-At home-
Zabuza felt the presence remain in the distance, and the longer it remained, the more cautious he became. It isn't normal to be able to remain so still for so long, it was as if the other person was a puppet.
*Swoosh*
Suddenly, he felt a change, the other party has begun to move. His expression sunk, as the other person was rapidly approaching the house! He held the executioner's blade tightly and prepared himself.
Very soon, the other person was in view. He was dressed in a dark cloak, with a mask over his face, so Zabuza couldn't see who it is, not that he'd recognise them anyway.
His expression became dark as he raised the blade up
*Clang*
He slashed it down upon the incoming person, but that person took out two kunais and pressed against his blade.
'He's strong'
His gaze sharpened as he kicked the other person, causing him to stumble back a little. However, it was as if he wasn't effected at all, and ran at Zabuza once more.
*Clank*
The two clashed again, sparks flew into the air as the massive blade smashed against the kunais in the other person's hands.
*Whoosh*
As the two clashed, a projectile flew from behind Zabuza, and struck the enemy's shoulder. An icicle was now embedded in his shoulder, yet the person didn't flinch, and even pressed on even harder at Zabuza!
Zabuza grunted as he twisted the blade, flicking the kunais out of the hand of the enemy, before he pushed it forth, and pressed the man against the wall with the blade.
Haku walked out from behind
"Who is this person" He asked
"No idea, but the kid will probably know, freeze him and bring him inside" He said
"Okay" Haku walked over, and froze the person's limbs before removing the mask on his face.
When the mask was taken off, the two of them saw a face they have never seen before, yet it gave them a sense of familiarity. It was a face similar to what Haku used to wear, cold, and emotionless, almost like a machine.
Despite being frozen, he made no sound, no complaints, and didn't even speak. His hollow eyes simply stared back at them, with no meaning behind it, nor will.
"This is definitely not a simple matter" Zabuza muttered as he dragged the man inside the house, with Haku keeping watch of him.
Now, what worried Zabuza is the follow up. If a person had so little free will, it means that there is someone behind him, and whoever it is, they are definitely up to no good by sending this person.
*Fwoosh*
As he was contemplating the situation, a golden light flashed past his eyes as Naruto appeared in the room with Kimimaro.
"Yo, sensei" Naruto waved
Zabuza's expression eased when he saw Naruto
"Just in time, come with me" He said
"Huh? What's up?"
Zabuza led Naruto to the lounge where the man was held captive. Naruto frowned faintly upon seeing the man, and walked up to observe him.
"He shows no reaction to whatever we do, and doesn't even flinch despite being frozen, so I thought you might know something" Zabuza explained
Naruto grabbed the man's face and pried his eyes open.
"This is a little annoying" He muttered
"You know this person?" Zabuza asked
"Rather than this person, I know who's behind him, it's one of the village elders, Danzo, it seems he's finally starting to take actions against me" Naruto said
With how flashy he has been lately, it is no wonder Danzo is feeling rushed.
"Who is he?" Zabuza asked
"A pest, he hides underground and brainwashed a team of shinobis to act as his loyal dogs, his lair is filled with such people" Naruto said, his tone filled with loathing
When Orochimaru first visited him, he had also requested for Orochimaru to help him locate Danzo's hideout, which he had snuck into at one point to find out the reason behind his parent's death.
That is also how he found out about Danzo's involvement with Kumo shinobis, as well as the Uchiha clan's involvement.
"Do you hate him?" Haku asked
Naruto chuckled
"Hate? No, I detest him" Naruto's expression was frightening, as he wore a dark smile that seems to carry anger beyond his age.
Haku's expression became cold
"If he's your enemy, then why is he still alive?" Haku asked
Naruto stared at Haku, and his dark expression gradually became more bubbly as he smiled.
"Aw, look at you, caring about me" He chuckled
"Isn't this matter serious?" Haku asked
"Well, yeah, but nothing major, I just need to have the Hokage warn him, and he'll back off for a bit, after all, I still need to pave the way for his future" Naruto said with a faint laugh
"P-Pave his future?"
"Yeah, I was thinking of stripping his reputation bare, turn him into the public enemy, and have him become a wanted man from every nation" Naruto smiled
His words left them speechless, that's one way to pave someone's future....
"Interesting plan" Haku said
"Right? I'm still thinking of how I can do it, until then, I'll just have sis give him a warning" Naruto said, his expression seems relaxed, unlike his earlier face.
Haku leaned over and nudged Naruto's arm
"By the way, where's Tayuya?" He asked
"Ditched her" Naruto responded
"Huh?" Haku was taken aback, he ditched her? But wasn't he the one who insisted that they stay close to him for his experiment?
Naruto knew what Haku was thinking
"She needs to know she can't mess with me so easily, besides, she'll be back in a few hours, the trip wasn't far" He said as he explained the situation to Haku.
Haku lifted a brow
"Naruto...you're a petty f**k, you know that?"
"So what if I am? Her fault for crossing paths with a petty f**k such as I" Naruto placed a hand on his chest as he spoke with a proud smile
"..."
Haku sighed
"Fine, I'll just wait for her" He muttered and went back to training
After Haku left, Naruto rubbed his chin
"I can't help but feel that I forgot something..." He muttered
-Training ground-
"Hinata....you should take a break" Tenten said with a worried look
Hinata wasn't in good shapes, however, the burning desire to improve simply pushed her to keep going. She had spared with nearly everyone, all except Lee, Neji, and Naruto. Even Shikamaru joined in, and fought Hinata when she requested.
Naruto didn't join as he was just a clone, Neji had spared with her enough times already, so he opted out as well. As for Lee, he refused to fight her while her hands were injured, and was the only one who was able to flat out refuse her under her fierce gaze.
However, even so, this left Hinata exhausted and beat, with her hands dripping with blood as her wound from earlier opened up again. Ino wanted her to stop after her second spar, but Hinata insisted on continuing.
"I...alright" Hinata looked down at her hands, which are covered in blood that seeped through her bandages.
During this time, Naruto was observing Hinata, and he noticed something
"Hey Neji, do you think Hinata at the moment reminds you of anyone?" He asked with a grin
"Who?" Neji asked
Seeing that he didn't know, Naruto chuckled and didn't tell him
"Na-kun, did you figure something out?" Ino asked as she poked Naruto's cheeks
Naruto waved his hand
"Yep, but I won't say anything until someone else figures it out" He replied, brushing off any of her attempts to pry his mouth open.
"Come on~"
"Nope"
Shikamaru glanced at Naruto, then at Neji, who was the first person Naruto asked. As he turned to Neji, it clicked, and he too, couldn't help but chuckle.
"Oh~, seems like Shiki got it as well" Naruto laughed
"What is it? Jeez, don't leave me in the dark" Ino huffed
"Now I'm curious as well, what is it?" Tenten asked
Neji, Choji, and Hinata also turned to Naruto, wanting him to answer, while Lee was completely oblivious to this...
"Hinata's change is abrupt, but it's not without a role model" Naruto wagged his finger and said
The playful glimmer in his eyes shone brighter
"Oh? Hinata, you had a role model for your current attitude?" Tenten asked curiously
"I-I don't" Hinata stuttered a little, her face became a little flushed
"Aw~ how cute, how could I have thought you were scary, come give me a hug" Tenten pulled Hinata into her embrace and laughed
Hinata fiddled with her fingers, did she really have a role model? Why didn't she know?
Naruto glanced at Neji
"Say~....isn't the way Hinata acts quite similar to how Neji was originally?" Naruto said
!!!!!
Everyone thought back on Neji's past attitude, and couldn't help but agree! He used to be very cold and aloof, with a trace of venom in his gaze as he spoke. Is this not how Hinata is at the moment?
"Neji was considered the Hyuga clan prodigy, so Hinata must have used him as her model without knowing since he has always overshadowed her" Naruto said
He had noticed that Hinata seems to have a clear sight in what she wants to be like, and when he saw Neji and Hinata together today, he finally realised what she had set her sights on.
"Th-That-" Hinata was stunned, when he said that, it indeed sounded plausible!
"It does seem to be the case" Ino smiled
"As expect of Neji, you're a role model for others" Lee clenched his fist, he didn't understand most of it, but he understood that Neji was Hinata's role model.
His complement actually made Neji pause a little as he shifted his gaze away. A faint pink hue appeared on his ears.
"Shy now eh?" Naruto, Tenten and Ino saw this as an opportunity to tease him, and immediately began pestering him.
Hinata on the other hand, was taken aback. She had wanted to appear stronger, and gradually visualised a set path for herself, yet she hadn't expected that the path would actually be to become more like Neji...
While Ino and Tenten messed with Neji, Naruto turned back to Hinata
"Seems like Neji has left quite the impact in your life"
"Mn" Hinata nodded, still processing this.
"Since we're done with the spars, I should probably disperse, if I stay too long, the information intake for the original will be too hefty" Naruto said
"Go ahead" Ino waved
*Poof*
With that, Naruto's clone dispersed, causing the original Naruto, who was just about to leave the house, to unexpectedly fall off due to the sudden torrent of information. It wasn't nearly as bad as the one that he sent to a different timeline, but it came as quite the shock and caught him by surprise.
"Urgh, that's what I forgot, tsss, damn, Hinata is hardcore" He remembered everything that happened at the training ground, and was once again, impressed by Hinata's ferocity in battle.
He picked himself up
"No wonder the multi shadow clone is considered forbidden, if that happened mid combat, I may as well be considered dead" He muttered
"Let's hope sis isn't busy" He rubbed the back of his head and teleported away.
-Hokage office-
"What? Do you have other illegal residents you want to introduce me to?" Tsunade asked the moment he showed up
"Nah, what do you take me for? I don't just find you if I need identities for people" Naruto responded
"Could have fooled me" Tsunade rolled her eyes in response
Naruto shrugged and walked over
"Danzo has started to make his moves" He said
!!!!
Tsunade's hand stopped as her expression became serious
"What did he do" She asked in a low voice
"He sent a subordinate to observe my house closer than usual, and he ended up trying to break in as well, I assume it's because he saw that I'm growing too rapidly for his liking" Naruto said
He knew that Danzo desires the powers of a jinchuriki, and wish for him to become a puppet that he can control, but now, he's growing too fast. Danzo has watched him for a long time, and knows that Naruto has others living in his house, so he tried to target them, but he didn't expect they'd be this strong.
"I see...on this note, is what you said back then about Danzo true" Tsunade asked
"Which one?" He asked
"That he collaborated with Kumo shinobis and got your parents killed" She replied, her voice laced with coldness and anger.
Naruto nodded
"There are records that he kept inside his office" He said
"His office? Why would he keep records of it? He's a sly person, he would not keep such obvious evidence" Tsunade frowned
Naruto shook his head
"It is exactly because he is sly that it exists, tell me, if an enemy shinobi reached out to you to help you take down your rival, how would you respond?" Naruto asked
Tsunade fell into deep thought
"I'd obviously not trust them" She replied
"Exactly, that is the same with Danzo and Kumo, they may want similar results, but they cannot trust one another, as a result, they must have some sort of agreement that can keep both sides at bay" Naruto explained
Tsunade listened, nodding her head. What he said thus far made sense, but how did it link with the evidence he keeps?
"My guess is that their agreement included fail safes, so that they won't betray one another, so they both hold weaknesses of one another, which is likely the records of their collaboration" Naruto said calmly
"This..."
"Because they cannot trust each other, they each hold copies of the records between one another, so they can continue future collaborations with little worry of betrayal since neither side wants the collaboration to be revealed" Naruto said
"It sounds plausible, but keeping it in his office seems to sloppy" Tsunade muttered
"That is because he never expected anyone to find the Root hideout" Naruto said
!!!!
Tsunade suddenly realised, even now that she is the Hokage, she does not know where Danzo's Root base is! Now that he brought it up, it made sense. No one in the village knows where the base is, and even if they do know, they are likely enemies who have worked with Danzo before.
"Then how did you find it" She asked
"Uh, well, y'know, just here and there, this and that~...I followed him back after a meeting he had with the elders" Naruto replied
Tsunade's lips twitched, it was that easy? A little too easy....
But Naruto can't exactly say he got the information from Orochimaru, can he?
Seeing that Naruto didn't elaborate, she sighed and dropped the pen in her hand. Her gaze focused on him, as if trying to see through his intentions, but he remained casual.
"So, what do you want from me?"
"Aw, sis, you're the best, I just need you to go give Danzo a quick little warning about getting involved with me, and you can threaten him a little with the collaboration he had with Kumo" Naruto said with a gleeful smile
"...."
She pinched between her brows
"Okay, let's just say I did that...why are you not taking action yourself? As you said before, he caused the deaths of your parents, why do you want to let him off with just a warning" She asked with a confused frown.
Danzo wasn't a good person, and given the chance, she would want to use this evidence to directly label him as a traitor, and throw him out of the village. Better yet, somehow kill him if possible, yet Naruto only wants her to give him a warning?
It didn't match his character...
"Sis, tell me....what do you consider the worst type of punishment?" Naruto asked, his smile faded
"Well, it is death, no?"
Naruto shook his head
"It's knowing the agonising pain of life, and despairing over the inevitable, wishing for death's embrace, yet unable to ever die, living a life filled with torment...if Danzo does not suffer such a fate, I will not be satisfied" Naruto said in a low voice
His words made Tsunade shiver a little, to think a child could hold such deep anger.
"Sis, let me tell you something, I dislike it when someone tells me what to do...but do you know what I hate more than that?" Naruto spoke
"What?"
"Someone manipulating my life so I don't even get to know the choices, he caused my parent's death, he ruined my reputation, everything that has happened to me in this village is linked to him, he manipulated everything" Naruto's eyes burned with anger as he spoke
Tsunade's hands clenched
"I will say, your anger is too deep..." She spoke
But then she revealed a cold smile
"However, that's what I want to hear when it comes to that old b*stard, you're right, death is too easy on him" She said
Naruto retracted his anger, and replaced it with a smile
"Sis, I'm counting on ya"
"Since you called me sis, I'll have to make sure it works out, he will not bother you again, as for what you do afterwards, good luck" She replied
"Thanks"
Naruto walked over and placed a note on her table
"This is where his hideout is located, if he asks how you found out, just tell him that his tail isn't hidden well enough, let the anxiety eat at him, knowing his secrets are being unfolded one by one" Naruto smirked
"You're devious, I like that idea" Tsunade crackled as she took the note.
With that out of the way, Naruto bid Tsunade farewell, and returned home. Of course, he didn't forget to leave Tsunade a jar of wine as a 'gift'.
Meanwhile, Tsunade called Jiraiya to meet her in the office.
"What is it" Jiraiya walked in and asked, his carefree grin slowly vanished however, upon facing Tsunade's stern expression.
"Danzo has started to make his move on Naruto" She replied
"This..." Jiraiya's expression became serious
"What do I need to do" He didn't ask for the details, and directly asked this
Tsunade stood up
"We will pay his hideout a visit, and confront him about this matter" She said coldly
"Alright" Jiraiya nodded, he had wanted to confront Danzo for a long time about Minato's matter, but he didn't have the evidence, so all he could do was wait for an opportunity.
But that opportunity never came...until today.
"Before that-" Tsunade gave him a quick rundown of what she and Naruto talked over, glossing over his insane idea.
"....I never found the evidence, but to think it was in his office all this time, let's go" He nodded
The thought of Minato's death made Jiraiya's expression darken by several levels. He had thought of it as bad luck that led to the nine tails being released, yet he was told a while back by Naruto that it was caused by Danzo.
He couldn't understand the thought process of this man, to have caused the death of the Hokage, and even work with Kumo shinobis to do so. To make matters worse, he is still trying to get hold of the nine tails despite all his wasted efforts of the past.
"I will make sure he never approaches Naruto again" He gnashed his teeth and said in a low voice.
Minato was his student, and with Naruto being Minato's son, the anger he felt at this moment was not simple.
Seeing Jiraiya's current state, Tsunade felt a sense of pity. Minato was his prized student after all, and to have known that his death was caused by not an enemy, but someone from within the village, it must have hurt much more.
"The kid is able to contain his anger, so as his grand-teacher, you should as well" She said
Jiraiya paused upon hearing this. That's right, Naruto has known this matter, and if he as a child, could contain his anger, then why can't he?
A smile crept to his face
"Thanks....but me, his grand-teacher? I don't dare, I'd die sooner with him as my student" He chuckled as he shook his head.
Naruto's personality is...well, he's a prick!
That aside, the two left the office and rapidly headed for the location that Naruto had noted. It was hidden well, and being underground, it was incredibly hard to detect.
"To think he has this hidden from even me, the Hokage" Tsunade sneered as she tore the entrance open.
The commotion caused by her action led to the guards inside taking action immediately. Their lifeless eyes made contact with Tsuande and Jiraiya's, and struck viciously towards them.
"Stop" A low voice rang out from within the hideout.
An elderly man with bandages wrapped around his right eye and arms walked out from within the hideout. His gaze was less than pleased, but he hid his annoyance behind a smile.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of meeting you two, Jiraiya and Tsunade?" He asked
"Hokage" Tsunade spoke
"Pardon?"
"To you, it's Hokage-sama, not Tsunade" Tsunade snapped at him
Danzo's hands clenched, but he didn't act
"Ah, of course, Hokage-sama" He greeted once more
Tsunade sneered
"Danzo, drop the act already, we're here to warn you" She said coldly
"Warn me? Could I have done something to anger you both?"
"Something like that, it seems you never gave up on the nine tails, huh?" Jiraiya stepped up and asked with a smirk on his face.
"I don't seem to understand" Danzo shook his head and said
Jiraiya stepped closer to him, standing at just an arms length away.
"You are not the only one keeping watch on the village's jinchuriki, did you think we wouldn't notice your movements?" He spoke, his gaze unwavering as he glared at Danzo.
Danzo cursed faintly in his heart, and on the surface, he let out a helpless sigh
"I cannot be blamed, if you two also keep watch, then you should know, that kid brought back many unidentified shinobis to his house, I suspected he had ill intentions towards the village, so I had to take action" He spoke with great resolution in his tone, as if he had only ever done so for the good of the village.
His words however, didn't flinch the two one bit, as they had expected such shameless excuses from him.
"Interesting, I could have sworn I have given a guarantee for those living with him, have you not heard the news?" Tsunade furrowed her brows as she expressed her displeasure
"Or...are my words already ineffective in this village?" She added coldly
Her sharp tone made Danzo tremble slightly
"Of course not, I've been in my hideout all this time, news has yet to reach me" He said in a hurry
"Ah, so it was an accident" Tsunade smile
"Yes, of course" Danzo nodded
"Just like Minato's death?" Tsunade added
"Ye-...what does this have anything to do with this matter?" Danzo felt something was off the moment Minato was brought up.
'Could they know?' He thought in his heart
Jiraiya walked past him suddenly, heading into his hideout.
"Jiraiya, what are you doing" Danzo grabbed his shoulders as he growled
"What? You have something you need to hide from us? Perhaps...something to do with the nine tails attack?" Jiraiya smiled
'They...'
Danzo's heart tightened, but he held firmly onto Jiraiya's shoulders
"Not at all, but I keep confidential information in there" He replied
"Confidential? So confidential that only you and Kumogakure knows?" Jiraiya chuckled
!!!!
At this point, it was obvious...these two came, knowing about that matter! But how did they know? And how do they know where his hideout was located? It didn't make sense.
"I don't seem to understand" Danzo continued to deny the matter
"Oh?" Jiraiya and Tsunade's expression both became incredibly dark at this moment
Tsunade walked over, and placed a hand on Danzo's head as she clenched it tightly. Danzo felt as if his skull would pop if she squeezed just a little harder.
"St-Stop! What is the meaning of this" Danzo exclaimed
Tsunade's gaze was piercing, seeing through his panic
"Meaning? It means a warning, stay away from Naruto from now on, if I see even one of your subordinates observe him from afar, I will raze your place to the ground, and lock you up" Tsunade growled
"Y-You-"
"Shut up, I'd have killed you if not for Hiruzen's pleas, that old fool, still unaware that you killed the fourth Hokage, pleading for your life when I mentioned I was going to visit you" Tsunade growled, lying without batting an eye.
She needed a reason to spare him since it was what Naruto wanted, so Hiruzen was thrown under the bus for this.
"Tsss" The pain was unbearable, he felt as if he was going to die at this rate
"I-I'll do it, just stop" He yelled
Tsunade's grip loosed
"Hah....I'll have my people retreat, and not interfere with Naruto again" He said in a low voice
Tsunade's gaze narrowed
"Don't even think of moving your hideout, or hiding from me, if I can find you once, I can find you again" Tsunade scowled
Danzo gulped, but in the end, he nodded
"I...won't" He clenched his fists tightly, as anger built up inside him.
Tsunade had utterly humiliated him today, and-
*Bang*
Suddenly, a fist came out and struck his face, knocking him to the ground.
"Ts-Tsunade, what are you doing!" Danzo exclaimed
The one who punched him was none other than Tsunade!
Tsunade scoffed
"I can't kill you, but I can damn well beat you half to death today to release some pent up anger, also, it is not Tsunade, to you it is Hokage-sama!" She snapped as she didn't hesitate to throw another punch at him.
Jiraiya watched by the side, then at the guards around. They did nothing as Danzo was being beaten up, which made him wonder why. But he then shifted his gaze away...the beating Tsunade gave Danzo was simply too terrifying!
*Bang*
Danzo was slammed against the ground, which cracked below him.
"St-Stop"
*Bang*
-Meanwhile-
Naruto sat on the couch and stared at the ceiling, deep in thought.
"What's on your mind" Zabuza walked over and sat down next to him
"Just...thinking about my parents" He replied
Zabuza's brows furrowed, this was a matter he had never come across with Naruto, but now that he brought it up, he couldn't think of anything to say.
"Don't be to stressed, I'm not thinking of them because I miss them, I'm thinking on how I can avenge them...two forces are well within my reach, but there is a third party that I find difficult to reach" Naruto muttered, he had told Tsunade about Danzo and Kumogakure, but there was one last group that he has yet to mention....
Zabuza remained quiet as he listened
Naruto turned to him
"Sensei...is something burning?" Naruto asked
!!!!!
Zabuza stood up
"The chocolate cake for Haku!" He exclaimed as he dashed to to the kitchen
Naruto chuckled
[Kid, who's the last group] Kurama asked
'That is the issue...I don't know, I only have information that a man with an orange mask reached out to Kumo, giving them the idea of cooperating with Danzo' Naruto replied in a low tone
[I see....we will find out sooner or later] Kurama's tone was less than pleased as he spoke, since he was manipulated during that period, and that feeling left him furious.
Kurama let out a sigh as he then slowly shifted his attention to another matter
[Kid, I've been meaning to ask you...who are you really? You are too calm for a child your age]
'Ah, this matter...I guess it's fine for you to know'
Naruto closed his eyes and entered his mindscape. Inside, he was met with Kurama, who laid there, staring intently.
[Who are you really?]
"I am Naruto, and I always have been, but I have the memories and experience of someone else, a second life I believe" Naruto muttered
[...and here I thought the 'dad mode' you came up with was ridiculous] Kurama laughed
He leaned closer
[But I will not dismiss your words, as it would explain your current attitude]
Naruto smiled as he walked closer
"I think showing you would be the simplest solution" He said as he pressed his head against Kurama's forehead.
Their eyes closed, as a connection was formed between the two of them. As the connection became stronger, memories began to flow into Kurama's head, as if they were part of his own memories. After a while, Kurama opened his eyes.
[Kid, you.....you're f**king crazy!] He gasped
"Huh? What'd you see? Crap, did I share too much?" Naruto exclaimed
[I thought I was a catastrophe, but it seems I need to tip my hat to you, even I have reasons when I destroy things, but you....you have no restraint!]
"Bullsh*t, I have reasons as well!" Naruto yelled
[Then what about the national museum]
"I wanted to see what the new bomb I made did, so it's not my fault" Naruto crossed his arms and said
Kurama rolled his eyes
[And the amusement park?]
"People sounded too happy, I was in a bad mood and it sounded like they were laughing at me" Naruto scoffed
[....then what about the wildlife reserve? You blew up the whole f**king mountain!]
"Animals should learn to fend for themselves! I'm doing them a favour!"
[Which f**king animal prepares for a f**king bombing session!]
"The one right in front of me" Naruto replied
[You're crazy!]
"You're unreasonable!"
[Damn hypocrite!]
"That's right, I am" Naruto said with a proud look
[....get the f**k out of my home] Kurama finally couldn't take it anymore as he kicked Naruto out of the mindscape
"...hehehe, I win" Naruto revealed a triumphant grin