"It may be necessary temporarily to accept a lesser evil, but one must never label a necessary evil as good."
-Margaret Mead
Chapter 1: Where It All Began
Seventh Hokage Naruto caught his son wearing the Kote, reprimanding and then disqualifying him. Crowds looked, and despite his son committing the fault, deep inside Naruto blamed himself for not being there with his son. He accomplished his dream, married a Hyuga and had two children, but despite that, no one knew his inner turmoil, not even Kurama. Starting from the day he realized he loved Hinata, he returned her feelings, married her and a few years later on, had been inaugurated as the 7th Hokage. Time flew past he found himself unable to spend some time with his family. Loads of paperwork, activities within the other nations took the toll on his time.
He was unable to attend his son's birthday; including Himawari's which made him reconsider if he's choice of being Hokage was the right path he took. He believed in the Will of Fire and considers the village as his family. But choosing the whole Konoha from your own blood is the right thing? Those were one of his questions. Despite these innermost conflict of his, he knew that Konoha was should be put first. Selflessness and never to be selfish, just like his predecessors.
At the present time, while looking at his son Boruto, he could see his unyielding anger. Those eyes are bluer than his, sparkling with anger and hate.
"To talk, huh?", Boruto's voice laced in anger. "If you've been there to begin with, I would never do this!".Boruto jerked away his arm from his own father while the latter just looked on him with disappointment on his face.
It was also at this moment that the arena was bombarded with explosions. At the sky were two beings with extremely pale complexions, horns adorning their heads and chakra that rivals, if not greater than Kaguya's. The small one laughed seeing the distressed faces of the citizens and launched another elemental attack. The place became clear, saved for a few, to which included Sasuke, Naruto, Boruto, Sarada and Mitsuki, along with the other shinobi like Shikamaru.
The duo Otsutsuki flew and glanced at the shinobi beneath them.
"You there…", Naruto called looking up. "I'm the only one you have business with, right?"
Not answering the question, Momoshiki turned on his companion. "It seems they are somewhat informed. Did they read Kaguya's scroll?"
Boruto and Sarada are confused at the situation when eventually Sasuke said, "They refine red earth from the chakra fruit and make it like some sort into a drug. One that strengthens them and prolong their lives".
Amused, Momoshiki answered, on his hand a very small red pill, "Oooooh…So you even know about the red earth? Now that is a surprise".
Everything is silent, as the shinobi digested this information into their heads. Momoshiki glanced at his pill, holding it delicately while examining it with his pale lavender eyes.
"Then in that case you should be able to comprehend just how marvelous of a thing this is. All you need is a pill, and instantly with no work at all, you can acquire true power".
This statement widened Boruto's eyes as he looked at his Kote, recalling forth his mistake.
"And then simply you'd be a coward that relies on doping! That's not true power at all", Naruto shouted causing Boruto to look at his father with a sorrowful expression.
"Hmph!", snorted Momoshiki. Rinnegan opening on his right palm, a lot of red pills came out. "Nothing but inferior life forms after all"
"Very well". The pale skinned man devoured the pills in a single gulp and then grinned maliciously.
"It shall be your body that comprehends this true power". Raising his left arm, a huge tailed beast all was formed, courtesy of the jutsu from Gyuki to which the Otsutsuki absorbed earlier. All elements adorned the orb. Fire, wind, lighting, earth and water danced, ready to strike down.
The arena crackled the entire arena, destroying it. Debris flew, which made the people in the vicinity cover their eyes. Skies darkened as it responded to the power that Momoshiki has.
"Run away!", commanded Naruto.
"Impossible, what power…", Sarada said as she knelt helplessly with both awe and fear, interlacing together making her chest heave in pressure.
Seeing Sarada's expression, Boruto created a Shadow Clone to aid his female friend Uchiha just in case something happens.
"How futile", Momoshiki smiled, ready to pour forth all his jutsu at once. A phoenix made of fire was thrown out, spreading fires everywhere. Soon, each and every element was poured by Momoshiki without restraint.
"Sasuke, take care of the kids". Naruto said.
"Hmph!". Sasuke replied as he coated the children with his Susanoo.
"Let's go Kurama!". Naruto fully transformed into his tailed beast mode, protecting his companions with the bijuu's chakra, sacrificing himself in the process.
Naruto jolted awake on his bed, sweat beading on his face. It was 8:05 AM, and he was late in the Academy. This isn't the first time he dreamed of these things. He didn't tell anyone, dismissing them as nothing but just figments of his imagination. Overtime, it turned out too real. A year ago, the dreams started when he bumped his head on the Hokage rock while doing one of his pranks. He was hospitalized, reprimanded by Iruka to be careful and focus instead on his studies. A few days after the incident, he dreamed that Mizuki-sensei told him that he was the Kyuubi. At that day on, whenever he looked at Mizuki, he could swear that this man is nothing but a fake.
He still kept his façade, having a mask on his face. A few months later on, the dreams worsened. Sasuke leaving Konoha, a man he hadn't met before who is a super pervert dying, his body never to be found, the Third Hokage dying, a man with the red hair dying before his eyes and a woman with porcelain white skin using a black haired man to resurrect herself.
Naruto clutched his head in pain and the emotions he felt in those dreams are too real that he found himself crying. A blonde hair man with blue eyes and a red haired woman with purple eyes, his parents, loved him, despite his father sealing the Kyuubi inside him. He dreamed of all bijuus, telling their names on him, and he didn't hear but he felt a strange sense of happiness when he thought of that dream.
He never told anyone of these peculiar dreams. At first, he told Iruka-sensei of his dream being the 7th Hokage but Iruka dismissed this as nothing but just products of his mind.
'You'll reach your dream if you really study hard Naruto'. Those were the words that echoed in his brain.
He got up of the bed, dressed himself and prepared to put on his mask. While they never noticed that he was lying, sometimes his mask slips. His demeanor becomes adult in nature or at times he feels lost, not knowing who he is. Today is the graduation day and he prepared himself, dashing through the Academy. Sitting on the desk, it was déjà vu. He knew that it was going to be a Bunshin.
"To graduate you'll have to do the Bunshin no Justu when you're called into the next room", Iruka explained as he eyed the students.
'Exact words, exact actions', Naruto's eyes narrowed. His blue eyes became cold and he knew what's going to happen. 'This may seem ridiculous but I'll act it out. If they still say the same sentences, then it's real'.
He was cut down on his own musings when his name was called. In the room where to perform the test, forehead protectors are littered at the table. Iruka and Mizuki looked at him.
"Naruto, perform the Bunshin no Jutsu".
Putting his own hands in a handseal, he exclaimed, "Bunshin no Jutsu". The result, a sickly clone was on the floor with its tongues out, which made Iruka facepalm.
"You fail!"
"Iruka, this is his third time. At least he did create a clone we could let him pass", Mizuki's eyes in a feigned act of kindness that Naruto knew glinted.
While the two were having a conversation, Naruto clenched his fists, with fear making his heart pounding faster.
"Iruka-sensei, let me at least try again". This caught Iruka's attention.
"Naruto, you already knew that you failed and despite …"
"No!". Naruto's voice made Iruka surprised. He never saw Naruto this angry before.
"Let me do it again. I have too much chakra for a simple bunshin and therefore I think I have an alternative in place, to which I'm good of".
"Na-Naruto…", Iruka trailed off.
"Iruka, if he has an alternative to this bunshin of his, why don't let him show you. Naruto, do it please", Mizuki said smiling.
At this time, Naruto grinned making Iruka feeling nervous. Crossing his fingers, he yelled out, "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu". There were twenty Narutos, grinning ear to ear.
"Na-Naruto, those were solid clones. How did you.."
"Don't worry Iruka-sensei, I have my own ways. Shinobi keep secrets so I should be entitled to keep own". Naruto's voice in an amusement which made Iruka sighed.
"Very well. You pass Naruto", He handed the blonde his forehead protector which made Naruto ecstatic. Tying it on its forehead, he got out of the room, his classmates looking at him with surprise.
"He did pass…What a miracle".
"He must've studies hard".
Murmurs filled the air as he descended outside the school grounds, with the Uchiha looking at him in a bit of surprise. He caught sight of the raven haired man and he looked at the Uchiha with cold blue eyes that was rarely seen.
"I hope we can be a great team together", Naruto said.
"As if Sasuke-kun could be in a team like you", Ino said.
With a hidden smirk on his face, he faced the blonde haired girl and answered, "You would never end up in a team with Sasuke as its customary that you along with Choji and Shikamaru, Ino-Shika-Cho will always be formed, just like what your fathers before you. A Sarutobi is then assigned to become your teacher. I know that I'll end up in Sasuke's team as he's the Rookie of the Year and I'm the dead last. In this case, Sakura-chan will also be a member of my team. As the dead last, I'll benefit from her intelligence and that bastard's proficiency with ninjutsu, Sakura-chan will benefit from us, Sasuke and I during battle, and Sasuke himself will benefit from working with others. As I've known, despite having high grades, he has the lowest grade in cooperation".
Mouth gaped, and eyes bulged, they've never seen Naruto like this before.
"Who are you and what you did to Naruto?", pointed Kiba accusingly.
"Let's just say that the real world makes you change. Until then". He put his hands in his pockets as he strode off the Academy doors.
Time flew past as he came out, and this time he'll be a hero, he thought. Scanning the memories of the dreams he had, he ran to the forest outside of Konoha, seeing Mizuki clutching a heavy scroll.
"Y-You…How did…".
"I knew this is going to happen, Mizuki-sensei", Naruto said seriously. "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu".
"You little brat you can't just defeat me with a..", His voice cut off as the real Naruto was behind him and slit his throat, ending his life once and for all.
"The Kage Bunshin was just a diversion. The one you talked before was nothing but just a clone". The clone who talked to Mizuki poofed out of existence. Mizuki lay in the pool of his own blood as Naruto's cold eyes observed him.
"I'll borrow the scroll for a bit, study just one jutsu and return it to the old man. I don't want to explain things to him", the blonde muttered as he got the scroll and found a hidden place where he could read it.
"I think I'm insane. I don't even know who I am anymore". Looking at the moon, he clutched his stomach.
"What do you say, Kyuubi? Do you dream what I dream?". In his guts he knew that he will meet those bastards sooner or later, the celestial beings from the moon.
"The culprit was Mizuki but he turned out dead, and the scroll was left out in the open", an Anbu officer reported to Hiruzen.
"Have you found the one who killed him?"
"No Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen, despite the graveness of the situation, trusted his guts, that whoever did the dirty work was loyal to the village.
"Hey, are you sure you wanted to take the photo like this?", the old man who is the photographer said in an annoyed tone.
"Yeah, yeah, just make the photo. 'This would be a greater one than the last time'.
"Just don't regret it. Okay smile!" And the photo was snapped.
Hiruzen stared at the paper, with Naruto's profile stating, "I am the person who is known from the Eastern and Western isles making women swoon and men bitter, the great Uzumaki Naruto". The picture was a Naruto, in a pose similar to someone he knew a long time ago. Paint on his face and a frog on his head did the job.
Hiruzen sighed. 'He reminds me of him', "Retake this".
"It took me ages to come up with that pose. And 3 hours later, that's the one I came up with. The sentence is great, too".
"And where's your forehead protector?"
Naruto scratched his head in reply, "I'm saving it for tomorrow's ceremony. It would be a waste if it has a scratch on it."
"This is a very important document. It lists the shinobi of their village and their abilities, and you perverted it with this gesture. Retake it".
"No!". Both were locked in a staring contest with each other.
"Sexy no Jutsu". Naruto is replaced with a blonde naked woman, with only smoke covering her body parts.
"Hokage-sama, please don't make me retake it. If you wish, we can play a little game I call bouncy bouncy", 'Her' hands in a squishing manner, the Hokage exploded in a massive nosebleed.
He recovered in a few moments. Wiping his nose, he said, "That's a quite a dangerous technique Naruto".
The door creaked open and the blonde knew who's going to enter.
"Fight me old geezer!", Armed with a shuriken in his hand, he slipped on the floor, falling down with his face flat.
"Ouch!"
'And there is Ebisu'.
"You! I know you're the one who set the trap around here", he pointed accusingly at Naruto.
The blonde smacked him on his head, which made his day even no better as Konohamaru began to pester him more and more. He found out that Ebisu is a secret pervert when he defeated him with his Harem no Jutsu. From that day forth, he and Konohamaru became rivals. However, deep inside, he realized that being Hokage is not the path for him.