Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Two: Truth

"So," began Naruko as she walked backwards while facing Naruto, "Where exactly are you from, Naruto-san?"

Following at a slightly sedate pace, Naruto just shrugged. "I've told you, I'll explain everything once we meet Hokage-sama. It's not something I can freely tell to anyone. I'm sorry."

Naruko pouted, earning a chuckle from the male blonde. "Fine, but you owe me!"

Naruto chuckled. "Hai, hai…"

The two of them were currently walking through the village of Konoha towards the Hokage Mansion, which was located just under the Hokage Monument at the back of the village. Naruto was hit yet again by a sense of nostalgia as he gazed upon the great stone faces of the previous Hokages, elegantly carved into the mountain. He maintained his gaze at the face furthest to the right, where Namikaze Minato's monument stood. He silently prayed for his father and mother, and renewed his vow to defeat Kaguya once and for all.

It was about noon, and the village was as lively as Naruto remembered, and it made him quite happy. Hawkers and shopkeepers were busy selling their goods, children were all playing tag and 'ninja', while the adults were milling about their daily routines. The peaceful and lively atmosphere reminded Naruto about why Konoha shinobi fight in the first place. And here was the reason that he would do anything to protect them, if he can.

"Don't worry kit," Kurama said from within him, "You'll definitely save them this time — you have me remember?"

'Thanks for the vote of confidence you cocky Kitsune,' Naruto mentally replied with a smile, earning a howl of laughter from his tenant.

"Besides, you also have your counterpart as well, and by Kami, she's one pretty little lady!" Kurama commented with a wolfish whistle, "She's smart, mature and very much kunoichi material, definitely unlike you when you were her age. Maybe you should go for her kit! She's definitely a good mating material!"

Naruto stumbled slightly, shocked out of his wits. He waved off Naruko's concerns as he continued walking as if nothing happened. Although many wouldn't notice it, Naruto actually had a small blush on his face as he mentally frowned.

'Shut up, Kurama, just stop it… she's my sister damn it!'

To his chagrin, Kurama only laughed louder.

As Naruto looked around while trying fight down his blush and tune out the slightly perverted Bijū's comments, he noticed that the villagers who saw Naruko… weren't glaring at her or ignoring her as he would normally expect. In fact, they were actually greeting and waving at her, and the bubbly girl just waved back with a huge smile. That was when Naruto realized one of the major deviations of this dimension with his own — Uzumaki Naruko was already acknowledged by the village much, much earlier than Naruto's.

The very thing he fought for all his life, and he only got the recognition when he saved the village from Nagato's Six Paths of Pain, sixteen years later.

Naruto then felt a sense of envy well up inside him at his counterpart's treatment. He knew it was wrong to feel that way, but that particular emotion came up unannounced. How he wished the villagers back in his time would acknowledge him this early in his life, the he wouldn't have to put up with the constant glares and harsh treatment from the villagers. He wouldn't have been alone, unwanted.

Suddenly, a wave of soothing energy washed over him, and he noticed that Kurama was flooding his chakra coils with the calming effects of his Yang chakra, and Naruto sighed in content. 'Thanks Kurama… I needed that.'

"Don't mention it, and I think your crush is worried about you~" Kurama sang out at the end, making Naruto frown mentally.

'I don't have a— ' he never finished the mental statement, because at that moment, his vision was blocked out by the cute face of Naruko, her face showing concern for the blonde male. He also noticed the close proximity between their faces, and he immediately blushed. 'Damn these teenaged hormones…'

It also didn't help when his tenant was teasing him all the while.

"Naruto-san, are you alright?" Naruko asked with concern, "Your face looked sad all of a sudden."

Naruto shook his head and sighed as he smiled sadly at her. "You noticed huh?" he chuckled dryly. The way he chuckled reminded Naruko of someone truly sad and lonely… like how she had been when she was younger, and couldn't help but find it similar, "I'm an orphan you know, my parents died protecting my home village from a walking natural disaster."

Ignoring the indignant snort from a certain fox, he continued, "Ever since then, the villagers had always hated it, as they lost loved ones during the disaster, and they needed a scapegoat to vent out their sadness and anger. They found it in me."

Naruko's eyes widened in shock as she immediately related the male blonde's plight with her own, a couple of years ago.

"The villagers always hated me, glared at me, ignored me, even going so far as overcharging spoilt goods and chasing me out of the village on my birthdays, as it's the same date as when the natural disaster struck." He continued, "Every day I tried to get them to acknowledge me for me, not for the things that I couldn't possibly control. I played pranks on the villagers just to get their attention — even while negative it was far better than the glares and them pretending that I didn't exist in their minds."

The whole backstory of his was him thinking on the fly, but the emotions in them were real and genuine. He only twisted the tale of his mom and dad's to better suit his own version, but the emotions in them held true.

Naruto didn't even know he was crying until something wet slid down his face, and he reached up to wipe them away. He honestly couldn't believe how a story he made up on the fly could get him to cry, but he got the message across at least. He looked up to see that Naruko had stopped walking, and was crying tears of her own.

He smiled a little in happiness. Someone was crying for him, even if it was for his plight. That was new for him.

"I-I'm sorry…" she started, voice uneven and watery due to the crying, "I-I shouldn't h-have brought it up. I'm sorry!"

Naruto shook his head with a kind smile. "Don't worry. It's not your fault." He soothed, gesturing to the scene around him. "The lively atmosphere here reminded me of what I could've had… and what I can have."

"But still," Naruko sniffed, "I-I was the one who opened old wounds. Please forgive my insensitivity!"

She bowed low, tears still falling from her eyes. She felt horrible at opening a wound that couldn't easily be healed — she knew that better than anyone. She felt so useless and insensitive at her actions, and was hoping the blonde boy could forgive her. She was horribly snapped out of her pessimistic thoughts when she was embraced in a hug, from Naruto no less!

"Don't blame yourself. You crying for me means that you do care about other people, and I'm grateful for it," Naruto said, as he hugged the girl tighter, causing her to blush slightly. "Thank you for your concern. It's refreshing really, since not many people showed me kindness out of the goodness of their hearts." He said the last part with as much sarcasm as possible, making the girl in his arms giggle.

Naruko pulled away from the hug, blush still on her cheeks. "Thank you." She whispered.

"You're welcome," Naruto said, before he smirked, "You know… I kind of like your hugs, it's all warm and cuddly, like hugging a teddy bear!"

Naruko's blush flared as she pouted indignantly at the accusation, "I-I'm not a teddy bear! I'm a kunoichi!"

Naruto laughed harder as she continued to pout, "I know, I know, I'm just teasing you. Now shall we get going?"

Finally having her blush under control, she nodded and smiled warmly. "Sure. Let's go!" she said, and they both continued on their way towards the Hokage Mansion, with Naruko greeting the villagers and shinobi alike along the way, while Naruto just smiled warmly at his counterpart.

~ D ~ R ~

Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, was not having a good day.

First, last night he found out one of the Academy Chūnin instructors, a man named Tōji Mizuki, had deliberately sabotaged the Genin Exams of one of the top students of the gradating year out of spite for the Kyūbi, and then tricked the said Academy student into stealing the Scroll of Forbidden Seals which was kept under heavy guard by the ANBU and the Hokage in the safest vault in the Hokage Mansion, which the student did successfully and managed to get away with it!

The elderly Hokage was currently siting behind his desk, puffing on his stovepipe while reminiscing about last night's events. He lowered his Hokage's hat in embarrassment when he thought back on the way one Uzumaki Naruko did to get the scroll from him, even though she was caught red-handed by him during the act.

Hiruzen lowered his hat further in shame. 'To think, me of all people, the Kami no Shinobi (God of Shinobi), would be defeated by such an absurd jutsu…' he sighed as he thought about the infamous Oiroke no Jutsu (Sexy Jutsu) used by the girl, which caused him to pass out from blood loss, 'If word got out about this, my reputation and the villages' would be inconceivably ruined… I think I might have to label that jutsu a kinjutsu, just in case.'

He was snapped out of his reverie when the double burgundy doors into his office opened to reveal a middle-aged woman in her thirties with brown hair and dark eyes walk in.

She bowed respectfully. "Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen nodded with a grandfatherly smile. "Ah yes, Hikari-chan, what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?"

The newly named Hikari just rolled her eyes at her leader's antics as Hiruzen chuckled, "Genin Uzumaki Naruko would like to speak with you. I believe she is bringing along a guest."

The Hokage raised a surprised eyebrow at that information. "Really now?" he asked, wondering who might the guest be, "By all means — send them in."

"Hai Hokage-sama." and Hikari left, and soon a familiar figure emerged from the doorway, which immediately ran squealing towards him like a cannonball. No one had yet noticed a second figure that silently slipped through the door, and quietly pushed it closed.

"Jiji!" the blonde bundle squealed like the innocent little girl she was supposed to be, and Hiruzen couldn't help but laugh heartily. Over the years he had come to love the girl as one of his own, and he was overjoyed indeed when the villagers finally decided to let go of their old hatreds and welcome her with opened arms, despite the beast within her.

"Why, hello there Naruko-chan!" the Hokage said happily, "How are you today?"

Naruko, who was still sitting on the elder man's lap, smiled brightly up at her surrogate grandfather, "I'm fine Jiji! I'm finally getting my shinobi license today!"

Hiruzen laughed again, "Good for you Naruko-chan! You're one step closer to achieving your dream!"

Naruko giggled as she pumped her fists. "Of course I am! Dattebane!" She immediately covered her mouth in embarrassment as a blush formed on her face, whilst Hiruzen chuckled.

It was at that moment he took notice of a second presence in the room, and the wizened Hokage turned his attention towards the other occupant of the room. Before he could even speak, his jaw dropped slightly at the sight of the young man in front of him, his stovepipe dropping on the floor as he did. Naruko tilted her head in confusion at the Hokage's actions, and she turned to look at her new friend for answers, who just stood there with a kind smile as he scratched the back of his head.

"M-Minato?"

Hiruzen couldn't believe it, he swore that the boy in front of him was an exact replica of his predecessor when he was younger, and he couldn't help but raise his hopes slightly at the thought of him being alive again.

To his slight dismay, the blonde boy merely shook his head with a warm smile. "No. I am not the Yondaime Hokage."

Seeing where the conversation was going, the Sandaime turned to his surrogate granddaughter, "Naruko-chan, you better go get your license made. Your friend and I are going to have a little chat."

Naruko stared at him confused as her mind was putting together the pieces of Naruto's appearance to that of the Yondaime Hokage, her idol. She nodded nonetheless as she made her way out the room, her mind pondering the possibility of Naruto being the Yondaime's son or relative.

Sparing one last worried glance at her new friend, who just gave her a reassuring smile, she made her way to the doors and started her journey to the roof, where the licenses were being made. In the back of her mind though, she silently hoped that Naruto somehow, by some miracle, would be her long-lost relative, as judging by their facial structures and blonde hair they were both in some ways similar.

But she knew it was a fleeting pipedream, but it provided some measure of comfort to the girl at least.

As soon as the doors closed, Hiruzen immediately stood up. "ANBU, leave us."

Silently, four invisible ANBU vanished from the room, and Hiruzen put up a privacy seal around the room. Once done, he stared down at the blonde boy in front of him, his aura and chakra flaring as Killing Intent filled the room. "Depending on how you answer my questions, I will decide whether you live or die, is that understood?" To his surprise, the blonde didn't even flinch when the boy nodded back, expression serious. "First of all, who are you?"

Naruto stared back at him with equal intensity.

"Depends on who's asking."

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes as his Killing Intent flared to new heights. "The one asking is a man who can wipe you off the face of the Earth if you answer wrongly or snidely." He clarified as he sat down, "Now, I'll ask again — who are you?"

Naruto sighed as he smiled a little as his respect for the Sandaime went up a notch. No wonder he was called the Kami no Shinobi — his aura and Killing Intent would floor even experienced Jōnin and knock out inexperienced Chūnin and Genin.

But, Naruto reminded himself, he was far from an average shinobi.

Noticing the smile, Hiruzen frowned as he readied for anything. "Why are you smiling?"

Naruto chuckled. "Very impressive Jiji," He said, making Hiruzen even angrier than before, before the blonde's next cheerful words shocked him. "You haven't changed a bit!"

Hiruzen was stunned. No one should have been able to withstand that much Killing Intent and not faint or be floored by it, much less a thirteen year old boy. To be able to withstand that kind of power and still be able to remain cheerful and outright laugh… the boy's mental prowess must be astonishing!

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes in confusion, "What are you talking about? I've never met you before, much less talked to you."

"No," Naruto conceded, nodding as he did. "Not you specifically, but by another version of you in an alternate reality / dimension, until I was thirteen."

"Stop spewing such nonsense!" Hiruzen shouted, slamming his hands on his desk, cracking it. "How can anyone possibly believe that you came from another dimension / reality, even if it was true then what proof do you have?!"

He had heard a lot of crazy things in his long life, but this one took the cake. Another dimension? And from what he heard from the boy, who couldn't be more than thirteen, time travel? This situation was getting really troublesome, really fast.

Elsewhere a certain pineapple haired man sneezed.

To his unending surprise, the blonde just shook his head. "I don't just have proof, I have many proofs."

The boy then pulled out the kunai he had used earlier in the training grounds, and placed it on the Hokage's desk.

After the little meet up with Naruko back at the field, Naruto noticed some residue chakra on the hilt of the blade, and when he examined it he found a seal of some sort engraved on it with chakra. He also noticed when he stretched out his senses, this seal appeared to his senses as some sort of tear in the fabric of Space-Time in which he can open at a whim, and when he tried opening it when no one's looking — including Naruko — he had appeared at where the kunai and the seal had been almost instantly!

After consulting with Kurama and a bit of probing through his father's memories, they concluded that since his father's memories, including muscle memory, had been assimilated by him, it can only mean one thing: Naruto had unknowingly mastered the infamous Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique).

It irked him at first for mastering such a powerful technique through such a cheap way as a memory transfer, he was encouraged by Kurama to further improve upon it and find more ways to apply it on the battlefield, which got his hopes up on not copying his father's jutsu without hard work.

Hiruzen looked at the ordinarily looking kunai and raised an eyebrow. "What does this have to do with you coming from another dimension?"

Naruto shook his head in amusement. "Trying holding it and see what you can find." He offered, while discretely forming another Hiraishin Jutsu Shiki through the soles of his feet.

This was one way he tried to improve upon the Hiraishin, by placing jutsu shikis through his feet. It requires near perfect chakra control and it was impractical with his current mastery to be used effectively during battle, but perfect for a demonstration of his abilities.

The elderly Hokage tried to sense any ill-intent coming from the blonde. When finding none, he picked up the kunai and started to examine it. While to any normal observer, it would appear as any other regular kunai, but Hiruzen wasn't called 'the Professor' for nothing, as he sensed a trickle of chakra in the hilt of the blade and when he examined it, he noticed a seal engraved on it.

Upon closer inspection, Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock and recognition and was about to say something when he felt a shift in the air in front of him. His eyes caught sight of a flash of yellow, and then a split second later the kunai in his hands was gone. He looked up to see Naruto standing there, casually spinning the kunai with his fingers through the ring at the hilt, a smile on his face. The old leader didn't even have the chance to react!

Hiruzen staggered back in his seat slightly as he took in a shaky breath, not believing what he was seeing. "T-That was the…" he trailed off at the end, and he saw Naruto nod in affirmation.

"You thought right Jiji, that's was the Yondaime's prized jutsu, the Hiraishin." Naruto said, and he put away the kunai into his pocket, "I guess that answers your questions about my abilities?"

Hiruzen just nodded numbly, eyes and mind still not comprehending the things he they had seen and processed. But no matter how he saw it, it will always be the same — the boy, a young thirteen-year-old, had just performed an S-Rank Ninjutsu known to many and used only by one. But still, even if the boy proved that he could perform a jutsu that could destroy an entire army in under a minute, that still didn't automatically mean that he was from another dimension.

The old Kage needed more concrete proof than that, even though it was still very impressive.

Hiruzen composed himself from the shock of seeing a legendary jutsu performed by a young boy, "While that was very impressive indeed my young friend, that still doesn't automatically prove you're from another dimension." He explained skeptically. "Forgive me for being skeptical but I need more concrete proof than the Hiraishin to even begin to consider what you're telling me."

Naruto nodded in understanding.

"I figured you would say that, that's why I brought a second proof — my heritage." He said, becoming serious, "My birth name is Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto," the Hokage's eyes widened even further after that declaration, and his mind was going into shock. "But in order to protect me from my father's enemies, my world's you, the Sandaime Hokage, placed my name as Uzumaki Naruto, taking my mother's maiden name. I am also the Jinchuriki of the Kyūbi no Kitsune, the strongest of the Bijū. You also passed a law that states that whoever brought up the Kyūbi incident and that the Jinchuriki of the Kyūbi was me, you'll have them executed without trial for high treason."

Hiruzen slumped further in his seat, mind racing furiously as the facts listed by the boy was irrefutable.

"And judging by your reaction," Naruto continued, smiling slightly, "I'm guessing Naruko-chan was treated the same way? But from what I saw, she's living a happy life."

Hiruzen just nodded as a small smile graced his old features. "Yes, she is." He said happily, "The villagers have finally let go of their old hatreds and welcomed her with open arms. That was not the case several years ago when animosity towards the Kyūbi was still high," The old man chuckled, "It was because of her determination and goodwill to others that many had finally begun to see her as a kind, innocent girl who wants nothing more than your acknowledgement and friendship."

Naruto briefly wondered if that could happen to him, when he was younger, but he just shrugged it off. No point living in the past.

Hiruzen sighed, rubbing his temples as he did. "I think I don't need any more proof than that…"

Naruto nodded. "If you want, I can get a blood test from the hospital if you still want confirmation."

"No need, but it'll help with official documentation." Hiruzen replied, a thoughtful look on his wizened features. "From what I can tell the Hiraishin can only be used by Minato alone or one of his blood relatives, so that was all the proof I need." He stated, and he physically relaxed, drained physically and mentally from the events during the past few minutes. "I'm getting too old for this shit…"

"Well I'll be damned," Naruto said with a laugh. "Sarutobi Hiruzen finally admitted he's old!"

Hiruzen, despite the weariness, laughed along, albeit wearily. "You're just like Naruko-chan, always the troublemaker." He commented, earning him a cheeky grin from the blonde, which slowly turned into a sad smile. "Naruto?"

Suddenly, he was tackled by the young boy in a hug, and the old Kage slowly hugged him back. Despite meeting with Naruto only a few minutes ago, he already felt a sense of familiarity with the blonde, like how he felt with Naruko. Hiruzen smiled sadly as he felt the young boy tremble and shake in his hold, holding the old man in a strong grip, as if the boy was afraid he would disappear if he did.

Naruto sniffed as tears fell from his eyes. "This may sound weird since you've only just met me a few minutes ago," he said, voice cracking from the emotion. "But I've missed you terribly, Jiji …"

Hiruzen just smiled sadly, "I know…"

Despite not knowing his counterpart, the Sandaime could safely assume that the other him and Naruto had grown very close, much like how Hiruzen himself and Naruko were now. Even now, he already considered the boy as one of his own grandchildren, even if he had known him for only a few minutes.

A sudden thought broke Hiruzen out of his stupor as he spoke, "Naruto," the boy pulled back from the hug, "What do you mean by 'until you were thirteen'? Did something happen to me after you were thirteen?"

It was a valid question, because as far as he knew, Naruko was going thirteen this year and he himself was still quite spry for a man in his late 60s. What had happened, he couldn't help but wonder.

At his question, Naruto's mood became sorrowful and sad, and it broke the old Kage's heart. That was all the confirmation he needed know — he had seen that kind of look far too many times for his liking after the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars.

"I see," Hiruzen said, knowing full well what that expression meant. "Who did it?"

Naruto grimaced slightly. "What do you mean?"

Hiruzen gripped Naruto's shoulders tightly, forcing the boy to look up at him. "Who killed me, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto paused as he contemplated for second. If he told the Sandaime now about the events of the future, he could possibly tip off Black Zetsu and lose his Ace against Kaguya. But if he told only a select few of his plans, then it would be easier to control that information. But it would have to be a person that has his absolute trust — and the Sandaime was one of those people.

"Alright Jiji," Naruto started, voice deadly serious, "What I'm about to tell you must never leave this room. Period." At this, Hiruzen's eyes widened before nodding seriously, "This information could jeopardize the future of the Elemental Nations, and can only be told to a select few. Do you understand, Jiji?"

Hiruzen smiled. "Of course Naruto-kun,"

"Well if you break our pact I could just kill you." Naruto joked.

"You really believe that merely with the Hiraishin, you could take me on and kill me?" Hiruzen joked back with a challenging grin, which was mirrored by the young blonde moments later.

"You underestimate me Jiji," Naruto retorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest with a smirk. "I didn't become a shinobi without my 'particular set' of skills you know."

Hiruzen chuckled as he leaned forward. "And what would that be?"

In truth, he was curious about the blonde boy's abilities, as the Hiraishin alone already made him at low-Jōnin level.

A true prodigy indeed.

Naruto casually listed off his skills with his fingers. "One, I'm a Sage — I can utilize Natural Energy. Two, I have full cooperation of my tenant, who gives me a tremendous boost in my abilities. Three, I know a few dozen C-Rank and B-Rank jutsus, offense and defense — even though I rarely use them — and some A-Rank jutsus as well. Four, I'm immune to Genjutsu thanks to my tenant." He said, grinning cheekily as he finished with, "And Five, I'm just plain awesome!"

Throughout the explanation, Hiruzen's jaw dropped gradually as each of the skills was listed, and Naruto couldn't help but chuckle.

Of course, there was also the Rikudō Sennin Mōdo, but he needn't mention that.

Hiruzen shook his head in amusement and awe. "With those skills alone, you're basically a Kage-level shinobi in your own right!" he exclaimed, "You're still a Jinchuriki?"

Naruto nodded as he channeled chakra to his stomach, revealing the Hakke no Fūin Shiki (Eight Trigrams Seal).

Hiruzen chuckled as he leaned back in his seat, "I think I may just retire and give you my hat," he said with a laugh, "But that last point I beg to differ; Naruko-chan claims that she's more awesome than anyone else."

Naruto smirked. "Wanna bet?"

Hiruzen paled. "Oh, hell no — if your luck is anything like Naruko's, I'll be broke by the end of the day!"

Naruto laughed out loud at that. "You know it!"

After that, Naruto proceeded to explain his life and the major events that took place in extreme detail, right up until the Fourth Shinobi World War. After a lengthy, twenty minute discussion, Naruto finally sat back down and took a deep gulp of water to soothe his aching throat. The old Kage just sat behind his desk, letting the information sink in and be processed, and his expression was blank and unreadable. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Hiruzen finally spoke up, breaking it.

"So … the Progenitor of Chakra herself was responsible." The powerful Kage murmured, his expression grim. "Never in my long years as a shinobi have I heard such a ridiculous story but coming from you, I would very much believe it like I was actually there." The man chuckled as he rubbed his temples, "This is a lot to take in — who knew that world's coming to an end in just a few years?"

"I know, Jiji. Take your time." Naruto said with a sad smile. After all, it's not every day you were told about your death at the hands of your former student and the end of the world by a mere teenager. "Promise you won't do anything rash — at least consult with me first."

Hiruzen nodded as he stood up and gazed down at his beloved village. There, he saw citizens and shinobi milling about their daily lives. To think that this peaceful atmosphere would be shattered in the next few years was unimaginable. But, Hiruzen believed Naruto's story — he had seen the haunted look in the boy's cerulean orbs when he had elaborated on the war, a sight which very nearly broke the old man's heart. No boy as young as Naruto should possess that kind of look, the look of a battle-weary soldier who had seen too much.

The war was coming. They needed to prepare.

"I promise Naruto-kun. I won't do anything without consulting you first." the man said as he turned to face the young blonde, "Actually, I have a favor to ask of you."

"What is it?" Naruto asked eagerly.

Back in his time, the only times the Hokage asks a favor of him was always the most rewarding of them all, like free ramen or a field trip with the Hokage to the Monument to watch the sunset. It was both memorable and delighting, and Naruto missed those times with his first precious person.

Hiruzen walked to his desk and opened a drawer, and he fished out some papers and began to write something down. After finishing, he handed them to Naruto. "Give this to one of the Academy instructors." He instructed, as Naruto took the paper from his hand. "They'll give you a test and proceed to make you a Genin. And when that's done, one of these days, come find me where we can test your true skills," The old man explained, and Naruto nodded with a smile.

He was getting his rank back. He may be still a Genin when he 'left' his old world, it still stung his pride for being the only one along with Sasuke out of the Konoha 12 to still remain as a Genin for so long.

"And also, this…" The Hokage handed a second paper to him, and the young blonde's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets when he read them.

These were Konoha's official adoption papers, and it listed him as one of the guardians.

The Hokage chuckled at the boy's reaction, who just stared back at him in disbelief. "Yes Naruto-kun, I'm asking you to officially adopt Naruko-chan as your younger sister." He said, holding up his hand to halt Naruto's impending question. "And before you ask, it's completely legal as you are officially an adult once you receive your Genin rank. And, since it is beyond question that you would certainly pass the test, I foresee no problems with my proposal."

Naruto slowly looked up at him, eyes pleading with emotion and uncertainty. "B-But… am I ready for this?" the boy asked, suddenly unsure of himself, and Hiruzen had never seen the confident and strong young boy this vulnerable ever since he met him. "All I really wanted was a family to call my own… but what if I can't protect her like how I can't protect my people back home? What if—?"

"Naruto!" the Hokage said sternly, making Naruto flinch slightly, and Hiruzen sighed. "If you keep on doubting yourself again, you'll never be able to move on with your life ever again." A brief memory of a blonde woman with brown eyes and wearing a green jacket suddenly flashed across his eyes, and Hiruzen let out a sad sigh, "Ask yourself not 'what ifs', ask yourself 'what is'. What is going to happen if you back down? What is going to happen if you don't move on and be stronger than you were yesterday? How can you protect those close to you if you can't save you… from yourself?"

The Hokage's words struck a chord deep within Naruto's consciousness, and he mentally berated himself for forsaking his own nindō, his shinobi way. 'Never give up, never back down, keep striving and enduring.' That's the basis for his very way of life. Shaking his head to clear them of negative thoughts, Naruto took a deep breath and sighed.

He looked up at the Hokage who was looking at him in concern, "Thank you Jiji. You really are the wisest Kage in the Elemental Nations."

Hiruzen chuckled as he knelt in front of him. "You're wiser than you think Naruto, so don't worry about it too much." The old man stated, and he smiled as he stood up, "I expect you to be well-behaved when she becomes your sister." Naruto nodded seriously as he held the quill, ready to sign his name onto the contract, "I don't want to be a great-grandfather so soon, so take it slow."

Naruto immediately spluttered as his face became tomato red as he glared at the old man. "W-What the hell Sarutobi, how can you even suggest that?!"

"Well, I maybe old but I'm certainly not senile," Hiruzen replied with a grin, "I've seen how you two act — don't tell me a growing boy like you hadn't even taken a slight interest with such a beautiful girl like Naruko-chan?"

"W-Well, m-maybe a little…" Naruto stammered with a mock glare, inside his mind a certain fox was laughing up a storm, much to his chagrin. "But that's not the point here. Don't push it or I'll burn your Icha Icha Collection!"

Hiruzen paled slightly, before a grin replaced it.

"As Hokage, I can ban the sale of ramen in and out of the village for the rest of the year."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Only if you stay away from my collection."

The two of them stared intently into each other's eyes, neither of them flinching as they held their gaze. The staring contest continued, and one could see sparks flying between them. A tense silence followed, before both of them suddenly broke out in laughter.

Naruto laughed as he wiped the tears from his eyes, "Alright, alright you win Jiji."

The wizened Kage chuckled as he smiled. "I always to do that with Naruko-chan, and she always gives in just as easily as you did when I threatened to take away her ramen."

Naruto just grinned. "I was going easy on you old man, wouldn't want you bursting a vein or something." He said with a chuckle. Naruto signed the contract and handed it back to Hiruzen, who scanned it over one final time before nodding.

"Okay. We're done. Naruko-chan is now officially your sister… if I can break it to her that is." He stated with a small smile, "I trust you tell her about her own heritage?"

"Hai Jiji," Naruto said seriously, "I'll tell her when she's ready."

"I'm sure she'll surprise you Naruto-kun, she's not unpredictable for nothing you know. And judging by the way she looked at you when she walked out the door…" the powerful man chuckled at the blonde male's blush, "I think she'll accept the arrangement just fine."

The Sandaime then did a few hand signs and the privacy seal was dropped. "Only a few minutes has passed in the real world, so Naruko-chan should be back right about… now."

And sure enough the burgundy doors burst open to reveal the young girl with a happy smile on her face. "Hey Jiji, I'm back!" Naruko shouted before she noticed her friend in the room. "Hey Naruto-kun! So how did your talk with Jiji go?"

Naruto nodded with a kind smile. "It's all good. Hokage-sama allowed me to join the shinobi corps if I pass a certain test."

The excited girl was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet at the news, "That's great! That means you get to come with us on missions!" she said excitedly, causing the two other occupants of the room to chuckle at her exuberance.

Unbeknown to Naruto, this was the side which the girl only displayed to her closest people.

She then noticed a paper in Naruto's hands, and she decided to ask, "What's that you're holding Naruto-kun?"

Naruto looked down at the object in question and grinned as he handed it to her, which she took and started to read. "Why don't you take a look for yourself?" he offered as he waited for the girl to finish.

Naruko started to read out loud as she scanned the paper. "I, as Hokage of Konoha, declare that one Uzumaki Naruko would officially be… a-adopted," she stumbled over the words, not believing what she was reading, and she continued despite the growing feeling of hope in her heart, "And be put under the care of one… U-U-Uzumaki N-Naruto?!"

Her eyes widened exponentially as she looked up at her friend-turned-family member, tears slowly welling in her eyes as she dropped the paper she was reading in shock. Her hands slowly came up to cover her mouth as she couldn't believe what was happening to her right now. Her silent plea for Naruto to miraculously be her family member had finally come true, and she was overwhelmed with emotion.

Naruto stepped forward and placed a hand on one of her shoulders, making her watery eyes look up at him and into his beautiful azure orbs. There she saw compassion, understanding and… love, unconditional love for her and the silent message that he would never leave her alone again, no matter how impossible it may seem. She thanked whoever that was above for letting her stumble upon Naruto in the first place, and for that she was forever grateful.

She sniffed as she looked up at Naruto, eyes watery and puffy. "O-Onii-chan…"

The blonde boy just smiled even wider when he heard the words he wanted to hear ever since he had found out Naruko shared his blood. "Yes Naruko-chan, I am your onii-chan. From now on and forever." He said, grinning as he did. "So, you better get used to me around here!"

Naruko just cried even harder.

"O-Onii-chan…" She couldn't take it any longer as she tackled her new brother in a bone-crushing hug, making both of them fall unceremoniously to the floor. "Onii-chan!" she cried out in happiness, and Naruto just hugged her back tighter as he laughed while she cried into his chest.

Hiruzen just looked on with a warm smile on his face. He knew that the appearance of Naruto would forever change Naruko's, and quite possibly the entire world as they knew it. The old man couldn't help but look forward to the future.

'This is the start of something ... truly beautiful.'

~ D ~ R ~

THE END

Phew, now that's done and out of the way. How do you like it so far? Good? Bad? Boring? Anything, just review the story.

Note: rewritten as of December 12th, 2015.

REVIEWS ARE LOVE.

HEIROFROHAN signing off

PEACE!