Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Mended Hearts ❯ Just Two People in Love ( Chapter 13 )

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I wish I did, but I don't.

 

Summary: AU Naruto hides many secrets from Konohagakure no Sato. As time continues, Naruto's precious people learn the hard way that many secrets are best left untouched, and that Naruto is not at all what they believed.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Chapter 13: Just Two People in Love~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

News of Zeiguwa's execution of Orochimaru and his subsequent suspension had spread Konoha within hours. Hadn't the young Hunter done what he had felt was best to complete the mission, and considered the best route for the village's safety? Why was he suspended for fulfilling his mission? Respect for the Godaime dropped several notches in the eyes of many Konoha-nin, and many villagers were outraged by the decision. The Oinin in particular were most upset, which was why Tsunade was still in her office at two in the morning, getting yelled at by five of her best soldiers.

 

“THAT IS ENOUGH!!!” Tsunade roared, rising to her feet and slamming her hands on the table, which again, miraculously did not break.

 

She had dropped her genjutsu and her aged face along with the amount of chakra and murderous intent she released was an intimidating thing. Almost instantly, the Hunters remembered that although she didn't wear the robes or show it, the woman before them was the Hokage.

 

“DO YOU THINK I ENJOY SUSPENDING ONE OF MY BEST HUNTERS???!!!!” the Godaime roared, “DID NONE OF YOU EVEN CONSIDER THE POSSIBLE REPERCUSSIONS OF KILLING THE OTOKAGE AND HIS ASSISTANT IN SOUND TERRITORY WHILE THE SOUND AND LEAF ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN AGREED CEASEFIRE???!!! DID NONE OF YOU CONSIDER THE POLITICAL REPERCUSSIONS OF THE PRESENCES OF SIX OF THE MOST POWERFUL HUNTER-NIN OF KONOHA IN THE SOUND DURING SUCH A TIME?! NO! YOU DID NOT!”

 

The five Hunters flinched and shifted guiltily. The Godaime was right. They had not taken into consideration that they were the best known of the Konoha Oinin in the Oinin community of the Elemental Countries, nor had they considered the possible repercussions of being spotted as intruders in Sound territory during a ceasefire. Of the six of them, it had been Zeiguwa who had killed Orochimaru and Kabuto. Favorite of the Hokage or not, he had gone outside the mission parameters, and it was the Hokage's duty to punish him, though she had not liked it anymore than they had.

 

Tsunade took a deep breath, reapplied the genjutsu, got her chakra and murderous intent back under control, and sat down. “I can understand you being upset about Zeiguwa's punishment and subsequent suspension. But it is and was necessary. On the off chance that any of you were spotted by another Oinin capable of identifying you, and should they report that to their counsel, if Sound were to confront us about it, we could tell the truth. We were extracting stranded Konoha citizens, and Zeiguwa acted outside of the mission parameters and is currently being punished.” The Godaime rubbed her temples irritably. “Now get out of here. I'm not in the mood to deal with the lot of you today.”

 

“We apologize, Hokage-sama,” Ookami said, and the five Hunters vanished.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

He sat still, tucked away into the crevice between the Sandaime and the Yondaime, sheltered by the images of his father and grandfather figure, immortalized forever in the mountainside. It was there that Jiraiya found his wayward apprentice as the sun set and the shadows lengthened, hidden in the shadows between the Frog Sannin's beloved teacher and student.

 

“We live as the strongest of shinobi and it is our duty to take responsibility for our actions,” the Frog Hermit said as he stood on the Yondaime's head.

 

“I am aware of that,” Naruto murmured, tilting his head back to look up toward the shadowed figure of his teacher.

 

“I won't lie to you, Kazuki,” Jiraiya said, using the blonde's true name for the first time since the death of the Yandaime, “I am glad that you are no longer a Hunter, even if it is temporary. Your feelings for Kakashi preserved what was left of the humanity in you, and now, you no longer have the Hunter's mask to hide behind. Now you can heal.”

 

“Heal, Jiraiya-sensei?” Naruto said. “I was under the impression that I possess no injuries beyond the ones that were inflicted in my early childhood.”

 

“That you even have those injuries after all these years is reason enough to worry,” Jiraiya said. “You can heal the wounds from your childhood, and find your center before your declining sanity snaps, and allow your humanity to take a deeper root inside of your heart. A shinobi who has no heart and no sanity does not survive long in this village. Remember Kana?”

 

Naruto snorted. “How could I forget? I was nine when I was dispatched to execute her. I nearly died then. Subduing an insane shinobi is not the easiest task in the world, especially not when the Hunter is a child and the chase continues into the Ninja Academy in broad daylight because she thinks that children taste best with toast.”

 

Jiraiya chuckled. “Sarutobi-sensei was utterly out of his mind with worry when he found out that she'd bitten you.”

 

“Sandaime-jiji tied you up, pinned a note onto your jacket reading, “This man wrote Icha Icha Paradise” and gave you to the women as punishment for being there to see it, and not helping me,” Naruto smiled wistfully.

 

“Come, boy,” Jiraiya said, “You're coming with me for a while. We have to work on your social skills.”

 

“There's nothing wrong with my social skills,” Naruto said peevishly.

 

“Says the boy who can't react to a fellow shinobi properly unless wearing the Hunter's mask,” Jiraiya countered.

 

“I can interact with other people as myself just fine, Ero-sennin,” Naruto replied, getting up and moving to stand beside Jiraiya.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“You're leaving again.”

 

Naruto paused on the roof from which he was about to leap and turned to look at the man behind him. The light of the full moon glittered on the tilted hitae-ate and set the spiky silver hair aglow. At that moment, the blonde desired nothing more than to run his finger's through the jounin's hair, to feel its texture, a memory that had been denied him because of his gloves when Kakashi had kissed him in that dungeon in the Sound.

 

The disappointment in the sole dark eye visible made guilt bubble in his chest. Naruto could only keep his face blank and nod.

 

Kakashi sighed and pulled down his mask before pressing his lips to the blonde's. Naruto started slightly in surprise before grabbing fistfuls of Kakashi's jounin vest and returning the kiss. This time, it was Kakashi who broke the kiss first, and instead of pulling away, he hugged the blonde close, burying his face in golden locks, and breathing in deeply, memorizing the blonde's tantalizing scent.

 

“When are you coming back?”

 

“I don't know. I suppose it's up to Jiraiya,” Naruto replied.

 

“Sou ka…”

 

The two shinobi stood together under the bright full moon, basking in the other's presence while they still had the chance. They had no idea how long it would be until they saw one another again, but both were sure that it would not be for a good long while. And so they stood there, locked in a warm embrace, the silver light of the moon falling around them, and for that brief moment in time, they were simply Naruto and Kakashi, two people in love…

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

 

 

CSA Version 7 Mended Hearts What Are You Hiding?