20Blame it on the Alcohol
Chieko strolled down the pebbled street of Konoha. The moon hung directly overhead casting a mystic glow on the village below. Many villagers had been left homeless and/or in dire financial straits. She could see those who belonged to the latter group sprawled out in the dark alleys of the village wearing tattered rags for clothing. They huddled together to provide some measure of warmth from the particularly nippy night.
She herself felt a shiver come over her as she rounded a corner. Luckily she was fortunate enough to have enough money to purchase a coat to wear, but she wondered how long she would be able to make such purchases. She was now among the many who had now lost their jobs due to the Nine Tailed attack.
In actuality however she hadn't lost it because of the assault, but the fox nonetheless had a major hand in it no matter how much it tried to play innocent. She looked down at her hands that held a moderately sized basket with a blue blanket covering the top. Every so often the sheet would move as if it had a mind of it's own.
She wanted badly to just drop the basket, or more accurately throw it, and go home, but she knew she couldn't. It made her sick to think she had been selected for such an assignment when she should be focusing on how she was going to pay her rent. Never mind the fact that she had been coerced into this position by the very person who also played a part in her premature resignation from the hospital.
Still, she kept walking down the dark and lonely street. Trying her best to ignore the beggars that approached her infrequently to ask for what little money she had on her at the moment. Had this been another time and she was not carrying a monster with her she would have gladly stopped and showed at least some altruism. With every person she turned down she felt her self-opinion take a dramatic dip.
It also served to make her all the more angry at the beast responsible for these people's suffering. Her fingers squeezed the woven handle of the basket and she suppressed the urge to just drive her foot down into it. Regaining her composure she stared ahead and just focused on what was in front of her.
Most of the shops were closed for the night and the ones that hadn't, their owners were in the process of doing so. Her soft soled feet hit the ground, parting the rocks and scratching the pavement. The rhythmic sound of walking was her only companion in the night as she would never consider the "thing" in the basket as company especially not the pleasurable kind.
She just had to keep walking forward to...to...she stopped in place and blinked several times. She didn't even know where she was going. She had been told to just walk around the village in a certain perimeter, but had never been given any destination. The cool air blew making her purple hair fly in her face.
She took a hand from the basket to knock the bangs from her eyes just as another gust of wind picked up. Whether it was the howling wind or the simple act of her preening, a screeching wail soon came from within the basket.
She rolled her eyes at "it" and placed the basket on the ground a little bit more roughly than she would her groceries. Pulling back the aqua sheet she was greeted with a furrowed face with blonde hair and strange whisker-like marks.
She could not figure out why the brat even had those things. She had never heard of anyone being born with such a birth mark and she was a nurse, but then she remembered that the baby wasn't actually a baby at all. It was probably some flaw in the monster's disguise that it had overlooked when it transformed. This apparent (to her) proof that the demon was masquerading as a child made her blood boil at its arrogance.
It actually thought no one would pay attention and notice its slip-up. With its pudgy stomach, wide cheeks, and short limbs it almost looked harmless which made her contempt for it grow even more.
How could it just lay there feigning innocence while everyone else was wallowing in a gutter? She wanted to throw up and maybe on it.
As it screamed in the basket her face adopted a similar expression offering no sympathy for the fox. Chieko covered the package back with the blanket ignoring the infantile sounds. She started again with a brisk pace when she felt something come over her.
Call it natural instincts of woman's intuition, but something caused her to freeze in place. The hairs on her neck stood on end and her skin formed a thin layer of goose skin. She wanted to turn around, but her anxiety convinced her that it would be better to keep moving.
So she began again, this time with longer strides. Her movements were stiff and mechanical as she came to a corner. It wasn't until she turned it and pressed against the wall that she realized that she had been breathing aloud. Her heart was thumping in her ears and the wind made her aware of the light sweat on her face.
Common sense told her to make a run for it, but anxiety kept her legs heavy. Her body was petrified when she heard the rocks rustle under the weight of footsteps. They were slow almost like the person had all night to waste.
'Maybe they did?"' she thought.
Perhaps they were not tailing her and were simply making their way home after a long day at work? After all it was the middle of the week and those who still retained a job were probably working double maybe triple shifts to make up for damages their property most likely sustained. Yes, that was it, someone was just heading home to take a nice long dip in their tub.
Her nerves calmed as rationality returned to her. Moving from the wall she let out a sigh of relief at her stupidity. Perhaps she could get a laugh out this if she explained to the person who had been behind her. It might even be a cute guy who would find her charming and offer to take her home for the night and pay her bills.
She inwardly laughed at the chances of that happening, but hey a girl could dream right? She looked around the corner to find no one on the other side. Her forgotten fears pounced on her with full force at the phantom footsteps.
She took a reflexive step backwards still staring at the spot she thought a person would be standing. Continuing with her backwards pace she collided into a solid obstruction.
Her heart skipped a beat and she jumped into the air. She turned stiffly to face him or at least she thought it was a he. Their body was hidden by a cloak and hood with their face obscured behind a mask.
She recognized the mask, a cat with round empty eyes that she assumed served openings for him to see through, from before, but she wasn't sure if it was the same person. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face, but she dared not move her hand to wipe it away.
She didn't want to do anything that might provoke him into attacking her.
The fact that he was just standing there made her even more nervous though. The only movement they made was a slight tilt of the head. It took a minute for Chieko to see that they were staring at the basket.
"The basket. Give it to me." he commanded in a dangerously calm voice.
She was definite that it was a man now. His voice was too deep and authoritative to be the opposite sex. This didn't make her feel any less frightened however as now the possibility of being raped became apparent to her.
"The basket." he said again with the same tone.
He might as well have yelled because Chieko yelped at his order. She brought the basket close to her and wrapped her arms around it. Not because she was feeling protective of the creature inside, but she wanted a barrier between him and her if he decided to rush in.
"I can't." she said convincingly.
She was telling the truth. If she lost the boy now after being specifically told to deliver him, then the deal would most certainly be off and she couldn't afford for that to happen. So, despite her better judgment and to her eternal loathing she refused the demand.
For a moment nothing happened. Her stalker just stood there motionless. Her chest was tight as she breathed even more so with how tightly she was clutching the basket. Her eyes began to water and she realized that she had not blinked for a time. She gathered whatever courage she had left and obeyed her body's natural process.
When her eyes reopened she wished she had kept them closed as the masked man was standing over her. He was much taller up close and was peering down at her in a way that made her blood freeze. The dark wells of the mask seemed to pull her in so utterly that she did not notice the kunai he had produced. Her senses only picked up the blade when he reared it back and prepared to drive it into her body, but by then it was too late.
Time seemed to slow as the knife came closer and closer to ending her life. She thought about all the decisions she made and what could have been done to prevent this fatal encounter from occurring. No matter how hard she thought, however, she always found that this part, or rather end, of her life was brought upon by one thing; the Nine Tailed Fox.
As the kunai blade pressed against her skin she still cursed the demon and hoped he suffered a fate 1000 times worse when his time came. She closed her eyes and waited for the permanent darkness to overtake her.
It never came. She heard a grunt from the man and she snapped her eyes open. She found him on his back a few feet away from her with his arm pulled above his head and suspended above the ground. A glare from the moonlight revealed that a wire, attached inside the loop of a kunai, was tied around his wrist.
She followed the line from its captive up through the air and onto a roof several feet off the ground. Standing there, wire in hand, was the man who had given her the task of escorting the fox through the village. She remembered his name only because it brought the heat of anger to her face every time she recalled it.
"Uchiha Shisui." the man finished for her.
The shinobi had bandages on his cheeks and cheekbones that were commonly used to treat burns, Chieko noticed.
The man didn't take the time to observe the state of Shisui's face as he threw the kunai from his tied hand to his free one and promptly sliced the wire. His new target identified, he jumped to his feet and ran towards the wall of the building Shisui stood on. Chieko didn't understand what he had in mind as he approached the wall and didn't seem to plan on stopping. Shock ran across her face as the man placed his foot on the wall and began to run up it vertically.
She had heard of ninja doing some amazing things, but this still surprised her. She watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small round object with something scribbled on it in black kanji.
He threw it up towards Shisui who formed his own look of astonishment as he covered his eyes with his arm. The spherical object exploded into a black of light making Chieko cover her eyes to protect her from the flash.
While she was blinded, she heard several sounds of fighting taking place on the roof along with the clang of metal on metal. It wasn't long before she heard something fall before her like a body hitting the ground. Her eyes had readjusted enough where she could make out a human shaped blur rising to their feet.
The person had black hair so she assumed it was Shisui now standing in front of her. Since she wasn't close to the flash her vision and hearing returned rather quickly, but she couldn't say the same for Shisui. His eyes were still closed and slightly watering from the bomb meaning he had not recovered.
It was quite a testament that he was able to defend himself while blinded. Though she didn't feel it would be ideal to continue fighting this way for a long time. The man landed on the ground in front of them and wasted no time in rushing forward to finish them both off.
Chieko certainly didn't like the man, not after the part he played in getting her fired, but she didn't wish death on him. This was doubly true because if he died this very instant there would be no one between her and the assailant. So she opened her mouth to tell him to duck...but nothing came out.
She was so paralyzed by fear that she didn't even realize that she couldn't speak. She watched helplessly as the kunai held by her future murderer cut through the air towards Shisui's throat. Her heart stopped as she envisioned blood spraying into the air followed by a sickening crack of bone. Shisui remained still unaware of his life coming to an end.
All of a sudden the man's hand stopped a hair's breath away from Shisui's forehead. Chieko thought it was the work of Shisui himself, but found that the man's wrist was being held by another. She followed the arm to the torso of the individual and found that they wore the standard emerald flak jacket of the village.
He also wore a dark shirt with the symbol of the white and red fan of the Uchiha clan surrounded by a blue star. An apron with white diamonds on the side proved to her that the man was Fugaku Uchiha the head of both the Uchiha clan and the Konoha Police Force. She had not seen him many times before, but she was pretty certain that his eyes were not red with black commas circling his pupil.
He stood unflinching towards the would-be killer, not even blinking. For a second she thought he was trying to psych the man out before his fore leg extended and impacted the cloaked enigma in the stomach. It was so fast that Chieko only saw him jump back several feet propelled by some invisible force.
"Shisui, you shouldn't have let your guard down." Fugaku stated and Chieko suddenly was reminded of a father reprimanding their son.
"I know. It won't happen again." Shisui answered as his eyes opened slowly to reveal his own Sharingan active.
The two Uchiha stood between Chieko and the masked man. She felt a pressure press down on her chest as she stared at the men. Her palms became sweaty and she had to grab the handle of the basket tighter to not only reaffirm her grip, but as a pacifier to the anxiety. She was dreading the wait, these three ninja just standing there was making her all the more anxious, someone needed to move before she went crazy.
The man must have been a mind reader because he instantly began to weave through elaborate hand signs whose meaning eluded Chieko. This must not have applied to the other two because Fugaku immediately reacted and launched three kunai at his target. The man managed to dodge all three while staying in one spot, weaving his torso safely around the knives as he completed his hand signs.
He held up a weird symbol and extended his arms but before he could do anything else a kunai from earlier reappeared at his side and revolved around him. His arms were tied up by his side by wire as the weapon made several more revolutions.
Shisui took this time to advance on him. He threw a punch that connected squarely with the man's jaw. His head jerked backwards and he fell to the ground. He skidded a few inches, kicking up dark dust along the way and did not rise.
Chieko watched as the scene played out in front of her and thought it was a bit anti climatic. She had thought ninja to be extra tough so it was strange to see one felled by just one simple punch. Apparently Shisui felt the same way and took a few moments to stare at the body. She saw his eyes narrow on the limp form before he moved forward cautiously.
He knelt beside the body and seemed to survey. He never touched it only staring at it intently making Chieko wonder if this was some sort of ninja thing. Fugaku walked up beside his clansmen as he investigated.
"Find anything?"
Shisui glanced over his shoulder briefly before returning to the body. He stood up and began to stroke his chin all detective-like.
"It's strange. That punch wasn't anywhere strong enough to kill him or knock him out yet he's not responding. His chakra is also strange, it's just...stopped." he revealed.
Fugaku's expression didn't change as he reached into his pocket, "Really? How...odd."
Shisui nodded in agreement unaware of his mentor standing over him ominously. With his hand in his pocket Chieko saw his fist clench something tightly. She frowned at the strange contraction, but said nothing.
"Do you have any idea why?" Fugaku asked calmly.
A sigh escaped from Shisui as he said, "Only one."
Chieko was prepared this time. She had regained full control of her vocal cords allowing her to yell out to warn the Uchiha.
"Shisui, look out!"
Shisui spun around just in time to block the kunai from stabbing him in the head. "Fugaku" dropped the knife and caught it in his other hand and sent a horizontal slice across Shisui's chest. The jounin was aware enough to block the slashing motion causing he and the doppelganger to become held in a dead lock.
Shisui held the clan leader's right wrist with his left hand and his left wrist with his right. Their arms were crossed over one another causing them both to make and "X" over the top. Both of their Sharingan's flared as they bore holes in the other's eyes.
The dojutsu's protected them from genjutsu so that was out of the question for Shisui. He decided on a more physical approach. Cocking his head back he drove it forward into the face of Fugaku. He heard a wet crack as his forehead met bone followed by Fugaku stumbling backwards as a thin streak of blood flew from his nose.
Shisui wasn't about to let up and prepared to continue his assault when something unexpected happened. At least he didn't expect it to occur anyway. "Fugaku", knowing he couldn't defend himself properly at the moment, raised the kunai he held to his neck. This action froze Shisui in his tracks.
He had no choice but to watch as the impostor gaze at him with a completely blank expression. The reasonable assumption was to believe that Fugaku had simply turned on him, but he realized that nothing in the ninja world was simple.
He focused his chakra towards his Sharingan and surveyed the suddenly suicidal man's charka network. His chakra, at first glance, was unchanged, but upon closer inspection he spotted a phantom-like chakra signature that had latched on to Fugaku's as an unwanted passenger.
He dared a glance back towards the unresponsive body behind him and began to connect the dots.
"You're a Yamanaka." he stated.
Something that didn't pass as a smile pulled the corner of Fugaku's face up but his eyes remained dead. Whoever was controlling his body must not be familiar with performing a simple smile.
"What gave me away?" he asked in Fugaku's voice.
"You mean besides the fact that you tried to stab me?" he retorted.
The possessed Fugaku remained indifferent to his reply, keeping his emotions buried.
"Yes." he answered as if it was the most simple thing in the world.
Shisui kept his own feelings under control as well, but he found the man's question to be abnormal. It was as if he did not understand sarcasm.
"There's only one clan I know that can accomplish such a thing and the hand signs you weaved beforehand gave you away, but I wasn't sure if you had completed it or not. That's why I intentionally left myself open to goad you into attacking." he looked over Fugaku's shoulder at Chieko, "She helped too."
The nurse felt a speck of pride come over her despite the situation, but that was quickly extinguished.
"I see." he answered tersely.
They stood in silence for what seemed like ages as both ninja contemplated their best course of action. It made Chieko anxious again, even more so because she had seen what could happen once they actually started fighting. Her urge to drop the basket and run was stronger than ever now, but her feet remained rooted to the ground.
"I suppose I have no choice then."
The possessor of Fugaku's body forced Fugaku's arms to drive the kunai forward towards his throat intending on ending the man's life. Chieko let out a scream as she saw what was happening while Shisui held out his hand and yelled, "Stop!"
To both their amazement he did. His eyes remained lifeless even though he was moment's away from committing suicide. Or was it murder?
He studied Shisui's face closely. Strangely, the examination was more akin to a child seeing a something new for the first time as if he was...curious.
"That was...fear. I've always had trouble understanding emotion, but I recognize that one."
The civilian and the ninja stood perplexed at this unorthodox time to start a conversation especially about something as abstract as emotion. Though Chieko could tell that Shisui was just happy to have more time to formulate a plan.
The man looked down for a moment before staring directly into Shisui's eyes.
"Tell me...what does it feel like?"
He pressed the blade closer to his neck and cut into his skin drawing a small trickle of blood. Shisui kept his emotions in check, but she could see his jaw clenched as he gritted his teeth. His palms closed tightly and she watched his face darken. Then, it all disappeared.
It was as if it had never been there at all, puzzling the former receptionist. Shisui closed his eyes momentarily before saying, "Like this."
His eyes snapped open and Chieko saw a design in them she couldn't describe. The swirls mystified her like peering into a kaleidoscope for the first time. It left her with a floating head feeling even more powerful than before.
She was not the only one affected by the drug-like ocular power of Shisui however as Fugaku began to act strangely. He looked as if he had just awoken from a deep sleep before his eyes fell on the blood tipped kunai.
Turning to Shisui she saw him standing over the mask man while he held his left eye. He seemed to be waiting for something until he suddenly kicked the man across the face sending the mask sliding across the ground.
A grunt from Fugaku brought her back to the present and she saw that he was wiping his neck free of blood. Shisui had tied up their "friend" and was walking towards him. His Sharingan was deactivated replaced by his usual dark eyes.
"Are you... okay?" he asked between breaths looking more tired than a short fight would suggest.
Fugaku observed the blood in his palm before closing it, "I'm fine. How did you manage to free me?"
Shisui seemed to try and smile at him, but he was just to tired to complete the expression. He took a minute to collect his breath before he spoke again.
"I had to use the Kotoamatsukami."
Chieko was at a loss for what this technique with the nearly unpronounceable name implied but judging from Fugaku's reaction it must have been something bad. His normally still face showed a glimpse of shock and was devoid of the thankfulness she expected him to experience.
"You should have saved it. You can only use it once every decade, right?"
Shisui looked through the eye that wasn't tingling and said, "A thank you would be nice."
Fugaku said nothing at first before mumbling something that Chieko thought amounted to gratitude. Shisui seemed content and turned towards the body.
He didn't have time to react before he was sent tumbling backwards. Fugaku was quicker and had more response time, but it was unnecessary as the man rose up and just stood there. The hood he wore cast a shadow over his face but one could make out a face weathered by wind and age.
He looked at the clan leader for a split second before turning to the younger Uchiha, who was on one knee. In that moment he communicated something that held meaning only to the two of them.
"I finally understand what fear feels like."
The mysterious man then erupted into a burst of blue flames. Shisui and Fugaku watched in horror as the flames ignited his body fat and oils and sizzled his flesh. He let out a terrifying scream as he was cooked alive from the inside out, his back arched and he bellowed at the sky.
A putrid odor that would forever be remembered by their olfactory nerves reeked form the human matchstick. Shisui, no longer able to take anymore, performed the appropriate hand signs. Aware of his intentions Fugaku held up a hand to stop him.
"It won't make a difference."
Shisui contemplated that for a moment before another bone chilling screech interrupted him.
"With all due respect, Fugaku," he finished the last of the signs, "you don't know that."
His chest swelled up before he released a torrent of water forward knocking the screaming man to the ground. The water popped and fizzled as it evaporated from the flames only managing to douse marginally before they reignited themselves.
Shisui had no choice, but to watch as the fire turned a person into ash. He couldn't imagine the pain he must have felt before his body finally gave out on him and died. He fell to the ground with a wet, heavy sound and lay there. His mind boggled as he tried to figure out why someone would set themselves on fire.
As he and Fugaku waited for the flames to finish their work and destroy the body completely. They were oblivious to the black mass that was watching them from above.
He watched as his former partner became nothing more than dust. It was a last resort activated by a seal placed on their bodies by their leader. It was only to be employed if a field agent felt capture or death was imminent.
The technique was used by the ANBU Black ops as well to ensure their body was not recovered by enemy forces. If he had the emotional capacity he would have noticed the irony.
With no fuel left to feed it the azure flames soon died down. Torune took his leave.
Danzo would definitely want to hear this. He left his perch atop a roof and began to move through the path that would lead him back to ROOT headquarters. The route to the underground hub consisted of many twist and turns throughout the village that led to nowhere. This was by order of Danzo to throw off any potential tails.
After passing the same landmark for the fourth time he decided no one was watching him and landed gracefully in an alley. It was trashy in the literal sense with many pieces of filth covering the alleyway in a blanket of uncleanliness. The large green trash can spewed fumes that would turn the stomach of anyone who wasn't a hobo looking for a meal or someone as detached as him.
He waded through beer bottle, sludge, and other unmentionable until he hit a solid wall.
The atrium was a vast dome shaped room with three levels of floors. Four stretches of metallic walkways, positioned at the four cardinal directions, led into a colossal trunk of an unearthly tree that was extended far into the air and ground.
Danzo had called it one of the "pillars" of the village, but he didn't expect any of his subordinates to catch his meaning. Such was a drawback of possessing no emotion, it left you utterly colorblind to sometimes symbolic meaning of a humans words.
Though, the "pillar" he spoke of was actually a pillar. It was a limb of the gargantuan tree that had been created by the First Hokage to give birth to the Hidden Leaf Village. As he peered up at the arm he felt someone come up behind him.
"Lord Danzo." the voice said.
With so many agents it would be impossible for him to remember every single member of his organization especially since they wore their mask most of the time. Even if they didn't, their presence was often marked by blank expressions and silence which made them easily forgettable.
Still, he remembered this agent for the sole reason that he was one of his most promising emissaries. If only his partner was as efficient.
"Torune, what do you need?" he said without facing him.
He immediately fell to one knee and bowed his head submissively. It was foolish of him to think Danzo had not been aware of him.
"Lord Danzo, Fu is dead."
Danzo's face never betrayed any signs of emotions because he felt none. He was sure Torune felt or didn't feel the same way. His underlings could deliver such morbid news without even flinching even if the news involved a long standing partner of theirs.
"That is strange. I specifically told him not to attempt the capture of the Nine Tails again."
Torune raised his head as if he was going to answer then lowered it as soon as Danzo turned. He didn't expect him to answer, they only did so if Danzo told them it was acceptable. Besides' he doubted Torune understood Fu's bizarre behavior anymore than Danzo himself. In any case, it was irrelevant now.
That seal he placed on them activate a vicious fire that would destroy any trace of a body left behind so there would be no bread crumbs that could be followed back to him.
"He will need to be replaced."
Out of the shadows Torune heard footsteps approaching from behind. He looked over his shoulder and identified an adult male. He had auburn hair and amber eyes. He was also a Yamanka. He had that same bottomless look that was so common among Root members. He wondered if meeting someone as empty as themselves for the first time managed to stir up any reaction at all in their cold hearts.
Probably not.
It wasn't uncommon for Danzo to recycle members from the same clan. In case one of them was lost in battle he would have a back-up who could use the clan's special abilities.
"This will be your new partner, Torune. I expect you to be as efficient with him as the last one. His codename will also be Fu."
The recycling of the codename was nothing new. He had done it before because the use of old code-names helped to suppress individuality. It implied that in Root your name was not important only your skills and commitment.
The "official" branch of ANBU employed a similar tactic, but this step in the right direction was lessened by the other more empathic policies of the former Hokage. They were allowed to have relationships and were even encouraged to spend time outside of work. It's purpose was to ensure that one of their ninja did not become cold, heartless weapons.
Danzo held no such reserves however which allowed his program to become vastly superior to the more public-if it could be called that- face of ANBU.
"Is there anything else, Torune?"
He nodded negatively and they were then dismissed by Danzo. He returned to staring up at the pillar of the village and thinking of the past.
Fugaku leaned on the wall with his arms over his chest as he waited Shisui with Cheiko. Their leads death cries had caused a host of the villagers to come outside to investigate. Shisui was now sending everyone back into their homes leaving him alone with a fussing baby and an agitated woman.
"God, shut up you little monster!" she screamed.
Fugaku didn't really appreciate Naruto's wails either, but it was to be expected from an infant so he dealt with it. However he did not have to deal with the angry squawks of a full grown woman.
"Just keep yelling at him. That will definitely quiet him down." he said.
Chieko wasn't new to sarcasm, having used it herself for years, so she shot him a glare which he missed due to closing his eyes again. She puffed out her cheeks as she blew out a cloud of exasperation. Naruto continued to bombard the air waves with his incessant whining.
"You have a better idea?" she balked.
Fugaku remained calm in light of her attitude, "Maybe you can try not yelling and attempt to comfort him."
Her eyes narrowed and for a minute Chieko wondered which one pissed her off more: Fugaku or the demon brat. As if she would touch that little thing in the basket without gloves on.
He let out another high pitched shout that made Chieko want to rip out her hair or stomp him quiet. Since the second option was impossible with Fugaku standing right beside her and the first would hurt and leave her with a prominent bald spot she decided on the final, but no more enjoyable third option.
She placed the basket on the ground then reached inside to pick up Naruto. For some reason she expected to feel a scaly or inhuman texture, befitting of a demon. To her disappointment her fingers sunk into his skin like he was a marshmallow. He was as light as a feather and to her awe he finally seemed to calm down a little.
His eyes were still watering and his face was still twisted, but at least he wasn't yelping like a mad dog. She held him out at arms length like he was infected or something; yet that wasn't the reason. She was at a loss basically.
She never had children of her own, feeling it was far too soon to start raising a family so she had no idea what to do now.
"Hold him close to your chest." Fugaku instructed.
He must have been staring at her ever since Naruto stopped crying. When she did not heed his instruction he imitated the proper procedure with his arms to guide her. She finally realized what he was doing and brought the baby close to her. She must have done something wrong because he started whimpering again and she was afraid he would start crying soon.
She looked at Fugaku with pleading eyes and asked the next course of action.
"Rock him, soothingly, back and forth." he added visual cues with the instruction to make it easy on her.
She nodded her head and obeyed. At first her motions were too erratic and inconsistent making Naruto start crying again. She stopped what she was doing and looked to Fugaku for answers in how to deal with it.
"Try humming to him."
Such an absurd idea almost made Chieko think he was being sarcastic again, but one look at his face made her certain that he was dead serious. She didn't see how such a thing would work but she did it anyway, not wanting to see Naruto cry anymore.
'Wait, what?'
She could have sworn she said she didn't want to see Naruto cry anymore, but that didn't make sense. Why should she care if a demon was bawling it's eyes out besides the fact that said crying irritated her? It was an accident obviously. She only wanted him to stop crying so she could have some peace and quiet, right?
She began to hum a soft tune that her mother did for her when she was upset. The sound vibrated in her throat tickling it ever so slightly. As it reached Naruto nothing seemed to happen until his stopped writhing and his eyes opened to reveal the blue underneath.
For a second her humming stopped. She had never seen his eyes so close and so...blue. She felt like she could stare into them for hours. He seemed so innocent. She was knocked back into the present when his face turned red again and a whine escaped from him.
She immediately went back to humming that tone again. Its melodic aria did the trick and soon Naruto was staring up at her with those eyes again. It was hypnotizing, his gaze, she didn't want to look away and felt a little sad when his eyelids began to close.
She continued to hum and rock him back and forth while he slept. His small chest rose and fell in sync with the motion of her arms. It was like a dance between the two of them, a wave rising and falling in accordance with the moon.
She didn't know how long she did this and only stopped because she heard someone come up in front of her.
"Glad, to see you two are getting along better." said Shisui.
She immediately stopped what she was doing. Chieko looked between Naruto and the grinning Uchiha having been caught in a compromising position.
"Tha-that's not true, I still don't like him." she said.
Shisui's eyebrow went up, "'Him'? Not 'it'?"
She recognized her mistake too late and was stuck looking red faced so she fell silent finding the road beneath her a safe place to look.
Shisui stared at her for a moment. Analyzing.
"Well, if you don't have a problem with it you can give him to me."
Chieko's head shot up in an instant. Her eyes were wide and she reflexively pulled Naruto closer to herself for reasons she could not understand. Shisui extended his own arms for her to give him to her and she found herself not wanting to part with the blonde haired baby. It was only after this hesitation did she finally relent and hand him over.
Her chest felt cold without him there.
"Well, you did your part, Chieko so you can expect to have your job restored to you. I'm sorry about not telling you about the masked man, but if I had you might have gotten a bit paranoid and tipped him off."
As he informed her about her old job being returned to her and apologizing about putting her life in danger she only half listened. Most of her attention was placed on the Uzumaki in his arms. She wanted to hold him some more, but knew it was impossible. Her part was done, she would never be able to have that same feelings of maternity stir in her once again.
"Ms. Yotaru?" called Fugaku
Her head jumped as if she'd awoken from a dream and she glanced at the two Uchiha. Gathering her wits she nodded.
"Yes, yes...thank you. Well, you two don't need me anymore so I'll be going."
After she said this she gave Naruto one last look and walked past them both. Soon she was out of their sight and headed home. She passed many of the stores along the way, but it was only when she came to one that had "Infants & Toddlers" written in pink lettering did she stop.
She looked at all the toys and plushie's a child could enjoy. The rattlers that would shake inconsistently with no real pattern, governed only by the whim of short arm holding it. She could practically hear the joyful sounds massaging her eardrums.
She did not know why she was thinking these things and if it was going to last. All she did know was that she liked it.
Norio sat tightly with his arms crossed and legs closed. He was beginning to think this trip with Jiraiya wasn't as great as he originally thought. Twice now he'd been in placed he would have rather avoided.
Well, the casino wasn't so horrible. In spite of the angry people, the ear splitting noise, and cough inducing smoke he did win loads of money. Looking around his current location he was sure that this place had no redeeming qualities. It smelled of alcohol and the people here were even more disconcerting.
Many had to be supported by another or else they waddled about like toddlers before collapsing onto the floor. Those who displayed such a lack of balance were summarily thrown out on their faces and told to never return.
Every time this happened Jiraiya would laugh which seemed to annoy his blonde teammate. Then again she had been making faces at him ever since the casino. After Jiraiya exchanged his coins for cash they left rather abruptly or at least Tsuande did and they followed.
His godfather made several attempts to stop the retreating woman, but she rebuked him every time often adding in insults with "pervert" or any of its variations being her favorites.
Through his persistence or just dumb luck he managed to convince her to join him for a drink. A brief light sparkled in her eye and she begrudgingly agreed. Ever since then they had been sitting uncomfortably in silence.
The two Sannin looked at one another in silence for over a minute now causing the two children present to grow anxious. Norio tried to avoid the two females gaze for different reasons. Tsunade because she was constantly scowling and Shizune because she always smiled when she caught his eye.
It wasn't that he didn't like the smile. To the contrary he actually enjoyed it, but whenever she did that his cheeks grew hot and he felt the urge to look away.
Eventually, he decided on staring at the pig that kept following them.
"Alright, enough of the silence, Jiraiya. Why are you here?" she finally said after losing her patience.
Jiraiya took his eyes off the passing waitress to answer Tsunade's question.
"Haven't you ever heard of foreplay, Tsunade? Gently teasing with desire before finally rewarding them with a gift of passion."
Norio saw that this time Shizune's cheeks turned pink while Tsunade only remained austere.
"What are you a writer, now?" she spat.
Jiraiya grinned a goofy grin as he stroked his chin. He obviously took that last statement as a compliment even though it was laced with bitterness.
"It's a line from one of the novels I plan on having published. What do you think?"
Tsunade huffed and sat back in her seat crossing her arms over her chest. As she did so she gave Jiraiya a more focused look as if she was expecting him to do something. He only responded with open palms and a nervous smile.
"I think you should stick to being a ninja," she smirked, "You are still a ninja, right?"
Jiraiya chuckled lightly to himself and gave her a fake applause.
"A joke, ladies and gentlemen, we actually get to hear one from the great Tsunade."
Tsunade didn't seem to share his sense of humor as her frown only deepened before fading behind a wall of stoicism. Her green eyes traveled away from Jiraiya down to Norio. He quickly averted his eyes back to the pig hoping she didn't catch him staring.
He took a chance to look up again, but found her still staring at him.
"What's up with the kid? Don't tell me he's yours."
Normally Norio would have rejected this assumption but found his tongue paralyzed at the moment. He felt Jiraiya's hand on top of his head making him look up a little and then grimaced as his hair was ruffled.
"You mean you don't recognize him? I mean, you did help deliver him. It was one of the last things you did before you left the village."
Both Tsunade's and Norio's eyes grew larger than their original length. Norio had never known who helped in his birth because it was never a concern to his six year old brain. Seeing who had a hand in welcoming him into this world however made him feel...disappointed. He never would have thought that his mother would allow a woman like her to be her midwife.
"They let you take care of him? I expected more from Kushina and Minato."
Jiraiya and Norio's faces showed profound sadness at the mention of the two. For Jiraiya, it only manifested as a micro-expression but Norio's features remained pulled down by his feelings. He turned his head away from the group and stared at the wall. He didn't seem to notice when Jiraiya removed his hand from his head and clasped them together.
They covered his mouth and his lips tightened.
"Minato and Kushina are dead. The Kyubi killed them."
The conversation came to a screeching halt as Shizune and Tsunade absorbed the new information. There faces changed several times as they processed the reality of it all before they finally seemed to accept the fact that the Fourth Hokage and his wife were dead.
Norio already knew the news so his reaction to it wasn't as profound. It still cut deep though hearing someone repeat it to him again. He knew he would never get over the fact of their deaths, but he had thought he would have built up an emotional wall to some degree. Then again, he wasn't sure e wanted to. If he did wouldn't he look back on his parent's and feel nothing?
That thought scared him.
"You still haven't told me why you're here." she said perhaps trying to change the subject.
Jiraiya paused before he answered.
"Well, there are a lot of people injured from the attack, Norio being one of them. With your expertise you could save a lot of lives."
Tsunade stared over at Norio's arm. It was the first time she actually paid it any attention. The tightly woven bandages told her he suffered from either a serious burn or infection perhaps both if he was unlucky. The sling suggested that he couldn't use his right arm or had trouble using it.
"Is that all?" she pressed.
Jiraiya smiled nervously and showed his palms then wiped his dry nose. A sign of submission.
"Um...look there are our drinks." he avoided.
His not-so-casual diversion did not seem to impress Tsunade, Norio observed. By the time their drinks had been placed down she was no longer thirsty. She continued to stare as Jiraiya tipped the waitress, a pretty young woman.
"You never change." she said.
Jiraiya frowned in confusion trying his best to appear innocent. Too bad she had a reliable BS meter.
"What? That was way more than I usually tip." he defended seemingly forgetting his own perversion.
"I'm not talking about that. You show up and act all cryptic while you ask for a favor. What is it you want Jiraiya?"
Shizune gave her a soothing look but it was ignored. Norio looked a little worried at how much louder her voice had gotten. Jiraiya was still acting oblivious as he grabbed his drink.
"Tsunade, I'm telling you that's all. With so many people hurt you'd be a real asset." he brought the cup to his face, "That and sensei wants you to take over as Hokage."
He then downed the alcohol in one go. He said the last part so fast Norio barely understood it, but Tsunade seemed to hear every syllable.
"What?" she almost yelled, banging her fists on the table.
"What?" Jiraiya parroted much more gently, with feigned innocence.
"Don't play games with me!" she demanded, "What was that about me being Hokage!"
He scratched his head dumbly as his eyes swung from one end of the room to the other. He finally put his hands on the desk and blew out a large breath. He looked at Tsunade seriously.
"Ooooohh...that part. Well, you see Sarutobi-sensei is getting older and he's already served his duty to the village as a Kage. Don't you think he deserves a break?"
Norio began to wonder if Jiraiya had actually thought of what he was going to say to Tsunade or whether he had just improvised. It certainly seemed like the latter given the fact of his blabbering and the rate at which he was consuming alcohol now.
And what about Tsunade? What did she think? Did she feel honored to be selected to be the Fifth Hokage? Did she even want to? Her face was as blank as a new chalk board making Norio all the more anxious.
"Forget it." she said finally, "Only a fool would want the job of Hokage."
Norio felt the urge to clean out his ears. Did she just say what he thought she said? "Only a fool would want to be Hokage?" She couldn't possibly mean that could she? Nearly everyone who wanted to be a ninja respected the position even if they had no aspirations to become the leader of the village. Yet, here she was basically disrespecting the title on a whim saying it was a position only fit for a jester.
If she felt that way about Hashirama, Tobirama, and Hiruzen he could only wonder what she felt about his father. At that thought he suddenly found himself disliking this woman who he had no opinion of earlier beyond the scary looks she gave.
"Is that what you really think?" Jiraiya asked
Norio felt like punching his godfather. How could he just sit there all collected when she had just insulted Norio's father, and his pupil? She hadn't outright said it, but it was the principle.
"Without a doubt. Every Hokage gives their heart and soul for the village only to end up where?" she didn't wait for an answer to the rhetorical question, "In the ground. It's a wonder Sarutobi sensei survived as long as he did. Only an ignoramus would wear that silly hat."
The second insult, even though Norio didn't understand it, stung just as much as the first. It was official, he did not like this woman. She may look pretty, but he could see that on the inside she was as ugly as they come. His mind was so bubbling with fury he didn't even notice when he stood up and glowered at her.
For a minute he just stood there boring a hole through that diamond-like mark on her forehead. His fist was clenched so hard he was sure his knuckles were white. He wanted to say something to her, anything at all. As teeth sawed together he envisioned using some of those colorful words his mother told him never to say even though she used them if she was angry.
But nothing came out. He just stood there shaking in fury as he tried to mentally coerce himself into speaking his mind for once. He needed to, for his father's sake.
He didn't. He turned on his heels and then he ran. He jostled a few people along the way, but otherwise did not stop until he was out the door.
"What's his problem?"
Jiraiya only raised his brow and whispered, "I wonder."
Norio ran with no idea where he was going, but he needed to get away from that lady. No, actually he wanted to go back, but he knew he couldn't. He hated her for what she said about his father by extension. He wanted to shout at her that she was wrong! That his father was not a fool by any stretch of the imagination.
Then why hadn't he? Why didn't he sock her right in the jaw and tell her she was wrong? He knew why and he didn't want to admit it.
He was afraid. He was a six year old who hadn't even entered the academy and she was a Sannin. Someone who had been a ninja longer than he'd been alive. That's what he kept telling himself while he ran, it helped him feel better.
It didn't help though because in his heart of hearts he knew. He knew he was a coward. Just like the time he ran from that man in the mask.
Mask. That mask. Thoughts of that man actually made his anger amplify. It was his fault that his parents were dead in the first place. No...it wasn't.
It was Norio's fault. If he didn't run and fought instead his dad might not have been distracted and could have taken the guy out easy. It was because of his weakness that he lost his family. Just like now.
He was running, but he didn't know where to. So, why was he running? It wouldn't solve anything. Tsunade would still go unpunished about her comment towards his father unless...unless he stood his ground and fought for his family's honor.
He stopped his locomotive like motion beside a tree. He had run all the way out of town and stood before a tall oak on the outskirts of town. He looked upwards into the emerald leaves that rustled softly in the wind. His eyes followed the spindly branches that stretched out until eventually he fell on the broad trunk that supported the entire thing.
His mother once told him that tree's could live for a very long time. He wondered what it endured. All the frost, sleet, rain, and wind that pounded it over the years and it was still there. Here was this tree standing tall against the elements and he couldn't even stand up to an obnoxious blonde.
Not anymore.
'I'm not running away.' he thought.
Tsunade walked out of the tavern with Shizune, TonTon and Jiraiya not far behind. She took a step on the ground but misjudged the distance to the earth and stumbled forward. Shizune held out her hands but the Sannin caught herself before the assistance came.
She sniffled and looked up at the starry night. So many twinkling stars all shiny and mobile. When did the moon start shaking? She turned slowly to the two people behind her almost losing her balance again before she righted herself.
"Lady Tsunade, you should take it easy. You had a lot-"
Shizune's words became a amalgam of incoherence as her syllables blended together into a verbal soup. She heard what she was saying, but then she didn't hear. She noticed the shaky Jiraiya behind her shake his head from side to side without uttering a word.
She knew that look and what it meant. She must have gone a little overboard with the drinks. She felt her cheeks, they were a bit warm and she guessed flushed. Still, screw him.
Appearing out of nowhere and expecting her to become Hokage? After not speaking to her for years? Who did he think he was...a Sannin or something?
She let out a tipsy sound that would have to pass for a laugh. She was tired and wanted to lay down. They probably had enough money left from today's ventures...probably. They could rent a room and let her sleep off this buzz.
"Let's go Shiz-"
She stopped when she heard footsteps behind her. They were too light to be an adult's or teenagers so she thought of a small child. Soon a dark silhouette brightened to reveal a boy with black spiky hair come barreling towards them.
As he skidded to a halt she had to focus to register his features. He looked pissed. His nose was flared and his face red. He was breathing a bit heavily, but that could be attributed to the running.
Most of all however she noticed that look in his eye. It was wild and volatile like he was holding back a torrent of negativity behind those eyes. He looked primed to rip someones head off and it was all directed at her.
"What's that look for kid?" she asked slurring the end slightly.
Norio bared his teeth like a wild animal ready to rip its prey limb from limb.
"You!" he screamed.
Tsunade could tell that this was no joke, but that didn't stop it from being any less funny. Following her initial shock she began to cackle at Norio's order. She probably carried on a lot longer than was sensible, but the alcohol kept the laughter pouring out. Her face got as red as Norio's as she began to choke.
"Shut up!" he ordered.
His brow was knitted in a tight bow and his one good arm shuddered in rage. A growl came from him that reminded Tsunade of a puppy who was being teased too much by his master.
Her laughter stopped just short of her gasping for air. She erected her back and hardened her features. Her green eyes met his blue ones and she saw it. That look he gave her in the tavern before he ran off. Where had she seen it before?
"Look, kid...what's your problem, huh? What is this all about? An apology, is that what you want?"
She was still slightly drunk but this kid's attitude was seriously ruining it for her. Now she could feel her own agitation fight off the drink coursing through her system and her head began to clear up ever so slightly.
"You insulted my father!" he pointed an accusatory finger that failed to affect Tsunade. "How come you can call him a fool when all he did was help out, he always thought about the village and the people in it. While you're too scared to even lend a hand! You're nothing but a coward!"
This made something inside Tsunade snap. All his other ramblings were easily brushed aside, but his accusation of her being a coward made her blood boil. She hardened her features and gave him a square look.
Norio stood shaking, but not from fear like she had expected but from rage. He was really bent on...something.
"So, you really want to do this?"
Norio didn't answer instead dropping into a stance that looked incomplete due to his one arm. She scoffed at his bravado and preceded to remove her jade coat. It fluttered in the air until it descended over TonTon draping the pig.
She heard Shizune behind her.
"Lord Jiraiya, aren't you going to stop this?" she pleaded.
Her ears perked up at this. She was curious. Would Jiraiya step in to save his godson? She hadn't had a good fight in a long time and being only partially sober she was itching a little to cut loose.
"It can't be helped." he said and Tsunade was about to become deaf to the conversation when Jiraiya said, "You see that look in Norio's eye? That's the same look his father got when he was about to try something crazy. There's nothing I or anything else anyone can do to stop him now."
Tsunade turned to mock him on his willingness to let a six year old fight a Sannin, but only got halfway when a shuriken whizzed past her face. She managed to dodge it, the weapon ripping through the cloth entrance of the tavern. A few screams and the sound of dishes crashing to the floor joined them outside.
Norio didn't seem worried about collateral damage however as he advanced on Tsunade. He applied pressure to his muscles as he prepared to jump into the air to deliver a flying kick, but Tsunade was faster than his muscle response.
Before he could blink she was on him with her pinky extended. It flicked him in the forehead and he saw white. He went tumbling across the ground until he lost his momentum and came to a halt.
He came up on one knee and felt his throbbing skull. His face was a mix of confusion and irritation. No doubt he was wondering how a simple finger flick could send him so far backwards. Tsunade waggled her finger knowingly to tease him.
Norio let out that growl again as he attacked her. His movements were erratic and untamed, he let his emotions run wild. Even though Tsunade was slightly intoxicated she wasn't the least bit troubled. It probably had a lot to do with fighting a six year old,, but she didnt' think that way. Experience had thought her never to let her emotions get the best of her.
His punches were sloppy, exposing holes in his defense. His kicks were not much better either. It was like he was just striking hoping he'd get lucky. Well, he'd get something alright.
Her pinky came down on the top of his head sending him into a face plant. He didn't' move and Tsunade assumed that had done the trick. She stared at his unmoving form just observing him. She looked up at Shizune.
"Let's go. He's done."
Tsundae turned to leave when a hand shot out and grabbed her by the ankle. She looked down to see Norio's dirty face staring back up at her with that same look. She couldn't understand what made him so determined. Why did he keep trying to fight?
"What's your deal, kid? What are you trying to prove?"
Norio breathed out heavily several times before he answered kicking up small clouds of dust.
"Nothing." he took several more breathes, "You don't deserve to talk about...the kage's like that. I want you...to apologize."
His arrogance still shocked her. Who did he think he was? He was just some snot-nosed kid of a past Hokage and he thought that made him obliged to just jump up and defend their honor?
Tsunade knelt down in front of him and returned his intense glare with a curious one.
"Why do you care so much about the Hokage title? Don't tell me you want to be it when you grow up? It's a lost cause kid, you'd be better off just settling as a ninja."
Her discouraging words seemed to fall on deaf ears. In fact they might have had the opposite effect as Norio slammed his fist onto the ground defiantly and spoke to her with such vigor in his voice that she thought he was still ready to fight.
"It's not about that! I...I'm always running away whenever it gets hard, but I...can't do that anymore. My brother...Naruto he needs me! If I can't even stand up to someone like you how am I supposed to be there for him?"
His words shocked her for more than the fact that he had a brother she didn't know about. It seemed Minato wasn't as girly as she thought. Still, what he said seemed to strike a cord in a heart she thought had grown cold long ago. When he spoke it wasn't like a kid with a dream that he would forget about in the next five minutes. No he was dead serious about this.
His devotion certainly did remind her of Minato, but of someone else as well. Nawaki, perhaps?
She smirked at him before reaching down and grabbing him by the collar of his neck.
"All right, kid, I'll humor you. You see this necklace?" she pointed to the aquamarine gem attached around a spaghetti string tied around her neck and descending down towards breasts he was too young to oogle. She dropped him to the ground making him land on his butt.
"If you can take this off my neck, not only will I apologize, but I'll go back with you and the pervert to the village. However, if I win you and the lech have to leave and never bother me again with this Hokage nonsense." she explained ignoring Jiraiya's facial responses to her nicknames.
She held out her hand to seal the deal. She never expected him to agree. This little display should be enough to dispel any thoughts of him being able to outmaneuver and most definitely out fight her in any way. She wasn't betting on Norio being so dense that he couldn't recognize the obvious.
He took her hand in his and delivered as firm a handshake as possible without super strength.
"Deal."
Whoop! I'm done. I wanted to get this chapter out earlier, but procrastination is a real b***. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. As always I'm listening to what you say in your reviews and would definitely like to thank one reviewer for pointing out a flaw in my plans for Norio I myself considered, but overlooked.
You know who you are and I'm pretty sure everyone else can figure out who too because I have so little reviews. *sighs* Oh well, I don't write for those anyway. Comments, questions, and critiques are welcome. Signing off and good night!