Work Text
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"Isn't it lovely, all alone?
Heart made of glass, my mind of stone
Tear me to pieces, skin to bone
Hello, welcome home
Walking out of time
Looking for a better place (Looking for a better place)
Something's on my mind
Always in my head space"
Part 1:
A small figure shifted silently, curling in on herself. Her bright blue eyes stayed shifted towards the dirt road, and her small, bare feet moved swiftly. Although the road was crowded, and bustling, no-one looked at her, nor spared her a glance, not even to see the two ANBU gripping her shoulders with bruising strength, and a third holding the manacles. As the red-headed girl passed them, the civilians on the street turned rigid. The girl could feel it. She could intuit that she was the cause, young as she was. The girl hissed loudly, causing several of the people on the street to startle, and the shinobi to tense, and tighten their iron grips. She only smiled. "The investigation is showing that the mental ramifications of her isolation are significant, Hiruzen. With every year she had grown more, and more withdrawn. After her…hiatus, she’s withdrawn from all normal human contact. It is not safe for the Jinchuuriki, nor the village, for her to continue to develop this way…." Danzo stated blandly. Seated around him was the rest of the Hokage's council. Koharu nodded in agreement to Danzo's statement, her weary face resting in a mask of concern."I understand that, and I understand now, in retrospect, that it was a bad idea to put her in the orphanage, but what do you suggest me to do? The orphanage is out of the question at this point…." the third Hokage sighed, a weathered hand reached up and pinching a brow, guilt weighing heavy on him."I suggest that we give the girl a sanctioned apartment, and provide a stipend. She has shown since the incident that she can take care of herself, at least well enough." Homura suggested. Koharu instead shook her head, foolish idea.“From the reports, it seems it took a whole squad of ANBU to subdue her, and she only allowed three out of the six, to escort her. Nezumi-san lost a finger…apparently she bit it off…” Koharu stated, nose wrinkling in disgust. “There is no way she can be allowed to reside ANYWHERE near civilians, at least not without a guard.”“She is Konoha’s greatest threat and advantage, she needs to be trained, and conditioned!" Danzo stood up, slamming a hand on the table. Koharu simply raised an eyebrow. Danzo continued his rant,“It has been six months since the Hyuuga debacle…We do not need to have attempts made on our Jinchuuriki as well, and at this point it seems she needs to be re-educated in behaving like a person, at least to some extent" Danzo huffed out, having turned slightly red, before plopping back down in his seat."I agree with Danzo, she needs to be able to interact with others. Our inattention has done a great disservice to Minato’s and Kushina’s sacrifice and memories.” Koharu said, if a little reluctantly. The Hokage’s eyes grew stern with understanding. “That does however leave the issue of housing…who she will stay with, and where. Obviously she cannot remain in town.” He sighed, long and tired, his temple twitching. "Hokage-sama, if I may…We do have the empty house, on the edge of town, near training ground 44, and she is comfortable and familiar with the area…” Homura said. The Hokage acquiesced, nodding, it seemed to be the only satisfactory solution present.“Very well, it is settled. I will talk to some people I have in mind to stay with her, and I will make arrangements for her counseling.” The three wizened elders stood up, leaving the chamber.Hiruzen stayed behind in his office, sending the summons to meet with the two ANBU that Naruto had even allowed near her, and the counselor he hoped she would open up to.It was going to be a long night, one he wasn’t looking forward to, if he was being honest. Shuffling papers, he reflected on events... The orphanage had been tasked with Naruto after both Jiraiya and Tsunade had left before she even turned one.Tsunade left after she guaranteed her physical well-being, and buried more of her colleagues, bodies barely cooled, their twisted expressions haunting her dreams. Just the looming presence of the village choked her.Jiraiya had tried to stay, if even for a few weeks. Tried to perform his duties as a godfather, but his network needed him, and the elemental nations was no place for an infant.The sight of the tiny infant with Kushina’s hair, and Minato’s face just helped him justify running away.The orphanage had done an okay job, or so it seemed before everything went to hell in a handbasket. Naruto suffered no injuries, and didn't get ill; she didn’t show signs of malnutrition or physical abuse. Though, even the Hokage could admit, he hadn’t been as thorough in keeping an eye on her as he should have been.As far as anyone could tell, one day the tiny redhead just up and left. It was over a week before anyone reported her missing. It was eleven months before they found her again, and from what the early reports it seemed that she wasn’t entirely there, or friendly.Just a week into the search, the investigation found out about the emotional abuse, the verbal. The way the girl was ignored. By everyone. She had been isolated, intentionally, and her needs ignored.They had also found out about how she had been virtually on the streets since she could walk, spending more than one night locked out from the orphanage. That itself was nearly enough to send the elder into a fury. He was familiar with what the streets in his village could be like, and they were no place for a child, even as relatively clean as Konoha was. There was enough crime they made use of an entire police force.Her parentage, and her burden had haunted him, and he was ashamed of the way he had tucked her away, leaving her in the care of those far too biased, far too cruel. His own pride, and emotional pains leading to the neglect. This would not be forgiven, nor forgotten.Sighing, Hiruzen let himself slouch in his chair for a moment, exhaustion on every feature. The last year had been hell. Between the Hyuuga incident, and Naruto’s vanishing, he had lost countless hours of sleep. Hiruzen blinked briefly, recognizing the chakra signatures of the two ANBU and one Jounin he’d summoned outside of his doorway.Waving a hand, he gestured them in. There were two figures there in a blink, obscured behind the masks used by the taskforce. The third, Yoshino Nara coming in behind them. She was there to give perspective, the top psychologist and psychoanalyst Konoha had, barring Ibiki.“So, would you like to report what happened?”
Naruto had grown up knowing two things with perfect certainty, and these had in turn embodied her.
First, no-one will ever help you, not unless you have something to give them.
Second, she was a monster.
Since consciousness there had been the red-tinged dreams, the screams, flesh being burned and rendered by claws like swords.
Since consciousness, the child reached for comfort, for reassurance. There was none for her in the outside world, and so the ancient being within had felt her need. Whispers started…ever so slowly, ever so gently, and became her only comfort, and her biggest crutch.
The Kyuubi was a demon, and even though he was fond enough of the girl, whose hatred burned bright, he was not kind. He saw his opening, and in a stroke of genius, used it, used it to become everything this child needed, everything she wanted. He became her world. However, everything is give and take, an he didn't notice when she had become a tiny portion of his heart.