The Purple Flash of Kumo Chapter 36 (The Sannin of Kumo) (Patreon)

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Yoruichi hummed pleasantly. She felt the smooth pillow under her head, but as she reached out with her arm, she frowned in displeasure when she couldn't feel his body pressed against hers. She opened her eyes, and much to her disappointment, Naruto wasn't beside her.

Her eyes went to the plate with freshly boiled eggs and three loaves of bread on top for her; the smile returned on her face, and she lifted her upper body, her back now resting on the bed's backboard.

Grabbing the plate, she couldn't stop the giggle from escaping her mouth. She always knew Naruto was a kind man, and having breakfast already ready when she woke up made her feel silly. She didn't know why, but she felt a certain way that she had never imagined feeling for anyone else, especially after what had happened last time.

"Naruto, are you there?" Yoruichi asked cheerfully, expecting him to still be in the kitchen, preparing food for himself. She expected him to join her, but the only answer she received was silence. She furrowed a brow, wondering if he had gone somewhere. At a time like this, she wished she was a sensor; it would have made things much easier.

He's probably just exploring the city, She figured, ready to dig into the plate, but the moment her mouth touched the egg, she felt it; it was cold. She arched an eyebrow suspiciously, sure he could have just made it and left the room to explore outside and perhaps buy something, but she couldn't help but feel that he would have returned by now. Usually, it takes an egg half an hour to get cold after being boiled.

Without thinking, she jumped out of the bed, wearing her clothes scattered around the room, before opening the long window and jumping outside.

Where are you, Naruto? She wondered as she landed with her feet on the roof tiles, breaking several of them. She quickly started searching around. She couldn't help but feel something was amiss, and this wasn't just Naruto getting late.

Naruto

He groaned; his head felt heavy as if someone had just jumped on him, his cheek felt the cold, dirty ground, and even his neck felt stiff a sharp pain; he quickly tried to touch the place where it hurt, but he couldn't, only now he realized that his hands were tied behind his back, and so were his legs.

He quickly struggled against the ropes, trying to set himself free. "Don't waste your energy, Naruto." He looked up. In front of him, sitting on top of a small rock, was an old man, his left leg resting on top of his right knee.

He was a tall and well-built man with fair skin. He had waist-length, spiky white hair tied back into a ponytail, with two shoulder-length bangs framing his face. There were red lines under his eyes, which extended further down his face, going all the way to the bottom. He had wrinkles around the corners of his mouth and a wart on the left side of his nose. His attire consisted of a short green shirt, kimono, and matching pants, under which he wore mesh armor that was visible at his wrists and ankles. He also wore hand guards, a black belt, and a red with two yellow circles on each side, with a large scroll on his back, and had a tattoo on his left palm, and he wore a horned with the kanji 油.

"Who are you?" Naruto demanded with a glare as he tried to free himself, but no matter how hard he tried, the ropes weren't budging.

"Stop doing that. The ropes are enhanced with a seal that stops you from using your chakra, and the ropes are made of fibers from the Iron Tress." The old man explained in a friendly voice, which made Naruto even more panicked. He quickly closed his eyes, expecting his chakra to burst out, but nothing was happening; the chakra wasn't being activated.

Naruto clenched his teeth in anger. He knew it would be pointless to try and break free from normal means, and the iron rope had already started digging into his skin. He could feel a wet sensation on his wrists. The blonde knew he was at a great disadvantage right now. The only way out was to buy time and pray that Yoruichi had noticed his absence. Whatever this man wanted, he needed to stall him long enough for her to find him.

"What do you want?" Naruto asked with narrowed eyes, trying to focus. He knew he couldn't use his chakra right now, but there was something else inside his body that he could use that didn't require chakra; he just needed to focus and use it when the old man wasn't paying attention. He knew the iron trees were quite durable against everything, but he doubted they could do much against Purple Lightning.

"I'm a friend, Naruto." "A friend, you have tied me up against my wishes, you are taking me somewhere, and second. How do you know my name?" Naruto demanded with anger, his eyes turning red. The Kyuubi chakra quickly made his nails grow, and the whiskers on his face grew larger.

The old man seemed to have noticed it and quickly did a hand sign; Naruto suddenly felt a sensation on his stomach. Suddenly, his nails were back to normal, and his eyes turned blue once again.

How did he do that? Only powerful Seals can affect the Bijuu of a Jinchuuriki, Naruto thought, remembering what C had told all of them during class; the highest form of Seals were the Seals that imprisoned Jinchuurikis, and only a master of them could ever do something to affect one.

At that moment, Naruto knew the old man—well, he might appear old, but he knew he was dangerous.

"Who are you?"

"I'm happy you asked. I'm one of the Legendary Sannins of Konoha, Jiraiya of the Toads." The man introduced himself while doing a very ridiculous pose. Naruto wasn't amused, but he knew he was in a very big problem; the man in front of him could go toe to toe with his own grandfather.

Shit. This is not good. Yoruichi might be powerful, but I doubt she can fight against someone like him. Naruto thought, trying to find a way to escape, but the ways to do so were feeling less and less optimal.

Naruto knew the man could easily catch up to him even if he tried to run away, not to mention the difference in strength was enormous. No, he knew the only way to escape this was to do a surprise attack.

"What do you want from me? Why would a Sannin of Konoha want from a Genin of Kumo, and how are you even here? Because I Doubt the Raikage gave you allowance to step into Kumo territory, unless...You are transpassing." Naruto concluded, and from the look Jiraiya gave him, he knew he was correct. Now that his attention wasn't on what he was doing, the blonde quickly started channeling his purple Lightning to his fingertips.

"You are correct in all of them, Naruto." The old man said, sounding pleased, much to the blonde's confusion.

"As for why I captured you, well, I'm your godfather." His words made Naruto stop channeling his purple Lightning, and he felt as if he was punched in the gut.

"WHAT! DO NOT LIE TO ME; HOW ARE YOU, MY GODFATHER, YOU ARE NOT FROM KUMO. JIJI NEVER MENTIONED YOU?!" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs, but at the same time, channeling his purple Lightning once again, his strategy seemed to be working. Let him believe that Naruto had lost his control.

"Naruto, you are not from Kumo. They kidnapped you when you were a baby. You are from Konoha." His words made his heart fall into a pit; he didn't know why, but his words didn't sound like the voice of a lying man. He knew from experience that Shinobis, especially experienced ones, could easily fool people.

"...You are lying..." Naruto said with a defeated tone. He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince. Everything returned back, all the words. The way people told him that he looked nothing like his family. His own skin tone was much different than that of his father, uncle, and grandfather, and his blue eyes. Him having the Kyuubi despite every book mentioning that Kyuubi was a Bijuu that belonged to Konoha; when asked, his father told him that Konoha lost their Jinchuuriki many years ago? Back then, Naruto had trusted his words without much thought; why would he question the words of his own father?

"I'm not lying." Jiraiya insisted, almost sounding like a concerned parent as he slowly approached him. His hands were out of his pockets to show he wasn't hiding any weapons. The man kneeled in front of him before he searched deep into his pockets and pulled out two photos that were kept safe in a small frame.

Naruto's eyes widened, and his heart felt like it would freeze in place; he immediately recognized one of them. Everyone knew what Minato Namikaze looked like, but his entire attention was on the second person, a woman with long crimson hair and purple eyes like all the pure Uzumakis used to have.

"These are your parents, Naruto, or should I call you Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze?" Jiraiya said with a friendly smile, but the blonde didn't share his joy. His eyes remained widened like plates.

No. No. He is LYING; He has to be...Wait, Kyuubi. Naruto shouted mentally, knowing his Bijuu would know the truth, but he was met with silence.

Kyuubi, answer me. I know you are Listening, Naruto shouted mentally, this time much louder; he heard a grunt from deep within.

"What do you want, brat?" 

You know what I want; you must know the truth. Who are my parents? Naruto asked mentally once again, hoping beyond everything that he would tell him no, that the Old Sannin was speaking nonsense, but his hopes were crushed to bits.

"I'm afraid he is not lying Naruto. You know I have no reason to lie to you, and I'm beyond that. Your parents are Minato Namikaze, and Kushina Uzumaki. Your mother was my previous Jinchuuriki. There's other things I could tell you, but I feel that you are not in the mood to listen right now." Kyuubi said grumpily, his voice drifting away at the end.

Naruto looked down at the dirt where his head was resting; his purple Lightning was all but forgotten as he tried to understand and make sense of this nonsense.

"Naruto." But the blonde didn't react. All he could do was stare at the ground. He didn't even know what to do right now. He always knew there was something his family was hiding from him, but he never expected they were hiding something like this. Suddenly, he remembered what his Jiji had told him before he left with Yoruichi to train three months ago.

"Next time we see each other. We will talk about your mother,"

Naruto understood why he said that. It all made sense now.

Did they really kidnap me? He wondered, but he quickly dismissed such thoughts. He couldn't imagine his Jiji doing something like that. He was a good man—at least, he was a good man to Naruto.

"I see that you believe me now." He heard the Sannin say, sounding happy, but Naruto wasn't paying attention to him. He wasn't paying attention to anyone and didn't even know what to do. Naruto remembered what his Jiji had told him. He would get his answers from him personally.

"Naruto, I know this is a lot right now. You know what? I Will free your hand if you promise me not to try anything funny. Otherwise, you will be spoonfed by me, and the last person who was on my mercy to be fed, well, he turned traitor." The old man said with a burst of laughter, but the blonde couldn't find it in him to laugh along, and the old man seemed to have realized that as he stopped; instead, he made a hand sign the moment he did that. Naruto felt the rope come loose right away.

"Thanks," Naruto said with a blank voice. He rubbed his wrists and stood up, not sitting on the ground. Cuts were visible on his wrists, and the blood had dried, but Kyuubi quickly healed the Cuts, a trail of steam coming out of his wounds as they closed.

"Naruto. I know you just learned everything, but I want you to come with me to Konoha. To your real home. There, you can make friends; meet Kakashi Hatake, who was a student of your father. Everyone will be overjoyed to hear about your return." Jiraiya said with an uplifting voice, trying to convince the blonde that he could feel at home there, but Naruto doubted that.

At the thought of Konoha, he felt nothing about it. He knew it was a Hidden Village like Kumo, but that was as far as it went, and the thought of friends, he quickly thought of Omoi, Yugito, Samui, Karui, Darui-Sensei, his father, uncle, his Jiji. They were the people he thought of when he thought of the word 'Family.' He still didn't know what truly happened that day. Was he really kidnapped like the Sannin was suggesting? He didn't want to believe it, but he remembered what Yoruichi-Sensei had told him about his grandfather.

"You grandfather wasn't always the man he is right now, Naruto."

With that in mind, Naruto looked back at Jiraiya with pure determination. "I'm not going anywhere with you." His words have an effect on him. His expression shattered, but that quickly went away within a second. His face turned as blank as Naruto's.

"I'm afraid I can't allow it, Naruto. I Promised your parents I would look after you, and I will keep that promise. If you go back to the Raikage right now, the moment he learns that you know the truth, he will get rid of you. You don't know what kind of nasty people those from Kumo are."

"Don't talk about them like that, they are my friends, they are my people, and they are good people." Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs, glaring at Jiraiya for badmouthing Kumo.

"Naruto, you have to understand the Raikage, he-" He stopped mid-sentence, jumping away mere seconds before a fist was slammed against the ground where he had been standing at the last second. The ground broke, purple Lightning danced everywhere, and the new heat ignited the trees and grass.

"Yoruichi-Sensei!!" Naruto shouted, taken by surprise. Her entire body was covered by purple Lightning, like armor. She cut the rope around Naruto's feet with a swift move that he didn't see coming, and he was finally free.

"Run, Naruto. I Will hold him off." Yoruichi ordered as she took a fighting stance against the Sannin, who narrowed his gaze at her.

Naruto knew he should listen to her. The last time he didn't, he almost got himself killed, but not this time. He knew if he ran away, both would fight to the death. While he had no real connection with the old Sannin and didn't know him, he still knew that Yoruichi would die if she decided to fight him.

"No. Stop. Both of you." Naruto shouted, getting between them just as his Sensei was ready to throw the first strike. The two stopped approaching one another and instead looked down at Naruto, who had spread his arms, both his hands engulfed with Purple Lightning.

He already knows how to use it?! Jiraiya thought, amazed. Despite not using that level of Lightning, he knew enough that it could only be used so freely with a lot of training and experience.

"Naruto, what are you doing, moron. I Ordered you to run away!" Yoruichi shouted, still keeping her eyes on the Sannin, but her student/lover didn't budge; instead, the Lightning in his hands got more intense.

"Both of you stand down. We don't have to fight. Let's just talk," Naruto pleaded, looking at each one. Yoruichi was ready to tell him to move away, to run away. She wouldn't lose another student, even if it meant death.

"You are Yoruichi, the Purple Cat of Kumo." Jiraiya spoke to her for the first time, his voice deeper than it had sounded a minute earlier.

"Yes, and you are Jiraiya, one of the Three Sannins of Konoha. I take it the Raikage doesn't know that you are in Kumo territory right now. If he did, then I'm sure he would have told us to try and avoid you." Jiraiya was silent; there was no point in lying.

Naruto and Yoruichi knew that if Ay learned that someone from Jiraiya's rank had transpassed without permission, he would demand accountability from Konoha. Allowing one of their Shinobis to sneak inside a foreign village without permission from said village, in the worst-case scenario, could lead to a Fourth Ninja War between the villages if the Kage declared that his Shinobi had entered the village under his direct orders.

"I'm here on my own, if that's what you are asking. I haven't been to Konoha for fifteen years since I started searching for my godson. My Hokage doesn't know I'm here." Jiraiya claimed, and neither Naruto nor Yoruichi could tell if he was telling the truth, and they knew someone like him would never talk.

"Then leave, if you leave right now, then I won't tell the Raikage that you were here, we will act as if this never happened." Naruto hoped the old man would take this deal, but Jiraiya quickly shook his head,

"I'm afraid I can't do that either. I have been searching for him for fifteen years, and now you expect me to just walk away. I promised his parents that I would look after him, and I will do so, even to my last breath." Jiraiya said with a voice that made it clear that he wouldn't budge.

Yoruichi was ready to fight. It seemed they couldn't be done in any other way. "You can still come with us." Naruto interrupted the two once again.

"Naruto, the Raikage will know he has transpassed if he just suddenly shows up on his office."

"Who said anything about showing up to his office?" Naruto asked with an innocent smile, but his words earned the attention of the two adults near him.

"What do you mean, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked, willing to listen to his godson if it meant there would be no war between Konoha and Kumo.

"My Jiji is not aware that you are here right now. So, you can leave Kumo and enter the village through the gates like everyone else. No one can accuse you of transpassing if you walk through the gate; that way, you can still talk with my Jiji and make a deal." Jiraiya had to give it to him. It sounded like a good idea, but he couldn't help but notice that he referred to the Raikage as 'Jiji.' He wondered if he did that because Ay was old or because he had fooled Naruto into thinking he was his actual grandson.

"I agree with this plan, Jiraiya of the Sannin."

"How do I even know that I will meet Naruto again? How do I even know that Ay won't decide to do something drastic when Naruto tells him that he knows the truth about his parents? Ay is capable of that, especially after what he tried to do to Kushina?" Jiraiya demanded. He wanted to have some insurance so that his godson wouldn't be stabbed in the back.

"Wait, what do you mean? What did my grandfather do to...Kushina Uzumaki?" Naruto asked right away with a hint of concern. He looked between Yoruichi and Jiraiya, but neither answered him.

"Do you really think I will let the Raikage harm my student?" Jiraiya gave her a sharp look as if trying to read her mind to see if she was telling lies.

"Are you saying that you would be against your own Kage for Naruto's safety?"

"Yes." Yoruichi answered without a second of hesitation.

Jiraiya wondered what kind of relationship the two had with one another; while it was possible they were simply teacher and student, he couldn't help but feel there was more to this, but he decided to ask questions later.

"Very well, Yoruichi of Kumo, but listen well. If you go back on your word, there will be no mountain tall enough in Kumo for you to hide from me." Yoruichi shuddered; she hadn't felt like this for a very long time. She knew this Sannin wasn't messing around; he meant every word he said.

"I Understand." Jiraiya looked down at the blonde. He couldn't help but feel proud. He wanted to spend more time with her but would have more time later once this whole mess was over.

"I can't wait to talk with you again, Naruto. We can talk about whatever you want." Naruto nodded with an eager smile as Jiraiya walked away.

Once they were truly alone, Naruto turned to face his Sensei only to receive a big, crushing hug from her. "You moron. Do you know how much you scared me?" Yoruichi shouted in his ears. The blonde was touched, but he still couldn't keep himself from teasing her.

"Ohh, I didn't know I was so important to you, did you cry about me?"

"On your dreams, little man," Yoruichi said irritatedly while sticking out her tongue at him. Naruto chuckled, but then the little joy crumbled down like ash when he remembered what he had learned from the Sannin. He wouldn't have believed him, but he knew Kyuubi had no reason to lie.

And now, he wanted to talk with his grandmother, but he wondered if his Sensei really meant her words. "Yoruichi, did you really mean it?" She knew what he meant, but she didn't answer him. Instead, she cupped his face before kissing his lips.

*

*

"Lord Raikage. Your grandson is here." Mabui said with a not-so-innocent smile, but Ay ignored that for now as Naruto and Yoruichi walked inside, standing beside one another.

All it took was a glance, and Ay knew immediately there was something off. His grandson's stance, the way he walked, and his expression looked heartbroken. He usually would have run inside while calling him 'Jiji,' but he did neither of that. He quickly wondered if Yoruichi had done something to him.

"Leave us, Mabui." He ordered right away, wanting to have some privacy with his grandson, but it seemed she wasn't done yet.

"Lord Raikage, I just received a message. Jiraiya of the Sannin just entered Kumo through the front gate. He says he has business with you, Lord Raikage." Her words made his heart freeze. The way Naruto walked inside, and now Jiraiya entered the village, he was sure the Toad Sage must have somehow made contact with Naruto and told him the truth; it was the only explanation.

"Tell the ANBU to walk him to my office. I will talk with him once we are done here. Now leave us." Ay ordered in a deep, commanding voice. The ANBUs inside the office left the room to give their Raikage some privacy.

Once the door was closed, he looked at Naruto, who had his eyes on the ground, and looked down at his feet.

"Naruto, not even a hug for your old grandpa after three months?" He asked, sounding hurt, but his grandson didn't say anything, as if he didn't even hear him.

"I see." Ay drawled as he opened a drawer from his desk, grabbed a white box, and placed it on top of the desk.

"Naruto, I promised you that after the training is over, we would talk about your mother." These words made his grandson look up at him, his eyes red like blood, but no tears were shed yet.

"Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"J...Kyuubi said that my parents are Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, and my mother is Kushina Uzumaki, the Red Death of Konoha. Is. It. True?" Naruto drawled at the end, his body shaking like a leaf as he swallowed hard, awaiting the answer.

"Yes." Silence fell over the office. Nothing could be heard but the sound of heavy breathing and the wind blowing outside. The blonde felt himself getting dizzy, but Yoruichi placed her hand on his shoulder, stopping him from falling. After one minute of silence, Naruto stepped forward. He looked devastated.

"Kyuubi told me that you tried to kidnap my mom when she was still a Genin. Is that true as well?" Ay knew that his sins would come back to haunt him sooner or later. It seemed his time had finally come to pay his debts, the debts he owed to the entire Uzumaki clan.

"Yes." Ay's answer made Naruto let out a choking sound from deep within his throat; now, his tears were streaming down his face.

"...Why?"

"Because it was War Naruto, we knew she was a Pure Uzumaki and was the Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi, so I personally proposed the plan to capture her and bring her to Kumo." Ay answered with absolute sincerity. He knew he was breaking his heart. He knew his grandson held him on a high pedestal, and after they were done, he wouldn't be surprised if Naruto never wanted to see him again.

"....What were you going to do to her?"

"You don't want to know that, Naruto." Ay answered with a voice full of regret; he knew better than to tell him that. It would not help with anything.

Naruto stared at the man he had held on the highest pedestal possible, a man he admired more than anyone, even more than his own father, yet, as he stared at him, he felt like he didn't even know him. Did he ever know him? Naruto wasn't sure anymore. He wasn't sure about anything anymore.

What was he supposed to do now? Naruto didn't know. Kumo was his home—it always was—Konoha wasn't his home. It would never be his home. He couldn't think of ever living anywhere else. He didn't want to leave his friends behind and go to a village full of strangers, people he had never met. Was he supposed to just make new friends? No.

"How did I get here?" Naruto asked, feeling a lump form in his throat. A part of him didn't want to know the truth anymore. He felt Yoruichi's hand on his shoulder and was so glad she was with him.

Ay told Naruto how A had found him after the Kyuubi attack, how his mother wanted A to take him away, and how they decided to raise him in Kumo after A brought him here. Once he was done, he could see it in Naruto's eyes; he looked relieved in a way.

"Naruto. I want you to have this," Ay said, opening the white box before pulling the specially designed Kunai of the Fourth Hokage; his grandson recognized it right away and quickly grabbed it.

"Why do you have this?"

"During the War, we managed to get hold of this, trying to find a way to understand how the Hirashin Seal works, but we never managed to even scratch the surface. After you came along, Naruto. I decided to save it and give it to you after I told you the truth." Naruto looked at the knife from up close before looking at Ay, but the warmth he always had was all gone, and Ay couldn't blame him; a part of him was surprised that Naruto wasn't telling him that he wanted to leave Kumo or even try to murder him for what almost did to his mother.

"Naruto, whatever you want to stay in Kumo or go to Konoha is up to you. I just want you to know that I'm sorry for what I did, and I know I don't deserve forgivness from you."

Naruto didn't say anything. Instead, he put his father's kunai in his pouch and stood up. "What you tried to do to my mother. Is not something I can ever forgive." Ay felt like a sword had just pierced his heart; a flash of grief flashed in his eyes, but he quickly stifled it.

"I need time to think." That's all he said before he left through the window, using his purple Lightning, quickly followed by Yoruichi.

Now that he was alone, he could hear the clock ticking and the cold wind blowing inside. Ay felt a tear roll down his face, his head slumped down, touching the wooden table, but he didn't have time to grieve, knowing Naruto would never speak to him again, would never call him 'Jjij' again, and would never hug him again.

I'm sorry, he thought from the bottom of his heart; as the door opened, he quickly wiped away the tears as Mabui walked inside with another person.

"Why are you here, Jiraiya?"