Bloodlines

Just to warn you, this is unedited, haven't heard back from my beta ( I'm sure real life and such interfered, as happens to us all =) but I didn't want to wait anymore. So forgive the mistakes, a shinier version will be put up asap!


Books and Rumors


Iruka had been a part of Haku’s life since day one. He had helped a zombified Naruto through sleepless nights of colic, and the normal exhaustion of a single parent with a new infant. Haku even had his own crib and later a little trundle bed, for when he stayed with them for missions. Iruka’s home was as much Haku’s as his own, and Iruka loved the little boy as deeply as any blood relation.

In a way, it had helped ease the need for a child of his own. Haku was a handful, all of Naruto’s energy with Sasuke’s single mindedness. And he was a perfect distraction for when Kakashi was gone on a mission, hard to worry over his lover when he was trying to clean unknown sticky substances off his ceiling and walls while chasing an over sugared toddler around the room and keeping sharp objects out of curious little fingers.

At times, he would watch Haku, drawing or painting, little tongue stuck out of the side of his mouth, face screwed into a very Naruto mask of intense concentration. So strange to see on a almost mirror image of dour Sasuke, a boy who had rarely showed any emotion.

The little boy with him today however, was not the Haku he knew.
“Haku-kun. . . are you hungry?” he asked softly to the unmoving figure sitting cross-legged on the couch. His stuffed cat lay on the floor at his feet, forgotten.

“No.” Came the soft reply, and Iruka frowned.

“I made Ramen, pork, your favorite. . . “

Another listless headshake was his only reply. Iruka sat next to the tiny child, touching the downy locks and worrying over the warmth he felt from Haku’s skin.

It was the medicine. Naruto had brought the little bottle with him, something that interfered with Haku’s chakra, keeping the headaches and bleeding from reoccurring. But the end result was this, a faded washed out version of the bright happy child Iruka knew. Side effects were lack of appetite, grogginess, moodiness. But so far, it was all that could be used until further methods could be researched. Naruto had told Iruka how much he hated the stuff, hated what it did to his son, but there was worry about the long term affects if it was left to itself. In short, they had their hands tied. Leaning his head against his godson’s, Iruka hoped that Lady Tsunade was on the path to a cure.


Book after dusty book littered the Hokage’s desk. Tombs on bloodlines, on reports from the few times a member of the Uchiha clan had been in medical hands outside their own, and none of them adding up to more than a paragraph. Like some sort of mythical creature, all she had was theories and farfetched idea’s, nothing solid and factual. She may have been researching a way to put out the sun for all the luck she had. Of all the clans, the Uchiha had been a proud and secretive one, even Kakashi, an owner of a Sharingan had learned most of his talents on his own, he had no help from the clan.

It wasn’t helping that she had a frantic blond ninja camped out on her roof, waiting for any sign that she had found something more than dead ends. Or that she had a small child on narcotics that she would have been reluctant to give most adults.

“There has to be something! Some gods-forsaken Uchiha somewhere had to have written something more than how fucking wonderful they were!”

Her snarl made Shizune, half asleep in her own pile of books jump in surprise.

“I have six books all about the great Uchiha ninja so and so, four on techniques and weapons created by the Uchiha, and not one medical text on anything more than basic med-nin knowledge.” The lobbed said books across the room in disgust.

“It can’t be possible, someone took care of the medical needs of the clan, they had to pass the knowledge down, surely someone wrote something down. . .” Shizune sighed, clapping the dust from her hands.

“Probably in some hidden room surrounded by death traps and a device to destroy everything if the wrong person found it.” Tsunade grumbled. “paranoid bastards.”

They sat in silence, Tsunade staring fiery holes into the useless books at her feet, nails tapping. When Shizune sat upright suddenly, Tsunade’s well manicured talons scraped deep gouges over the once pristine cover of a hapless weapons text.

“ Maybe there is someone outside the Uchiha clan that would know!”

Tsunade stared at her, perplexed, but Shizune stood, dumping a sleeping Tonton from her lap with an annoyed squeal.

“ there was a rumor once, in one of the villages we passed through once, of a women who collected knowledge of bloodlines traits, the rare and the well known. They said that she knew things that even some of the clan’s had forgotten. . . if we can find her again, maybe she would have some book or knowledge that can help us!”

There was a clatter from the window as Naruto scrambled through, blue eyes blazing.

“Just tell me where I need to go.”

Tsunade held up her hand.

“Wait one moment. A rumor is no reason to harry off someplace unknown. You still have a group of insane men happy to get you and your furry parasite alone.”

“Ill take a team. C’mon granny! I can’t just sit here and do nothing!”

“You realize Haku would have to go with you! If this women exists, if she has any medical knowledge at all, she would have to have Haku there. Are you willing to risk taking a small child with you?” Tsunade stood, staring Naruto down.

“If a team of ninja can’t protect him, no one can. I can sit here and watch him suffer. . . “ Naruto paused, eyes closed in agony. The rest was hissed out through clenched teeth.

“Please. . . as the closest thing to a grandmother Haku has, not as my Hokage. . . let me do this.

It struck her to the heart, those simple words. The memory of Haku’s fevered, bloodstained face flashed like a nightmare in her mind. The deep fear, the kind she hated most, the kind she had felt for her brother, and for Dan. . .

“Shizune will help you locate the source of the rumor. Take a team, get there, but if you find you are chasing a wild tale . . . get back here quickly. Don’t linger.”

Four hours later, a sleeping Haku on his back, Naruto, Sai, Sakura and interestingly one Hyuuga Neji left the village for another village deep in the country of sand. A hawk was already winging itself to the Kazekage to warn him of their arrival, an extra pair of eyes looking out for Naruto was always welcome.

“ I hope this rumor bears fruit. All I have here are dead ends. If the council gets wind. . “ Tsunade cut herself off from that train of thought. Shizune nodded gravely.


Deep in the Wind country, a cloaked figure walked, a small child no older than four or five following behind. She was a striking child, black hair, milk pale skin, and eyes gold as sunlight on brass. A peek of pale white hair and a flash of light off glasses was all that could be noticed about her companion. He clutched her hand and almost dragged her past the people, even as her wide eyes took in everything around her. A group of children playing with a puppy made her pause, little sandaled feet almost digging into the ground as she tried to watch them, but a sharp tug pulled her past.

“Don’t dawdle , lord Orochimaru. These creatures are not worthy of our time.” Her mother hissed at her.

Holding back the tears she knew would only bring down her mother’s wrath on her showing such a weakness, she followed obediently, the sound of barking and laughter ringing out behind her.