the enlightened one (neglected and framed Naruto)

chapter 23

We see Obito in the hospital as we see him stirring before abruptly waking up sweating. "A-all that happened. All of it wasn't a dream... Damnit, " He said as he started spiraling only to stop when someone hugged him. 'Rin!'He thought as he saw the hair of his girlfriend. He embraced her back as he allowed her to continue to sob on him.

Soon, Minato, Itachi, Kakashi, and the Konoha 13 arrived as they saw Rin and Obito in a 'revealing' position. "Not a word." He said as he could tell they were about to say something.

"We wouldn't, and besides, this isn't what we are here for. We are here because we need to know what happened when you were in Akastuki." said Minato as he sighed.

After he recollected his thoughts, he couldn't hide his guilt and pity for them. "Are you sure you want to know?" He asked in a small tone as they could tell it was something personal. "Yes, no matter how personal, please tell us." He said. "Besiedes, they stole the orb no point in hiding this from us." Kiba said with a snort as he sighed. "You remember when you sent to a small village close by Ame to deal with thugs? Well, when I was on my way back, I met Nagato or, as you know him, Pein." He said as they tensed at that name. How couldn't they? He came in and defeated them, and if it wasn't for that mysterious man appearing, they would have lost.

"Safe to say I lost, and was brought to their leader Toneri Otsutsuki, the only person of a forgotten clan." He explained as they kept quiet. "He placed me in a genjustu that forced me to take orders and... do things I'm not proud of." He said as he looked down. "We understand that it's hard, but please continue." Minato said. "I caused the Kyuubi incident..." he said as this silenced them as they were all shocked. "You were the masked man?" Minato asked as he nodded in guilt. "I tried to stop myself, but his grip was too strong. I should be killed for treason and what i did to him." He said in Shame. "No. You weren't in control of your actions. I won't punish you for actions that you weren't in control of." Minato said as he still kept his head down in shame. "What who do you mean by Him." Asked Neji as he looked at him before he placed his hand on his scarred eye. "I'm not sure if I should say..." he said as he rememeber what they did to him. "What did you do?" Asked Rin as she was worried.

"Naruto.." He whispered. "What did you say?" Asked Naruko as he looked at her. "It was Naruto. And I'll explain his story. The one he hid from everyone." He said as their were a lot of mixed feelings. Some felt anger and other curiosity, but they all kept quiet.

He started explaining as while he was explaining, he could tell their was more and more guilt building up. He told them of him defeating Pein at 14 to his abilities and to his alleged death. He was about to say that it was false when Naruko ran out with the reality with the konoha 13 following.

We see Haku internally panicking. 'My poor baby is stuck in Kami knows where cold, alone, in da-' "Haku I'm back with my princess!" Shouts Naruto as she speeds to the door with Hitsuguya and Raiden in tow. "Thank Kami." She said in relief as she grabbed Mikasa before realizing he was hurt. "Let me go put them to bed. I'll get the med kit, so sit on the coach and relax." She said quickly after seeing purple line protruding from a hole in his forearm.

She quickly placed them into their cribs before getting the med kit in the bathroom, then sitting next to her husband. "You okay?" She asked concerned as he sighed. "No. Other than taking poison, protecting my daughter from my cloned son and having a part of my soul taken. Yeah, I'm peachy." He said sarcastically as she sighed.

She finished extracting the poison and bandaging him up. "You should get rest. I'll do the house." She said as he shook his head about to get up when she went on his lap, staring at his blue eyes with her brown eyes. "You aren't in the best state of mind, and you must rest your body. No excuses." She states as he sighs, hugging her and pushing his head into her chest.

"If my wife gives me an order, I have no choice but to comply." He said as he smirked, and they dropped on the couch, making her shriek a bit. "But you aren't working either." He said as she blushed before calming down.

"Naruko!" Shouts Menma as they were able to catch up to her. "He wasn't done." He explained as she started crying. "We did that to him. We his own blood betrayed him after everything he did. I can't hear any more." She sobbed as they came near her.

"We dont even have a tombstone for him. We abandoned him.... disowned him." She said in a cracking voice. All the memories they had with him were killing them.

"He was the perfect shinobi and brother yet we. HIS OWN FAMILY!?! Didn't trust him." She said as he soon sat next to her. "Believe me. If he came back to kill us, I wouldn't blame him. We are the worst." He said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"I loved him, yet believed he would do that to me. All he wanted was to be acknowledged, but all he got was execution for a crime he didn't do. How can I look at him now?" Mutters a crying Hinata as everyone was swallowed by self-hatred, guilt and pity.

"Well, if it helps. He is alive." Said Obito. They turn to him, seeing that he was supported by Kakashi as this was news to them.

"What do you mean? I saw him get stabbed through his heart. I understand that you want to help them emotionally, but he is gone." Said Kakashi as he was annoyed that he would lie to them to make them feel better.

"No, he is very much alive. We had wanted to use the reanimation technique to bring him on our side, but failed which after 5 more tries we had made peace with the fact that he might be alive, that was confirmed by Haku mysteriously quitting being a ninja to be with her boyfriend Naruto Ryujin he appeared after his death so the timeliness tracks." He explained as soon it hit them like a brick.

"The man we saw with Haku was Naruto?" Muttered Sasuke as they saw a resemblance but shrugged it off as coincidence. Now, it made sense. He knew of ROOT, and that is something that was kept off even the Hokage's presence.

"I will prepare a journey to Mizugakure. We will likely have to inform the other Kage of their plans." said Minato, wondering how he would explain this to Kushina. Whether he started with the fact that her disowned son was alive or that he was framed, she would be devastated.

They all nod as they go home, all wallowing in guilt as they can't even hope for forgiveness. "Dad, do you think he will forgive us?" Asked Naruko as he sighed, rubbing his eyes. He has been devastated with this news, Kami knows how Kushina will deal with it.

"Don't worry, let's hope he understands." He said as he went first to explain this to Kushina and the Sannin.

Unknown location

We see a laughing Zero as he is holding the head of Toneri laughing maniacally. "You thought I would obey you like some little dog? Wrong. Enjoy hell." He states, crushing the head before he began the excruciatingly long process of merging to Juubi, Naruto souls fragment, and himself.