Ficlet: Parents
Summary: Two pairs of identical blue eyes met and, in that moment, every lie was undone and all the pieces came together.
Warnings: AU!
Disclaimer: Naruto (c) Kishimoto and probably a bunch of other companies whose names I don't know. No material profit being made here.
Parents
Naruto watched the back of the Fourth's head in fascination as the man stood before the Hokage's desk. Here was a man that everyone had thought long dead, a man whom Naruto had both idolized and struggled to surpass his entire life. It was a bit of a surreal experience.
Standing next to the teenager were Kakashi and Jiraiya, their eyes glued just as his on the former Hokage, taking in the man's explanations about where he had been and what he had been doing for the past sixteen years. Naruto was only half listening, having lost the thread of the conversation early on as they had discussed the techniques and seals used to imprison Kyuubi.
Not only were their words too confusing for Naruto, but it was at about that point that it had sunk into the genin's awareness that this was the man who had sealed a demon inside him. He was not sure how to feel about that.
His attention was brought back to the present when he heard his name being spoken. His eyes spun towards Tsunade so abruptly that the afternoon sunlight coming in through the panoramic windows blinded him.
"And Kushina Uzumaki? Is she really dead or alive somewhere as well?" the current Hokage was saying.
To Naruto's shock, after a slight pause, the Fourth answered:
"No. She died giving birth to Naruto," he stated cold and decisively.
The floor had disappeared from under Naruto's feet - they were talking about his mother! The Fourth Hokage had known his mother and by the looks of it so had Tsunade. He wanted to speak up, to shout out and demand that they tell him more about this mysterious woman whom he had wanted to meet his entire life, but, at the same time, Naruto felt completely lost.
Tsunade had known his mother. Did that mean that Jiraiya had known her too? Kakashi? The Third? Why hadn't anyone ever told him her name at least?
"Oi, Hokage whatever your name is!" Naruto energetically interrupted before he knew what he was doing. "You knew my mother?"
The former Hokage turned his head three-quarters of the way, stopping short of facing Naruto. He was looking at Jiraiya and Kakashi and Tsunade, and if Naruto had to guess from his profile he would say that he was looking surprised. Why the man would feel that way, he wasn't sure, though. After all, if anyone had a right to be surprised that would be himself.
"He doesn't know?" the low inquiry reached Naruto's ears. The words confused him, as they were far from the answer the genin had been expecting.
Then suddenly the Fourth turned the rest of the way and made eye contact with Naruto for the first time since he had arrived. The two pairs of identical blue eyes met and, in that moment, all the little pieces of the puzzle that was his past came together in Naruto's mind.
He knew his conclusion was true - it had to be, it was the only thing that made sense right now, what with the sorrow swimming in the eyes that were staring at him and the pity and regret in those of the other occupants of the room. And then the second part of the truth struck the teenager - the revelation that everyone in that room had known but him.
Naruto was used to being left out - it was how most of the village had treated him when he was smaller -, but he had never felt that type of rejection come from people whom he held close to his heart and trusted as fully as these. It was overwhelming, and Naruto found that he could not face any one of them right at this moment. He refused to cry in front of them and he would not let them know just how much he had been hurt.
For the first time in his life, Naruto ran.
Warnings: AU!
Disclaimer: Naruto (c) Kishimoto and probably a bunch of other companies whose names I don't know. No material profit being made here.
Parents
Naruto watched the back of the Fourth's head in fascination as the man stood before the Hokage's desk. Here was a man that everyone had thought long dead, a man whom Naruto had both idolized and struggled to surpass his entire life. It was a bit of a surreal experience.
Standing next to the teenager were Kakashi and Jiraiya, their eyes glued just as his on the former Hokage, taking in the man's explanations about where he had been and what he had been doing for the past sixteen years. Naruto was only half listening, having lost the thread of the conversation early on as they had discussed the techniques and seals used to imprison Kyuubi.
Not only were their words too confusing for Naruto, but it was at about that point that it had sunk into the genin's awareness that this was the man who had sealed a demon inside him. He was not sure how to feel about that.
His attention was brought back to the present when he heard his name being spoken. His eyes spun towards Tsunade so abruptly that the afternoon sunlight coming in through the panoramic windows blinded him.
"And Kushina Uzumaki? Is she really dead or alive somewhere as well?" the current Hokage was saying.
To Naruto's shock, after a slight pause, the Fourth answered:
"No. She died giving birth to Naruto," he stated cold and decisively.
The floor had disappeared from under Naruto's feet - they were talking about his mother! The Fourth Hokage had known his mother and by the looks of it so had Tsunade. He wanted to speak up, to shout out and demand that they tell him more about this mysterious woman whom he had wanted to meet his entire life, but, at the same time, Naruto felt completely lost.
Tsunade had known his mother. Did that mean that Jiraiya had known her too? Kakashi? The Third? Why hadn't anyone ever told him her name at least?
"Oi, Hokage whatever your name is!" Naruto energetically interrupted before he knew what he was doing. "You knew my mother?"
The former Hokage turned his head three-quarters of the way, stopping short of facing Naruto. He was looking at Jiraiya and Kakashi and Tsunade, and if Naruto had to guess from his profile he would say that he was looking surprised. Why the man would feel that way, he wasn't sure, though. After all, if anyone had a right to be surprised that would be himself.
"He doesn't know?" the low inquiry reached Naruto's ears. The words confused him, as they were far from the answer the genin had been expecting.
Then suddenly the Fourth turned the rest of the way and made eye contact with Naruto for the first time since he had arrived. The two pairs of identical blue eyes met and, in that moment, all the little pieces of the puzzle that was his past came together in Naruto's mind.
He knew his conclusion was true - it had to be, it was the only thing that made sense right now, what with the sorrow swimming in the eyes that were staring at him and the pity and regret in those of the other occupants of the room. And then the second part of the truth struck the teenager - the revelation that everyone in that room had known but him.
Naruto was used to being left out - it was how most of the village had treated him when he was smaller -, but he had never felt that type of rejection come from people whom he held close to his heart and trusted as fully as these. It was overwhelming, and Naruto found that he could not face any one of them right at this moment. He refused to cry in front of them and he would not let them know just how much he had been hurt.
For the first time in his life, Naruto ran.