Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto


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'Person thinking'

"Person talking"

"Jinchuriki talking inside his head with Bijuu"

'Bijuu thinking'

"Bijuu talking"

"Bijuu talking inside jinchurki's head"


Chapter 28 – New Dawn

While Hiruzen was holding the council meeting, Naruto was dealing with challenges of his own. Seeing that he was in need of advice, he decided to lie in bed for a bit longer that morning and went inside the mindscape to meet his big furry friend (not that he would ever call him that to his face of course).

He appeared in the temple and, once outside, he noticed Kurama lounging and his breathing regulated, seemingly asleep.

"Oi, Kurama! You up?"

"…What do you want, human?" asked Kurama slightly annoyed by Naruto waking him up from a particularly pleasant nap.

Alas, by the time the Kyuubi did decide to respond, Naruto had already made his way next to the tailed beast's head and sat next to him. Looking towards the expansive forest within their mindscape, Naruto broke the silence once more.

"First, thanks for the help yesterday. I never got to say it with all the craziness that happened."

"Hn." Responded Kurama while nodding. Not a moment later, Naruto turned towards the bijuu, his face showcasing supreme amusement towards the fox's reaction.

"Wow, you sound almost like Sasuke when you do that."

"Did you come in here just to irritate me, boy?" growled the tailed beast menacingly.

"Hehe, nah. Actually, I need some advice about the Red-Lights district."

"From me?"

"I don't really have anyone to talk to about this and you are thousands of years old sooo…"

"Sigh… You're not going to leave me alone until you get what you want anyway. Ask your questions so we can get this over with. I want to return to my nap."

"Don't you ever get tired of napping?"

"Boy…"

"Ok, ok."

'Sheesh, he's so stuck up sometimes. Maybe I should create some coffee for him in here or something. Maybe after drinking some of that he won't be so grumpy anymore.' Thought Naruto.

"I heard that."

"…I didn't block my thoughts from you just now, did I?" asked Naruto meekly.

"Nope."

"Don't eat me. Please? Pretty please, with sugar on top?"

"At this point, I'm strongly considering it. Ask whatever question you have before I decide what seasoning to use on you."

"Right! Umm, well, I was thinking about the whole Red-lights district thing and I was thinking of talking to jiji to make it stop. For good."

"What does that have to do with me? This is a human problem. It's for you to figure out."

"Argh, I know! But, I mean, do you think it's a good idea to make that place disappear completely?"

"I can't answer that question for you. The only thing I can tell you is that you should think carefully before deciding what's best for others. You said it yourself a while back that it's not right to make others do something without even asking if they're ok with it."

"Oh… You're right. Thanks, Kurama!"

"Oregano and paprika."

"Huh?"

"The seasonings I will use on you as I eat you for breakfast."

"By, Kurama!" Replied Naruto with a terrified smile on his face. An instant later, Kurama attempted a bite at Naruto, only for the blond to disappear from the mindscape.

"Ah, peace and quiet once again." Smiling contently, the mighty Kyuubi returned to enjoying his number one hobby.


Back in the real world, Naruto pondered on Natsumi's situation once again. 'I really thought I could surprise Natsumi-neechan by helping her get rid of that stupid job, but Kurama is right. I don't even know if she even wants to quit. Or any of the other people who were hurting. I mean, yeah, some of them hated it, but not everyone. Argh! This is so complicated! But it's also not right! … Sigh, I'll have to talk to jiji too and maybe even other folks from that district and see what the best way to go about it really is.'

His eyes then fell on the clock, at which point he realized he needed to go to the academy today, since no one except Sasuke knew about his involvement in the mission. 'And this reminds me… I need to get back into training on chakra control. Gotta get leaf and tree walking exercises down as soon as possible so I can use Kurama's chakra without getting burnt all over.'

Noises coming from the kitchen interrupted his musings. Apparently, Natsumi was up early too. In spite of his previous troubling thoughts, a smile appeared on his face, as he remembered how, for the first time since they took to each other as siblings, Natsumi actually saw Naruto to sleep. The comfort that she gave him, the affection he felt from her as she told him wondrous stories that had his imagination run wild. He felt truly blessed to have her in his life.

Steadily, he got up and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Once done, he entered the kitchen smiling contently.

"Morning, Naruto-kun." Said Natsumi as she prepared breakfast for both of them.

"Morning, neechan."

"Are you ready for another exciting day?"

"Yeap!" replied Naruto smiling. Natsumi however, realized his smile was a bit forced.

"What's wrong, Naruto-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"Naruto-kun…"

"Sigh…It's just thoughts about the past few days."

"I understand. I was thinking about them as well."

"Really?"

"Yes. But that shouldn't stop us from enjoying a great breakfast, right?" she said, smiling with mischief.

"Right!" This time, Naruto smiled a genuine smile, and took his seat at the table, waiting for Natsumi to finish cooking.

Breakfast soon followed and, with only 30 minutes left before going to the academy, Naruto decided to start the hard talk. As far as he was concerned, there was never going to be a good time for this topic, so might as well get it out of the way.

Natsumi of course noticed that Naruto was trying to gather his strength to talk about something difficult, so, she decided to help him a little.

"Naruto-kun, what's on your mind?" she asked warmly.

"Natsumi-neechan, I… I know where you work."

Hearing his words, Natsumi sat still, eyes affixed to the table, terrified of this revelation. After his stories from the previous day, she half-suspected he may have discovered this fact, but was hoping against hope that it wasn't the case.

Naruto could see how she made herself visibly smaller. She clearly felt ashamed, like she'd done something unforgivable. 'Kind of reminds me of how defeated I felt in front of Higurashi-ojisan the first time I met him.' With that thought in mind, he got up from his seat, and hugged the still petrified Natsumi around her waist, hoping to comfort her. He could feel Natsumi jerk a little at his touch, her fear having gotten the better of her. Naruto did not relent. He hugged gently, but surely. After a few moments, Natsumi, while not reciprocating, eased some of the tension in her form, which Naruto took as a sign of her accepting the gesture.

Seeing her fragile state, he spoke softly. "I could feel how you were hurting. I could feel how you hated it. Hated yourself. I didn't mean to do it, but I had to scan the area for the mission. I'm sorry I used my sensing ability on you without your permission."

Natsumi didn't respond. She just sat there, seemingly unable to process this occurrence. After what seemed like forever, she hugged Naruto back softly. Then tighter. And tighter. Naruto could feel warm wet drops falling on his head, followed by sobs and hiccups. He hugged tighter too, seeking to let her know he wasn't going anywhere. She was his sister and that sure as hell wasn't going to change because of this revelation.

"I'm the one that is sorry, Naruto-kun. I'm a horrible person. I thought I could be there for you, be a good sister, but in the end all I do is hurt you."

"That's not true, neechan."

"How can you say that?! I wasn't there for you when the academy opened even though I knew how much it meant to you! We can't even walk together down the street because some people might recognize me and then they'll despise you not only because of what you hold but also because of the company you keep!"

Naruto looked in Natsumi's watery eyes with a fierce determination of his own. "I don't care what some stupid adults think. You're my sister and I'm damn proud of it! And, if you put it that way, you being around me is just as bad, hehe. I mean, if people found out you're helping raise the demon kid, they'll charge you extra for groceries too."

"I suppose that's true." Replied Natsumi with a weak smile on her face.

"Neechan, to me, you're the strongest person I know. I don't think I could go through what you're going through every day like that and not go completely bonkers."

"Haha, I think your will is quite strong. Though, in this particular situation, I hope you'll never have to test it against such experiences." Replied his sister while hugging him just a bit tighter.

"Why do you keep doing that job if you hate it so much?"

"It's not that easy to find new work. Not many people want to hire people with a past like mine."

"Sigh… it's like ANBU-niisan said…"

"Hmm?"

"He is the one who explained to me about what happens in the brothel buildings after I felt you and all those other people hurting."

"Oh…"

"I want to talk to Jiji. See if we can do something about all this. I felt at least 40 other people who felt just like you did back then."

"Naruto… you don't have to."

"But I want to. It's not right! People shouldn't have to feel things like that! And, how can I ever hope to make the world a better place if I can't even help my own sister?!"

Naruto's response earned him a fierce, almost never-ending hug from Natsumi.

"Thank you, my little maelstrom…"

"I love you, neechan."

"I love you more, Naru-kun."

After a few moments, Naruto broke from the embrace with a sudden jerk, much to Natsumi's surprise. "I just remembered! I will get an S rank pay for this mission! Neechan, can't you say you're sick and stay home until we figure things out with Jiji? The S rank pay should last us for at least 8 months. With my stipend we could stretch it to a full year! You could even quit if you wanted to!"

"I'm not so sure about that…"

"Huh? Why not?"

"It's not that simple. The owner won't accept that from me and I'll end up without a job. Or worse."

"What do you mean?"

"There was a deal made, between the village and some of the businessmen in the village, right after the Kyuubi attack. They would invest money in the quick reconstruction of the village, while the village leadership would provide more relaxed regulations for businesses owned by these people. I may not be a slave anymore, but in their eyes, I'm still their property. If I don't do what they say…"

"What happens if you don't?"

"I had a few colleagues who couldn't handle it anymore. They started complaining, asking to be released to the streets, even to beg. Soon after that, they disappeared, never to be seen again. When we asked what happened, we were simply told that they were 'relocated' to an establishment in another town."

"Doesn't the village protect these people in any way?"

"Normally, yes, but part of that deal was that the village would essentially turn a blind eye to such practices, seeing as the workers were brought from outside the village. Each of us was screened for security reasons upon arrival, but after that, our fate was in the hands of our employers."

"That's messed up."

"Perhaps… but you know, that's what led to me coming here. Horrible as it has been, if it hadn't been for these circumstances, we would never have met."

"I guess… but that still doesn't make it right!"

"No, it does not."

"Now that I know this, I really need to talk to Jiji. If there's anyone that can fix this, it's him."

"Naruto-kun, it's not that simple…"

"Why not?"

"Let's say the village disbands the brothels and gambling dens in the district. What happens to the people there? Will they disappear too? And let's say they do get protected by the village. What happens to them next? Most of them live in or near the brothels and dens. I'm one of the very few exceptions. So, if those establishments suddenly disappear, the people who worked there will be left not just without a job, but without a home as well. And the village can't exactly muscle their way through the problem either, because a deal is a deal, and if you don't hold your end of a bargain, people won't trust you with another deal next time. So, if the village needs funds for some other emergency in the future, maybe no one will help."

"Oh… didn't think of that."

"It's ok, Naruto-kun. That's why big sister is here. To explain things." She replied with a smile, as she caressed her little brother's hair gently.

"Thanks!" Beamed Naruto. His gaze turned to fierce determination once again, before he continued. "I'll still talk to Jiji though. I understand things a little better now and I have some ideas, but I need to learn more before we can really come up with a good plan."

"Look at you, already discussing policy changes within the village. My little Hokage."

"Hehehe." Naruto beamed at the compliment. His eyes soon fell on the clock however and realized he was running late. "I gotta go to the academy, but if you want, I can stay."

"No, it's ok. I'm better now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Ok."

"Go and make your bag. I'll prepare your bento in the meantime, ok?"

"Sure! Thanks, sis!"

"You're very welcome." replied a smiling Natsumi.


Soon after Naruto departed, Natsumi started washing the dishes. Normally, that was his task, but given recent events, she decided to cover for him, just this once.

As she finished, she was startled by the appearance of none other than the ANBU agent that carried Naruto in his arms after the boy had attempted to unlock his chakra.

"Can I help you, ANBU-san?"

"I was asked to impart a message to you, Miss Unohana."

"And what would that message be?"

"The Uchiha clan extends their gratitude for your support in the investigation."

"I fail to see how I helped in this effort, sir."

"You preserved the confidentiality of critical intelligence. More importantly, Naruto-san would not be half the shinobi he is today without your influence."

"I see. Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad to hear the Uchiha clan is faring well, all things considered."

"Indeed. I must take my leave. Your quality will be remembered among the Uchiha, Miss Unohana."

"...That is unexpected, but much appreciated."

"Until we meet again." A shunshin later, Natsumi was left yet again to her own devices.

'Hmm, I wonder who this young man might be. Probably an Uchiha, since he was asked to deliver the message. I suppose I will never find out. I liked his eloquence though.' Thought Natsumi with a smirk. Unfortunately, her smirk turned into a pout not long after that. 'He also seemed rather young… Sigh, as if an Uchiha would ever consider associating himself publicly with someone of my station.'