Angels Dressed in Armor

Chapter 1: Long Ago

"You're it!"

"Dang it!"

"Everybody run!"

Laughter could be heard in the backyard from the many children currently running around playing 'ninja' which was a different type of tag. Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto sat on the patio of his home watching the little bundles of energy with whisker marks running around without a care in the world. Naruto himself was watching the happy children with a content smile on his lips. Bringing the cup in his hand to his lips, he sighed contently at the delicious taste; Hinata always did make the best tea in his opinion. He chalked that up to her loving to perform tea ceremonies.

"That's right! You better run you little brats!" Naruto laughed as Anko started chasing the now screaming children. She was a loving mother and spouse but sometimes her…enthusiasm would get the best of her and she'd scare the children. Only a few wouldn't cower from her and those were generally the ones she birthed. Yet if anyone ever threatened any of the children, her mamma fox instincts would skyrocket and she would ensure her 'kits' were safe. High pitched squeals of both surprise and amusement could be heard as snakes started slithering out into the yard, each carrying a child who were either laughing or pouting at being caught.

Anko came out not too much sooner with two of the kids under her arms. She looked absolutely beautiful to him, granted she was a beautiful woman that most men envied to be wedded to with a body that many women would kill for. She was dressed in a simple black kimono, much like how Shizune-chan's was, only there were two long slits on the sides of her legs making her long toned legs look even more enticing than they used to in her old outfit. She still kept the fishnet outfit underneath the kimono, but much less of it showed to provide some modesty for the kids. "Anko-chan, please don't be too rough with the children!"

Naruto turned to the source of the voice who just happened to be Ino, standing by the garden tending to the various flowers and such. Old habits die hard they say, but for Ino tending the garden was more of a personal hobby that she enjoyed. Naruto was very sure it was from her time working in her family's flower shop. To him though, Ino was a beautiful flower that outshined the ones she was tending to, something that he enjoyed in reminding her of much to her embarrassment. In public, she was very confident in her looks, yet even after all these years, Naruto still could make her blush. The same could be said for all his loved ones and he cherished all of them from their faults to their traits that made them standout.

Just like the one walking up to take her place next to him as she looked into his eyes and asked, "What seems to be on your mind my love?"

Naruto stared back into hers replying, "Nothing really. Just reminiscing on my life and how truly lucky I am all things considering." His wife looked down thinking about the past actions that led up to this moment before running her hand over her swollen belly with a small smile on her lips. She herself had trouble believing that this was real and that she was pregnant again with their third and fourth child, twins. She hoped fraternal instead of identical; she worried enough about forgetting one of their current children's names, she didn't need the aggravation of mistaking one for the other. Hinata and Sara were fortunate that their set of twins were a boy and a girl. Thinking back though to all they had to do to get here, she figured this was well deserved, so she said, "Don't fret about it my love. Yes, all things considered, we are lucky that we have the happy ending that most dream about." Looking around at all the children that were being rounded up by her sister wives she giggled a bit before adding, "More or less, but don't think that we aren't any less deserving of our current happiness. You especially my love."

Naruto could detect the sadness in her voice at that last part. Yes, out of everyone here, he probably had it the worst. His childhood was still a sore subject and would rarely give him nightmares. However, he would quickly be enveloped by the loving embraces of his wives while they would whisper reassuring words of comfort; words that would drive back the negative feelings of suffering and pain. He would be forever grateful that they were in his life and had blessed him with a rather abundant family.

"Papa! Daddy! Tou-san!" Naruto looked at his children running towards him and instantly felt warmth from all of the happy smiles on their faces. They all looked so different from one another with a few traits shared between them. The trait they all seemed to have was his whisker marked cheeks; Naruto could already guess it was going to be a trait that would soon be associated with the Uzumaki-Namikaze clan. Not that he minded since a few of his children also had red hair from either one of his wives or from the rare gene that had not manifested in himself but came from his mother. He didn't care either way since he loved all his children, just like he loved his wives.

Looking around he started spotted a few of them making their way towards him as well. Hinata had found her way to his unoccupied side while others found places with the children or on the various spots around him. Each one of them gave him a kiss before sitting down; Haku and Anko were an exception since instead of walking away, Anko stole the plate of dango he was enjoying while Haku had decided to rest her head on his lap.

Taking in the faces of his kids, he wondered where his older children had gone off to. He didn't think on it long as all the ones present had started yelling "STORY TIME!" His wives giggled or laughed at the enthusiasm while Naruto smiled at their behavior. Yet today Naruto was planning on sharing a story that he had told his teenage almost adult children about around the same age as everyone in front of him were. One of his daughters, Kagome that looked just like his wife Koyuki, raised her hand asking, "Otou-san, what story are we going to here this time?!"

His smile dropped some as he replied, "The story I have today…is a long one. It's one that I told your older siblings around the same time they themselves were ten. But I should warn you, this story doesn't start with a happy beginning." His youngest son between himself and Haku, Shen, spoke asking, "Does it have a happy ending? Your stories with happy endings are always the best." Naruto's smile once more lit up, "By far, this story has the best happy ending I can think of. It's a story about my life, how I grew up, and most importantly how I eventually met all you mothers and fell in love with them equally."

He looked around at the many faces of his wives, each one showing love and warmth in their gaze, which was equally mirrored in his gaze. For the ones sitting next to him, he wrapped them up with his tails and bringing them closer to him. If there was one thing he could say that was the best thing about having six fox tails, it was that he could hold more than one of his wives close to him. Looking at his children he spoke, "Alright, this story takes place when I was a five-year-old boy…"

October 10 – 5 years After the Kyuubi No Kitsune Incident – Konahagakure No Sota

October 10 symbolized many things to the people of Konahagakure No Sota or Konaha, for short, as most people call it. For many it was a day to mourn the loved ones long since departed from the world of the living. For others, it was a day of celebration for the defeat of the Kyuubi No Kitsune at the hands of the Yondaime Hokage.

In the streets of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, many civilians and ninja alike were laughing at stories told, drinking and eating their fill to their heart's content, and generally having fun. On the surface things appeared peaceful within the walls of the village under the watchful gazes of the past Hokages carved into the rock wall above the Hokage's office. However, if you look past the smiles, the laughing, and the happiness you'd find a group of villagers who had been drinking excessively walking towards an apartment building.

The apartment building was in disrepair, with many cracks and holes in the walls and flooring. Supposedly the building would've been torn down during the Yondaime's reign as Hokage, but after the reconstruction of the village the apartment complex was simply ignored. Over the years, the landlord had seen fit to renovate many of the rooms in the building, much to the tenants' delight…save for one.

This one apartment was by far the worst room in the whole building; the roof had several leaks allowing for water to fall into the assorted bowls and pots laid out on the floor. The main windows had cracks in the glass, some with holes the size of fists, which didn't prevent the cold air from getting in on those winter nights. Pieces of the floorboards were missing, there was no hot water for those days and the plumbing didn't run efficiently.

Yet in this run-down home there was life in the form of a few assorted flowers in full bloom even with the chill of autumn in the air. Across the large glass door hung a banner in all manner of assorted bright colors that read 'Happy Birthday'. Yes, in this home lived a person, a boy to be more precise at the age of five now seeing as October 10 was his birthday. This boy had spent months saving money, even forgoing eating a few days and nights out of the week, all in an effort to throw a birthday party. Strategically scattered throughout the apartment were candles pushing back the darkness of the night (The electricity was another issue that sporadically went out without warning or was simply cut because of the landlord).

The boy spent many hours learning how to cook and bake the many different foods assorted and laid out in the kitchen. The banner had been hand drawn and crafted with orange string, his favorite color. Finally, the cake was laid out on the table, a medium sized rectangular cake with a simple 'Happy Birthday Naruto!'.

At normal parties for children, there would have been laughter and other children running and playing with the birthday boy or girl. Yet in this run-down home there was no laughter, no joy. Nothing but silence hung in the air occasionally interrupted by the sounds from outside. That was until the boy named Uzumaki Naruto took a small xylophone, one of the only toys he owned from when he was living in the orphanage, and started playing the lullaby for 'Happy Birthday to You'.

Naruto, whose face was illuminated by the soft glow from the candles on his cake, started feeling moisture escaping from his eyes. He didn't sob or sigh or any of the noises you'd hear from a child in pain. He was completely silent; he was so sure that if he worked hard and invited his classmates to attend his party, that they'd show up. That day however in class, no one said anything to him. No wishes of good fortune were uttered, and certainly no presents were handed to him.

Still, the young Naruto hoped that with the sign he made for the bulletin board informing his other classmates about the party, that at least one person would come. Just one would be enough for him if only to escape from the quietness of his apartment. As he finished playing the tune on his small child instrument, Naruto looked at the five arranged candles on his cake. He heard from over hearing other children at school and from his time at the orphanage that when you blow out the candles you make a wish.

Looking at the small flames, he could only think of one thing he would want; he had seen it many times at the school. Every morning when arriving at the school steps, every afternoon when he would see the other kids leave. All he wanted was just someone to look at him, not with eyes filled with hate or disgust, but with fondness and love. Someone who would tell him to have a good day at school, and be there after to take his hand and ask how his day was. He didn't think this was a selfish request, but if only for one day he could feel safe and loved then he could say that he was the luckiest boy in the world.

Deciding to try and see if the wish worked, closing his eyes he clapped his hands together in a small form of prayer in that his wish for a mother or father would be heard and fulfilled. Releasing his hands, he took a deep breath and released as much wind as he could to blow out the candles. Nodding in satisfaction he went to cut him a slice when a sound from outside caught his attention.

Moving to the window he looked down and spotted several villagers yelling and moving towards his apartment. His face immediately took on a frightful expression. If the villagers were coming here to do the 'usual', then he would be on his own tonight. He couldn't rely on Jiji tonight since he mentioned that he had to see the Fire Feudal Lord in the capital city; he also couldn't rely on the ANBU with the white spiky hair who protected him a few times. He hadn't seen him around much, maybe he was on a mission out of the village.

Regardless, Naruto was on his own tonight. A very frightening thought because the once few villagers was starting to turn into a dozen at least. Thinking quickly, he went and extinguished all the candles so that in case he didn't come back tonight, he wouldn't find what little he had burned down to ash. After that was accomplished, Naruto went to climb out his window and used the drain gutter to climb down with practiced ease. As he reached the bottom, doing his best to avoid detection, he made his way away from the apartment building to try to head somewhere relatively safe. Sadly, the only real safe place he found was the training ground 44 designated as 'The Forest of Death'.

As he made his way through an alley, he peaked around the corner to see if anyone was waiting for him at the end. Normally the villagers wouldn't attack him out in the middle of the road. Generally, they wait until he is in a secluded area to attack him. The problem he faced was his apartment was surrounded by alleyways, almost as if he was cursed to seclude himself first to reach safety. Making his way down the alleyway, he was starting to feel optimistic about getting out, however his optimism might have been premature; Naruto felt something heavy hit the back of his head with a fair amount of force that forced him to run into the trashcan off to the side.

His vision was blurry, but he could feel the unbearable throbbing coming from the side of his head along with something warm running down the side of his neck. That same warmness was also running down from his eyebrow where he gingerly placed two of his fingers at. When he looked at them, they were coated with his blood. Frightened he looked around to see a couple of Konaha's ninjas. From the green flak vests they wore, he guessed they were chunins. They weren't alone though as the mob of villagers had now gathered around him.

Looking around for an escape, Naruto backed himself against the wall in a feeble attempt to get away from them. They laughed at his actions, proclaiming that he was stuck with them and that they were going to finish what the Yondaime Hokage started. Shouts of agreement were voiced through the crowd as some shouted that today the demon's end has come. Naruto never understood why they called him a demon; he never understood why he had to endure this at all.

Endured he did though. Each session he endured, even though after each session he just wish that he would die. Tonight, was no different for the young Naruto; for the next few hours he cried and prayed that they would stop and show mercy for once. However, like every other session, there would be no mercy as the villagers beat him to the point of breaking a few of his bones. The worst came when he felt his clothes being forcefully ripped. Some of the more sadistic and vile villagers had taken to violating his body a few times on multiple sessions with multiple people joining in. He never felt so disgusted. Not when he had to eat rotten food from the garbage because he couldn't afford to buy anything to eat or when that was all the shop owners sold him at overpriced rates. Not when he had to go days without showers because the water in his apartment wasn't working.

He didn't know what he did to deserve this nor why the villagers felt the need to repeat their actions. He didn't do anything…

So here young Naruto was, laying in a pool of a mixture of blood, sweat, and other bodily fluids. His eyes had taken on a due tone, he unconsciously shut his brain down to not feel anything while the mob assaulted him. Now that the villagers had left, he could feel the pain from everywhere they hit and violated his body. Looking down at the kunai imbedded in his stomach, he slowly pulled it out to apply pressure to the wound. Trying to get on his hands and knees, Naruto began to crawl in the direction of the hospital. His face was contorted to a grimace with each movement he took.

The whole time he crawled his way to the hospital, his tears continued to fall. Yet despite the agonizing pain he was in, no sound escaped from his mouth. Even during the attack, not a cry for help was made. Deep down he knew no help would come for him; so, his body, mind, and spirit had ceased calling for help. He was silent, yet he prayed one day that someone would hear the cries that his soul made.

One Week Later October 17 – Main Gate – Konohagakure No Sato

It was mid-afternoon in Konoha. People were still talking about the festival that had happened a week ago. Many were going about their day in the peaceful village that was their home. Walking through the gate was a pair of women who hadn't been a part of the festival in sometime. The first of this pair of women was a blonde woman with a large bust and figure that many women would kill for and was widely regarded as the most beautiful kunoichi in the world. Her hair was set into two loose ponytails that ran a little past her shoulders. Her outfit consisted of a grey kimono-style blouse with no sleeves held closed by a broad, dark bluish-grey obi that matched her pants with a pair of open-toed, strappy black sandals with high heels. A green haori with the kanji for "gamble" in a red circle was worn over her blouse that was cut rather low revealing her sizeable cleavage. Other than her breasts, her most noticeable feature was her lovely facial features with a violet diamond resting on the center of her forehead. Her brown eyes told the story of many years of experience as a kunoichi, both strong and determined but held a warmth for those she considered dear to her. The woman's name was Senju Tsunade, one of the three Legendary Sannin, the Slug Princess, and (to her annoyance) the Legendary Sucker. Despite the titles, she was also a medic whose skills and knowledge were unrivaled is also considered to be the world's strongest kunoichi.

Next to her was a fair-skinned woman of average height and slender build with black hair and eyes. Her shoulder-length hair was usually straight with bangs that covered her ears and framed her face. Normally she could be seen wearing a long bluish-black kimono with white trimmings, held close by a white obi, and open-toed sandals with low heels. Her name was Shizune, a renowned kunoichi herself who specialized in poisons and who had been Tsunade's apprenticed and attendant. She had served the Slug Princess ever since her uncle, who was also Tsunade's lover at the time, had been killed during the last Shinobi War.

Walking through the main gate of Konoha, Tsunade couldn't help the feeling of nostalgia she got from gazing at the massive entrance leading to the village she called home for many years. Looking further ahead towards the Hokage monument, her eyes fell on her grandfather's and granduncle's faces along with her sensei's. Continuing her walk towards the Hokage's tower, Tsunade was looking around noticing the abundance of happiness and general positive attitude of the villagers. It reminded her of her childhood while Hashirama-ojisan was still Hokage.

"Everyone appears to be in good spirits today" Shizune spoke up also taking in her surroundings. As they passed a tea shop she overheard a female's voice asking for five more orders of dango. Shizune thought that was excessive but also thought to each their own. Tsunade continued looking ahead towards the Hokage tower as she replied, "Yes it does look that way. Makes me feel nostalgic after all these years. I wonder how that old man is doing with that so called 'bane of the Hokage'."

Shizune looked curiously at her sensei wondering what was the 'bane of the Hokage'. Pushing that thought out of her mind she looked around noticing the stares that Tsunade-sama was receiving. Probably due to her sudden return to a village that she had left many years ago; her progress was stopped when she accidently bumped into her sensei who seemed to have stopped. Looking at her mentor she asked "Tsunade-sama, is everything okay?" Tsunade didn't answer her but had a curious expression on her face as her gaze followed a boy with sun-kissed yellow air, wearing a pair of white shorts and a black shirt with a red swirl on the front running. He looked adorable in Tsunade's opinion with his large smile on his face. As he disappeared, both Tsunade and Shizune's eyes widen at the sight of a group made up of chunins and a pair of ANBU chasing and shouting after the boy. However, what caught their attention was the bright neon colors of pink, blue, and orange that covered every one of them.

Tsunade couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter at the sight; she didn't think one of the first things she'd see when coming back to the village was a young boy pulling a prank on season shinobi. Shizune for her part laughed as well but in a much calmer demeanor. Wiping a tear from her eye, Tsunade continued walking towards the Hokage's office. When the pair of women arrived at the reception desk, the woman manning the desk looked shocked by Tsunade's sudden appearance and quickly left to inform the Hokage.

When she returned, she smiled warmly at them before bowing and stating that the Hokage would see them now. As they entered the room they saw a gaunt looking elder man with a grey goatee, a light tanned face that had wrinkles and liver spots further showing his age. Wearing the customary uniform of the Hokage, a hat with a haori, a red full-length kimono that was tied with a white sash, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk with his ever present pipe and a warm smile as he laid eyes on his student.

Hiruzen stood up walking around his desk to greet one of his students with a hug which was well received and reciprocated. "Tsunade-hime, it is so good to see you after these many years" Hiruzen said as he loosened his hug to place his hands on her shoulders.

"It's good to see you again sensei. It looks like your 'worst nightmare' still plagues you 'til this day" Tsunade said pointing at the rathe large stack of paperwork on the desk, "That's not the same pile from when I left is it?" Hiruzen walked back to his seat with a heavy sigh, "With my luck it might as well be. Actually, I think it might be bigger than before."

Sitting down and leaning back in his comfortable leather chair, Hiruzen looked at his student with an almost calculating gaze trying to discern why after so long would his student, the very one who said she couldn't care less for this village, would return. Deciding to simply ask he spoke, "Tsunade, I must confess I never thought I'd see you return in my life time. What brought this sudden call to home?" Tsunade for her part looked just as perplexed, "Truth be told sensei, I'm not sure why." Both Shizune and Hiruzen seemed surprised and confused at this answer but she continued talking, "For some reason I felt like I needed to come back. Like something needed to be done here. I'm not sure how else to explain it but after a week of this feeling I said what the hell and decided to find out what the 'calling' was."

Her sensei placed his elbows on the table and interlocking his fingers, his gaze almost burning a hole into her. Out of the three Sannin, Tsunade never could openly lie to her sensei and not feel bad about it. Granted she could lie and get away with it but she did feel some manner of guilt that Hiruzen would pick up on. This however, was not one of those times; as odd as it was for her, Tsunade just felt like coming home and began the process of paying off her huge debts from gambling before setting out.

Finally, Hiruzen's lips formed a warm smile, "Alright Tsunade-hime, I'll accept that reason. You wouldn't be the first person to suddenly feel the urge to return home." Opening a draw in his desk, Hiruzen pulled out a key and a scroll with the Senju seal on it, "I think you'll be happy to know that while you were away, I took the liberty of keeping the deed and key to your clan's estate. Everything should be intact and safe, just be warned you might have to dust a bit." He chuckled at that last part already guessing how much dust collected after years of neglect in the Senju home.

Tsunade grimaced at the thought of cleaning, it was never her strong suite. Thank god for Shizune, otherwise she wouldn't have survived her self-exile. "Thank you, sensei. It'll be nice to sleep somewhere that doesn't have people yelling or performing certain 'activities' throughout the night." Tsunade caught a blush form on her apprentice's cheeks as if she remembered a few of those nights, 'Well to be fair, we were being loud as well from the drinking. Or was that just me?' Her thoughts were interrupted when an ANBU appeared on the side of the desk, "Hokage-sama, my apologies for interrupting, but an urgent matter has arisen that requires your attention at the hospital."

Hiruzen sighed, already guessing what was the issue or more like who was the issue. He looked up at his student before saying "Excuse me Tsunade-hime but it seems there's work to be done." Tsunade held her hand up dismissing the apology, "Don't worry sensei, I understand. For now, me and Shizune are going to head over the compound and see how it's faired these past years." With Shizune replying with a 'Hai', Hiruzen bowed before making his way out of his office stating that they would have more time to catch up later.

Now outside and moving to the Senju compound, Tsunade was curious as to what could be so urgent at the hospital that required Hiruzen's attention. Such things didn't seem important to her now so Tsunade looked towards her companion, "I say after we see the state of the compound, we head into the village for dinner. Kami-sama knows I'm hungry and the long day of traveling is not helping." Shizune smiled at her master, "Hai Tsunade-sama, that sounds like a wonderful idea. If I remember correctly this ramen stand had a delicious aroma coming out of it."

October 17 – Evening – Market District – Konohagakure No Sato

Naruto was rubbing his arm that was wrapped up in bandages. He sighed remembering a group of villagers who punched and kicked him several times but relented after his favorite ANBU person with silver hair showed up and kicked their asses. He was then brought to the hospital to receive treatment; his ANBU guard had left him at the front desk stating that he should be seen by a doctor. They almost refused him but after Hokage-jiji showed up, they looked at his wounds and cuts. His right arm was put in a sling unfortunately, which would make eating annoying since he was primarily right handed. Considering the number of times this has happened however, he was slowly becoming ambidextrous.

After some more apologies from Jii-san, he was given money for his basic living and food. There was even a little extra so he could eat a few times at Ichiraku's with Teuchi-ojisan and Ayame-neechan. He always loved going to the ramen shack, and not just because of the food (which in his opinion every bowl feels like it was sent down as a gift from Kami-sama).

What really sold the food was the owner and his daughter; ever since the day Ayame-neechan had found him crying behind their shop, they had gone out of their way to make him feel welcomed. He loved going there as it felt warm and safe. Teuchi-ojisan and Ayame-neechan were among the few who treated him like a person instead of a punching bag. He could still remember how Ayame-neechan looked surprised when she saw him behind there stand rummaging for something to eat in their garbage bins. He was frightened at first as he thought she would run him off or beat him. It wasn't uncommon so when he tripped trying to flee his first instinct was to bring his arms up to protect his face from being hit. But when nothing came, he looked up to see Ayame holding her hand out with a small dumpling on it.

At the time, he had been kicked out of the orphanage almost five days ago. During that time he had been both over charged and robbed. He was ravenous as he hadn't eaten in almost three days. Seeing food offered, he didn't question it; Naruto simply swiped it out of her hand and ran away before the simple generous act could turn into something more painful. The next day he was once more going through their trash bins. Only this time it was Teuchi-ojisan who was bringing trash out. When he spotted him, Naruto was preparing to run away again. Teuchi's voice stopped him as he asked, "Are you hungry?" It was a simple question, but it was the first time someone had openly acknowledged him. He didn't speak but did nod his head in response. Teuchi smiled when he spoke, "Alright, come have a seat then. I'll whip up something for you."

Walking in to sit on the stool, he was greeted again by Ayame who had introduced herself as such. She was very pretty in his opinion and looked a few years older than he was. Maybe by about four to five years. When asked for his order, he simply pointed to what he wanted. They initially were saddened when he informed them, more or less, by writing down that he was a mute; he never did fully explain his reasoning but they still went ahead and welcomed him into their shop with smiles. It helped that he became their best customer as well, able to put down at least a dozen bowls of his favorite ramen.

As he got closer to the ramen stand, the intoxicating aroma made its way into his nostrils, filling it with a heavenly scent that made his mouth water and his stomach grumble. His stomach might be grumbling more to the fact that he hadn't eaten more than a loaf of bread and three ramen cups all week. However today, he would make sure he had a full belly before going home.

As he walked in Ayame-neechan greeted him in her usual friendly manner that would've made him smile except she immediately noticed his arm, "Welcome to Ichi-Naruto-kun?! What happened?!" He had almost forgotten that he still had a sling on. Ayame came around the counter and started making a fuss over his well-being by looking him over for any other injuries she couldn't spot. Some people would find this awkward yet Naruto didn't. It made him feel wanted.

Teuchi was watching the scene, shaking his head slowly, already guessing what happened but voiced his suspicions anyway, "Naruto-kun, did they do that to you?" As he asked he pointed outside towards the street, or more precisely the villagers. Naruto didn't talk but the small nod of his head was his answer. Teuchi was fuming on the inside but he did his best not to show it, instead tried to put on a reassuring smile, "Don't let them get to you my boy. They're idiots who don't know the difference between the kunai and the scroll. For now, what will you be having? The usual I presume?"

Naruto looked up with a big smile and nodding his head vigorously. Both Teuchi and Ayame laughed at the young blonde's enthusiasm for ramen. Ayame patted the boy on his head with a kind smile saying, "Alright then Naruto-kun, have a seat and I'll bring it right to you." Moving towards the stool, Naruto waiting patiently but with a huge smile that made him look about as adorable as any child should look without the problems he faced daily.

Soon the first bowl came out, the smell and assortment of ingredients made his mouth water. As he went to reach for the chopsticks, he winced in pain as he remembered a slight problem that would make eating difficult. Looking down at his arm, frowned thinking that eating with his left hand is going to be annoying to say the least. As he picked up the utensil he heard Ayame-neechan speak up, "Welcome to Ichiraku's! Please have a seat wherever you like!"

Naruto heard a female's voice speak up behind him. To him, the voice sounded older but pleasant, like the person was strong but could be caring. Turning to the sound of the voice, Naruto saw what he thought was the prettiest woman he'd ever seen. She was blonde with a diamond mark on her forehead and a pair of big brown eyes. Next to her was another woman, not as pretty as the first maybe but was still pretty regardless. She had black hair with a black kimono and a…pig? The pig had on a maroon vest and wore white pearls around its neck. Naruto found that odd but didn't say anything, obviously.

The blonde woman sat next to him while the black-haired woman sat on the other side of her. It looked like Teuchi-ojisan recognized them because he spoke with great enthusiasm as he bowed, "Tsunade-sama, welcome to my shop and welcome back to the village." He saw Ayame also bowed towards the blonde; apparently, she was important but he didn't know who she was exactly. So, instead of making a fuss, Naruto went back to trying to figure out how he was going to eat with his left hand.

Tsunade waved her hand in a dismissive manner, "Please you don't have to make a fuss over me. Me and Shizune here are just trying to get something to eat before heading back to the compound." Teuchi raised back up smiling, "Thank you for choosing my humble ramen stand as your choice of what I can assume is your first meal back in Konoha." Shizune replied for them both, "Yes we just got back a few hours ago, I had made a mention of this place to Tsunade-sama when we walked by. The food smelled delicious so I figured it was worth mentioning."

Teuchi smiled at the compliment with his daughter speaking up for him, "Well I can assure you that the meal will definitely be one to remember. I think our favorite customer might agree as well." As Ayame said that last part, she turned her head towards Naruto who seemed to be having trouble with keeping a firm hold on the chopsticks; that wasn't stopping him however from wafting down the food as best as he could. Already on his second bowl, both Tsunade and Shizune looked surprised at how fast the little blond boy could eat.

When both women had received their orders of miso and shrimp ramen, Naruto was on his sixth bowl yet was having a harder time eating due to his right arm hurting from putting pressure on it. Tsunade watched the little gaki eat and figured out that he normally wasn't left handed when it came to eating. It got her curious that if you forced yourself the struggle of using your non-dominate hand to eat this ramen then it must be pretty good.

After receiving her own bowl, Tsunade found that it was more that pretty good; the way the flavors mixed together made her fill warm inside that put her in a better mood than what she had felt throughout the day of working. Looking at her apprentice, it appeared that she was having similar thoughts as well. Soon enough both she and Shizune had ordered two more bowls and had a satisfied look when they finished.

To Tsunade and Shizune's surprise the little blond boy was on his eleventh bowl but kept losing the ingredients off the chopsticks. Tsunade thought it was funny but an elbow to the ribs made her look at Shizune wondering what was the hit for. Shizune pointed to the little boy as she whispered, "Maybe you should help him Tsunade-sama." Tsunade groaned at the prospect of helping this brat eat like she was his mother or something. Turning around to look at the child, who was now getting frustrated which made him look adorable, Tsunade picked up the boy's ramen. It looked like he was about to have an aneurysm when she took the chopsticks away, that was until she had grabbed some of the noodles and held it out in front of him to take a bite.

The boy looked at her confused, as if she grew a second head, "Oh for Kami's sake child, I'm helping you eat." The confusion seemed to stay as he looked towards Teuchi and Ayame as if asking permission, much to her annoyance. When they nodded, he took a bite but for some reason he looked guarded around her, almost as if he thought she was going to do something to him. After a few bites, he seemed to relax some but still seemed hesitant. Thinking of her younger days, Tsunade decided to play a game she used to play with her little brother.

Taking some of the ingredients she brought it up to his mouth, however just before he took a bite she pulled back and touched his nose with said ingredients. He pulled back rubbing his nose, looking at her like she committed some form of blasphemy, while the others laughed at the scene. For her part Tsunade had a mischievous smile on her face. She continued the game with either pinching his nose or cheeks with the chopsticks and poking him with the food across his face until he finally loosened up; he even had a smile on that reminded her so much of her little brother, Nawaki.

On the last bite, the young blonde went to bite but some of the sauce got on the side of his mouth. Almost like she was running on instinct, Tsunade placed the bowl down to lick her finger and wipe the sauce off before going back over it with a napkin. His eyes widen at the action but they looked like saucers when she said, "There little one, all better and handsome again." For the boy, it wasn't the words that took him by surprise, but the smile that the beautiful woman had. To him, she looked like a celestial being; her smile made him feel so warm inside that he almost cried.

To those around her, they could almost swear that Tsunade was simply taking care of her child. Teuchi was familiar with the scene as he remembered his late wife doing something similar with Ayame when she was a child as well. Tsunade stood up with Shizune following suite and payed for the meal. Shizune saw that the little boy seemed to be mesmorized by her master, his bright blue eyes were filled with admiration that if softened her heart at the sight.

Tsunade looked towards Teuchi before speaking, "Thank you for the meal Teuchi-san. It was by far the best ramen I've ever had." Teuchi bowed with a smile, then she looked at the little boy who still hadn't taken his eyes off her, "Now you run along home to your parents. I'm sure they're worried about you considering how late you've stayed out." She gave him a smile and patted his head before making her way out. Shizune was looking at the boy as the word parents seemed to change the spark he had in his eyes. Like what life was brought to them had just left. When her master left under the tarp the little boy raised his hand slightly like he wanted to reach out to her, but at the last moment stopped himself.

Shizune looked at Ayame-san and Teuchi-san, both had a saddened expression that was directed towards the little boy whose name they didn't get. Confused about what just happened, Shizune left the ramen shop to catch up with her master. If she would've stayed just a few moments longer, she would've seen the child cry silently as he paid for his meal.

For Naruto, what he felt was something that he never had experienced before in his life. The blonde woman name Tsunade had showed him such kindness and even helped him eat when he couldn't. When she started playing with him, he felt lighter and was enjoying the meal even more. Yet that warm smile she showed him at the end put a feeling in his heart that he didn't recognize. He thought that if he had a mother, then she would be it. When she said that he should go back to his parents, he felt the familiar pain in his chest return. As she was walking away he wanted to reach out to grab her. Yet he didn't. He wished he had though.

Two Months Later December 28 – Civilian Residential District – Konahagakure No Sato

It had been a couple of months since that night, and almost every evening Naruto went back to Ichiraku's hoping to see the beautiful blonde woman. Every day he went out, he kept a sharp eye for her or her companion. Yet by the end of every night he left disappointed. His more than frequent visits did not go unnoticed by Teuchi-ojisan and Ayame-neechan. Both would watch him with sad expressions while trying to encourage him that he'd see her again. However, after so many weeks of being disappointed, he stopped looking. He supposed that it was silly of him to hope to see her and maybe spend more time with her. He could still see her smile when he thought of her. It made him wonder if she thought of him. She probably didn't he guessed; he wasn't anything special, just a quiet little blonde boy with whisker marks that never spoke a word to her.

Naruto found himself at the park, watching other kids his age play together in the snow that had fallen over the past few days. Many were laughing while making snow angels or packing snow together to make a snow man. He could see the parents of the different children talking and occasionally laughing at the sight. Those that looked in his direction sent hateful and disgusted looks. He hated those looks but in a sad way welcomed them. It was a form of acknowledgement in his mind. The parents had to notice he was there to hate him. It was a sad way of thinking but he had nothing else.

The only thing positive to happen to him was he might have made a friend. It was the same girl who he had protected from a bunch of older kids. Although they did use him as a punching bag instead and destroyed his red scarf, they completely left her alone. The girl was very cute with dark blue hair and pupil-less lavender colored eyes. Today he got to see her in the park with a woman he assumed was her mother because of how similar they looked minus the years apart. He acknowledged that when the little girl slightly younger than him grew up, she would probably be just as pretty as her mother. Earlier he was trying to make a snow man by himself but he couldn't do it so just decided to make snow balls. It was then that she showed up and offered to play with him. He was so excited that he felt like he was going to get a muscle cramp from the smile he had on his face.

They played for an hour of simply building small snow men, hitting each other with snow balls, and just sitting down to talk. Well, she talked and he replied with shakes of his head or nodding. Yet when it was getting late, her mother told her that it was time to go. The little girl was about to leave until she asked him what his name was. Sticking to his non-verbal communication, Naruto wrote out his name in the snow. She looked down and sounded out his name, then looked at him with a smile, "It was nice meeting you Uzumaki-san. I hope we get to see each other again."

Naruto smiled at her while nodding his head quite enthusiastically. Once she left though, the parents who were still there sent hateful glares if he so much as took a step towards the other children. He wanted to just go and play with them, not eat them. It didn't matter though. They wanted their children to have nothing to do with him.

Finally, everyone was emptying the park. Sons and daughters were leaving hand in hand with their mothers or fathers or both in some cases. Watching them leave, he couldn't help feeling envious. For a moment, he saw himself with a certain beautiful blonde woman with a diamond on her forehead walking hand in hand. He had to stop thinking about that. It was never going to happen.

On his way, back to his run-down apartment, he was mentally kicking himself for getting his hopes up. No one else in the village wanted him, so why would things be any different. Deep in his own thoughts, he didn't notice the group of men following him towards an alley he took to his home.

They made their presence known when one of them roughly grabbed him and threw him towards a wall. He could've sworn he felt something break. Again. Tears were already falling from his eyes as he knew what they were planning on doing. He hated being their tool. He recognized some of the men as the usual ones that liked to rape him. As he tried to get up they started kicking him; when one kicked his head, he blacked out. The next moments were blurs between feeling pain in his throat and rectum to feeling pain from the bruises and cuts that were started to show. He wished for them to stop. He wished for it all to stop. Everything. Every pain he felt from being hurt, every ache he felt from being lonely. He just wanted it to end…and it did when he felt himself being placed against the wall and several kunai being stabbed into his ankles, and hands. The worst though was when one of them took a pair of shuriken and stabbed his eyes out. He felt a hand clamp over his mouth when he screamed. His body was convulsing from the amount of pain it was in. They decided to add another kunai into his abdomen; it was buried so deep he could almost feel the tip against his spine.

They were done…he was grateful for it to. He wanted it to end and now it did. He wished he could've met the nice lady one more time. He wished for a lot of things. A good home,….nice friends,….a loving family….

Fate decided however that it simply wasn't meant to be. Right now, all he had was the pain he felt from his wounds, the coldness from the air flowing along his body that was exposed to the elements, and lastly the silence that came from being alone.

December 29 – Konahagakure General Hospital – The Next Morning

Releasing another yawn, Tsunade was on her way to her office at Konaha's General Hospital to start another day of being the Head of Medicine for the hospital. Tsunade loved her job and loved helping people; yet, if there was one thing she did not like about her new position, it would be the paperwork relating to the staff, budget, inventory, and of course the patients. She always hated paperwork but knew the importance of keeping accountability of their patients, especially those with special cases.

Reflecting on the past two months, Tsunade was thinking that if returning to the village would've been this much of a hassle then she would have remained on her self-exile trip. Between the hospital and the council, she could feel her age creeping up on her from the amount of bullshit she received. It didn't help that the past two months had cut into her hobbies (drinking assorted sakes and gambling).

The council was by far the worst part of returning to the village. Not only has the civilian side of the council trying to derail some of the changes she's been suggesting on the health care for the village, the 'advisors' for Sarutobi-sensei have repeatedly went out of their way to justify placing her under the Clan Restoration Act. Their reasoning always seemed to be the same except with different words each time. Yes, she could still have children; yes, it would continue her family's lineage and there was a chance for her grandfather's Mokuton (Wood Release) blood limit to pass on to her children. Yet those felt like the wrong reason to have children as well as she had no intention of being a simple baby making factory that allowed random men to basically rape her to get her pregnant.

Besides, she felt that after her last attempt to have children, she didn't deserve that honor.

So now everytime the subject came up during the meetings, she would simply shoot a glare with a promise saying she would physically castrate whoever suggest the CRA to her and hang them by their own reproductive organs. Whether they dangle between their legs or bleed every twenty-eight days; if the latter was the case, then she would just rip them out. She is a doctor after all, she can successfully do it and give a prescription for pain meds later. Even if some like that hag Koharu had ovaries like dried prunes. Tsunade shivered at the reminder of that woman's last physical.

As she was making her way into the hospital, Tsunade noticed that there was an oppressive feeling in the air. She recognized it immediately as killer intent. Normally, killer intent couldn't be felt in a general area, unless that person was both experienced and able to extend their killer intent beyond their intended target. When she made eye contact with Shizune, looking a bit frazzled, said woman quickly ran up to her "Tsunade-sama! Thank Kami-sama that you're here. Please follow me. Quickly!" Confused, Tsunade could only nod as she was quite literally dragged by her apprentice, "Oomph, what is going on Shizune? Why are we in such a rush?"

The issue made itself known in the form of female shouting and what sounded like glass cracking, "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN, YOU WON'T FUCKING HELP HIM?!" A second voice belonging to a male could now be heard, not as loudly but just as heated, "It's exactly as I said! I refuse to help that thing! Besides you have already provided more aid than what we are required to do! So now I'm going to write up the discharge paperwork to get it out of this hospital!"

Rounding the corner of the hallway, Tsunade saw the shouting duo. The man was one of the older doctors, a well-respected man in the field of high risk medical care such as heart and brain surgeries. The woman, who now was holding the doctor by his collar and pressed against the wall, had black hair with a violet tint styled in a short, spiky, fanned-ponytail. She was wearing a fitted mesh body suit that covered her from her neck past her well-shaped bust down to her thighs. The woman wore a tan overcoat with pockets on each side, along with a dark orange mini-skirt, a dark blue belt, and pale grey shin guards to complete her outfit.

"It?" Tsunade spoke up catching the attention of both people arguing. "Shizune, what is this 'it' he's referring to?" Tsunade asked her apprentice as they made their way towards the two aggressive parties. For her part, Shizune was just as confused, "I'm not sure Tsunade-sama. When I arrived for my shift they had just started arguing; I asked around but it seems no one is sure what is the issue or they simply walk away." The woman looked at the two of them, the anger her light brown eyes held left no doubt that this woman was pissed and ready to throttle the poor fool, "The 'issue' (she emphasized with her fingers) is that this fucking piece of no-good dog shit doctor is refusing to help a patient!"

Not in the best mood for this kind of drama in the morning, Tsunade held her hand up in a calming manner, "Alright hold on. First off, who are you? Secondly, who is the patient? Third, why is treatment being refused?" The woman pointed to herself with her thumb and a confident grin answered, "Well for your first question Jiggles-sama, my name's Mitarashi Anko. I work at the T&I Department with Ibiki in case you ever need to find me. Second answer, the patient is a child, and third answer, this guy won't help because he sucks fat penis." Tsunade raised an eyebrow at Anko's rough language and responses while Shizune blushed a bit at the reference made to the man. Looking at the doctor, who was turning red from the insult, Tsunade asked, "Alright so what's your reason for not wanting to help, a child no less?"

The man regained his composure before speaking, "Tsunade-sama, please understand that my services are not required. The boy simply suffered a small flesh wound." What came next surprised Tsunade and Shizune as Anko delivered a strong left hook to the side of his jaw. Shizune moved towards the doctor who was now on the floor holding his face while Tsunade was holding back Anko, "HEY! ENOUGH! Mitarashi-san, what the hell was that?!"

Pointing to the doctor, the anger Anko held was back full furry, "THAT SON-OF-A-BITCH IS LYING TO YOU! 'Flesh wound' my sweet toned ass! That boy was STABBED over a dozen times in a dozen all over his body!" That sure as hell surprised Tsunade and Shizune who were now paying very close attention to Anko. Shizune's eyes were wide as saucers as she breathlessly asked, "What do you mean he was stabbed over a dozen times?" Anko looked to her, disgust and pity were coating her words, "It's exactly as I said. That boy had at least a dozen stab wounds with the most obvious ones being on his hands, ankles, eyes, and chest."

Tsunade's mouth was wide open. She's seen and heard of many injuries yet from the description Anko just made, those wounds were nothing short of murder or in this case attempted murder. That the child was even alive was a miracle in itself. "Mitiarashi-san please explain to me, from the beginning, what you saw?" Tsunade asked with steel in her voice leaving no room for disagreement. Anko however, was all too willing to inform the Slug Princess.

Flashback - Three Hours Ago – Civilian Residential District – Konahagakure

Anko was on her way to her favorite dango shop with a skip in her step and whistling an upbeat tune. Today she would get to crack some poor sap about a smuggling line within the Fire Country's borders. Deciding to take a short cut, Anko cut through one of the residential alley ways, hoping to save a few minutes to get to her daily fix of sweetie goodness. Eyes closed and a smile across her lips, she could feel her mouth already watering at the thought of the flavor.

Imagining the smell, Anko decided to take in a deep breath, yet what infiltrated her nose was nothing sweet. It was foul to the point that it made her eyes widen and gag. "What the fuck?!" she said coughing at the loss of air from her lungs. Getting her bearings back under her, Anko takes another sniff of the air. It smelled familiar to her cause it was; she works around it almost daily when she's with a 'guest' at Torture and Interrogation Department. Blood, there was no mistaking the smell of old blood.

Looking around further into the alley, she starts noticing a trail of blood drops on the snow from yesterday. Eyes narrowed for the slightest hint at movement and a kunai in hand that she brought out from her overcoat, Anko followed the blood to the source. When she spotted it, her eyes widen at the scene before her. She could almost swear that she's seen this before in a murder film she saw once. Something about a man being crucified and left as a warning. However, the scene before her was not of a man, but of a boy with sun-kissed yellow hair. Blood had completely soaked the ground below him and spread along the wall he was nailed to. Three kunai held him in place at his hands and ankles. His clothes were torn and shredded, laying in pieces around him. His body was covered in bruises, bodily fluids, and stab wounds. The most prominent of them being the kunai still imbedded into his abdomen. That was until she saw the two shuriken gauging his eyes.

Anko just stared at the boy; she didn't know what else to do. The boy didn't look no older than five. She could feel moisture run down her cheeks, realizing that she was crying. It seemed to snap her out of her stupor, as Anko proceed to make a shadow clone to help pull the boy down. Now cradling the boy in her arms, she finally figured out who it was; the village pariah, Uzumaki Naruto. The boy who held the Kyuubi No Kitsune at bay inside his body. Her tears continued to fall on the boy's face running along one of the whisker marks on his cheek. Anko saw that there was ice on his cheeks, "He must've been crying the entire time it happened…for fucks sake how can they…he's only a fucking child for kami's sake!…" Placing two fingers along the pulse point on his neck, she can't help but notice how much like ice his skin feels.

As she presses down on the artery below his skin, her eyes widen; Anko looks down at the boy, who is somehow still alive after all he endured. With determination on her features, Anko proceeded to help the boy as best as she could before taking him to the hospital.

Present Time – Konoha General Hospital – Konohagakure

"Once I did what I could, which wasn't much, I brought him here. Had to threaten a few of the ICU staff to take him. They gave the same bullshit this old fuck gave about not wanting to help 'it'." Anko said finishing up her story. Both women looked horrified at what they just heard. Yet Anko wasn't done, "From what I overheard, he received several cracked ribs, his hands will be completely useless for a while, he received a strong hit to the noggin so they were not sure of what his head is like. Eye sight is gone and finally, the sugar coat for all this, minus the small degree of frost bite he received, his throat and rectum have severe scar tearing…it doesn't take a genius to guess he was raped multiple times before they stuck him like he was a fucking animal."

Tsunade was clenching her fist so hard they were starting to bleed. Shizune was starting to feel physically sick at the mention of what the boy had gone through. Tsunade looked down at the doctor, her killer intent full force aimed at the man, "Get out of my sight. Anko, can you show me his room?" Her voice wasn't loud, but it held no warmth at all. Anko nodded, terrified what the Slug Princess would do if she said no.

With Anko leading the way the trio of women soon found a door guarded by an ANBU. As if hearing the question the two other women were wondering, Anko spoke up, "I sent a message to the Hokage letting him know of the situation. He sent Neko (Cat) to watch over his room and Inu (Dog) should be inside watching over him. They're the two that the old man trust most with guarding him." Shizune looked at the female ANBU confused, "Excuse me but why does the boy need this kind of protection in the hospital?"

Tsunade was wondering the same, until a light bulb went off in her head, "Mitarashi-san…has there been any form of aggression from the staff here?" It was Neko who answered the Sannin's question, "There have been multiple incidents where the staff has acted in an aggressive manner. Some even to the extent of attempted murder." That was a major nerve ending for Tsunade, "Shizune! Compile a list of all the staff who have shown repeated offenses towards this child. If any of those on said list are still a part of the staff I want to know! Now!" Shizune bowed quickly and ran off saying "Hai Tsunade-sama!"

Finally having enough, Tsunade walked past Neko to finally check on the health of the boy who became a victim. When she walked in she noticed three things: the first was the second ANBU guard with silver hair wearing an Inu mask. The second was the boy currently in a fetal position shaking with his back facing her; finally, what she noticed the most was the boy's sun-kissed yellow hair. Yellow hair wasn't exactly uncommon within the village but his sun-kissed hair was brighter than most everybody's. When Anko told the events of her story, she failed to mention any description of the boy as well as a name. Tsunade never got the name of the boy but she did remember him slightly from the night she helped feed him ramen.

Inu looked towards the two of them, nodding his head slightly in acknowledgement. Tsunade walked around to see his face while looking at the different bandages wrapped around his body from the places she could see. As she walked around to his face, she could see him crying. Despite this, the boy still made no sounds; not a sob nor a whimper. That was an issue she would have to bring up to her sensei later. She went to touch him to run a diagnostic using her medical jutsu, the Mystic Palm, when Inu yelled and tried to reach out to her "No don't!"

His words came too late as once Tsunade's hand made contact with the boy, he reacted like he just got burned. His head snapped up, fear the most prominent emotion on his body language, and scrambled away from the thing that touched him. Everyone was surprised by how volatile the boy reacted to being touched; during their shock the boy continued to scramble away towards the door which had still been opened.

"Shit! Catch him! He'll injure himself more if we don't!" Inu called out as he made to grab the little blonde currently leaving the room. He tried to grab him, however he managed to slip between Anko and Tsunade who he ended up tackling both. Neko tried her hand at catching the boy, he slipped between her legs and bolted for the open window in the hallway. Neko and Inu cursed under their breath at their inability to watch the one they were supposed to take care of. "Neko move!" Inu called out heading for the window as well.

Anko and Tsunade had managed to pick themselves up and followed in the pursuit as well. Even with all four of them chasing the boy, his size coupled with his frantic behavior, they lost sight of him. Anko was the first to voice the frustration they all felt, "Okay, I understand how myself and Jiggles-sama didn't catch him, but how the fucking hell did he slip past you two? The kid is blind now for Kami's sake." She emphasized her question by pointing at the two ANBU. Neko shook her head in disappointment, "He has always had a way of avoiding his pursers. We still don't know how he manages to enter and exit HQ without anybody noticing." Bringing them back on track Inu spoke up, "As for his eyesight, it doesn't matter. Over the course of guarding him, I've noticed that his senses overall are heightened like an Inuzuka. Regardless of how we lost him, we need to find him. He'll most likely try to find some place dark and not overly populated. Let's split up."

"Wait", Tsunade held her hand up stopping the two ANBU from departing. "Inu, you knew what was going to happen when I tried to touch him," receiving a nod in reply, "okay, what I want to know is why did that happen?" From the way, his shoulders slumped, Tsunade guessed it has happened before, which Inu confirmed, "This is not the first time he's acted like this Tsunade-sama. To my knowledge, he has ever received any form of human contact that wasn't aggressive…" Anko spoke up next, already guessing what he was going to say, "So basically the gaki turned feral and his flight instincts took over after he was already injured?" Inu simply nodded.

After that, the two ANBU left together to continue their search, leaving the two other women by themselves. Releasing a sigh, Tsunade had a thought that might prove fruitful, "Mitarashi-san, do you know where he lives?" Clearly Anko wasn't expecting a question like that as her response was, "Umm…yeah why?" Tsunade nodded before explaining, "Good. Lead the way to where he lives. I have a hunch that if he's acting on instinct, his body is going to want to go someplace familiar, not just dark and secluded. Even if he can't see, as Inu pointed out, his senses will guide him to wherever that maybe familiar but might not mean safe."

Anko finally understood what she was getting at as she nodded and proceeded to jump in the direction of the Residential district. At the speed, they were going, they had quickly arrived at a worn-down apartment complex. The room was on the top of the building with the outer walls of the complex showing signs of abuse. There was painted words written all over the outside stating things such as 'Monster', 'Demon', and 'Murderer'.

Tsunade was perplexed at all this. Clearly the boy was not liked in the slightest. But to receive attacks to his property as well as his body, she was having trouble thinking of a reason. Walking up and grabbing a hold of the door knob, she was surprised to find it unlocked. When she pushed the door open, she saw that it wasn't a case of being unlocked but rather a case of the door being broken. Stepping inside she looked at the state of the apartment and remembered seeing something similar in the poorer families she saw on her travels. Leaking roofs, broken walls and flooring, heat was non-existent, and the place was a mess. She saw empty cups of instant ramen and dishes stacked in the sink, or what could be counted as dishes. They looked more like old broken and cracked pieces of pottery. Walking further in, she could see an abundance of trash on the floors along with dirty, ripped clothing. By the window, she saw a worn banner that was missing a few letters hung loosely by one end that was supposed to read 'Happy Birthday!'.

Yet despite the state of the apartment, it was the smell that took her aback. Tsunade was expecting something foul or rotting; instead she smelled something sweet and surprisingly pleasant. She looked to her right and notice an assortment of different plants and flowers ranging from vanilla and lavender to daisies and honeysuckles. The same could be seen on the window sills with a few peace lilies. Anko walked up next to her voicing out, "So that was what he was doing at the flower shop." Anko caught Tsunade's questioning stare out of the corner of her eye before elaborating, "When I visited the Yamanaka flower shop, I had saw him leaving with what looked like seed packages. I didn't pay it any mind since I didn't think he would be able to grow them. I mean what little brat takes an interest in gardening…" Looking around again at the plants that were alive and well taken care of she sighed, "Shows what I know right."

Looking around the apartment some more, Tsunade saw another door leading to where she thought was the bedroom. As quietly as she could, she approached the door noticing small blood drops leading towards it. Only her concern for the boy was keeping her hemophobia at bay, otherwise she'd be a shaking and muttering mess. When the door was slowly and quietly pushed open both women looked inside. It seemed Tsunade's suspicion proved fruitful indeed, for there, on an old mattress was the boy. At the moment, he had his back facing them and bunched up as close to the wall as possible, almost like he was seeking some matter of comfort from it. He was shaking and Tsunade could see his hands holding himself. They were patting and stroking his arms almost as if…

Tsunade felt like she just had the wind knocked out of her as she realized what the boy was doing. As a medic, she had seen many things and picked up on the behaviors of patients. The most common thing between patients was vocal communication. Every human being has an instinct to let people know when they are hurt or in need of help. It was something instilled when people are children, to let their parents know that they needed them. Yet try as hardest as she could, she could not hear a single sound from the boy. This boy, who was consoling himself, didn't make a sound because he grew up without the help from others. Tsunade looked around again, looking for any pictures of parents or guardians. There were none of course only reinforcing her theory that this boy was silent because in his mind, help would never come to him even if he did make a sound.

She could feel her heart and soul reach out to the boy. Every instinct she had told her to run to him, grab him in a hug, and never let him go. And so, she did.

She quickly made her way to the boy to grab him. Once again when she touched him, the boy reacted violently, doing everything in his power to escape from her grasp. She tried shushing to calm him down but he was so traumatized by a person's touch that he didn't understand what was happening. Thinking about what else she could do, she remembered a lullaby her mother used to sing to her and her younger brother Nawaki. Seeing no harm in trying she, in as calming as possible, started to sing.

"Deep in the meadow; under the willow.

A bed of grass; a soft green pillow.

Lay down your head; and close your eyes.

And when they open, the sun will rise.

Here it's safe; here it's warm.

Here the daisies guard, you from every harm.

Here your dreams are sweet, and tomorrow brings them true.

Here is the place, where I love you."

When she started singing the boy, still trying to escape, calmed down some. Enough to understand that the person holding him, wasn't hurting him. Tsunade was looking down at his face while she sang, noticing the effect her firm but gentle hold had on the boy. He had his arms up shielding his face, only his eyes still wrapped in bandages; his body was trembling terribly from the foreign concept of being held in a non-aggressive manner. As she got towards the end of the lullaby, the boy had brought his hands down, his trembling had slowed down to small shakes. The boy's face never left the direction of her singing. It seemed he was falling asleep with the gentle rocking and the song, as he tried to snuggle into her bosom for warmth while his breathing was slowing down to shallow breaths. By now she had finished singing and was just humming the tune.

Looking down at the bandages that were splotched red and smearing on her blouse, Tsunade had to force herself to not freak out or shake. This boy needed her and she would help him, hemophobia be damned. Activating her Mystic Palm technique, she went to work on healing his body; the boy would be sore but he would stop bleeding and would live. After roughly seventeen minutes of healing she was done; the boy had fallen asleep in her arms with his head resting atop of her breast. He looked so peaceful, you'd never know that he was a traumatized child. Tears had welled up and begun falling on his whiskered cheeks. Leaning down, she placed a kiss atop his forehead.

Anko was standing next to her watching the whole scene. She had been crying since Tsunade started singing. Anko prided herself in being a hard woman who could take a lot of what was handed to her. Yet the sight of someone who, like her was ostracized by their home, endured much worse brought her to tears. She swore then and there that she would do everything she could to protect this little boy. An oath that was mirrored in the mind of the woman currently holding him.

"Anko," Tsunade spoke up gaining the snake charmer's attention, "can you please inform the Hokage that I'm taking this boy to my compound? I'm going to look after him until he's fully healed." Anko wordlessly wiped her eyes before shunshining towards the Hokage's office.

It didn't take Tsunade more than thirty minutes to get to her clan compound. On the way to her home, she had noticed the stares directed her way or more specifically the child in her arms. Almost all of them were looks of hatred or disgust. Many mothers with their children would usher them to the other side of the street just to get away from her charge. By the time she was halfway home, she was tempted to kill half the population of Konoha.

Being the Senju clan compound, the size itself was impressive compared to other compounds. The walls surrounding the property were a special type of chakra infused wood that her grandfather created with his Mokuton. This made the walls as durable as steel and able to regenerate if damaged; it was the same type of wall that currently surrounded the village and its gates. Walking in through the gate towards the mansion, a three-story thatched roof building made from the same chakra infused wood as the walls, with balconies on the second and third floors. The first floor was elevated slightly off the ground with two fusuma (sliding doors) facing towards the front gate. The slightly curved eaves of the roofs extended far beyond the walls to cover the verandas surrounding the building on each story.

In Tsunade's opinion, the mansion was a bit excessive. Back when she was small girl, the compound was filled with people of all ages. Now it was just occupied by herself and Shizune. At times, it felt too empty for her liking; she often wondered if her own failed legacy would have loved it here. Yet that was a useless thought trail to go down. Making her way inside into a rather modernized living room with plastered walls and soft furniture, a stark contrast compared to the outside look of her home, Tsunade made her way towards the stairs leading to the second floor where many of the bed rooms including her own were located on. Shizune had stayed back at the hospital to continue her shift for a few hours before returning home.

Entering a furnished bedroom for guests that she never had, Tsunade went to lay the boy down to better check some of the wounds he still had. Yet when she tried to let go, the boy seemed to cling tighter to her coat. For another reason, he also had on a stupid looking smile on his face as he snuggled closer to her breasts. If he was older, she'd have guessed he was a pervert who just wanted to have his face between her cleavage in which case she'd send him flying through a window.

Trying once more, she had succeeded releasing herself from her ward's clutches. Very carefully she removed the bandages around his eyes to see what the damage was. What surprised her was instead of looking at ruined eye sockets, there wasn't a scratch on them. She decided to ask her sensei about this later. Taking a closer look at his sleeping face, Tsunade couldn't help but stroke his whisker marked cheeks. He looked so innocent and adorable actually; not that she'd say it out loud, she did have an image to maintain. Deep down she loved children and wished she had one of her own.

Seeing the boy move slightly brought her out of her thoughts as he took in a deep breath before slowly exhaling, his eyes fluttering open to look at her once more surprising her that they were there to begin with. Tsunade had to admit that his eyes were like deep blue oceans, 'He's going to be a real head turner for the ladies when he grows up.' It must've registered with the boy that he was with a stranger; his eyes went from confusion to fear as he back away falling off the bed in the process. Tsunade went to check on him but he pushed himself back further away from her into a corner. He was shaking, his eyes never taking her out of his sight; when she was in front of him kneeling, he brought his arms up to protect himself. 'He must think I'm going to hurt him…has this been everything he's known?' she thought as Tsunade placed her hand, glowing with her Mystic Palm, on top of his own and smiled as best as she could.

To the boy, the sensation from the technique was warm and soothing; it was something he never felt before, and it was so comforting that he just had to peek at the woman to see what she was doing. To his utmost surprise, she was smiling at him. This smile wasn't something forced or hiding something sinister; he'd seen quite a few of those to recognize the difference. The smile reminded him of something he saw at the park. It was the same smile that Hinata's mother had on her face when she walked up to her; a mother's smile. He'd seen some of the other mothers give the same look and smile to their own children. Every time he would think of how lucky they were and always envied them for it. Yet now, kneeling in front of him was the same beautiful blonde woman he met a few months before. Giving him the same smile he always yearned for, always hoped for and never thought he'd receive.

The woman moved her hand from his own hand to other areas where his bandages hurt the most. The pain would quickly recede to a small annoyance after she was done with the area. He never took his eyes off her face, not when she continued healing him until she was done, nor until she looked at him again while patting his head affectionately. "There, all done little one" she said to him in a soft voice that made his insides heat up. A knock on the front door alerted Tsunade that someone was here. She wasn't expecting anybody so it did make her curious as to who could it be.

Looking towards the boy she said "I'll be back, just let me check who's at the door." Standing up, Tsunade made to leave the room, yet she felt a tug on her pant leg along with a pair of hands that seemed to latch onto her. Looking down, the boy was currently latched onto her leg, shaking, almost like he was afraid. She couldn't understand it so decided to ask, "Excuse me, but can you please let go so I-" The words trailed off as he simply shook his head burring his face into her pant leg. Sighing in defeat, Tsunade simply said, "Alright gaki, come along." As much as she like children, the clinginess was still new to her.

Walking down with the boy still clingy and hiding behind her, Tsunade reached the front door, opening it to see Anko with her sensei. The man looked at her in a serious manner before looking down at her the boy currently hiding behind her leg. Her sensei's face softened with a smile as he greeted the boy, "Hello Naruto-kun. I'm glad that you're in safe hands." Turning his gaze back to her, he asked, "May we come in? I would like to speak to you about an important matter."

Author's Notes:

Alright hello everybody. This is my first Naruto story. Can't say my first story since I have a Mass Effect story that I like to write as well. Now this story might be a little heavy on some parts and honestly, I'm not sure where I want to go with it. If I do keep it going then I'll try my best to make it a least a decent read.

I would like some feedback if possible about what I could do better, what I should keep, possible ideas to change up cannon stuff. Obviously from the first section of this chapter, it's a harem for Naruto and if the names mentioned above aren't obvious enough, the list is below on people who are locked in and people who I haven't decided on will or won't be in the harem. Let me know what you think and until next time.

Locked in:

Anko

Hinata

Ino

Sara

Haku

Koyuki

Tsunade

Ayame

Possibles:

Sakura

Samui

Temari

Kurosutchi

Shizuka

Shizune

Mabui

Fuu

Fem/Kyuubi

Shion

Konan

Hana

Tsume

Mei

Mikoto

Yugao

Yugito

Kin (this one I'm not too sure on)

Kurenai? (Did I spell some of these right)

Now if there is someone that you would hope to see or suggest from Naruto or heck a different anime let me know.

For now that's it and I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.