I've had this account for nearly a decade and I've had this on my head for a while so here you go, please review, tell me if you hate it, love it, could do better, etc. Input is Input

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto that belongs to Kishimoto, there will be characters inspired from other shows in this fic and many references. Word count per chapter should go up as I gain more writers flow with the story.

However in some parallel universe Kishimoto is writing a disclaimer that Naruto does belong to me and not him.

Memoir of a Sleeping Dragon

April 20, 15 bby

"It's a shame isn't? He would have turned sixty one in a couple weeks, and no evidence of foul play; I guess men in their field really do have a chance of dying old."

"Who would have thought old man Eiji Yamamoto Captain of Twelve Guardian Ninja wouldn't live another forty years, he was always so lively? Who do you think will replace him, I hope this change doesn't take this country towards a bad path."

Up in the balcony of third floor in the vast outer courtyard of the Fire Daimyo's Palace spoke two nobles of the court, as they watched from a distance the funeral service of The Legendary Eiji Yamamoto, The Land of Fire's Roaring Dragon, a man who had served the Fire Daimyo before the founding of the Five Great Countries helping him and the Fire Daimyo's late father unite the nobles under his leadership during The Era of The Waring States forty years prior.

They both garbed in the standard clothes of a court noble in the Land of Fire, red robes with wide sleeves and the symbol of the country proudly on their back, capped on their heads were their tall eboshi hats that showed their status in feudal society, the only noticeable difference between them was the clear age gap. Kazuki Imamura, a young lady killer at the age of twenty two, and Manabu Matsuya an elder of the Matsuya family a trusted advisor to the Daimyo for nearly fifteen years.

"I agree, it'll be hard to live up to his name; I'm betting it'll be either Kaido or Hikaru, they both have the experience and the motive; Kaido's to protect his sister The Daimyo's Concubine and Hikaru with his blind devotion. What do you think Matsuya-san?" Kazuki asked with clear interest, knowing that the elder would know the Daimyo's choice before most.

"Well to be honest, and don't tell anyone I told you…but Yamamoto's successor was decided mere hours after he was discovered to have passed to the Pure Land. We didn't know if he was assassinated at the time, the palace was put into lockdown immediately just in case the Daimyo and his family were in danger. They had to get the chain of command in place so the Daimyo resolved it by naming Hikaru as the Captain of The Guardians, but that isn't what bothers me young Kazuki-kun." Spoke the old noble with a slight of concern in his voice.

"What is it?" Asked Kazuki, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Hikaru gave a small frown. "Well it seems they already filled Yamamoto's place within the twelve as well, it's some kid from Uzushiogakure."

Not understanding the problem Kazuki arched his eyebrow. "If it his age that's the problem, I'm pretty sure Shinobi are trained how to use their magic tricks and illusions at birth or something, and we have always had great relations with the Daimyo of The Land of Whirlpools Lord Uzumaki."

Ignoring the lads ignorance in matters related to Shinobi Hikaru started to get to the point "No, a member of the Uzumaki no matter the age is extremely valuable. They are considered masters in Fuinjutsu, the art of using seals. I have no idea how it works but in my youth I once saw an Uzumaki Barrier in action, it was practically invincible."

"Then why are you concerned about him? Do you suspect that he has ill intentions?" The young lord spoke in whisper and shifted his eyes to see if someone was listening, everyone knew that walls in every room in this palace had ears.

Giving a small chuckle Hikaru ignored the young lord's antics. "No, nothing like that; I'm more concerned about the Daimyo's oldest Daughter Lady Akane, she was really attached to Yamamoto. I bet she saw him as a grandfather figure seeing that she could never leave his presence, and she never got to meet her biological grandfather Lord Kasai since he passed years before she was born." Hikaru looked out into the funeral precession spotting a shade of Crimson towards the front of the crowd.

"He often called her his little dragon seeing that she could have the temper of one when really riled up, and I bet 10,000 Ryo that she wouldn't appreciate some new comer taking the place of her Ojii-Sama. Especially since he's going to be her bodyguard." He said trying to relieve the tension as he gave Kazuki an amused smile as the young lord eyes gave him a look of understanding.

"I hope she doesn't make his job difficult." Kazuki sighed feeling bad that the young Uzumaki had to deal with her in this time of mourning. "That's her isn't?" He said as he noticed Hikaru looking at a young woman who appeared to be fourteen with long Crimson hair that reached the middle of her back curling at the ends on a black kimono crying her eyes out. She was petit for her age and pretty short at 5'3, but given time and he knew she would blossom into a beautiful flower, just like her mother Lady Kasai the Fire Daimyo's Second Wife, the first dying during the birth of his second son Lord Jiro whose a year older than Akane.

"Well I guess I'll see you at celebration of our Great Dragon's life after the precession Lord Hikaru, it was very nice talking to you; perhaps you'll marry me off to one of your daughters after we give Yamamoto one last roar." He laughed giving a sheepish smile as he gave a bow and walked away.

"We'll see, I would love to finally have you in my grasp Kazuki-kun." He smiled giving a bow in return as he walked the opposite direction.

Her throat felt like it was on fire, sore from the wailing, sore from crying for three days straight as her tear ducts were now as dry as the desert in the Wind Country; she had cried enough to fill up canyons in the Earth Country. The despair she was filling was unlike any she had ever felt, never knowing the heart ache of losing someone you loved, she had been the one to find him, the one to see the void in his eyes, it was something someone her age should never have to see. It definitely left a wound on her heart that was still bleeding, waiting to heal until it scarred.

She hadn't moved when she discovered him, she was in denial for the first hour until realization hit and it suddenly dawned on her in horror as she screamed, it only took a second for one of the twelve to appear and to be forcibly removed from the deceased dragon when Kamina the member of the Guardians who discovered her. What she remembered the most from that day three days ago was the seriousness in his eyes when he discovered the two, but there was also a hint of something else, a glint of melancholy since he was his captain and his life not only mattered to him but the rest of The Guardians.

"Ojii-Chan, why did you have to leave me, you said you'd protect my kids whenever I decided to get married. You promised!" She yelled mentally not having the strength or will to verbalize her thoughts. "You were old, but not that old, I heard that people in the Land of Whirlpools could live until they were one hundred. You were never supposed to be up there on display, you were supposed to live up to your name and die roaring instead of quietly in your sleep." She looked up at where the body was displayed in anger at the corpse of the old dragon above her with the entirety of The Legendary Twelve Guardians behind him standing erect in black uniforms made specifically for this situation, the only difference between them and the three platoons of the royal guard was the white sashes with the kanji for fire on them in red indicating their status as Guardians for all to see.

Below them and next to her and for many rows back were a variety of people, most probably showing up to make sure The Roaring Dragon was indeed roaring no more. To her right was her mother the wife of the Fire Daimyo, she could definitely say that she took after mother's side much more than her dad's. First they both had the same hair crimson hair, and narrow face. She did have her father's green eyes though. To her left towards the edge were her two older brothers from the Fire Daimyo's deceased wife Ichiro and Jiro, Ichiro a tall man at 6'2 was nineteen, frail with long black hair that spiked at the end and the next Daimyo should her father pass, he was currently engaged with some noble woman with extreme love for cats. To be honest his fiancée kind of weirded her out. Her other brother was only a year older than her and had yet to be arranged a wedding, he was slightly shorter, but on the muscular side of things with short black hair that seemed to be buzzed.

Next to her Mother on her right was a blond woman who was slightly younger at thirty five, she was her father's concubine named Chiharu. She had borne the last four of her younger siblings, it had turned out that after she herself was born her mother had become barren forcing the fire daimyo to get a concubine. Her mother never blamed her, and they both seemed to get along very well; she was a very nice woman. It was a common practice for nobles to have concubines even if the wife wasn't barren. None of her half siblings were at the funeral precession though, none of them really knew the man and they needed the oldest out of the four her sister Kazue at age thirteen to watch the other three since the other three were still children.

By Chiharu was Sandaime Hokage who around her father's age she believed and the Shodai Uzukage who was also the Daimyo of The Land of Whirlpools and he was the oldest looking man she believed her eyes had ever behold. The Man barely had any hair on his head and she believed that many things got lost in those wrinkles. How could this man live this long and not her Jii-Chan! Akane clenched her fist as she caught a glimpse of scarlet in the corner next to the ancient ninja.

With a bored look on his face standing next to the Uzukage was a young teen about her age with mid length scarlet hair that spiked to his neck, his face was narrow but not as narrow as oldest brother and had eyes that were an aqua green, he seemed above average in height for his age (or at least to her) at a solid 6'0, she really couldn't see what he was wearing with those two old men in her way but that bored look on his face was pissing her off with the lack of awe it showed for her Jii-sama.

Akane was smart though, enough to tell he was a shinobi and any retaliation she made would be met with failure and probably cause some kind of diplomatic incident so she decided to ignore him, or at least hope she would get an opportunity to get one over on him even the odds were unfavorable, why was he even here if he didn't care? It was disrespectful.

Her father than stepped forward, instantly grabbing everyone's complete intention and focus. This man was Osamu Kasai the first Fire Daimyo of the Fire Country, his father assassinated by Iwa before they could complete his work leaving him and Jii-sama to continue what they all worked together to do. In the public he was the stern ruler who ruled righteously and listened to the wise council of some of his peers and elders able to discern the path to steer the country no matter where the wind blew. To her family he was a loving father who at times was very busy but still made time for all of them in some way like his father did with him, and his grandfather to his father before him. He stood at 6'3 with wide shoulders and long salt and peppered hair with a long beard that came to a point, his like hers were an emerald green.

"Today we commemorate Eiji Yamamoto life and service to the Fire Country."

"And not only that, but we commemorate his life as a lifetime Friend, Mentor, Brother, and Grandfather."

"Eiji Yamamoto was one of the most honorable men, I have known in the era of the warring states he led our forces into battle and brought victory, whenever my life was in danger HE PROTECTED IT!."

"Whenever any of us needed a shoulder to cry on or sought advice, HE WAS THERE!"

"And when he put into a situation that backed into a corner, HE ROARED!

"We might have lost a wonderful man, but even in the Pure World his spirit and memory lives in all of our Hearts!" He thumped his heart and with perfect synchronization all of living Guardians and the Royal Guard behind them thumped their hearts and went back into their erect stance.

"Tonight we entomb this Dragon for his final sleep in the royal burial chamber with my father, my late wife, and those of the Guardians we lost in the Great Shinobi War years ago."

"MEN GIVE THIS DRAGON ONE LAST ROAR!"

The Eleven Guardians then quickly started doing strange hand signs in sync, some she recognized clearly from when Ji-sama wanted to perform some feat of magic to entertain her when she was younger. It was rare for such a performance to be seen in the public eye it was obviously show of strength to all watching but still as they went to do the final sign the teen from before appeared next to them in the same uniform, sash and all.

Then with horror Akane realized this bastard would be replacing her grandfather as they all yelled "Ryuujin Jakka!" from their mouths as they pointed up and flames so hot she was ready to pass out from the heat and the amount of chakra being bored into the environment from where she stood as a great serpentine dragon with wings that blocked out her view as it flew into the dusk colored sky until fading away with in strong orange colors as the chakra within the construct dissipated .

It was Yamamoto's final goodbye.

-Chapter End-