42 My Childhood

Author's note

Ignore this chapter if you're easily triggered. Consider yourself warned.

-Fuji, Shizuoka, Japan-

-November 18, 2008, 1000h local-

Natasha and Naruto are currently on vacation. No jobs, no missions, no phones. The good life.

Naruto had decided that they should go on vacation, after the emotionally trying summer and the unexpectedly high workload of fall. He chose Fuji as their destination since the density of nature chakra flowing down from Mount Fuji has a calming effect on him.

He has been doing a lot of research about Hydra, and it's been a slow process. Hydra has a well-placed system set up. They're not working as a unified group, creating cells that barely know each other exist. A year of work only yielded him maybe 20% of all Hydra agents. A lot more should be sleeper agents, but he could only find them if he unabashedly used his techniques to find them, which he won't do unless he feels something is about to happen.

Natasha, on the other hand, received a series of what she calls 'run and gun' missions, half of which came from his intel. Her specialty are 'wine and dine' intel-gathering missions, which involves seducing high-value targets and gathering information or killing them, so doing a series of shoot outs just increases her stress level.

The few social interactions she had on past months came from visiting Laura, Lila, and Cooper or having training sessions with Peggy and occasionally Sharon.

Natasha opted not to do the operation yet since she would need three months to leave off of work and another three months on desk duty. Naruto wanted to do a whole year of physical but admitted that she might be able to adapt to her body in a short time frame.

They would've wanted to invite Jessica to the vacation too, but she's currently taking Criminology classes from John Jay College of Criminology, one of the best Criminology colleges in the country. She wanted to go into a college that she can pay herself, which would automatically be a community college. Still, Naruto did some 'covert operations,' and he was able to manipulate the system so that Jessica would receive a scholarship grant from the college. His 'covert operations' included blackmail, hacking, backdoor dealings, and impersonating some high officials. He thought it would be a whole lot easier to sneak someone into the school, but those assholes really don't want someone to have a free ride through college.

Naruto only forgot one crucial detail in his plan, Jessica didn't apply to John Jay College of Criminology. The day Jessica received a letter for her acceptance to the college with a full-ride scholarship, she instantly knew that something fishy was up. She knows in her gut that Naruto has something to do with the letter; his anxious expression didn't help his case either.

Jessica doesn't want to receive handouts. She wanted to work for everything she owns. Living with the pair virtually rent-free is already pushing the limits. She only accepted the offer when they deferred to her suggestion to buy the groceries.

Jessica tried to investigate any signs of anomaly that could lead back to Naruto, but he did a great job of hiding his tracks. She attempted to give the scholarship to someone else, but the college won't allow it. In the end, she accepted the scholarship begrudgingly and is now going to college in the morning and working at night.

Naruto tried to convince her to drop working for now and focus on her studies, but she wouldn't hear any of it. Still, the couple was able to persuade Jess to let them buy half the groceries.

The only real problem Naruto encountered but never talked about was Naruto's immortality and how the couple would deal with the whole thing. They've been living in some sort of bubble, and Natasha decided this can't last for long.

"Naruto." Natasha quietly said. The pair chose a hotel room with one of the best views of Mount Fuji. They've been lounging on the couch, just watching the clouds move around the perfectly shaped volcano.

"Hmm." Naruto responded.

"How would you like to deal with all of this?" Natasha asked vaguely.

"Deal with what?" Naruto questioned back.

"You know. The whole immortality thing." Natasha added.

Naruto took a deep breath. He didn't want to deal with all the complications now since he still wants the bubble to continue, but this is all out of his control now.

"I don't really know..." Naruto said. "I planned to let you decided if we should continue being together after the operation. If you happened to say yes, I probably would just leave in around 5 to 10 years. That way, you could find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with." He confessed, his emotions bare for Natasha to see.

Natasha could understand where he's coming from. He received the gift everyone wanted to find, but now it's just a curse. Watching the people, you love waste and die. Civilizations grow then crumble. Doomed to observe the universe until the end of time. The thought of doing that alone scared her, and that's what triggered her next idea.

"What if I don't want us to break up?" Natasha asked with renewed determination.

"Then I guess I'll stay with you for quite some time." Naruto replied with a wan smile.

Natasha turned to faced Naruto and locked eyes with him.

"You don't get it. What if I don't want us to separate, like ever." Natasha amended.

Naruto took quite some time before he understood Natasha's words, but his reaction when he realized what she said was simply explosive. He quickly stood up from the couch and answered.

"Fuck, No! I'm not going to make you experience any of this! It's bad enough I have to do this, but there's no way in hell I'm.going to drag you with me." Naruto exclaimed before pacing back and forth in front of the window, his anxiousness getting the best of him.

Natasha was surprised by Naruto's vehement answer, but she should have expected it from a mile away. Naruto would do everything he can to make sure his loved ones are safe and alright. Being an immortal would cause a lifetime of grief, and that's undoubtedly not alright, at least in his opinion.

She tried to think about how she could circumvent Naruto's bullheadedness. Natasha would like to ask the bijuu about some suggestions, but it's doubtful that Naruto would summon them to help her in this situation. She tried to think back on everything they discussed, particularly on the knowledge that she filed away deep in her mind. It took a while until she remembered a small detail that Naruto accidentally let out.

"How about a compromise?" Natasha asked.

Naruto stopped his pacing and stared dumbfoundedly, not even considering the compromise route.

"What do you suggest?" Naruto asked slowly.

"Do you remember our talk about when you told me about the harem thing?" Natasha said, hoping Naruto still remembers it.

"Yes." Naruto shyly responded. He doesn't regret the whole night since that led Jessica to be a part of their lives, but it's still an embarrassing conversation.

"Can you tell me the other option for an Uzumaki that's in a relationship with a non-Uzumaki? Except for the harem." Natasha prompted him.

"A marriage ritual of sharing an Uzumaki's vitality." Naruto answered automatically.

It took a brief moment before he understood what he said. The Uzumaki Marriage Ritual would extend the non-Uzumaki's life span while the Uzumaki's life span would decrease, effectively closing the life gap. An unintended but welcomed outcome of which is increasing the stamina of the non-Uzumaki and the seal used in the ritual would link the couple, keeping each other alive even through a deadly injury as long as one of them could supply the life force to heal the other. The only downside was that if one person dies, the other will follow not long after.

The marriage ritual is a reversible process since the Uzumakis acknowledges that love can die down. Cynical the lot of them.

If he applies the ritual between himself and Natasha, she will acquire his immortality while having the option to leave anytime she wants. A sad thought, sure, but it's the best solution for him and her if she really wants to go through with it.

Natasha could see Naruto debating with himself about his answer, and he's slowly talking himself to accepting her compromise.

She can admit to herself that Naruto is the best thing that ever happened to her, personally and professionally. He's like a storm the swept her life, suddenly being in every part of her life in an instant. He's like the sun, giving new life to her withering existence, slowly being swallowed by trying to wipe away the red in her ledger. She can't imagine a life anymore where Naruto is not there.

Natasha internally chuckled in disbelief. How can a strong and independent woman like her be so head over heels with someone that she would even consider to be alone with someone else for eternity, just to make sure they stay together for as long as possible. That may be just how love works. You just do stupid things.

Naruto walked up to her and took a deep calming breath.

"How about this? We can always do the marriage ceremony anytime we want, but I want you to be sure about this. So, why don't we wait for three years and see how you feel about it then?" Naruto suggested.

Natasha didn't see anything wrong with Naruto's suggestion. It's better to make planned and informed decisions as opposed to spur of the moment type deals, especially on life-changing decisions, and being partially immortal is pretty high up that list.

"Alright. Three years." Natasha answered with a smile.

Naruto released a sigh of relief when he heard Natasha's answer. They have three years to think about how they should move forward in their relationship.

-Natasha's Safehouse, New York-

-December 12, 2008, 2200h local-

"What time is Jessica's finals tomorrow?" Natasha offhandedly asked while sitting on the bed and reading a case file Fury ordered to take home. He wants her to lead an OP next week to retrieve a possible alien artifact from some German business tycoon, and all the files are every intel they have on the target.

"The first one would start at 8 am. The last one will end at 8 pm." Naruto automatically answered while playing Pokemon Emerald on his Gameboy Advance SP. The moment he first played a video game in this world, he was immediately hooked. He has a vast collection of gaming paraphernalia hidden in the storage seal. It ranges from retro gaming consoles all the way to top of the line gaming computer set-up. He rarely has any chance to play with any of those, though.

Jessica, on the other hand, is in her room, slaving her way through the notes and handouts. Acing all her exams would allow her to take an accelerated course that would enable her to finish in two and a half years instead of four.

"Why is it so long? Are all finals like that?" Natasha asked.

"I have no idea. I only ever attended the academy, and the written exams there only last for two hours. My clones didn't have to take exams when they're spying on every class out there since they're invisible." Naruto answered, still playing his game.

Natasha decided to tackle one of the mysteries that's been bugging her about Naruto. She closed her folder and placed it on the bedside table.

"Naruto. Can you save your game? I need to ask something." Natasha said.

Naruto looked at her and nodded. He saved up his progress, Gameboy, and stored it in his storage seal before facing Natasha again.

"What's up?" Naruto asked, trying to be cool about the more than likely hard conversation they're going to have.

"I'm just going to say it. How was your life before coming here?" Natasha asked, but Naruto's expression of shock and confusion forced her to continue. "I only heard snippets about your life, and I know that I don't know a lot of stuff about you while you probably know everything in my file the second time we met. That's likely how you know that I like Italian food and about my condition." She finished, referencing her inability to bear a child.

Naruto couldn't deny anything Natasha stated. He never liked talking about his childhood or anything that happened in his time in the elemental nations. For him, it's dark past that must always be remembered but never said. Nonetheless, there are times where silence must be broken.

"What do you want to know?" Naruto replied after releasing a sigh.

"Let's start with your earliest memory and worked our way up." Natasha answered.

Naruto repositioned himself on the bed. He got out of the blanket and tapped the space between his legs, calling over Natasha so he could hold her close while telling his story.

Natasha recognized Naruto's need for emotional support and scooted over, essentially cuddling with him. Naruto wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"As you know, my father was Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage, and my mother was Kushina Uzumaki, the last surviving royal of the Uzumaki's. Both of them are considered heroes in their own right. You would think the son of two heroes of the third shinobi war would have someone to take care of him the moment his parents died, but human nature and politics have a way of turning things around..." Naruto started, his rarely seen bitterness seeping through. "The first memory I remember was when I was three years old. I was living in an orphanage. Most of its occupants were orphaned in Kurama's rampage..." He could feel Kurama reacting inside of him, but he just continued.

"I was playing alone outside, since the matrons won't let the other kids play with me, when a group of nine to 12 year old kids approached me. I thought somebody finally wanted to play with me, so I ran straight to them. Next thing I know, I'm being pummeled to the ground, saying something about being the fox. I still can't believe that I remember the whole thing..." Naruto derisively chuckled. "That started a daily occurrence of beatings. The matrons won't even stop it and just leave me outside. If I don't come inside before the curfew, they'll just lock me out of the orphanage. It only stopped when It was my fourth birthday..."Natasha sincerely hoped that Naruto would say something positive, but it looks like it's too much to ask.

"At the stroke of midnight, the matrons dragged me out of bed and kicked me outside the orphanage with only the clothes on my back. I tried and pleaded to get back in for hours until I just gave up. That night started a tradition inside Konoha. They call it the fox hunt..." A cold premonition settled down on her when she heard 'the fox hunt,' and it looks like she was right. "A large group of civilians was waiting for me a few blocks away, carrying batons, knives, rocks, or just anything they could take. The mob started chasing me the moment they saw me. Of course, I ran away, but what could a four-year-old do against fully grown adults. They eventually caught me, and that's when I experienced a whole new dimension of pain. They started beating and stabbing me, but they weren't satisfied there..." Naruto took a deep breath to calm himself. The memory was just too vivid.

"One of the men suggested to carve me up. The fuckers must have liked the idea too much since when they left me, I have no eyes and probably most of my body. Only the Uzumaki vitality and, ironically, Kurama's youki kept me alive and healed all of my injuries..." Natasha couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could someone do that to a child!? She was already regretting asking Naruto for his story, but it's still not over. "I asked everyone for help. I tried asking the random civilians, shinobi, and even the Uchiha police force, but I somehow just made it worse. I unknowingly spread the fox hunt. Every night, more and more people appeared, even shinobis are showing up from time to time. Someone probably high up authorized it. I mean, how could a large mob of people chasing a child around the village without the secret police or ANBU intervening..." Naruto now knows that Danzo organized the fox hunts to alleviate the populace's discontent, but she doesn't need to know about it.

"The cycle lasted for three grueling months until I found a way to leave the village. I snuck through the drainage system until I passed the walls. I have no idea how that major security breach was overlooked, but it was a blessing for me..." Naruto mused. "I lived inside the forest outside the village for a year. I developed my hiding skills inside that forest since shinobis would regularly use the trees like a ninja highway. I was only found when an enemy shinobi tried to kidnap a Hyuga to be bred."

"It's Hinata, isn't it?" Natasha interrupted. She knows that she was not his first love. That honor falls to Hinata Hyuga. She has no idea how she died, but she knows it was one of the reasons why he left the Elemental Nations.

"Yeah. My first meeting with Hinata. I didn't really do much. I just surprised the shinobi, and he decided that no one can know about him, so he tried to kill me. He just has no idea about who I am and who's inside me..." Naruto let out a snort as he said the last part. "When he landed a killing blow on me, Kurama took over. His oppressing aura reached all the way to the village and alerted the guards. I blacked out after that. The next thing I know, I'm in the hospital, and Jiji was watching over me."

"That's the Hokage, right?" Natasha asked.

"Yup. He placed me in my own apartment after I was discharged out of the hospital. He probably heard about the fox hunts while I was gone since I was also assigned a team of personal ANBU guards. It got a whole lot better after that. I was still alone most of the time, but at least I can hang out with Jiji whenever he's free. He's also the one who introduced me to Ichiraku Ramen, the universe's best food..." Naruto said with a far off look. Natasha noticed that he was about to continue his story, but he suddenly stared intently at the door. "It looks like we have to continue another time since Jess can't sit straight anymore..." Naruto whispered close to her ear while discreetly wiping his tears. Natasha was about to question Naruto's statement when he suddenly spoke up. "Come inside, Jess! You have an early day tomorrow."

A few seconds later, a disheveled Jessica in shorts and a white shirt stepped inside the room. Her eyes are noticeably red and watery.

"I was just getting some water." Jessica half lied.

Jessica was getting some water when she passed by the master bedroom and heard the start of Naruto's story. His voice carries well through the walls. She couldn't help herself to know more about her roommate, so she eavesdropped.

She sat down on the floor and placed her ear next to the wall. She couldn't believe how hard was Naruto's life compared to hers. The whole thing is fucked up to the extreme.

"Sure..." Naruto replied. "Come to bed with us. You need your sleep."

Natasha agreed with Naruto's statement, so she scooted over and created a space between them.

Jessica didn't even try to argue since she's tired as hell. She dropped onto the bed between them and spooned with Naruto while hugging Natasha.

"Don't worry. I'll continue the story after your finals..." Naruto whispered to Jessica before giving her a peck to her cheeks and then kissing Natasha good night. "Goodnight, ladies."

"Good night. Good luck tomorrow." Natasha said before also kissed Jessica to her lips.

"Good night." Jessica mumbled, half asleep.