(Last edited on 11-15-15)
The Growth of the Village Hidden in the Leaves
A Naruto Fanfiction
Prologue
Tsunade ran up the stairs leading to the reception area outside the Hokage's office. She ran past a chuunin on her way, almost crashing into him as they rounded the final corner to her destination.
"Slow down!" the chuunin yelled, glaring back at her.
She stopped, turned and looked the man in the eye. They stared for a moment, before Tsunade stuck out her tongue, then ran up to the receptionist. The chuunin just stared a small hole in her back before he left.
Tsunade smirked to herself as she walked up to the secretary's desk, making sure her face was blank, or at least less mischievous, before the secretary looked up. When she did, it was to the face of the wonderful granddaughter of The First Hokage.
"Here to see your uncle I assume?"
"Right again," Tsunade replied. The old woman had been the secretary for her grandfather as well, she knew what everyone wanted, even when it wasn't obvious.
"Go on in. I'm sure he could use a few minutes with some family." She said. Tsunade just nodded. Tobirama wasn't around the Senju compound very often, he spent many nights in the ANBU barracks only to come right back after spending the whole previous day in the office.
Tsunade walked up to the big double doors and knocked, before opening one and announcing herself.
"Uncle Tobirama," she said. The room was dim in the gentle darkness before dawn.
Tobirama was already looking up at her when she walked through the doors.
"You're here awfully early for a genin. I wish more people were as motivated as you," the Hokage said.
Tsunade heard the compliment, but didn't feel it. Senju Tobirama's face never showed any expression, never happiness, sadness, or anything else. Though she supposed that he had a thinking expression, so there was that at least.
"Thank you uncle, but if you came home more often you would see that I've been waking up this early for weeks now."
"What brings you here?" he asked. Always straight to the point.
"I didn't actually wake up early this morning, I've been up all night. I'm here to let you know that baby Mito was born today, so I'm now a genin and a big sister," Tsunade proclaimed proudly.
"Was she now," He stated. Tsunade frowned internally, this was her uncle's attempts at making her think she was actually telling him something he didn't already know. Tobirama knew of everything that went on in the village, to the point where it made Hashirama look like he didn't have a clue. Though there were times when he probably hadn't.
"I'm guessing you got a report," she said, tasting the word. She never wanted to be Hokage, she could hardly deal with the paperwork of being a Genin. Reading medical books didn't count, that was fun.
"I did, it said she had red hair. Are you disappointed?" He asked.
"No," Tsunade answered simply. "I like being the only one with blonde hair besides the Yamanaka's."
"Red hair is rare as well." Why was he trying to push her buttons?
"Don't you even want to see her? Grandpa would have loved to," she said quieter. The Hokage heard easily though.
"I am busy with the village with his loss. Losing Madara was also not a good thing, the other villages may take this as an opportunity to strike. It is important to stay vigilant," he explained. Tsunade rolled her eyes,
"It's not like the village is going to burn to a cinder if you take a few hours off to see your new niece." Tobirama's gaze did not falter, if anything, he only looked more resolved.
"The village might seem invincible to you, but it is still young and weak. The only reason we still have this peace is because of diligence." She didn't answer, they'd had this conversation before. She spoke after a moment of thinking, which her uncle patiently allowed.
"All you've done is work your entire life," she said with some edge in her voice. But it faded with her next words. "Don't you ever just want to stop and enjoy life?" Tobirama looked at her for a moment before turning and looking out the windows towards the horizon.
"Everyone is sleeping without a care or a worry, only the shinobi wonder if tomorrow might be their last."
"And what's wrong with that?" Tsunade said shortly, she could tell this was the beginning of a lecture.
"Nothing. That is why I and the shinobi of this village must work without breaks, so that the people can live without fear, and so that even the shinobi families can live with the reassurance that the walls of Konoha keep them safe. Though of course there are more problems than just an assault. That's why the Uchiha Police Force patrols the village as well. Though there are still many problems that need to be fixed, and also problems that must be prevented before they have a chance to happen."
Tsunade didn't make eye contact, she knew he was right.
"I will go meet Mito, she is a new Senju. The village is just like Mito, it is young, and must be cared for with a large amount of attention. Though I would have to say that the village is at least able to walk on its own."
Tsunade smiled softly, these were pretty much the most loving words you would get out of her stoic uncle, and they meant a lot. She wondered if maybe he didn't know children that well, considering that they got into more trouble when they could walk, not less. He might not come though if she pointed it out.
The morning light shone through the upper windows of the top floor of the Hokage Tower. Tobirama stared through the morning sun as the light broke over the trees and onto the tops of the tallest of the village buildings. Then he stood, and made a hand signal that Tsunade didn't recognize.
An ANBU appeared to the side. Tsunade didn't jump, only felt the resentment towards Sarutobi Sensei for not teaching her the shunshin. She had the control and she had the reserves. "Watch the office, notify me if there's the need," Tobirama ordered.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," The ANBU said before vanishing as quickly as he had come.
"Let's go," Tobirama said, walking past her.
They arrived at the nursery windows after what must have been an hour's walk. She swore, the older the ninja the slower they were. But as the thought passed her mind, she realized the sense it made. We still could have just roof jumped over here in a few minutes.
Tobirama stopped to converse with several of the shinobi who walked the streets, both off duty and on. He also stopped and talked to a few shop owners as they opened up their stores. Tobirama was not an approachable man, nor a conversationalist. He was just making the rounds of the Hokage, as her grandfather used to say.
When they arrived in the maternity ward, she turned to her uncle to point out Mito through the window, but he was already looking at her intently. "She certainly has the Uzumaki hair, even this soon after birth."
"Just like grandma Mito's."
"Hm," he acknowledged. And after a moment of silence. "I'm interested to see what kind of woman she grows up to be."
"Those are quite the emotional words I'm hearing, don't let your ANBU hear or they'll think you're going soft." He turned and looked gently at her.
"I hope she grows through childhood innocent of the evils of this world. So that she can live a life of happiness and with friends." He turned and looked back through the nursery window. "Such peace cannot last forever, but it can be prolonged as much as possible. That is the job of the adults of the village to ensure that the children can live loving lives free of fear. You were innocent as a young child, and though you are not yet an adult, you have begun to change from one of the ones being protected, to one of the protectors." Tsunade look through the glass, and felt the love and emotion in her chest at the sight of the little bundle with the red hair and almost equally red face.
"I will protect the village with you uncle, I haven't forgotten the stories of before Konoha was built. It would be nice if we can get even closer to peace, so we don't have to worry about what's just outside the wall."
"Your grandfather said nearly the same thing once, and would be proud to hear it from you now." Tsunade looked over and smiled at Tobirama, and he smiled back. It looked like someone had placed a joke upon his face. Her smiled increased at the sight of his, which quickly faded.
"I should get back to the office, please relay my congratulations to your parents." Tsunade watched him slowly walk down the hall, he would only be the Hokage for a few more days until her sensei took over, her uncle was probably worried it would fall apart his first day of retirement.
"What a stubborn old man," she said under her breath before he was out of sight, to ensure he had heard.
Chapter 1 – New Beginnings
Tsunade and Orochimaru sat in a tree on the edge of training ground 3, watching their teammate test his first potential genin squad. The children were bickering about the test with Jiraiya, even though he was getting more heated than any of the kids.
One of the children wasn't speaking at all though. He was a quiet Hyūga boy, the heir of the clan in fact.
Then there were the other two.
Tsunade let out an exasperated sigh.
"Don't tell me you were expecting anything less than this?" Orochimaru asked sardonically.
Tsunade didn't answer right away. "No, I figured this is how it would go; I just hoped she would be able to get along with her teammates better.
"There don't appear to be any issues between Mito and the Hyūga," he quipped.
This time she did turn to give her pale snake like teammate a glare. "She's already getting along better with the golden boy just by arguing with Jiraiya. The Hyūga are always cold, it probably wouldn't be a bad thing if their relationship stayed the way it is now."
Mito kept glancing in Tsunade's direction, not at her, but she had the area narrowed down.
"You know that's not what Sensei would say, so you should also know what Jiraiya will do."
"The oaf will probably just throw them in a room together and tell them to get along," She said. "Mito is stubborn just like that other Uzumaki girl, Kushina."
"Though not quite as boisterous I've noticed."
"And thank god for that," she answered back, the heat draining from her voice.
"I think your little sister has noticed you, that's impressive for someone so young," Orochimaru said, with a hint of curiosity.
Tsunade huffed. "She only does that to me for now. I can never manage to escape her notice; the result would be the same if I was taking stealth seriously."
"I wonder if it is your relationship as sisters that causes this or something related to her more prominent Uzumaki blood." Orochimaru queried.
Tsunade didn't answer. Orochimaru was asking himself, not her. He did that sometimes. Instead, she commented, "I see her every day, and it's hardly the first time she's met Jiraiya, but seeing them together as ninja… It just makes them all look so small."
"They are only 12, and they've barely hit puberty if at all. They will grow before you know it," Orochimaru said.
"That'll be a long way off, hopefully as long as possible," Tsunade said, remembering a conversation she'd had long ago with her uncle. "She's growing into a protector of the village, they all are; and with Jiraiya as their teacher, I'm sure they'll all be strong in body and spirit."
"Frankly I'm surprised Jiraiya is the first of us to take on a student, though it does seem like the best fit now that I see it," Orochimaru observed.
"He'll probably just give them a common enemy and tell them to work together," she said sarcastically.
"Those are D-rank missions. He's going to have to be a little more creative than that."
Tsunade noticed Jiraiya's stance change. He raised his hand, demanding silence from his students. Then he turned towards the two observers hidden in the trees and raised his voice again. "Why don't you just come down here and tell your kid sister to quit arguing, you're more of a distraction over there anyway. You too Orochimaru."
Tsunade and Orochimaru exchanged a glance, before vaulting forward into the clearing, landing softly next to their teammate.
"You're Orochimaru and Tsunade of the Sannin!" the boy with the golden hair yelled.
"Duh..." Mito said, rolling her eyes away from the group, suddenly paying way less attention.
"Be nice Mito, this is your new team. Just because you know Jiraiya doesn't mean you shouldn't respect him as your Sensei and leader."
"It is an honor to meet again Orochimaru-sama, Tsunade-sama," Hiashi said, giving a measured bow.
"You're the heir of the Hyūga clan, I hope you have the patience to put up with my sister. She can be stubborn and a handful," Tsunade said, speaking the words to the Hyūga boy but shooting them at Mito.
The blonde piped in. "It's really an honor to meet the two of you. I've of course read a lot about the Sannin, and Jiraiya has told me a bunch of stories." His eyes flickered quickly to her chest at those words and quickly back to her face, but it was already too late for Jiraiya.
"Oh has he now," she said, giving the boy known as Minato Namikaze a jagged smile carved from stone.
Jiraiya began to walk around and introduce his students, conveniently placing them between himself and Tsunade. He spoke with a nervous chuckle, "Ha-ha well now let's be done with the past and start with the present. Let me introduce everyone." He motioned to each of his Genin. "This is Mito Senju, Minato Namikaze, and Hiashi Hyūga." Hiashi and Minato gave polite bows, though Mito seemed to have forgotten.
"Jiraiya is making us do this test to become Genin that only two of us can pass," She blurted, like she was giving away one of his secrets.
"We call it the bell test, and we took it as well before we became Genin under Hiruzen. The rules are that you must get the bells in order to pass the test. If you don't have a bell by the end of the time limit, you fail, and if you fail you have to repeat your last year at the academy," Tsunade explained to the three, knowing she was only repeating what Jiraiya had already told them.
All three of the kids looked like she had slapped them. Mito exclaimed first. "He didn't say we'd have to go back to the academy! I'd rather do his test than yours."
Tsunade sighed, and behind her Orochimaru gave an amused hiss.
"You aren't deliberately going easy on them are you? You know this is an important test," Tsunade said, pointing a finger at Jiraiya.
His hands came up in defense with the speed of lightning. "No of course not, I was getting to it if they would have just listened."
Tsunade had seen the gears start spinning in Minato's head right after she had made her accusation. Now his face was clear, as if he'd had an epiphany. He opened his mouth to speak. Tsunade switched from pointing at Jiraiya to point at Minato and said, "Silence boy, if you know the answer stay quiet so the other two can figure it out too." His mouth snapped shut.
If the Hyūga and Mito both agreed to Minato's attempts to work as a team, this test would technically already be over, but they were both strong headed and competitive, and that was the main obstacle to this test.
Tsunade turned and started walking away from the clearing, she waved back at them and said, "Good luck, you kids will need it." She stopped and looked back at Mito. "If you're unsure Mito, just think, 'What would uncle Tobirama do?'"
Orochimaru stood for a second before speaking, "We failed on our first attempt, and you already have one teammate that knows the answer. Will that be the reason you pass or the reason you fail I wonder." He turned and leapt into the trees that Tsunade had already disappeared into.
Tsunade didn't speak when Orochimaru caught up to her on the way through the trees. "I would have thought that you would want to observe your family member take the test. Are you not concerned in the slightest that she will fail?"
Tsunade thought her words over carefully. "She will be a great member of the team once she realizes that the true answer to the test is team work. Given what Jiraiya says about Minato, I'm sure he'll come up with something to bring the other two together.
This day wasn't really a surprise to Sarutobi Hiruzen, well, to be more accurate, what was happening with Jiraiya's team wasn't a surprise. It was, however, a little surprising that it hadn't happened sooner, or that it came from the Genin before Jiraiya himself.
He smoked his pipe, not really listening to the complaints of endlessly doing chores for the people of Konoha when they were supposed to be protecting the village from evil and such. It was the same as any Genin team; they usually just didn't speak their mind in front of the Kage of their Village. He supposed he had Jiraiya to thank for this then.
When they finally stopped talking due to Jiraiya's reprobation, Hiruzen only sat and looked at the three. He emptied his pipe and set it to the side. "Do you know why we make Genin do D-rank missions, how has Jiraiya explained it to you?"
He could see the words that shot through his long time student's head: A TEST! Even years after they stopped being on the same team, the relationship between the two was undoubtedly still sensei and student. Jiraiya didn't speak.
A hand shot up in the air, "He said it was because we need to have a presence within the village so that the villagers can see us as people, so that they do not become afraid of the ninja who protect them," spoke an eager Minato, who quickly put his hand back down. Hiashi and Mito were giving him a funny look.
"That is correct," said the Hokage, "however, it is not the only reason." The children perked up, though the Hyūga by a much smaller margin than the other two. "The bell test is something that my Sensei, Senju Tobirama, created. I used it with my students and Jiraiya has used it with you. Some of the teams don't see teamwork until they begin their first missions. Now imagine you didn't learn this valuable lesson like the other teams. If that had been real combat against an opponent you couldn't hope to match individually, you would be dead," the words were cold and honest.
"Minato began to raise his hand again, but he lowered it quickly and asked, "May I speak sir?"
"You may," Hiruzen answered.
So in addition to what Jiraiya told us, D-ranks are also important because they bring a team together, so that we can learn to trust one another.
"The D-ranks are there to start the trust," Hiruzen said. "When the day finally comes when one of you saves the life of a teammate, that is when you will truly begin to trust one another. If your teamwork is good enough, you could even follow in the steps of your sensei and his team. He could see their spirits raise at that. "Do you think you are ready to act as a team in a combat situation, where if Jiraiya is not able to guide you, you will be able to act together to achieve what you cannot alone?"
Mito, Minato, and Hiashi all bowed and replied in unison, "Yes, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen smiled. "Then I think that you are ready for your first C-rank mission." The team looked like they wanted to jump for joy, Jiraiya included. Mito was visibly restraining herself. "I will admit that I had a mission prepared for you in advance, though I was expecting the request to come from your sensei before you."
Jiraiya had a look of abashed accomplishment. "You kids think he's complimenting you, but he's just pointing out that we did everything wrong, and he expected it." Minato's smile fell, and then it was back as he sheepishly rubbed the back of this head. Mito and Hiashi were less remorseful, they were glad to have a break from dreadful D-ranks.
"What will we be doing?" Mito asked and without pause, "will we be guarding a caravan or hunting down bandits? You do those things on C-ranks right?"
Hiruzen held up a hand and she paused. "I would prefer not to send you on a combat mission your first time out of the village. Instead this will be more of an exploration."
Mito's face was confused, she apparently hadn't considered this and didn't know whether she should start feeling disappointed or excited. "Where will-,"
"You're talking too much, just let him speak," Jiraiya said, removing his hand that had stopped her words from tumbling out.
Hiruzen nodded in thanks and continued. "You will be going south to the land of Noodles to investigate a recent claim of an opening that has been discovered to what seems to be an underground structure, one that appears to have great historical value." He had spoken to Jiraiya about his suspicions of the temple years before, and it looked like the Toad Sage had recalled the conversation.
"Is there anything that you want us to look for specifically?" Hiashi asked.
Hiruzen shook his head, and began preparing his pipe. "The late Lord First claimed at one time to have discovered a temple at this location, and said to have found a tree that resonated with him that grew over a bottomless pit. It was similar to the living wood that he could create, and yet quite different." He paused to enjoy the taste as he exhaled the smoke. "When I passed through the land I went to the location that he described but I could not locate the temple. As I had no leads I had no reason to send a team, and could not afford to send one of the Hyūga. I would have to say though that finding a lost temple originally located by the First Hokage would look good for all of you. I am interested in what this temple is. He retrieved a scroll from his desk and proffered it to Jiraiya.
Mito looked excited at the chance for glory, or it may be because of the connection with her grandfather.
Jiraiya stepped forward and accepted the scroll, placing it in a pouch beneath his vest. He turned to his students, "We will be out the gates by 0500, prepare the necessary equipment for a week-long trip and supplies that might be needed for exploring caves."
Minato nodded, the list already forming in his head. "We should take some flashlights in case there isn't lighting, we should take some rope for, well, we can do tree and water walking now, so maybe we don't need rope, but you never know, maybe we should just in case-."
"Well I'm going home," Mito exclaimed, moving towards the door. "I don't want to sit here listening to the things I need instead of just getting them ready.
"We haven't been dismissed yet," Jiraiya said sternly. Mito turned, a light tint of red on her cheeks.
Hiruzen nodded, "You are dismissed, good luck on your mission." Team 7 bowed respectfully and left his office.
They would become strong one day and ensure that the village was kept safe and peaceful, he could see it. Minato was a bright young lad who had a good heart and a swift mind. Mito had the determination and the powerful blood of the Senju that ensured she would never be weak. Hiashi was, well, he was calm and rational, quiet and considerate, though probably not of the feelings of others. All those traits were good, they were just typical of a Hyūga, and he would make his clan proud.
He looked at the paperwork that still needed to sorting before the end of the day, and for what was probably the thousandth time, considered burning just a few layers to lighten the load.
Team 7 entered a port town the day after leaving the village. Minato was grateful that they were able to walk again after the constant run. Jiraiya looked like he had just stepped out of the Gates of Konoha. Mito and Hiashi looked better than they probably felt. Who was he kidding? Hiashi certainly would try and hide his fatigue.
The town of Horonobi in the country of the Land of Waves was a prosperous place, it acted as the only port between the Land of Noodles and the Land of Waves, as well as the occasional commerce from Water Country or Kirigakure. It showed in the fine clothes that the people wore, and the bright colors of a village with a constant flow of money.
It was difficult for merchants and travelers to traverse the mountains that connected the Land of Tea and the Land of Noodles to the mainland, and Horonobi was the most convenient place to exchange goods.
There were rope lights running between every building. In the afternoon the town was busy with carts moving cargo and workers yelling of food or services. Many of the sailors who came to port stayed the night, so there were many bars and taverns, gambling halls and whorehouses. Overall it wasn't the best place for children.
Mito was looking around at everything excitedly, but there was always one more exciting thing to look at. Minato was pretty sure she didn't completely look before finding something new and shiny. It was like they hadn't just ran for longer than they ever had training.
Hiashi looked around as well, as curiously as a Hyūga could, no, would look.
Minato noticed the pulse of veins over Hiashi's temples, indicating that he had activated his Byakugan. Mito noticed as well, and diverted her attention from the wonders of the town to Hiashi. "You know Hiashi, I've always wondered something about the Byakugan, and so would you mind answering a question?"
Hiashi narrowed his eyes meaninglessly as his Byakugan was still active. "If you cannot resist."
"I already know that you have 360 degrees of vision and can see people's chakra in their body and through walls and stuff." She said in a breath. "So what I was wondering is if you can see through people's clothes as well?"
Hiashi stumbled just a little bit, then he straitened and said, "The Byakugan can see the chakra that runs through your chakra pathways, as well as what's in the air. It also allows the user to see through multiple layers of an object, or person… But only the chakra is clear, everything else is kind of foggy.
"But you can see well enough to see a shuriken or senbon needle coming at you from behind."
"That is true," Hiashi stated, he didn't elaborate. He was looking to the side now, facing away from them. The veins over his temples were no longer dilated.
"That's enough squabbling kids, "Jiraiya said, not loud enough for other people to be able to hear. "It's time we go find a ship." The genin followed obediently.
Minato woke up to the call proclaiming the sight of land. He came up to the deck from their lodging and observed the land in the distance, it would probably be a decent wait still. He turned to see Mito and Hiashi on the deck as well. Jiraiya walked up to them, having already been on last watch. We'll be there pretty soon now kiddies. I want to get to land before the break of dawn.
It didn't seem like they were going fast enough for that, but Minato stayed silent.
Mito didn't. She groaned and mumbled something about getting up so early when they could have just waited for the ship to dock. Hiashi must have said something to get her out of her bed. Waking her for her turn on watch was a huge pain, one which he wasn't looking forward to in the future.
In the silence, Minato tried to think of something to say to wake everyone up. Then he thought of it. "Was there a reason why we walked right through town and are taking a ship with other people? I remember you saying that we should try to make sure the enemy can't predict our route or destination.
"People don't really like ninja as much now that the war is over and we aren't fighting for the obvious cause," Jiraiya said, "In times of peace ninja are used mostly completely for guard missions or missions that the public don't know about. Not to say that everything that is hidden from them is bad, but when they don't know, their minds fill in the unknown with fear."
Minato gazed into the distance and thought quietly for once.
"Even if it doesn't make a big difference, if the civilians think we aren't a threat, they won't be as afraid of us." Jiraiya turned and looked toward shore. "The report says that the opening is suspected to be eight to ten miles from the village, and just out of sight of the coast."
"That's quite the large area to find a hidden entrance," Hiashi said.
"It is. How large is the range of your vision? Will your Byakugan be able to see something like that?"
Hiashi nodded. "I can see nearly 400 feet in all directions, I should be able to find an opening, but I don't know if I'll be able to keep my Byakugan active for more than an hour without a small break."
Jiraiya nodded, "Well let's head out then."
"Now?" Minato asked. "Why not wait until we get to shore?"
"Weren't you the one who was just reminding me that we shouldn't be predictable?" Jiraiya asked rhetorically as he vaulted over the side of the ship. Hiashi jumped after him.
Minato looked over the edge for a second before looking back at Mito, who was still sleeping against the railing. He shook her shoulder and said loud enough for her not to ignore, "we have to run to land, let's go."
He jumped over the railing without giving her time to complain. He heard the splash as she landed on the water behind them.
They ran to catch up to Jiraiya and Hiashi, neither of which had waited.
Author's Note:
So the first big thing for you to know about this story, and which you should already have realized, is that it is AU. It only seems a little AU right now but it will change by quiet a bit. Some things will remain canon, not always because I want them too, but because that's just how things flow. But overall this will be an original story that majorly diverts from the canon story.
I'm very serious about making sure that everything in my story is intact, but don't care as much about canon. If you notice that I saw one thing that is counter by another thing I say, please let me know. If you notice something is happening differently than it did in canon, keep it to yourself or the reviews. The origin of many things remain the same from before this chapter. Hashirama and Madara still fought to the death, they still created the villages together. All that stuff is still the same. It is from this point on that much of it will change.
I go through the story from the beginning every so often while I'm still under 50k words. Mostly because I am becoming more skilled at not only structuring the story and writing skills in general. I'll probably make it a habit to repeated edit that last 50k words I've written, not so much for the earlier chapters after that.
This story DOES have a general plot created for it, so while I'm thinking up alot as I go along, everything is very loosely following a plan I made a while ago. It starts with what you just finished reading and goes for probably another 30-50 years. This story won't hit 1million words, that's all I can really promise when it comes to length. If I had to guess it'll probably end at around 600k based off the ideas I have. There will be time skips of several years, but not many. You will witness the birth of Kakashi's generation and Naruto's, maybe one more after that.
One last thing. The good guys don't always win.