34. Secrets and Family

"My… parents?" Naruto repeated the phrase quietly and uncertainly.

This wasn't the first time he and the Sandaime Hokage had discussed this topic. When he was younger and still living at the orphanage, Naruto had asked him if he knew who his parents were. The Hokage had told him that he did not know them. He told him that they had perished in the Kyūbi attack. The Uzumaki was near tears after hearing Hiruzen's answer, but the Hokage had helped brighten his mood by treating him to ramen that afternoon and promising to help look for more information about his parents.

"Did you actually find out anything about them? Finally?" The Uzumaki questioned tentatively, afraid to get his hopes up.

The older man shook his head in response as a frown crept on Hiruzen's face as he recalled his 'promise' to search for information on Naruto's parents.

"No, Naruto… because I already had the information." He finally admitted. "I knew your parents quite well."

Naruto's eyes widened at the declaration. He looked at the Hokage in disbelief. Although he was aware that the Hokage had kept his status as the Kyūbi jinchūriki a secret, he could partly see the logic behind it. He disagreed with it, but he understood what Hiruzen's intentions were. But keeping his parents a secret? When he was an orphan and knowing just what happened to his family was the only thing he truly wanted?

After a few seconds, Naruto's surprised facial expression dropped into a more neutral, cold-looking expression. His eyes were now narrowed and focused solely on the Sandaime. "… So you lied to me."

Hiruzen nearly flinched. Hearing Naruto speak with such a blank tone took him by surprise and bothered him. Both his tone, and his general attitude, did not match the boy he knew and treated like a grandson.

"… What I am about to tell you is an S-ranked secret of Konoha." The Hokage finally spoke up after a brief period of silence. He took a deep breath before he matched Naruto's stare with one of his own. "I give you permission to tell anybody who you deem careful enough to tell, but if they spread this information to anybody, they will be killed. What I am going to tell you is dangerous information that could ultimately get you killed if it fell into the hands of the wrong person."

It was now Naruto's turn to flinch at the words spoken to him. He was still trying to process multiple sets of information. The Hokage did actually know who his parents were? And simply knowing who they were was dangerous?

"I understand." Naruto spoke up with a sigh. He looked at the Hokage with a softer look in his eyes. "Can… You tell me who they were now?"

A small smile developed on Hiruzen's face as he pulled out a picture and handed it to Naruto. The picture showed a young woman in her early twenties with long red hair tied in a ponytail. She wore a Konoha flak jacket over a black shirt and black pants. The woman was grinning in the picture and was making a 'peace sign' with her hands.

"That was your mother: Uzumaki Kushina." Hiruzen commented as Naruto took the picture and started to study her. "She had many nicknames in the Bingo Books. 'Crimson Reaper', 'Konoha's Chain Reaction', 'The Seal Mistress'… but the one I remember most-fondly is the 'Red Hot-Blooded Habanero'."

"This is my mother?" Naruto asked tentatively, again, as he rubbed his hand against the picture. He memorized every inch of his mother's appearance in his mind. "She's beautiful."

"Indeed she was. And just like you." The Hokage chuckled in response. "Very rambunctious and always getting in trouble. She tended to act before thinking too much. But she was also one of the most capable shinobi I've ever had the pleasure of meeting… and one of the sweetest. Despite her temper, there was not a sweeter woman alive. Kushina really cared about the lives of her comrades and the people around her. She was a wonderful woman."

"… She sounds like it." Naruto said with a sniffle. Tears were starting to develop in his eyes as he processed all of the praise the Hokage was giving his mother. Despite the tears, he looked down at the picture with a smile. "Mom… You must have been awesome."

"Oh, she was. An absolute joy to be around." Hiruzen chuckled. "… She also shared the same responsibility you had. She was the previous jinchūriki of the Kyūbi."

"Huh?" The Uzumaki blinked in response. He rubbed away the tears in his eyes before he looked at the Hokage in confusion. "My Mom c-contained the Kyūbi? But how was that possible? I thought the Kyūbi attacked the village on my birthday and that nobody had seen him before then."

"That is false-information that only spread because not many people were aware of your mother's status. She was the second jinchūriki of the bijū and you were the third." The Sandaime clarified. "… I don't know exactly what happened on the day of the attack. Your father had made the necessary plans to keep the Kyūbi contained when she gave birth to you. I have no proof of anything, but I suspect foul play. I've had a few shinobi personally investigating the specifics behind the attack, but nothing has come up yet. I hope to one day be able to understand what happened, because the seal shouldn't have broken and the Kyūbi should not have gotten out of your mother."

The Uzumaki scowled at the Hokage's words. The idea of somebody releasing the Kyūbi on the village, and ultimately killing his mother, infuriated him. He wanted to ask more questions about the Hokage's opinions and theories, but he realized that the Hokage mentioned something about his father. With that in mind, he decided to calm himself down and turn his focus towards that topic. "… And my father? You mentioned something about him a second ago."

Hiruzen didn't give an immediate reply: he simply looked towards the window. Naruto turned his head to see what the Hokage was looking at and noticed the arrival of a new figure: Jiraiya of the Sannin. The Uzumaki's eyes focused in on the man in confusion, not having noticed him arrive. He recognized the man from his last-minute studies in the academy and knew about his occupation as Konoha's Spy Master. What was he doing here, listening in on his private conversation with the Hokage?

"Your father was my student: Namikaze Minato." Jiraiya spoke up quietly.

Naruto's eyes, once again, widened in response. He felt the world around him freeze after those words. His father's name was Namikaze Minato? But, that was…

"My… My Dad was…" The Uzumaki started to speak.

"… My successor. The Yondaime Hokage." Hiruzen finished for the blonde.

Realization dawned on Naruto about why the topic was kept a secret from him. He was well aware of Minato's reputation around the world, especially in Iwa, Suna, and Kumo. When he was growing up, his life would have been in danger if there was even a rumor that the Yondaime Hokage had a child. The Sandaime Hokage obviously did everything he could to make sure the truth of his parentage was kept a secret as well as he could and he seemed to have succeeded for the most part: Naruto grew up and lived to become a chūnin. He now had the maturity to understand the motive Hiruzen had to keep his parentage a secret… however…

The Uzumaki looked downward, shaking his head slightly. Mixed emotions coursed through his body. He still had many feelings of admiration and respect for the Yondaime – the youngest Hokage ever and considered one of the nicest men Konoha had ever produced. Nothing was going to change a few basic facts: Naruto had respect for the man and had idolized him. However, Naruto had learned to look at things objectively. Thanks to his friendship with Kurotsuchi, he had started to look at the Yondaime a little more objectively. He was a man who did kill thousands of Iwa shinobi all at once. Although nothing would change his respect for the man, being able to look at the Yondaime from this perspective prevented him from seeing as an 'idol' any longer and made him see him as who he really was: Namikaze Minato.

… A man who, amongst all of his great and horrible actions in life, happened to seal the Kyūbi within him.

"If he's my father, then why?" Naruto began to question quietly. "Why'd he do it? Why'd he seal the Kyūbi inside me?"

"He had no choice, Naruto-kun." Hiruzen answered, frowning. "The Kyūbi needed to be sealed into a child and the Yondaime wasn't a man who would be able to ask somebody to offer up their child as sacrifice. No, what kind of man would ask something like that of somebody if they themselves weren't willing to do so?"

"… That, and I think he knew you could take it." Jiraiya spoke up. Naruto turned his attention to the Sannin, who was now smiling at him. "To be able to contain and prevent the Kyūbi from running amuck in Konoha… That's a huge responsibility that not everybody could do. He had to have somebody he trusted to do it. And I think he knew that you'd be able to grow and survive despite the Kyūbi." The man then gave the boy a thumbs-up gesture. "And, from the looks of it, he was right. You've really grown strong, Naruto."

The Uzumaki's eyes started to water after hearing the reasoning from both Hiruzen and Jiraiya. He wanted to still be angry at his father, but he knew that the man was right: he couldn't just ask someone to give up their child. Jiraiya's answer, however, was the one that really affected him.

'Dad, was that part of your reasoning? Did you really have that much faith in me?' He asked inwardly. A few seconds passed before he rubbed the tears out of his eyes, once again, and let a small smile cross his lips. 'If it was, then I hope I'm making you proud. I promise you: I'll grow tough and keep this village safe from the Kyūbi and from anything that would dare threaten it!'

"Speaking of your father Naruto… I wanted to properly introduce you to Jiraiya." Hiruzen spoke up. "I've, sadly, kept this meeting apart for way too long. I kept him from coming home for his own missions. So now, I can finally do what should have happened years ago. Naruto, I would like you to meet your godfather."

The blonde's eyes widened at that statement. "M-My godfather?"

"… A rather shitty godfather. A guy who hasn't been able to be in Konoha and look after his godson properly." Jiraiya admitted with a deep sigh. However, the man was able to smile and walk a little closer to the boy. "But yes… I am. And it's great to finally meet-"

The words didn't escape his lips in time before Naruto crashed into him, wrapping his arms around the Sannin. Jiraiya looked in surprise at the blonde that was hugging him, shaking slightly.

"I-I don't care. I… I have family. I have a family!" Naruto exclaimed loudly and happily. More tears were running down his eyes, but he didn't bother trying to rub them away. "I'm so happy to meet you!"

"… And I am so happy to finally meet you too, Naruto." Jiraiya replied quietly as he returned his hug.

"I also have to say, Naruto, I do have one more family member I'd like you to meet in a little bit." Hiruzen mentioned. His words caused Naruto and Jiraiya to break their hug and give the Sandaime their full attention. "There's a woman, Uzumaki Tayuya, who is descended from the same clan as your mother. She has the same blood of the Uzumaki that you have… basically making you her cousin."

"I… have more family? A cousin? A clan?" Naruto repeated the words the Sandaime Hokage was saying.

He tried to process everything that he had heard in this conversation. Everything quickly overwhelmed him and the blonde started to fall backwards. Jiraiya managed to capture his body before he hit the ground. The blonde was now in the Sannin's arms, unconscious.

"Sarutobi-sensei, you really didn't let up today. You dropped so many damn bombshells on this kid in the span of a few minutes." Jiraiya commented as he rubbed at his godson's cheeks, brushing away the wetness from his tears.

"… He has a right to know everything: even things that we just learned about, like the existence of Tayuya." Hiruzen answered. "This conversation needed to happen. And… he seems to be okay with everything." The Sandaime Hokage smiled as he looked fondly at the blonde in his student's arms. "I'm hoping this will be a turning point in his life. He's always wanted to know about family and to have one. Although I know he has become close to his friends, I think he did deserve to know about his real family."

"After everything he's been through, he deserves a family. And, to be frank sensei, I'm going to be taking a leave from my responsibilities, regardless of any orders. I want to finally get to know my godson. We both have waited long enough." Jiraiya stated sharply as he started to walk towards the door, carrying his godson.

"I understand. I wasn't planning on assigning you field work for a while, anyway." The Hokage nodded his head. 'At least any fieldwork without Naruto-kun...' He pushed those thoughts to the side for a moment before ushering Jiraiya to leave the office. "Take him home, Jiraiya. He should be lying down until he wakes up."

The Sannin nodded as he left the Hokage's office, heading towards his godson's apartment.

"Ah, that was good!" Kurotsuchi exclaimed, releasing a content sigh. "I'm going to be full for hours now."

"You're telling me." Shikamaru chuckled in response.

After receiving their promotions to chūnin, Kurotsuchi, Shikamaru, Hinata, and Sasuke, along with Ōnoki, went to Yakiniku Q for lunch to celebrate. The group had fun and enjoyed the food there. Once they had finished eating, Hinata and Sasuke went their separate ways to their homes. Ōnoki, as well, went his own way to head back to his residence in Konoha. Kurotsuchi and Shikamaru, however, stuck together and proceeded to wander the streets of Konoha together.

"That was a lot of fun, you know? I always think the best times you can have with somebody are when you go out to eat with them." Kurotsuchi commented with a chuckle.

"I'd agree with that. Hell, even Sasuke was pretty cool then." The Nara joked. Although the Uchiha was not overly sociable during the meal, mostly keeping to himself, he did occasionally throw-in a comment in the conversations and seemed to have enjoyed himself.

"Yup. Probably would've been a little more fun if Naruto showed up." The Iwa kunoichi said with a frown on her face. "What do you think your Hokage wanted to talk to him about? It sure took up a lot of time."

"Who knows?" Shikamaru shrugged in response. "Might not be something too important. I know he and Hokage-sama are actually pretty close. They might just be chatting. But if it's something important, I'm sure Naruto will tell us tomorrow or something."

"… Eh, I guess." Kurotsuchi sighed in response. "Was kinda hoping to see him though since I'm probably going to be heading back to Iwa soon."

Shikamaru opened his mouth to respond, but the words failed to come out of his mouth as he processed exactly what the kunoichi said. He proceeded to look at her in disbelief and sadness.

"You are?" He questioned.

"Well… the chūnin decisions were just made. Iwa doesn't really have a reason to be here now. So, we'll probably be heading back either tomorrow or the day after." She answered with a frown. "Sucks too. As much as I miss Iwa, I've kinda gotten used to being here and seeing you guys."

"I can imagine." Shikamaru nodded his head in understanding. He looked forward and sighed. "It won't be the same without you here."

"… Of course it wouldn't. Other than your teammates, I'm the only other person who is willing to put forth the effort to make you go out and do stuff with me." Kurotsuchi grinned in response.

"Hah!" The Nara scoffed good-naturedly in response. "You haven't met my mother yet."

"I have not. So she does this stuff too, then?" Kurotsuchi asked. Seeing Shikamaru nod his head caused the kunoichi to smirk. "Good. You need somebody to hold your hand and make you put in the needed effort at times."

Shikamaru chuckled in response. He knew the girl was just joking. He had gotten used to Kurotsuchi's humor and general attitude. Despite the strong difference in personality, he had really started to enjoy her company and he was going to miss her.

Suddenly, an idea entered the Nara's head. However, he wasn't sure what motivated the thought… nor was he sure what made him voice it.

"You know, my mom would probably want to meet you. Would you like to come over for dinner with my family tonight?" The Nara asked.

Kurotsuchi stopped walking immediately. Shikamaru stopped as well as he focused his attention on the kunoichi in front of him. The normally confident granddaughter of the Tsuchikage was currently blushing and was looking away from Shikamaru nervously.

"Ex-Excuse me?" She managed to speak.

"… Er, I was just thinking… My parents kinda wanted to meet my friends and if you're going to leave the village, then I'd like to introduce them to you before you have to go." Shikamaru quickly answered. His cheeks started to pick up a red tint, but neither he nor Kurotsuchi noticed it. "I mean, it was just a thought. If you're busy or don't want to go-"

"No! It's not that!" Kurotsuchi spoke up quickly, and louder than she intended. "It just took me by surprise, that's all. I should be able to come by." The kunoichi then looked the Nara in the eyes and smiled, losing some of the nerves that were overcoming her. "Yeah… I should be able to. I'll just have to go let my grandpa know."

"Go right ahead." Shikamaru chuckled. "So I'll be seeing you later then?"

"Yup! I'll see you later." Kurotsuchi replied with a smile before she quickly rushed off in the direction of her grandfather's residence.

Shikamaru continued his walk alone towards his own home. He needed to talk to his parents about his plans and whether they'd be okay with the additional visitor for dinner.

'… Seriously Shikamaru, what the hell prompted that question?' He asked himself as he continued on his walk.

After eating lunch with Shikamaru, Sasuke, Kurotsuchi, and Ōnoki, Hinata went back home to the Hyūga clan compound. The kunoichi had a smile on her face after having a good time with her friends. She always felt this way every time she got to chance to spend time with them. Today was especially enjoyable to her because it had been a few days since she got the chance to meet with them. Due to the invasion and the necessary repairs that needed to be made around the village, everybody was busy. Hinata was doing her part, as were her own friends. Seeing them for the first time since the invasion, immediately after earning her chūnin promotion, put her in a joyous mood.

… The only way that her day would have been better would have been if Naruto could have come with them to lunch…

'Naruto-kun…' She sighed mentally, trying to resist the urge to blush.

Naruto, just like her and the rest of their friends, had been busy since the end of the invasion. He had even busy immediately after they received their promotions. Unfortunately, that meant she had not seen him in a few days… nor did she have the opportunity to talk to him about her giving him a kiss.

'I… I can't wait any longer. He has to know that mean something more…' Hinata told herself, shaking her head in slight frustration. 'I… I'm going to need to just tell him how I feel.'

"The next time we are alone together… I'll tell him. I will. I promise myself." She told herself.

Filled with confidence that had slowly been building in her since the end of her academy-days, Hyūga Hinata walked towards the Hyūga clan compound, prepared for whatever life had in store for her later that day.

'Everything about his research is so complete!'

Kabuto had managed to finish reading every single page of all of Orochimaru's research notes. He had already began doing experiments on the blood samples that were still within the lab. The former 'right-hand' to the Sannin had never felt more and alive as he recalled everything he learned.

'He had done so much research on all of the different bloodlines and clans within the elemental nations. The Senju, the Uchiha, the Hozuki, the Kaguya, the Kurogane, the Uzumaki…' Kabuto started to recall the various subjects that had appeared in the research notes.

The man was starting to become more-and-more impatient. After reaffirming his goals and studying all of Orochimaru's research notes that he could, Kabuto was anxious to actually begin his plans and start trying to reach his goal. He was no longer afraid of potential death at the hands of Konoha shinobi. The man knew he could sneak around and avoid being seen and captured. He now needed to focus on just moving around, obtaining everything he needed, and beginning his own personal experiments.

'I really don't have the time to be wasting. It's about time I finally came out.' Kabuto told himself as a smirk developed on his face. 'Time to go out in the world and begin the applications of my research and my plans.'

With that thought in his head, the 'right-hand' of Otogakure left the safety of the lab and headed out into the streets of Konoha.

After a few hours of unconsciousness, Uzumaki Naruto finally woke up with a splitting pain in his head. He pulled himself out of his bed and stretched, trying to get used to being awake.

"Finally up? I don't recall seeing somebody stay unconscious for that long just after a conversation."

The Uzumaki quickly turned his focus towards Jiraiya. The man was sitting in a chair by the door to his room with a brown, plain notebook in his hands. Once Naruto had woken up, Jiraiya put the book away and started to walk closer towards the blonde.

It was then that information hit Naruto, once again. The memories of his conversation with Hiruzen reentered his head: how Namikaze Minato and a woman named Uzumaki Kushina were his parents, how he had a cousin in the village, and how the man standing in front of him was his godfather.

"How are you feeling kid?" Jiraiya asked. "Need any water or something?"

"No. I'm fine. I'm already becoming more awake." Naruto answered quickly. "Jiraiya… So… You really are my godfather, huh?"

"Yeah." Jiraiya answered with a nervous smile.

An awkward tension developed in the room as both the newly-appointed chūnin and the Sannin stared at each other. Both had things they wanted to talk about with the other but were uncertain exactly how to start their conversation. Despite the tension, Naruto genuinely hated periods of silence. Therefore, with a nervous sigh, he tentatively broke the ice.

"… So, do you like ramen?" He questioned.

"Heh." Jiraiya snickered at the question. "Probably not as much as you do, but I do enjoy ramen. You ever had karaage fried chicken?"

"No, I have not." The Uzumaki shook his head.

"Boy, you are missing out! I'll definitely order you your first meal, on me. Cause that stuff is the food of kami-sama himself." The Sannin declared. "There's a place in Mizu no Kuni that serves the best type of meat you'll ever have!"

"Really? I wonder what type of ramen they have there then." Naruto wondered. The blonde then started to look at Jiraiya in curiosity. "So you're the Spymaster of Konoha, right? The guy who is like never in Konoha because you're always out in some unknown town or village in the other countries? What's the rest of the world like? What's the coolest place you've seen?"

Jiraiya grinned as he started to tell stories to the Uzumaki over the years as Konoha's Spymaster, as well as the different types of people and places he encountered. He also made sure to answer a few questions the Uzumaki had about his parents' personalities and relationship. Similarly, Naruto told him about some of things about his own personal life: about his friends and about his days as a genin. The godfather and godson duo took the time to finally reconnect as if they hadn't just met for the first time, no longer having that tension that existed.

Naruto enjoyed himself greatly, but there was still another thought in the back-of-his head. Jiraiya was not the only living family member he was informed about during his conversation with the Hokage.

"… Hey, Jiraiya?" Naruto gave his godfather a curious look. "Uh, do you know where my cousin is supposed to be?"

"Yeah. I know where her prison cell is." The Sannin nodded his head. "Want to go meet her?"

"Yeah, I would-" Naruto stopped himself mid-sentence as he processed what his godfather told him. He gave him a confused look. "Wait, prison cell? Why is she there? Did she try and do something to Konoha?"

"It's kinda a long story. I'll explain on the way." Jiraiya answered with a shrug as he started to walk towards the front door of Naruto's apartment. "Just follow me."

With a nod of understanding, Naruto followed behind the Sannin.

"Uh…"

An awkward, tense silence had existed between Naruto and Jiraiya when they first truly started to talk with each other, but the blonde Uzumaki was easily able to break it. It was part of his natural charisma. This time, however, he was unable to 'break the ice' as he studied his cousin, Tayuya, intently.

Jiraiya had informed him of his cousin's history and her actions. Naruto was now aware that she, like Dosu, was a former follower of Orochimaru. Unlike his friend, however, she was somebody who was caught and did not side against the traitor willingly. Jiraiya had informed him of her motivation that he and the Hokage had learned from her and he admired her for her ambitions. The conflicting ideas, of her work with Orochimaru and her ultimate goals to restore the Uzumaki clan, had confused the blonde exactly how she was going to be like and how to approach his conversation with her.

Fortunately for him, Tayuya seemed willing to speak first. After studying the blonde for a few minutes in silence, she finally opened her mouth to talk to him.

"So… You're Naruto, huh? You're the other Uzumaki?" She questioned.

"That's… yeah. That's me." Naruto answered with a nervous smile.

"… No offense, but when I first heard about you, I was expecting a guy with… less blonde hair. I don't think I've heard of a blonde Uzumaki." Tayuya commented. Her word-choice suggested to Naruto that she was making a joke, but her tone-of-voice seemed to suggest otherwise.

"Yeah, my mother was an Uzumaki and she had red-hair. I just didn't inherit it." The Uzumaki replied with a chuckle.

"I can see that." The former Sound Four member deadpanned. She got up from her bed and walked closer towards Naruto. She continued to walk until she was directly in front of him. She then let a small smile grace her lips as she studied him. "But I can just feel it: you're an Uzumaki. You're literally the second member of our clan I have ever met. The Uzumaki Clan, our clan… it really is alive. I'm happy to meet you, Naruto."

"I… I am too, Tayuya-nee." The blonde Uzumaki smiled in response.

'Nee?' Tayuya blinked in response. The boy had just met her for the first time and he was referring to her with that honorific? She opened her mouth to question him about it, but she was interrupted when she felt him start to hug her. Immediately, her eyes hardened and she pulled him off. "Get off me!"

Naruto blinked in confusion at her actions and frowned. Tayuya noticed immediately and sighed, shaking her head.

"Sorry about that. I… just don't like physical contact like that." The kunoichi apologized.

"Nah, you shouldn't be sorry." The newly-appointed chūnin shook his head. He then returned to smiling back at his cousin. "Still, I really am glad to meet you and meet someone from our clan. I really didn't think there actually was an Uzumaki Clan anymore!" He then gave a curious look towards the kunoichi. "And you really think there are more members of our clan around the nations?"

"I don't think: I know." Tayuya answered confidently. She brought her hands together, her right fist colliding with the open palm of her left hand. "I've already met our cousin in Kusa and I just know there are more out there."

"And you're going to find them!" Naruto declared. He then shook his head, as if correcting his previous statement. "No, we are going to find them and bring them back here!"

"… Look, do you actually believe the bullshit your Hokage was saying? He's not going to let me out of here." The former Sound Four member answered with a shrug. "Honestly, I'm just lucky he's even letting me meet you. There's no way in hell that he's going to give me a chance to flee the village."

"The Old Man's a good guy and he keeps his word. If he said he was willing to work with you and help with your goal, then he means it." Naruto told his cousin with a sigh.

"… Believe that if you want." Tayuya sighed in response. She hadn't expected her cousin to be so naïve. "All I know is that I worked under your Hokage's former student-turned traitor. There's not a chance that he's actually sympathetic to my goals."

Naruto frowned in response. He remained quiet for a few seconds as he tried to organize his thoughts together.

"… You know, I'm the student of Mitarashi Anko, Orochimaru's former apprentice. And she had just as much of a grudge against Orochimaru as the Old Man Hokage did." Naruto spoke up quietly. "I… understand very clearly everything Orochimaru has done and all the evil he has brought to the world. I'll never forgive him. And, yeah, I don't think I'd like to be around somebody who worked with him willingly like you did. Cause unlike a friend of mine, you seemed to be aware exactly what Orochimaru was doing, but you were still working with him…

"… But having said that, but I also understand what it's like to grow up without a family and want nothing more than to find one." The Kyūbi jinchūriki's voice grew softer and he looked downward. "I… Back when I lived at the orphanage and before I met my friends, I was completely desperate to make connections. All I wanted was somebody that loved me. I wanted a family more than anything else in the world. I couldn't imagine being like you: having a family only to get it taken away and being left with nobody. I… I completely understand why you would be willing to work with somebody like Orochimaru and how you would be willing to do anything to meet your family…

"That's why, despite my opinions on Orochimaru, I am willing to give you a chance." Naruto finally looked up back to his cousin and smiled. "Because you mean well and you want something that nobody can fault you for. And I know that the Old Man will be able to do like me and give you a chance. And, with that chance, you and I can work together to help find the other members of our clan."

Tayuya had been quiet during Naruto's speech. The kunoichi, once he had finished, stared at him, completely dumbfounded. The boy knew of the nature of his work with Orochimaru and was the student of Mitarashi Anko. Despite those variables, he was willing to give her a chance? He was willing to see things from her perspective and sympathize with her?

The red-haired Uzumaki had not trusted a single person since her parents' deaths. In her fourteen, almost fifteen, years of being alive, she had been a rather cynical human being who saw the worst in the people around her. Tayuya wanted to rebuke Naruto's words and call him out on some form of 'bullshit' within them. The woman, however, was unable to see any. Every word felt sincere to her.

She wasn't certain if she truly believed him yet, but she really wanted to.

"… You're quite special, aren't you?" She finally spoke up once she cleared her mind. A small smile developed on her face once again. "I'd… I'd like to find our clan together and rebuild it."

"And I'd love to help and rebuild the Uzumaki clan here." He told her as he held out his hand to her. "And I give my word, as a shinobi of Konoha, that I'll do what I can to help rebuild our clan!"

"… In my opinion, the word of a shinobi means nothing. We're deceitful killers by occupation. Therefore… I'd like to give my word to you as an Uzumaki: as your cousin." Tayuya spoke as she shook Naruto's hand. "I'll show you and your Hokage that I'm trustworthy, and together, you and I will create our clan here in this village."

A wide grin developed on Naruto's face: one that even Tayuya was unable to prevent herself from reciprocating. The two of them finally had family once again and, if their plan followed through, would find more-and-more members of their clan.

Hinata, in the end, took a little longer to arrive back at the Hyūga clan compound. She had to make a few personal errands and restock on equipment that she used during the Chūnin Exam finals and the invasion: errands that she had put off for longer than she should have. Once she finished, she opened the doors to the main building in the compound and prepared to walk to her room. Once she stepped inside, however, she was greeted by another member of her clan: Kō.

"Hinata-sama, Hiashi-sama has requested your presence for a moment. If you may, please go visit him in his personal study for just a little while." He informed her.

"Okay." Hinata nodded in understanding.

The Hyūga heiress proceeded to walk down one of the hallways of her clan's compound in the direction of her father's personal study. It took her a few seconds before she reached the screen doors to the room. She opened the doors and was greeted by two men in the room: her father and her cousin.

"Father." She greeted him politely. She then turned her attention to the Hyūga prodigy and gave him a surprised look. "Neji-niisan?"

Just as she had difficulties seeing her friends these past few days, she also had issues with finding her cousin. The last time she saw him was their personal fight during the Chūnin exam finals. Hinata had intended on having a conversation with him and seeing how he was doing, but she could not find him. This was the first time she had the luxury to see him again… and unfortunately, it was not going to be in a private setting, where she could talk to him freely.

"… Hinata-sama. It is nice to see you." Neji greeted her with a bow. His tone-of-voice was a surprise to her. It was not usually filled with his usual malice towards her. Instead, his tone was rather neutral. If anything, there was a slight 'polite' edge to it. "I see you did earn the chūnin rank. Congratulations."

"Thanks." Hinata replied with a smile. She was confused about Neji's tone and mood, but she wasn't going to question it too much. It made her happy to see her cousin's spirit uplifted in some way.

"Hinata, I have something I wish to discuss with you and Neji. Please, give me your full attention." Hiashi spoke up.

The Hyūga heiress nodded her head and walked in the room to stand side-by-side with her elder cousin. Both Hyūga looked towards the Clan Head, waiting for him to continue with whatever he had to say.

"I had been watching the match between you two during the Chūnin Exams intently. All of the Hyūga clan did. The clan heiress versus the prodigy of the branch family: there wasn't a single Hyūga in the audience that wasn't looking forward to your match. The results of the match stunned everybody, including me." Hiashi noted. "… I saw the two shinobi in our clan with the most potential to change our ways."

"… Huh?" Hinata gave her a father confused look.

"Excuse me?" Neji blinked in response, expressing the same confusion as Hinata.

"… This is something I've been thinking about for a long time. Hizashi triggered these thoughts and they've been in the back of my head ever since. But now I can't ignore it: the clan's division in two branches is weakening us as a unit. It feels as if we are two separate clans within one." Hiashi admitted with a sigh as he shook his head in frustration. "It is late for me to have this realization and do something about it. The elders of our clan have too much of a personal check on me to be able to do something now. However… I think they wouldn't be able to do anything to the strength of two rising figures in our clan.

"Hinata, Neji: I want you two to fix my mistakes and the mistakes of all previous clan heads." Hiashi requested to his daughter and nephew. "From this day forward, I will oversee both of your training in the skills of our clan, in outside skills, and political training. In a few years, Hinata will take over as clan head. On that day, I want Neji to become your 'right-hand' and the two of you together will bring forth reform to the clan. You both will be skilled, both in strength and in politics, to wrestle control from the elders before they can trap you both in their political agenda. And together, you two will unite our clan once and for all."

Hinata and Neji remained quiet for a few minutes after Hiashi's speech. The two briefly exchanged looks between each other as they both tried to independently comprehend the full-extent of what the father/uncle had just said.

"This will mean the removal of the seal on the branch family." Neji realized, his eyes widening as his hands instinctively went to his forehead protector and the seal underneath it.

"Correct." Hiashi nodded his head in affirmation.

"… Is this even a possible feat?" Neji questioned as he closed his eyes in thought, trying to deduce the probability of Hiashi's plan succeeding. "We're going against traditions that have been in place longer than the existence of Konoha. The sole purpose of the elders is to maintain tradition. They aren't going to accept this, no matter what. This could ultimately lead to more divide in our clan."

"… But if that's how we think, then nothing will change." Hinata spoke up quietly, yet confidently.

"Do you believe this can be done, Hinata-sama?" Neji opened his eyes and stared at Hinata intently.

"I… I don't know. But it's worth a shot. My father's right: our clan is suffering from its divisions. And if there's something we can do to fix it, then we need to do it. Together." She answered with a smile on her face.

'… This is going against tradition: the destiny of our clan.' Neji felt himself trying to resist Hinata's argument. However, he recalled his own battle with her during the Chūnin Exams and his subsequent loss. The proof of her victory, her Chūnin flak jacket, prevented him from ignoring it. '… But it was Hinata-sama's fate to be a failure, and she defied it. She surpassed me. If she can defy fate once, she can do it again… and perhaps this means that I can as well!'

"… You're right. We'll do this together." He stated firmly, nodding his head slightly in agreement with his own words.

"Neji-niisan…" Hinata's smile grew wider at her cousin's words.

"I warn you all: I will be a ruthless instructor. I will teach you both everything I know: as a shinobi, as a member of the Hyūga clan, and as a politician. But I will do in hopes that you all can surpass me and do what I was unable to do." Hiashi informed them as he let a smile grace his lips. "I… have faith in the potential you both have."

'Ugh… This was a mistake.' Shikamaru grumbled to himself as he brought his hand to his neck uneasily.

As soon as he mentioned to his parents that Kurotsuchi would be joining them for dinner, his mother had freaked out and started making arrangements. She dropped everything to personally cook the meal for tonight and made Shikaku and Shikamaru clean every area of the compound possible so that way it was 'presentable'. She also demanded that Shikamaru 'dress-up'. The Nara heir was now wearing an elaborate black-green kimono: something he only wore for formal occasions.

"It's a pain, isn't it?" Shikaku chuckled as he noticed his son's discomfort. Like him, he was wearing formal attire: a grey kimono with a red hakama over it that went a little past his waist.

"I hate dressing up. It's a pain." The Nara heir rolled his eyes. "I don't understand what Mom's freaking out about and why everything needs to be 'perfect'. It is literally just a friend of mine coming over for dinner. It's nothing more than that."

"Heh." Shikaku chuckled at his son's comments. "She means well. She just wants to make a good impression and help you out." He patted his son on the shoulder. "Have to say, I'm excited to meet this Kurotsuchi girl. Anybody that you actually have an interest in must be something special."

"… Wait, wait, wait." Shikamaru's eyes widened as he realized what his father and mother were thinking. "Hold on a second. Let me make something clear: we are just friends. Nothing more."

"Not yet." Shikaku commented with a snicker and a teasing grin on his face.

"Dad, don't be troublesome." His son groaned in response.

"Ha!" Shikaku replied with a boisterous laugh. "I'm not trying to be troublesome. I'm just talking. I guess I should wait to meet this 'Kurotsuchi' girl before assuming something… although I will say that you are acting like me when I introduced your mother to my parents. So forgive me for making assumptions.

"… Hmph." Shikamaru shook his head in frustration.

"By the way, your little announcement about your friend took away from our earlier conversation, so I just wanted to say it again: congrats on making chūnin so quickly." Shikaku informed his son. The grin on his face turned into a more sincere, proud smile. "You did a good job during the exams. You have the right mind to lead."

"Thanks. Although, I don't know if I'd go that far to say that I'm ready to lead others." Shikamaru replied with a smile of his own as he rubbed the back of his head nonchalantly. "I performed in the exams well because I figured it would be a waste of time to not give it my all. It just ended up being enough to earn the promotion. I don't know I'm really ready for all the responsibilities with the rank."

"It doesn't matter if you personally feel like you're ready or not, you displayed the qualities that show you have the capabilities to lead. And that's all that matters." Shikaku informed him. The Nara clan head proceeded to give his son a more serious look. "Just know that your duties as a shinobi are going to become more serious. You can't afford to laze around on a mission. Always approach things with the right amount of attitude and energy. You can't afford to be lax for even one minute on the missions you'll now be assigned to."

"I realize that, Dad." Shikamaru informed him with a sigh. "… I'll do my job. I promise."

"Good. I have faith you will. And in your spare time, I'll ramp up your training. We'll start our training harder than ever until you learn everything that I can do." Shikaku informed him.

Shikamaru opened his mouth to voice his opinions about more intensive training with his father, but the words died on his tongue as the sound of a knock sounded throughout the compound.

"THAT'S HER!" Yoshino's voice boomed from another room in the compound. "SHIKAMARU, LET YOUR FRIEND IN!"

"… We'll continue this talk later." Shikaku shrugged as he made a 'shooing' gesture at his son. A smirk then developed on his face. "Do as your Mom said, Shikamaru. Go get your girlfriend and introduce us to her."

"… Troublesome parents." Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

With a sigh, the Nara heir walked towards the entrance to the compound. He then opened the front door to let Kurotsuchi in. "Hey, come… on… in?"

Standing in front of him was Kurotsuchi. She was, however, not dressed in her normal attire. The girl was wearing a 'Western' style, sleeveless red dress. The dress went down from her neck and went down just below her knees. It was slightly tight and complimented her figure well. The kunoichi also wore a necklace with a singular pink gem on it.

Shikamaru's eyes widened at the sight of the girl in front of him. He had never seen Kurotsuchi dressed like this before. Formal attire like dresses or kimonos didn't appear to fit her personality. Seeing her in a dress, however, showed him just good she looked in one, however. He had never really thought too much about his friend's physical appearance, but for the first time, he realized just attractive she actually was.

"Hey." She greeted him with a smile, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Nice to see you can actually dress up. That your own kimono?"

"… I can dress up sometimes. And yes, it is." Shikamaru chuckled in response. "Nice to see you dress up as well. You look nice, Kurotsuchi."

A small pink-tint developed on her cheeks, but the Iwa kunoichi smiled in response. "Thanks. Now, I'm not late or anything? It took me a little longer than I thought to find your clan's compound."

"No, you're on time." Shikamaru assured her. He then ushered for her to come inside. "My parents have been excited to meet you, so come on in already."

"Don't have to tell me twice." She replied as she walked inside.

"Was Dad really that nerdy? He was the frickin Yondaime! I expected to hear that he was this cool badass type." Naruto laughed.

"Yeah, 'badass' is one of the last words I would use to describe Minato. He was definitely one on the battlefield, but in his personal life, he was just way too much of a dork." Jiraiya answered with a chuckle. "It takes a special type of person to read science books on theories of 'space-time' and 'physics' and actually enjoy them for the knowledge."

The Uzumaki continued to laugh. He and Jiraiya had spent most of the entire day simply chatting and getting to know each other. Naruto took every second he could to ask questions about his parents. Thanks to Jiraiya's answers, he was able to get a clearer picture of them in his head. They no longer seemed like blank silhouettes to him and they were more than the names he had heard today: they were real people that he could actually imagine. Nothing would be able to take away his joy as he could finally envision what his parents were life.

As the sun finished setting and the moon rose into the sky, Naruto started to yawn. He then walked over to his room slightly, mumbling 'goodnight' to his godfather.

"You going to bed already kid? It only just turned night time." Jiraiya questioned his godson teasingly.

"Yeah, I know. But I'm really tired. I've had a lot happen today and I need to sleep I think." Naruto replied sleepily.

Jiraiya nodded his head in understanding. He then walked towards the door to Naruto's apartment. "I'll be over sometime tomorrow. You get some sleep then, Naruto. Take care."

Naruto smiled as he waved goodbye to Jiraiya. He then entered his room and lied on his bed, feeling content.

Today had been a crazy day. Him earning his chūnin-rank was actually the most 'tame' thing to happen to him today. Learning about his parents, meeting his godfather, and meeting his cousin: so many different things happened and it took a lot to process everything. However, he was happy to have learned everything.

'I finally know who my parents were. Dad was the frickin Yondaime and was actually a nice guy… and Mom was just like me!' He chuckled to himself.

A second passed by as a memory reentered his mind: his mother was just like him. She was the jinchūriki of the Kyūbi and the Hokage had suspicions about the nature of the 'Kyūbi Attack'. His mind sobered immediately and he felt himself becoming more awake once again.

'The Old Man may not be able to learn anything from his own investigations, but I bet I can learn something. I have a primary source, after all!' He told himself.

He got up from his bed and sat down. He took in a deep breath before he closed his eyes. When he re-opened them, he was now in his mind, standing in front of the gate of the Kyūbi. The fox was currently lying down on the ground with his eyes closed, as if he was asleep.

"Yo, Kyūbi." Naruto called out to the fox. The fox didn't seem to have a reaction at all to Naruto's words. The Uzumaki's eyes then widened in realization as he recalled the word Shukaku had used during the invasion. "Kurama!"

Immediately, the Kyūbi's eyes opened in anger and he charged towards Naruto, hitting the gate that was trapping him. The fox, unable to attack the boy, simply opted to snarl at him in anger.

"I already told you, boy, you don't have the right to call me that name! Damn you Shukaku for giving my name!" The Kyūbi hissed.

"If you don't want me calling that, then fine. I was just trying to get your attention." Naruto said with a slight frown on his face. "… Although, are you sure you prefer Kyūbi? I mean, wouldn't you prefer to be called by your own then some title you have?"

"Only one human has ever called me by my name and I will not insult his memory by letting you refer to me as such. So, yes, call me Kyūbi." The fox demanded.

"… Alright. If you say. I don't want to upset your or anything." Naruto sighed in response.

"Hmph." The Kyūbi shook his head in response. "Anyway, let's cut to the chase. I know why you are here. I overheard that conversation you had with your Hokage. You want to learn about the night where your damn father sealed me inside you."

"Yes. I do." The Uzumaki nodded his head in affirmation. "… Is the Old Man right and was something, or someone, involved? Something that released you from your seal and made you attack the village and kill my parents?"

"A jinchūriki's seal is weakened during childbirth. It gave me the one opportunity where I could have gotten out. Why do you assume I needed something help to release myself?" The Kyūbi questioned Naruto.

"I… I don't know. The Hokage told me that my father made plans to make sure you couldn't get out alone, so I think somebody would have to have intervened." Naruto answered uneasily. "… Besides, it looked as if the person influenced you to attack the village. My mom was your jinchūriki. Would you have really killed willingly?"

"You're an idiot and I don't understand your logic. Your mother was the sole thing holding me back from my freedom. Why would I not want to get revenge and kill her?" The Kyūbi continued to question.

"Again, I don't know. But I just don't think you would have." Naruto admitted with a sigh. "Look, when we met the first time during the second exam, I felt there was a lot more to you than I initially thought. You didn't seem like the monster I had imagined you would be. And, well, knowing that you had a connection with my mom, I just can't imagine you killing her. I don't think you are evil like that."

"… You don't think of me as evil?" The Kyūbi appeared stunned by the revelation.

"I like to think I'm good at reading people. I may not be able to do it always, but I think I can meet somebody and get a feeling of what they are like." Naruto answered with a sigh. "A man like Orochimaru or those two guys that attacked us on Tenchi Bridge… they were evil. I could tell almost immediately. But you?" The Uzumaki let a small, uneasy smile cross his lips. "I just think there's something else to you. I can tell you're an angry person, but I don't know if 'evil' is the right word I would use. I don't know how to explain it, but I just feel it. And because of that, I really feel that you wouldn't just attack the village and kill my parents, especially my mom, just like that."

The fox's eyes were wide in surprise. He simply could not understand Naruto's logic. The Uzumaki could just feel that he wasn't evil? He didn't seem like to kill meaninglessly?

The Kyūbi hated humanity. Humans were, in his opinion, the root of all evil in the world. Naruto, in his mind, was just like the others and he wanted to try and distance himself from him once the two had established their 'mental connection' with each other. He tried to antagonize him and offend the blonde into hating him. He, however, seemed to ignore the Kyūbi's attempts and seemed willing to give him a chance. If the blonde didn't see him as evil, would he then see him as something more than just a tool?

'Probably not.' The fox thought bitterly. '… However, he's interested me enough that I think I can tell him about the truth.'

"… You amuse me, kid. Very well. I will talk to you about the day of your birth." He spoke, getting Naruto's attention. "Now, before I begin, I have to ask you one question: what do you know about Uchiha Madara?"

Night fell over Konoha. Many of the residents were starting to turn in and go off to sleep. Unlike them, however, Jiraiya instead was walking through the streets feeling relief that he hadn't felt in years. After years of waiting, he finally got to meet his godson. He was now also on the way to developing a genuine relationship with him.

'Minato, Kushina: you two would be so pleased with the man he is becoming.' Jiraiya told himself with a smile on his lips.

Due to the day and the shear amount of fun he had been having with Naruto, the Toad Sannin waited until Naruto went to sleep before he continued with his duties and head towards the Hokage's office. He entered the room through the window. Hiruzen, as he had expected, was still in the office and was working on paperwork. The Sannin smirked at the sight of his sensei, hard at work.

"You know, it's days like these where I see you do nothing but paperwork when I realize I'm glad I'm not the Hokage. I could never stay cooped up in an office doing busy work." He commented to his teacher.

"This 'busy work' is only because of the invasion and needs to be done. It's not much of an issue." Hiruzen replied, not even looking up to his student. He was too focused on his work. "I thought you mentioned you'd be here around seven. It's much later than that."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry bout that." The Sannin replied, rubbing the back of his head. "But hey, I was with Naruto. Forgive me for just taking advantage of our time together for a bit."

"I know. That's what I assumed you were doing. And I don't fault your for that. Just send me a shadow clone to inform me the next time." The Hokage requested. He finally looked up from the paperwork and gave his student a curious look. "… How is he?"

"Taking everything very well. He's accepted what his parents had to do and doesn't blame them. He's now just asking about everything I know about them. He got a real kick when I explained to him how Minato proposed to Kushina." Jiraiya commented with a snicker.

"Ah, I remember that day." Hiruzen smiled fondly as he remembered the elaborate 'plan' Minato had for Kushina. "Kushina really rubbed off on him. It's the only way I can ever truly explain why he, the rule-abiding, polite Namikaze Minato, was willing to vandalize the Hokage monument to write 'Will you marry me, Kushina-hime?' and paint a small, chibi-like version of himself on his knees?"

"You may call it vandalism, but the villagers and I had to say that it was cute… especially when she responded back by writing the word 'Yes!' underneath and painting a chibi-version of herself kissing him." The Sannin stated as his snickering turned into full-blown laughter.

"It was cute, yes. They were a lovely couple." Hiruzen chuckled. He then pushed the thought to the side to focus on why he had called Jiraiya to the office. "And did you introduce him to his cousin?"

"I did. And to be honest, they hit it off better than I thought." Jiraiya admitted. "Based on the little interaction I had with her, I thought she was going to hate him, but she seemed to be interested in him. And they both were just excited to meet another Uzumaki."

"I figured." The Sandaime Hokage nodded his head in understanding. "… I'd like for them to strengthen their relationship and help reestablish the Uzumaki clan. I'm thinking of assigning them to a mission to investigate Uzushiogakure."

"Hmm?" Jiraiya blinked in response. "Assign a mission? Sensei, Tayuya isn't a Konoha shinobi. Yeah, she seems to get along with Naruto, but we still don't know how sincere she truly is. I want to believe her, but you have to be realistic with how you handle her."

"I realize all of this. Tayuya is still a wild card in regards to her loyalties. That is why on that mission, I'd like you to go with them and observe her. See if she makes an attempt against Konoha or tries to flee. This can really test if she is being truthful in regards to her loyalty." Hiruzen stated. "… Besides, I feel like letting her visit Uzushiogakure will show her that she, and the Uzumaki clan, means something to us I feel like this could ultimately result in her becoming a trustworthy shinobi who doesn't have to live a life under arrest. This could pave the way to her becoming an active member of Konoha."

"… I see." Jiraiya nodded his head in understanding. "I can do that. So the mission will just be me, Naruto, and Tayuya?"

"Yes. I'll make it a B-rank mission and will pay for it myself. I'll work out the specific details later, but I'd really appreciate if they tried to maybe learn something from their trip about their clan. After all, most of the areas of Uzushiogakure are still inaccessible to non-Uzumaki. That clan was too good with fūinjutsu." Hiruzen chuckled. "And who knows? Maybe along the way, they'll encounter more members of their clan? There are rumors that a few members of the clan live somewhere near the ruins of the village."

"It's… all possible. Who knows?" Jiraiya shrugged. "But I'll definitely be willing to go on the mission. Send me a message when you want us to head out and I'll make the arrangements with her and Naruto."

"Will do. Expect the mission within the next few days. I'll file the official mission once I have the time." Hiruzen informed him. "… This was honestly all I wanted to discuss with you. You're dismissed now, Jiraiya."

The Sannin nodded. He then left the office, mumbling something about 'red-light district' and 'research'. Hiruzen chuckled at his student's words before returning his focus to his paperwork. He was just about to start-up again when he was interrupted the sound of his office's door being slammed open.

"H-Hokage-sama!" A chūnin exclaimed frantically as he rushed inside. "S-Someone from Oto attacked the researchers that were studying Orochimaru's corpse!"

"WHAT?" The Sandaime shouted before he made a singular hand-sign, disappearing in a shunshin.

Deep within the basement of the Torture and Investigation Department was a room filled with the bodies of four dead researchers. They were all tokubetsu jōnin specializing in forensic investigation and were studying Orochimaru's body. All of them were amongst five shinobi hand-chosen by the Hokage to work on this case… making him feel personally responsible for their deaths.

Ibiki, due to his role as the head of the department, and the Sandaime were currently in the room doing their own investigation of the murders.

"How do we know someone from Oto killed them?" Hiruzen questioned.

"Four out of the five died. The fifth one is currently in the hospital and is being treated… we don't know if he'll make it through." Ibiki sighed in response. He, too, was involved with the decision-making process for the researchers and, therefore, felt that he was also partially responsible for their deaths. "Nevertheless, he was conscious when we arrived on the scene and he recognized the Otogakure forehead protector's."

"Did he mention any specifics of the attacker's appearance?" The Hokage asked.

"Silver hair and glasses." Ibiki answered, gritting his teeth.

Hiruzen's eyes darkened. "Yakushi Kabuto… DAMMIT!" The Sandaime slammed his fist against the wall of the room, causing it to crack slightly. Ibiki had no reaction to the Hokage's action. "So much damage could have been saved if we had recognized that spy sooner."

"I've already informed the ANBU and they are out scouring the village for him." Ibiki informed him. "If they don't find him before tonight, I'd recommend putting him in the bingo book. He's a threat to this village the longer he is left alive… especially considering what he has taken from the village."

"… What did he take?" Hiruzen's eyes narrowed on the T&I Department head.

"As you can see here, he has taken Orochimaru's right hand." Ibiki explained, pointing to Orochimaru's body. The deceased body was still in the room, lying on a table with a bunch of instruments next to it. As Ibiki had said, the body was missing its right hand. "For some reason, he didn't take the whole body. I presume he wanted some of his master's D.N.A, but didn't want to travel with the whole body. I don't really know his full motives." The tokubetsu jōnin gritted his teeth again, imagining the spy escaping the village. "… Regardless, that wasn't all he took. Apparently, he broke into the graves of many important shinobi and labs in the building here and stole D.N.A and blood samples from them."

The Sandaime's face paled immediately. "… What samples did he take?"

"Plenty of them. But there was one body he raided in particular. The entire body was taken, along with all of the associated blood samples we had of her."

Ibiki began listing names, starting with the person whose whole body Kabuto had taken. As the T&I Department Head continued to recite information, Hiruzen's face continued to pale further and further and he felt a sickness developing in his stomach. By the time the man had finished his report, the Hokage could only shake his head in frustration and disappointment.

'I can't believe it was that easy!' Kabuto chuckled to himself.

Perhaps it was due to the nature of his work. One of his specialties, after all, was stealth and he had earned the praise of Orochimaru, Danzō, and Sasori for his abilities. Whatever the reason, Yakushi Kabuto was able to get out of the village as fast as he could with bags and scrolls filled with all of the D.N.A and blood samples he could obtain.

'Orochimaru-sama, I hope from wherever you are in hell, you are watching me. Your research was complete and I will be the one to actually implement the fruits of your research on this world!' The 'right-hand' of Orochimaru chuckled to himself.

With that thought in his mind, Kabuto continued to rush through the forests away from Konoha and towards the Hi no Kuni border. He had many plans that he needed to implement and he couldn't afford to waste any time.