Six Years Later,
For the past six years, there was an air of peace inside the Hidden Leaf Village. Citizen and shinobi alike seemed happier and more at ease knowing that the darkness that was the Kyuubi wasn't still lurking in their midst. Little did they know the village's darkest secret, and most vile possession was about to walk right back into their village, just as he had walked out of it all those years ago.
Northern Gates,
Walking along the dirt road headed towards the gates of one of the most powerful villages in the world, a shinobi could be seen. Nothing much seemed out of the ordinary about him, he was fairly tall, his silver hair spiked in such a manner that seemed to add almost a full half foot to him. His lazy walk indicated his lack of motivation to do...anything, or the fatigue of a mission he had just completed. The oddest thing was however that he was walking while seeming to keep his eyesight completely focused on a little orange book in front of his face. And if one were to listen intently, one would hear perverted giggles coming out of the man every so often. The other strange thing was his face, it was almost completely covered...partly by his headband which could be considered 'strange' on it's own. He wore his shinobi headband angled diagonally fully covering his left eye. The rest of his face save for his right eye and upper right cheek, was also covered by a shinobi mask, used to hide the identity of the user.
Coming upon the gates, the man could hear the two gate guards complaining about their jobs. Not having much to do himself he simply waited and read until the pair noticed him in the large archway. After a while the bickering finally ended and the two guards noticed their guest, still lazily waiting for them.
"Ah Kakashi-san, you're back from your mission I see. Wow even knowing its you, I still expected you not to be back for another week at least. How did it go?" Izumo spoke, knowing Kakashi from a few previous missions they were on together.
"Yo! Hm...can't really complain...it was a rather simple A-rank, a bunch of bandits and ronin were trying to terrorize a town which is under the protection of Konoha...so I 'Dealt' with them." He responded lazily, not taking his eyes off his 'precious' book.
"Ah! Not surprising from the 'Copy' Ninja himself, well I won't hold you any longer, welcome back"
Kakashi simply nodded to him and walked nonchalantly into the depths of the village. Once out of range of the guard house, Kakashi jumped to the nearest rooftop and set his hands in a familiar sign, before a puff of smoke engulfed him and he returned to his true form...the form of Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto.
Naruto sighed and shook his head. "That was far too easy...Ojii-san needs to put some better genjutsu oriented guards at the gates."
"Not like it would have made a difference Naru-kun...you know only doujutsu users, and those with certain Kekkei Genkai (Bloodline Ability) can sense this jutsu...while only other demons have the ability to dispel it." A muffled voice from within the recesses of Naruto's jacket answered.
Naruto smiled warmly and unzipped his jacket to allow a little...fox, to climb out and jump on his shoulder, wrapping it's tail comfortably around his neck. The little fox 'yipped' and licked the man's cheek before resting its head against his neck.
He scratched the fox behind the ear, making it lightly purr. "Hai hai, right as usual Natsu-chan. Guess its time to see the old man...hes probably been worried sick" He finished with a bit of guilt obvious in his voice, before bounding off to the Hokage Tower.
Hokage Tower,
"Damn this paperwork...Minato I swear, even if it wasn't for the protection of the village, you'd have still used that Fuuinjutsu just to get out of anymore of this DAMNEDABLE paperwork!" Sarutobi grumbled loudly, from behind his paper littered desk.
"Tsk Tsk, never thought I'd hear the Hokage whine about his job, its quite...unbecoming of a leader ne?" A voice teasingly scolded out of seemingly everywhere inside the office.
"Show yourself...I know where you are...I just don't know who you are. And if you are good enough to sneak into this office without setting off any alarms, then introductions can wait since I don't believe there will be a need for them, in a few seconds." Sarutobi said already in his best defensive stance he knew, since he didn't know how powerful the enemy was, so going on the offense wasn't the best course of action right now.
"Aw...you forgot me already? I'm heartbroken...I mean its only been about SIX years since we last saw each other, and here I thought we had grown close...Ojii-san" Naruto finished, still hidden but with a large smile plastered on his face.
He know the Hokage was old, but he was still quite spry, and would get it in a minute. A long silence filled the room before Sarutobi's face lit up, and fell back into his chair in shock.
"Naruto...is that...really you?"
Naruto decided enough was enough with the 'smoke and daggers' routine, and stepped out of his hiding spot. To say Sarutobi was shocked, was a rather large understatement, he wasn't expecting Naruto to return in such a feat of skill. And if that wasn't enough how Naruto looked would have certainly put the poor man in the hospital with a heart-attack if he wasn't a veteran shinobi. The best way to describe the Naruto the Hokage saw in front of him now was a...'mini-Minato'. Standard Konoha Jounin garb down to the tee, was worn by the boy, his hair was longer and more wild, but his blue eyes still shown with the same light as they always had.
"Kami-sama Naruto...you look just like your Tou-san...only...shorter..." He said, chuckling when the boy's eyebrow twitched at the mention of his height. "...by the way Naruto who is your sleeping friend?" He asked noticing the little fox asleep around on Naruto's neck.
Naruto smiled, while once again scratching the fox's ear getting something akin to an animalistic moan from it. "She...is my dear and close companion, she's been with me ever since I left this place six years ago. By the way Ojii-san, do you mind sending your ANBU out of the room, I didn't go through all this trouble to get in your office undetected to have them listen to what I have to tell you alone. Yamato-san can stay however...since he was my sensei for however brief it was." He requested with a knowing smirk.
Sarutobi smiled at the boy who seemed to simply be nonchalant about everything, while just paying attention to his little companion. The Hokage snapped his fingers and a squad of ANBU made themselves known. They all bowed and left through the door but one, leaving only the three.
"Gomen Naruto, but you have to understand that it was necessary just in case the Kyuubi was still in control of you. Though in my opinion if it was, the village wouldn't still be standing, and I'd be in trouble."
"Save for you and a few others, you're correct this village would be rubble." The fox thought, making Naruto chuckle lightly.
"Well since the topic has actually changed to why I'm here, might as well get to it. But first I want to explain a few things about the Kyuubi...firstly there was a very good reason why it attacked the village twelve years ago. Secondly while you are correct that the Kyuubi isn't controlling me, the fact of the matter is that Kyuubi had never controlled me at all, I left at my own discretion, and it was actually Kyuubi that was my sensei while I was gone. The final thing, because of this seal's purpose other then containment...who you see before you isn't the real me...oh and the Kyuubi is a woman, hence why I never said 'him' or 'he'." He finished, rapidly went through a short series of hand seals, while the little fox jumped to the floor right next to him. "KAI (Release)!" He spoke before a large plumb of smoke surrounded both him and the fox.
The smoke soon dissipated, and both Yamato and Sarutobi were speechless, their mouths hanging open at the sight. Instead of a teenage Naruto standing before them... there were now two people who looked to be around their late twenties or early thirties.
The man on the right was rather tall, and very handsome, he had an athletic looking body, his toned muscles not overly huge but still quite visible, only slightly straining the fabric of his shirt and pants. He was wearing official Konoha shinobi attire, although the color scheme was obviously his own. His Flak Jacket was a very dark orange with the Namikaze family seal on the back and was open in the front. His pants, shoes, and short sleeve shirt all black, with two kunai holsters on each thigh, and his blank shinobi headband strapped to his left arm. He also wore a black mask like Hatake Kakashi does but he had already drew it down from his face.
However the most dramatic change was the man's physical appearance itself, his once golden blond tresses now were a dark orange matching his flak jacket's in color. His once ocean blue eyes were now a beautiful dark amethyst, with slits running down their middles. His whisker marks which identified him as the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi were now more pronounced across his face, as were his teeth that were now elongated into fangs and nails into claws. His normal ears were now replaced with orange fox ears with white tips that ended a few inches above where his hair stopped. And if that wasn't odd enough, there were also five white tipped orange fox tails swinging back and forth behind him.
To the man's right stood a very beautiful woman, a few inches shorter then him but no less intimidating respectively. She too had an athletic body, but still had very generous curves, along with a rather well endowed chest. Her garb was quite similar to the man's only her colors were black and red. She wore an opened blood red Flak Jacket also with the Namikaze family seal, her pants, sandals and sleeveless shirt were all black, however she wore no mask to hide any part of her face. Her physical appearance more then the man's, both shocked and put fear into Yamato and Sarutobi, as well as give them both a few lewd thoughts in the backs of their minds despite the situation. She had fire crimson hair which fell to her mid-back, with a few strands falling over her face. Her eyes shown with a deep ruby glow with black slits down their middles as well, both cunning and playfulness easily detectable within her orbs. Three pronounced whisker marks, and elongated fangs adorned her flawless face. Her claws easily apparent while her hands were resting on her hips in a bored manner. Fox-like ears and four swaying tails behind her were also apparent, only they were red with black tips instead of dark orange.
The best phrase that could easily describe the two together were: "Deadly Sexy".
"Wha...What exactly is going on here Naruto!? What the hell happened to you!? And just who is this woman!?" The Hokage finally formed the words he had been searching for while he assessed the changes.
Naruto just smiled at his 'grandfather's' dumbfounded look. "That...is a long story Ojii-san. And right now I'm too tired to tell you the whole story. But I promise I'll tell you everything in the greatest detail tomorrow morning. But to answer your quicker questions, because of the fusion of my chakra and Kyuubi's I had to become what humans call a 'hanyou' a half-demon to accommodate all of her chakra in my body. This is my 'hanyou' form you see before you, and is now my true form. For your second question, now don't freak out or anything because there is nothing to worry about I assure you. This was the fox you asked me about earlier just...in another form. Her name is Natsumi...but most humans know her as the Kyuubi or Kyuubi no Kitsune."
Both Yamato and Sarutobi both took an unconscious step back after learning the identity of the beautiful woman standing in front of them.
"Na...Naruto, just how is this the Kyuubi? Your father sealed her...if she is out then that means that the seal failed and she can go on a rampage!" The Hokage choked out before bringing both his hands into his Kage robes in search of his Kunai.
"If you described by freedom in this form to be correct then...hai I very well could go on said 'rampage' and destroy this pathetic village." Natsumi sneered in a low voice indicating her seriousness.
"Maa maa...thats enough scaring the wits out of Ojii-san, Natsu-chan." Naruto said in a sing-song voice, while he got behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
Natsumi felt his strong arms wrap around her, and she just let out out a soft sigh leaning back against him.
"Ok Naru-kun...but only because I know he is precious to you." She responded nestling her head in the crook of Naruto's arm.
Both Sarutobi, and Yamato quirked an eyebrow at the show of affection the two just showed each other.
"Are you two..." Yamato let the question float, while raising his hand in a fist next to his face leaving his pinky out and wiggling it slightly. "...if so...how is that even possible?"
Naruto just smiled at what Yamato was getting at, and just hugged Natsumi closer before answering.
"That...is part of the story, so you'll have to wait. But like I said before, I will let you know everything tomorrow morning around 9 am. Oh and I do not want any unwelcome guests, so I expect only you two in the room when I get here. So till then I'll wish you a good day." He finished preparing to leave
"Wait Naruto...there are some things you should know about the village. After you left well...the more ignorant villagers held a week long celebration at your 'disappearance' and eventually word got out to your generation of who you are. So even though most people think you are dead after so long...they still know you were the Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi. I just thought you should know, maybe it'll help you conform back to village life here, but I truly apologize for letting your secret get out like that, whether you were here or not." Sarutobi apologized bowing lightly to the man and his companion.
Naruto thought over what he heard, and just smiled at his 'grandfather'.
"Its ok Ojii-san, even if they didn't know already...they would know soon enough since I'm back. I'm not ashamed or sad to be Natsumi's jailer...its given me an opportunity to be something I could not be without her, plus she is a great sensei. I learned so much from her that I never would have with any other sensei." He said with a smile, not noticing the slight blush across the cheeks of the woman he still held in his arms. "But since that fact remains I will keep up a henge so the villagers don't go crazy over my return yet."
Naruto released Natsumi from his grip, went through a few hand seals creating a puff of smoke, and Naruto was now henged so his tails were gone, his ears were back to 'normal', his eyes had normal pupils but still held their magnificent shade of purple, and his mask was over the lower half of his face. His uniform was back to the standard Konoha Jounin colors, even the Namikaze Symbol was replaced with the red swirl like all Leaf Flak Jackets had. Natsumi was back to her little fox form that she had entered in as, sitting back on Naruto's shoulders, while nuzzling her snout against his cheek.
"I'll be back at 9 am tomorrow Ojii-san...if you need me before then I'll be at my Tou-san's estate. Remember what we talked about and what you saw...doesn't leave this room." Naruto finished, heading towards the door of the office before stopping. "Oh right...ANBU..." He said seemingly to himself before a purple translucent flame surrounded him 'shunshin'ing him out of the office.
"Rather impressive 'shunshin' effect, Yamato-san...what do you think about this development?"
Yamato furrowed his brow. "I...think this village will be a lot less quite from now on if Naruto has come back for certain...especially with what he said he is now."
Sarutobi, started rubbing his temples from the anticipating days to come with Naruto's return inevitably being spread throughout the village like wildfire.
"Yes...I can already see the riots starting " He sighed. actually glad to get back to his paperwork to keep himself occupied from thinking about the future.
Yamato bowed and left the Hokage to his devices, returning to his ANBU duties.
Konoha,
Naruto was walking down the rather desolate streets of the village, it still being early in the morning he hadn't thought many people save for shinobi to be up yet so he had no need to rush around to get to his Tou-san's compound. He swiveled his head back and forth taking in the sights that were new to him since he left, as well and the fond ones that he had missed. His short and quite literal stroll down memory lane was abruptly stopped when Natsumi puff out of existence after sniffing the air causing Naruto to lose concentration to his surroundings right when he turned a corner and bumped into someone.
"Hey watch where you are going!" A feminine voice lowly yelled out.
"Gomennasai I wasn't paying attention to where I was going...here let me help you" Naruto apologized, crouching down to help her with the bag of groceries that she has spilled during their collision.
"I should make you pay for all this" She retorted with a sigh, while getting off her butt after landing on it from the fall.
They had picked up her groceries without another word spoken or even looking at each other. There was one last item left on the ground which they both tried to grab causing their hands to touch for only a moment before retracting from each other. The woman finally looked to the man she had bumped into, only for her eyes to go wide as dinner plates.
"Its you!" She whispered out accusingly.
Naruto too had finally looked at the woman, and was rather surprised to see who it was as well. She was wearing a doctor's uniform, only slightly greener to designate her a veterinarian which covered her entire body up to her knees. Her ninja headband wrapped loosely around her neck, slightly concealed by her uniform's pulled up collar.
"Wow Hana-san? Well it is certainly a surprise to see you out this early. How have you been since we last saw each other?" Naruto questioned, chuckling over the coincidence.
"Oh you remembered what she looked like?" Natsumi teased.
"Heh well what can I say, the saying is true 'We all like a little...animal in the opposite sex' after all. And who have we met that is more animal then her? Plus she was quite cute back then, and has only grown more beautiful since then...hell even you said she was rather attractive when we first saw her." Naruto retorted with a subconscious smirk.
- FLASHBACK -
(Two Years Ago: Forest Surrounding Konoha),
"Mizuki! How could you betray the village like this!? How could you betray ME like this!?" A younger looking Hana screamed at a white haired man holding a bloody kunai in one hand, and a large scroll in the other.
"Simple really...I needed to prove my worth to Iwa...and stealing the 'Forbidden Scroll of Sealing' from the village was the perfect way. Konoha has gotten fat and weak from all this peace...its sickening to watch as a shinobi like us. I decided I would go to a village that has more to offer me and the skills I possess as a shinobi. As for you Hana well...what can I say you had thee greatest body from your graduating class. And I needed some stress release from all the missions I went on...which you gave, and even more then I first imagined. Mmm...I remember the way you used your tongue, and twisted that body of yours...I'd take you right now if I didn't have more pressing matters to attend to. But I certainly won't ever forget your taste...just like fresh strawberries." He finished, while licking his lips and looking at Hana in a very carnal manner.
Hana didn't know what to do, she was only a newly ranked Chuunin, and the rest of her team had been killed by either traps laid out for them, or by Mizuki himself. She was totally alone with even her nin-dogs already unconscious, weaponless, and drained of chakra, as well as heavily bleeding on her right arm with a deep wound from a shrapnel trap. Mizuki saw her trying to think of something to turn the tables, but smiled when he saw the hopelessness in her eyes at her situation.
"I couldn't help but notice you've finally realized there is nothing left that you can do. And despite me thinking of taking you with me and becoming my slave. I doubt Iwa would allow it and would just kill you anyway...so I'll do the merciful thing and let you decide how I'll kill you."
He jumped from his superior standpoint on a tree limb above her hitting the ground with a 'thud', and slowly walked up to her with the scroll now latched onto his back. He bent down and picked her up with one arm by her flak jacket, and looked into her eyes, before grinning madly and leaned towards her sliding his tongue across her sweat ridden neck, and up her face, stopping at her cheek.
"Mmm...yes...definitely strawberries" He said in a husky, and slightly insane voice.
In a last ditch effort before she died, Hana reached over and sunk her fangs into Mizuki's neck, easily breaking the skin and when she tasted blood only clamped down harder.
"ARGH! You stupid BITCH! Get the hell off of me!" He yelled before stabbing her in the stomach with his kunai making her scream and let go.
Mizuki threw her off him and pressed a hand to the wound trying to stop the bleeding, while looking at the crumpled form of Hana, as his blood dripped from her mouth and down her chin.
He snarled. "Fine! I thought I was being generous with letting you choose the method, but you are being very difficult so I will just choose for you." He walking over and grabbing one of her comrade's bloody Katanas, before going back to her with a smirk. "You really were the best...FUCK I ever had, but I guess I have to put this BITCH down." He spat, before raising the sword for the finishing blow.
Mizuki was about to bring the sword down ending Hana's life when a large wave of flames seared towards him from the bushes just outside of the clearing. Mizuki saw the attack and jumped back away from Hana. He looked for who used that jutsu...it wasn't a jutsu he had ever seen before, so he was rather on edge and already in a defensive stance because it could very well be some backup for Hana.
The wall of flame finally died down, revealing a man wearing Konoha shinobi garb while crouching down in front Hana. Hana had seen the whole thing, from the flames attacking Mizuki to the man appearing out of no where in front of her, who was now healing her wounds. The only reason she wasn't trying to get away other then the fact she couldn't, was that he was a Konoha shinobi, from the clothes he wore.
"Just who the hell are you!?" Mizuki shouted, but received no reaction from the man.
The man just finished healing Hana's more serious wounds, before finally looking up at her. She held back a breathe the moment her brown eyes met his dark amethyst. After what Mizuki said about her and their 'relationship' and the predicament she was in, he had no idea why she was blushing when she looked at this man, but she couldn't lie to herself and say the man wasn't very very handsome...or at least what she could see of him anyway.
"Try not to move till I'm finished healing you alright?" He ordered softly and received a nod in understanding, before he stood up and faced the still unnerved Mizuki. "I'm just a shinobi passing by...but I happened to over hear your conversation with this young woman, and decided to say hi." He smiled though it couldn't be seen with the mask covering his face.
"If thats so then just leave...this has nothing to do with you, if you don't I'll have to kill you too after I finish off that BITCH you just healed."
The man simply shrugged and did a few hand seals before taking a knee and pressing his hand to the ground.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!"
The man brought his hand up slowly, and out of the ground came a Katana with a red hilt, resting inside a black sheath. The man grabbed the sword when it completely finished coming out of the ground, hooked it to his left hip, and pulled out the sword letting the blade slide across his thumb so the entire edge was covered in blood.
"Hakkei: Shinku Kaijin (Release: Crimson Ash)!"
As soon as the last word was spoken the blade burst into flame...no to be more exact, the blade itself turned into the flame that was now being jutting out of the red and black hilt. The man did a few test swings with the new 'sword', with each arc the flames seemed to move and grow almost like the tail of a comet that followed the 'main' flame where the steel blade once was. It then resumed its natural state and size when the sword stopped moving. Mizuki was taken a back at what he had seen, he wasn't one to admit his fears to anyone...but he was scared now and all three of the people still conscious knew it simple by his body language.
"Hm...seems I'll have a new sword after this is done as well." He bluffed while smiling the best he could while hoping the man couldn't sense his apprehension to fight.
"If you believe you can take it from me then try, but if I were you I'd just return that scroll to her and be on your way. Because I can assure you that any other route you take now will not be pleasant." The man stated coldly, looking straight at Mizuki with an emotionless gaze, as thin strings of purple chakra began to slowly radiate off his body.
"His body is actually giving off chakra!" Hana thought flabbergasted at this fact.
She had never heard of visible chakra except with certain jutsus usually A-rank or higher. And yet this man was giving off chakra from sheer force of will and emotion alone.
"Y...you think you can scare me!? Well try this Kinjutsu I learned from this scroll..." Mizuki threatened before putting his fingers in a cross seal. 'Tajuu Kage Bushin no Jutsu' (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique)!"
The entire field puffed in a plumb of smoke revealing nearly twenty five Mizuki clones. The original simply had an arrogant smirk plastered across his face, reveling in his superiority over the intrusive man.
"Its the quality of the shinobi not the quantity...if you took this lesson to heart you would have used the chakra required for that jutsu for a more effective one against me." The man retorted, before swinging his sword in a horizontal arc.
As the blade arched the flame tail began extending outward almost fifty feet, easily cleaving the shadow clone army in half, as well as a few dozen trees. After the tail returned, the man saw Mizuki who was still alive if only known by his blood curdling screams. Most of his clothing had burned to a crisp while his right arm had multiple gashes. However the oddest thing was that his gashes and clothes were actually still aflame if the smell in the air indicated anything it was that the flame still burned both the open flesh of the wound and any blood that seeped out along with the fabric that still rested on his body. Mizuki tried to pat the flames out, but they simply burned hotter and fiercer causing the man to scream in even more agony.
"You cannot put that flame out...only I have the power to call it back. If you give up and promise to never return to Konoha I will let you leave." The man offered never taking his gaze off the screaming man.
"Or...y...you put that fa...fancy sword down and listen to what I say and maybe I'll consider letting the bitch live" Mizuki chocked out through gritted teeth.
The man turned back to Hana only to see another Mizuki holding her hostage with a kunai against her throat in front of a tree.
"Tsh...missed one, I must be losing my edge" He though berating himself for the slip up.
The man did as he was told while facing the 'real' Mizuki, and dug the sword into the ground with the sharp edge facing Mizuki at his feet.
"Good now move away from the sword." He ordered.
The man followed the order, and took ten large steps away from the sword closer to Hana and the clone. Mizuki began to limp his way towards the sword, keeping a deadly gaze on the swordsmen. Mizuki was about a foot away from the sword and went it grab it, but the man had other plans and in one swift motion brought his right arm in a vertical arc above his head. Out of no where the dormant sword seemed to grow a life of it's own and moved in the arc motion the man just did. To Hana it seemed like time stood still. One moment Mizuki was about the grab the sword, the next said sword was lodged into both the trunk of the tree only three inches from her shoulder, and down the middle of the shadow clone's head. The next moment another blood curdling scream echoed throughout the forest as the vicious plan of the man came full circle, the 'real' Mizuki was the one who screamed. Why? Because as Hana was witnessing his body was cleaved cleanly in half down the middle, so cleanly in fact Mizuki's body didn't register the slice until just then when his two halves began to separate from each other his screams dying with it. If Hana wasn't so completely exhausted she'd have probably thrown up, from what she has just witnessed this stranger do. Her body flinched when the man jerked his arm back, the sword pulling out of the trunk and flying back to him, catching the hilt in his hand. The man began to fumble with the hilt for a minute, before resheathing the sword and it poofed out of existence.
"He...used ninja wire to tie the hilt of his sword, to his wrist" She though surprised, but finally answering the question of just how the hell he pulled off that attack.
The man began to walk back towards her, and from sheer fear her knees buckled and she fell on her butt against the tree. She closed her eyes tightly, when the man reached her and took a knee in front of her. She had no idea what the man planned on doing now, whether it be make her his slave, kill her, or the worst thing she could think of...rape her. After a few moments nothing happened, but then a warm sensation enveloped her body when a hand gently grabbed her upper arm and another pressed itself against her stomach. She slowly opened her eyes to see the man with a look of concentration in his eyes, as her entire body was encased in a light purple aura. After a few minutes he release his grip and stood up looking down at her.
"I just finished healing the rest of your wounds so you should be ok to move around freely. But I suggest taking it easy for a while till you regain enough chakra" He said in a warm tone, a tone opposite of what he was speaking to Mizuki with.
He held out his hand to help Hana to her feet, she hesitated for a second before taking it being pulled to her feet. She took a moment to regain her stability, before she finally took in all that happened. Her entire team was dead, her nin-dog was close enough to it, though she noticed out of the corner of her eye that the man was currently healing him.
"She is pretty cute, don't you think Naru-kun?" Natsumi asked inside his head with a sly voice, only getting an affirmative nod in response.
She just stared at the destruction and havoc the surroundings had taken not only from the battle of her squad and Mizuki, but also the man's flame attack. The ground and surrounding underbrush were all scorched along with nicks, cuts and holes. The man came back to her side with her dog in his arms, giving him back to her, and then latched the scroll to her back with some wire.
"Gomen for your team...but there is nothing more you can do for them you should go back to Konoha and alert the Hokage about this and to send a medical team to clean this up." The man suggested sadly, before turning and walking towards the denser part of the forest form whence he came.
"Ma...matte (wait)...whats your name." She asked her voice slightly panicked...if for nothing else she wanted to at least know the name of her savior to maybe repay him one day.
"I don't need thanks or recognition for what I did, I simply did what was right that is all...take care." He retorted bluntly, taking a final look back at her with what she thought was a large smile across his masked face, before he vanished into the forest.
"Arigato...shinobi-san" She whispered against the billowing winds before heading back to Konoha, hoping that she'd meet the mysterious shinobi again to maybe thank him properly.
- FLASHBACK END -
Hana's shocked expression reverted to a saddened one when she remembered that day of betrayal and death.
"I've been ok, since...then" She answered quietly, images still flashing in her mind.
He offered her a small smile, slightly visible through his mask. "Thats good...you're a strong woman and a steel-nerved Kunoichi. Its why I left you on your own back then, I knew you could handle yourself after I healed you. And I knew what happened wouldn't keep you down for long."
Hana blushed slightly form the compliments, as they both stood up after getting all her groceries back in her bag.
"Gomen...about yelling at you before"
"Quite alright Hana, I should have been paying attention to where I was going. Was completely my fault." He said putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I assume you are walking home since you have groceries...would you mind if I walked you home? Its the least I could do for bumping into you and delaying you." He offered kindly.
"I appreciate th gesture but no need really...my house is right here." She answered turning her head towards the rather large house with the Inuzuka clan symbol above the doorway they were currently standing in front of.
"Ah, heh alright then...well I've delayed you enough I think, so I'll let you get inside. Be safe Hana, I'll probably see you around." He finished taking his hand off her shoulder and began walking.
"W...wait...please! Tell me your name...you left me without one for two years. I would like to know it this time." Hana shouted, shrinking slightly at how loud and panicked she sounded.
Naruto turned to her, a small smile on his face as he got into a thinking pose with his pointer finger tapping his chin.
"Well...let me ask you first...what do you think of the demon boy Uzumaki Naruto who disappeared from the village six years ago?"
In a flash after he finished his question, he was being painfully pressed against the gates of the Inuzuka's property, by a feral looking Hana with a kunai pressed against his throat. Her eyes shown in an almost uncontrolled rage, her fangs gritting so tightly you'd think they would have chipped from the pressure.
"Don't you DARE call Naruto that EVER AGAIN...do you understand me!? Naruto is NOT Kyuubi, he is just a young boy who had the unfortunate fate to house the most powerful bijuu know to exist, he is our SAVIOR not a DEMON! And I don't care even if you did save me back then, I swear to Kami-sama I will take great pleasure in skinning you alive and feeding you to my nin-dogs if you call him that again in my presence...do I make myself clear!?" She growled out, making her point known by making a small cut across Naruto's neck and mask drawing a few drops of blood.
"Wow...she is quite protective of you Naru-kun, and if memory serves you've never even met her before that day. Heh...she'll be a bit embarrassed once she finds out that she is attacking thee very person she is trying to protect." Natsumi said with a chuckle.
"Hai you're telling me...though now I'd like to know why she is. You are right I've never met her before that day...so I don't know how she knows me or why she is acting like this. Though she certainly went up a few pegs in my book of people I like." He thought back with a smile.
"Ok...gomen I didn't know people even still liked him, and even more so since he left. I won't call him a demon again I promise."
Hana looked into the man's purple eyes for any indication he was lying but found none. She slowly released her grip on his flak jacket that held him to the gate and her kunai before taking a few steps back from Naruto.
"Hai well there are...my family and I will always be loyal to that boy no matter what. So don't go spewing nonsense about him that isn't true." She answered before a shout broke the tension.
"Oi! People are trying to sle...oh Hana its you, what are you doing out here?" A woman in a red kimono shouted after just emerging from the Inuzuka's porch. "Oh and who is the man there?" She asked just noticing Naruto against the gate.
"Gomen Kaa-san, I was just coming back from the vet's with groceries when I bumped into...my friend here." Hana said with a flush across her cheeks from embarrassment.
"Oh...well get you and your friend inside so you can continue talking without waking up the neighbors. I get enough complaints from them about the kennel, I don't need any from my kids too." Tsume said in a stern voice, while eying Naruto.
"Finally...after two long years she is finally talking to men outside of her team. Hopefully this may lead somewhere, she needs the companionship, especially after what Mizuki did to her." She thought as she watched her daughter and young man enter the house.
Inuzuka Compound,
Naruto strolled inside the house of the Inuzuka's only to have his sense of smell attacked with the essence of dog. The house he noticed was surprisingly large compared to how it looked from the outside, but still held a 'homely' feel to it. From the entrance there was the kitchen to the left, a living room to the right, while going straight led to some stairs leading second floor presumably the floor containing bedrooms and bathrooms, and if you went past the stairs to the left, it led to if the sound being any indication the kennel Tsume mentioned earlier. Naruto couldn't quite dwell on the finer descriptions of the house, because Hana's mother began to push him deeper into the house and into the living room, where a small oak table stood in the middle of the room.
"Please make yourself at home...Mr...?" Tsume said leading him to take a seat at the table.
"Uh...truth be told, I'd like to talk to both of you if you wouldn't mind. There is something I have to ask you, before I introduce myself." Naruto answered, trying to change the subject of introducing himself.
Tsume quirked her eyebrow, easily telling the man was apprehensive in name himself. She took his hint and played along, knowing she'd get the answer out of him before he left.
"Alright, I'll make us some tea then."
Naruto let out of soft sigh, thanking god Hana's mother had dropped the question...for now anyway. He looked around the room slowly noting a few things, such as family pictures and the like. He smiled softly, seeing a picture of Hana smiling with her nin-dog companion which looked like it was taken after he had saved her.
"I'm glad she was alright after all." He thought to himself, before Hana's voice knocked him from his current thoughts and into a set of brand new ones when he looked in her direction.
Naruto's eyes widened slightly, when he saw Hana enter the living room. She had now abandoned her loose fitting uniform, for a snug short sleeve black tee-shirt with 'Can't Touch This Alpha Bitch' in white lettering on the front that showed off her rather sizable bust (which he failed to notice from previous meetings), and black shorts stopping half way down her thighs to give him a very generous view of her long and toned legs. Her hair which had been prior to then bound in a ponytail, was now freely flowing down to her shoulder blades behind her, with her headband resting nonchalantly just under her collarbone.
"Wow..."
"Hehe calm down there Naru-kun..." Natsumi teased "...but still 'wow' is right, didn't think she was packing that kinda 'heat' under that Chuunin vest or doctor's uniform did you?" She teased even more.
". . . . ."
"Naru-kun?" Natsumi asked, snickering lightly at the man's lack of attention.
". . .I'm just glad I have this mask over my face, and table in front of me" He finally said.
All he could now hear was Natsumi's full blown laughter in the back of his mind after his statement.
"Hai...I doubt she'd be as 'entertained' as I was when you first saw me, if she saw those reactions from you right now" She responded through giggling fits.
"Did you even hear what I said?" Hana asked, her brow twitching slightly at noticing the glazed over look in his eyes as she talked to him, after she grabbed a seat at the table.
Before Naruto registered her question, she noticed an odd scent in the air floating around him, at first she couldn't place it...but it soon clicked, and she was none too happy, even if a slight blush adorned her cheeks and what it meant.
"What the hell! The bastard is ogling me like a piece of meat. I wouldn't be so pissed about it if he not only didn't diss Naruto earlier, but wasn't so obvious about it with his scent...even if he does smell 'good enough to eat'" She thought angrily, and then furiously at her final thought, quickly squashing it just as quickly as it was formed.
Naruto was knocked yet again out of his thoughts, and had the decency to look sheepish at her question.
"Gomen...there was something important on my mind, would you mind repeating?"
"I said...just because my Kaa-san invited you in to not forget what I said outside." She repeated, with a slight vein bulging on her forehead knowing exactly what 'important' things were just on his mind.
"I made you a promise...I do not plan on breaking it, and again I apologize for how I phrased my question...but it was rather important that I asked you."
"Tea is ready! And what was important?" Tsume, asked while walking into the living room with a small tray of tea and teacups.
"Well Kaa-san I should probably begin with the fact that...this was actually the man that saved me from Mizuki-teme two years ago."
Tsume listened to her daughter speak as she took a seat at the table and began to pour the tea. She abruptly stopped with a shocked expression on her face the moment she heard that the very man who she invited into her house and was sitting across from her was the man that had saved her precious and only daughter, and less important to her but still important, Inuzuka clan heir. Tsume put the teapot down, and moved back from the table slightly to get into a kneeling posture used for people of respectable status, such as a clan leader, Kage, or Daimyou.
"Ari...arigato! arigato for saving my musume (daughter)...I...I don't know what I would have done if I lost her that day. Arigato!" Tsume thanked him, through almost inaudible sobs.
"Maa maa...its alright Inuzuka-san...I already told your daughter that I don't need thanks for what I did...I simply did what was right. That Mizuki person had no right to betray the village like he did, and more importantly treat Hana the way he did. If I wasn't in a rush when I got there I would have made his death a lot more 'deserving' then I made it. And I'm just glad that Hana got back to her feet, I would have hated to see such a strong and beautiful woman like her sulking over what that asshole did." Naruto said reassuringly, with a slight unseen blush after only realizing what he called Hana.
"Oh? Seems my hopes weren't unfounded...I won't meddle is my musume's personal affairs, but that doesn't mean I still can't hope." Tsume thought after hearing his words, and little slip up.
Tsume got up from her position and rejoined the pair at the table, wiping the last remnants of tears from her cheeks.
"He...thinks I'm beautiful?" Hana mentally questioned, while trying to hide her light blush at Naruto's compliments.
"Still...arigato. And please call me Tsume" She finished with a smile towards the purple eyed man, who the two females could tell was smiling back.
"Anyway Kaa-san...as you know I never got his name back then...so meeting up with him this morning out of the blue I asked again, but he just answered my question with another question. 'What do you think of the demon boy Uzumaki Naruto who disappeared from the village six years ago'?" Hana quoted going back to her story after feeling her blush leave her cheeks.
The very moment Hana finished reiterating Naruto's question, Tsume's appreciation for the man disappeared, and was replaced with a growling Inuzuka clan head staring back at him. Naruto was quick to apologize for his snafu, hoping the older woman would take it to heart. After a long minute of nothing but light growls from the matriarch, she returned to a neutral stance with the man.
"I had the same reaction...just a little more physical, which was probably the noise you heard outside. However before you had come out, I was able to answer his question, but he never answered mine."
Both Inuzukas looked expectantly at Naruto once Hana finished, causing Naruto to sweat drop.
"I...ano...well...Inuzuka-san, before I tell you both, I'd like for you to elaborate on what Hana meant by: 'my family and I will always be loyal to that boy no matter what'. I will admit to you that I know Naruto...quite well in fact. But I don't recall him ever mentioning your clan during our talks about Konoha, that is why I phrased my question the way I did. I purposely did it to see the kind of reaction I'd get out of Hana, knowing Naruto the way I do...it would be dishonorable to him if I befriended anyone who despised him in this village. I have heard from the boy, many stories of how he was treated here so I had to be sure about Hana's feelings towards him. And since she had stated such a high claim I wish to simply know what she meant."
Tsume was pouring herself and the pair the tea while Naruto explained his motives. She took a sip of tea after passing out the cups, and sighed afterwards before speaking.
"Well...we may not look it but the Inuzuka clan was actually the personal bodyguards of Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime and Naruto's Tou-san. Whenever he left the village whether it be for vacation, war, treaties, no matter the reason we Inuzuka were always by his side to put our lives on the line to protect him. However after Minato-sama had settled down with Uzumaki Kushina, Naruto's Kaa-san, our priorities changed. He had ordered our clan to not only protect him, but his family as well since they were an extension of himself. We accepted our new charges with no grievances, and for a time things were normal...well as normal as a life of a shinobi can be anyway." Tsume stopped talking for a moment to take another sip of her tea before starting up again. "Then...Kyuubi came...being a Konoha shinobi yourself I'm sure you know the history so I won't bore you with the details. Anyway after the battle, we found Minato-sama dead...but his wife and son still alive, so we continued as their protectors because Minato-sama still lived inside them both. However...two years after the Kyuubi's attack, Kushina along with her clan left Konoha for 'greener pastures', but not before exiling Naruto and leaving him to the savages our clan once called villagers. From that moment, as clan head I rescinded Minato-sama's order for protection of her, she left the village and more importantly abandoned her only child, to the Inuzukas...that is unforgivable. After only a few days of being put in the orphanage, I had gone to the Hokage and begged him repeatedly to allow my clan to adopt him. But he wouldn't hear of it. He not only told me that the council would never allow the adoption to go through but, also that he didn't want another one of the important shinobi clans to leave because of the villager's hate for the boy and anyone who protected him. He simply stated that he would do his best to make sure Naruto was doing ok. So from then on we just protected Naruto as best we could from the shadows. But with the Hokage giving my clan missions on a daily basis, it was hard to protect him as well as we had hoped. Then four years after Kushina's departure, Naruto himself disappeared from the village and hasn't been seen since. But even so...the Inuzuka clan will remain loyal to that boy and protect him as well as his reputation here as best we can, because that was the wish of our greatest hero...and we will honor it no matter what." Tsume finished explaining and slammed her cup on the table to emphasize her point.
By the time her story had finished, Naruto's eyes widened so much you'd swear they'd pop out any moment.
"I...I never knew, anyone cared about me that much aside from Ojii-san. They...they were even planning on adopting me." Naruto thought shocked beyond belief, and actually trying his hardest to not let his features show how happy he was to hear what Tsume said, in all honestly the lonely child that still remained inside him wanted to cry right then.
"Well Naru-kun...not everyone in this village is as heartless or stupid as most. I mean statistically speaking, there had to be at least a few dozen people in this large village that either have no problem with you or even believe you are a savior for your sacrifice...I guess you just met the clan that is that the top of this list." Natsumi said in a warm tone, sending Naruto a mental picture of her giving him a loving embrace, since she couldn't really do it at the moment.
"Hai...right as usual Natsu-chan" He thought back with a smile, sending her a mental picture with him giving her a deep kiss.
"I see...arigato for your explanation Tsume-san, that answered any lingering questions I had." Naruto spoke quietly before taking a long sip of tea, still trying not to show his emotions.
A quick silence rose in the room, the sounds of sipping the only break from it. Hana had watched Naruto the whole time while they listened to her mother's story, and saw a myriad of emotions play through his eyes. She had wanted to question him on several occasions as to why he was reacting so deeply, but decided to wait. However the silence was getting to her, she had so many questions and if she didn't get them now she would probably explode.
"Ok...so we answered your question...now answer ours: Who are you...and how do you know Naruto? As well as can you tell us if he is alright at the present time?"
"Should I tell them Natsu-chan?"
"After that story I think its only right Naru-kun...other then the Hokage, I can't imagine a group more deserving to know everything thats happened to you then the Inuzukas, especially after all they did for you and your Tou-san."
"You're right...oh, do you want to stretch your legs a bit?"
"Sure...Kage Bushin is fine"
Naruto noticed after having his inner dialogue, that both women were starting to get impatiently. He whispered his apologies for the wait, took a sip of tea, let out a deep sigh, and cleared his throat before beginning.
"Well...I can answer your questions, but in the opposite order you asked them...if thats alright?" He asked, getting a confused nod from the female pair. "Naruto...is perfectly fine right now, he is healthy and is actually training in the shinobi arts. And if I may say he is quite good, but thats besides the point. Your last two questions I can actually answer at the same time...I know Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto because..." He paused his sentence, and went through a set of hand seals, before a puff of smoke shrouded his side of the table. "...I AM Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto." He finished, as the last of the smoke disappeared, leaving Naruto in his 'true' form, and Natsumi next to him, while both Inuzuka women gawked at who they were looking at.
"What the hell is this!? You aren't Naruto...you look nothing like him!" Tsume shouted, jumping from the table into a defensive stance, her nin-dog coming out of nowhere to her side ready to fight.
Hana herself was simply too shocked at the 'person' sitting in front of her to even move at first, but then came to her senses and jumped towards her mother.
"Please wait! I really am Naruto, just give me a minute to explain I can prove I'm him!" He pleaded
Hana just stared at the demonic looking man, searching his eyes for any inclination of deceit. She just stared into his purple orbs, almost hypnotized by them, as she stared something in the pit of her stomach pulled on her brain. She wasn't sure why, but it was simply telling her to trust what he is telling them...and ever since Mizuki's betrayal following her gut instinct has gotten her out of a lot of situations that could have cost her her life. After a moment of inner debate she released her stance and stood upright, letting out a soft sigh.
"Kaa-san...I...I believe him"
Tsume only took a split second to look in her daughter's eyes, and knew that it was her gut that told her to believe him. She took a long angry look at Naruto, before releasing a heavy sigh and standing from her stance as well.
"You have one minute 'Naruto'" She spoke, almost growling out the name.
Naruto mouthed a silent 'thank you' to Hana for defusing the situation, before letting the women get back to their seats at the table.
"Ano...well I somehow doubt words will prove my heritage...so a technique only a select few including my father could know, of which I'm sure you'll recognize." He said before putting his hand, palm up and open in the middle of the table so everyone could see.
For a moment nothing happened...but then a slight wind began to pick up around the room seeming to be pulled towards Naruto's palm. Soon after the wind picked up even more and in his palm an almost marble sized translucent purple ball of chakra formed. The wind picked up slightly more when the ball increased size exponentially, to cover up most of Naruto's still opened hand. As the winds died down the last bit of swirling chakra entered the ball, finishing the summoning of the jutsu.
"Ra...sen...gan...!" Tsume spoke through shocked breaths, from not only not seeing this jutsu after so many years, but that this man really had learned and mastered it.
Hana had only heard about this famous jutsu from her family, gossip, and historical records of the Yondaime Hokage. However seeing it merely inches from her was mind blowing. To her the jutsu was beautiful, the swirling winds inside the stable ball looked like the winds were dancing together. If she didn't know just how dangerous the jutsu was, she probably would have been tempted to touch it...but it wasn't one of the Yondaime's signature moves for nothing.
Naruto looked at the two sheepishly. "Well I hope this proves to you who I really am. Because of your clan's history with my Tou-san I'm sure you know that jutsu can only be learned by a select few people. Those being any of his blood kin including myself, or an Uzumaki because of their Kekkei Genkai and his marriage to Uzumaki Kushina. But as I'm sure you know because of the difficulty and power of this jutsu, only the next Uzumaki shinobi heir and clan head are allowed to learn it." Naruto paused his explanation for a moment to let them understand where he was going with this, once he got the nods of approval from them he continued. "Well since my Tou-san is dead, and I'm obviously in Konoha, instead of with the Uzumaki clan it means that I can only be a blood relative...and Namikaze Minato only had one son...me. Plus who else do you know that has whisker marks on his face?" He finished, before pulling his mask down to finally reveal his full face to the women.
Only a second after losing his mask was he tackled to the ground by a sobbing Tsume. He was so surprised by her emotional outburst in fact he almost lost his grip on the 'Rasengan', but dispelled it before it left his hand.
"NARUTO! Your back...I didn't know if I'd ever see you again after you left the village!" Tsume sobbed out into his chest.
Naruto was still shocked, before he was able to regain his composure and smile at the crying women on top of him. He slowly pulled her into a hug, and just said soothing words of apologies. After sometime Tsume regained some slight composure and let go of the man, but before she was able to move off him he pulled her back to him and he gave her another embrace, before whispering something in her ear.
"Arigato Tsume-san, and gomen for making you worry about me for so long...Kaa-san"
Tsume physically stiffened at what Naruto just called her, she pulled away slightly to look up at the man, and saw a genuine smile across his fanged face, and happiness in his eyes. She smiled back and hugged him once more tears flowing again. After about another five minutes the two calmed down and separated, both joining the table at their original positions.
"Well I'm glad everything worked out here, I was afraid things would get messy if Naru-kun wasn't able to explain who he was." Natsumi said nonchalantly with a small smile taking a sip of tea from Naruto's cup.
Both Hana and Tsume looked back at the women who almost seemed to come out of no where, though both being a bit sheepish knowing that this was just because they ignored her presence from Naruto being back.
"Gomen...but who are you?" Hana questioned.
"Well I just wanted to wait till Naru-kun finished his introduction before mine."
"This is...Natsumi, she is my companion, and has been since I left the village six years ago." Naruto explained trying not to blush too much when she slung her self around his arm, resting her head on his shoulder.
Both Inuzuka woman perched an eyebrow at the two, each having a thought about it, not knowing just how similiar they were.
"This girl is getting a bit too close to him...wait, why do I care if she is close to Naruto-kun? WAIT...did I just say 'kun'? I mean yea the guy or gorgeous but that...doesn't mean I like him or anything does it...I mean we just really met...even if he did save me back then." Hana thought a debate now raging in her head about her feelings of the newly discovered Naruto.
"Hm...seems he might be taken after all, well unless Hana gets it together she IS gonna lose him. And I really do think he'll be so good for her." Tsume thought, hoping her daughter would get out of her 'man-rut' and just claim Naruto as hers.
Naruto noting the intense gazes he was getting, tried to change the subject, before either of them had a chance to question him.
"Ano...I'm rather surprised to be honest...when I went to go see Ojii-san, even he and Yamato-san freaked about how I looked. But you guys don't seem phased at all."
Both women were knocked out of their thoughts when he spoke, Tsume was the first to get her answer out, and chuckled a bit.
"Naruto look at us. We have inherited canine traits as a clan thanks to our kinship with our nin-dogs. Slitted eyes, slight fangs and claws, increased sense of smell, etc. You would look a lot different to most people, but to our clan you don't look all that different from us, other then the ears and tails anyway." She remarked with a small smirk.
Naruto looked at both his 'mother' and Hana, and realized that she was right, save for his tails and ears, he would look almost like an Inuzuka.
"Though I would like to know where you got them from" Tsume said with a glint of curiosity in her eyes.
"Actually...I will be explaining everything thats happened to me for the last six years to Ojii-san tomorrow morning at 9 am, and well...I feel it only right that anyone from the Inuzuka clan who would wish to come and listen to my story as well is welcome to." He responded with a smile.
"Ah...I will tell my clan about it and let them decide for themselves, but I will go...I'd like to know what my old charge has been up to for the last six years." She answered with a light chuckle.
He laughed with her. "Good, but sadly its getting dark...we've been talking for a long time, and I'm actually quite tired after just getting back today from a six year vacation."
Naruto flashed through some hand seals, letting the smoke envelope him and Natsumi, giving him the look he had before he revealed himself to them, and Natsumi back in the seal. He got up from his seat bowed to his hosts thanking them for believing him and their hospitality, before walking towards the exit. Tsume nodded to him, and looked down at the table slightly downcast for a second while biting her lip in fear.
"Should I ask him?" She thought, said question raging through her head like a hurricane, not receiving any clear answer in her mind out of sheer fear of Naruto's answer.
"Nar...Naruto?" She stuttered.
He turned back to the matriarch. "Hai?"
"I need to know...if you really meant it when you called me Kaa-san?" She asked, fear, and apprehensiveness evident in her eyes.
He smiled warmly at his new 'mother'. "Hai...of course it was Kaa-san. If it wasn't for the council's interference you would have adopted me anyway right? And what you said you did for me and tried to do...are things only a Kaa-san would do for her child. So yes I do mean it when I call you that, you are more of a Kaa-san to me now then Uzumaki Kushina ever was." He explained, spitting out the name of his biological mother.
Naruto took a moment to look at Hana, who was also looking back at him. He smiled to her before making another statement.
"Although at the moment...I'm slightly happy you weren't able to..." He paused, Tsume was about to cry at this statement before he saw her reaction and quickly continued. "...ano...well because it would be rather awkward to ask if my sister would want to grab dinner with me after visiting Ojii-san tomorrow. Gomen I thought about maybe asking later but since I was left with an opportunity to ask now I just took my shot" He finished with a noticeable blush and a large nervous smile, that made his eyes close as he scratched the back of his head.
Tsume's reaction did a complete 180, when she heard that Naruto was asking her two year man-less daughter out for dinner. She tried to hide her smile but a small one pulled at her lips, as her thoughts were raging on the subject.
"HANA SAY YES DAMNIT! Please don't reject him like all the other guys who have asked you out since the incident with Mizuki. He is a good, strong man, and by our discussion this afternoon I can tell he only has the truest intentions when it comes to women. Please sweetheart for your own happiness say yes." She thought, while looking at her daughter with pleading eyes.
Hana on the other hand was rather floored at Naruto's statement, that was actually the last thing she was expecting to hear from him...especially after how 'close' Natsumi and he seemed to be. A blush just as noticeable as Naruto's graced her own cheeks now as she held an inner debate.
"Should I say yes?" She thought to herself before a voice inside her head spoke.
"You should Hana" Her conscience answered
"But what if he is like all the other guys that have asked me out after Mizuki? You know they were only after one thing. I mean he was ogling me the moment I came down after I changed."
"That is true, but if you noticed he was quite nervous about asking you to dinner, I mean he is still blushing. Guys only trolling for a quick 'romp' act confident the whole time, because even if you say no...they will just go to the next girl in line."
"Thats true...but what if..."
"NO 'but's woman!" Her conscience harshly interrupted her. "Hana, Naruto is a good man, a bit strange...but he is a strong, kind person, and will treat you right if you let him in your heart. After the talk at the table you know he wouldn't dare harm someone who lets him close to them or he lets close to himself. Hana...you need to get past what happened with Mizuki-teme, and try to find happiness, and I believe Naruto is the man that can give you the greatest happiness you'll ever know. Plus...you know he has the hots for you already after his reaction to what you came into the living room wearing. I mean...any guy unless they were gay would have had the same reaction when you came in wearing that...you can't very well blame him for being sexually attracted to you. And more importantly I already know you find him...how did you put it before 'good enough to eat'? I saw your thoughts about him when he fully dropped his henge too. I don't recall you EVER trying those positions you had Naruto starring in even with your longest boyfriend Mizuki, as much as I loathe to mention him again. Just give the hunk a chance." Her conscience finished in a teasing voice.
Hana had the decency to 'hmph' but also heavily blush while she thought about what her conscience said, and after a few moments decided that after all thats happened it was right. After all Naruto had protected her from Mizuki with his life not even knowing her, so just imagine how he would treat someone that he is close with.
"Ok" She concluded agreed
"Hai...Naruto-kun, I'd love to have dinner with you tomorrow." She finally answered with a warm smile.
"A...alright then." He said, just barely holding in his happiness that she said yes. "If you aren't at the meeting, I'll pick you up here at 7 pm ok?" He waited to let her nod affirmative before continuing. "Ok...well I'll be off then, I'll see you tomorrow Kaa-san, Hana-chan." He said with a wide smiling before leaving the Inuzuka compound.
Hana blushed at the '-chan' suffix he added before leaving. She got up from the table and headed towards the stairs and her room, before being delayed by her mother.
"Hana...I'm glad you agreed...its about time you got a good man in your life after that last one. And I'm definitely sure that Naruto is a good man, and if things happen to get serious later on, I'm just as sure that he will make you very happy."
Hana just smiled happily with a full blush reddening her cheeks before nodding and continuing up the stairs.
"Not even one day back, and hes already turned this house upside down. He had me crying my eyes out from everything...ME crying! Not only that but he also melted my daughter's frozen heart, and is making her blush so red it could make a tomato jealous. That man is something else...I'm really happy for you my musume." Tsume thought as she shook her head with a smile, while heading into the kitchen to make dinner.
Namikaze Mansion,
Naruto just entered his father's house and immediately went to one of the many bedrooms, after deactivating the blood seals surrounding the mansion. He quickly dropped his henge, and summoned an unhenged Natsumi who without a step launched herself at him grabbing him in a deep kiss.
"Well that was a rather interesting first day back now wasn't it Naru-kun?" She spoke with her arms around his neck, and his around her waist.
"Sure was Natsu-chan...and I'm just glad it all worked out in the end too, especially during my discussion with Hana-chan and Kaa-san. I still can't believe they cared about me so much and I didn't have a clue about it." He answered, pulling her so there was no space between their bodies any longer.
"Well I'm just glad there are people still loyal to the Yondaime's wish after so long." She retorted, before leaning up and giving him a short kiss, while caressing his whisker marks with her thumb causing him to take in a sharp breath and physically quiver from the touch. "Mmm...forgot just how sensitive your whiskers were. Normally I'd take full advantage of the situation but I can tell you are rather exhausted after today, so I'll make a rain check for...later ne my Foxy-sama?" She cooed in a seductive voice, before softly sucking on, and moaning against his bottom lip to emphasize her intentions causing him to quiver even more from her touch.
Naruto's eyes closed at the feeling, a small groan escaping his throat, but before he could enjoy it more she stopped. He opened his eyes from the lack of contact to see her on the bed in a submissive but sexy lying back position with her four tails spread across the bed, garbed in only a see-through red nightgown that didn't leave much to the imagination, with a coy smirk.
"Kami-samai...I'm just glad she is wearing something underneath that." He thought, noticing her bra and panties while a drip of blood fell down his nose.
"I heard that Foxy-sama" She mentally cooed back to him, while her smirk only growing wider.
"And gomen, but that rain check includes 'little' Foxy-sama too." She ordered while pointing at the increasing bulge in his pants.
"I'm going to get you back for being so 'evil' you know that right?" He questioned with a mischievous smile while undressing himself. "And I still don't know how you change so damn fast." He chuckled, shaking his head playfully, now clad only in his boxer-briefs and black tee-shirt.
"Trade secret Naru-kun..." She said with a pompous smirk. "...plus why shouldn't I be evil, when I so love it when you try to get me back ne Foxy-sama?" She finished with the tip of her finger barely in her mouth, with a coy and sexy expression on her face.
Naruto just shook his head at her antics and got into the bed with her. They quickly wrapped themselves up in each other, with their tails wrapped up too acting as a soft, furry blanket, before kissing each other deeply.
"Night my Shinku Kisaki.(Crimson Queen)"
"Night my Foxy-sama."
They both fell into a deep, peaceful sleep, wishing that morning wouldn't come too soon.
Morning (Hokage's Office),
It was almost 9 am inside the Hokage's office where Yamato and Sarutobi sat patiently waiting for Naruto, when the door to the Hokage's office opened.
"Ah Naru...oh...Tsume-san, Hana-san. What are you two doing here? I know neither of you have any for missions today. And I don't wish to be rude but I have an important meeting in a few moments, and can't be disturbed. I hope you understand and can wait until I'm finished to talk with me." Sarutobi said, trying his best to not sound rude to the Matriarch, and clan heir to one of the best tracking clans that Konoha has to offer.
"Well...actually thats why we are here Hokage-sama. Naruto invited us to this meeting last night as well, he can verify it if you wish" Tsume responded bowing in apology.
"No, its fine...just wish he had told me about inviting others. I was only aware of myself and Yamato-san to be present when he told me. But if you know when this meeting was to occur and at whose request, then there is no need to prove anything." He responded waving his hand dismissively.
"Arigato Hokage-sama." She answered, now walking deeper into the room with Hana in toe.
A moment later the clock in the room began to chime, showing it to be 9 am on the dot. As soon as the clock stopped a voice entered the room, easily recognized by all the occupants.
"Ohayo (good morning), I hope everyone slept well last night." Naruto's singsong voice rang out in front of the closed door.
Everyone turned to see Naruto and Natusmi in their true forms wearing their 'unique' orange/black, red/black style shinobi clothing.
"Hai" The group seemed to chorus out in unison.
"Good...well since this is a rather long story I suggest we all grab a seat." He offered walking towards the Inuzuka pair with a large fanged smile, with Natsumi close behind.
He and Natsumi walked past the pair, but not before he whispered something into each of their ears.
"Guess only Hana-chan and you could make it ne Kaa-san?" He asked only getting a nod and soft smile in return.
"I'm really happy you could make it Hana-chan" He said with a wink after turning to her from Tsume, causing her to slightly blush.
Naruto and Natsumi took their seats, as the Inuzukas took some on the couch in the corner of the room. Once everyone got comfortable, all eyes were on Naruto who coughed forcefully.
"Well I'm sure you guys already know why you are here, so..." He paused his sentence, before forming a set of hand seals as a purple aura flashed throughout the room. "...Onipou: Otofugen Shouheki no jutsu (Demon Art: Sound Silencing Barrier Technique)...now I can start." He finished with smile before beginning the story of the past six years.