Chapter 39
Last Time:
The ninja before him nodded and scattered.
Now:
~ Time skip – The Outskirts of Konoha Two Days Later ~
Naruto grinned as he ate breakfast with the rest of the team. "Alright team, we're about an hour away from Konoha. Before we start these exams, anyone have any questions?" Naruto asked through a bite of his apple. "Yea, I have one. How are you going to get people to lay off the whole helmet thing?" Samui asked curiously. "Simple, third degree burns. No one wants to see that, so they'll lay off." Naruto replied. "What if they need to verify?" Omoi asked.
"Well, it isn't uncommon for people to use masks during these events. I'm sure I won't be the only one wearing that. Besides, the Raikage vouched for it." Naruto reasoned as he put the helmet on. "Daylight Vision, on." Naruto whispered. The once black glass inside of the helmet turned clear while the outside remained its black color. "Perfect, everyone pack up and let's move out." Naruto said to his team. They all nodded and went to put away their gear or to finish whatever else they needed to do.
Naruto sat quietly on a stump in the campsite as his team got ready. This was a big emotional problem for him. Part of him wanted to go in guns blazing and showing them what they lost, but his more logical side of mind warned him against it. Hiruzen was also a major roadblock. At this point, he wasn't sure whether he hated the brat or not. Yes, it was true Hiruzen had nothing to do with him being disowned or ignored, but the fact remained he was the root of those problems. He wasn't sure what to do about his little brother.
And then there were his parents. Sure, they were dicks and all, but he didn't resent them. On the contrary, if his parents didn't do what they did, he'd probably be leading some crappy civilian life. But the hatred was still there. That searing core inside that demanded retribution, that wanted them to feel what he felt. And underneath all of that, there was still a small child that was tossed aside. It was hard to let go of the hatred, of that much there was no doubt. 'I'm just going to have to clear a few things about them and then I'll see where I stand.' Naruto mused.
He suddenly felt a comforting weight on his shoulder and turned to see Samui leaning her head on his shoulder. 'Damn, I've got to pay more attention.' Naruto mentally berated himself. "Something troubling you, Naruto-kun?" Samui asked in her soft tone of voice. "Nothing really, just thinking." Naruto mused. "About what?" Another voice next to him asked. "Just things, Yugito-chan." Naruto replied absent-mindedly. "It's about Konoha, isn't it?" Samui asked.
"Yea, kind of. It's just…there's hundreds of things that I don't know, and I have no idea how I'm going to deal with them." Naruto replied, waiting for their answers. "Well, I think you should just.. do whatever makes you happy, not what any one else tells you to do." Yugito said in an attempt to help. "If that doesn't work, you always have us.." Samui chimed in with a smile on her face. "Which reminds me.." Naruto started in a teasing tone. "When was it decided I would be the boyfriend to both of you?" Naruto asked.
"The night we got back that you crashed on Samui's bed. There was a meeting." Yugito replied in a teasing tone. "Yea, we decided it was better to share with each other than to go up against each other, plus whatever other girls' eyes you might catch." Samui finished, helping her friend. "Ever think of inviting me to the meeting?" Naruto asked sarcastically. "We considered it, but you were too involved." Yugito replied happily. "Of course I'm involved, this whole thing is about me!" Naruto replied.
"Now now, isn't that a bit conceited on your part?" Samui teased. Naruto fumed. "Alright guys, we're all set." Omoi said as he and Karui approached the rest of the team. "Perfect, let's move out." Naruto said. The rest of his team nodded and quickly scattered towards the village gates at break neck speeds.
~ Village Gates ~
Izumo and Kotetsu groaned in unison as they stood guard at the village gates. The Chunnin exams were just a few days away and that meant that guard duty was nothing but a meet and greet for Shinobi from foreign villages and a mess of paperwork to fill out. "Man, why can't anything interesting ever happen?" Izumo complained Kotetsu smiled at the attitude of his long time friend. 'Some things never change..' He mused as he remembered their genin days. He turned to the gate entrance to see four Shinobis wearing Kumo headbands casually strolling towards them.
:Be careful what you wish for.." He muttered as he stepped from behind their small guard booth and stood before them. "Halt! Identify yourself and your reason for being in Konoha!" He stated in a loud voice as Izumo stood guard behind him. "Special team from Kumo reporting for the Chunnin Exams." Samui said as she extended her hands. The rest of her team quickly handed her the ID's and permits. She then handed them to Izumo who looked them over. "Alright, everything seems to be in order." He said. "Except for one thing." He quickly added.
"Where is your Jounin Sensei?" Kotetsu asked. "We were a team of Genin comprised of the most promising. As such, we have no team since we were picked by the Raikage himself." Yugito replied. "Who's this "Vee"? Izumo asked as he looked at the picture of the cloaked Naruto. "That would be me." Vee said as he took a step up. "Who exactly are you supposed to be?" He demanded. "Who? Who is but the form following the function of what and what I am is a man in a mask." Vee replied slyly.
"I can see that!" Izumo shouted at him. "Listen buddy, I am Vee. I am registered, here on the behalf of the Raikage to inspire good will, and ready to participate. I wear this helmet because certain..incidents on my career as a shinobi have caused me to suffer severe damage. You are more than welcome to look, but you will find the result of the cruel torture regimens from origins that shall remain unspecified." Vee said harshly at Izumo, making the man cringe.
As a shinobi, one of the worst risks you ran was being captured, tortured, and killed. For this genin to have gone through such hardships before he even got ahead in his career really meant something. "Alright, you may pass." Kotetsu said. The team took a few steps forward, but were immeadiately intercepted by Konoha's Anbu forces. Naruto quickly unsealed his sword and took a defensive stance while Yugito unsheathed her claws and channeled chakra into them, making them come alive with blue flames.
Samui unsheathed her sword and took a defensive stance while Karui unsealed her large daggers and put them into a reverse grip in front of her. Omoi was about to unsheathe his sword when the head Anbu stepped up. "Wait, we mean you no harm!" He exclaimed and ordered the rest of his men to scatter. This helped relieve some of the tension as the rest of the team except for Naruto lowered their weapons. "What do you want?" Naruto asked bluntly. "The Hokage requests an audience with you." The Anbu replied calmly. Any reason in particular?" Naruto asked the man warily.
"I was not informed, merely told to direct any teams from Kumo to the Hokage Tower." The Anbu replied. Naruto carefully nodded and lowered his sword. "We'll be there shortly." Naruto replied. The man nodded and disappeared. Naruto sighed as he sealed his sword. "Great, now what are we going to do.." Samui muttered behind him. " I don't know about you.." Naruto began as he looked to the Hokage Tower. "But I want some answers." Naruto finished as he headed to the Tower.
Samui and Yugito looked to each other and nodded and quickly took off after Naruto. He was going to need all the help he could get.
~ Hokage Tower ~
Naruto sighed as he looked at the door before him. Never had he envisioned himself seeing his former family so soon. Yugito and Samui both placed a hand on his shoulder. "Alright, you girls ready?" He asked weakly. "Are you?" Samui asked back. "Never mind that. The stage is set, the curtains are rising, and it's show time." Naruto said as he knocked on t he door. "Enter." A monotone voice said. 'Great, same douche.' Naruto thought as he stepped in.
Gathered around the Hokage's desk were the Hokage himself, Minato Namikaze, his wife Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze and the toad sage of Konoha, Jiraiya. "Can I help you?" Minato asked the man in the odd helmet with a V shape and the rest of the team standing before him. "Apparently, you requested us here." Vee replied as he pointed at Omoi's forehead. Minato quickly recognized the forehead protector and his attitude changed.
"Yes, I did, sorry for my rudeness. I asked you here in hopes you could provide me with some information about a Shinobi from your village." Minato said as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "One Naruto Romanov, I assume?" Vee asked in a venomous tone. "Yes, he is a wanted criminal here in Konoha for the kidnapping of my son.." Kushina began as she stepped up towards where Vee was sitting. "Stop right there." Vee said, cutting her off. "It is my understanding you currently only have one son and one clan heir. You disowned your son and put him out." Vee pointed out as he took a seat on a couch and propped his feet on the coffee table.
HE motioned for the rest of his team to do the same. "Not only that, but Romanov found him and took him in. Should we treat a good Samaritan as a criminal for a good deed he committed?" Naruto asked Kushina, seeing her face getting a tinge of red from anger. "Not only that, but he is a respected Shinobi within the Kumo ranks, well in his way to becoming one of the strongest." Vee added. "You expect us to sell out a comrade? With all of the praise Konoha emphasizes on teamwork, you would think they'd know that will never happen." Vee said as he stood up.
"And thus, I leave you to your thoughts." Vee said as he stood and went to the door. "Wait, you can't leave! You just admitted to your village harboring one of our most wanted!" Jiraiya demanded. "And as a hidden village, Kumo may grant amnesty to one of their Shinobi's." Yugito shot back, making Jiraiya simmer down. "Calm down, Yugi-chan. We don't need this." Vee said as he patted her shoulder. "Though before I leave, Romanov is a good friend of mine and told me of his time with Naruto." Vee added with his back turned to them.
"Let me tell you, that kid was a gold mine. Legendary infiltration skills, amazing stamina, great strength, good with weapons, though none of those even came close to his best quality." Vee said. "Sheer willpower.. Enough to even put Romanov to shame. And when he started chakra training, he took to it like a fish to water. No flashy techniques, but the core basics. He was able to manipulate them and mold them into his own." Vee said, making Kushina tear up and Minato look down in shame.
"There was one question Romanov said Naruto asked him he never answered, and I hope to get one for an old friend." Vee said, making Kushina perk up. "What was it?" she asked in a weak voice. "When Naruto was 10, he asked Romanov this: "Why did my parents stop loving me?" Vee said in an icy tone, making everyone in the room cringe. "We never stopped loving him!" Kushina yelled at him. "Really? Then why disown him?" Vee asked her, shutting her up.
"It's not like that! It was for the betterment of the clan!" Minato yelled as he stepped up. "Oh really, the great Namikaze clan consisting of.." Vee said as he looked at Kushina and Minato and raised three fingers. ".. three members?" Vee said with venom in his voice. "You're overstepping your boundaries, Genin!" Jiraiya yelled at Vee. "And you're overstepping yours, sage." Vee replied. "What would the Raikage say if he heard you tried to coerce information out of his genin?" Naruto asked, making Jiraiya shut up.
"We'll leave you to your thoughts.." Vee said as he got up and left with his team, leaving the two Namikazes and the toad sage to their thoughts. That one question kept resounding in their minds. 'Why did my parents stop loving me?'
A/N: Not the full confrontation, but a small teaser. You want more?
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