Naruto : Saga of Tanya the Kunoichi

It was morning. Naruto woke up, feeling a little tired over Boruto's sulking yesterday.

He turned to his side, noticing Hinata already woke up earlier to make them breakfast. He yawned, rubbing his eyes.

He went to wash his face before coming down. Seeing Boruto still sulky looking, he picked some pancakes and put them on the plate before pushing them to Boruto.

Boruto just ate silently, avoiding any more than bare minimum interaction.

Naruto sighed slightly, but didn't say anything. 

"Hinata, Himawari, we are going first."

"Okay dear." Hinata leaned to kiss his cheek. Naruto just chuckled slightly before leaving with Boruto to school.

The two walk side by side, but neither speak.

"See you in class then, Boruto." Naruto headed into his office since his period isn't up yet.

Boruto just nodded before coming into class. It was boring class as usual, though if it's the one who felt bored the most in class it was definitely Kouga. Always doodling in his notebook, almost never paying attention but if the teacher called out he knew the answers all the time.

Eventually it's PE class, and there that guy was Naruto using a few shadow clones to guide students personally, watching over their fights.

What frustrated him more was that Naruto sent Kouga away to join the seniors at another training field.

"Dad, I am better than the others too, I should join him."

"Hm? You are still an amateur. No need to rush-ttebayo. Kouga had training with his mom each day and he was strong on his own. Just keep at your own pace Kouga." Naruto smiled slightly.

"Then why don't you train me too?" Boruto's expression turned uglier.

"Um. Hey, you are still 9, yeah? You should be happy and relax-ttebayo! Don't compare yourself to others. It's not like my time, where we had to train hard… though I trained hard for other reasons back then haha. Just take it easy!"

"..." Boruto clenched his fists tight. He felt like lashing out. He didn't say it and returned to his sparring partner Sarada.

Sarada was basically third in class, the daughter of Hokage. She seemed to have pride in it and wanted to carry Sasuke's legacy.

Boruto clearly had a greater advantage than Sarada, though Sarada was always able to react, block and dodge despite being on the defensive.

Naruto's clone gave his comment, at times stopping the fight to point out mistakes in their movements. Everything seemed normal, until PE class was over and they had half an hour break.

Returning to class, he looked at Kouga for a second, seeing him drawing stupid stuff in his notebook right after sitting down.

He went to see him, crossing his arms looking at the stupid figures in the book.

"What even are those?" Boruto asked like he's looking down on him.

"Hehe. It's a super secret Boruto! I cannot taint your fate with mine, and the burden of the world is too heavy… rest assured, it's not time yet for you to know." Kouga's words were serious. He was secretly happy someone asked and almost wanted to babble about The Order but he had to keep his identity.

"... What the hell are you even saying? Are you an idiot?"

Some gasped overhearing Boruto's words.

Iwabe and Denki were stunned. The girls were gasping, then gossiping to discuss the melon. The Eye Creature hiding in Kouga's collar appeared silently from behind Kouga's neck, as if staring dead at Boruto.

"W-what…?" Boruto felt a little creeped out seeing the Eye, but it already hid itself.

"What…" Kouga felt flustered. He never had conflict with anyone and he didn't know how to respond.

Boruto felt frustrated and snatched Kouga's book away, turning its pages. It's filled with drawings of some masks, costumes, scribbles of symbols that were in fact genuine fuin shiki, and notes on hand seals for cool effects, which Boruto thought were all nonsense.

"You are acting like a kid! Drawing useless stuff."

Kouga's eyes turned colder.

"Have I offended you somewhere? What is wrong with you?"

"I just couldn't stand you. Acting all stupid for attention. Using stupid words as if they were cool. It's just cringe. You just look stupid and dumb."

Kouga stood, taking back his book just as quickly.

"Then don't talk to me. I don't care." Kouga quickly replied coldly.

"You…! Let's fight for real! My dad thinks you are so great. But I was never serious with you."

"... Why would I? I don't care." Even with Boruto's taunting, Kouga tried to remain calm. He's the Forbidden, the Hollow Moon, these mortals won't understand him.

Boruto felt frustrated and took Kouga's book away and before anyone could react he tore a few of its pages and crumpled it.

Kouga looked in horror as the pages flew down. The veins around his eyes popped, his blue eyes almost glowed in demonic light as he stared at Boruto. The chakra emanating from him made everyone suffocate.

Boruto gulped, but he didn't back down.

"Come outside then!" Despite his nervousness, Boruto remained firm.

"... You asked for it." Kouga's words were cold, almost resembling Tsuyu's own coldness. His eyes returned to normal, but his aura shifted silently.

The two walked out of the hallway, everyone silently followed to watch the drama unfold. 

Denki and Sarada went to each to advise the two to stop but no one cared. Sumire felt worried and silently went to the teacher's office to call for Naruto…

Training field 3, with tens of audiences, Boruto made hand seals.

Shadow Clone jutsu!

Everyone in class gasped, seeing Boruto able to use such a jutsu creating 2 shadow clones! And he was just 9 and already had such an amount of chakra!

Boruto and his clones threw kunai and shuriken towards Kouga, but Kouga just countered them all with his own.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Both of them rushed toward each other. Boruto's 2 shadow clones tried to beat him, but Kouga was casually dodging and counterattacking, eventually destroying both clones with a backhanded swing and a kunai to the other.

"Damn it…!" Boruto made a handseal, coating his kunai in lightning release.

Everyone was more shocked seeing it. Boruto was truly serious this time and used what he knew.

Kouga dodged the kunai strikes coming at him, his eyes were cold from start to finish, as if not caring about him at all.

"Damn you…!" Boruto summoned another shadow clone and had him jump over Boruto to attack from above, while real Boruto rushed forward slashing his kunai coated with lightning.

Kouga didn't move a single step. He took a kunai from his ninja bag and threw it right to the shadow clone's chest in the air, killing it. 

At the same time Boruto already reached Kouga, the kunai slashing towards him.

Tap.

Kouga hand moved and gripped right on Boruto's wrist stopping his movement. Boruto quickly used his left leg to knee him, but casually Kouga stopped it with a palm of his other hand.

Boruto tried to punch him but he blocked it with his other hand. Boruto used his right leg to jump and wanted to kick him afterwards, but the moment he jumped, Kouga pulled Boruto's wrist and swung him down like a potato bag in a big arc and slammed him hard into the ground, even causing the ground to crack from huge force.

Crack!

"Ahhh!" Boruto felt the bone in his arm and shoulder dislocated. His ribs crack from the force. He started crying ugly from so much pain.

And yet Kouga was still holding onto his already broken arm, his eyes cold from start to finish.

"Are you done?" 

Everyone gasped in disbelief, their bodies trembled in fear. They had never seen Kouga so cold. No fancy move, no fancy ninjutsu and it was just brute one sided beating. 

The girls were convincing Mika to stop his brother, but she didn't care either, her expression calm from start to finish. She didn't understand why Boruto was acting like that in the first place, offending Kouga for no reason. His book was where he poured all his dreams and passion on. It's reasonable for Kouga to get angry.

While at it, Kouga moved closer, stepping on his back, pulling his arm back as if wanting to tear it off. Boruto can only scream in pain, his cracked ribs were being pressured onto the ground with Kouga's foot. A rage hidden behind his eyes for tearing his book, something he poured his heart into.

"Boruto!" Just then someone flashed at high speed, causing Kouga to have to let go of him, noticing the presence.

"Kouga! What are you doing!" Naruto quickly scolded him before turning his focus on Boruto. Boruto was crying, snot dripping from his nose along with his saliva from his mouth. His breathing was irregular and rushed. His body was shaking from pain.

"Son…!" 

Seeing his son crying, his heart breaking, his anger rising.

"You did too much, Kouga!"

"It's just cracked ribs, dislocated shoulder and elbow. It's not like I break them, sensei." Kouga said factually. He had no fear nor worry in his eyes, like it was justified.

Naruto didn't bother to argue.

"Boruto, hold on okay…" Naruto grabbed Boruto's body, pushed the dislocated bones to snap it back in place, casting Boruto to howl in pain again.

Naruto's entire body was thrumming with anger seeing his son crying like this. He used 9 tails chakra to heal him a little.

"I will call your mother… my office, now."

Kouga had not much reaction to it, which bubbled more rage in Naruto's heart. Tsuyu in her office of ROOT noticed from her Eye Creature. She sighed. Why trouble never ended whenever it involved her brother. Now even their children get involved. She was just tired really. She wanted to retire peacefully while handling ROOT casually.

A spatial gate appeared in the teacher's lounge, where Naruto was waiting with Kouga and Boruto. Boruto had red eyes, sulking and staying close to Naruto, hugging him tight. Kouga was acting nonchalant, sitting across Naruto on the sofa almost mirroring Tsuyu's own coldness.

Tsuyu walked calmly, she already knew the details.

Her Byakugan opened, looking at Boruto who looked fine, just some bruises, minor crack on the ribs, and signs of tear on his joints around the shoulder and elbow.

"I am giving Kouga detention class for a week. And no shadow clone." Naruto's voice was cold.

Tsuyu crossed her arms, looking at Naruto like a fool.

"Have you asked what your son did first?"

"What does it matter? He knows he's stronger than Boruto is. So much so it was unnecessary to hurt Boruto like this. He could have stopped him without breaking him!"

"You are right. He could. But he had his own emotions, and for me it was justified that he expressed his anger when his boundary was crossed as long as he didn't cause permanent damage nor kill someone. They were all shinobi. Unless your son's limbs were mushed or torn off entirely, we can heal them back up. This also served as a lesson for a future shinobi like your son. Humble his arrogance down too. It's a valuable learning opportunity." Tsuyu said calmly.

Tsuyu's words defending her son and even turning his action into something good made Naruto stand up, his chakra leaking to the room creating heavy pressure.

"Valuable opportunity? You…" Naruto was almost speechless.

Tsuyu's eyes turned colder, her own chakra reversed the situation to press Naruto like a mountain. Boruto was trembling in fear from his aunt's chakra that was domineering and suffocating.

"Stop…" Naruto said weakly, seeing Boruto was affected by their pressure.

The two parents remained silent. Waiting for one of the others to say something.

Naruto took heavy breaths, placing his hands over his head. Tsuyu didn't care. Kouga didn't care either. Neither had any remorse.

"... Kouga, return to class." Tsuyu commanded.

"Yes kaa-san." Kouga hopped down the sofa and just went out. He was just annoyed. Now he definitely didn't like his cousin.

Tsuyu came step by step closer to Boruto. He shook in fear seeing her cold expression, holding onto his dad.

"What are you trying to do?" Naruto moved his arm to cover Boruto.

Tsuyu ignored Naruto and placed her hand over Boruto, healing him in seconds back to normal. 

"See? All good." Boruto felt surprised that all the pain and soreness disappeared instantly.

"... Tsuyu."

"If you cannot endure such things, just quit, Boruto. You don't have to follow your dad's footsteps. It's peacetime now. The world is wide." Tsuyu said calmly to him.

"Don't tell him what to do." Naruto's voice turned colder.

"I said the same thing to my son. And he endured more than Boruto did. You think I didn't break his bones? He cried, like your son did, but he got back up and never blamed me. He knew what being a shinobi meant."

"You are just-!" The words were stuck in Naruto's throat.

"..." Tsuyu sighed, taking a deep breath. 

"Nii-san… let's stop here."

"No. We have to talk…"

"Does it matter? What else you want to say. We had this conversation before."

"Dammit Tsuyu. Our children should have it easier. It's a peaceful time. We both fought in the war, we both endured a lot… we should give them what we both didn't have. Can't you understand?"

"Now you are accusing me of not giving Kouga his own time and space to be a child? A Shinobi will remain a Shinobi, no matter if it was peacetime or not. I made it clear to separate their career matter with family matters, and you should too really. Kouga had his own time as himself, playing around and I let him be as his mother. He would never have that privilege if it were during our times, Naruto. What kind of person do you think I am? Still a cruel monster wasn't it? You never trusted me… even after all these years. Why? Because I protected Orochimaru and let him teach my son? Because I taught him how to kill and he hurt yours? Now you think I am trying to make him the same monster in the back of your head." 

Tsuyu said bitterly, a flash of hurt in her eyes. Even her inactive Byakugan could see through Naruto's expression. She understood Naruto too well to know his thought patterns. It's as if Naruto had always had some prejudice against her that cannot be shaken somewhere.

Naruto bit his lips. He wanted to say that wasn't true. But perhaps that was true after all.

"Enough of this nonsense…" A spatial gate opened behind Tsuyu and she just walked straight into it and left.

***

Tsuyu sat in her office chair looking tired. She looked over at the photo on her desk, with Naruto posing and their hair were dyed red along with Karin with them. Those Uzumaki nonsense… 

Her eyes contained sadness. No matter what, she had cherished the time when they were still proper siblings, before Naruto discovered her colder side as war happened. Those times when Naruto can talk about beating Sasuke, or excited to learn new jutsu, while she just listened and drank her coffee. Just them two. With her being dragged around by Naruto's antics that she found amusing at times.

Tsuyu held the picture in her hands. Wondering why it came to this. 

Was it because she killed Jiraiya? Or she killed those 100,000 people? Working with Orochimaru? Became a tyrant once? Taught Kouga strictly? 

Maybe what she did was all morally dubious and even wrong. But everything she did, she had made calculations whether it was worth the cost and benefit, consequences, and even moral cost.

It was as if Naruto never saw through the part where she had to think things through as well. Like she was making some mistakes, or that her intelligence, her methods, even her parenting was questioned like a fool.

She closed her face with her hands, feeling tired really. She stood up and opened a portal to go to Hokage's office, where Sasuke was busy handling the papers.

"...Tsuyu. What's the matter?"

Sasuke's expression turned serious. Unless it was really important, Tsuyu wouldn't come in person. Have they come? Sasuke felt really anxious about the arrival of those Kaguya feared. He was told everything about Otsutsuki from Tsuyu and that Mika was in fact Kaguya herself. He didn't care since Kaguya was a reformed person free from Juubi influence and they needed a strong combatant. Mika herself knew she needed them and couldn't do it alone.

"Sigh…" Tsuyu sat on the nearby chair.

"Oh… Here." While at it she gave a scroll to Shikamaru that was standing over there. He was Sasuke's assistant.

He read about a sort of group from the Land of Lightning that demanded justice, spreading rumors (or facts) about Tsuyu's war crimes - which were classified recently - trying to bring her and Konoha down morally. Not that she cared.

"Hm. Troublesome… Did you know about the last Kage summit…"

Sasuke looked at Shikamaru, then at Tsuyu. He continued.

"They demanded justice from your past. But I hold them for the time being. Since we already classified what constitutes a war crime, they demanded justice for it."

"Hah… what they want from Konoha then."

"An apology, and compensation."

"Huh. I thought they were asking for my head."

"..." Both Shikamaru and Sasuke look at each other. Maybe they really would if only that was possible.

"Fine. I will make an official statement that I apologize for all the crimes I did~ Might as well record me and let me act like I was feeling guilty and sad I had to do what I did. Boohoo~" Tsuyu pretended to cry.

And she really did just that later.

"Sigh. Hey Sasuke. Shikamaru, tell me. You guys think I am wrong? Or Kouga is."

Both of them look at each other.

"You had a fight with Naruto again?" Sasuke seemed calm. He knew that Kouga and Boruto fought through the ANBU report. Or it was more accurate to say Kouga beat Boruto one-sidedly.

"You know him almost as well as I did…"

"Figured." Sasuke nodded.

"Hah. What a drag for you. But what made Kouga do that though?" Shikamaru was more on Tsuyu's side really.

"Boruto tore his book. Probably just annoyed that his dad paid attention to him instead of himself. Ah. What do I knowbad ~ I am a mother for teaching my own son and had to have him to care~" Tsuyu mockingly complained.

"... While I agree your methods were too harsh, you gave him choices and freedom at the same time. I believe you know what you are doing, and I believe you have your own judgement." Sasuke replied on his own.

"Thanks Sasuke. At least you get it. He couldn't even trust my judgement, like I am some crazy lunatic."

Shikamaru didn't dare to say she was at times - but her actions were always grounded with results he had to agree to her craziness a bit.

***

On a random Tuesday, Konoha released a public apology for the Shinobi World.

On screen, a blonde-haired woman in a long white robe appeared. Her face pale, her expression solemn as she walked slowly and weakly to the platform. The microphone in front of her, the snaps of the camera capturing her picture.

"I am Tsuyu Uzumaki… or back in the 4th Shinobi war… I was known as the… Demon…"

Her eyes contained hints of discomfort, and even pain. 

"What I did… it haunted me as well… my past… it was something I never felt proud of…" Tsuyu had tears in the corner of her eyes.

Tsuyu gave a speech about how war was cruel, that she was pushed on the brink of madness, seeing the deaths of friends and comrades. That she only wanted everyone she cherished to live… that everyone relied on her.

Her story almost sounded sad and showed how much of a human she was inside, and what she did was a 'mistake' born from love for her village. That she hoped everyone can move on from the past, and cherished the peace of the present and keeping them for the future.

Darui the Fifth Raikage watched the public apology on TV, feeling deeply disturbed inside. Because he knew she was just pretending.

***