Chapter 9

[A/N: For those who are getting the wrong idea, let me just put this out. He doesn't hate Konoha. Who he hates is Hiruzen Sarutobi...and Hiashi. Just to clear up the confusion with how MC acts with certain people of Konoha. For those who aren't satisfied with that...oh well.]

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It has been a week since the incident. The residents of Konoha were filled with fear upon feeling the massive pressure that day. The mystery of that day was left unsolved, only known by those present.

Another thing that happened was that after that day, Hiashi Hyuga was unable to activate his Byakugan, though this was only known by Hiashi. He had kept it a secret ever since he found out. He suspected that Izuna had something to do with it but there was no way to prove that.

His eyes were still in their sockets and it was impossible to take the Byakugan without removing the eyes. There was no evidence pointing towards Izuna so he had to look somewhere else.

During this time, Ino had moved in with Izuna. Inoichi and Izuna had a very long about it. Inoichi has decided that after the show of power in the Hokage office, he was more than strong enough to take care of her. Though as a father he still had to give some warnings, which they both laughed to.

Hinata has insisted on staying in the Hyuga compound partly out of shyness and partly out of concern for her sister.

Speaking if Izuna, he hadn't left his apartment all week. He had a few visitors like Kakashi, Inoichi, Sasuke and surprisingly Gai. Gai has followed Kakashi once when he went to visit Izuna.

Gai has now found a potential sparring partner after Izuna dodged his punch his almost full powered punch effortlessly. Kakashi came to visit seeing as how they are friends despite their first encounter with each other.

Sasuke came for training. They couldn't train indoors and Izuna was firm in his stance of staying indoors. They reached a compromise when Izuna trained Sasuke in his personal dimension, making him the first person other than Ino and Hinata to see it. Needless to say, Sasuke was in awe for a long time.

What people don't know is that the reason Izuna is adamant about not going out is because his Occlumency shields took a huge hit. During the incident, Danzo who was hidden far away, had several Yamanaka in his root soldiers try to break into Izuna's mind.

With Izuna in immense rage and the effort of at least 5 Yamanaka, it would be difficult but not impossible. Unluckily for them, the moment they made a crack in his defense, he destroyed their minds with Legilimency in retaliation, leaving them brain dead.

He now had confirmation that his [Art of the mind] wasn't invincible and he wasn't comfortable working with a cracked defense. Which is why he spent this entire week rebuilding and fortifying his mental shields to be stronger than ever. It wasn't until the final day of his one week shut-in that he finally finished.

-Izuna-

'Finally it's finished. It was like walking around with your pants down...so uncomfortable.'

I just finished remaking my mental shields. Inoichi might be reluctant to try to invade my mind but I would put it past Danzo or Sarutobi.

I got off my bed sighing. Kakashi left with team 7 for their C rank mission yesterday. He invited me to join them seeing that I needed to blow off steam.

'When you look at it, Kakashi's actually a thoughtful friend. I keep reminding myself to not get attached but sometimes I just can't help it.'

I clutched the necklace around my neck. Normally my clothes cover it up but seeing as how I'm shirtless, it's exposed to the world. I looked at the necklace in my clutches. It was simple-looking; black string with three magatama beads strung on it. I remember how I found it.

[[[Flashback]]]

I walked inside my room to pack my things. I had convinced the hokage to give me my own apartment. I had to actually pack instead of just stuffing my things into my inventory for appearance sake.

I finished packing when I had a thought. I walked out of my room and into Fugita's room to see if I could take anything if value. After a thorough search, I found nothing. I was about to leave when I noticed something.

The floorboards. One of them was slightly out of place, it looked like it had been that way for a long time but it was still wrong. I tried to pull it off but with my childlike strength, it was difficult.

I'm really starting to wonder if I was right in focusing on speed more than strength. I had to enhance my muscles with chakra before it finally budged. I removed the floorboard to find...a box? That was all that was there.

I heard the front door open. Quickly putting the floorboard back in place, I took the box and dashed to my room. I locked the door before focusing my attention on the box. It was locked but it had rusted so it was t hard to pry open with chakra enhanced strength.

When I finally opened it, there were three things inside. A small book, a necklace with three magatama beads on it and a picture. I opened the book. It looks like a diary and I'm sure this is a female's handwriting.

My eyes widened at the thought that ran through my mind. I read through a bit. It was confirmed; this was my mother's, evident by the first line.

'My son, if you're reading this then it's possible that I'm dead. I'm sorry I can't be there for you. I'm not sure what you know of your father. Knowing him, he'll try to make sure you don't get this book. Your father is a bad man. You might not know but I wasn't planning to have a kid yet but things don't always go how you want it to.

Your father had been asking for my hand in marriage for a long time but he couldn't take no for an answer. Everyday I keep reliving the day it happened. He cornered me in an alley and had his way with me. It was the worst day of my life.

My life shattered into pieces ever since that day. My parents didn't try to help me. Instead they threw me at his doorstep. He was a ninja so I couldn't retaliate against him. I went to the hokage, the only one who could do something to him.

My hopes were shattered when I was sent out of his office for disturbing him for such a 'trivial matter'. Before I left his office, I was threatened against aborting the baby. If the baby of his 'precious shinobi' was aborted, I'd be killed. I had no choice but to keep the child.

I'm sure you hate me by now. I'm practically admitting that you're birth was unintended, I don't blame you. I was driven into depression for a long time until I realized, it wasn't your fault. You didn't ask for this to happen. I probably won't survive childbirth.

I wish I could be there with you right now to calm you down as you cry to sleep. To watch you grow into a fine young man. With this book there is a necklace. I got it from Tsunade-sama. She gave it to me as a parting gift before she left the village. If anything happens to me, please find her. She'll take care of you. After all, that's what she promised.

I love you, my son...'

My eyes watered as I finished reading. I wanted to say that she wasn't my real mother. That I didn't care about her, but I couldn't. In my past life my mother's usual words were,

'If I knew that giving birth would create something like you, I would have sterilized myself'.

This was the first time that I had seen or in this case, read, the words I love you' directed at me. As I kept the tears from falling, I picked up the necklace, wearing it around my neck. I put the book in my inventory before picking up the picture.

The picture was that of a young Tsunade and a beautiful black haired girl.

'Mom'

As foreign as it was on my tongue, it felt right.

[[[Flashback End]]]

I shook my head, clearing my head of the memories.

'It's no time to reminisce. I'll meet her one way or the other. I can't leave the village to search for Tsunade, I have no idea where to even begin. Naruto and Jiraiya found her on accident so I'll have to wait for them to go find her and if possible, tag along.'

I changed into comfortable but presentable clothes before leaving my apartment. I had a quick stop to make before joining Kakashi on his mission.

[[[___]]]

'Uugghhh!'

I walked into a dango shop to get a quick snack before I go but I met someone familiar.

"Yo, Anko-sensei." I greeted. She turned back, surprised.

"Gaki, it's been a while. You've grown up quite a bit. How's it been?" She said with a provocative smile. I dryly stared at her.

"Anko-sensei, that doesn't work on me, remember? It'll backfire." She shivers a bit as she remembers the time she taught me about to resist seduction, even how to reverse it on people who try to seduce you. She regrets what almost happened that day. Had I not been so young at the time...well, you know.

We made small talk for a while before my dango arrived and I had to go. I wasn't really in a hurry so I just lay lazily on the back of Shiro who was in his giant eagle form. I fell asleep within the hour.

...

...

I woke up later to Shiro flying over the land of waves. I'm wondering if we beat Kakashi to this place. As we descended, I remembered my talk with Shikaku.

[[[Flashback]]]

Izuna stood up to leave then paused and took something out of his pocket.

"Shikaku-san, I'm quitting being a shinobi" He said as he stretched the item in his hand to the shell shocked Shikaku.

"W-what...why?" Shikaku asked though he had a rough understanding of why. The item in Izuna's hand was his forehead protector.

"You should know already. I'm not going to be a shinobi and take orders from someone like Sarutobi." Izuna said with slight coldness in his voice.

Shikaku could only inwardly shake his head. The actions of the hokage had lost them a valuable and strong shinobi. He took the protector from Izuna's outstretched hand.

"I see." He said solemnly and slightly sad.

"Don't fret, it's not permanent. It's only until another hokage takes office. Thank you for your hospitality, Shikaku-san" Izuna said as he left. Shikaku didn't know how to feel about this situation. For all he knew, it could be years before they have a new Hokage.

[[[Flashback End]]]

I was content with playing ninja until he died and Tsunade came but it's clear that he's not averse to using underhanded tactics. Either way this is actually a good thing.

If I participated in the chunin exams, there is no guarantee that I Gaara will face Lee. As cruel as it sounds, I want Gaara to injure Lee. Then when Tsunade tells him that he should give up on being a ninja, I'll let the message sink in for a while then I'll heal him with either [Healing hands] or a senzu bean, preferably the latter.

I felt my marker on Kakashi close by. I opened up a portal, letting Shiro fly into it as I floated by using [telekinesis] on myself. I landed in the land of waves, deciding to walk the rest of the way. I followed the marker to a house which, from what I remember was Tazuna's house.

A few seconds after I knocked on the door, a dark blue haired lady opened the door.

"Hello, can I help you?" She asked warily. I ignored that.

"Yes. I'm looking for Kakashi. Spiky White, blue mask, headband covering one of his eyes, reads a perverted book." I said as I described Kakashi. Before she could respond, a familiar voice came from inside the house.

"Izuna? What are you doing here?" Sakura asked from inside.

"Kakashi invited me for the mission but I told him I'd catch up with you guys later. Where is he?" I asked knowing he was probably still unconscious. Tazuna's daughter let me into the house.

"He's...unconscious. He overdid it in a fight with some guy named Zabuza." She said sadly.

'Of course that's what happens when you stop training for a few years.'

"Take me to him."

[[[ 10 minutes later ]]]

I sighed as I scolded the depressed Kakashi with Team 7 looking on, stunned.

"...damn Kakashi, for you to lose to someone like Zabuza. What have you been doing all these years. Do I need to take you back to being a genin?" Kakashi paled at the last one. He knew that I could probably force the hokage to put him back in the genin ranks or even worse...the academy.

"N-no, I-I'm sorry..." he stuttered out. Tazuna and his daughter looked shocked at the sight of a child scolding an adult.

I sighed. "So, what are you going to do about Zabuza?" I asked.

"What are you talking about. He's dead! That hunter-nin killed him, don't you....Oh you weren't there..." Naruto spoke the last part quietly as he realized that I wasn't there.

"Kakashi, are you sure you weren't drunk when you passed this team?" I asked dryly.

"Oi-" Naruto shouted but was interrupted by Kakashi.

"I'm eighty five percent sure" he said while looking like he was thinking. Before Naruto could shout, Tazuna spoke up.

"Kakashi-san, who is he? I don't see a forehead protector on him." Tazuna asked warily. Kakashi simply eye smiled.

"This is Izuna Uchiha. He's a ...powerful genin from Konoha. As for his forehead protector..." Kakashi trailed off at the end before turning to me. "Where is it?"

"I gave it to Shikaku. I'm no longer a ninja." I said easily. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke who had been silent reeled back in shock.

"N-n-no longer a ninja? Why?" Sakura asked. I simply shrugged before answering partially honestly.

"It's too troublesome." All three of them fell to the ground at that but I wasn't done talking.

"I mean, constantly fighting people, being bossed around...I don't want to be fighting people like Zabuza. They're too strong for me." I say helplessly. It was partly a lie, I was just too lazy to do it. I'm only doing it for the points.

"Says the kid who brought hokage-sama with nothing but his chakra pressure." Kakashi muttered dryly under his breath. He then sighed before asking.

"When will you be back?" I smirked a bit at that. "I never mentioned anything about coming back. What makes you think that?" I asked.

"With the amount of training you put yourself through, it's hard to imagine you'd simply quit for no reason." He answered.

"So you're not a lost cause after all..." his head dropped a bit. "...I'll be back when Konoha is under new management."

Naruto jumped at that. "What's wrong with jiji being the hokage!!??"

"Everything. I wouldn't expect you of all people to understand. After all, he's conditioned you well enough for you to be blind to the obvious." I say easily. He got more enraged at that as he leaped at me.

"BASTARD!!!" Seriously what version of Naruto was I reborn into. I easily dodge his attempt at a punch, landing one of my own behind his head. He was sent flying into the wall behind me which thankfully didn't break, I held back a lot on that punch.

"If you want to talk big at least have the strength to back it up. Back to my question, Kakashi...what will you do?" I turned to the person in question.