Chapter 3: chapter 3
Once, Naruto had dreamt of several things to have, as an orphan. They weren`t as grandiose or audacious as one would think of him, no. Before he dreamt of being a Hokage, he wanted something that he had longed for throughout the entirety of his life. And that was to have a family, to be loved and cared, to have parents that support and protect you throughout your childhood and guide you to adulthood. Every orphan dreams of it, and Naruto was no different, longing for having a family, parents and be loved and cared. To be rid of the constant loneliness, to feel the warmth of mother`s embrace, to be proud of a father praising him…
Yet, Naruto was devoid of it all, never to feel it. And it wasn't his choice, not by any means, since this was the decision made by the very woman that stood right in front of him, the woman that had given him birth and was supposed to have nurtured and protected him in this world. But instead, she abandoned him in favor of his twin brother, leaving him out in the cold, harsh and unforgiving Konohagakure no Sato, to be used as it`s Jinchuriki, manipulated, used and practically destroyed as a breathing feeling human being not just by its Council and Danzo, but also Third Hokage and his only loyal apprentice Jiraiya. And all of that, all the torment, suffering, loneliness and more… It all started with Kushina Uzumaki abandoning her firstborn son and never looking back.
It would surprise many, but Naruto had long known about his mother and twin brother, for over 7 years to be precise. It was an utter shock for him, to read from Tsunade`s letters about his origins, his real parents and what had happened to him. Finding out that Naruto was not only the son of Minato Namikaze, but also of Kushina Uzumaki and that she purposefully abandoned him was not just hard, it was an absolute nightmare for Naruto, especially considering the reason as to why Kushina had done so. And that reason had made Naruto truly hateful and resentful of any notion that such woman had given birth to him and his father, Minato Namikaze, Fourth Hokage and one of the greatest Shinobi in history, had ever fallen in love with her.
According to Kurama, who had maintained her constant control over her second half sealed in Menma, Kushina, delusional after the attack of a masked man, childbirth and release of Kyuubi, had for some reason believed that her husband`s sealing worked wrong on Naruto. She didn`t even properly examined the seal on him, already believing that he husband had not just sealed inside of Naruto half of Kyuubi`s power, but also Kyuubi`s soul and that it had taken over Naruto`s body. Granted, it was partial truth, as Naruto did end up with the soul of Kurama in him, but she had never tried to control him, and, according to her, his father`s seal wouldn`t even let her pump out any of her chakra, even in miniscule levels, unless Naruto needed it. But, to Kushina, a Sealing Mistress of Uzumaki herself, her firstborn son was lost and she simply threw him away from herself, leaving the Konoha for Fire Capitol to train and raise her 'only true' son, Menma.
When Naruto had first found about it, he was livid, absolutely furious and had even lost control over himself, resulting in him pumping out more and more of Kurama`s Chakra, going so far as to literally allow it`s chakra to take over him. He would`ve destroyed the island of Uzu and unleashed Kurama out had he not been stopped by someone he did not expect to meet.
Flashback. 7 years and 4 months ago. Naruto`s mindscape.
"NARUTO! STOP THIS! If you pull any more of my chakra, you`ll die! Please, Naruto-kun, calm down!" Kurama was desperately pleading for her host and poor soul to stop what he was doing, but it was all for naught, and the giant fox was forced to look from her cage how the walls of Naruto`s mind and seal were getting destroyed.
"That woman… Abandoned… Alone… I will… I will KILL HER!" Naruto roared inhumanly, more and more chakra of Kurama being unleashed in the real world and his body already transforming into a vessel of red chakra with fox tails starting to come out.
"Naruto, please, I beg you…" Kurama was looking how her host was about to lose his life, and even though with the destruction of this seal she would be free, she did not wish to witness her first friend`s death. "Damn you, Kushina… Naruto, stop this, or you will…"
"Naruto, that is enough." Suddenly, a new voice came from the folds of the Naruto`s mind, snapping his mental projection out of his rage for a second.
That split second was more than enough for the newcomer to appear right in front of Naruto and push him away from the cage, as he was about to rip away the seal. Naruto stumbled and fell down in to the water, anger and rage leaving his eyes and mind in an instant, as shock and surprise came over. He looked upwards, to see a young blond man, with sky blue eyes and spiky hair, dressed in a white haori and Jonin uniform, standing over him, extending his hand. It didn`t take any time at all for Naruto to immediately recognize who that man really was.
"F-Fourth Hokage… D-Dad…" Naruto looked up in awe, as Minato Namikaze, Fourth Hokage of Konoha, and father to Naruto smiled to him. "B-but h-how and wh-why…"
"When I sealed the half of Kyuubi`s chakra in you and the other one in Menma, I had also split my chakra evenly between you, sealing it as a failsafe, in case one of you ever were to unleash Kyuubi or the seal to be broken externally." Minato explained, as Naruto shyly accepted his hand, rising up from the waters. "In your anger, Naruto, you`ve began to unleash more and more chakra of Kyuubi. If you hadn`t stopped, you would`ve died, son."
"I had tried to stop him, Yondaime, but your damn seal prevented me from that, so I am blaming you on this part!" Kurama complained loudly at the man, making him turn to face the giant fox. "I would`ve praised your work here, Minato, but after what Naruto had went through, I would much rather rip you to shreds, along with that cursed woman and your teacher! Do you even know what they`ve put Naruto-kun here through and what your predecessor had done to him, because I`ll be more than happy to explain it all in great detail!" Kurama roared in fury at the man that sealed her, but Minato didn`t flinch even a little bit.
"You don`t have to tell me about it, Kyuubi. I know what they have done." Minato said to Kyuubi and Naruto, shocking them both. "I`ve watched through Naruto`s eyes and witnessed it all firsthand… And it is part of the reason why I am here now, Naruto." Minato turned to face his son, a saddened look on his face and apologetic eyes were seen by young blond. "Naruto… I know what you have been put through, all about it and even more than you think. And, while as a Hokage, I may try and understand that what had happened to you was necessary, but as your father, a loyal Shinobi of Konoha and a human being, I do not see any excuses to what they had done to you. And all because of the choice I had to make, my son. And for that, I ask for your forgiveness. I have to no excuses to offer, only the truth."
"D-dad… What do you mean by all this?" Naruto asked of him, with Minato answering to him.
"Naruto, when you were born and I had to seal away the Kyuubi, I had a few moments left in the world and I asked of Kushina to look after both you and your little brother. I also had wished for Hiruzen to inform my mother about you and your brother, so that she may help raise you, but right after I had passed away… Your mother had decided to abandon you, convinced in her grief, sorrow and delusions that Kyuubi here had taken over your body and that my sealing didn`t work properly, has decided to leave you in Konoha." Minato told his son with sorrow and great deal of disappointment in his voice. "The woman I had loved for all my life, who had made me the happiest man in the world… I had known Kushina feared Kyuubi greatly, hated it so much that it clouded her judgment at times, but to go so far is something even I couldn`t see happening, nor can I forgive her for doing such a thing. Not for abandoning you, nor for how she had turned the village agaisnt you…"
"Turned the village agaisnt me?" Naruto was confused.
"Before she left, Kushina had informed Clan Heads and Council of Konoha that Kyuubi has taken over your body and you were no longer her son." Minato saw the utter horror and shock on his son`s face. "Sandaime and several others didn`t believe her, but it was enough for the others and with that… Kushina turned the entire village agaisnt you. She even offered a reward for … 'avenging your death at the hands of Kyuubi monster…'"
Naruto simply stood there, frozen in one place and unable to do anything but think about it. His own mother, not only had she abandoned him, but she went as far as to persuade the entirety of his Village to start hunting him down. She even offered to pay money for it, for killing her very own blood and son. It now explained to Naruto why the entirety of Konoha had not just hated him, but also hurt him so much, why there were the beatings, fox hunts and more… Now it made sense to him, and it only made Naruto hate his mother even more than before. Kurama saw how her favorite blond was starting to slip into more of anger again, her eyes looking at him with great sadness and sympathy, before she spoke up.
"So, Yondaime, and how would you know all of that? I remember that little meeting well, but how did you know about it?" Kurama asked an obvious question.
"Kyuubi, I thought out of all the Bijuu you were the most intelligent and intellectual, or were Mito Uzumaki`s notes wrong?" Minato smirked a little, when he saw Kyuubi`s look of surprise. "Just like you, I had been watching over both of my sons and I know what had been happening, since Naruto was on that Council meeting with Menma in hands of Kushina. I merely stayed away from your sight, which I have to admit, wasn`t all that easy." Kurama simply huffed and turned away theatrically, while Minato turned back to speak to his son. "Naruto, I know how angry you and you have every right to be furious. However, I want you to forget about it, to let it go."
"What?! How can you ask of me to do such a thing, Dad?! She, Konoha, all of my friends… You saw how badly they treated me, how they just spit on me and hurt me and you want me to let it all go?! Do you even know what it`s like to…" Naruto ranted at his father, who had interrupted him.
"I know how you feel, because I myself have been in your shoes, son." Naruto immediately stopped, looking with shock at his father. "I know how you feel and what it feels like, to be left by your mother, abandoned by those that should be protecting you. Believe me, Naruto, I know how it feels like, because I had went through it myself when I was your age, when I found who my parents really were."
"Y-you mean… W-wait y-you said that y-your mother had sent me here and th-the letter…" Naruto had finally put the dots together. "B-Baa-chan…"
"Yeah, my mother, Tsunade Senju, had also abandoned me when I was an infant." Minato confirmed what Tsunade had written to Naruto. "Not long after my father`s death, she left me in the orphanage and disappeared. I only learned the truth when I was your age from Jiraiya and I was furious, angrier than I had ever been. I had tracked her down and confronted her about it, but in my rage and anger I did not even realize that in my obsessive pursuit for answers, I had cost my teammates, my best friends, their lives on the mission. It opened up my eyes and revealed to me a simple truth: rage and anger over the past will not save you, but destroy you and all that you hold dear today. I had to let go of the anger, and while it had taken a long time, my mother and I had reconciled and I forgave her."
"Why are you telling me this, Dad? Do you want me to what, go back to Konoha and forget all those accusations and bad things that had happened to me? To be the same happy go lucky dobe they all see me as?! I have been banished and if I return, I am a dead man walking then!" Naruto shouted at him, with Minato taking it all in.
"No, Naruto, I am not asking you of that. What Konoha, Sandaime, Jiraiya, Kushina and all of the other have done to you is something I doubt even Sage of Six Paths could forgive." Minato shook his head. "I do not ask you to forget it all and forgive them, no. All I am asking of you is to let go of this hatred that is inside of you, quell down your fury and move on with your life. What happened to you was wrong and atrocious, true, but let it not change who you really are and what you want to become." Naruto had seemingly calmed down and looked carefully at his father. "I had once hoped that either you or Menma would become Hokage, but after all that I`ve seen through your eyes and what had happened, I realize that this hope is beyond me now. However, what my real desire and wish was is for my son to find his own way in life, to build his own life, free of chains of anger and rage, to be happy with those closest to him and not let his past control him. That is what I ask of you, Naruto: build your own life, but do not let the anger pave your way. Leave behind Konoha and all the nightmares it inflicted upon you, and walk towards the brighter future with no strings attached. My mother had entrusted you with the legacies of both Uzumaki and Senju, and I know that you`ll put it to great use. So, can you do this for me, to live a life free of anger on Konoha?"
Naruto had listened to his father well and contemplated all that he had heard from him. And, as much as he had wanted to disagree with him because of his fury, his father was right. Leading a life in rage and anger would only result in Naruto becoming someone like Sasuke, an avenger and traitor, a person that cares nothing for the others and even his own life. And Naruto has already seen what revenge and obsession with anger has done to people, him being one of the victims of that kind of people. If he were to slip in to the same kind of abyss, he would only become just like the lot of them, the same as the people he despises the most.
No, Naruto didn`t want that, never in his life. His mother and Village may`ve hurt him and nearly destroyed him, but he wasn`t going to become just like them, never. He would build his own life, the life away unattached to Konoha and its corruption, he`ll rise above it and be better than Sasuke, Jiraiya and the rest of them. If it comes the time when Konoha comes to confront him, he`ll face them and show them that he is a far better person than the rest of them, and a much greater Shinobi then all of them. He will build his own Shinobi path, his true Shinobi way of life and prove to the world that he, Naruto Uzumaki, is not a demon, obsessed with revenge and anger, but a man and Shinobi of true value and ideals. Smiling and finally letting go of his anger, Naruto looked up to his father and spoke up.
"I will, Dad. I`ll do that." Naruto smiled to him, with Minato smiling back. "You just wait, I`ll build my own life and I`ll become the best Shinobi out there, one that you can be proud to call your son, dattebayo!" Naruto shouted in his usual way, before shutting himself up, while Minato chuckled a little bit at this.
"I believe you, Naruto. And I have faith in you." Minato said truthfully to Naruto, embracing his son in a fatherly hug. "And I am already proud of you, more proud than I could ever be. I`ll be looking after you, Naruto." Minato began to dissipate, drawing Naruto to tears and shock. "Don`t worry, since the seal hasn`t been broken, and you haven`t unleashed the eight tailed, I will remain in here for a time being, in case the fuzzball decides to try anything funny."
"Oi, who do you call a fuzz ball?! I am an intelligent and culturally attuned Kitsune, you blond monkey!" Kurama shouted in indignation. "Your great-grandparents were often at awe at how intellectual I am, especially that great-grandfather of yours! He even had asked me for help with that gambling of his!"
"Heh, I believe you." Minato simply chuckled to her, before turning back to Naruto. "Naruto, take care of yourself. We`ll meet again someday."
"I will, and thank you, Father." Naruto smiled through tears to him, as Minato dissipated, leaving his son with a renewed vigor and inner fire burning within him with greater brightness than ever.
Flashback end. Present day.
That day had changed Naruto`s life in more ways than one and had pawed the way for the young blond`s path forward. He left behind him his hatred for Konoha and any notion for revenge for them, breaking free of it all and unleashing his soul for the endless possibilities of the world. Don`t get him wrong, what Konoha and Kushina had done to him will not be forgotten or forgiven, and there was anger about it all in Naruto, but it would never be the guiding force behind him, oh no. Now he had much different drive for life and growing stronger: to protect his true friends and family. His father had opened his eyes to it, and Naruto will forever be grateful to him for this, because in the end of it all, were it not for his words, he wouldn`t have Kurama, Yugito, Matatabi, Yasaka and Masamune. So, instead of letting his anger sip through him, Naruto pushed it away and simply looked at the Konoha Shinobi and spoke up.
"Protect him? Is he a babe, that needs to be breast fed and changed from his diapers?" Naruto could clearly see anger in the eyes of his biological mother. "If memory serves me correctly, he is about 21 years old, a grown man by all standards. A shame that Naruto did not live to that age." That brought a surprise reaction from everyone, especially from Kakashi, Hinata, Kurenai, Sasuke, Sakura and Kushina.
"You… You knew Naruto?" Kushina asked of Hanzo in a surprisingly quiet and even desperate voice. "Y-you knew m-my son?"
"Bullshit, how come you could knew of the dobe? I mean, he has been dead for over 6 years now or close to that." Kiba barked out, ignoring the glares from Hinata and Kurenai.
"And he was banished over 7 years ago, was he not?" Naruto asked of them. "We`ve met in Land of Sand, not long before his death. A true tragedy, such a good natured boy, with so much light and hopes… All crushed by the people he considered his friends and comrades. A shame he had perished, you could say he had changed my life in several ways." Naruto saw several looks of sadness from Kushina, Kurenai, Hinata and some looks of shame from the others, while the rest weren`t taken by all of this. "He did tell me what had happened to him in Konoha, and how it treated him, and let me tell you this much: like hell will I go work for the village that can`t see the difference between an innocent child, a victim of his mother`s delusions, and a monster that needs to be stopped. Now, if you are quite finished, I suggest you get your sorry assess off my property before I kick them out of here. And tell that perverted frog of a Sannin to stop hiding. I could smell his stench from Kumo." Naruto glared at the tree, from which hopped out Jiraiya, slightly older looking, but also considerably more annoyed at what Hanzo had told him.
"You have quite a foul mouth, aren`t you? Do you even know who you just insulted?" Jiraiya said in a prideful manner. "I am the Sage of Mount Myoboku, the wet dream of all ladies from East to West and…"
"And I don`t give a damn." Naruto simply cut him off, looking at them all. "Now, you said what you want, or is there another reason why are you here?"
"Hanzo-san, please reconsider. Konoha`s Council is ready to offer you a very substantial reward for your services in money, and you will also be granted a compound of your own for you and your family within Konoha`s wall." Kushina decided to press on. "All we ask of you is to help us destroy the Akatsuki and protect our village from them. In return, in addition to all of the above, you`ll be granted a citizenship of Konoha, status of Jonin and more. You`ll even be permitted to become a Shinobi of Konoha and even be recognized as a Head of your own clan, when you decide to establish one."
"In other words, you want me to come to Konoha and destroy Akatsuki, and in return, I`ll be what, made into one of your Jonins, with compound and rights of a Clan Head?" Naruto raised an eye brow at them all, with Kushina and Jiraiya nodding to him. "Do you take me for an idiot? I know that your Village has seen it`s better days and that Iwa and Kumo are eyeing up for a rematch for the past wars, not to mention your alliance with Suna is long over and they are with Iwa and Kiri. And let`s not forget that there is also the issue of Otogakure and Orochimaru still being at large after so many years after the invasion. Even with all the Clans, talented Shinobi, Sannins, former and current Jinchuriki of Kyuubi, Konoha doesn`t stand a chance if all those forces decided to descend upon you all. And your solution to this problem? Start recruiting Ronins, Shinobi without a crime record and any allegiances to other Villages, mercenaries and hired blades, people that have seen blood and tasted war. And right at the top of that list is me, the man with the list of killed enemies ranging from a tyrant Oda Nobunaga to Jinchuriki of Five Tails and his beast."
None of the Konoha Shinobi had retorted otherwise, knowing that all of what Hanzo Hattori has said was true. Konoha really was in a desperate position, having lost not only one of its Jinchuriki, but now being literally surrounded from all sides by its enemies, all eyeing up for a rematch. According to Anbu intelligence, a new war might happen in between 2 to 4 years from now on and Konoha needed desperately to gain back its prestige and power. Having lost almost the entirety of Uchiha Clan had greatly diminished the power of Konoha initially, and even if Sasuke were to breed with women now, Konoha wouldn`t have any Sharingan users capable of fighting any time soon, not in 12 years at minimum. They needed strong and powerful Shinobi now, and no matter how talented and promising today`s generations were, nothing beat an experienced veteran of war and battles. And out of everyone out there, Hanzo was at the top of the list, with skillset, experience, expertise and proficiency in so many areas of Shinobi arts, that he was seen like a second coming of Tobirama Senju no less. If he were to join Konoha, Iwa and Kumo would immediately back down, and Suna with Kiri would be far more open to negotiations, given the fact of Hanzo`s close ties with Mizukage and Kazekage.
And all the while Hanzo talked, Hinata Hyuuga looked very closely at the man, unable to turn her gaze away from him. She couldn`t explain it in any way, but something… Something seemed strangely familiar and so close to her that she couldn`t even put her mind to it. It was like Hinata was looking at the closest person from her past that suddenly appeared, only he looked completely and utterly different from before, but the feelings… It was just as if she was once again looking at him. Putting a little faith in her heart and feelings, she activated her Byakugan and looked closely at Hanzo. Hyuuga Clan was known for their ability to see chakra clearly, but also to remember its signature, its uniqueness and distinguish from all the others. And now, Hinata, who had spent years looking and following her love, the boy that gave her the courage to go forward, widened her eyes at see his chakra and words escaped her lips. She couldn`t believe her own eyes, as her Naruto Uzumaki stood right in front of them all
"N-Naruto-k-kun…" Those words had drawn the universal attention from everyone, with looks of confusion and surprise on everyone, including Hanzo. "N-Naruto-kun… I-It really i-is you… Y-you are a-alive and you are here…. Y-you are Hanzo H-Hattori…" Had Naruto not mastered the ability to control his emotions, he would`ve widened his eyes at this, while all of Konoha`s Shinobi were flabbergast at what Hinata had said just now.
"What?! Naruto is Hanzo?! Hinata, what are you blabbering about! How can that dead monster be the man that stands right here?!" Sakura shrieked at Hinata`s statement. "Naruto-baka had those messy blond hair, that hideous orange jumpsuit and couldn`t sit idly for a bloody second. Hell, had he been Naruto, he wouldn`t think twice and ask me for a date, for crying out loud!"
"Yeah, I have to agree with Sakura on this one, Hinata. Naruto was a total idiot and this guy looks much more like someone who knows his stuff." Tenten added up, looking at Hanzo. "Heck, that guy has the specially crafted Ronin Armor from Tetsu no Kuni on him and two Chakra Katanas on him. Our Naruto didn`t even know how to use a kunai properly."
"Wow, I know I was bad, but that was just cold, Tenten." Naruto thought to himself for a second, before turning his gaze back to Hinata. "Still, I should`ve remembered that those of Hyuuga Clan are capable of identifying a Shinobi by his chakra signature, and given the fact of Hinata observing me for years, she must`ve been able to recognize me. Damn it… Let`s hope that Neji doesn`t get any ideas, or Akamaru here doesn`t recognize me by scent… Oh no…"
"Tenten, I wouldn't be so sure, to be honest with you…" Shikamaru suddenly spoke up. "Clan Hyuuga is known for their Byakugan, and through it they can identify anyone whom they know, even if he has changed his looks. And we all know here that Hinata here has spent a long time looking at Naruto, so…"
"Pardon me, but you do realize that I`m still here?" Naruto drew back their attention. "I don`t know what this all about me being your dead friend or something, but here is my final word: get out of here, or Akatsuki will be the last thing you`ll worrying about here." Hanzo already put his hand upon the blade and everyone got into the fighting position again.
"N-no, please, Naruto-kun…" Hinata had tried to plea to him, but she was cut off by him.
"For the love of… Girl, you are mistaken. I am not your…"
"It really is you, Naruto." Suddenly, came the voice of Neji Hyuuga, his Byakugan showing fully as he looked at Naruto. "Hinata-sama is correct. The man before us is Naruto Uzumaki, not Hanzo Hattori. During the Chuunin Exams, I have memorized your Chakra Signature and I could never forget it, so don`t try to deny it, Naruto!"
This statement immediately had brought out a look of shock from everyone, as they all turned to face the man in question. Kurenai, Kushina, Hinata and even Jiraiya with Kakashi were looking at Naruto with hopeful eyes, bordering that of desperation, while Kiba, Sasuke, Rock Lee, Neji, Sakura and Ino had the eyes of dangerous curiosity and disgust. The others simply adopted the look of seriousness and were expecting to see whatever was underneath the face guard. Naruto looked at them with the narrowed eyes for a little bit, before sighing, understanding that they wouldn`t get off his ass if he didn`t satisfy their curiosity, and even then they wouldn`t stop. But, if they really wanted to proceed down that way, they were welcome to try, considering that he was still legally banished and couldn`t return under the threat of death. For once, he was actually glad that Council of Konoha had done as it did.
Pulling his hand away from the blade, he raised it up to his face guard and pulled it down. Everyone looked in shock and surprise at seeing the new face of their former comrade and now banished Konoha Shinobi. No longer any fatness was visible upon it, whiskers were gone without a trace, while sharpness has been visible upon Naruto`s face. It was no longer the face of an idiotic knuckleheaded blonde Naruto Uzumaki, but a face of a truly grown up handsome man and a Shinobi that could put to shame many. While not verbally, mentally Tenten, Ino and even Sakura had to admit that this new look of Naruto was not just good, but dashing and gorgeous, even if they would never publically say it. Sasuke, Kiba, Neji, Rock Lee, Sakura and Tenten looked with shock, but also with the immediate scowl, followed by Asuma and Might Guy. The looks of shock and surprise came over faces of Kushina, Jiraiya, Hinata and most prominently, Kurenai, who couldn`t even hold back her tears at seeing him. Deciding to finally break the silence, Naruto spoke up.
"Neji, just for the clarification: Hanzo Hattori is Naruto Uzumaki. I didn`t impersonate him, but created him from the scratch, though now I`m starting to think I was a bit too good at this." Naruto simply looked at his former comrades, friends and mother with an impassive look. "Now, I would say that it has been a long time, but really, I wish I didn`t have to see most of you here for another 2 lifetimes. And some of you I would really like to give a piece of my mind and steel for what they had done to me." Naruto said, gazing at Kushina, Kakashi, Jiraiya, Sasuke and Sakura in particular.
"Gaki… Damn, Gaki, it really is you! Sweet Kami, I almost didn`t recognize you there, with all the black hair and no whiskers!" Jiraiya shouted out in joy and was already moving towards Naruto, but he was immediately stopped by an instantaneous and powerful wave of Killing Intent coming from Naruto. "H-hey, hey, Naruto, what`s all this KI is about? Y-you a-aren`t happy to see me?"
"Should I? Last time we met, you`ve said that I`m a major disappointment of your precious village and that Fourth Hokage and Third Hokage would be appalled at what I did." Naruto reminded Jiraiya, who had stopped in his tracks and recalled, a look of shame coming over his face. "I guess my godfather would know better, considering that he trained the same Fourth Hokage, aka Minato Namikaze, my father. Only guess what, my father wasn`t disappointed in me, far from it."
"Y-you already know w-who y-your father is?" Jiraiya asked of Naruto, with simply scoffed at him.
"Oh, I know all about him, as well as the woman right in front of me. And don`t even get me started on what you and that old bastard of a Hokage have done to me." Naruto narrowed his eyes at Jiraiya, who`s eyes widened as he realized what Naruto was talking about. "Memory Alteration Seals, and not just one but three of them, right upon my mind… Tell me, were you trying to make me a mental retard, or did you just enjoy mind raping me with that old dust bag?"
"N-Naruto, i-it`s not what y-you think i-it was… W-we had n-no other choice, Kyuubi was starting to influence you and…" Jiraiya had tried to defend himself.
"Don`t give me this load of crap. You are a level 8 Sealing Master, and you knew that my 8 Triagram Seal was safe and not weakened. You altered my memories not because of Kyuubi, but because it was convenient and handy for both of you, especially considering that I had found out quite a few of your dirty secrets, like one about this woman right here." Naruto looked at Kushina, who looked with desperation at Naruto. "So, Kushina Uzumaki, happy to finally see your firstborn son? Any words to share, not that it would matter in the grand scheme of things."
"S-Sochi, p-please, I-I know that what I had done w-was horrible, but pl-please, you have to understand that I…" Kushina had tried to explain herself, but she immediately cut off by Naruto.
"Believed I was possessed by Kyuubi because of my father`s mistake and had to abandoned by you, while also becoming a prime target for the entire village to kill?" Naruto saw the look of shock and tears upon her. "Kushina, you are an Uzumaki and Level 10 Sealing Mistress, not to mention a former Jinchuriki of Kyuubi. For you to distinguish a caged Fox from an unleashed one is a matter of simple careful glance, but no, you merely assumed that I was possessed and that was it for you. Do you even know how many times I have been sent to hospital, before I turned three years old? I was not just hunted down by villagers, but bloody Genins, Chunins and Jonins, hell two of the Jonin here had tried to take my head here, all because of you." Naruto turned his gaze at Might Guy and Asuma Sarutobi. "Isn`t that right, Guy, Asuma? With Guy it`s self-explanatory, but with you, Asuma… That Hien of yours nearly sliced my head off my shoulders back then. I still don`t understand what did Kurenai onee-chan had found in someone like you." Kurenai widened her eyes and her mouth was agape at hearing what she did.
"Onee-chan… Naruto, oh my little bundle of joy, you`ve remembered! You remember again… Wait, Asuma… Hunt… Hien… Slice…" Kurenai`s joyful thoughts immediately turned to one of murder as she glared at Asuma Sarutobi right there. "Asuma, did I hear that right? You had partaken in Fox Hunts and nearly killed Naruto?!" Asuma shuddered when he met the murderous gaze of his former girlfriend.
"I-I… I didn`t know any better, a-and I thought that he really was a Kyuubi and…" Asuma had tried to defend himself, before realizing something and turning back to Naruto. "Wait, how do you remember? When I saw you last, you didn`t remember any of it and…"
"Details are not important, but what is important is the fact that you used the girl that had adopted me to get close and claim the prize. I believe your exact words were: "Not only do I get to avenge our Fourth Hokage, but those 15 million ryo will also be mine, so you better stand still so I can slice you clean, demon." Naruto recalled, seeing how Asuma paled instantly at this one, while his former team and some others had the looks of shock and even disgust on them. "I may`ve been 4 at the time, but I still recall how that blade had nearly cut off my hand when I tried to reach for a kunai to defend myself. Thank Kami Anko-nee-chan got back from mission early and decided to stop by."
"So that`s why she… ASUMA! I`ll fucking murder you for what you had done to him!" Kurenai was really livid and was quite ready to kill Asuma right at this moment, but she was stopped by Kakashi who stood between them. "Step away, Hatake. This man, this bastard… Not only did he cheat on me, but he fucking used me to kill my adopted son right here! I should`ve never trusted him nor his bastard of a father, so you better bloody step away from me, before I kill you on sight!"
"Kurenai, calm yourself. Don`t you see that you are not in the right mind right now?" Kakashi simply asked of her, with Kurenai not backing down.
"Gai-sensei, is what Naruto says… Is this true? Y-you really tried to… kill him?" Tenten asked in shock, realizing just what a horrible thing her Sensei had tried to do.
"Yes, Tenten. It is true." Gai admitted, shocking most around him. "There was the time when I had try to end the unyouthful existence of a demon within the walls of our youthful Village. For he was plaguing the Shinobi and Civilians alike with deception and deceit, and as a youthful Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha, it was my duty to end its existence before it had plagued even more people!" Gai said in his usual manner. "And I had nearly succeeded, had the Fox not unleashed his unyouthful foul power and drawn attention from the corrupted Anbu. But I swore upon Fourth`s grave and my own honor, that I would eventually end this monster, one way or another, for I am the youthful Green Beast of Konoha, Might Gai!"
"Oh, Gai-sensei, you are absolutely right! Naruto had always used foul play and cheated, so he must be a true unyouthful demon! Let us vanquish him together, and if I fail I shall do 10 thousand push-ups with just one pinky and a hundred laps around Land of Fire!" Rock Lee immediately agreed with his Sensei, which drew shocked expressions from Tenten, Kurenai, Hinata and some others.
"Well, if you wish, I welcome you two to try. Only you`ll have to be running those laps in Hell, Lee, because if you attack me, I`ll be more than happy to send you straight in there." Naruto warned him and the others, turning to Kurenai. "And Kurenai-onee-chan, while I would enjoy you killing this guy right here, best not to do it. I wouldn`t want to see you or Anko-nee-chan becoming Nuke-nin for no good reason. Better if I take his head off, if you do not mind. Won`t be the first Sarutobi I`ve killed, nor a first Konoha Shinobi…" Naruto let out a dry chuckle, seeing the shock and a bit of fear in the eyes of his former comrades
"Naruto, had I not known you, I would`ve assumed you were threatening us here." Kakashi suddenly spoke up to him. "You know that making such baseless threats is really showing off your unintelligence, right? After all, even if you had left the village, no true Konoha Shinobi would kill his own kind, even if he was under a different name. And I know that you are not a murderer, Naruto."
"And who said anything about it being baseless threats, Hatake?" Naruto asked him with a deadpan voice. "I have been banished, all of my property and money stolen because of false charges, the people I thought were friends turned on me in a blink of an eye, not to mention that I received more injuries and been closer to death within Konoha more times than I was out in the field. And did I mention how my mind was altered just so I could stay docile dumb knucklehead? By all accounts and means, I`ve got more reasons to wish death upon Konoha than Madara and Third Tsuchikage combined. And as for that last part of yours… Three years ago, on borders between Land of Wind and Land of Stone, a group of Konoha Shinobi numbering 27 Chuunin and Jonin had been tasked with intercepting Kazekage and his escort, preventing the talks between him and Tsuchikage from happening. The orders were to either stall, or to kill on sight. Nobody returned and five days later, their bodies were brought back on a cart by a villager from Land of Rivers, whom I paid good money to get their bodies back to their families, along with a warning, remember?" Naruto let out a small smirk at a sight of shock coming over most of the Shinobi out here, who realized that he was the man behind the infamous River`s Massacre, one of the worst recent defeats of Konoha, when all participating Shinobi were brought back, all dead, brutally murdered and some barely even recognizable.
It was assumed at first that this was the work of Akatsuki, someone like Itachi Uchiha, or it was a team of Kiri`s Anbu. But, to hear that Naruto Uzumaki, who had always sprouted around that he was going to become a Hokage and was considered to be the dead last of their generation, had actually gone and killed all of them, his fellow Village`s Shinobi, in cold blood and without mercy… It was a hard pill to swallow, and many couldn`t even believe it to be true.
"Dobe, do you expect us here to believe you? It is common knowledge that it was my brother who had killed them back there, having taken a contract from Kazekage." Sasuke retorted to Naruto. "You may look different, but you are nothing more but a dead last, whom you`ll always be, no matter what."
"Yeah, Sasuke-kun is right! You are just an annoying little pest that can`t compete with real Shinobi like us here! You probably just changed your looks so that you can look cooler and try to get me to fall for you, but it won`t work!" Sakura shouted at Naruto, who looked at her with a "are you shitting me" look.
"Good Kami, was I really that dumb to have a crush on… Oh, right, I was that dumb." Naruto mentally sighed before speaking up. "Sakura, I don`t know what has given you that I idea, but let me assure you of something. I`ve travelled all over the Elemental Nations for over 7 years and have seen many, many beautiful women and girls, and compared to them, you are like those frogs Kisama-Sannin here fantasizes about in his sleep. And as for the change in looks… I have an S-rank Nuke-nin Organization after my head, plus you Konoha idiots wouldn`t let me live in peace, not to bloody mention me holding a Kyuubi inside me, so I needed to make a couple of changes, in order to survive and not become a prime target for all world to take."
"So, those reports from Gaara, Temari and Kankuro about your death at the hands of Suna`s Nuke-nins were false? But they brought back your corpse, Lady Tsunade and Shizune personally have examined it and confirmed it was you!" Shikamaru stated to Naruto in shock, who merely smirked. "We had mourned your death, Naruto. We buried your body and…"
"And Konoha was had the biggest celebrations since its founding, which lasted for 2 days without end, I hear." Naruto added up. "As for that corpse… You would be bloody surprised what a dead blond Genin of my age, a skilled Iryo-nin and a special seal can be used for. Gaara was more than happy to provide for the first two, while the last I done on my own. What better way to disappear than to die? And after that, it was only a matter of a dying my hair black, since it`s the most common color on the planet for hair, changing the hairdo, and getting rid of whiskers through a very precise and a little bit discomforting operation, but damn if it was worth it."
"What a drag… You clever bastard, to think that Chouji and I were crying over a fake corpse. Do you even know how bloody painful it was for us all? Hinata, Kurenai-sensei, Anko, your mother you`ve broken so many hearts with that stunt! Hell, Lady Tsunade and Shizune were openly crying over that damn coffin during the procession. Have you thought about what it would do to us?!" Shikamaru screamed at him. "We know what we said was wrong on many levels, and we were sorry, but that was just cruel and horrible!"
"Shikamaru, just because you, Chouji and some others among you realized what you`ve done doesn`t excuses you, nor grants you forgiveness." Naruto stated coldly. "Now, enough about all of this. I am still technically banished from Konoha and can`t return, so me going back would be signing up my own death warrant, and according to my punishment, I can`t go back under any circumstances, so…"
"Actually, Naruto, the Council of Konoha has withdrawn that punishment from you upon the return of Kushina and Menma back in Konoha, pardoning you of any and all crimes." Jiraiya chimed in, getting a curious eye from Naruto. "Now, given the fact of you still being a son of Fourth Hokage, a Jinchuriki of Kyuubi, and a citizen of Konoha, there is no way we can let a prodigal boy like you continue to stray away from his home any longer. Plus, if you come back, then maybe Tsunade'll finally forgive me and I can be allowed in Konoha once more…"
"In other words, I`m either coming along with you peacefully, or you and this cavalcade of double-standards and nut jobs will take me there by force, is that it?" Naruto wasn`t sugar coating in any way.
"Well, when you put it like that, I guess none of us here has any other choices. We were ordered by Lady Hokage to get Hanzo Hattori no matter what, and since you are him, there is no way we are coming back without you." Kakashi simply stated lazily to Naruto. "But in all seriousness, Naruto, do you really think that you can take us all here down? Can you really bring yourself to strike us, your own mother included?" Naruto simply blinked at him before turning to Hinata and Kurenai.
"Hinata-chan, Kurenai-onee-chan, you two have been there for me when I needed it the most. For that, you have my eternal gratitude." Naruto spoke to the truthfully. "Because of that, I ask of you to please walk away from here. My quarrel is not with you, but with the rest of them, and should you remain in here, I will not be holding any responsibility for what you may witness. I have no desire to fight you or to harm you in any way, so I ask of you to walk away." Kurenai and Hinata looked at him surprised, before Hinata and Kurenai both nodded to him and decided to follow Naruto`s advice, using Shunshin to get out there, shocking the rest of the Shinobi here.
"Hey, what the hell was that?! Why do those two get a pass and we don`t?!" Ino shouted at him. "And are you really that dumb that you think you can take us all by yourself?! Sasuke-kun and all of us here will tear you a new one in no time!"
"Gaki, you really have done it now…" Jiraiya said it simply. "Minato, I hope you can forgive this idiot of a son of yours, wherever you are now…" Suddenly a large dome appeared right above Naruto, his house and the area surrounding it, not surprising Naruto. "Did you think we would let you escape in any way from here? This is barrier will not allow anyone to leave this area, no matter how strong, fast or powerful they are. You are now stuck here with us, Naruto. Best if you surrender now, before it becomes ugly."
"Kisama-Sannin, do you think I wasn`t counting on this?" Naruto asked of him in a dangerously calm way, placing his hand on his left katana and taking out. "You think that I am stuck here with you? No, it`s a complete opposite…" Naruto put`s on his face guard and readies his katana.
"It`s you who are stuck here with me." And with a flash of black and red, the battle starts.
Okay, I will admit that I didn`t plan on ending this like that, and I promise that next chapter will be out tomorrow. And believe me when I say this: Naruto is going to absolutely fucking destroy them all.
As you can see, Naruto knew about Kushina and Menma, and I`m sorry there was such a lack of dialogue between them, it`ll be remedied later on. And yes, Tsunade is Minato`s mother and grandmother to Naruto. What does that mean? Let me know your thoughts. Also, yep, Third Hokage and Jiraiya really did that with Naruto, alter his memories, several times and even taking him away from Kurenai, who had adopted him. More on that later on, but as you can see, Naruto really does have more than enough reasons to hate Konoha
Weekly Power Status
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