Growing Pains
folder
Naruto AU/AR › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
17
Views:
1,237
Reviews:
19
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Naruto AU/AR › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
17
Views:
1,237
Reviews:
19
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
V
V
“There wasn’t a sign of him, was there?” Tsunade asked Naruto and Sakura, the two who had gone into the woods to find their lost sheep.
“Just a trace of chakra,” Sakura replied. “But it was feminine.”
“So unless he got a sex change, Momogi was seeing things.”
“Getting a sex change won’t change the feel of the chakra, idiot.” Sakura growled to Naruto. The blonde shrugged.
“He may not have been alone,” Naruto reasoned.
“But why would he have a girl with him?”
“Tsunade turned to look at Sakura. “Breeding comes to mind.”
“Not Sasuke.” Naruto said. “Not yet, anyway. He wants to kill Itachi more than anything.”
“Who’s to say he hasn’t?”
“Well, we definitely would’ve heard –something–.”
“Yeah,” Sakura agreed. “You don’t go and kill a S-class nukenin without some sort of commotion.”
Tsunade frowned and leaned back in her chair. She looked away from the two jounin and out the window onto her village. With Sasuke’s apparent reappearance, and his subsequent encounter with Momogi, Tsunade’s first thought that he was looking for another vessel. But why Momogi? Or maybe it wasn’t Momogi he was after, and instead, was trying to earn her trust to get into the village. There were so many variables, so many choices, and Tsunade wanted to contend with all of them. She finally sighed and looked back at Naruto and Sakura.
“Take Kiba and Akamaru and see if you can get a scent. I don’t think he’s in the area, but better safe than sorry. Recall all genin teams that are outside the training and post extra ANBU guards.” Tsunade said finally. “It’s all we can do at this point without causing alarm.”
“Discreetly then,” Naruto half-agreed, turning on his heel and leaving the office stiffly.
“Sakura?”
The rose-haired woman sighed. “I checked her out. Momogi’s fine. No genjustu on her anywhere. If she did meet Sasuke, he never intended her any harm.”
“There’s a but, isn’t there?”
“Momogi met someone, I’m sure. It was faint, but the same chakra signature we found on the meeting spot I found her on her.” Sakura paused for a moment. “Like she shook hands.”
“Is she in danger?” Tsunade had to ask.
Sakura shook her head. “No more danger than any other genin.”
Tsunade sighed. “Tell Ino to keep an eye on her anyway.”
Sakura nodded and left the office then, leaving the Godaime alone. Tsunade sat back in her chair and rubbed her eyes, giving a soft growl. She knew all too well what had happened at the chuunin exams almost nine years ago, involving Otogakure and Sunagakure, and Sasuke’s betrayal. With yet another exam swiftly approaching, she prayed Orochimaru – whether he was in Sasuke’s body or not – wasn’t planning another coup. She would have to double-shift her ANBU during that time, she decided, and put her jounin on high alert. She finally rose and went to find Shizune.
God, she needed a drink.
“You punish her?” Orochimaru asked Sasuke, golden eyes centered on the course set up by the school, watching children at play.
“She’s currently with Zabuza,” Sasuke replied, “learning survival skills.”
“And the other two?”
“Down there on the genin course. They’ll attempt the chuunin, and then I’ll have Kimimaru on my ass after they get sick falling in the water.”
Orochimaru laughed at his apprentice’s pain. Kimimaru had become like a mother to Kyo and Sei, getting on Sasuke’s case to take better care of the children. And as always, those Sharingan eyes would blank and he would only nod. Sasuke took good care of his genin, better than some. He trained them, stepped back, and only helped when they needed it. Orochimaru knew Team Nine had the most high-ranked missions under their belts simply for that reason. Umi, Kyo, and Sei were extraordinary children, and they were ready for the next level.
“They’ll always be a team.” Sasuke said softly. “They’ll never allow themselves to be separated.”
Orochimaru hummed. “Then this will test them. They can’t come to each other’s aid in the chuunin exams, and they may end up fighting each other.”
“Haku and I have taken care of that.”
Orochimaru had nothing to say to that. He studied the young man beside him for alone while, before he turned back to the course to watch the children play. He smiled after a moment and turned, a parting hand set on Sasuke’s shoulder.
“I’ll handle Kimimaru,” he said as he left the brunette, heading back for his office. There was something he needed to look into before he could make a clean decision. There was time yet.
“There wasn’t a sign of him, was there?” Tsunade asked Naruto and Sakura, the two who had gone into the woods to find their lost sheep.
“Just a trace of chakra,” Sakura replied. “But it was feminine.”
“So unless he got a sex change, Momogi was seeing things.”
“Getting a sex change won’t change the feel of the chakra, idiot.” Sakura growled to Naruto. The blonde shrugged.
“He may not have been alone,” Naruto reasoned.
“But why would he have a girl with him?”
“Tsunade turned to look at Sakura. “Breeding comes to mind.”
“Not Sasuke.” Naruto said. “Not yet, anyway. He wants to kill Itachi more than anything.”
“Who’s to say he hasn’t?”
“Well, we definitely would’ve heard –something–.”
“Yeah,” Sakura agreed. “You don’t go and kill a S-class nukenin without some sort of commotion.”
Tsunade frowned and leaned back in her chair. She looked away from the two jounin and out the window onto her village. With Sasuke’s apparent reappearance, and his subsequent encounter with Momogi, Tsunade’s first thought that he was looking for another vessel. But why Momogi? Or maybe it wasn’t Momogi he was after, and instead, was trying to earn her trust to get into the village. There were so many variables, so many choices, and Tsunade wanted to contend with all of them. She finally sighed and looked back at Naruto and Sakura.
“Take Kiba and Akamaru and see if you can get a scent. I don’t think he’s in the area, but better safe than sorry. Recall all genin teams that are outside the training and post extra ANBU guards.” Tsunade said finally. “It’s all we can do at this point without causing alarm.”
“Discreetly then,” Naruto half-agreed, turning on his heel and leaving the office stiffly.
“Sakura?”
The rose-haired woman sighed. “I checked her out. Momogi’s fine. No genjustu on her anywhere. If she did meet Sasuke, he never intended her any harm.”
“There’s a but, isn’t there?”
“Momogi met someone, I’m sure. It was faint, but the same chakra signature we found on the meeting spot I found her on her.” Sakura paused for a moment. “Like she shook hands.”
“Is she in danger?” Tsunade had to ask.
Sakura shook her head. “No more danger than any other genin.”
Tsunade sighed. “Tell Ino to keep an eye on her anyway.”
Sakura nodded and left the office then, leaving the Godaime alone. Tsunade sat back in her chair and rubbed her eyes, giving a soft growl. She knew all too well what had happened at the chuunin exams almost nine years ago, involving Otogakure and Sunagakure, and Sasuke’s betrayal. With yet another exam swiftly approaching, she prayed Orochimaru – whether he was in Sasuke’s body or not – wasn’t planning another coup. She would have to double-shift her ANBU during that time, she decided, and put her jounin on high alert. She finally rose and went to find Shizune.
God, she needed a drink.
“You punish her?” Orochimaru asked Sasuke, golden eyes centered on the course set up by the school, watching children at play.
“She’s currently with Zabuza,” Sasuke replied, “learning survival skills.”
“And the other two?”
“Down there on the genin course. They’ll attempt the chuunin, and then I’ll have Kimimaru on my ass after they get sick falling in the water.”
Orochimaru laughed at his apprentice’s pain. Kimimaru had become like a mother to Kyo and Sei, getting on Sasuke’s case to take better care of the children. And as always, those Sharingan eyes would blank and he would only nod. Sasuke took good care of his genin, better than some. He trained them, stepped back, and only helped when they needed it. Orochimaru knew Team Nine had the most high-ranked missions under their belts simply for that reason. Umi, Kyo, and Sei were extraordinary children, and they were ready for the next level.
“They’ll always be a team.” Sasuke said softly. “They’ll never allow themselves to be separated.”
Orochimaru hummed. “Then this will test them. They can’t come to each other’s aid in the chuunin exams, and they may end up fighting each other.”
“Haku and I have taken care of that.”
Orochimaru had nothing to say to that. He studied the young man beside him for alone while, before he turned back to the course to watch the children play. He smiled after a moment and turned, a parting hand set on Sasuke’s shoulder.
“I’ll handle Kimimaru,” he said as he left the brunette, heading back for his office. There was something he needed to look into before he could make a clean decision. There was time yet.