This is my third story as some of you might know I will try to keep each chapter at least 20 pages long and update weekly constructive critics in reviews is welcomed and begged for but I do not appreciate back seat drivers, unless you are one of the beta readers that I am looking for anyone is welcome to apply for the post and your ideas for the story shall be taken into consideration as not every angle has been looked after anyway apart from this little leakage of bull I would like to inform you that reviewing once is a lot more easier than turning green and punching stuff ;) so yeah please if you don't do anything else with my story at the very least try to enjoy it.
"Some one talking"
"Demon talking"
Some one thinking
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It was only as they went over the notes and the letter left for the boy by the fourth Hokage that they truly began to appreciate what kind of genius they had appointed to be their leader even through their anger this was clear.
There was page upon page on the table they were seated around that were being passed around barely a murmur passing between the occupants of the table as they each sat in thought or reading the letter laying unopened as though discarded for its lack of worth.
The notes in question were concerning the Fuuin Jutsu; Shiki Fuujin explaining how they work and what this meant for the baby in the cot in the middle of the table that they were seated around furthermore it also explained exactly how the baby was mastering the feat of breathing with that terrible chakra inside of him the demon seal still clearly visible on his belly.
It appeared that the fourth Hokage had led the council to believe that he was sacrificing himself and his son for the village to get rid of the fox when in actual fact he had been carrying out illegal experiments using orochimarus old notes to help further his goal in achieving the exact opposite.
The notes explained that the fourth Hokage had turned his genius to less heroic deeds ever since his former master had carried word of a rouge uchiha it seems that he feared that the newly born child would not have been able to handle the raw power of the demon fox and for fear of his child and not wanting to take an uchiha for his own in order to use the secret of their eyes he turned to the next best thing for controlling demons.
He appeared to have acquired some of the first hokages DNA and proceeded to follow on in the snake in the grasses footsteps on imbuing the DNA into another. When they had stumbled upon the exiled sanins studies the room was littered with dead infants all newly born village babes.
"But how was this possible even orochimaru must have learnt from his team mate Tsunade on some level and we have records of him passing low level medic exams"
It was true the dead kage had no known knowledge in the medical side of the ninja world to the day he died the closest he had gotten to becoming a medical ninja was keeping himself alive during kushinas mood swings during the beginning months of her pregnancy.
Unless
One of the nameless council members slammed his hand on the table causing everyone present to jump the only person that seemed unaffected was the small infant in the middle.
"What….what is it what have you found"
"Kushina it must have been her"
"But how?"
"Think about it she was not a ninja of this country and she never registered with us to be one so we never had any of her skills on record. But I remember when he was still trying to iron out his thunder God technique he fractured his back in multiple places but instead of sending him to the hospital she insisted that he be brought back to the Namikaze estate in under two weeks he was healed we just assumed that he had had a healer brought to his home but what if it was her I remember that it was commented on that he had a remarkably speedy recovery but no one ever questioned…."
They fell into silence once more each one lost in his or her thoughts until Koharu Utatane former student of the first and second Hokage and team mate of the third Hokage put her thoughts into the mix.
"But that still dose not explain how they got some of his DNA due to the power and the legacy of the first Hokage and his mokuton abilities we made sure that after orochimarus traitorous ways the precautions taken would have made it near impossible for someone to be able to gain his DNA…..unless…"
"Unless what?"
"Unless Tsunade allowed them to claim it"
The room was instantly in uproar at what they were hearing fists were slammed onto the table as voices raised each vying for their outrage to be heard as the crescendo raised each mingling with the other until none could be heard.
"ENOUGH"
The voice of Homura Mitokado second team to the third Hokage echoed through the room silencing them almost instantly everyone looked at him expectantly some even fearfully apart from his former teammate he was the only one with ninja training and seeing as that ninja training was courtesy of the villages first two hokages it was a widely known fact that he was no pushover either on the battle field or in the council chambers even though he had not had experience of the former in decades.
"Koharu please what makes you think this explain I just don't see her condoling this"
"Think about it Homura you as well as everyone else in this room knows the protection that was placed on his resting place nothing but the most horrible of jutsus could have broken through it and if it had it would have summoned dozen of ninja to the area instantly through the alarm seals placed around it the only way to get around this would have been to open it properly and the only person on the planet that can do that is Tsunade the legendary slug sanin only her blood would have done it"
"But think when could she have done it? She's been gone for almost half a year now"
"Think about the timeline and then tell me that my theory is not correct six months ago Tsunade left due to her sorrow at losing her loved ones five moths two weeks ago the fourth Hokage ends the war with iwa in that devastating battle five moths ago the third Hokage steps down from his position and appoints Minato Namikaze as his successor four months three weeks later we are informed due to policy that his wife Kushina Uzamaki was five months pregnant with their child seeing as he has become Hokage and they have a child as well as jutsus that cannot be found anywhere else they are legally classed as a clan and move into their own estate four months ago we start to hear mutterings of an uchiha coupe three months we get word of a rouge uchiha an unconfirmed name and description but an uchiha nonetheless the fourth Hokage begins his work on the Fuuin Jutsu; Shiki Fuujin accepting the inevitability that soon he will have to sacrifice himself two months ago he accomplishes what may be the most complicated seal known to any ninja alive or dead but comes to a startling discovery that he can not place the fox within himself due to his charka coils being fully formed and therefore being unable to bend to accommodate the new chakra and forcefully keep it there and so is left with one option to seal it into a new born baby but of course he could not bring himself to ask another to give up their baby if he was unable to do the same I believe it was at that point that he began to form this abomination of an idea"
"But how could he have gotten to her that blasted woman never stays in the same place for long and she seldom keeps in touch with the village"
"I believe that he did it with the help of his old master the toad sage he always kept tabs on his old team mates he is probably one of the few people on the planet that could have found her and knowing minato he would of given all of the important people in his life one of those three pronged kunai so that in case of an emergency they could always summon him I know for instance that the third Hokage and his only surviving student kakashi has one that is how he did they probably used their frogs for communication come to think of it"
They all sat in silence each one contemplating the lengths that one man had gone to protect his son his first born child his legacy.
Thunder ripped through the night sky as the infant in front of them all began to cry at the rude awakening their attentions were turned to the child and what his fate was.
"So what to do with the container of the most vile and destructive force of nature known to man?"
The speaker was none other than Danzo himself the war hawk was surveying the babe with utmost interest a slight unsettling leer upon his face.
"This boy could be the sword with which the leaf village holds the ninja world to ransom all of our demands met in an instant we could become kings among men we could make this village a legend"
"Danzo the third would never allow it hold your tongue"
"Many a year now I have stated that the thirds ideals are redundant they are useless in these times of war and strife any move but to make the child a weapon would be seen as the peak of weakness do you really wish to give our enemies the opening that they have lurked in the shadows waiting for?"
"Danzo remember yourself and your place these are the times that we should be leaning towards the third in the hopes that he can guide us through this ugly business"
"No you are wrong these are the times that he should be stepping down so that someone who knows what their doing ca……"
"What is the meaning of this who called this meeting without my knowledge?"
Danzo stood up facing the Hokage his face solemn and serious.
"This is not an official meeting this is merely colleagues meeting in a council chamber discussing worrying matters"
"This shall be dealt with later the matter I came here to find you about was the fact that the Namikaze estate has been ransacked I have some of the military police inspecting the area now but….."
He looked from one guilty face to another some hung in shame others did not even look at him a few shuffled papers still in their hands his eyes narrowed at this as he thought back to the report at what had been taken as his eyes settled on the one smug face in the room.
"What have you done?"
"Please forgive me lord Hokage I took the liberty of searching out our fallen heroes information on the situation in order to best understand the situation my fellow senior councilors Homura and Koharu had no objection to it and neither did any of the junior councilors either"
"That is neither here nor their whether they objected to it is unimportant if anything it merely shows this councils true character"
"Yes but seeing as you were busy with the public making laws and giving speeches arranging funerals and upgrading that stone of yours I thought it prudent at this time for the village to have two minds thereby accomplishing what needs to be accomplished sooner I thought you would understand….."
The Hokage seemed to inflate with anger at this even doe faltered in his words at the look of pure outrage on his face.
"This shall not be tolerated you have disgraced a national hero's home mere hours after he has died furthermore…."
"I think that you should hold back on his hero status onto you fully understand the seriousness of the situation"
The kages face paled visibly and there that he seemed to hold inside of him appeared to escape at the shift in the mood of the room.
Thirty minutes later the Hokage stood shocked at what he had heard the one man who he had deemed worthy of taking his position had only furthered his hated students sick and twisted experiments but he reasoned with himself was it truly so horrid that one man had used the dead to save one of the living orochimaru had merely been looking for a higher level of power while his successor was just trying to gain a life for that which should not of had to fight for life.
"This is not his fault the baby should be given a normal life as well as be sheltered from its dark origins"
"Preposterous it should be killed what a best way to get rid of the fox we kill an abomination and stop a monster from ever threatening the world again"
"I do not agree I must agree with the Hokage we can not kill such a useful tool to the village"
At the beginning of the sentence every eyebrow in the room raised including the hokages no one could remember the last time that Danzo had agreed with the third Hokage but as his sentence came to an end everyone understood it wasn't out of loyalty that he supported the Hokages desires it was out of the desire to reach the next pinnacle of power within the ninja world.
"Danzo this child cannot be raised as a weapon he is the fourth hokages son and because of what he holds he has the potential to become a legend beyond all others do you wish to deny him that?"
"No I wish to do what is best for the village which in turn shall make him a legend do you not wish what is best for the village?"
"How dare you of course I do but for an oak to grow strong you must tend to all its needs not just one that is what keeps it around for decades centuries even. Give it only soil and it will crack and die of thirst, give it only water and it will rot and die of decay, give it only fertilizer and it will grow fast but snap at the merest wind, give it only warmth and it will burn"
"Well the villages tree roots is growing soft with this mush that you are providing what you are looking at is the miracle grow that it has needed for decades"
"A man cannot live by bread alone if all you show him is violence then in the long run all you shall receive is violence what you sow is what you reap after all"
"Well then give me the boy and I shall sow into the roots of this village a protector of unequaled strengths a destroyer of man and a stalker of enemies and what we shall reap is a juggernaut that shall push this village smashing through its limits and unto a higher plain of power"
"No you are wrong the only thing we shall reap are dark times ahead a storm from which there shall be no cover and a time in which we shall all have to answer for our actions"
"There is no point fighting this we have already discussed it put it to a vote we are all here minus the clan heads but their count will not be able to turn the tide in your favor this has already been decided as a kage he should have known better than to commit such a deed"
"But you do not regret that he did though do you Danzo?"
With a sneer plastered across his face that could only be seen by Saratobi as his back was towards the council members.
"My only regret is that his wife died in child birth or she would have dealt with both his and her own punishment"
"Watch your tongue Danzo you are a blemish upon this village that will only be suffered for so long your treachery today shall not be forgotten"
"And what treachery is this lord Hok…"
"Do you intend to enroll the boy with your root department?"
The question paved the way for a quizzical look to mare his features before restoring his visage and answering.
"No of course not as I said previously he shall be trained for the village root is my own private department so the two ideals would clash unfortunately"
As he answered he went as if to turn back to his fellow council members so that they could see half his face.
"Good good glad to see that you have not completely allowed your ideas to cloud your judgment now then I wish for you to disband root immediately"
The look of outrage on his face was not missed by anyone in the room.
Everyone in the room stiffened at this information they each knew that Danzo had thought valiantly for his own corps and had done superbly with molding them into the perfect soldier they were a shining star in the village's army the group around the table were either looking at Danzos face of shock fury and the hokages look of supremacy.
"What? ... Why? ... How dare you"
"Because I have evidence of quite a large number in the group being apart of illegal activities not to worry though none of the crimes seem to have any connection to you and the crimes aren't of an extreme nature but such a large amount of ninja and powerful ones to cannot be overlooked they are to be sent to Ibiki to be reconditioned and then assigned to normal anbu missions furthermore as you said you are to be entrusted with a great gift I would prefer that you focused all your attention on said gift"
"This….this is an outrage I will not stand idly by why you rip down a pillar of this village"
"Your root is not a pillar of this village it wasn't when it was started and it isn't now as you said root is your own private department and you stated that you would be training the young Namikaze in protecting the village but for him to train with your anbu there would be a clash of ideals which would mean that they are not being trained with the protection of the village at hand they are not our pillar of strength they are your pillar of strength"
Danzo was inwardly cursing himself for allowing that slip of the tongue in front of the other council members he knew that this battle was already lost but could not allow himself to walk away nonetheless.
"The first Hokage saw fit to allow me this small percentage of involvement in the countries military power what right do you have to take it from me"
"Seeing as the fourth has died and I am a former Hokage that simply went into retirement I am legally to be reappointed back to Hokage until a better suitor can be found and this leniency that you have been given was a mistake that has been allowed for decades to long, a mistake that I intend to rectify now. I suggest you take the child home now so as to get him settled into his new surroundings"
Danzo was grinding his teeth in anger his mind even leaning towards the hidden kunai he had but noticing the dismissal he decided to make a tactical retreat for now so that he could come back with a fresh angle for another time.
"This shall not end here Saratobi we shall pick this up again tomorrow"
"I believe that is lord Hokage to you ad I look forward to your visit tomorrow although I shall be quite busy so you may not be able to get through to me for quite some time but nonetheless try all the same"
The forced sweetness in his voice was at such a contrast to the look in his eyes that it made many around the room wince knowing that with Danzo out the way his attention would not be turned to them.
A nameless council member stood up and addressed the hokage.
"Lord Hokage we meant no disrespect to you by this we just feared for the safety of the village we feared that the fox might take advantage of our hesitation and destroy us we…."
"And you feel as though I do not care for this village?"
"No not at all its just that…."
"You believe that one eyed snake in the grass cares for these people more than I?"
"NO not all sir there is none who care for this village more than you but…"
"Then you believe me to be incapable of the job at hand and therefore went to seek out someone more suited to it?"
The council member in question was now fully regretting standing up and was cursing his farther for the small amount of back bone that he possessed nonetheless he stood his ground instead choosing to apologize.
The Hokage saw the glint of defiance in his eye and admired it even through his anger it was good to see that the will of fire was still alive even in these fossils.
"No sir not at all we were frightened and Danzo-sama merely took advantage of our fear and turned it to his own means I apologize on behalf of this council"
"Then you will vote to have the child taken away from him immediately?"
"No"
"No?"
"Yes sir no I believe as well as most of my fellow council members do that due to the nature of the situation the boys' best hope for the future that has been laid before him is to be with Danzo I am sorry"
"Very well but when the day comes do not cling to me as shelter for I shall have to answer to the crime committed today as well there shall truly be no shelter from it….from him"
He whispered the last part to himself but it did not go amiss by the group in the room and the shiver that went around the room did not go amiss by him he turned and left in silence with shoulders hunched and shining eyes as though he had lost a great battle.
But no one would know how great till over a decade later.
Saratobi entered his office and sat down with a sigh while taking out his pipe.
What a long day it has been
"You might as well come out Jiraiya your hiding skills never where that good"
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Where is he?"
"He is with Danzo"
"With…huh…what why in the world would he be with Danzo?"
"Because the majority of the council believes that the boys' best hopes as well as the villages lie with him under Danzos care"
"And you're just going to sit around doing nothing"
"And what would you have me do Jiraiya?"
"You are the Hokage summon that dumass monkey of yours and bust into Danzos home and take him back by force if you want I will disappear with him they will never us"
"Enough this is not a dictatorship this village is a democracy I can not over turn their decision for now at least not until Danzo makes a mistake and I have some grounds for demanding the child back"
"Thank goodness I never became Hokage"
"Oh and why is that?"
"Because this village makes me sick"
"Really?"
"Yes minato and Kushina were truly wasted here"
"Did you know?"
"Did I know about what?"
"Was it you who brought Tsunade for them?"
"…….."
"Jiraiya why did you do it we could have found another way"
"No you mean that blasted council could have had their twisted desires carried out"
"sigh"
"What will happen with her will they put a bounty on her head and make her a missing nin?"
"You might not have made such a bad Hokage you're not even worried about yourself"
"They cannot prove that I had any hand in helping this and besides I could always handle myself a lot better than old flat chest a blooming slug I ask you out of all of them she could have gotten a blooming slug tsch"
"Not really they only have their anger as backing it was on her land it was her grandfathers tomb and it was for the Hokage so I'm sure it will not be to hard to get her off but what will you do know I think it best if you lie low for a little while"
"I shall do no such thing I am going to kill Danzo with a well placed Rasengan and then I am going to take that poor child far away from here"
"I can not allow you to do that"
"But why not?"
"You know why do not allow your anger to cloud your judgment that is how ninja die needlessly"
"This is not the academy this is a child's life we are talking about he's not even a day old"
"I know I know believe me when I say I understand but I simply cannot the fallout would be to great"
"Then what, what would you have me do he's my student my prized pupil he is like the son I never had what should I do merely stand ideally by while they destroy his life"
"Yes….when the day comes when he needs you I shall let you know but for now I need you to back off and let fate run its course"
"I would never thought you to be a coward"
"And I would never have thought you to be ignorant stupid yes but ignorant never"
There was a long silence throughout the room not a sound could be heard throughout the village.
"Make sure you call me I shall always be waiting"
"Of course and Jiraiya I am sorry"
"Tsch"
"There was a whizzing sound that could only be made by a sharp metal object going through the air the three pronged kunai whizzed past the old mans cheek and hit the table top sinking in halfway before quivering to a standstill.
Again the old man sighed fearful of the day of retribution.
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Well there is chapter one I couldn't really hit my 20 page with the first chap now could I hope you enjoy it and see you next week R&R the last two pages were rushed and so I didn't have time to double check them sorry guys for any mistakes ;)