The door opened and Tayuya looked up.
"Holy fuckin' shit, are those real?!"
Tayuya pointed at Tsunade's chest with widened eyes. Tsunade sighed irritatedly before nodding.
"Yes. Now, be quiet unless I ask you a question."
Tayuya nodded compliantly. Tsunade sat down at the other end of the small metal table with a clipboard in her hands.
"Tayuya. Age seventeen. Formerly affiliated with the Hidden Sound as a member of a group known as the 'Sound Four'. Defected during the invasion after helping open the barrier between the Hokage and his Anbu, though they still were blocked by the other members of the Sound Four. You turned yourself in shortly afterward with no fuss. Is this all correct?"
Tayuya gave a small nod. Tsunade nodded and put the clipboard to the side.
"Very well. I am sure you have been interrogated more than enough on what you know about Orochimaru. I still need to read the reports made by Ibiki and Anko... Now, can you tell me why you defected during such a crucial moment for your former leader?"
Tayuya shrugged.
"Fuck 'em. Piece of shit never did anythin' for me."
Tsunade nodded along with a raised eyebrow.
"I was told there was another ninja present before the barrier went down, indicated by the distinct smell of smoke. Can you tell me more?"
Tayuya flinched. She stayed silent for a few seconds before finally responding.
"If I do, will he be in trouble for helpin' me?"
Tsunade shook her head.
"No. In fact, I believe he would deserve praise for helping bring in one of Orochimaru's trusted subordinates."
Tayuya nodded with a small sigh.
"Well, I never actually saw his face since he was wearing some stupid mask. Shithead just gave me a cloak and told me to turn myself in since I hate Orochimaru. Never even got his fuckin' name either."
Tsunade nodded.
"I see. Well, we have already identified the ninja. He was the one who maimed Orochimaru right as he tried to flee."
Tayuya grinned maliciously.
"Holy fuck! Shithead actually got one over on Orochimaru?!"
Tsunade's eyebrows furrowed.
"I don't remember asking you a question, Tayuya."
Tayuya stuttered slightly before nodding.
"Oh, r-right. Sorry."
Tsunade shook her head.
"Well, there are a few more things we have to do, but you are otherwise free to go. You have proven yourself as a non threat and have complied with our demands."
Tayuya's eyes widened slightly.
"Wait, that's it? Just spend some time in a prison and answer some questions and I'm out of here?"
Tsunade nodded.
"Well, shit. Uh, what do I do now?"
Tsunade raised her index finger.
"You have only one option. You will join the Hidden Leaf as a kunoichi with six months of probation. You will provide us with any information on Orochimaru, the Hidden Sound, or anything related that we may require when we require it. And you will allow our resident Seal Master to study your Curse Mark."
Tayuya nodded with a raised eyebrow.
"Sounds fine to me, I guess. What's with the Curse Mark stuff, though?"
Tsunade's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I am not inclined to believe any mark left by Orochimaru is a good one."
Tayuya nodded in understanding.
"Alright. So, when do I get out of here? And where do I live?"
Tsunade let out a small grin.
"Well, it isn't much just yet, but we do have a place for you to live alongside other members of your clan that are also a part of the village."
Tayuya's eyebrows rose.
"Clan? What do you mean?"
Tsunade shrugged.
"With the blood tests that you have willingly provided, we have uncovered that you are a member of a clan that is nearly extinct. You are Tayuya Uzumaki of the Uzumaki Clan."
Tayuya's eyes went wide.
"What?! I have a clan?! Here in this village?!"
Tsunade nodded.
"Indeed. Though, there are currently only three members of the clan, myself included, with another member soon to be adopted in."
A smile replaced Tayuya's disbelieving expression.
"Really? Who?"
X
Adrik stared blankly out of his hospital room's window. The image of a man coated in lightning repeatedly flashed through his mind. He sighed as Haku put her hand on his.
"Will you be alright walking home on your own?"
Adrik nodded.
"Yeah. I recover fast, remember?"
Haku looked down with a downcast look.
"You mean your body recovers fast..."
Adrik could only nod in response.
"Please, Adrik, I need you to tell me."
Adrik looked at Haku in surprise as she met his gaze with a serious expression.
"Are you alright?"
Adrik opened his mouth to respond but stopped. He looked down at his bandaged hand in Haku's before shaking his head silently.
"I don't think so. Between the invasion and... him... being alive... I just don't know, okay?"
Haku tilted her head slightly.
"Have you told Naruto?"
Adrik shook his head.
"No, but I can tell he already knows. I can't really hide much from him nowadays."
Adrik sighed as he brought his free hand up and ran it through his hair that had been let down from its short ponytail.
"I... I don't know what to do. Between Greighter, Orochimaru, and whatever the hell else is out there, I just can't think of anything to do. Training too much would just get in the way of everything else and I don't wanna leave you guys behind."
Haku nodded along with a small sigh of her own.
"Well, admitting it is a good start."
Adrik nodded and Haku continued.
"Before you think about what you need to do in the future, what do you need to do right now?"
"Train?"
Haku rolled her eyes at Adrik's almost automatic response.
"Besides training."
Adrik looked down at his free hand before shrugging.
"I guess I should go see how Lee's doing. I heard the Hokage helped him recover but she wouldn't let me out of here until later today."
Haku nodded.
"Let's start there, then. After you're discharged, let's go see Lee-"
Both Haku and Adrik looked up in surprise when the door to the room was slammed open. There stood Naruto, out of breath with some papers in his hand.
"Naruto? What happened?"
Naruto looked up at the room's occupants with wide eyes before shaking his head.
"Way too much!"
X
Adrik looked down at the papers Naruto handed to him. He reread it several times just to make sure he wasn't seeing things.
Haku watched, her hand still in Adrik's, as the teen's eyes grew teary. He clutched one of the papers tightly and sniffled.
"S-So... This is what the old man left for us?"
Naruto nodded to his friend. Both his and Haku's eyes widened as they saw something they had never laid eyes on before. Tears freely fell down Adrik's face. He moved the paper to the side so that it wouldn't be stained before putting his free hand over his eyes.
Without missing a beat, Haku and Naruto brought Adrik into a hug. They held him close as he cried for what he felt was the first time in years. He wrapped his arms around them to return the warmth they were giving him.
On the side of the bed next to the three sat some papers. One of the papers listed a document written and signed by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
'-As of signing this document, I, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, hereby allow the adoption of Adrik into the Uzumaki Clan as the brother of the current Clan Heir, Naruto Uzumaki. The adoption of Adrik will require signatures from both the Clan Heir and the individual in question in order to be finalized-'
X
Adrik smiled down at the paper as he read over it for what felt like the thousandth time. The moment he got his hands on a pen, his signature had already been written down along with Naruto's. Haku smiled at the two newly united brothers. Out of curiosity, she grabbed one of the other three papers sitting on the bed where Naruto set them down.
Haku's eyes traced the words, growing ever wider as she continued. Her cheeks lit up in a blush as she got to the bottom of the paper.
Naruto looked over questioningly when he got a tap on the shoulder. He let go of the brotherly hug between him and Adrik and tilted his head slightly at Haku.
"N-Naruto... You're getting married?!"
Adrik looked over at Haku in surprise. Naruto let a small blush cross his face as he scratched the back of his head and looked away.
"Approved by the Uzumaki Clan Heir, Naruto Uzumaki, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju, and the Hyuga Clan Head, Hiashi Hyuga... Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga are due to be wedded upon becoming of the proper age, as per the agreement between the Uzumaki Clan and the Hyuga Clan... Additionally, Hinata Hyuga is to have the Caged Bird Seal removed effective immediately..."
Adrik's and Haku's jaws were equally dropped. Naruto cleared his throat as he carefully took the paper from Haku's loosened grip.
"Y-Yeah... I was going to tell you guys about it but I thought the whole adoption thing should come first..."
The two other ninjas nodded blankly.
"Durin' the one month we had to train, Hinata got branded with the Caged Bird Seal by her clan, basically making her a Branch Family member like Neji. When I heard from Pervy Sage about what that seal can do, I went to the Hyuga Clan Head. We kinda argued for a while with his little council of old people. When I asked about what I could do to get that seal off Hinata without causin' problems, he mentioned somethin' about marriage. I talked to Hiashi about that in private and he agreed to it as long as I could beat Neji. I was kinda mad back then so I guess I wasn't really thinkin' all too great."
Haku raised an eyebrow.
"So, you're saying you regret your decision, now?"
Naruto immediately responded by shaking his head and waving his hands around.
"N-No, no, hell no! I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat! It's just... I feel like it's kinda rushin' things. I-I mean, I don't even know if Hinata likes me like that, and I don't want her to hate me for doin' this-"
Naruto stopped when Adrik shook his head.
"Naruto, I know damn well Hinata can't hate you. Especially not for something like this. As far as I'm concerned, you did exactly what she would've done if the situation were reversed."
Naruto raised his eyebrows.
"Really?"
Adrik nodded.
"You guys are always in my sensory range so I know when the two of you are spending time together. I've barely felt you two separate in the last two months."
Naruto's blush returned as he looked down.
"I know, but-"
Naruto stopped when Adrik put a hand on his shoulder.
"Listen. Even if it was only in the moment, you felt confident enough to basically propose to Hinata, however roundabout it was. That's gotta mean something. Besides, that's almost three years down the line. You have time."
Naruto looked down again before nodding silently. Adrik nodded to him.
"You got this."
Naruto nodded back to Adrik.
"Right. I got this. I got this..."
Naruto stood up and took a step towards the door.
"I don't got this."
Both Adrik and Haku sighed as Naruto turned back to them.
"I mean, how am I supposed to tell her? I'm basically takin' her away from her clan if you think about it."
Adrik's and Haku's eyes widened as they shouted in unison.
"You haven't told her?!"
Naruto uncovered his ears before nodding. Both Adrik and Haku stood up and forcefully turned Naruto back around.
"You go tell her. Now."
Naruto stuttered as he tried to respond to Haku's demand.
"B-But, what if-"
"Don't care. Go."
Naruto stumbled as he was pushed out of the door.
X
Adrik dusted his hands off as he closed the door with a defiant upwards tilt of his head.
"He's not coming home until he tells Hinata what's going on."
Haku nodded with the same tilt of her head.
"Agreed."
Haku opened her eyes when she felt herself be pushed out of the room as well.
"I need to get changed before we go see Lee."
Haku turned back around but the door was already closed shut. She sighed before walking over and leaning on the wall next to the hospital room door. She couldn't complain. After all, this was the best she had seen Adrik doing in a long while.
X
"I appreciate your concern, my youthful friend, but I am most definitely better! I can even run without the support of my crutches! I will be back at full capacity in no time!"
Adrik nodded and sighed in relief. The past month, he had checked on Lee as often as he could while training with Guy. To say Lee's spirit was broken by what the doctors told him was an understatement. For some time, Adrik felt like there wasn't a light in his friend's pitch black eyes. Now, though, the older teen was back to his usual self. Thankfully, he was in his hospital clothes instead of his green spandex.
"But, I ask that you promise me something!"
Adrik raised an eyebrow as he nodded for Lee to continue.
"Once I am back to full strength, I wish to take you on in a spar without holding back! I heard from Guy Sensei how you have begun learning the Eight Inner Gates and I could not be more excited!"
Adrik blinked once before nodding with a small grin.
"Alright. But we're both taking the weights off, got that?"
Lee gave Adrik a thumbs up with a wide smile.
"Well, make sure you do what the doctors say. I don't want you getting yourself hurt before you're back at a hundred percent."
Lee nodded.
"Of course! I will rest properly before I get back to training!"
Adrik nodded and stood up from his seat next to the older teen's hospital bed.
"I'd better be going now. There's some stuff I need to take care of."
Lee nodded once more.
"Very well. Have a good day, Adrik! And tell Haku I wish her a good day as well!"
Adrik gave him a nod and waved over his shoulder as he left. Haku nodded to Adrik as he closed the door behind him.
"Alright. Where to now?"
Adrik thought for a second as they walked down the hallway.
"We can go see Sasuke after we get some dinner. I guess I should go see the Hokage tomorrow, too. I probably need to inform her about some things..."
Haku raised an eyebrow.
"Like what?"
Adrik shook his head.
"Greighter. She doesn't know what we're gonna be up against if he's on Orochimaru's side."
Haku nodded seriously.
"Right."
X
Sasuke's smile dropped as soon as Sakura, Naruto, Adrik, Haku, and Kakashi left his hospital room. He looked out of the window at the night sky blankly. There were no clouds, leaving the moon free to shine down on the village.
Sasuke's eyes slowly grew a shade of red as a tomoe developed in each of his irises. The first was followed by a second and then a third. The three tomoe began to spin faster and faster, eventually becoming a black blur in a pool of red. The whirling slowed down to reveal a new pattern in Sasuke's eyes. The black tomoe were replaced by three red, intersecting ellipses with a black dot at the center of his eyes. His irises became black, outlining the crimson of his Mangekyou Sharingan.
His eyebrows furrowed as he grit his teeth. He tilted his head down as a sudden wave of pain rushed through his mind along with images that weren't soon to fade.
"Itachi... Why did you give me this...? What do I do?"
X
"Come in."
Adrik opened the door to the Hokage's office. He looked at the person sitting at the desk. The image of the old man flashed him a grin before being replaced by Tsunade sitting in his place. He shook his head before walking in, Haku following close behind. He and Haku bowed to Tsunade as he got in front of her desk.
"Lady Hokage."
Tsunade nodded to the two teens.
"Adrik. Haku. Please sit."
The two teens nodded before taking the two seats in front of the large desk.
"I see you're finally out of the hospital. You recover quite quickly."
Adrik nodded.
"I've been told..."
Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest.
"I've actually been wondering about that. I read over your file, but the most I got was your picture, your name, and some other stuff that doesn't exactly give anything away. Before that, though, I'd imagine you're here for your report?"
Adrik nodded as he scratched the back of his head. Tsunade glanced over at Haku.
"And what might you be here for, Miss Momochi?"
Haku tilted her head in Adrik's direction.
"I'm accompanying Adrik."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow but nodded nonetheless. She looked back to Adrik as the teen sat up in his chair.
"Well, to start off, it was the second week after Orochimaru's invasion. Lord Jiraiya told me to follow him. He took Naruto as well and we were half way out of the village before he gave us the rundown of what we were doing. It was the mission to bring you back to the village."
Tsunade nodded.
"About half a week before we reached the town we met you in, we had a run in with two members of some sort of organization made up of S-Rank missing ninjas. Jiraiya told us they're known as the Akatsuki. Naruto and I each tried to hold off one of the two members that approached us. The one I fought... Kisame, I believe his name was, was the partner of the other, Itachi Uchiha, who Naruto had trouble with. I couldn't do much, in all honesty. They were... They were way too strong for anyone but Jiraiya to take on."
Tsunade nodded.
"That is to be expected. You are only a chunin, after all, with Naruto still being a genin, which I have also called into question."
Adrik raised an eyebrow before continuing.
"Well, Sasuke Uchiha appeared, trying to protect Naruto, but he was hit by some sort of jutsu that knocked him out. I think Kakashi said something about them being in the village shortly before that, which I guess explains why Guy tracked us down."
Tsunade nodded again.
"Indeed. The jutsu used on Sasuke was also used on Kakashi. It is called the 'Tsukuyomi', a jutsu exclusive to the Mangekyou Sharingan. On the outside, no more than a second will pass. On the inside, the user and their target are dragged into a mental dimension controlled by the user. I can only imagine what Itachi did to them in there."
Adrik and Haku went through different scenarios in their heads, none of them pleasant.
"Well, nothing happened until we got to the town. After our, uh... meeting, I guess I should say, Jiraiya told us what Orochimaru was planning. He wanted me and Naruto to come up with a plan while he tried to learn what he could. You drugged him the night before you went to Orochimaru, so we had to adapt."
Tsunade nodded with a tinge of embarrassment in her expression.
"I managed to put some ashes on you so I could track you, which led us to where Orochimaru was. I came up with a plan to break in, get you out, and escape. Naruto summoned the Toad Boss, Gamabunta. With Shizune's help, Jiraiya had recovered enough to where he could help by getting you out of there. The plan was for me, Shizune, and Naruto to distract Orochimaru, Kabuto, and whoever else was in there until Jiraiya got you away."
Tsunade nodded with her eyebrows furrowing.
"But that went wrong. What happened?"
Adrik sighed. Tsunade grew slightly concerned as he tilted his head down with his expression growing melancholic. Haku put a hand on his shoulder as he continued.
"You... know what happened the day we found you?"
Tsunade nodded.
"Of course. That was the first time in a while that something actually scared the drunkenness out of me, kid."
Tsunade chuckled a bit but stopped when Adrik didn't even crack a grin. He simply nodded and carried on.
"You probably already felt by now. I don't have chakra."
He looked up as Tsunade nodded. He extended his right hand with his palm facing upwards. A small cloud of black, ember-filled ash danced over his palm.
"Instead, I have what I call an 'Element'. It's unique to me and... one other person. Doctor Finn Greighter."
Tsunade raised her eyebrows in mild surprise.
"That was the man that was in Orochimaru's lab. The one that you..."
Adrik simply nodded.
"Long story short, I thought I killed him around half a year ago. Apparently, I was wrong. When I realized he was alive, it all just came back to me and... I got out of control..."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I see. What can you tell me about this 'Element' power and Doctor Greighter?"
Adrik put his hand back down as the ash cloud fizzled out.
"An 'Element' is what I call the power to control an aspect of the world. Sand, water, fire, metal, there was probably someone with that Element. Even some organic material Elements like ashes or plants exist, though they are a little bit more rare and aren't usually as strong as inorganic material Elements."
Tsunade nodded.
"I see. Not too dissimilar from an Elemental Bloodline like Wood Style, or the Lava Style I've heard about."
Adrik shrugged.
"I guess you can look at it that way. But Elements don't just give someone the ability to control some material. It changes a person's body. I don't know much outside of what I've been tested on, though."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow in slight confusion. Adrik continued, however, before she could ask.
"First off, every part of our bodies are able to regrow as if nothing has happened. We can regrow skin, muscles, bones, and nerves. Maybe even brain matter, to an extent."
Tsunade's eyes widened.
"How... did you figure out that last part? Actually, how did you figure out any of this?"
Adrik's eyes darkened.
"There were tests... And I'm not entirely confident about the last part. But, during a mission I was a part of a few months ago, my skull was cracked open, and I'd imagine a bit of my brain tissue was damaged. But I made a full recovery as if nothing happened."
Tsunade noticed Haku move her right hand from Adrik's shoulder to hold his bandaged left hand.
"If that's the case, you should be practically immortal. No wonder Orochimaru wants Greighter on his side..."
Adrik shook his head, making Tsunade grow a little more confused.
"Not immortal. Just annoying to kill."
Tsunade was about to ask further but saw the look on Adrik's face. She sighed as she motioned for the teen to continue.
"Other than our regeneration, we are also given unnaturally high endurance and stamina. We only need about two hours of sleep at minimum to function normally. We can live on one small meal per day without suffering from any effects related to hunger. We are much more flexible and our senses are heightened. Something else I've tested is that chakra doesn't survive inside or on our bodies, making seals applied to our skin and genjutsu applied to us as a target useless."
Tsunade nodded again with her curiosity showing.
"Alright. Now, let's go back to the Elements themselves. What can they do? Earlier you said you could... sense with your ashes?"
Adrik nodded as his expression became noticeably brighter from before. Haku, however, continued holding his hand.
"Yes. I'm not sure how much of what I can do applies to Greighter as well, though. I think there are some abilities that are unique to each Elemental."
"Elemental?"
Adrik nodded.
"I figured I should give us a name since I'm apparently not the only one anymore."
Tsunade nodded with a raised eyebrow.
"For example, I can place ashes on multiple people and sense their signals without an issue over long distances, while I need to concentrate a lot harder to sense more than just those. If I focus hard enough, I can see, hear and smell out of my ashes I've placed on someone or something else."
Tsunade nodded once again.
"Is there anything else I should be aware of?"
Adrik leaned back and looked up to the ceiling as he thought.
"That's just all I know myself. There's so much more I'm probably missing. But there are these times under extreme stress, either mental or physical, that my power kind of... changes, I guess?"
Haku nodded along with Adrik.
"Yes, I have seen it happen more than once."
Tsunade raised her eyebrows.
"How does it change? And how often has it happened?"
Adrik looked to Haku, which Tsunade picked up on. The girl spoke again upon realizing the attention was on her.
"Oh, um, Adrik hasn't actually seen the changes himself, only hearing about it from others who witness it."
Tsunade nodded.
"I black out whenever it happens. No matter how hard I try, I can't remember a single thing that happens during that time."
Haku continued further.
"The first time I saw it, we were in a battle. It was the same incident that Adrik had his head wounded. Around a minute after he was injured, he suddenly woke up with this strange burning sensation enveloping everything and everyone around him. His ashes grow hotter and an air of pure anger forms around him."
Tsunade knew exactly what Haku was talking about, though this was her first time getting an explanation for it.
"His wounds began to heal rapidly and his eyes changed. That dark orange ring around his pupils began glowing pretty bright and another formed at the edges of his irises with a yellow dot in the center of each pupil. Something formed in an ash cloud over his shoulders the first time. It was like some sort of... hellhound. Its fur was pitch black with specks of orange and yellow. Its eyes and teeth were glowing yellow and it had two spiraling, molten orange horns on its head. It had the same scar patterns that Adrik has on his arms with the patterns glowing orange and yellow. Its tails were constantly moving so I couldn't see how many there were, but it looked like it could be over a dozen or two. And it laughed when it appeared. Some sort of animalistic cackle that frightened everyone there, I'm sure."
Tsunade looked down at her desk as she tried to picture the creature Haku was describing.
"And the other time?"
Haku tilted her head down slightly, matching Adrik's saddened expression.
"I wasn't there for most of it, but it happened again during Adrik's fight with Orochimaru. He was changed more than the last time it happened. His eyes were a solid glowing yellow with his pupils becoming bright orange. His scars began to glow bright orange and yellow and embers floated up from the corners of his mouth. But the strangest part was that what looked like orange lightning appeared in the embers."
Adrik's eyes widened.
"Wait, what? You didn't tell me that before."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow as she watched the two teens interact. Haku put her hands up in a placating gesture.
"I'm sorry, I just remembered how freaked out you get when you're around lightning and I wanted to be careful."
Adrik shook his head slightly.
"But you still should've told me."
Adrik looked down at his hands as Haku apologized again. She stopped as she noticed his blank stare.
"I didn't tell you about these marks, Lady Hokage, did I?"
Tsunade shook her head.
"No, but Shizune told me what you said about them. I asked the village doctors and they couldn't really tell me much. But, based on your reaction to that Greighter guy and what Haku said about your relationship with lightning, I think I understand enough."
Adrik nodded.
"My healing shouldn't allow anything to scar my skin. Whatever Greighter did to me was more than just that. I shouldn't be able to make lightning. We can only control one Element."
Tsunade tilted her head slightly as Adrik sighed and continued.
"I feel like training is the only way I'm gonna get answers... "
Tsunade nodded.
"Then training is what you should do. A power you don't know how to control is dangerous. But remember to take it easy, you only just got discharged. I don't care about your regeneration, either."
Adrik nodded. Haku chimed in after the Hokage.
"And take plenty of breaks, too."
Adrik sighed.
"Again with the breaks... I'm trying my best over here, Haku."
Haku simply smiled as Adrik stood up.
"Thank you for your time, Lady Hokage."
Adrik and Haku bowed.
"Trust me, kid, I should be thanking you. Anything you can share about an enemy is appreciated."
Adrik nodded before he and Haku headed out of the Hokage's office.
Haku looked over at Adrik questioningly.
"Where should we go next?"
Adrik shrugged.
"Wanna get something to eat? I can't train on an empty stomach."
Haku nodded and Adrik turned to start walking down the hall. She followed after him, the teen not noticing his companion's slight blush as they walked side by side.