Naruto fanfic 3
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat at his desk with a pensive look on his face. He had set out an ANBU this morning to check in on Naruto at the orphanage, only to hear that he wasn't there. His hands clutched tight together as he weighed the pros and cons of putting the whole city on lockdown until the boy was found.
He looked up as he felt someone appear in his office, with both windows and door securely shut. He looked up to see his sensei standing across from him with his arms crossed "I want his files both medical and otherwise and a DNA test done on Naruto". His sensei was slipping decorum this morning? The man that drilled all forms of customs, decorum and manners into his skull. Maybe this was an imposter after all. He moved a finger to start signaling his ANBU "don't bother, I'm just a shadow clone. The real me is watching over Naruto and is far too furious to see you in person right now."
"Good morning sensei, I hope you are doing well. I'm fine myself, thank you for asking." Hiruzen chuckled wryly at the look on his sensei's face before getting serious. "Tobirama I have no idea why you are back from the dead or how or who did it. Despite my respect for you there are too many variables that negate my trust. So tell me: why should I give you any of my wards medical files or perform a blood test for you? "
"Because he has mokuton." Hiruzen froze in his seat with wide eyed looking up at the Nidaime. "And if he is of my clan I AM taking him under my care as the care of the Hokage seems to be lacking as of late. I don't know everything that has happened as of late, despite the policies I have put in place to prevent such corruption and malpractice but I will personally be reviewing every injustice that has been brought against this boy as well as to see how sick Konoha actually is."
"Start with the roots, sir. The sickness starts there" Hiruzen said looking at his predecessor glumly. "The civilian council and Danzo have done everything possible to push the Hokage position to nothing more than a figurehead. Anything I could have, and tried to do, for Naruto has been blocked at every turn." Tobirama's eyes narrowed on his student.
"How long has he been living on the streets Sarutobi?" One small question tipped the scales as Hiruzen's hands slammed on the desk and he stood up furiously. An indignant glare on his face as ANBU emerged from their shadows to defend the Hokage if necessary.
"How dare you insinuate that I am not caring for my ward of that he is living on the streets! ANBU check in on him every few hours and report back to me how he is doing at the orphanage. "
A blank look was on Tobirama's face as he whispered "the orphanage kicked him out 3 months ago Hiruzen. The sickness is in the whole tree. " before popping out of existence. Hiruzen fell back in his chair with an audible thump. His hands covering his face in horror.
"Inu, bring every operative that reported Naruto was safe and sleeping at the orphanage in the last 3 months. Give them to Inoichi and Ibiki. Their schedules are sure to be full for the next couple days."
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Tobirama looked at the young boy in his arms that was stretched upwards and trying to relieve him of the hapiri on his head when the sudden popping of his shadow clone caused the memories of his encounter with Hiruzen to flood his brain. The frown etched on his face must have caused Naruto to stop his persistent grabbing as he stared at Tobirama with a mirroring frown. " I'm sorry if I upset you ji-san." Tobirama blinked at him as he took in the words before using one hand to grab the hapiri from his head and place it on Naruto's own as he mumbled about it being a loan and how he would find the kids one he had stowed away. Naruto caressed it reverently before a small smile graced his lips . "Thank you ji-san" Tobirama hummed in response as he flipped Naruto up and around so that he was sitting on his shoulders. His army of shadow clones set to clean-up the compound and make it more livable for the two of them.
"Naruto we need to go to the hospital for some tests to be run on both of us, but first we should go get breakfast. Can you show me the best place to get food here? " Naruto nodded vehemently, causing Tobirama's hapiri to slide down his forehead a little bit before he righted it and remembered that his new Ji-san couldn't see him from way up on his head. His hands unwittingly twisted in Tobirama's white hair, tugging slightly, as he said the affirmative.
With little instructions from them both, whether to duck under low-laying items or direction wise, they soon came upon an alley between businesses that was lined with trash-cans. Naruto scrambled to get down and through many twists, turns and near falls Tobirama sat him on the ground unscathed. Naruto walked over to one of the trash cans silently lifted up the lid before removing a loaf of bread from inside and handing it to Tobirama. A deep anguish and horror filled his veins as a time when he had done the same to fill his own and his brothers stomachs during particularly hard winters when he was a small kid. How they struggled to fill their bellies and the gnawing hunger he often felt as he made sure his younger siblings ate before he took a crumb. How that changed when Hashirama discovered his wood release and how relieved he was when they no longer had to scrounge for scraps to survive. Through his reminiscing he barely caught Naruto say " I'm not allowed in the store but they make the best bread! That's what everyone says and even if it is a little hard I don't mind having things thrown at me sometimes if I can have some. This one and a couple blocks over usually have stuff every day but you have to get here early or…" a door opened to reveal a man with a broom. He was poised to swing it with expletives and the word demon thrown in a long slew before his eyes locked onto the man the child had quickly scurries behind.
Tobirama glared at the man as he quickly dropped his makeshift weapon and all but trembled into a puddle at his feet. Apologies and whimpers left him as Tobirama bent and picked up Naruto before marching away, his hunger forgotten.
"Is this a normal occurrence Naruto?" Tobirama but out around his clenched teeth. Naruto tilted his head as he stumbled over trying to repeat occurrence back to him. "Does this happen a lot?" Understanding dawned on him before he nodded and explained that he made it part of his ninja training. He prattled on about how he made it his mission to play pranks and get stuff unseen, just like real ninja. He explained to Tobirama the pattern of where to get food and when the trash people came . Knowledge of the entire city that he couldn't have possibly come up with living on the streets for just under 3 months. With that suspicions in mind he started asking Naruto about what life was like at the orphanage.
A wide-eyed look was plastered on his face before Naruto grabbed his hand and began pulling him along. Asking if he wanted to see it and exclaiming that he could show him the first tree that he had made. The small blonde rattled off heartbreaking tales nonchalantly, as if all children got reprimanded for dropping a spoon by having to kneel in rice for an hour. Then only allowed to eat the rice grains he picked up off the dirty ground for that week. That whippings didn't count if they healed up within the first minute of being delivered. Tobirama felt bile rise in his throat as his chakra built to explode from him. His blood rushed in his ears and his hands shook as the cheerful blonde continued to pull him towards their destination.
Unable to withstand the bubbling beneath his skin anymore he raised his fingers into a single sign and thirty copies of himself left to fight to the death in a nearby clearing. Naruto stared up at him in wonder as Tobirama smiled down ruefully. They came to a stop in front of a small building surrounded by a fence with many children playing in the yard. He pulled Tobirama to a young apple try and placed both their hands against it. The young Uzumaki pushed more of his chakra into the tree and it happily reached back out to him. Its own life-force danced with his until a small satisfied small pulled at his lips. "See Ji-san? This try is well worth it. Since I made it the tree will give apples to all the orphans for years to come. "
Tobirama didn't think his heart could hurt any further as he listened to Naruto talk about the cold winter he had been forced to sit outside for upsetting the matron and how he was so hungry he had begun digging in the dirt looking for something, anything that he could put in his belly. How when he was too tired to move he lay and cry and then the tree grew from his tears. It flowered with one small apple on it that he quickly took a bite out of when the matron found him and punished him further for sneaking food.
Tobirama silently walked hand in hand with Naruto to the hospital. Glares and glowers latched on to Naruto as bewildered or questioning glances were thrown his way. Luckily no objects were thrown their way or what little was left of Tobirama's patience would have snapped entirely. It wasn't much better as they entered the hospital and one unsightly nurse tried to usher Naruto out before she noticed the hand holding his and the dark look on the man's face. An elderly woman nearby whispered out a quiet "Nidaime-sama" while others just shuddered under the weight of his stare.
"Tobirama Senju and Naruto Uzumaki here to get some blood work and tests done. The acting Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen should have already placed an order for them to be done." He muttered under his breathe about incompetence as the nurses at the station took turns glowering at Naruto or fumbling about through paperwork.
"Ah right this way, your room is 301 and the dem— Naruto's room is…" Tobirama cut her off.
"No, we'll be in the same room. " the nurse sputtered while looking at him with wide eyes. She spewed excuses and hospital policies at him before freezing at he withering glare he affixed her with. "As his guardian no tests will be run in him without being in my presence; is that understood? " She gave a quiet noise of alarm before scrambling away and heading towards room 301, the two of them following after.