chapter 6.
Tsunade and Shizune didn't let Naruto out of their sight for the next three days, partly because his bodyguards Asuma and Kurenai were injured, but also so they could ensure no more harm could come to him. Since Orochimaru's attack, the two medics had grown very protective of the nine-tails Jinchurikki. They wouldn't allow him to train or engage in vigorous exercise either.
"I wish you or me or both of us had asked the Third Hokage to take him in sooner Lady Tsunade. Naruto-kun shouldn't have had to suffer loneliness and contempt for eight years," Shizune said with regret.
"You're right Shizune. We're not the only ones who should have done something. Remember, that blasted pervert Jiraiya was his father's sensei. The Fourth made him Naruto's godfather for Kami's sake!" Tsunade responding fiercely.
"Don't be too hard on him milady, remember losing Kushina and Minato took it's toll on him."
On the fourth day, the subject of their conversation showed up in the Leaf on Gamabunta, a giant Brown toad with a pipe. When he reached the Hokage residence, Naruto saw him and asked, "Who's this guy, Obachan?"
"This man is Jiraiya, The Toad Sanin. He used to be me and Orochi-bastard's teammate. Jiriaya's the strongest of us, but he's a also a huge pervert," the blonde-haired gambler answered.
"I resent that!" the white-haired man said in a offended tone.
"I'm…a SUPER-PERVERT!" he shouted spreading his arms.
"You want a super beatdown?!" Tsuande asked dangerously.
The man dropped his arms then got a serious look on his face.
"I've come to talk to you about him," Jiraiya said with a glance at Naruto. The slug mistress nodded and told Shizune to take Naruto for a walk.
"Come on Ototo," the raven haired woman said, guiding him away with her hands on his shoulders. The Senju woman gestured for Jiraiya to follow her inside, which he did.
/
"You've got a lot of nerve showing up now, after all these years you old perv. Why didn't you look after your godson those twelve years after his parents died?!" the Senju woman asked her lecherous former comrade.
"You knew his parents too Hime (princess). I could ask you the same question," The Toad sage replied.
"Don't this to turn this on me you old coot! The Fourth and his wife didn't make Naruto my responsibility. He's your godson, in fact, you asked for that!"
"Let's change the subject. How did you meet him, what have you been teaching him, and what happened with Orochimaru?"
Jiriaya saw Tsunade's body tense up when he said that name, and her teeth gritted. Then she took a deep breath and said, "I met him while traveling outside the village with Shizune. We saw him entering a casino, we asked his name, told him ours, and he told us why he left. I have to say his logic is indisputable. Someone hated all their life by nearly everyone can't grow or improve spiritually or physically. Not to mention that no-one was helping him, regarding shinobi skills or anything else. Naruto looked for us specfically after overhearing a conversation between two Medical ninja."
"I heard the kid is a loud-mouthed knuckle head. I imagine teaching and raising him has been a hassle," the Old toad opined.
"Just the opposite Jiraiya! I showed Naruto my strength before we returned to Konoha. The brat has been mostly polite and respectful since then. Occasionally we have to remind him, but it's never required physical force," the Slug sage responded.
"The kid's a fast learner, and let me guess, you cut down a tree with your pinky finger?"
"You must be psychic Jiraiya. Now I have some questions for you Jiraiya. What are your intentions with Uzumaki. I'm telling you right now, he's my student! I will only let him train with you if he so desires. And you better not show him your pervy novels or make him into a voyeur like you, or I'll pound you!" the blonde beauty said shaking her fist at him.
"Easy Tsunade, I won't make Naruto do anything, especially not "research". I remember when you nearly killed me for doing that when we were kids," The Toad Sanin remarked, causing her to blush angrily and look away.
"I just want to see how the kid is doing, and how he progresses with you and your apprentice."
"He's doing just great, now that we've taken on your role, and we'll make him into the best ninja yet! So neither your concern nor your presence are required."
"Like you said, let's let Naruto decide," her old teammate responded, causing her to growl and close her eyes.
"Now, what happened with you-know-who."
"That rotten reptile wanted to test me, see if I could overcome my fear of blood, or at least save someone inspite of it. I did both, but he slipped away like slug."
"Running away and avoiding capture is our former teammates specialty," Jiraiya stated.
"He's a coward."
"Yes he is," Tsunade agreed.
"I wish I knew if it was really him that attacked Asuma and Kurenai, and stabbed him or if it was a clone.
/
"Hey Naruto!" three familiar voices said simultaneously. The blonde, whiskered, Jinchurikki and his raven-haired guardian turned from the hospital entrance towards Sasuke, Sakura, and Ino and waved with a smile. Since Orochimaru's attack, the three of them, though not able to be his bodyguards due to being in school, visited him as often as possible. They also promised to patrol the village outskirts so that no one could sneak in. Tsunade had to remind them that they weren't even genin yet, and would stand no chance against seasoned shinobi.
"Going to see Kurenai and Asuma-senseis?" Hinata asked. Naruto nodded.
"It's a shame those two have to stay here for ninety days. I thought with healing jutsu it would be shorter," Ino commented.
"Medical jutsu is only used when absolutely necessary, Ino-Chan. Like when on an important mission or during war, and shinobi don't have time for a hospital visit. Using healing jutsu for everything wastes chakra," Shizune explained.
"After we visit them, we need to give you a makeover Naruto," Sakura spoke up.
"I know you like orange and blue, and you can keep the color, but your outfit is a massive turn off."
"Now there's one thing we agree on !" Ino said.
"I think Naruto dresses fine," Hinata said shyly.
"Don't force him into anything you two!" Kato sternly warned the two rivals.
"I only chose these clothes because of the color. I'm not really a fashion expert. So if you say I need new clothes, I'll get new clothes," Naruto assured them.
"Great! " they both said excitedly.
It has been the first time since getting injured that Naruto had gone to see his bodyguards. Tsunade wanted him to spend at least seven days healing, and promised he could see them when his organs were no longer tender and sore. The Quadrio were signed in and taken to Yuhi's and Sarutobi's room.
"Naruto-kun!" Kurenai exclaimed while Asuma said, "Hey kid!"
The boy walked forward and grabbed their hands.
"Were both so sorry we couldn't protect you from Lord Orochimaru."
"We stood no chance of fighting him, but we should have at least seen him coming and got you to safety."
"Miss Kurenai, Mister Asuma, stop blaming yourselves! That snake was one of the Sanin, you're lucky he didn't kill both of you!" Naruto stated firmly.
"Ototo is right," Shizune interjected. Then she added, "Naruto-kun is finished healing now, I wish I could say the same for you two."
"As ninja, we understand patience Shizune-san," said Kurenai.
"Sorry to cut the visit short you two, but Sakura and Ino want to get me some new duds. The sooner our shopping trip is over the better. Let's go you two."
Both girls faces lit up in excitement, and they moved to grab his arms when Sasuke spoke up.
"They might turn him away due to his "status" you two."
"Oh yeah," all three said and bowed their heads. Shizune ruffled her little brother's head and said, "Don't worry you three, I'll go with you.
/
When they arrived at a clothing shop, all eyes turned towards them.
"Got a problem?" Shizune asked with hands glowing with chakra. Everyone looked away, except the manager, a midlde aged bald man in a burgundy gi. He gave the party a genuine smile.
"Shop to your lesiure my friends. Especially you Naruto."
Said boy bowed in respect and then started to walk down the aisles. It wasn't long before Naruto spotted a Mao-Suit, which he grabbed after lining it up with his body. Out of the corner of his eye, in a nearby aisle, he spotted an orange button-up trench-coat. He lined that one up with his body as well, the said, "I'll try it on."
The whiskered blonde went to a dressing room, followed closely by his three female companions, who guarded it closely. After thirty seconds Naruto came out and asked, "How do I look?"
"The Mao suit makes you look professional and proper, while the cloak makes you look hip and flashy," Shizune complimented with a smile.
"What she said," Sakura remarked.
"Both the coat and suit look so good that I can't decide if you should button up the former up or leave it open," Ino opined.
About ten feet away, an old woman whispered to her daughter, "No matter what he wears he won't fool us or most of the other villagers. We'll always see him for what he really is," while scowling at Naruto.
"Yeah, I can't believe that the Third lets that demon in human clothing mingle among us," the daughter replied with an equally venomous look.
"Shizune-san please don't bloody my clothes," the manager spoke up, getting the mother-daughter duo's attention. They saw Tsunade's apprentice giving them a murderous glare and paled.
"Yes sir," she said. Then she phased behind the two women, knocked them out, grabbed their hair, and dragged them out of the store. Then the bald manager walked up to them and said no need to pay because everything was on the house.
/
"Hey Naruto when was the last time you got a haricut?"
"I don't know Shizune-neechan. Usually I do it myself, cause no one else has offered to do it, and I wouldn't trust them if they did."
Shizune thought it fortunate that no villager, aside from Mizuki, had ever masked their hatred of Naruto before and tried to trick him. Otherwise, getting him to trust her and Tsunade would be much more difficult.
"I'll be happy to do it for you Ototo. You trust me don't you?" the raven-haired woman asked.
"Yes, you and Obachan," the whisker-faced boy said happily. She smiled and hoisted him on her back. She waved goodbye to Ino and Sakura, who waved back, before shunshinning back to the Hokage residence. Tsunade appeared in front of them once they walked through the front door.
"Shizune was going to give me a haircut," Naruto spoke up.
Tsunade went to the dining room and got a chair, while Shizune got clippers, scissors, a cape, and blade spray from the bathroom. Naruto waited in his bedroom for them, and rushed forward to sit in the chair and have the cape put around his neck before either woman had to tell him when they came through the door.
"Hold still Naruto, or you might get cut, alright?"
"Yes, Shizune."
Tsunade cleared her throat, and Naruto quickly said her name again and added sensei to it. The slug sanin folded her arms and smirked. She still found it amusing to make the normally hyper jinchurikki subdued and composed. Shizune first used the clipper to get rid of the excess hair, then used scissors even out the remaining blond strands. The entire exercise took about five minutes.
"All done," Shizune said happily, putting a mirror in front of him so he could see her handy work.
"What do you think Naruto-kun?"
"It's great neechan!"
Naruto turned around and hugged his surrogate sister, making sure to take off the cape first. Tsunade found it touching and heartbreaking at the same time. Naruto hugging someone over a such mundane action was a reminder of his terrible ostracism.
"We'll clean up, while you take a shower kid."
"Yes Tsunade-Sobo."
Without further ado, the Uzumaki boy ran off. He was in the shower for six minutes, making sure to shampoo his hair. Once he dried off and got dressed, he met his two female guardians in the hallway.
"What did that pervert want?", Naruto asked.
"He just wanted to check on and observe your progress. I made it clear that you're my student and that I will tolerate no interference from him. He was the Fourth Hokage's student, yet he did nothing to help you," Tsunade replied, feeling somewhat guilty about manipulating the boy.
"Oh really. Then I want nothing to do with that bastard!" Neither woman bothered to correct him this time. Later that day, Jiraiya watched them train in a meadow and Naruto the man a glare before and after they left, letting him know that he knew. The long haired man felt great regret for his inaction but said nothing.
"When am I going to learn to heal onee-chan and Sobo?" the whisker-faced boy asked.
"That requires near perfect chakra control, and you aren't there yet blondie," the slug Sanin answered
"You're blonde too lady Tsunade," Shizune chimed in.
"Only someone who isn't is supposed to say that."
"Do I look like I care?" Tsunade asked in an apathetic tone.
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About a week later, Tsunade asked the Old man if they could go on a trip across the elemental nations, her goal being to aid people in need outside the village, as she had done before she came back. Usually she charged money, but of the person was destitute or poor and couldn't afford it, shed have Shizune treat them for free.
"You can stay out as long as you wish. Now that you're no longer hemophobic, protecting Naruto will no longer be an issue," he'd said.
"Yes, it will old man," she'd replied.
"I have a feeling that Danzo will send his stooges out after you as a precaution, so be prepared for that."
The slug Sanin nodded, her face scrunching up in irritation. At noon, later that day, the nine-tails Jinchurikki and his to female guardians were met by the three militaristic elders.
"We're not going to try to stop you from leaving Princess Tsunade, we didn't even try to persuade Hiruzen," Homura spoke first.
"However, we did get his approval for your immediate execution should any harm befall the boy, or he lose his life, or get captured," Koharu added.
"The power Naruto possesses must not fall into the wrong hands, and the demon mustn't be allowed to roam free when it resurrects," Danzo added his two cents.
"Huh?" Naruto said in a confused tone.
"She didn't tell you my boy? If a demon is extracted from it's host, it will die, but unlike the jinchurikki, it will eventually live again," Homura interjected.
"That won't happen," Tsunade angrily told the three old prunes.
"Come on you two," she addressed Shizune and Naruto, grabbing both of their wrists and walking towards the Konoha gate.
The three leaf residents headed towards the land of Water, under Tsunade's direction, who picked it randomly. They reached it after a week of travel, occasionally healing Shinobi and civilians who asked for it along the way. While walking through the woods, they noticed a young boy sleeping in a hallowed out tree. Naruto cautiously approached the boy and gently shook him, saying "Hey."
The child slowly stirred, opening his eyes, sitting up and staring at the strange boy quizically.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Haku."
"Haku? Isn't that a boy's name."
"Yes and I am one."
"WHAT THE…?!" Naruto shouted.
"But you…"
"Many males look partially or wholly feminine little brother," Shizune interjected. Then Tsunade spoke up.
"What are you doing out here child?"
The long-haired boy looked down sadly, but before any of the ninja present could tell him he didn't need to talk, he spilled his guts completely. About how he was apart of the Yuki clan, how they had a kekkei genkai that allowed them to manipulate water, how his and other clans with bloodlines were feared and hated due the deaths they caused during wars, how they were persecuted and purged, how he proudly showed his mother his abilities one day, only for her to slap and reprimand him then apologize, how his father was watching and gathered a mob, and he killed his mother and tried to kill him, only to be killed in return by his water manipulation abilities.
"I've been scavenging on the streets ever since," Haku finished. Shizune, who had been covering her mouth, gently shoved Naruto aside, and hugged the young child. Haku's eye's widened.
"You poor thing, how'd you like to come with us? Would that be alright lady Tsunade?"
"Yeah, Grandma Tsunade, please let him come," Naruto begged.
"Say no more you two. How'd you like to travel with us kid?"
Haku looked at them, shocked that they would offer to take him in though they'd only just met him. He dumbly nodded and said, "Uh huh."
"Great! My name is Shizune Kato, thats Naruto Uzumaki, and thats's the famed Sanin Tsunade Senju!"The black haired woman said happily. She then put the ten year old boy on her back, grabbing his legs while he grabbed her neck. Then her blonde mentor grabbed Naruto's hand and they all shunshined away. Eventually, they came to a town and checked into the first inn they spotted.
"Go take a shower Haku, then we'll find you some clothes. Okay ?" Tsunade's apprentice instructed
"As you wish, lady Shizune." he responded
"No need for honorifics, just call me by my first name, or you can call me O-née-Chan!"
"I wouldn't mind you calling me Sobo, as long as your respectful," Tsunade interjected. Haku nodded then went inside the bathroom to clean himself.
"Couldn't he have just used his bloodline to get the grime off himself?" the whisker faced blonde asked
"It would probably retraumatize him Naruto," Tsunade replied.
Once Haku was done showering and had put on a bathrobe, he came out of the bathroom and the only female Sanin said, "Before we shop for clothes, your hair needs to be trimmed and evened out Haku." The party then walked to a barbershop, where an elderly, skinny, tall man named Siddartha in a white gi meticulously combed and cut his hair. Turning him around in the chair to face the mirror, Siddartha asked, "How does this look young man?"
"It looks great sir, thank you." Tsunade thanked the man, as well paid him, then all four left the shop. Their next story was a two-story clothing store. They were only in the store for three minutes until Haku spotted a yellow Kasaya robe and turquoise robe tie that he liked. Going in to the dressing room to change, Haku walked out wearing the buddhist garment.
"You look like a cute little monk Haku!" Shizune complimented with a toothy smile. Said boy blushed brightly but kept looking at his surrogate big sister and smiled a toothless smile in return.
"Yeah, you look awesome dude!" Naruto cut in.
"Let's pay and then get something to eat," Tsunade stated. After leaving from there, the party went to a vegan restaurant that had meat substitutes for everything, even shrimp and sunny-side up eggs!
"You can't tell the difference between the real thing!" Naruto said as he gobbled down his food. Being outside the village was refreshing; no one knew of his status so he got no hateful or fearful stares.
"I haven't had a full meal like this in a while, thank you Sobo and O-née-chan!" Haku stated in an ecstatic yet calm tone of voice. The aforementioned women smiled at his use of the familial term. After they were finished and had left the restaurant, Haku spoke up hesitantly.
"I was wondering…You don't have to tell me now…But I wanted know about…"
"Shizune and I will tell you about ourselves later tonight. If Naruto isn't comfortable with talking, well do it for him."
Both woman looked at their first protege, who glanced to the side uncomfortably.
End of Chapter 6.