CHAPTER 4

RYUZETSU: THE RESSURECTION

PART 2: INNER FEELINGS

FLASHBACK BEGINS

14 years ago, a joint operation was led by Konohagakure and Kumogakure. Its objective was to destroy the Box of Paradise, a box which was said to grant wishes. It was securely stored at the Hozuki Castle, also known as Blood Prison, at Kusagakure. At that time, Mui was the warden of the prison, and also, the doorkeeper of the Box of Paradise. It was said that he was a cruel and heartless person, who sacrificed his own son, Muku, to open that Box.

As a part of the operation, Naruto Uzumaki, 16 years old at that time, was framed for murdering 4 jonins of Kumogakure, as well as an assassination attempt on the Raikage.

The whole thing came as a shock to him as he didn't know anything about it. All he understood was that he was wrongly accused of something, and there was no one to support him, not even his friends. He felt betrayed. As he was being transferred to the prison, he still had some hope that his village would come to rescue him from the mess. But nothing like that happened.

As he arrived at Hozuki castle, he caught the attention of Mui by shouting at him. He tried to explain to him that he was innocent, which was futile since Mui ended up placing the Fire Release: Heavenly Prison seal on him. As Naruto was a jinchuriki, Mui thought that he could use Naruto's chakra to open the box. As a result, he was kidnapped by Maroi and brought to Mui. But, it turns out that the kidnapped Naruto was actually a shadow clone, and the real one was trying to escape the Prison. He was unable to do so, due to the seal, and was put on Solitary Confinement for 3 days.

After he got out of solitary confinement, he made another attempt to escape the prison by jumping off the cliff and using the violent sea to make his exit. But as he was about to jump off the cliff, he heard a girl's voice from behind,

"Don't jump off the cliff! You'll just fall to your death!"

"I don't care!" was all Naruto said as he jumped off the cliff when he felt that someone held his hand, stopping him from falling. He looked up at the girl. She was wearing a tight green bandana over her white hair. She had pale green eyes which had patterns like that of Rinnegan...

She pulled him up as they both sat on the rocky surface, and it started to rain all sudden.

"You Idiot! Even if you survive the fall, the violent sea currents will wash you away!"

FLASHBACK ENDS

Naruto let out a stream of smoke from his mouth as he put back the cigarette in his mouth and looked outside the windows of his office. Shizune was arranging the books and files on one of the bookshelves located along the visitors' table at the office. After she was done with her work, she placed a pile of papers at the Hokage's desk Naruto looked at it and frowned.

"I just finished working on a pile of papers a few minutes ago, y'know?" Naruto said as he put the cigarette on the ashtray and took his seat.

"Well, there are more, Naruto-kun," Shizune replied as she made a quick smile.

"Guess, It can't be helped," Naruto said as he made a light grin as he took some of the papers and started to go through them. Shizune took out a cigarette from the pack and lit it up using the lighter. All sudden, they heard a knock at the door as Naruto ordered, "Come in!"

The door opened as an ANBU entered the room. He handed a scroll to the Hokage.

"A message from Hozuki Castle. Just arrived a few minutes ago." The ANBU said as Naruto replied, "Okay, you can go now."

"Sure, Hokage-sama." The ANBU said as he disappeared in the shadows.

"Hozuki Castle? Is it the reply to the message you sent the Warden Kahyo, a few days ago?" Shizune asked as Naruto nodded.

He made a half-ram hand sign as it released the seal of the scroll. He then opened it and started to read the contents of it. He then handed the scroll to Shizune as she read whatever was written on it.

"So, a three-day official visit to the Hozuki castle? Meetings about the prisoners from Konoha, bilateral contracts, and recovering the dead body of Ryuzetsu?" Shizune asked.

"Yes, Shizune-nee. I will be traveling with you, Neko, and Inu. Along with us, Katasuke and one of his subordinates will go to study and examine the mortal remains of Ryuzetsu." He replied as Shizune looked towards him.

"It makes sense that you are willing to resurrect her, after all, she was the one who sacrificed herself to save you from death," Shizune said.

"It was not only about her sacrificing herself to save me." Naruto began, "When I felt that my entire village had betrayed me when I had no one around me, she was the one, who stood by my side. Whenever I wanted to cry, thinking of how my friends didn't even raise their voices during my arrest, she offered her shoulder, to let me cry my heart out."

"You two were really close…" Shizune commented as Naruto replied, "If she wasn't there, I would've died a long, long time ago, falling off the cliff….."

"Naruto-kun…" Shizune said as she held his shoulder gently as he continued, "I just want to offer her a new life….None of us are even sure whether the machine will work properly or not…."

"Everything will be fine, Naruto-kun," Shizune said.

"Thanks, Shizune-nee."

NEXT DAY, KONOHA VILLAGE GATE

"I-I am truly grateful to be a-able to accompany you d-during your T-travel. I'll c-cherish this trip f-forever." Sumire expressed, as she shook her hands with Naruto. She wasn't able to talk properly and became a stuttering mess while blushing madly. After all, she will be accompanying the Hokage during the trip to Hozuki Castle. Very few got an opportunity like that.

"Now now, you don't need to stutter like that," Naruto said as he slowly patted her violet hair due to which she started blushing even madly.

"She is one of the best among her peers." Katasuke said, "I felt that it would be better if she traveled with us. It will be a new experience for her."

"I see. Boruto talks highly about you, Sumire." Naruto said as she made an astonished expression.

"H-He does?"

"Yes," Naruto replied as Shizune stood beside him.

"Let's start our journey then, Kakashi-sensei will look after my work during my visit.." He said as Shizune nodded. All of them then started to walk outside the village. A few minutes later, no one was seen around the village gates, implying that Naruto and the people accompanying him had left the place.

THREE DAYS LATER, HOZUKI CASTLE, KUSAGAKURE

Kahyo, the current warden of Hozuki Castle was standing in front of the main gate of the castle along with two guards. They were expecting the Hokage entourage today. The trip included some important meetings, alongside the personal reasons of the Hokage.

SMALL FLASHBACK BEGINS

After Mui's death, Kahyo became the warden of the Blood Prison. She used her clan's special technique, the 'Ice Release: Heavenly Shackled chains' as a seal, just like Mui's Heavenly Prison seal technique.

FLASHBACK ENDS

A few minutes later, the Hokage entourage was visible to Kahyo. Naruto, along with his secretary, guards, and two other people were walking towards them. Moments later, they arrived at the gates and Kahyo bowed to Naruto.

"I hope that you had no difficulties during your journey, Naruto-sama." She said as Naruto nodded, "It was all fine. How are things here, Kahyo-san?"

"Normal as always, Naruto-sama."

Naruto did a small smile as he asked Katasuke and Sumire to come forward. "Kahyo-san, these are the people I had talked about in my message."

Kahyo turned towards them as she made a polite gesture, "Myself Kahyo, the current warden of Hozuki Castle."

"Myself Katasuke, I am the head of Konoha's scientific research team."

"Myself Sumire, I am an academy student as well as a trainee at the Ninjutsu Centre."

"Let us go to my office, shall we, Naruto-sama?" Kahyo asked him as he nodded.

"Yes please, lead the way."

Kahyo and her guards led the way to Naruto and his accompanies to the office. All the prisoners present at the place were confused at the arrival of the Hokage. After a while, they arrived at the office Naruto took his seat on the sofa while Shizune, Katasuke, and Sumire stood behind him. Neko and Inu stood outside the office. Kahyo took her seat on another sofa.

"What is the schedule of the meetings?" Naruto asked.

"Today, the council members of Kusa will arrive to join the meetings, Naruto-sama. Tomorrow, we planned for an inspection of the prison by you."

"That's a relaxing schedule. Probably I won't get tired." Naruto said as Shizune let out a small laugh.

"I know your preferences, Naruto-sama." She said as she called out for a servant of hers. "Would you like to drink anything?" she asked.

"What about sake?"

"Great choice, Naruto-sama."

Later that evening, Naruto arrived at his room after his meeting, escorted by his ANBUs as well as three other guards from the prison. Shizune, Katasuke, and Sumire's room were also alongside his room. He took a seat in his bed as he heard someone knocking at his door.

"Come in," he said as the door opened and Shizune entered the room.

"The meeting went better than expected, Naruto-kun." She said as she took the lightened cigarette in her mouth and inhaled the smoke. Naruto stood up as Shizune forwarded the pack of smokes towards him and he took out a cigarette from it.

"Yes, the meeting benefited the village relations a lot." He said as he placed the cigarette in his mouth. Shizune then took her cigarette in her hands and gently placed the ignited tip of her cigarette with Naruto's cigarette tip, causing his one to also ignite.

"Nice technique, Shizune-nee."

"Thanks, mister." She replied as she placed her cigarette in her mouth while Naruto exhaled a gust of smoke from his mouth.

"Tomorrow's inspection will bring back a lot of memories…" Naruto slowly said as Shizune placed her hands on his shoulders.

"These are the memories of a lifetime." Shizune began, "…as these describe your inner feelings."

"Inner feelings?" Naruto asked as Shizune placed her cigarette on the ashtray.

"Yes, these feelings which are inside you. Can only be felt at certain moments…"

"I see…" Naruto said as she smiled at him. She opened her pack of cigarettes when the sight inside disappointed her.

"Empty? How many did I smoke today?"

"You can have my pack, Shizune-nee," Naruto said as he handed his pack to Shizune.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun." She said as she pulled out a cigarette from the pack.

THE NEXT DAY

"I hope you are ready for the inspection, Naruto-sama," Kahyo said as Naruto nodded.

During the inspection trip, Naruto came across various locations with which he had special memories. That corridor, where he used to talk to Ryuzetsu every day, was the place where they would discuss the ways of Killing Mui. The dining hall where he, Ryuzetsu, and Maroi used to eat their meals. The cell where he was locked, the solitary confinement, the room of box of paradise, all of them brought back memories.

After that, Kahyo took Naruto and Shizune to the Cliffside, the exact place where Ryuzetsu saved Naruto from dying. He was also able to locate the cave where both of them took shelter during the rain.

SMALL FLASHBACK BEGINS

"Are you a girl?" Naruto asked Ryuzetsu, who took off her bandana, revealing her medium-length white hair. Her clothes, which got wet due to the rain, revealed the feminine structure of her body.

"Yes. And this is a small secret between both of us. Why? Because you owe me. I saved you from getting killed." Ryuzetsu said as she stood on top of Naruto.

"Okay okay" he replied, as she took a seat beside him, in front of the bonfire.

FLASHBACK ENDS

Naruto made a small smile as he thought about those incidents from the past.

"Inner feelings, huh? I guess they do exist…" he talked to himself as he heard someone calling his name.

"Naruto-sama! What are you doing here?"

"Nothing Kahyo-san. Let's go to the other parts of the place."

"Yes, this way please."

Kahyo showed Naruto and Shizune around the other parts of the palace. After that, she showed them the Hozuki flower fields from her office.

"They look pretty," Shizune commented as Naruto nodded.

But for Naruto, that was also something that reminded him of Ryuzetsu.

'Naruto, my world is dark…In this dark world, please be my guiding light….'

"Naruto-kun?'

He gasped out as he looked at Shizune and Kahyo.

"You blanked out all of a sudden, Naruto. Stop scaring them."

'I couldn't help, Kurama'

"Are you ok, Naruto-sama?" Kahyo asked him with a concerning look as he answered,

"Yes…I am fine."

LATER THAT NIGHT

Naruto's room was quiet and peaceful. He was asleep in his bed, enjoying the relaxing sleep after a busy day. Suddenly, he started to feel a lot of pain in his gut/ chest-abdomen region, as if someone pierced a huge sword through that place. He slowly opened his eyes, and said that everything around him was black. He placed his hands on that region, realizing that there was a big hole, and he was excessively bleeding.

"W-what th-" he groaned out in pain as he laid down on the surface, nearly dead. He closed his eyes, thinking that its over for him when he felt someone's hand on that region.

He slowly opened his eyes and saw that it was Ryuzetsu, performing her life transfer jutsu.

"R-ryuzets-su?"

"N-naruto, be my guiding l-light…." She said as she moved forward and kissed him on his lips.

"I-I will s-save y-you….."

Suddenly everything went blank as he jumped up from his bed in real life.

"Another dream?' he thought as he huffed. He walked to the balcony of his room, went outside, and took a seat. It was a full moon night. He looked at the moon as he thought,

'Inner feelings are special then, right? Ryuzetsu?'