Chapter 22: Homecoming
Chapter Summary: The month leading up to the end of the chunin exams gets nearer to its close.
Words: 6,066
Published: 6/20/23
football78: Why does Ebisu know Rasengan. Additionally hiw js Naruto so weak physically. You somehow made this Naruto weaker than Cannon Naruto, and choose to increase Sakura's strength this is stupid.
Fanfiction.
Roswelll: as always, love it! especially the interaction
I sometimes get lost in writing interactions between characters... Maybe it's too fun :P
c1khaeild02: nice Keep working
Yes GOAT
Hillside
Even Tonton was shocked.
Jiraiya questioned, "What?... She's the one who killed Dan? How do you know?"
Under the pouring rain, Tsunade answered, "That kekkei genkai... That's the crystal release of the Mamiya clan; the same crystal that was used to kill Dan and Yuki, by piercing their lungs...
Ebisu asked, "And how do you know it was her, specifically?"
Tsunade wiped her tears. "The Mamiya clan sniffle has been confined to the Land of Lightning for decades. They all live on their reservations there, and when Dan and Yuki were killed, there was only one Mamiya outside of the Lighting, the same one who is the only one outside today - - Guren Mamiya. That's the bitch. I need to make her pay."
Jiraiya sighed, and rubbed his face. "Shit. Shit. Why now?... Damn it..."
Ebisu put a hand on the woman's shoulder. "We must keep ourselves composed, Lady Tsunade. It wouldn't be wise to just barge over there and kill her in cold blood. That's not the shinobi way."
Tsunade exhaled. "I know, I know. The future hokage shouldn't let herself be so impulsive... I'm sorry, Ebisu. Thank you."
With that, Ebisu let go of her.
Jiraiya inquired, "You really just said 'Future hokage'? So, you've decided?"
Tsunade weakly chuckled. "That Naruto... I made a bet with him that I'd come to the Village if he finished learning the rasengan within this week."
Jiraiya winced. "And you're sure he'll deliver?"
Tsunade smiled. "Knowing him, he'll come up with some crazy way to make it happen. He's such a bright kid, you know?"
Jiraiya's mind flashed back to the rubber ball.
He used both hands to pop it, didn't he?...
He suggested, "You might not get another chance like this, Tsunade."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, we should confront this Guren right here and now. Have her explain herself."
Ebisu responded, "That doesn't... God, I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do.". He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'll come with you."
Tsunade gave both men a grateful look. "I promise I won't go crazy, alright?..."
The men nodded.
Tsunade added, "What about you, Tonton?"
She swooned when the swine oinked happily.
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Curry of Life Shop
Tayuya was still playing her flute.
Naruto, having finished his meal first, stood at the front of the shop, maintaining his facade as Menma. "Gee, bad storm's comin'. Think we can stay here?"
Raiga, who was still sitting at the counter, snapped, "No! Not here!... There's, uh, no space, I'm sorry. Just take the next cab out of here."
Naruto's brow furrowed.
Is he hidin' something?
As if to answer his question, a sudden crash was heard on the second floor, followed by glass breaking, and thuds on the awning.
Naruto watched as a young boy landed on the ground. When the boy rose, Naruto saw that he was wearing a simple kimono, and that he had pale green hair and magenta eyes.
Can't wait to hear his story.
The blonde questioned, "Hey, kid, what's up?"
The young boy begged, "Please help me! They're making my mommy do bad things, and they said they'll hurt me if she doesn't!"
As footsteps clamped down the stairs, Naruto ran toward the boy and scooped him up. Shizune and Tayuya also left the shop, defending Naruto.
Naruto commanded, "Shizune, take the kid and get him away from here! Tayuya and I'll stall!"
Albeit with a twinge of shame, Shizune took the child from Naruto and began running toward the forest.
Raiga attempted to chase, but Naruto threw a kunai at his feet. "Sorry, buddy, but you'll have to beat me real bad before I let you get her."
Just then, a woman arrived and stood next to Raiga. The woman was tan, had green eyes and pink spiky hair, with small circular dark pink eyebrows. Her attire was a smoker's jacket and cargo pants.
Tayuya questioned, "And just who are you?"
The woman smirked. "Fubuki Kakuyoku - your killer."
Naruto and Tayuya turned to each other, and nodded.
As Tayuya pounced on Fubuki, Naruto taunted Raiga.
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Gold Mine
At the mine, the group of four approached Guren, who had moved her chair to the inside of the mine due to the rain.
She stood and greeted, "More lost wanderers? If you can wait a while, I've got a guy who can help you find some transportation. Why don't you come inside the mine for now, it can't be good to stand in the rain for so long."
Tsunade gulped, and spoke calmly. "Five years ago... There were two shinobi from the Hidden Leaf. Their names were Dan and Yuki. You murdered them."
Guren spoke defensively. "What - - Leaf shinobi? Murder? I'd never! I-- I'm just a proprietor, a mother!"
Tsunade countered, "We've already figured out that it was you. It wasn't hard, once I saw your crystal."
Guren began to hyperventilate. "Well - - what-- what do you want from me? To arrest me?! I won't go easy!"
Tsunade choked back her tears. "No, nothing like that... Yet. I just want to know why. Why'd you do it?"
Guren, still trembling, gasped. Her guilty conscience then collapsed and she fell to her knees. In between sobs, she answered, "I was lost! I was a damn fool! I was-- I was working for Orochimaru, when I was attacked... I almost died, and... Those two saved me! I told Orochimaru about it, and he told me to prove my loyalty to him by eliminating those Leaf shinobi..."
Her voice became calmer as she spilled her guts. "I found their tents early in the morning, and used my crystal release to kill them in their sleep."
Tsunade shivered. "You killed them, to impress Orochimaru?..."
Guren couldn't bear to look her in the eyes. "When I attacked Yuki, she told me to take care of her infant son, Yukimaru... I found her home and snatched him away at night, and I've been raising him ever since. But a few weeks ago, Orochimaru found me. That irredeemable... He has Yukimaru locked up somewhere, and he's threatened to kill him if I don't oversee this stupid damned venture!"
Thunder crackled.
Guren's eyes went wide as she rose. She held Tsunade's cloak and pleaded, "Listen, Raiga can't handle the thunder, please let me make sure he's alright! If something goes wrong with him, I could lose Yukimaru! Please, I'm begging you!"
Tsunade's lips quivered as she answered, "... Fine..."
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Cliffside
Naruto had managed to lure Raiga to the edge of the cliff as they battled.
Naruto pointed to the man, and shouted, "Can't you just chill out, man?! What do you got against liberating a kidnapped child??"
It was as if Raiga hadn't heard him. The man continued shouting and screaming about the chidori, about Kakashi, about the Uchiha and the Leaf, and at one point mentioned, "That forsaken music!"
Naruto gulped.
He's a total nutcase!
Naruto watched the man outstretch his arm and summon a spark of electricity.
In return, Naruto outstretched his own arm and began charging his chakra.
However, the yellow sphere dissipated before long. All the while, the electricity in Raiga's hand was gaining more power.
Thinking fast, Naruto summoned a shadow clone, and resumed attempting to form the rasengan. As Naruto himself focused on the direction and power, the shadow clone used its hands to expand and contain the ball of chakra, bringing it to its appropriate stage - firmly rounded in Naruto's hand.
Raiga screeched in pain as he ran towards Naruto, and Naruto stayed silent as he ran towards Raiga.
Their jutsu clashed.
The rasengan easily overpowered the raikiri, whittling its unstable energy back into Raiga. Eventually, the raikiri completely disappeared, and Raiga was sent flying back. He flew cleanly over the edge of the cliff, and his descent continued.
Before reaching even halfway down the cliff, a bolt of lightning struck the man.
Naruto's clone dissipated, and he fell to the ground in exhaustion.
Tsunade, Guren, Jiraiya, Ebisu, and Tonton arrived just in time to have seen it happen.
They also saw that Tayuya had been incapacitated by another woman - Fubuki.
Fubuki spotted them quickly and speedily threw a kunai directly at Tsunade, who was saved from certain death by Guren diving in front of her.
As Guren fell to the floor, gravely injured under her lungs, Ebisu and Jiraiya rushed Fubuki. They dodged her maneuvers and each landed a rasengan on her, knocking her out.
The men then turned around and approached Tayuya. As they helped the girl up, she suddenly pushed them aside and tossed a kunai.
Fubuki's heart had been pierced, and she shortly died with a look of shock on her face.
The trio went to check up on Naruto.
In the meantime, Tsunade had rolled Guren into a supine position.
Guren requested, "Please... Take care of Yukimaru..."
The blonde spat, "You'll have to do that yourself, I've got a village to look after!"
She removed the kunai, and her hands glowed green with chakra. She gently pressed her hands onto the woman's chest. The green chakra transfered into Guren's body, and acted as a sort of immune system for the injury, which was not too deep or wide.
Tsunade informed, "I just have to bandage you up, and you'll be fine in a few weeks."
As she did so, she was approached by the rest of the group.
Naruto, holding on to Ebisu's legs, stated, "I did the rasengan, Hag. You gotta come back to the Village now..."
Tsunade joked, "Sure, you did it - - with a shadow clone. Isn't that cheating?"
She laughed when Naruto stuck his tongue out at her.
After that, Shizune returned with Yukimaru in her hands.
The boy scampered over to Guren, crying, "Mommy, Mommy! Are you okay?! Don't die, Mommy! Please!"
The woman weakly chortled and then held him in an embrace. "My baby... Don't worry, Mommy's not going anywhere, okay? I'm right here...". She rubbed his back and tightened her hold as he sobbed.
Watching this, Tsunade almost came to tears, and her own heart opened up. She demanded, "Naruto, give me the necklace back."
Naruto jested, "I dunno... I've gotten kinda used to it..."
He was rewarded with a smack upside the head from Shizune.
"Ow! Bi-- meanie!"
He handed the necklace to Tsunade.
Tsunade gently clasped the necklace around Guren, telling her, "It's a family heirloom... Please keep it safe."
Guren nodded. "Yes... Thank you..."
Jiraiya pulled Tsunade to the side and whispered, "I assume this means you're on... Amicable terms with this woman?"
Tsunade answered, "I'm not sure... But I'm giving her clemency... I find myself unable to truly harbor hate for her."
Naruto, who had been eavesdropping, questioned, "Clemency? For what?"
"It's a long story..."
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Winding Mountain
On the path down the mountain they had come up from, the group had been walking and getting each other up to speed on everything the others had missed - what had shocked everyone the most was that Yukimaru knew his mother had been killed by Guren, but that he chose to stay with her after finding out.
After those conversations, Tsunade commanded, "My first act as hokage... Guren, I'll be allowing you into the Village with Yukimaru as migrants."
Guren gasped.
Tsunade added, "And you can keep your clan name - - Mamiya has no legal obligation to the Land of Lightning, even if the whole clan chooses to live there."
Guren asked, "What about Yukimaru? His clan is the Yuki clan..."
The rest of the group, besides Tsunade, froze.
Guren, realizing why, clarified, "He's got albinism."
Naruto asked, "Wait, so his name is Yukimaru Yuki? And his mother's name was Yuki Yuki?"
Guren shrugged. "Yeah, I guess..."
Naruto shrugged as well.
Tsunade chortled. "It's poetic, isn't it? Your kekkei genkai aren't too dissimilar - as I recall, there's even a distant genetic relationship between the Mamiya's crystalline chakra release and the Yuki's ice mirrors."
Naruto informed, "On that note... There's another Yuki living in the village - not an albino. It's a girly sort of boy named Haku. Maybe you can meet each other?"
Guren shared a smile with Yukimaru. "We'd love to."
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Gold Mine
On the way back to the Land of Fire, the group returned to the gold mine, and spotted Raiga's dead body - Guren covered her son's eyes. The man lied there, almost indiscernable from the splatter of blood under him.
Tsunade scowled at the gold mine's sign and stated, "From this moment forth... I am not a gambler. The hokage cannot take on greed as an acceptable vice."
Naruto piped up, "Suck it, Jiraiya!"
Guren covered Yukimaru's ears and admonished, "Language!"
"Sorry..."
With that, the group continued their journey to the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
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Hidden Leaf, Two Weeks Later
The entire group stood proudly in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Tsunade told him, "Sarutobi-sensei, I'm ready to take up the mantle of hokage."
It wasn't easy to see through all the wrinkles on his face, but Hiruzen was smiling.
"Do you solemnly swear to uphold truth, justice, and the Will of Fire?"
"I swear to uphold truth, justice, and the Will of Fire."
"Do you solemnly swear to serve the people of this village before all else?"
"I swear to serve the people of this village before all else."
"Do you solemnly swear to surrender all vices which may interfere with your ability to perform your duties as hokage?"
"I swear to surrender all vices which may interfere with my ability to perform my duties as hokage."
Hiruzen sighed. "Very well, then. You're qualified enough; now we just need to repeat this for the public tomorrow, and you will officially be the leader of this village."
"It's an honor."
She turned around and addressed her companions. "All of you are going to be present. By my side."
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Hokage's Balcony, Next Afternoon
By 10:30 A.M., massive crowds had huddled around the hokage's office building. They spread out into the roads, stretching a few miles in each direction, with every little bit of space being consumed.
They all spoke amongst each other in anticipation of the event - they were all astonished and excited when last afternoon, the hokage announced that he would be retiring and passing his job onto his own former student.
The crowd hushed when a group of people approached the stage set up for this inauguration. Hiruzen, Tsunade, Naruto, Shizune, Tonton, Guren, Yukimaru, Ebisu, Jiraiya, and a few guards had arrived.
Hiruzenvs voice boomed as he announced, "We begin this sacred inauguration with the formal induction of my successor as hokage."
He turned to Tsunade. "Do you solemnly swear to uphold truth, justice, and the Will of Fire?"
Tsunadw's voice was just as powerful. "I swear to uphold truth, justice, and the Will of Fire."
"Do you solemnly swear to serve the people of this village before all else?"
"I swear to serve the people of this village before all else."
"Do you solemnly swear to surrender all vices which may interfere with your ability to perform your duties as hokage?"
"I swear to surrender all vices which may interfere with my ability to perform my duties as hokage."
Hiruzen visibly smiled. "As of now, I dub thee the fifth hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Tsunade Senju!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. People shook each other's hands, danced, and shouted Tsunade's name in joy. This went on for a few minutes before subsiding.
Tsunade stated, "As tradition has it, I hereby present my inauguration speech as hokage. The first thing I must say is 'Thank you', to one of this village's genin, without whom I would not be standing here as hokage today."
The crowd leaned in, waiting to hear the name.
"His name is Naruto Uzumaki!"
Naruto blushed as Tsunade held his hand up high.
The crowd began to murmur, mostly regarding how unexpected this was, but before the minute had even gone by, they once again erupted in cheers, for their loyalty to the hokage was greater than their apathy - or enmity - for Naruto.
Tsunade continued. "I must also thank my adoptive niece, Shizune, for her tireless dedication to my well-being. I thank my sensei, Hiruzen Sarutobi, for imparting the values in me that have made me worthy of my position. I thank Jiraiya and Ebisu, who steeled these values when I needed them most. I thank the fourth hokage, God bless his soul, for being a source of unbound inspiration, even all these years after his departure."
The crowd held a moment of silence for their fallen hero.
Tsunade added, "As I have sworn, I will be a dutiful servant to this village - - to my constituents, whose presence and grace give this title and village its value. As each hokage has before me, I will allow the economy to flourish, the military to be strengthened, and the Village to mold history!"
She gestured to Guren and Yuki. "For my first act as hokage, I shall accept the citizenship of Guren Mamiya and her adoptive son, Yukimaru Yuki, who himself is the son of a fallen comrade of our village."
The crowd erupted in cheers when the woman bowed, making way for her sensei. Hiruzen adorned a peaceful expression as he patiently waited for the cheers to die down, so that he may begin his exit speech.
To start with, he joked, "Don't worry, I'll wait.", with a mischievous grin, earning laughter from the citizens.
When the laughter dwindled, Hiruzen stated, "I've dreamed of this day for so long, but now that it's finally come, I don't even know where to start..."
The crowd watched intently.
"I had no intention, nor any reason to believe that I would need to return for a second term as the third hokage, nor that I would spend eleven more years in this position, for a total of thirty-five years across both terms. There are only two things I can say for sure: the first is that our fourth hokage, Minato Namikaze, had he lived, would have done so much more to build this village economically. Every good thing that has occurred during my second term as hokage has been a direct result of asking myself, 'What would Minato do?', and answering that question properly. Every terrible thing has been due to my own failure as a man to correctly answer that question. The other thing I am sure of is that Tsunade Senju is the most capable candidate for fifth hokage. Not because she is a descendant of the first hokage Hashirama Senju, not because she is a sage, not because she is my student... Because she is the most capable, honest, steadfast, compassionate shinobi alive. Her conviction is unmatched, and the Will of Fire runs through her as if it were her very lifeblood. She will carry this village beyond where it has ever been, and beyond where any other village has ever been. My peers may not be so fortunate to see this, but any peaceable Villager whose life is impacted by Tsunade Senju will only be affected in a positive manner. With Tsunade Senju as hokage, the Hidden Leaf will flourish like never before."
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Haruno Residence, Next Morning
With the third part of the chunin exams only a few days away, Naruto found himself dismissed from training by Ebisu, who urged him to rest. Nonetheless, Naruto found himself anxious and bored. For some reason, neither Sasuke nor Sakura had returned from their trips. Not knowing what else to do, he opted to visit their homes. First up was Sakura, who he had visited a few times before.
He exhaled nervously as he walked up to her door and rang the bell. He was greeted promptly by Mebuki.
"Oh, Naruto! Has Sakura finally come back?"
"No, Mrs. Haruno. I actually came here to see if she was here."
"I've told you, it's Mebuki to you. And I thought she was with you?"
"Oh, our sensei decided we needed different trainin' routines, so he stuck me with an elite ninja trainer and took Sakura and Sasuke to some cabin in the woods."
Mebuki sighed. "That Kakashi... He's too quiet for anyone's good, even if he's one of the pillars of our military strength."
Naruto blushed. "Yeah... So, Sakura's not home..."
Mebuki offered, "Regardless, come in and have breakfast with us! I know a skinny little like you must be starving."
Naruto smiled. "Gee, thanks... I'd really like that. What are we havin'?"
Mebuki pinched his cheek. "It's 'having', not 'havin''. It's eggs benedict, by the way."
"Bene-what?"
The woman smiled. "Benedict, Naruto. Get your mind out of the gutter..."
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That Same Afternoon, Wealthy Urban District
It hadn't taken Naruto long to find Sasuke's apartment building. The wealthy district had been subject only to the Uchiha's elite long ago, but now that the only living Uchiha were the yes-men, yuppies, and pushovers, the council of the Village had been able to transform the area into a vital organ for the Leaf's economy.
Due to the Uchiha elite's frugal spending, the area was already quite wealthy, so the transition to a pan-clan district was smooth, and provided an excellent opportunity for the Leaf's venture capitalists - everything had been gobbled up by them, except for the apartment building that was owned by main clan leader Fugaku Uchiha - that was inherited by Shisui Uchiha, a close friend of the man, who assumed the role of Sasuke's caretaker.
Shisui was also the man who answered when Naruto rang the doorbell.
He greeted, "Hey, you're Naruto, aren't you? Sasuke's friend. Good job getting some praise from the hokage yesterday."
Naruto replied, "Oh, thanks... But I'm not sure I'd call myself Sasuke's friend."
"Ah, just give it some time. Enmity is a valid facet of male bonding."
"If you say so..."
"Anyways, why are you here? Do you have news?"
Naruto sighed. "I was lookin' for Sasuke. I checked for Sakura already, but she's not home yet, either. I'm itchin' to see them."
Shisui's eyebrow rose. "Them? As in, both Sakura and Sasuke?"
Naruto blushed. He blabbered, "Well, neither of then are here, so I'll be leaving now!", and began to walk towards the stairs. However, he was stopped by Shisui.
"Why don't you join me for lunch, Naruto? It's lonely without Sasuke."
Naruto frowned. "Fine..."
He was led into the penthouse, and admired the home.
His living room's bigger than my whole apartment!...
He cleared his throat and coolly remarked, "Nice place you've got here."
Shisui patted him on the back. "Mid-century interior design is a blessing."
He took Naruto to the dining room and commanded, "Please take a seat, I'll only be a few minutes."
Naruto obeyed, and took his seat at the round table.
I don't even have a dining room...
Shisui returned with a grilled cheese sandwich for the boy.
As Naruto ate, Shisui spoke. "Sasuke speaks a lot about his team - - at least, a lot by his standards."
The blonde's voice was muffled by his meal. "Mm yeah? What's he say?"
"Nothing very nice. He thinks he's above needing a team, and tells me that his sensei is cold and inept."
"Funny comin' from him."
"It is, it really is."
"And you believe him?"
"Did I say I do? Of course not. I just want you to understand him a little bit more, so you and him can work towards amicability."
Naruto finished eating. "What's to understand? That he's a trauma whore and a brat?"
"Hey, cool it with the insults. It's not going to help you level with him."
"Why should I level with him?"
Shisui sighed. "You know, he saw his brother kill his parents... And saw that all his friends, and their families, and his parents' friends had all been slain as well."
"Everyone knows."
"You can understand how not having loved ones can hurt a kid like that, right?"
Naruto scoffed. "I sure as Hell understand it better than he does."
Shisui's interest piqued. "How so?"
The boy answered, "Well, at least he had that stuff before it was taken away, y'know. He knew what it was like to be loved, to have parents, and friends, loved ones, since he was born. I didn't have that; I started with nothing, and had to bust my ass to get any of that, some of which I never will. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I don't think Anko really likes me that much, we were fighting a lot before I graduated, and probably only because I've barely seen her since then. I don't know if Sakura really likes me at all, or if it's that stupid curse mark messin' with her feelings. Kakashi-sensei thinks I'm a dope, Jiraiya treats me like an idiot, and..."
Iruka-sensei...
"And?"
"The point is, I can count on one hand the number of people who truly care for me, and I had to earn that with blood, sweat, and tears - literally! If I were to count all the people I'm unsure of, and the posers, and the people who outright hate me, I'd probably be swimming in a pool of my own tears before I finished. Even if we disregard the people who don't dislike me, I still missed out on a whole decade of the sort of love I've always heard a kid deserves. Sasuke can't possibly understand that."
His speech leveled up in intensity, while maintaining its understatedness. "Ever since I was a little kid, even when I started hanging out with Jiraiya, I had no one to love me. I don't have any memories of my parents feeding me, playing with me, or loving me. I never had those kinds of memories with Jiraiya, either. He wasn't particularly cruel, but he was too damn tough, and for what? Granny Tsunade was a bit nicer, but she also got majorly pissed at me for being annoying. I was treated like an outcast no matter where I went, even when I came back to my birthplace! I avoid people because I've been an outcast even when I was an infant and a toddler, all because of something I had no choice in. Can Sasuke understand that? Can the, the... Uncrowded prince of the Hidden Leaf possibly comprehend what it's been like for me? What a sick joke."
When Naruto stopped speaking, he was nearly hyperventilating. "Sorry, I just..."
Shisui sighed again, and spoke softly. "Naruto, your struggles are valid. Perhaps you've even struggled more than Sasuke. But no one needs to know what it's like to be you in order to empathize. Same goes for the inverse. You can understand Sasuke, for the sake of your bond; I'm deeply sorry if I came off as if I was trying to lecture you. I just want you to know that you can push aside the pettiness, the anger, and the destructive behaviors, so that you can be better, and achieve better things. I suspect that's part of the reason you came here to begin with."
Naruto rubbed his eyes. He responded, "I know, we're supposed to be better than the hand we're dealt... I just get so frustrated sometimes, y'know?..."
Shisui smiled. "I understand."
Naruto stood up. "Thanks for the meal, and the talk, Shisui. I'll see ya 'round, or not."
"Bye, Naruto."
When Naruto left the room, and Shisui closed the door, the boy slumped on the door and rubbed his temple.
What's all this stuff coming back? It's... When I was four? Five? Six?... Before my memory was taken?
He groaned, and tried to get his mind off of it.
Can't be. I'm losin' it.
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That Evening, Suburbs
Wanting to clear his head, Naruto decided to visit Haku for the first time since his integration into the Leaf. Naruto had gone to the hokage's office to receive directions to the place, and had begun his walk just as soon as he got them. Looking at the map in his hands, he analyzed his surroundings.
Open suburbs... Ranch-style house... Huge backyard... Gah, everything looks the same!
He was suddenly tapped on the shoulder. He turned around, and sure enough, it was Haku, looking as girly as a guy could without makeup, while retaining his own masculine handsomeness.
Haku greeted, "I thought that was you. Finally decided to visit?"
Naruto scratched his head. "Yeah, finally. I just dropped off your distant whatever how many times removed, Yukimaru. How is he? And his mom?"
Haku exhaled lovingly. "Yukimaru is just fine. He's an adorable little kid. Guren takes very good care of him - - almost as if she was the one who birthed him."
Naruto gulped. "Really? That's great..."
The older boy's face changed to one of concern. "Naruto, are you feeling alright? Is something the matter?"
The blonde admitted, "I was just thinking... You and I, we're sort of alike, aren't we? Growing up all alone, with no family or nothin'?"
"Actually, I did have family. My father was killed in battle, so my mother raised me. And although she wasn't very nice, she sacrificed her life for mine at the end. And Zabuza may have been a thug of sorts, but he's always looked after me."
Naruto looked disappointed. "Oh... Sorry."
"Why the apology?"
"I was beng a little self-absorbed... I only asked you about your family because I wanted to complain about not having one of my own. Sorry."
Haku waved it off. "Don't worry about it. Come on, let's go to my place, you can meet up with Guren and Yukimaru again."
"What about Zabuza? I haven't seen him in a while."
Haku sighed. "Zabuza was sent on a mission over a month ago. I haven't heard from him since, but he used to do this all the time before, so I'm not worried."
Naruto gulped, remembering his short encounter with Zabuza in the Forest of Death.
Do I tell him?
The pair walked over to Haku's house in the suburbs - - it was a ranch-style home, quaint-looking on the outside, but quite spacious inside.
They, along with Guren and Yukimaru (as best he could), had a few pleasant conversations about what they'd been up to, what they were looking forward to, and whatnot.
About half of an hour in, the doorbell rang.
Haku rose. "Hm? I'm not expecting visitors..."
He walked over to the door, and opened it.
Across from him stood the former hokage himself, Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in his old jonin attire - - an elegant coat, along with a brown shirt and trousers he had nearly gotten too thin for.
He removed the karakul on his head and held it to his chest. "Mr. Yuki... I'm sorry. We know you've been anxious to learn of Zabuza's whereabouts..."
Haku choked up.
Hiruzen continued, "Zabuza Momochi served his new village with dignity, honor, and faith, and died in that same fashion."
Haku gasped. He covered his mouth and stumbled backwards, before falling down to his knees and erupting into tears.
Naruto stared, wide-eyed. Visions of Tsunade ran through his head.
When she found Dan's corpse... I was there?
As Guren got up and approached Haku to comfort him, the boy weeped. "Zabuza... He was a father to me, more than my own ever was!"
Naruto felt a lump in his throat.
A father... To have learned about his death? I can't imagine how Sasuke felt... And he watched it happen with his own eyes.
He turned to the younger boy sitting next to him, and asked, "You alright, Yukimaru?"
Yukimaru shrugged.
.
.
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Village, Midday
There was only one more day left until the third part of the chunin exams finally began.
Naruto had been avoiding his peers, his elders, and even those younger than him. Though he wouldn't admit it, the stress was getting to him - he didn't know if he was more stressed about the coming exam, or the fact that his teammates still hadn't shown up.
Unable to stay calm even at home, he opted to walk throughout the Village to try and get ahold of the fear rising within his chest. Nonetheless, all he could do was torture himself about it further.
I haven't trained enough. I haven't studied enough. I'm gonna fail. I'm gonna disappoint everyone. I've screwed the pooch. There's no hope for me. Oh, man...
He had nearly brought himself to tears with his anxious thoughts, and prayed for something, anything at all, to ease his heart.
It was then that he spotted a familiar red-dressed, pink-haired girl coming his way.
That's... That's Sakura!
In his excitement, he ran up to the girl, who similarly ran up to him. He noticed that she had gotten her hair cut to neck-length, and that she somehow seemed different, though he chalked it up to simply not having seen her for a whole month.
Before Naruto could get a word out, she greeted, "What's up, Loser? You ready for this exam? I know I am!"
Naruto laughed. "You bet I am, we're gonna kick ass and become chunin, no doubt!"
Sakura scoffed, still smiling. "Hey, don't lump me in with yourself, it's gonna make bad luck for me if you lose!"
In glee, Naruto hugged her. To his surprise, however, she pushed him away and demanded, "Back off...!", in a tone that made him wonder if she was joking, feeling standoffish, or uncomfortable at his touch.
He scratched the back of his head and said, "Sorry, I just got excited..."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, just calm down a bit before you do something like that, okay?"
Naruto groaned. "Yeah... So, I guess you're not really too confused about me, huh?"
Sakura tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean, 'confused'? Are you feeling-- oh, right! No, I'm not confused anymore. Looks like all I needed was a month away from you, heh."
Naruto recoiled. "Yeah, I get what you mean..."
Just then, Anko also arrived.
She also greeted, "Hey, Loser, what do you think of Sakura's new spunk?"
Naruto blushed. "Oh, it's... It's fine. I admire it... Well, I've got stuff to do, I'll see you guys later!"
He sped off, his heart feeling odd.
.
.
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Next Morning, Stadium
Naruto sat in the waiting room with all the other participants of the exam. He had his heart set on speaking to Sakura, but she was enamored in conversation with Kin, of all people.
As such, he instead spoke to the Sand siblings. He greeted them and they told each other what they'd been doing for the past month.
At the end of it all, Naruto dropped a major bombshell. "I think my memory's coming back. I've been getting flashes of things I've seen before it all."
He had intended to elaborate, and was nearly urged to by the siblings, but it was at that point that Hayato entered the room.
"Naruto Uzumaki, Dosu Kinuta. Come on out."
With a short apology to the siblings, Naruto, along with Dosu, followed the man.
I know my pacing is a little strange...