Chapter 6: Vengeance
Kakashi had ordered an hour's recess, giving everyone a chance to freshen up and go to the commissary for a nutrition break. Except the four shinobi whom they'd left stewing under guard in Naruto's office.
It was one of the longest days any of them had spent in that office since the end of the Otsutsuki Invasion.
Naruto had put on a clean t-shirt and kicked back in Shikamaru's office chair. His eyes were covered by a cold, wet cloth. He'd just informed the kodomo that Sakura was on suicide watch at the hospital and Hinata was with her. The pair had been the first people informed—by the Anbu—about Sa's attempt. The Anbu was checking for evidence that would convict Na. Although no proof had been found, there was a stain on his character. And the fact that Na had broadcasted his feelings to the Shinobi Alliance during the final battle of the Fourth War was pretty damning. The only thing in his favour was that he wasn't dating Hinata at that time.
Sakura and Hinata honestly had thought there would be no repercussions for Na and Sa from supposedly breaking the nation's propriety laws. Na had been charged with endangering the Land of Fire with morally corrupt behaviour. The law didn't care whether he and Sa were together or not. It didn't care who they loved. The law cared that they were morally bankrupt adulterers. If Na were proven to be an adulterer, the public trust in his moral uprightness in other areas would be lost. He could be executed. The minute Sa awoke from his drunkenness, he had realized what would happen to Na, and he'd tried to limit the damage by saying he had publicly lied about having a relationship with him. Then he'd tried to restore his honour through seppuku, preferring that to a public execution. It was all written in his suicide scroll.
Naruto had burned that scroll to ash. And he had taken the deal that the Daimyō had offered. His lifetime loyalty to Konohagakure had been in his favour.
Kawaki had gotten the emergency summons and was finally back in the village, indicating he would stay with his mother on behalf of the family. Naruto was too weary to sort out that emotional mess. If only he could sleep instead of sorting his duties as Hokage out. But soon, he would get all the sleep he wanted.
Kakashi had taken his mask and headband off. He was pacing by the window. Tsunade sat in a chair that had been brought in for her, and Boruto, Sarada and Himawari were sitting on the floor at Naruto's feet. Shikamaru leaned against the wall, tapping it with an unlit cigarette.
"So what happens next, 'Tosan?" Sarada asked. Naruto couldn't wait to see Sa's expression when he heard that Sarada was calling him Dad.
"He's in one of the tanks like they use for Mitsuki when he's injured. Sa gave consent before they sedated him. He's lucky that Orochimaru used some of his DNA in cloning experiments years ago. It won't take long to adapt one of the clone bodies to harvest soft tissues and ribs. Plus, he's getting a new arm and a new eye. Probably won't be a Sharingan." Maybe the iris would be a dark slate grey.
"Are they going to kill someone like Mitsuki to save him?" Kakashi sounded like he was holding back outrage.
"Mitsuki's not a clone, he's an original life form. He was conceived using some fancy test-tube engineering. Orochimaru grows the clones for parts. Those clones aren't sentient because they don't have proper brains, just brainstems. Apparently, a lot of the times when the authorities thought they were stealing bodies, it was just the remains of these harvesting clones. Morally dubious but not as depraved."
"How long will Sasuke-ojīchan be in the tank?" Boruto asked.
"Orochimaru thinks he'll be out by New Year's."
"That long?" Sarada asked wistfully.
"You guys can come back to the Sound with me today if you want to see him and Mitsuki, of course."
Sarada's beautiful eyes lit up. "We can?"
"Sure, but he probably won't open his eyes. He's had ten units of blood since Sunday. Two months is not that long considering he collapsed the same lung he did last time. Thank goodness he missed his heart or he probably wouldn't be here right now. Once my new arm is ready, I'll be going into a tank, too."
"Why?"
"Orochimaru's science is far more advanced than ours. The new arms were cloned with live Hashirama and White Zetsu cells. They'll fuse with our bodies and work even if we're out of chakra, and they'll function like a real arm. Full range and sensitivity. Plus, this is going to ensure that Sasuke and I are both a little immortal."
"Really?" Boruto said hopefully.
"Yeah, you're not getting rid of us that easily," Naruto said. "We'll still be there for you, Bo."
Boruto and Sarada looked at each other, something exciting obviously dawning on them. Naruto took the cloth off his face and gave his son the stink eye. "Slow down, you two, I can feel that from here. I can guarantee that your mothers, Sasuke and I do not want to be grandparents for a while yet, yō." He covered his reddened eyes with the cloth again, determined not to witness the fallout from his admonition.
Naruto may have snoozed a little. At last, the timer went off and Kakashi put his mask back in place. Naruto sighed, pulled the cloth off his face and stood up.
"Ready?" Shikamaru asked. "You sure you want to do this?"
"Absolutely."
"I'll have you know this is a colossal drag," he said as he opened the connecting door and announced Naruto's entrance.
"Ē. Love you too, man."
"Always, man," Shikamaru replied.
Everyone resumed their places and Shikamaru reconvened the Hearing.
"What else do you have to add?" Kakashi asked Naruto.
"Just one thing," he said, taking a paper out of his pocket. "You all know that I value kindness, compassion and love above all else. I want to share a quote with you from a relative of mine, may he rest in peace. His name was Uzumaki Nagato and he was also a pupil of Master Jiraiya. I don't think I'll ever forget the things he said, but they were important enough to me that I wrote them down." He cleared his throat. "We are both ordinary men, driven to seek vengeance under the banner of justice. However, if there is justice in vengeance, then justice will only breed more vengeance and trigger a cycle of hatred."
"Ō," Gai exclaimed.
"A profound piece of wisdom," Lee added. Naruto handed the paper to Shizune. Hopefully, it would be added to Konoha's historical library.
"Any last words before we pronounce judgement?" Kakashi asked, his hands folded neatly on the desk.
"I'll leave the rest to you. And the next Hokage." Naruto reached in his pocket, pulled out his office keys and handed them to Kakashi. "I hereby resign." He ignored the whispers in the room.
"Enjoy your retirement. You've earned it."
"Ehh, I think Sa and I have got a couple of adventures up our sleeves yet." He stopped beside the picture of Sasuke and touched his forehead. "Do me a favour and hang this guy on the wall, will ya? He's served three of us with honour, after all."
Kakashi lifted his headband and did an impressive thumbs-up impersonation of Naruto as a little kid. "Da 'tteba yō!" He winked. Naruto snorted and bumped fists with him. Only kids mangled language that badly.
"Hey Teme!" Sai shouted, standing with his hands balled into fists. "Aren't you even going to stick around to find out how we're gonna be punished?"
What a moron. What did he suppose the family had been discussing during the recess? Naruto turned to face him. "Y'know, I've learned a lot of important life lessons over the years. One thing is that seeking acknowledgement won't make someone Hokage, someone has to be acknowledged to become Hokage. Uchiha Itachi taught me that. Another thing is that even if someone wants to be liked, not everyone is going to like them, and often that's not fair. Conversely, you don't have to like everyone. I liked you. You don't matter to me anymore." He turned toward the main, double doors and waved. "Let's go, kids. Don't wanna miss the train." He waved at the larger group on his way out. "Sayonara mata aeru yo ne?"
"Bye!" the nin he'd assembled called out. He increased his pace to avoid getting stuck in lengthy farewells.
Naruto looked up at the faces of the stone Kage. It might very well be the last time he'd be in the village. His heart lifted as he stepped beyond the Kage's office building into the crisp autumn day. Man, he was gonna have to buy winter clothes for himself and Sa. New cloaks and boots. Maybe he could even get Sa out of that dumpy knitted vest and into something stylish. Maybe a new white shirt and hakama. His mind drifted back to the open-fronted shirt (was it a kimono, tucked in?) and black hakama that Sa used to wear when he was young. What had happened to it? Could he get Sa to try it on? Naruto gave himself a shake. It wouldn't do to think Icha Icha Paradisu level smut in front of the kodomo. He couldn't start acting like Jiraiya.
Naruto wouldn't waste time on shopping today. The sun would soon set. Somebody who loved him was waiting at home.
"Oi, Naruto-san, wait up!" Chōji called, running up from behind.
"Oi, Chōji-kun. What—"
"I got cloaks for you and Sasuke-kun during the lunch break. It gets really cold in the Sound." He held out a shopping bag. The kodomo resumed walking toward the station.
"Ō! Arigato, man. These are perfect!" Naruto donned one of the dark blue cloaks and gave Chōji a hug. "I was trying to figure out how I could get winter clothes without missing the train."
"Karui-san and I are gonna miss you guys. Are you coming back soon?"
"I dunno. Doesn't seem likely. The Daimyō wants me out and the villagers aren't happy. I got called bad names six times before breakfast. We'll see if things settle down."
"They will. You better get going. Give our love to Sasuke."
"Ha! Thanks again. Gotta run!" Naruto ran to catch up to the kodomo.
"And there goes the sun," Chōji said to himself ten minutes later as the train pulled out.
Boruto shimmied up a mail post and swung himself onto the roof of the train.
"We're riding on top?" Naruto asked as the others joined them.
"Only way to travel. Best scenery and blessedly free of haters."
The trip was long, the wind was cold, but the company was top notch. Bo had taken Sa-chan under his cloak, and Naruto had cuddled up to Himawari beneath his. The kodomo were asking all manner of questions about the old days, and Naruto found himself laughing more than once.
It was pitch black by the time they hopped off the train, reached the Sound, picked their way around rice paddies, and located the path up to Orochimaru's most sophisticated hideout. A shinobi popped up out of nowhere, making everyone jump.
"Yamato Sensei. You're here already?" Naruto gasped.
"I ran straight for the train after the jury debated. I'm often assigned here so I know all the shortcuts. Wish it were warmer tonight, though."
Orochimaru appeared out of the air, making them all jump again. "Would you please come inside and take tea? You can spy on me better in the complex where it's warm."
"Un, actually, I would really like some tea," Yamato said, avoiding looking at their host. "But as you know, I don't like snakes."
"Mon dainai," Orochimaru said, gesturing for the group to follow.
"How is Sa-kun?" Naruto shook the snow from his cloak. As directed, everyone kept their shoes on until they'd passed into the inner rooms.
Orochimaru sighed. "He woke up the minute you left the building. It's a shame he's resistant to so many sedatives. I doped him to the gills and he's still looking for you."
"The kodomo would like to see him, please."
"Mochiron. I thought they might come with you, so I had Su-kun put up a screen."
"Wonderful, arigato!"
Orochimaru clapped their hands together and bowed. "Welcome to my home, kodomo! Naruto-san, have you eaten? Karin-chan made yakisoba with bone broth. It smells quite appealing. I actually considered eating some."
Naruto huffed a laugh. "You should eat with us. And shinobi are always hungry."
"Ē, I suppose I could try. My musuko says that eating meals together provides important opportunities to emotionally connect. Mitsuki's appetite is surprisingly good." They walked through the receiving room with its teal leather couches and doffed their shoes, cloaks and coats.
Orochimaru regarded Yamato with interest. "You use Wood Style."
"Hai."
"What is your blood type?"
"A negative. Why?"
"Un ... You and I must have a talk soon. I have questions I've been avoiding too long. I want a blood sample. You can go through this door. At the end of the hall to your left, there's a lavatory, and the kitchen is beyond that, straight ahead. Please help yourself to the food on the brazier."
Yamato looked confused but thanked Orochimaru and exited the room. The rest of them then passed into the main lab. Suigetsu's head appeared overtop of a console, and he smiled with his sharklike teeth.
"Na! thank the sea gods you've returned. He's driving me crazy. Scared you aren't coming back. He's been trying to tap out Where's Naruto all day. Makes me regret teaching him the code of my nin."
"Arigato gozaimashite, Su-kun. I won't have to go out anymore until it's time to buy us clothes."
"Let O-san take care of that. They love dressing pretty men."
"Tcha!" Orochimaru growled. "Don't tell all my secrets, Suigetsu!"
A large grey curtain shielded half the cylindrical tank filled with bright blue gel, concealing Sasuke's lower body. His skin looked loose. Swollen in places. Odd. The three young shinobi hung back as Naruto approached. A white air hose covered Sasuke's mouth. A bunch of bubbles floated to the surface and Sasuke's good hand slapped haphazardly against the glass a couple of times before his palm pressed against it. "Hey, you're awake." Naruto matched his own palm to it. Sasuke's eyes crinkled up. Naruto's jaw dropped. He pointed at his own eye. "Your eye is open! Can you see?"
"He probably can't see much out of it yet," Suigetsu said. "But he can hear you perfectly. Show Na your arm."
Sasuke actually looked excited. He used his good arm, which was abnormally clumsy, to lift his new arm. He brought his hand close to the glass and as Naruto watched, he made the tips of his fingers twitch.
"Ō, amazing!" Naruto said, clapping. "Well done." Sasuke's eyes shone brightly. His hair stood out around his head like a plush baby octopus toy. Kawaī …
"It's an excellent sign," Suigetsu said.
"Totemo shiawasedesu!" Naruto said. He waved the kodomo forward. "Hey, Sa-kun, you have some special visitors."
Sasuke flinched and drew back from the glass as Sarada stepped close. His face twisted up and he tapped out a rhythm against the glass.
"Don't worry, they still love us!" Naruto said.
"He's saying forgive me," Suigetsu supplied.
Sarada placed her palm against the glass. "Hi Papa, don't worry, everything is all right. Are you okay?"
Sasuke inspected her for a moment and gave a small nod. His eyes lit up again. He arched his fingers against his chest, which unfortunately drew attention to his wound, then stuck his fingers and thumb against the glass.
"I think he's trying to make a heart," Naruto said.
Sarada placed her fingers and thumb in the same position and matched them to her father's. "You're right, 'Tosan, he is." Sasuke started, arched a brow at Naruto and gave him what was plainly a rapacious look. Naruto laughed a little.
Boruto took a step forward and laid his hand against the glass. "Hey, Old Man. Long time no see." Sasuke's face screwed up again. He banged the heel of his hand on the glass, over and over with a panicked expression.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry," Suigetsu supplied. Sasuke banged harder, causing gel to slosh from the top of the tank.
"Hey, nobody blames you," Bo said, flustered. A monitor began to ding.
"Sasuke, stop!" Naruto said.
Orochimaru scooted up to the tank at top speed. They pointed a finger at Sasuke and shook it. "Calm down, you, or I will put you in a Genjutsu! You'll tear your stitches. And if you break the tank, you're done for. I won't be able to save you again!"
Sasuke sagged. After a moment, he signed Okay. He looked sheepishly at Boruto.
"Settle down, okay Ojīchan? It's not like this comes as much of a surprise. We'll talk about it when you're ready."
Sasuke stuck his knuckles to the glass so Boruto could bump fists. Then he noticed Himawari. He beckoned her over. Naruto wasn't sure if they had ever actually met.
"Hello, Sasuke-san, I'm Himawari."
Sasuke began tapping out forgive me again. By then, they could all recognize the pattern. Then Sasuke did a double-take and a line appeared between his brows. He began to tap something new. Suigetsu spelled it out.
"Ku-ra-ma."
"Ē. He reincarnated in me," Himawari said softly. "He's my best friend."
Sasuke fanned his hand in front of his face, then plunked two fingertips against the glass.
"He wants to bump his fingers on your forehead," Naruto said with a smile. "It's his special way of saying I will always love you."
Himawari looked charmed. She carefully pressed her forehead to the glass next to Sasuke's fingers, then stepped back, cheeks pink. "Suki desu!"
Sasuke gestured to Boruto and made the same motion. In turn, Boruto pressed his forehead to the glass. "Suki desu, Ojīchan."
Sarada stepped up for her turn. "Suki desu, Papa! Daiji ni shite."
Sasuke pointedly looked at Naruto and bumped his fingertips against the glass. Naruto bowed his head and touched it to the glass. "Aishiteiru, Sasu-kun."
"Ew, 'Tosan, that's a weird thing to call him!" Boruto wrinkled his nose.
Yeah, Naruto thought, although he'd been hoping to get a laugh out of Sa (and failed), he'd best be careful about saying it in front of other nin, especially their kodomo.
"Yeah, that's just pervy," Sarada chimed in. "Not something nice like Naru." Although, a long time ago, Suigetsu, initially assuming his name meant fish cake, had slyly tried to call him Mr. Fishy.
"Hai, hai, gomen'nasai," Naruto groaned. At this rate, they'd start calling him the Pervy Toad Sage. Yuck.
Orochimaru stepped away from the monitor and hung a new vessel of blood on a hook above the top of the tank. They rolled up their sleeve, stuck their arm in the tank, and hooked a tube up to the port in Sasuke's carotid artery. When the blood entered his neck, Sasuke shuddered. His chakra betrayed how stressed out he was feeling. And overtired.
"Sa?" Naruto pressed his hand to the glass. Sasuke peeked at him from beneath his lashes. "Everything is okay. The Daimyō isn't coming after me."
Sasuke's eyes screwed shut and he began to sob.
"Sa! Stop worrying. Please take care of yourself. You're so tired. You need to rest. I need you well … Aishiteiru." Naruto pressed two fingertips to the tank, close to Sa's forehead. Sa sagged against them and his ribcage stopped heaving.
"Sleep now," Orochimaru ordered, "or you won't get better for months. The harder you make your body work, the longer you will be trapped in there."
Sasuke dipped his chin and reluctantly gave Orochimaru a thumbs-up. He looked at Naruto a bit mournfully, sighed a big bubble into the gel, and closed his eyes. Almost immediately, his body went limp.
"By the Kami, he listened!" Orochimaru said. "Un … igai totemo kyōmi bukai. Come now, friends. The yakisoba is waiting and Mi-kun is eager to see you."