Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
A/N: I got bored and got a Naruto plot bunny. This is the result.
As the sun readied itself to complete its journey over the horizon Sarutobi, The Third Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, stood motionless, his arms clasped behind his back, atop the visage of his successor, and now, he thought sadly, predecessor. His face was as lacking in emotion as his own sculpted image that was just out of sight from where he stood. Below him lie the village which he had sworn long ago to protect. Had anyone been looking they'd have seen the flicker of profound sadness entered the normally warm brown eyes of the aged shinobi as they swept over the devastation to the west of Konoha--had anyone been looking they wouldn't have blamed him.
Mere days prior Konoha had been surrounded by towering oaks and redwoods on three sides. The village was a peninsula in an ocean of leaves. This was no longer true. Outside of the Western Gate lie nothing but the black smoking stumps and fallen trunks of the once great trees. Even now, an hour after the death of Sarutobi's successor, teams of Chunin raced among the smoldering ruins, putting out fires caused by the beast and overly excited Uchiha with the few Suiton and Doton techniques that they had been trained in. It was truly fortunate, mused Sarutobi, that his teachers, the first and second Hokage, had foreseen the danger of forest fires and required all shinobi of Chuunin rank know how to properly deal with the natural disaster. Just to the south of the massive Gate lay a massive breach in the wall. There, the Kyuubi's tails had shot out with devastating precision crushing the wall, many of the shinobi that had been atop it, and many buildings in the nearby vicinity. From there the demon had attempted to enter the village proper and had destroyed several dozen civilian homes along with the people fleeing them, before Gamabunta and the Fourth managed to force it back. It was then that the Yondaime Hokage gave his life for the village he loved.
A warm breeze, no doubt cause by the fires and carrying carried the unmistakable scents of smoke and death, ruffled the red-trimmed, white robe that was an emblem of the office he was now in possession of once more.
The Sandaime turned his head slightly to peer at the large white-haired man behind him who knelt before a small, altar. At his feet, illuminated by the nine candles that encircled the altar, lay a massive scroll. The scroll was covered almost completely in inked kanji, and it was these that held the attention Sarutobi's old student, Jiraiya of the Densetsu no Sannin.
"Well?" the elderly Hokage inquired, turning fully to face the Seal Master.
His careful study of the script interrupted, Jiraiya rolled the scroll up with a snap that cut through the quiet of the night like a well honed kunai. Standing to his full and rather impressive height, Jiraiya regarded his old sensei with a grave look, "If I weren't so angry at the little idiot for doing this I'd be impressed. The seal is without flaw, old man. The child is not the Kyuubi. To come up with something this complex and actually have it work in such a short amount of time... what a guy." Jiraiya's voice was uncharacteristically serious, though the pride in his student, the Fourth Hokage, was clear in his voice.
The Sandaime's stance relaxed a fraction, relief that he would not have the blood of an innocent babe on his hands, in addition to everything else he must do, flooded him. Stepping forward, Sarutobi's hands flashed through a few hand seals before slamming palms down into the ground. The stone around the altar rose up at the will of the chakra flowing through it and swallowed the altar, candles and all, whole. With a quick nod to his student, the two powerful ninja vanished without a trace.
Entering the administration building, otherwise known as the Hokage tower, the Sandaime looked carefully at the faces of the shinobi and kunoichi, many of them sporting bandages over wounds, that rushed about on various duties after a quick bow in his direction and a whisper of "Hokage-sama." Just that morning it had been 'Sandaime-sama.' Sarutobi grimaced at the thought before banishing it from his mind.
There was no triumph in the eyes of his ninja at the defeat of the biggest danger that Konoha had ever encountered. The faces he saw were masks that he had become more than passingly familiar with over the coarse of his career as a ninja and a Hokage. They hid the crushing pain of loss and grief behind a facade of duty and necessity. The Sandaime knew it well – he was wearing it also.
Ascending to the office that was his once more, the Third Hokage entered and was immediately captured by the piercing sapphire eyes of the babe lying in the lap of his daughter-in-law, Amaya. Crossing the office and settling down in a seat that he found far too familiar, the Hokage gazed at the woman he had come to love as if she had been his daughter by blood. Her long black hair with hints of blue spilled over her shoulders and down her back in gentle waves, warm hazel eyes gazed somberly down at the infant in her lap. Long, sun darkened fingers idly traced the spiral seal around the child's navel, making said infant coo in delight.
Looking up, Amaya caught the gaze of her father in law and asked the one question Sarutobi was least prepared to answer.
"What will become of this child, otousama? This... jinchuriki?" her voice, though soft, was underlined with a hint steel that gave Sarutobi flashbacks of times with his strong willed late wife.
The old Hokage, shoulders slumped and head bowed in a rare showing of humanity by the veteran ninja, returned the gaze from beneath the wide brim of his hat, which he soon tossed away with a sigh. "I don't know, Amaya. There's too much that must be done before we can make a decision. Despite the time the council has demanded a meeting, the damage to our forces and the village must be assessed, and there are more patients in the hospital than we have rooms to hold them," he replied in a stern voice, it would not do at all to have a female as frightening as Amaya could be in what hair he had left over the child. Sarutobi's voice lowered, "... also, there may be a new Hokage."
Amaya's eyes widened comically, "But Hokage-sama --," she began urgently, only to be interrupted by the iron voice of the one known as the God of Shinobi.
"That is enough, ojousan. If the council deems that I am no longer fit to be Hokage then we will abide by that decision."
Amaya gave a swift nod. While not a shinobi, Amaya had been a member of the Sarutobi family long enough to understand how they operated. The council, in her opinion was full of snakes more vile than even Orochimaru. She was sure that that despicable war hawk Danzou would pursue the Hokage name and be supported by all those he could manage to bribe or threaten into doing so.
"Good. Jiraiya will be here soon. Take the child to my home for now, and I'll send Asuma to check up on you soon," the Sarutobi said with a clear air of dismissal.
Amaya understood. They were family, but he was still the leader of one of the Five Great Villages. She issued an awkward bow, due to the now sleeping child in her arms, and turned to leave. At the door, however, she paused and turned back to her father-in-law, "Naruto," she said simply.
The Hokage looked up at her, his mind having already moved on to something else, "Naruto?" he inquired, confused.
"The child, his name is Uzumaki Naruto," she was gone with that statement, and with her the jailor of the greatest of the biju.
Sandaime briefly contemplated pounding his head against the hard wood of his desk. If she'd already formed an attachment with the child, Naruto, then things could become difficult indeed.
Jiraiya grinned widely and leered as he 'accidentally' bumped into Amaya as she left the building. Her eyes narrowed dangerously and Jiraiya felt a minuscule amount of killing intent leaking from the dark haired woman. Not bad for a civilian. His grin widened as she growled under her breath, "Pervert!" and stormed away with the swaddled babe held close to her breast. How he envied the little bastard.
Jiraiya shrugged as he continued up to the Hokage's office. Old habits die hard, and sometimes not at all, he concluded with a downright lecherous smirk as his wandering gaze found a few kunoichi he'd like to 'spar' with.
Upon reaching the office of his old sensei, Jiraiya was once again all business. He found his teacher and friend already shuffling through paperwork so new the ink had yet to completely dry. Noting the familiar grave lines creasing his sensei's face as he went over the reports, The Toad Hermit asked, "Casualty report? How bad is it?"
Locking gazes with his student, Sarutobi replied solemnly, "We lost nearly a hundred and twenty shinobi in the direct assault against the Kyuubi outside the Western Gate. In addition to that another 53 shinobi are in critical condition at the hospital. Only a third of those are expected to survive through the night. 89 more, though injured, should live, however, of those only 61 will be able to return to active duty ever again. As of now we're at slightly less than half our full strength. This is worse than it ever was during the last Great War, Jiraiya."
The self proclaimed stared impassively back at his former teacher, only his racing thoughts giving lie to his calm demeanor. This was bad. Very bad. With Konoha in such a state it would take nothing short of divine intervention to prevent another Hidden Village from taking advantage and wiping Konoha from the face of the earth. Though he is no longer an active Leaf-nin, the last thing Jiraiya wants is to see his home obliterated, so he asks his next question.
"What are you orders, Sarutobi-sensei?"
The wrinkled Hokage leaned forward, his elbows on the desk and fingers laced in front of his mouth. His eyes bore into those of his student as if measuring his worth. Jiraiya returned the stare with equal force, the strength of will that made him a legend present in his eyes, "Jiraiya, I have three tasks that only you can carry out. First, you must find Tsunade and bring her back to the Village. Her medical expertise is unsurpassed. We need her in Konoha. If she attempts to refuse inform her that I will label her as a missing-nin."
At this proclamation Jiraiya's eyes widened and his face twisted in anger. Jumping to his feet, he slammed his fists onto the desk and glared venomously at his Hokage, "Are you going senile old man? You would go so far, sensei, as to make the granddaughter of the First a missing-nin? Have you lost what little brains you have left, you old ape?"
The Sandaime returned Jiraiya's gaze evenly, unimpressed by the rant, "Have you forgotten that we are shinobi? Have you forgotten our Way? I can no longer allow Tsunade the luxury of running from her past. I'm trying to prevent a war, Jiraiya. We are vulnerable right now and need every ninja capable of holding a kunai." he replied, voice frigid.
Jiraiya was shaken by the Hokage's cold demeanor, and shaken even more so by his words. To veterans of the Great Wars the prospect of another was a terrifying thought indeed. If he could help prevent such a pointless loss of life he would, Jiraiya decided as he retook his seat. He nodded to his sensei, asking him to continue and conveying his apology for his outburst all at once.
Sarutobi returned the small nod in acknowledgment and continued, "Second, I need you to bring your information network back up to war-time standards. If another Village begins to mobilize I want to know about it before they leave the gates of their village. In addition to this I ask that you choose whichever Jounin you find most suitable and involve him in your network so that you can be freed of the duty if necessary," seeing his student nod in assent Sarutobi continued, "Finally, I need you to groom Hatake Kakashi to take over the name of Hokage within the next ten years."
Jiraiya blinked. It wasn't often that he found himself surprised, but just attempting to imagine the perpetually late fifteen year old, mask wearing Jounin as Hokage was difficult. Then again the same could have been said for the loud, obnoxious gaki he'd apprenticed previously. Well the Sharingan would certainly make training easier, and he certainly had the potential to be a powerful shinobi, with his father being nearly as powerful as Jiraiya himself. It was also true that Konoha would need a new Hokage soon. Sarutobi was far from weak, but a Kage represented the strength of a village, and his old sensei was getting on in the years.
Jiraiya came out of his musings with a grin, "Sounds simple enough for an excellent teacher such as myself! I'll have Kakashi ready to kick your ass in no time, old man," he finished, rising to his feet, "If that's everything I'd like to set out as soon as possible to find Tsunade and drag that flat-chested princess back to the village."
The Sandaime smiled as his friend and student seemed to be getting back to his old self. He turned and looked out of his office window, which gave a breathtaking view of the village, now fully enveloped by the night. Usually lights dotted the village even at this late hour, but tonight was a night of mourning for the villagers and their shinobi protectors, unless you were a Hokage, anyway he thought with a wry smile. The Yondaime had been more than a Hokage to his people though. To him he had truly been a hero, the embodiment of the Will of Fire. His mere presence inspired hope in the shinobi he commanded. He had been the Hokage in every sense of the word.
Tomorrow, he knew, there would be celebration. The pall of dread that had covered the village since word had reached of the Kyuubi's approach little over a week ago had lifted at last. The demon's approach had been slow. It frequently took side trips to demolish the smaller civilian villages that dotted Fire Country. Fortunately most of the villages had long since been evacuated to Konoha on order of the Fourth. Those too would be a large blow to the Land of Fire, for those villages produced much of the country's trade goods. However, even with those stops, the massive fox had marched inexorably towards Konoha.
But tomorrow the people of Konoha and the Land of Fire would celebrate and try to forget the homes that needed to be rebuilt and the funeral arrangements they'd have to make, most of which would be with empty coffins. The Kyuubi had not been in the habit of leaving remains.
Sarutobi turned from the window, the arrival of a member of the ANBU interrupting his contemplation of the village and it's people. Sarutobi noticed with distaste that it was one of Danzou's pet ANBU. Sarutobi quickly schooled his expression to impassiveness as the bird masked ninja stood before the him.
"Speak, Karasu."
"The Council requires your presence at this time, Sandaime-sama," the ninja said without inflection.
Sarutobi nodded, ignoring the improper form of address, "Thank you. You may leave."
The raven masked shinobi didn't move, "I was asked to accompany you, Sandaime-sama. Immediately."
Sarutobi raised an eyebrow. That the council would be so presumptuous in their dealings with him did not bode well at all, "Very well," he finally responded, his voice as empty of emotion as the ninja before him.
The trip to the council chamber was a short one, for ninja at least. Located in the clan district of Konoha, the council building was surrounded by sprawling compounds and large mansions. Some owned by wealthy merchants after the clans that formerly occupied them died out or moved to larger areas.
The council itself was made up of the heads of the ninja clans of Konoha, the ANBU Commander, the two advisors, or Elders, to the Hokage, and lastly the heads of the major trade guilds of Konoha. There were quite a few guilds, since the Land of Fire was rich in coals, lumber, ores, and minerals. Fire Country produced much of the world's hard metals. It was no secret that Konoha had trade agreements that procured its shinobi with the best equipment in all the Elemental Countries. It was an advantage many Hidden Villages would kill to obtain.
Entering the large building, which also doubled as a place of business deals and trades when not in use by the council, Sarutobi and the silent ANBU quickly made their way to the central chamber. The room where the council met was circular in shape, on its walls hung pictures of notable past members. His own image was situated between that of the Second and Fourth Hokage. In the center of the room was a large round table surrounded by hand crafted, almost throne-like chairs. They were garish things, in many cases inlaid with gems and upholstered with the most expensive fabrics. Of them only the chair reserved for the Hokage was without ornamentation. It was also likely the most comfortable, for which Sarutobi's old bones were grateful.
Upon entrance the cloaked Black Ops member darted into one of the many adjoining passages, and the Third Hokage found himself alone before the entirety of the council. Except one, Sarutobi amended, as he took note of the empty seat of the Commander of the Black Ops, Danzou. A chill of apprehension traveled down his spine. This wasn't looking good.
The eyes of the council bore down on him as he took his seat between Hyuuga Hiashi and Uchiha Fugaku. They did not speak, but from the furtive looks that Sarutobi could see passing among them it was clear that they had been there for some time, which was technically illegal without notifying the Hokage. They must think him a fool, Sarutobi idly mused.
"Well," he began, drawing all attention to himself once more, "I believe we have much to discuss. Shall we get started?"
"We do have much to discuss, and yes, let us begin," a gravelly voice, soon followed by a face grizzled enough to match, called out as Danzou entered the room flanked by the Raven masked ANBU and another wearing the mask of a Chameleon. Both were equipped with ninja pouches and the katana issued to all ANBU.
Sarutobi stood quickly, "Karasu, Kamereon, I believe you know of the law against weapons in the council chamber, please remove yourselves before I am forced to escort you out," the dire threat in the old Hokage's tone was clear.
Even so, the two ANBU looked to Danzou for confirmation before disappearing. Sarutobi followed their gaze to the craggy visage of the leader of Konoha's Assassination and Information gathering division.
Sarutobi blinked, then sat back with a smug smile threatening to curl his lips. It seems Danzou hadn't escaped the Kyuubi completely unscathed. His right arm was completely missing. For a ninjutsu and taijutsu specialist like Danzou that was a career ending injury. There was no chance of him contending with Sarutobi for the Hokage title.
Danzou caught his gaze and Sarutobi saw deep anger radiating from his eyes. Curiously it didn't seem to aimed at him. His former rival took the only empty seat at the opposite end of the circular table from Sarutobi.
"Well?" he said harshly, "what are we waiting for?"
Sarutobi cleared his throat, drawing attention away from the irritable man. The Sandaime quickly and efficiently brought the council up to date with the situation of Konoha's military force. Despite seeing the devastation Kyuubi had wrought first hand, the council members had been sobered by hearing the actual numbers. The decision to up recruiting in the Academy was quickly agreed upon unanimously, especially with the influx of possible members from the destroyed villages.
Aburame Shibi then suggested an increase in the medical programs, both shinobi and civilian. This was also received with support from everyone. It was then that the Guild Heads began to argue over and debate over how much materials and funding were needed by each to rebuild Konoha and replace their damaged property and machinery. Sarutobi struggled to stay awake as they heatedly debated for nearly half an hour. Inuzuka Tsume made no such effort as she snored softly in the chair her husband had left vacant with his death five months prior.
At last the Guild Masters agreed with Fugaku that perhaps they should settle this at the next meeting. Letting out a sigh of relief, followed by a soft snort as Tsume attempted to surreptitiously wipe the drool from the corner of her mouth as she sat up.
Sarutobi stood, feeling as if he'd dodged a kunai to the head by inches, and asked, "If there's no other business...?" he inquired of the table at large. A feeling of foreboding filled him and he quickly shook it away as Danzou leaned forward and cleared his throat to call attention. Sarutobi deeply tempted to ignore the request. Nevertheless he retook his seat and stared hard at Danzou, trying to gain some clue of what he was up. Danzou was as unobliging as ever.
"I believe," he said in a soft, anger laced voice that somehow managed to sound loud in his ears, "that we have yet to discuss the demon-child."
Sarutobi felt as if an icy hand was gripping his heart. His mind was racing, that information was not supposed to be known outside of the Yondaime, Jiraiya, and himself. How had the cunning bastard found out? Sarutobi lamented the Fourth's decision to not make the information an S class secret so he could simply have Danzou locked away or executed.
Ignoring all protocol the clan heads (excepting Hiashi, Fugaku, and Shibi) and guild masters immediately began throwing questions as Danzou, Sarutobi, and each other. The two rivals ignored them, their gazes locked in a battle of wills with no clear victor.
Sarutobi stood, and hiding his reluctance explained the sealing process and how the Kyuubi had been far too powerful a being to kill, especially since it was made mostly of chakra. He told them how an orphan babe, it's mother dead in childbirth had been located and used to contain the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Finally, he told them of the Fourth's last wish, that Uzumaki Naruto be treated as a hero for jailing the force of nature that was the Nine-tails.
At the end of his tale the most influential members of Konoha were shocked into silence. The demon they'd thought dead was really inside of a child located inside the village itself!
Danzou stood then, facing across from his life long rival with a manic fire in his eyes. Even so his voice was carefully controlled, "What assurances do we have that the demon child can contain such a beast? If our strongest shinobi couldn't stop it how can this child?" His queries were met with startled looks of realization.
Sarutobi contemplated his reply, had they so little faith in their leader? "The seal is remarkably complex. I had Jiraiya check over the seal-script. There is no error in Yondaime's seal that we could locate. We are positive that the Kyuubi cannot break free, nor is it able to possess the child."
Danzou's reply was as instant and sharp as a hurled shuriken, "You admitted yourself that there could have been a mistake that neither you nor Jiraiya could find. We should execute the child to make sure that the Kyuubi is finished once and for all!" he ended with a roar, slamming his one remaining hand down on the table.
The council was in an uproar, and to Sarutobi's growing horror he saw many nodding their heads and shouting their agreement with Danzou's idea. Even his old teammates, Homura and Koharu were making their assent known. Only the unflappable Aburame and Hyuuga heads remained silent. This atrocity would not stand.
"SILENCE!" roared the Sandaime. The council members quieted immediately upon feeling the leaking killing intent of one of the strongest shinobi in the world, "While I am Hokage of this village we will never execute an innocent for something over which he has no control, if you all have so little faith in the Fourth then I'll just have to ensure you all don't have the chance to ruin his legacy! From this moment onward the knowledge of Uzumaki Naruto's burden is an S-Class secret. Anyone, shinobi or civilian, found speaking of this secret will be executed. Am I understood?"
An exploding note could have gone off in the room and not a single occupant would have noticed, so riveted were they by the sight of the normally placid Hokage in a towering rage. Only Koharu and Homura, his advisors and teammates had ever seen him in such a state.
"I said," the Hokage hissed, voice as frigid as a glacier, "am I understood?"
A chorus of, "Yes, Hokage-sama" came from the silent members. Sarutobi noticed Danzou didn't speak but didn't wish to start another battle with the man just then.
"Good. Now get out, this meeting is over."
Sarutobi sat in the office that was his once more, musing over the events of the previous night as he watched the sun spread its light over Konoha. After his, admittedly hasty, decision at the end of the meeting, the reinstated Sandaime Hokage had returned to his office to find several mission reports on stacked neatly on the corner of his desk as his Genin secretary, whom was nearly as old as he himself, had done since time immemorial. Sarutobi spent the majority of the night taking stock of what shinobi were available, drafting recalls of many of those who were not, such as the two teams assigned to escort the Country of Fire's Daimyo to Konoha should he come under enemy attack while the Border patrols were disabled by the Kyuubi's march, and assigning the shinobi he had to the missions that they would receive in the morning.
Sarutobi was broken from his musings by a firm knock on the officer door. He bade them enter and the large form of his eldest son filled the doorway before promptly crossing to sit before his father. Sarutobi studied his first born, the skin below the warm brown eyes was sunken with lack of sleep, it was unusual for a Jounin shinobi to show such signs of fatigue, as most became accustomed to working on little sleep.
Unlike himself, Sarutobi Mitsuru was a large man, easily topping six and a half feet in height and near rippling with muscle, which made his brawling, grappling style of taijutsu fearsome indeed. His hair was a darkened blond, far lighter than his father's had been and his little brother's was. At the age of thirty-one he was one of Konoha's most capable and reliable Jounin. Though, for all his prowess in combat, the man was a patient and gentle husband and teacher. All of his students, including a rather eccentric taijutsu specialist, had made Chuunin in the past year.
"Dad...," he began, "you look like shit," he finished bluntly. Mitsuru never had been one for many words, but he made up for it with his complete disregard for inconsequential things like tact and sensitivity.
The Sandaime snorted inelegantly as he abandoned his seat in favor of rummaging through one of the many hidden compartments built into the walls of the office. At last he returned to his seat, taking a slow drag on the lit pipe between his teeth.
"You're hardly one to talk, by the look of you," he said, commenting on his son's haggard visage, "did that brat keep you up last night?"
The man let out a soft groan and idly rubbed his temples before replying, "If only, the kid was quiet as an ANBU, which was precisely the problem," seeing the arch in his father's right eyebrow he elaborated, "It was Amaya, she insisted that it was unnatural for a newborn to be so quiet for so long. I spent the entire night convincing her that he was fine we didn't need to take Naruto to the hospital and that it was too busy to take him in anyway."
Sarutobi smirked in amusement, he knew what it meant when Amaya insisted on something, "And where is she now?"
"At the hospital," the Jounin deadpanned.
The Hokage chuckled softly, the interactions among his villagers, even his own family, never ceased to amuse him. They were almost as interesting as the Icha, Icha series. Almost. He focused on his son once more.
"So what brings you here? Surely not just to check up on your old man!" the Hokage joked. He knew his son wasn't the type to make casual visits when the village in so much turmoil.
"Well..," he began, unusually reticent, "it's about Amaya. She wants to adopt Naruto."
"I see," the Hokage had expected something like this, after seeing the two together the night before. "And your thoughts on this?" Sandaime queried, looking hard at his son.
Mitsuru's shoulders slumped, his head bowed and voice low, "Amaya, for all her intelligence, only sees a child in need. She's blind to the risks of taking the child in. Forgive me father, but I cannot put Amaya at risk. Not from the boy and not from the villagers if they discover his burden," Mitsuru finished, staring brokenly down at the desk.
Sarutobi stood and circled the desk to lay a hand on his son's shoulder. An odd picture they must have made, an elderly man offering comfort to the mountain of muscle that was his son.
"I understand, my son. Even if you had wished to take him in I would have denied your request. You are in enough danger as a Konoha shinobi and member of my family, I would not wish any additional danger on you and your wife," he said softly, "Besides, it is the job of the Hokage to accept the burdens, even if it is the scorn of the village he protects."
Mitsuru looked up at the gently smiling face his father with wonder. He couldn't conceive the strength of will that he possessed. Here was a man truly worthy of the name Hokage. Mitsuru returned the smile and straightened as his father returned to his seat.
The younger Sarutobi stood and said simply and sincerely, "Thank you, father," before turning to go inform his wife of the Hokage's decision.
At the door, however he was stopped by his father's voice, "Mitsuru." the Hokage's rough voice called softly, "Naruto will need an aunt and uncle, won't he?"
Mitsuru's smiled broadly as he left the Hokage Tower.
As Sarutobi had predicted by noon Konoha resembled nothing more that a gigantic festival. Goods from all over Fire Country were on display in impromptu, yet still gaudily bedecked stalls and tables all along the Market District and beyond. Civilian and Ninja bumped shoulders as they browsed the wares and played games that were usually reserved for Solstice festivals, but had been brought out to celebrate the death of the Demon that had nearly destroyed everything they held dear.
Alcohol was consumed liberally as shinobi and villagers saluted the fallen soldiers and the hero that had put the Kyuubi down for good, the Fourth Hokage. Boisterous songs were composed on the spot as inebriated villagers rejoiced.
The Hokage watched it all from his office as he dispatched on duty shinobi to reestablish the border patrols. Already he had several of his more approachable shinobi and kunoichi out in the crowds implanting the seeds in the youths and parents that would increase the number of Academy applicants.
As darkness fell the party only grew in fervor. Bonfires raged at many street intersections, and bards captivated audiences with song and tale. Restaurants overflowed with customers to the point that many ran out of stock long before many of their hungry patrons were even seated. Young Genin, their D-rank missions finally complete for the day, raced through the streets, their mission savings likely to take a severe hit with no supervision.
Sarutobi smiled as his secretary departed with the last of the day's paperwork. He was more than glad that his village had a cause to be happy. With a last look outside at the rowdy village, Sarutobi retired to the couch to the side of his office. It had been a long two days.
The Sandaime Hokage was dreaming. He could here the dull roar of the Demon Fox in the distance. Hear the boom as its' tail impacted with the ground, crushing shinobi and foliage with equal disdain. As he watched, helpless, he Kyuubi devoured a young kunoichi and the tree she'd been hiding in, the beast's jaws closing with a loud slam.
"HOKAGE-SAMA!"
Sarutobi was awake in an instant, decades of battle training coming to the fore as he lunged of of the couch, tucking his shoulder beneath him, he rolled across the floor, coming up in a defensive stance on the opposite side of the room with three kunai clasped between his knuckles, all in a fraction of a second.
He spied his secretary, frozen at his display of acrobatics. Sarutobi's ear caught what sounded to be shouting and assumed that the party was still going. That is until a large brick crashed through the office window and skidded to a halt at the feet of the terrified secretary.
With the window shattered the sounds from outside were much more clear. Yells of 'Demon-brat!' and 'Kill it!' prominent among the cacophony. Sarutobi rushed to the window and peered down. Surrounding the administration building was a massive throng of villagers, all shouting angrily and pushing to get closer to the building. Some carried torches, others wielded the closest thing to a weapon they could find. Gardening tools, kitchen knives, kunai, shovels, rakes, and an assortment of other makeshift weapons were present in the throng. All would be equally effective on a babe not even a week old.
The Sandaime growled in fury and spun, pinning his secretary with a furious gaze, "Get me Hatake Kakashi! Now!"
Sarutobi whirled back and stared angrily down at the villagers. The only person in the village knew how to use propaganda to this effect, but Sarutobi already knew that it would be impossible to trace this back to the ANBU Commander, who was as cunning as the fox he harbored so much hate for.
Sarutobi's gaze swept over the rest of Konoha, his eyes, still sharp even in his old age, spotted another group of torch-bearing villagers heading towards the Clan Estates. A dread washed over him as he realized the mob's destination.
Sarutobi turned as the chakra signature of the Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi, appeared in the room. The teenager's mask was missing, his face the vision of cold fury. The tomoe of his lone Sharingan eye were spinning with his obvious agitation. The youngest ANBU captain in Konoha history was pissed. Very pissed.
"Kakashi, I have no time to take your report. You will gather as many ANBU and members of the Konoha Military Police as you can and attempt to disperse the mob surrounding the Tower. Non-lethal force is authorized with due cause. Lethal force is authorized as a last resort. Dismissed!"
Sarutobi turned, preparing to leap from the tower and intercept the mob that was intent on destroying his home, family, and the Yondaime's Legacy, only to be stopped by the voice of Kakashi.
"Hokage-sama," Kakashi said quickly, restrained ire in the voice of the normally laid back ninja, "There is a small contigent shinobi of Chuunin rank and below participating in the mob," his voice became sharper than the katana he wore across his back, "Rin is among them."
Sarutobi turn his head to regard the teen out of the corner of his eye, "If the ninja resist... do not hesitate, Kakashi."
With that the Hokage was gone, launching himself out of the window and flying across the rooftops to his ancestral home. The white robes of his station flapping around him as he cut through the air with chakra-enhanced bounds.
Nakamura Yuudai was a man who had lost everything. His future wife had been eaten by the Kyuubi, never mind the fact that she had accepted an engagement proposal from a rival suitor, and a civilian no less, mere days before her death. His family, descendants of generations of coal merchants had long ago disowned him for choosing to become a ninja rather than carrying on the family legacy.
In looks and character he was nondescript, with brown hair that didn't quite reach his shoulders, dull brown eyes, and a face that was neither angular nor round, but somewhere in between. According to the few females that could remember him from his brief stint in dating, ANBU had a better sense of humor and wit than he did. He wore the standard Chuunin vest and the standard dark blue shinobi pants and long sleeved shirt. His forehead protector was tied around his left bicep.
Even as a ninja he was mediocre at best, only making Chuunin because he had gotten an extremely lucky match up against a hapless rookie Mist-nin who was far out of his depth. His dreams of making a name for himself as an elite shinobi had quickly been crushed as he failed three Jounin examinations in less than a year. He seemed to have hit the height of potential squarely in the realm of unnoticeable mediocrity.
But that was all about to change, he thought with a sly grin as he lead two dozen villagers and a couple of older Genin through the deserted streets of Konoha's clan district, most, if not all, of the inhabitants of these houses would be at the Hokage tower demanding that the Hokage do what they were too cowardly to do themselves. Kill the Kyuubi no Kitsune.
This area of the Clan Estates was made up of compounds mostly abandoned by ninja families as they died out or moved to larger buildings. Most had been taken over by wealthy merchants or minor nobles who felt their own importance was elevated by rubbing elbows with the elite of Konoha's shinobi populace. He grimaced as the group passed the mansion he had once occupied as the only son of a wealthy coal factor.
Yuudai signaled for the group following him to douse their torches. They were approaching their destination. The Sarutobi clan was the smallest in Konoha, only consisting of one family line. They would not be considered a clan at all if not for the Nidaime gifting his prized student with the title. As such they did not reside in a sprawling compound like the Uchiha or the Hyuuga. The Sarutobi home was a modest mansion as far things went in this area of Konoha. Reaching three stories high and sporting only two wings, it was downright tiny compared to some of the ridiculous homes many of the nobles from the Daimyo's court. Yuudai was thankful for such, it made his job easier.
He had overhead two ANBU talking about the child at the festival. Naruto they had called him, as they talked in low tones. They had let slip that the Demon Fox turned demon boy was apparently being hidden away in the Hokage's mansion with nothing more than a civilian woman as protection, as her husband was out on a brief dispatch mission.
Yuudai was positive he had not been noticed eavesdropping. If there was one advantage his unremarkable features lent him it was the ability to not be noticed. It made him a rather good at picking up general information in enemy villages.
When word had spread of the Demon's continued existence and, subsequently, it's vulnerability in the form of a helpless child, the villagers had been quick to act, taking up their pathetic 'weapons' and marching to the Hokage tower to demand that he hand over the Fox. Yuudai, however, had other plans. He had quickly gathered a small number of the more vocal villagers and a couple of Genin and told him that he knew the location of the Demon. They had been quick to catch on, and had quickly followed him.
Now his moment of glory had arrived he thought as he and his followers quietly entered through the unlocked gate that surrounded the Sarutobi mansion. There were no lights on in the home, but that was not surprising given the late hour. On his instructions his followers spread out to surround the mansion, making sure that there would be no escape for the Demon brat. He liked the sound of that, his followers. That would be the least of his prizes as the champion who triumphed where even the legendary Konoha no Kīroi Senkō could not. Money, women, and most importantly fame would all be his, as it should have been all along.
Yuudai himself, flanked by the two Genin, approached the front door. Never let it be said that he was a coward. The two Genin, both looking to be in their late twenties, shared grins before simultaneously delivering chakra enhanced kicks to the door, causing it to splinter from it's frame and fly inward. The two Genin rushed in immediately.
"Katon: Karyū Endan!"
Yuudai's eye's widened in terror as he stumbled backward, tripping over his own feet and falling flat on his back. The fire consumed the Genin pair before they could even scream release screams of horror. The force of the technique consumed their bodies and lifted them off the floor, launching them back out out of door they had entered moments before. The two flaming bodies, propelled by the blast of fire, flew over the fallen Chuunin, and crashed into the grass some distance behind him with two distinct thuds. The stench of scorched flesh and hair filled the air.
Yuudai heard the terrified screams of the villagers as they were herded into the front yard by figures he couldn't quite make out through the darkness of the night. As he shakily got to his feet in a defensive crouch his attacker made himself known, and it was then that Yuudai lost control of his bowels. Before him stood one of the most feared shinobi in all of the Great Shinobi Villages. The Kami no Shinobi, and Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato. His face was impassive make, revealing nothing, but his eyes... his eyes were more petrifying than anything Yuudai had encountered in his long career. They smoldered with barely restrained rage at anyone who would dare attempt to harm his family. That terrible gaze was locked onto Yuudai.
Yuudai could not even will his body to run as the eyes and killing intent of the strongest ninja in the village bore down on him like like a palpable shroud of awful promise. As the Hokage slowly approached Yuudai began to shake, his mouth working and lungs burning furiously to release a scream of pure terror. His legs and arm were frozen under the pressure of that dread gaze.
When the Hokage sent him into unconsciousness with a swift chop to the back of the neck, Yuudai found it a blissful release.
A little over half an hour later, Sarutobi looked on silently as members of the Konoha Military Police, only one of them an Uchiha, escorted the prisoners away. Two of his Hunter-nin had long ago taken the bodies of the two traitorous Genin away for proper disposal. The Chuunin, Nakamura Yuudai, had been taken away, still unconscious, by one Morino Ibiki.
Kakashi had arrived shortly thereafter to report the success of his mission. Kakashi's voice was hollow as he tonelessly reported what had happened after the Hokage had left the Administration Building. The crowd had been dispersed with relative ease with judicious use of smoke bombs and flash bangs. There had been no casualties among the crowd or the ninja, however, it seemed several shinobi had managed to flee the village in the confusion. Among them, Inuzuka Rin.
The Hokage offered what solace he could to the silently grieving teen, but there was only so much he could do. To lose not only his beloved sensei but also his only teammate and friend in a matter of days had hit the boy hard. The Hokage dismissed the Sharingan user and told him to take a few days to himself. The Hokage could ill afford to not have any Jounin not taking missions every day, but sending a distraught fifteen year old on assassination missions would hardly be a good idea.
Beside the Hokage stood Amaya, watching as silently as her father in law, and in her arms, wrapped snugly in warm blankets, she held the target of tonight's attack, little Uzumaki Naruto. He was sleeping now, as newborns are wont to do, the Sandaime recalled. Even now the villagers were shooting looks full of venom at the oblivious babe. They would not venture to incite the Hokage's wrath further by opening their mouths. They didn't have to. The looks spoke volumes of the misery, fear, and animosity they held for the Kyuubi no Kitsune and they child they now saw it as. The looks filled Sarutobi with anger and sadness that his people could be so blind.
"Do you see now why I cannot allow you to keep the child, Amaya?" he asked softly, not tuning to look at her.
Amaya sighed softly, her breath misting slightly in the cool autumn air, "I understand, Father. Though I do not like it at all. The boy should be allowed to grow up like any other child. With a mother and a father to care for him," was her sad reply.
"As much as I agree with you and would like nothing more than to give this child that," he began, voice still gentle, "that child is anything but normal. He carries a burden that no man should have to bear, let alone a newborn babe, and it is my belief that the Fox is the lesser of his troubles. The villagers and many of our shinobi simply cannot understand. They need an outlet for their anger and hate, for their loss and anguish. They will not see the boy as anything other than the Demon Fox that ravaged their lands and tore apart their families," Sarutobi exhaled slowly, the pain evident in his voice.
The soft sounds of Amaya's sorrow, as she shed tears for the fate of the babe in her arms, drifted into the night as the last of the intruders were taken from the premises.
The venerable Hokage slipped an arm around the shaking shoulders of his daughter-in-law, holding her protectively as he guided her back into the house, speaking soothing words as he did so.
"Quiet, daughter. It is not all darkness for the boy. There will be people to acknowledge him, he will have a family of a sorts, though hardly a traditional one," he said with a small chuckle, "He will be trained in the shinobi arts so that he can protect himself from the villagers, and the villagers from the Kyuubi. He will be able to journey from the village and see the world and meet people that will see him for who he is. The Fourth's Legacy will be strong indeed, anything of that man can be nothing but."
Amaya nodded faintly, her tears gone with the comforting words of her husband's father, "Thank you, Otousama," she said as she gently detached herself from the old man and headed to the room she shared with Mitsuru.
Sarutobi watched her go with a sad smile before finding his own room and, without bothering to undress, collapsed his weary bones onto the bed with a sigh. He was not looking forward to the coming months. Not at all.
The following day the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha would declare to the people of his village the same law regarding Uzumaki Naruto as he had to the council two days prior. The harsh punishment was met with shock among the civilian populace. However, that quickly faded as people found ways to circumvent the spirit of the law without actually breaking it.
In the following weeks, thoughts of the demon child in their midsts slipped into the background as more practical or gossip worthy things than a new-born child came about. The first of these was Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-hime returning permanently to the village. Neither would disclose how Jiraiya had convinced the medical genius to return to the village, not even to the Hokage. However, it was obvious to all that the two were very close friends now. There was some speculation that they were even lovers. Neither denied or confirmed this claim.
With the Slug Sennin's return many of the patients that had had career ending injuries were able to return to active duty due to the medical prowess of the Legendary Princess of Konoha. Another subject of rumor among the shinobi and civilian populaces was the falling out that seemed to have occurred between the kunoichi and her former sensei. None knew the cause, though the most popular rumor was that the Sandaime had threatened to label her as a missing-nin had she not returned.
With the return of Tsunade and Jiraiya to the active ranks the possibility of attack by a foreign village lessened dramatically. It also served to boost interest in the med-nin program and created an influx of young would-be kunoichi into the ninja Academy.
The second event was the general consensus of nearly half those now being called the 'Kyuubi Refugees' to take up residence in Konoha. With a good portion of the residential area missing this was something of a logistics nightmare. Fortunately many of those that had come in had been skilled laborers, greatly speeding the reconstruction and expansion of Konoha. The majority of the western wall and gate had been torn down and pushed outward to make way for the industrious refugees. Once the the defenses of complete many groups of workers, on the advice of Nara Shikaku, had temporarily departed to help rebuild the important resource villages that had been destroyed.
The Akimichi and Nara clans had taken care of the replanting and seeding of the barrier wood outside of the Western Gate. On any given day for an entire week it was not unusual to see a contigent of ten story tall men and women carting gigantic uprooted trees as spiky haired members of the Nara clan scurried around their feet.
The Hokage kept the ANBU busy, planting misinformation in many enemy villages, most prominently Iwa and Kumo. In a rare cooperative effort, Danzou assisted by taking it a step further. He had the ANBU turning the other villages against one another, Leaving just enough evidence to make it look authentic when Iwa patrols were slaughtered by lightning jutsu, which were extremely rare in Konoha, and excessively popular in Kumo. Though no wars broke out the efforts of the Konoha Black Ops kept their attention away from a rebuilding Hidden Leaf Village.
Before anyone had realized it a year since the Kyuubi incident had passed. Then another, and another. The council, with the approval of the Sandaime, declared October 10th a day of remembrance and celebration. Camaraderie, the subject of derision in other Hidden Villages when talking about Konoha, but valued within the Leaf, was at an all time high. Even so the Sandaime Hokage was still unpopular due to his decision regarding the Kyuubi child. So it came as a pleasant surprise to the civilian populace when the council declared that the aging Hokage would be stepping down once more, and that Tsunade would be taking the title of Hokage of the Hidden Leaf.
Sarutobi smiled as he watched a three year old Naruto careen around the large playroom in the Sarutobi Manor. His unlit pipe hung precariously from his lips, for Amaya had long ago expressly forbid him, and the now chain smoking Asuma, from bringing their cancerous vices around her nephew. Mitsuru had backed her up like the good lapdo- husband he was. The former Hokage and Asuma had merely ignored them. That was until Amaya had recruited the fearsome Godaime to her cause. Sarutobi and the now 18 year old Asuma had wisely relented.
It was nice, Sarutobi decided, to spend time relaxing with those he considered family. Across from him sat his oldest son, Matsuru. Snuggled close into his lap was his wife, who was showing the first signs of a gentle swelling in her abdomen. There would be another addition to the brood soon.
Sitting beneath the bay window with a small smile adorning her lovely face and keeping an eye on both the rambunctious youngster inside, and the sparring Hatake Kakashi and and Jiraiya just outside, was the Slug Sennin, Tsunade. His plan had worked perfectly, and the succession had gone smoothly, with not even one peep of protest from the council. She was enjoying a rare day off from her hectic job as Hokage.
Also watching the taijutsu spar, though outside so he could smoke without incurring the wrath of his sister-in-law and Tsunade, was his second son, the recently promoted Jounin, Sarutobi Asuma. He had developed a fighting style all of his own. Using his wind affinity he became a deadly close range fighter when using his custom made knuckle-blades. He also had a habit of making odd but surprisingly effective techniques, such as the Katon: Haisekishō.
As per the Hokage's request, Jiraiya had taken up Kakashi as his protege, and beneath his not-so-gentle guidance the Copy Ninja had flourished. Dropping the mask of a care-free, lazy shinobi, Kakashi, with the assistance of his new sensei, had moved on from the deaths of his friend and teacher and abandonment by Rin. As a shinobi he'd come far, his chakra capacity had increased immensely, allowing him to make better use of his large repository of techniques. He had even been convinced that it might not be a bad idea to actually bother with making a few more techniques of his own.
In Kakashi, Jiraiya had found an accomplice that could appreciate fine literature, and even assist him on his 'research' expeditions. Needless to say, Sarutobi was eagerly looking forward to the release of Icha, Icha Paradise.
And finally the child that in some way bound them all. The precocious child with the sun-kissed hair and sapphire eyes was a wellspring of youthful exuberance. The child never ceased to ask questions, and was utterly fascinated by any and everything having to do with ninja. He would often attempt to imitate the moves he witnessed his uncle Jiraiya going through with his older brother, Kakashi, only to huff in indignantly when the adults all laughed at him when he fell flat on his bum.
At this point either Tsunade or Amaya would gather him close to their chests and attempt to suffocate the boy between their considerable breasts, causing all the males present to sigh wistfully. Once Jiraiya had used the replacement technique, and instead of Naruto, Amaya found herself hugging the perverted Sannin to her breasts. Tsunade had broken all of his limbs and left him in the hospital, refusing to heal him for over two weeks.
Sarutobi smiled at the memory. He knew better than any to savor these moments while they lasted. Soon he would have to begin Naruto's training. He knew the village still harbored hate for the boy, and suspected it had only festered and grown with no outlet. Soon his family would have to disperse, going back to their many duties as shinobi of Konoha.
But for now, Sarutobi would enjoy the hard earned peace and contentment of being with his family.
A/N: Well, that was longer than I was expecting it to be. I expect future chapters will be just as long. Keep in mind this is just a prologue. There will be a time skip, as I have no desire to write about Naruto potty training. I've yet to decide if I'll show any of Naruto growing up or just skip straight to his Academy training.
This will be an AU, obviously. To see what's different you'll just have to read. There will be some Original Characters in Konoha, as you saw with Amaya. None of them will have particularly prominent roles in the story, so don't worry about that.
As for pairings, I really don't care what you think they should be. If I decide to put any in they will be totally my decision. Sorry, no polls here.
Anyway, thanks for reading. Constructive criticism is appreciated, the more common kind of criticism is ignored.