Naruto's not mine, It's Kishimoto's... I'm just having fun with the characters and storyline.

Please note while it won't focus on couples, this story will be a Naruto/Hinata eventually but only really as a side plot.

The Beginning…

October 10th, Sixteen years ago…

"Sandaime-sama! Sandaime-sama, what happened? Where is the kyuubi?"

"Whose child is that, Sandaime-sama?"

"Where is the Yondaime?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen knew he was too old for this, he was tired. His successor was dead, his village almost destroyed, his ninja killed and his wife gone. In the space of just a few hours, his life and the lives of just about every other citizen living in Konohagakure no Sato had changed dramatically.

He looked down at the small, innocent baby that lay in his arms, asleep. Less than half a day old and already an orphan. His father, the Yondaime Hokage, had sacrificed his life to seal the Kyuubi no Yoko into his child. Namikaze Minato had been a brilliant shinobi, a powerful Hokage and a loving husband. He and his wife, Uzumaki Kushina, were about to welcome their first child in to this world.

Hiruzen didn't understand where it all went wrong. They had covered all the bases, accounted for everything to ensure the demon did not escape his prison. How had they failed? Arriving at the Hokage's office, Hiruzen entered, laying Naruto down on the sofa in the corner he covered the baby in one of his father's coats found thrown over the back of the chair. The Sandaime then signalled for assistance.

"Find some baby formula. I also need nappies and clothes for a newborn boy."

It would not do for Naruto to go hungry or cold, the poor child had nothing now. The door to the office was slammed open and in marched two men, one looked to be in his mid-late thirties, the other could not have been older then sixteen.

"Where is Minato-sensei? What happened? What about Kushina-san? Naruto?" The teenager flew into a flurry of questions; his single showing eye had a desperate look in it. His silver-grey hair seemed to defy gravity and his face and other eye was mostly covered by a mask and a low pulled Hitai-ate which acted as an eye patch.

"I'm afraid you will not get good news from me, Kakashi-kun," said Hiruzen. "If you will look behind you, to the sleeping infant on the couch there, your question of Naruto will be answered. Unfortunately, Minato and Kushina both gave their lives to seal the Kyuubi into their son. They are gone."

"No," the older man uttered. He had long, white and slightly crazy hair, was quite tall and had red lines tattooed to his face under his eyes. "No, Minato, Kushina, they can't be dead. They can't be," he turned facing the baby sleeping on the chair behind them. "What of Naruto? Who will raise him? Minato and Kushina both had no family. I'm his Godfather, but I can't. The spy-network, my traveling, it's no way for a boy to grow up. Plus, I'm a pervert; Kushina would kill me if I turned her only son into one, too. She's stubborn enough to do it from the afterlife." Jiraiya was now pacing the office, in a panic.

"Jiraiya-kun, please, calm yourself. Firstly, I am to be re-instated as Hokage so I'll be able to look out for young Naruto. Second, you must already know what Minato did to contain the Kyuubi; he created a jinchuuriki. Using Naruto. This boy will be in an immense amount of danger. Not only from enemies of his parents, particularly Minato, but from the village as well. Minato wanted him to be seen as a hero, but I fear that some people will be unable to see beyond the monster."

"As for how he is to be raised, I don't know. We can't let you take him Jiraiya, and we can't let a clan adopt him either. I was thinking to hide him from his father's enemies, we give him his mother's name, and Uzumaki Naruto sounds like a good, strong name to m-…"

"No, he was meant to be Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto. He should honour both his parents. Minato-sensei and Kushina-san would not want their child not knowing them, they were married, he was always meant to have Sensei's name and Kushina-san wanted to continue the Uzumaki name. Besides, what point is it protecting him from outside ninja when the ones in Konoha will hate him, too. If they at least know he is the son of the late Yondaime, he will be respected! Maybe even protected." Kakashi had said this in a deadly calm voice, but his eye gave away the emotion he felt. His sensei had been like a father or a brother to him, especially since he lost his own father so young.

"And as to how he's going to be raised, I'll do it. I'll resign from ANBU; take up a normal Jounin position. Sandaime-sama, Naruto is all I have left now. Sensei, Kushina, Rin, Obito, chichiue, they're all dead, I've got no one. Please, Sandaime-sama, I have to. Please?" By the end, the hold Kakashi had on his emotions was lost, he was openly crying.

Just then there was a knock on the door, the woman Hiruzen had sent earlier to get stuff for Naruto was back.

"The Yondaime had a child?" She asked, her hand fell limply from the door handle. "Sandaime, I'm afraid that if that was to be a secret, the whole building has now heard it, someone was apparently eavesdropping. I would not be shocked if by this time next week Iwa would know of the child of Konoha no Kiiroi Senkou. You know this town is full of gossiping busy bodies. I am sorry, never mind me. I'll just leave the baby stuff here, for… Naruto, was it?"

The woman dropped the bag next to the sofa and backed out of the room, closing the door behind her. Hiruzen sent Kakashi with the bottle and formula, to the tea room down the hall. "Just follow the instruction on the back," he's said. Then gently cleaned the baby before putting on a nappy and dressing him in a full-body suit. Hiruzen's youngest son, Asuma, may be sixteen now, but there are some things you don't forget; handling a baby is one of them. Plus Biwako had made sure he knew how to change an infant, just in case. "You helped make him. I delivered him; you can help me clean his shit!" Was what she had said.

Kakashi returned with a Luke-warm bottle of formula and handed it to the old Hokage. Hiruzen brought the teat to Naruto's lips and the baby began to instinctually suck. Just as the bottle emptied and Naruto's eyes began to droop as he fell asleep again, the door to the office was slammed open a second time and Naruto jerked awake with a cry.

Two older gentlemen and an older woman entered, all around Hiruzen's age. The one leading the group had bandages covering his right eye, had black hair despite his age and walked relying heavily on a cane. The others both had greying hair, which had once been dark, the man wore glasses and the woman had her hair in an up do with her fringe over her right eye. Both were dressed in combat ninja gear.

"Are the rumours that are flying rampant around the village true, Hiruzen?" Danzo asked. "Is the Yondaime really dead? And the Kyuubi, has it been sealed in a new host?" The old war hawk tore his eye from the face of the Sandaime to the fussing baby in his arms. "Is that it? The Kyuubi?"

"HE HAS A NAME! IT'S NARUTO! HE'S NOT AN IT, HE IS NOT THE KYUUBI! HE'S A BOY, A BABY! HE'S NARUTO." Apparently Jiraiya had had enough tonight, too. "Not to mention the son of a Hokage and as of tonight, the saviour of this village. My poor Godson." The Gama Sennin sank into a chair with a sob.

"Minato, you baka. You must've had a plan, you ALWAYS have a plan? What was it?" Jiraiya then rounded on Danzo, "I know what you're thinking, Danzo. Naruto will NOT be a weapon for this village! Granted, I will do my best to make as powerful a shinobi as I can, if he so desires, but I will be cold in my grave before you turn him into one of your emotionless puppets."

"Stand down, boy. Who do you think you are to talk to me like that?" Danzo and Jiraiya were at each other's throats.

Hiruzen sighed; it had been a very long night. Emotions were running high and tempers were loose. He placed a sleeping Naruto back on the couch, hearing the familiar voice of his Godfather had lulled him to dreamland. Placing Minato's coat back on his orphaned son. Hiruzen pinched the bridge of his nose before massaging his temples; he could feel a headache coming on. The throbbing had already started behind his eyes and his ears rung.

"Quiet! Naruto is asleep again, finally. As Sandaime Hokage I will see to this boy's future. He has lost a great deal in a very short amount of time, we all have. For now, I'll leave Naruto in the care of Minato's student and teacher, Kakashi and Jiraiya. This will not be permanent, Jiraiya's lifestyle is not fit for a parent and Kakashi, I'm afraid you're still too young. Please don't argue, I'll not stop you from seeing him nor will I hide his heritage. I had hoped, maybe I could. But half the village already know the Yondaime's child was orphaned and with Naruto's looks, it's shouldn't be hard to make the connection."

"Naruto will make his own choice as to his future, but given who his parents were, I've no doubt be will become a shinobi and a powerful one at that. How could the son of Konoha no Kiiroi Senkou and Akai Chishiono Habanero be anything but? Now, please, leave me be. I've lost my wife and many friends and ninja, not to mention my village was almost destroyed. I'm tired and I would like to be alone. Naruto is fine with me for tonight; he'll stop me from thinking too much. I shall see you all in the morning, addresses will need to be made to the village, funerals organised, repairs started and friends mourned. Go"

The next few weeks bleed into one another, by the end all of Konoha was tired. Naruto had been sorted in to the orphanage, which had received an influx of orphans. Kakashi visited him whenever he could spare, usually three or four times a week. As one of the last links to his old team Kakashi clung to his 'otouto'. Jiraiya only reported to the Hokage once every few months, but since Naruto's birth the visits had increased to at least monthly. Hiruzen was re-instated as Hokage and the village began to heal.

The years flew, with guidance; it became clear that while Naruto was not the genius his father had been, he was still smart. His personality was all Kushina. A bit dim and a little slow on the up take, but determined and stubborn to a fault. Yes, things had to be explained a few times, maybe even demonstrated one or twice but Naruto loved to learn new things, once understood, Naruto speed ahead.

With a happy go lucky attitude and an ever present smile on his face, Naruto started the academy at age five. It was also at this time he relocated from the orphanage (one of the caretakers had been a little small minded and had tried to slip poison into Naruto's food) to a small apartment near Kakashi. As the Sandaime predicted, Naruto followed his parent's footsteps.

Almost identical to his late father in looks mischievous, bright, blue eyes and spiky, blond hair. His facial structure was more that of his mother. As mark of his mother having been the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi while pregnant with him, he had three whisker like marks on each cheek.

His chakra capacity was out of this world but his control sucked, Naruto worked hard to live up to his parents name, he also worked had to make his family proud of him. Kaka-nii-chan, Ero-Sennin, Iruka-sensei (the nice teacher who always had time for him and a kind word, it didn't hurt that Iruka enjoyed ramen almost as much as him, too) and Hokage-jiji, he would not let them down. Naruto dreamt at an early age if becoming Hokage, just like his 'tou-chan. He would have his face on the monument, right up there next to his hero.

At age nine Naruto graduated the academy with a little above average marks and was sorted into a Gennin team, his Jounin sensei as his own 'aniki', Kakashi. He was also told of the Kyuubi then, since at Gennin, you are legally considered an adult in the eyes of shinobi. Naruto did not stay long with the team and shortly after its first anniversary it disbanded, due to promotions. Making Chunin at ten had felt a little rushed to the Sandaime, he wished Naruto would slow down and be a child, but he never once influenced him, Hiruzen gave his opinion when asked but in the end let Naruto run his own life.

The reason for wanting to advance in rank quickly had from his Godfather. Jiraiya had promise to take Naruto on as an apprentice. After making Chunin, as promised Naruto left the village on an extended training mission. Six months away six months in Konoha, lasting right up until the time Naruto would have been graduating the academy had her not left early. Naruto wanted to spend a year or two getting to know people his own age and stop hanging out with perverted adults (Naruto's words, not Jiraiya's), maybe make a friend or two. Jiraiya would take him again in a few years. He was hoping Naruto would be able to learn Senjustu.

Upon return to the village at the age of 12 almost 13, Naruto was considered to have the potential to become one of the strongest shinobi the village had ever produced. With many of his parents Justus as a part of his own personal arsenal, as well as a few of his own original ones, too.

It was a lazy afternoon in Konohagakure no Sato, three months after Kakashi took a new Gennin team that our story began.

Sandaime: Third

Kyuubi: Nine-Tails

Yondaime: Forth

Konohagakure no Sato: Hidden Village in the Leaves

Hokage: Fire Shadow

Kyuubi no Yoko: Nine-Tailed Demon Fox

Shinobi: Ninja (usually male, females generally referred to as Kunoichi)

Sensei: Teacher

Hitai-ate: Forehead Protector

Jinchuuriki: Power of Human Sacrifice

Chichiue: Father

Iwa: Rock/Stone (short for Iwagakure no Sato: Village Hidden in the Rocks)

Konoha no Kiiroi Senkou: Konoha's Yellow Flash

Gama Sennin: Toad Sage

Baka: Fool/Idiot

Akai Chishiono Habanero: Red Hot-Blooded Habanero

Otouto: Little/Younger Brother

Nii-chan: Older/Big Brother (Onii-chan)

Ero-Sennin: Pervy Sage

Jiji: Old man/ Grandpa

Aniki: Older/Big Brother

Justu: Technique

Tou-chan: Dad (Otou-chan)

Senjustu: Sage Arts

Genin, Chuunin, Jounin: Ninja ranks

Just a random plot bunny I had running around my head, please review!