Sarutobi strode with an agitated gait, as he rushed hurried through the hospital hallways. The report from the latest ANBU mission was damning to say the least. The mission was successful, yes, but the damage inflicted may far out-weigh the long-term potential gains of such an audacious move.
Naruto was in a highly volatile situation. He had witnessed the demise of the traitorous Konoha Chuunin Mizuki, and from the report, seemed to have realised that he had been used. Hebi herself, had reported in on the Jinchuuriki's status, and it wasn't looking good.
The professionals at the Konoha Central Hospital had concisely reported that the shock from such a revelation from one of the few people of trust to the boy was enough to seriously damage the psychological framework of his brain. Furthermore, he had expended a huge amount of Chakra, and Hebi was unable to get him to stop before he collapsed in Chakra exhaustion. The venerable Hokage didn't know what would happen to a Jinchuuriki that expended all of his Chakra.
But that hadn't been the worst thing, by a long shot. It seemed that the Chakra Beacon technique had some unforeseen abilities when one such as Naruto used it. After whittling down his own small Chakra pool, he had begun to draw on the Kyuubi's Chakra. As more of the volatile crimson energy was pulled out, the Jutsu maximised to even greater heights. What followed was a rush of murderous intent, so strong, that the entire village was once again brought to its knees by the sheer magnitude and hate.
'At least it wasn't directed at anyone,' but Hiruzen knew that that was no concession. The deluge of despicably loathing intent caused mass panic and chaos to spread like lightning through the village. The danger level was immediately upgraded to 'Code Red' emergency status and a contingency of ANBU had been dispatched to locate the source, as if nobody knew who it was. It was then that a stray thought struck Sarutobi.
'What if Naruto was able to control the effect of that technique?' It would truly become a formidable skill for a Shinobi to have.
Sarutobi shook himself, reminding that Naruto no longer had any care for becoming a Konoha Shinobi, let alone using those skills for the good of the village. They were in this situation because they had tried to force his hand. It was just typical that Minato's son would be the type to bite people in the back when confronted with such a situation.
Stopping outside room 47, the Hokage hesitated slightly before pushing the door open and walking inside.
Naruto sat on the surgical bed bound in bandages, from his head to his toes. If Sarutobi hadn't known the complexity and seriousness of the issue at hand, he would have laughed uproariously at the comical sight presented to him. Yet this was not a time for comedy.
"How are you feeling Naruto?" Sarutobi winced at how the question must have sounded to the blond-headed bundle of energy.
Naruto slowly turned his head to look at his grandfather figure. His sapphire eyes that usually sparkled with mischief and joy were dull and lifeless. His very expression spoke volumes of his psychological state, and Sarutobi was beginning to wonder if there was anything salvageable from this tragedy.
"I'm fine." His reply was curt. Not a good sign.
"I don't mean physically Naruto. How are you really feeling?" Sarutobi wanted to know his opinion on the events that had occurred the previous morning.
"Much better than that guy in the cemetery!" Sarutobi winced again. So he definitely knew they had used him then.
"Naruto, you have to understand. We needed that job done! It was for the safety of the village! Can you really put your own protection over those of-"
"Jiji! Don't trick me! Everyone knows that the villagers hate me! Why the hell should I protect them?
Why the hell should I even believe a single thing you say to me?"
The boy's heartfelt question pierced the Hokage's heart like a lightning bolt. Sarutobi was hard-pressed to say he understood the trauma that the 6 year-old was going through. The only person in the whole village, who may have been able to claim such a thing, was Itachi, and that was only if you got him to say something outside of his family time or missions. Sarutobi shook himself from his musings once again.
When the old Hokage finally responded to the blond, who hadn't looked away from, or even blinked at, his Jiji's lowered head; his voice had dropped to little more than a whisper.
"Because your father did."
Naruto's eyes widened in shock and Sarutobi thought he saw a small spark revive in the blond's blue eyes.
"What?" Sarutobi knew that by affirming that, he was practically asking for trouble, but it seemed like the only way to get the boy out of his funk.
"I'm not going to tell you who your parents are. I hope you understand that we have reasons, your parents and I, why we are unable to tell you. But let me tell you one thing; your father sacrificed his life for this village, as did your mother." It was incredibly underhanded for the Sandaime to say such a thing when Naruto was in a trough of an emotional whirlwind, and yet he knew that it was his only chance if he was to diffuse this situation.
"I respected your choice to not become a ninja. I gave you the tools to protect yourself from the mindless hatred directed at you, and yet I never questioned your intentions Naruto. Are you questioning mine?" Sarutobi didn't stop to consider if that was a fair question to ask a 6 year-old. At the moment, all he could see was the Yondaime's sole remaining progeny, one of outstanding strength and resiliency; and it was then that the veteran Shinobi knew that Naruto would pull through this crisis.
"...Respect?" The word was spoken so softly that Hiruzen almost didn't catch it.
"You think you RESPECTED ME?You didn't respect me! You gave me the lamest skills that every ninja knows! You made me live in that orphanage for 5 years Jiji! I RESPECTED you! And you threw that in my face! You knew I didn't wanna be a Shinobi, and now look Jiji, I have blood on my hands..."
Naruto's voice fell to a whisper once again, like the small sound of a passing breeze on a warm summer's day.
"...I have blood on my hands." Sarutobi felt his heart wrench in his chest as Naruto raised his hands to look at them. His eyes were wide and trembling, and his whole body shook like a wooden training post as a look of pure grief and terror settled on to the child's face. Tears welled up and slipped over the edge of his eyelids, and he immediately scrunched his face up and buried his head in his hands.
"You think I'm stupid, don't you Jiji? You think I don't know about that bad red stuff inside me? I know that's why the villagers call me monster. I saw the colour of his blood and it was the same colour as that stuff." His whole body was shaking now, and Sarutobi was straining to hang onto every word that came out of his mouth.
"Why do you think I wanted to learn ninja techniques? To make myself forget about this..." He let forth a gut-wrenching sob.
"I wanted to forget this feeling. This...this...loneliness and sadness. I didn't want to be sad anymore. I didn't want to wake up in the morning with the picture of people shouting at me, or throwing things at me in my head over and over again. Can't you see why I don't wanna remember all this? CAN'T YOU SEE JIJI?" Naruto's eyes were beginning to bulge, red lines of tiredness and madness stretching almost to his iris. Sarutobi registered this as a bad sign.
He realised it then, what Naruto truly wanted. He had wanted it all his life, but had ruthlessly bottled it up in his heart for the sake of the survival of his sanity. It was also then that Sarutobi realised just how bad Jinchuuriki's lives could be. The pain and emotional suffering that a human could go through was epitomised by their existences and experiences. And Naruto faced all of that with very little support.
He was indeed his mother and father's son.
Sarutobi rushed forward and enveloped the youngster in a tight hug. He realised now what the boy had been trying to tell him these past 2 years. His happiness and joy was only a facade to hide the very nature of his existence hurting those around him. He was trying to shield everyone from the pain he felt from having no parents, from being scorned from nearly every direction and most of all, from his own anger and confusion.
But Sarutobi knew now.
He knew what his intentions were all along, he just didn't recognise them for what they were.
And damned he would be, if Sarutobi didn't support him.
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