Happier Than Ever: A Naruto Uzumaki Love Story

Chapter Three: A Name that Strikes Fear

*KAZUNA*

Konohagakure was on high alert ever since her little run-in with Deidara the night prior. So much for a soft debut. Kazuna peered from behind a large tree at the men guarding the gates of Konohagakure. Taking a whiff of the fresh night air, Kazuna was disappointed by the absence of the yellow-haired ninja from the night prior. Suely things wouldn't be as fun as they were last night.

What do you think we should do, Ryuzu? Kazuna thought. The familiar throaty snarl of a voice emitted in her mind, "Figure it out yourself," it replied passively. You're in a foul mood, Kazuna responded internally, earning only a low grumble from her counterpart. Since you don't have any suggestions, you have no room to complain about what I'm about to do, she thought before stepping out from her hiding place and almost instantly being spotted by one of the guards on patrol.

"Hey! You! Don't move!" He demanded as he cautiously inched toward her. Kazuna lifted her arms, her elbows bent, to signal her surrender.

"Grand plan," Ryuzu muttered in a tone less than impressed. You know the deal, she reminded him, no complaining. Besides, we'll need to be as well behaved as possible if we want to find what we're looking for, Ryuzu. The beast growled, but didn't contest as a team of Konoha ninja surrounded her.

* * *

After detaining her, three Konoha ninja transported her to a damp, underground dungeon, barely lit with slow-burning torches and a small window in the upper corner that painted the ceiling with morning sunlight. Kazuna sat against the back wall of her cell with her legs to the side of her and her wrists shackled together. This was not particularly ideal.

"Maybe you shouldn't have stepped out there without thinking," Ryuzu suggested. Now you've got something to say, Kazuna thought in response. "It was reckless getting caught like this, but you may have a point about being compliant with Konohagakure. Especially if we want to get Rakurai back."

I know what I'm doing sometimes, she thought playfully. "Kazuna..." Ryuzu muttered, noticing the familiar scent of the woman now standing before her prison cell. Kazuna didn't bother to look up at her as her eyes glazed with apathy.

"I'm glad to see you followed my advice," a woman's muffled voice said from the other side of the cell bars.

"This woman again."

"What are you doing here?" Kazuna finally said, her gaze still avert from the woman before her.

"I'm here to check on you. I saw the fight between you and explosives expert, Kamiruzu. You've gotten stronger since we last met," she said, a hint of pride in her tone.

"What do you want?" Kazuna said sharply, growing irritated by the woman's presence.

"To help you," the woman noted promptly.

"Haven't you done enough?" Kazuna said coldly.

"I know the way we met wasn't...ideal, but you needed to get away from them, Kazuna. You didn't belong there."

"What do you know about me?" Kazuna retorted. The woman sighed, a sense of defeat about her as she stepped towards the dungeon's exit.

"I know you deserve to know the truth about your clan, and the fact that you're here tells me you believe me to some degree," the woman said.

"If you know so much, why don't you tell me yourself?" Kazuna asked.

"There are gaps in my memory and I can't afford to misinform you. With you being here, you are more likely to learn the entire truth about what happened to your family. I must go now. We will speak to each other again soon." And with that, the woman took one more step before all traces of her disappeared with a cloud of smoke.

From beyond the entryway and up the winding stairwell, Kazuna could hear the large metal door to the underground prison open, then shut just as quickly. Two different people descended the stairs. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply to take in their aroma. One of them carried a familiar scent, the other something forein to her - chamomile with a hint of...sake? - but neither of them were his scent; the heated sweetness of cinnamon submitting to the rich balsamic smell of fresh sandalwood. Her mind flashed to the moment he'd buried her face into this chest, how his clothes were drenched in the smell of his chakra.

"Is now really the time?" Ryuzu asked irritably. Stay out of my head, Ryuzu, she thought callously in response.

"Your musings bleed into my mind when you're immersed in them. I can't believe you enjoy that foul odor," the entity said, his tone fueled with proper disdain. You old man, what do you know?, she disputed.

"I am far from a mere man, child," he beckoned. Kazuna stifled a chuckle as the two Konoha ninja stepped up to her prison cell. You're right. Not a man, but a girl, she snarked back at him, earning her a blue ribbon-winning growl.

The man from the forest with the sharingan eye, accompanied by a blonde woman with honey brown eyes in a green robe, stood before her cage. The woman unfolded her arms and placed them on her hips.

"Tsunade Seju," the beast Ryuzu noted. "Who appointed this drunk Hokage? She still looks as young as I remember."

Kazuna didn't bother to open her eyes as the woman spoke, "So, this is the little thing that's been bugging around the village."

"She was able to hold her own against Deidara's monsters with ease. What we don't know is why the Akatsuki is after her."

"She, her - I'm sitting right here," Kazuna said, opening her eyes and glaring down the blonde woman. Her piercing eyes seemed to strike the blonde woman as she dropped her arms to her side and stepped backwards on her left foot.

"This can't be... Those eyes. That hair color. You're..."

"So, you've finally figured it out. I was worried this place may have forgotten about me," Kazuna said, standing up and stretching her arms over her head, even with the chains restricting her movement. 

"Lady Tsunade?" the sharingan poser raised a brow at her. "You know this girl?"

"She's a member of the late Noroi clan," Tsunade said. Kazuna could smell Tsunade's perspiration dominating the chamomile and sake. "She knows something," Ryuzu mentioned.

"Noroi? I thought they all perished five years ago," the man said, dumbfounded as he eyed the young woman.

"Not all of them," Kazuna said, waving her hand playfully as she grinned. "And from what I know, Konohagakure natives are welcome back home without prejudice, so long as they're free of any criminal charges, so," she rattled the chains on her wrists.

Tsunade bit her bottom lip.

"That might be true, but not without a hearing from the village officials. Right, Lady Hokage?" the silver haired man smiled at her, an attempt to calm her nerves.

"I'll gather the village council for an emergency hearing. Kakashi-sensei, I'll need you to gather a team to escort her to the hearing."  

author's note:

another chapter dowwwwwnnnn, a lot more to goooooooo! i hope you all are enjoying the story! i'm having a lot of fun writing this for you guys, so please leave me cute little comments so i know i'm doing good! i don't know when chapter four will be out, but i am working on it! maybe i'll try to do at least one chapter a week? how does that sound? i won't make any promises, but that's the goal from here on out!

i really enjoy reading the comments you all leave, so please drop one if you've enjoyed the story! thanks for checking out my story!