After deciding to meet at ten that morning, they split up to get some rest before the 'open house'. Hinata held Naruto's hand, practically guiding the young man back to his apartment. He was emotionally exhausted, both from the party and from the Hokage's revelation. She was also helping him carry his gifts, which were spread between the single bag each shinobi carried, and the new mission backpack he had received from Anko and Iruka. Many of the guests had only given him a single kunai and a small amount of cash; he suspected someone had been telling tales.
When they reached his place, they found Hinata's cake on his oven, and her gifts on his table. There was a note from the superintendent explain that he had let in the people from the Golden Shoe. Naruto sighed, and sloughed the bag and backpack onto the table.
"Naruto, do you want me to stay over night?" Hinata asked with a touch of concern. Then she blushed furiously, and retracted, "I don't mean to..."
"I know what you mean, Hinata," a ghost of his usual grin crossed his face, "And yes, I would like nothing more than to fall asleep just holding your hand. But at the party, I had a polite conversation with your father. For the first time since our... confrontation, I didn't feel like he resented my very existence. So, for the sake of not fighting with every member of your family, I have to say no."
She nodded, disappointed and happy at the same time.
"But if you don't mind, maybe you could come over at like eight, eight-thirty, and we could eat our steaks and some cake for breakfast, before we head out?" he suggested.
"I would like that," she answered. She leaned in, and kissed his cheek.
"Good night, Naruto. And happy birthday."
Naruto was restored to his normal good spirits when the group assembled at the appointed address. They all wore casual attire, which shocked Uzumaki, who had never seen Gaara, Tsunade, or Shizune in jeans before. After greeting Iruka and Anko, the last two to arrive, they moved into the complex, with the Hokage leading the way. The blond teen was generally surprised by the property, the condos were nicer than he had been expecting. In the center of the buildings was a small playground area. A few children paused to look as they paraded past. Next to the swings was a medium sized pool, fenced in to keep out the children and discourage unwanted visitors.
"I think Teuchi and Ayame live here," Shizune offered. Kakashi nodded.
"Wow, really?" Naruto was amazed, "I would have thought they lived closer to Ichiraku."
"They used to," Tsunade remembered, "But when Hamako found out she was pregnant, she made Teuchi find a bigger, nicer place. They moved in here just before Ayame was born. Yukihana moved in about a year later."
When they reached the appointed building, their leader led them up a flight of stairs to the second of three floors. Tsunade stopped outside the door and spun about to look at Naruto intensely, blocking his way.
"Before we go in, I want to warn you," her voice was lecturing, but there was an undercurrent of worry, "the Third Hokage removed any reference to your father from here. Not that there were too many to begin with. And when I became Hokage, I gave it another once over, just to be safe. So if you are expecting to..."
"I know, I know," he interrupted, exasperated, "I don't get to know who my dad is until the time is right. It's starting to sound like a prophecy in some lame novel."
"So long as you understand," she confirmed, "Well, then, you have the key, so..."
She stepped aside, sweeping her arm towards the door. Naruto stepped forward, and slid the key into the lock. As he swung the door inwards, a cloud of dust billowed out towards them. The dimly lit entry, a layer of grime, an inch thick, covered the floor and the outline of the kitchen counter.
"What the heck?" Naruto backed away from the door, coughing, "It's such a mess."
"Well, the managers check every so often to make sure the utilities are still working, and that nothing... unpleasant moved in," Tsunade told him, "But I guess sweeping wasn't part of the deal."
"This will take forever to clean up," Yukihana's son complained. Gaara put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, and the blond teen turned to face his former enemy.
"Allow me," the Sand ninja offered. Uzumaki moved aside, and Gaara entered the neglected residence. He raised hands, and then pulled them towards his chest. The dirt flowed towards him, congealing before his feet. After a few seconds of concentration, the entire condo was clean, and a 4-inch sphere of dense sandstone rolled into Gaara's shoe. He picked it up, and slid it into his jacket pocket with a mild smirk.
"Man, Gaara," Naruto gawked, "If this Kazekage gig doesn't work out, you could make a mint as a maid service."
The other stared at Naruto in varying degrees of shock and dismay. But the leader of the Sunagakure only chuckled.
"I'll keep that in mind," Gaara said dryly, moving further into the dwelling so the others could enter.
To the left of the door was a dining area, with a closet against the outside wall. It hosted a table that easily accommodated the eight chairs around it. The table and chairs were covered by white sheets, which were now clear of the dust they were meant to protect against. To the right was the kitchen, a full kitchen with a full sized refrigerator, four-burner stove and oven, dishwasher, and plenty of cabinet and counter space. Tsunade threw open the curtains over the sink, letting more light into the building.
On the other side of the kitchen and dining area was a large living room, almost twice the size of Naruto's current apartment. It was equipped with a sofa and two love seats, with a short table in between them, all covered by sheets. The eastern wall, opposite where they entered, had floor to ceiling curtains. And the northern wall sported a waist height shelf, with two box shaped objects, also obscured by tarps. Between the shelf and the dining area, a hallway extended into darkness, and on the southern wall between the kitchen and the sofa was a closed door.
"This place is huge," Shizune was amazed. The others could not help but agree, especially considering there was more they had not seen.
Anko quickly crossed the room, and pulled open the drapes, flooding the room with the midmorning sun. Behind the curtains were glass doors leading onto the balcony. And beyond that was a clear view of Ninja Ops, and the stone faces of the five Hokages.
"Damn," Anko whistled, "How did she afford this place on a Genin's income?"
Then she looked back at the new owner, "No offense, kid."
"None taken," Naruto shook his head, "I was kinda wondering the same thing."
"She didn't," Tsunade answered, her eyes going unfocused as her mind cast back in time, "Despite her rank, Yukihana was more skilled than most Jonin. As that fact became obvious to our clientele, demand for her skills increased. Eventually, Sarutobi-sensei decided to bump her pay up to Tokubetsu level, to try to cut back the requests."
She smiled sadly, as she remembered, "But that's not how she bought this place. Soun Uzumaki was never a very healthy person, so Yukihana lived at home to help her mom take care of him. That let her save more of her income. But then your grandmother died suddenly of a heart attack. After that, your grandpa seemed to just give up. He died less than a week later. After that, Yuki just couldn't stay in that house. She sold her parent's home, and her dad's stake in the printing company, and used the cash to buy this place."
"So, let's see what we have here," Kakashi seized the sheet covering one of the two-seater, and pulled it off with a flourish. Sakura followed suit with the couch, and dropped the sheet on Hinata. Kakashi apologetically handed his cloth tarp to the white-eyed Kunoichi as well, and the young woman dutifully began to fold them. Naruto quickly moved to help her, and Anko turned away from the window to uncover the last seat.
The three couches where all of the same style and dark grey material. They were of a simple yet plush construction; the sort that was never trendy, but was always attractive after the current fad had become passé or ugly. Iruka pressed into the armrest of the nearest loveseat, and when he withdrew his hand, the cushion immediately sprang back.
"Yukihana had good taste," Umino commented, and unexpectedly, Gaara nodded in agreement.
"Shizune, help me over here," Tsunade requested, and the two doctors revealed the dinner table and chairs. Naruto set the first three folded linens on the table, and took the rest from his surrogate sister. Gaara bared the coffee table, which matched the dinner table. Like the rest of the furniture, they were of a function and timeless design. Anko removed the sheet from the first of the boxes on the shelf; underneath was a twenty-some inch television that might have been cutting edge at the time of its purchase. Kakashi reached for the other sheet covering something on the shelf, but Tsunade stopped him.
"I think Naruto should do that one," she told Copy-Ninja, and Hatake complied, stepping aside for his student. Naruto and Hinata finished their folding, and the young man walked slowly over to the wall unit, curious and apprehensive. He swept the sheet aside, uncovering a number of books between two Konoha leaf bookends.
"What so special about this?" Naruto sounded gypped.
"Look at them," Kakashi urged, having already noticed their meaning.
"Born in Flames, the Founding of the Land of Fire," Uzumaki read off the spine of the first tome.
"Removed from the Shadow: a Biography of the Second Hokage," he continued to the second volume. He skipped the next two, and resumed with, "Addition and Deflection, Mathematics of Ninjutsu, I remember this one from the academy. A Writer's Guide to Grammar and Style, I should lend this one to pervy sage."
Again he skipped ahead to announce, "The Kunoichi and the Priest, you told me about this series, Hinata. Looks like mom had all three. Maybe I'll finally get a chance to read them. And after that there's seven kid's books."
He looked at his surrogate family, "I don't get it. Four history books, three textbooks, three fantasy novels, and some toddler readers. What's the point, other than my mom had kinda strange taste in reading materials?"
"Look again," Tsunade pressed.
"What for?"
"The author, you knucklehead," Sakura proclaimed after stepping closer to scan the volumes, "Check out who wrote the books."
"Fine," he grumbled, "Born in Flames by... Soun Uzumaki. Removed from the Shadow, author Soun Uzumaki. Addition and Deflection by Soun Uzumaki and Taichi Umino. Wait, my grandpa wrote all these books?"
Tsunade nodded.
"But I thought you said he owned a printing company."
"He owned part of a printing company, Spiral Bound Books. It's a long story, but basically his first publisher tried to screw him, so he went to a smaller group. Spiral Bound couldn't afford to pay him what he deserved, so they offered him part of the business in exchange. That reminds me, we need to talk later about Yuki's savings account and the royalties for Soun's books."
"And that why you wanted me to read those novels," he turned back to Hinata, trying to keep the accusation out of his tone.
"No," her pause told him he had not succeeded completely, "I didn't know he was your grandpa. I thought he might be related, but really I just like them, and hoped you would like them too."
"So my grandpa was a famous writer," his act of normalcy cracked, and the strain he had shown at the end of the party showed through. He looked at his mother's teacher, exhaustion flitting over his blue orbs.
"What's next?" he asked the Sannin, "I mean, which room should I check now?"
"That," Tsunade pointed to the closed door by the kitchen, "is the master suite; bedroom and bathroom. The hallway leads to the other two bedrooms, and the second bathroom."
Naruto looked both directions, struggling. Hinata slid up beside him, and took one of his hands.
"Naruto," Iruka put his hand gently on hid 'nephew's' shoulder, "You don't have to do this all at once. This place isn't going anywhere. I'm sure Yukihana would understand."
Looking around, he saw the same sympathetic look on the faces of all of his friends, except for one. Gaara's expression was curious, and slightly disappointed. He remembered that they were the same. The former Jinchuriki had also never known his mother, and had been forced to depend on other people for information. The Kazekage would never give up a chance to learn more about his past.
"Nah, that's ok, Iruka-sensei," he grinned, "I was just having a hard time making up my mind."
Without releasing Hinata's comforting grip, he made his way to the closed bedroom door. Despite his claim, he still paused at the sealed portal. But after a second of hesitation, he reached up with his free hand, and turned the knob. With a light groan of complaint, the door swung inwards.
Inside the door to the suite, there was a wall, making it look like a hallway. He glanced down the right path, and saw that it was the entrance to the master bathroom. He took half a step inside, taking it in. The bathroom was substantially larger than his own, with a shower stall almost the size of his own bathtub, and a tub that could accommodate two people. But the hygiene facilities didn't interest him, and he turned back.
As he entered the bedroom proper, he realized the 'wall' inside the door was actually the side of the closet. Like the main room, the bedroom was simply appointed. There was an unassuming king-size bed, with a nightstand on either side. Opposite the bed was a dresser with three rows of three drawers. On top of the dresser were two framed photos and a small jewelry case. One of the nightstands held a small digital alarm, its display blinking 12:00. The far wall also had floor to ceiling drapes, which opened onto the same balcony as the living room.
Uzumaki stopped in front of the dresser, and picked up the first picture. The frame contained two matted photos, slowly yellowing with age. He recognized his mother in both, though she appeared to be around ten years old. The first photo showed Yukihana with two people he did not recognize; but the pride and familial resemblance told the tale. These were his grandparents. The other half of the remembrance captured cyan-tressed Kunoichi, two other young shinobi he did not know, and a slightly younger and more slender appearing Tsunade.
"That takes me back," the Hokage said over his shoulder, "The day Yuki graduated from the academy."
"This one too," Hinata showed them the other photo, which featured the young Uzumaki amidst a number of other children, some more familiar.
"That's the original Ino-Shika-Cho," the Hyuga daughter pointed, "and that looks like father."
"That's your uncle, " the medical Sannin countered, "You'll notice his forehead is covered. Hiashi finished a year later."
"My mom is so much shorter than the rest," Naruto commented, "I guess that's where I got those late bloomer genes from."
"No, that's because she's two years younger than most of them."
"My mom graduated at age ten?" Naruto goggled.
"She could have graduated at eight," Tsunade shrugged, "but she dodged the exam to take more classes."
Naruto put the photo back, shaking his head. Hinata followed suit. His attention drifted down to the dresser on which they sat. He opened the first drawer, but it was empty, as were the rest in that column. The second column proved slightly more interesting. The top drawer housed a number of plain colored t-shirts and tank tops. The next drawer down held the same type of tops, but with floral or geometric patterns. The bottom compartment was also shirts, but these had characters or sayings on them. The top part of the last set of drawers held a number of carefully wrapped belts and hair accessories. He opened the next drawer, but quickly closed it when he saw its contents. The last drawer also contained underwear, and he closed it just as fast. When he turned away, both Sakura and Tsunade chuckled at his red face. Hinata managed to contain her mirth.
Ignoring them, the newest Konoha Chunin stalked over to the closet. He flung open the doors recklessly, sending a ripple through the clothes. He ignored the apparel, instead looking on the upper shelf for any treasures. But all he found was blankets and a sewing kit. Masking his disappointment, he ruffled absently through the dresses, skirts, blouses, and pants.
"Even sixteen years old, this stuff is pretty cool," Anko commented. By now, everyone except Iruka and Kakashi had shuffled into the bedroom. But Naruto didn't acknowledge her statement, he had come to the end of the wardrobe, and five nearly identical white, silk shozoku. They were of the longer, short-dress style, and clipped to each hanger was a pair of white bike shorts. After going over them, he selected the second of the group, the most worn of the uniforms. He set it out on the bed, and then faced his friends.
"I don't really have a use for this stuff," he told them, "And I think my mom would be happy if it had a good home. That is off limits," he pointed to the ninja garb on the bed, "as is the jewelry. But anything other clothes or accessories... if you guys want them, go ahead."
Judging by the looks on Anko and Shizune's faces, Yuletide had come early. And unheard, Inner Sakura exclaimed, 'Jackpot.'
"Just... no fighting, please," he suddenly worried, "and try not to make too much of a mess."
The Jonin Kunoichi both nodded, and Naruto headed for the door, not looking entirely convinced. Hinata's face was conflicted, but she followed him.
"Hinata, I'll be ok," he read her, "I'm gonna sit down for a few minutes and relax. So you can stay here. Besides, I want you to have something of my mom's."
His girlfriend looked relieved, and then resolved herself to enter the fray. But before the four Kunoichi could start shopping, Gaara stepped in front of them, and reached into the closet. He withdrew a forest green slip dress, and then pleated black skirt. He set them on the bed, and then went to the dresser. He claimed a tan t-shirt with a red shuriken pattern, and a white halter with the word 'Kunoichi' across the chest in black letters of a font meant to look like it was dripping.
"These are for Temari and Matsuri," his voice was harsh to hide his discomfort at being forced to offer an explanation. Sakura paused in the process of diving into the wardrobe.
"I wonder if we should call Ino and Tenten," she asked no one in particular.
"And Yugao," Anko added, "and maybe Kurenai."
The four women's eyes met with matched expressions of guilt.
"Nah," they decided almost in unison. Giggling, they began scrutinizing the cloths again. Both of the Kage left, but Kakashi slipped silently into the suite.
After the ladies finished their feeding frenzy, and the remaining scraps were packed for donation, it was coming up on one o'clock, so they decided to break for lunch before checking out the remaining two bedrooms. Iruka and Anko went to get Ichiraku takeout for everyone, while Kakashi left on a beverage run a few minutes later. The others arrayed themselves on the couches and dining room chairs.
"How are you doing, Naruto?" Sakura sat on the corner of the full size sofa, closest to the loveseat occupied by Naruto and Hinata. She tried to make it obvious that she was not ignoring Hinata. Even though she was obviously ignoring her rival.
"It's weird," Uzumaki thought about it, "I mean its pretty normal. Other than the pictures, there isn't anything that stands out as being my mom's. It could be almost anyone's place, ya know. I guess I'm expecting something to jump out and shout at me 'This was your mother's home'."
"We aren't done yet," Tsunade said knowingly. Everyone looked at her in expectation, but before they could question the statement, the front door opened, and the Copy-ninja walked through, carrying two bulging plastic bags. Shizune took one from him, and together they set out the cans of soda, tea, and coffee on the counter. Before they had completed the task, the entrance was again breached as Umino and Mitarashi entered with their food. The Hokage opened the front closet, and drew out one of the two extra chairs within, so that they could all sit at the table.
After their meal was concluded, and the garbage gathered by the door, the friends of Naruto Uzumaki gathered around the dimly lit hallway leading north. The sunlight from the windows barely reached around the corners, outlining a small alcove on the right with a washer and drier. Those with exceptional eyes could make out three closed doors in the hall, and a small closet at the far end.
"For crying out loud," Tsunade complained, reaching past Naruto to flip on the overhead light, "It isn't like there are any traps down there."
Uzumaki walked forward, stopping at the first door, which was on the western wall. The door was not tightly shut, and opened cleanly from a gentle push. It was the second bathroom, and like the master bath it was a full bathroom with the shower and tub separate. Though not quite so large or ornate as the master bath, it still put his own facilities to shame. Stalling for time, he opened the heavy shade for more light, and tested the faucets on the sink and in the shower and tub. The water flowed free and clear, so the new owner left the room, and proceeded to the end of the hall. The closet was for linens; it contained towels and bedclothes. He closed it and glanced surreptitiously to either side, to the last two doors.
"Go left," the Hokage instructed. Without thinking, Naruto obeyed, opening the door to the third bedroom.
The space was long, and somewhat narrow. Under the window on the northern wall, was a foldout couch for guests. At the far end was a closet. But what stood out about the room was the southern wall. Opposite the sofa and blinds, the wall was covered with over two-dozen different weapons.
The Hokage slipped past Naruto and Iruka as they stared at the implements of battle and opened the closet. Inside the built-in wardrobe rested the rest of Yukihana's ninja tools. There were two more uniforms, the green vest commonly worn by Chunin and Jonin, a wetsuit, a head-to-toe stealth shozoku, and a set of heavy chain-mail shirt and pants. There were posts with stacks of kunai and shurikens, and quivers of needles and arrows. Jugs of poisons and antidotes sat on the floor. Next to the potions were a coil of three hundred meters of high tensile cord and eight grapnels in four different styles. Spread out amongst all that, there were smoke bombs, shackles, blank talisman strips, two backpacks, and a variety of other ninja tools, both common and unusual.
After briefly glancing over the equipment locker, Naruto returned to the displayed weapons. His eyes glided over the swords, spears, axes, and sets of paired weapons.
"Are you disappointed that there isn't a staff-blade?" Iruka asked.
"Not really," he shrugged, "It's just even with everything I've heard, I can't believe she mastered all of these weapons."
He reached out to touch the longbow, as if to affirm its solidity.
"She didn't master all of them," Tsunade said, "Most of them she was only B rank. The only ones Yuki achieved A or S rank with were the long sword, katana, longbow, manriki gusari, and tonfa."
"Still..."
"You can play with the weapons later," the Hokage chided him, "There's only one more room."
"Right," Naruto caught the hidden tone of apprehension in her voice, and moved back to the hall. Gaara and Kakashi cleared the path, and the Copy-ninja walked into Yukihana's armory for a look around.
Naruto opened the door, and before it had finished swinging inwards, his eyes had begun to fill with tears. The room was painted light blue, with a border of orange Konoha leaves at the top. On the wall opposite the door was a changing table, its three and a half foot padded top rising just above the bottom edge of the window. Against the wall the nursery shared with the living room was a white, wooden crib, with a shuriken and kunai diorama spinning gently from the motion of opening the door. As he stepped inside, Naruto noticed the last wall had a framed eight by ten, and a faded spot where a second photo had been removed. He looked into the picture, crying gently yet openly.
The image was of Yukihana Uzumaki, propped up on a hospital bed, wearing a medical gown. Her normally lustrous cyan hair hung limp, and her face was drawn and tired. Despite that, the Kunoichi glowed with a joyous beauty, as she looked down at the bundle in her arms. A small face poked out of the swaddling clothes, his bright blue eyes meeting her green orbs with infant curiosity. A field of golden fuzz crowned his head, and his chubby cheeks were unmarked.
"Is that loud enough for you?" Tsunade asked. Though the question might have been sarcastic, her tone was kind. He nodded, and turned to leave, hiding his face.
As he passed the Kazekage, Gaara said quietly, "Congratulations, Naruto."
"Thanks," the Konoha shinobi answered, "And if you ever find anything, and need any help, I'll be there. Believe it."
The leader of the Hidden Sand nodded, and Uzumaki returned to the main room.
"So what have we got? Naruto asked. After the initial tour, they had split up to give the place a more thorough inspection.
"You first," Kakashi insisted.
"Alright," the heir shrugged, "The kitchen is fully stocked. Mom had more pots and pans and knives than I'd know what to do with. And there's ten sets of plates, glasses, silverware, and all that stuff. And it's all in really good shape too. No rust or anything. But..."
He looked over at Hinata who nodded and continued.
"I looked inside the appliances," she informed them, "But it's no good. The hoses have deteriorated from disuse, and some of the gears and such have fused together. The refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher all need to be replaced."
"That fits with what we found in the north wing," Kakashi agreed, "The washer and drier are deader than dead."
"The furniture pieces in the nursery are in good repair," Gaara offered evenly, "I also found some baby clothing in the closet and the top drawer of the changing table. You will need to decide what to do with it."
"That armory is pretty impressive," Sakura commented, "But there's nothing really more than what you saw. But you'll probably want to have those potions checked out, some can get weaker or stronger with age."
"Everything is working in the master bath," Shizune sighed with envy, "I'd love to try the jacuzzi in the tub."
"The bed and the dresser look like they're in good shape," the Hokage reported, "But one of the side tables looks a little wobbly. And I tried to set the alarm, but it didn't work."
"The furniture in the living room might as well be new," Anko broke in, "But the TV has some serious snow. Don't know if it's worth fixing."
"So, what do you think, Naruto?" Iruka asked. All eight pairs of eyes fell on him.
"I made up my mind," he offered after a moment's consideration, "I'm gonna live here. It's too nice to give up, and I think my mom would have wanted it."
"Good for you, Naruto" Hinata smiled at him. The rest of his friends all offered congratulations, until he spoke again.
"Now I just need to move..."
It took less than a second for the seven other shinobi to vanish, leaving Naruto and Hinata alone.