Humanity

Prologue

Ripples in the Waves


Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.

~William Shakespeare


It was raining the day after the Kyuubi rampaged across Konohagakure. A day after the Fourth valiantly gave up his life to protect the village along with his wife. Amidst the rubble of destroyed buildings and overturned pathways, the reinstated Third Hokage was surveying the damage.

Paperwork hadn't come flooding in just yet, though Hiruzen was sure that it would come in no time flat. (He honestly would rather be writing poetry and smoking his pipe at this age.)

Little Naruto had been taken in and temporarily placed in the hospital's high maintenance wing. He had no injuries, just the chance of hypothermia and that he needed to be fed. Nothing that couldn't be fixed with time and care.

Hiruzen approached the pedestal where Naruto had been found, the candles smothered and crimson blood washed away on the cold stones. The stone around it was strangely untouched, only covered in dirt and wood splinters.

Moving aside some of it, a seal was uncovered. A storage seal, and a modified one at that. It seemed to be feeding something as well.

Something moved in the outskirts, catching his attention. It was probably what the seal was feeding. A clone, if he was correct. But a clone of who? Well, seeing as to who fought here, it should be obvious.

He straightened himself, raising his hand to his pipe. Hiruzen was allowing the clone to approach and act first. Not the best course of action, but it would save him from an accident.

"You're probably wondering why I left a clone here," Hiruzen turned around, seeing the clone of a battered and bruised Yondaime Hokage, white cloak in tatters trailing behind him. A nasty looking wound that reached from his left shoulder to his hip was coated in mud and grime. In one hand he held a scroll, the other, a single piece of scrap paper.

"Indeed. I hope you have a good explanation," The Sandaime chortled, knowing full well that this might be the last time he saw the man.

"Haha. Well, I don't have much time," The clone admitted, approaching him. He held up the scroll first. "This one is her fox summons. Give this to Naruto when he's old enough. It would be what she wanted."

He passed it on into Hiruzen hands. The previously mentioned scrap of paper was then held up between two fingers.

"This one is a location. Some experimental seals are stored there. Mostly for jinchuriki and whatnot. Don't want that falling into the wrong hands," The clone said. The seal on the ground behind Hiruzen started sputtering as the clone gave a sigh, before giving a weak smile. "Make sure Naruto is regarded as a hero, okay?"

With a final crackle and a puff of chakra smoke, the clone was gone, leaving the Sandaime alone again with a scrap of paper, a scroll and a sense of dread. Both items were heavy in his hands, the third a stone in his stomach.

Looks like he has a promise to keep and some secrets to hide.

Another whoosh in the trees.

"Hokage-sama, your paperwork has arrived."

'And here I thought it would take a little longer…'


A/N: Is this a sin? It probably is. Is it bad? Well, I'll let you make that decision on your own.

What type of Self-insert? You'll find out in due time, my friends.

In all honesty, this is not a spur of the moment thing. This has been sitting in my brain for a long time now. Sitting in my docs for even longer.

If you don't like this crap. Don't read on. It's not fun for both of us. If you're interested, then read on. I don't care what you do as long as you don't shit on my hard work. That's it.

~Tempest (Bc Storm is the one I use when there's already a character named Tempest)