Naruto : Saga of Tanya the Kunoichi

"Have a seat, nii-san…"

Tsuyu said calmly. The evening sun cast a slightly orange glow on them as they sat in the gazebo.

"Tsu-chan… what's the matter…" Naruto received a message that she wanted to talk to him personally.

Tsuyu looked at her still warm coffee, her eyes seemed to be in deep thoughts.

"Stay away from my children…" She looked up at Naruto, looking right at him. Her tone carried calmness in them.

"What… Tsu-chan…"

"Let the past stay in the past. I understand what I did affected you, even to this day…" Tsuyu turned to look at her coffee.

Knowing Naruto had to take some medicine and was suffering inside did make her feel guilty. After all, her goal had always been wanting to have both of them gaining peace. That Naruto never felt at peace, that knowledge hurts her. That meant she failed.

Naruto turned his eyes away. Feeling guilty for even feeling so.

"...Are you really okay, nii-san…"

"What… do you mean…" There was a subtle tremor in his voice, briefly. As if the question hit a sore spot hidden in him.

"I talked a lot with Tsunade yesterday. To know about your situation fully. After I was sealed, you had a hard time didn't you. Hinata and Sasuke were there to help you, thankfully. I never knew you never… get out of it. Tsunade told me what you have said, after I got sealed. I didn't mean to breach your privacy. But when it was in front of my eyes I couldn't just ignore it. Even if I wish I could."

That Naruto had been dealing with depression ever since her death. There were multiple reasons, all combined overwhelming him. That Naruto never managed to 'save' her. That he could never let go of Jiraiya's death by her own hands. That he had both resented and loved her and that pained him deeply. That he had hurt Tsuyu by 'killing' her, that he never understood Tsuyu's care for him until it was too late. 

That he was a failure of a brother. And even when she turned out to be alive, Tsuyu continued with her methods, a constant reminder Naruto was a failure in everything. And then he lost his dream of being Hokage. Then he saw Tsuyu's children being molded into Tsuyu herself. 

The blow to him never stopped, eventually breaking him without Tsuyu realising.

"You never failed me, nii-san. And you weren't a failure. You had done what a brother would do. You already did your best. You have to accept the results and let go."

"Tsu-chan… I…" 

"You are still… affected…" Tsuyu's eyes contained traces of pain in them, seeing Naruto shedding silent tears. As if he had been holding onto it and never had let go.

"What do I do with you…" Tsuyu muttered, her eyes looking emptily at the coffee.

"I had hoped you moved on, and I had hoped you could feel free and at peace. I had always wanted that for myself, and for you… I do everything I did so we could have and maintain the peace we have now. We still have enemies out there, but I still try to live in the present, with my husband, my children, and… even you."

"You know… I already moved on from the past. I never hated you. Even though I intended to not talk to you again after you killed me at first. But… with everything's over, with peace we had, I thought it would be fine… that nothing could make us fight again. It was nice to spend time together, with our families. That everything was turning back to normal… and even better."

"At times I get anxious about the future. I admit I am still doing what you would never agree to. For our future, our children's future."

"But you…" Tsuyu took Naruto's hand, a gesture she never did for years for him.

"You are still living in the past…"

Naruto started to tremble, closing his eyes as tears already flowed uncontrollably. His hand clenching onto Tsuyu's own - too tightly. As if trying to hold himself together after confronted with his own pain. His voice stuck in his throat, he couldn't even breathe properly.

"Tsu-chan… I don't know… I don't know what to do… I can't…"

Tsuyu came closer and hugged him tight.

"I am the one who failed you." Tsuyu muttered.

"No… No… you don't… I… I am… a failure." Tsuyu felt Naruto's shaking body. Why was he still hurt to such an extent? 

Were the scars too big for you? 

Had life been too rough for you… even you could break… 

Was Hinata and your children not enough?

Why can't you feel at peace?

Tsuyu didn't know it was just her that gained her peace. She thought Naruto was already happy with his life, with Hinata and his children. She never realised Naruto had been hiding his pain for years.

"Nii-san… tell me, what can I do for you?"

"... Nothing… there's nothing… I… I can't change anything… Tsu-chan…" Naruto spoke broken words, shaking his head. His voice was heartwrenching even to Tsuyu's own ears.

"... We can try that treatment… or… I can help you alter your memories… I am asking for your consent. Just agree and I would help you feel better…" Tsuyu's Rinnesharingan opened, ready to put him under the genjutsu.

Tsuyu hoped Naruto would agree. Despite everything, having to resort to this meant she had to admit she had never succeeded in giving them both peace as she envisioned. But she accepted it, this failure. She just wanted Naruto to feel at peace now, even if it meant altering his memories. But her principle remained, she would never take away Naruto's freedom.

"DON'T!" Naruto suddenly pushed her away.

"Alter my memories? You are insane… you really are insane…"

"Nii-san-"

"Ahh… why… why…" Naruto stood, his hands covering his face, swaying left and right. Tears keep falling from his eyes.

"Why… It never… I just…" Naruto suddenly raised his arm, and swung it hard toward his chest. Beating them over and over and over again with his hand violently. Muttering words of 'why' and 'stop' and 'please'.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Her eyes widened, her body froze seeing him like this, too shocked. What was wrong with him? Was he punishing himself, or was it to stop the pain in his chest? She can only guess randomly, feeling scared seeing him like this.

Naruto sat down as his beatings slowed down, his body hunched as his hands held his own shoulders trying to keep himself together. 

"What can I do… d-do you want to see our parents? I can revive them- maybe they can accompany you for a while…?" Tsuyu tried to find solutions for him, she asked as she came up with the idea. Maybe Minato's and Kushina's presence could help.

"Ah…? Ahaha… AHAHAH!" 

Naruto stood suddenly, his expression with tears yet laughing. It sounded so wrong in Tsuyu's own ears. As if he just heard something even more insane from her he couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of her words.

"Stop…" He whispered in between his choked breaths.

"Don't do anything… haha… why is this happening… nnh…" His laughter stopped, turning into hitched breathing, and more tears.

"Leave… leave me alone…" Naruto turned around and flickered away.

Tsuyu bit her lips. She remained there, staring at her now cold cup of coffee. She thought she knew him enough. But this… was different. He was still bleeding…

Nii-san… what do I do with you then…

She picked up the cup, but it shattered to pieces from her wave of uncontrolled emotions inside.

Tsuyu closed her eyes, her eyebrows frowning as she thought of a solution. 

Do I have to use a genjutsu on you…

She hated having her free will controlled, and she hated the idea of using it on Naruto, the person she had cared for. A part of her felt afraid something would go wrong. She couldn't know if one day the genjutsu unraveled, if it led to something worse.

What should I do…

Tsuyu stood up and opened a portal to Orochimaru's laboratory.

"What's the matter…" Orochimaru continued on culturing different cells on the petri plates, focusing on his work.

"I need two zetsu bodies…" Tsuyu walked to the storage area, where dormant zetsu bodies were stored.

"Hm… What are you planning to do with them."

"Getting advice… from my parents."

Orochimaru was stunned. "That's… unexpected of you…" Orochimaru had a complicated expression on his face.

Tsuyu quickly left with two white zetsu in her hands to a room. Grabbing Minato's cells and Kushina's from a storage room and making preparation in a matter of minutes, sealing the cells into the tags, drawing fuin shiki on the two zetsu.

She made a few hand seals, with its completion, Edo Tensei!

Fragments of white dust covered the two bodies, reviving Minato and Kushina respectively.

"Huh? Where is this…?" Minato frowned, looking at himself, then his eyes locked onto his daughter. She looked beautiful, grown up and tall.

"Tsuyu… you are alive and well…" Kushina called out. Her eyes filled with longing. In her last memory, she was unable to win against that mysterious being that tried to take control of her daughter.

"I am glad you are alive, Tsuyu. But what's the matter? Is there an enemy you can't handle?" Minato quickly tried to assess the situation. He didn't mind per se that he was called from the dead twice now if it was for Konoha.

"Sigh… Father, mother… I just need advice from you both. For your son."

"Huh, what's the matter with Naruto?" Hearing it Kushina felt deeply worried.

Tsuyu opened her Rinnesharingan. Using Tsukuyomi to show them what she had seen. Their families, their children, how they were all happy and at peace.

Until today, when Naruto's mask unraveled for a moment.

"I don't know what else to do. Do you think you two could meet him?" Tsuyu sounded calm, but hidden in her tone, a desperation.

Kushina quickly nodded. "Of course we-", but Minato quickly raised his hand to stop her.

Minato shook his head, his eyes stern. "Tsuyu. We shouldn't."

"Why?" Tsuyu frowned.

"It will be temporary. A crutch. If he saw us now, all the hurt might be reversed… but it wouldn't last. When we are gone again, it will tear him more…"

Kushina lowered her head, biting her lip.

"He needs to cry, he needs to scream, even hate himself, and hate you. He needs to grieve for his teacher, his failures, and for you. And then he needs to forgive himself and forgive you. We couldn't do those for him, Tsuyu."

"But… It's been 10 years… I thought he already found his peace…" 

"He had always been good at keeping it inside, haven't you noticed?"

Tsuyu can only keep her silence.

"Just be there for him… we know you still care for him… even with everything that you two went through." Kushina said softly.

"We visited each other… had our children play around together. I gave them presents on their birthdays, he did too… I thought we were already back to normal… before the war happened…"

"So why…? Why hasn't he found peace?" Tsuyu's voice was almost shaky saying it.

"Tell me, what more can I do?"

"...Tsuyu, you have done more than enough. Trying to use a genjutsu, even summoning us, is already stepping over a line for him. Changing his memory would just… prove to him he failed. You know how Naruto is… Naruto needs time and space to heal properly. He needs to work through it." Minato said calmly.

Kushina added quietly, "Peace cannot be given, it has to be accepted. Like it has for you, Tsuyu…" The tears in her eyes showed how much she was hurt from knowing her son was in pain.

Tsuyu clenched her fists, looking down.

"You don't try to fix him. Don't try to give him peace. Just… be with him, if you are still willing. Naruto could break in front of you, and that means you could reach out to him. Let him feel, Tsuyu." Minato tapped Tsuyu's shoulders.

"I understand… I will see to it…" The lights surrounded Kushina and Minato, releasing them from the jutsu.

Orochimaru had been observing for a long time from far away, not sure what he was thinking. His expression was complicated. Using a forbidden jutsu to get some advice, and it wasn't even some knowledge that was of any importance. Orochimaru began to wonder about the meaning of life somehow, that even someone like Tsuyu could go to such an extent.

Tsuyu sighed. She summoned a shadow clone to clean up the room before leaving with a portal.

"Honey~ You are early today~" Kiba placed the police reports in his hand. Going over to greet his dearest wife.

"...Mm." She let herself be pulled into Kiba's arms. Akamaru closed his eyes with his paws again.

"What's the matter? A bad day?"

Tsuyu huffed. "It's… sigh. It's mine to handle."

"If you say so. But I am here alright?" Kiba grinned at her.

***