Chapter 7

He was dead.

Dead killing Hattori Hanzo

The "True Shinobi" of Ame and the last Toad Sage, cut each-other down in the final days of the last great war.

He'd asked how but neither Tsunade nor Orochi-teme seemed to be willing to cough up information.

So he'd gone to the library hoping to find something on public record.

He found very little. The bare bones of a romanticized account that depicted the old pervert fighting Hanzo to the end in order to defend his injured teammates.

In the end they mannaged to kill eachother...

If he didn't know any better he'd say the old bastard wrote it himself.

He sniffed, closing the book with a snap before pushing it aside.

Shinobi records were sealed...and public records sucked they didn't say how he died...what techniques were used they didn't even say where the man was burried...

He pulled closer another book.

This one on history.

He needed to find out just how many things stayed the same and how far this 'ripple effect' thing went.

-0-

"Jiraiya!?"

"Calm down!"

"You fucking calm down!" she screeched, still pacing the length of the Sarutobi's office. "Someone stuck...they...how the hell did they-"

"Just shut up!" The snake sannin barked, his own agitation shining through. "Lets stop and think before you bust down ten walls with no purpose and actually make use of this."

"Indeed." Sarutobi agreed, stepping into his office, a file under his arm. "Naruto-chan's revelation narrows down our list of suspects considerably."

"Anyone who was close enough to Jiraiya to know his personality and appearance." The snake surmised.

"Exactly." He opened the file as he sat down. "That almost certainly means a domestic enemy."

"We'll look into it" Tsunade assured, her clenched fists cracking as she tightened her grip. Saru would pity whomever they eventually tracked down, if he didn't feel exactly the same way.

To use Jiraiya to twist a boy's memories and simultaneously betray the village...

This person, whoever he or she was, had gained three very powerful enemies.

"I'll be making some inquiries into my spies from Ame in the meanwhile." Orochimaru nodded. "Many of their countrymen still hold a great hatred for what Jiraiya did and could have strove to do something like this."

"Do it. Even if you run a dead end we've been too lax on Ame's activities recently. We need more intel. Either way I'll make my next statement to both of you, in your mutual investigations, do not forget about Naruto himself. He'll need our help after what he's experienced and I can't be there as often as I'd like. You two were always close with him. Have faith that he'll remember that soon."

Tsunade nodded. "Yeah. I'll bring Dan to see him when he gets back maybe that'll jog something."

Orochimaru smirked. "He might throw one of his toy kunai at me if I get too close."

"Getting scared of a toddler Oro-kun?" The female in the room laughed.

"Terrified" He quipped smiling for a moment before becoming serious again. "Don't worry sensei, the boy's strong for his age. He'll be fine. In a few days he'll be right back to normal."

"I hope so." The old monkey confessed as he lit his pipe, then he waved them both away. "Go. You have your orders."

-0-

"Taichou."

Inu's head turned ever so slightly finding the new arrival through the slit eyeholes of his mask. "You're here early."

"Before I assume my duties, it would be best if I were fully briefed on the situation." She said, kneeling beside him assuming a perch on the tall library bookshelf to look down at the for year old child.

"He's suffering memory issues...and we might be seeing the first ramifications of it."

"How so?" She asked.

"When was the last time you saw a four year old reading through history books in the library?"

"Hmm."

"Furthermore he's comprehending. Evidently the experience of these false memories might have given him an increased intelligence."

"Our experiences shape us." She affirmed. "Adding experiences, even false ones, must have affected him."

Inu nodded, then leaned a little forward. "Looks like he found something that doesn't really match up with what he knew."

The blond boy picked up the heavy book, struggling with its weight as he all but ran towards the librarian's desk.

-0-

"Is this right!?" Naruto all but shouted, pushing the book up onto the desk, startling the elderly man sitting by piece of furniture.

The older man blinked, pushing his thick reading glasses onto the bridge of his nose leaning forward and taking the book in hand. "Err, which part young man?"

Naruto marched around the desk pushing through the swiveling doors to stand next to the man as he brought the book down to his eye level.

He pointed a little finger, pressing it against a paragraph.

"This part right here!"

The man brought the book close to his face, reading over the identified paragraph.

After a moment the man nodded. "Yes it is. What seems to be the problem?"

Naruto swallowed, smiling after a moment as he held out his hand to take back the book. "Nothing...just wanted to make sure!"

The old man nodded, handing the book back.

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