Chapter Text
arc i: the ending and the beginning
but the color in your eyes is saying
if my dreams come up empty and i wash up on the shore,
you would find me at the beach
in every life,
through every door
Amahiko heard footsteps coming up the stairs that wrapped themselves around the cliffside where he sat. He glanced back to see his mother, with her long red hair and deep green eyes, watching him curiously as she wrapped her shawl around herself tighter. Tsubaki Uzumaki wore no hair ornaments like the women of other prestigious clans, the strands shifting in the wind like a hurricane.
“A storm is coming,” She smiled slightly as she approached, “So what is it that has you lingering out here?”
She wasn’t wrong. Thick, dark clouds were slowly rolling in over the island; it would be raining any minute now.
“I’m just watching the tides,” He muttered, turning his gaze back to the beach below, “And the seagulls. They were fighting over a sandwich earlier.”
The water shifted and swayed below in a hypnotizing rhythm as his mother rested a warm hand on his shoulder, squeezing slightly.
“Very fascinating, I’m sure.” She drawled out, and he could just hear the eye roll in her voice, “I looked all over for you until Shima mentioned he saw you heading this way.”
“Why?” Amahiko’s brow furrowed as he whipped his head back up to look at her, “What did I do?”
She outright laughed at that point, moving to sit next to him on the old, weather-worn bench, “Nothing. Unless, of course, you want to confess anything?”
There were a few things he could own up to, but he decided against it. The sealing scroll of fish heads he opened in his future brother-in-law’s bedroom would stay between him and the fishmonger. It had made Nanami laugh, anyway, and his eldest sister looked so grim nowadays.
So all he said, rather mulishly, was, “No.”
“Alright, then.” She gave him a knowing smile, “Pending crimes or not, Tenma is asking for you at the tower. I told him I’d come find my wayward son.”
“And what does my most annoying uncle want?” Amahiko kicked one foot with the other, knocking some sand off on the rocks below.
“He’s your only uncle.” His mother said dryly.
“So, logically, he also has to be the most annoying.” He shrugged, “And if what he wants is another test subject, it’s a no. Tell him to ask Umi or Hanako. I learned my lesson.”
“I don’t think he’s experimenting with any jutsu currently,” Tsubaki laughed, “As for specifics, he provided none. So you’d better go find out.”
The young Uzumaki sighed, standing quietly. Before he could get far, his mother reached out with a gentle hand to stop him.
“I’m your mother,” She said, like he needed a reminder, “And I know when something is wrong. So spill it, shrimp.”
“It’s…nothing.” He hesitated, “I was just thinking.”
“About?” She prompted, leaning forward.
“I’m the youngest of seven.” He burst out suddenly, making her blink in surprise.
“Not anymore.” She reminded him.
“Basically.” He crossed his arms tightly over his chest, “Mirai is still a baby.”
“Yet she’s younger than you still. Besides, what does that have to do with anything?” She tilted her head, “Your birth order is hardly pertinent.”
“But what will I be when I get older?” He asked, frowning, “Am I just a backup? Not even Plan B…Plan G!”
She looked at him, slightly startled, “And just where did you get that idea?”
“Nanami’s been talking about succession this, succession that, and I’m just useless.” His shoulders drooped as he saw her face grow sad.
“Nanami is far too concerned about these things for a nineteen year old girl.” Tsubaki sighed deeply, “And her pending marriage is only making it worse. Don’t listen to your sister, my love. Was your uncle useless? Or either of your aunts?”
“I guess not.” He admitted, losing some of his fight.
“I should hope not.” She laughed slightly, “Seeing as my brother became Uzukage, and my sisters are…trailblazers, to put it lightly.”
And that was putting it lightly. Kaiyo revolutionized medical practice all over Whirlpool Country, and Hikaru was notorious in torture and interrogation.
“I know you feel like you’re already behind by being born later,” She continued softly, “But you’re only eight. You graduated so young, and you’re already a chūnin barely a year later. I don’t want you to rush things; enjoy your childhood while you can, Hiko.”
“I’ll try,” He huffs, escaping her grasp before she can do something embarrassing like kiss him on the cheek, “Hey…maybe I could become the Uzukage!”
“Where did the sudden ambition come from?” She raised her brows, “Be my guest, though. Tenma’s getting tired of the paperwork and if he asks me to take the hat, I’ll kill him.”
“Alright, mom.” Amahiko laughed slightly, “Just for you!”
“Uh-huh.” She stood, brushing the dirt from her kimono, “Bring home eggs on your way back, by the way. We’re almost out.”
“Got it!” He yelled back at her, already running down the stairs to get back to the island proper.
Uzushiogakure’s golden rooftops greeted him as he rushed through the streets, the gloom above dulling their usual shine. He could taste the salt in the air, along with the ozone that came before a big storm. He weaved between the sun-bleached stone buildings, his feet pounding on the intricate tile ground as he tried to race the weather. The streets were still busy and humming, vendors setting up canopies over their carts as people began huddling under store awnings.
The shinobi were still going about their daily routine regardless of what loomed above, many waving as he passed. He saw quite a few of his fellow clansmen around, which was unsurprising. He couldn’t go anywhere without seeing at least one distant relative. The Uzumaki were the founding clan, after all, and not even the Mizushima could beat them in terms of sheer numbers.
The very cliffs he loved to scale were dredged up from the seafloor, raised by the early Uzumaki to create a strong foundation for what would become one of the strongest hidden villages. Located just off the coast of the island known as the Land of Whirlpools, their homeland was known for the art of sealing and a carefree lifestyle that had civilians and shinobi alike flocking to their shores.
Despite the influx of people, the Uzumaki had always remained the strongest clan on the island, though. Their giant family meant the sprawling clan compound housed not just the main branch, of which Amahiko himself was a part of, but also several branch families. He somewhat pitied Nanami; as heiress, she’d had to memorize the delegates that represented each one.
He rushed into Uzukage Tower just as the sky opened up and began pouring. He waved at the secretary, who greeted him with a smile, and took the steps up the spiral staircases two at a time. When he reached the top floor, he burst into his uncle’s office with a grin and barely contained energy humming under his skin.
“Hiko!” Tenma blinked in surprise, “You’re in an energetic mood today. What, did my sister give you a bunch of sweets and then leave me to babysit?”
Tenma, a man of thirty-nine, sat behind his desk in his usual shinobi blacks, the orange and white hat of the Uzukage tossed over the back of his chair. He was nearly hidden by the mountain of paperwork in front of him, though he seemed to be steadily drilling through it.
“No!” Amahiko pouted slightly, “I haven’t had any…much…sugar today.”
“Ah.” Tenma snorted, “What a relief. Take a seat, kid, let me finish this up real quick.”
He plopped down in one of the chairs in front of Tenma’s desk and looked around the office. This high up, he could see the rain rushing downward from the windows that lined the circular room. It was a near three hundred and sixty-degree view of Uzushio, blocked only by the doors and some bookcases. Tenma’s research was practically spilling off the shelves at this point, scrolls and ear marked books packed to the brim.
“I’ve decided I’ll be Uzukage after you,” Amahiko says into the silence.
The scratching of Tenma’s pen stops. His uncle looks up, brows raised.
“I will,” The younger insists, “I’ll be the Yondaime!”
His uncle chuckled slightly, “Well, thanks for letting me know, kiddo. That does bring me to what I wanted to chat with you about, in a way. Nothing against your jōnin sensei-”
“Tatsu-sensei is great.” Amahiko narrows his eyes, “Like, the best.”
Tenma puts his hands up in surrender, “I’m not arguing. However, you were only a genin for…what, ten months?”
“Nine.” He’s quick to correct.
“Yeah. Exactly. Even the best sensei in the world can’t teach you much in that span of time. And even if she’s been filling in gaps where her schedule allows, I think it’s time to maybe look for a full time sensei again.”
Amahiko scrunched his nose, “Who?”
Tenma blinked, gesturing at himself, “Me!”
“You?” He asked incredulously, making sure he’d heard him right.
“Yeah!” Tenma said, grinning widely, “Your mom was gonna ask Hikaru, but I swooped in and saved you. You’re welcome, by the way.”
“Thank you, oji-san!” Amahiko leaped out of his chair, practically bouncing on his feet, “I’m sorry I called you the most annoying uncle ever! You’re actually the best! Oh, I can’t wait to tell Shima! And Nanami! Ha, Nanami, you can suck it, I’m getting trained by the Uzukage!”
“You called me your most annoying uncle?” Tenma asked, vaguely insulted, “I’m your only uncle!”
“Later, oji-san!” Amahiko rushed for the stairs, “Oh! I should call you Tenma-sensei now!”
Joy coursed through him as he rushed to get the eggs and get home to tell his family the great news. The Uzukage was going to train him! Sure, the Uzukage was his uncle, but that’s besides the point. He’d become everything he wanted! He’d be more than average, more than the eighth child. He’d be the next Uzukage! He felt the wind on his cheeks as the rain splattered against his skin, dampening his hair as he beelined for the compound.
Everything was good, more than good.
And then Naruto woke up.
Iruka-sensei was calling his name. He’d somehow fallen asleep at his desk while waiting his turn for the genin exam. The classroom was empty otherwise, him being the only academy student left. He was the dead-last in class and the dead-last in alphabetical order. Fitting.
Things went pretty well at the start, despite getting the feeling that Mizuki-sensei really hoped he would fail. Maybe it was the man staring absolute daggers at him, or maybe it was the degrading remarks he’d gotten all year from him. Either way…
“Okay, Naruto, just make a clone now.” Iruka smiled encouragingly.
The asshole was about to get his wish. Naruto didn’t hate many things, but this stupid jutsu was definitely on that short list.
The blond boy tensed slightly, sighing as he went through the proper hand seals quickly, “Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone Technique)!”
Trying to tame his chakra down into three simple clones was like trying to put out a forest fire with a water balloon. In essence, it wasn’t gonna fucking happen. He waited for the smoke to clear, his heart pounding in apprehension, and what he saw made him deflate all at once.
The clones were just deformed masses slumped on the ground, not even standing. The facial features honestly looked like they’d been drawn on by a five-year-old with no artistic talent whatsoever. Even his whiskers were just meaningless scribbles!
He closed his eyes briefly, pressing back the tell-tale stinging feeling that was usually followed by tears. He took a quick breath, forcing himself to look at the two men seated at the table in front of him. Mizuki looked viciously happy, which made his gut churn in apprehension and anxiety. Iruka-sensei’s expression hurt him even more, however. Disappointment was clear as day on his face as he looked at Naruto with sadness and pity in his eyes.
Kami, he hated pity. He’d always hated pity. The few villagers that didn’t hate his guts usually arrived at pity, too. It seemed his life revolved around those two emotions, and everything circled back to them one way or another. It was hatred or pity, and honestly he was beginning to prefer hatred.
Naruto tried to ignore the embarrassment gnawing at him as he dispelled the three failed clones. Iruka frowned upon seeing the boy’s face, unsure if Naruto knew just how much his expression gave away what he was feeling.
“I’m sorry, Naruto.” Iruka pursed his lips, “You have failed to meet the requirements to pass. You can always try again next year, though.”
Biting the inside of his cheek, he nodded sharply before turning on his heel and heading outside. He avoided the condemning eyes of his classmates as he exited without a headband. The exams were over with his failure, and all he could do was sit on that stupid swing alone and stare at the patchy grass below. He tried to ignore the sounds of excited children showing off their shiny new Konoha forehead protectors, and how their parents cooed and praised them.
He wasn’t even dead-last, now. He was just the only one that didn’t graduate.
“Look at it. I almost feel sorry for it.”
“I don't. Serves it right.”
“It was the only one that didn't graduate.”
“Like I said, serves it right after-”
“Shh! You can't talk about that!”
He fought back a grimace as his shoulders slumped further, hearing the whispers of the civilian mothers as he sat in the shadows. He wasn’t stupid. His performance in the academy certainly begged to differ, but he truly didn’t think he was dumb. It was just so hard to focus, and he was so bored all the time.
History was his favorite, aside from remembering dates. Beyond that, some of the stuff he was certain about ended up being wrong. He couldn’t exactly argue with the textbook, so he just stayed quiet. Better than making himself look like a total dumbass.
He also knew how his chakra pathways worked, but none of the methods he had memorized were accepted by the academy, which made no sense. Too dangerous, Iruka had said, and that some of those exercises would kill someone. That seemed unlikely, as Naruto himself had been doing them for awhile, but whatever.
Naruto had even taught himself some sealing, tracing kanji and symbols into the wood of his desk when he grew disinterested with whatever the sensei at the time was droning on about. Sadly, the academy didn’t care about fūinjutsu at all outside of it being a footnote in specialties available to advanced ninja.
Ironically, the only thing Iruka-sensei ever complimented him on was his handwriting.
The fact was that he had never done well academically, and he just stopped caring at a certain point. He was constantly wrong, no matter the subject or interest or what he tried to do. He wanted to be anywhere else, outside or getting ramen or pulling pranks. He dreamed of the day he would become a genin and escape being trapped behind a desk eight hours a day.
Now he would never become what he wanted to be. He would never be more than the demon kid people snickered about. He wanted to be something else, someone else, anything else . He was just Naruto, though. Dead-last, didn’t graduate, demon brat Naruto.
He felt his chakra spike with his grief and tried desperately to smother it. All the emotions were impossible to reign in when he was forced to look at his life. Boy, was it pathetic. All the glares, the spoiled milk, the rotting food, his birthday being the day a demon attacked the village…coupled with the seal on his stomach, Naruto could put two and two together.
It was an ugly picture, and he’d never get to retake it. Not without becoming a shinobi and proving he was more than just a failure. A burden. A demon.
He wasn’t a demon. He wasn’t a murderer. Was he?
Blood. So much blood. The ground was stained with it, the mud turning into a red slop he was forced to wade through-
No. He wasn’t that. Still, when he looked at his hands, he couldn’t help but see them covered in blood.
He gripped the rope of the swingset tighter as he sensed another person coming his way. It wasn’t Iruka. No, this person’s chakra signature was cold-slippery-sharp and made Naruto’s head hurt.
Mizuki, then.
The man wore an alarmingly kind smile on his face as he knelt down to get on Naruto’s level. Mizuki had always hated him, despite the academy teacher’s piss poor attempts to hide it. So, needless to say, the expression the man currently wore had Naruto’s hackles raised in an instant.
“Naruto,” Mizuki began, his voice soft, “Are you doing okay? I know it must be hard being the only one that didn’t-”
“Why are you here and what do you want?” Naruto interrupted him sharply, his expression borderline annoyed, “If you’re here to tell me what I already know, maybe don’t .”
Mizuki stiffened, thrown off as the mouthy kid looked so much older for just a split second. Those eyes became a stormy blue, dimmed by the shadows, and he felt pinned under the gaze of someone who knew exactly what he was trying to do. He kept up his placid smile, pushing through the momentary discomfort.
“Unless you already know of a way to graduate despite failing your exams, I'd say this is new information.” At the boy's confused look, Mizuki couldn't help but laugh, “Exactly. All you need to do, Naruto, is trust me.”
Unlikely. Mizuki quite literally hated him, why would the man ever want to help him in any way? Every fiber of his being told him to run away, go find Iruka or the Hokage and tell them what Mizuki had just said. Something stopped him, though. He wanted to be a shinobi, he ached for it so fiercely it threatened to crawl up his throat and spill out of him. Becoming a genin was the first step to that, to everything he wanted to be.
So he tried to calm his thundering heart, keeping his urges to flee locked away as he stared at Mizuki. This man thought he was an idiot, that much was clear.
Maybe he could use that?
He cocked his head to the side, raising his eyebrows in a silent prompt for the man to continue. The chūnin was unnerved by Naruto’s stare, the fluctuations in his chakra gave him away, but he kept that same fake smile plastered on his face as he began to explain.
“All you need to do is sneak into the Hokage Residence and learn one technique from the Scroll of Seals.” Mizuki said, “If you manage to do this and meet me in the forest surrounding the residence with the scroll as proof, you'll graduate.”
“Why didn't Iruka-sensei tell me about this?” Naruto feigned hurt, his eyes wide now, “He knows I’m good at sneaking!”
Mizuki’s tense posture settled into something relaxed at those words, “Iruka didn’t think you were ready. He’s trying to set you back, Naruto. Despite our differences, I hate to see talent wasted.”
There’s something more to this than Mizuki just wanting to humiliate Naruto. Was the teacher trying to get him locked up for good, maybe? Or-
Or he wanted the scroll for himself, or someone else. Either way, the scroll likely wouldn’t be used for Konoha’s benefit. The problem now is who would even believe him? Iruka knows he doesn’t like Mizuki and hardly takes anything Naruto says seriously. The Hokage could think it’s another prank.
Then, if Mizuki decided to steal the scroll himself, it would be too late.
"How long do I have?" Naruto asked, making up his mind.
"Until midnight. Don't get caught, remember this is a test to see if you have enough skill to be a genin." Mizuki patted him on the head.
Naruto graciously fought the urge to rip the man’s hand from his wrist.
This was shady shit at best, but he could possibly stop a traitor. He might get some brownie points then, or at least make people stop glaring at him everywhere he goes. Worst comes to worst…Well, he supposed he could die. Given that his career of choice was to be a shinobi and not a merchant or shopkeep, however, that threat didn’t hold much weight.
Planning how to sneak into the Hokage Residency was pretty easy, if he was honest. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s ever done it. He once set a paint bomb off in Jiji’s private office; it had been hilarious until they made him clean it up. Regardless, he knew how to get in. Sneaking past the ANBU was the trickiest part, what with them constantly changing their stations. Still, he did it.
The moon hung low in the sky, full and bright, as he lugged the huge scroll out of the heavily chained cabinet. There were others, most smaller than his quarry, but the Scroll of Seals was on the top shelf and neatly labeled for his convenience. Also labeled were the severe consequences of anyone but the Hokage opening it.
Well, go big or go home. He already snuck in here, he might as well catch Mizuki in the process. He closed the doors behind him, relocking the lock with the same kunai he had used to pick it. As Naruto fled towards the forest, with no ANBU on his tail that he could sense, he realized waiting would actually be the hardest part.
He sat with the scroll for a moment, squinting at it and debating his options. Of course, opening it was illegal. If pressed, however, he could always just play dumb. His entire academic record proved that he was rather outstanding at that particular farce.
Unrolling the great scroll, Naruto's eyes widened as the massive parchment lay exposed in front of him. It must've been fifty feet long, if not more, and crammed full of techniques deemed illegal. Reading over some of them, it was clear exactly why they made the list. One, however, didn’t really make sense to him. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique), it was called, with a relatively short list of hand seals and a pretty basic outcome.
Horse, rat, monkey, ram; that was it, so he ran through them in seconds. His fingers flew through the motions he knew by heart, and he felt a good chunk of chakra be eaten by the technique. Still, even that was just a drop in the bucket of his reserves. A puff of smoke came and went, and beside him stood a perfect copy of himself, staring back at him.
This was much better than the basic clones the academy taught. For one, it used way more chakra. He was pretty sure at this point that his chakra control was simply shit because of how much he had. A wave of exhilaration washed over him, followed by a gentle bubbling curiosity that was beginning to spill over.
What else could he do?
He scanned the lines of kanji, his eyes darting through the thick paragraphs of information, when he landed on something far too familiar. The Eight Trigrams, an exact copy of the seal on his naval. The seal that was used to hold the Kyūbi inside him. A jinchūriki, the word comes to the front of his mind as if summoned. That’s what demon containers were called.
He thought back to the story preached at the academy over and over. The Yondaime defeated the demon fox and vanquished it permanently. A load of bullshit is what that was. You couldn’t just vanquish a tailed beast, especially not the strongest of them all. The Sage’s children-
A sharp pain rattled around in his head, like that one time he tried to sense as far as the Land of Wind because he’d been bored in class.
Whatever. Nothing got vanquished, that was the point. More like the Yondaime decided it would be cool to seal the demon into a random baby. The more thought he gave to that clusterfuck of a situation, the worse it made his head hurt. He rolled the scroll up with a huff; his hour was close to being over, and that meant Mizuki would be here soon.
That’s when he sensed someone coming. Not Mizuki, though, the chakra signature feeling warm-jittery-soft .
Iruka.
Naruto glanced back just to see his sensei land on a tree branch. He waved, nearly startling the man out of said tree.
“Hi, sensei.” He called up to him.
“Naruto!” Iruka gave him an incredulous look, “What-? Nevermind! The jig is up!”
“The jig?” Naruto scrunched his nose up, “I’m not dancing, though.”
The chūnin looked genuinely exhausted at his response, “Naruto, you stole the forbidden scroll-”
“Technically it’s called the Scroll of Seals.” Naruto gestured to the label on the side of it, purposefully covering up the giant warning beneath the name with his other hand.
“Naruto.” Iruka deadpanned, “Everyone is looking for you. Do you realize what you’ve done?”
“Yeah.” Naruto shrugs, “Don’t worry, though, sensei. Mizuki will be here soon.”
His sensei blinks, looking taken aback, “Mizuki-?”
As if summoned by his name, the traitor himself skidded to a halt in a tree on the opposite side of Iruka.
“Naruto!” Mizuki held out his hand, “Give me the scroll now! This is part of the test, some people in life are going to want you to fail. Iruka does. Give me the scroll, Naruto, and you'll be a shinobi.”
“Test? Making him a shinobi?” Iruka's eyes grew wide as he gave Mizuki a furious look, “Stop lying this instant, Mizuki! What are you thinking?”
“Come on, Naruto!” The man was fiddling with the kunai in his hand, and when Iruka moved to grab Naruto and flee, he threw it right at the academy teacher.
Iruka didn’t see it coming. Too focused on getting them both to safety, on getting Naruto and the scroll out of there until reinforcements could arrive, that he didn’t see the blade sailing right for his neck. Naruto tackled him, mentally apologizing for how hard the hit must have been with the huge scroll also in his hands. Iruka sat up, confused until he saw the kunai stuck out of the tree right where his head just was.
"Oh, how pathetic." Mizuki sneered, "You need the dead last to save you, Iruka?"
Iruka stood, disheveled, and put himself directly between Mizuki and his student. Naruto’s breath hitches; this isn’t what he’d wanted. Yeah, he knew he might die, but he didn’t think Iruka-sensei would get caught up in this mess! His lack of planning would get him killed. Or someone else.
Oh, Kami, what if he got someone else killed…
“The Sandaime was wrong to train you! To choose you!” The man he thought he knew screamed, his voice hoarse, “You killed them with what you’ve become! I never thought I’d see the day that you stand before me, a weak-willed coward!”
“Yuudai, you don't want to do this!” His voice sounds desperate even to his ears, “This is your home!”
He leaned heavily on his nagamaki, the knee-deep mud weighing both of them down as they faced each other. Amahiko had been fighting for days now, the exhaustion crushing his heart and his lungs as he sucked in another ragged breath. Yuudai stood before him, those golden eyes that were once so familiar staring him down. They were now foreign, marred with anger and pity.
“Oh, but I do.” Yuudai hissed, his voice low as he raised his kunai.
Rage boiled in his veins as the pain ripped through him, “How could you betray us like this? How could you betray me ?”
His voice cracked on the last word, his chest aching and the stench of blood that permeated the air nearly enough to make him sick. He tried to stare at the traitor in front of him rather than look at the dead bodies of those laying on the ground all around him. Oh, Kami, he was supposed to protect these people-
He got them killed. He got them killed. He-
“Amahiko!” He heard a shout coming from behind them both, like light breaking through a storm, his head snapping up at the same time Yuudai’s did.
Raiden. His friend, his teammate. He couldn’t-
He couldn’t get him killed, too.
“Run!” He bellows, praying his friend will listen.
Instead, his friend snarled as if he’d been insulted, “Never!”
Yuudai’s smile was savage, "I'm going to raze this village to the ground with you both in it, and then I'm going to raise it up once more to be something better! The Uzumaki clan and their lackeys have reigned too long, don't you agree? I think it's time for a shift in power!"
Raiden leaped over the bodies and the mud, katana crackling with power, and Amahiko forced his too-heavy limbs to raise his nagamaki once more. They would likely die here, even if Yuudai’s hand isn’t the one to finish them off. They had to fight till the end, though. Rage against their fate, for all who had fallen before them. For Akane-
Sage, Akane-
He was jerked from the moment as Iruka grabbed him, forcing him to stumble back as his sensei moved to put distance between them and the traitor. He never turned his back to Mizuki as the man jumped down from the tree and began stalking toward them.
“Iruka doesn't want you to graduate, Naruto. Don't blow this for yourself.” Mizuki cooed, his voice sickening and kind.
“I already told you once to stop lying.” Iruka growled, “You'd better listen this time, traitor .”
The white-haired man's face darkened, “Do you really want to talk about lies, Iruka?”
Iruka’s body seized, jerking in panic, “It is forbidden, and I will not allow you to speak of it!”
“Says the one who's relied on a child to save him. You can't forbid me from doing much of anything.” Mizuki sneered.
“Stop!” Iruka screamed, “Naruto, do not listen to him!”
Mizuki shot Iruka a truly loathing look, and Naruto had never hated someone so much in his entire life.
That’s a lie. But who? Who did he detest so vehemently? Surely he would remember-
“Naruto, do you know why the village hates you?” Mizuki smirked, enjoying the torment on Iruka’s face, “It's because the Kyūbi is sealed within you. The same beast that killed Iruka's parents has possessed your body. You are the nine-tailed fox, Naruto, and I'm doing the village a favor by eliminating you here.”
“Naruto, run!” Iruka released him, looking back at him to beg, “Go now! Tell the ANBU and the Hokage to come immediately!”
“Never!” Naruto balked at the order immediately, “I can’t leave you, sensei!”
“Why are you still protecting him?” Mizuki grabbed the Fūma Shuriken off his back, the huge blade dwarfing his hand easily, “He's a demon! He killed your parents!”
The woman’s vibrant red hair was arranged up in two buns, tags hanging from both as she stood with her hands clasped together. A purple diamond marked her forehead, he white kimono swaying in the village’s wind.
“Mito-sama, it’s an honor.” He bowed deeply at the waist.
He was flustered to meet her, which was perhaps silly given that she was his great-aunt. Still, the Uzumaki Princess was far more than just a family member he'd never met.
He hears a snicker behind him. Akane, no doubt, who got Raiden to snickering as well.
Mito gives him a slight smile, perfectly composed, “It is my honor to meet you, Amahiko-san, and to see my homeland once more. You are now the Yondaime Uzukage, correct?”
“Yes, Mito-sama.” He inclined his head towards her with a wry grin, “My uncle grew tired of the paperwork.”
She clucked her tongue, “Tenma always was lazy as a boy; my poor brother had quite a time with him. Akai Kami, or so I hear they've been calling you.”
At her raised eyebrow and calm disposition, he felt horribly belittled by her presence, "Well, they call me a lot of things."
"I'm sure."
He laughed, a little nervously if he was honest, and felt like he was two years old again and clutching his mother's skirts. This woman had sealed the nine-tailed fox within her own gut, she was the wife of the Shodai Hokage, and most importantly she was a force of nature in battle.
Sure, he was a fūinjutsu master too, but when this woman who was so many years his senior, this woman who survived the Feudal Era and came out on top...when this woman looked at him, he felt like an ant.
“You're wrong, you know!” Naruto snapped, interrupting Mizuki's rant, “I'm not the Kyūbi!”
Mizuki scoffed, “The demon is in denial. How cute.”
“No, I'm not.” Naruto insisted, his hands moving frantically in his frustration, “That's not even how seals work, you ignorant shit! A storage scroll doesn't become a kunai, just like a jinchūriki isn't a demon! Would you say the Shodai's wife was a demon? No! So why am I?”
Mizuki and Iruka both looked stupefied for a moment, blinking at him with wide eyes. Naruto moved before they could snap out of it, holding the scroll in one hand and jerking a kunai from Iruka’s belt with the other. He threw it at Mizuki, watching it land bone deep in his shoulder.
The pained wail that escaped the man was more than satisfying. Naruto smiled, until he saw Mizuki grab the Fuma Shuriken from his back. He tensed, preparing to dodge, but he was too late.
He’s always too late, isn’t he?
Isn’t he? Kami, isn’t he?
Mizuki tossed the giant blade blindly, and this time Iruka was shoving Naruto out of the way. He heard his sensei grunt in pain, pushing away from Naruto as he went to his hands and knees. The weapon had struck him in the back before falling out due to the sheer size, making blood drip and splatter all across the forest floor. A vicious smile crawled up Mizuki's face when he heard the impact.
Instincts took over as he scrambled over to Iruka, trembling as he saw the man struggling to get up. Naruto spun around, his eyes pinning Mizuki in place, feeling a sick sort of satisfaction as the man froze under his gaze.
“You aren't going to hurt Iruka-sensei anymore, traitor .” He spat the last word with all the venom he’d been collecting his entire life, “You'll never hurt anyone in this village again!”
The words were spoken with such finality, as if there would be no outcome other than Mizuki’s death. He never saw Iruka shift behind him, looking up at him with astonished pride. Mizuki recovered, leaping forward to charge at Naruto with a kunai in hand.
He raised his fingers, forming a few seals, and next came the wave of chakra flooding his body. He could taste the salty air, feel the wind against his face, see a vision of a dark haired man and a red haired woman waiting for him just up the path.
This was home.
He was home.
Water swirled into existence, condensing out of nothing but the moisture in the air. It formed quickly, sharp spikes appearing in the air too fast for Mizuki to react to.
"Suiton: Ōshandagā (Water Release: Ocean Daggers)." Naruto hissed as he thrust his hands forward.
He watched in solemn silence as Mizuki was thrown back by the force of the jutsu, stopped mid-run as the chakra-enforced water pierced him right through his stomach. He was left in a huge puddle, silent as blood began to leak into the water around him slowly but surely. Naruto wasn't sure if he wanted the man to be dead or not. Turning to see his sensei's wide eyes and the proud quirk of his mouth, Naruto decided he didn't care what the traitor's fate was. He cared that Iruka was safe, and right now the man was still bleeding at an alarming rate.
“I-I'm sorry, sensei.” Naruto knelt by the man, swallowing thickly, “I didn’t think you would-”
“Did you...learn that in the scroll?” Iruka looked a bit confused, gesturing to Mizuki.
Naruto knew it was a lie, but it was also easier to explain, “Yeah.”
The man seemed impressed, his eyes gleaming, “I'm proud of you, Naruto-kun. I think...I think you've earned this.”
His breath caught in his throat as his sensei reached up and untied his headband from his forehead. He held it out, and Naruto accepted it with reverence. This wasn't the shiny new ones every graduate got at the academy, no, but it meant so much more than that. It meant so much more than any person would ever know. Looking at Iruka with wide eyes, he had to fight to stop tears from forming.
“I...thank you, sensei.”
“I'm not your sensei anymore, Naruto-kun. You're a genin now.” Iruka’s face grew serious suddenly, “I want you to listen to me though. I know what you said, but still, you need to hear this. No matter what that filth said, or what the villagers say, or, hell, the councils! You are not-!”
“A demon.” His tone was sardonic, “I'm aware.”
Iruka seemed lost, “How did you even find out?”
“Well, everyone hates me, and my birthday just so happens to be the day a literal demon attacked Konoha. When you look at my seal, it's not hard to form a pretty basic picture.” Naruto admitted, “I know my clan, too. Mito Uzumaki was literally the first jinchūriki ever. It just makes sense.”
Letting out an only slightly pained laugh, Iruka pulled the boy into a tight hug, “You're smarter than you get credit for. I'm proud of you, Naruto-kun.”
“ I'm proud of you, Amahiko-kun.” Her violet eyes sparkled, and Tatsu Yoshida looked as though he'd just given her the moon and all the stars, “My own student becoming Uzukage! I'm not surprised, of course. You three always had so much potential, and now look at what you've gone and done.”
He smiled, his eyes slightly damp, “Thank you, sensei.”
At his gratitude, her lips tremble slightly.
His team hadn’t had long under her tutelage, but she’d played such a big role in their lives. Team Tatsu had become chūnin only ten months after graduation, but they’d stuck together beyond that. She’d stuck with them, too, training them well into their jōnin careers.
“Are you about to cry?” Raiden asked, clearly trying to bite back a laugh.
“Shut it, Mikazuki.” She snapped, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, “Don’t you have someone to stab or something?”
“I don’t have to make my own patients anymore,” He snarks back easily.
Tatsu sniffles once, and then suddenly she’s pulling all three of them in for a hug. Akane laughs, wrapping her arms around them all as Amahiko grins. Raiden doesn’t even fake a groan or pretend to hate them for the time being.
“Anyways, don't thank me, brat.” Her smile was infectious as she pulled back, "Do you know how good of bragging material this is? Shoji can shut his mouth now about how his student got into the black ops. One of mine is the head medic at the hospital, one is a fūinjutsu master, and one is the Uzukage. Every other jōnin sensei out there can suck my dick, 'cause I think I win at this point.”
She pauses before a sly grin curls her mouth. Her gaze darts over Amahiko’s shoulder as she and Akane laugh. He turned to look as well and could practically feel the heat rise in his cheeks as Yuudai’s gaze landed on him, that damn smile making his heart do complicated things in his chest.
“We’d better go,” Tatsu cooed, “Loverboy has someone waiting!”
“Shut it,” Amahiko snipped at the two laughing women playfully.
Raiden’s face had fallen back into a scowl, rolling his eyes as he turned away, “I have to get back to the hospital.”
“Bye!” Amahiko called out, frowning slightly at his friend’s retreating back.
He got no response. Tatsu and Akane were still tittering amongst each other as they walked away, waving at Amahiko as they left.
Naruto yawned as they began the long walk back to the village, “Hey, sensei?”
“Yes, Naruto?” Iruka responded patiently.
“You think Ichiraku’s is open this late?” He asked, “That whole thing gave me major…I don’t know. Heartburn?”
His chest did hurt quite a bit, and he always heard adults talking about how heartburn screwed with their chests. It made sense in his mind.
“Heartburn-? How would ramen help-?” Iruka sighed deeply, “We’ll check on the way back.”