29 Ch. 29

--Tsunade POV--

As I was fuming with my statement, Zach wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer, kissing me on the side of my head. It's ok, Tsunade, you can continue this, they need to know more. Straightening myself and looking at the three through my blurry eyes it was time to continue. But before I could continue with my tirade someone meekly butted in.

Naruto: "I don't get it, what does this have to do with me?"

Bless his little heart. (A/N: A common term in the southern US where you call someone stupid. EX: "Bless your heart, at least you're pretty.") Getting up I walked around the table, all eyes following me as I came in front of Naruto. Squatting down to look at him eye to eye I cupped his little whiskered cheek.

Tsunade: "Naruto Uzumaki, that last bit has everything to do with you. You are the son of one Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, also known as the Fourth Hokage, and the Princess of the Uzumaki Clan. All of that happened to you, my dear child, and I want you to know. It. Was. Not. Your. Fault."

Never taking my eyes away from him I just rubbed his cheek with my thumb to try and reassure him that everything would be alright. Watching him take his time to digest the info dump, I saw that Jiraiya was about to speak and I just shot him a glare. After I turned back to Naruto I could see his emotions getting the better of him as he remembered everything he's been through. He slapped away my hand and bolted out of the door, I was about to follow him, but I felt Zach's hand on my shoulder, as he followed behind the young boy.

Wiping my eyes as I stood back up looking at the door where the two just left. Spotting two red-heads, peeking around the door I just smiled, it helped remind me of another point I needed to bring up. Sneakily giving them the 'wait right there' sign, I walked back to where I was previously seated. Jiraiya was gaping like a fish out of water and was about to say something.

Tsunade: "I'm. Not. Done."

He shut his mouth quickly, and Kakashi was still in shock about everything. They called him the great copy ninja, I don't see anything great about him yet.

Tsunade: "Now, Jiraiya please answer me honestly. Uzushiogakure's downfall, Danzo and Orochimaru had a hand in it. They used our secret passage into the village and weakened the seals. I know they don't have that much knowledge about seals. Did you have ANYTHING to do with them being able to de-activate the seals?"

Please don't let my suspensions be true, I don't know if I could take something like this. I've always been suspicious that it was an inside job. I'm honestly shooting in the dark on this one. Jiraiya dropped his head in shame as I finished the question and he started to rub his face with his hands, letting out a sigh.

Jiraiya: "That is something I ask myself nearly every day. Not even a week before the attack, Orochimaru came up to me with some seal designs that I thought he was going to use for his latest lab. I think I might have given him enough information to sabotage the seals."

Tsunade: "You just can't help but flaunt your knowledge can you?!"

Jiraiya: "I'm sorry, I have to live with the thought that I caused their downfall!"

Tsunade: "Don't apologize to me! Apologize to them!"

D

I pointed at the woman and girl peeking their heads around the corner of the door listening in. As they heard me call them they jumped up and I motioned for them to come into the room. As the two red-heads walked in, Jiraiya and Kakashi's eyes followed to them, and where filled with shock and then sadness. Jiraiya got up and went in front of the girls, assuming a dogeza position.

Jiraiya: "I don't know if I was the cause, but in the off chance I was. PLEASE FORGIVE ME!"

Kayla just smiled at him with no malice or regret, she bent down and touched his shoulders. He looked up at her with remorse written all over his face.

Kayla: "I am Kayla Uzumaki, and this is my daughter Karin Uzumaki. My husband died while fending off the shinobi in order to let me escape when I was pregnant with her. I hold no malice with you, you thought you were helping a friend. Tsunade-hime's husband once told me that an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind. So please, live-on and do the right things, but never let people forget us. Now stand up, and take the tongue lashings from Tsunade-hime like a man."

It took a couple of minutes before everyone settled back down enough for me to continue speaking.

Tsunade: "Now, to you Kakashi. Your father committed suicide, which is without a doubt true. But have you ever thought about HOW the word got out that he chose his companions over the mission?"

He looked at me for a second thinking.

Kakashi: "Danzo?"

Tsunade: "Bingo, you know what, it would be better to just show the information I have on Danzo."

With that I got up and went up to the study to grab two of our laptops, reaching them I got onto the Naruto Fandom page and went onto the Danzo page on both computers. Thanking Dionysus and Hephaestus that the Wandering Inn moved in right next to the compound and I could leach off their wifi.

Bringing the two laptops down I placed them in front of the two and opened them up. They looked at the laptops in fascination and curiosity, time to play up my husband. Husband, it just rolls off the tongue so well.

Tsunade: "My husband made these information holders, I'll explain it at a later time. All you need to do is read what's on the screen and use the arrow keys here to go up and down. Kakashi, you know a little bit about what he's done in the past. But there is more to the can of worms that you had seen."

With that, I left them to the devices and had Shizune bring us refreshments. Danzo, I'm about to change your name to Donezo before the end of the month. I wonder how Zach is doing with Naruto, I think those two might be able to relate a bit to each other.

--Zach POV--

Keeping up with Naruto was getting to be annoying. The way they can cling onto any surface was a major disadvantage for me. But I persevered, the kid doesn't need to be alone with his thoughts. Looking at the direction he was going I figured out that he'd be heading to the Hokage monument, pretty predictable. Slowing my pace down I decided not to break my neck and just meet him up there.

By the time I got on top of the mountain, I spotted Naruto sitting on the head of his father's monument. Running my essence through my leg tattoos I hopped onto the head and landed next to Naruto. Releasing the enchantments I sat down next to the kid who's eyes were red and he was hugging his knees.

Naruto: "What do you want?"

Zach: "I didn't want you to be alone."

Naruto: "Why would you care?!"

Looking out into the distance I replied in a somber tone.

Zach: "Because I've been in a similar situation as you."

Naruto: "Really?"

I nodded my head staring out into the distance.

Zach: "It's something that I haven't even told Tsunade, my wife. So if you can keep a secret I'll share it with you."

He thought it over for a second before giving me his answer.

Naruto: "Deal."

I reached my hand out to him with my pinky out.

Zach: "Where I'm from we do what is called a pinky swear. We interlock our pinkies and shake on it, it's one of the most important swears there."

He followed up with his hand and interlocked his pinky with mine and we shook on it. Smiling at him, he returned it like nothing was wrong. I've seen the look before, hell, I even lived it.

Zach: "When I was 12, I was living with my parents out in the countryside. It was a quiet life, and my father was a smith creating all sorts of metalworks, he was actually teaching me to follow in his footsteps. But one night while we were getting ready for bed, my mother had been tucking me in and reading me a bedtime story. When suddenly a bandit broke into our home to steal some of dad's work. He came into my room and was surprised to see us there, so he lunged towards me and my mother. My mother being the brave and loving woman she was, threw herself over me and shielded me from being stabbed by the bandit. As the bandit was going to take another stab at me my father showed up and stabbed the bandit, as the bandit was staggering around he slashed out with his knife and slit my father's throat. That night was the worst night of my life, I saw both of my parents murdered in front of my eyes."

Naruto sniffled a little at my story but started to clam up again.

Naruto: "At least you have parents for 12 years that loved you. I had no one."

Zach: "That is true, but you do have people who love you. But they went about showing you it the wrong way. Take a look at Jiraiya, out of all the kids in the village he chose you, the son of his student. The old man for all his faults still cared about you or else you wouldn't have been able to see him and talk to him as much. Then what about Teuchi and Ayame, they love you in their own way. For me, I had the love and they were killed in front of my eyes. Your parents died before you could remember them. But in the end, both your parents and mine died to save us. So we shouldn't waste the life that they gave us."

Naruto looked out across the village and processed what I had told him. I could see the fire returning to his eyes as his steadfast determination kicked in. He stood up and declared to the world.

Naruto: "I AM NARUTO UZUMAKI! I AM THE SON OF KUSHINA UZUMAKI AND MINATO NAMIKAZE, AND I WILL BE HOKAGE JUST LIKE MY FATHER!"

With that, I smiled at him and stood up. Standing next to him I placed my hand on his head and ruffled his hair. Naruto looked up at me and gave me that goofy smile that only he could pull off. Looking over the village, I knew there is going to be a lot of work to do just to fulfill his dream.