You Were My Light

21. Revenge, Heartbreak

*** TRIGGER WARNING (same as previous chapters) ***
Artwork is not mine. I think I found it on one of my FANTASY ARTWORK groups on Facebook -sorry, I don't remember which one. Credits to the original artist, not me.

(Previously: 3rd Person P.O.V) "He.. didn't make it. I'm sorry. We're sorry." Onyx eyes met lavender ones with a searching look, wanting them to deny the truth; the dark eyes fell to the paper in his shaking hands as he took a steadying breath and opened the note. After he scanned the writing inside he seemed to freeze up. The tears that had previously only threatened to fall, now spilled violently like a dam breaking.

"Besides that, who's this handsome guy you're hiding from us Itachi? Can you introduce us?" asked Rock Lee, indicating to the male in Itachi's arms, the group didn't expect for the crow to smile genuinely through his tears at this. Running his hands through the soft crimson hair of his lover and rubbing circles on the males back, he gave the Rookies an answer they certainly weren't expecting. "This is Kurama. He is Naruto's friend, protector, and guardian, my soulmate and the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the biju of Konohagakure, or as you might know him, the Nine-Tails Beast."

*** smol time skip because BamBam of GOT7 is flirting with Keonhee of Oneus ***

After what felt like forever to Kakashi, but was, in reality, only three days; Naruto finally began to regain consciousness. 

- - - - - - -

Kurama and Kakashi had many very long discussions about whether or not to tell Naruto's friends anything or if they would be better off left knowing nothing. Eventually, with Itachi's input and gentle way of making common sense sound like it was Kakashi's idea in the first place, the rookies including Ino (but not Sakura or Sasuke) were sworn to secrecy and it was made VERY clear that should anybody find out this SSS-Class information they were about to be told, the person who opened their mouth (and whomever they told) would be silenced - 
without hesitation and without mercy.

The rookies were told about Naruto's true identity. Their loudmouth knucklehead blond is the only child and heir of the Yondaime Hokage, the Yellow Flash Namikaze Minato and his wife, the Red Hot Habanero Uzumaki Kushina- the last Princess of Uzushiogakure, making Naruto the last Prince. A few other things that Kakashi and Kurama thought would make Naruto's life a little easier once he woke up was for his friends to know that he'd been abused, however, Kurama and Kakashi didn't tell his group of friends just how bad it had been or for how many years it had been for Naruto to endure. That was for Naruto to tell.

Shikamaru and Neji simply nodded at the news that Naruto had been abused because they'd found their friend heavily injured several times, and trying to make his way home after the beatings had happened, and although the blond had tried to laugh it off by telling them he was just clumsy - both Shikamaru and Neji had their suspicions Naruto was hurt much worse than he'd let them believe at the time.

Hinata and Tenten had cried when they heard he'd been targeted by the people of the village he'd loved for something he couldn't control - and then they got angry and wanted to 'teach those filthy bastards a lesson they'll never forget' so that Naruto wouldn't be hurt again. 

The rookies unanimously decided they would also form an extra protection squad for their usually cheerful classmate to help prevent their friend from being bullied or picked on again- even if it meant defending their sunshine from each other. Kakashi and Itachi got everyone involved in planning and moving Kakashi's whole apartment into the Namikaze-Uzumaki Estate in complete secrecy. It would be easier for them to succeed without anyone knowing because there were more of them now to spread out the tasks, acting as distractions to those spying on the house for any signs of the blond, and as lookouts for those who would be doing the moving. They only had to wait for the number one knucklehead ninja (and their friend) to wake up so they could get in and out of the Namikaze-Uzumaki Estate - and so he could seal each of their DNA into a token that would allow them access into the Estate as required.