TW; sexual harrassment
Naruto scrambled to get everything packed and put together, mind whirling. He whipped past Haku's bed, the sheets covered in patterns of snowflakes and icicles. He hopped over Haku's herbology book and brewing stand, and swung around Karin's Fuinjutsu scrolls and barely avoided stepping into one of her ink cartridges.
He swept aside Karin's cinnabar nailpolish she and Haruhi had gotten from that store and carefully placed aside their makeup they had gotten from Fumi from down the hall.
Jiraiya stood in the kitchen, casually leaning against the counter, watching Naruto get packed. There was a strange glint in his eyes as he took in the full of life apartment. Naruto knew who he was. Kakashi and Haruhi had sat down with him and told him all about it. He was one of the legendary sannin. The fourth Hokage's teacher.
His godfather.
Who was missing his entire life and only decided to show up just now.
He paused for a moment, collecting himself as rage washed over him, before throwing some supplies into his backpack.
"So your cousin is interested in seals?" Jiraiya sounded pretty interested himself. Karin was a full blooded uzumaki, unlike Naruto. Naruto knew she was working on seals, something big with Tenten and a few others, but knew better than to ask. If they needed his help they would clue him in, but right now whatever they were doing was too important to tell just anyone.
"Yeah, uh, maybe you guys could talk about it sometime! She's really good at it!" Naruto chuckled nervously.
Naruto spared a thought as to where Haruhi-sensei was. Jiraiya had scooped him up and left here and Sasuke behind at the now almost clean compound. She looked stunned, then even scared. Jiraiya shot her a glance, before throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and hightailing it to his apartment.
"So...where are we going?"
That got his attention. He puts down Karin's ink set carefully, finally looking Naruto full on in the face. It looked like doing that hurt him. Was he seeing Naruto's father? Is that why he came back? An obligation to a dead man and not him? But if he did care so much, why wasn't he back sooner? Naruto had no memories of Jiraiya and he thinks he can waltz right back into his life like he never left? Like he was even there in the first place?
Naruto feels the Fox stir from deep inside him and tries to calm down before Jiraiya can notice.
"We're going to look around the countryside for a very special woman." He chuckled lecherously. Naruto balked. He didn't want a sexual predator for a godfather.
"Why."
His face straightened out.
"So she can be the new Hokage."
Naruto stubs his toe on the side of his bed and howls.
Haruhi frantically runs towards Naruto's apartment, desperate to get to Naruto before he leaves. Sasuke is right beside her, not wanting to run ahead and leave her behind.
"Go ahead, I'm fine, find Naruto before he leaves!"
Sasuke nods, and blurs out of existence.
Springing from rooftop to rooftop, Sasuke barely avoids crashing into Sakura who is coming back from the hospital. He doesn't have time to stop, but when Sakura catches up to him, shouting in confusion, he answers.
"While the three of us were cleaning up the Uchiha district, some old ninja came in and said he was Naruto's godfather, and that he's taking him outside the village for an indeterminate amount of time!"
Sakura gasps.
"Sakura, you need to find Karin and Haku and let them know as soon as possible."
Sakura scowled at Karins name. Sasuke didn't know why, but she always disliked Karin for some reason.
He shook his head as Sakura peeled off. Whatever. Something he could figure out later.
Coming up on Naruto's apartment, he spotted Haruhi disappearing up the stairs and quickly moved to meet her.
Jiraya the legendary Toad Sage, of all people, connected to Naruto. At this point, Sasuke couldn't say he was surprised.
Completely out of breath, Haruhi skidded to a stop against Naruto's door, Sasuke landing right behind her, with Sakura, Karin, and Haku dropping down next to him. Fumi peaked out from down the hall, and Haruhi shot her a disarming grin.
She knocked on the door.
Naruto opened it and dragged them all inside.
"They're coming with me, no exceptions!" Naruto shouted, throwing stuff into his bag.
Haruhi quickly nodded, and Jiraiya sighed in annoyance.
"Ugh, Fine, I guess Haruhi can come, although its a shame when she grew these didn't either."
With a disgusting chuckle, he groped her chest.
"..."
His breath reeked of sake, and up this close Haruhi could make out his split ends and the predatory glint in his eyes as they roved over her chest like it belonged to him. Too stunned to do anything(not that it would have mattered against his strength), let alone move, Haruhi watched as he slowly drew back his hands over her chest and went to talk to Karin.
Everyone's mouths had dropped open, and Jiraiya didn't seem to notice the sudden and intense ire of everyone in the room now aimed at him.
"Ah, you're Karin, right! Naruto's cousin. Unfortunately you're flat chested here too," He reached out his hand, and Naruto moved.
Swathed in a red glow, he snarled and slashed at Jiraya's hand, shoving it away and leaving deep gouges. Haku pulled the shaking Karin out into the hallway, and Haruhi distantly heard Fumi ask what was wrong before the distinct squeaking noise of rusty hinges was heard as she shut her door, bringing in the two girls.
Now just Sakura, her and Naruto was here, with Naruto still snarling like a wild thing at Jiraiya, and Sakura staring at Naruto like she had never quite seen him before.
Haruhi watched this all as if in some faraway place. The sounds echoed funnily in her head, and she was still frozen in shock.
Jiraiya held his hands out in what he thought was a soothing manner, but it only made Naruto madder.
She snapped out of it, slowly grabbing Sakura's and Sasuke's arm and pulling them towards the door.
They almost make it out when Naruto's slitted eyes snapped back to them.
"Hey now…let's all calm down." Haruhi murmured, desperately wishing Kakashi was here.
Naruto twitched, and gradually, the poisonous aura faded away.
His face was one of devastation, and in that moment, Haruhi knew she couldn't let Naruto go with Jiraiya alone, even though she could not get the feeling of him off her.
"Naruto, I'm going to get packed. Does Kakashi know you're taking us?" Haruhi asked calmly to jiraya, even though she felt like recoiling in disgust whenever she saw him.
"Kakashi knows." Jiraiya said, face serious, and a bit stunned at Naruto's angry reaction.
Well, what had he been expecting.
"I'm coming with." Sasuke said. His hand was fisting the material of Haruhi's shirt and he was glaring at Jiraiya.
At that, Jiraiya shot Sasuke a barely noticeable, judgmental glance that almost sent Haruhi into a rage. Haruhi knew the ground she was standing on when it concerned judging Sasuke was shaky, but how dare he? He was acting like Sasuke was the one to watch here when he just sexually harassed her and Karin.
Did Sasuke remind him or Orochimaru?
"Sasuke, what about the district?" Sakura whispered.
"It stood without me for years. It'll last a little bit longer." He was staring at Jiraiya, untrusting.
"Alright. We'll go get packed. Let's meet at the main gates in an hour." Haruhi said.
Sakura hesitated, looked like she wanted to say something, but nodded.
"Although, there is something I want to say first." Jiraiya intoned. He was looking right as Sasuke, eyes gleaming, mouth twisted into a scowl. His eyes seemed like they thought Sasuke was familiar...like he reminded him of someone. The room twisted with his heavy chakra, oppressive in its wrath.
"I'll tell you this, if you turn on Naruto, betray Konoha, I'll kill you".
Haruhi snarled, and wedged herself between Sasuke and the son of a bitch.
"Sasuke is not Orochimaru. He never will be. Stop treating him like he is. You may have all your mistakes on the front of you mind, but stop treating someone who hasn't done anything wrong like a criminal. It won't make you any less of a failure."
He heart pounded in her ears as Jiraiya shot Haruhi a flabbergasted look.
"Oh, c'mon, here I was thinking you were practical. I'm just looking ahead! You never know with these types."
Haruhi saw red, and fought to keep herself calm.
"You know," She began in a faux conversational voice, "Orochimaru kidnapped me. Experimented on me. Tortured me. I hate him with every molecule of my being. He has done unforgivable things and deserves nothing less than a painful death. But If this was how he was treated in Konoha, even before he did anything horrible, with baseless accusations and offensive suspicion, death threats, I can see why he left."
Jiraiya swelled in shock and offense, before spinning and walking out the door.
"Main gates in an hour!" He snapped back.
"..."
"Thank you." Sasuke whispered.
Haruhi smiled, despite everything.
That was all that mattered.
Sooooo...Its been awhile?
School is finally over, and honestly, this is a huge milestone. I originally planned, back over two years ago, to have this story finished, done, and over with by now. Life has other ideas however, and I still have one third of the way to go.
The ending is in sight. This fic is beginning its downhill trend. The next two dozen or so chapters will be me wrapping things up, finishing plotlines, and setting things up for the ending and epilogue.
So sorry for the wait, and I hope you enjoy
question of the chapter; some things have been incredible different, some things had remained the same. What do you expect next from this story?