AN: I’m sorry about the start, but the scene wouldn’t work without it. and as usual, i'm working alot of things that don't really get explained in canon - and if they have forgive me, but fantrans and i just don't get along.
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Half the ANBU Black OPS was waiting in his yard as he stepped outside. He walked off the porch to all but Kakashi falling to one knee.
He’d never see that face so hard. Even through his hitai-ate it felt like he was caught.
“Go.” Now they had the privacy he knew he’d need. “Iruka, what happened?”
He looked, then stood up, “Well sir, there were some chuunin running down the street screaming about some lady, a rouge ninja that was gonna kill them for beating the demon,” he paused as the old man sighed, “Kakashi started off in the direction they came from, I realized it was Naruto and followed. It was Training Ground 37.”
“No doubt picking up any blades left behind.”
Iruka nodded. “Naruto was standing in front of what appeared to be a kunoichi – long white hair in a blue fighting dress kneeling there, wiping his tears. He was holding a piece of her dress to a bloody wound in his right arm, that side of his face was bruised and swollen,” this time he sighed, “and his left leg was shattered below his knee. His foot was pointing straight at us. But…”
The Hokage nodded, “It set itself, healed right before your eyes. Naruto’s done it before.” He still couldn’t free himself.
“I tried to call him back, away from her; he just looked at us then turned and told her ‘I wanna go home.’ She smiled as she stood and that’s when we saw it.”
“Them,” Kakashi finally spoke. “Five fox tails.”
The old man stumbled back, “A female kitsune.”
Iruka nodded, “She picked up Naruto and told him he was safe. Than she turned to us and said it was no trick, it’s all our faults that he’d leave the first chance he has.”
“ ‘If you would have granted your Great Hero’s dying wish his own son would not be so scarred, so starved for love and affection that he would leave this wretched place the first chance he has. Now he will have a life, a real home.’ ” Kakashi repeated, his voice so cold it burned.
“So that’s why,” Sandaime muttered, his eyes boring into that solitary gray.
Anger boiling all around them, Iruka added, “She said the future of the village was up to Naruto and they just vanished.”
Kakashi took a step closer, Iruka retreating three, “Why didn’t you tell me?” the frostbite carried well with his whisper.
“His mother’s family name wasn’t enough,” something about the look on his face pulled up all that he’d ignored, denied for so long. “He looks like his father, that same silly grin; but his eyes are like his mother’s. It was obvious by his second birthday!”
“If you’d told me, he wouldn’t—“
“You were so deep in your grief you wouldn’t have heard me,” Sarutobi cut in, “this village was so caught up in their hatred that nobody cared. They all ignored it so they could keep beating him, so they wouldn’t feel guilty if they ‘accidentally’ killed him.” Deflating with his rage, he sighed, turning towards the monument. “I was foolish enough to hold onto the hope that someone would see it, realized just what they were doing, how terrible it was, that I turned a blind eye to it all.”
“Minato-kun, I’m so sorry.” He bowed to his face, “I drove your son from the very place he saved.”
“No.” Kakashi spoke up, making both men jump. “I’m bringing him back.”
“What?!” Iruka bellowed, “But how, you saw them vanish too! How are you gonna find Naruto with a fox demon watching over him?”
It was his turn to look at the carvings, “I’ll bring Naruto-kun back Minato-sensei, Kushina-chan. I turned my back on him for too long. It’s time I made up with my otouto.” He turned to the old man, “Whatever it takes, I will bring him back.”
~^~^~^~^~
He woke up warm and peaceful buried under soft furs to the most glorious scent in the world. Trying to sit up, he couldn’t help crying out at the sharp pain in his arm.
“Naruto-kun,” her voice called out as the covers were pulled away. “Are you alright?”
Now that he had light, he turned to find a bandage wrapped firmly around his arm. “What’s this for? Why’s it still there? You fixed my leg you stupid fox, fix my arm!” he almost roared as he snapped up.
Hisoka just laughed at him as that voice answered, ‘No.’
“WHAT?! Why not! You’ve fixed worse.” Naruto hopped to his feet, trying to swing his fists at something.
‘Yes I have,’ the voice was so bland, ‘but you don’t need it. I never healed everything. You do it; Hisoka needs to know what you can take Kit. Besides, you need something to remind yourself why.’
The bottom fell out of his anger, knocking him on his bottom. “I’ll never forget,” he mumbled as his hand absently covered it. “There’s too much bad to forget it all… and the good is too precious to loose.”
There was a moment before the fox hummed. ‘Yes, they are.’ Naruto smiled softly.
‘But we’re not out here just to hide. We didn’t leave that place just so I could do all the fighting. You can’t take it right now. You’ll never be able to use all my power Kit, but hopefully you can use enough to kill these arrogant little bastards that don’t know what the hells they’re getting into.’ Kyuubi ended growling.
“Huh?” Naruto asked.
Hisoka took his hand, “Never mind. You’re probably hungry, my little runt.” She smiled at his glare, “I made udon.”
“Wow!” stepping off the platform, he spun around, checking things out. It looked a lot like Old Man Hokage’s: there were shoji panels everywhere, another platform and futon on his right, a whole wall of bookcases in front of him with a low table, but to his left – “it’s like my old apartment.” He suddenly twisted away as Hisoka set the pot on the table, chewing his lip, “But I…”
She only smiled as she sat across the table from him. “You thought I lived in a dirt cave like a wild fox, didn’t you?” she chucked as he fidgeted, “I am a vixen Naruto, but I’m also a bijuu. Humans had done some terrible things to me and mine. But Kyuubi no Youko granted me a chance to avenge my loss.” Naruto turned to her, “Master taught me all about chakra, even giving me some of his own too.”
The chuckle tickled his nose. ‘Unlike the other idiots that I empowered, that rushed in just as chaotically as the humans that hurt and betrayed them, Hisoka plotted and planned with the cunning of a true kitsune. She is one of the few beings in this world that has earned my respect.’
She blushed at the compliment, somehow making Naruto trust her a little more. “Over the years, Master and I have crossed paths many times,” she tickled his foot with one of her tails, “he was kind enough to train me on each new tail. I’ve trained all across the continent, and now you will too.”
“Wealry,” he perked up even as she scolded him. He swallowed with an impish grin, “So where are we now?”
“We’re still in Fire Country.” Hisoka smiled as he fought off a yawn, “Master didn’t heal your arm, and your stomach was growling so loud it almost woke you, so I put safety before distance.” Standing she started picking up dishes as he wobbled. “Now back to bed, you’re still healing and it’s late.”
“ ‘kay.” He mumbled, crawling back to the futon.
Hisoka smiled weakly as he curled up, “I could give you your own room if you’d like.”
He shook his head as he pulled the furs up. “No, I like it like this,” he half-whispered, half-mumbled, “’Night Hisoka-chan.”
Jumping slightly at that, she stroked his hair softly, “Good night… Naruto-chan.”
~^~^~^~^~^~
It cleared out about half his savings, but 12 years with no one to fend for but himself it wouldn’t hurt.
He’d laid every trap he knew – four times around the building, six around his old apartment.
Scents fade and change over the years…
But he wasn’t gonna lose it.
Standing there by the lumpy mattress, a whole new guilt washed over him.
He failed.
The most important mission of his entire life and he didn’t even see it.
The last wish of his hero… his second father…
The Sandaime was right.
He really did look like them.
But he was so selfish.
Wallowing so deep in his grief; running away into ANBU, avoiding the village…
Treating what would have been his little brother no differently than the rest of them.
He never laid a hand on him.
But he stood back and let them.
He really considered doing it.
He failed.
He should.
But he promised.
The starlight shown brightly through the window, showing him why this one.
Those stone eyes seemed to bore into him, hurt and confused.
“Sensei…” he whispered as the pain raced across his palm, “I will make amends.”
~^~^~^~^~^~
Scrambling on the ledge, the pebbles tumbled with peals of laughter.
“PPHHHTTTT…. I……. I can’t—“ he swung a leg over the edge, rolling up and around, holding his gut. “D-damn… sh—“ he squeezed out between chuckles, “It’s fucking hilarious!!”
He almost rolled off again, catching his tail in a crack. Swinging back and forth with the giggles, “I don’t believe it! Shu—“ he let loose a guffaw so loud it echoed.
“A fucking TEDDY BEAR!!”