"So…this is where he found those damned leaves."
The size of the cave was nothing to be amazed by, but certainly large enough to hide that overzealous guard dog, Black Shadow. And from his understanding, Itachi killed the beast with a single glance with his Amaterasu. He could tell that by the scorch marks on the dead tree that now laid in the center of the cave.
Madara shifted his hand through the dead bark and wilted leaves. He didn't think after all this time that the leaves could still be viable. The last recorded living leaf was over one hundred years ago when they cut the Tree of Life down.
It seemed one survived. And Itachi used it to cure his illness. But how did it survive?
"Um, excuse me?"
The man in the orange mask turned around to see a young girl, roughly fifteen years old. She carried a lantern on a long stick.
"Hello there, young one."
The girl glanced curiously at the man. "Mister, I don't mean to be rude but what are you doing so deep in this cave?"
Madara chuckled slightly. "I could ask you the same thing. This is a dangerous cave for someone like you."
"I come in this cave all the time. I know it better than anyone. It's my duty to watch over this place. Please, tell me, what you're doing in here?"
She's just doing her job. No need to be hostile. Besides, she's just a child. Innocent.
"There was just something I wanted to confirm is all. I do not intend to defile or ravage this place. I only wanted answers." He could tell this girl was still rather tense by all this. "What's your name, young one?"
"…Aoi. What's yours?"
"…Tobi."
Aoi suspiciously looked at the man, her tension dropping a bit. He seemed like a decent person, but that odd mask was throwing her off. "Your voice is too deep for such a simple name. It doesn't fit you."
'Tobi' chuckled. "I suppose so. But I don't think I can change it."
Aoi moved to stand closer to the man. "So, what answers are you looking for? Maybe I can help."
Madara slowly rubbing a dead leaf between his fingers. "Can you tell me about this Tree of Life I've heard so much about? Tell me, does it still exist?"
Aoi shook her head. "Unfortunately not. The Tree of Life was cut down a long time ago. And then the demon Black Shadow ate what was left so that it couldn't be replanted. That chunk is what was left after Black Shadow was killed."
"A demon, you say?" Madara wouldn't have gone that far, but he digressed. "Who defeated this demon?"
"A group of ninjas from Konoha. Their names were Sakura, Ino, and Hinata. There was one more ninja, too, but I don't know his name. They saved me from sacrificing myself to Black Shadow and my mom from her incurable disease."
"Your mother's incurable disease? I was under the impression that there were no more leaves."
Aoi smiled at the memories of that day. "We all did. But when Black Shadow was defeated, the chunk of the tree that Black Shadow ate appeared. And among all the dead leaves and branches were two bright green living leaves. Sakura had them both but that man took one of them and left. We used the other one for my mother. It took a day for to be fully recovered but she healthier than ever."
"That's…a very interesting story, Aoi." Madara wasn't lying it really was interesting. He always wondered about those leaves but never sought them out. Not even Hashirama had that kind of ability, and he was the greatest healer to ever live. "A lovely fairytale ending."
"It really was…" Aoi's smile faded. "Until it wasn't."
"What happened?" Madara held great interest in this. An unexpected twist.
"…It came back. The sickness returned with a vengeance and took my mother away from me. There was hardly a warning of it. One day she just started coughing again. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. She died a few days after symptoms started showing again." Aoi wiped a tear away from her eye.
Reluctantly, Madara placed a hand on the young girl's shoulder. "I…am sorry for your loss."
"Thank you." She sniffled. "It was hard to accept. I thought she would be with me forever after she was cured. But I learned the leaves from the Tree of Life weren't a permanent cure."
Intrigued, Madara had to learn more. This would lead to a tremendous advantage over Itachi. "Are you sure it wasn't another illness that took your mother's life?" Perhaps too harsh of a question but he needed to be sure.
Aoi shook her head. "No. Not only did I know the symptoms well, but my family has also been the safeguard for the Tree of Life for generations. I have my ancestor's knowledge."
"You do? Could you possibly share it with me?"
The shock on Aoi's face was as clear as day. "I've barely known you for five minutes and you're asking me to share generations of my family's knowledge. I don't have any reason to trust you, sir."
While it would have been extremely easy for him to get the information he wanted from Aoi, Madara saw no need for it. She was an innocent girl. There was no need for any more victims.
"How can I give you a reason?"
"Take off your mask."
Not a shocking response but still somewhat surprising. He figured it would be something else, a display of his chakra would have been his first assumption. There was still no reason for him to force the information out. Aoi had no reason to suspect that someone else could be underneath.
A simple nod and Madara complied. The orange mask was slowly removed, causing Aoi to gasp.
"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean…"
"It's quite alright, little one." He placed the mask over his face, hiding the intense disfiguration. "I understand. It's not pretty to look at. Hence the mask."
"What happened?" For someone's face to look like that, there had to be a good story behind it. Well, good to listen to, at least.
Madara chuckled. "You want me to disclose how I ended up like this, but you won't tell me what I want to know? Now, that's not a fair trade."
Aoi was a sucker for a good story. She deemed it a fair trade. "You tell your story and I'll tell you anything you want to know about the Tree of Life. Deal?"
Madara chuckled again. "I think it'll suffice."
Aoi smiled. "Follow me."
-Sunagakure-
Despite her slowly getting used to the heat, Sakura was always drenched in sweat. She tried so hard to stay cool, using cooling towels, drinking gallons of water a day, and taking as many cold showers as she could, but it did nothing to stop her from sweating buckets. No amount of anything could keep her cool. The only saving grace she had was that desk fan in her new office.
It was the only reason Sakura accepted having the office.
In the short amount of time Sakura took over the medical program here in Suna, she completely turned it around in nearly every aspect. Everything from personal moral to getting new equipment and supplies, Sakura made sure things were up to a standard of excellence. It was amazing what a simple change of direction and mindset could do for an entire organization.
So, maybe, the office was slightly deserved.
But Sakura quickly began to understand why her master hated having an office.
The constant knocking was unbearable.
"Come on!" She said for what felt like the thousandth time that day.
Temari walked in with a stack of papers and folders, followed by Kaito with even more papers and folders.
"Here's the rest of the information you requested, Sakura." Temari said, relieved she could finally set down the massive weight. "Everything from all our knowledge on heart disease to how many staples we have currently in Suna." She wished it was sarcasm, but that number was in the papers somewhere. "What do you need all this for?"
"I'm doing some research on a few things." Sakura answered simply. She didn't want to discuss it too much. It would raise too many questions and she didn't have the mental strength to answer them all. "What are you doing bringing me all this? It's not like you to just ditch your duties, Temari."
"I'm not really ditching. I'm just doing…a different part of my job." Kaito walked past and set his own load of documents on her desk. "Besides, I felt like this news should come from a friend."
"News? What's going on?" A sense of dread filled her stomach. She always hated getting bad news.
"…One of your Sannin, Jiraiya…he was killed a few weeks ago."
As the shock completely took over Sakura, her hand drifted over her gaping mouth. She just couldn't believe it. Jiraiya was the strongest of them all. The legend around the Toad Sage made it seem impossible to even consider the idea that someone was stronger than him. Let alone kill him.
But through her shock and devastation, Sakura's mind trailed to two people.
Lady Tsunade…
Naruto…
"…What happened?"
"There's no official report yet from Lord Danzo but it seems like Jiraiya and your former Hokage went after the Akatsuki leader."
Sakura quickly stood up, her chair rolling back into the wall. "Lady Tsunade was with?! Is she okay?!"
"I'm not sure. Like I said, there has been an official report published yet." Temari could see the worry in Sakura's eyes. "I can only tell you what I know from word of mouth. I'm sorry."
Sakura couldn't believe this. It was unreal. "What about Naruto? He wasn't with, was he?"
It still felt weird to say his name. In reality, it hadn't been that long since they had last seen each other. But it has felt like a lifetime.
But the wound was still fresh for Kaito. The visible annoyance told her that.
Temari shook her head. "No. He's still on the front lines with Gaara and Shikamaru."
There was a lot of relief, but she was still worried. "Does he know?"
"I think so." Temari sighed. "We received a report from the Kazekage this morning. They've already pushed into enemy territory. And it's all thanks to Naruto."
Perplexed, Sakura had to know more. "What do you mean?"
"It wasn't very detailed." Temari pulled out the scroll and read through it. "But Gaara did say was that they were engaged by a lone enemy shinobi right at their front gate. Turns out, it was the Four-Tailed jinchūriki."
Sakura's eyes widened, knowing full well what was coming next.
"Naruto engaged the enemy and it turned catastrophic quickly. By the end of it, an entire valley had been destroyed and filled with lava."
Kaito was shocked to hear this, even for a second time. Despite his personal feelings about Naruto and his actions, there was no doubt that he was a strong shinobi. There weren't many shinobi that could take a fully-fledged jinchūriki and come out of the battle alive, let alone win it.
"Is he alright?" Sakura questioned.
"Gaara didn't mention anything about his health. My assumption is that he's okay."
A small amount of relief but she was still worried. Sakura knew Naruto well, especially his fighting style. He probably used that sword to even the odds against an opponent like that.
No news is good news for this, I suppose. Still…if he resorted to that then it'll put him at more risk for heart failure. And who knows how bad it's become since his last hospitalization.
Her eyes drifted to the files on her desk. Surprisingly, the Sand Village had extensive knowledge on heart disease and what medications could prove effective to help prevent further complications.
Maybe I should send a message to the head field medic and give them a heads up on Naruto's condition. That way, they can prepare if something goes wrong.
She prayed that nothing would go wrong.
"That's a relief." Sakura answered.
"I don't know how close you were to the Sannin, if at all, but I'm sorry for your loss. I heard he was a great man."
"…Yeah. He really was."
Temari swiftly left Sakura's office, returning to her duties, but Kaito remained in her office. The tension came quickly and intensely.
"Something you need, Kaito?"
"…I just don't understand what it is about him that you fixate on."
Sakura sighed. She just couldn't get away from this. After their incident, Sakura tried to gently tell Kaito that he wasn't the one for her and that she had a lot of things to work through before she even thought about a relationship.
They tried to be friends by casually hanging out, but things were just too awkward. Kaito would constantly drop hints about his feelings. His behavior felt super disrespectful after Sakura told him her feelings. It was apparent Kaito didn't take rejection well.
"Kaito…I told you that I'm not ready for relationship. It has nothing to do with him."
"The hell it doesn't." Kaito answered harshly, causing Sakura to feel like she was being attacked. "It's always about him. I just don't get it. What he did…"
"Enough!" Sakura didn't want to hear this. "What I feel is none of your business! You have no right to say anything about it!"
"He killed your mom, Sakura! How can that be something forgiven so easily?!"
The silence was deafening. Even those who were simply walking by the office overheard Kaito and stopped.
Sakura slowly pushed herself to her feet, seething with anger. "Get out."
Kaito instantly realized he had made a mistake. "Sakura...I didn't mean..."
"Now!"
Kaito could only sigh as he closed the door behind him. When he first decided to talk to Sakura, this wasn't at all how he envisioned the conversation going. He really didn't want to say anything about Sakura's mother. But his damned mouth started talking before his brain could tell him to shut up.
But his impulsive nature always stayed true to what he thought and felt. And he knew that if Sakura decided to somehow go back to him then she would probably end up dead too.
Then Kaito really would never forgive himself.
Anger seethed through her fingertips, cracking the new desk with her strength. But through her fury over his words, Sakura knew he was right.
Her mother was killed. There was no hiding that. And it would be a long time before she truly came to terms with it.
But Sakura realized that it just wasn't Naruto that killed her. The real Naruto would never harm someone like that, like her master tried telling her. She was just so caught up in the emotions, grief, and anger that she was blinded to the truth and took it out on him. She, now, understood how the villagers treated him so harshly.
But Sakura knew what truth was and not lies.
It was the Kyūbi that killed Mebuki. Not Naruto.
Naruto wasn't the monster she made him out to be. He never was. And she held incredible guilt for calling him that.
Somehow, someway, Sakura would make the Kyūbi pay for what was taken from her.
But first, Sakura needed to see her master. They needed to see each other.
-With Naruto-
"C'mon doc!"
"Enough Naruto. I can't give you any more painkillers. You've already taken over half my stock for the previous resupply. And besides, I just got word I shouldn't be given you those. It's not good for your heart."
The male medic stood his ground against Naruto's insistence. For the last few weeks, Naruto had continually come to him for the strongest painkiller he could get. Seeing how he was practically fighting every battle for the other shinobi; the medic didn't see an issue with it. He probably was sore and fatigued from all the fighting and the painkillers were helping him get through it.
"What are you talking about?"
"I received a note from the medical director in Sunagakure from this week's resupply. The note said that you have a severe heart condition and it needed to be managed properly." He took out two bottles of different colored pills and handed them to Naruto. "These are the medicines she wants you to take. She says they should help with any ailments you're experiencing and keep any symptoms at bay."
Naruto looked at the bottles, holding back a course cough. "So, no more painkillers?"
"You've been taking enough narcotics to cause an overdose in a normal human. It's not natural, even for someone like you. And besides, she said these will help lessen any pain you have once it builds up in your system."
"How long will that take?"
"Take them twice a day with food. After three to four days when it's built up in your system, take it once per day with a meal. Be sure to take it around the same time every day."
She?
Medical director from Suna?
It obviously wasn't Tsunade. She wouldn't be anywhere near Suna with her pregnancy, no matter how far along she was. Tsunade hated the heat regardless.
That only left one.
Sakura…
How did she know that his heart was acting up again? Did this medic send out a report on him and she responded?
Why would she care? You're just a monster, remember?
But it still doesn't make any sense. Why would she specifically send a note to the head medic here about his heart condition? There has to be something more to this.
There isn't. She just doesn't want Konoha's biggest asset to be bogged down by a stupid heart disease. It was all a waste of time. A betrayal. The thing you hate most.
He betrayed her, too. That was her mom. He could only imagine the pain that absence caused, despite how devolved their relationship had become. And all of it was because of him.
Naruto shoved the pills deep into his back pouch, conflicted about them. He returned to his makeshift tent in hopes of relaxing a bit before the company's next deployment.
It had been a few weeks since he and Rōshi fought. A long few weeks. And there was a lot attention attracted because of that day.
Iwa shinobi bombarded them for days following their clash. One of the captured shinobi stated the battle was felt for miles, drawing their attention to them. Despite Naruto's best efforts to fend off the enemy by himself, it was an all-out effort by everyone.
And through multiple captured shinobi and hunting down dead-end leads, Naruto had no idea if Rōshi was alive or not. For all he knew, he was captured by the Akatsuki in the fallout of their battle.
Naruto needed to know what happened.
"What are you doing in here, Hinata?" Naruto coughed.
The Hyūga princess made herself comfortable on Naruto's makeshift bed. "I've just missed you, Naruto." She said sweetly. "We've been advancing through the land so fast that there hasn't been any time to relax. And all that is thanks to you."
Naruto didn't see it like that. He didn't want anyone else to die because of him. That's all.
"We're going to move out again at any moment. And I doubt we'll have down time like this any time soon." She gently held his hand with hers. "Can we spend this time together?"
Why was he conflicted? Why didn't he immediately answer?
Hinata was sweet and kind. The release she gave him was not only addictive but calming. These troubled times were made slightly easier because of Hinata's gentle touch. Their times together allowed Naruto an outlet for distraction that kept those dark thoughts at bay.
His back pouch felt extremely heavy. Those pills weighed on his mind even more than in his pouch.
He so badly wanted to give into Hinata, to feel that calming release.
But he couldn't.
Not anymore.
Naruto pulled his hand out of her. "I'm…sorry, Hinata."
Rejection bubbled in her eyes into tears. She instantly knew.
"But we have to stop this. It isn't fair."
Rejection quickly turned to anger. "Fair? How is it fair that she gets your love, but I can't! How is that fair?!"
Her? Was he that easy to read?
"…I've only truly loved her. And always will. No matter what."
Jealousy and anger mixed as well as a burning fire and gasoline. They would never be able to coexist within one another and would always be volatile when put together.
"She'll never love you again." Hinata's anger brought her Byakugan out. "You'll be alone forever."
The price of my actions.
"…I know." His voice broke slightly. He would hold it in until she was gone. He hated it when others saw him cry.
Not another word said. Hinata left stomping as tears trailed down.
Regret and guilt filled him. Why did he have to do that? Hinata would have made it a good life, at least what life he had left to live. There wasn't a doubt about that. There was a part of him that cared about Hinata and always would. A kind soul like hers didn't deserve this.
As much as he tried to hide or fight it, Naruto's heart belonged to Sakura.
"You in here, Naruto?"
Shikamaru nonchalantly walked through the flap his tent. The mild confusion was evident on his face.
"Mind telling me why Hinata came storming out just now?"
Naruto sat in a silent huff, quickly wiping away any remint of tears. "Doesn't matter anymore. What's done is done."
That pretty much gave him the answer he was looking for. He broke it off with her. About time, too. Shikamaru found it weird to see Naruto with anyone else.
"I see. You doing alright?"
"How honest do you want me to be?" Naruto scoffed.
"As honest as you're willing to be. It's not really healthy to bottle things up."
"Talking from experience?"
Shikamaru smirked slightly. He pulled a lighter from his pocket. His master's lighter. He flicked it a few times before it finally caught fire. "You could say that. I've been dealing with some things mentally lately. This war hasn't been easy for anyone."
Naruto closely watched as his friend placed a cigarette in his mouth and used the lighter to ignite it.
"Want one? It's been helping me stay sane with all this bullshit going on."
Fuck it. First time for everything.
Naruto put the filtered side in his mouth and Shikamaru lit the cigarette for him. He didn't want anyone else holding the lighter.
"Thanks."
The first puff was rough, full of coughs and a strong burning in his lungs. He felt his heart twinge with more pain. But he didn't care. It did make him feel a little better. The following puffs were much kinder.
"I'm sorry about Master Jiraiya. I know he meant a lot to you."
Shikamaru was the first person that Naruto felt was genuine.
"…I heard about Asuma. I'm sorry. Have you had any leads on tracking those two Akatsuki down?"
Shikamaru turned sharply. "How'd you know about that?"
"Killing Akatsuki is my specialty."
Shikamaru snickered. "My apologies. I forgot who I was talking to."
Naruto chuckled slightly. It had been a while since he's had a good, lighthearted conversation. Despite being on different teams during their genin days, Naruto considered Shikamaru a close friend. He felt respected and knew he could trust Shikamaru.
"I'm drowning, Shikamaru."
The Nara rubbed out the embers of his cigarette with his foot. He listened intently.
"…I feel so…weighed down."
"Weighed down by what?" He dared to speak.
"Everything." Naruto chuckled dryly. "The responsibility of all this. I can feel it. It feels like the weight of everyone's lives are on my shoulders…and I don't know what to do."
Trying to connect dots, Shikamaru continued with caution. He didn't want Naruto to stop. This seemed to be something he needed. "We won't let the Akatsuki get you, Naruto. We'll all fight to stop them."
"That's my point, Shikamaru! You're all gonna die if you do!" Naruto wouldn't allow anyone else die for him. "You don't get it." He sighed, dejectedly.
"I'm trying to understand, Naruto. You aren't alone in this. We're all here for you. You can talk to us."
"…No, I can't."
The jinchūriki exited his tent, leaving the Nara alone. The strategist let out a defeated sigh. That did not go as planned.
"How'd that go?" Genma moved the flap and pushed his head inside.
"You overheard it. I didn't even get to the Fū situation."
"He's even worse than I thought." Genma fiddled with the needle in his teeth. "It's like he said…drowning."
Shikamaru joined him outside. "I hate to see him like this."
Genma side eyed. "I didn't know you two were so close."
"We aren't. Me and Naruto haven't been close friends exactly. But we've always held respect for each other. But seeing him like this…it ain't right. And, to be completely honest, I would've came to talk to him even if you didn't ask me too."
Genma chuckled. "I suppose, yeah. He may be an asshole sometimes, but the kid is good at his core. Just like his father…more than he knows."
Shikamaru felt inclined to further question. Knowledge about the personal habits of the Fourth Hokage were rather scarce. "How's that?"
"Lord Fourth, back during the Third Great War, did the same thing Naruto is trying to do now."
"What do you mean?"
"He tried so desperately to fight every battle he could for the sake of everyone else. He didn't want anyone to die if he could avoid it. Our numbers were already low. The Second and Third Wars happened back-to-back, pretty much, maybe five or six years in-between. Most of the skilled genin were latterly promoted to chūnin to help lead. I was one of them."
Genma could spend the day talking about his time during the Third War, but now wasn't the time.
"It seemed Lord Fourth was on every front. When there was a battle, he was there. When someone needed help, he was there. I remember the day he earned his 'flee on sight' order. He fought two of Kumo's strongest shinobi, the next Raikage and one of their jinchūriki, and beat them both single handedly. After that battle, Kumogakure really dialed their offensive back. They didn't want to fight him again. Then, a few months later, Iwa did the same after Lord Fourth defeated an entire battalion of their shinobi in a single battle. The story goes he did it in one move, too. The war ended not too long after that."
Shikamaru had heard that story before. Any Konoha shinobi who knew anything about the Fourth Hokage knew that story. And considering how powerful the Hokage were known to be, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility.
"So, basically, he's following in his father's footsteps."
"You could say that, yeah." Genma considered what to do next. "Hm. Maybe, I'll go talk to him."
"What are you going to say to him that might help?"
"It's not what I'm going to say. It's what I'm going to give him."
Confused, Shikamaru watched his commanding officer walk in Naruto's direction. He hoped that Genma knew what he was going. With nothing else to do, He figured he should iron the minor details of what to do with Fū with what little downtime they had.
-With Naruto-
He just couldn't do it. Why couldn't he do it? He wanted someone to listen, but he couldn't say anything his mind wanted.
You've lost your trust in people.
Was that it? Trust? No. He trusted people. Shikamaru was definitely one of them. But the people he needed and trusted the most weren't here.
How can you trust a traitor? How can you trust a man who's never been there for you? How can you trust a former love?
Sasuke was not a traitor. He was following his own path. Naruto believed that full heartedly. He understood how it looked to those who didn't know. He wasn't going to fight to change anyone's mind. They wouldn't listen. Instead, he would support Sasuke in hopes he would return home once his journey was done.
Kakashi had always been there for him, he just didn't know it. His sensei watched him from the shadows since the day he came to Konoha. A silent guardian. He truly appreciated that.
Sakura and Naruto's relationship may be damaged beyond repair, but Naruto believed that, if it ever came down to it, Sakura would come through for him. She was angry at him for what he did but wouldn't completely abandon him. She made him that promise. She would stick to it.
Do you really believe that?
God, Naruto hoped he did.
"There you are, Whiskers!"
A loud groan followed. "Fū! I told you to knock it off!"
"But it fits you so well! I've never met someone with birthmarks like that. I can't help it!"
Naruto hated it when someone would comment about his birthmarks. He isn't even sure how they could happen so perfectly to be whiskers. His assumption was that it was the Kyūbi's influence while he was in his mother's womb.
Kyūbi…
Kurama…
Naruto had yet to speak to his beast about that. He wasn't sure how it would go. Last time the subject was brought up, the Bijū was defensive and refused to speak his own name.
Naruto wondered why that could be.
"Fū, you can speak to your Bijū, right?"
"Chōmei? Yeah, of course!"
"Do you think I could?"
Perplexed for a fleeting moment, Fū was now anxious to try. "I'm not sure. But now I wanna find out if we can! That would be so cool!" She grabbed Naruto's hand. "C'mon, let's go!"
Naruto resisted momentarily. He was uncomfortable with the idea. But the warmth of Fū's chakra gave him the courage to push through his anxiety and follow.
Why did that keep happening?
Why did Fū's chakra calm Naruto?
Fū led Naruto to a quieter part of the makeshift camp. But there was half a division's worth of shinobi in a small area. There would be no quiet or privacy.
"Here!" Fū sat in an excited huff. "Sit across from me."
Naruto did as he was told. "What are we going to do?"
"Dunno! I'm hoping Chōmei will tell me something."
Fū was relying on the good graces of her Bijū to tell her what to do?
This is never going to work.
"While we wait for Chōmei to think about it, why not talk?"
Naruto's eyebrows were raised slightly. "Talk about what?"
"Hmmm." The younger jinchūriki thought. "How'd you get so strong? I mean, you fought another Bijū all by yourself! You're really strong for that!"
Naruto shrugged. "I don't think I'm that strong. I just know how to fight."
"Dude, you've fought three Bijū in your life and won against all three! You're freaking strong!"
The praise made Naruto's cheeks turn pinkish. He never got embarrassed like this before. Not even Sakura had made him feel like this.
What the hell is going on?
"Why is your face red? Do you not feel good? We can do this later if you aren't feeling well."
Naruto loudly cleared his throat. "I-I'm fine. Just…ask me something else."
"Oh, alright!" Fū's train of thought kept running along without any breaks. "Who was that girl?"
"What girl?"
"That girl that was in your tent. I saw her go in when you weren't in there. What did she want?"
Naruto figured he would have to explain that eventually. Fū "Her name was Hinata. She's…just a friend. She just wanted to talk."
He didn't want today to be the day.
"Really? Well, her huge knockers were practically hanging out so…I think she was there for something else."
I mean, she does have a point. They were out in the open.
Naruto sighed heavily. "Hinata was…" Naruto was having trouble explaining this to someone so young and innocent like Fū.
"You two are having sex, aren't you?"
Naruto ludicrously gawked at Fū in shock. Huh…maybe I don't need to explain it.
"…Do you even know what sex is?"
Fū rolled her eyes. "I'm young, not stupid. My guardian, Shibuki, told me everything I needed to know. But you didn't answer my question."
"…Yes, we were. But not anymore."
"Was she your girlfriend?"
"No." Naruto answered quicker than he intended.
"Then what was she to you?"
What was Hinata to me?
An aspect that Naruto had not considered. Hinata was a sweet girl that probably would have done anything he asked of her. But she always had been like that. Even back in the Academy, Hinata always watched him and admired him. To what reasons, Naruto never cared to ask.
What was it about him that made people gravitate to him?
"…I don't know. I went to her after I lost…someone else who was very special to me."
"Ahhhhh. A rebound."
"Rebound?"
"Yeah! You immediately start in with someone else after breaking up with a different person. Or, at least, I think that's how it goes."
A warm body to sleep next to usually helps.
One of the many pieces of advice from his dead master.
"Yeah. I suppose so." He wouldn't call Hinata a rebound but if the term fit what happened then so be it.
"Did you have a girlfriend then?"
"…Yeah, I did."
"What happened? Why did you two break up?"
The memory flashed and Naruto suppressed it as best he could. He could still see Mebuki's body go limp in his grasp. Visions of that moment played over and over in his head. He wanted to turn it off.
"Send me home demon!"
But Naruto couldn't. It was a reel that replayed over and over. His mind wouldn't allow it to go away. Another punishment he felt he deserved.
"I…"
Fū's eyes glossed over for a moment. She was as stiff as a board while something in her body took her. Then, as quickly as it happened, her body relaxed, and her eyes returned to normal.
"Chōmei says to bump fists and she'll do the rest."
"What'll happen?"
Fū shrugged, sticking out her fist. "I dunno. But I trust her. She's never let me down before."
It was hard for Naruto to trust a Bijū. Outside of the Kyūbi, Naruto had only ever fought them. Dealing with a Bijū, outside of his own, had never been a calm situation.
I hope this doesn't kill me.
Connecting their fists, Naruto felt nothing at first. He was feeling rather stupid sitting in an open field like this. Vulnerable even. Doubt began to creep in.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Naruto's surroundings changed to that of a large, dense forest.
Streams of light broke through the vegetation to illuminate the area, but it was still hard to see. The forest was as dense as it was tall. Naruto looked around and there was no one. Fū had disappeared.
"Fū?"
"Up here, Whiskers!"
Following the sound, Naruto was surprised to see that Fū was hovering with a pair of bug-like wings that were attached to her back.
Wings?
"You can fly?!"
Fū yelped happily. "Yup! Chōmei grants me some of her power! These wings are one of them! I can do this in the real world, too, not just in my mind!"
"This is your mind?!" Naruto was flabbergasted. He was used to jinchūriki mindscapes to be barren and dank. Fū's mind scape was full of life and inviting. This only further ingrained that Fū was different from the rest.
"Yes sir! Me and Chōmei like it like this!"
The young girl zipped around trees, laughing happily as she zoomed through the forest. Naruto could only smirk as he watched her be so happy. He could only imagine the freedom she felt. Free from stigma and judgement.
Naruto wished for that feeling.
Fū instantly stopped flying and darted right to him. "What's the matter?"
Naruto instantly was taken back. "What do you mean?"
"You're mood. I felt it change." Fū grabbed ahold of Naruto's hand. "You're jealous?"
"Jealous?!" Being defensive about how he felt was new. "What would I have to be jealous about?"
Fū gripped slightly harder, increasing her understanding. "You're jealous that flying makes me happy."
How the hell did she…
"You're wondering how I know that, too."
Naruto could only blink in disbelief. "How?"
Fū smiled. "Chōmei can sense emotions in people. She can feel what they feel. And, I guess when someone else is in my mind with me, I can too."
Sense emotions in others?
Their hands stayed together. Naruto couldn't let go and Fū wouldn't let go.
Fū moved through Naruto's mind, trudging through the mess. She slowly came into a sewer-like hall, water covering her ankles. There were multiple halls that interjected with one another, making this place seem like one giant maze with no ending.
"I feel your pain…" Fū's eyes began to well up with tears.
Darkness in an everlasting void. Fū could stare into the abyss and see nothing but pain and suffering. There was no joy or happiness. Empty space that was coated with pain, suffering, and fear.
"You carry this much in you?" A tear from both eyes traced down her cheeks. "What's happened to you?"
Naruto yanked his hand back, cutting their connection off.
Fū simply couldn't believe it. She had never felt anything like it. Naruto's soul was drenched in sorrow, drowning in unresolved trauma. This poor boy knew nothing but pain and suffering. His life was pain. And nothing more.
Fū needed to know the cause of it. She had to fix it.
"Please…don't do that again."
"Naruto…are you okay?" Fū knew the answer, but he had to be the one to say it.
"…I'm fine. Can we just please talk to your Bijū?"
Fū was going to ask Naruto again, to try and make him open up. But she saw the pleading in his eyes.
"Please…"
Fū reluctantly agreed. But she wouldn't forget that feeling. Nor would she let this go. No person should hold that much pain in their heart.
His heart…
There was something in his heart. It felt shattered in all forms.
What's wrong with his heart?
"Chōmei…you can come out now. Naruto's a friend."
Wherever the light was coming from, it was completely blocked out by a massive object. Darkness had instantly covered the plain. Then the light returned with powerful winds of a gargantuan bug-like creature. Chōmei, the Seven Tailed Bijū, had appeared.
Naruto would never stop being amazed by the size of the Bijū.
"Hi Chōmei!"
"Hello little one." The massive tail was lowered enough that Fū flew and grabbed ahold of it, squeezing the tail into a hug. "It's good to see you."
"How have you been?!" Fū zoomed up to the beast's face. "It's been so long since I've visited last!"
"I know it has. I apologize for that. My hibernation was harder to come out of this time."
"It's okay! I'm just happy to see you again!"
Naruto was dumbfounded. Completely and utterly shocked by this. Never before did he think an interaction between a Bijū and its jinchūriki could be like this.
Instantly, Naruto knew these two trusted each other. To the fullest extent someone could trust another being.
Trust a Bijū?
A thought that Naruto never crossed. Did he trust the Kyūbi?
His name is Kurama.
Kurama. That would probably be a good place to start.
"Chōmei…this is Naruto. He wants to speak with you." Fū gracefully landed next to her fellow jinchūriki. "The floor is yours, Whiskers."
Naruto fought the urge to roll his eyes. He felt if he did, it would screw up this whole thing.
Naruto approached the Bijū with slight hesitation. He could never get over the size difference between Tailed Beasts and humans. It always made him feel like an ant compared to a boot.
"Chōmei." Naruto addressed as respectfully as he could. "It's an honor to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine. Fū has spoken highly of you. She trusts you. Therefore, I will trust you."
Odd. Never thought I'd hear that.
"Thank you."
"You have some questions for me?" Chōmei continued. "Why not ask your own Bijū? Kurama won't take kindly to something like this."
"It's actually about him." Naruto answered. "Among a few other things, I realized I have a unique opportunity to talk to another Bijū."
After Naruto's challenging fight with Rōshi and Son Gokū, Naruto wanted to know as much as he could about the Bijū's. Like Chōmei said, he could ask his own Bijū. But he had tried that before. Kurama didn't offer much.
Man, I really gotta get used to that.
"I understand. Kurama is not the most trusting individual. None of my siblings are trusting in humans. Even I had trouble trusting Fū in the beginning."
"What happened?" Naruto questioned.
"Fū was found on the outskirts of a destroyed village. It seemed to those who found her that she was the only survivor. Her master, Shibuki, took her back to his village to raise her as his own."
"Takigakure." Fū clarified.
"I was sealed away in a chamber inside the great waterfall there. And once Fū was found, they immediately sealed me into her. It was surprise to everyone that she survived the ritual. No one else had."
Naruto glanced at Fū. To survive the sealing of Bijū was nothing to ignore. It proved to him that Fū was as strong as he was.
"So, what made you change your mind on humans? I can't imagine you immediately trusted Fū."
"I didn't. In fact, I actively tried to sabotage Fū in order to either get her killed or my seal weakened."
"But if you had gotten her killed, you would have died too."
"Yes, but only for a short time. Bijū's are made of solely chakra. Eventually, I would have been revived as my chakra reconvened."
Naruto found that extremely interesting. It confirmed a long-time suspicion of his from when he was younger. Even before the revelation of being Kurama's jinchūriki, Naruto had a gut feeling that the Kurama wasn't killed by his father.
"What made you trust her?"
It was hard to tell, but Chōmei's facial features softened. It was as if she was staring at her own child.
"Fū's heart was so warm and kind. She just wanted to be my friend and not abuse me like so many others did. She proved to me that not all humans are distrustful and greed."
Amazed by this, Naruto could only offer a slight grunt in response.
So warm and kind…
Yeah, Naruto could see that. Even he had opened up to her. And that meant a great deal considering his mental and emotional state.
Fū had, what Naruto would describe, an animated personality. Her emotions and feelings were conveyed through her body language, along with her tone of voice. Her happiness spread easily. It was as contagious as the common cold.
And when Fū funneled her chakra into Naruto during the final moments of his fight with Rōshi, Naruto could feel that warmth Chōmei was referring to. It made him stronger. Braver even. He could've fought for another day with Fū's help.
When Fū was near, Naruto felt like he could do anything. The impossible felt possible.
"Why are you so curious about me?" Fū questioned.
"…Your chakra. I've just…never felt something like that before. Chōmei's right. Your chakra, your heart…it's so…beautiful." Naruto placed his hand on Fū's shoulder, like a proud older brother. "Thank you for saving me back there."
Flushed, Fū twirled her real hair. "I-It was nothin'. You saved everyone. I didn't do much."
"Yes, you did. Without your help, I was about to give up. But you stepped in and brought me back." A genuine smile graced Naruto's face. A smile only Sakura would see. "Thank you."
This only made Naruto's resolve stronger. He wasn't going to allow anyoneto be hurt again. And Fū's name was on top of that list.
"What is it you wanted to ask me?"
"The Kyūbi…Kurama…he's been helpful to me all my life. He's never been the demon that the stories made him out to be. Do you have any idea why?"
There was a slight growl from Chōmei, it sounded like a chuckle.
"Was that funny?"
"Just a little. Kurama was never the one to trust a human. Or even like them. He's hated humans since…" Chōmei's voice trailed off, deciding not to continue her trail of thought. "Well, perhaps that's a story he should tell you."
The more questions he asked, the deeper the mystery went. Naruto wondered all his life why the Kyūbi-
Kurama. Get it right.
He has always wondered why Kurama had been helpful to him. The closest answer Naruto ever got from the beast was something about a promise to his father, which only confused Naruto more.
What did the Fourth Hokage do to make the Nine-Tails Bijū agree to something?
Deeper the mystery went.
Lost in his thoughts, Naruto let his eyes wander. The vast forest was teeming with artificial life. Strong trees and dense green filled his heavy, ocean blue eyes. This area was more inviting and warm than his own mind.
It seemed Chōmei appreciated it. Fū's bond with the large bug showed that much.
Naruto wanted that for the Kyūbi. With Kurama.
Fū was right. He was jealous. But not because of her ability to fly.
Naruto was jealous that Fū was happy. She felt the pain in his heart. He felt the happiness in hers.
After Jiraiya left him in Konoha when he was a child, loneliness was all Naruto knew. The people of Konoha always treated him like a pest that wouldn't go away. Those harsh stares and bitter words hardened him to people around him. They didn't want him, and he didn't want them.
Until Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi came along.
With them, Naruto felt a form of happiness. He knew what it was like to trust someone again. As much as he didn't want to believe it at first, Naruto needed them to save himself from walking down that dark path. They saved him from becoming like Gaara.
And when Jiraiya finally came back, though it did take Naruto some time, he finally felt at home. At peace with all the dark things in his life. Naruto was happy.
Not anymore.
Watching Fū zip around, beaming with joy and embracing the jinchūriki stigma, only made Naruto more jealous of her. She was warm to be around and content with herself.
He wanted that.
He craved that for that feeling again.
You're fighting to watch everyone around you die!
"Fū…"
The girl stopped. "Yeah?" She heard the hesitation in Naruto's voice. Almost as if he was embarrassed or scared to ask.
"…How do you stay so…happy?"
You'll outlast every single person you have ever loved and cared about!
Fū cocked her head to the side slightly. She was confused by the question. "What do you mean?
The Akatsuki will rip them apart while you're helpless to stop them!
"…We're outcasts. Jinchūriki are produced to be engines of war and destruction. We're meant to be destroyers. And yet, you embrace that and don't let it define you. You're…happy with who you are."
"Oh. That."
Oh that?
"I wasn't happy. I, actually, hated myself. Like really bad."
Hearing Fū and seeing the way she was, it was almost impossible to believe. But Naruto knew, from his own experience, it was very possible. That dark path was easier to hide in than being open in the light.
"What happened?" Naruto had to know. Were they more alike than he thought?
There was smile on Fū's face. One that Naruto couldn't read. "I was abandoned when I was baby. Master Shibuki told me that he found me on the outskirts of an abandoned village with no one around. He took me in and the village helped raise me. Everyone looked after me. I was…five when I found out I was a jinchūriki. Chōmei was the one to actually explain everything to me. She filled my head all sorts of lies and hid the truth from me."
A blanket of shame covered the area. It came from the Bijū that listened.
Fū slightly chuckled because Chōmei's embarrassment. "I let those thoughts consume me. I believed every single thing she told me. It made me hate Shibuki and the others that helped raise me. It made me hate myself. I never wanted this. I mean, who could destine a child for such an awful life?"
Naruto asked himself that question all the time.
"I even had thoughts of breaking the seal and letting Chōmei destroy everything. I went as far to make a plan. I was gonna do it. Burn it all down…"
The more Fū told her story, the more Naruto realized she and him were identical at that age. At some point in his life, he felt the same.
"…But Master Shibuki stopped me. When I finally broke down and told him all things Chōmei had said, he was confused. He had no idea I was even a jinchūriki." Fū laughed a bit. "I actually had to explain the concept to him. He pleaded with me to stop the nonsense and remember who I was, not who I was supposed to be."
Naruto inwardly smiled. This Shibuki sounded like a good man.
"In that moment, I realized I had a choice. To be the person I wanted or be the person I was told to be."
A choice…
Was it really that simple? A choice to be something else?
Growing up, and even now, Naruto was adamant on defying the jinchūriki stigma. He wasn't a weapon or a monster. But that was just a front, a mask he constructed to somehow be someone everyone liked and believed in.
Deep down, Naruto believed himself to those very things. And he was afraid to face that reality.
But could the choice to not be those things was all it took?
"I chose to be the person I wanted to be. The person that I loved being. I wasn't going to let the jinchūriki name define who I was." Fū proudly stood up and shouted so that everyone could hear, even though nobody else could. "My name is Fū! I'm a shinobi from Takigakure! I protect my friends and family and love them all! I am not a tool or weapon for someone else's needs! And I never will be!"
The pride in Fū's voice resonated inside Naruto like a ever going echo. This girl had cracked the code in such a simple way. She wouldn't allow the stigma and abuse bog her down.
Fū was her own person first. Jinchūriki second.
Naruto wanted to think like that.
There was rumble, deep in Naruto's body. An awakening unlike anything he had ever felt, causing him to twitch.
Concerned, Fū moved in front of Naruto. "Hey, whiskers, you okay?"
Chōmei realized what was happening. "It's the Kyūbi. He's aware Naruto was speaking to us."
"Is that bad?"
"We'll find out."
Instantaneously, Naruto vanished from Fū's mind and appeared before the Kyūbi within his own mind.
"Boy! What do you think you're doing?!"
Disoriented, Naruto covered his ears from the Kyūbi's booming voice. "What…are you talking about?"
"What on earth are doing within another Bijū's realm?! That is unbelievably risky!"
"Risky?" Naruto questioned, he was still gaining his bearings back. "What's so risky?"
"The seal…it's too weak to withstand direct contact with another Bijū."
"Hold on! What the hell is going on?!"
The Kyūbi motioned towards the chain that held him inside Naruto. It now was rusted and cracking. The seal was weakening even more.
"What happened to the seal?" Naruto questioned. "The chain…it's almost about to break."
"This is the byproduct of your actions against the other jinchūriki, specifically Rōshi and Son Gokū."
Confused, Naruto remained silent. He had no idea what to say.
"This was something I didn't foresee. Perhaps a fault in the Trigram Seal. The seal...has become so weakened that it could break at any moment. I'm certain if I tried to shatter the seal myself, I could now."
Examining the chain again, Naruto could feel how weak it had become compared to when he was a little boy. Back then, it was a strong gate with bars thicker than any tree. Even as it weakened naturally, Naruto could still feel the power of the seal.
Now, a cracked, rusted chain and fragile collar held the Nine Tails Beast at bay.
Naruto believed the Kyūbi's statement.
"So, what can we do?"
"There isn't. A seal of this kind is unique and can only be repaired by the one who created it."
Dejection filled Naruto's face. "Only my dad, huh?"
"Unfortunately. Thought, I doubt he could have foreseen this level of deterioration. The Eight Trigram seal is the pinnacle of sealing techniques, only achievable through the Reaper Death Sealing Jutsu."
Naruto's ears perked up. He had heard of that specific name before. "Reaper Death...that's what the Third Hokage used to try and take out Orochimaru. Pervy Sage told me that. That's what my dad used?"
The Kyūbi nodded. "Precisely. It's an old Uzumaki sealing technique. Your mother taught him the technique."
"M-Mom knew Fūinjutsu?" Naruto questioned quickly.
"Kushina taught your father most of his advanced techniques. She had dozens of scrolls from her home village that he learned from."
Naruto swirled with disbelief. But that disbelief was quickly forgotten and replaced with the determination to find these scrolls. "Scrolls? We gotta find them."
"You won't."
"What do you mean I won't? What happened to them?"
"I don't know. Your father gathered them a few weeks before your birth and hid them."
Confused, Naruto questioned further. "Hid them where?"
"My assumption was in one of his safe houses. To which one I wouldn't know. I believe he specifically did not tell your mother so that I wouldn't know."
"Safe houses?"
"Your father liked to be prepared for any contingency. He has safe houses, hideouts, and supply boxes hidden throughout the five nations."
"What for?"
"Anything and everything."
Perplexed by the idea, Naruto could only wonder what made his father have all these plans.
Maybe I should keep reading his journal. That could shed some light on it.
A heavy sigh followed Naruto's thoughts. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know that the seal would weaken even more."
"You didn't know. Neither did I. You have enough things trying to kill you. The seal shattering doesn't need to be one of them."
Naruto chuckled lightly. "Always looking out for me."
"Someone has to." The beast chuckled with him.
It was times like these that Naruto truly appreciated having the Kyūbi. Sure, it was partially because of the Bijū that his life was in such turmoil.
Actually, he's the sole reason.
But that didn't matter. The Kyūbi had more than made up for the bad things he caused. Life would be different without him, but Naruto liked having the Kyūbi with him.
A partner.
A friend.
Perhaps, the choice began with accepting what is inside oneself.
"Thanks…Kurama."
The massive beast stood on all fours, appalled and stunned to hear his own name spoken. "How did you find that out?! Where did you learn that name?!"
Naruto itched the inside of his ear to try and drown out the ringing. "What's the big deal? It's just your name. Now we can finally start to…"
"My name hasn't been spoken in over a millennia! No one is allowed to say it!"
"But, I just want us…"
"Begone, boy!"
Naruto's plea to reason was cut short. The Kyūbi forced him out of his own psyche with a massive amount chakra. Which, in the real world, physically shoved Naruto to the ground.
"Ow…!" Naruto's head smacked the ground hard. But the pain quickly passed. Much quicker than it should have.
"Whiskers!" Fū was quick to snap out of her own meditation. "Are you okay? What happened?" She rushed to his side.
"Yeah…" He huffed. "I'm fine. Kurama…he forced me out. He didn't like it when I said his name."
"Why?" Fū was surprised. "Chōmei was very excited when she finally told me her name. I see it as the ultimate symbol of trust with a Bijū!"
Naruto sighed. "Then I guess he doesn't trust me."
It was a quick assumption. But Naruto felt that there was more to Kurama's outrage than simply lack of trust.
"Whiskers? What's going on with your eyes?"
Naruto was so accustomed to senjutsu being in his system that he didn't even notice that he had entered Sage mode. It must have been muscle memory for his body to remain still. Paying attention to his senses, Naruto felt the chakras of every shinobi in the camp. Even the one that had been watching them.
"How long have you two been watching us?"
Emerging from the brush, Genma fiddled with his senbon while Ino trailed him. "Long enough to be very interested in what you two were doing."
"Talking to Chōmei!" Fū exclaimed. "Naruto had loads of questions for her."
For Fū to blurt like that, Naruto could see that she was beginning to trust the others. What a difference a few weeks can make.
"You we're talking to her Bijū?" Ino questioned for clarification. All this jinchūriki and Bijū stuff was hard to keep track of.
"Yeah. We meditated together and I was able to speak to…Chōmei. I had a few questions." Naruto coughed as he stood up. It had become hoarser and more painful. Not even the healing powers of senjutsu were helping it. He released the chakra.
Genma hummed slightly. "I wasn't aware that was possible. But, then again, working knowledge on what jinchūriki can do, especially together, is very much unknown." The commanding officer looked down at the younger jinchūriki. "Fū…would you mind going with Ino for a bit? She has some questions for you."
"What kind of questions?" Naruto questioned quickly.
"Well, for starters, how she ended up an Iwa captive. That question has been avoided for some time."
Naruto felt no ill intent from either two. This was simply for information. To be frank, there was no telling what kind of information Fū knew about Iwagakure movements or strategies.
"Whiskers?"
But then again…
"It's alright, Fū. I'll come with you."
"No. You won't." Genma said with authority. "You and I are gonna have a chat."
Slightly confused, Naruto stared at his commander while Ino walked with Fū back towards the center of camp. His concentrated stare broke for a moment to look at the young jinchūriki. And she was staring back at him.
Naruto nodded in affirmation. She would be safe with Ino. And Sai, as well, who probably wasn't too far away.
"Here."
Catching the scroll singlehanded, Naruto instantly felt a connection to it. He recognized the label quickly. "This is my father's symbol…"
Genma smirked, he was going to like this conversation better than he thought.
"Where did you get this?"
"He gave it to me when he hand-picked me for his Guard Platoon. I was only a Chūnin at the time…but he trusted my instincts and skills. Something I never forgot."
"Guard Platoon?"
Genma nodded. "It was after your mother became pregnant with you. Under the Kakashi's leadership, we were tasked with protecting your mother from any and all threats to her and you."
The confusion only further set in.
"Your mother was the jinchūriki before you. But you knew that already, didn't you?"
"…Yeah. I figured that one out a while ago. But why would my dad want an entire platoon protecting my mom?"
Genma smirked. "Your father just wanted her protected is all. She was…very precious to him. As were you. I would've feared the man even more if something were to have happened to either one of you."
That was the conclusion for most men with families. Good men, at least. For someone as powerful and legendary as his father, Naruto could only wonder the depths that the Fourth Hokage's rage could go.
"Open the scroll."
Naruto expected the scroll to be sealed with a jutsu and not a simple knot. Numerous ideas of what the contents were instantly ran through Naruto's head as he waited for some trap to be sprung. The story of his paranoid father had finally got to him.
The scroll was filled with scribbles and other assorted symbols that resembled seals. The of which Naruto had not seen before. A lone name was written at the top.
Hiraishin.
It was his father's jutsu formula for his signature technique.
"This is…"
"Yup. The Second and Fourth Hokage's signature move. I've always called it Flying Thunder God. A better ring to it, I'd say."
"You know how to use the Hiraishin?!"
"Hell no." Genma chuckled. "Without a deep understanding of space-time ninjutsu, it's nearly impossible to learn by yourself. There's a reason why only two people have ever been able to use it."
"Then why do you have it?"
"I'm a part of a special group of individuals that, when together, can use a less powerful version of it. Lord Fourth taught me and two others how to use the technique in tandem so that way we can appear by the current Hokage's side whenever they're in danger, or teleport them out of danger if ever necessary. It takes all three of us to use the technique. We can't by ourselves."
Naruto skimmed over the contents. Genma was right. Despite the lessons he has received from Jiraiya, the intricacy of the formula and the knowledge required to even understand it all was well beyond him.
How did dad even figure this out for the first time?
Truly a genius, Minato Namikaze was.
But then, why was there no other solution? Why did it have to be me?
Naruto learned to stop asking that question a long time ago, believing that were was no way to get the answer. It was a form of acceptance that only covered the trauma like a bandage. There was no healing or resolution. It was what it was.
But that mentality only further complicated Naruto's mind.
"Hey kid…"
Naruto's blank gaze betrayed his constant internal struggle.
"Don't be a loner. Pushing people away is not a good way to handle trauma and all sorts of other issues. Yes, those issues are personal and very hard to overcome, but having a supportive base around you makes things that much easier and bearable. We aren't here to judge. Just to listen and help where we can."
Resonating words that echoed similarly from others said to him. They want to help. They want to show they care. And he wanted them to.
You're fighting to watch everyone around you die!
Then again, he couldn't bring himself to let it happen.
"…Yeah. Sure."
Pocketing the scroll next to the pills, Naruto trailed back to the center of camp. Genma could watch as worry set in his mind.
Shit.
-With Ino and Fū-
"Here you go, Fū." Ino set the trays of food down next together. "I had the mess cook just how you like it."
"Thanks, Ino!" Fū immediately began to devour the poorly made food. "Man, this is the best grub I've had in a long time!"
Ino couldn't help but chuckle. This 'food' was utterly disgusting. It barely passed for edible when her eyes. But it was war time. Being a picky eater wasn't an option.
It didn't take long for Fū to be looking at an empty plate.
"Here." Ino slid her plate over. "You can eat it. I'm not very hungry."
"Thanks!" Fū exclaimed. "Did you know that jinchūriki have a higher metabolism than normal people? Because we do!"
"Is that so?" Ino could actually believe that. Jinchūriki were walking mysteries. "Why do you think that is?"
"Dunno! But Chōmei told me that once."
Ino didn't even see the girl eat. The plate was clean.
"Okay Fū, can I ask you a few questions?"
The girl nodded. She seemed to trust Ino enough.
"How did you end up with Iwa shinobi? What were they doing with you?"
Fū shrugged. "Nothing really. We moved around a lot. We didn't stay in one place for longer than a week, I think. Ansem just kept telling me he wanted to keep me safe. It was his orders."
"Orders? From who?"
The young jinchūriki shrugged again. "No clue. Ansem didn't tell me much. He didn't want to worry me."
From a protection detail perspective, having the protected not know the dangers was the safest and best course. Especially since she was so young. But Ino needed to know more.
"Where were you before you were with Ansem and the other Iwa shinobi?"
Another tactic of gathering information was to use personal names, it made the person feel more comfortable with sharing the information.
"I was with Master Shibuki. Ansem came to our village and met with him. After that, Shibuki asked if I could go with Ansem for a while while some matters were handled at home." There was a slight pout on Fū's face. "I'm still angry about it. Master Shibuki never does something without me! It sounded like a lot of cool stuff!"
More questions raised than answered. Why would Shibuki willingly send Fū with a random Iwagakure shinobi? What matters needed to be taken care of without Fū around? Was there a threat coming? Was it Akatsuki? Or something else?
Ino could have continued to come up with questions but that would only give her a headache.
"How long were you with Ansem after leaving Takigakure?"
"Uhhhh…six months, I think. I'm not really sure. We moved around a lot."
Fū was young and naïve. It didn't surprise Ino that she didn't pay attention to the time frame. But, no matter how long Fū was with those shinobi, she hasn't asked about their whereabouts once.
"Why haven't you asked about them? That's a decent amount of time. I'm sure you bonded with them."
Fū shrugged. "I only really talked to Ansem. Some of the others would say hi to me but wouldn't really talk to me. I figured they weren't allowed to talk to me."
"Why do you think that?"
"When I asked what was going on, Ansem always said he had orders. That probably meant the others had orders to. That's all I really know."
Ino nodded. Fū was a smart girl but even she didn't know everything that went on. That was, most likely, intentional.
"Thank you for trusting me, Fū. It may not look like it, but this information may help us solve the mystery around you."
"Of course, I trust you. Naruto does, so I do too."
Taken back slightly, Ino tripped over her words. "H-He does?"
"Well yeah?"
That sent shivers through Ino's body.
"What's the matter? Does that bother you or something?"
"N-No! I'm just surprised. He's been through a lot recently and he's been dealing with it a…different way."
"Different?"
"He…he's just having a really hard time."
Ino didn't want to get into Naruto's personal business, even though she absolutely hated what he was doing. Besides, Fū was still young. She didn't need to know specifics.
"Well, I know he used Hinata as a rebound after breaking up with his girlfriend. That means they were having sex."
Ino was too stunned to say anything.
"What happened with his girlfriend?"
Again, Ino couldn't speak. She had no idea what to say.
"Things…ended badly."
"Because she found out he was a jinchūriki! That bitch!" Fū quickly assumed.
"What, no!" Ino just as quickly defended. "Sakura was the most accepting of Naruto and his jinchūriki status!"
"Then what happened?! He didn't tell me." Fū pouted. "I could feel it in his heart that he was hurting really bad. I just…want to know so I can try and help him."
Ino sympathized deeply. "Yeah. I get what you mean."
Suddenly, there were sounds of screaming that rushed past the tent. A single Suna Chūnin threw the flaps open.
"We're under attack! Get to the battle positions!"
-With Sakura-
The relief Sakura felt when she crossed into the Land of Fire was something she could never forget. The shade of the trees granted a much-needed break from the sunlight. Though, she couldn't complain that much. Her tan had never been better.
"Man, I've forgotten how beautiful the Land of Fire really is."
The happiness left Sakura's body as her travel companion, Kaito, spoke up. When Temari suggested that Kaito accompany her back to Konoha, Sakura was vocal that she wanted to travel alone.
But with the Fourth War raging on, Temari insisted that Sakura not go alone. And, of course, the only one available to come with was Kaito.
But she did agree with him. "Yeah, it is."
"Sun's starting to set. We should set up camp soon."
Sakura nodded. Getting through the desert was always exhausting.
The pair headed deeper into the forest and came across an open section that worked well for setting up camp. The sun set and the night sky covered the war riddled Shinobi world.
Staring into the fire, Sakura watched for her meal to finish heating up. She enjoyed the silence of the cracking flames.
"Sakura…"
Damn it.
"What is it, Kaito?"
"…I wanted to apologize for my behavior the other day. What I said was extremely insensitive and hurtful. Hurting you is the last thing I wanted to do."
Sakura gave a nod. "Thank you. I appreciate that." And she hoped that was the end of it.
"But I just don't understand…"
Ugh, just shut up already!
"What is it about him that you can't let go?"
Sakura sighed loudly. She thought if she explained herself then Kaito would stop pestering her about this. She hoped, at least. "Look Kaito, I really don't expect you to understand. Not only is Naruto my friend and teammate, he is…the love of my life. It's…hard to let that person go, no matter what's happened."
"But Sakura, he…"
"Enough Kaito. You don't have to say it. I know what happened. I was there."
"Then help me understand, Sakura!" Kaito didn't mean to be so persistent, but he just had to know. "I care about you a lot Sakura. I just…I'm scared you'll end up the same."
Despite the comparison, Sakura chuckled. "That won't happen. Naruto could never hurt me."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do."
There was so much confidence in her answer. "How could you possibly know that?"
"Back when we were younger, Naruto had his mind controlled by Orochimaru. He made Naruto attack Konoha shinobi and wreak havoc. I tried to stop him, and he pinned me down. But he never attacked me. He stopped himself."
Kaito was only further impressed with Naruto's ability. The willpower it must have taken to overcome mind control from one of the legendary Sannin could only be described as unbreakable.
"That's how I know, Kaito. Even a deranged monster like Orochimaru couldn't make Naruto lay a finger on me. I think it's fair to say the Kyūbi couldn't make him either."
Kaito saw that as only speculation over confidence. It was a possibility that Naruto's willpower could be that unwavering, but Kaito wouldn't bet on it being strong enough to resist a Bijū.
Bijū were otherworldly. Unmatched destruction and unimaginable power. The stories that surrounded the beasts were terrifying. Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, was the only shinobi to ever be considered stronger than the beasts.
The First Hokage tamed all nine tailed beasts and distributed them throughout the five nations. It was an attempt to create a level of peace by giving everyone an even playing field. His intent was to stop wars between the nations.
But, if anything, it only ignited war.
"Besides, Naruto didn't kill my mom. The Kyūbi did."
"What do you mean?" Kaito questioned. "Aren't they the same person?"
Sakura shook her head. "No. Naruto has always been separate from the Kyūbi. The entity was sealed inside Naruto when he was born. Naruto is still Naruto, he's just the Kyūbi's jinchūriki."
"But I still don't understand…"
"Jinchūriki can be influenced by their Bijū and, even, completely controlled. Naruto couldn't stop it and lost control to the Kyūbi. And my mom…"
There was no need to finish the story. They both knew how it ended.
"Do you still blame Naruto?"
"…No. I don't."
Kaito could tell that was hard for Sakura to admit. It was misplaced anger. It was definitely hard to let go of.
"Then, what are you going to do about it?" Kaito asked. "If you're blaming the Kyūbi for your mom, how does that effect you and Naruto?"
That was the question Sakura asked herself. Honestly, she wouldn't know until she sees Naruto again. Seeing him again would help, she hoped.
"I don't know really. I'm still trying to figure that out…but there is one thing I do know."
Kaito saw a shift in Sakura's eyes. A terrifying change.
"The Kyūbi's going to fucking die!"