Internal Summary: On the fateful night of Kyuubi's attack, the Yondaime lacked a child to seal the beast into – instead, the seal master produced a very different prison for the Kyuubi – one of mind and body rather than of spirit. With the demon locked into the form of a human child, the Sandaime had some very tough choices to make. Years later, Naruto has many tough choices to make and a difficult life ahead – he must strive to preserve his spirit and individuality as all around him, the shadows beckon, and as people try to turn him into nothing more than a tool for their whims.
The pairings for this story are currently undecided – I'm willing to take suggestions, though. This story is heavily Alternate-Universe – the Yondaime never had a son, and many other things stated in canon are [obviously] very different. The world itself is also rather different, with a more defined culture and militaristic nature. Naruto is extremely powerful, but the gravest threats to him will not be physical in nature.
Beginning Note: Thank you for reading – while I rework and rethink my other story, "Strategic Harmonic", I've decided to post this story instead. It's a little wilder in scope, and due to a much bigger change is a lot easier to write. I will admit, first of all, that I originally got the idea for this story from "A Fox Among the Leaves" by Xeno-Freak, who unfortunately seems to have given up that story. I thought the premise was extremely interesting, but this story, is extremely different, being my take on a similar base.
Without further ado, I'll get started – please review, even to tell me about minor errors or to say you find the story interesting – it lets me know people appreciate the writing.
Disclaimer: Naruto and all associated properties belong to Masashi Kishimoto and similar persons. This work is purely for non-profit entertainment purposes.
A Nine-Tailed Story
Chapter 1: The Prologue
Wherein our hero is really, really not a hero, and whales on things for no apparent reason.
&SHOWTIME&
The night of October 10th, 14th year of the reign of Fire Daimyo [Lord] Shinketsu was the most terrible day the village of Konoha had ever, and would ever experience. The night had started peacefully – the soft sounds of cicadas chirping at sundown, the rosy hues of dusk painting the horizon as the shinobi [ninja] and civilians of the village alike put down to bed. Five years after the end of the Third Great Shinobi War, three years into the reign of the Yondaime [Fourth] Hokage [Fire Shadow], the evening seemed an idyllic one – one of many that had passed. Little did the people of Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, know that they would soon experience what their histories would call the "Night of Fiery Rage".
Despite the recent betrayal and flight of one of the three legendary Sannin [Three Ninja] – the three students of the Sandaime [Third] Hokage, Konoha was the strongest it had ever been. A very favorable treaty had concluded the Third War – Konoha, with her allies Kusa [Grass], Taki [Waterfall], and Suna [Sand] had soundly defeated Iwa [Stone] and Kiri [Mist], with the forces of Kumo [Cloud] and Ame [Rain] taking no side in the conflict. As Konoha ninja liked to say, though it had been initial skirmishes over border refugees between Kusa and Iwa that had begun the conflict, they had sure ended it.
Konoha was ruled by a man the world, with practically no dispute, acclaimed as the greatest living ninja – Namikaze Minato, now the Yondaime Hokage. During the final several months of the war, the man had near-singlehandedly crushed Iwa's last offensive in an eye-blurring display of speed and ferocity that shook the shinobi countries. Worse still for Konoha's foes, the nation still retained the services of some of the most powerful ninja in recent history – the three Legendary Sannin – Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru; the "Winning Hand" of Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Chouza; the "God of Shinobi" Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had strategized the war as to never allow the fighting to enter the Fire Country's borders.
After the war, fought bloodily across the grass fields of Grass Country, the hills of Earth Country, and in the watery swamps of Water and Wave Countries, the world had settled into a tired peace, with Konoha standing dominant – as the Sandaime's victory speech had said, the will of fire shone above all the Elemental Countries, illuminating the way forward. Fire Country's industrial and agricultural power was helping to rebuild her tired allies, sending building materials to shattered Kusa and food to starving Suna. It seemed nothing could displace her hegemony.
As the moon began to rise, a roar resounded through the forests around Konoha, though. The earsplitting sound shook the very ground as an enormous figure, as tall as the mountain that held the Hokage Monument, seemed to stand from the ground – the beat bore orange-red fur, the strands of which were not soft and warm like animal's, but instead hard, sharp, and burning hot, like a new-forged blade. The beast's four limbs seemed at a distance like those of a dog or fox, but were articulated like those of an ape, with dexterous fingers each larger than a cart and horse, tipped with a sharp claw larger than a man. The lean, grotesque body of the monster provided it with deadly agility a predator of its scope did not need, and its long neck ended in a demonic face – like that of a canine stretched and distorted into maniacal shapes, with long, rabbit-like ears, a wide, savage grin of gnashing teeth that could crush boulders, and worst of all, bloody red eyes with slit pupils that tore into a man's soul.
But most terrible of all were the tails – nine long, lean shapes of exceeding strength and speed, covered with the razor hair, each in a thick bush. The tails flowed through the air, whipping and snapping, each the harbinger of disaster and chaos. The demon's howl rent the night, and sounded so loud it could be heard in Rice Field Country and Grass country alike – and all who heard the sound shivered, for they knew that the beast had come – the Kyuubi no Kitsune [Nine-Tailed Fox], first and greatest of the children of the King of Hell. And none could stand it its dread path.
&SCENEBREAK&
Hours later, the scene was one of the strife and slaughter Sarutobi Hiruzen had worked so hard to keep from his beloved home. He had been driven back by the demon's latest counterassault – his summoned ally Enma, King of the Apes, dispelled back to his realm and a deep gash bleeding in his ribs where a spintered tree trunk had smashed against him. He now sat, impatiently awaiting the services of a medic-nin to heal him, so he might return to the fight to help save his village.
The forces of Konoha, despite their terror, had sprung to action like a well-oiled machine – the years since the end of the war had not dulled their training. The civilians of Konoha had rushed from their homes, evacuating to the safety of the complex under the Hokage Monument. The shinobi of Konoha, from the meanest genin to the exalted Yondaime had leapt into action, joining their superiors and executing the only plan they could against the force of nature itself risen to destructive rage. A stall.
The death toll was catastrophic – every ounce of damage Hiruzen had spared his village was being visited upon them now in the form of a walking cataclysm – whole platoons were lost in a sweep of a tail that burned with hellfire or a fierce gaze whose manifest killing intent stopped hearts and caused fatal strokes. Yet still, the shinobi of Konoha fought on, hurling every iota of their strength towards protecting their village. The results were telling – The Kyuubi, despite the devastation it was wreaking, was still over two miles from Konoha's walls, where he and the other injured shinobi waited for treatment, so they could return to the fray.
"A damned mess this is." Hiruzen turned to the figure that had appeared next to him. The man was just slightly over average height, spiky, messy blond hair that hung shaggily around his face. His forehead protector – the metal plate emblazoned with the spiral leaf insignia of Konoha – sat prodly on his forehead, and his handsome, placid face harbored a pair of fiercely burning blue eyes - eyes that sat in tired, sleep-deprived sockets. The man wore the blue long-sleeved shirt and trousers that were the Konoha uniform, with ninja sandals, fingerless gloves with metal plates on the back, a green flak vest zipped shut, and long, white robes with dark red highlights. It was these last accoutrements that signified the high station of this man – Namikaze Minato, Hiruzen's successor to the leadership of the besieged village.
"A mess we could not have foreseen and cannot trouble ourselves over not expecting, Minato-kun. For if nature calls her eldest against us, we can only struggle and survive." Hiruzen replied to his young friend. "How goes our fight against the spirits of the elements?"
"Not well," Minato winced as he spoke, "not well at all. Our forces hold – the Uchiha clan's genjutsu hold the beast for moments each, and a swarm of such illusions occasionally grants our forces time to recuperate. The Hyuuga have shown an ability to push through the demon's aura, allowing them to, in concentrated assaults, force it back several yards – our tag-team of such tactics allows us respite – but…"
"But no matter how much respite we can draw from the Kyuubi's occasional lapses, it does not grant us even the slightest chance at victory." Hiruzen finished grimly. Minato's face fell.
"I… I thought to look in the Forbidden Scroll for answers – but there is no… there was a potential answer… but…" Minato shook his head. Despite the dire circumstances, Hiruzen was intrigued.
"An answer, Minato-kun?" Hiruzen's question spurred only a dismissive wave from Minato.
"I left Jiraiya-sensei in charge of the fight for now," Minato said. "Gamabunta-sama and he are among the few things that can hold the fox back for any significant period of time alone – I looked to Hyuuga Hattoro to prepare an attack after sensei pulled back, but he is dead – lost to a deadly stroke. His eldest, Hiashi, is preparing the thrust instead – "
"You did not answer, Minato-kun – you saw an answer?" Hiruzen's voice was slightly more stern. He was technically of a rank with the blonde man before him, but he was old enough to be Minato's grandfather – and in fact treated him as such, the blonde having grown up an orphan raised and taught by Hiruzen's student Jiraiya, the legendary sage of Toads. Under Hiruzen's familial reprimand, Minato melted.
"Yes… I looked to the Forbidden Scroll, as I said, Sandaime-sama. I thought… it was only a theory, but there was a possibility – if I used the Dead Demon Summoning Seal and the Eight Trigrams Seal, overlaid with…" Hiruzen raised a hand as Minato fell into a confusing description of complex sealing theory, his mind spinning. He knew the basics of summoning – but Minato was, at his young age, already a genius, having surpassed even Jiraiya himself.
"Just… just the summary, Minato-kun?" Hiruzen said, wearily. Minato sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.
"Ah. Heh… yes… I though perhaps by using the power of the Shinigami [Death God] itself to bind the Kyuubi, I could place it in a Jinchuuriki [Demon Sacrifice/Container], as might be done with the lesser bijuu [Tailed Demons] – by enhancing it with the Four-Point Elemental Force seal, I could hopefully create a seal strong enough to bind even the Kyuubi." Minato's frustrated voice belayed the excitement his words caused in Hiruzen.
"A seal? A Jinchuuriki?" Hiruzen exclaimed, "Why not? The Kyuubi is, after all, a bijuu like the rest – what prevents it, Minato-kun?"
"It requires a child as a container, Sandaime-sama. A newborn child, whose chakra [spiritual energy] coils are not fully developed." Minato responded blunted. Hiruzen paused only a moment before his more ruthless urges took over.
"And why not? The hospital must have some – "
"It's not so simple. Only a special kind of chakra – a kind of chakra conducive to sealing – would be enough to sustain the power of the several seals that make up a system that could hold the Kyuubi." Minato's blunt words and the deadened look in his eye reminded Hiruzen of one of his greatest failures.
Years ago, supposedly missing-nin of Kumo had kidnapped the kinswoman of Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the late First Hokage Senju Hashirama. The girl, an Uzumaki Kushina, had been taken far from Konoha, and Minato had been among those who'd chased after the girl to retrieve her – unfortunately, in the course of the battle to recover her, a cloud-nin had seriously wounded her – so badly that even though Minato had been able to bring her back to Konoha, the poor girl had died on the operating table, even Hiruzen's student Tsunade, the greatest living medic-nin, had been powerless to save her. Minato's only comfort had been the girl's forgiving him on her deathbed – though he'd retrieved the girl, his first crush, successfully, Minato considered Kushina's loss his greatest failure.
The Uzumaki clan had possessed chakra conducive to exactly the sort of sealing Minato had been speaking of – but with Uzumaki Mito's death decades ago, the clan was now extinct. The last of them had been exterminated by Iwa on a bloody, genocidal front during the Third Great Shinobi War, and their lands, formerly Whirlpool Country, now were part of Water Country. Hiruzen shook his head.
"Well… that's not an option, then," Hiruzen said, despairingly, "but… Minato-kun – you are a master of fuinjutsu (sealing techniques) – isn't there anything else you can think of?" Minato's face took on a rictus that sat somewhere between a ghastly grin and a desperate grimace, with a far-away look in his eye.
"I… saw… there was one other possibility." Minato seemed reluctant, and knowing the brilliant young man's penchant for trying untested theory to produce excellent results, something that could make Minato reluctant was something grave indeed, Hiruzen thought. He let Minato continue, knowing the younger Hokage needed to get the idea out of his system – it was probably why he'd come to the wall to meet the Sandaime in the first place.
"See, the Dead Demon Summoning Seal doesn't HAVE to be used to tear away the demon's power or soul – instead, it can be used to kill it outright, taking the construct it uses as its body. But, of course, it's not so simple – the Kyuubi is a part of the world, not a mere living being to die like one of us – should it be slain in such a manner, all its power its immortal soul will immediately be reborn – with no memory and no knowledge. So far as I can find, this is the case for all the bijuu, and in fact, all demons of any significant power." Minato slowly explained.
"So," Hiruzen said, taking the information in, "if we kill the Kyuubi, it will merely be reborn. But… if it is reborn, will it not be in the same place it is now? Ready to kill and slaughter?"
"Yes. Because, of course, its new body would be that of a demon – a being with instincts that tell it to kill and destroy, as the Kyuubi is doing now. But… what if… what if it were possible to force its new body to be that of a human?" Minato said, a glimmer of something Hiruzen couldn't identify in his eyes.
"How?"
"There is another seal – the Heavenly Form Creation Seal – which can create a permanent construct – I know you know it, Sandaime-sama. If I were to enhance IT with a…"
"Summary, Minato-kun." Hiruzen was amused, but exasperated – with the Kyuubi rampaging only a couple of miles away, this was no time for Minato to be long-winded.
"Right. Um… basically, Sandaime-sama, I could create a soul-less human body – a child's body. If I were to then carry it near the demon and slay it, the demon's soul would act like lightning – instead of taking the power to create a new body, it would instead merely rush into the empty form, bringing the child's body to life by providing it with a soul and with chakra to move through its coils." Minato was smiling wryly by now, while Hiruzen was staring – if the Yondaime had created a solution, why was he here, and not using it? There must have been something very, very wrong…
"What's the catch, as you young people say?"
"There're a couple. First, if the human body is killed, the beast's power will create a new body – a demon's body. Furthermore, it will remember its life as a human, and may be angered at our attempt to imprison it, since its demonic instincts may rebel against its time in a human form – there are no writings of any attempt to try this before. I don't know what the constraints or results would be, all told, and that, most of all, is what keeps me from trying it. And so, Sandaime-sama, I came to ask your advice." Minato finished, looking drained. Hiruzen rubbed his goatee, thinking deeply about what else might be done. His keen, experienced mind coming up with nothing, and his eyes taking in the continued decimation of Konoha's forces, he finally came to a decision.
"I would agree that the best choice is to go for it, Minato-kun. Not acting will achieve nothing but getting our ninja killed – and it doesn't appear as if the fox will stop any time soon. We have only one option – to try this, and hope with all our might that it succeeds." Hiruzen said, committing himself to Minato's plan. The blonde Hokage stood, self-consciously brushing his robes.
"I'd best get started then. I don't see Gamabunta anymore – Jiraiya-sensei must have retreated. That means I can summon him now. I… Good luck, Sarutobi-oji-san." Minato said, a vulnerable, almost childish tone entering his voice. Hiruzen, confused mentally shrugged and responded.
"Good luck, Minato-kun. I know you'll do Konoha, Jiraiya, and me proud. Now go save our village."
&SCENEBREAK&
Hiruzen openly wept as he raced as fast as his elderly legs would take him towards the site where he'd seen the Kyuubi vanish. How could he have been so stupid! How could he have missed what Minato had intended, what the Dead Demon Summoning Seal the younger Hokage had mentioned would DO?
Hiruzen had watched from the wall as Minato had approached the Kyuubi upon Gamabunta. The lord of toads had used his huge tanto [dagger] to parry the Kyuubi's attacks for long enough for Minato to summon an enormous, deathly fearsome figure that hovered behind him. It had plunged its dread blade through Minato's heart – but the same blade had sliced straight and true into the Kyuubi's suddenly-afraid face. Driving into the Kyuubi's skull, the blade had slain the demon, the huge body erupting into flames of bloody-red chakra that eked away before spiraling into a fountain of deadly power which had funneled into something on Gamabunta's head. With that, the night was suddenly silent, only the wind's rustling of the forest and the occasional sound of a cautious bird sounding.
The moment he'd seen the Shinigami slay Minato, Hiruzen had been moving, his ribs only half-healed. He'd sprinted at the impressive speed his well-trained body could summon to reach the battlefront – but had arrived only to see a crumpled blonde form fall from Gamabunta's head. A burly white-haired figure leapt from nearby to catch Minato's falling body. Hiruzen, leaping from a tree to land next to him, sighed deeply, trying to regain his bearings as Jiraiya wept over his fallen student.
Jiraiya was one of the tallest ninja Hiruzen knew, and one of the burliest as well. He wore his spiky, naturally-white hair very long, with most of it gathered in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He wore a customized forehead protector with a pair of small horns and the kanji for 'oil' on it in place of the Konoha insignia – his Konoha forehead protector was worn safely around his waist, underneath a large belt, hidden to facilitate his role as Konoha's best independent spymaster. Jiraiya had shining, mirthful dark eyes, a wide smile, and a pair of red streaks tattooed like tears from below his eyes down his cheeks. He wore a green-grey tunic and dark pants, with traditional formal sandals, fingerless gloves, and a long red vest, and had a huge storage scroll on his back. All of Jiraiya's customary warmth and cheer was gone as he knelt over Minato's deathly-pale corpse, mourning his surrogate son. Hiruzen silently approached him and placed his hand on the man's shoulder.
"It's… done now, Jiraiya-kun."
"He… he didn't tell me a thing… just visited me as I rallied the troops and said he'd found a way to defeat the Kyuubi – some cockamamie plan to have it reborn as a human babe or something… I didn't know… I didn't know he'd…" Jiraiya wiped his eyes, unable to stop his broken sobbing. Hiruzen nodded sympathetically, knowing that despite his own pain, it would be his responsibility to provide the strength Jiraiya, and the village, would need now.
"He didn't tell anyone, Jiraiya-kun… now… wait. What's that?" Hiruzen pointed, frowning slightly, at a folded piece of paper stuffed into the pocket of Minato's Hokage robes. Jiraiya drew the paper out and unfolded it with a snap. Hiruzen read over the larger man's shoulder.
Dear Sandaime-sama,
First, please make sure Jiraiya-sensei is with you when you read this – part of the letter is to him, and I'm hoping he can help achieve my goals in death as he always did when I was alive. I'm sorry I didn't let anyone know of what would happen – I knew you wouldn't let me do it if I told you, and I couldn't let anyone give themselves up if I were unwilling to myself. Konoha was under my watch, and it was my responsibility to do everything I could to save it. Also, I had to escape the paperwork somehow, eh?
You'll find, nearby, the child I told you of – I named him Naruto, after the main character in Jiraiya-sensei's "The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja". It seemed… fitting… somehow, for what I hope for him. I know he was once the Kyuubi, but remember – he is no longer. That life is passed. Naruto is not the Kyuubi – he is a new life, a child like any other – one with more power, perhaps, but just a child. Like any of us, who might be reincarnated by the gods as another new person, upon whom our sins should not pass, the Kyuubi's actions should not fall upon this child.
My wishes are, and I hope you will make sure they come to pass, Sandaime-sama, that Naruto be brought up as would any other child of the village. Let him, and as many others as you can, believe he is just a child, orphaned by the battles that have scarred this night. Let him grow up as any of us might, loving the village and protecting it, and let him become a man who will love and thrive. When he dies, many years from now, I hope that when he is reborn in demon form, that he will remember his life fondly and that thus, we will have converted one from the forces of hell to the forces of heaven, and that he will work to the benefit of the world instead of towards its destruction.
I'm sorry, Sandaime-sama, to have left you with so many responsibilities. I know I promised to let you rest in retirement for the rest of your days, but I guess you'll have to wear that silly hat once more. Good luck, and please take care of Naruto.
Jiraiya-sensei – I'm sorry I didn't let you know. You were my mentor, my father, and my closest friend. I'm sorry I couldn't keep up our tradition of drinking on the anniversary of Orochi-teme's betrayal. I'm sorry I left you to deal with Gamabunta-sama unaided. I'm sorry I can't be there to read your future books – despite your book's sales records, it was really good, and I hope you continue. Live a long and fruitful life, Sensei, and I hope to see you on the other side – in a long, long time.
Tell Kakashi and Rin I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye – tell them to grow up well and to become great shinobi – and not to show up wherever I end up until they're old and grey (well… old, In Kakashi's case). Give Kakashi my forehead protector and tell him I wished him all the best – I'll be watching, if the Shinigami will let me.
Make sure the will of fire continues to burn strong in Konoha's hearts.
- Minato Namikaze, Yondaime Hokage of Konoha
P.S: Burn this letter after you both read it, though I'm sure you knew that.
Both Hiruzen and Jiraiya were dry-eyed by the end of the letter – their sorrow had gone too far for weeping, and they both knew there was important business to be done. Jiraiya made his way over to Gamabunta, the huge lord of toads.
"Hey, 'bunta! You seen this Kyuubi brat Minato's letter's talking about?" Hiruzen resisted the urge to facepalm at Jiraiya's typical rudeness.
"Hey, don't get fresh with me, pervert – Yeah, the kid's on my head. Here." Gamabunta carefully took something from his head and lowered it to the ground – Hiruzen's breath hitched as he heard the whimpering of a newborn infant.
Jiraiya and Hiruzen crowded around the huge toad's webbed hand – sitting upon it, swaddled in a dark blue blanket, was a tiny child. The baby had fuzzy blonde-orange hair that stuck up in a similar fashion to Minato's own. His skin was slightly darker than most babies, with a ruddy tinge – Hiruzen laid his palm against the child's face, and felt that his temperature was rather warmer than was normal for a human. The baby's eyes opened and Jiraiya gasped – the baby's eyes had slit pupils, much in the same animalistic way as the Kyuubi itself. The irises, though, were a near-luminescentm bright blue – like Minato's, but even brighter and full of life and energy. Finally, the child had streaks on the sides of its face, three on each cheek, whisker-like birthmarks.
"I've been in your realm too long, Jiraiya. I need to get back to my family – need to tell them what happened." Gamabunta rumbled, breaking the silence as the baby and the two older ninja stared at one another, mesmerized.
"Yeah, yeah… go ahead…" Jiraiya waved, absently. Gamabunta nodded and vanished in a huge cloud of smoke. Jiraiya looked at Hiruzen questioningly.
"So… what're we gonna do now?"
&SCENEBREAK&
Hiruzen sat in the high seat of the Hokage in the council chamber, Jiraiya behind him and to his right, holding the baby. The plan he and Jiraiya had discussed was not to his best liking, but Jiraiya had insisted on some provisions, so they'd worked it out as much as possible.
Hiruzen took some time to gather his thoughts as the Shinobi Council filed into the room. Konoha was ruled by a trifecta of powers – the Hokage himself, the Shinobi Council, and the Full Council. The Hokage was technically, like the Kages of all five great shinobi villages and the jounin-oyabun of the others, an autocrat with supreme executive authority. Still, Iwa's attempted predation on Kusa before the Third Great Shinobi War and the Bloodline Massacres and civil wars that were beginning in Water Country were good examples of why that wasn't the best model of government. Thus, Konoha allowed the Hokage supreme authority when dealing with military matters.
However, in non-military situations, the Hokage's authority and orders was checked by the Council – the Shinobi Council consisted of the Hokage's advisors – his old genin teammates Homura and Koharu, as well as his old rival Danzou; the Jounin Commander, the recently-appointed Nara Shikaku, the ANBU Commander, a nameless man who wore the mask of an owl, and the heads of the Great Shinobi Clans of Konoha. The Full Council added to that number a representative of each of the guilds of Konoha's civilian merchants and a representative from each of her residential districts.
The Full Council met once a month, to suggest ideas for the Hokage – their 'ideas', after being voted on, were forwarded to the Hokage for approval, which was generally given. The Shinobi Council met once per week to look over the Hokage's non-military decisions that week, and could, with a two-thirds vote, negate his decisions. They also would often provide 'suggestions' that the Hokage usually approved of. The Yondaime had been fairly conservative with the use of his veto power, allowing the Council a little latitude, since they'd been curtailed nearly into nonexistence during the Third War.
The Council now entering would be the Shinobi Council, which had likely been severely damaged as a result of the recent attack; several councilors likely had been injured or killed. Their replacements or surrogates, though, would be present – this meeting would let the Hokage give them the information they'd need to present a united front when the civilians of the Full Council arrived in an hour.
As the councilors walked in, Hiruzen winced. Homura and Koharu looked quite battered – the former was nursing a broken arm had a hurriedly-stitched wound above his head, while Koharu, a retired medic-nin, looked totally exhausted from running about all night. Danzou looked as ragged as ever, though he didn't look like he'd committed himself to the fight – Hiruzen wished he could be surprised. Shikaku looked tired, but had been planning from the back as the head of the Strategic Corps should have. Commander Owl was limping and had what appeared to be a broken wrist. The Heads of the Clans were a motley crew as well – the old Hyuuga clan leader was dead, so his eldest son Hiashi had stepped in. Uchiha Fugaku, head of the military police, looked beaten and weathered, while the Aburame clan head, Shibi, was already young, his grandfather having died during the war. The Inuzaka head had been slain in the fight, but his wife Tsume was present as regent for her daughter, only six years old; and Shikaku was already there in another capacity. Shikaku's teammates and best friends, Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Chouza were present as well – the three clan leaders were a voting block that had come into being with the Yondaime's appointment, and had backed him in every one of his decisions. The Sarutobi clan already was present in Hiruzen himself, and the Senju clan was… absent.
As everyone took their seats, Hiruzen nodded.
"I suppose we should get started. We are all quite battered – "
"Where is Yondaime-sama?" Danzou was as blunt as ever – he'd never shown Hiruzen much support, but had respected Minato as a war hero.
"I regret to inform you that… that the Yondaime is dead." Hiruzen winced as whispers broke out – he knew the village would not take their heroic leader's death well. But Jiraiya and he had come up with a multi-layered lie to make things work as Minato had intended.
"Namikaze Minato died a hero, though – using a series of complex and powerful seals, he slew the Kyuubi – "
"A lie!" Uchiha Fugaku stood, a stern look on his face. "It is well-known that slaying a demon is impossible – do not seek to deceive the council, Hokage-sama!"
"As much as I dislike the impetuosity and confrontational nature of my esteemed Uchiha colleague," Hyuuga Hiashi said, gesturing gracefully, "I'm afraid he is right, Hokage-sama. Demons are incapable of dying permanent deaths, unless within Makai itself – and the Kyuubi no Kitsune cannot be slain even there. But I am sure that before the impatient interruption of Fugaku-san, you were going to continue?"
"Indeed, and thank you, Hiashi-san – welcome, by the way to the ranks of the Shinobi Council. I offer my sincerest condolences for your father's death. Your husband's as well, Tsume-san." Hiruzen nodded at both parties, noting Inuzaka Tsume's grieving look and uncharacteristic quietness. The woman would likely be back to her ordinary, domineering self soon, but then, Konoha herself would be grieving for a while longer.
"As I was saying – Yondaime-sama did in fact slay the Kyuubi – not permanently, but for the purpose of causing it to forget its memories. He then bound it, using the power of his life-force, into the body of a child who he used as a jinchuuriki. By doing so, he ensured that the beast would be trapped, and that the beast, when reborn, would not remember its life and so could not influence the child. The child is, of course, not the Kyuubi itself, but merely the container of the beast." Hiruzen leaned back, motioning to Jiraiya to hand him a cup of water. He glanced about at the room. Their carefully-crafted lie would hopefully hide the truth from all – Jinchuuriki were a comparatively common occurrence, and at least Danzou, Hiashi, Fugaku, and Shikaku would be fully aware of the theory. Surprisingly, it was Aburame Shibi who spoke up.
"I believe I speak for the council when I say, Hokage-sama, that we understand. While not all of us, myself included, have studied the theory behind demon-binding, we have all heard stories of it at the very least. Is there any further information you would give us on the child?" Shibi arched an eyebrow over his dark glasses – Hiruzen couldn't read the man past the lenses, but knew that even if the glasses were removed, he would be unable to read the Aburame clan head through his eyes.
"Yes." He motioned to Jiraiya to hold Naruto forward, causing the baby to awaken and blink confusedly. There was a ripple of shock through the room, and Hiruzen inwardly grinned – this part of the lie was the part that hopefully would make the plan work. "The child, as you can see, bears a very strong resemblance to Yondaime-sama. This is no coincidence – this is the only son of Namikaze Minato."
The room erupted in shouting and surprise. Several of the councilors, particularly Danzou and Fugaku were trying to get closer, to see the child. Hiashi's face showed utter shock, and the Ino-Shika-Chou trio seemed dumbstruck. Commander Owl was shouting for people to sit down so Hiruzen could continue, but Hiruzen himself was sitting back and enjoying the chaos – the more disjointed the council was, the easier it would be for Jiraiya to step in and…
"SILENCE!" Jiraiya's booming voice sounded like a thunderclap, bringing the roomful of trained shinobi to their senses. Fugaku, Tsume, Danzou, and Homura returned to their seats, and the rest of the councilors sat down once more. Hiruzen was able to continue, seeing the rapt attention he was being given by the room now.
"The Yondaime, before his death, named his child Naruto – the mother was a civilian woman who will remain unnamed – she died in childbirth due to a lack of medic-nins on the scene. The Yondaime, needing a child, and unwilling to make a sacrifice he would not himself, used his own child." Hiruzen looked about, but saw nothing but total credulity in the faces of the shinobi around him. He was slightly shocked at how easy they were to trick, but it was understandable – Naruto did look much like the Yondaime, and the slight differences could easily be attributed to the boy's supposed tenant. It seemed totally in character for the Yondaime to use his own child instead of taking some other poor family's son or daughter, and with the Sandaime and the Yondaime's own mentor backing the statement, there was no real room for doubt.
"So… this is Namikaze Naruto, then, Hokage-sama?" Nara Shikaku slowly said. Hiruzen carefully kept his face blank – Shikaku was the smartest man in Konoha, and it would be he and Danzou most of all who would need to be fooled for the plan to work properly.
"Yes, Shikaku-san. This child is the Yondaime's Legacy." Hiruzen's proclamation seemed to erase the last vestiges of doubt from Shikaku's mind. Hiashi stood.
"Then I will support and raise him – a bastard or not, in the absence of a legitimate child, Namikaze Naruto is the heir to his father's techniques and the spot on the Shinobi Council owed his father for his service as Hokage." Hiashi's statement touched off a flurry as Fugaku stood next.
"You, Hyuuga? You will never raise the child properly – your clan is as likely as not to place your twisted seal on the boy's forehead, and Naruto-san has one too many seals on him as it is! I will raise him! My heir, Itachi, would make a fine elder brother, and my younger, Sasuke, is nearly of an age with the boy." In response to Fugaku's statement, Danzou stood.
"Heir to a new noble clan or not, Naruto-san is a jinchuuriki – and thus a powerful weapon for the village… I would ask that he be given to an experience ninja to train and prepare for his heritage – a ninja like me, perhaps." Danzou added silkily. Hiruzen didn't need to look back to notice Jiraiya's shudder. It was no wonder – Danzou's power-hungry tendencies weren't a secret to anyone, and though the Yondaime had dismissed his top-secret "ROOT" group of ANBU operatives over a year ago, Hiruzen had no doubt they still existed in some form. He wouldn't act against them – Danzou was too useful to the village – but he'd have to keep a wary eye on the one-eyed, one-armed politician.
Commander Owl said nothing – the ANBU had no part in village politics, and their position on the Shinobi Council was largely in case matters involving a covert operation cropped up. Tsume seemed indifferent, though she was frowning at Danzou – she already had a clan to rebuild and two children to raise, so Hiruzen wasn't surprised she hadn't offered to take Naruto in. The Aburame were inclusive, and the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans weren't as powerful as the Hyuugas or Uchihas – they likely didn't want to be seen as directly opposing either of the powerful doujutsu [eye technique] using families. Neither Homura nor Koharu said anything, but Hiruzen knew they'd support his decision.
"You have offered many reasonably solutions – but there are complications you may not have foreseen. As the son of the Yondaime, Naruto-kun will be a target for the adulation of many – and the target of assassinations from not a few quarters, including, most dangerously, Iwagakure. Their shattered forces render them the weakest of the great shinobi villages but for Bloody Kiri, and their weakness is thanks in large part to the Yondaime's operations against them. Neither your clan, Hiashi-san, nor yours, Uchiha-san, are known for raising random orphans off the street – and through that and his distinctive appearance, Naruto-kun would be the target of much danger. I am afraid, though I am very grateful for your offers, I must decline." Hiruzen noted Hiashi's tiny regretful glance at the boy and Fugaku's more noticeable jaw-tighten, and judged himself glad that he had another option.
"What, then, Hokage-sama, is your answer?" Shikaku, of course, was the one to bring up the obvious question. Danzou had a tiny smirk on his face – clearly he thought he had an advantage. Hiruzen was glad to disappoint him.
"If the villagers were to know of Naruto's tenant, my student Jiraiya feels that they would not be understanding – he feels, despite my assurances to the contrary, that Naruto-kun would suffer the same malcontent, disassociation, and cruelty that Jinchuuriki in other villages feel. I, of course, disagree." Hiruzen held back a smirk at the councilors' sage nods – he knew most of them shared Jiraiya's belief that the villagers were sheep – and they, the shepherds. "Still, Jiraiya's words hold sway, since with Naruto's parents dead, he is the closest thing, as Minato's guardian during the Yondaime's childhood, that Naruto has to family."
"So…"
"Thus, Jiraiya has proposed, and I have agreed that he will take Naruto with him and leave the village – Naruto will be brought back to the village when he is nine, to join the Academy with those his age." Sarutobi replied. Out of the councilors, only Danzou seemed to truly object to the plan.
"But, Hokage-sama, what about Jiraiya-sama's… habits? I mean no offense, Jiraiya-sama, but you are not one I would consider to raise a young child… particularly one of such importance…"
Oh, Hiruzen though, repressing a scowl, and you are? I suppose you WEREN'T planning to turn the boy into a mindless weapon? Luckily, Jiraiya replied to this with a firm look on his face.
"Naruto-kun is the son of my student and surrogate son. He is the closest thing I have to a grandchild. I will make sure he grows up well, and will avoid my less savory habits when he is around. Is that sufficient to satisfy the honorable councilors?" If the nods were any sign, it was. Danzou wasn't pleased, but he didn't raise any further objection, likely because any more would be seen as a direct confrontation with Hiruzen, which he wanted to avoid at all costs.
"So it is settled, then. Naruto will be taken from the village by Jiraiya and raised for nine years before being brought back. We will tell the civilian councilors that Yondaime-sama slew the beast and will present a united front that through complex seal-work and his characteristic brilliance, the Yondaime was able to, though its death was not permanent, bind the Kyuubi into Makai forever. Naruto will, until he becomes a chuunin or reaches his age of maturity, whichever comes first, be told of his heritage and will be revealed to the village – until then, he will be as an orphan child Jiraiya found in his travels. With any luck, the events of tonight will fade like a bad dream, to be replaced by a celebration of Yondaime's victory – and Konoha's will of fire will burn as bright as ever!"
&SCENEBREAK&
That night, as Konoha's councilors argued over how to repair the damage done to Konoha and Hiruzen regretted coming out of retirement, Jiraiya stole out of the village, fully-supplied storage scroll on his back and baby in his arms. Looking down at the sleeping child, Jiraiya shook his head.
"Heh. It's hard to believe you were once a demon, Naruto-kun. You're a dangerous little one – hope you don't end up causing this much trouble everywhere you go. I'll be the first to say it – I know you're not what you used to be, and I'll make sure you become something more and better than you were before. Now, little fish-cake, onwards! To adventure!" And with those melodramatic words, Jiraiya bounded from Konoha, not to return for nine long years.
And WHAT long years they would be.
&CHAPTEREND&
And there's the prologue! Please review, and I hope you enjoyed!
- The Captain