Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Underneath The Leaves	By : ChaCha92 Category: Naruto AU/AR > Het - Male/Female Views: 4798 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Don't own anything in the Naruto universe. Some dude in Japan does. Make no money on my stories either.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
Intermittent spotlights of subdued yellow descend from the lampposts along the darkened streets as Kakashi and Naruto casually stroll together. A contemplative silence envelops them since parting ways with Sakura after dinner. With a promise to speak with them again in a week, Sakura declined their offer to walk her home, leaving the other two alone with their thoughts as their quiet footfalls fade into the crisp March air.
Eventually Kakashi breaks the silence.
"Why were you hesitant with Sakura earlier?"
Startled by the abrupt question Naruto glances over at him before sighing heavily.
"For the longest time I thought she was mad I hadn’t kept my promise to bring Sasuke back." At his arched brow she shrugs. "It was the only explanation I had. She changed so suddenly after Sasuke left. Thought I was imagining it at first. Y'know, a sort of self-flagellation, blaming myself for failing."
"Hmmm, flagellation," Kakashi thoughtfully muses. "That's an awfully big word for you. And you pronounced it right too," he teases.
Throwing a heated glare at him, Naruto snaps, "It's easier to use big words when you're used to reading them! 'Flagellation' is not something you'd find in an Icha Icha, like 'sodomy' and 'sadomasochism.'"
"Interesting you know what sodomy and sadomasochism are," Kakashi drawls. Leaning in closer he whispers, "Is there something I should know about you, Naruto-chan? Hmmm? Like maybe you have a side interest in things like whips, gags and leather corsets?"
Naruto's face flushes bright red. Her expression shifts from shock to a fierce scowl as she growls while attempting to slug him hard in his upper arm. Sidestepping the blow easily Kakashi chuckles, adding to her irritation.
"Anyways," she bites out, attempting to ignore a still tittering Kakashi. "I didn't have much time to dwell on it ‘cause that’s when I took off with Ero-sennin for a couple of years. That theory didn't hold up when I got back, though, because she only got worse after every failed attempt. I took her distance with you as a sort of extension of her anger with me and her leaving the team pretty much confirmed that."
Staring ahead thoughtfully for a few moments, he eventually nods in agreement.
"I noticed the distance, but thought she was depressed or upset with the way things were going,” he muses. “I tried talking to her while you were gone, but she claimed everything was fine and didn't have time to chat because she was in the middle of her medical training. I tried again after she filed the request, but she only said she had her reasons and asked me not to bother her about it anymore."
"I'm not surprised," Naruto sighs, closing her eyes briefly and shaking her head. "Sakura has been so remote the last couple of years, sometimes it seemed like she deliberately ignored me whenever I said 'hi.' Even when all the Rookies gathered together for our monthly dinner, Sakura always skipped them if she learned I was going until she eventually stopped going at all. The few times she did go it was ‘cause she thought I wouldn't be there and it was really awkward. It was really surprising when she ran up and hugged me today after all this time."
"You thought she'd lay you flat out on your back with a punch," Kakashi teases.
"Pretty much," she chuckles before sobering again. "Now I get why. It just never occurred to me she thought she was holding the team back. I thought she got over that when she trained under Baa-chan."
"Obviously not," he states. Scrutinizing her out of the corner of his eye he adds, "You did a great job convincing Sasuke to surrender."
Her startled gaze snaps to him before looking away as a slight blush races blazes her cheeks.
"Thanks. Nice to know at least one person is okay with Sasuke being back."
"Why?" he asks, angling his head slightly in curiosity.
"None of the Rookies will be happy about it.” Pausing she corrects herself. “Well, most of the guys who went after the teme with me. Not that I can blame them," she shrugs, looking up at the starry sky. "I can almost hear it now. Kiba will demand to know why I didn't shove a Rasengan up Sasuke's ass 'til both heads popped. Neji will say it would've been fate for the Uchiha to die at my hands. Choji will probably just stop eating long enough to glare at me and Shikamaru will go on about how troublesome it was to bring him back, blah, blah, blah."
"It was an ANBU mission,” Kakashi points out nonplussed. “They shouldn't even know you were the one to apprehend him."
"Normally that's true, but you're forgetting Ino's my teammate,” she counters with a smirk. “She knows not to reveal mission details, but this is too big to keep from the others. And she'll only tell them because she knows they'll keep their mouths shut." Shaking her head ruefully she adds, "Baa-chan forgot and didn't pull her aside to order her to stay quiet, so by now they'll know. Chances are Ino will be my partner on border patrol for the next two months before the week is out."
Kakashi doesn't answer and shakes his head in amusement as they enter the district Naruto lives in. Both immediately notice a significant jump in activity. The strong smell of smoke and a filmy haze permeates the air, prompting both to share a look. Something bad must've happened. Curious as to what's going on they quicken their pace.
A crowd gathers in the street near Naruto's building, making it difficult for the two to get closer. The ANBU moving through the trees prevent them from using that as a way around the predominantly civilian crowd. Managing to work their way to the front to speak with one of the shinobi on crowd control a shout captures their attention.
"Naruto!"
Turning to their right they see Ino rushing over, relief evident on her face as she grabs Naruto in a fierce hug
“You’re all right!” the blonde gushes with some coherency.
"Um, yeah, Ino. Why wouldn't I be?" Naruto asks in confusion, attempting to loosen the blonde's vice grip enough to return circulation to her extremities.
Releasing her, Ino steps back, studying both Naruto and Kakashi's baffled expressions.
"You haven't heard," she astutely observes.
"We just got done having dinner with Sakura. What's going on?" Naruto prods.
Ino gapes in shock.
"You and Sakura are talking to each other?" she asks in disbelief.
"Ino…" Naruto glowers in irritation.
"Alright, tell me about it later,” she waves off before diving into her explanation. “Anyway, there was a minor explosion and your apartment caught fire. It's completely gutted. The fire severely damaged the empty unit next to yours, plus the occupied one behind you. The unit below mostly got water damage. And before you ask, no one got hurt." Ino gives Naruto a chance to sigh in relief before continuing. "No one knew for certain if you were home or not because some neighbors remembered seeing you earlier. The fire was so bad no one could go in to check if you were inside trapped or something. Tsunade-sama already has ANBU investigating, but they only just got the fire out a little while ago."
Stunned, Naruto processes Ino's words before her gaze slowly drifts up her building. Artificial lights illuminate the charred hollow that remains of her home.
"What the hell?" she mutters in disbelief.
Ino and Kakashi watch as a distressed expression creeps across her face while struggling to absorb the news. Ino moves in to hug her tight while Kakashi rests a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Gaki!"
Pulling back from Ino's hug, Naruto looks over to see Tsunade and Iruka fast approaching. Proving quicker, Iruka snatches her into a fierce hug.
"I'm so glad you're okay," Iruka whispers into her ear.
"I'm fine," she whispers back reassuringly, returning his hug just as fiercely.
"I'm sorry, gaki," Tsunade sincerely apologizes, taking her turn to hug Naruto when Iruka releases her. "They couldn't save your apartment. Everything was completely destroyed. It was arson."
"Arson?" she repeats in surprise as Tsunade releases her.
Iruka snakes his arm around Naruto's shoulder in reassurance while Kakashi and Ino remain close, keeping a close eye on their surroundings.
"I haven't been home much today, so I know I didn't leave anything on,” Naruto reasons out loud. “Are you sure it wasn't electrical or something?” she asks narrowing her eyes. “The building is old, baa-chan."
Tsunade shakes her head.
"What the hell?" Naruto mutters again in shock. "No one's given me trouble like this for years. Who'd want to torch my place now?"
"The investigation just started," Tsunade soothes. "ANBU discovered a motion triggered explosive tag and identified it as the cause of the fire. It wasn't powerful enough to destroy the whole building, just your unit while damaging several surrounding units. The working theory we have so far is you might've left a window open and a strong breeze knocked over one of your plants, triggering the tag."
Naruto shakes her head sadly in denial.
"I never leave my windows open. After changing before reporting to you, I walked out the door. It must've been the stray cat I took in last week I was trying to find a home for."
"Well, that explains why ANBU found what was left of some sort of animal," Tsunade muses. "We didn't know how it got trapped inside because I knew you didn't have pets. At first we thought it might've been a disgruntled villager since word's already getting around about Sasuke's return," the older blonde growls, scowling at Ino who cowers away in response. "Anyway, it’s been determined the trap was set by a shinobi, supported by the fact your unit was the only one targeted and completely destroyed. Also, your neighbors hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary, lending more weight to this theory."
"Yeah,” Naruto agrees. “They've been great about keeping an eye out for me for years. They would've noticed someone lurking around if they weren't a shinobi."
Eyeing the tired redhead, Tsunade sighs wearily.
"Since it'll take awhile for you to get reestablished and we don't know who's responsible, it's a good idea if you stay with someone for a while."
"Naruto can stay with me and we can go shopping for her new wardrobe first thing in the morning," Ino happily offers before anyone can respond.
Naruto cringes in dismay.
"Ino, shopping aside, which you know I hate, I can't stay with you. Your place is too small. We’d be ready to kill each other inside a week. And you know how overprotective your dad is. He's got every reason to be worried, especially once he hears about the fire. You'd be a target too." She cuts Ino off when she starts to protest. "You can’t deny it. It's happened before, so you know that's a real possibility."
"You can stay with me."
Everyone turns to gape at Kakashi, who shrugs.
"I've got a spare bedroom. Plus, there are several chuunin and jounin living in my building. Even if it’s a skilled shinobi targeting Naruto, it’s more well-trained eyes and ears in the vicinity that’ll spot something suspicious and be ready at moment’s notice to help.” Meeting Naruto’s gaze, he adds, “It'll be safer than anywhere else we can come up with."
"Kakashi…" Naruto starts to protest, but Tsunade cuts her off.
"It's a great idea. Can she move in tonight?"
"Right now, in fact."
Iruka glances at Naruto's face, noting the reluctance in her eyes.
"I was going to insist you stay with me," he says reassuringly, giving her shoulders a squeeze. "But Kakashi's place would be safer with all the shinobi living in the building."
Looking around, Naruto realizes she's outvoted with no say in the matter. Sighing heavily, she grudgingly nods.
"Alright, I'll move in with Kakashi."
Standing in the doorway a half hour later, Naruto's eyes narrows dangerously as she observes her new room, wondering why she agreed to this.
Calling the room a 'spare bedroom' is a misnomer. It can be more accurately described as Kakashi's library/dumping ground. The bookshelves lining one wall contain scrolls and books of varying topics, mostly on jutsu and chakra theory. Naturally his prized Icha Icha collection takes up the most shelf space.
Boxes stacked waist high with camping equipment, several old rugs (which she chooses not to question), blankets and other household items congest the floor. She isn't really surprised by the mess, but is annoyed he'd offer a room with barely enough space to stand in, much less to sleep in.
With much grumbling and cursing, she starts shifting things around. It’s already been a long and extremely tiring day and she can feel her body starting to give out. She pushes on, wanting to clear some space before taking a shower and crashing into bed.
After several minutes she gets fed up. She’ll deal with the shit after her shower. Worst-case scenario is she’ll have to sleep sitting up in the small space she’s cleared so far.
Emerging from her shower a half hour later she towels off her hair, feeling a hell of a lot better. She sports a pair of Kakashi's sweatpants and an old t-shirt she pilfered from his closet before disappearing into the bathroom. Still annoyed over the bedroom, she uses his stuff to clean up with, not bothering to ask permission ahead of time. Not like she had the chance to pack an overnight bag before her place got blasted to bits.
Crossing the hallway into the bedroom, she stands in the doorway in shock. A large space on the floor is cleared and swept clean. A sleeping roll, extra blankets and a pillow are already set up for her use.
"I'll clean the rest of it tomorrow."
She turns to see Kakashi standing behind her.
"Most of it was ready to be given away; I just hadn't done it yet."
Smiling softly, Naruto merely nods, too tired for a snappy retort. She's surprised when he pulls her into a hug.
"We'll find who did this," he promises.
"Thanks for everything," she replies quietly, returning the hug.
A few minutes later she's settled under the covers, deep in sleep.
While Sasuke spends the next several days recovering from his injuries while being interviewed by Ibiki, Naruto and Kakashi officially start their investigation of the Uchiha massacre. Neither has a clue where to start. So they go with the obvious of reviewing the original incident reports, both classified and unclassified, provided to them by Tsunade the day after Sasuke’s surrender.
Kakashi was a seasoned ANBU at the time of the massacre, but was in the Assassination and Infiltration division and wouldn't have been involved in the original investigation. So, like Naruto, he’s approaching the documents with fresh eyes. They carefully read through each file, jotting down whatever questions come to mind before discussing them in depth for new ideas and theories.
Naruto honestly thought training with the Hokage was just a smoke screen, but quickly discovers Tsunade is completely serious. So, in addition to her punishment detail and digging through dusty old files, she spends a lot of time shadowing Tsunade throughout the day, as well as working in other areas of the tower.
About a week after Sasuke’s return, Naruto joins the rest of the Konoha 11, or K-11 as Kiba insists is way cooler, for their monthly dinner to keep up with each other. It’s earlier than it was originally scheduled for April.
Naturally Naruto’s apartment blowing up and Sasuke are the main topics of the night. Since Tsunade hasn't officially announced the details of his return, most of the K-11, plus Gai’s team, don't bring their significant others like they usually do. This time dinner is restricted to the core group.
As Naruto predicted to Kakashi, Ino has already given everyone a play-by-play account of the part of the battle she witnessed. She is also correct that Tsunade punished the Yamanaka for blabbing about Sasuke's arrest.
Tsunade found out when she belatedly called Ino in before Naruto's apartment fire to order her silence. An extremely unhappy Hokage was in the middle of berating the younger blonde when they got word of the fire. As Naruto also predicted, Ino is Naruto's partner on border patrol. However, she also got guard detail during the budget meetings. Naruto got some sadistic satisfaction knowing that she, at least, got busted for something better than gossiping.
Keeping an eye out for eavesdroppers the guys in particular prove Naruto right; they aren't happy with the news of Sasuke’s return. She endures several minutes of angry, overlapping tirades and insults against Sasuke before slamming her hand down on the table, hard. Cringing as she rubs her hand, she’s glad it works, but wonders how in the hell Baa-chan does that without pain.
"Alright, I get it. I should've shredded Sasuke with a Rasengan instead of hauling his sorry ass in alive. He's nothing but a selfish asshole who's caused nothing but trouble. I hear you guys. Now will you listen to me?"
Looking each one of her friends in the eye confirms she has their undivided attention.
"Thanks," she smiles, before taking a deep breath. "Don't think I've forgiven the teme. I haven't. He's done too much shit to ignore and wave off as being a naughty boy. But remember what Shikamaru said when we chased after his ass the first time? He's a Konoha shinobi and still a comrade. That's why I'm giving him a chance to earn my trust again. I know you guys probably can't do that. That’s okay ‘cause it's something between each of you and the teme. This is my deal."
Naruto pauses to sigh, giving each a chance to think about her words.
"I've gotta admit I hoped to start bringing the teme around to our dinners, but if you have a problem with it, I won't. I'll respect your wishes and not force him on you guys. But don't be surprised if you see me dragging his ass out to make him more sociable. He's not going to pull that whole 'I'm too cool for human contact 'cause I'm the anti-social avenger' crap," she mocks with her hands on her hips before resuming her normal voice. "He needs to get over himself and become a team player, even if it kills him. I'm just letting you guys know what's going on."
Leaning back in her seat, Naruto takes a sip of her tea, giving everyone a chance to think.
"You know Lee and I are in on the Great Teme Reformation," Ino quips as their teammate nods, flashing a toothy grin and thumbs up.
"Is that what we're calling it?" Naruto laughs as Ino nods.
"We hardly interacted when we were in the academy, but I'll do what I can to help," Hinata commits with a soft smile.
Choji gapes at his longtime girlfriend in surprise before nodding.
"Guess I'm in too."
Slowly the rest commit themselves to helping and allowing her to bring Sasuke to their dinners, should Tsunade allow him to rejoin the village.
"I just want to make one thing clear, Naruto," Kiba states seriously, causing everyone to quiet down again. "I'm not going easy on the jerk. I'm not going to pretend to be friendly and welcoming. I can't. He's got to show me he's serious about rejoining the village and acting like a comrade, not the godlike Uchiha he believed himself to be. He is not my superior," he growls fiercely.
"I don't expect you guys to be nice and welcoming,” Naruto agrees, boring into his eyes. “I want you to be honest. I don't want to sugarcoat anything with him. He knew exactly what he was doing and we have every right to tell him how pissed off we are. I know none of us fawned over him, raising him up on a pedestal like a lot of villagers. Well, except Ino," Naruto teases, causing everyone to laugh at the blonde's glare. "We treated him like everyone else and deserved better. He needs to know how badly he fucked up and face us."
Kiba considers it before nodding in acceptance.
“Okay, that’s good enough for me.”
Naruto smiles in gratitude. Even if their support is given grudgingly it’s still welcomed.
Moving on from Sasuke they spend the rest of the night speculating and laughing over wild, implausible theories as to who’d want to kill her and what is a more fitting way to off the reigning prankster of Konoha than trying to blow her to bits.
As the days pass into weeks, Naruto gets used to her new routine. However, it takes much more effort to get comfortable living with Kakashi.
As promised, he cleaned out the room for her the next day, but she feels odd living with someone after living alone for most of her life. She recognizes he’s adjusting too since she can't remember hearing about him ever having a roommate before.
Although they saw each other frequently over the years, even regularly going on missions together, it’s odd seeing him every day. She knows he values his privacy, so she tries her hardest not to encroach on it too much and is extra diligent in not looking whenever his mask is down. She's still curious, but has come to the conclusion that if he wants her to see his face he'd show her. Kakashi certainly appreciates her efforts and it makes things more relaxed between them.
About two weeks after Naruto moves in, Kakashi's stunned to learn she's dating Genma while they prepare dinner one evening.
He blinks several times before asking, "You've been together about three months?"
Naruto nods.
"Must be losing my touch. I'm not that antisocial," he mutters irritably.
Naruto laughs as she washes the vegetables.
"Don't worry about it. We haven't been together long and haven't exactly been advertising it."
Noticing something in her tone, Kakashi pauses in preparing the beef to study her for a few moments.
"You don't have that new relationship giddiness," he observes, earning a glare. "It's almost like you're expecting it to be short term. Did you find out the reason Genma wears his hitai-ate like a bandanna is because he's really bald and hates combing his hair?"
Unable to resist, Naruto busts out laughing again.
"You're so full of shit! He's not bald! And he does comb his hair; he just likes the length and doesn't want to grow it longer to tie into a ponytail. It gets in his way if he doesn't wear his headband like that."
"Then why the hesitation? Is it because of your age difference?"
Naruto remains quiet as she finishes chopping the vegetables and hands them over for the stir-fry he’s making.
"Genma isn't interested in a relationship," she finally states while setting the table.
Feeling his eyes, she glances up before shrugging and turning her attention back to the table.
"We hardly go out and when we do it's usually to meet with his friends Raido, Aoba, Kotetsu and Izumo for pool. I don't mind because they're a lot of fun to hang out with, but we never do anything else. I'm not much into going out, but some variety would be nice instead of eating dinner at a bar and shooting pool all the time."
"Have you tried telling him? Seems like an easy enough issue to resolve if you tell him," Kakashi points out as he tosses the vegetables into the wok with the beef.
"I've tried, but then I'm just being a nag trying to keep him from seeing his friends." Feeling his stare, she looks up and shrugs at his quirked brow. "That's what he says. So I don't bring it up much anymore."
The silence stretches out before she continues.
"The guys go out of their way to include me, but I hate it when they start talking shop because that always ends with them trading war stories. At least between Aoba, Raido and Genma. Whenever I try contributing to the conversation, Genma just tells me to make myself useful and get them another round of drinks 'cause I don't know what I'm talking about."
Kakashi can feel the bitterness in her words more than hear it. Turning off the flame, he dishes out the food onto the plates next to the rice while Naruto readies the tea.
"What about Izumo and Kotetsu? They never served in the war. What are they doing when the others start trading stories?"
"Mostly they listen, but you know those two aren't the type to sit on the sidelines. They'll make comments and ask questions. What pisses me off is he doesn't do that to them."
Naruto takes a deep breath and pours out the tea into their cups while Kakashi brings the plates over to the table and they sit down. They spend several minutes eating in silence before she speaks again.
"I've at least been in ANBU for a couple of years, I've got an idea of what it's like. But I don't go arrogantly acting like I know exactly what they've been through. And before you ask, yeah, I've gotten on Genma for it. He just tells me if their conversation bores me, I don't have to go with him when they meet up."
Kakashi stops eating to eye her incredulously.
"He thought you were just complaining about the topic of their conversation?"
"Oh, he knew exactly what I meant. I said I didn't appreciate being shut out, but it's easier to pin the blame on me if he puts it that way," she explains in annoyance. "I guess I'm not surprised. He's not really interested in me. He never asks about what I like, my goals or anything. I've tried getting the ball rolling by asking about him, y'know, to show I'm interested in knowing more, but he doesn't say much. He doesn't like talking to anyone but his friends and prefers hanging out at his place and making out. Didn't take long to realize he was only interested in one thing from me."
By this point, Kakashi has finished eating and pulled up his mask. At his arched brow Naruto blushes and looks back down at her food.
"I'm naïve about a lot of things, but not about that," she states quietly before looking back up. "I've actually been thinking of breaking it off, but we've only been together a couple of months. Maybe I'm not making myself clear enough, I dunno. I just don't want to be like Ino used to be, paranoid about her boyfriends, thinking they're cheating if they so much as breathe in another woman's direction. And no,” she adds at his questioning gaze. “I don't think he's cheating on me."
"Does it feel like you're in a relationship?"
Naruto considers his question.
"No," she hesitantly answers.
"Your answer may be right there."
Sakura is pissed and means to make someone pay, preferably in blood.
Her ire has been growing since the day Sasuke returned. It’s bad enough being stuck at the hospital learning all the boring surgery crap for her training. What makes it worse is being forced to listen to the endless gossip at home and at work about the Uchiha fag's return.
She’s in a fine mood by the time Danzo summons her nearly two weeks after the prick's return. When she finds Sai with Danzo in his office she decides to take some of her anger out on him.
"Nice job blowing the baka to bits, Sai. Did you practice hitting the broad side of a barn to get it right?" she sneers.
"It was a spontaneous decision, Ugly," Sai calmly explains, deliberately using the hated nickname to watch her bristle. "You had Naruto distracted at dinner. Had the attempt succeeded, not only would it have killed her, but it would've been easily dismissed as retaliation by an angry villager now that the Uchiha is back."
"They wouldn't have dismissed it like that, you moron!" the medic snaps. "They already figured out it was a professional job and are still investigating it."
"It's not a concern," Sai shrugs. "There's nothing to connect anyone to the attempt and all Tsunade-sama knows is there may be a shinobi in her ranks with a grudge against Naruto. Just because she's treated better now doesn't mean others aren't hiding their true feelings. Besides, how was I to know she had a cat that would trigger the explosion early?"
When Sakura opens her mouth, Danzo promptly cuts her off.
"Homura informed me all evidence besides the small pieces of the tag they found were completely destroyed in the fire. However, no further attempts should be made until Sasuke becomes a chuunin. He has been cooperating, so I have no doubt he will be released soon. Tsunade is likely to reform Team 7 since there will be few shinobi willing to work with him. It will not be long before they take missions so he can progress to Jounin. That will make it easier to take out the vessel. Any further attempts within the village, especially now that she is living with Hatake, will only raise suspicion further. If Hatake were caught in the crossfire attempting to protect the vessel it would not be a great loss, but the scrutiny will be that much more intense."
"Understood, Danzo-sama," Sai replies with a slight bow.
“Fine," Sakura churlishly adds.
"Good. Sai you are dismissed."
Danzo waits until Sai leaves before handing Sakura an envelope.
"I have another kill for you. They will be checking into the hospital next week for a procedure. Our client is willing to pay extra if you cause excruciating pain. Just make certain there is no connection to you."
"No problem,” Sakura smiles sweetly, extremely happy at the turn of events. “This is what I live for and why I continue working for you."
Sasuke spends at least two weeks in the hospital and another week as Ibiki's ‘guest’ giving up everything he knows, especially about the Akatsuki and Orochimaru. The information he provides proves quite lucrative and Tsunade makes his probation official, crediting the time since his surrender towards his six months. Right before Ibiki releases him, she makes an official village wide announcement confirming his return.
The day he walks out of the T&I building, he starts having a pretty good idea of what Naruto endured growing up. He wasn't an idiot; he noticed how people treated her when they were children. He just didn't care. He couldn't help but think about her while trying to ignore the jeers and catcalls. Some villagers merely point while whispering behind their hands as he passes by. A couple did attempt to attack, but are arrested by ANBU before they can reach him.
Naruto wanted to escort him home when he was released, but Tsunade refused, sending her on a courier mission to the capital with Kakashi. She makes it clear to the fuming redhead that Sasuke made the decision to go off alone for vengeance and needs to return alone to truly understand how things have changed.
It’s surreal for Sasuke to step back into his family home for the first time in years. He’s surprised at how clean it is, but understands once he finds the note from Naruto on the kitchen table.
‘Hiya, Teme!
Ino, Lee, Sakura and Sai helped me clean this place up for you since the dust was thick enough to start growing crops. Plus, I didn’t think you’d want to use the toilet either with the nasty looking water stains it had. Saves you from having to use the bushes outside!
Anyways, we also restocked the kitchen with plenty of food to last you a couple of weeks so things can cool down a bit in a village before you have to go shopping. You’ll probably still get some shit, but people have a short attention span and got their own lives to live, so it shouldn’t be too bad. Time has a funny way of making people move on like that.
Anyways, kick back and relax and I’ll check on you soon.
Naruto’
Reading the note, Sasuke shakes his head, wondering if he’ll ever figure out the dobe.
The next morning he barely finishes cleaning up after breakfast when a knock echoes through the house. Thinking it’s his annoying, redheaded teammate, he’s surprised to find Shimura Danzo waiting on his doorstep. Arching a brow, he silently scrutinizes the elderly councilman, but doesn't bother inviting him in.
“Welcome back to Konoha,” Danzo intones, unperturbed by Sasuke’s lack of invitation while forcing his way inside towards the living room.
Crossing his arms, Sasuke's only answer is a murderous glare at the blatant intrusion.
Standing in the middle of the room, Danzo studies the young man for a few minutes, allowing the silence to stretch out before speaking.
"I understand why you had to do what you did. You are of a forgotten mindset when a warrior's duty included vengeance."
Surprise briefly flits across Sasuke's face before he masks it again.
"What if that duty clashes with the will of the village?" he asks with cool indifference, curious as to what the aged man wants.
"Ninja villages are a recent development in our long history. Although we lost a valuable warrior when you left, it would have been unreasonable to expect you to concentrate on your duties when you had such important blood oaths to fulfill. I am certain anyone else would have done much worse against the village in your stead."
Sasuke eyes Danzo with interest, but doesn't reply.
"Tsunade was a good choice for Godaime Hokage, but she clings too tightly to her grandfather's pacifist teachings. She could not understand the importance of allowing you the leeway necessary to accomplish what you needed to. It has been a long time since she fought in the Third Great Shinobi War, so she does not remember what a warrior’s duty means at times." Pausing, Danzo cocks his head in thought before continuing. "Although, I admit at the time it might have been due to her being newly inducted into the position of Hokage. It took her time to get used to the position and not be so heavy handed. For what it is worth, if you need any assistance until you are able to readjust to the village, do not hesitate to ask. I apologize for intruding on your time."
Danzo bows slightly to Sasuke before leaving him alone with his thoughts.
Two days later Kakashi and Naruto return from their mission and immediately resume their investigation into the Uchiha massacre.
In order to include Sasuke as much as possible, they quickly develop a comfortable routine by meeting at his home almost every day after lunch to go over clues and then staying for dinner. Sometimes, though, Naruto, Kakashi, or both can't make it because of their schedules. Tsunade tries keeping them clear of missions, but the need is too great. She does try assigning them shorter missions to minimize the disruption.
Sometimes Sakura joins them if she can thanks to Naruto’s encouragement. Sasuke’s leery of her at first, thinking she’ll pick up chasing him right where she left off. He relaxes when she introduces her new boyfriend, Manabe Ritsu. The ease and affection in her voice when she talks about the shaggy haired chuunin mutes his hesitation to the point where he grows less cold toward her.
Kakashi is a different story.
Where Naruto is the usual open book, the silver haired jounin appears wholly indifferent towards Sasuke. Not that it bothers him much. The young Uchiha knew he wouldn't be welcomed back by everyone with open arms when he surrendered to Naruto, but didn't care as long as he got the chance to find the truth about the massacre. He certainly isn’t interested in renewing old ties, so the fact Kakashi hasn’t attempted to interact with him outside of the investigation doesn’t bother him much.
There’s no antagonism. Neither says much to the other. Nothing changes until one afternoon when Naruto and Kakashi arrive with the ingredients for dinner.
“Stupid, senile old bat,” Naruto grumbles under her breath while shifting through the groceries a third time.
“What’s wrong?” Kakashi asks, pausing in emptying the grocery bag he carried.
“That old crone left the chicken out,” she grouses. “Put everything away while I go get it.”
Before anyone can reply she disappears from the kitchen. The two men quietly put the groceries away until Kakashi finally speaks into the silence.
"You haven't been very talkative about anything unrelated to the investigation, Sasuke."
Pausing long enough to glance over his shoulder at the silver haired man, Sasuke sees him leaning against the counter with his arms crossed, watching him. Shrugging, he turns back to the cabinet.
"Not much to say. Unless you're expecting me to say 'sorry for leaving,’ which I'm not."
"No, I don't suppose you ever will be sorry about that,” Kakashi muses thoughtfully. “You were determined to walk that path no matter who got in your way."
Sasuke's back stiffens as he gently closes the cabinet door before turning around.
"I only stepped on those who tried stopping me."
"Makes sense," Kakashi shrugs. "What doesn't make sense is how that justifies you trying to kill those who cared enough to try stopping you from making a mistake with a move created to protect those who matter to you."
"I warned Naruto not to interfere and back off," Sasuke growls defensively. "I was clear in what I intended to do."
"And that justified driving a chidori through her chest? Or are you going to claim you were trying to help her start a new fashion trend?" Kakashi asks mildly.
"She should've quit when I told her," Sasuke mumbles, looking away.
Kakashi gives his former student a flat look.
"And you honestly expected her to listen?" When Sasuke doesn't answer, he sighs heavily. "Are you surprised she never really gave up on you?"
"Seven years should've clued her in that I wasn't planning on ever returning!" Sasuke snaps, glaring hard at the jounin.
"Maybe," the older jounin shrugs again. "The last couple of years she said she wasn't expecting you to return anymore, but apparently this last battle changed her mind. I personally don't think it ever changed to begin with, just her hope was renewed."
"She shouldn't have wasted the energy," Sasuke mutters, looking away again.
Kakashi chuckles, causing Sasuke to look back and arch a brow.
"You know, Naruto, she's got plenty of energy to focus on whatever she wants. She'd never see it as a wasted effort."
Sasuke rolls his eyes.
"True."
Sobering again, Kakashi scrutinizes the younger man.
"I'm glad you decided to surrender, even if it's only to find out what happened to your clan. Naruto believes in you and I'm willing to help her and give you another chance. When I taught you the Chidori, it wasn't to wreak vengeance or further your goals. I just want you to know I don't appreciate it being used like that."
Sasuke holds Kakashi's intense gaze, thinking about what he said.
"I still think I had to leave to avenge my clan, but I acknowledge I could've handled things differently."
"You're lucky you have someone like Naruto willing to fight for you because you were close to losing everything by your actions. Whether you want to admit it or not, you need friends, not power."
"I come bearing chicken!" Naruto triumphantly declares, barging into the kitchen.
Kakashi smiles at her.
"Did the grocer give you a hard time?"
"Nah, didn't expect the old lady to either. I just wasn't looking forward to the old bat lecturing me on being absent minded."
Naruto unwraps the breasts from the butcher paper and washes them before placing them in a casserole dish.
"You were the one who forgot the chicken," Sasuke points out.
"Actually, the cagey old bat deliberately didn't put it in the bag so I'd come back and she could lecture me," she explains, reaching into the fridge to grab the miso marinade she prepared the day before.
"Lecture you?" Kakashi asks, cocking his head slightly in interest.
Naruto rolls her eyes as she takes the plastic wrap off the bowl and pours the sauce over the chicken.
"Yeah, about picking better company because Sasuke's bad rep is just gonna to sully my good one. Which is really funny because she used to chase me out of her store when I was a kid saying people weren't going to shop there because I sullied the place," she snorts.
"What did you tell her?" Kakashi asks.
He watches Sasuke out of the corner of his eye. His face is inscrutable, but he can tell the Uchiha is hanging on every word.
"I just said it was the other way around. My winning personality is guaranteed to overwhelm any rightfully sane person within a hundred kilometer radius."
Naruto glances up and smiles at the two men as she uses a pair of tongs to move the chicken in the sauce until they were coated.
"Old bat nearly peed her pants laughing so hard before she agreed. Don't think you'll have as much trouble shopping there anymore, teme."
"Gee, thanks," Sasuke mutters, rolling his eyes, but Kakashi thinks his smirk looked more like a smile than it usually did.
Despite his reluctance, Naruto keeps her word and constantly badgers Sasuke into becoming more sociable. She starts by forcing him to go with her to her training sessions with Ino and Lee.
"You've got to start preparing for the chuunin exams, teme!" she cheerfuly declares.
She shows up bright and early one morning to obnoxiously bang on his front door, ignoring the obvious signs he’d been comfortably asleep if the yukata and disheveled appearance are anything to go by.
"It should be easy since I'm at least jounin level right now," he grumbles irritably. "I don't need to train."
Naruto smacks him upside the head, something she’s never done before.
"You're gonna get fat and lazy!” she scolds as he blinks in shock from being hit. “Being a strong shinobi isn't just how good your talents are! It's about how well you can use your skills to compliment and work with the skills of your comrades. A talented shinobi may appear once in a blue moon, but what about the rest of the time? It's important we can work together, increasing our strength and making the village stronger."
"I don't need a team, dobe," he narrows his eyes at her, rubbing the spot she smacked.
"That's what got you in trouble in the first place and it cost you everything,” she replies seriously. “You gained nothing from vengeance 'cause Itachi may be innocent, so you really didn't avenge your clan did you? You only found more questions. You're not as strong as you think and until you realize that, you're not gonna improve." Ignoring his angry glare, Naruto smiles cheerfully. "So c'mon! Or I'm gonna drag you out to the training field in your jammies!"
Deciding to just go with it for now instead of seeing if she could make good on her threat, Sasuke sighs in resignation and lets her in. After he changes, she sits with him while he eats a quick breakfast before leading him to one of the ANBU training fields to meet up with Ino and Lee who greet him warmly. He scrutinizes Ino, who hasn’t changed much since he last saw her.
"If you're going to start acting like a fan girl again, let me save you the trouble. I'm still not interested."
Arching a brow, Ino looks him up and down before asking, "Why would you think that? I grew up a long time ago and have no interest in you anymore. Besides, my husband Gai wouldn't be too happy if I renew silly, pointless crushes on uninteresting, moody people."
It takes a moment for Sasuke to process what she said.
"Wait. You're married to Gai?” he asks in stunned disbelief. “Bowl cut, green wearing and huge ass eyebrows Gai?"
The idea she is married to the taijutsu master bothers him far more than the fact she just insulted him and no longer lusts after him.
"Absolutely!” she cheerfully admits. “I realized a pretty face doesn't always equal intelligence." She arches a brow at Sasuke before continuing. "Gai is far more intelligent than people give him credit for and he's got a good heart and is the perfect gentleman. Not to mention he's great in bed."
Sasuke and Lee blanch simultaneously. Lee adores Gai, but even he doesn't want to hear about that.
"Waaaay too much info, Ino,” Naruto cringes in disgust. “You're over-sharing again."
Ino grins mischievously as Lee turns to Sasuke.
"Would you like to spar, Sasuke-san?"
Deciding sparring is better than hearing more about Ino's love life, Sasuke nods.
"Do you want to restrict it to taijutsu?" he asks, remembering something about Lee not being able to use ninjutsu.
"No, anything goes," Lee replies eagerly.
Shrugging again, Sasuke walks out to face Lee in the clearing. Sliding into his ready stance, he figures he'll at least get a good taijutsu workout from this spar. Most of his recent battles and spars have been ninjutsu, so it’s good to be able to practice his taijutsu against a worthy opponent.
Both stand still, sizing each other up before Lee disappears from view. Expecting it, Sasuke activates his Sharingan to track him. Twisting around slightly, he promptly brings his hands and one leg up to block the kick Lee aims for his left flank. Recoiling slightly from the blow, Sasuke grabs Lee’s leg, quickly twisting forward again, using the momentum to throw Lee away.
Rolling with the movement, Lee springs to his feet and disappears again. Sasuke flips out of the way of another well-aimed kick before blocking a series of fast and furious blows.
Smirking, Sasuke decides it's time to kick it up a notch. Clearly Lee has gotten considerably better from their first matchup at the chuunin exam years ago. Besides, he did say anything goes. He’s curious to see how the older man fares against his ninjutsu. Not wanting the match to end quickly, he throws out a barrage of Chidori Senbon mixed with regular shuriken.
With blurring speed Lee whips out a pair of nunchuks. Gripping one he spins the other so fast it easily deflects the attack. Seeing Sasuke's confusion, he pauses long enough to hold them higher.
"They're wood, with rubber wraps and a non-conductive chain linking them."
Shaking his head, Sasuke figures the defense is effective due more to the speed of the spinning nunchuks. Otherwise the senbon alone should've shattered the wood on contact. Lee doesn't give him much time for his musings before attacking again with the Leaf Whirlwind. Fooled by the high kick, Sasuke isn't able to block the low kick, sending him skidding on his back across the clearing.
Growling slightly in annoyance, Sasuke regains his feet, immediately going on the offensive. In quick succession he fires off a bombardment of Chidori Senbon and a Phoenix Immortal Fire jutsu to maneuver Lee into a position where he could use his Chidori Current at close range. He’s stunned when Lee is caught by the attack and ‘poofs’ out of existence.
Suddenly a fissure opens up in the ground behind Sasuke, forcing him to somersault out of danger. Instantly, Lee is on him again, nailing him in the gut with a Strong Fist punch that sends him flying across the clearing again. He painfully collides with the trunk of a tree before crashing onto the ground in a shapeless heap.
Dazed, Sasuke barely feels Naruto and Ino untangling his body so Ino can start checking him over.
"Is Sasuke-san alright?" Sasuke hears Lee ask in concern.
"You banged him up pretty good, but not enough to send him back to the hospital," Ino replies cheerfully.
"Good thing you held back, Lee. I wasn't looking forward to explaining this to Baa-chan," Naruto replies, the amusement clear in her voice.
Blinking a few times, Sasuke blearily focuses somewhat on Lee.
"Held back? I thought I got blindsided by a herd of elephants."
Rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, Lee sheepishly replies, "Sorry about that, Sasuke-san. I realized I needed to restrain myself a little, but did not hold back enough."
"I'm not sure I want to feel what it's like when you go all out," Sasuke mutters, wincing when Ino presses his stomach.
"You don't," the two women reply in amused unison.
Sasuke shakes his head in disbelief before another thought occurs to him.
"I remember something about you not being able to mold chakra. It's why you couldn't use ninjutsu or genjutsu. But you just used a Shadow Clone. How in the hell did you do that?" he frowns up at Lee.
"Ah, that's what you can call a happy accident born of tragedy, Sasuke-san," Lee grins. "Not long before I tested for jounin I was seriously injured on a 'B' rank mission that quickly turned into an 'A' rank. Unfortunately, my two teammates died, but I survived due to sheer determination. I barely made it back to the village, where Tsunade-sama and Shizune-san fought valiantly to save me. During their efforts they infused me with so much chakra it altered my chakra network. They don't even understand how it happened, but now I can perform genjutsu and ninjutsu. I discovered the results when I resumed training. Although, like Gai-sensei, I still prefer taijutsu."
"If you can perform ninjutsu and genjutsu, then why not use them?" Sasuke asks confused.
"I only trained to use a couple of jutsu to compliment my existing abilities, Sasuke-san,” Lee elaborates. “I've seen numerous occasions where Naruto uses her shadow clones with great effectiveness. I've also watched Sakura-san release chakra into her blows, making them even more powerful. So I concentrated on learning those techniques. It's taken years because it takes a lot of chakra to make Shadow Clones and it requires fine control to gather chakra and release it instantly into a blow. However, the benefits are I am able to buy more time during battle by using Shadow Clones as a distraction. Also, my blows are even more devastating and I rely less on opening the inner gates, reducing the amount of damage I do to myself and staying in the battle longer."
"Resulting in you getting your ass handed to you, teme. Again," Naruto chirps with a grin.
"Hm," Sasuke replies, throwing a glare at the redhead. "Guess I'm joining you guys for training, huh?"
"Anytime, Sasuke-san," Lee grins, while Ino nods and Naruto looks on happily.
Another promise Naruto fulfills is dragging a very reluctant Sasuke out to the next rookie meet up. Nearly everyone is present, including their significant others, making for a large group in the restaurant that night. Sakura and her boyfriend Ritsu are the only exceptions as both are unable to make it.
Not surprisingly the atmosphere is tense and awkward when they first show up. After exchanging stilted greetings the group sits in silence before Neji stands up to address Sasuke directly.
"We all were present when the Godaime announced you surrendered and would be rejoining village. I honestly didn’t take it as good news. However, it is not my place to question our Hokage's decision. Naruto asked us if she could start bringing you to our dinners. I didn’t agree because I've forgiven you. I haven't. You left without any consideration of your sworn oath to the village or any concern for the comrades injured in your wake. I agreed because it’s enough for me that Naruto still believes in you and is willing to give you a second chance. Because of that, so am I."
Sasuke eyes the Hyuga prodigy before speaking.
"I believed it was the right choice for me at the time."
The others at the table exchange looks or glare back until Shikamaru takes his turn.
"Then why didn't you leave right after Itachi killed your clan? Why wait seven years?" At Sasuke's confused expression Shikamaru rolls his eyes and continues. "If vengeance was your only option, then why wait when you could've easily found someone out in the world to train you? Had you left earlier, others wouldn't have been injured in the attempt to bring you back. Those were our orders and we were doing our duty. Or you can look at it another way,” he points out with an arched brow. “The training you took advantage of was geared for the protection and service of the village, not toward your selfish goals. You may feel justified in your actions, but do you feel justified in stealing? Because that's in essence what you did."
Choji surprises everyone by slamming his fist on the table as he stands up, glaring heatedly at Sasuke.
"You make it sound like what you did was honorable! How are you honorable when you basically spit in the face of the village after taking shameless advantage of the opportunities given to you? The same village your clan thrived in. Or are you going to say it was floundering when it was larger than the Hyuga?"
Kiba stands up and rests a calming hand on Choji's shoulder before taking his turn.
"It was a hard, bitter pill to swallow when you left. We weren't friends, but we were comrades. That should've meant something to you. I don't know why you decided to return and don't really care. You complying with the terms of your probation and punishment tells me you're serious about being here. Like Neji, it's enough for me that Naruto believes in you and is willing to give you a second chance. If you're truly serious about staying, you're gonna have to earn back everyone's trust and I can tell you right now it won't be easy. You don't deserve to have it easy."
Everyone settles back in their seats, watching Sasuke. Finally he looks everyone in the eye.
"I'm not asking you to trust me or to forgive me. I didn't expect anyone to welcome me with open arms. I have my reasons for coming back and honestly don't know if I'll stay. That's in the future and I'm busy with the present. There are a lot of questions I have to find answers for. All I can tell you is I'm just taking things one day at a time."
"It's a start," Hinata states quietly after a few minutes of silence. "All we can do is continue from here. I'm glad you are willing to listen those who were on your original retrieval team, even if it isn’t what you wanted to hear. They have the right to be the angriest with you. If you are willing to try, so are we."
Everyone nods their agreement, even if grudgingly, while Naruto smiles softly. Although she knows she mostly had everyone’s support after their last dinner where she revealed her plan to reintegrate Sasuke into their social circle as part of the Great Teme Reformation, it’s still nice to see it reinforced like this.
She found out later Shino and Neji were still iffy about the whole thing until their respective girlfriends Hyuga Hanabi and Inuzuka Hana stepped in. Hanabi feels if Naruto believes it’s worth the effort than it is. Hana thinks it’s a great idea, emphasizing to Neji that Sasuke can’t be allowed to brood in a corner alone, dwelling on the very things that drove him from Konoha in the first place.
Of course, Konohamaru and his two sidekicks Moegi and Udon support Naruto's goal without question. When Ino told her husband Gai, he believes her efforts to reform Sasuke are commendable and very youthful and a fine example of the Will of Fire.
When their food starts arriving they all start catching up with each other before moving on to discussing deeper topics like politics. Naruto stubbornly refuses to let Sasuke sit quietly without contributing, asking him direct questions and refusing to allow anyone else to continue the conversation until he replies in something longer than fragment sentences. Ino, Gai, Hanabi, Konohamaru, Udon and Moegi are the first ones to get into the act by helping stall until Sasuke replies or by asking him additional questions.
Eventually the entire group remains silent, watching Sasuke until he caves regardless of how long the silence uncomfortably stretches out. The tactic proves effective. By the end of the night they don't have to bully him anymore. Reluctantly he admits, to himself at least, the conversations are interesting regardless of the topic and the night was enjoyable.
When not working on the investigation or training, Sasuke spends much of his spare time thinking and the past couple of months have opened his eyes considerably.
Reluctantly, he’s come to accept they may never uncover the truth about his clan, or he may not like what’s revealed. Regardless of the outcome, he realizes he needs to start thinking of the future. Another old promise he has yet to fulfill begins dominating his thoughts; reestablishing his clan.
Thanks to her constant presence and efforts to help him grow stronger, not just in skill, but also as an individual, Sasuke views Naruto in a new light. It doesn't take long to recognize she possesses all the qualities to make him an ideal wife. She's not a fangirl, doesn't care about his family name, doesn't care about his money and doesn't take his crap. He's attracted to her and doesn't care she's the demon container. That proves she’s strong and he’s always respected strength.
His emerging feelings conflict him because he doesn’t know what he'll do if it turns out the village is responsible for his clan's massacre. He hopes that isn't the case. He likes the idea of making Naruto his wife more and more.
However, that can't be his focus right now. If there’s any chance of having a future together, he has to prove himself to her and discover what happened to his clan. Otherwise that’ll remain a dark, threatening cloud hanging overhead.
During the first couple of months following Sasuke's return prove to be the busiest Naruto has been in a long time. She hasn't seen her boyfriend Genma since before Sasuke’s return. So she’s really pleased to run into him on the street one day walking with Raido.
“Hey, guys!” she greets warmly.
“Hi, Naruto,” Raido greets back.
Not noticing Genma’s scowl and lack of greeting, Naruto steps closer and attempts to hug him. He shocks her by throwing his hands up, stopping the movement.
"How come you didn't tell me about losing your apartment?” he scolds, glaring hard at her. “I have to hear it from someone else and find out you moved in with Kakashi and not me."
Raido’s smile drops as he turns to Genma, his face morphing into a disbelieving scowl.
Taken aback, Naruto blinks in confusion before recovering her senses and crossing her arms and glaring back in annoyance.
"Hell of a way to greet your girlfriend, Genma,” she bites out sarcastically. “And what rock were you hiding under? Everyone's been gossiping about that just as much as Sasuke returning.” When he doesn’t immediately answer and only glowers she just rolls her eyes. “In case you forgot, you were on a mission with Raido that week. I tried looking for you when you were supposed to get back, but couldn't find you. And since you've repeatedly harped that if I can't find you after so many tries, give it up and you'll come looking for me.”
Arching a brow while cocking her head slightly she places a hand on her hip, giving him a sardonic look.
“Well, it's been nearly two months. Obviously you know I moved in with Kakashi, which happens to be in the same building you live, isn’t it? So not like you didn't know where to look, did you Genma?"
Placing her other hand on her hip Naruto taps out an impatient rhythm with her foot while watching Genma shift uncomfortably instead of answering. Rolling her eyes again she sighs heavily in exasperation.
"And how the hell was I to know you'd want me to move in with you?” she huffs irritably. “Was I supposed to camp out in the charred, smoky hollow of my old place and wait this whole time until you bothered coming around to ask me to move in? ‘Cause if I suggested it, you would’ve claimed I was trying to crowd you or I was just being clingy and needy. And how long would you have been okay with me living with you until you started claiming I was smothering you and needed to find my own place? Hm?”
Genma studies the ground intensely, refusing to meet her gaze.
“You really are an ass sometimes,” she snipes. “If our relationship, if it can really be called that, is too much of a hassle for your delicate sensitivities then tell me."
Snapping his head up in surprise, Genma studies her, realizing how serious she is.
"No, no it's not a problem. I'm sorry for being such an ass. My mission took longer than expected, but I should've come around sooner to check on you. I was worried then got upset at all the changes that happened without my knowing it. It's embarrassing when you don't know your own girlfriend moved," he smiles ruefully. "I'm glad you're all right," he finishes sincerely.
"Are you really, Genma?" Naruto eyes him skeptically. "’Cause it seems I’m just a bother to you. My place got blown to bits. You knew I survived, but you didn’t know the specifics, like if I was caught up in it or not. But first thing out of that shit hole you call a mouth when you finally see me is why I didn’t come tell you about it. Didn’t you think I had more important things to deal with after someone blasted my home to bits, literally destroying everything I own, than to come tell your sorry ass about it? And you aren’t even worried about the fact that who did it was actually trying to kill me and is still at large. Nope, you’re pissed I didn’t move in with you.”
Crossing her arms she eyes a thoroughly abashed Genma before continuing.
“I'm not joking, Genma. You seem to think I'm nothing but a flakey whiner and a nag trying to control your life 24/7. I've never done that or gave you any reason to feel that way and I'm sick of wondering if the next thing I say is gonna have you jumping down my throat or telling me I don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about. We can save ourselves the trouble right now. I’ve got better things to do than to cater to your whims and play these stupid games."
"I don't want to give up on us yet, but it sounds like we need to talk," Genma states, reaching for her waist to pull her closer.
"Do you think talking's going to help?" she asks, giving him a skeptical look.
"It might," he shrugs, holding her close. "Or might not, but I don't want to give up without at least trying. Tomorrow night why don't you go with me to shoot some pool with the guys and afterward we'll stop by my place and talk for a change. Then we can go from there."
Looking up, she scrutinizes his face before nodding.
"Alright, but we better talk."
"We will," Genma promises before sweeping in for a passionate kiss. After a minute he releases her. "I've got to go. I'll pick you up around six."
Blushing slightly, Naruto nods before breaking out into a bright grin.
"Alright, see you then. See you later Raido!" she waves before heading off.
"See you, Naruto," he calls back. As they walk off in another direction, Raido frowns at his friend before speaking. "Why did you lie to Naruto? We got back on time from that mission."
"I didn't want to upset her more than she is already. Besides, I don't think she tried very hard to find me," Genma shrugs indifferently.
Raido stares at his friend in disbelief before shaking his head.
"You just never learn."
As the months roll on, Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke realize nothing is what it seems. Nothing concrete has surfaced to point them in the right direction, but one thing is clear: the circumstances surrounding the massacre are more complicated than they appear and there has definitely been a cover up. They find several clues making it appear as though the Uchiha were plotting a coup, but they fall apart upon closer scrutiny.
Another thing that becomes glaringly apparent is they aren't the only ones interested in the investigation. Documents keep turning up missing when they'd look for them and it happens too often to be a coincidence.
While Kakashi and Sasuke scour any reports regarding known enemies of the Uchiha, Naruto takes a different approach. She remembers Ibiki once telling her it doesn't matter if it’s an investigation of a non-profit charity, always follow the money because everything is tied to money and it's the most difficult trail to hide. She focuses digging through old bookkeeping scrolls in the tower. Carefully she traces any expenditure payments she finds related to the Uchihas no matter how insignificant.
One odd payment made from the general funds controlled by the council for 'Building Expenses' to the Uchiha clan catches her eye. When she looks up the document required of the Uchihas to list exactly what the funds were spent on, she’s not surprised she can't find it.
At their next meeting, she mentions it to Kakashi and Sasuke as soon as they all settle in his living room.
"That's strange," Sasuke mutters.
He drifts off, lost in thought for several minutes before finally noticing Naruto and Kakashi are looking at him expectantly. Slightly embarrassed, he shares his thoughts.
"We were pretty self-sufficient. Unless there was a major catastrophe that destroyed half the compound, for example, we were more than capable of handling any expense. And nothing like that has happened in years. The district was unscathed during the Kyuubi attack." Pausing, another thought occurs to him. "Naruto, is there a date assigned to the entry?"
She pulls out the file and scans it.
"It's dated two years prior to the massacre."
Sasuke nods.
"I'm pretty sure we weren't hurting for funds at that time. If I remember right, I think father was planning on renovating some of the older buildings in the district. I doubt the council would've given us money for that because it wouldn't have benefited the village."
"A lot of weapons could be purchased for that amount of money, though," Kakashi suggests thoughtfully.
Sasuke bristles, glaring daggers at him.
Noticing the look Naruto snaps, "We haven't proved the Uchiha are innocent of any wrongdoing. But this doesn't disprove it either. Kakashi makes a valid point. It's a fishy entry and that kind of money could buy a lot of weapons. Now the question remains, for who?"
Taking a deep breath Sasuke nods again.
"Alright, good point. It's still weird the council would turn over funds like that to us. I remember neither faction was getting along. Father wouldn’t have requested the funds because the council wouldn't have given him the time of day. He hardly went to the council meetings anymore because of the tension."
"There were a lot of rumors floating around of heated infighting among the council members," Kakashi muses. "It's possible this entry was a way to pin it on the Uchiha while the funds were diverted elsewhere. It's also looking less like the Third knew anything about it because a receipt would've been made easy to discover, supporting the suspicion of a coup."
"Yeah," Naruto agrees picking up his line of thought. "If the old man knew, there shouldn't have been a need for Itachi to take the blame in the first place. It would've been much easier to plant or generate the proof necessary to justify the massacre. It would've also sent a clear message to all the clans, don't follow the Uchihas lead."
Leaning back in his armchair Sasuke thinks about it.
"Either way, it's looking like someone is trying very hard to mislead us."
“Definitely,” Naruto nods as they all get lost in their own thoughts.
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Underneath The Leaves