Hey, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the holidays.
Something I forgot to mention in the notes for the last chapter: I'm not acknowledging Boruto. I've enjoyed the series well enough, until recently, but I never enjoyed it to nearly the same extent as Naruto. And I have problems with it; like Kurama knowing about nuclear fusion, by name, in a world that doesn't seem to have discovered it. That one was the deal breaker for me.
I'm also not acknowledging The Last, so no Toneri. While NaruHina has always been my second favorite pairing and the canon pairing I support I have some issues there too. So Naruto doesn't understand love? Ok, that would make sense. But he knew enough to recognize Sakura loved Sasuke and didn't love him, and knew the basics of crushes, but when Hinata flat out tells him she loves him he gets the wrong idea for two years? Really? Also, shouldn't Toneri's blood be way too diluted to be powerful enough to fight Naruto at the end of the series? Unless the Otsutsuki started inbreeding early on. In which case, wouldn't the consequences have destroyed them long ago?
nanox876: Sorry, but no. It takes more than just any Uchiha's eyes to produce the Rinnegan; it has to be an incarnation of Indra. So Shisui's eyes wouldn't have evolved. The only way to give Naruto without changing the rules the Rinnegan is if Sasuke was mortally wounded and asked Naruto to take his eyes. And I actually kinda like that requirements as they are.
Zooming Avid Reader: Yes, Naruto will learn Sealing Jutsu and become a master. No, Karin's sensing ability will remain unique to her. As for first kills for Sakura and Sasuke... well, I mean they aren't going to go on any C+ rank missions before the exams so...
Akado22: I'm planning on returning to Legends, but whether or not I will...
Sir Gewen Bauldilarie: While I'm not sure you'll read this, just to clarify the Rinnegan was actually a minor part of my decision. It was mostly the choices that I made and dissatisfaction with the writing that compelled me to start over. I do like the angle of Asura and Indra's power combining to make the Rinnegan, but part of the reason I'm not acknowledging Boruto or The Last is to avoid getting into the whole aliens thing. Suffice to say that won't be the case in this story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Team 7 was silent as they neared the village gates. After the bridge had been completed, the entire village had come out to see them off. After a tearful goodbye between Naruto and Inari, they'd been on their way. They walked forward with their heads held high, knowing the nation had a chance for a brighter future now, thanks to them... for the most part.
Naruto had mostly returned to his usual self over the few weeks it had taken them to finish the bridge. A bit quieter. There were still times when dreams of the masked boy interrupted his sleep. But with time and the support of his sensei and occasionally Sakura he had taken great strides to move on.
He'd run through the events on the bridge many a time in his head, wondering if things could have gone differently. His sensei's words and Sakura's reassurances had helped, but he still couldn't help but wonder how things would have turned out if he hadn't walked into that dome of ice mirrors. If maybe he'd tried to take the masked boy out of the fight with that first unseen blow...
... But then, how would he have reacted if he'd lived? Zabuza wouldn't have stopped. Unless Gatō decided to show himself before they killed him, they would have been forced into a battle to the death. When he thought about how he felt when he'd believed that Sasuke died, he had to wonder how would the masked boy have reacted if they'd killed Zabuza while he was still alive? He liked to think things would have worked out, but there were a lot of ways things could have gone wrong.
There was something else Kakashi had told him since that day, "Cliché as it sounds; there's no point dwelling on what-ifs."
And that was true... thinking about all the ways it could have gone differently wouldn't change that the masked boy was dead, buried back there in Wave. Kakashi had sealed Zabuza's body into a scroll. Apparently, that was the normal thing to do with rogue ninja. They tended to have pretty big bounties on their heads, which made sense between betraying their village and whatever crimes they committed to make a living afterward. Though Kakashi had mentioned that any shinobi who made a name for themselves would probably wind up with a bounty too.
That was kinda cool: it was like a measure of your awesomeness. Not really worth it though, when it came with people looking to cash in...
Sakura meanwhile had been quiet and she wouldn't talk about why. She kept to herself, throwing glances to him and Sasuke every once in a while, and seemed unsure of herself. It sucked, seeing the usually confident girl like that, but she just wouldn't open up, not to him or Kakashi. She'd say something supportive to her fellow genin every once in a while, but that was that.
She hadn't even fawned over Sasuke since that day on the bridge! He'd had to check to see if the sky was falling when he realized that.
And Sasuke... well, Sasuke had been himself; the textbook example of brooding.
The three genin couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved home was in sight, but Naruto noticed Kakashi didn't seem as relaxed. While he mostly seemed his usual cool self, he hadn't once taken out that stupid book of his, and he noticed the man's eye was slightly tense.
As they approached the gates, the guard looked up and greeted them. "Hey, welcome back..." He frowned, his face twisting slightly as he took in the genin. "Tough mission? It wasn't a failure was it?"
"Oh no, no, nothing like that..." Kakashi replied before rubbing the back of his head and looking away. "It's a long story. Let's just say Lord Hokage's going to rake me over the coals and leave it at that."
That got Naruto's attention. Why would the old man be mad? They managed, hadn't they? Not exactly the way he'd have wanted, but they pulled it off. He'd have to be impressed that they saved a nation, right?
"Ouch." The guard gave him a look of sympathy. "Well, best not put it off."
And with that, they all entered the village and made their way down the road to the administration building. They walked up the familiar corridors and soon found themselves at the Hokage's office. They knocked on the door to the office and got the ok to enter.
"Ah, welcome back Team 7." Hiruzen greeted from his desk with a nod as the four walked in, a hand on his pipe. He frowned slightly when he took in the three genin. Naruto didn't have his usual smile. He couldn't grin as he usually could, knowing what they'd be discussing, and his eyes were open. Beside him, he noticed Sakura was looking as sullen as she always had for the past few weeks. "... I take it there were complications?"
"That's one way to put it..." Kakashi began with a sigh. He then looked to the Hokage, slightly tense as if he was expecting a blow. "There were some things the client kept from us and some... unexpected developments. Had we known everything, the mission would've been classified as A-rank in difficulty."
"Was this revealed to you early on, or once you reached the Land of Waves?" Hiruzen frowned deeply.
"Early on."
Hiruzen's eyes hardened as he stared at Kakashi. "And am I to understand that you continued the mission anyway?"
"That's correct, Lord Hokage."
He set his pipe down and leaned forward, clasping his hands before him. "I'm going to need a full explanation..."
And so Team 7 gave him a full report on everything that happened. The Third Hokage was silent for most of the explanation, occasionally asking for clarification on some details, but otherwise simply listened. When it was over, he clasped his hands before him and closed his eyes as he contemplated all that he had just heard. Finally, he looked up.
"I'm going to ask that you all remain silent until I'm finished speaking." The third God of Shinobi began. He looked to the genin with approval. "First, let me commend the three of you for the success of this mission. Despite facing danger far beyond what you had any right to be prepared for at this point in your career, you pushed on for the sake of the client and his people. In doing so, you saved an impoverished nation from a dark fate and granted them new hope. Not only that, but you rekindled the wills of its downtrodden people. For this, you should be proud, as I am to call you shinobi of this village."
Naruto smiled widely at those words, just as the blond always had . Sasuke has a small smirk, which was about the most one could get from him.
Sakura's expression, on the other hand, hadn't changed.
Then the Hokage's face hardened once again as his gaze turned towards their sensei. "However..." Kakashi met his eyes unflinchingly. "It should never have come down to you in the first place."
The genin were clearly surprised, but Hiruzen kept going. "Kakashi, it is your job as their jonin leader to not only protect and guide them, but to recognize when they're in over their heads and pull them back. You should have returned to the village the moment it became clear that this mission was beyond your student's current capabilities, regardless of their feelings on the matter. At least when they're still this early in their careers. If you had already reached Wave by the time you became aware of the true scope of the mission, if it was too late to turn back without condemning their nation, that would be one thing. While Tazuna's reasoning is understandable, given the circumstances I would not have been against working out a long-term payment plan or agreeing to later reimbursement. And then we could have sent a proper escort with him."
Naruto and Sakura's jaws dropped while Sasuke frowned. They hadn't even thought of that! Then again, his teammates had probably been as happy to take a mission that wasn't painting fences or tending lawns as he was. And who knows how things would have turned out if anyone else had gone? Kakashi was a pretty big deal among jonin, wasn't he? What if whoever they sent instead wasn't a match for Zabuza?
... No, besides what happened with the ice user, Naruto couldn't say he had any regrets about taking the mission. Still, he could see the Hokage's point.
The Third Hokage's eyes narrowed. "Need I point out that had this ice wielder been more like his master or if Zabuza had more chunin level ninja at his disposal, then this would have ended in disaster?"
Kakashi closed his eye. "No... I trusted my students, but I understood the danger after my first battle with Zabuza."
Hiruzen closed his eyes and sat for a moment in silent thought. When he opened them once more, he stared at Kakashi. "I won't punish you beyond this reprimand... but understand that you are on thin ice. The facts that, first and foremost, your genin have returned unharmed, the mission was a success, and that prior to your encounter with Zabuza after reaching the Land of Waves the mission appeared to be B-rank are somewhat mitigating factors. Nevertheless, I don't want to see this again until your students are ready for it."
"Understood," Kakashi answered with a nod.
The Hokage sighed and sat back in his chair, picking up his pipe and taking a deep breath before blowing out a cloud of smoke. He then looked to the blond. "Naruto. You have been made aware of the origins of those chains?"
"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei told me..." Then, the blond frowned and raised a fist. "Hey, why did no one tell me I came from a clan before!?"
"Hm... well, I'm glad to see you're still high spirited." The third noted before closing his eyes. "The Uzumaki clan is... a sore subject for Konoha. You see, the Uzumaki clan were actually distant relatives of one of the founding clans of this village: the Senju clan." That got exclamations of shock from Naruto and Sakura, while even Sasuke seemed surprised to hear that. The blond stepped closer, eager to hear more. "The Uzumaki were a powerful clan, one that retained strong relations with their cousins the Senju. They ultimately formed their own village: Uzushiogakure, our staunchest allies. They were known for their mastery of the art of sealing jutsu and also for the longevity that those of the village, especially the Uzumaki, possessed. Indeed, they were the greatest masters of sealing jutsu in all the continent, and that made their village strong despite its small size."
Naruto excitedly ate up all the information given to him. His hands were clenched into fists before him in eagerness as he listened to how amazing his family was.
And his clan was related to the Senju. He might not have paid a lot of attention in class... not to mention how often he was put out of the room for whatever reason they could think of before Iruka came and warmed up to him, but even he knew they were known as the strongest clan there was.
And it meant he was related to the First and Second Hokages! Distantly, but still! Awesome!
But it was here that the story took a dark turn, and the Hokage solemnly closed his eyes. "But their power made them a potential threat to many. More so thanks to their close alliance with us. During a previous war, while we were preoccupied facing our own enemies Kumo and Iwa launched a surprise attack on Uzushio." His gaze turned to the ceiling, appearing lost in memories. "Attacking seal masters on their own ground are usually folly. Uzushio's forces gave better than they got... but in the end, there were just too many. The village was destroyed and the few survivors of its leading clan scattered to the winds. You'll find them every once in a while, here and there." He looked back to the genin, taking in the dejected look on Naruto's face. "The fact that we failed to protect such treasured friends, the blood of one of our founding clans, is held as a dark mark on the history of our village."
And Naruto quickly deflated upon hearing the fate of his clan. Sakura looked at him in sympathy while Sasuke gazed in thought of what he'd learned. After a few moments of silence, he asked, "So... there are still other Uzumaki out there? And how did my mom come to our village if she was from Uzushio?"
The Third Hokage shook his head. "I'm sorry Naruto... it's unlikely you will encounter any others of your clan. We have not heard of any other Uzumaki in a long time. One of my students told me of one he found during the Second Shinobi World War, but he chose to remain where Jiraiya found him, and we have since had word of his death. As for your mother... she was transferred to our village as part of an agreement, shortly before Uzushio's destruction."
After a pause to let that reality sink in, Hiruzen picked up his account of the fallen clan. "While we may not speak of the village or the clan for the shame associated with our failure, there are still signs of the solidarity we once had with them. The red spiral I'm sure you've noticed on the back of our flak jackets and even some of our other attire like your own jacket is the symbol of the clan and Uzushio." Naruto's eyes widened. The symbol of his family had been staring at him in the face for all these years! "The Uzumaki did not give their village their symbol out of vanity, mind you. It was because it rested on a small island off the western coast of the Land of Fire: the Land of Whirlpools, which fell along with the village. As the name suggests, the nation was surrounded by whirlpools, an effective natural defense... though not effective enough to save them. What better symbol to represent such a location than a spiral?"
There was silence as Naruto thought about all that he'd heard. "Gramps... You and Kakashi-sensei have told me a lot about my mom and her clan... but what about my dad?"
And there was the question Hiruzen had known was coming. One that he had long debated on giving him an answer for. Not if, mind you, but when.
Naruto would need to know, sooner or later. About his legacy and about what the Hokage suspected lied in his future. His father had left him with great burdens... burdens that no one as young as Naruto should have to bear. But, that was how the shinobi world worked. It was far better now than it was before the villages were formed, a dark time he was glad to have only heard about, but even now all too often young shinobi were forced to carry a weight a child never should.
But whether he knew about them or not, they were his burdens to carry. And knowing where he came from, of his parents' legacy and feelings, may spur Naruto on to reach his full potential.
He had never told Naruto before because it wasn't information he could allow getting out. There was always the risk of spies, and his father had many enemies. He couldn't risk him blurting the secret out, as children were wont to do, especially with as grand a secret as this. But, he was a shinobi now. Truly, if still early in his career. If he couldn't keep his own secrets...
Hiruzen closed his eyes and contemplated for a few moments before looking at them once more. "Let's move on for now." Already expecting the blond to speak up, the Third cut him off before he had the chance. "Naruto, stay afterward. It's past time I told you what you wanted to know." He then spoke to Sasuke and Sakura. "This will be a private discussion, so I want you two to go home once we've concluded our business."
"But..." Sakura started to say, only to stop when Kakashi put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. No doubt the Uchiha had already deduced why he wanted them out of the room. He regarded the blond curiously for a moment before he shrugged and looked away. Hiruzen had no visible reaction as the Uchiha's wandering eyes landed on the pictures of the four Hokage hanging from his wall.
A rare expression of pure shock lit up the Uchiha's face. Hiruzen watched him choke on his breath slightly as his gaze shot back to the back of Naruto's head. The boy quickly schooled himself, however.
Honestly, he was surprised that so many people who gave the boy a hard time didn't suspect given Naruto's looks. Perhaps it was people's prejudice due to the Kyuubi, but he couldn't help but mentally sigh whenever a ninja who'd known his father failed to make the connection. There weren't that many people in the village with peach skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. And he just happened to seal the Kyuubi into a babe that shared those traits with him? That wasn't even looking underneath the underneath... And of those who did realize and did nothing... well, the less said the better. At least his successor's last remaining student had his reasons...
"Now, if I'm not mistaken you recovered Zabuza's body?" Hiruzen questioned, receiving a nod from Kakashi in turn who walked to the table and placed two scrolls before the Hokage.
"The one on the left is Zabuza's weapon, the Kubikiribōchō."
Hiruzen nodded. That had potential. The blades of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist were extremely valuable. Perhaps they could use it at some point to help broker an alliance with Kiri? They would certainly appreciate it. "Once we've processed the body and turned it in, you will of course receive your compensation."
Unfortunately, for the danger they faced they would only receive the reward of a C-rank mission, as that was what it had been categorized as. As soon as they had been paid and their business was concluded, Hiruzen dismissed the rest of Team Seven, and Naruto stood before him. With a gesture, he ordered the hidden Anbu the kept watch over the office at all times to leave them for a moment, not that Naruto noticed, leaving them truly alone.
The boy was nervous. As anxious as he no doubt was to finally find out who his father was, he was sure he could tell that what they were about to discuss was a heavy subject.
The Hokage stood and turned away. He clasped his hands behind his back as he gazed out of the window at the village and remembered that terrible night 13 years ago when their village lost so much. When Naruto lost his parents.
"The things I'm about to tell you are all secrets of the highest order. They are not to be repeated under any circumstances. Not even to Kakashi, though he is aware of some of what I have to say. If word of this spread, you may find yourself a target of foes you cannot hope to stand against. Am I clear?" He turned back to Naruto, who seemed to recognize how serious this was.
The blond nodded, which he returned. "Very well." He walked around his desk, coming to a stop in front of the blond, and kneeled down so that he was at eye level with the genin. "Naruto... your father's name was Minato Namikaze."
Naruto's mind went blank. He stood frozen as he stared at his leader, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. All sound seemed to have vanished as the words of the Hokage echoed in his head.
Your father's name was Minato Namikaze.
The Fourth Hokage.
The hero he'd always looked up to.
... The man who'd sealed the Kyuubi inside of him.
The old man made a gesture his head and looked to the far wall. Naruto followed his gaze and it landed on a picture he'd seen before. One that he'd looked at many of the times he'd been brought to this office for something he'd done, and more recently on official business as a ninja.
To a picture of a man with a kind smile. With focused, intelligent blue eyes. Eyes that looked so different than his, but then Kakashi told him he'd gotten them from his mother, right? And while they may be shaped differently, they were the same shade a blue. With spikey blond hair... and peach-colored skin...
... So much like what he'd see looking into the mirror every day. The very idea had just seemed so impossible that it never clicked before.
He choked from the emotion welling up inside of him. His body started to tremble, his hands clenched into fists as his eyes clenched shut.
"I know." The old man spoke softly. "I can't imagine how you must be feeling, but I know it must be overwhelming. I've wanted to tell you, since the first time you asked me. But can you look me in the eye and tell me that you wouldn't have shouted this from the rooftops if I'd told you back then?" Naruto was having trouble breathing, but those words got through to him. He wouldn't be able to say that. "Your father had many enemies... enemies that may have sought vengeance upon his son had they learned you existed. That is why I couldn't tell you, but you are a shinobi now. Keeping secrets is a part of this life."
"Why..." Naruto's breath hitched as he spoke. "Why would he... did he know what I was going to go through!?"
"... I'm sure he did," Hiruzen said, closing his eyes.
"Then how could he do this!?" Naruto roared, in rage, sorrow and pain. So many emotions flying through him.
"For many reasons... one was simply this." Hiruzen looked him in the eye. "Because as Hokage, he couldn't ask another to carry a burden, to make a sacrifice, that he was not willing to. To be Hokage means to protect all in this village, to serve as a pillar of support for everyone, and mark the road for its people to follow. And also, knowing the man I believe it was because he felt there was no one he could trust more to use that power for the best in you, rather than succumbing to it or resentment, than his own son. Because he believed in you."
Tears began to flow from Naruto's eyes. He buried his face in his sleeve and wiped them away. So many conflicting thoughts filled his mind. He didn't know what to think of the Fourth... his father. Part of him wanted to blame him for all that he had been through. Another part understood what the old man was saying. And another felt his heart swell at the idea that his father had faith in him.
If he could meet the man now, he'd probably punch him in the gut, then hug him and not let go.
He heard the Hokage rise to his feet and looked up to see him a few feet away with his back to him.
"There is more," Hiruzen said, and Naruto could only do his best to ready himself after that revelation, even as his eyes still shimmered. "First, there are things you need to know. Things that are common knowledge in most villages but were kept from the recent generation here in Konoha in the hope that you would not be treated differently by your peers. The Kyuubi was not the only one of its kind." The blond couldn't help but take in a soft gasp at that. "It is the strongest of nine beasts, entities of pure chakra made flesh known as the Biju. The Biju are immortal; should they be killed their chakra will merely disperse and eventually reform. For that reason, and in some cases to harness their power, the nine are sealed into humans. Humans that exhibit immense reserves of chakra and often some of the beasts' powers as a result. People like you are known as Jinchurriki."
"Jinchurriki?" Naruto echoed the term.
Hiruzen turned to him with a nod. "Jinchurriki are by some regarded as their village's secret and greatest weapons. It is a lifelong status, for you see, if the Biju is removed from its container, the Jinchurriki will die. It is important you know that for you see... your mother was the Kyuubi's previous Jinchurriki."
What? But then she must have known what he would go through. But wait, that didn't make sense with what he'd been told about her before. "B... but..." Naruto struggled, so much going on in his head at the moment. "Kakashi told me she held the Kyuubi down for my dad to seal it! So how could she have..."
The Third Hokage nodded. "The vitality of the Uzumaki is an amazing thing. Strong enough even to allow a Jinchurriki to survive being separated from their Biju... but while they may initially survive, the damage is mortal. Your mother lived past the beast's removal, but she was not long for this world." He then looked to the blond in sympathy, walking forward and placing a hand on his shoulder. "I understand that this is a lot to take in... your father placed a heavy burden on your shoulders. But know this. I can tell you from having known them as well as I did... your father loved your mother, with all his heart. He did not care about the beast sealed within her... and it would not have affected how he would have looked at you." He allowed a moment of silence at a sniffle from Naruto. "And as for your mother... she would not have allowed your father to seal the Kyuubi within you without good reason, though I can only speculate as to what that reason is. But that is a discussion for another time."
"... How did... how did the Kyuubi escape?"
Hiruzen breathed deeply. "When a female Jinchurriki becomes pregnant, part of the chakra that would normally maintain the seal instead nurtures the child. And during birth, it's at its absolute weakest. That said the seal can fairly easily be maintained by a master of the sealing arts. Minato had been trained by Kushina herself. He rivaled the Uzumaki's vaunted skill in the field, so it should have been well within his abilities to keep the Kyuubi from breaking free. As for how it happened, as I said I can only speculate."
The was silence as Naruto thought of all he'd learned before he asked a single question. "What... what were they like? Both of them. How did they meet? And what can you tell me about my clan?"
Hiruzen smiled, clearly happy to tell him.
Wearing the same brooding or cool as his Sakura and his former classmates would put it, expression he usually wore Sasuke made his way up the stairs to his home.
Well, where he lived anyway. It didn't feel like home. He hadn't felt at home since that night all those years ago, where he lost everything.
He unlocked the door and stepped inside; taking his shoes off in the entranceway, and began to walk towards the small kitchen area. He stopped for a brief moment and looked out the window. There was a reason he chose this place when looking for an apartment.
He could just barely see it from here. The district that his clan once called home. Rows upon rows of empty houses. Shops where his clansmen would sell weapons or prepare meals and snacks with closely guarded recipes... they had been a small village unto themselves, within Konoha. His family had once been that large...
... And it had been empty for nearly a decade.
Tearing his eyes away he continued his journey, reaching the kitchen and pulling out the ingredients to make onigiri.
He was still more than a little irritated by Naruto's victory over the ice user. He didn't envy Naruto for having killed their opponent, not that he blamed him either. Much as he might not like the blond, he would have felt the same if he hadn't made it in time and thought the masked boy had killed him.
The revelations since then had been rather shocking. So, the dead last was the survivor of a once-great clan, like himself. And the son of the Fourth Hokage no less. It hadn't been hard to put the pieces together on that once he realized the only reason to keep quiet about his father's identity was if he had enemies. But he was still trying to wrap around it. Specifically, the fact that NO ONE HAD NOTICED! Or at least no one noticed and said or did anything. He was observant enough to have noted that a lot of the blond's behavior was the result of how he was treated, not the other way around.
Once he knew that his parents' identity was a secret, it had seemed so obvious. There weren't that many big names that had anything in common with Naruto. All shinobi who had served under the man or worked alongside him... and no one even suspected? You'd think at least a few people who knew his father well would have reached out to him when he was treated like a pariah. And why was he treated like that, anyway? Yeah, there was something fishy there, but he didn't have enough information to figure out what.
He finished cooking and sat down at his table, silently eating the meal. He rarely wasted his time with the television, despite the decent one sitting against the wall at the side of his bed.
Well, the blond's heritage hardly mattered to him. That was something he'd admit he had in common with Naruto, you had to earn respect yourself. Unless he started showing the talents his clan or his father was known for, it wouldn't change his view of him. Interesting to know, but that was about it.
After finishing his meal and then the clean up after, he went to his room to prepare for a shower. As he did, he spied the only real personal effect in the house. The picture Team 7 took on the day they officially became a team. Kakashi eye smiling as he ruffled his and Naruto's hair, Naruto glaring at him and Sakura smiling at the front. He thought of what his sensei had told them after the final battle in Wave and briefly thought of his mother.
That their mothers had been friends and had wanted them to be in turn... that though, that he didn't know what to think about.
Sakura had spent most of her time in her room since she got home. A brief detour to the kitchen to pick up a snack, a lackluster greeting to her parents, a shower, and then straight to bed where she stared at the ceiling. And there she remained, her thoughts a jumbled mess of self-depreciation.
'In doing so, you saved an impoverished nation from a dark fate and granted them new hope.' The words of Lord Third ran through her mind. 'Not only that, but you rekindled the wills of its downtrodden people. For this, you should be proud, as I am to call you shinobi of this village.'
'But I didn't do anything...' She thought. 'It was all Sasuke and Naruto. I can't even say I guarded Tazuna. The one time he needed protecting it was from Zabuza. I may as well not have even been there...'
What had she been thinking back in the academy? Doing the absolute minimum of training so she could focus on her looks? Relying on academics to get her through in a profession where life and death battles were normal? She couldn't remember if she'd ever considered that that would mean her teammates would have to carry her. That she would weigh them down when a screw up could get them all killed.
Stupid. So stupid.
And she hadn't been a good teammate to them, had she? She'd put Naruto down at every opportunity. Sure, he was annoying but still... and Sasuke... All she wanted right now was for him to smile at her. For him to feel as strongly for her as she had for him...
... But why would he? She'd let him know how she felt every chance she got but had she ever helped or been there for him? Hell, she hadn't even considered that he was an orphan! She'd never done anything but fawned over him continuously.
Isn't that more or less what Naruto did with her sometimes? Did he find that as annoying as she did?
Suddenly she wasn't so annoyed at Naruto's crush. Not because she at all returned it mind you; but because she was suddenly wondering why anyone would feel that way about her with how she acted.
There was a knock on the door. "Sakura, are you ok?" Her mother's voice came through.
"I'm fine, mom," Sakura answered/lied back. It must have been clear in her voice because her mother cracked open the door.
Green eyes a darker shade than her own peeked into the room, a look of concern on her face. Her mother stood just short of 5'7" and had short, straight blond hair that ended in a flare at her shoulders. She wore more or less a white version of Sakura's qipao dress and white sandals. She looked fit, as most kunoichi did, although she had long since stopped taking missions and more or less taken on civilian life, as her husband had.
No surprise there. Sakura was grateful for that because her parents... they weren't very good ninja, not that that wasn't the leaf calling the grass green. Case in point neither had ever even made chunin.
Her mother stepped into the room, looked at her daughter, and sighed. "Yeah, I'm not buying it." She walked over and sat down on the bed. "Sakura, you've been blue ever since you got home. Don't try to tell me you haven't. Something happened on that mission, what was it?"
"It's nothing." Sakura denied, rolling to her side away from her mother. "Leave me alone."
"Oh dear... I was afraid this day would come." Mebuki said, putting a hand to her face and shaking her head. "Sakura... you're becoming a teenager." Her daughter just scoffed. The woman looked to the ceiling sadly. "Whatever happened to the little girl who would tell me everything when she got home? It seems like just yesterday I was holding you while you were crying about the other kids poking fun at that cute forehead of yours. Or you told me about how happy you were that you finally made a friend, or..."
"I get it, mom!"
"Ah see, that's more like it." Mebuki smiled at needling a reaction from her daughter. She placed a hand on her arm. "Now look, I was a child once too. And I may not have gone very far but I am a kunoichi. I know how hard the shinobi life can hit you when you're just starting out. So tell me what happened."
A few moments of silence passed as Sakura thought about whether or not to say anything. Finally, she responded, "It just... some things that got me thinking is all. Like... have I been wasting my time and..." She trailed off.
"Oh boy... I know that feeling." Mebuki shook her head and then called out. "Kizashi! I think our daughter's taken one of those long hard looks at herself."
"Oh? Looked into the mirror, has she?" Her father's good-natured voice called back. In a few moments, he joined them. "Well, that's no reflection on her; I do it all the time!"
"Dad..." Sakura groaned in exasperation. Soon, Kizashi joined them.
Her father was a man who stood just over six feet with blue eyes and dull pink hair, which he styled into her namesake cherry blossoms. He had a bit of stubble and sideburns that flowed into an angular mustache. He wore a simple green obi, burgundy-colored pants, and a silver necklace with a pink cherry blossom design.
He gave his daughter a kind smile as he sat down on the opposite end of the bed as her mother. "So, what did you see that's got you so down?"
"And what brought it on in the first place?" Her mother added.
She sighed, knowing they weren't going to leave her alone, and so she caved. She told them everything. Of how she'd secretly agreed with Naruto about being fed up with the tediousness of D-rank missions. How glad she'd been to receive their first C-rank. The attack of those two chunin and the revelation that it was far more dangerous than advertised. Their decision to press on and their first encounter with Zabuza, revealing to them just how deep in it they were. The masked boy. Life in Wave. And finally, the events on the bridge.
Her parents had mostly stayed quiet. Although, they'd expressed anger at Kakashi-sensei deciding not to cancel the mission and come back. She didn't hold it against him. Everything had turned out alright for the most part, and who knows how things in Wave would have gone down if they'd assumed it was only a B-rank job and sent a bunch of chunin?
They had been surprised that Naruto had been the hero of the day. His plan to free their sensei, once again all Naruto and Sasuke she'd just stood there and watched. How determined he'd been after hearing Inari's story. How he'd inspired the people of Wave and brought them out of despair. The apparent death of Sasuke, the real death of the masked boy, and how he'd reacted to it all. She'd seen them exchanging looks she couldn't read a few times.
"Well, first let me say good riddance to this Gatō," Mebuki said, her face wrinkled in disgust at what the man had done.
"Here, here!" Her father wholeheartedly agreed. He then smiled at her as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Now, why does all this have you looking so glum? You helped save a nation! On your first real mission, no less! You should be celebrating!"
"No, I didn't," Sakura said dully. "I didn't do anything. I just stood guard of Tazuna; it was all Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi-sensei."
"You don't think guarding the client's an important job?" Mebuki asked in a deadpan as if she thought she was being stupid.
"Not when I couldn't have protected him if my life depended on it." She said before grimacing slightly. "Which it would have." She added before looking away. "If the masked kid or even those two chunin we fought on the road had gotten past everyone else... I wouldn't have lasted two seconds. And the only time Tazuna was attacked it was Zabuza; we'd be dead if Kakashi-sensei hadn't saved us. What good's a guard who can't even protect herself?"
She sighed deeply as all the fights ran through her mind again. "Naruto and Sasuke saved Kakashi-sensei when Zabuza had him trapped. They fought the masked kid, Kakashi-sensei protected Tazuna the one time he needed it, Naruto inspired the people of Wave to stand up... I didn't... couldn't do anything. I can't even say I've ever helped them. All I've ever done is put Naruto down and fawn over Sasuke... and I can't even do that right. I mouthed off about Naruto being an orphan. In front of Sasuke."
Her mother's grimace told her she agreed with how bad that was.
"... Am I... I'm not a good ninja... or a good person, am I?"
"Sakura..." Kizashi began, but her mother cut him off.
"Well, if we're being honest... it was pretty low of you to break off your friendship with that Ino girl after she stood up for you." Mebuki began with a hand on her chin, earning a light glare from her husband.
Sakura sat up and frowned at her mother. "Are you going to tell me Sasuke isn't worth it?" She dared her mother to tell her that true love wasn't something worth fighting over.
Instead, her mother just made a single quiet laugh and gave her a lopsided grin. "So she's a rival for the boy you like. Friendly rivalries are a thing, you know?"
Oh... yeah, that's true, wasn't it? She'd seen them in some of the stories she'd read and on TV shows. So, she'd broken the only real friendship she'd had, with a girl who defended her from bullies when they first met, for nothing. Yep, another mark on the tally of 'Proof Sakura Haruno is a terrible person'.
"But, you're missing something very important here." Mebuki continued looking at her seriously before smiling and placing a hand on her head. "Sakura, you're a child."
"Exactly. You're barely in your teens." Kizashi agreed. "Children make stupid mistakes. It's what you do. What we did when we were that age. The important thing is that you recognize them, learn from them and do what you can to make up for them." He smiled at her. "None of that is anything you can't fix or make up for, right?"
"... I guess not."
"Then try to figure out what you need to work on."
What she needed to work on? The things she'd need to fix or make up for...
...
... She had some thinking to do.
Kakashi sat at a table in his home, his head resting on his hand. He hummed quietly in thought as he closed his eye.
He hadn't done a good job of leading those kids, had he? They hadn't been ready for that. Well, that was pretty obvious; he'd had to teach them the tree-climbing exercise mid-mission. He was proud of them for having made it through but was under no delusions that it wasn't a close call. Everything Lord Third had said to him was something he'd realized when they'd thought Sasuke was dead on the bridge.
This was the first time he'd led a team of apprentices. He hadn't been on a team like this since he was under a jonin sensei himself. Perhaps he'd been too hands-off when it came to training them? Had he been expecting too much when he decided to push on?
Well, hindsight was 20-20, as they say. The more important part was what was he going to do about it now?
He'd need to step up their training. The chunin exams were coming up and he wanted to enter them, which meant he'd need to work fast. Hopefully, what happened in Wave would be a wake-up call for them too. He'd need to think of how best to nurture their talents. He'd need to get some Litmus Paper to check for their elements.
Sakura was clearly dealing with feelings of inadequacy. Hopefully, her parents would help with that, she was more likely to open up to them. But if it continued on he'd step in. With any luck, it would help push her to actually apply herself.
With her chakra control and her academic prowess, she had the makings of a great medical ninja and genjutsu specialist... but that was something of a problem for him. His genjutsu skills were a step above decent, but he was no master. His proficiency in that art beyond the basics came mainly from his Sharingan. As for medical ninjutsu, that would take too long with the timeframe he was working with.
Well... maybe not medical ninjutsu itself, but the knowledge that came with it could be useful. Anatomy, pressure points, and of course the art of making poisons and antidotes... those were things she could work on by herself that would help her. Not to mention improve her ability to perform handle simple injuries in the meantime. It was a far cry from having a medic on the team, but it could still save lives or turn a potential failure into a success.
He'd also need to pick up some scrolls on genjutsu for her. The only genjutsu specialist he knew was currently leading a team of her own.
She needed a lot of work on the physical aspects of combat. And he'd need to work out what kind of style would best suit her. If she decided to pursue medical ninjutsu later, probably something centered around dodging...
Sasuke... well, in his case he didn't need anyone to push him. Just some more guidance.
And Naruto... well, after thinking about it a bit, he believed he had the perfect idea to take advantage of his natural attributes. And his impromptu plan to save him from Zabuza, not to mention learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu in only a few hours showed that he had untapped talent. He'd need some brushing up in every category, but his strategy should help that immensely. He'd probably want to explore his clan's talent too. He could help with that.
But the chains... he couldn't help him there. He knew some of what they could do but had no idea how to do any of it, and it was all far beyond Naruto's current level anyway. The best he could do there is help improve Naruto's control of chakra, and he'd be doing that for all of them anyway.
And when he thought about it... he really should have been there more for the kid. For his sensei's son. He knew what it was like to be an orphan. Knew how the villagers would treat him in the wake of the Kyuubi attack. But he'd been too busy dealing with his own losses and pouring himself into his work as a coping mechanism. He recalled how Minato-sensei had tried so many different tactics to help pull him from that same mentality after his last teammate's death...
He would be so disappointed…
Right. He had a lot to make up for. So, help with their elements. Push Sakura to train and study the body and poisons. Work on Naruto's knowledge and improve their taijutsu. Help Sasuke with the Sharingan and help Naruto improve his skill with the chains as best he could.
Ok, he had a plan.
He made a note of which stores to visit for the supplies he needed. At least tomorrow he'd have a reason to be late.
Naruto sat on the roof of his apartment complex, staring at the face of the Fourth Hokage's monument... his father's face.
He still had conflicting emotions about that, but they'd mostly settled. He couldn't say he completely understood or forgave him, but he chose to believe what Hiruzen did. That his father had trusted him.
He looked down at the piece of paper in his hand. The only thing that Hiruzen had given him, given the secret around his parents.
A picture of his mother. A slender woman with long red hair that Hiruzen told him was common for their clan and violet eyes. Fair skin as opposed to his own... but he could see he got his face from her. She wore a high collard, sleeveless blouse under a green dress. She was smiling widely, a hand on her hip and a fist pumped in the air.
It was a warm feeling, knowing that his parents had loved him, especially after he'd learned about the Kyuubi. But in a way it hurt more, knowing now just what had been taken from him. Hiruzen had told him how excited they'd been when they'd found out they would be parents. How much they'd cared for each other... and he'd never gotten to meet them.
The Fourth Hokage... that brought him back to something else that had been weighing on his mind. 'To be Hokage means to protect all in this village, to serve as a pillar of support for everyone, and mark the road for its people to follow.'
Well, his father and the old man certainly did that. The Third, who had once told him that everyone in this village was his family. Who did everything he could to be there for him and everyone else. His father, who gave everything for this village...he had a long way to go.
What would his parents see if they saw him now? What kind of example was he setting for others to follow?
Right... well, no better time than the present to get started.
Pocketing the picture of his mother and giving one last look to the Hokage monument, he silently went inside. He walked down the stairs and made his way to his apartment, turning the key and opening the door.
He looked around and grimaced. Trash, everywhere. Flies around the appliances. Fridge probably half-filled with spoiled goods. He'd tried to take care of the place when he was younger, but all too often he'd find himself too downhearted by the villager's looks or something his teacher did to bother. Put that together with the fact that no one ever visited him aside from Iruka and the old man, who usually took him out, and at some point he'd just stopped caring.
The old man had told him a lot about his father. He said that he'd been meticulous.
... He'd be pretty embarrassed if he knew this was how his son lived, huh? To say nothing of what his mother would say.
He shivered as one story that the old man had shared in particular came to him. The story of how the other kids had teased his mother relentlessly about how her round face and red hair when she was in the academy. They said it made her look like a tomato. They kept this up until she snapped and beat the ever-loving crap out of all of them, her red hair whipping in every direction like a demon's. And that was before she'd had the fox sealed inside of her.
That event had earned her a new nickname: The Red Hot-blooded Habanero.
He had a feeling that if she could see this, he'd be on the receiving end of that temper.
Yeah, that would be a decent enough first step. Now that he thought about it, living like this couldn't be a good idea, could it?
He put his hands together in a cross-shaped sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" In a burst of smoke, five copies of his appeared. "Alright guys, you know what to do!"
And with cheers of agreement, Naruto and his clones got to cleaning up the mess he'd been living in for the last half-decade.
Something else I see brought up surprisingly rarely: the fact that Sakura does have supportive parents. I think I've seen them brought up in two stories, maybe?
I hadn't planned on Sasuke realizing the truth about Naruto's parentage. That part kind of wrote itself. I was just writing the scene and I realized: Sasuke's smart and observant, Naruto looks almost identical to his father besides his facial features, and there's a picture of the man right there. I'm guessing it's a combination of those who know not wanting to talk about it, and willful ignorance on everyone else's part.
Also, I looked up a flashback episode in Shippuden that extended Hiruzen and Kakashi's investigation into Naruto's home life, and as shown in the episode that of his other students. According to the episode; yes, his home was that messy.