Previously:
"Let me get straight to the point. For past few weeks, obnoxious and false rumours on Uzumaki Naruto have been spread across Konoha. An investigation was done and it led us to you three. Do you have anything to say for yourselves?" She asked.
Sakura was unsurprisingly quick to defend. "We have done no such thing. I have done no such thing!"
Now:
Tsunade interrupted her in a calm voice, "As I said, the investigation led to you three."
"So what? We were passing on what we heard and thought was true."
"Haruno! You would do good to keep down your volume. Or have you forgotten who Konoha's Hokage is?" Tsunade raised a brow in challenge.
Sakura shrunk immediately in the face of power. "Forgive me, Hokage-sama."
"You say you've heard from someone. Who is it?"
"Ma'am, I heard from several people, I couldn't remember all of them."
"Haruno, let me tell you something. There are sensors and Byakugan-users in this room. I, myself, am a skilled medic. We can tell if you are lying or not, and that, was certainly a lie."
Ino finally relented, "Hokage-sama, I apologize for my follies. Sakura told me that whatever she told about Naruto was true and that she saw the evidence."
"And you believed her?"
"Yes. I thought it was true, because we Konoha-12 know that Naruto is not the brightest person. I was convinced to do so." Ino admitted.
Tsunade laid back on her chair, "What do you say, ANBU?"
All ANBU nodded their heads, acknowledging that the Yamanaka was telling the truth.
"Just because you thought you know something doesn't give the right for you to shame people. Yamanaka Ino, your are just as guilty as the two here. You will face your punishment." She looked at Genma in ANBU attire. "You! Take her to T&I, specifically to Yamanaka Inoichi. Keep her locked there and await further orders."
Ino allowed herself to be taken as she sobbed quietly. She couldn't even oppose. Not with the seals that restricted her movement and her chakra.
"Now," Tsunade pinned the other two with her glare, "What do you two have to say?"
Sakura shivered under the gaze and the killing intent. Sasuke felt unnerved as well, but still held his mouth.
"It is clear that the two of you are behind the rumours, unless you have proof that there is someone behind you as well. Your testimony is required here. Have the two of you created false gossips against Uzumaki Naruto? Why? ANSWER ME!" Tsunade commanded.
Sakura began crying, not silently like Ino had, but ugly tears. "I'm sorry, Hokage-sama. I shall never do it again. Please forgive me!"
"Haruno. Why. Have. You. Done. It?"
"Sasuke-ku - kun said... so." Sakura hiccuped.
"And you followed him because?"
"Because... Because..." Sakura sniffled before finally finding something, "Because that Baka Naruto is an idiot who deserves to suffer like this! Just because people labelled him as a War Hero doesn't mean he isn't a mindless foolish monster!"
The ANBU and the Hokage stiffened at that. "Haruno Sakura." Tsunade began in the stern way demanded from a Kage, not her usual brashness. "You are a woman with no morals. Not only have you swayed to the words of a man who is not your significant other, you have caused chaos in the village for selfish reasons and have spread false rumours. You will be punished severely. For starters, your application as a doctor, that was almost given approval by me a week ago, will be cancelled and you will be barred from medic work till I say. A doctor is supposed to save lives, not ruin them."
Tsunade turned to Hayate in ANBU gear, "Take her to Ibiki and lock her up. I will come soon to decide her punishment. Tell Ibiki that he can begin with his starter-techniques till I come." Sakura paled and began wailing as Hayate took her away.
Tsunade now turned to Sasuke, who was also restricted from movement and chakra along with his Sharingan. "Anything to say, Uchiha?" She glared at Sasuke who had been glaring since second one.
When he didn't respond, Tsunade let out some Killing Intent as she said, "Are you the only one, or is there someone behind you?" Sasuke smirked at that.
"I see. So your reason is same as Haruno. You have a personal vendetta against Uzumaki Naruto and decided to involve the whole village in it. You have stooped too low, Uchiha, failing your clan, once again." Sasuke flinched at that.
Tsunade looked at Koto under the Rabbit mask. He confirmed that Tsunade had been right. She turned to Naruto who dumbly nodded as she agreed with Koto and that Sasuke's chakra said so.
Naruto had been following the proceedings in a daze since Ino's confession and Sakura's outburst had shaken her. She was too late to realize a familiar chakra signature approaching the office and couldn't warn Shizune on time to send that person away. The man knocked the door thrice before Tsunade looked at Yugao to make sure Sasuke looked as if he was standing casually by the wall, still under control.
She gave permission to the visitor and the door opened.
"Hokage-sama, I have come here to discuss some matters regarding the Uchiha Clan." Fugaku said before he looked around the office. "Sasuke? What are you doing here?"
"Fugaku, have you written down the problems?" She pointed to the bunch of papers in his hand. "With details." He replied.
"Good. I shall look into the matters." Tsunade said as she took the papers. "Hokage-sama, what is going on?" Fugaku asked as he looked at Sasuke and discreetly looked at Akira, whom, he knew, was Naruto.
Tsunade looked at Naruto who was still not out of her stupor and scowled at Sasuke for hurting her dear 'sister'. "I will tell you what is going on." Naruto might not like this, but, "You have heard about the degrading rumours of Uzumaki Naruto." Fugaku nodded. "Have you looked into it?" She asked.
"No. Naruto-kun asked not to. He said it must be some people who are bitter about that incident." He referred to the Kyuubi attack.
Fugaku would've still looked into it, Tsunade knew. But if Naruto had specifically requested or said something that would make the scene look less important than it actually is, Fugaku would have no choice but to listen to her. Naruto was still undermining herself. And Tsunade forgot about that habit of hers.
"Well," Tsunade forced out, "I had some of my ANBU do the work, so that it would be quick, and turns out the one behind this is Uchiha Sasuke. He has roped in Haruno Sakura who holds similarly negative feelings towards Naruto, and Yamanaka Ino, who has been fooled in doing so, but is just as guilty as well. There is evidence against the three of them."
Fugaku was shocked. "And what is Sasuke's punishment?" He asked, voice wavering just a little. After all, he was an old man who need not always keep his emotions in check when it came to his sons who had grown up.
"I was thinking of taking him to T&I, but I think you and Mikoto could teach him better. This is his key." Tsunade handed him the key to unlocking Sasuke's seal bindings.
"May we be dismissed?" Fugaku asked. "You may go. This is your last warning, Uchiha Sasuke. Try repeating such a folly again, and the consequences will be harsher, that of treason. Fugaku, I shall leave this one out of the Uchiha clan matters. The entire clan need not suffer for the actions of one foolish brat." Tsunade warned.
When the two Uchiha left, Tsunade turned to Naruto. "Are you alright?"
Naruto shook her head, "I am fine. I have work to do. Excuse me, Tsunade-sama." Tsunade barely gave a slight nod by instinct before she could stop herself, and Naruto went away to the Namikaze Estate. This was the abode of her parents and it did give the impression as if they were with her here. She wanted to go inside, when Sakura's words rang in her head.
A mindless foolish monster.
Naruto immediately took a step back. Her birth had killed her parents. She had done damage to her highest benefactors and she couldn't even repay her parents as good children do.
Before she knew it, she was in the training ground where her two favourite Uchiha always trained. It was empty now. She didn't know what she would do if it wasn't. She went to the centre of the ground and took a deep breath and began her Katas.
.
Fugaku was extremely silent throughout the walk to their house. Sasuke was getting worried with each step. When they reached home, Mikoto noticed the tense air and allowed them to have dinner and water in a quiet atmosphere. Itachi and Kiyomi were plain confused over what was going on.
After dinner, Fugaku only said one sentence that cleared the suspense.
"Sasuke created the false rumours on Uzumaki Naruto."
No sooner did he say that did Sasuke feel a slap on his face. He looked up to see, "Ni-san?" he whispered.
"Itachi! What are you doing?" Mikoto asked in panic.
Itachi calmed down enough, but refused to meet Sasuke's face. "I apologize for hitting you, Otouto. This shall be my first and last time. I also hope you will never repeat this again."
Saying thus, he went to the door. He briefly stopped to say, "Tou-san, Kaa-san, I need to check some matters with the Hokage before I set out to my mission tonight. Do not expect me to return before tomorrow morning." He set out.
He lied. There was no mission. There was no Hokage at his destination. He quickly spread out his senses to find the one he was looking for and ran as fast as he could to her.
He could see her from distance with his Sharingan. He didn't remember when he activated his Doujutsu.
Naruto was graceful as ever. But her flow through her Kata was flawed as her limbs shook.
Itachi's wanted to reach her.
He wanted to reach out to her.
He want to go to her as soon as possible.
He was fast. But not fast enough.
More speed. More speed.
His chakra was ahead of his legs, responding to his thoughts.
.
Naruto was trying to put her entire focus on her Katas, trying to ignore Kurama's calls, when she suddenly felt a warm hearth-like chakra. She froze in her stance, trying to awaken her sensory skill that she tried to suppress for a while. As she tried to gain more of her chakra, a part of her mind trying to recognize the familiar power, her stance became slack as she began falling down.
She was caught and embraced from behind by the origin of that chakra. She felt safe. She felt exhausted. Too exhausted to even cry out her tears. She let herself sag in the strong arms.
"Naruto? Naruto! Are you able to listen to me? Hang in there!"
That person is calling her. She wanted to remain silent just to hear his voice. But,
"Say something, Naruto!"
But that person was worried. She has to soothe his fears somehow. She tried opening her eyes and squirmed to turn into that embrace, facing that person and seeing his face.
"Itachi?" She whispered out with a smile.
.
That was the smile of an innocent child, not of a monster who destroyed a village in fury. How could people even think of harming a pure soul, whose smiles have melted Itachi's heart?
"Naruto, I'm here. It's alright. No need to try lose yourself in Katas. You can rely on me. I'm here Koi, I'm with you."
Naruto slowly blinked at him. " 'Koi ' ?" She whispered out.
Itachi flushed a little. "Well, just an endearment. I won't call you that if you don't like-"
"I like it! It is cute. I like it very much!" Naruto giggled and he smiled at that.
"Warm. So warm. So homey. My Koibito." She muttered as she cuddled into his embrace.
Itachi was a little worried because Naruto wasn't like this normally. "You returned my 'Koi' with 'Koibito'?" He teased.
"You are Itachi! You need something longer. It makes you be more important. You are important because you are Itachi. You are a very good man. You house wonderful chakra. Being with you makes me forget other bad things. Bad things like people calling me stupid and demon, Sasuke, Ino and Sakura, and her words..." Naruto wilted at the last words.
Itachi forced himself to relax from his his stiffened posture on listening to that.
He slowly coaxed her, "Naruto, dear, will you tell me what happened?" Naruto squirmed as she tried to hide her face in his chest. Itachi made them settle under a tree in a more comfortable position and tried to ask again, but Naruto didn't answer.
He didn't want to force her, but he had to know. Her version. He wouldn't trust anyone else's view. But how to make her say?
She did say something about his chakra.
Itachi remembered vaguely of his chakra trying to reach out and Naruto falling out of stance earlier. This time he consciously tried to reach out to her with his power.
The results were unmistakeable. Naruto melted.
"Now, Naruto, Koi, tell me why you are upset. Is it because of what happened? Do tell me what happened. I don't like seeing you upset." He embraced her in his limbs and chakra.
Naruto suddenly looked up at him. "Itachi is unhappy? Don't be. Naruto will tell you!"
An she told what had happened since her encounter with Tsunade in T&I headquarters till Fugaku's exit with Sasuke."
Itachi's blood boiled as he heard of the interrogations with Ino, Sasuke and Sakura. Naruto wasn't quite as affected with what they had done, Itachi understood. He also knew she was a little upset about that even if she didn't admit it to herself. He knew that what hit her hard was Sakura's motives and Sasuke's agreement with that.
His agitation was clearly felt by Naruto, more than he hoped, because she tensed even more and sputtered out, "Itachi is even more upset. Why? Did I do wrong? Of course I did something wrong. What is it? Because I told this? I won't tell it again!"
Itachi only tightened his grip around her and kissed her. "I am not upset with you, but for you. How could they think of you as such when you did so much for them? For this village? How can people believe such lies when the proof of your help to Konoha is clearly shown everywhere?"
Naruto turned confused, "But why? What I did for Konoha is my duty because I am a shinobi of this village. Even my parents thought so. That's why I became a Jinchuuriki."
"You need not be. You need not be a Jinchuuriki, Koi. By being so moments after birth, you have done us a favour not duty. By being a Jinchuuriki, you have already fulfilled your duty towards Konoha. You have helped out several clans in Konoha even if you weren't obliged to do so. I bet you have even helped the Uchiha clan somehow at some point of time."
Naruto stayed quiet for some time before she asked quietly, "Itachi-kun, do you think I am mindless or fool or monster?"
His heart nearly broke at that. "No!" He growled. "You are the most intelligent person I have ever known, trained by Nidaime Hokage himself, the smartest person of his era. You are kindest person ever. A monster wouldn't do what you have done. You are a wonderful woman, Naruto. I am so proud to be an important person in your life. So delighted to be your Koibito."
Naruto gave a slight nod.
Itachi got an idea which he knew might be stupid but this was for her own good.
"Naruto. You will listen to Itachi, won't you?" She nodded vigorously. "Then do as I say. Next time anyone tells anything bad about you, know that it is a lie, irrespective of what they. Come to me as soon as possible and tell me who said what. I will help you sort them all out. Will you do this for me?" He asked. "For Itachi." Naruto agreed.
He stroked her hair which was in a high ponytail, lacking her decorative braids. Petting her hair seemed to calm her down when Itachi decided to ask something that had been burning him with curiosity.
"Hey, Naru, do you know why you are being so mellow with me now? What is going on in your mind and body?"
Naruto didn't respond immediately, so Itachi sent a tad more of his chakra to wrap her. She whined out as she said, "I don't know much. But your chakra is doing wonders to me."
Itachi smirked at that. "Is that so?"
"Yes!" Naruto pouted. "But that must be because I am a sensor of high range like Oji- uh, Tobira-Sensei. He did say he had a lodestone, a warm, fiery, hearth like chakra to help focus his sensing and divert it away from unwanted information of everyone in his range. I told him I'd try not to depend on others, because he didn't end up good with his Pole-star."
The possessive Uchiha beast in Itachi purred at that. "So, I am your lodestone? I promise things will end up more than excellent with us. So you can rely me whenever you want. I know you are a strong independent Kunoichi, Naruto, and you would not like to look for help every time. But you are not a burden. You never will be. Let me be your Pole-Star, Koi?" He purred out.
Naruto shivered. "Yes. You are, Koibito."
Itachi kissed her. This was the first time the kiss went deeper. Itachi didn't hold back and Naruto let him control it.
"Let's go home."
.
Sasuke was lying down on his bed. Itachi had slapped him. He was bitter about that. It was because of Naruto again.
His father didn't speak to him. Fugaku didn't scold him as he expected. But perhaps silence is worse punishment than angry words.
Mikoto did chide him gently, asking him questions about his actions, even when she didn't receive an answer.
Kiyomi was not that gentle. Sure she showed him kindness and her lecture wasn't harsh, but she didn't pamper him like his mother.
He knew he wasn't still off the hook.
Maybe he was wrong in doing that to Naruto.
But that moron had to learn his lesson.
How?
...
Sasuke had even lesser choices with the announcement the next day.
Tsunade had called her citizens and announced.
"For nearly a month, there have been useless rumours in the market, most of them revolving around Uzumaki Naruto."
Someone foolish managed to ask. "What is useless about them? they were true, right?"
There were few laughs before Tsunade's glare quietened them.
"No they were NOT. And do you think you have a right to interrupt what your Village Leader is saying? With your petty words and laughs?" The accused ones paled.
"You will be taken care of, but later." Tsunade gave a small sigh.
"The ones that have started this racket have been caught and punished. There is no need for you to know their names, for those of you who have spread them without a thought are just as guilty."
A pause.
"If anyone dares to repeat such an action of low morals on Uzumaki Naruto or anyone else, strict action will be taken on them. Those who thoughtlessly spread them will not be spared either."
She gave the time for the threat to sink in.
"You people seemed to have remembered the tragedy twenty years ago, blaming it all on a poor kid who should have been worshipped. But you dare not remember how the kid saved Konoha numerous times!"
There were murmurs of confusion.
"Uzumaki Naruto has saved Konoha alongside Sandaime-sama by helping him defeat Orochimaru. Surely you all must have noticed how Naruto was helping everyone evacuate safely and defeating the Oto nin who had invaded us!
Pein of the Akatsuki who had nearly destroyed Konoha, was defeated by Uzumaki Naruto alone. Do you tell me that you haven't noticed him help you repair the damage?
The most obvious thing- Naruto has helped the Allied Forces win the Fourth Great Shinobi War and has secured alliance with all other villages. Something no Kage has able to do.
Kyuubi had attacked Konoha two decades ago. The Yondaime and his wife have sacrificed their lives to save the village, and they had sacrificed their only child for the sake of the village. Uzumaki Naruto keeps the Kyuubi at bay everyday from attacking Konoha. Many of you tried to kill the child of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. Had you succeeded, you would have released the terror because of which you claim to try kill the kid."
Almost everyone paled. (How can highly pale people pale even more?)
"Surely you people know that Naruto is the Yondaime's child. The witnesses of the Fourth Great War surely have informed and do you expect me to believe that rumours of that have not spread? Has Konoha's citizens become so weak-minded that falsity spreads faster that truth?"
Tsunade scoffed.
"Hindsight surely confirms what I said is true. Yet, you have the audacity to spread degrading rumours on the man who has not complained against all the atrocities faced as a child, from his own people, from those he had to call comrades!"
She sniffed indignantly.
"Do not expect to have a chance to apologize. Because, if you had time to gossip nonsense, then surely you must have noticed that Uzumaki Naruto is a busy Ninja who takes many missions for Konoha and not a teacher of Academy who you see everyday."
She turned around.
"I expect no more of such tom-foolery from the citizens of the village built by our grandfathers. The meet has ended. You are dismissed.
She walked to back to her office.
Konoha definitely needed that wake-up call.
Only if Naruto would agree with her and would not try and punish her for letting some of her secrets known to the world.
She didn't reveal everything, right?
Many more happy returns of the day to an awkward father, but an awesome shinobi;
🎁🎉🥳🎂!!Happy Birthday Yamanaka Inoichi!!🎂🥳🎉🎁
(January 24th)
AND ALSO...
Many More Happy Returns Of The Day to one of the two fastest shinobi!
And I say ONLY TWO!
🎁🎉🥳🎂!!Happy Birthday Namikaze Minato!!🎂🥳🎉🎁
(January 25th)
(I can't seem to get one 'best' image of this dude. He is just so awesome in every pic!!
NN: That's my dad!
That he is... :) )
There, there.
This is update for the time being... The story is still being fabricated...
How is this chapter? How did you like the ending of this particular event?
Do let me know!
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NamikazeNaruto20
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