Chapter 036

"Women never show me such display of affections for risking my life," Jiraiya pouted with a hint of jealousy with his arms crossed over his chest as Tsunade rolled her eyes and retorted, "What you risk your life for isn't something women would want to show affections for."

Before Jiraiya could counter that remark, Koharu and Homura entered the office and closed the door behind them.

"Naruto," Homura greeted, "We're happy to see that you made it out alive from your confrontation with Itachi and Kisame."

Koharu added, "But we must say that engaging ninjas like those two missing-nins was both reckless and foolish."

"Naruto," Tsunade scolded, "What were you thinking fighting against Itachi and Kisame?"

"I didn't have much of a choice," Naruto replied, "Didn't Hina-chan and Ino-chan tell you? Itachi and Kisame kidnapped them for the sole intention of getting to me. I was the one they sought to bring back to the Akatsuki. They were about to bring Ino-chan and Hina-chan along as well simply for knowing too much as Itachi put it. I couldn't nor did I want to risk their safety because of the issues the Akatsuki has with me. So I freed and told Ino-chan and Hina-chan to go and find you while I held off the Akatsuki nins long enough till help arrived."

Thinking of the well being of your friends before your own even though you were the prime target, Sandaime mentally noted with a small smile pasted on his face, A self-sacrificing characteristic I truly respect Naruto.

"That was a very brave risk you took for us Naruto-kun," Ino said with a blush on her cheeks, "I don't know how we can thank you enough."

"I can make some helpful suggestions," Jiraiya offered with a perverted grin, earning him an elbow to the gut by Tsunade.

"I don't need any rewards," Naruto grinned under his ninja mask while scratching the back of his head, "Your gratitude is enough. I will admit though that Kisame gave me a hard fight, although I managed to really hurt and rough him up here and there before Kakashi later came to finish the job after my encounter with Itachi. The Tsukuyomi genjutsu Itachi used on me with his Sharingan nearly did a number on my sanity."

"Tsukuyomi," Ino asked.

"Yes," Kakashi stepped in, "It's one of the abilities of the Uchiha bloodline limit, the Mangekyou Sharingan. It's a most advanced ability that allows an Uchiha to create an illusionary world within their target's mind. In this illusionary world, the Uchiha can manipulate target's mental senses, making them believe that everything he or she is seeing or happening to them is real while making the target believe that they're spending hours, days or any other given time in that illusionary world when in truth only a second goes by in the real world. Though it's an illusion, the experience the target's body goes through feels real."

"I experienced that first hand," Naruto interjected, "Itachi placed me in an illusionary world where I was chained and crucified and forced to watch my mother, Shizune-neechan, Hina-chan and Ino-chan being gruesomely slaughtered over and over and over again for 48-hours while three duplicates of him beat me down without mercy. In my mind, Itachi tortured me, for hours, for pleasure."

The bloodlust Tsunade was giving off after hearing this was potent. It was enough to cause everyone in the room to pale and cringe in fear, and in some respects, even Sandaime was fearful of her. The elderly Hokage knew what an enraged protective mother was capable of doing, especially if this mother was Tsunade. She was tempted to run out of the office right now to find Itachi wherever he is and beat his body down until it liquefied.

Before that happened though, Naruto continued, "However Itachi was only able to make it last for what felt like almost ten hours when my mind started resisting and fighting against the genjutsu he placed me under. A voice in my head helped me to self-motivate myself into summoning the needed willpower to fight against Itachi and that horrible illusion. In the ended, Itachi lost to me and was brutely forced out of my mind. He bled his own blood painfully as a result of his Mangekyou Sharingan being overpowered. Now that I've experienced the Mangekyou Sharingan, I now have method to counter its affects."

Everyone in the office was shocked at the story Naruto had just told them. They knew how powerful the Mangekyou Sharingan was but never did they think that it could be overpowered and the fact that Naruto was the first to do so amazed everybody there.

Naruto then explained how Itachi then tried to verbally manipulate him into believing how the both of them are alike and how he would one day turn out like Itachi. Naruto put in plain words explaining how he expressed to Itachi his complete abhorrence in being likened to him and how he'd rather die a horrible death living up to his shinobi way before turning out like him. He also told them how Itachi even openly admitted that he and Kisame underestimated him, and that he won't be showing himslf around here for a while until he's strong enough to fight Naruto again.

Needless to say, everyone in the room was once again amazed the story told to them.

Just who are you really Naruto-kun, Ino wondered with fascination and an ever growing desire to know more about him, I know that there's so much more to you than you let on and this story only serves to add to it.

Naruto-kun, Hinata thought with a blush creeping up on his face, You're a very special person and I truly seek to know and understand you more.

Tsunade's killing intent subsided on hearing this revelation. She saw that Itachi's mental attack didn't permanently damage Naruto and that it instead served to make him stronger. The blond haired Hokage saw the looks on Ino and Hinata's face as she saw how they were looking at Naruto. She knew that they were falling for the young boy but decided not to voice anything about it for now.

"That's a most impressive story Naruto," Homura said, "Very few, if any, might have been able to do what you did. You have real strength in both mind and body."

"And heart," Koharu added, "Something that died in Orochimaru a long time ago. It's truly a sad waste."

"It is," Sandaime said, "And we'll have to make sure that the Akatsuki don't succeed in abducting Naruto."

A moment later, a thought suddenly popped up into Ino's mind.

"That reminds me," Ino said, "There's something Hinata and I have been meaning to ask you Naruto-kun since our ordeal with Itachi and Kisame?"

"And what's that," Naruto inquired.

"Is it true that you were giving a fox summoning contract by Kyuubi himself three years ago and that you know where Kyuubi is," Ino asked. The room fell into a deep silence on hearing that question. Hinata spoke, "Those were the very reasons…why they came after you and used us as bait."

"No disrespect Sandaime-sama," Ino interjected as she turned to Sarutobi, "But from what Hinata and I heard from Itachi earlier, I sense a major cover-up that resolves around Naruto-kun. And Hinata and I are certain that all of you here are in on this, otherwise the so-called Akatsuki wouldn't have gone through so much trouble in trying to kidnap Naruto."

There was no point in lying, everyone realized. Both girls knew a lot more than they wanted them to ever know. Homura and Koharu, and the rest of the village council learned about the secret of Kyuubi being sealed into Naruto's right hand by Sandaime and Tsunade a month after the incident of Kyuubi's reawakening. It was only after being thoroughly explained to about the circumstances between Kyuubi and Yondaime's connections with Naruto with regard to the Servitude Seal did the council argued no further with Sandaime and not view Naruto as a possible threat to the village's safety, especially since Naruto exhibited no dangerous, animalistic or threatening signs of Kyuubi's characteristics since the fox's imprisonment.

It took a while for the clan leaders, village elders and advisors to get used to the fact that both Yondaime and Kyuubi were both sealed away inside Naruto, but in time they gradually looked at Naruto the same way they used to in the past.

Sandaime sighed, knowing that he along with everyone else owed Ino and Hinata a most lengthy explanation. Sandaime looked at Naruto who nodded his head to him.

"You girls may want to take a seat," Sandaime suggested, "You're in for a long story."

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