Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Mended Hearts ❯ As Sensei Wills it, So Mote it be: The Huntress Suzaku ( Chapter 21 )

 

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

 

Original 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.

 

New Summary: AU Beginning and ending with his name, Naruto's past is veiled in mystery. Even as Kakashi teaches him the meaning of affection and love, Naruto's secrets come into the open, and it falls to Naruto's precious people to protect and support him as his father's name and legacy threatens to crush him and destroy the Hidden Village of the Leaf.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Chapter 21: As Sensei Wills it, So Mote it be: The Huntress Suzaku~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The sun had set long ago, and any ordinary person, even a lesser ninja, would have been wary of the lengthening shadows and the silence of the street. Ino, however, was sure of herself and her own abilities, and was unconcerned. The path from the Haruno residence to the Yamanaka Residence was familiar to her after long years of friendship. It was also a plus that the very street that she was on lead straight to the convenience store from which she was currently returning with the makings of dinner.

 

Thus, she was understandably surprised when the Huntress materialized in front of her, clad in a bloodstained uniform, a bloody katana in one hand. The Huntress surged forward, and Ino dropped her bag of groceries and reached for her kunai, leaping back as she did so…

 

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

 

Kurenai, Neji, and Jiraiya slipped into Tsunade's bedroom silently, and Neji activated his Byakugan.

 

“You were right,” he whispered, “There is a genjutsu under Tsunade-sama's genjutsu.”

 

Jiraiya sighed. Things were getting complicated… To remove the genjutsu would require Tsunade to release her cosmetic genjutsu, something she would not do, not lightly…

 

“Well then,” he said, “It's your turn Kurenai.”

 

Kurenai nodded and began to work on unraveling the complex pattern of chakra that formed Tsunade's genjutsu…

 

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

 

Kakashi glared at the cowering medic, and snarled, “What do you mean there is nothing wrong with him? Naruto would not be in this state if nothing had happened!”

 

“W-w-we f-f-found no-nothing wr-wrong wi-wi-with hi-him… Kakashi-s-s-san….” The medic stuttered.

 

“Useless idiots!” Kakashi snarled. “Get out of my sight!”

 

And the medic scurried away. Kakashi turned toward the bed and his eyes gentled. He leaned down and ran his hand through silky golden hair.

 

“I don't know why this happened,” he murmured, “But dammit, Naruto, I'll get to the bottom of this. I promised you that I'd stay with you, that I'd protect you, and I'll do exactly that, or I'll die trying.”

 

There was no response.

 

Kakashi closed his eyes and sighed, tugging his mask off and leaned down, pressing his lips against Naruto's. He straightened, pulling his mask back on and ran his hand through Naruto's hair again.

 

“I love you Naruto… Please come back… Don't leave me…” he murmured.

 

He sat down in a chair, picked up Naruto's hand, propped his elbows on the bed, and took up vigil beside the prone form of his lover.

 

A single tear squeezed from the corner of an open, unseeing blue eye and vanished into the golden hair, unseen, unnoticed, unacknowledged…

 

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

 

Ino collapsed, her back pressed against a wall, as she peered cautiously around the corner out of the corner of her eye. Like any seasoned kunoichi, she knew enough about her own strengths that she could make a quick escape to gain some breathing room. But like any other kunoichi, she knew that against the Elites of Konoha, she was no match. What she needed was a way to get to the Hokage Tower, the ANBU Headquarters, or at the very least, the Yamanaka Residence…

 

She winced and pressed a free hand to her side, feeling the wet, sticky warmth of her blood. But she was a mid-ranked jounin! Her own abilities made her your average run of the mill kunoichi. It was only when she was put into an Ino-Shika-Cho combination that she excelled. Ino's head jerked up, and she leapt away just as a storm of kunai hit the spot where she had just been sitting.

 

Her eyes widened as the Huntress materialized in front of her.

 

A trap!

 

And she had fallen right into it…

 

The katana rushed toward her, and a blur of darkness interspaced itself in front of her with a harsh clang. Ino's eyes widened as she recognized the mask.

 

“Suzaku-san!”

 

“Now isn't a very good time, Ino-chan,” the Huntress murmured, “I'll take care of Tora. You just get down to the Shirobara and let them know what's happening, and then go get that injury seen to. Leave the rogue Hunters to the Hunters.”

 

Ino nodded, and she ran…

 

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

 

Once sure that the Yamanaka was gone, Suzaku turned dark eyes on the renegade Huntress.

 

“Why, Tora? You knew he was Sensei's legacy. If you wanted revenge so badly, why didn't you take it then?”

 

“You would never understand, Suzaku!” Tora screamed, “You haven't lost everything yet! You still have the White Wolf and your sensei's whelp! All I have is the godforsaken contract that binds me to this village as a Hunter!”

 

“You will cause an international incident, Tora,” Suzaku said.

 

“I don't care! Blood can only be washed away with blood! If I have to carve my way through every man, woman, and child in this village to achieve my goal, then so be it!”

 

“Tora…” Suzaku said in a pained voice.

 

Dark eyes closed behind the mask before snapping open once more. A katana was drawn and Suzaku fell into a ready stance.

 

“If that is your will, then so be it,” Suzaku said in a steady voice. “However! I have given Sensei my word, and as Sensei willed it, so mote it be. You must get past my cold, dead corpse to reach sensei's son!”

 

“Then so mote it be!” Tora snarled, taking up her own ready stance.

 

The two Huntresses clashed in a ringing of metal and a flurry of chakra…

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CSA Version 7 Mended Hearts What Are You Hiding?