Mother and Father... They didn't have to die.
In the end, if you don't have strength, you can't do anything. Because you didn't have strength... the Clan was wiped out, everyone was killed- No.
No, it was you.
You let them die.
All you did was watch. Helplessly, powerlessly... Weak. You're too weak.
If only-
("What the actual fuck is that rando-ass seal?")
You had the strengt-
("Hmm, we have time now. Can you wake him up now, Naruto?")
Sasuke woke up in an unfamiliar room. He last remembered a warm, but mostly unhinged smile on a bloodied face and the tortured screams of some foreign shinobi. He startled violently and reached for his weapons-
"We've finished it." Naruto interrupted his train of thought, hands hovering defensively in front of himself, but still at ease. His eyes warily tracked his shoulder-neck area. "This phase, I mean. The last one should be a tournament phase."
"You..." They completed it without him. Sasuke was practically useless. He scowled before the movement twinged his neck. Sasuke slapped a hand over it- That burning sensation on his skin. It felt like a parasite. But it felt... addictive. There was a trembling power that coursed through him, unnatural but not... entirely unwanted.
He instantly stomped on that thought though; chasing after power from an unpredictable source was bound to get him into danger.
"FYI, Iruka-sensei came out of those scrolls." Sakura informed him with a steady tone. She looked... calmer than before. He warily scanned her figure for any remnants of blood or gut. She wrinkled her nose. "The main moral of the story was... get smarter if you're lacking in spiritual energy, get stronger if you're lacking in physical. Common sense, honestly. That's how chakra works after all."
"More importantly, I think it's best we rest up and tidy ourselves up." Naruto cut in, voice also bordering professionality. Now that Sasuke was fully lucid he could easily sense the mutually acknowledged tension between his two teammates. "Chuunin exams aren't entirely for promotions; half of its existence is just because of politics."
"Our encounter with Orochimaru would be confidential." Sakura added. "So it's no good if we look all beaten up when we were presumably fighting against Genin. That's just humiliating, cha!"
Sasuke nodded slowly, flexing his fingers. "Hn. How much time are we given?"
"We have time." Naruto answered, eyes sharp as they honed into the mark on his neck. "That seal-"
"It's fine." He cut off. "It's not that bad. I can still continue."
"Okaaay," He said without bothering to hide his doubt. "Well, I've healed all our wounds in the time you were unconscious."
"Even your own?" He asked abruptly, clearly remembering that fatal stab-
Naruto turned away and those oddly confronting blue eyes left him as well. "Yeah. I'm pretty good at what I do."
Sasuke arched a brow, but Naruto ignored his suspicious expression as he went back to wrestling his spiky hair into a hair tie.
"This exam is... a replacement for war among the allied countries."
Naruto caught a surprised glance from both of his teammates and felt a strange feeling of accomplishment along with the annoyance despite himself. There was always something satisfying about being right.
But the Chuunin exams really shouldn't serve that purpose: it could add to tensions if some precious heir had been killed off. The contract was there, of course, but they're flimsier than peace treaties. More importantly- if a country wanted to break the treaty and start a war, the Chuunin exams were a gaping hole in their defences, waiting to be taken advantage of.
He zoned out for the rest of the old man's speech, but pretended to be concentrating. He could sense the Hokage's eyes observing him after all. What was he even doing here? Maybe he was just a clone... but then again he would always wander about the city. It made Naruto wonder whether or not the Hokage actually had lots of paperwork like Tsunade had warned.
...He wondered what Tsunade was doing at this time... Was she going to be permitted to watch his final round?
"Preliminary?" Sakura echoed confusedly next to him. Naruto blinked and noticed the sick looking guy in front of them. He was quite strong despite his appearance.
"Preliminary?" Shikamaru repeated behind him. "Seriously? What's that meant to mean?"
"Yeah, why aren't all the people here allowed to participate in the next phase?"
"Because the first and second test may've been too easy this year. We have a bit too many people remaining."
More like the Genin this year were above average. All the rookies were heirs or someone of importance. Sakura... Well, she proved herself to be just as exceptional, Naruto supposed... Those Sand siblings were definitely above Chuunin level, and Kabuto... he was plain suspicious.
"Um... I'm gonna quit." Kabuto raised his hand with a meek smile.
Naruto wrinkled his nose at the man. Plain suspicious.
Whatever. Naruto could probably beat all of these 'Genin' anyway. He was Tsunade's student. She raised a victor.
"The two participants in the first fight are Inuzuka Kiba and Uzumaki Naruto. Are you ready?"
First up, huh?
Naruto glanced at Kiba. He looked pretty puffed- probably didn't get that much rest. Naruto tipped his head up and grinned. Kiba lowered his head and smirked.
""Yeah.""
Kiba leapt backwards as soon as the sickly looking dude jumped away. The Inuzuka eyed him suspiciously, clearly knowing that he was stronger than he was in the Academy, but left in the dark as to how much he'd improved.
Naruto glanced at the Hokage, then the rest of the Genin and their Jonin Senseis. He needed to display himself nicely- in a way that exceeded expectations, yet prompted intrigue to the true extent of his abilities. He had to show a difference in nature, yet still be charismatic enough to not cause more disgust or annoyance.
The Chuunin exams, after all, were more than just an exam for him. It dictated whether or not he could stay with Tsunade.
Naruto cracked his neck and flushed chakra through his body. A quick take down was best for now. Using basic Taijutsu would give away nothing. The main show had to start in the final phase after all.
As the proctor counted down, he pressed back onto his back leg and let chakra collect there.
"-Begin!"
The word was cut off by a loud, resonant BOOM as Naruto shot forward, tiles caving underfoot. But Kiba- he realised, had been doing the very same, except to retreat backwards. Still too slow. The Inuzuka was moving backwards with Akamaru and he'd crouched down to... assumedly place a tag on the floor.
Too bad Naruto could disable anything a Genin could get their hands on.
In that moment, he caught up to Kiba, spying on the tag- explosive. He knew it.
A normal Genin wouldn't put themselves in such a danger: that was akin to a suicidal move, but Naruto and Kiba used to have the same level of obnoxious recklessness, and that moron would definitely not play safe when the two both knew what a question mark Naruto's strength currently was.
Too bad, too bad. He almost cackled.
Naruto could easily bulldoze through that lousy seal- walk right into it, let it blow up in his face, and simply dust his shoulders, completely uninjured. If he was lucky, maybe Kiba'd knock himself out.
But unfortunately for Naruto, that was too Naruto. 'The old Naruto', at least. His eyes tracked back to where the Hokage was sitting and he pursed his lips. It would sure make him look raggedy and unskilful. But he also didn't want to reveal the level of control he actually had and use chakra strings to disable them so quickly.
At this point in time, despite Naruto's complete distaste for making his brain heat up, only a fraction of a second had passed as he instinctively realised all these things.
He summoned a stronger Kage Bunshin, letting it materialise near the ceiling and switched with it, using chakra to stick to the roof. While the clone smashed into the seal, subtly avoiding the brunt of the damage with its chakra, Kiba- credits to him- didn't even wait before retreating again, taking out something that looked like a Soldier Pill.
Then that was when the credits ended; Kiba spoke, smirking in triumph, "It looks like some things never change, huh, Naruto?" He tossed the pill in his hand, letting it fly high in an arc before catching it.
Naruto, crouching on the roof, felt his face scrunching up in annoyance. His clone was 'struggling' to his feet with a frustrated expression on his face. 100 points for acting, he must say.
He didn't know Genjutsu to mask his scent, but the smoke from the explosion did it well enough; Kiba sure didn't think this through. Even though every human had a distinct scent, the previous phase's environment led everyone to smell nearly the same- if they smelt at all- scentless soap and all that shinobi stuff... The smoke on top of that...
Then again, the single moment of confusion was fine enough; Naruto didn't need any tactics to defeat this Genin. Perhaps Kiba was just unlucky to have him.
He still felt Shikamaru and Ino's eyes on him instantly, along with Sakura's and Sasuke's. Naruto sweatdropped: his teammates got to know him well enough, but two-thirds of Team 10? Really? Geniuses, he silently huffed.
He couldn't tell what Shino was looking at... Chouji was busy eating. Naruto could guess that a large portion of the Genin (who actually cared about the match) gradually figured it out; they were certainly already above the average Genin- this generation.
"-You still wanna become Hokage? Well, if you do, then you've got no chance. You're too reckless." He tutted in a mock-patronising way. Then his smirk sharpened as he tossed the pill one more time, tilting his head up so his mouth could catch it. "And I'm gonna become Hokage."
Then Kiba waited... and waited... for the pill to drop into his mouth. Akamaru finally stopped sniffing aggressively and barked loudly, once. Kiba opened his eyes and glanced around.
The 'struggling' Kage Bunshin had doubled, then quadrupled, then had surrounded him.
"Never mind..." Kiba sighed as he finally noticed the real Naruto standing right behind him. "That's kinda embarrassing..."
"Yeah, not gonna lie." Naruto glanced at the pill, pinched between his index and thumb as he held it up to the light. "These things expensive? Cuz I dunno whether I should taste-test it, destroy it, or keep it so you can have it back afterwards."
"Uh."
Then he and his clones collectively made a fist. "How many me's do you want to fight?" Naruto asked blandly. "Five-on-two is a little unfair. Karma, I guess. Having a Nin-Dog should be illegal in tournaments."
Kiba looked left, right, up, then down for an escape route. The Naruto's began to tap their feet irritably. "So?"
The Inuzuka squinted and glanced down at a whining Akamaru. "Fuck me. What are the chances that you've gone easy?"
Kiba blinked and the clones were all gone. 'Oh sweet mercy,' Passed unbidden through the boy's mind as he blinked again in surprise, snapping around when he felt a finger tap his shoulder.
His face met a fist.
"Winner: Uzumaki Naruto!"
-A day later-
"Too fucking late with this talk." Tsunade hissed through a humourless grin. They really made her sit and wait while her kid was doing the phases and the stupid prelims. Then again, it was a matter of 'late' or 'more late'.
"I'm willing to become Nuke-Nin if you won't give me Naruto." It sickened her, to talk about Naruto as if he was a thing to be passed around and negotiated over. But these old bags probably would think her too soft and emotional if she brought it up.
"This isn't up for debate, Tsunade." Homura snapped. "I see you don't understand the circumstance you'r-"
"Blah blah blah, do you ever shut up with these empty threats, you senile thing?" Tsunade's eyebrows slammed down in anger. "You've dragged me into this shithole, so at least let me do what I want-"
"Tsunade," Sarutobi sighed. "It's more than just what you want. Stop being a child-"
Tsunade wanted to laugh in his face. All their faces. They patronise her and threaten her and belittle her as if she wasn't strong enough to take all of them on at once and win.
"Three years." Tsunade cut in, raising three fingers. They could squabble and argue, but this was the final deal she was proposing. "Once Naruto hits fifteen, I will bring him back as a full-fledged frontline Med-Nin." That meant completing the Byakugo and high level Iryo Ninjutsu. Three years was plenty of time for Naruto to become stronger than her- than the Hokage.
But they didn't know that.
"Ridiculous." Koharu instantly scoffed. "A Jinchuuriki? And an Uzumaki at that? Unbelievable."
Tsunade stayed silent, brewing with aggravation.
"Koharu is right, Tsunade." Sarutobi added, only furthering her anger. "You haven't gotten to know Naruto yet- he is immature and he can't focus. His control is abysmal and he lacks discipline. Not only is he unsuitable for apprenticeship, he is also completely unable to become a Med Nin."
As if Sarutobi knew Naruto himself.
At those last words, she felt her simmering rage ease at once. An overwhelming sense of condescension- filthy superiority- washed over her. 'Ah right,' She thought with a sneer that was perhaps immature or overly mean of her. 'These fools know nothing about us.'
She only really felt that visceral anger if she truly cared about their opinions after all. But she didn't. They didn't have any right to be talking the way they do.
Tsunade didn't bother to argue, "Fine then."
Sarutobi untensed and started to smile- "That's right, Tsu-"
"But I won't give up. Put in a wager." At the derisive silence, she scoffed, "Humour me."
Sitting Duck. Legendary Sucker.
Naruto had turned all the tables for her. And this time was no exception.
"I'll say you have that training trip to turn him into a Jonin level Med Nin." Homura almost laughed. Koharu smirked- she would say it was harsh but she honestly didn't care (that boy was barely even Genin level).
Tsunade stamped down on her flare of satisfaction and triumph. She'd won already. He was arguably at that level already. Those three years would just be touching up on his experience and maturity, and smoothing out all the corners that they cut in haste.
"Ok," Tsunade agreed amiably, "If he doesn't reach at least that level, I'll devote and surrender my entire life to Konoha's services. What do you say?"
They all halted in stunned silence. The Sannin could read the thought that crossed their minds- 'She was willing to go that far for a mere child?' That's right, she was.
Homura chuckled and the sound made her lip curl in disgust, "Fine then- swear it on your blood."
Sarutobi cast him a small, disappointed look before glancing at Tsunade then startling as he saw the expression on her face.
She snarled a nasty grin. "Easy."
Tsunade held up a fist, tightening it until her chakra enhanced nails drew blood- droplets that turned to rivulets, blood that spilled over her hand and dripped onto the floor. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the crimson.
"I'm fine, Shizune. This is my road to healing."
She hears Dan's ghostly voice- his last words, and the pitter of rain. Tsunade was long used to it though and she was quick to pull herself out of the memory.
"I swear on my blood as a Senju and as an Uzumaki that I will not break my vow." Her voice did not shake, nor waver. Tsunade's chakra, brilliant and powerful, shone around her, shifting the papers and blowing at her hair. "Bind my soul and bind my Will: if Uzumaki Naruto fails to reach the mentioned criteria, my life and my chakra will serve Konohagakure to my dying breath."
Sarutobi, then the other two, quickly recognised the oath: it was a forbidden art. Nowadays, it was chanted as a promise, but not actively used like how it was in the times of early wars. The two advisors looked a lot more serious and their expressions hardened into grim satisfaction. Sarutobi narrowed his eyes, complexion paling the slightest bit.
"This is my oath and this is my blood." Her fist extended forward before it opened to reveal a bloodied palm. "Join hands for this contract, and threat of deceit or betrayal will be none."
"You're... You're serious, Tsunade." Sarutobi stuttered, eyes drawn to the dripping red as Homura sliced open his palm with a chakra enhanced finger, chakra flaring as well.
It looks like that old geezer hadn't forgotten the practice. Even though it died with the Uzumaki Clan, she would've been disappointed if he did forget. There was something memorable and terrifying about this Jutsu after all.
"Uzumaki Forbidden Sealing: Blood Oath Contract." Tsunade smirked as she gripped Homura's hand tightly, his bones creaking under the pressure. Dark red runes crawled over both hands, forming a barbed-wire appearing pattern around each wrist. He was the first to wince and draw away.
"That's all, correct?"
"H-ha-hah..." He laughed shortly, flexing his hand and shooting her a nasty look. "As you wish, Tsunade-hime."
"Exactly," She bared her teeth like the unruly, savage child they saw her as. "Just as I wish."
As soon as she was far enough, a wave of light-headedness and nausea overwhelmed her. She wearily sat down at a random food stall place and sighed. It was harder without Shizune's frantic yet encouraging presence nearby.
(But at this, she decided it was her win.)
-JIraiya-
He was here... for research.
Secretly, he was here for Orochimaru.
But personally? He was here to get give Tsunade a piece of his mind.
"Fuck no." Naruto wrinkled his nose and gave him an up-down that was distinctly Tsunade.
And to see this disrespectful twerp.
"What's with all those conditions and whatnot? You make it sound like I'm meant to be desperate to be with you- that I'm begging for your amazing tutelage." He looked dispassionately down at Jiraiya. (Well, 'up', but boy, did Jiraiya feel small under his judgemental stare.)
"I'll say it for the last time, Jiraiya of the Sannin. Get out of my face. Please." He added, but looking anything but polite.
"Oi! What's with that response?!" He summoned some false bravado, hoping that his superficial flare of annoyance would cover the cold edges of fear inside of him. "You know who I- the esteemed Jiraiya- am, yet dare to speak so disrespectfully?! Are you sure you know who, exactly, you're speaking to?!"
Perhaps, those were the wrong words to say. Perhaps, he'd been giving the boy the perfect chance to respond this way.
Nah, before those words... Long before those words, Jiraiya had probably screwed up.
"Oh." Naruto smiled but it looked far from friendly. "Don't worry. I know exactly who you are."
"You told him?" Jiraiya seethed, grabbing Tsunade roughly by the collar. "You told him?! "
For once, Tsunade didn't react heatedly, violently. Her eyes were half-lidded, bored and collected. "Jiraiya, get your hands off of me." Voice- cold and calm.
From shock, he obeyed, letting go with a numb shake of his head.
Tsunade's lip curled. "You're still such a touchy touchy guy. And I don't just mean physically."
"Shut your mouth, Tsunade. Don't talk to me like we're so friendly." Jiraiya hissed, anger boiling under his skin, meaning for those words to cut, and cut deep.
But Tsunade's rage- oh, her rage- was far more intense, far more personal.
She had been with Naruto for a year and during that time, she had learnt so much about him. So much about how lonely he'd been. And she'd mended that- or tried to, slowly helped him piece himself back together. And this cowardly man that could've prevented all that pain... wanted to talk like this?!
Naruto was precious, soft, meek, quiet and unbearably fragile. Naruto was daring, bold, brave, persistent and unbearably strong.
Naruto was not hers. But Naruto would always find home in Tsunade, so in the face of these so-called 'guardians' whether it be the Hokage or her previous teammate, she would always, always defend him and call him one of her people just as how Naruto would do the same for her.
Who was Jiraiya to butt in? How dare he? And to think he was mad because she told Naruto what he deserved to know?!
Tsunade's rage wasn't like Jiraiya's. It was visceral. It was maternal. It was fiercely protective. It was dark and icy cold.
"Why did you tell Naruto-"
"Don't call him 'Naruto' like you two are so friendly." Tsunade bit back, eyes unwavering- eyes hostile.
It snapped something within the man-
"I NAMED HIM!" Jiraiya all but screamed, voice splitting down the middle in pent up frustration. "I'm his Godfather and-" His voice faltered.
Tsunade didn't even blink. "And you didn't even pay him a visit." She finished.
Her tone wasn't acidic or loud- not spitting like how she used to argue with Jiraiya. It was a monotonous drone. It was a stated fact. This unfamiliar exchange felt like a bucket of ice water over his head.
"Have you spoken to him before today? Do you know his pet peeves? Favourite colour? Deepest fears? Any of his fears? Do you know what he likes and dislikes? Do you know the why's behind each and every part of his being? Do you know how he had become the person he is today?"
At the onslaught of questions, Jiraiya blinked and frowned, trying to keep up. Tsunade didn't stop. There was so much, after all: so much that Tsunade knew that Jiraiya should've known; so much that set the two Sannin apart when it came down to this boy. Naruto.
"Do you know when he found out about his Jinchuuriki status? When he decided to stop crying? How he feels about this Village? Or better yet, which stall accepts him without discrimination?" Tsunade's eyes were still on his and Jiraiya had never felt more uncomfortable. "Because if you were there, you would've known that none of the shopkeepers gave him good food. None of them wanted to."
She exhaled slowly.
"What, or who, would he hold dearest? And what or who would he hate?" Tsunade's eyes lowered. "...As his godfather, do you think you're closer to the former or the latter?"
"Tsunade..."
"Jiraiya," She shook her head with a bitter chuckle. "Do you know who 'Naruto' is?"
Tsunade waited for a second because a part of her hopes that Jiraiya had visited, even if it was from afar. She hoped that her foolish, loveable childhood Teammate had silently given Naruto some supplies. Perhaps some vegetables, some stationary, a soft toy...
She hoped to still hold affection for him.
But asides from that gleaming hope, the rest of her was heavy and bitter. She would not forgive Jiraiya. Not until Naruto does, and perhaps, not even then.
Tsunade waited for a second and saw nothing but dull regret in Jiraiya's eyes. The slivers of indignation are gone. And then she realised that if he started all over again, Jiraiya would do the same thing.
She scoffed. Louder this time, shoving away the dazed man. She didn't feel pity. Perhaps that was mean, or perhaps it just meant that she loved Naruto more than she cared for her childhood friend's feelings.
If Tsunade had a chance to start over again, she'd barge into Konoha, heedless of the stench of blood, on the Kyuubi night and fight. Fight until Minato and Kushina would live. She'd fight until her long life finally ends because above anything else, she just wished for Naruto to have a family that loved him.
She felt like an ill replacement. Faulty. She was guilt-ridden despite many reassurances. It was something that would never go away. Did Jiraiya feel the same? But did Tsunade give an inch for his perspective?
But because she didn't fight for Minato and Kushina, she became the family for them. She loved Naruto for them.
She was also angry at Jiraiya for them.
"Watch." She simply said in lieu of all the curses and insults she wanted to hurl: he didn't even deserve that yet- didn't deserve a yelling match where he could let out his feelings and regrets.
"Watch and see who he is. Not for Minato and Kushina's son. Not for whatever bullshit prophecy you care about. Watch along with the rest of the Village because you don't have any special privilege."
Tsunade stepped away and her lips curled into a smile, halfway between fake and genuine. Lukewarm.
"Watch, as we introduce Uzumaki Naruto to the world."