For Konohamaru
*I do not own Naruto*
Summary: Naruto is given a warning if he fails as the kyubi's Jinchuriki someone else will have to take his place and he won't survive to protect them. AU
Chapter 1: Burdens
Team seven arrived into the hokage's office after they comple their first D rank Kakashi was giving the oral report of team seven's mission and slightly behind him two of Kakashi's genin were standing at quiet attention while the other Naruto was quietly (for Naruto) mumbling about glorified chore missions and something about waste of time. When kakashi finished his report the hokage dismissed the team and asked Naruto to stay. As his team left Naruto could hear their passing snickers about how he really should learn to respect the hokage. The hokage was ordering Anbu out of his office, applying silencing seals and looking for any of Danzo's spying devices (especially the brainwashed human kind).
Naruto looked at the hokage and knew that whatever he was about to say was important and probably a secret because the last time he did this it was when they discussed the Kyubi. He secretly hoped the hokage realized that he was awesome enough to know about his parents. This caused Naruto to fidget in the seat offered to him by the hokage. The old leader sat down took a long weary look at his back wall that contained the pictures of his fellow hokage's, then another at the picture on his desk. He did not like what he was about to say. He was about to admit that he could and would do anything that was in the best interest of the village even at the cost of family. But wanting prolong the inevitable he decided it was best to start this conversation on a lighter note.
The aged hokage looked at Naruto and gave him a warm grandfatherly smile and watch as Naruto relaxed. He inwardly felt discussed at himself because nothing he was going to match that smile. Well maybe he can start the conversation on a lighter note and in doing so he is not being a coward in any way shape or form. "Naruto how was your first mission?" he asked. Naruto happily jumped out of his chair happy he wasn't getting bad news or was in trouble and started to excitedly explain how the mission went. And then started a tangent about how when he was hokage he wasn't going to waste ninja's time with fake missions he would have academy students do it or something. The hokage listed to Naruto's rant to the end. It also had the plus of prolonging task load for the day.
Fortunately or unfortunately Naruto ran out of things to say about how un-ninja D rank missions were, how awesome he was, how much of a loser Sasuke was, the wonderful points of Sakura, the lazy-ass-ness of Kakashi, how awesome a hokage he will be and the virtues of ramen. The hokage had to move their discussion in the right direction. He decided the best approach was to delicately as possible ease into the conversation and this again was not a way to avoid the topic but a way to protect the young boys psyche. "Naruto I heard the other day you meet my grandson and taught him a few of your tricks," said the old man. Naruto broke into his biggest foxy smile and started to tell the hokage about his adventure with his new younger brother type figure/ minion. The hokage did not know if he should be pleased or watchful of his grandson and honorary grandsons budding relationship. He decided it was a good thing because it stopped Kono's assignation attempts and got him into other people's hair mainly his teachers and Naruto's. It would also make Naruto understand how important what he is and how his actions as a shinobi will soon affect others.
In another world the aged hokage would have decide that this discussion could wait a few years or when Naruto was more mature and ready for what he was about to say and had instead taken Naruto out for ramen to celebrate his first mission. Only to die a few months later and never tell him how both his grandson's futures were in danger. In this version of reality the hokage did not chicken out and did tell Naruto some of the less classified information about his situation as jinchuriki. "Naruto while I'm happy that you and my grandson are getting along so well. I'm afraid I have something important to speak of with you," Said the aged man. Naruto started to fidget in his chair again and fell into his defense mechanisms to protect him from whatever the old man was about to say. "Did you finally decide to give me the hat old man and enjoy your paper free retirement?" said Naruto.
The hokage inwardly started to daydream of sipping tea with summons while some other poor sucker was chained to his desk. As he pushed the sweet dream out of his mind he couldn't help but see past the mask and into the boy's soul. He saw the loneliness that went with the boy's position, it had lessened over time. He saw the negative emotions swirling in the back of Naruto's mind feeding of the villagers miss treatment and the Kyubis own darkness. The hokage saw the boy's great love for the village that hated him and love he had for those he cared about. He wished he didn't see the part of the boy was always ready at a moment's notice for the worst actions of humans to befall on him. He didn't want to think of how ready his grandson figure was to be betrayed by him. But he was glad the boy was ready it would help him deal with what he needs to do. Naruto would be ok. He had a supper power of turning the worst actions of man into a positive. It is what has kept his sanity intact. It is what has used to survive as a jinchiriki.
The old man stoped staring at the boy at let out a sigh. "Might as well get this over with", he thought. "Naruto have you ever heard of the term jinchuriki?" Naruto shook his head in the negative. "Naruto the term jinchuriki means "The power of a human sacrifice" but what it refers to is those who hold one of the nine tailed beasts. You Naruto are one these containers and you already ready know you hold the nine tails. There are other tailed beasts Suna has the one tail, Kumo has the two and eight tails, Kiri has the three and six tails, Iwa has four and five tails and Taki has the seven tails. Each village has had the tailed beast's since the founding of the hidden village system as a way to balance the power between the shinobi nations. It is a very important job that only very few shinobi are asked to do. Do you understand Naruto, repeat what I just said." The third Hokage asked. He didn't ask because he thought the boy wasn't paying attention. The boy was squirming too much to not be. He asked because he really needed Naruto to understand what he was saying. This information could save his life.
Naruto looked at the professor while trying to fight the urge to sleep. He had never been very good at listening to lectures but was trying his best to listen knowing the importance of what he was saying. Naruto answered with his quiet serous voice that he only ever used when in a discussion about the monster he contained. " Yeah I was listening old man. I'm a jinchriki and there are others like me. Almost all the other villages have more than us and I have the one with the most tails. And something about jinchrikis and power. I don't get that?" Naruto looked at the floor while he talked and couldn't help but clutch his jacket over his stomach as if that would protect him from what he contained. As much as he didn't want to listen he did and couldn't help but think I'm not alone. And wonder what life was like for the others. The hokage let out a soft cough interupting Narutos thoughts.
"Simply put, many view jinchrikis as weapons of mass destruction or army killers. In the great wars they were often the deciding factor of battles. Jinchirikis are kage strength sometimes even higher than kage strength shinobi. They keep balance between the nations through the threat that they represent against the other nations. When the containers of one nation is considered weaker than the others and the village of the container is weakened the village in question becomes endangered. A weakened village with a weak Jinchiriki become a village at war. Do you understand now Naruto?" Naruto eyes still did not leave the floor as he answered. "My job is to be more scary and awesome than the other guys so we don't go to war." said Naruto as he tried to keep his mask in place.
The old man nodded as he wished what the boy was saying wasn't true. "Yes Naruto that's correct but there is more that you are responsible for and there are severe consequences to both yourself and the village if you fail. Or if the village view you as an unsuitable host. Do you know what those consequences are Naruto?" Naruto shakes his head no. He has an idea but wishes he was wrong. "Naruto if you fail at worst the nine tails could be released on the village or somewhere else and create immeasurable damage or the village could face war. This is why if those in power in the village don't think you can handle your responsibility as our jinchriki they will remove the kyubi from you and it will be placed in a new host and in the process you will die. What I'm about to tell Naruto is very, very important and I need you to listen and understand what I'm about to tell. You need to know what you are responsible for and what's expected of you as our jinchiriki and you need to know the consequences of failure and what the village will do to avoid that failure. Naruto I can't stress enough how important this is for you to understand. I'm going to explain your situation and I need you to listen to me and repeat what I say after I say it. This might be the most important thing I ever teach you. Now what did I say Naruto."
Naruto looked at the hokage eyes shining with the determination. "You said it's my job is to be the strength of the village and to protect everyone from the nine tails. If I don't prove to the village that I can do it someone else will and I will die. But that's not going to happen old man because I promise you that I will be best the village has ever seen I'll make them see that they can trust me to protect them." This made the hokage who was aging years in this conversation smile at the boy. He had new faith that Naruto might make it past the odds of the jinchriki survival rate.
"I know you can Naruto. I need you to understand the consequences before I tell you the ways for you to avoid them. The obvious ones are the release of the Kyubi and war. But there is also the likely possibility of the Kyubi being resealed if you are seen as unfit. Naruto do you know how we choose someone to become the container?" Naruto nods no. "In the past a member of our allied nation of Uzushiogakure would send a member of their Uzumaki clan to become the host. Unfortunately Uzushiogakure was destroyed during your mother's childhood. Few survived uzushiogakure's destruction only your mother and our host at the time survived. As far as I know you are the last of the Uzumaki. Any kids or grandkids you have will be added to top of the list for possible containers; due to your Uzumaki heritage. And could one day become a container and as a result live a life-like yours. At the moment though we don't have any Uzumaki left in the village besides you. So we have to use the other village's means of choosing a host.
The other villages choose their host by picking the strongest person from the current kages family that is of proper age. The philosophy behind this is that the host will be loyal to the village because of their relationship to the kage and will have inherited some of the strength of the kage. This strength will help them to successfully wield the power of the beast.
Naruto If tomorrow we needed to remove the Kyubi from you the new host will be Konohamaru. At the moment he is the only person in the village who could replace you. I need you think about what that means Naruto. Then I want you to repeat what I said so I know you understand. This is important. " As the old kage left lecture mode he couldn't help but grimace and wish what he was saying wasn't true and that he wouldn't hurt both boys by doing what he would do if he must.
Naruto's brain was over welmed by this information. He found himself understanding something unbelievable only to more on to some thing he never thought of before. He had a clan. A real clan like Sasuke's and the others in his class. He had family. He had family. And his family didn't leave him. His family died long before he was even born. Naruto's heart filled with joy over having a family. That great the loss soon replaced at the thought of his families death. Then his heart started to fill with dread at the thought of having his future children take his place. Naruto swore that he would never make his family carry his burden.
He was then filled with more terror as he thought of the little boy who looked up to him and called him boss, who thought he was strong and cool like no one else had, who was in every meaning of the word his brother even though he only meet the brat the other day and he stuck to him like some unwanted feet fungus. His head filled with thoughts of Konohamaru walking down the street followed by whispers and glares. He saw Konohamaru the prince of the village become an outcast. Naruto saw Konohamaru's family, friends and village that all once loved and praised him abandon, avoid and treat him as a leper. He saw Konohamaru's lonely walk and the ferocity he used to cling to the very few people he had left. He saw Kono wish that the people would go back to the old nickname of honored grandson instead of whispers of demon and other such names. He saw a small boy fight the darkness around him and try his hardest not to let the darkness fill his heart. He saw him fight monsters both of the human verity and the non-human verity. He saw Kono cry when no one was watching in one of many attempts to bury the hurt. He saw the struggle of the boy. He saw the boy ask "why me". He saw Konohamaru asking him why he didn't protect him. But worst of all he saw boys eyes go from the incidence, joy, and respect he showed when he looked at Naruto. To a dull state filled with mistrust, darkness and little hope. Naruto swore that he would not let the little boy take his burden because he couldn't handle it. Kono whether he liked or not would stay as the honored grandson. He would dedicate his life to this no matter what he needed to give up to carry out his new goal.
Naruto fisted his shirt tighter as if it would stop the demon from leaving his body. And spoke with the utmost confidence. "My family were the only ones who could hold the tailed beasts. I'm the only one left. If I fail my kids or Kono will take my place. There will never be another kyubi jinchirii the Kyubi's stuck with me. I won't let anyone else take my place. What do you need me to do old man because I am going to be so awesome that no one will think of removing the kyubi from me. Other villages will quake in terror at the mention of my name. And fuzzy will behave like a caged house cat and will spend his days sleeping never thinking of leaving because of my might. It won't be easy, but I will do it. Tell me what you need me to do old man. Sit back and be amazed of Naruto Uzumaki and his awesomeness."
Sarutobi looked at the boy as he declared that he would be the best host the village ever had, speak to him with more determination than he had ever seen in the boy before. Sarutobi didn't know what he expected Naruto to answer when he told him that he could be killed at any moment if the village didn't think he was doing a good job. And that those he cared about would be forced to do his job instead. The boy was so much like Kushina that he thought that he might react like her and weep at the harsh reality of his life. Or possibly go cold like Mito and the other containers did around others. But at the same time Naruto's response was so Narutoish. Naruto did not know when to give up and would do anything to protect the things he cared about. This was something he inherited form his father and Jiriaya. The part of Sarutobi that was a dreamer wished Naruto the best of luck.
Slightly eased the hokage told Naruto what he had to do as container of the nine tails. Naruto paid more attention to his words then he had to anything else in his life and burned the rules in to his head.
Rule 1: Never release the kyubi.
Rule 2: Always use the foxes power as a last resort.
Rule 3: Only train in the foxes power at the command of the hokage and only out of the village and with teachers of the hokage's choice.
Rule 4: Use as little amount of kyubi chakra as possible in necessary situations.
Rule 5: Strive to have control over the beast to the level of the Kumo jinchiriki but not at the risk of loss of control and only if the village might be going to war.
Rule 6: Never use the kyubi chakra in the village unless the village being invaded or attacked and the only way to stop the enemy is use the kyubi.
Rule 7: Never unless ordered to by a high-ranking officer (Hokage, sannin, élite Jonnin) use Kyubi chakra around comrades. Except during battle were servivial is not asured with out use of Kyubi chakra.
Rule 8: Do not die.
Rule 9: Do not get seriously injured to the point you might die and if you do use everything in your power to tell the village and get to a retrievable spot away from people for the village to start an extraction.
Rule 10: Never become captured by the enemy. And if ever captured do anything possible to escape and make back to the village. If you can't make it to the leaf before recapture die on fire nation soil.
Rule 11: Do not fall into state where you could no longer be a shinobi.
Rule 12: Always be of strong mental health.
Rule 13: Never act rashly or with compromised emotions doing so would put others at risk.
Rule 14: Never take revenge or harm anyone from the village, the land of fire, allied nation of the land of fire, client, or diplomat for something that they did to you whither or not it was because of what you contain.
Rule 15: Be a supremely strong shinobi. Or the be the strongest Jinchiriki rule. That means being strong enough to meet or succeed the power of the other nation's hosts. That means as a genin jinchiriki he has to be able to equal the strength of a chunin on his own and equal the power of a low jonin when using kyubi chakra. At chunin level a jinchiriki must equal the strength of a jonin on his own and equal the strenght of a kage or sannin with kyubi chakra. As a jonin a jinchiriki must be in the ranks of the strongest in the village and must be at least second strongest in the village.
Rule 16: Be civil and respect full to everyone who is not an enemy of the land of fire.
Rule 17: Obey all rules and laws of the village and to never receive a black mark to your shinobi record.
Rule 18: Protect the village at all costs.
Rule 19:Do not tell anyone out of the village about jinchriki status and those who told from the village should only be told if they are able to keep their mouth shut, a ninja or spouse and preferably told in a situation were withholding such information puts them in danger. If ever uncertain of the person needing to know don't tell or ask a commanding officer if they know the secret.
Rule 20: Live a life filled with love and friendship and you will do all that's asked of you. (As added by the first and second Jinchiriki of the kyubi.)
Naruto and the third hokage spent much of the night and the early morning going over the rules until Naruto fully remembered and understood them and all situations they apply to. What the rules basically meant was to become very strong on his own, protect the village, try not to use kyubis power, don't die or get injured seriously, treat others with respect, fallow the law and rules of the leaf and the land of fire and live a fulfilling life. Naruto walked out of the office that following morning dedicate his life to following and exceeding these rules so the task didn't fall on others.
It left him with four very important things to do. One he must become strong so he can protect the village and resist the kuybis power and not end up injured or dead. Two he must forgive the villagers and actively try to fit the image and manners that's expected from a shinobi of the leaf. Three he must make time to spend with his friends they would keep him sane and away from the darkness. And forth he should do everything in his power to prepare the next jinchiriki so he or she will be ready for the job just incase he didn't succseed. And when he felt in awe of the monumental task before him that morning and many times later that day he keep thinking to do it for Konoharmaru. For you friends. For your sensei's. For the old man.
When he finished his talk with the hokage, the hokage gave him a stack of books. The first was four books were journals written by his predecessors an edited diary from each of them detailing their time as host and a guide-book written by both on how to live as a jinchriki. He was also given a set of journals for himself to write his guide lines and to record his life. He was given a book on the shinobi rules and a few on the laws of the village, land of fire and allied nations. The old man also made a trip to his personal library and gave Naruto a set of books that went over all the basic subjects that have ever been taught in the academy and books ranging from genin to chunin skill level for just about every shinobi art. The third also instructed Naruto to talk with Kakashi about what to focus on first. The last thing he was given was not allowed to leave the office and was read before he left with the hokage for early morning ramen. It was an edited bio on all known jinchiriki past and present. Naruto learned something very important from this file. All the other jinchiriki have always been of at least jonin strength if they survived. Those who were not completely crazy and were somewhat successful in the shinobi world were Kage strength. And all were stronger than he was now. If he was to survive and protect his love ones he had to get stronger he had to change.
*For Konohamaru*
Chappter 2: Small unnoticeable changes.
Summary: After his talk with the hokage Naruto knows that he can't fool around anymore. He has a job that is arguably as important as the hokage's and if he can't handle the pressure then konohamaru will have his job instead. And that is something he can't risk. If that means that he has to give up some small things and keep some of his thoughts to himself then that's a small price to pay. Too bad no one notices except for Kakashi, Iruka and the Hokage.
Thank you dear readers for reading. Please review I cannot improve without your comments. Please forgive my spelling and grammer it has always been my weak point. Continuation of "For Konohamaru" is dependent on my inspiration to continue and support. As long as I'm inspired I will update every other week on Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday. There will also be no romantic pairs Naruto is 12-13 in this story and if continued he won't get any older at the completion and he will be too busy to have that kind of relationship.
Also if you liked "For Konohamaru" please give my other stories a try. The time you take to read and comment on any of my work is greatly appreciated.
