章節 378: The Lonely Ones by The Druid of Oak (Naruto)
*NarutoxTsume*
Latest Update:January 6, 2023
Summary: It takes a lonely heart to understand a lonely heart. In the years following the end of the war, Naruto has found himself isolated from his friends. A mission to the Inuzuka Compound introduces him to a woman left behind by her family and clan. A mutual respect turns passionate as they give each other purpose.
Link: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/14174076/1/The-Lonely-Ones
Word count:24k
Chapters:7
Chapter One
Naruto Uzumaki paced in front of the Hokage's desk with his arms behind his back. His eyes narrowed as the silence drew on, and the beat of his heart quickened as dread crept into all corners of his mind. Beads of sweat rolled down his face, getting lost in the thick goatee framing his lips. He did not know how much longer any man, especially himself, could take such cruel torture.
"I'm sorry, Naruto." Kakashi sighed and tossed a scroll into the finished pile. "There are no missions requiring your abilities."
Naruto instantly closed the distance between himself and the desk, slamming both palms onto the wood with a pitiful moan. "Don't give me that crap! There must be something available for me."
The Sixth Hokage remained calm with an expression of boredom from having this exchange daily for the past three months. "Guess ushering in an age of peace has some downsides, eh? Not having missions is a good thing."
"Good thing? What the hell am I supposed to do?" Naruto dropped into the chairs and crossed his arms like a child denied a toy at the store. "Ain't got training. Ain't got missions. What's a guy supposed to do to keep from going crazy?"
"Relax? Date? Take up hobbies?" Kakashi unrolled the next scroll, quickly stamping his seal of approval and moving to the next. "All of your friends are busy building a peaceful life…some with each other."
"Don't start that shit with me. Granny has been pestering me about that for the past year." Naruto rolled his eyes. He did NOT want to be lectured about the lack of his romance by the man who read pornography in public. "Hinata and I just didn't mix well, ya know?"
"I understand completely. Sai is still single, I think. Maybe I could arrange a special mission with you two. Something romantic in the mountains with a hot spring."
"Pass." Naruto shuddered at the idea of being romantic with any male, with Sai at the bottom of the list if he ever decided to chase the same team. "I guess I'll hang around here with you. As future Hokage, I need to learn about the basics."
The color drained from Kakashi's face quicker than an Aburame rushing to the aid of a cockroach. "Actually, I might have something for you. The Inuzuka need someone to help with bathing dogs."
"Eh? Isn't that like a D-Rank or something?" Kakashi refused to give him anything below a C-Rank to allow fresh Genin teams to still partake in missions. Apparently, his ability to spawn limitless clones of himself left little work for everyone else.
"C-Rank. You will be meeting with Tsume Inuzuka to…."
"Kiba's mom?"
"Please do not interrupt me. Yes, Tsume is Kiba's mother. You'll work alongside her to clean some of their returning war dogs." Kakashi chucked the mission scroll at Naruto, grinning as it smacked his forehead with a dull thud.
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Why is washing a bunch of mutts considered a C-rank? Akamaru is one of the laziest people…dogs…person…things in the entire village! Hells, he might be even lazier than you!"
"If only you could get a little lazier." Kakashi sighed and shook his head. "Akamaru is a tracking dog, not a war dog. Most shinobi don't get to see the Inuzuka war dogs in action due to their unique…personalities. Washing them can be dangerous if you annoy them too much. You might not be the best choice for this…."
Naruto hugged the scroll to his chest and glared at his former teacher. "I'll take it! How hard can washing a bunch of stinky mutts be? I'll be done with this by the afternoon! You better have something good for me when I get back."
"Whatever." Sensing the last obstacle to his relaxation was about to depart to bother someone else, Kakashi took out a familiar, well-worn orange novel. "Don't get bit!"
Once on the streets of Konoha, Naruto unrolled the scroll and looked at the details of the assignment closely. Tsume requested an entire team of experienced Genin that could function well as a team with little supervision. Soft-spoken people were preferred due to the dogs' aggressive and stand-offish nature. The assignment lacked a duration, with the mission only being considered completed once all sixteen dogs were cleaned to Tsume's standard. While not a concern for him, she was paying a considerable sum for the help and promised a bonus reward for exceptional service. Overall, sounded like the perfect job for a few clones per dog. This was far from the type of mission he wanted, but it gave him something to do instead of training or lying around his apartment.
"Can't work on an empty stomach," Naruto stuffed the scroll into his back pocket. He made his way to Ichiraku's for a quick breakfast of three bowls of ramen along with a serving of dumplings. The stupidly grinning expression lasted until the ramen stand came into view, dimming into a forced smile at the three people enjoying an unusually early bowl. He was about to slip away when he heard a loud bark announce his arrival.
"Ahaha! Naruto!" Kiba Inuzuka and the rest of Team Eight turned their heads to stare at him. "Mister Teuchi was wondering if you were going to stop by. Did Lord Hokage give you a mission yet?"
Naruto, thinking fast, hurried to the counter. "He sure did! I have to help your mom wash a bunch of dogs or something. Old man! Give me three bowls to go. Don't got time to chat too much!" Teuchi and his daughter gave a quick thumbs up, hurrying to meet the demands of their favorite customer.
"Understand. She can be a real bitch." Kiba rubbed Akamaru's head and chuckled. "Glad she didn't ask me for help with the returning warband."
Hinata Hyūga poked her fingers together, trying her best to avoid staring at her long-time crush and former boyfriend. "You shouldn't say such things about Lady Inuzuka. She is a nice woman."
"I believe she is the same person to refer to you as a mouse." Shino pushed his glasses up. "The former Inuzuka Matriarch is known to be rough in her social interactions."
"That's saying it lightly. Mom once scared off an entire enemy battalion with a snarl." Kiba snorted, taking a sip of his beer. "You all should've seen the relief on the elders' faces when Hana took over the Matriarch Position."
Seeing herself outnumbered, Hinata looked down into her bowl. "Perhaps she is just not a people person."
"Saying it lightly. I remember the night dad fled from the compound in sheer terror. She scared him so bad that he left the village." Kiba rubbed the back of his head. "Mom operates on a different set of rules."
Naruto, glad that the male member of Team Eight was carrying on the conversation, remained silent to avoid speaking with the Hyūga Heiress. Their relationship lasted only a few months, but their breakup did not go smoothly. Of course, no split ever did, but the fallout from it still affected him, with some of his friends refusing to speak with him for breaking Hinata's heart. Luckily, neither Shino nor Kiba held any ill will towards him and supported his decision to terminate the relationship.
"Tsume Inuzuka is the type of woman who lives outside of society. She is an outcast in the truest sense of the word." Shino shook his head. The bond between Team Eight allowed such things to be said in the open without fear of hurting another's feelings.
Kiba shrugged and finished the last spring roll on his plate. "Yeah, you're right. Hana and me have tried to get mom to be more sociable, but nothing seems to work. Some people are meant to be alone."
Naruto flinched at the statement, having heard similar things said about him. His status as a jinchūriki and troublemaker did not win him many friends growing up. Even after everything, many of the civilians of the village viewed him with warm mistrust, unable to find safety knowing that someone with so much raw power was visiting the same supermarkets. He did not mind their suspicions, accepting it as an unchanging fact about his life. Still, he hated that another person had to be labeled a pariah. Teuchi's arrival with his order gave him an exit from the brooding thoughts and lopsided conversation.
"Thanks a bunch, old man! See you around dinner time." Naruto placed a wad of bills on the counter and turned to take to the rooftops. From the corner of his eye, he saw Hinata look at him with her lips openings. Kiba, far from the oblivious dolt many thought of him as, placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder to stay her.
"Good luck dealing with mom, Naruto! Hit me up for some training if you're not too tired later!"
Naruto, eternally grateful, flashed a genuine grin. "I can kick your ass even if I smell as bad as you!" Then, with a subtle nod of thanks, he jumped to the nearest rooftop and made his way toward the Inuzuka Compound.
He had never been to that part of the village despite having lived in Konoha since birth, never having a reason to make a call at the Inuzuka or Aburame compounds. Located in the so-called 'Western District,' both clans had been awarded their compounds sometime after the First War for their aid of the Land of Fire. Most of the foreigners or descendants of foreigners lived in the district, including Tenten. Thankfully, colorful signposts pointed him to the compound. The pair of guards at the entrance, a couple of bored chūnin busy looking at a boobie magazine, granted him entry after a quick read of the mission scroll. He noted their look of pity and wondered if Kakashi had given him this mission as punishment.
The war kennel holding war dogs was located towards the back end of the compound, away from the residential buildings and the homes of more even-tempered dogs. He arrived far earlier than Tsume requested, enjoying his first round of ramen in the shade of an oak tree some distance away from the barking of dogs. Basking in the afterglow, Naruto did not realize the wolfdog's presence until a razor-sharp claw poked his cheeks.
"Kiba's not here." Naruto opened an eye to stare at the white and grey wolfdog staring back at him with a single eye. A black eyepatch covered the eye under the dog's remaining ear. "He's doing stuff with his team. I will tell him that you stopped by."
Naruto yawned and swatted the paw away. "Kakashi-Sensei gave me a mission to help wash some dogs. Just taking a break before heading in."
The wolfdog narrowed its single black eye. "Tsume requested a full genin team."
"So?" Seeing the dog unhappy, Naruto sighed and put his hands together to create a trio of clones. "I'm far better than a group of snot-nosed brats. She'll be jumping with joy at me being around!"
The wolfdog did not respond, trotting into the kennel with a heavy step that showed little amusement. Naruto was about to close his eyes when the door to the kennel slammed open, metal against metal. A string of curses proclaimed the arrival of Tsume Inuzuka.
She stopped in front of him, fists resting against her hips. It must have been almost four years since he last saw Kiba's mom, and the woman looked as youthful as ever, with only the faintest signs of age hanging under her burning eyes. Despite being in the reserves, she still wore her flak jacket over a black bodysuit as if expecting a battle at any moment. Spiky brown hair, shorter than his own by a few inches, framed her sharp face and did nothing to hide the raw fury pulling her purple-tinted lips back into a snarl promising pain at the slightest provocation.
"Is this the best that asshole can do?" Tsume raised her hand to silence Naruto. "This is the complete opposite of what I requested! Can you believe this, Kuro?"
"Indeed, I can." The wolfdog stared at Naruto with a mixture of pity and aggression. "Your reputation has never been the best."
Naruto coughed loudly, drawing the attention of the spurred woman fully. "Kakashi-sensei isn't like that! I've been bothering him for a mission, and this is literally the only thing he had for me." Then, seeing her anger slightly pacified, he climbed to his feet and smiled. "My clones can do most of the work!"
"Should I break the news to him?" The wolfdog looked up at its mistress.
"Allow me, sweet Kuromaru." Tsume's snarl turned into a malicious smile. "The wardogs are trained to attack clones on sight. No clones this time, boy. Hope you've learned more tricks than that." Seeing his spirit drop, she charged in for the killing blow. "Since you're already here, I suppose I'll let you help. It'll make my day seeing you torn to scraps."
Naruto took a big gulp of air and nodded, following her into the kennel. In an instant, the barks and yelps of the wardogs ceased with sixteen pairs of black, hungry eyes staring at him. He regretted bugging Kakashi for a mission and hoped that some god or goddess had his back.
"Listen up, ladies and gentlemen." Tsume marched down the center aisle of the kennel, inspecting each of the mud-crusted dogs with a barbaric smile of an uncivilized mother. "Naruto Uzumaki…that Naruto Uzumaki…has been ordered to give each of you a bath with my help. He has not been around any dog before besides the runt Akamaru. So let's all make sure to give him a warm reception. Naruto! Who is your next of kin?"
"What?"
"The person who will take care of your remains and possessions in the case of your unfortunate demise." Kuromaru took a seat next to Naruto and leaned in to whisper. "Play along. This is her favorite part."
"Iruka-sensei is kinda like my dad." Naruto rubbed the back of his head and gave a nervous chuckle, hoping to sound like a green Genin ready to piss his pants.
Tsume nodded slowly. "Remember the name, hounds. He'll be the one coming to pick the boy from your teeth if he messes up!" A choir of barks and snarls responded joyfully. "Now, I will take each dog from their cage and bring them to the wash station in the other room. You'll oversee giving them a scrub and rinse. After that, I'll take care of the rest. Should be able to get through half of the pack by the end of today."
"Yes, ma'am!" Her tone left little room for argument, and Naruto sensed that she was a woman that expected all her orders to be followed without question. On the bright side, this gave him a mission for two days, meaning he wouldn't be bored. Kuromaru walked him to the wash station, explaining the basics of dog washing.
Kuromaru, content with his explanation, hopped onto the table to stare at him. "Repeat back my instructions."
"Blue soap first, rinse, then switch to the yellow soap. Rinse and brush. Finish with pink soap." Naruto rubbed the back of his head, chuckling as he prayed that was the correct order.
"Acceptable." Kuromaru's single ear perked up. "Seems the dogs are eager to begin. Tsume is giving them a pep talk to calm them down."
"You can understand them?"
"Of course. I am a dog."
"But…I thought where you spoke…."
"Ah! That." Kuromaru hopped down from the table. "A few of us, when bonded to the right owner, can gain the ability to speak like a human. It requires years of training and a kind temperament from the trainer."
Kind temperament. The words seemed odd when about the woman who spoke of him becoming the dogs' next helping of kibble.
"Will Akamaru speak?"
"No. While a great companion, Kiba lacks the instinct to form that kind of bond."
"So, it goes beyond being just friends. You must truly understand one another on a spiritual level." Naruto's eyes closed, reaching out to the connection he shared with Kurama. A warm and wet sensation, like an animal's nose, pressed against his cheek. The gesture of affection from his best friend brought a smile to his face.
"You must have formed such a bond with another," Kuromaru said knowingly. "It takes a special type of person to do so. I have a feeling these dogs will take to you well." He paused upon hearing the metallic clink of a cage door opening. "Prove me right, Son of Uzu! Your first customer is on his way!"
Naruto braced himself as the first dog charged into the room with a storm of spit and snarl. It locked eyes with him, instantly sizing him up as a potential challenger. He remembered his first encounters with Kurama and decided not to be the brat that antagonized the beast that suffered just as much as he had. With a gentle smile, he patted the metal table of the station.
"Come on up! You're about to get the whirlpool wash!" The beast regarded him with an apprehensive curiosity, slowly making its way to the table. Then, seeing the beast ready to bolt to the open door, Naruto decided on another approach: he turned the hose upon himself. "Wouldn't do anything to you that I wouldn't do to myself, ya know?"
Kuromaru watched the dog hop onto the table without reservation, allowing the bath to commence in a peace rarely seen. He glanced towards Tsume, standing at the door with her arms crossed. She looked feral as ever but held a ghost of a smile. Few people in the Inuzuka Clan had such a mindset, and even fewer outside the Clan thought of themselves on the same levels as the dogs. Most handlers saw themselves above their canine companion. Those who viewed the dogs as their equals were given an understanding of the beast that words could never adequately express. His lone eye returned to Naruto, and he gave a pleasing bark as the boy…friend…started with the blue soap.
"Excellent! The blue soap will break up all the mud and allow the yellow-shedding shampoo to work properly. Amateurs always skip the initial wash," Tsume stepped next to Naruto, watching his handiwork with a critical eye. "Don't be afraid of using those fingernails to scrub. You won't hurt them." Naruto increased the force and smiled as more mud came off. "That's good. Give him a rinse and move to the yellow. Don't worry about the setting. We use it just to loosen some of the fur. Makes my job far easier."
"What's the pink shampoo for?"
"Makes him smell good!"
"Wait…if these dogs use such shampoos…why does Kiba smell?" That was a mystery Naruto never understood. His dog of a best friend always carried a slightly unpleasant musk with him. He always assumed it to be from Akamaru or the other dogs living with the Inuzuka.
Tsume barked with laughter, slamming her fist against the wall and doing her best to remain standing. "Thank you! Kuromaru and I have been trying to tell that blockhead to bathe more! Just be glad that Kurenai convinced him to shower more than once a week."
"That's so gross!" Naruto's face twisted at the thought of body odor. But, despite growing up as an orphan, personal hygiene ranked high on his list of priorities. So his daily wash happened no matter even on missions. "Maybe you could make a mission for the village."
"Yeah, and then Kakashi will make you do it."
"On second thought, maybe we should just let him stew in his own stink for a bit." Naruto stuck his tongue out. "We'll chalk it up to his own special personality."
Kuromaru huffed and laid down, sensing that the rest of the dogs would behave well for Naruto. "It is fortunate that you lack the nose to truly appreciate his odor."
The morning and afternoon passed in the blink of an eye, with Naruto and Tsume lost in work. With the smoothness of the work, neither of them decided to take a break in hopes of completing the entire kennel in a single day and, in turn, breaking a long-standing record dating back to the early days of the Inuzuka in Konoha. While they did work hard and struggled little with even the liveliest of dogs, they only managed to finish twelve baths by the time Kuromaru woke up from his mid-afternoon nap.
"I'm really sorry, ma'am. This is my first time doing this." Naruto sprayed down the table with disinfectant. "I thought for sure we were going to make it."
"Don't apologize to me, pup. This was the most fun I've had in a long time." Long gone was the feral woman seeking to intimidate. Naruto did not know if her personality change came from her tiredness or respect for his work ethic. "We'll be able to finish up the last four tomorrow morning before lunch."
"I'll be here bright and early. This was a blast."
Tsume vacuumed the last of the hair and emptied the bag into a trash can. "Well, whenever you want to help, you're welcome to tag along with me. Ain't every day I get a good helper around here."
"Sure! Once you look past all the biting and glares, all the dogs are pretty friendly. You can't judge a book by the cover, ya know?" Such a simple saying meant the world to him. It took many years before people looked at him other than the host of the fox that took so much from the village.
"Good! I'm sure we'll be able to beat that damn record in a few weeks. Imagine everyone's faces when our names are placed above the kennels in honor." Tsume looked over the wash station once more to ensure everything was left in good condition. "Looking good. We always want to ensure this place is left clean in case a team comes back late from a mission. Nothing sucks more than coming home with a dirty dog only to find the washroom a mess."
"Should I walk him to the gate?" Kuromaru yawned and stretched.
"No. I shall do it. Head back home. I'm making steak tonight to celebrate a good day of hard work."
"Kiba will love that." Naruto examined his soaked jacket, dreading doing laundry for the third time that week. "Bet he can wolf done a few rib-eyes."
Tsume chuckled and shook her head. "Kiba won't be having any. He is too old to have mommy cook for him anymore. At least, that's what he tells me. Since moving out, the boy has developed an obsession with fast food."
"He has gained a few pounds as of late," Naruto mused. While far from concerning, many people remarked how Kiba's belly had grown a few inches since last winter. However, the women did not seem to mind, and that is all the Inuzuka male cared about. "You don't live with the rest of the clan?"
"Nah. I've moved out to a small place in the forests outside the compound. Gives me and Kuromaru plenty of privacy." She smiled though it lacked the radiance of the ones from before. "It's time that the Inuzuka enter a new age. Can't have a dinosaur walk around."
"You're not a dinosaur! Granny Tsunade is the only dinosaur I know…and those two advisors that bother Kakashi with dumb problems." Naruto frowned a moment, praying that the two old coots would croak before he became Hokage.
Tsume chuckled, holding the door open for him. "There is far more to being a dinosaur than just wrinkles. Inuzuka lifespans are far longer than the average person, with only the Uzumaki living longer. Hell, my mother lived to be almost one-fifty before dying."
"Well…you're still not a dinosaur!" Naruto followed behind her with a deep frown. He hated self-deprecating humor. "I bet you can still kick a lot of butts. If you're a dinosaur…you're a T-Rex!"
The comment earned a hearty chuckle from Tsume. "You're one hell of a motivational speaker, kid. You'll be an amazing Hokage from the speeches alone."
"Well, Kakashi-Sensei did warn me about not having too long of an acceptance speech." But, of course, he still had many years before being named Hokage. Still, the former cyclops prepared him for the role through humor-filled conversations, typically about certain 'Narutoisms" that were better left behind closed doors.
They reached the compound's front gate, still talking about the many things Kakashi told him not to do as Hokage did. Naruto rubbed the back of his head, seeing it was time to depart from the wild woman's company. Despite the initial impressions and warnings from Kiba, Tsume was much more fun than anyone else in the village. Even in the middle of a job, she was able to carry on with an infectious merriment that brightened the room. To the prudish, it seemed childish at best and barbaric at worst. But, for Naruto, it was the sign of a free spirit not so different than how Jiraiya portrayed himself.
"Thanks again for the help today. Needless to say, but you proved me wrong." Tsume held out her hand, which Naruto took for a heavy shake. "Damn shame you weren't born into the Clan. With your talent for dogs, you would've been a fierce warrior."
"I just can't wait to come back. I'll be here early tomorrow morning." He grinned and rubbed the back of his forehead, basking in the compliment. Many people praised him, but few could do so and sound purely genuine.
"If we get done early enough, I'll prepare a special lunch in celebration. The scroll did mention a bonus reward. May the road rise to meet your feet, Naruto."
Tsume pushed the front door of her cottage home open. She threw her flak jacket over one of the three chairs around the fireplace. She ran both hands through her hair, releasing a heavy sigh and feeling the start of weariness creeping into her mind. While from an old coot, she was aware of the first signs of her age catching up with her. She could no longer work an entire day and stay up all night feasting with her friends and family. Now, she preferred a quiet evening at home with Kuromaru and a good book.
Speaking of the canine, Kuromaru sat in the kitchen next to the porcelain dog bowl bearing his name. The wolfdog watched her with an unusual expression ladened with curiosity.
"Speak your questions, Kuro."
"How did you think the boy did today?"
"Naruto did a good enough job for an outsider."
"We both know he did far better than that." Kuromaru nodded towards the fridge, mushing her forward with dinner preparation.
"What do you want me to say? He is a natural with dogs and probably with animals in general. Makes sense given that he is the current toad sage AND host of an animal spirit."
Tsume removed two large steaks from the fridge, slicing the packages open with her claws and preparing them for a quick trip to a skillet on the stovetop.
Kuromaru moved to her side to watch the preparations for dinner. "You seemed to enjoy his company. You even invited him back."
"So?"
"When was the last time you actually wanted someone around you?"
She waited to respond, focusing on seasoning the meat to perfection and buttering the skillet. "An exile does not deserve the joys of company."
Kuromaru's passive indifference exploded into rage. "You are not an exile. The fight was far from fair and should never taken place. You bear no shame from the duel. What kind of mother would spill the blood of her child?"
"Perhaps you're right, but the end result remains the same." Tsume turned the knob of the stove to medium-high. "Hana challenged my position as Matriarch with the backing of the Pack Heads. I could not rise to the challenge and lost. It is better this way. The Clan wishes to move in a direction that runs against my ideology. My continued presence would only serve as a roadblock."
A tense silence passed between the companions, each trying to understand the position of the other without budging from their own beliefs.
"I hope he does show his face around more often," Tsume relented. "It feels nice knowing someone shares a belief similar to mine."
"You're both untamed and noble." Kuromaru returned to his bowl as Tsume removed his steak from the skillet first. "Damn shame he was not born among the clan." A mischievous smirk formed on his muzzle. "Damn shame he was not a few years older, eh?"
Tsume spun around and pointed a fork at him. "Do not start that type of talk."
"I am merely speaking hypotheticals. Imagine the pair of you roaming the remote forests of the world together, exploring the forgotten places of humanity in search of ancient lore, and spending the night entangled in each other's embrace."
"Either you're far more creative than I've given you credit for, or you have been reading some garbage."
"I've only been reading the stuff you buy."
"Let's enjoy our dinner in silence."
Satisfied in victory, Kuromaru wolfed down his steak quickly and basked in the afterglow of a full stomach. Tsume ate her plate of meat and potatoes far more slowly, enjoying the taste over the sensation of eating. The evening passed with little conversation between them, each focused on their relaxation rituals. Kuromaru broke the silence once Tsume retired to her bed with him close behind.
"My words were not of jest. You should seek the company of the Son of Uzu. Isolation is not good for anyone."
"I am far from isolated, old friend. You are always around to bother me." Tsume raised her book slightly but relented upon the wolfdog snuggling closer to her. "I shall be content if he holds true to helping out around here."
Link: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/14174076/1/The-Lonely-Ones
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