Naruto stared at Baki with a blank expression on his face. The man had requested to see him; something like that had never occurred before. He had exchanged a few letters in the past to learn how Sunagakure was doing with Gaara set to be Kazekage and how it was after the Jinchuriki had become the leader.
The Kazekage and his siblings were already in the Village, being entertained by Tsunade. They would be sent to his house for him. He had decided against going all the way out to see them.
"What do you want, Baki?"
The man did not show his surprise at the question. He did expect the blond to get straight to the point. It would be good for him if he got to the point and leave the Leaf as soon as possible, so he could get back to the Sand. It was just dangerous leaving the village without any leader, especially when there were some people who didn't want Gaara to continue as Kazekage.
"I want to know your motives," the man said with narrowed eyes. "As I as said before, Suna will not become anyone's toy thing and I will not allow you to manipulate Gaara. He will be independent and rule the Sand as he sees it best for his people. If you have any other intensions, I will not sit back and allow it to happen or for Sunagakure to be used."
There was firmness in the man's tone that left Naruto without a doubt that the man was dead serious in what he was saying. Well, he had foreseen something like this. Nevertheless, it was amusing - his expression might not have showed that much, but he was amused.
"What will you do, Baki, if I say I have great plans for Gaara and Sunagakure? Will you fight me?"
Baki tensed slightly but his resolve was firm. "Anything to protect my village and the Kazekage! I'm grateful for what you did, but I cannot allow the village to be controlled by someone else who has no love for the village and its people. It would be failure on my part to allow something like that to occur."
Naruto tilted his head to the side as he continued staring at Baki for a long minute. "Feel free to attack me at any time, while I'm watching you because if you come at me from behind, I will be angry."
"Am I supposed to be afraid?"
"That is for you to decide, but I will say this just once: you should be afraid, very afraid," Naruto responded calmly before bursting into a murder of crows. The black feathered birds crowed as they slowly made it toward the man. It wasn't long before they surrounded him and Baki found himself staring at the hypnotic eyes of the Sharingan.
Naruto's voice spoke within the murder of crows. "If I wanted, I could have manipulate you with the Sharingan, but I have decided against that because I have no desires to control you or Suna. My intensions were made clear on the day I slaughtered your council and none of my letters to you have suggested anything more, yet you still question," Naruto's right hand suddenly appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Baki by the throat.
It was only his hand that appeared: there was no sign of the rest of his body, just crows cowing.
"I could also kill you because you're the one who killed Hayate, but I will not because Sunagakure doesn't have many capable Jonins like you. In any case, don't think I won't kill you. I can find a replacement for you," the voice of Naruto spoke once more.
He freed Baki before the crows blurred away from the man. The gathered a small distance behind him, forming Naruto's body. "I despise traitors Baki, and your intensions, although understandable, have not pleased me. Remember, I let you live even though you had a part in the invasion... any more, and I will end you. Make no mistake about it."
Naruto's House
Gaara stared at Naruto with an expressionless mask on his face - it was not because there was nothing on his mind or some lingering emotions that he felt; there was something, but the indifferent look on Naruto's face forced that look out of him. Besides, he wasn't known for wearing smiles all day long.
His siblings were flanking both his sides as they waited for the Uzumaki to start talking. They had already talked to the Hokage; this was a person they would speak to before leaving the village. He could not stay here for too long. But of course, he would not leave without speaking to Kushina. The woman had given something that he could not put value on.
When Naruto didn't appear as if he would say anything, Gaara spoke. "I was expecting to see your mother as well. It would be unfortunate if I were to leave without speaking to her..." the Kazekage said calmly.
Naruto blinked once, before responding. "Why do you need to see my mother? Your business is with me..."
Of course he knew why they wanted to see his mother. They had grown attached to her during their time in the Hidden Sand. He had not liked it, but he had tolerated it. His mother liked 'mothering' other people. It was difficult to accept, but there was nothing he could do about it because his mother was much happier that way. He would resent himself to trying to take away something that made her happy.
"Official business, yes," Gaara said. Naruto's tone didn't express any hostility towards the thought, and so Gaara assumed it was safe to go on. "I never knew my mother... she died giving birth to me. At first, I was treated as nothing more than a failure, my own father didn't want me... you could say I lacked that parental love, but your mother made me experience and know what it means to have a mother.
"It was because of her that I even started being something in my father's eyes. I will always be grateful for the experience and what she did for me. I'm sure Temari feels the same," he would not say anything about Kankuro. Things were different concerning him.
From his chair, Naruto tilted his head to the side, and allowed it to rest on his left palm, with his eyes never leaving the Sand siblings. "You will see her after talking to me. I have much to say you, as the Kazekage, little not nothing to your siblings."
Temari smiled bitterly when the blond said those words. "I never expected things to be the same, but aren't you being a little cold? We shared many memories together and you were the person who gave me words that allowed me live without worries. What happened to that person who I grew to admire?"
Gaara chose not to say anything. He could have warned Temari, but she was asking a good question. it was up to debate whether Naruto would answer it or not.
Naruto's eyes fixed on Temari's for a long minute before he responded. "I remember telling to tell those people who were forcing you to wear for the occasion to stop because I said so; I also said that you should not fight the situation, but let us try to live with it, because fighting it won't change anything. Growing into it, would help us get around it. Both of us were stuck in a situation that neither of us wanted."
"Still are..." Temari corrected.
"Yes," Naruto said with a slight nod. "But of what of it, Temari? It was the logical thing to say at that time, surely not out of kindness..." he paused seeing her expression twitch slightly. "In any case, I do not despise you, nor do have anything against you. Maybe I was being a little rude..." but he was not going to apologise for it. "My mother should be in the living room. I'm sure she will be quite ecstatic to see you..."
"It was nice seeing you again, Naruto," Temari said before standing up.
"Kankuro, you can go with her," Gaara said, seeing that Naruto had 'failed' to address his brother. Things could have gone worse, but it was okay. There was still time to repair the bridges. His brother did not fight, he left peacefully.
Naruto sighed once the two left the study. He had thought of his marriage to Temari, but he could not think about it with everything that has been happening around. He just did not feel it. His mother would not allow him to bring that girl here if he was just going to be miserable. She would slap him on both cheeks if he did something like that.
Above all things, she thought of happiness and expected him to think about it as well.
"If I wasn't logical, things would have been different..." Naruto said.
Gaara appeared to think about it for a moment before responding. "Was that on purpose? Your mother will detect it... and she will say something about it."
"It wasn't on purpose but yes, things will go like that," Naruto said. "How are things in the Sand?"
"So far so good. There are challenges as some influential people are resisting my rule, but I should be able to handle it. The village still has some financial troubles, but I think my negotiations with the Wind Daimyo will resolve those matters soon. Aside from that, there haven't been any troubles..."
Naruto nodded. "That is good to know," he said. "If there is anything you need, come to me, I will help you If I can. Whether it be some negotiations with the Fire Lord in terms of trade, I will offer my assistance. Suna should have lost some of its allies for its perceived betrayal of Konoha..."
Gaara raised an eyebrow at those words, but he smiled in the end. "I will keep that in mind," he said. "The Hokage has been a willing ally. Things should not turn any worse in the near future. I'm taking measures to ensure that nothing like what happened before happens again."
"You have one problem," Naruto started. "I'm sure the Godaime has already told you about the Akatsuki since you're are Jinchuriki..."
"She told me to keep an eye on them, but wasn't forthcoming in the details..."
"They are after Bijuus. I don't know when they will make a move, but they are capable shinobi... my life is also threatened, so I will also have to act. Once I have something concrete planned up, I will let you know," Naruto paused as he changed the subject. "Just in case you were wondering, I have no interest in trying in to control Sunagakure. I was merely creating a possible route for me in case Konoha fails."
"I figured as much," Gaara said. "Naruto... I know you're cautious with us since the betrayal. I understand that, but I want to assure you that we won't go through that path. If anything, we'd like to maintain the friendship we shared before everything."
Naruto's eyes fell on Gaara's as the expressionless mask resisted all urges for change. "If I hated your guts, I would never have thought of making Suna an escape route. I'm not an illogical person. I rationalized and gave it a thought: it would be illogical for me resent you for what happened. Things can change, but holding what happened against has no base for conviction.
"Orochimaru killed your father because he refused to go along with his plans. For his own survival, your father could have gone along with the plan, but he refused. I should hold him in high regard for that for sticking to what he believed in. Baki was just stupid and ignorant... but the council wanted it, hence I killed them.
"You're in this house because I have nothing against you. I do not know about friends, because I have never gone out all the way to acquaint myself with other people despite my mother's wishes."
Gaara managed a small smile. "That is good enough for me," he said. "You may not consider me as a friend for now, but I promise you that one day, I will become your friend."
"Why? You know at this point that I would think twice before trying to kill you granted your relationship with my mother stays the same. Basically, you have a slight hold on me..." There was no need to hide it as the redhead had already spent time with him. He knew how things worked, and besides, the Kazekage wasn't stupid.
"As I said, your mother gave me an experience of what it means to have a mother. Since then, I have considered her as family, I still do now," Gaara said firmly. "I simply cannot betray her kindness and the experiences she gave me."
Training Ground
Sasuke sped through the ground, his body lowered as if he was struggling with gravity; a Chidori chirping furiously on his right hand, a bit of it cutting through the ground as he ran towards Naruto in blinding speed. He was upon the Uzumaki within a second, and drove the jutsu in a downward strike towards Naruto. The blond moved quickly to avoid the blow by taking a single step backwards.
Sasuke's jutsu pierced through the ground causing an explosion that caused debris to pick up.
As Sasuke pulled his right hand from the ground, Naruto's right foot left the ground and sped towards the air, heading straight towards his forehead. The Uchiha instinctively raised his left hand to act as a shield to block the kick from slamming into his forehead. The kick came in fast and powerfully so; it slammed on his hand, forcing him to slide back to a good distance, with his knees bent.
The moment the momentum stopped, Sasuke was put on alert, as Naruto's left foot crashed heavily just in front of him while was he was still lowered. The right foot came in rushing above, heading straight onto his head. Sasuke crossed both his hands above his head, creating a hastily put defence, but one that would help him as Naruto's kick didn't break through when it brutally crashed into it.
The kick still had enough power to shatter the ground below him.
Sasuke didn't put it into mind as he quickly pushed back Naruto using his footing. He managed to put the blond off balance slightly by pushing away his right foot. In a sweeping movement, Sasuke's right foot cleaned through the ground before hitting Naruto's left foot.
This forced the blond to nearly fall on his back, but he managed to flip quickly and landed on both his feet. The moment he did so, Sasuke was right above him, his left foot aimed at the side of his head. Naruto could only bend his upper body backwards to avoid the blow.
As the foot went past his face, just inches away, Naruto's right hand caught it, but before he could do anything, Sasuke sent a right punch straight at his face. Naruto reacted quickly by lifting up his left hand. He caught the punch with his hand.
Sasuke smirked before lighting burst through his right hand. The lightning went through Naruto's body. The blond reacted by letting go of his hold, freeing his right hand. As he was doing that, Sasuke was holding a single hand seal, preparing to release a jutsu from point blank range.
Naruto's reaction to this was lightning fast; his free hand grabbed Sasuke's face as the Uchiha was preparing to release his jutsu. He twisted around, forcing Sasuke to move with him before mercilessly slamming him to the ground on his back.
Naruto tried to continue with the attack by slamming a punch on Sasuke's gut, but the Uchiha raised his right foot, causing Naruto to jump back. The moment the blond landed on the ground, electric bolts burst through the ground, hitting him head on.
Within a second, Sasuke was right in front of Naruto; a powerful kick slammed into his face, but Sasuke didn't allow the blond to go anywhere - forced by the power behind his kick - he grabbed him by the right hand and twisting once before slamming him into the ground.
...A bit of a payback.
Lying on the ground as he was, Naruto saw Sasuke appear above him, he clasped his hands together, "Earth Style: Mud Pillar!" a pillar burst forth from the ground in a fast motion, rising high towards the Uchiha. Seeing that he was going to collide with the jutsu, Sasuke released a Chidori, and cut through the pillar.
Naruto suddenly flashed above him, with a Rasengan in hand. He slammed the jutsu into the back of the Uchiha, but Sasuke suddenly burst into a log. The Rasengan shattered the log into pieces as Sasuke blurred above the blond as he had done with him, a Lightning Cutter masking his right hand. The jutsu pierced through the back of the blond, but Naruto too turned into a log.
Naruto appeared a distance away from Sasuke, standing on the ground. The Uchiha flashed in front of him, a sword at hand. He swung the electrified blade in a swing cutting across Naruto's chest. The blond jumped back quickly to avoid the swing. The swing just passed inches away from him, but a bit of electricity touched his chest.
Sasuke took a single step forward and landed a had knee on Naruto's gut. He flicked his sword to his left and swung it in an upward strike, cutting up from his left heading upward towards Naruto's upper body. This time around, Naruto managed to dodge the strike completely by jumping back.
"T'ch," Sasuke mouthed. "Can't believe I only manage to get just one hit in after paralyzing you," the Uchiha said.
As he was speaking, Naruto was landing and the moment he did so, he summoned his own sword and took off like a bullet, charging towards Sasuke. His sword was coated with the Wind element as Sasuke's was covered with Raiton.
When Naruto was upon him, sword raised high and slashing in a downward strike aimed at around his left shoulder, Sasuke didn't attempt to block it. His blood red eyes told him of the dangers of attempting something like that. He switched to the side slightly, well, more like sidestepped the strike. Although Naruto's sword didn't touch the ground, there was a large slash on the ground after it missed Sasuke.
The Uchiha didn't dwell on that, his right foot swiftly left the ground, rising up quickly as the Uchiha attempted a high kick aimed at Naruto's head. The blond caught the kick with his left hand. It was a firm grip that left Sasuke without an escape.
Feeling the hold was firm, Sasuke used this to his advantage and tried to slam his left foot on the side of Naruto's head, but the blond saw this coming and quickly let go of his right foot whilst pushing it to the side to cause the Uchiha to be off balance. It might have been for a second, but it was enough for him to take a step forward and slam a brutal punch into Sasuke's chest.
The Uchiha felt oxygen escape his lungs for second as the punch sent him sailing backwards. With a second in the air, Sasuke managed to regain his balance and flipped several times before landing on the ground on one knee.
"You still punch so bruta-," the Uchiha trailed off as he looked up.
Naruto was coming in high with a large Rasengan on the palm of his right hand. The fully matured Sharingan morphed into the Mangekyo and a dark purple Susano'o surrounded his body. Naruto's jutsu hit hard, but failed to breakthrough, causing the blond to jump flash away.
"I'm not going to go easy on you," Sasuke said, well more like promised before his Susano'o grew in size, forming just the fully clothed upper body. A weapon was quickly formed, a bow and an arrow. Sasuke didn't stop there, the arrow became engulfed by black flames.
With his left eye bleeding slightly, Sasuke fired the first shot.
There was just no other way to avoid this. While he avoided using it, there was no helping the situation in this regard. Naruto took out the three pronged kunai and threw it to another direction before flashing away. Sasuke had responded in kind by firing another arrow where the kunai was thrown.
There were a couple of explosions that shook the entire training ground as Naruto continued to dodge Sasuke's strikes.
After a couple of seconds, Sasuke fell on his knees as the Susano'o dispersed, his body hurting. Using the Susano'o truly felt as if his body was being torn apart. It was damn painful. He needed to get used to using this jutsu. Amaterasu was another bloody jutsu that just killed him with the pain on the eye that cast it.
Great power came with great pain, huh?
Well, the more he used it, the more he would get used to the pain.
Sasuke stood up after recovering his breath, his Sharingan was still active. Naruto was standing a distance away, he too looked winded. Well, using the Hiraishin to dodge his arrows had to take a lot from him. Those arrows were almost impossible to dodge unless you were a speed freak.
"I will give you this round," Sasuke said calmly as he deactivated his Sharingan.
Naruto didn't offer an immediate response; he looked up into the heavens before taking a deep breath. "That is for the best," he said. "That was a little unfair. Using your jutsu like that... one of those things could kill me, you know."
Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly. "It wouldn't be fun if there was no that fear, and pushing you to the limit is best away to test myself and you..." the Uchiha paused as he changed the subject. "There is still a lot more than I need to learn about the Mangekyo and so much to improve on..."
Naruto said nothing in response.
Sasuke appeared amused. "I didn't think it bothered you that you have hit a wall with your growth while there is still a chance for me to grow much more powerfully than I am. Does it bother you that if I am at my full potential... and without 'that' power you wouldn't be able to fight me on equal ground?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Naruto said with a wave of his right hand. "The potential is there for you, but if you cannot finish me off before your chakra runs out, you cannot defeat me..."
His mother had been right; there was no reason to be afraid. Naruto was ridiculously strong, but he was also strong and he had the Sharingan with him. It wasn't anyone's power, but his power, his bloodline. Naruto would need the Kyubi's power to defeat him when he does attain the Eternal Mangekyo and the Perfect Susano'o.
Still, his chakra reserves were something he needed to resolve. He could not hold a candle to Naruto as he was. He would think about something that soon enough.
"I will develop a seal for you; it will be used to store chakra, and will work like a second pool of chakra. You can access it to replenish your reserves once you have run out of chakra," Naruto said. "It will be different from a soldier pill because it will not carry any health risks."
"This will solve the problem, but I will need to work on my stamina," the Uchiha said. "How are we going to explain this? I'm sure the explosions reached the villagers. We have our guests watching, but not the Hokage..."
Naruto shrugged, "If she found that 'thing' then she was watching," the blond said indifferently. "I must go..." he disappeared without another word.
Sasuke frowned; Naruto was leaving him to deal with the people who were watching them. Surely, someone would come to him to ask questions about their power. The Anbu would not, but they would surely have taken note. He was a brother to Uchiha Itachi - a man who had made history during his time as an Anbu operative.
The Uchiha was thankful when no one troublesome came up. The others seemed to have just disappeared; It was only his former sensei who walked over to him. "Yoh..." the Jonin greeted with an eye smile.
"Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke responded to the man. Kakashi had only come twice during their time away, but he had not seen much in terms of their training. Sasuke had not even seen the man because he had always been busy with his brother and they didn't want the Jonin to know about him.
"You have grown, Sasuke," Kakashi said. "The younger you would have still continued with the fight, regardless of how your body felt. You appear to have great control over your Sharingan - that is something to smile about."
"I had a good teacher," Sasuke was only willing to say. "There is still so much more that I must learn about it, so much more..."
"One never truly stops learning, and for bloodline holders, the potential is always high. You especially with the Sharingan... Possibilities are limitless, but even those who have don't a bloodline can find unlimited potential, as in Naruto's case," Kakashi said calmly.
Sasuke appeared to think for a couple of seconds before shaking his head. "I know I will become much stronger than I am, but I don't know about Naruto..."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
"Maybe he can take in a few things, but I don't think they will make much of a difference in his power. Naruto grew too fast at a young age... when he was training, he was always pushing to his limits, I think he has reached his limit, a boundary he cannot cross. He has learned what he needs to learn about Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Kenjutsu and Genjutsu... adding more jutsus won't make a difference. He can only refine what he has learned so far..."
It must be frustrating for someone to reach that level. Sasuke didn't have to worry about it, he had his Sharingan. Did everyone else who didn't have a bloodline experience such a thing?
"Well, when he left the village, there was nothing else he could do," Kakashi said. "There are many who have reached that point, but few have managed to break through their natural limits to gain even greater power. Naruto is smart, I'm he will figure a way around it," the Jonin said confidently.
Sasuke nodded in agreement. "What did you think of his fighting them?"
"Not much has changed... well, he did use much more chakra than he used to... but I guess fighting someone like you forces you to do that..." Kakashi said in a thoughtful tone. "How strong are both of you really, Sasuke?"
"I don't know... I have only measured myself against Naruto..." the Uchiha said. "But your normal Jonin would be no match for us."
Kakashi didn't offer an immediate response, but with what he has seen so far, he could agree with the Uchiha's statement. "Have you thought of reforming Team 7?"
Sasuke blinked. "The thought never came to mind... we are one member short... Hinata won't be allowed to come closer to us by her father."
Meanwhile...
Hokage Office
Tsunade leaned back to rest on her chair, but her eyes continued staring at the crystal ball in front of her. Jiraiya had already made his distance to return to his beloved seat. They had been watching Naruto's sparring session with Sasuke, and truthfully had been impressed.
The Godaime Hokage was a lot more impressed with Sasuke. He wasn't the one known for being powerful, but he had shown her that he was a capable shinobi. But of course, she would still have them to a couple of missions before she can give them their Jonin vests. There would be no shortcuts. In any case, she had no doubt about their strength.
"They are both impressive," the blonde Hokage said. "That time, we just saw their speed, but here we saw that they can fight. Well, seeing how much Sasuke has grown at a young age, it is no wonder the Sharingan was very feared those days. Still is..."
Well, she was happy that Konoha had another strong person in its ranks and she didn't have to worry about the Uchiha turning traitor because his clan was here and he would surely be looking forward to restoring it to its former glory. His mother was already laying out the foundations, so there was no reason to say the Uchiha was a flight risk.
She could consider the matter closed.
There was Naruto. Really, the blond gave her a headache. If nothing happened, he was sure to stay in the village along with his mother. But what could tick him off? How would they even try to prevent something like that from happening? Shikaku had a plan, and really, she hoped that it would work for the best.
"He will certainly surpass his brother at this stage," Jiraiya said with a nod. "Well, he is still a genius: It has only been Naruto's shadow that has been a problem. If not, he would have graduated as the best in the academy..." the Sannin paused. "I'm still impressed that Naruto could fight against 'that' without even trying to use the Kyubi's chakra..."
Really, it showed just how much of a capable shinobi Naruto was. Those arrows; they were deadly fast. Admittedly, even though he was a Sannin, he would have difficulty in facing off against a Susano'o. Well, Naruto did have the Hiraishin. Still, it only enabled him to dodge attacks, it didn't give him anything in terms of offensive capabilities.
For Sasuke, the Susano'o didn't just give him a powerful offensive jutsu, it also gave him a good defensive technique. The fact that Naruto had not tried to attack the Susano'o head on meant that he knew it would have been futile. The blond wasn't the one to do things for the sake of it after all.
He was like his father in that regard.
"From what Kakashi said, he has never relied on the Kyubi's power. Most Jinchurikis rely on their Bijuus power to the point where you seal away the power, they become normal. Naruto is dangerous as he is... not just with physical prowess, but mentally as well. We have not put the Kyubi into the picture, so if he can control its power, it will be something else..."
Jiraiya nodded in agreement before changing the subject. "How'd go with Gaara?"
"Fine," Tsunade said. "He seems like an honest kid. He even offered to pay for the damages his village caused during the war, even though Suna doesn't have the kind of resources. I don't think I will have to worry about him. My only concern is his sister though... her relationship with Naruto at least..."
"What about it?"
"According to senseis notes, Naruto got along just fine with her, and Kushina treated those children as if they were her own. However, when I spoke to Gaara, he was not sure if things would be in the same light at this stage because of the invasion."
Well, it was no doubt that Naruto would not forgive anyone who tried to harm his mother. The Toad Sage could even go as far as to say that the blond saw it as nothing less of a sin that was just blasphemous. Although he has grown, the fundamental principles that had made him act the way he had back then were still there. It was just now that Naruto could no longer follow his mother everywhere, but he was still the same Uzumaki Naruto.
"How are you going to deal with it?"
Tsunade shrugged. "It won't affect diplomatic ties even if things go wrong. From the way Gaara spoke, our relationship with the Hidden Sand is safe, and I doubt something like what happened with Orochimaru will happen again. Like I said, Gaara is honest and things are likely to go smoothly from now on," the Fifth Hokage explained lightly. "The marriage proposal was made as insurance, just in case there was a change of heart and a symbol on our part that we were willing to make things work."
Jiraiya nodded in silence. "Konoha is safe as things are concerned. I'm just worried about the Akatsuki."
"There is every reason to be worried," Tsunade said in agreement with her former teammate. "I will send a message to other Kages to see if we can cooperate in dealing with them. We know what they want, but for what we do not..."
"That is what worries me deeply," Jiraiya said with a sigh. "In any case, I should leave the village soon to meet with my contacts. Maybe there will be some new information that they have found."
Icharaku Ramen
Naruto was enjoying his meal alone when he was joined by Hinata. He didn't say a word to her as he continued eating as if he hadn't seen her. In response, the Hyuga ordered her bowl and waited until she was served before speaking in a calm and warm tone.
"How are things in the village? I know you were not the most favoured person before the invasion," Hinata said.
Naruto's eyes turned towards the Hyuga for a moment before he stared at his empty bowl. He had told her to stay away from him because he didn't want to play games with her father. If the man learns that she had met him so publicly, he would not be happy and would come at him with guns blazing.
The Uzumaki didn't fear the man, he just didn't want to deal with it at this stage. He had other things to worry about. His mind was even preoccupied with personal things that were threatening to change how he lives his life.
Well, maybe Hinata had her reasons. She wasn't stupid was she? It was a bit amusing that she was going against his wishes though. The Hinata of the old would have never defied him... yes, it was amusing and so he decided to indulge it.
"So far, no problems," Naruto responded calmly. "There were a couple of raised eye brows when I was seen walking around with Anko, but nothing got out of control."
Hinata smiled, "I'm happy to know that," she said a bit happily. "I have settled in my family; my sister is okay, and I'm trying to lessen the resentment between the main and branch family. So, far I am content with how things are going. Of course there are challenges, but things look good."
"That is good to know," Naruto said calmly. "It is interesting that you still have this gentle side of you. I never resented it and I never tried to change it. but I did want you to show a spine. Perhaps you gave me hope that all was not lost for humans."
Hinata didn't offer an immediate response; she allowed herself to drift into her thoughts before responding. "When other people have done nothing but abuse you, you learn to hate them, despise their very being. Well, that is what most people do."
"But that isn't the case for you," Naruto said. "You may have been treated unfairly, but you have never hated anyone."
"The same can be said about you," Hinata said a bit strongly. "I believe that if you really did come to hate this village for what it did to you, we wouldn't be sitting here together. You may have just decided not to care, thought of them as something less of humans..." Hinata shook her head. "My statement was in reference to my cousin. We are all different, so we respond to situations in different ways. Neji responded in kind to those who hurt him; I responded with kindness, and your response was indifference."
"Interesting," Naruto said. "You've become much knowledgeable with life," he said.
"I want to change my clan... how can I change it if I don't understand the dynamics of life and the core values within people? Before you try to change someone or something, you must first change yourself, unless you're god... or so they say," Hinata stated. "Since I was never able to muster the courage to speak in my younger days, all I did was just observe and observe. I was able to see things that other people were not able to see. I had too much time to think after all."
Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Are you suggesting that other people had too much too say nonsense without really giving much thought into what they were saying?"
Hinata smiled. "I did not say that...you're the one who is suggesting it," the Hyuga said. "I should not stay too long; my father will surely send people here should I do so. Well, then, Naruto..." she bowed her head in respect in left the blond alone.
About an Hour Later
Naruto's study
Yugao stared at Naruto with an expressionless mask on her face. When Naruto's body language didn't react to her presence, she sighed and spoke. "That was nice of you giving some people an idea of what you two are capable of doing..."
Naruto looked up to the woman with a raised eyebrow - this was because of her sarcasm. People tended to use the language every now and then and even Sasuke was prone to a few sarcastic remarks. "If didn't want anyone to do anything, I would have allowed anyone to watch. Every movement is essential when you have enemies. Careless mistakes will ruin you. I won't discuss that with you in any case," the blond said. "I should be absent from Konoha tomorrow noon at the very least."
Yugao folded her hands across her chest. "You're finally moving," she said.
"I need to find information about the Akatsuki and its leader. Itachi didn't know much about him... all he knew was that he lives in Amegakure and possesses the Rinnegan. There is nothing more we know than that," Naruto leaned back to his chair.
There was the option of going to Amegakure to find out for himself, but that was just risk as he did not know what to expect. What he knew was that he had sent two people there in different occasions and neither had returned. For now, he would try to find out what was inside without going in before making a move.
"I'm not deeply concerned about the masked one because I have him covered..."
"What If your plan fails?" Yugao posed seriously. "What is this plan you have for him anyway?"
Naruto waved his right hand nonchalantly. "You don't have to worry yourself about the finer details. My mother comes first to you... everything else you leave for me to worry about it..." he said a bit firmly. "In any case, I believe that my plan has no chances of failing... as long as I keep it to myself."
Once more again, Yugao sighed, but this time with a shake of her head. "If you were someone else, I'd be worried about you doing something reckless," she said calmly.
"I don't take unnecessary risks. After all, I understand how fragile life is. Humans are much easier to kill, and they can die in many ways - simple to complex..." Naruto said. "Why are you standing so far away?" ever since she entered the study, she'd been standing by the door, her hands folded across her chest. "You also appear to be on guard."
Yugao stared for a few moments before responding. "I don't want you catching me off again," she said.
Naruto tilted his head to the side, trying to understand where the woman was going with her statement. It took about a minute for him to understand it, and in all that time, Yugao had merely stared at him with unblinking eyes.
"Is it really something you ought to guard yourself against?" Naruto asked with a hint of curiosity in his tone. "Unlike me, you must have done it a couple of times... with being a former Anbu. You are trained to use your bodies if necessary. Such a thing to you should be meaningless."
"If it is meaningless to me, shouldn't the same be for you?" Yugao asked. "You're don't operate in the same way as other people do..."
"That cold and logical part of me seems to leave me at times," Naruto admitted. "In any case, this is something new for me. I'm inexperienced in the field, so this makes it difficult to control every aspect of my emotions and actions."
"If you're not experienced with things, don't try them as you did them with me," Yugao was talking about the blond kissing her. "I'm not going to be your test subject. I'm sure even your mother will be disappointed if she learns that her dear son is experimenting on his emotions using real people..." she wanted to add that he had Mikoto to do all kinds of experience but the image was a bit too hot...
Naruto stared deep into Yugao's eyes for about a minute before shaking his head. "What are you afraid of, Yugao? I'm inexperienced, not stupid."
"I'm not afraid," Yugao said a slightly loud tone. "I may have been Anbu, but you should know that even we are people with all emotions. We worked together, you should know better. In any case, do you imagine what would've happened if you were not able to stop?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "I don't think I would allow myself to be controlled by my feelings. Nevertheless, if I had not been able to control myself, wouldn't you've control yourself? You're a former Anbu, Yugao, to suggest that I would overpower so simply to force myself into you is a massive ignorance of the facts," the blond said. "Or perhaps it isn't that you would have failed to stop me, but because you allowed yourself."
Yugao opened her mouth to say something but she quickly shut her thoughts. She was still talking to Naruto. He might be inexperienced with emotions, but he was still a logical person. If she continued to say things without thinking them deeply, she would end up looking red-faced. Naruto might be dense in some sense, but with his experiences so far, he would not ask if she was feeling a cold or not.
The woman shook her head as she cleared her thoughts. What was she thinking anyway? Was it safe for her to start such a conversation with Naruto?
"What are you going to do with Temari?" Yugao asked, shifting the conversation from her. "Your mother acknowledges that things are not bright as they had been before the invasion."
"Nothing for now," Naruto said quietly. "There is still some time before I reach 18. I can think of something along the way and things can change. With humans, you can never too sure." He could tell the woman that he may reveal to Tsunade that he 'put' Gaara as leader of Sunagakure and that the Kazekage would have no thoughts of rebellion.
It was a risky move that he would only consider if he was desperate.
Nevertheless, he would need something to mask the relationship with Mikoto. He needed another relationship to dispel all thoughts and rumours. But who would he choose? Naruto shook his head. Wasn't he talking about Temari?
It was nothing to obsess.
With that single thought, Naruto brought the conversation back to Mikoto. "Who do you think will be a lot better suited to be my girlfriend? My emotions don't have to matter, I can fake them if the needs to be any faking."
Yugao stared blankly. Did he just say that with a straight face? It was just unbelievable. "Let me get this straight, you want a toy girl to mask your relationship with Mikoto."
"I didn't say that..." Naruto said.
"For what reason, would you need a girlfriend?"
"Carnal pleasure? An experiment on what a relationship entails?" Naruto offered a couple of reasons.
"But those are not it. You just want a toy," Yugao seemed disgusted by the thought. "Have you no shame in saying something like that?"
"If I had any shame, I wouldn't have said it," Naruto said. "It is apparent that you're not pleased with the idea. Nevertheless, let me clarify things for you: when I said suitable, I meant someone who could understand a bit of me, someone who would understand that there are no strings attached - isn't that what you say? I'm okay with using people, but you should know, I would not use an innocent woman in such a manner."
Yugao blinked at that last statement. Had she forgotten about it? Naruto respected women, well at least most of them. It was something that his mother had taught him when he was younger and even to this day, he still carried that teaching.
"I'm surprised you know about no strings attached," Yugao said, her disgust all but gone. She was rather surprised that the blond actually knew the phrase when he did not engage in that kind of a life. She could not say it was the same with him and Mikoto as the woman obviously had some emotions attached.
"Is it supposed to be a fancy thing?" Naruto asked. "In my kind of life, the phrase applies everywhere..." he did not have to spell it out for Yugao for her to understand what he meant by that. If she did not get it, then it was her luggage for being too slow.
Yugao tilted her head to the side. She knew Naruto very well; maybe she was not willing to dwell much on everything about him, but he was still a logical and cunning shinobi. He should understand it better.
"I forget you see tools in most people..."
Naruto didn't comment on that one. "That simply means that we are both using each other to get what we want. No strings attached, in this scenario, i believe it has to do with emotions. In my world, don't expect anything from me, even when you're in trouble; if i got what i wanted, I'm out," the blond said. "We are drifting off, perhaps because you don't wish to help me. Well, I will figure something out. I will still leave Konoha; I've already told you the first reason."
That meant there was a second reason. "The second reason?"
"I need to find something from Orochimaru. You know we have been trying to search for Uzumaki survivors. I have credible information that leads me to believe that there is one with Orochimaru. Trying to raise hell in his hideouts would be problematic and time consuming. I would rather face the snake himself."
If he had been someone else, Yugao would have asked if he was crazy. Orochimaru was a Sannin and a dangerous person. His name brought fear even to the hardened shinobi. Not even Anbu tried going after the snake Sannin. But Naruto was just going to waltz into his hideout and speak to him.
Yugao shook her head. "Your mother would not be pleased..."
"Naturally," Naruto said. "It would be too dangerous in her opinion. The Hokage won't be informed. Well, it will depend on how things go. If things proceed as planned, i will inform her of my journey. I would rather not have my name being linked to the Sannin," the blond said.
"Isn't she going to ask questions even if you do tell her rather than her finding about it?"
"She will, but when i tell her about it, i have nothing to hide and i don't have to deal with it when it just springs up on me. Besides, I can tell her compelling reasons," Naruto said. "The first reason is understandable and she cannot question; the second, she doesn't need to know because isn't any of her business to know."
Yugao frowned, "Why do I get the feeling that you're going to Orochimaru for both reasons..."
Uchiha Compound
Mikoto stared at Naruto with for couple of seconds before sighing. They were in her bedroom; she was ready for action, but the blond seemed to be preoccupied with his thoughts. She would have to ask what was going on. but really she wanted to go about that after she was done with him. Still, this was her beloved; she could not allow him to struggle while she was here.
She wanted to teach him about life after all. Even though her body was now shouting for her to get on top of him, she held back. She had promised herself that she would not simply allow herself to use him for her needs, but he needed to understand a lot of things about life in general, things that his mother would not be able to talk with him.
"What is wrong?"
Naruto shook his head. "There is nothing wrong," he said. "But ever since I returned to this village, there have been a couple of things that I have experienced. While it hasn't changed much about the way I think, it has opened my eyes about things that I was ignorant of... yet it still leaves me with so many questions."
"You know, there are questions that no one should answer for you, but you must answer them after searching yourself and your desires," Mikoto said calmly. "I will help you with what I can, but some things you must solve on your own. That is what growth means."
"I thought I had grown already..." Naruto said. For all his life, he has been 'accused' of growing all too quickly. Mikoto had even said that he was no longer just a boy but a man. Yet, it is apparent that there is a stage that he had missed.
"You have, but you did not go through teenage years... well, you're still a teenager, but if not brought to you, you would have missed this part. It is fundamental for the building of your emotional attachments when it comes to friends, love and how you view life. Friends influence you in ways you'd not think, and your relationships now help you prepare for the ones you will make tomorrow.
"Shinobi learn through experiences. Theories are useless in real life; you need to have the actual experience to say that you know what you're talking about and to say that I have lived this. At the end of the day, everyone wants to be happy - even you want to be happy."
Naruto has never disputed that. Perhaps most of his joy came from watching his mother smiling and knowing that she was safe and well. Safety was now no longer just an issue, she had to be happy as well. He could not be happy if she was not. However, these days, he was the concern. Concern that he was allowing his youth to escape him without doing the stupid things that other kids do.
She seemed to realise that without the mistakes, he would never have something to reference on when facing the same issue in the near future. He was going to get married, a real marriage. It was only a question of to whom - Temari thing excluded. To be able to make it a success and enjoy life, he needed experience and an understanding of his emotions as well as that kind of a life.
"I'm starting to understand a few things," Naruto said. "When I went out with Ino, I realized that she is a precious friend whom I cannot simply use for my own indulgence. I thought I'd take advantage of her attachment to me, but I cannot do that to her. It would shatter the image she has of me and my mother would certainly be saddened," the blond finished.
"Oh, so things didn't work out with her," Mikoto said, she wasn't feeling particularly anything aside from relief about that. "If you continue to learn more things, you will surely end up living the kind of life your mother wishes for you. It does sadden me that I am not allowed to dream that far ahead."
"It isn't like I'm going to suddenly forsake you," Naruto said. Well, it could be easy. He was far better versed with ditching tools that were no longer usable. However, Mikoto was not a tool, was she? Besides that, it would certainly put him at odds with Sasuke if he ended up hurting the woman.
It was best he keep this up.
He wasn't complaining. This was a valuable experience and something that made him feel the pleasures of life.
"I'm happy to know that," Mikoto said with a smile. "Sasuke isn't to return soon, but if we don't use this time, he might end up finishing the tasks I sent him to do before we get to do anything. We need to take a shower after as well. I would rather not be in a situation where Sasuke's asks me why your scent is all over me."
"That would prove difficult to explain..." Naruto acknowledged. "Nevertheless, I think the expression on his face would be amusing if you simply tell him you were giving me carnal knowledge..."
Mikoto giggled at the thought of her son racking up his brains trying to find out what that really meant, "Itachi would probably do worse..."
Naruto' House
The following Morning
It was breakfast time within the Uzumaki household; it was just three people though. Naruto was still getting used to the idea of having to see Yugao's face every time for breakfast. There were no longer those moments he prepared a meal with his mother when washed the dishes with her - she did everything with Yugao, and when not, they just exchanged duties.
He was slightly feeling left out.
How long has Yugao been with them though? It has been years; he needed to get over his thoughts or else this trivial matter would keep bothering him. There was no problem with Yugao. He trusted her. The fact that he permitted her presence in the house was proof of that.
Was it simply a wish of trying to keep hold of the fading memories of the young days? Yes, if things continue as they are, things would become as normal as they are in other families, but not Uzumaki normal. Naruto shook his head. He was being childish, wasn't he? Well, this was 'his' mother. He was allowed to act that way.
Naruto turned to his mother; she was busy in a conversation with Yugao about something else; it related to new set of furniture she wanted to buy for the Senju compound to replace the old stuff that had run its course. He had seen everything as fine the way he was.
"Mother," Naruto said to get his mother's attention.
Kushina quickly turned her eyes towards her son with a smile. "Yes, dear?"
Her reaction had been quick, it made Naruto smile; Happy that he was still her son no matter who came in to the house. "I will be leaving Konoha later on today. I'm following on a lead about an Uzumaki. If this proves to be correct, I might return with another member to the clan," the blond said.
Kushina beamed up. That was the first time she was hearing that there was a possibility of another Uzumaki being alive. Ever since they had started searching, years ago, there has never been any positive news. This wasn't tangible information but it was enough to make the woman start dreaming again. If it wasn't something, Naruto would not bothering in leaving the village to follow it.
Honestly, Kushina was excited.
"That is some good news in a long time," she redhead said with a wide smile. "Do you want me to follow?"
The hope in her eyes, it hit Naruto like a hard kick on his temple: if this information was true and Orochimaru did in fact have the Uzumaki, he could not fail. He would not. He would come back with something: either something or proof that the person does exist.
His mother would not be disappointed. He could not give her hope and then take it away. It would be cruel of him and he would not forgive himself for doing something like that to his precious mother.
Naruto shook his head slightly. "It could be dangerous and I have to travel."
Kushina was silent for a few moments before nodding. She knew that he meant that he would be fighting. Naruto didn't want to his mother in a battlefield. He hadn't even allowed her to smack some senses into the villagers back then when they would get into her nerves.
Of course the fact that he was going to be fighting raised questions, but Kushina did not ask them. She didn't want to put Naruto in an uncomfortable position. He was strong and could handle himself. He wasn't also the stupid idiot would run into battles even though he could not handle them.
"Just be careful," Kushina said in a warm, yet firm tone.
Naruto smiled. "When have I ever not been careful, mother?"
Kushina tilted her head to the side as she pondered about the question. Naruto hadn't actually expected her to think about it: it was after all, a rhetoric question. "Since never," she said smiling. "But even though you're strong, you are still my precious son. I will always worry about you... not only when you go out to fight, but even when you go out to hang out with friends because that is what mother's do."
Naruto nearly frowned, but he shook it off. "You have nothing to worry about, mother," he said firmly. "I won't be leaving alone anyway... I will take Anko with me... I just need for the Hokage to give permission for her to leave..."
"She is one of your friends, right?" Kushina said to Yugao - who nodded. the Uzumaki turned back to Naruto. "Do you not see the trend here?"
Naruto blinked, "What?"
"Yugao, Mikoto, Ino, Temari, Hinata and now Anko," Kushina said the names firmly. "You have a lot of female friends but very few male friends. If we don't count Sasuke...we remain with just Shikamaru. I'm beginning to think you like women a lot..." of course to think that he liked them in a way that Jiraiya does was just ridiculous.
This was her Uzumaki Naruto after all.
"Perhaps it is because they are the ones I have been able to get an understanding with," Naruto said. And it could be that he could assert himself to them. Most males wanted to be the top dog, but Naruto didn't allow for that. He didn't like people he couldn't use. "Well, you will be happy to know that Gaara wishes to make me his friend, and Hinata brought her cousin to me."
Kushina beamed up at the Gaara part. "There is no reason you shouldn't be friends with him," the woman said. "Both of you are Jinchurikis; you have been through some stuff and I think it will be easy for you to understand each other, don't you think so Yugao?"
Yugao blinked when the eyes of both Naruto and Kushina fell on her. She had been a mere spectator before and now the conversation had turned to her. She smiled, "I don't know much about the Kazekage, but he seems to be a nice person," the woman said.
Kushina seemed disappointed by the answer. "That wasn't the answer I was looking for," the woman said.
Yugao smiled, "I know," she said. "But if Naruto is as smart as he claims to be, he should understand what you're saying a lot better. Right, Naruto?"