Prey chapter 24

Chapter 24: Big secrets revealed (part II)

“Who do you mean by them, Mitsuki?” Naruto asked. “The Izumiguro (black spring) family.” “Family?” Sakura asked. “Yes, the oldest two are twin brothers, difficult to deal with. Specialist in taijutsu. Their sister and brother are almost as difficult to deal with. They both use genjutsu and ninjutsu. I always had a problem dealing with them. Then we have their cousin, she is an earth specialist, distant range though. She loves to throw rocks at your head so watch out. Her younger brother, small as he is, is great in speed and stealthy. He mostly uses the simplest jutsu to knock his opponents out.”

“This is gonna get tough then…” Naruto stated with a smile. “Yeah, don’t be overconfident Naruto, they mean trouble. I bet they know we know my father’s hiding place or else they wouldn’t have been here.” Rakuna gave a small not as agreement.

“So who will fight who?” Sakura asked. “Well, I think Naruto should fight the twin brothers, when necessary I will help, while I fight the younger cousin.” “I take the two genjutsu users,” Kakashi said. Mitsuki looked over her shoulder to the teacher and just nodded, knowing he wouldn’t suggest it without a plan. “That leaves the earth specialist to me then,” Sakura said putting her gloves on. “Alright, but be careful, even though they don’t have any bloodline, they are dangerous.” “Why don’t they have them?” Naruto wanted to know. “They have too much pride for it to use it. ‘Stealing’ is ok with them, but they won’t use the bloodline.” Naruto disgusted the thought of that.

“Let’s keep moving,” Kakashi said, “But stay on guard.” The three teenagers and wolf nodded as they this time ran.

Soon they met up with the group most of them had smelled coming.

“Mitsuki-chan, such a pleasure of seeing you again,” one woman said. Mitsuki glared at her. “Ow, don’t give me such a face. Weren’t we like family?” Rakuna started to growl, while she lowered her body.

One of the twins stepped forward. “It seems you have made some new friends… O, what’s that you’re wearing?” “She became a Konoha shinobi, nii-san,” the other twin laughed. Mitsuki looked at Kakashi from the corners of her eyes as if asking ‘can I attack them now?’. “Now,” Kakashi whispered as reply and Mitsuki charged at the youngest and smallest one of the group. His sister tried to stop her, but was occupied by Sakura who had given the girl a nice punch in the face. Naruto had charged over to the twins, while Kakashi had pulled his headband up and ran over to the two that were left; the genjutsu users.

“Heh, you really think you can on the two of us, blondie?” “I will not know unless I try to,” Naruto gave as reply and charged at them. One of the twins jumped to the back. The other one caught Naruto’s fist with one hand and rotated forty-five degrees. Naruto felt a great pain in his wrist and when he noticed the guy was about to throw him on the ground he didn’t do a thing to avoid it, knowing he would break his wrist if he did. When hitting the ground they guy let him go. “Kote Gaeshi,” he stated, “With it, you can easily block most punches.”

“Heh,” Naruto let out as he stood up. He waved the hand seals of Kage Bunshin. “Let’s see how many you can block.” “Tss, o-to-to, you can help me.” “With pleasure,” the other twin grinned as he jumped into his taijutsu stance.

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Kakashi ducked to avoid the ones trying to hit him. Yet, a third and fourth person came from somewhere; identical to the other two. ‘I am trapped already? When did that happen?’ “Kai!” Kakashi shouted. “Just that won’t stop us,” the brother said. “Then let me show you some true genjutsu,” Kakashi said as he closed his eyes. “Idiot, take my advice and don’t close your eyes in battle, then again, you’re going to die here and now,” the girl said with a snicker. “Now, nii-san!” “Right!”

They both dashed over to the grey haired shinobi. “I have an advice for you two. Know who your opponent is.” Then the Hatake opened left eye and with the Mangekyo Sharingan he looked dangerously at the two.

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Mitsuki ducked to avoid a punch. “Doton: Yomi Numa! (Earth Release: Swap of the Underworld!)” The boy used his speed to avoid the huge pool of mud.

>Rakuna, now! <
>On my way. <

“Katon: Ibuki no Ookami! (Fire Release: Wolf Breath!)” Fire shaped as a wolf went over to the fast boy and trapped him in a circle of flames. “You’re trapped,” Mitsuki stated as she walked forward. The boy looked down, starting to laugh. “He he, you’re trapped as well, Mitsuki.” “O really?” the girl said sarcastic, “Tell me, did father sent you?” “Heh, of course he did. Do really think he didn’t expect you to come after him. After all he has your precious Ryudo,” he spotted. “You little...”

>Mitsuki, don’t let yourself get carried away by a fourteen year old. He’s playing with your emotions. You should have recognized it; after all you do the same! <
>Hai, you’re right. Arigato Rakuna. <

Mitsuki recovered herself while she was trying to think of the attack she would use. ‘I have no other choice, he might be only fourteen, I have to kill him… Doton: Kankaku no I-Sekei. (Earth Release: Senses of the living world)’ Then she quickly waved some hand seals. “Shikyaku-no-jutsu! (Down on all fours)”

Mitsuki glared at the boy. “I see you learned a new jutsu. How nice, perfectly fitting to you. Standing like a dog or wolf or whatever you want it.” “You won’t be able to escape, you’ll die today,” Mitsuki said in a serious tone. She turned on all her senses and charged at him.

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Naruto dodged the punches and kicks while he and his Kage Bunshin tried to hit them. ‘Darn, they’re fast… or am I being slow?’ He was slowed down by strange pulses of chakra. The same thing he had felt when he was sitting on the floor in his apartment this morning.

“Eat this, brat!” Naruto barely managed to avoid the hit but got kicked from behind. In the air he made a new Kage Bunshin, the others had disappeared because of all the blows of the twins. He used this to change his movement in the air, but unfortunately for him he lost something. Naruto looked to the side, while the picture slowly was carried by the wind and would land in the soft ground. He tried to get, but it was out of his reach. ‘Darn!’ He turned his attention back to his two opponents.

“Rasengan!”

He hit one of them who stumbled to the ground. “Fuck!” the older one shouted as he tried to help his younger brother. “You don’t have time for that, you have to deal with me!” Naruto shouted as he pulled of another Rasengan. But this time that strange chakra made him fail and he was the one who got hit instead.

Rolling over the ground he eventually came to a stop. He stood up, while growling he failed. ‘Damn it what is it with the dizziness and this strange chakra.’

‘Kyubi!’

No response again and he now really got worried.

‘Kyubi at least say something if you can hear me, damn it!’

“I kill you for this,” growled the younger while standing up. Naruto snapped out of his frustrated attempt of getting Kyubi to talk. “In your dreams!” He shouted back, but the moment he wanted to charge over to them, there was another attack of the strange chakra. Worse than the ones he had before, worse than when the poison had attacked him.

“AAAAGRHH!”

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Sakura’s opponent threw another rock with her earth jutsu. “Haa!” Sakura hit the rock and nothing but little stones were left. This made the earth using woman annoyed while she waved new hand seals. But Sakura didn’t let her finish she hit the ground with a fist filled with chakra. She released it at the right time and the ground started to shake and tear apart. The woman lost her balance while Sakura hurried over to her; a kunai ready in her hand.

A mere kunai hit never is fatal, and in this case it wasn’t either IF the woman wasn’t stuck between rocks. Sakura had killed a few times before and she never had liked the idea, yet it was her job.

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“Ha-Hatake Kakashi,” the two genjutsu users whispered as they stared at the eye. “Too late now.”

Not more than five seconds later the two dropped on the ground while screaming. Kakashi looked at them while panting.

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Mitsuki ran over to her opponent from one side, while Rakuna from the other. The fire still caged all of them and even his speed wouldn’t help the fourteen year old boy. “Gatsuuga!” Mitsuki shouted as she and Rakuna both jumped into the air.

The boy got hit, but fatally enough, he stood up with a grin. “That’s all you got?” he smirked. “No,” grinned Mitsuki, “Of course not. Who do you think I am? After all I AM the daughter of your boss.” The kid looked at her, while is smile disappeared. “Heh, do you really think he never told me about your weaknesses?” “He didn’t trust you!” “Ha! Before that of course, baka! You’re a simple person, so I only need a simple technique to kill you.”

‘That’s the Mitsuki I know, play with his mind.’

Mitsuki changed her position so that it looked like she was sitting like a dog. “After all you’re the youngest. The weakest of them all. An easy prey so to say.” “Then why am I fighting you HUH?!” the boy started to panic a little. Mitsuki got an evil smile on her face, the one she uses to intimidate her enemies and it worked once again; the kid did a few steps backwards. She went to stand on hands and feet again. “Because, my young Izumiguro friend, your family doesn’t care. One person more or less doesn’t matter to them, the only thing that is important is gaining strength. The weak ones will not make it. It a hard world here, nature rules. One rule above all; the survival of the fittest.” She slowly walked forward like a dog.

“S-survival of the fittest?” “O yes, it’s the number one rule in this world. Those who are too weak to evolve and aren’t strong enough will die, only those who can fit themselves into this world will survive. Why else do you think the next generation is always stronger than the one before?” The kid remained silent while he walked backwards. “Let me tell you; because the parents are both strong. The kids will be stronger!” Mitsuki leaped and the kid fell over. He tumbled into the fire and screamed.

Mitsuki stared at the flames and the boy in it. She pitied him for some reason. After all, the kid was just raised by the wrong people.

“AAAAGRHH!”

Mitsuki quickly got her attention to the scream. “Rakuna let the fire disappear!” she ordered to her fighting partner. “Hai!”

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Naruto collapsed to the ground, grunting. ‘K-kuso…’ The two taijutsu twin specialist dashed over him. “Say goodbye, blondie!” Naruto managed to look up a bit and saw the two approaching.

Unexpected Mitsuki had jumped into the battle. Kicking them both away. She landed on hands and feet. “Thanks,” Naruto said. “I told you I would jump in when necessary.” Naruto smiled at that but that smile only lasted for a second. There was another pulse of the unfamiliar chakra and this time it became too much for him. He passed out.

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Mitsuki wondered what was wrong with Naruto, but had no time for finding an answer. “Look what kicked us away,” the older twin said. “The little wolf loving girl Mitsuki. Suprising, since she sucks in taijutsu.” Mitsuki growled. “Look, she became a wolf herself, hahaha,” the younger twin spotted. “Heh, that will be the last time you laughed,” Mitsuki smirked as she waved hand seals. “Doton: Daburu Nagayari! (Earth Release: Double Long Spear)” She pulled two thin long rocks out of the ground. Her arms crossed as she stood up and pushed her chakra in the thin spears. The moment she looked at the two she threw the spears.

The twins turned around and tried to run for it, but the spears were faster than them and the weapon hit through their hearts. They remained standing for a second or two, both a mesmerized look on their face, then they dropped to the ground with two thuds.

Mitsuki straightened as she stopped her Kankaku no I-Sekei. ‘It’s over.’

Sakura and Mitsuki stared at the battlefield. Four were dead, three of them killed by Mitsuki. Two were left, both laying on the ground unable to move due to the genjutsu they had been through. “What did Kakashi do to those?” Mitsuki asked while pointing over to the not yet dead genjutsu users. “I take it was Mangekyo Sharingan.”

“They’re not dead,” Rakuna said after sniffing at the bodies. “Okay, Rakuna check if the others certainly dead and look if they have anything we can use.” “Hai.” The wolf walked over to the other bodies.

“Watch out,” Mitsuki said while getting a kunai and an explosion tag. “What are you gonna do?” Sakura asked. Mitsuki pointed the kunai with explosion tag at the two still alive genjutsu users. “WHAT?! You’re gonna kill them?!” “As a matter of fact yes.” “But… we should take them with us to Konoha, bring them over to Ibiki.”

Mitsuki turned her face to Sakura. “Sakura, I am only being practical. Naruto and Kakashi-sensei are both out. We cannot carry two more people and leaving them alive is a dangerous thing. They will be prepared the next time we fight them, killing is the only option.” Sakura still didn’t like the idea of it and Mitsuki could read that of the pink haired’s face. She sighed. “Nature is just like that. It’s now what we choose to be; the prey or the predator. It’s survival of the fittest; and since we are still able to stand and they are laying there being almost dead, it’s our job to kill them. We are the predators and I rather want to be the predator than the prey.” “But…” “Sakura, we cannot carry them to Konoha.”

Then the pink haired gave in. “Okay, but I don’t like it at all.” “Neither do, but we have no choice.”  Mitsuki threw the kunai at the two. It hit the ground between the two bodies and not long after that an explosion killed the two.

“Mitsuki!” Rakuna shouted.

Mitsuki looked over her shoulder to her fighting partner. “Come here for a second!” “I’ll go check on Kakashi,” Sakura said. Mitsuki nodded and ran over to Rakuna. “What is it?” she asked. The wolf turned her head to something that was laying in the grass. “Look at this.” Mitsuki kneeled down and looked at the thing. It was a picture. The blonde picked it up and looked at it, then she turned it around to see if there was anything on the back. It had three names on it. “It’s Naruto’s,” Mitsuki said while she stood up.

“I know, I smelled that,” Rakuna said, “He probably lost it during the fight.” “I’ll give it back when he wakes up.” Mitsuki kept on staring at the picture for a moment longer. ‘Family?’ The girl shook her head a little and put the picture in her bag. After that she walked back to Sakura.

“What do we do?” Sakura asked, standing up. Kakashi would be alright, he just needed to rest now. “We go back to Konoha.” “You’re not going after your father alone?” “No, hunting in a pack is better than hunting alone. That way your change of surviving will be better. Next time though, we need a bigger team. About two squads or so…” Sakura smiled a little, “Okay, then now the next problem, how do we take these two men back.”

The girls stared at the two male who were laying unconscious in the grass. The three sighed. “Kakashi-sensei is too heavy to carry by one of us.” “Hm, Rakuna you should carry Naruto. You’re used to carry me on your back so that wouldn’t be a problem, right?” “No, not at all, but you have to place him on me,” the wolf answered.

They did. Ten minutes later a wolf was carrying the blonde on her back, while Sakura and Mitsuki had both an arm of Kakashi over their shoulder. “What would men be without us?” Sakura questioned. “Probably nothing,” Mitsuki grinned.

A few hours later they were at the hospital in Konoha. Sakura immediately asked for some nurses to carry Naruto and Kakashi to an empty room. “I go with them, can you report to Tsunade?” Sakura asked Mitsuki. “Hai,” the girl nodded and left together with Rakuna.

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Naruto looked around. Red chakra was everywhere. It swirled around like flames. He was in front of Kyubi’s cage. “What… what is this?” he asked into the darkness as he had his attention on the strange chakra. ‘Is that what has been attacking me and caused the dizziness?’

“It’s fusion brat.”

Naruto was shocked, but on the other hand also relieved to hear Kyubi’s voice again. That last thing he couldn’t explain. Then the words the fox had said hit him. A scared expression crept on his face.

“Wh-what?! But… I don’t wanna fuse with you! That… that would make it… true…”

“Would make what true?! And I don’t want to fuse with you either, baka!”

“That would really make me a monster…r-right?”

“Maybe in your eyes. Though, it isn’t entirely true, you would be a human with more powers than you would ever be able to handle. It would kill you and also me.”

Naruto nodded, although he hadn’t really heard what the Kyubi had said. Slowly he walked up to the seal and looked at it. Was it breaking? It seemed to be alright. Naruto gradually reached his hand to it and touched it. The moment he touched the seal the red chakra scattered around in the room started swirling more and made its way towards the seal. Together with Naruto’s own blue chakra, that got sucked out of him, it was sucked into the seal.

Naruto fell backwards and was shaking in shock. “What… what happened?” he asked, while he looked from his hand to the seal.

“It seems like you were able to stop the fusion for a while, brat. Maybe you’re better than I thought. Anyway you should start searching for a solution for this. I don’t want to fuse with an idiot like you.”

“Wait… we fuse, doesn’t that mean you can take me over?”

“No, I wish it was like that. It merely means that you get all my power, including chakra. I won’t be gone but… argh I don’t wanna think about what would happen if we fuse. You better find something for this!”

“I will, I don’t want to fuse and I don’t need your power, nor your chakra. It would probably kill me, after all your chakra is unlimited, it would be too much for my body to handle and I don’t want to die.”

“Then find something! Wake up already!”

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Mitsuki walked together with Rakuna to the Hokage tower. “Mitsuki?” The wolf girl turned around and found Hinata, standing with a confused face. “Hinata?” The blonde hesitated somewhat over something. “Come with me,” she finally said. Hinata nodded and together the three walked the rest of the road. “What happened?” Hinata asked worried. “You will hear in a moment,” Mitsuki said.

Rakuna looked at Mitsuki. Knowing the girl was dealing with the fact she had killed a lot of people today and that only in a short time.

Mitsuki knocked on the door of Tsunade’s office. “Come in!” shouted an annoyed Tsunade from the other side. Mitsuki opened the door and stepped inside, followed by Rakuna and Hinata. “Mitsuki? Why are you back already?” Tsunade asked puzzled. Mitsuki started explaining.

When the girl was done talking, Tsunade threw some papers in the air and sighed. “They’re all dead?” she wanted to know. “Hai, we killed them all,” Mitsuki answered. “Well, for the time being he won’t know about your progress Mitsuki, though I am surprised you didn’t go after him alone. No-one was there to stop you…” “You said you would sent ANBU after me, that and hunting in a pack like wolves do stopped me.” “Hunting in a pack?” “Hai, then you are stronger.” Mitsuki turned her face to her wolf partner, “Rakuna taught me that and I have to agree with her.”

Tsunade smiled at this.

“O, right. I almost forgot.” Mitsuki started searching in her pocket and got the picture out. “Hinata, can you give this back to Naruto. It probably fell out of his pocket while fighting.” Hinata looked at what Mitsuki was holding. “The picture I gave him…”

Tsunade stood up in a rushed way. “That picture…!” Both girl were shocked by this and stared at the Hokage. “Wha-what’s with it?” Mitsuki asked. “Show it to me…” Mitsuki looked at Hinata, who nodded and then Mitsuki handed the picture over to Tsunade.

Tsunade stared at it with disbelieve. “This is….”

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Kyubi’s voice echoed through his mind as Naruto slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times. He sat up while rubbing his forehead and found out he was in a hospital bed ones again. “Ah, you’re awake?” Naruto turned his head a little and found Sakura standing there with some papers and a pencil in her hands. “Sakura?... what happened? How did I get here?” “You passed out for some reason. I am trying to find the reason, but…” Naruto didn’t know what to say, he was still too shocked by the news he had heard from Kyubi.

“Say it was lack of energy.”

“Just lack of energy.” “Then why did scream?”

“You got hit.”

“Got hit…” “I see no wounds…”

“I healed it.”

“Kyubi healed it.” Naruto shoved to the side of the bed. “I’m fine, don’t worry.” He stepped out of bed, still living in some haze. ‘Fusion….’ That word kept echoing in his head.

“Naruto where are you going?” Sakura asked when he was almost near the door. Naruto looked over his shoulder. “Does it matter, I am fine.” And Naruto left the room and not much later the hospital.

‘Would baa-chan be able to help us?’

“Might be, but hurry.”

‘Why didn’t you reply earlier on?’

“Couldn’t because of the chakra, it attacked me first. Now that you stabilised the seal a little I can. Go find an answer and hurry.”

‘Rushing isn’t good, it might end up worse. I can stabilize the seal for the time being, although I have no idea how I did that. Meanwhile I will search for something better. Tell me when it’s getting bad over there again okay?’

“You are starting to act more serious, brat.”

‘I have no choice right now. I do not want to die, nor fuse.’

“Okay, I’ll warn you.”

‘Thanks Kyubi.’

Naruto walked to the door of Tsunade’s office and heard voices. He recognized them of course Tsunade’s but he heard Hinata and Mitsuki as well. What were they doing there? He let his hand go to the door handle, but didn’t touch it.

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“Why can’t we tell him?” Hinata asked. “He is supposed to know it!” Mitsuki shouted. “I understand that you two don’t agree with my decision, but we have to wait telling him.” “But…” “No ‘but’ Hinata, I’m sorry. He cannot know yet. It’s too early.” “What do you mean too early?! He’s sixteen!” Mitsuki shouted angrily. Tsunade gave her a scary look and Mitsuki closed her mouth.

“The fact that he had become sixteen has everything to do with the reason why I don’t want him to know yet. More I can’t say,” Tsunade said, trying to calm herself down. “Still I think he has to know,” Hinata said almost crying, “Even he wants to know who his parents were, even though he doesn’t say a word about it.” Tsunade sighed, “Hinata… I know this is difficult for you but… not yet.” “Then when?” Mitsuki snapped, “When are you telling him?” Tsunade didn’t answer.

“You…you haven’t seen his face when I told about what my parents did to each other. How they tried to kill each other. You haven’t heard what he said after that or seen the look on his face. ‘I don’t know what’s worse. Not knowing your parents, or see them fight, trying to kill each other.’ That’s what he said and he looked so…lost.”

“Or when I gave him the picture I found. He was trembling that he found a family member, even if it was only on a photo,” Hinata said.

“Mitsuki, Hinata…” They both looked at Tsunade, “What would you do if you find out your own father has a demon sealed inside you?”

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Naruto let his hand fall down. His eyes widened as he understood who they were talking about and what they just said. Frozen was he. Shaking a bit as he was able to process the meaning of those words. The fourth had sealed the Kyubi inside him and now Tsunade was saying his father had sealed it in him. Did this mean… the fourth Hokage was his father?

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“Why did he do that anyway?” Mitsuki asked. “That was Minato’s choice,” Tsunade said, “Can I depend on you two, that you won’t tell him the two on the picture are actually his parents?”

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Naruto did a step back, trembling. Looking disbelieving. Slowly he shook his head a few times and turned around. Started running towards the exit. Outside he ran to the woods and there he stopped running and started walking, while tears rolled down over his cheeks.

‘Kyubi did you know?’

“Did I know what,” Kyubi yawned.

‘That the fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, is my father.’

“How could I have known that… wait you say that idiot was your father?”

Naruto nodded, knowing Kyubi couldn’t see that of course. He remembers the memory he got when he had the chu-nin exam. The one where the Kyubi got sealed inside him. He had hated the memory for the fact it was painful, but now… it had turned into one of his precious memories. Thinking about the words his father had said, just before he died. ‘Be strong, Naruto’ it made him smile a bit, but stop crying, he couldn’t.

‘Maybe that’s the reason I was able to stop the fusion.’

“That could be a possibility indeed. It means your chakra is a lot like your father’s who made this seal.”

‘What’s the new chakra?’

“New chakra? There is no new chakra, brat. If you focus enough you’ll feel it’s just both our chakra’s totally mixed, a bit like fused, but yet it’s not.”

Naruto rubbed away some his tears and tried to feel it. In the end he could.

‘I wonder what happened that night…’

He turned his face in the direction of the Hokage Mountain but could not see it.

‘Kyubi, what did happen that night? Why did you attack the village?’

“What happened?! I got sealed in you that’s what happened!” Then he went silent. “But I cannot remember why I attacked the village… there was something… though the last thing I can remember I was is the face of the Fourth, your father. The thing before that memory is the demon world, but between those is a black haze of nothing.”

Naruto turned his face to the grass and tried again to stop crying. Again it was no use.

“That’s a good question you asked me, brat. I’ll try to remember.”

‘Okay,’ Naruto replied and sniffed.

“… it’s been a long time I have seen you crying like this.”

‘Be honored you get to see it, I am trying to stop…’

Kyubi laughed. “Let it, it will stop when you have no tears left. After all you finally know what you always wanted to know, right.”

‘Y-yeah… but… I really want to know what happened that night. I understand my father died while sealing you in me, but what happened to my mother?’

The Kyubi didn’t answer this because he didn’t know. There was a silence. A long silence and slowly Naruto was able to stop crying. He stood up and dried his face.

‘I better not tell anyone about the fusion. We have to figure out something ourselves.’

“Haha, alright brat, let’s see if you can use your brains.”

‘Not funny,’ Naruto snapped.

“I didn’t mean it in a cruel way, shrimp! You are just not using that brain of yours. Remember you could trick almost every chu-nin and jo-nin. Now go back to your trickery and snuck in secret places to find information about the seal. That way we can put a stop to the fusion.”

Naruto smiled at this. ‘Okay,’ he replied laughing.

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Mitsuki growled, while she walked beside a sad Hinata. “I can’t believe they are hiding it from him,” the wolf girl growled. “Mitsuki-chan, why do you want him to know so badly?” “Everyone is allowed who his parents are, right. He is even the son of the Fourth Hokage,” she hissed, “It’s all so stupid. Especially the way people treat him. I don’t get it at all…” Mitsuki stopped ranting and sighed when she saw her friends face.

“It is indeed stupid…” Hinata said and looked at the picture, “And… what’s even more stupid is that my father knows about Naruto-kun heritage. Seeing this, Minato-san and father were friends when they were younger, he must know Naruto is Minato-san’s son. Yet he…” Hinata got a pained face. “Hinata, you should bring the picture back to Naruto.” Hinata nodded, “Yeah, you’re right.”

They walked to the hospital and found out Naruto already left. They went outside again. “Forrest,” Rakuna said after sniffing in the air. “I am going to Kiba-kun, ok” Mitsuki asked. “Alright, I see you at home.” “Hm. Come on Rakuna.” The two left and Hinata went over to the forest.

Though the Hyuga didn’t have to walk all the way.

Naruto looked up. “Hinata-chan?” A gentle smile appeared on his face. He was glad you couldn’t see he had cried, for he was not in the mood of explaining her he had overheard them. ‘I am not gonna tell anyone I know about it, not until they decide to tell me. It doesn’t matter or change anything anyway.
Naruto hugged Hinata firmly. “Naruto-kun,” Hinata whispered smiling. “Hehe, it seems we got home earlier than expected,” Naruto said as he released her. “Here.” Hinata handed over the picture and when Naruto saw it he smiled, though not wanting to, some tears welled up as well. “I thought I lost it.” “Mitsuki found it… are you crying?” “Ah… no, got something in my eye. I thought it was gone seems not like it.” He put the picture away and acted like he tried to get the ‘something’ out of his eyes.

Hinata didn’t believe it. No matter how true his smile at that moment was. She looked worried. Naruto looked at her after rubbing away the tears.

“Hinata-chan, I am fine.” Naruto said and saw her not believing face. He sighed, but slowly gained a smile on his face as he grabbed her to tickle the girl. “Aah. Naruto, stop that,” Hinata laughed. “Do you believe me?” Naruto asked with a silly grin on his face. “I do, I do!” Hinata laughed and Naruto stopped. “I think I should go home, it’s getting late.” Naruto smile faltered a little. “Ok, I’ll bring you.” “I better got alone…” “Are you sure?” “Yes, dad is in a grumpy mood lately, so it’s better if we keep it a secret for a little longer.” Naruto sighed and then smiled. “Okay, but be careful. Promised?” Hinata nodded and he kissed her.

Hinata placed her arms around his neck and kissed him back. “Hinata?” Hinata stopped kissing Naruto and turned her head rapidly. There, a few meters away from them, was her father. First he looked surprised, but his expression was changing in anger.