Namikaze Naruto- The Unpredictable Shinobi

Chapter 44: Post-Battle

Naruto dispelled the clone that had been collecting Senjutsu. She tried to find her friends to see if they were alright. She didn't sense anyone in their locations. She din't sense even their foes. She climbed on top of Gamahiro with Sasuke beside her, unconscious. The toad leapt to Konoha. It was not as big as Gamabunta, but it was large enough for a transport. She found Kimimaro's dead body in a field of sand. No doubt Gaara's work. Sunagakure responded quick enough to Konoha's request. They then crossed a patch of fores. The trees had sharp cuts and some were chopped off neatly, but haphazardly. 'Temari and her dangerous wind-fan' Naruto chuckled. Oh poor Shikamaru, saved and humiliated by a girl again. The same girl nonetheless! She found Tayuya's broken body. 

Then there was the stream where she had left Kiba and Akamaru. There was a trail of blood that ended in the river. Naruto panicked for a second. However, at one place on the bank of the stream, she found blood again. She noticed glints of what suspiciously looked like senbon. 'Poisoned senbon. Kankuro and his puppets' Naruto mused. She found to bodies of Ukon. Actually, one was Sakon's. Somehow, they had separated. 'Odd' she thought. Then she entered the forest again. She saw various spider webs torn. There were also arrows that were flexible, yet strong. Kidomaru laid dead, his chakra network disrupted badly.

 Then came a patch of forest where trees were knocked down and there were tracks of a boulder on the ground. She saw Jirobo's dead body. Like other bodies, she burned this body too with Katon Jutsu.

She checked the memories of four clones. The one making the counter-seal had nothing unknown. The seal was stored safely on the table of her study. The ones with her friends didn't need to help much. Neji's thinking had actually made it easier. Chouji however, had consumed his three Akimichi clan food pills that forcefully enabled him to do certain clan jutsus. One of them had severe side effects. The clone had stabilised his health by healing him. However, he was thin due to his fat being burned for a jutsu that turns calories into wings. Gaara had carried him and Lee to the village. 

The clone with the Uchihas had interesting memories. Mina had told Fugaku about Sasuke leaving. Mikoto, who had slipped into the room, heard this. He thought back on what could have made Sasuke take the drastic step. He apologized for his son and assured Mina that he had been doing his best for Sasuke. Granted that the past 3 weeks had been different, but he had begun teaching Sasuke a new jutsu yesterday. When he hadn't arrived home last night, he assumed that he was training his best outside (That hadn't been the case at all, had it?) and was actually proud of the fact that his son worked hard and showed potential . Fugaku tried to do his best for Sasuke while looking after Itachi, who was now a clan heir and also was reluctant to date Izumi, making feeble attempts of courting her, and that was an overstatement.

She was leaving when Itachi had come home and learned what had happened.He had a whirlwind of emotions behind his calm obsidian eyes and Mina chose that moment to exit.

As they reached the gates, she saw an eye of sand. She searched for Gaara's chakra, but he wasn't there in the village. He had left already. She smiled at the eye that blinked at her. "Hi, Gaara-Otouto." The eye blinked twice in greeting before it dissolved into sand. The toad stopped at the gates. "Thank you for your help, Gamahiro-san. Please take some rest now." "Anytime, Naruto." The giant toad vanished. She entered the gates with two clones carrying Sasuke on a stretcher. Any excess damage on him was healed and the blood on him had been cleaned by her. She gave a foxy grin to Izumo and Kotetsu, who were dumbfounded, before flashing to the Hokage's office. She knocked the door and opened it when she heard 'Enter'. She saw a tired Shikamaru facing Tsunade and Hiruzen, who was sitting on a special chair arranged for him.

"Hokage-sama, mission completed." She announced and looked at Shikamaru. "Taichou, how are the others?" "Chouji needs time to recuperate but he will be fine. The rest are alright." "Thank Kami." Naruto muttered before addressing Tsunade. "Hokage-sama, here is Uchiha Sasuke. I've put a seal restricting his use of chakra and a temporary seal on the curse mark." She paused waiting for an action. "Shikamaru, you've finished your report. You are dismissed." The Godaime's orders were complied and privacy seals were set up. 

"Nee-san, I have placed a temporary seal blocking the curse mark. I'll take a better look at it later when I'm completely recharged. It should take a few hours till then. Please keep Uchiha Sasuke sedated till then.He shouldn't speak or take an action as long as the curse mark is there on him, for it influences him. If anyone from his family asks for him, please tell them that he has used the curse seal against the retrieval team, causing some body damage that can be repaired only if he is resting for the day. And Takuma-san will come to see the seal." Naruto said as she bowed both of the Hokage and left.

"That Gaki tells please, but it is more like a command. As much as that kid is a headache, he is also helpful. Why can't he decide on one?" Tsunade sighed, faking annoyance. Sarutobi simply laughed.

Naruto visited the hospital briefly to visit her teammates of the mission of the day, narrowly escaping all others and promptly went home to shower and rest for five hours. When she woke up, it was close to six in the evening. She ate a lot, as she skipped breakfast and lunch.She studied the counter seal twice more before she left for the Hokage's office as Takuma.

The two Hokages and Takuma went to the hospital to Uchiha Sasuke's room, finding an extremely sad, but relieved Mikoto outside the room. They reassured her and Tsunade went into the room with Takuma. "Hokage-sama, I might be needing your medical assistance. Though Sasuke-san is sedated, he can wake up during the process. I don't want him to be sedated further as it could endanger him during the process. But do cuff his arms and legs and pin him to the bed." Tsunade was getting annoyed at the list of instructions. Takuma noticed this and blinked.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience Tsunade-sama. But you have Orochimaru to blame for that. The seal is complicated, even more than Anko-san's and it has been in sync with his system more so now than before. Sasuke-san used the level 2 against Naruto-san in their confrontation this morning." Tsunade nodded, satisfied, and they put Sasuke in a sitting position with his limbs restrained.

Takuma drew both his own blood and Sasuke's blood. He started to make hand seals and brush stroke seals with the blood on Sasuke's body. The seal expanded beyond the bed, showing the various complex of seals in it and its complexity, surprising Tsunade greatly at the skill of both Orochimaru and Takuma. Takuma reversed some simple seals of the complex and drew counter seals to destroy some.

Sasuke occasionally writhed in agony in his sleep. Tsunade restrained him, putting him to ease with her medical ninjutsu. After two hours, the seal was officially free. Orochimaru's seal had retaliated at a point of time, but was immediately subdued when Takuma drew counter seals. He released the chakra restraining seal and the paralysis seal and asked Tsunade to put her seal of chakra restraining on him if she wanted. He discreetly put the Hiraishin mark on him that won't be detected by anyone except whose with highly exceptional Doujutsu, like Uchiha Madara, but even they would see a faint mark that could be assumed as a part of the body.

Takuma took his leave and Tsunade stated Sasuke's family could meet him after an hour. Half an hour later, Sasuke woke up, his mind and thoughts confused. What had happened? Last he remembered was the fight with the Sound Four and his brooding. Then he remembered. He was fighting the Dobe. He had been caught off guard. But why was he fighting with the Dobe?He was leaving the village. Why was he leaving the village? He was angry. Angry at the village. Angry at his clan. Angry at his family. Angry at his father.

"Oh really? And why are you angry at your father?" He looked up.

"Dobe?"