Scarlet Justice: Full Blossom – ep. 62
"Love and Faith"
[Discovery, Part 2]

It's hard to sleep tonight.

After spending a few hours talking with Naruto about my recent adventures – save for the incident with Sozen – we did some light training, ate dinner, and then went off to bed. Only a few hours passed between closing my eyes and opening them again. I don't think I'll be getting any more rest.

There are far too many thoughts going through my head.

Everything has changed due to what happened a few hours ago. I had a plan, I had an idea of what I was going to do and how I was going to do it. I was sure of my path. And now...I'm more sure of it than I ever was. Things happen in life, and plans can change at any time. But all of this has only served to drive me forward.

I felt what Naruto did in the past, for a few moments. I could hear him asking himself, over and over, what he could do to be recognized. What it was he did or said to be so disliked by the people of this village and their children. Why he could only get so close to the few kind people he met...why there was a strange, hollow space inside of his heart.

I knew it must have hurt badly, and now I know a bit more about that pain, intimately. He's come through it all so brilliantly, but there is still a dangerous path to walk down. He will need even more strength, and these revelations will give it to him, one way or another. There's a chance that he could be furious with me for withholding this information, and with everyone else. But I believe in him and who he is, and I believe that he'll understand my reasons, even as much as they might hurt. I wouldn't want to ever lose someone so precious, but I refuse to be selfish and keep this away from him any longer. That's not what friends do. It's not what people who love each other do.

No matter what the outcome might be, no matter how painful and messy it might be, I am going to give Naruto the truth that he deserves.

"It's decided. This is no time to turn back, so we won't."

My dream is to ascend past the dreams of this world, and break the chains that bind it in place. Breaking away from the tradition that adults have imposed upon us will be a great way to start.

"Can't believe you made all this stuff yourself."

Naruto looks curiously at the wooden spoon in his hand after finishing breakfast. I do the usual cleanup and toss any burnable items into the fire pit.

"I tend to make a few at a time while idling, whether at home or on missions. A sharp knife and some chakra can do wonders."

"Yeah. I mean they look a bit rough, but in a classy sort of way. You know?"

"I understand what you mean."

"And they're pretty good for the environment too, which is neat. Maybe I'll try carving my own stuff when I have the time. Pervy Sage likes his fancy forks and spoons and whatever so he won't appreciate them any, but I can use 'em for myself." He flicks the spoon into the fire. "So, guess it's time for more training before we go back. We can try our new Rasengan again today."

"I think...it would be better if we held off on that for now," I say while sitting beside him. "Last night, I had trouble sleeping. Some thoughts were coming to mind, and..."

"Sounds kind of serious. Everything okay, Lili?" he asks with concern.

"I do feel a bit melancholy at the moment, but it's something that I will overcome soon. I know that I have to at this point. Naruto...what I have to tell you is very important. It's about you, and your origins most of all."

"Origins?"

"Yes. The circumstances surrounding your birth. You see...a bit after you told me about the tailed beast that you host inside of your body, I discovered a great deal of things about your history, and the people who were connected to you in the past. There were many things kept secret by order of Lord Hokage, and I didn't want to breach them for that and other reasons. Some of them were that you a bit too young, and far too immature at the time. You wouldn't have handled any of it well."

I smile and place my hand on his cheek gently.

"But now, you've grown into a handsome and brilliant young man. Someone who has matured in mind and body, and is someone to be very proud of. Sixteen years is long enough. You should have the truth of who you are, and what you mean to those who love you dearly."

"Lili..."

"I'm going to do my best for you. All of this information is for you, and you alone."

He nods. "Alright. Whatever it is, I'm ready. I know I am."

I nod back and settle my hands in my lap.

"We will start with a necessary history lesson. To the east of Fire Country, there is an island. It has been abandoned for several decades now, with its shinobi village destroyed and all civilization brought to ruin. This place was called Whirlpool Country, with its shinobi village called the Village Hidden in Whirling Tides. Or, the Hidden Whirlpool for short."

"Whoa. How come it's abandoned?"

"It was attacked and destroyed out of a great fear. The inhabitants of the country were known for having very long lives, easily surpassing a hundred years old and able to move as if they were half that age, maybe even less. They were also experts in sealing arts. One clan was known for its exceedingly strong chakra and vitality, and also had the world's strongest and most effective sealing techniques. This clan was called the Uzumaki Clan."

"Eh? You mean my family?"

"Yes. The Uzumaki are distant blood relatives to the Senju, and so they formed a very strong bond in the past. Because of this, men and women of the Uzumaki would emigrate to the newly stabilized Fire Country and its shinobi village, the Hidden Leaf. One of these was Mito Uzumaki, who would go on to become the wife of Hashirama Senju, the first Hokage."

"Wow!"

"Do you remember Auntie Tsuna's lineage?"

"Yeah. Granny Tsunade is the First Hokage's granddaughter. She even got to see him when he was alive. Wait...so that makes Great Granny Mito Granny Tsunade's grandma!"

"That's right. And that's not the only thing that Mito was known for."

"Really? What else was there?"

"When Madara challenged Hashirama at what would be known as the Valley of the End, he brought the Nine-Tails with him, using the power of his Sharingan. Hashirama used the special power of his Wood Release to stop the Nine-Tails and win the battle. But deciding that he could not release the Nine-Tails into the wild again, he and Mito decided on something. Using her supreme skill in sealing arts, and the strength of her chakra as an Uzumaki...Mito sealed the fox inside of herself, suppressing its power by using her body as a container."

"Oh...that's..."

"Yes. Lady Mito Uzumaki was the first jinchuuriki in the modern era. The first host of the Nine-Tails."

Naruto's brow furrows. "Right. But...she died a long time ago and stuff, right? So how did that grumpy fox get from her to me?"

"We're on our way to that answer."

"Got it. Please go on, Lili."

"Thank you. At this time, the Hidden Whirlpool was still in existence. Mito was aging, and as long as her life was, it wouldn't last forever. She was weakening, between the ravages of time, and the grief she must have felt all of those years from losing her husband. Leaf used its strong ties and some material persuasion to have a new vessel sent over. This was a young woman with the same kind of brilliant red hair as Mito once had, a famous trait of the Uzumaki."

"Huh. And my hair's a lot brighter than that."

"For a certain reason, which we will get to soon."

"Alright."

"This young woman's name was Kushina Uzumaki, a girl who you must have guessed was from the same clan as Mito."

"So she got brought to the Leaf...but only to be the next container for the Nine-Tails," Naruto says sadly. "Did she know?"

"She knew. And she was terrified at first, from what I can understand. But Mito calmed her, and cared for her deeply. They formed a strong bond before Mito passed on, and by that time, Kushina was ready to take on that terrible burden. She became the second jinchuuriki in Leaf's history, and the second host of the Nine-Tails."

"Why didn't they find someone else who was older? Why a little girl?" Naruto asks. "It doesn't make any sense."

"It makes a lot of sense once you think about it," I say. "Younger vessels last a lot longer, and give the village more years of control before they have to search for someone new. The Leaf's jinchuuriki have historically been used for deterrence and nothing else, with the power of the tailed beast chained tightly to them. Some hosts are bred to be used as weapons to gain an advantage, such as Gaara. He was bonded with Shukaku before he took his first breaths in this world."

"Before he was born?!"

"Yes. The varying strengths of the tailed beasts create different situations in each shinobi village, and those are further affected by the history of the surrounding area. The tribes that now make up the Hidden Sand had control of Shukaku long before the organized shinobi system came to be."

"Oh, wow. So...Kushina had to come to the Leaf as a kid, only to be..."

"She hadn't resigned herself to just that. Her dream was to become Hokage one day as well."

"Wow, really?" He grins. "Sounds a lot like someone you know!"

"Indeed."

"But I guess she's the one that died when the Nine-Tails got out of her. How did it happen? And how did I get caught up in all of this? Was it because I was an Uzumaki, like she was?"

"Your heritage made you a perfect candidate...but Kushina would never want this sort of life for you if she could help it. The Nine-Tails was forcefully taken out of her on that night sixteen years ago. When Mito had her many children with Hashirama, there was a discovery regarding the seal. During pregnancy, the seal holding the tailed beast would weaken slightly, as some of the energy used to maintain it would be directed to the growing child instead. It meant that at childbirth, the seal would be at its absolute weakest."

"So having a baby would be the perfect time for the bad guys to strike."

"Yes, that's right. Childbirth was therefore held in secret locations, with experts present to help with delivery and sealing. The Fourth Hokage was present with Kushina when she gave birth to her son."

"The Fourth was there, huh."

"He was. Kushina had fallen in love with him many years ago, after he rescued her from the Hidden Cloud's kidnapping attempt."

"Man, always those guys."

"One of their specialties, it seems."

"Oh, so the baby was theirs together. What happened to him? Did...he die when the fox got out? I mean the son of the Fourth Hokage and Kushina Uzumaki has to be a really cool and strong guy if he's around, you know? The village would totally be head over heels for him, and you'd have to compete with him to be Hokage, Lili! Though you'd probably win still, hehe. Still, losing both of your parents would be rough." He sighs. "Like Iruka-sensei did on the same day. I dunno if I'd be able to handle it."

"Naruto-"

"So what happened to him?" he asks eagerly. "Is he wandering the world or something? How come Pervy Sage and Grandpa Third don't talk about him? Is he on a secret mission? Why did I get chosen instead of him to be a jar for the dumb fox?"

"Naruto..."

He stops talking and gives me a worried look. "Lili? Are you okay?"

I shake my head, trying to stop the tears from coming down. "Not really. I thought I would be more composed for this moment, but...I don't know what it is."

"If-"

"This is for your sake, so I have to do this. Naruto...you..." I take a breath in. "You were chosen at the last moment in a most dire emergency. And the reason you were there, in that place, at that time...was because the child that Kushina gave birth to on that night was...you."

His eyes slowly widen.

"Kushina Uzumaki was your mother. And your father was Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf."

"Mom...and Dad? I was..."

He pauses and starts to get up, then walks off a short distance. I wonder if he'll run off somewhere to gather himself...it would only be fair with what he must be experiencing right now. It's possible that my best wasn't good enough, and he's boiling over with anger.

"Lili? Could you...come here for a bit?"

I hear his voice, quiet and exhausted. Without hesitation I reach his side, and resist the urge to wipe at the tears coming down his face. He reaches for my hand, and I reach back to take it, feeling how much...less his usual warmth is. Grief and anger and confusion...more than most people could take. But I knew that even if he hated me, he had to know the truth.

"You were so worried for me. That's why...you couldn't sleep last night. Because of this," he mumbles.

"Yes."

"I'm just thinking about everything that happened. All the things that I could have had, the life that I probably should have lived. I know everyone must have had their reasons. But it still...hurts."

"You're not wrong to feel that way. If you need to be angry, if you need to let everything out, I'll stand here and-"

"I don't want it to be you. You don't deserve that," he interrupts. "You love me more than anyone else, and you took this chance to tell me what I needed to know. I can't...be angry at you, even if it's just to vent. I don't want to hurt you, Lili."

"I know. I just..."

"I...want you to help me understand. All of this." He wipes at his tears with his sleeve. "It's like...it wasn't supposed to be this way, but it was. And my life changed before I knew what it was."

"Take your time," I say gently. "Please. No matter how long I have to wait, I will wait for you. And I'll answer every question you have. I promise."

"You don't need to go that far. You've always been there for me when I needed you...but maybe you're right, and I should just wait a bit. I'll go for a walk to try and clear my head, maybe..."

"I'll keep watch here," I say.

"Thanks."

"Be careful. Come back as soon as you can."

"Yeah."

He's trying to process everything, and there's just...so much pain that I can see in his eyes. It's taking so much to let him go, with all of the worry coursing through me. I don't want anything to happen to him, or...

"..."

I just know that there's more to tell him, and more to deal with. All I can do is try to move forward with him, and maybe ease some of that pain in his heart.

Since I don't know when he'll be back, maybe getting an early start on lunch will be a good distraction. Or dinner. Perhaps both. I need to start a fire first. I need...

Lunch has been packed away by now, and will likely serve as breakfast tomorrow. Dinner is being kept warm over the fire as I wait for Naruto to return.

He's well within the range of my tracking, but it doesn't make me worry less. If anything, I'm too far...no, I shouldn't think like that. He's not like I was. He's...different. Stronger, in a lot of ways. I just can't help thinking those things.

Finally, I can sense him coming back. He moves slowly through the trees, and after a few minutes comes into sight. His hands are in his pockets, and he looks a bit better than earlier. Not quite the same spark as before, but I would be a monster to think less of him for that.

"Welcome back," I say. "Dinner is ready for us...did you feel up to eating?"

"I'm pretty hungry after all that walking...yeah, that sounds good. You waited all this time for me?"

I nod.

"You're really amazing, you know. Thanks, Lili. I really appreciate that...we can continue talking about stuff from earlier once we're done eating. I'm up to it now, promise."

"Okay. I'll get everything for us, so you sit there."

I make sure that the food is not too hot, and that he has enough to drink, and that he's comfortable where he is the entire time. I quietly fuss over him, and wonderful soul that he is, he lets me do so today. Even while all of those thoughts are swirling around in his head, he thinks of me. It's really so sweet that I don't know what to do with myself...

"All finished. That was great as always, Lili. Thanks!"

"You're welcome. I always do my best for you, Naruto."

"Hard to miss. Um...is it okay if we talk now? I mean after...oh, you were eating while looking after me. Guess I forgot you can do it all, eh?"

"Sometimes. Thank you for that, and I'm ready whenever you are."

"Okay." I set all of our bowls and utensils aside, then sit next to Naruto in front of the fire. The stars are slowly starting to come out in the evening sky, and we stare at it a while in silence.

"I...spent a lot of time thinking, about what could have been."

"That's more than understandable, given what I told you earlier."

"Yeah. My dad was one of the greatest and strongest shinobi in history. And my mom was the host of the Nine-Tails before me, not to mention awesome in her own way from what you told me. Both of my parents were elites and stuff...so even if they passed, my life should have been a lot better. I should have been treated better by everyone, and gotten more opportunities, and...so much stuff, I guess. It was starting to make me angry, thinking about what I could have had and how I got treated and..."

"I know. It's okay. I know that I can't ever understand-"

"No, no. That's not what I was trying to get across. Sorry if it seems like I'm guilting you, Lili. I just...yeah. But then I remembered some stuff you taught me. About connecting dots and all that."

"I'm glad you did," I say with a smile.

"It helped a lot. I started to think things through, and got an understanding. People just...didn't know who I was, other than the kid who was a jar for a spooky monster that ruined their village. So, I guess...I dunno what exactly to ask as a question here."

"That's fine. The reason I wanted to tell you myself is that I'm the best person in the world to help you through this crisis," I say confidently. "Other than your parents communicating from the other side, of course."

"Heh. It would be pretty cool if they could." He puts a hand over his stomach. "They could help me get this grumpy idiot to cooperate, or something like that."

"Perhaps so. I'll help your understanding by explaining the things that I know. Please don't hesitate to interrupt me if there's something you can't grasp. You've been through a lot today already, my love."

"Okay. I'll remember that."

I kiss him on the cheek. "Good. Let's start from where you left off. Your identity within the village. Your name is Naruto Uzumaki. Do you remember what I've said about names in the past?"

"Um...that names have power. Is that right?"

"Yes. A name can be the difference between life and death. Not just on the battlefield, but off of it. The reason your family name is Uzumaki...is because of your father."

"You said earlier that the Uzumaki got wiped out because people were scared of their power."

"That is correct. It was after Kushina made her way to the Leaf. The surviving inhabitants of the Whirlpool Country, mostly Uzumaki, scattered towards different places. Most went towards the mainland, others towards the islands such as Water Country, and still others sailed away to the world beyond this continent. Those that remained would change or hide their names and identities, and unless their protection could be assured, refrained from using their special powers. This diaspora led to people like Karin being found in the Hidden Grass, as one example."

"I get it, I think. So the Uzumaki were still dangerous or valuable to people, but not as dangerous since they were so broken up."

"Exactly. And nobody would think much of an Uzumaki in the Hidden Leaf, especially a blonde one. They could easily assume that your blood was too thin to be of use, and thus would not risk high profile kidnappings or the like in order to get at you. Remember that Hinata is a pure-blooded Hyuuga who is also the daughter of the Hyuuga Head, and Kushina had her brilliant red hair, signifying the purity of her lineage as an Uzumaki. It made them immediately valuable targets for enemy nations."

"Oh, yeah. That makes a lot of sense."

"Now, there was a secondary reason, and it was as a deflection so that nobody would dig too deeply into your true identity. Your father was known as the Yellow Flash, a most terrifying shinobi who could appear anywhere at any time he pleased. I think you understand where this goes."

He gulps and nods. "Yeah. They'd try to kill me as fast as they could."

"Correct."

"How come Pervy Sage couldn't take care of me? Do you know why?"

"It was for many of the same reasons. Jiraiya is infamous as one of the Three Shinobi, and on top of that was doing work as a spy for the benefit of the village. He was tracking down Orochimaru, and on top of that was Minato's jounin-instructor back when he was starting out."

"Oh, and they might get ideas from that. And travelling around with a kid wouldn't be the best move, either."

"No. Though there is the argument that he could have settled down in the village properly and looked after you, as he was meant to do as your godfather. It's one that I would have made, certainly. But after the Nine-Tails' attack on the village, there was a lot of work to be done in order to secure its safety. With Minato and Kushina gone, the Leaf had lost a great deal of military power in a single night. As the Fourth Hokage, your father would have had all of that in mind when he sealed the fox into you."

"Hm."

"He would have thought that the only way to keep the village safe in the future was to seal half of the Nine-Tails into you."

He blinks. "Half? What do you mean?"

"I suppose Jiraiya didn't tell you even that. That much is understandable, I think. You currently possess one half of the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox, Naruto. It was placed into you using the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, a technique that sacrifices the souls of both the user and its target to the Shinigami."

"Dad knew something like that?!"

"I surmise that he learned it, along with a great deal of sealing arts, from Kushina. The old man has told me many stories about how talented he was, and given that he created the Rasengan and improved upon the Flying Thunder God art, I can certainly believe it. His handiwork is a part of you now. But yes, the fox was normally too much to handle for anyone, so strong seals were used by Mito and Kushina in order to seal him away completely. But Minato had different plans for you, aside from his realization that the chakra might have been too much for a child all at once. He split the chakra, and sealed half of it away with his soul in the stomach of the Shinigami. The other half went to you, which I believe is the Yang half."

"The part that gives energy, right?"

"Yes, Yang gives breath to people and structures. With that part sealed into you, he used his last moments to create the Eight Trigrams Seal, which is two Four Symbols Seals together, and placed it on your belly to contain the fox."

"Wow. So that's all, then."

"Not all of it. There's more, my love. I want you to understand that your father did what he did as a last resort, but not simply as that. He loved you dearly, and believed in you with all of his heart."

"Believed in me? What do you mean, Lili?"

"Guide me forward this time. The Nine-Tails...does he speak to you?"

"Yeah, he's a big grumpy baby who talks about hatred and stuff all the time. It's nice that I can finally make him pay rent for taking up space inside of me." Naruto sticks out his tongue.

"I see, I see. And have you ever seen him, face to face?"

"Yeah. Sometimes I can go down to a sort of...basement thing. It's usually flooded with water, up to your ankles. And when you go forward, there's a big cage with bars and stuff. And a sheet of paper in the middle that says seal on it. The dumb fox is behind the cage and can't get out unless I take off the paper and open the door somehow. I think. When I get really angry and lose control, there's more water, and it takes me up until I'm floating. I know that if I wanted to, I could go through the bars...but if I did that, he'd take control of my body, or something nasty."

"Do you remember how your seal is constructed?" I ask.

"Yeah. It's two half circles over each other, and then there's a swirly symbol, kinda like the ones on the backs of the jackets people wear. I have it too. How come people in the Leaf have those?"

"To symbolize their strong ties with the Hidden Whirlpool, and as a memorial of sorts now that they're gone. The Leaf and Whirlpool have always been close."

"That makes sense. Anyways, why did you want to know all that, Lili?"

"To show you something simple. Do you realize the state of your seal?"

"State? I mean it's there, and I can talk to the fox and stuff, and borrow his chakra..."

"Yes, but you remember what it looks like. I want you to figure it out on your own."

"Uh...it's two half circles. So they have gaps at the sides. I don't..." He pauses before realization hits him. "You're saying that it should be a whole circle, to keep the fox locked down. And since Dad was a super great seal user like Mom, he...did that on purpose."

"That's it," I say. "Keep going."

"He did it on purpose...he let the fox chakra get out a little bit on the sides, so that I could use it? I think?"

"You're close. Think about your favourite hot chocolate. How does it work?"

"Oh! You mix the chocolate and the milk together...and then they become something better! So Dad wanted the fox chakra to mix with mine. He, um...wanted me to take control? Wanted me to get used to it...yeah, wanted me to get used to using it, so that it didn't hurt me."

He looks over at me.

"He wanted me to master the fox's power."

"To protect the village, and the world. There was a certain man who managed to get information regarding your birth, and infiltrated the room where your mother lay. He kidnapped your mother, released the Nine-Tails from her body, and used it to attack the village. Kushina, due to her strong chakra, did not pass on right away, and must have wanted to take the Nine-Tails with her into death."

"The tailed beasts can die...right, you mentioned that yesterday."

"Temporarily. And that was the problem Minato must have seen. The Nine-Tails would appear again, and be used to attack the Leaf once more, or any other village. The Leaf would be utterly weakened, and subject to attack by its enemies. He did what he had to do as a shinobi, as the Hokage...but his belief in you was more than just business. He saw you as the key to saving the world itself, and placed a burden onto you."

"Dad believed in me that much. As a baby, heh. And you think Mom would have disagreed, eh?"

"Certainly. But your father was a very charismatic man. It's where you get it from," I say with a smile.

"Haha, totally!" He looks down at his hands before closing them. "I get it now. All of this stuff happening...maybe that's how things were meant to be. I wish that I still had parents, that I had a better life...but I understand who I am, and how I got this far. I know now that I wasn't just some random kid thrown away, but that I had two awesome parents that loved me, and gave their lives for my sake."

"I wish I could tell you exactly how they died...but it was the Nine-Tails that gave them mortal wounds. To the end, his hatred burned bright for those he considered his jailers."

"Yeah. That...makes sense, I think. I don't know what I'm going to do about that yet, but...I'll figure it all out. Just like I did before."

"I know you will. There are some other things I want to tell you, but I think they can wait a bit longer. You've been through enough, my love. I'm so proud of you, and thank you for listening to me. For trusting me like this."

He looks at me with a bit of contemplation.

"What is it?" I ask.

"I think...Mom made a wish before she passed on."

I blink. "A wish?"

"Yeah. That a girl just like her would show up next to me." He grins. "Someone just as cool and pretty as she was, you know?"

I quickly stand up. "I-I-I'm going to fetch some water for us, excuse me."

"Hey, isn't the stream in the other direction? Lili?"

I move into the trees and put my hands over my beating heart. I can't let him see me like this. Idiot, stupid, blockhead. What was that all about?!

"You're really an idiot...s-seriously, you can't just say things like that to another girl. Go to Hina with all of that nonsense...stupid. I'll definitely bully you later for this."

Though maybe it's a good sign that...he can still make me feel this way. Even as annoyed as I am, I can't stop smiling.

I really do love him, more than words could ever express.