Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor will I probably ever own Naruto.
Chapter 4: Not All Parents Deserve Children
Kushina made her way up to Sasuke's room. She couldn't imagine how the boy must have been feeling. Knowing exactly what it's like to lose her family at a young age, she needed to get to Sasuke before anything bad happened. Not to mention she needed to ensure Naruto was safe back home, and that he wasn't getting into any trouble. Kushina entered the hospital seemingly out of breath and made her way up to Sasuke's room. When she got there however, she was surprised to see Sasuke up and about, doing pushups. She knocked on the door to get his attention.
"Sasuke-kun? I'm here to pick you up." Kushina said in a motherly tone. After losing his family, he needed a mother in his life to try and pick up the pieces. All she could do is hope that Sasuke would accept them as his new family. Despite knowing Sasuke for his whole life, she always felt that he would only accept those who have earned his respect.
Sasuke himself didn't respond. Too busy in his pushups to hear Kushina calling him, trying to get stronger by the day. He needed to become the protector of Konoha as soon as possible, not waste time fucking around. There was not a single moment of rest for the last loyal Uchiha.
The fact that Sasuke wasn't listening pissed Kushina off to a degree. She walked over to him and placed her mouth near his ear.
"SASUKE UCHIHA! TIME TO GO!" Kushina yelled in Sasuke's ear, causing him to stumble to the floor, hitting his head in the process.
"Ugh… what the fuck was that?" Sasuke groaned. He then turned around to see Kushina with her hair standing up. For some reason, this moment freaked Sasuke out more than seeing his entire clan get packed up via older brother for the 500 thousandth time.
"I TOLD YOU IT'S TIME TO LEAVE! WHAT DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE WORDS TIME TO LEAVE?!" Kushina yelled out, causing Sasuke to damn near shit his pants from the screaming. He instantly knew what that meant and packed up his belongings on the way to meeting up with Kushina.
"S-sorry Kushina-san, I didn't hear you. I was busy working out." Sasuke replied, not wanting to anger his adoptive mother any more. Despite not fully experiencing it, Sasuke had heard stories from his mother about Kushina's fabled "Angry Mode", the phase which earned her the nickname "The Red Hot Habanero" among many of the top brass in Konoha. Despite her well - documented anger, she was still seen as one of the sweetest and kindest people by his mother, and he got to experience that firsthand when he heard that she was trying to adopt him into her family. He felt like she could be someone useful to him in the future, especially if she could be the mother he expected her to be.
Sasuke quickly packs up and leaves with Kushina. After checking out of the hospital and making his way outside, he took notice of the stares that the villagers gave to both him and Kushina. Now Sasuke was not blind, he could see that the Konoha citizens didn't like Kushina. Scratch that, they HATED Kushina. He knew exactly how poorly she and NAruto were treated in the village all for something they couldn't control. He had heard stories from his mother about just how badly they were treated and he concluded that it was a miracle that they didn't have it in their hearts to fight back and make shit worse. However, one thing still loomed on his mind. One question, that no matter how hard he tried to reason with himself, he just couldn't figure it out.
"Kushina-san, I just have one question." Sasuke stated.
"What is it, Sasuke-kun?" Kushina responded.
"Why did you decide to take me in? I mean, I know you're not well liked by the villagers for your past as well as who you are, and I'd probably just be a burden to you, especially because of how the Uchiha have been viewed throughout time. I'm not blind, Kushina-san, I've seen how the people treat you like they want you to just kill yourself, so why go through all the trouble for a lost cause like me?" Sasuke asked, feeling guilty of placing his own burdens on Kushina and Naruto, especially considering how they have been treated throughout the village, Sasuke knew that taking him in, the last surviving member of a clan that people feared and worshiped at the same time. He also felt that by taking him in, Kushina had just placed a target on her back for everyone to see.
"Because I know exactly what it feels like to lose my family, Sasuke, and the people I have come to know and love all came from similar backgrounds. My husband lost his family when he was young, my sensei's brother died as a genin and her boyfriend was killed in war, and I myself lost my entire clan to the third great war. I was fortunate to have Tsunade-sama take me in, and I would have wanted your family to adopt Naruto if something had happened to me, so why should I not do the same for my best friend?" Kushina started to form a tear in her eyes, remembering the horrors caused in the massacre of Uzushiogakure, the home of the Uzumaki clan, as well as the horrors every single one of her beloved had to face. Kakashi witnessing the suicide of his father, Minato's parents dying on a mission, Obito nearly dying himself and witnessing the death of his best friend, and Minato himself dying the day Naruto was born.
Sasuke looked at Kushina with a newfound respect for her. Not only did she suffer nearly the same pain he did, but this time it was for reasons completely out of her control. Not to mention the same pain had happened to nearly everyone she knew, and yet she was still willing to take him in as if he was her own. Sasuke inwardly smiled at this as the two made their way to the Uzumaki compound.
Once the pair reached the compound, Kushina activated the blood seal to enter. Inside was a beautiful place surrounded by lush green farmland as well as a small area designated for training. Sasuke could only stand in awe of what he was just witnessing. This was nothing compared to what he saw at the Uchiha compound. This home had a more welcoming feel to it, something more open for others to share the love of the Uzumaki. If only the villagers could get their heads out of their asses for once in their pathetic lives, they'd be able to experience something magical, just once in their lives.
"This is a nice place you have, Kushina-san." Sasuke said.
"Awwww, thank you Sasuke-kun, I'm glad you like it. Now go, make yourself at home. You will be sharing a room with Naruto, I'm sure he won't mind dattebane." Kushina beamed, leading Sasuke inside the house. "Speaking of, I need to go pick Naruto up from the hospital, he is being discharged today. Head inside and make yourself at home, I'll be back in 10 minutes."
With that, Kushina left for the hospital and Sasuke made his way inside the house. He made his way up to Naruto's room and started setting up his stuff. Once he finished unpacking, the young Uchiha began to look around the house.
Wow, this is a nice place, I wonder how they were able to snag this place. Kushina-san's husband must be rich as fuck, or he probably had his dick sucked by the villagers considering the fact that Kushina-san seems to rub the villagers the wrong way. Well anyways, they seem to be doing well for themselves regardless. Sasuke thought as he made his way to the backyard, taking in every single inch of his new house.
With Naruto, Sakura, and Ino
Naruto still remained in the hospital, with Sakura and Ino telling him all the crazy stories they had to tell. They talked about their lives, likes, and dislikes for what seemed like hours, and for the first time in about three years, Naruto genuinely seemed to be having fun. No parents to try and force their will on their children, no adults to give him the glares like he was a murderer, and best of all, two people who genuinely seemed to like him for who he was, without a care for the monster he had inside of him. Naruto could not be more happy then he was at this moment, and almost nothing seemed like it could break it up.
Sakura meanwhile was almost mesmerized by how Naruto was able to still laugh and smile despite all he went through. Holy shit, if that was me in his position, I probably would have deserted this shitty village long ago. It's awesome that he's still able to smile after what he went through, and my god if that isn't the hottest thing I've ever seen! I swear to god Naruto, nobody will ever come near you again, even if I have to fucking kill them to make sure that happens. You will never end up in this bed if I can help it. You'll achieve your dream, and I will be there right beside you, holding your hand as you get everything you want. Sakura then began fantasizing of her and Naruto's wedding, officiated by Kushina and the entire village at Naruto's knees begging for his forgiveness. Her inner self getting giddy at the thought of her marrying her handsome angel of a savior.
"Come on Sakura, just jump his bones already! We both know you're hungry for that Uzumaki dick!" Inner Sakura said, saliva drooling out of her mouth at the mere thought of Naruto and Sakura hooking up.
"Really Inner, right now? First off, we're 6 years old, I don't know how you have this thought inside of you, and if I'm going to develop a relationship with Naruto-kun, I will do it right. Not the way you propose, which frankly, only a whore would consider doing." Sakura retorted back. She always knew her inner self was a pervert, and it didn't really bother her all too much, but this time it felt different. This time, it just felt wrong.
Sakura had to take control of the situation before her perverted side came out and she jumped her savior right then and there.
"So Naruto-kun, I just want to know, why do you put up with the beatings and hits the civilians give you? If it was anyone else, they would have either left Konoha or tried to hurt the others back." Sakura asked.
"Honestly? I don't know. I just assumed that if I stayed myself and was nice to others, that they'd eventually stop hating me for something which frankly, I didn't even know about. Now though? The nice guy act is done. I'll be nice to the people I like and who deserve it, but people better not expect any sympathy from me, and if they attack now, I'm fighting back for sure." Naruto's face darkened as he stated those words. "Not only are they beating a defenseless child for no reason, but they're actively spitting on the grave of their greatest heroes. They deserve no sympathy from me, and they won't be getting any either. Now? I'm only staying because it's my father's home, my mother's home, and your home. I couldn't leave any of you behind."
"Awwww that's so sweet Naruto-kun! I'm glad you like us enough to not abandon us here." Ino said before jumping on Naruto and giving him the biggest bear hug imaginable, nearly crushing the poor kid's windpipe. Sakura pulled Ino off when she saw Naruto struggling to move, to which Ino started crying crocodile tears.
"Come on Sakura, I was just playing around!" Ino pouted.
"You were hurting him Ino-pig, be careful with him!" Sakura retorted, and they both began incoherently yelling at one another.
Naruto could only laugh at the antics of his new friends. He could tell that both Sakura and Ino would be great influences in his life, as a source of happiness in the dread that came with being the jinchuriki of the kyuubi, as well as the responsibility of being the son of the 4th hokage. Previously, he aimed to get people to acknowledge his existence and stop treating him like shit, now he had a new goal in mind. A goal that began with protecting all of those he loved. A goal… to become hokage.
After a while, the girls calmed down, mainly from exhaustion over the catfight. Both of them grabbed Naruto's arm and tugged it tight, before falling asleep on his hospital bed.
Wow, they both look so cute like this. I'm sure one day they'll be of great use to me, but for now, I need to be of use to them. They cannot suffer because of who I am, I will make sure of that. I won't be cold to them, but I will train them to grow as strong as they possibly can, because they deserve it. Naruto thought as he slowly began to fall asleep. Before he could, Kushina walked into the room, nearly laughing her ass off at the sight of two girls draped over her son like he was some kind of god.
It gave her memories of her childhood with Minato, especially the chick magnet he was at a young age. Seeing all those girls fawning over Minato gave Kushina a sense of pride, because in the end, she was the one he picked, and she knew he wouldn't trade her for anyone. Kushina saw a young Minato in Naruto, and she could not be more proud of the man he was becoming.
Minato-kun, if you're seeing this, our son is growing into a fine young man, and a Lady Killer too. Kushina thought, before being snapped back to reality by her son.
"Mom? What are you doing here?" Naruto asked.
"Well son, it's time to go home. You can now come home with me, but the doctors did ask me to keep an eye on your chakra levels and see if there is any damage done to the chakra points. Overall though, I think you should be fine, especially with Kurama helping you heal." Kushina said.
"Alright, just let me get these two off my arms and I'll be ready." Naruto said. He tapped each of their heads to try and wake them up. Ino was the first to respond, initially snuggling back into Naruto before finally waking up on the third attempt. Sakura on the other hand, was a bit more challenging, as no matter how many times Naruto tried to push her off, she just kept clinging on with even greater force. Naruto felt his arm needing to be amputated, as this girl with her iron grip just would not let go.
He tried something different this time instead.
"Sakura-chan, wake up." Naruto whispered softly into the pinkette's ear, causing her to slightly move around and finally wake up. Seeing her entire body gripping onto Naruto's arm like a stuffed animal prompted Sakura to let go of his arm, profusely blushing out of embarrassment and hints of love.
"I-I-I'm sorry Naruto-kun, please don't laugh at me…" Sakura stammered.
"Why would I laugh at you Sakura-chan? I thought it was cute." Naruto began to say, motioning for Sakura to come close and planting a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you for being by my side the whole way."
Sakura then instantly became redder than Kushina's hair, quite literally turning into a tomato. All her life, she had been ridiculed and laughed at for the size of her forehead, constantly facing abuse from her mother for not being the 'beauty' that she desired. For the man she liked to think her forehead was cute enough to kiss it, was a dream come true for Sakura. There was no doubt in her mind now, she loved Naruto. She loved him more than anyone, for his personality, his determination, and his care for anyone he deemed worthy of it. She didn't even care that he had a demon fox living inside of him, because he was her new home. She finally felt comfortable around someone that wouldn't shit on her for something she had no control over, because he knew what it felt like. To be judged, to be looked down upon, just for something that could have happened to anyone.
Flashback no jutsu, three days before the attack on Naruto
Sakura had woken up from a long night's sleep to hear arguing in the living room. She made her way downstairs to see what was going on. In the living room were her parents, entrenched in a conversation about Sakura herself. She hid behind the cabinet to try and overhear what they were talking about.
"We're marrying her off to the Uchiha and that's final." Mebuki said to Kizashi Haruno, Sakura's father.
"Are you fucking serious right now Mebuki? You plan to whore your only daughter out just so you can gain some increased power within Konoha? What about what Sakura thinks? Didn't you ever think of that before suddenly agreeing to Fugaku's request? And what about his plan to overthrow the fucking hokage? Did you ever think of what would happen if his plan went south?" Kizashi retorted. Out of the two, Kizashi was the more rational and loving parent, while Mebuki seemed to only care about gaining power and money.
Mebuki slapped Kizashi hard. A slap so loud that it nearly put a young Sakura to tears. But what happened next was the final straw.
"You think I care about what that little shit thinks? You know the only reason I agreed to keep that fucking turd was because of the chance that she would marry Sasuke or Itachi. I couldn't give a fuck if she became a whore for them, who's only purpose was to be their slut and baby maker. Fucking hell she's so ugly that this is the only way someone will actually agree to marry her, so be happy that we're finding someone to get this little piece of shit out of our lives forever. The only noteworthy thing about her is the fact that she has a giant forehead, something which I'm sure people would LOVE if they were into freaks with no talent and no beauty." Mebuki snarled, slapping Kizashi after every sentence she said. Each slap being harder than the last, and nearly making the man bleed out.
"Also this is all your fault. If you had let me continue the abortion process, this shit wouldn't have had to happen, and over 60% of our money wouldn't be tied up in taking care of that brat anyways. Fuck, if mom and dad didn't die in the kyuubi attack, I would have just pawned her off on them and spent the money on things I actually like." Mebuki continued.
Sakura couldn't help but cry in pain after that, seeing just how little her mother actually loved her. The curtain had finally crumbled, and she was seeing her mother's true colors. This had hurt more than any comment about her forehead or any time she was slapped and hit by her parents for messing up. This hurt where wounds could not be healed. Her own mother, the person she looked up to most, saw her as nothing more than a pawn. Nothing more than a sacrificial piece in her unrelenting quest to gain power within Konoha.
Unfortunately for Sakura, the mental abuse did not stop there.
"You know what? Do whatever you want, because as soon as that little shit turns 18, if she isn't married to an Uchiha or isn't one of their little fucktoys, I will be selling her off to the highest bidder. I don't care if they're a criminal, a wanted fugitive, or a fucking bum. As long as they have money, they can have Sakutrash. And once she is 'legally' able to support herself, she better not expect any charity from me, because there is no way I'm letting an ungrateful little brat such as her touch even a bit of my money. And if I find out that you're secretly helping her with any of her shit, oh you best have the greatest lawyers in the 5 great nations by your side, because I'll be having you arrested for stealing." Mebuki threatened. "And if you dare talk back to me, you won't live to see me fucking your tiny limp dick anymore."
"Oh and by the way, you mean less to me than Sakura does, and that's why I've been fucking Fugaku on the side as well. The fact that neither you nor Mikoto noticed just goes to show how pathetic both of you are, especially you, Kizashi. And you know what happens if you file for divorce, or did you forget the agreement you signed with my father the day you asked me to marry you?" Mebuki threatened.
Hearing this broke Sakura in ways she hadn't been broken before. She needed to get out of the house as soon as possible. She bolted out the front door and made her way to the park, sitting on the bench, face in her hands, and let loose.
Meanwhile, Ino was playing around with two other boys when she saw Sakura sitting alone. Feeling sorry for the young child, she went over and introduced herself to her.
"Hi, are you ok?" Ino asked the young pinkette.
Sakura kept sniffling as she looked up at Ino, tears running down her face, trying to stop crying and be a big girl for once. However, Ino could see through the invisible wall she was holding up, immediately grabbed her arm and pulled her aside.
"OUCH! That hurts, you know!" Sakura said when she and Ino finally stopped.
Ino looked into the eyes of the pinkette and she could immediately tell what was wrong with her. Being a Yamanaka, Ino specialized in how the human mind works. Starting her classes at a young age, Ino had already excelled in face-reading for signs of any emotion, something that proved her father very useful in battle, especially during interrogations. This time, it was Ino's turn to try out some of those tricks on Sakura to try and get her to tell her what exactly was going on.
First, to start off with a little introduction. Second, start to butter her up a little so that she drops her guard. Third, go in for the kill.
"Hi, my name is Ino Yamanaka, heiress of the Yamanaka clan. What's your name?" Ino asked.
"S-Sakura H-Haruno." Sakura said between tears.
"Nice to meet you Sakura!" Ino responded with a bright smile on her face. She gazed into Sakura's green eyes, something which freaked Sakura out a little bit. In response, she tried to cover herself to the best of her abilities, however, Ino had gotten all the information she needed from that one glance.
Onto step 2 of the Yamanaka interrogation tactics.
"So Sakura, why are you crying? A pretty girl like you should be happy, smiling, and jumping around. What's made my little cherry blossom so sad?" Ino asked in the sweetest of tones, trying to get her new friend to open up to her once and for all.
"M-my mommy said some really mean things about me, and she hurt daddy a lot. I needed to go to my happy place." Sakura said, trying to give out as little detail as possible. From her name, she knew that Ino would likely be skilled in mind-games to try and get the information she desired, and as such, she was careful to give her the information she wanted without having to dive deep into exactly what her mother said to her father. Unfortunately for Sakura, Ino got exactly what she needed just from those 2 sentences.
So her mommy's trying to break up the family, I'm assuming based on the tone that she told Sakura that she didn't want her to be born or something, because nothing else would make sense as to why she was crying this much. Ino thought, and she knew exactly what her next move would be. Invite Sakura to hang out with her friends.
"Well I'm sorry to hear that Sakura-chan, if you want, me and my friends are playing a game, do you want to join us?" Ino asked, motioning Sakura to come and join them for their game.
At first, Sakura seemed a bit reluctant. She wasn't particularly fond of meeting new people as the first thing people would do is make fun of her for having a large forehead or not being as conventionally attractive as other females, all of which typically leading her to secluding herself from others, and it had made it especially difficult for her to make friends. However, she could tell that Ino was different. Sakura felt gravitated to her playful energy and willingness to include everyone she met in her activities. As such, she felt that she had her first ever friend who would genuinely stick around.
It was a nice change of pace from the mental abuse she was used to facing, primarily from her parents. Although her father wasn't vocal about his abuse to her, he also didn't try to stop her mother from mentally degrading her every chance she got. All her life, she was told that unless she drastically changed her appearance, no boy would ever fall for her. It didn't matter how much she accomplished or what kind of person she ended up being. No, to Mebuki and Kizashi, all that mattered was that Sakura was desirable enough for a rich man to come and take her away. With Ino however, it felt like the first time in a long time where she could truly be herself without anyone judging her for how she looked and judging her more for who she was.
End of the mini flashback
Sakura smiled inwardly. It had been just a few days since she had finally found something to be happy about, but holy shit were those the best few days of her life. She and Ino quickly became best friends who would hang out nearly every second of the day, and now she just met the person she felt destined to be with forever. Looking at Naruto, she didn't see a man broken by the system nor did she see someone who needed help. She saw a man who would stop at nothing to achieve what he wants, a man who puts other people's safety above his, and above all, a man who despite going through a childhood which would have caused most people to commit suicide at best, had enough love to share with everyone.
Despite thinking it earlier, it was at this moment she realized exactly how far she would go to keep Naruto happy. She was willing to kill for him. Anyone who dared to hurt her Naruto-kun would now feel her wrath. To do that, she had to get stronger. Much stronger.
Sakura had always dreamed of protecting the village she loved dearly. Growing up in Konoha, despite its flaws, was one of the things Sakura liked most about her life. She could always count on the beautiful scenery, the overall welcoming atmosphere (Well not so welcoming anymore), and the genuine happiness of the citizens to welcome her whenever she stepped out of the house. She had always heard stories about some of Konoha's most famous heroes, including Hashirama Senju, the Legendary Sannin, and Minato Namikaze himself. Now, she had even more reason to try and protect her home. She needed to do it to ensure nobody EVER lived like Naruto did again.
She needed to become a fully-fledged ninja. And step 1 is to join the Ninja Academy.
Sakura looked in the direction of Kushina, hearing stories about her conquests as the Red Hot Habanero, and her near death at the hands of the kyuubi. For the longest time she was so concerned about Naruto's condition that she completely forgot that her goddamn hero was standing 2 feet in front of her. She could not be more ecstatic than she was in this moment. Sakura knew she needed to seek Kushina's guidance in her training, especially if she wanted to protect Naruto to the degree that she did.
Meanwhile, Ino was in her own fantasy. Dreaming about her and Naruto's eventual wedding, not knowing that her best friend was fantasizing about the same guy. She dreamt that her and Naruto would one day live together, get married, and start a family, something which Ino had always dreamed of having in the future. She inwardly hoped that Naruto would eventually join the ninja academy with her, and that they both would end up on the same team together, despite the original tradition of the InoShikaCho trio standing the test of time. Her mother was already good friends with Kushina, as they both were teammates with Mikoto Uchiha, so she felt that she could have an advantage over anyone else trying to pursue Naruto. However, she definitely didn't realize how far behind Sakura she actually was in terms of Naruto's affections.
Sakura and Ino were snapped out of their dreamworlds when Kushina and Naruto both said their goodbyes. Ino then left to find her mother and Sakura tried to wake up her mother from her passed out state, inwardly cursing at the life she had to live. She needed to get out of there fast, but she just didn't know how.
With Kushina and Naruto, back at their house
Kushina and Naruto made their way back to their humble abode. Naruto went back up to his room only to find that it had been completely painted black with the Uchiha crest plastered all over the wall.
Alright, so some extremely emo kid decided to move in with us without warning or mom adopted a lonely Uchiha. I wonder what it could be. Naruto thought as he made his way to the bed and started repainting his room orange. Meanwhile, Sasuke made his way out of the bathroom and back into their room.
"Um… what are you doing in my room?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto turned around to see Sasuke in his towel standing on the carpet. Oh great, it's both.
"Your room? This is MY room. Why the hell did you paint it black of all colors? Do you want to be seen as that one kid who's always depressed no matter what the situation is?" Naruto retorted.
"Well it's better than having your entire room seem so desperate for attention that would turn literally every single girl away the moment she steps foot in it." Sasuke reasoned while going back into his bed. "Also get the hell out, I gotta change."
Naruto leaves the room and goes downstairs, leaving Sasuke to change in 'his' room. Making his way to Kushina, Naruto plopped down on the table, wondering just what had happened when he was out.
"Hey mom, why is Mikoto-san's son living with us?" Naruto asked. "What happened to his family? Shouldn't he be staying with them?"
This wasn't an unreasonable question for Naruto to ask, considering he didn't know a thing about the Uchiha being killed off, but for some reason, Naruto asking this question irked Kushina a tiny bit. She didn't want to snap at her son right now, considering he had just gotten back from the hospital, but his seemingly unwillingness to include Sasuke with open arms just didn't sit right with Kushina. All along, she knew her son to be a man who wasn't afraid to let people in, regardless of the situation, a strategy which had only caused them pain from those he tried to put his trust in. As such, while she didn't like that her son was becoming more cold-hearted, she could completely understand why, and she could not get upset over it.
However, at the same time, she had to give Naruto something to ease his curiosity on the matter. She couldn't remain silent on it, but in the end, she knew it wasn't her story to tell.
"You should ask Sasuke yourself hun, but be careful. Don't just go in there and ask, it has to come up in conversation." Kushina warned Naruto. "And before you ask why, I'm not going to answer because it's a really sensitive subject to talk about, and I don't think Sasuke-kun would appreciate me telling the biggest secret of his life."
Naruto nodded in understanding. He may have been clueless at times, but even he knew when it was right to ask something and when it made more sense just to let it go. He made his way back out to the field to begin training his new dojutsu, while leaving Kushina to make dinner.
Meanwhile, Sasuke had just finished getting changed and made his way downstairs. Looking outside, he saw Naruto in some kind of meditating position, channeling the air around him, nearly creating a vacuum surrounding his body. To Naruto, it was a moment of pure relaxation. To Sasuke, it just looked weird. He made his way to his part of the training field and started practicing his kunai and shuriken throws, making so much noise as to break Naruto's concentration in the process.
"Ay bastard, can you keep it down? I'm trying to train here if you can't see." Naruto snapped at Sasuke.
"Looks more like you were sleeping in some weird-ass position, not training. If that's your idea of training, you're an even bigger loser than I thought you would be." Sasuke retorted, before going back to chucking sharps at fake dartboards. Naruto only grew more irritated by the noise Sasuke was making, continuously breaking his concentration while meditating. He walked over and cut down his makeshift targets with his own kunai.
"What the hell loser? What's your problem? Couldn't you see that I was trying to train here?" Sasuke walked up to Naruto and got all up in his face, being literally two inches away from each other to the point where anyone within a 5 mile radius could see the sparks of intensity flying between them.
It was at this point where the worst would happen. A big burly man on a toad just so happened to summon himself right next to Naruto. The shock from the summoning caused Naruto to stumble forward and lock his lips with Sasuke in what could only be called the most aggressive kiss of all time. Naruto immediately removed himself from Sasuke and ran to the washroom to soap out his mouth, while Sasuke did the same.
The man on the toad could only be puzzled at what just happened. After five seconds of contemplating whether or not he should write that scene in his next book, he decided against it and made his way to the front door, deciding child-on-child kissing was against his code as an "established" writer.
The man knocked on the door as Kushina came down and opened it.
"HEYYYYY KUSHINA!" The man yelled out before performing his trademark dance on top of the toad.
"Seriously Jiraiya sensei? Why the fuck did you have to enter like that?" Kushina deadpanned, completely sick of the pervert's actions in nearly every facet of the imagination. However, no matter how much his perverted ways pissed her off, she always held a soft spot for him from their previous interactions as well as him being Minato's sensei. "Anyways, come on in, I'm just making some dinner. Would you like some?"
"Actually Kushina, I came to talk to you about something important. Something that could threaten Naruto's life as we know it." Jiraiya said with a serious tone on his face, motioning for Kushina to come outside so that the kids wouldn't hear what he had to say.
Kushina followed Jiraiya outside, not wanting to hear the news about her son's potential dangers.
"So what is it, Jiraiya sensei? What's the threat Naruto could be facing in the future?" Kushina asked.
"I just got word from one of my spies that Orochimaru has just been kicked out of the Akatsuki. Now normally, this wouldn't be too much of an issue, but we all know what Orochimaru is capable of if he isn't checked by anyone. He will stop at nothing to ensure that he has what he wants, and unfortunately, he has set his sights on Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto. Now I don't know exactly how he plans on taking them, but knowing my former teammate, it seems like this is something that we just can't ignore. Something that will force us to be more prepared for his next move than we already are." Jiraiya explained. "Naruto needs to join the academy now. I don't know how long it will take for Orochimaru to get ready, but if he's ready and we aren't, we'll be even more fucked than we already are."
Kushina understood what Jiraiya was saying, but she still didn't feel comfortable with sending Naruto to the academy out of fear of him being prejudiced again. Especially now that Lord 3rd was beginning to crack down on the people trying to beat him, she could feel the high levels of animosity that was directed to him. She still didn't want Naruto to feel out of place at the academy and come home crying that someone tried to screw him over. Not until she was sure that he would be safe there.
"I know it's for his own good, but I just don't think he's ready yet. He just got out of the hospital with severe injuries from the goddamn Hyuga clan taijutsu technique. How am I supposed to know he won't get fucking killed there?!" Kushina freaked.
Jiraiya could only nod and understand what Kushina was trying to say. He knew that Naruto was treated like total garbage by the majority of Konoha, despite his absence from Naruto's life. However, he also knew that the time for crying was done. Naruto's life would be in danger in one way or another, and the only way for him to be ready for the dangers was to start his training. There was no way he would put it off any longer. Naruto himself was of age to join the academy, and he wasn't going to let this go to waste.
"The time for crying is done, Kushina. I've already talked to sensei about submitting Naruto's application for the academy. He said it was already done." Jiraiya explained. "Naruto is set to join the academy starting tomorrow, the first day of the new year."
Kushina knew it was pointless to put it off any longer. She slowly nodded her head in acceptance, understanding the dire situation that presented itself. She went upstairs to tell Naruto about the news, and how exactly shit was going to work from this moment onwards.
As Kushina made her way upstairs, she looked past the photos of Minato holding her stomach as she was pregnant with Naruto. Tears came to her eyes as she remembered her late husband, the man who would have given her and Naruto the world. The man who she was blessed to even have known the name of, let alone fallen in love and married him. She nearly broke down on the stairs before Jiraiya came up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Shhhh… it's ok Kushina. Let it out." Jiraiya said in his soothing voice.
"It's just… this is something I thought Minato-kun and I would do together, yet this is another thing that he won't be here for. I just wish I could go back to that day you know? Just push him out of the way or something before Kurama's nail had a chance of getting to him. Maybe then Naruto would grow up knowing just how wonderful his father truly is." Kushina was nearly driven to tears over this, as how it was whenever she thought of Minato. Lucky for her, Jiraiya was there to make sure she wasn't alone in the matter.
"I know. I miss him too, he was the closest thing I had to a son. But the past is the past, and we can't change that. The only thing we can do is make sure Naruto is nurtured into the type of man worthy of carrying Minato's name one day. From what I know of him, his goal is to become the Hokage right? Well so long as he doesn't veer from his path without good reason, then I see no problems with him becoming exactly what Minato had hoped for. Now all that's left to do is ensure that he gets there. Which is where I will come in." Jiraiya explained.
"What do you mean, Jiraiya sensei?" Kushina asked.
"Well with your injuries, you won't be able to teach him much jutsu that is anything more than the standard 3 jutsus at the academy, considering they don't require much chakra manipulation to do. But when he gets more powerful, that's where I will come in to help teach him. He will need someone who can direct their full attention to him as he learns to harness the power that Kurama has. I will be that person to guide him through that process. However, I will only be able to start when Naruto takes the chunin exams. Then only will my training actually be of use to him." Jiraiya explained his plan to Kushina, who nodded in understanding. They made their way up to Naruto's room to tell him the news.
Meanwhile with Sakura
Sakura had just made her way home from the hospital, hoping to be greeted home with open arms. Despite all she heard from her mother a few days ago, Sakura still held onto hope that they didn't just see her as a tool to boost their own status in Konoha. Unfortunately for her, she still had little hope. All throughout her life, she had been let down by her parents, put down by them for not being as conventionally attractive to many males, or, according to her mother, not having any special abilities that would strengthen their position in Konoha. It seemed like all that mattered to her family was their reputation. Not their daughter's well being or happiness. She went into her house with the lowest expectations of her life, not even acknowledging her presence to her family as she entered and made her way up to her room.
"WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU, SAKURA?!" Mebuki shrieked as loud as she could.
Sakura didn't answer as she made her way up to her room. The fact that her daughter ignored what she asked rubbed Mebuki the wrong way. She made her way up to Sakura's room to try and get the answers she was looking for. Unfortunately for Sakura, she knew that Mebuki wouldn't stop unless she got the answers that satisfied her.
As Sakura made her way to her bed, the only thing she could do was plop down and cry. All her life, she had felt neglected and alone in her own family. The one place where she should have been safe and cared for. But no. Instead, she felt trapped. She felt that she had her freedom and livelihood taken away from her the second she emerged from the womb. Day after day it was how she must behave and how she must act as this "perfect trophy wife" all the time. It's the reason she idolized people like Tsunade Senju and Kushina Uzumaki. Two people who rose above how the conventional "woman" was supposed to act. To her, being like one of her heroes only seemed like a pipe dream. She felt that the only thing she would ever be good for would be making some random drunk, homeless, hippie motherfucker happy one day, not that she would one day make herself into something that people could be proud of. Even with the scrutiny Kushina faced in Konoha for something she had no control over, Sakura chose not to look at her that way. Instead, she still held fond memories over the books she read as a kid about Kushina's successes leading to her restoring the former glory of the Uzumaki clan, fighting for the civilian population to be allowed to enter the ninja academy and winning, and overall being an inspiration to all young women to grow up and break the traditions their family had set for them, and forge her own destiny.
Unfortunately, to do that, she needed to get the fuck out of this house. Nothing good would come out of staying here, especially with her parents so hell bent on making her into nothing more than a slut for the next decently-wealthy man that showed even the slightest bit of interest in her. She needed to get out of here, and fast. Unfortunately, before she could, the she-devil herself, Mebuki Haruno walked in.
"So, Sakura, you mind telling me where the fuck you were last night? Because I was worried you would taint yourself by hanging out with that demon spawn and his queen whore of a mother again." Mebuki snarled as she said those names.
"Well for your information, mother, I was hanging out with them last night. You want to know why? Because the only demon spawn here is you. Not Kushina-san, and DEFINITELY not Naruto-kun. They are two of the nicest people I've ever met, and aside from your petty insecurities about them, they have done nothing wrong to deserve the looks they get from you and the villagers. If you had actually taken the time to get to know them, you would be surprised, but no. All you care about is your stupid reputation in Konoha. You don't want to be seen interacting with the most kind-hearted kid I know, because you're afraid that whatever happens here will look bad on your resume with the civilian council. So congratulations, you got what you wanted. But you also failed in the most basic of ways possible, common human decency." Sakura ended her speech to her mother there, hoping this would finally be the kick in the balls that she needed to get her head out of her ass and start understanding how to act like a human for once in her miserable life.
"Sakura, I'm doing this for your own good. Nothing good will come out of hanging out with the demon spawn. You'll be tainted and you'll never be fit to marry someone good for you. I'm doing all of this because I care about you!" Mebuki exclaimed, hoping her fake outrage will cause Sakura to shut up.
However, this only made Sakura laugh on the inside. Caring about me? That's the biggest piece of bullshit that I've ever heard. You've never cared about me one bit, and I'll prove it right now.
"Well Mebuki, if you truly do care about me, then tell me. What did you get me for my 6th birthday?"
"Uh… when was your birthday?"
Sakura only felt let down once more. Her mother didn't even try to remember her birthday, and while she knew that off by heart, she expected her to at least try to lie about it. But no. This hurt more than any lie Mebuki could have told, because it showed that Mebuki didn't even consider Sakura worthy enough TO LIE to her, in an attempt to make her happy. This slight was apparently the last straw for Sakura as she began packing her bags.
"And where the fuck do you think you're going now?" Mebuki asked.
"Well Mebuki, considering your only reason to keep me around is in the hopes that some rich person will find me attractive to eventually consider the possibility of marrying me and thereby increasing your status within Konoha and the world as a whole, I'm leaving this family. I'd rather go to a place where people will love me for who I am right now rather than for someone I could potentially be in the future, and someone who doesn't treat me like I'm the worst thing that has ever happened to them. Now I know you are still bitter over what happened 10 years ago, Kushina-san told me everything while we were waiting for Naruto-kun to wake up, but for your own sake and for the sake of everyone involved, get your head out of your ass for once in your life and understand that this kind of thing is not something you hold a grudge over, especially when the other person seemingly has done nothing wrong." Sakura continued packing her bags.
"You can't be serious." Mebuki laughed at Sakura. "Where the hell will you go? You have no friends aside from that demon and we all know that if you end up staying with him, you'll be treated just like that little shit deserves."
"Well it's a good thing that I do have other friends then. I won't be telling you who because you'll just harass them until you get your way. As of now though, this is my final goodbye. I am no longer Sakura Haruno, and I will be making that official as soon as I can. My name now is just Sakura. No Haruno attached." Sakura said before moving towards the front door. She gave her family one more chance to try and stop her, to prove that they did indeed love her as their daughter, but Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno didn't budge.
"YOU'RE JUST GOING TO DIE OUT THERE WITH THE FAILURE THAT YOU ARE! ONE DAY YOU'LL BE COMING BACK TO US AND WE WILL SHOW YOU THE SAME KINDNESS THAT YOU DID TO US HERE!" Mebuki yelled out.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be the daughter you wanted, but none of this is on me. If you ever want to even think of my forgiveness, take a good hard look at yourselves in the mirror and ask yourselves: if I was to go back and tell my younger self about the person I became right now, what would be their reaction?"
Sakura's final words before leaving struck Kizashi and Mebuki right where it hurt the most, their prides and egos. Deep down, she knew leaving that toxic household was the best decision she could have ever made for her own sanity and wellbeing. She made her way to the Yamanaka compound, hoping to start her life fresh with people she knew valued her and her presence.
And that does it for chapter 4 everyone! My goal in this chapter was to delve deeper into Sakura's backstory and hopefully I did a good job showing just how dysfunctional her family really was, and just how toxic her parents were to her. It's like the old saying goes: All children deserve parents, but not all parents deserve children. As for the Naruto and Sasuke plot, we're about to head into the academy once and for all, with the introduction of everyone else important to the story.
As for the harems, I've narrowed the list down to a few contenders for both Naruto and Sasuke. As we know right now, Naruto's harem consists of Ino and Sakura, and from here I've made the decision to make the rest of Naruto's 5 girl harem from girls from other anime. As for Sasuke, I've added Kurotsuchi and an OC as his harem, with the other 3 contenders being girls from other anime.
Let me know what you think of the story so far, and I'm glad to see the high levels of engagement with this story! Over 25 reviews in just 3 chapters of writing, as well as over 150 follows to this story already!
As for the question right now, let me know what you want to see as Naruto's genin team.
Senseis are: Rin Nohara, Asuma Sarutobi, and Kurenai Yuhi
Potential teammates are: Sasuke, Sakura, Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Hinata, Kiba, Shino
And with that, I'll catch y'all in the next one!
Peace.