Mom...

(Naruto POV)

'For Power…' – it is what Sasuke said… and now I wonder, had he witnessed the power Kei held and compared it with his own?

Sasuke and I were always close, neither too overwhelming to each other, but Kei was completely different. If Sasuke had witnessed it, I could understand why he sought Orochimaru. Unstoppable, overwhelming, limitless, that's how it felt. He wasn't winded, his breath didn't waver and we never so much as scratched him.

But worse of all, that cold expression when he looked at me, not like a friend, an acquaintance, or even a person… that wasn't the look of a caring teacher that I got from Jiraya sensei, not the look of a friend or rival either… merely the look from one shinobi to another, and I was found too lacking.

My fist hands clenched as I looked at the wooden table in front of me.

It was what I had always wanted since graduation, not someone to care for me, not someone to pity me, but for someone to see me for who I am as a shinobi. He tested me as a shinobi… and I failed, where he found me lacking I found myself disappointing. If Sasuke had resorted to leaving the village to become more powerful then… what have I been doing?

Could I even call the past 2 years training?

My thoughts spun as I was finally broken out of my stupor from the figure sitting in front of me.

"Naruto, the food is going to get cold." – Kei spoke with a small smile on his face, his own order just being delivered.

That smile, right now it was only Kei in front of him, not his Hokage or simply a shinobi, just Kei.

"It's about time you get used to eating like a normal person. If it wasn't for you being an Uzumaki as well as the prominent amount of chakra running through you, you'd probably still be stuck at the same height… or severely impaired compared to other people."

'Ah… he's nagging, wonder if it was the Same for Sasuke… wait… he was always a little bit taller than me… Don't tell me… no… it cant be… right?' – I thought as my eyes were glued to the plate before me.

Just as I thought about this something more prominent came to my mind.

"An Uzumaki?" – He mentioned like it was something bigger than just me.

A look of incredulity made its way into Kei's face.

"Unless you changed your surname.. .then yes." – He responded.

I quickly shook my hands.

"No not that, I meant what do you mean by that. You say it as if it's bigger than me." – I hurriedly tried to fix my earlier sentence.

Another look was thrown at me.

"Of course, the Uzumaki clan was prominent and very famous back in the day. Their bloodline and natural aptitude in fuinjutsu made them able to stand on their own as a separate village… Sadly that also made them one of the earliest targets, not to mention also an easier target due to their insistence on their independence. In the end, they were destroyed and that is how your mother ended up coming to Konoha."

Information entered and left my brain like lightning. Too many questions but also so much to process at the same time. I stumbled with my next words for a good 10 seconds before I finally asked the most important one.

"You know who my mother is?" – I asked loudly as I rose, my surprise clear for him to see as numerous other individuals started turning their heads towards us.

An even more disbelieving look was thrown at me as Kei looked like he'd seen another head pop up from my shoulder.

"If Jiraya knew do you think I wouldn't, Hokage usually means above everyone in the village, including the so-called Sannin." – Kei replied slowly as he separated his chopsticks and started eating.

I felt something churn deep in my stomach… - 'Jiraya-sensei knew?! No… then why… why didn't he tell me?' – I lowered my head slightly.

"… You don't know her?" – Kei asked, though I couldn't bring myself to look up.

"I see… then what about your father? Do you know him?" – Another bomb was thrown at me.

A shake of my head was all he needed to confirm as I felt something landing on the table, the food is set aside as the Hokage took a few items out of the scroll. Raising my head, I saw a few items appearing from the smoke. A brush, and what looked like very expensive paper, different from the usual one used from documents or from what Jiraya used in his books, this was one I hadn't see anywhere before.

"I see… then consider this…" – Kei spoke as I saw him smile softly at me, taking the brush in his hand as he delicately started writing on the paper.

As he spent about thirty seconds slowly writing, soon he finished and rose from his seat. Making his way around the table, Kei arrived at my left, still standing up and putting a hand on my right shoulder as he put the paper in front of me.

I looked at his soft smiling expression one more time as I looked at what was written on the paper in front of me.

"KUSHINA UZUMAKI" -Written in delicate Kanji, something I couldn't even try to begin writing myself.

Before I could even start my question, an answer found its way from Kei.

"Her name, a strong kunoichi and a caring mother that gave her life to protect you. Sadly I don't know if I can find any existing photos of her so…" – he said as he spoke softly and I listened closely, my eyes glued to the words in front of me.

Picking up the piece of decorated paper I looked at it as a tear fell out of my eye.

"It's fine…" – I said as Kie looked at me questioningly.

"Even if you don't find anything else… this is much more than I have ever gotten… so thank you, Kei… thank you." – I said flashing a bright smile, as bright as I could muster as tears started to fall out from my eyes.

A small tightening around my shoulder, as well as a rub of my messy hair, is what I felt as I saw him flash me a big smile as he pointed towards the door.

"Let's go. Better find something to put that in. I doubt you'll want to get it dirty."

"Um…" – I said as Kei moved to the counter to pay for the food and I took another long look at the paper in front of me.

Only words, and yet I couldn't even hold my tears back.

"Mom…" – was the whisper that escaped me as I ran a hand thorugh the words written in what was now my most prized possession.