Naruto : Uchiha : Chapter 100

This was a bad idea.

Naruto knew it from the moment he started walking. Or stumbling was more like it. His arms felt like stumps made of lead by this point. His legs probably weighed a ton and had a few cracks in them here and there. He could practically feel the cracks so take his word for it, the cracks were indeed present and accounted for.

And Hanzo's antidote felt more like poison right now. Even if it was one, Naruto wasn't particularly sure of his chances for survival. He was limping with a makeshift crutch carved out of a wooden stick for support.

What help could he possibly give her given his condition?

None.

The most he could come up with was to hide from Tsunade's sight until necessity for him arose and jump in front of a lethal blow for her should the need arise for such drastic measures. Not a glamorous plan, sure, but it was all Naruto could come up with given his flaccid state.

In the end, even Naruto knew in his heart that it was all just an excuse to see Tsunade one more time should his body and soul finally give out on him. A fucking shield. That was all he was worth right now.

But it was fine if it helped Tsunade, he comforted himself.

So this was what death felt like, huh, Naruto marveled. Ego bruised, pride crushed, body probably broken beyond repair and yet his thoughts felt sharp. His heart felt so clear. It was pure serenity and tranquility bound to emotion in human form.

Another cough rocked his body, and Naruto took his time to empty his guts on a tree. Blood and some other stuff he couldn't make sense of spilled on Mother Earth. Eventually, Naruto started walking again.

Tsunade would have killed him had she seen him do that.

That girl loved nature for reasons beyond his feeble psyche.

"Tsunade," Naruto whispered, lightheaded. Knees finally gave way to ground as all strength left his body.

"Naruto,"

Said blonde thought he was hearing things in death, but thankfully it was her voice. And Naruto soon realized that he wasn't death-dreaming, when, instead of crashing face first into the ground; a soft and strong pillar of support held him up firmly. Naruto didn't know what it was.

The softness, the scent or perhaps the distinct feel of her chakra that gave her presence away. But given how blurry his vision was, those were the only things he could rely on to recognize her.

"Stay still," a soft voice murmured in his ear and he felt a small surge of chakra moved his arms up. Slowly, like a sculptor who appraised his murals, Naruto caressed her waist and his hand gently roamed across her back. She was still as soft and welcoming as she ever was.

Now this was a proper way to go out, Naruto thought with a smile. "I'm so glad you're okay, I had no idea what kind of sick freaks were tagging along that man." he whispered.

Transferring his crutch onto the other hand, Naruto held out his arm to Tsunade as a gesture and she wordlessly stepped into his embrace without hesitation; never once removing her hand from his gaping wound.

It was a bit wobbly, sure, but it was no less heartfelt than it ever was. Naruto buried his face in her hair and breathed in the earthy, ashen scent of her hair that told him she had been in this battlefield for way too long.

"Baka," Tsunade sniffed. "…worry about yourself this once."

"I'm okay," Naruto lied weakly, his vision darkening. "…I just have to shut my eyes for a bit."

"Oi!" Tsunade shook him gently. "Don't sleep. Stay awake! You must stay awake!"

But her attempts at keeping him awake were futile, even her medical chakra was failed.

Naruto's pain filled consciousness gave way to blissful unconsciousness. Orochimaru, meanwhile, stood behind the two to keep them guard and kept observing their exchange without even a word. Neither was it his place to speak nor was he interested in them.

His mind was too intrigued by the sudden spurge of growth in plants around him.

He made sure to take some samples too.

Now that, that was intriguing.

"Tsunade," Jiraiya clasped her shoulder tightly. "We should go and find sensei now. This place is compromised."

"Yeah," Tsunade wiped her wet cheeks and nodded, hoisting Naruto upon her shoulders. "Let's go Orochi!"

Said boy stopped collecting his plant samples and pocketed them, nodding, "Let leave."

All of them took to the trees to find Hiruzen and get back to the Leaf as soon as possible.

...

Uzumaki Mito, contrary to popular beliefs that ran around the village, was infact a perfectly fine and emotionally sound woman.

She wasn't interested in most of Leaf's affairs or it's people by virtue of her personality, but she did in fact care an awful lot about the people close to her which were so few she could probably count them at the tips of her fingers and have some left to continue on sewing her blanket like she was now. With that in mind.

"Has something been bothering you, Tsunade?" she couldn't help herself from asking.

"No." was her granddaughter's curt and precise reply. As it had been for the past few days she had scooped herself up in the house. Mito smiled, "Why are you sulking then?" she asked, amused at how transparent her baby girl still was to her.

Tsunade, having her back turned to Mito, pulled her knees to her chest and huffed, which Mito knew was her last line of defense before the girl melted in front of her eyes like warm butter after her subtle manipulations.

"I'm not sulking." Tsunade pouted.

"Hm." Mito hummed, unimpressed by her lies.

Tsunade twitched, "Really," she stressed. "I'm not."

Mito shook her head, "Sure." she remarked offhandedly.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Tsunade snapped, annoyed by her curt answers.

Mito kept on knitting lock after lock on her blanket in ignorance, "Nothing at all."

Her granddaughter's eye ticked, "Why can't you just believe me for once, baa-chan?!" Tsunade protested.

"How can you believe your own words when they hold no weight to them, honey?" Mito replied calmly, cool as a cucumber. Try as she might, Tsunade couldn't conjure up a retort.

It was funny for Mito to see her try though, she looked constipated if Mito hadn't known her so well. "Ngh!~" Tsunade whined childishly and forced her face to hide into her lap.

That was all Tsunade could do to save the little self dignity she had left in a spur of the moment.

The sight itself was damn near adorable for an oppressive grandmother to witness and not do something about it. "Aw." Mito cooed softly, placing aside her sewing kit and moving closer to hold her girl from behind. "What's gotten you into such a rut, huh?!" Mito smiled even more seeing Tsunade readily untie her hair so Mito could work her magic into them. Mito wrapped her arms around Tsunade's waist and placed a chaste kiss on top her head.

Tsunade nearly melted then and there.

"How did you know I was troubled?" Tsunade asked with a tilt of her head, finally tired of arguing with a wall that she knew she couldn't conquer.

Mito gave her a knowing smile, "You haven't been coming to me for any medical lessons, no training, no meetings with your friends. Plus, I do cook in this house everyday. So, I know when you aren't eating right." Tsunade had the decency to look a tad bit sheepish.

"You haven't even gone to visit the hospital even once since Naruto's condition stabilized." the sour look on Tsunade's face hearing that wasn't lost to Mito but she ignored it, for now.

"Why should I care if he's stabilized? He can go and die for all I care." Tsunade snapped.

Mito rose an eyebrow, "So, all that crying outside the operation theater during Naruto's surgery I heard was a lie…" she mused.

Tsunade blushed, "It wasn't like that! I was just worried was all, I'd do that for anyone!" she asserted valiantly, but it was a losing battle, even she herself knew that.

Suddenly, the picture behind Tsunade's constipated face from earlier became clear in Mito's eyes, "You two had a fight, I assume?" she idly wondered, easing the kinks in Tsunade's glittering hair. Well kempt hair were a matter of pride for noble women, after all.

"How can we have a fight?" Tsunade thundered, surprising Mito.

"Why not?" as far back as Mito could remember, her two blondes bickered on practically everything until they were out of breath. Naruto was usually the one to surrender though, Tsunade had way too much energy to spare at the end of their aguments.

"I told you I don't care for him anymore, baa-chan." Tsunade tried to switch topics.

Not like Mito was having any of it, "I saw he had quite a rough time in the last mission…" she wondered idly.

If possible, Tsunade's mood turned even more sour. "Hell if I knew," she spat bitterly.

"He didn't tell you?" Mito asked surprised. Tsunade was usually the one Naruto confided in almost all of the time, even Tobirama had admitted her little ones knew each other more than even Mito knew them. That last part irked Mito far more than she bothered admitting.

"He doesn't tell me shit!" Tsunade nearly bit her tongue at the end.

Mito gave her a sharp look, "Language, young lady. I'll not have any of that in this house."

"Sorry," Tsunade apologized softly, ducking her head a little.

Mito gave her a tight squeeze to re-energize her downtrodden girl, "So that's what this is all about." Tsunade's silent stance gave Mito all the confirmation she needed.

...

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