[Hokage's Office]
Hiruzen Sarutobi was currently in his office and burried up to his eyeballs in paperwork. One of the downsides of being the Hokage was all the papers that needed your signature and seal of approval. The Third really wanted to find a new successor to fill the role of Godaime Hokage because most of his days would end after signing hundreds of papers and he'd be going home with cramps in his wrist, throbbing eyes and a headache. The poor man was sixty one years old now and really hoped by now that he wouldn't have to continue doing this work anymore. He had hoped that by now he'd be enjoying a nice and easygoing retirement like playing board games with his friends or spending time with his family and loved ones. Sadly, he rarely had time for any of that.
Instead, he now spends half his time at his desk signing papers while the other half of the time, he'd have to mediate meetings between various clans within the village and listen to them all argue over who's money is the shiniest or who's clan is the most spoiled. The sort of thing that made him want a nice strong drink and then a good long nap. This was one of the reasons why he really wished he could have given his life to save Konoha instead of Minato and Kushina. No matter how he looks at it, he blames himself for what happened to the Yondaime Hokage and his wife. Not only did he believe that it should be better for the old to die then the young because by now, he's led a good life, but Minato's reign had lasted only a few years before he was killed.
The Hokage had just finished signing the last piece of paper on his desk when there came a knock at the door. "Come in." he replied, silently praying that it wasn't another load of paperwork. The door opened and in walked a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a chunin vest. "Ah, Misa glad to see you again." he greeted with a smile, also glad to see that she wasn't carrying another load of paperwork.
The young woman smiled before responding. "It is good to see you again as well Hokage-Sama." she replied. "I hope I am not bothering you." she added.
"No not at all." he told her, getting up from his chair. "In fact, I had just finished some paperwork and was about to go and get some sushi for lunch." he explained.
"I would have thought that you'd be more eager to see Tsunade-Sama now that she's returned." she replied.
This surprised Hiruzen without a doubt. "Tsunade has come back?" he asked. "When was this?" he asked her, cracking a smile.
"She actually arrived a few hours ago Hokage-Sama." she answered. "Our men stationed at the gates didn't recognize her at first glance so we didn't even know she returned until just now." she explained.
"Well, this is wonderful news." he responded smiling. "I should very much like to see my old student again. Do you know where she is now?" he asked her.
"She's currently at the Konoha General Hospital." she answered.
His smile then dropped hearing that. "The Hospital? Why would she be there? Is she alright?" he asked.
"Tsunade-Sama is fine Hokage-Sama." she answered. "But she's been working for several hours on a patient in the Emergency Room." she told him.
"I see." he replied, looking down for a moment. Tsunade was a medical genius and one of the most skilled doctors/medical ninja on Earth. If someone needed attention, she couldn't ignore her Hippocratic Oath. "Who has she been attending to?" he asked her.
Misa was quiet for a moment before replying. "The Fox Child, Hokage-Sama." she answered.
This alarmed Hiruzen at hearing that. "Naruto was injured?! Why hasn't anybody told me?!" he asked worriedly.
"I apologize Sir, but I only learned it was Naruto shortly after I learned of Tsunade-Sama's return." she told him. "She's still there now, if you wish to speak with her." she told him.
Hiruzen huffed and then hardened his look towards the young woman before him. "Tell Danzo that there's a Traitor among the Anbu Black Ops." he ordered. "I want to know who was supposed to be guarding Naruto and why he ended up in the Hospital." he ordered.
Misa bowed her head and then stood up straight before replying. "Yes Hokage-Sama." and like that she was out the door, leaving Hiruzen alone in his office.
Hiruzen's hardened look then changed to a saddened one before letting out a tired sigh. 'Minato, Kushina, please forgive me for the harm that has befallen your Son' he prayed. 'And please forgive the village too. They act only out of fear, not hatred.' he added.
[Konoha General Hospital]
Tsunade and her apprentice Shizune were working frantically on the boy that she found on the streets in the market square in the ER. Both of them were multi tasking from trying to regulate both his breathing and blood pressure to repairing the internal and external damage that was done to him. Whoever beat this poor boy left him in the worse shape she'd ever seen someone his age. His right arm and leg were broken with his wrist also completely shattered. He had multiple cracks and breaks all over his rib cage and to make matters worse, several ribs were forced inward which punctured several vital organs including his left lung which caused it to collapse, his liver and stomach. He also had a broken sternum and jaw as well as a severe concussion.
Although surprised at first by the strange chakra she discovered when she began the operation, she was at least glad that it helped to repair the damage to his small and fragile body. Truth told, he was actually lucky to have it because that was one of the reasons he was able to make it as long as he did. If he didn't have the aid of this strange healing chakra, the poor boy probably wouldn't have made it. Once she finished operating, she and Shizune were able to breath much easier when they saw his breathing and heartbeat had stabilized. She took a step back to look him over. The poor kid was now on an iron lung and a heart monitor to show that his vitals were strong and functioning. All she could do now was watch and wait til he woke up from his coma.
Tsunade and Shizune stepped out of the ER and into the hallway once the boy's vitals were stable. Tsunade walked over to the bench that was outside the room and took a seat so she could rest. Shizune noticed that her teacher looked very tired.
"Tsunade-Sama, can I get you anything to drink from the vending machine?" she offered.
"If they have any green tea, that would be nice, thank you." she replied.
Shizune nodded her head and walked off with Tonton following her, leaving Tsunade alone to catch her breath. While she sat, she overheard some teenage girls talking in the distance. Years of shinobi training can really sharpen your senses and it was important to improve sight, smell and hearing for when you're about to go on a life a missions and such. As she listened in, she grew more and more disgusted from hearing these girls obviously talking about the boy.
"Why in the world would she bring that, "Thing" here?" asked one of them to her friend.
"I have absolutely no idea." she replied. "I can only guess she's not from around here because if she even a clue what "It" was, she probably wouldn't wanna come within a hundred yards of it, let alone bring it to the Hospital and preform surgery on it." she said in a nasty kinda voice, talking about him like he wasn't even human.
This really made her sick to her stomach. What did that poor boy do to deserve being beaten within inches of his life and be left on the streets to die? She had half a mind to walk up there and kick their skinny little asses when Shizune returned with some drinks.
"Green tea Tsunade-Sama." said Shizune with a smile, only for it to vanish when she saw her mentor's scowl. "Is there something wrong?" she asked her.
Tsunade took the can of tea and popped it open. "Nothing Shizune, just ignorance." she replied before taking a sip.
Shizune then took a seat to have her drink too as well as feed Tonton her treats. The both of them would sit quietly for a moment while Tsunade kept her eyes on the boy who slept in the ER. After a few more minutes, Shizune broke the ice.
"So, what are we gonna do about him Tsunade-Sama?" she asked her.
The blonde medic sighed and brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose before responding. "I honestly don't really know." she told her. "I wanna find out who this Boy's Parents are and inform them of what happened to him and then figure out why Sensei would let this happen." she explained.
That was when they both heard foot steps approaching. Both ladies turn with Shizune smiling and Tsunade scowling at the sight of Konoha's Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Hokage-Sama, it's so very nice to see you again." Shizune greeted happily with a bow.
The old man smiled and took his pipe from his mouth. "And it is good to see you once again Shizune. I see that you've grown into a lovely young woman." he commented.
Tsunade stood up and walked over to address her old sensei. "Sensei." she said finally.
"I was surprised to hear that you returned to Konoha Tsunade." he told her. "The last time I spoke with you, you said that you never wanted to come back again for as long as you drew breath." he added before smiling. "But when I heard that you came home, I can't tell you how happy it made me." he finished.
"And how did it make you feel when you heard about this poor Boy I found laying injured in the middle of the road?" she asked, crossing her arms. "Did you even hear about that?" she asked as well.
Hiruzen's smile vanished when she asked that. He sighed and turned to look into the room where her patient was now comatose. "This was never supposed to happen to him." he said sadly. "I had him under close guard so something like this wouldn't happen to him." he added.
"Who is he?" Tsunade asked. "And do his Parent know what happened yet?" she asked him as well.
Hiruzen turned around to face her again. "The Boy's name is Naruto Uzumaki." he answered. "And I'm afraid he doesn't have any Parents, the Boy is an orphan." he informed her.
"I see." she replied. "He's a Jinchuuriki, isn't he?" she asked him. Hiruzen was quiet for a moment after hearing the question. "If you were hoping to hide it, then you're not doing a very good job. While I worked on him, I noticed a second chakra that was helping to repair the damage done to his body. I'm well aware that Jinchuuriki have rare and unique abilities because of the Biju that are sealed away within them and healing factors are some of those abilities." she explained.
"Naruto is the Host of the Kyuubi No Kitsune." he replied. "I'm sure you're well aware of Konoha's tradition of choosing someone of the Uzumaki Clan to be the Kyuubi's Host." he told her.
"I haven't forgotten that Sensei." she said back. "The first two Hosts were Uzumaki's, one of them was my own Grandmother. What I find out of the ordinary is that this time, the Host for the Fox is a boy. Most of the time, they were girls." she observed.
"Naruto's case is a very special one." Hiruzen replied. "Both of his parents died during the Kyuubi attack five years ago and he was the only one available for the role. It was a regrettable decision to make, but we were all desperate to save the village. The Yondaime Hokage died hoping that Naruto would be venerated as a Hero for taking on such a heavy burden for the sake of the village, willing or unwilling." he explained.
At this point, Tsunade had heard enough and pointed at the poor boy in anger. "Does that look anything to you like the people think of or treat him as a Hero?!" she shouted. "When I found him, he had a broken arm with a completely shattered wrist, a broken leg and foot, over a dozen broken ribs that were forced inward which punctured several organs including his stomach, liver and one of his lungs. He also had a broken sternum and a severe head concussion. All the while, people were walking around and avoiding him like he was just litter on the side of the road. Even with his body's healing factor, had I not acted as quickly as I did, he probably wouldn't have made it. Does that sound like the sort of treatment a Hero deserves?!" she finished.
The old man sighed after looking over to Naruto again. "No." he replied. "The Fourth and I both overestimated the village, thinking they'd simply believe that Naruto was a Hero if we told them that. Instead, they act out against him this way like they always do around Jinchuuriki. I've even passed a law that forbids anybody under penalty of death from speaking of the Kyuubi. I had hoped that would allow a younger generation to be brought up without knowing the truth and then he'd be able to find acceptance." he said sadly before turning back to his student. "But there are still too many from the previous generation who openly teach their children to hate him. And now, the Anbu Guard I had watching him abandon's their post and Naruto pays the price." he finishes.
Tsunade shakes her head and places her hands on her hips. "Sensei, this isn't enough." she told him. "Naruto is a young child and cannot continue looking after himself. He needs proper care from a family. At the very least, why haven't you tried putting him in an orphanage?" she asked, remembering how Konoha had several built for children who lost their parents during the ninja wars.
"He did start out at one of them." he replied. "When Naruto was two, I removed him from the care of a nursemaid among the Sarutobi Clan as I was supposed to and had given him over to one of our village's orphanages. He, was there for only a few years and then ran away when he was four. When I found him, I learned that he was being abused and neglected by both the staff and the other children who've driven him away." he told her.
Tsunade sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose before crossing her arms. "Well, there has to be something you can do for him." she said. "Is there another orphanage you could place him in?" she asked.
"I've tried several other orphanages as well as several foster family programs, but nobody was willing to take him." he replied. "Tsunade, I may be Hokage, but I can't force someone to take him against their will so the apartment I have him at is the best I can do." he told her.
"I don't believe that." she snapped back. "There has to be something." she added.
"What other options are there? Nobody who is suitable is willing to take him and even the people who are willing can't be trusted." he told her.
Without even thinking, Tsunade finally said "I'll take him." There was a long and awkward silence between the three of them. Hiruzen just stood there with wide eyes and a pipe in his mouth while Shizune was dumbfounded by her mentor's words. Even Tsunade, although not showing it, couldn't really believe that she just said it. "I mean it. You want somebody to take better care of Naruto, I'll do it. I will take Naruto into my Family and raise him as my own Son." she stated.
Hiruzen was quiet for a few more minutes before sending out a ripple of chakra to signal his bodyguards. "Hokage-Sama." said two Anbu who flahed in bowing their heads and on one knee. One was a young man with silver colored hair wearing an Inu mask while their other was a young woman with violet colored hair and wearing a Neko mask.
"Naruto Uzumaki is within this room. I want both of you to stand guard over him while he sleeps while I speak with Tsunade in private." he instructed.
"Yes Sir." they both replied. They then got up and walked over to the door where Naruto lay resting. The man entered and closed the door behind him while the woman remained outside.
"Tsunade, Shizune, if you would follow me." he requested with both ladies following the Hokage into another room. Once the door was locked, he turned to speak once more. "I hope you understand that if I say yes to this, you won't be able to leave Konoha with him, right Tsunade?" he asked.
She sighed in annoyance from hearing that. "I take it that the Council will not allow him to leave the village?" she asked.
"I don't like having to force him to stay anymore than you do, but a day may come when we will need his power to defend ourselves and Naruto is our only Jinchuuriki." he answered.
"He is not a weapon, he's a human child!" she yelled.
"I am sorry Tsunade, but Naruto has to stay." he replied calmly. "As the Hokage, the village's protection is always a far higher priority. Personal feelings cannot sway this judgment. If I were to agree to let you take him, Naruto's life would be in grave danger. There are those who'd try to take him for the Fox's power or he could even accidentally unleash the Fox himself and put the village in danger too and that is something I cannot allow." he finished.
Tsunade calmed back down and crossed her arms again. "Okay, so can I adopt Naruto?" she asked him.
"I still need to know if you're the best person for the job Tsunade." he replied.
She then smirked and placed her hands on her hips. "Do you think I don't have what it takes Sensei? Do you doubt that I can handle a child?" she asked him.
"It's not your qualifications that are in question Tsunade, it's your motivations." he replied. "I need to know for certain that you are trustworthy of raising Naruto and depending on what your answer is, I may have to refuse another adoption request for him." he explained.
Her confident smirk vanished and her hands dropped to her hips from hearing that. "You mean there have been people who've wanted to adopt him?" she asked.
"You're not the first person to ask me for permission to adopt him Tsunade, you're only the most recent." he answered. "There have been a number of people who've come forward and requested permission to adopt him into their families and do to, compelling reasons, I've had to refuse them all." he told her.
"Well, who else has asked for him?" she asked.
"The first to do so was Tsume Inuzuka of the Inuzuka Clan." he started. "Shortly after her, Shibi and Shinobu of the Aburame Clan asked for him as well. I've also been visited by Inoichi and Makino Yamanaka, Shikaku and Yoshino Nara and Choza and Choko Akimichi. The last people to come and ask me were Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha as well as Hiashi and Hitomi Hyuuga. Neither of them were able to meet the requirements so I've had to refuse them all. So I ask you Tsunade, why do you think you're worthy of him?" he asked her finally.
Tsunade was at a complete and total loss of words. What kind of game was Sarutobi-Sensei playing? She knew each of these clans and any one of them would have been more than enough to take care of a child. The Inuzukas were actually famous for taking orphans or "Strays" as they call them right off the streets. It wasn't unusual for the Aburame Clan to adopt children either and nor was it uncommon for the Yamanakas, the Naras or the Akimichis. What really surprised her was that even the very powerful and influential Uchiha and Hyuuga Clans wanted to adopt him and that's actually rare. And why would he refuse? If Naruto were to be adopted by either of these families, he be recognized as a noble, Jinchuuriki or not.
She then felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see the Hokage again. "Tsunade, I would like you to sleep on this question before you give me your answer." he told her. "You'll find the Senju Compound is still intact with your house the way you left it." he explained.
"Did you, know I was coming back one day?" she asked him.
"I know you said originally that you never wanted to return, but I thought that if you ever decided to change your mind, I'd make sure you had a proper welcome back." he said with a smile.
She smiled at that. It was just like him to never give up hope for her or any of his students. "Alright, I'll think on it and then give you my answer." she told him.
"Then I would like you to come to my office tomorrow at noon and we'll talk then." he replied. He then headed to the door but stopped once he opened it. "And Tsunade, please really think about why you want this. I would really hate to have to say no to another adoption request." he finished before heading out the door.
[Later That Day]
Tsunade and Shizune would spend the rest of the day cleaning up her old house so it would be in a state fit to be seen and livable. It wasn't terrible mind you, but it did need a woman's touch to make it nice and clean again. There was a layer of dust all over the place and the smell of must from the years of nobody living here. Once the place was nice and clean, the both of them had a nice dinner together. Shizune noticed that she poured herself a glass of sake and spoke up about it.
"Tsunade-Sama, I think it's okay for tonight if you wanna have a drink or two, but if the Hokage says yes and lets you adopt Naruto, you're gonna have to really cut back on the drinking. The gambling too." she added.
Tsunade sighed and put her drink back down. "Right, I forgot I gotta prove that I can be a capable and responsible Mother for him." she replied.
Once dinner was done, Tsunade took a nice long and hot shower before changing into her night cloths, wishing Shizune and Tonton goodnight and then heading to bed. For a couple of hours, she'd actually have trouble getting to sleep. She still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that other families did come forward and request permission to adopt Naruto and the Hokage refused them all. Why would he say no? What did they lack in what he was hoping for Naruto? And what could she say to convince the Hokage to convince him? There was also something else bothering her too. She offered to adopt him right on the spot without even really thinking about it at all. Why did she want this so badly? Why did she want to be his mother?
These things she would ponder for a little while longer until she finally fell asleep and remain so for the rest of the night under the soft silk covers of her bed. Tomorrow, she was gonna have to answer Sarutobi's question and convince him that she was suited to be a proper guardian for Naruto. She had to think of an answer to give him by noon.
[Anbu HQ]
The Hokage would arrive in the middle of the night to the Anbu Black Ops Headquarters to address the very issue involving why Naruto was beaten within inches of his life and why his chosen bodyguard wasn't there to save him. The double doors would open up and allow him entry to the dark and secure base where the villages Anbu Black Ops would operate. Upon entering the hallways, he'd be greeted by his fellow elders Homura, Koharu and Danzo. The four of them would then head into a room where the only light was a single window that let the moonlight in. All four elders would take seats behind a desk to act as judges for the trial. There were a half dozen other Anbu around the room and up on a platform was the convict herself.
Her armor had been stripped from her uniform so she was only wearing the black cloth shirt, pants and her shinobi sandals. She was a woman somewhere in her thirties with brown hair and eyes. She was covered in bruises all over including a black eye and a real nasty cut on her forehead causing blood to ooze down the side of her face. She had her hands tied tightly behind her back, a chakra tag on her chest which sealed away her chakra so she couldn't preform any escape jutsu and a noose around her neck. Judging by the sever beating she received from her fellow Anbu and the rope around her neck, it was clear she was facing serious criminal charges and a death penalty would be the punishment.
She only watched and glared at the Hokage with hatred in her eyes while he and the elders would read the files presented to them. After a short while, Danzo was the first to speak up.
"Yuriko Oyama, you have been charged with Desertion and Abandoning your Post. These crimes carry much weight because they endanger the village and everyone within. By law, this is an act of Treason and the punishment is Death. How do you plead?" he asked her.
First she turned her head to the side and spat some blood from her mouth before looking back to the Hokage again. "If you had any idea what I had to endure, you'd acknowledge that my actions were justified." she answered.
"Elaborate." said Homura.
"Five years ago, I lost my Husband and Son when the Nine Tailed Fox Demon went on a rampage and killed them." she began. "They died during the conflict, trying to save as many people as they could. The only reason I was spared from the carnage was because I was still on medical leave and looking after my Daughter who was born only a week before the attack. My Husband died trying to recover our Son's body and he was only twelve, having just graduated from the academy before he was killed. When I first saw there bodies, I could barely even recognize them. We couldn't even have an open casket for the funeral because they were so badly broken. And all this time, I've had to raise my last child all on my own." she cried.
"But then why did you abandon your Post?" asked Koharu.
"Because you all had the nerve to have me guard that miserable little monster." she shouted back. "For years I came forward and begged for justice so that my dead Husband and Son could finally rest in peace and you have always refused. So when some civilians came forward to finally do what this whole village has wanted for the longest time, I let them. And as I watched them beat that little bastard to a bloody pulp, I felt a feeling a satisfaction I haven't felt in such a long time." she concluded.
"So you have no regrets for you actions then?" asked Danzo.
"If I have any regrets at all, it's that I couldn't kill him myself." she answered.
It was then Hiruzen finally spoke up. "Yuriko, I am sorry for the lose of you Husband and Son. The deaths of our loved ones hurts us all, but you were given an order for an important assignment and you deserted your Post. Every job in the Anbu Black Ops is very important and crucial for the security of the village and by abandoning your Post, you put everyone in danger." he told her.
"To Hell with you." she snapped back. "And to Hell with the rest of the Council too." she added.
"I will give you one final chance to reconcile Yuriko." he replied calmly.
"If I was faced with the same decision again and knowing where I'd end up, I do it all over again." she told him.
"You sound so very sure of that." he replied.
"I fought and I lost. And now I rest." she finished. The Hokage looked over to another Anbu who placed his hand on a lever. Before it was pulled, she spoke one final time. "What of my Daughter?" she asked him.
"We'll see to it that she's taken care of." Danzo answered. "The Foundation has taken many orphans in the past and your child will become it's newest member." he told her.
And with that, the elders watched as the lever was pulled which triggered some ropes and pulleys to activate. The ropes that were attached began to tighten and then pulled the rope which then hoisted Yuriko off the platform up by her neck. They then watched as she gagged and gasped while flailing and kicking from the blood flow being cut off and the lack of air. After a minute, she was finally dead. Her now lifeless eyes hung open as she simply swayed back and forth on the gallows. That was when the four of them got back up and made their way out the door to go home. Danzo would be the last to exist the room and would turn back to give one final order to the Anbu left in the room.
"Get rid of the body." he told them.
[Author's Notes] So yeah, I've gotten a ton of people begging me to hurry up and update it and with another holiday around the corner, I figured what the hell? Anyways, thank you all so much for reading my stories, please leave me either a Review or a PM as I love getting them and let me know what you think as well as share any thoughts and ideas.
This is Dragon1990 saying Happy 4th of July!