Chapter 67: The Day Everything Changed

(Next Day: Morning)

The bright rays of sunshine slowly crept inside the previously dark room, a pair of red eyes suddenly snapped open in surprise when the light fell directly on them. Kurenai lazily stretched her body, as her eyes tried to adjust to the new source of light. In doing so, she realized that she was alone in the bed. She quickly sat up from her bed, and put on her bra and panties...

"Where is he? I swear to Kami if he disappeared again..." cursed Kurenai irritatedly,

Then her other senses waked up and she realized a good smell coming from the kitchen. Upon entering in the small room, she smiled and frowned at the same time which made her face look quite funny.

There was Naruto standing in front of the kitchen floor busy cooking up some eggs and bacon for breakfast.

And he was also dressed in his combat gear, ready to leave at a moment's notice. She felt extremely sad that their little vacation was now coming to an end, if it was upto her then this dreamworld would continue forever. Just the two of them...

But alas, destiny was a cruel bitch.

She was intrigued when she spotted the vast change in his attire. In wave, he was wearing plain clothes, and maybe some Anbu gear. Now he was completely different...

He was wearing a dark black shirt with the Uchiha crest visible on the back, and light blue pants. Instead of combat boots, there were sandals covering his feet. What did catch her attention were 2 specific things...

For starters, his face was not covered by the traditional face masks that Kakashi gave him in the past. Instead, there was a red colored scarf hanging around his neck which stretched upto his nose.

And the most important thing was the dark black cloak with high collars. There was a faint swastika symbol camouflaged at the front portion of the chest, and a eagle shaped design at the back. The proud bird had spread his wings, as if showing his might over the entire world.

She didn't know why but this new outlook made him appear more dark, it emanated an eery feeling of power. Like someone trying to control others through sheer power...

The only saving grace was that it made Naruto look even more handsome and mysterious, she could barely even recognize him. And a small part of her heart didn't like this, she preferred her old, sweet Naruto over this new, radical one. At the same time, she didn't want to ruin their morning after last night's wonderful time...

Not when he was working so hard to make breakfast for her...

She must have been pretty spaced out, as he had finished setting the breakfast on the table and came forward to give her a light hug. Reacting on her instincts, she hugged him back although she was certainly unnerved with his new uniform.

"Naruto...what are these?" asked Kurenai hesitantly, she cursed herself for asking the question.

Damn human curiosity!

She flinched when he broke the hug and although he had a faint smile on his face, she didn't miss the ice cold expression in his eyes. Was it him or the clothes were making him look more intimidating.

"Oh, these...they're a gift" answered Naruto carefully,

"I see..." replied Kurenai hesitantly, ending the conversation.

She wanted to ask so many more questions, but the cold look in his eyes flat out denied any kind of further conversation on this topic. His behavior did surprise her, usually he agreed with anything she asked. But there were times when Naruto proved his masculinity ego, this was one of them.

And she simply didn't want any quarrel over a stupid clothes!

What more could they be?

"I've prepared breakfast. Let's eat, you must be hungry..." said Naruto calmly, although his frosty tone was a clear hint that he didn't appreciate her view regarding his new uniform.

He was miffed, but didn't raise any defensive argument. Why was he so protective over his uniform? It was as if they were a symbol as to who he was...

"Men..." thought Kurenai tiredly, and simply sat down on the table.

"Please Eat..."

His calm yet strong voice snapped her out of her thoughts again, and she quickly diverted her attention to the breakfast. Why was she getting intimidated from his stare?

She took the first bite and couldn't help but smile in delight when the taste was perfect, even better than her own cooking. Her curious eyes shifted towards him and it seemed he already knew what she was going to ask...

"Root never differentiated between boys and girls. Everyone learned cooking skills, homemaking skills for infiltration and seduction missions..." answered Naruto without any hesitation,

"Seduction?" asked Kurenai irritatedly, but he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Part of the job, nothing else. Fooling noble women is a lot easier than you think..." said Naruto calmly, and saw her eyebrows twitching.

"And how many seduction missions have you been on?" spat Kurenai, even the thought of Naruto touching any other women boiled her blood.

She was a ninja, but fortunately she had not been assigned any such missions till date. She could try to make herself accept that part of his life, but it would always trouble her. She had nearly blasted out at Haku when Naruto had lied that they were in a relationship.

"Classified..." replied Naruto flatly,

"What kind of answer is that? Root's over, you can tell me about your past. I barely even know what you went through in Root..." argued Kurenai defensively, her grip on the spoon tightening with every passing second.

"Regular ninja like you won't understand, and neither should you try to. Anbu life is none of your business..." said Naruto coldly, as she slammed the spoon on the table.

"It is my business, I need to know-"

"No"

"Naruto-"

"This discussion is over, you already know more than enough. Like I said, regular ninja have no right to know classified information..." said Naruto icily, and saw her fists clenching tightly.

"Regular ninja? I'm your girlfriend, goddammit..." said Kurenai murderously, her eyes burning with anger and hurt.

"The past is the past, neither you or I can change that. It's best to let old ghosts rest, now eat your breakfast..." instructed Naruto patiently,

"I don't want to eat a fucking breakfast..." yelled Kurenai irritatedly, why did he always hide his past from her?

"Fine, then don't eat..." snapped Naruto, and got up from the table signifying their first big fight in a long time.

She glared at him, but he returned her action with double intensity. The staring contest continued for a full minute before Kurenai huffed in an unlady like way and walked out of the room. Clearly pissed at him...

He sighed tiredly while running one of his hands through his silky blonde hair...

"That was harder than I thought it would be..." thought Naruto nervously, he really felt sad on behaving this way.

But it was necessary, he had to know both sides of the coin before making one final decision. Tobi and Sasuke were right, she really had a lot of impact on his thoughts and in a way could be the one who could stop him from creating a revolution.

"No, Valkyrie must happen. Too many lives have been sacrificed for this day, I can't let them go to waste for my selfishness. I need to know the consequences of my choices before I make the decision which will change my life permanently..." thought Naruto seriously,

His eyes glanced at the uneaten breakfast, and he moved forward to pick up the plates. The sound of the shower reached his ears, suggesting Kurenai had went to get a bath obviously to cool her head...or maybe not.

He could not directly ask her to join his crusade, not after what Tobi told him. At the same time, he also remembered Haku advising him about letting Kurenai chose her own path, just like he had done for himself.

All of this argument was for this purpose, and for asking the decisive question to Kurenai he still needed to conduct one more test before arriving at a conclusion. He glanced at the watch in the hall, and knew he was already late.

Grabbing a paper and pen, he quickly wrote a note and strapped it on the dining table.

With a quick glance towards the bathroom, he shunshined out of the hotel room.

Haku was casually throwing stones in the lake near the orphanage, life had been quite stagnant during the past week for her. Naruto was busy with his girlfriend, Tsunade was busy in the final stages of the cure's development as well the new set of eyes which were going to replace Naruto's current ones. Nono was busy with the orphanage children...

She idly wondered would Kurenai accept the dark side of Naruto which Haku had seen a few days back...

There were two sides of Naruto- the good and the bad. She had seen both of them and it made extremely hard for her to categorize Naruto into either one. At the best Naruto was a person who lied between these two sides, a person who had no desires of his own and who lived only for the sake of changing their fucked up world.

"Miss me?"

She was startled when the person of her thoughts appeared behind her, the ninja instincts within her wanted to attack him but as he gave her a warm, friendly embrace from behind it rid her of all those thoughts.

They were no longer strangers or accomplices, after her support during the battle of Kaminejima; Naruto had decided to trust her. She became the first volunteer soldier for Valkyrie, and became his best friend and console. If only Kurenai was not in his life, then Haku could have...

"My love alone is enough for the both of us..." thought Haku contently, as she happily grasped his hands around her chest.

"Maybe a little, although I doubt you did the same for me..." replied Haku sarcastically, as a sigh escaped from his lips.

"Haku, we've talked about this...'' said Naruto patiently, as she nodded.

"I know, and I'm not pushing you. It's just..." answered Haku hesitantly, her voice becoming heavier.

Sensing her depressed mood, he came forward and laid a gentle kiss on her cheek. Her cheeks flushed red, as her previously depressed face started stuttering incoherent words as he smiled bemusedly.

"There, all better now..." said Naruto cheerfully,

She stuttered for a few more seconds but his bright smile and those dazzling dark eyes of his managed to bring a smile on her face. Just these little gestures of affection and his companionship was enough to fill the void in her life.

And Naruto knew it, in a way both of them were almost similar to each other.

Both of them had been used all their life by other people, and casted aside when they were no longer needed. They knew how dark and cruel the ninja world was and had lived through it. Neither of them judged the other for their past or beliefs...

These were few of the things which the people of the world could never understand about her, in the same way Kurenai would probably never understand or accept Naruto the way Haku could. But Naruto still had faith in that woman, and since Haku loved him with all her heart she had stepped aside...

Even going far as suggesting Naruto to make Kurenai a part of Valkyrie, even if it would dash any hope of having a future for herself with Naruto.

First a tragic life...

...and now a tragic love story.

"Haku, you are important to me. More than you could imagine, I won't lie there is something between us...but please don't push me. Don't make it any harder than it already is..." requested Naruto politely,

"I...understand. Did you talk to Kurenai about your cause?" asked Haku seriously, and saw the tired look in his eyes.

"There is something I want to test before asking her, kind of a mock examination on someone else. Kurenai has lived in the light of the ninja world all her life, while I've lived in the darkness just like you. Asking her to be a part of Valkyrie would be the toughest thing I would ever do, I'm not too optimistic either. She loves me but she also has her own beliefs. I..." explained Naruto briefly, although she didn't miss the worried look in his eyes.

He really wanted Kurenai to be by his side, at the same time a part of him didn't for the path he had chosen was not a noble, or righteous one.

"You want to prepare yourself for her wrath, scorn, disgust if she refuses to join you. You want to prepare for the worst, but who is similar to Kurenai? One who is close to you and can be useful for our cause?" asked Haku kindly,

"You know whom..." said Naruto cryptically, as her eyes widened in surprise.

"Naruto, you can't be serious. What if she refuses? In your current state, if she chooses to silence you then it will be a gruesome battle. I'm good and will defend you to my last breath, but she's a monster..." warned Haku urgently, as he nodded gravely.

"There is no choice, I have to do this..."

"What about the children of the orphanage? Many of them are quite good at medical ninjutsu and genjutsu, they were quite excellent..." suggested Haku, and saw his sharp eyes glaring at her.

"We will leave the orphanage alone, I will not have any child take part in this. They deserve a free life, away from the violence and bloodshed of the ninja world. I won't let the past repeat, and not become like him..." spat Naruto disgustedly,

Haku was surprised on discovering this side of him, whoever this unknown person was- Naruto loathed him from the bottom of his heart. The look in his eyes burned with anger and resentment towards this person.

"I understand, I was just trying to portray a logical scenario..." said Haku defensively, as his glare softened.

"Please, don't try mentioning any children for Valkyrie. More than enough children are already being killed in the ninja world..." requested Naruto sadly,

"Hai"

He rummaged through his pockets and brought out a slip of paper, which had quite a lot of things written on it. He then handed it to her...

"Haku, it's time to start Valkyrie..." said Naruto seriously, as her eyes hardened with burning resolve.

This was the moment she was waiting for, to prove herself to him. To be the one who supported him no matter the odds...

"Go to my secret base, observe the training of our army, Hone your own skills, we make our first move within 1 month assuming I'm not killed first..." said Naruto flatly, as she glared at him.

"You're sending me away? Before you ask her? You can't be serious..." said Haku furiously,

"I have to do this alone, if we are to be ready in time. I need you to make the preparations, gather more recruits for our cause. Get supplies, weapons, money through any means necessary..." ordered Naruto, as she raised any eyebrow.

"Any?" asked Haku curiously,

"The strong survive, the weak die- that's the motto of the ninja world. I think it's time they are given a bitter taste of their own medicine..." said Naruto harshly, getting an affirmative nod from her.

"Yes, your highness...." replied Haku devotedly, as his cheeks blushed.

"Haku, you don't have to call me that. You can call me Naruto..." said Naruto shyly, as a smirk came on her lips.

"And miss my chance at teasing you? I'll pass..." replied Haku cheekily, as his eyebrows twitched.

"Fine..."

"I'm proud to be on your side, Naruto. I just want you to know that..." said Haku honestly, and gave him a bright smile.

"Thanks, the ninja world is burning with hatred. All we have to do is nip the problem at the source, in order to usher in a peaceful future we must first destroy our chaotic past. After that, the world will finally head towards peace..." explained Naruto hopefully,

"And that's..." said Haku warmly, receiving a nod from him.

"...Valkyrie" finished Naruto

"Through our lives, we understood that people desire a future free of war, hatred and violence..." said Haku seriously, as a smirk came on his lips.

"Ne, Haku...don't you think wishes are the same as my sharingan?" asked Naruto curiously,

"Huh?"

"The things you can't accomplish by yourself, can be fulfilled by asking the assistance of others. Valkyrie isn't just my dream, but it carries the hopes of the uncountable dead and the people who are still struggling in this world. The success of this revolution won't just belong to my or your efforts alone, it would be due to the combined struggle of every single person in this world regardless of which side they belong to..." said Naruto proudly, getting a nod from her.

Giving her a short kiss on her cheek (which sent butterflies in her stomach), he started walking towards the orphanage in order to face another challenge.

"Naruto, the risk..." said Haku worriedly, as he turned around and a mischievous grin was etched on his lips.

"Only those willing to be killed, should think about killing others..."

Tsunade had been in the process of a frustrating activity which was putting up her bra around her monumental breasts. The past few weeks, this little laboratory had became her residence. Naruto was barely around, no orphanage children were allowed to visit this territory of the property. The only ones who ever came here were Nono and Haku- both females.

Her room was kind of on the far end of the orphanage, Nono had insisted that she refrained from corrupting young children with her drinking endeavors. Things had gotten quite crazy when Naruto had handed her that marvelous sake bottle...

She definitely needed to get the address of the bar store from the boy, hell she would pay millions to get a sip of that sake again.

Her breath froze when the door to the room suddenly opened, and a familiar blonde walked in with a cigarette in his mouth. Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when she realized that she was only wearing khaki pants, while her chest was completely exposed with a bra lingering over her shoulder.

If he was shocked, he didn't show it. Naruto merely raised an eyebrow as if getting a frontal view of G-cup breasts were a regular happening for him.

"Huh? Not bad..." said Naruto casually, and went outside the room.

She remained frozen in her spot like cold ice, but when a few seconds passed her entire face flushed red with anger and embarrassment.

"NARUTO!'' yelled Tsunade at the top of her lungs, waking up every person in a 2 mile radius.

Tsunade doubled over in sheer shock, when he opened the door again and looked at her with a bored expression in his eyes. What the fuck was this kid? Jiraiya would have died to get a good look at even one of her boobs...

"Need some help?" asked Naruto calmly, and watched her face color change from red to pink, and many more.

It was clear that his reaction to the mishap had clearly sent in her a state of shock, and he was sure the naughty young boys of the orphanage would certainly be doubling in this direction to help the "Big Booby babe!'

Apparently, Jiraiya was not the only one who had a fetish for old, booby blondes.

If only they knew that underneath the pretty face was a 52 year old hag, although he refrained from stating that fact to anyone.

Tsunade was as stiff as a rock, her breasts lying openly in front of his eyes. He simply walked forward, went behind her back and easily clipped the bra. Even adjusting the fabric around the giant mounds, no wonder she had trouble wearing inner clothes. Those things were fucking heavy...

Then just as if nothing had happened, he started walking back towards the exit when a cold hand was placed on his shoulder. The grip almost crushing his bones...

Turning around he came face to face with a mad Tsunade, who apparently had a demon glowing above her head. Her long, open blonde hair flowing wildly in the air.

"What was that?"

She said each word as icily and murderously as possible, and was unnerved further when the casual look in his eyes never changed for a second.

"That was called helping a woman..." answered Naruto calmly, as she roared in rage.

FLICK

She was surprised when he twisted his fingers and all her rage seemed to vanish, either through sheer surprise or something else. He turned around and looked her straight in the eye.

"First, this is not a changing room but a laboratory. If you are really that conscious about your body, then this was not the right place for changing clothes. Second, I am not at all interested in you in any sexual or romantic way. You're my aunt and I care about you, this accident was unfortunate yes. So either we can make a big deal about it or forget it completely, just a dark secret that we can take to our grave?" asked Naruto seriously,

"How can you be so calm after..." said Tsunade in disbelief, she expected the boy to grovel at her feet for mercy like Jiraiya or even run away like her old teammate.

"Because giving this trivial matter unnecessary importance will only make it more awkward for us. This is not the first time I've seen a woman's beauty, and I never intended to let this event happen. Still if it's not enough and if I've hurt your sentiments, then I apologize from the bottom of my heart..." said Naruto sincerely, and gave her a short bow too.

Tsunade was stunned, she wanted to pummel the boy into the ground but the way he had explained the accident and his actions made it impossible for her to lay any punishment on him. He had not only pointed out her own fault, apologized even if this accident was just an unfortunate event. He really was a crude strategist, a man who knew what he was doing and had plans within plans.

A true mastermind.

She could now understand why Hiruzen feared Naruto, as if he was a time bomb waiting to go off. Naruto not only possessed power but more than that he had a brilliant mind, one which was more smarter than his own father Minato.

"Don't do it again..." said Tsunade hesitantly, she had to be the responsible adult since he had already apologized.

Damn that, sneaky brat. She was thankful to Kami for once that Jiraiya didn't have such tactful mind when it came to women, or else that old pervert would have actually escaped unharmed when he had peaked on her years ago in a hot spring.

That thought alone made her shiver...

He got up again and flashed her one of the most impressive smiles she had ever seen. Add that to his mysterious uniform it actually made her blush a little, no wonder young girls like Haku and Kurenai had fallen for him.

"Thank you for your generosity...'' said Naruto gratefully, showing his diplomatic skills for the first time.

He narrowed his eyes when a frown came on her face, and he saw her glaring at the cigarette in his mouth. Were all women against this thing, he wondered.

"Why are smoking?" asked Tsunade tersely, barely hiding her annoyance.

"Thought it would be a good idea before I die..." muttered Naruto,

"What?"

''Nothing, I guess old habits die hard. It helps me relieve the stress..." answered Naruto quickly, thank gods she didn't hear his first comment clearly.

"It's not good for your health, especially in the current condition you are in..." advised Tsunade gravely, getting a sheepish nod from him.

"Gomen..." apologized Naruto, and he threw the offending thing away.

He was surprised when she enwrapped him in a light, warm hug. At first he seemed confused, but didn't object and wrapped his arms around her back. The more she was comfortable, the more he could explain himself to her.

"It's good to see you again. Although the circumstances should have been different..." said Tsunade calmly losing her previously accumulated anger.

"Likewise. I'm sorry for not spending some time with you, despite you doing so much for me. It's not much, but I really appreciate everything you've done for me..." replied Naruto sincerely,

"Naruto, I..."

"Oba-san, there is something I need to talk to you about..." said Naruto carefully, as her breath got caught in her throat.

"Did he just call me Oba-san?" thought Tsuande happily, if it was any other person they would be dead for calling her aunt.

But that word coming out of his mouth was like a blessing for which she had been craving for weeks. It was a proof that he had finally started accepting her as family, and not just considering her a distant relative.

"Oh, before that. A letter came for you, I think it's from Hiruzen...maybe he wants a status update" suggested Tsunade, and noticed how his warm expression suddenly turned ice cold.

He turned away and walked a few feet away from her, as if being near her was harmful for his life itself.

"Oba-san, I'm not going back to Konoha..." said Naruto coldly, his eyes glancing across the room.

"Huh? What...do...you...mean?" stammered Tsunade, she could not believe what she had just heard.

She froze when his Mangekyo eyes activated and he looked her straight in the eye, showing his dark, evil side for the first time.

"I'm going to destroy Konoha..."

Tsunade's eyes widened, her fists clenched, her blood boiled, her eyes hardened, the power of her chakra rose as the blue colored energy surrounded her entire body cracking the wooden floor.

"Vengeance against the hidden leaf?" asked Tsunade murderously, she may not be as patriotic as Jiraiya or a traitor like Orochimaru.

But Konoha was her home, a village founded by her grandfather. A place for which Dan had laid his life, a home for which young Nawaki sacrificed himself. And this boy wanted to burn it to the ground just because he had a bad fate?

Her chakra was about to flare more as she took a threatening step towards him, until...

BOOM!

An even more powerful, evil, malicious wave of chakra erupted from Naruto's body. The wooden floor completely cracked from the sheer pressure, the KI was so high that even Tsunade being a Sannin couldn't help but get sweat on her forehead. His murderous, red Mangekyo promised mass murder...

She could hear children screaming in terror, Nono trying to stop them from panicking, the nearby animals were quickly fleeing from the area.

Long back, she had known Naruto was strong. She had even accepted that he killed Root on his own, but only now did she realize all those claims were true. Even in his weakened state, Naruto radiated the power similar to a Kage and he had not even started using his Biju's chakra.

"Lower your chakra, Oba-san. Hear me out first, after that you can try to kill me..." said Naruto seriously, as she glared at him.

"You traitor, you dare defy your own village? That place is not perfect, but its still home. A place for which my family died..." replied Tsunade furiously, and he looked at her disappointedly.

"How naive, if only you knew the real truth about Konoha. It is no longer the dream village which Hashirama Senju established, despite our differences you are my last living family. You always wanted to know me, about my past...now I offer to tell you everything. What happened from the beginning, why I have turned my back against Konoha, and why I want to destroy it. I deserve a chance to explain myself..." explained Naruto patiently,

"You deserve nothing. Uchiha Naruto, you used me. I can't believe it..." said Tsunade sadly, as a few tears came in her eyes.

"You think that, huh? If I really wanted to use you, then why did I reveal this dark secret before you even cured me or replaced by eyes? You're the only one who can save my life, you can simply refuse to treat my dying body and my life will end in a few weeks. Think about it..." said Naruto remorsefully, did she think of him like that?

"I don't..." said Tsunade in a tearful voice, as he stepped towards her.

She raised her chakra fused fist when he took out a kunai, but was surprised when he grabbed her other hand; placed the kunai in it and pointed it at his own heart.

"You abandoned me when I needed you most, left me to the villagers who were worse than jackals. You couldn't look past your own pain and left me, a small part of you is indirectly responsible for the way my life turned out. All my life I yearned for a mother's love, I could have gotten that from you...but Tsuande Senju, you turned your back on me. The only reason you are even here trying to help me is because you can't live with that guilt in your heart...

...after all this, if you still want to kill me then go ahead. Love and forgiveness can't be achieved through mere words" said Naruto sadly, a lone tear slipping from his eye.

The hand of hers which was holding the kunai suddenly felt a thousand pounds more heavier, the chakra powered fist fell limp on her side. Her eyes watered on seeing the sadness in his eyes, and yet he was willing to let her kill him.

"It's...true that I made a huge mistake by abandoning you, and I'm here to make up for it. You're the son of Minato and Kushina, the greatest heroes of Konoha and my family. You're like the son I always wanted to have, but I barely know anything about you. I know you're not the evil boy which the villagers say you are, I really want to believe it...

...I just don't know anything anymore" whispered Tsunade in a broken voice, the kunai collapsing on the broken wooden floor with a loud clang.

He lifted his hand and wiped off the tears falling from her eyes, Tsunade looked into his eyes as he gave her a reassuring nod, as his Mangekyo spinned hypnotizing her.

"Alright. I'll tell you the story of Naruto Uchiha..."

Kurenai stared at the piece of paper in her hands, her eyes had lost the anger and were now staring at the paper as if it was made of gold.

It was a goodbye message from him, now that he had went on his next mission.

Dear Kurenai-chan,

I'm sorry for leaving without informing you, but the mission was urgent and I didn't want to extend our argument. I'm not mad at you, I just want you to know that.

I...also understand why you want to know about my past in Root. But it's too painful for me, and I've got a lot of tasks I need to accomplish. I can't get emotionally unstable, being an Anbu demands it.

That does not mean I don't realize how knowing about me is so important for you, and you're the most precious person in the world for me. Please give me sometime, one day I will tell you my entire true story. I will show you everything, and when that day comes you'll have to make a choice. I promise that day will come very soon...

That's all I can say for now, so please have faith in me.

The past few days have been the best time of my life, and I'm grateful that you came to meet me. I really enjoyed our time together, and would like to do more in the future.

I will not be able to get into contact with you for sometime, I'm on a dangerous mission. That's all I can say...

Please return back to Konoha, the others might be worried about you. And don't mention our encounter to anyone, especially Hiruzen as that might put us both in a lot of trouble.

Well...gotta go.

I love you,

Naruto

Tears fell from her eyes as she cursed herself for getting so mad at him, how could she forget Operation Ghost and the enormous responsibility he was shouldering for Konoha. Root was a sensitive topic, and she had literally demanded him to spill out his painful past...

"I'm so stupid..." said Kurenai sadly, as she clutched the letter close to her heart.

She was also disappointed that she had failed in revealing the truth about Rei's death to him, she had gotten so overjoyed in spending time with him that she failed to reveal the treachery to him.

Maybe she had intentionally not told him the truth.

Would he start hating the village for this betrayal? Would he abandon her? These questions really troubled her, and were perhaps the reason she was not able to tell him.

But now after he had promised to reveal his entire truth to her, she could not lie anymore.

"I promise you, the day you reveal your truth to me I will reveal Konoha's treachery to you. Please be safe..." prayed Kurenai,

And what choice was he talking about? She didn't know...

The only thing she knew was...

...that she was madly in love with Naruto Uchiha, even more than before.

Tsunade lay frozen in horror as the pair of Mangekyo stopped spinning. Her cheeks were puffy and red, dark circles had formed beneath her eyes due to the enormous tears that had fallen from her eyes. If not for Naruto's firm hand holding her shoulder, she would have collapsed.

The amount of information she had learned was making her head explode.

Naruto had revealed everything to her. Everything...

His childhood when he was constantly abused by the villagers, his loneliness, the little bond he formed with Kakashi, the first encounter with Root and his first kill, meeting Kurenai, meeting Danzo, joining Danzo and Root, his friendship with Shin, Sai and the countless young children in Root, that monstrous training...

...the final test where Shin died for Naruto's sake, the countless dirty blackops missions which Naruto performed for Konoha, how callously his friends were killed for the politics of fire nation, the truth of the Uchiha massacre and how Konoha had first isolated the Uchiha and when they ran out of patience, the village turned Itachi against his own clan.

The Root Coup, him begging Hiruzen to let him save the village from civil war, his old life with his classmates, Anko and how he fell in love with Kurenai.

The Root massacre where he had cried tears of blood and lost his last best friend (Sai), and killed Danzo.

And most of all lost Rei, his own clone daughter.

After that he had explained everything he had done as a part of Operation Ghost, how Hiruzen, Itachi and Kyuubi had plotted and succeeded in wiping every single memory of Rei, how Princess Kallen had tried to silence him despite him being a loyal soldier of Konoha, Orochimaru's offer...

And what Valkyrie truly was...

She could not even look straight in his eyes, she had always imagined he was a poor child who was simply forced to massacre Root. But now...

"For the peace of the Hidden Leaf Village, and most of all for my deceased best friends I accepted dying being known as a criminal and a traitor. I accepted disgrace in the place of honor, and hatred instead of love...

...and yet the village, Hiruzen spat on the sacrifice of my friends. And that is the tragic story of mine" finished Naruto regretfully,

"Naruto, I'm so sorry..." said Tsuande tearfully, as he shook his head.

"Konoha is not what you think it is, the village has failed to become the peaceful home Hashirama wanted it to be. It reeks of corruption, betrayal, hatred just like the ninja world. Now you know my truth, you know who I truly am beneath all these masks. I'm not fighting for revenge, I just want justice for my friends and create a world where more Naruto's are not born. To end the cycle of hatred...

...that is Valkyrie" explained Naruto, as more tears fell from her eyes.

"I should have been there for you, if only I had taken you with me then none of this would have happened..." said Tsuande shamefully, as she buried her tearful face into her hands.

He took a deep breath and took a step towards her.

"If you still believe in Konoha, then you're free to go. I won't stop you..." said Naruto in resignation, as she looked at him in shock.

"What? But you're life..."

"I won't betray my only blood family, you're one of the few people whose will I won't bend for my revolution. Just like I made my choices, I offer you the freedom to make your own decision. You have no obligation towards me, Tsunade Senju I forgive you..." said Naruto peacefully,

Not a second later, she enveloped him in a fierce, motherly hug. Even laying a few soft, affectionate kisses on his cheeks and forehead...as for the first time he felt a little glimpse of what a mother's love could be.

"You can go back to Konoha. Nobody will stop you, but I will still go forward with my revolution..." said Naruto meekly,

"You do realize I might just tell your plan to Hiruzen and the village? It would wreck havoc on your revolution, why aren't you killing me?" asked Tsunade silently,

"I can't kill you, even if you tell my plan to Konoha...it won't stop my revolution. I will complete Valkyrie even if it kills me, it is the redemption for all my sins and betrayals..." answered Naruto honestly,

"Do you really think you can do it? Can you really change this ninja world?" asked Tsunade worriedly,

"I can, No I must. Will there be sacrifices? Yes, and not just of soldiers but innocent people as well..."

"But-"

"It's because of that I won't stop. Even if I have to cheat, kill, betray others...I won't give up. I will end this cycle of hatred, even if I must become carnage reincarnate..." promised Naruto, his dark eyes burning with determination.

She just stared at him, looking into his eyes promised her that he did mean everything he said. Regardless of her decision, he was going forward with Valkyrie, and now that she knew what it was...she couldn't discard the fact that it would end the violence which humanity was suffering from. The wars would end, young children won't turn into weapons, the fighting nations would lose their grudges against each other, the world would unite.

Words couldn't describe how proud she was of him, Naruto was not the destroyer she had assumed he was. Instead...

"Tsunade-hime, I know one day a child would come who will change the course of the ninja world..."

She still remembered Jiraiya's words, that prophecy he used to mutter every time. The circumstances were different, but could Naruto be the one?

She had already abandoned him once, and yet here he was offering to free her from all her burdens. How could someone be so selfless? But then again, this was the man who had sacrificed everything without expecting much in return.

Naruto had no desires of his own, he only lived for this dream which was to save the world and unite humanity.

"But nobody will force you. Oba-san, you are free to leave, if you want to go back to your life then now is the time..." suggested Naruto calmly, and heard her sigh before giving him a determined smile.

"I already abandoned you once, and your life turned into hell. I won't repeat the same mistake again, not when you've done so much for me and the things you want to do for this fucked up world which has given you nothing but pain. I truly understand you, Naruto Uchiha...

...and I will walk with you, by your side till the end" promised Tsunade,

He was left speechless when she said those words, he had came here expecting the worst. He knew she would leave him, that he would be left all alone again.

"I..." said Naruto in a choked voice,

He was trained to control his emotions, and yet he could not stop his eyes from becoming moist. As she slowly poked her finger at his heart, he saw something in her eyes for which he had yearned all his life.

"I love you..."

He closed his eyes as tears slipped from his eyes, his legs felt weak as he started collapsing towards the wooden floor but instead found himself in a warm embrace as her hands wrapped tightly around his back.

"You always yearned for a family, I can see it in your years. I can't be as Minato and Kushina, and I don't even know if you can accept me as your mother. I'm an alcoholic, a gambler, have frequent mood swings, like punching men through the walls...I'm a sore loser. I lost purpose in life after Dan and Nawaki died, but now I have one. If Valkyrie is your redemption, then you are my redemption...

...Kakashi accepted you as a brother, Kurenai accepted you as a lover, and I today accept you as my son. I promise to stay by your side no matter what, and I will do my best to shower you with love which you deserve so much. You're not alone anymore, Naruto. You have a family who'll share their happiness and sorrows with you" said Tsunade lovingly,

By the time she was finished, he was crying hysterically. His face was buried deep into her chest, he was crying so badly that his tears had soaked her haori. His wails were getting louder, but neither she or Nono who was now standing near the door with a kind smile on her face tried to stop him.

Tsunade patted his back gently, as even she felt herself getting attached to him. There was just something about this kid that reminded her of Nawaki, except Naruto had sacrificed a thousand times more than Nawaki.

"Although if you try to peak at my boobs again by accident or otherwise, then I'll kill you..." promised Tsunade very sweetly, as he laughed in between his sobs.

"Hai...mother" said Naruto gratefully, bringing a bright smile on the blonde Senju's face.

"Uchiha and Senju, heh. Both your descendants have plenty of love in their hearts, old man. If only your foolish sons understood it..." thought Kurama silently, although he couldn't help but smile on seeing how happy Naruto was.

Nono, Haku, Sasuke, Gaara, and now Tsunade. One by one, these people were slowly starting to fill the hole in his heart which was created by the horrible ninja world.

And in the fox's eyes, if any human deserved happiness more than others then it was Naruto Uchiha.

Only a person who faced isolation all his/her life could understand what Naruto was feeling right now, and nobody understood it better than Kurama who had faced the same pain for centuries. Maybe, just maybe he could also hope to get his best friend and family back one day...

The fox saw Nono coming beside Naruto and resting her hand on his shoulder, flashing him one of her gentle smiles.

"Well, you wanted a mother? You have two now, and we definitely don't want an unhealthy son..." said Nono happily, getting a nod from Tsunade.

"Get ready, brat. Because you're undergoing the longest operation and medical treatment of your life..." boasted Tsunade proudly,

And all Naruto could do in this moment was mutter the one word, which was always on a certain Nara's lips...

"Troublesome..."

(3 weeks later)

Orochimaru was currently not happy, the subject lying on his experiment table was another failure. His plans to destroy Konoha were currently at a stalemate since the Kyuubi brat had not joined them yet. Should he have tried to steal the Forbidden Scroll from Naruto during their meeting?

No, the boy was too smart and sneaky.

Orochimaru just had to be a little more patient, he had nearly perfected the most powerful jutsu in the world but to make it undefeatable he needed the forbidden scroll.

In a far corner of the room, Kabuto was glancing at a report in his hands. Something about logistics...

"Orochimaru-sama, when are you going to teach me that thing?" asked Kabuto quietly, although the Sannin didn't miss the irritation in his apprentice's eyes.

"Patience, Kabuto. Science requires time..." replied Orochimaru calmly,

BOOM!

They were surprised when a violent blast rocked their entire base, Kabuto quickly ran towards a table and activated several screens showing video footage's of every corner of the base.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes dangerously when every single corner of his base was being raided by soldiers.

Hundreds of them...

It was a bloody invasion force, who were killing every single defender who tried to stop them. No prisoners, no mercy...

Just one look at the enemy soldiers was enough to send a cold chill down any normal person's spine. All the enemy soldiers were dressed in crisp black full sleeved shirts and dark black pants.

They were wearing strong combat boots, every soldier's face was covered by black colored gas masks with two breathing holes on each side of the face. The death masks had two large eye spots on it which glowed bright red in color. It was as if the warriors were raised from hell and their demonic red eyes were glaring at their enemies...

The most noticeable feature was the proud red armband with a swastika symbol on it. Every soldier was wearing a metallic helmet on which was the symbol of a proud eagle which had spread its wings widely.

The soldiers were armed with swords and shields, and they moved with such co-ordination that not even a single Oto shinobi was able to stop them.

Leading this enemy army was a female warrior, she was wearing the same uniform as her soldiers except for the dark black colored leather jacket on her chest, and the proud hat on her head displaying the same eagle symbol on it. Her face was also hidden behind the same mask which her men were wearing, and she was killing scores of Orochimaru's tests subjects with her ice powers.

"What the hell are they? And a Yuki clan shinobi?" thought Orochimaru urgently, and looked towards his second in command.

"Kabuto..."

The boy didn't need any more instruction, as he grabbed his battle gear and charged out of the room in order to stop this deadly army. If there was anyone who could stop them, then it was that boy. Meanwhile, Orochimaru started destroying important data files...

"What are these monsters?" asked the Sannin furiously,

"The 1st Reich..."

The temperature of the room turned icy cold, as the Snake Sannin turned around to came face to face with a single shinobi who was standing on the doors of the exit. The entire corridor behind him was filled with bodies of Oto shinobi, who had a horrified looks in their eyes as if they had seen a demon.

And they were right...

For the warrior was dressed in the same uniform as the invading army. He was wearing a dark black jacket with the swastika symbol on it, and dark pants with combat boots on his bottom. A sharp, blood stained sword was resting in his hands...

His face was covered by a gas death mask, and he was wearing the same officer's hat with the eagle symbol on top.

However the most terrifying thing about him was not his intimidating uniform, or the blood stained sword, but...

The murderous pair of Mangekyo eyes that were the shape of thunder bolts, as if lightning was permanently embedded in those eyes. Orochimaru could literally feel the monstrous power emanating from those eyes, one glance at them and the scientist in him knew they were no regular Mangekyo eyes.

"An Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan? Could it be Itachi?" thought Orochimaru cautiously, as that boy was the only one who got so close to killing him during their past encounter.

But the person standing before him made that Uchiha seem weak, Orochimaru could sense the endless chakra in this person's body. He was a fucking time bomb, waiting to explode. And his sheer presence reeked of death, vengeance, and pure darkness.

A cruel smile escaped from the person's lips as his fixed his eyes at Orochimaru...

"Who are you?"