. You can announce my lineage." Naruto said.
"Fine, I will announce it tomorrow," Itachi said.
"Why were you keeping it a secret?" Naruto asked.
"What?" Itachi asked.
"Your illness. You had it for the last five years, and yet you never mentioned it." Naruto said.
"You read my file report?" Itachi asked.
"Certainly, I did. I had to know for how long you were enduring it." Naruto said.
"I don't really appreciate that. But then again, you are one of a kind." Itachi said.
"Yes, I am. So have you figured out your Mangekyo Sharingan ability." Naruto asked.
"No, not yet," Itachi said.
"Okay. Incidentally, I have also awakened mine. And I have also figured out my ability. My right eye can project the black flames of Amaterasu and my left eye has the ability called Tsukuyomi." Naruto said as his EMS faded into existence.
"That is a peculiar pattern," Itachi said carefully observing Naruto's EMS with his own Mangekyo Sharingan.
"It sure is. Anyways, when are you planning on announcing it?" Naruto asked.
"Tomorrow. After I officially assume the Hokage's role." Itachi said.
"Well then don't disclose my Uchiha lineage. I would rather not want the world to know about my eyes." Naruto said.
"As you wish," Itachi said.
"Oh, and I also wanted to inform you that I will be away from the village for some time. And I will be the one contacting you, not the other way around." Naruto said as he walked towards the exit with his arms crossed behind his head.
"What? Why? You can't just go, you are the new Captain Commander of the ANBU Black Ops. And we need you if any conflict occurs." Itachi said getting up from his chair.
"I have some personal reasons for leaving. To give you a rough idea, I want to know more about the origins of chakra and about myself and the infinite potential I feel from within myself that is yet untapped." Naruto said.
"But…" Itachi said but was cut off by Naruto.
"I will always be looking over Konoha, so if anything happens, I will be here," Naruto said.
"Alright but when are you leaving?" Itachi asked.
"By tomorrow. I no longer have anything to do here." Naruto said.
"Okay. So, who do you choose as your successor for the ANBU Black Ops? In my case, you were always the one pulling the strings from the dark but in your case, there is no one." Naruto said.
"Well there is Koumi and Tenzo. Nii-san can too if he wants to come back. Well, let's give it to Tenzo. He is competent enough." Naruto said.
"I concur. He is good enough and experienced too." Itachi said.
"Yeah. So, how about we try out your MS tonight at my house? Let's see what you got?" Naruto said.
"Okay, I will be at your house by midnight," Itachi said.
"Bring Sasuke too. He has also his Mangekyo Sharingan, right?" Naruto said.
"Yeah. He will be coming too then." Naruto said.
Midnight
Naruto and Jiraiya were just standing on the shore of the pond waiting for Itachi and Sasuke. "Hey, how about we spar for a bit, or else I will fall asleep," Naruto said.
"A spar, eh? Sure." Jiraiya said as Naruto suddenly appeared on the other side of the pond.
"Ninja Art: Needle Hell!" Jiraiya said as he hardened his hair into the form of spikes and shot a barrage of them at Naruto.
"Where are you shooting the needles?" Naruto said from behind Jiraiya as he barely dodged an attack from Naruto's katana and jumped away from him.
"Genjutsu," Jiraiya said as he broke the illusion and then started forming hand seals.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon," Jiraiya said as he formed a giant fire dragon and attacked Naruto with it.
"Tch, only if I could use water release," Naruto said as he used his God speed to immediately get out of the way and formed a shield from his adamantine chains to get cover from the intense heat.
"I have to get close to win this," Naruto said as he jolted himself towards Jiraiya using his chains to launch himself.
"Getting close?" Jiraiya said as he formed another set of hand seals. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!" Jiraiya said as the flames completely covered Naruto in mid-air.
'Did I go overboard?' Jiraiya thought as he stopped his jutsu but before the flames ended, Naruto came out of it being covered in a white ribcage-like aura. As he came out, a white aura-like upper body of a humanoid formed around Naruto several feet tall.
"Let's go for round two," Naruto said with a grin.
"Yeah, no. They are already here." Jiraya said just as Itachi and Sasuke shunshined next to him. But along with them, Shisui was also there.
"Perfect Timing. And good thing you brought Shisui-san too. I was just showing off my new powers." Naruto said.
"Is that a Susanoo?" Sasuke asked.
"Yeah, you can form it too. It is the common ability of every Mangekyo Sharingan." Naruto said.
"You shouldn't use it this often or else you may go blind," Shisui said.
"Yeah, but I don't have to worry about that. You see, I possess the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan instead of a normal one." Naruto said as both Itachi and Shisui were surprised after hearing that.
"But, you didn't replace it with anyone so how can you possess an Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan?" Itachi asked.
"Well, that's not the only way I guess. I also don't know how I have them and it is a part of why I am going out of the village." Naruto said.
"Wait, if you have the Eternal MS then you can also for the perfect Susanoo," Shisui said.
"Yeah. I haven't tried it yet but I feel like it could cut a mountain if I actually form it." Naruto said.
"The last person who had it did actually cut the mountains in half with a swing of his Susanoo. But unfortunately for him, his opponent, Lord First's Wood Release dwarfed his Susanoo in every aspect, or at least this is what I heard." Shisui said.
"Well, he isn't around now, so I guess I can easily take the crown for myself, heh. Now then let's see what are your techniques?" Naruto said looking at Sasuke and Itachi.
"Alright. From the texts I have read, I have the ability called Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi." Itachi said as he projected the black flames of Amaterasu from his right on the pond, evaporating it in an instant.
"Good. Extinguish them now." Naruto said as Itachi extinguished the flames.
"And about Tsukuyomi?" Naruto asked.
"For that, I will need someone as a target," Itachi said.
"Try it on me then," Naruto said.
"But I don't even know what it actually does. I might accidentally harm you." Itachi said.
"No need to worry. I have the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, I can break out of it at any moment I wish to." Naruto said.
"Well then. Here you go." Itachi said he looked directly into Naruto's eyes. Suddenly, both Naruto and Itachi found themselves in an inverted grey-scale world with a red sky.
"So, this is the Tsukuyomi world. Amazing. Can you figure out its actual ability?" Naruto asked as he looked around.
"Hmm. I think I can alter someone's perception of time here. I can feel lingering a single second into hours if not days. And I also seem to have full control over this reality." Itachi said as he conjured a flower in his hand out of nothing.
"That sounds pretty interesting. How about we spar in here for you to actually realize the full potential of your ability?" Naruto said.
"I don't think that will be a good idea. You see, unlike you, I receive damage to my eyesight with every use of this ability." Itachi said.
"Oh, sorry, I almost forgot about that. Let's head to reality then." Naruto said as his EMS flared to life. He then instantly broke the illusion in an instant, shocking Itachi.
"Let's see your's now, Sasuke," Naruto said.
"Alright. My right eye has the ability that I call Kagutsuchi, the ability to cast and control the flames of Amaterasu. And I don't yet feel anything special from my left eye, so I cannot say about that." Sasuke said.
"Control flames? Elaborate a little." Jiraiya said.
"Basically, I can project the Amaterasu flames and then somewhat bend them as I wish," Sasuke said as he formed a spike of Amaterasu in his hand. The flame then levitated from his hand and formed a sphere before him.
"You see. This is what I meant." Sasuke said as he extinguished the Amaterasu.
"Very well. I believe we now know the ability of each of us to a certain degree. And now, I think it is safe to assume that we can counter any threat that may come to Konoha without any problems." Naruto said.
"Yes, I concur," Itachi said.
"Hey, but we haven't seen your ability yet," Sasuke said.
"Oh, sorry for that. My right eye's ability is called the Vanishing Point. It has 2 versions. The first version allows me to turn invisible for as long as I want to, but I still remain here. While I use this, my chakra signatures also become almost untraceable." Naruto said as he turned invisible in an instant.
"And the second version allows me to turn intangible while being invisible. But I can only do that as long as I don't blink." Naruto said as he became visible again.
"Whoa, that's some cool stuff," Sasuke said.
"Yeah, isn't it?" Naruto said as he grinned at Sasuke.
"And my second ability is… heh, also Amaterasu," Naruto said as he projected the flames of Amaterasu towards the sky for some time before extinguishing them.
"And you have seen my Susanoo before. So that sums up my abilities." Naruto said.
"Now we know all about each other," Shisui said.
"Yeah," Naruto said.
Later that Night
"Why didn't you reveal all your abilities?" Kurama asked.
"Just in case, if I needed an ace up my sleeve," Naruto said.
"Don't you already have a whole other series of them? Why hide the abilities of your Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan?" Kurama asked.
"I just let them see what they needed to. I don't think they need anything more than this from me. From what I have just shown, that alone puts me at the top. And that is without counting the full abilities of my Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, like the Kanzen Saimin, a superior version of Tsukuyomi, and others. And then there is the Susanoo and your Chakra Avatar. And if that is not enough, I have my Genjutsu and Fuinjutsu, and then the Adamantine Chains. And on top of all these, I haven't included that one." Naruto said.
"Yeah. So basically you are just playing along, right?" Kurama said.
"Yeah. You may say that." Naruto said.
"So then where will we be going tomorrow after we leave the village?" Kurama asked.
"I think it will be better to start from Mount Myoboku, then we would also visit the Shikotsu Forest and the Ryuchi Cave to learn about the origins of chakra. Then we will see if we can find any other leads or get a satisfying answer from there alone. And after I get my answers, I will try to reach my full potential, until the balance of power among the great nations and the Akatsuki disrupts. And I am sure it will, it is just a matter of time." Naruto said.
Next Day at the Hokage Tower
A vast crowd filled the square before Konoha's Hokage tower, eager to witness the ascension of their new leader. Itachi Uchiha, the enigmatic prodigy, stood tall at the forefront. Bathed in sunlight, his gaze held a mix of determination and wisdom, captivating the villagers.
Beside him, Jiraiya, the legendary Sannin, stood as a pillar of unwavering support. Along with Jiraiya also stood Kakashi, the elders, Mikoto, Sasuke and Shisui, all looking at Itachi with a sense of pride and respect.
As the chatter subsided, Itachi stepped forward, commanding attention with his quiet presence. He raised his hand, a signal for silence that rippled through the crowd. His voice, laced with gratitude and conviction, resonated through the air.
"Thank you, all, for gathering here today," Itachi began, his tone steady yet humble. "As your Fifth Hokage, I embrace the responsibility of safeguarding our village's future. Together, we shall forge a path of unity and prosperity, casting aside the shadows that have plagued us."
The crowd erupted in thunderous applause, their faith in Itachi unshakable. Itachi's appointment as Hokage represented a new era of hope and resilience. As the cheers subsided, Itachi's piercing gaze swept across the crowd, a mix of determination and compassion reflected in his eyes. He took a deep breath, his voice carrying a weight of solemnity and secrecy.
"Today, I stand before you to reveal a truth, a truth that has remained hidden within the shadows for far too long," Itachi declared, his words resonating with an air of anticipation. The crowd fell silent, their eyes fixed upon the Hokage, eager to uncover the hidden secrets of their village's past.
"Naruto Uzumaki, the indomitable shinobi who fought bravely against the enemy forces, is not only a beacon of courage but also the bearer of an extraordinary lineage. The bonds of lineage run deeper than we ever could have imagined," Itachi continued, his voice carrying a hint of astonishment. The crowd leaned in, their hearts pounding, as they braced themselves for the revelation about to unfold.
"Naruto Uzumaki is the son of Minato Namikaze, the legacy of the Fourth Hokage himself," Itachi announced, the words hanging in the air like a resounding shockwave. Gasps of disbelief and awe rippled through the crowd, as the weight of the revelation settled upon them.
"And Naruto himself," Itachi continued, his voice filled with unwavering admiration, "has carried this profound lineage with an indomitable spirit. He has faced countless trials and tribulations, forging his own path while embodying the very essence of his father's legacy."
A stunned silence fell over the crowd, followed by a surge of applause that erupted from the depths of their admiration. The revelation redefined their understanding of Naruto's place within the village and reinforced the indomitable spirit that had carried him through his journey.
The resounding applause intensified, engulfing the square in a wave of emotion. Itachi's revelation had not only unveiled a secret of immense significance but had also ignited a newfound appreciation for Naruto's unwavering spirit and his connection to the revered Fourth Hokage.
At the village gate
While Itachi revealed Naruto's lineage to the village, Naruto heard the whole thing going from a distance, away from the crowd, in a place where no eyes could see him. After the whole thing unfolded, Naruto sent an eagle to Jiraiya to hurry up.
In a matter of few minutes, Jiraiya appeared at the gate as Naruto was leaning on the doorpost. He was still wearing the Black Kimono with a white haori that covered his missing left arm. He was also wearing the green scarf from his mother around his neck. But much to Jiraiya's surprise, Naruto carried with him nothing but a regular katana that was hanging on the right side of his waist.
"Are you not going to take anything with you?" Jiraiya said as Naruto noticed he was carrying a big backpack.
"No, nothing. I have already stored anything I may need in sealing scrolls and some in my fingers too. And I have instructed Zabuza to lead the household until you or I return back." Naruto said. [S/N: Naruto stores anything he may need on a mission in his fingers as a modification of sealing scrolls. Generally, he also carries four to five katanas with him at any moment as he often breaks his katanas when fighting seriously.]
"Very well then. What's the plan now?" Jiraiya asked.
"First and foremost, we will go to Mount Myoboku for you to master your sage mode and for me to get some answers that I seek," Naruto said.
"Then Mount Myoboku it is," Jiraiya said.