Chapter 29
"You're back? ANBU! Apprehend Uchiha Sasuke, now!" Tsunade-senpai exclaimed as she was surprised to see the frozen Uchiha. I held out a hand as two ANBU suddenly appeared out of nowhere making their way towards us.
"Wait, not right now. Itachi's jutsu is running its course. We can't risk it right now, senpai. This must happen," I said as I immediately hovered in front of my stoic teammate as did Sakura and Naruto along with the redhead.
"Very well, Director," the ANBU collectively said as they now paid attention to the redhead.
"Who's this then?" she asked.
"This is one of Sasuke's new companion. The other two had fled the scene in hopes of not crossing my path with me on my worst bad day yet," I explained as I walked towards Senpai's desk and stood next to her as I looked at the redhead directly. "Introduce yourself."
"I, my name is Karin," The redhead said stutteringly and then she noticed that Sakura was healing Sasuke's wound. "What are you doing to my Sasuke, you d.a.m.n forehead!"
"What's that? Wanna fight?!" Sakura immediately retorted. These two were too similar than we wanted. Fangirls, I was s.h.i.+vering already when I came to that conclusion.
"Knock it off, you two," I said, irritated and they both glared at me with fiery eyes. Well, two can play at that game, so I glared back with the help of my Rinne-Sharingan.
"Sorry, s.h.i.+nigami-kun," Karin said as she bowed down to her knees and s.h.i.+vering.
"No fair! Nee-sama told you to not use it to your advantage," Sakura whined. I made my way to the redhead.
"Whatever, my mood is still not improving right now. I just lost a friend to gain back an old friend," I said as I stuck out my tongue at my teammate to which she was as expected, fuming. "Do you want Ibiki-San to do it or me, Senpai?"
"Well, your ways are the fastest and efficient. Have at it then," Tsunade-senpai agreed with a chuckle and I brought my hand to pat the girl's cheek. She blushed at the contact and made eye-contact with me. With that, my mind quickly went into her mindscape. This ability of mine was immensely handy compared to the Yamanaka's clan jutsu and a tad less impactful to the victim's psyche compared to Ibiki's top tier Torture and Interrogation techniques. When I was done, she was reduced to a s.h.i.+vering mess on the ground. It was expected because she had been forced to live through her memories once again and it was nothing but nightmares.
"She and her mother were a fugitive in Kusagakure, they are Uzumakis. When her mother died of chakra exhaustion healing the Kusa Nin and she had taken the helm after the late Uzumaki. Sometime later, Orochimaru took her in and kept her as a warden when the snake had done his research on her. That is until Sasuke recruited her. She just has nowhere to depend on," I said for other's sake. "I understand that Uzus.h.i.+ogakure had a long-standing alliance with Konohagakure, senpai. I request that you leave her under my care. She had suffered enough. Karin, get up. I'm sorry I did that."
I pat the girl's head and when she looked at me, she had a look of despair. I smiled at her with my most honest intent. She then proceeded to hug me tightly.
"You're an Uzumaki? My name's Uzumaki Naruto, I am the next Hokage in line. We must be related, y' know!" Naruto fondly said in a un-Naruto way and Hinata's team was surprised to see the change in the blonde. Well, Karin must be the closest thing he had to a blood relative minus Tsunade-senpai that was a Senju who were distant relatives of the Uzumaki. I understood my best friend's point of view. The said girl was still hugging me and unmoving. After living the way she had, I understood that she may not be in the mood of catching up with another Uzumaki.
"All right, Karin. You are to stay with Hikari here and I must remind you that you are under the direct supervision of the Konoha ROOT Director. If you showed any signs of betrayal to Konoha, you will be promptly taken care of. So, please take your time and watch this village. We are an ally of the Uzumaki and my clan, the Senju are your distant relatives," Senpai said and Naruto himself was surprised to hear that. He was mad because it was only then that he had found out that he was related to Tsunade-senpai. Karin merely nodded at my senpai still not letting me go.
"Now, for Sasuke, we shouldn't move him around too much. I suggest that Naruto teleport him to a secure room with two squads of my men guarding it. Sai can take care of that. Sakura should be there to monitor Sasuke's condition that is if she's up for it. If he wakes up and only if he wakes up at all, he will change for the better, I promise," I announced as I cradle the girl Uzumaki in my hands. "It seems that I have a guest to attend. Naruto, fetch me some ramen after you're done and come by."
I took off running towards my home with the woman in my arms. When I was inside, I was immediately haunted by despair and loss. It's been a while since I was in here, and last time, Hitori and I had a very good time together even if it was brief. My eyes began to water due to an uninvited pain that wrenching up my heart.
"What's wrong, why are you in despair?" the Uzumaki asked as she sobbed. I raised my eyebrows at her comment. I was sure that my face didn't give anything away to her and yeah it didn't, plus, she wasn't even looking at me.
"Are you a sensor?" I questioned as I steeled myself and walked towards the bathroom with her in hand. She nodded and then sniffed loudly.
"Your chakra had been baffling me since I met you. It rotates as much as a feeling and people can only be one type. Yours are death itself when I first met you, but it changes too rapidly now, it's despair. Why?" she said as she s.h.i.+vered.
"That's perhaps a question for another time. Now, as my apologies for intruding your fragile mind, let me help you come back up from that 'hole' that I had pushed you over," I pleaded as I turned on the shower and water came raining down on us, I decided to bathe in its soothing flow as I carefully sat down on the ground and surrenders to the tears, "because I need to pick myself up too."
My eyes were distant as I remember my Hitori. Sakura could give me a beating right now, but I need this. I need to release this despair that was taking over me by the minute. I was then touched on the cheek by a warm hand despite the coldness of the shower. I looked down to see the red eyes searching into my soul.
"Why are you in despair and loss?" she pried yet again. I took the chance to smile at her. It was weak but a smile nonetheless.
"I had once lived here with my fiancé," I began and she withdrew her hand as a polite gesture and I grabbed it before placing it back on my face. "She had died sacrificing her soul to bring me back from death. I am still mourning."
With that, I rested my forehead onto hers. It wasn't long before I heard a knock on the doors and hurriedly changed into my towels.
"Fresh set of clothes are at the cupboard here. That must be Naruto," I said as I made my way to the doors. The boy was carrying too much ramen in his hands including a huge plastic of instant ones that a Kage Buns.h.i.+n of his was carrying. I guess he was compensating to the new Uzumaki here in the house.
"You're a lifesaver, Naruto. Come in," I gestured him in and made our way to the kitchen. "Food's here, Karin-san."
"Yy-yes!" She hollered and I had Naruto narrowed his eyes on me.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing. Get changed," the boy smirked at me.
"It's not like that, idiot," I yelled as I made my way to my room and changed into a set of ANBU black suit before I walked back down. Naruto was serving us food and as it turns out he had made a trip to Yakiniku Q before he got here. We sat down in bickering back and forth as we would always do before she made her way into the room.
"Uh, Hi," she said and I was stunned, she wore the grey kimono that we placed for our guest just in case they wanted to stay the night. I had to admit, she was immensely gorgeous. Naruto was withholding a good laugh and was struggling to let it out.
"I could see why you two hooked up," he teased and the redhead tossed a metal pail at my best friend.
"What's the big idea, idiot?!" she yelled holding up a fist at the boy.
"Well, let's eat. These ramens are our favourite dishes in Konoha," I said before we dug into our food.
"You said that you're an Uzumaki, then why are you aren't a redhead?" she suddenly asked as she dug into her third bowl of ramen. I guess Uzumakis are ramen addicts.
"Well, I got my hair from my Dad, Yondaime Hokage and it is said that I got my ramen addiction from my Mom, Uzumaki Kus.h.i.+na," Naruto explained and she dropped her finished bowl of ramen. Yep, Uzumakis are addicted to ramen.
"Kus.h.i.+nohimesama is your mother? You're the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki?" she demanded.
"Yeah, I am a jinchuuriki. What about it? I don't know my mom much, she died with my dad, saving me from the d.a.m.ned fox," Naruto asked irritatingly, expecting the redhead to recoil in disgust.
"There's a reason why Mito-Jouousama and Kus.h.i.+nohimesama could contain the Kyuubi. Only the main branch of the Uzumaki had the chakra reserve and endurance to do so. With a wide range of fuinjutsu at our disposal and the main branch special ability, that's why people attack our home," Karin explained. "My mother told me that, people at Uzus.h.i.+ogakure was so closely knit together that our enemy didn't realize about the main branch's existence. It was the main branch men who sacrificed themselves to get all of us to safety."
"So that means," my eyes widen at the revelations and the redhead bowed at my best friend.
"What?" Naruto's denseness was back with us.
"Baka, you're the heir of Uzus.h.i.+ogakure. You're a prince," I said as I slapped my forehead.
"My mom's a princess?" my best friend smiled indulgently and then he repeated the words like a mantra over and over again until he cried in the happiness of finding out his mother's past. We continued our feast until after midnight and I had Naruto stayed the night because he had already slept in my dining room. I didn't have the heart to wake him up so I wrapped him up in a blanket and address the situation with Karin-san.
"So uhm," I began and she immediately blushed red. "You will be sleeping in my bedroom. It's upstairs, please make yourself at home. Wait here for a bit, I want to take out the futon for myself."
I was going to my bedroom but the girl hugged me from behind.
"Don't leave me. Your chakra is so wayward that I don't know what will happen to you. I felt like I couldn't leave you alone. You're my guardian for now, right? Guard me then," the girl was on the brink of tears. I too was baffled at her behaviour. Most sensors would see the general gist of people chakra and shrugged it off or remembered it. She might be the most sensitive of them all so far, a bit like me? My eyes then widen to the fact. Since the Uzumaki and Senju are my brother's kin, there's a chance that his kin would have my powers. I must had been weirding or scaring her out or something. I reached for her hands and broke it off of me. I then pulled her up towards the bedroom and placed her on the bed whilst I sat at the wall near the bed.
"Sleep then. I will keep watch," I avert my gaze from her. "I was worse than this. My current state is what I would call the sanest I've been since I arrived here and it was all because of her. And here I am breaking my promise of not wallowing in my despair anymore. I am a failure."
She must have been noticing something else as she instead sat down next to me and laid her head on my lap. She fell asleep as quickly as she did and I am convinced that this particular habit that was evident also with my friend is from his Uzumaki's blood. I fell asleep a few hours later after a moment of meditating and resolving issues in my head. Suddenly, I felt unburdened, no pain and worse--sleepy and I just had to indulge.
The next morning, I was awakened to the smell of instant ramen cup brewing downstairs and I guess that Naruto had an early start to his day. I opened my eyes to a pair of red eyes that were looking into my eyes and in a surprise, she knocked her head into mine.
"Fuuuuuuu..." I winced as I rubbed my forehead.
"I'm sorry that I wake you up, it not like I was checking up on you or anything," she blurted as she blushed beet red and her head was steaming. I stole a glance at her eyes to which she went more profusely red and had to look away.
"Guys, breakfast ready," Naruto called from the kitchen. I stood up and made my way to the said kitchen in a baffling mindset. In the kitchen, Naruto was snickering when he saw me. I turned my head to the right and found Karin was following me closely and that she had a bruise on her forehead as did I. I sighed and sat in the kitchen having the ramen while trying to hold my composure from snapping at my best friend.
"Did you get laid?" Kakas.h.i.+-sensei blurted out next to me and the ramen inside my mouth burst out like an explosion and when it was done, Naruto was bathed in instant ramen.
"WE DIDN'T DO IT! YOU PERVERT CYCLOPS SENSEI!!" I yelled at my sensei who appeared unannounced in my dining room. "What are you doing here this early?!"
"I'm sorry, Naruto-Oujisama. I'll clean that of you," Karin clumsily stood up and went to the kitchen for a towel.
"The G.o.daime requested Naruto and your presence at the Hokage's Office at once," Kakas.h.i.+ said seriously as he glanced at the blonde. By then, Karin had arrived with a towel and wiped off the ramen from Naruto. She chastised herself for not intervene during that moment that Naruto was bathed in ramen and kept muttering 'Sorry, Naruto-Oujisama'. Predictably, the blonde snapped at her.
"Stop calling me that. I am Naruto and that's all I will be called until the day I became the Hokage!" he glared and the redhead recoiled and went hiding behind my back. The Kyuubi chakra was leaking. It was harmless enough, Naruto was irritated, that's all.
"You should do better to not call him that again. He isn't one for that kind of thing," I scolded Karin to which she was gripping my s.h.i.+rt so tightly. "Naruto, go take a shower or something. Senpai needs us."
"I see, you're a dominant," Kakas.h.i.+-sensei suddenly blurted out and Karin's face went red. I discreetly threw the plastic spoon at the book he was reading and the spoon broke upon contact. Naruto just went to the shower chuckling.
"Next funny comments will change the spoon into an incendiary projectile," I threatened as I finished my ramen. Kakas.h.i.+-sensei shuns.h.i.+nned out of the kitchen no doubt for the book's sake.
"Uhm, I don't have anything to wear," Karin said as she ate her ramen.
"You can use my late fiancé's s.h.i.+n.o.bi clothes. She never wore those in prefer of her kimono. They're collecting dust in our wardrobe," I said. When Naruto got out of the shower, all of us took turn showering until Kakas.h.i.+-sensei came back in again chastising us for being late. Well, he was no better than us so we snapped back at him.
When we were dressed, we made our way to the Hokage Tower. Naruto wore my prized Jukengi since the robe fits him well, I was wearing the usual Jounin attire as did Kakas.h.i.+-sensei now that I didn't have to keep myself a secret anymore, she wore a knee-length boot she had and a pale violet jacket with a black skirt. When we reached the said tower, I couldn't help but noticed the giant toad sitting atop another even giant toad.
"Huh? Gamaoyabun and Gamakichi?" Naruto exclaimed when he saw those two. I had a bad feeling about this and Karin, sensing my change immediately hugged my arms. I sighed, why is she so attached to me?
"What's shakin' Naruto?" the small one greeted my teammate and if I remembered correctly, Naruto had a summoning contract with them so the small one must be his frequent.
"What're you guys doing out so early? Did something happen?" Naruto questioned. Gamakichi was close to telling but was reprimanded by the larger toad
"...the heck was that about?" My teammate was baffled. Me, on the other hand, was struggling to keep my composure, I thought, I got the idea and Karin hugged me more tightly as she felt another change in me.
"Just hurry up," Sensei said and we made our way to the Hokage's Office. When Naruto entered the office, I just knew that everything was wrong. Jiraiysenpai was killed in battle. Why did he engage the enemy? Why didn't he call for reinforcement? How could someone like him be defeated? He got Sage Jutsu at his disposal, h.e.l.l, how in the heck did he got discovered at all? He was good at his job, espionage, and infiltration. I punched the wall next to me and it crumbled under my fist due to the only conclusion I had--he was outnumbered. Then, his intel was correct.
"Granny, did you send him there?" Naruto suddenly asked and when my senpai said yes, Naruto lashed out in a burst of anger. He was grieving.
"Enough, Naruto," Kakas.h.i.+-sensei interrupted his outburst. "You should understand exactly how G.o.daime-sama feels. Hikari-kun too."
I looked away, covering my tears from my best friend, he had enough share of despair in his life and now this? Losing his only father figure.
"f.u.c.k this," Naruto hissed and pushed me away from the doors. I caught his hand in time.
"I'll need your help later, don't wander off too far," I looked into his eyes and saw only a shaded light of his bright cerulean eyes. He paid no response to me but I knew that he heard me. I made my way back inside the office with Karin close behind me. They were conversing about Naruto being the child of prophecy. Wondered what that is.
"Hey, f.u.kusaku-sama, nice to meet you again. Could you fill me in on Jiraiysenpai's last moments?" I asked the old toad.
"Ah, my condolences, Hikari of the Phoenix. I so sorry for your loss," the toad bowed at me.
"No worries, f.u.kusaku-sama. Such is the life of s.h.i.+n.o.bi. Now, details, if you would please," I demanded, seriously.
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"He was last seen submerged inside an immensely deep-water body in Amegakure. My wife confirmed this. It is impossible to retrieve his body," f.u.kusaku-sama said. I was silent as I figured it out. In theory, Gudoudama could protect me from the pressure, though, going in and going out of there was surely a pain. That's where Naruto comes in. I need his Hirais.h.i.+n since he was the best there is.
"Give me 24 hours, I am bringing senpai back," I looked into Tsunade-senpai eyes and I knew, she was close to tears but holding it back like the strong kunoichi she is. "Karin, let's get you to see Sasuke."
With that, I shuns.h.i.+nned myself and Karin out of the office. Senpai needed privacy, she knew him longer than any of us. I felt Karin's hand tighten on mine and I asked what's up.
"Don't leave me," she begged not looking into my eyes and I shook my head.
"I need to do this. Now, let's check up on Sasuke," I said and we shuns.h.i.+nned again after I had pinpointed his chakra. I was greeted by Hawk and Falcon that was standing in front of the doors. A few others were hidden from view but noticed that I arrived there so they all came to greet me kneeling. I sighed at their behaviour.
"Enough with the formalities already. The cursed seal disappeared when I died, right?" I muttered, annoyed.
"Pardon me, director. You are still our boss and it is an honour working under you," Hawk said.
"The honour is mine, boys. Now, mission report?" I inquired.
"Your friend might be waking up soon, his Chakra spiked for a brief moment this morning," Falcon explained as I went through the doors to see Sasuke that was hooked up to numerous monitoring devices. I could see that Sakura made a good job healing him. Sasuke was now cleaned up and dressed in a hospital scrub.
"Right, Karin here will be monitoring Sasuke from now. a.s.sist her when you can and get Sakura here, at once," I requested and with that, they leave us for privacy sake. "Well, he's all yours."
"What did Uchiha Itachi did to him?" Karin asked as she going through his records that were placed by the EKG machine.
"Itachi sacrifice his sights to bring back Sasuke from his dark path. He is changing Sasuke from bad to good," I explained and Karin widens her eyes at my statement. I could see that she was doubting it. I withdraw a scroll from my jacket.
"This can confirm it. You and Sakura will perform an autopsy on this body and find out the cause of death," I said as I opened and placed the scroll on the ground before I unsealed Itachi's body. "Also, find out if his Sharingan could still have a use. If so, plant it in Sasuke's eyes and if not, I find out another way."
"What?" Karin was baffled.
"It's a hunch, he might have awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan. If so, he needs Itachi's eyes to continue to see. Anyway, that is the two-goal you guys need to achieve today. This is a request from me, the ROOT Director of Konoha," I explained. Karin was silent as she considered the odds.
"Is that?" I heard Sakura suddenly blurted out.
"Yeah, it is. Karin had been briefed on what to do and you are the leader. Please take good care of his body. He was the most loyal s.h.i.+n.o.bi of Konoha and my ex-second in command. I need to find Naruto. Bye!" I said before I shuns.h.i.+nned out of the place. When I was out, I looked for my best friend's chakra signature and found him talking with Iruka. I made my way towards them but when I reached them, Naruto had already left Iruksensei.
"Hey, could you do me a favour for me?" I asked and he didn't respond at all so I placed my hand on his shoulder to which he swatted it off. "Very well. Sorry that I disturb you, I am bringing senpai back."
I turned my heel and shuns.h.i.+n towards the gate. I understand it, Naruto. I understand it completely and I know that you will get over this.
"Hikari-kun, what's up?" Izumo greeted me. I brought my hand to form the tiger seal and my Rinne-Sharingan opened as I gather the natural energy and locate my Jutsu-s.h.i.+ki.
"I am bringing back Jiraiysenpai," I gritted as my hair turned white along with the appearance of a black robe with my family's emblem and the gudoudama. "Thank you, Hitori. Izumo, Tetsu, I'll be back. Hirais.h.i.+n!"
With that, the heavyweight of the body of water immediately crushed me. I was lucky to quickly engulfed myself in the gudoudama. I use the byakugan to locate my senpai's body and when I had found him, another Gudoudama engulfed him. Slowly but surely, we rose to the surface. After we reached there, I noticed that the rain that fell on us was laced with chakra, leading me to know how he was detected in the first place. Hastily, I opened up a scroll and sealed Jiraiysenpai in it.
"Impossible," I heard the familiar Kuro said. I let out a killing intent towards the thing and he walked back a pace.
"I am my mother's child, brother," I was going to attack before I sensed eight people coming towards me and their chakra was nothing like I had ever encounter. "Later."
I took off from the place using my Divine-Mode speed before the rest of them had a chance to outmanoeuvre me. It is confirmed that Amegakure was their base. At least, I knew that the leader was there along with Obito. Outnumbered, yeah, Jiraiysenpai was outnumbered. When I was sure that no one was following me, I turned off the mode and conceal my chakra before I made my way back to Konoha. I had a feeling that an attack might be imminent and thus I didn't stop at all.