Garnetio Solozari with the second chapter of Nature's Prince and let me just say that this took a hell of a lot longer than I had anticipated. I've been suffering a mixture of emotional stress, writer's block, and physical ailments that I am almost positive none of you care about, so I will skip that part.
For now, let me explain a little about something you might find interesting… I had to rewrite this whole chapter after having completed about eleven thousand words on the first draft. I got to the end of it and just felt… like it was wrong, and I had to redo it. See, I want things to go slowly, but I also don't want things to get boring or stale, and then there is the issue of ramming headfirst into idiotic clichés that will put all of you to sleep.
Anyway, I am happy with how this rewrite came out, and I hope you enjoy it too.
ALL WARNINGS FROM CHAPTER ONE ARE STILL IN EFFECT! DO NOT FLAME ABOUT ANYTHING THAT I WAS PERFECTLY CLEAR ABOUT AT THE BEGINNING OF CHAPTER ONE, I DON'T NEED THAT NEGATIVITY IN MY LIFE! READ ONLY IF YOU FIND NO QUARREL WITH THE THEMES, IDEAS, AND PLOT OF THIS FANFICTION! THANK YOU SENPAIS!
Feel free to leave reviews with suggestions for weapon specializations, team placements, relationship suggestions, Original Character designs (fairies only), and of course technique suggestions. I love to get the community involved in building a great story!
Also, to answer some questions, I got inspiration for names and ideas from Celtic and Gaelic myths, and the idea for this story came from God knows where, but it felt like particularly untouched territory, so here we are.
As the sun is wont to do, eventually it must always break over the eastern sky to bring about a new day. With the birth of a new day stirs life across the land, even as those who walk the night settle in to sleep the day away. The first to rouse are the birds who seek the prize of the early morning feast, and their song brings to life those who must rise to ready their minds and bodies for the work that is to come. From the lowest farmers, to the Daimyo himself, no man can escape the duties of each day. Namikaze Minato was one such man, and his duties were so many that he must be up before the famers, and before the beasts of night go to rest their weary souls, and before the song birds chorus in the new day.
The responsibilities of wearing the hat, the hat, could keep Kami herself on her toes, and even she would need a personal assistant. Being the enthusiastic leader that he was, his duties began at four each morning. His secretary would leave a "small" collection of paperwork for him to read through upon his arrival each morning. For three hours the scratching of pen on paper would be the only sound to echo through the halls like the haunting melody of angry spirits of Hokage past. By seven in the morning the paperwork will have been completed, and just in time to meet with the day's on-duty ANBU to brief them on their instructions for the day. The efficiency of ANBU is such that he can be very brief, usually ending the meetings within a half hour, giving him time to have a small breakfast.
Barely able to finish off the last sip of his lukewarm green tea, by then the staff will have all arrived to officially start their day. At five minutes passed eight his secretary would come to collect his finished paperwork, only to deliver a fresh set while blushing and stuttering out an apology when he would groan. He would dismiss the chuunin with a friendly smile and assurances that he wasn't so much bothered by her as much as the paperwork she was forced to deliver. The new paperwork would consume his soul until approximately fifteen minutes passed ten, at which time Sarutobi Hiruzen, the retired Third Hokage, would drop by to offer his free time to help in the Mission Office, which Minato would eagerly accept in favor of spending that precious time helping with his daughters' training.
Arriving back at the mansion around half passed ten he would be forced to have a proper meal by his beloved wife Kushina, which would give his daughters time to bombard him with questions. He welcomed the chance to bond with his little ones before having to drill them into the ground for the next few hours. By half passed eleven the family would all go outside to get some fresh air, and the drills would begin. Training the girls was simple, and their enthusiasm made it a truly wonderful experience. Every other day he would run the girls through something physical, and on the other days he would take his wife's place working with their spiritual training. He was hard pressed to decide which he preferred, but as long as he was able to be with his family then it didn't matter. He would even endure trying to keep their attention through a history lesson as long as it was time spent with his angels.
His duties to the village would not suffer during his time at home. At all times he would have ANBU stationed near his office to alert him of emergencies, and his Flying Thunder God technique allowed him instantaneous transportation to any corner of the village at any given time thanks to a seal array he had spent months putting together prior to his inauguration as the new Fourth Hokage. The only real duty he would neglect would be the paperwork, but whatever accumulated during this time would be taken care of the next morning. Training with the family would end around four in the afternoon. By then Kushina would have an itch to cook up a full dinner, which Minato would gladly assist her in making if the woman didn't beat him away with a tightly wound dish towel.
With nothing to do until her meal was prepared, Minato would return to his office to receive a report about the day's events after his departure, the results of any examinations at the academy, and any reports at Mission Administration that Hiruzen felt he needed to review personally so that he could act accordingly as the current Hokage. With peace time came a lack of high profile missions, which resulted in less high profile reports from his shinobi forces. Of course the occasional incident would require him to be debriefed by his men and women in person, but more often than not a simple written report was more than satisfactory.
After reviewing Hiruzen's suggestions he would sort through any Academy results that were brought to him so that he could further analyze the next crop of potential shinobi. Team placement was a much more involved process than many believed. Over the course of years data was accumulated into files that were then analyzed by the top Jonin in Konoha in order to get their assessments and suggestions. The next step involved going to the Jonin Commander to go over the current numbers of specialized ninja in the village. Based on the information gathered by the Chuunin instructors and the assessment of the Elite Jonin, the Hokage and Jonin Commander could more easily configure team templates for the next round of Jonin Sensei to choose from, and eventually build teams with. Often times there was a balanced enough selection so that each team had separate goals and specializations, but there were rare groups that would see two or more teams fitting into the same template due to a loss of capable shinobi in those fields.
Minato would have made short work of the reports by the time his wife was set to serve dinner. Teleportation allowed him the liberty to take his time and finish up his work without a need to rush at the last second. Kushina would have him sit down like he was a child the moment he returned, but she meant well enough that he could laugh it off. The family would sit down to another amazing meal while his daughters would go on and gush about the things they were planning to do the next morning with their friends. It was heartwarming to see them so happy, so carefree…
After dinner things would speed by in a blur. His wife would clean up the kitchen, and he would help regardless of the motherly glare he would get from her. The girls would go to their rooms to play, likely drowning in the toys they would often get in the mail from their wayward Godfather from places unknown. He would go to his office to brief the night ANBU who would guard the Hokage Office and his mansion. Kushina would wrangle him into some alone time before he could shower, and then it was off to bed to start again the next day. Some would call it hell, others would call it tedious, and his current Jonin Commander would call it "troublesome," but he called it paradise.
Namikaze Minato was well into his morning ritual of seeing to the large packet of paperwork that he often fantasized would someday end when a small change to his daily routine arrived in the form of an unexpected visitor. The knocking was familiar, so even at the ungodly hour of five in the morning he felt comfortable granting access with a quick and clear "Enter." Sure enough, his lips curved up into a smile as he saw the familiar dog mask that his former student wore to conceal his identity while on duty. As the man walked in he seemed to have a sort of… hesitation to his step that concerned Minato, if only a little. Usually the young man walked with a confidence that bordered on cocky, and a swagger that caught the attention of more than one feisty kunoichi. When he stopped he saluted as was his place as a member of ANBU addressing their leader.
"Hokage-sama, forgive my intrusion at this hour. I wanted to speak with you in private. I have the rest of my team keeping a close eye on your compound while I am here." Dog-kun knew to assure Minato that his duties to protect the Namikaze family weren't being ignored while he sought out this meeting.
Satisfied with his explanation, Minato nodded while smiling a bit more at the dutiful actions of his former student, "I expected nothing less, but thank you for your assurances. By all means, what would you like to discuss?"
The dog masked ANBU shifted his weight from one foot to the other a few times while gathering the spirit to make his request, "Hokage-sama, I would like to request a temporary retirement from ANBU to serve as a Special Jonin for at least two years."
Whatever Minato was expecting this was most certainly not it, and judging from the uncomfortable stance his ANBU was taking he must have shown his discontent before schooling his expression to a more professional look of indifference, "Explain yourself, Inu."
The ANBU now revealed to be Inu hesitated before responding, "I believe that my emotional attachments to your family may be hindering my ability to remain professional."
Minato's eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to remember any signs that such a claim held any water, "I do not recall any time when you have been mentioned specifically interacting with any of my family. Even Kushina has no idea that you are part of our guard detail, and you know how difficult she can be when she is around her friends and family. Explain what has happened to bring about this request."
"My concern is towards your son, Naruto." Inu replied shortly, not quite sure how to really explain how he was feeling.
Minato rubbed his chin as he sat back to recall anything that seemed out of place. Naruto was such a pleasant child that never complained or caused a fuss. Most of the time, the boy was so quiet that it seemed he wasn't even there. He remembered a brief discussion that he had with Kushina around their triplets' sixth birthday regarding training the boy, but it was decided that there would simply be no time for it. There was nothing malicious about the decision, it was just a lack of time in each day to see to all three of their children's shinobi training, and if he remembered correctly Naruto had never given any indication that he was upset, even as he was always near the sidelines napping or gazing into the forest near their mansion.
Minato was surprised by the sheer lack of detailed encounters with his eldest little bundle of sunshine. It seemed off to him, but he realized that his daughters monopolized his time spent fathering with his family. Glancing up at Inu standing idle to allow him his time to think, he had to wonder what this was all about. Had Naruto done something to humiliate the man? Was he turning into his mother? As a father, it was very unappealing to think that his boy was off causing trouble, even if it might have been his own fault for neglecting to keep an eye on him. Steeling himself, he was prepared to feel the shame of failure as he asked the question that any parent dreaded.
"What has the boy done?"
Inu was visibly taken by surprise as his entire body seemed to blanch, "Excuse me, Hokage-sama?"
"Clearly there is a problem if one of my best ANBU and closest friends is asking for a demotion. I want to know what Naruto has done that brought this on so that I can deal with it as soon as possible. Was it some sort of prank? Did he notice one of your team and taunt them? Whatever it is, he should know better, he is the son of the Hokage for crying out loud." Minato replied, rubbing his brow and grinning a little in embarrassment.
Behind his mask Inu was utterly thrown for the proverbial loop. It was obvious to the casual observations of Team Ro that the Namikaze family often ignored Naruto, going so far as to leave him behind when venturing into the village for outings. Minato was assuming that Naruto was the cause of some great offense. Surely he knew enough about his own son, his eldest child, to know the boy was an absolute angel… right? All of the Namikaze triplets had their own little quirks, but they were damned good kids. Akane was a spitfire with a temper that rivaled her mother's, but she had a good heart and believed firmly in family. Mito was a bit of an introvert, but when she did open up one would be hard pressed to find a more loyal friend. And then there was Naruto… his eyes were always wandering, gazing beyond the surface to peer beneath the mundane and tear away at the shallow illusions of reality… but there was no kinder, gentler soul in the miserable shinobi world that had been rooted in darkness for millennia unknown.
A slight clearing of his leader's throat brought Inu back to reality where he had been standing silent for a moment longer than he should have. Minato was eyeing him warily, searching for any hint that he was ill or… something worse. Inu found his barings and stood tall before speaking clearly,
"Hokage-sama, Naruto-kun has done nothing to provoke my ire or shame my person or my team. In fact, though we are forbidden to interact with him directly, my team has grown very fond of him in the years we have been charged with protecting you and yours. My request to retire from ANBU is more personal than professional. I wish to walk among the village as me, come out of the shadows, and embrace the boy as a friend. You and Kushina have always been accepting of me, and I would show that affection back openly for a time, and get to know the little one who I have grown to view as a little brother. I have seen him spend a great deal of time alone…" Here, Inu nearly had to pause due to an overwhelming desire to growl out the words, "…and I would see that change, and perhaps introduce him to some of my fellow shinobi, or some children his own age."
"I see… and what of Akane and Mito?" Minato replied without missing a beat, which caught Inu off guard.
The masked man regained his composure quickly enough, "Excuse me, Hokage-sama?"
Irritated that he would have to repeat himself, Minato let his ire waver as he indulged the man, "I asked what of my other children, Akane-chan and Mito-chan? You spoke of taking time to connect with Naruto, but you never mentioned the others. Am I to assume that you would favor one, and not the others?"
Inu's eye narrowed behind his mask, but that would go unseen by his leader who was currently leaned back in his rather uncomfortable looking chair and gazing with calculating eyes back at his subordinate, "May I speak freely, Hokage-sama?"
Minato gave him a dismissive wave, "Go on."
"I did not extend my offer to your daughters because more attention is the last thing the two of them need." Inu replied flatly, with an almost finality to his tone that shocked Minato, if only momentarily.
Ever the concerned father, Minato leaned forward on his arms and gave Inu his best glare, though on the perpetually kind-hearted Namikaze it was very out of place, almost laughable, "I do not like the tone that you are using, Kakashi. Obviously I won't hold you liable, but permission or not that was a bit harsh."
With all pretenses of professionalism thrown to the wind, the now exposed Kakashi pulled the mask from his face to reveal… another mask that concealed a generous portion of his face from view. Due to the warmth of the mask and the moisture in the village his face slightly glimmered in the light of the office as fresh sweat brought on by his flustered irritation blazed trails down his right temple. What hair wasn't performing miracles was matted down from the condensation that had accumulated during his hours of maintaining the uniform that he was currently attempting to abandon. His usual lazy eye was still drooping, though it was clear that he wasn't pleased with where their conversation had gone over the past several minutes.
"Sometimes the truth hurts, Minato, and the truth of the matter is that those two girls are being thoroughly spoiled, whether you want to acknowledge it or not. They are wonderful kids, don't assume I am trying to speak badly of them, but the two of them are doted on nearly every hour of the day. I am making this request because I wish to give him someone, anyone, who cares enough to give him the time of day. Mito and Akane have been, are, and will always be just fine, I have no doubt about that… I worry for Naruto. The both of us know what happened to another young boy who was suddenly left all alone with practically no one to turn to. I don't want that for him." Kakashi stood firm before the man who had become a second father to him, the sensei who had brought him together with the two most important people of his life… the man he trusted to lead and protect his people.
Minato sat back slowly as his eyes closed, and even as he seemed relaxed, his mind was buzzing about like a bat out of hell. He'd never seen Kakashi speak with such passion about anything for a very long time… if ever. The idea that he and his wife were spoiling their daughters was laughable at best. The two of them needed all the love that they could provide in order to fight off the influence of the demon sealed in them. There was no "too much" when their lives, as well as the lives of everyone in Konoha, were in jeopardy every time one of them was ever even the slightest bit unhappy. There was just too much riding on his daughters' safety and happiness for him to consider… no, it was necessary, and that was nonnegotiable.
As for Naruto, the boy had never given him any cause for concern before, so why would he be so hasty in removing one of his finest shinobi from their post to play big brother every other week. The man would be a Special Jonin, which meant missions outside of the village that would often take weeks, maybe months! The idea that he would do such a thing only to break his own promise to spend time with the boy almost seemed like Kakashi was aiming to toy with Naruto, and it was this thought that worried Minato more than anything. What if that were true… what if Kakashi's real aim was to cause the boy distress? What would the end game be? Could Kakashi be under the control of that man…?
Minato sat forward once again feeling satisfied with his musings, "Unfortunately, Kakashi, I cannot fulfill your request at this time. Due to your time in ANBU you would need to undergo several weeks of assessments with Psychoanalysts to determine if you are fit for duty among the rank and file shinobi. Add onto that your need to keep up with lower ranked, long term assignments as a Special Jonin, and your entire reasoning for the request falls apart. If you care so much for the boy's well being, then you would do well to remain with ANBU for the foreseeable future to keep him safe. Arrangements can be made should you desire to pursue this further, but I will say this right now… I will not allow any sort of unnecessary favoritism in my home. Everyone gets what they need, nothing more and nothing less, are we clear?"
Kakashi's eye narrowed as he listened to the bull crap excuse given to him, 'Unnecessary favoritism… is he outright mocking my intelligence, or does he really not see what he is doing? Just because a child does not whine, that does not mean they do not need. Naruto…'
"I understand… Hokage-sama…"
The sun was well into the sky over Konoha and the village proper was buzzing with life. Of the Great Five villages, Konoha housed the largest civilian population and by proxy held the greatest number of trade agreements outside of the National Capitals. The constant flow of trade brought many people to the village, and often times one could be consumed in the crowds bustling to and fro down the lanes of the Market District. Security was an issue, and often times people without proper paperwork were outright denied entry, and punishment for forcing the issue ranged from the proverbial wrist slap, to the very literal visit to Torture and Interrogation.
Due to such risks, the Market District had always been as far from the Clan District as possible to ensure the village elite could enjoy privacy. Each clan had private land set aside for everything they needed, even clan-only weapons and supply shops, though the only clan to flaunt such prosperity was the Uchiha clan. Outside of the Clans' precious walls, old parks and recreation areas had long since been abandoned to time, allowing them to overgrow and further keep straying visitors away due to the assumption that they had wandered close to a slum. There was a time when the Senju Clan, the most prestigious and well respected of the founding clans, had seen fit to keep such public parks maintained, but their sole heir had abandoned the village long enough ago for their accounts in the village to be frozen, and all of their former assets had fallen to ruin.
One such park, the name forgotten to time due to a lack of interest, was located near the western side of the Clan District, the tall trees helping to block the sight of the perimeter wall from view. Grass was tall, nearly waist high in areas with direct sunlight. The many trees had been left to overgrow and their branches created an intricate canopy of webs that prevented proper movement for shinobi. What was once a beautiful koi pond with a stone bridge connecting the northern and southern edges was now a mere shadow of its former self. Questionable green substances gave the water an eerie, unhealthy look, and if one were to look close enough they might see strange shadows disturbing the dark depths of the pond. The gardens that had at some time been full of lush flowerbeds were the hunting ground of stray cats, the rat infestation ruining the area with holes and piles of rotted garbage.
Standing near what might be the center of the park was a little blonde boy no older than five or six, his eyes looking around with wonder. He was dressed in his usual forest camouflage shorts, ninja sandals, and forest green shirt, though now his shirt had a symbol sewn into the back. Instead of an Uzumaki swirl, or a leaf symbol, or the infamous Uchiha fan, this was no formal clan marking. The patch was round and designed with small threads of many colors to depict a weeping willow growing out of a small piece of earth and surrounded by brightly colored, clean water. The many curtains of leaves ranged from the common dull green, to very vibrant reds like the leaves of autumn in Nations further north. This boy was Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto, and he had only one thought on his mind as he eyed the severly dilapidated public park…
'This place looks like hell.'
Looking over his right shoulder, he eyed a beautiful glowing orb of bright white light with what one could only assume was a tiny woman barely visible beyong the sillouette of her slender shape. Smiling, he tried to find the right way to ask his next question without either insulting the little woman or making himself feel like an idiot.
"Obaa-chan, what… what are we doing here, again?"
The little woman chuckled lightly with a small voice that resembled wind chimes in a summer breeze, "Naru-chan, did you forget all ready? Sometimes I wonder where your mind goes."
Naruto had enough wherewithal to look indignant, "Hey, I'm not that bad!"
Aingeal, his recently discovered pseudo-grandmother, responded with a flat tone, "Seventeen times."
Naruto looked away from her with a dark blush on his angry, puffed up cheeks. That had been a reference to his very long night trying to channel chakra into the Summoning Contract that the fairies had him sign. Being so young it was impressive enough that he had accessed his chakra in the first place, but it would have been ridiculous if he had been able to channel it properly without instructions. His knowledge was limited to the lectures his parents had given to Akane and Mito over several weeks, and those had been halted due to his sisters' lack of ability. Naruto had asked for them to repeat their instructions on how to manipulate the chakra in his body several times… seventeen apparently. To say that he was embarrassed about it would be an understatement.
Sensing she had put Naruto in a bad mood, Aingeal sighed before reaching a tiny hand up to pat him on the cheek, "Aww, I'm sorry Naru-chan… you did really well. Most humans we have observed take several weeks in the academy to access their chakra, and you are all ready able to move it through your system. I was only teasing, please forgive me?"
Naruto looked back at her and groaned as he could tell from her posture she was using the puppy eyes on him. She was sitting on her knees with her little hands clasped on her chest, her head tilted ever so slightly to the side. A lesser boy would have crumbled… and Naruto wasn't doing much better. Still, he didn't outright gush and forgive her like a weak minded man. He put on an aloof air to try and play coy, "Well… okay, Obaa-chan, I forgive you. Now please, why are we here again? I thought you said today you would be helping me learn some things."
Aingeal stood up and performed a small twirl before floating up in front of him, her wings a blur of light behind her back as she gestured toward the messy park, "This will be where you train both your human abilities and your fairy powers, little Naru-chan."
"This… looks like a place where I might need shots after leaving." As if to emphasize his point, the distant echo of rusty metal grinding in the depths of the park echoed on a passing breeze.
She floated back over to his shoulder before relaxing with her legs hanging down and crossing regally, "As you grow into a young man, and a proper fairy, you will work your body and mind. Each morning, after your stamina exercises, you will come here and work to clean this place. In doing so you will work your body, become stronger, and your connection with nature will strengthen as you revitalize this forgotten paradise. This will be your home, your classroom, your training field… anything that you need, it will provide. This is what it means to be one of the fairy folk, giving back to nature twice what we take away."
Naruto listened to Aingeal as he took a few tentative steps into the tall grass. As her instruction ended he felt his foot catch on resistance. Reaching down he wrenched an old sake bottle from the thick grass, inadvertently ripping up several pieces of the grass in the process. He cringed at the sight of the unhealthy looking dirt clumped around the grass roots. Looking up it was hard to imagine that the park wasn't a barren wasteland, but perhaps he wasn't seeing the bigger picture. He walked over to a tree and let his small hand brush against the healthy bark. He couldn't help but smile when he felt an odd warmth coming from the old tree that he would have sworn ought not to be there.
"Obaa-chan, do you really think I can clean this place up? Shouldn't the others come and see to this?" Naruto felt her shifting on his shoulder, presumably to look his way.
When she spoke her voice was gentle, "Of course I do, Naru-chan. You have the light of my son and daughter, and a warm heart to guide that light toward a bright future full of life and love. This will be your place to learn and grow, and I have complete faith that by the time you graduate from the human academy you will be prepared, and this beautiful park will be restored to her former beauty."
A fire burned in his eyes as he looked up into the bright blue sky and spoke with conviction and determination, "Hai, I will make this place beautiful again, and I will make you proud of me, Obaa-chan!"
Standing a ways off to the side and concealed in shadow was an ANBU watching little Naruto as he held a strange one-sided conversation with a butterfly that seemed content to rest on his shoulder. This particular ANBU wore the standard uniform, though unlike most they wore a customized medium length blade strapped to their back. Their mask was feline, and their visible hair was a beautiful violet color not often seen within Konoha's mighty walls. Judging by the telling shape of their body, the ANBU was most likely a she, though the most elite ANBU often concealed their true gender using clever illusions or modified body armor. Her eyes scanned the area briefly and she used a subtle low-level sensor technique to make sure no one else was nearby. It wouldn't detect anyone too powerful, but if there was someone that strong in the village that meant ill will toward the boy they would have no doubt pounced on him all ready.
Sensing no one, she settled into a more relaxed position for her little stake out. With Kakashi, or Inu while on duty, taking the night shirt she was forced to work throughout the day. She didn't mind this kind of work usually, and it was especially pleasant keeping an eye on such a good kid, but she would much rather be spending time perfecting her sword skills with her lover. Between her blade, and the man, she had no room in her heart for any other passions… besides the occasional stick of dango. Oh, she was a very loyal and skilled kunoichi and she would never betray her people… she just didn't have the drive to do any more than she was ordered unless it involved her two most passionate desires. To be coveted, and have her skills acknowledged, by the man she unashamedly admitted was her soul mate, however juvenile the notion may be.
Her eyes drifted to her charge after having been lost in her musings for Kami knows how long, and then they widened slightly. Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto, son of the Forth Hokage, heir to the Namikaze Clan… was cleaning up the garbage laying about in the old, abandoned park. Of course she was aware that Naruto was different, the good kind of course, but different nonetheless. Unlike many boys his age he rarely put up a fuss or started fights, and he was very quiet, almost as quiet as the little Hyuga princess that was often glued to the leg of her mother. Still, the boy was royalty among the village, even if no one seemed to remember him, so for him to be performing such manual labor was damn shocking. Had she been a lesser ANBU she might have dashed away to report this to his father, or one of the elders… but she was no ordinary yes-man ANBU. She was a member of Team Ro, serving directly under Inu, the Hokage's Living Shadow. Inu had ordered that any odd behavior be reported to him and only him, unless directly ordered by the Hokage to inform him of his son's recent activities. The team respected the dog masked man more than their duty to the village, and so none of them would go against his orders, no matter how wrong it was.
The lady ANBU pulled a small pad of paper from her tool pouch to jot down the time and place, as well as a brief description of Naruto's activities. Inu would need to know the boy was up to something, even if it seemed like innocent village beautification.
The day had gone by quickly for Naruto as he picked up garbage and filled large bags, given to him by a very helpful little fairy under orders from Aingeal, that he organized into neat piles near the edge of the park. It was tough work, but he was an Uzumaki by blood and that gave him an abundance of stamina, though he would never truly be able to keep up with his sisters. Oddly, as the day wore on and the park became less and less cluttered with loose trash and debris from past bad weather, he could almost feel something around his body… warmth. He had asked Aingeal, who had spent the day lounging on his shoulder and giving him simple lectures on spelling and grammar, and she vaguely hinted that he would be learning more about that at a later time. Being a naïve child he accepted her words, accepted that this was simply how it would be, and continued on until the sun was low in the afternoon sky.
With a small sigh he wiped away the sweat on his brow and sank to his bum in the overgrown grass. Taking a deep breath he smiled as he realized there was a new, fresh scent that hadn't been there before. Aingeal noticed his contented smile and couldn't help but giggle at his adorable little face. Eyeing the fairy out of the corner of his eye he wondered what she found so funny, but decided not to comment on it. She must have noticed him spying on her because she stood up and walked over to his cheek to gently pat it, her lips formed into a smirk, though he wouldn't be able to see that on her glowing little body.
"Sorry little one, I just couldn't help admiring how cute my grandbaby is." She had intentionally used a very grandmotherly tone to add to her teasing words.
Like any boy who was eager to grow up and be acknowledged as a man, he responded in the most mature fashion: sticking his tongue out at her, "Neh, I'm not cute, Obaa-chan! And I am not a baby anymore!"
"Oh, my little cutie, you'll never stop being grandma's little baby boy. So… get over it." Aingeal rubbed her small hand in circles around his little cheek, even giving the baby fat there a light squeeze.
Naruto blushed at her adoring words and absolutely embarrassing show of familial affection, "Obaa-chan~!"
Hearing him whine was music to her mischievous, prankster ears, "Okay, okay, I'll stop… for now. You should head home, Naruto-chan. Be sure to clean up before you eat anything, and if you have time then change into something nice for dinner. You are the son of both the Hokage and a prince, you need to look the part."
Naruto drooped a little, "Do I have to? I mean, it's not like I am going out to eat or something… and no one is supposed to be visiting either."
The fairy queen let out a small sigh before flying up in front of his face. He couldn't see her face, but the pose she struck with her little hands on her hips and her back hunched forward a little told him enough. He was about to be told off.
"Naruto, you are a prince in two separate worlds, whether you are treated as such or not, and as your grandmother I will not tolerate laziness and bad manners. You will wash your hands and face, comb that mane of yours, and put on something comfortable, yet respectable, before you attend dinner. I want this to become a habit. No more hiding in the shadows and allowing others to ignore you. I can accept the humans who share your blood because… because you have an understanding of their situation that I have yet to fully accept. But others will not be allowed to outright look passed a child who shares my light, oh no. I will unleash a furious storm of misfortune on them so swift and unyielding that even the chaos gods will attempt to stop me."
Noticing the fire suddenly forming where there would probably be two tiny eyes on his grandmother's face he felt the need to run. Instead he gently pulled the raging woman into his hands before pulling her into his chest, "Obaa-chan, please calm down ok? I can't help people ignoring me, it's just how it is. I don't want you causing trouble to innocent people."
Aingeal struggled a little, but eventually she slumped in defeat with her head resting on her palm, and her elbow propped on his arm, "Oh fine… spoil my fun. Soon enough your fairy instincts will kick in and you'll be begging me to help you prank these humans."
Naruto chuckled light heartedly before making sure he had all his things, and then he left the park toward the Namikaze compound. The walk was peaceful, serene, even as several loud and excitable groups of young Genin and Academy Students who took afternoon classes wandered about, each gravitating toward this compound or that. He noticed energetic Inuzuka clan members running full tilt toward their home with hounds hot on their tails. He had always favored those rough ninjas for their fun-loving and loyal attitudes, and their competitive spirit that helped motivate them to become better and better at what they did. Unfortunately, he had never been introduced to any of them, even their leader, the wild beauty he was almost sure was named Tsume, whom visited their home at least twice with a little boy he assumed was her son. Mito and Akane were probably at least aware of that boy, but considering he never heard them speaking about him he felt safe to assume they weren't friends.
It was inevitable and unavoidable for Naruto to not pass by the intimidating walls of the Hyuga compound. From observations he had made around his own home, and among the Hyuga that graced the village market, he knew most of them were very quiet. In fact, if he heard their voices in a room full of people he would never be able to identify any of them, and with his observational skills that was impressive. He was vaguely aware of two young Hyuga close to his age, but beyond that he had been left in the dark. Mumbles of a princess among them were common place, but obviously no one would refer to her name out of respect for her position among the powerful and enigmatic clan. While passing by he made sure to maintain eye contact with the ground, just to be sure he wasn't very noticeable, and once he had vanished around the corner he let loose a sigh of relief. He would never know that he was being watched the entire time by the two stationed guards by the large gate, and they would never know how their legs had wound up caught in mysterious vines of poison ivy.
Naruto found the Namikaze home as peaceful as usual, the back yard a mess of discarded throwing weapons and crushed grass. Instead of using the back door and possibly causing trouble, he walked straight up the path leading from the main road to the front door. He placed his small hand on the door gently and waited a few moments for the seal to acknowledge him. To the outside observer it would seem nothing had happened, but a trained ninja would have felt the small pulse of chakra stored into the locking seal as the door opened to admit the boy inside. Wasting no time at all he walked in and discarded his sandals by the door. He noticed the messy grass covered sandals of his sister Akane right next to the obscenely clean set owned by Mito, and he couldn't help smiling. He loved those two, even if they did often forget that he was around.
He left the doorway for the stairs leading to the upper floor. The familiar sound of his sisters moving around in their rooms caused his smile to grow. Yes, he was often alone and overlooked, but just hearing their excited voices and the obvious clumsy movements they often made while playing in their rooms reminded him that he wasn't alone, at least not physically. He wasn't sure why, but he had memories from the past that were far more vivid than they should be. They were simple pictures really, and basic emotions, but they were so clear. The three of them had been much closer when they were little, well littler anyway, and sometimes when he thought about that it made him a little sad. One of his clearest memories was a moment he shared with Mito, though he was unaware of just when it had been.
That day had been cold, much colder than Konoha was supposed to be. Kushina had been out with them, and a freak rainstorm had hit while she was pushing them through the village on her normal visit through the market. It took longer than she had thought to wheel her troupe back to the compound, and the triplets had been soaked. Like a dutiful mother she gave them all a warm bath before drying them good to try and avoid them getting sick. Akane had pulled through easily, and so had little Naruto, but Mito… she was very ill. Her body got much warmer than it was supposed to, and she couldn't stop crying. Being a common cold, their mother knew that nothing would help her except rest and plenty of liquids. Naruto had slipped by his absent minded parents who were occupied with their worries over Mito, and soon enough her crying ceased. Alarmed, Minato and Kushina rushed to Mito's side, only to find her resting peacefully, albeit with a little red face, in the arms of her big brother.
With plenty of fluids, a lot of love, cool wraps, and the undivided attention of her big brother, Mito pulled through like a little trooper, and soon enough she was back to being a hyper little angel. Naruto's attempts to be close to her after that were thwarted by their diligent mother constantly coddling her day in and day out, which ultimately led to both of his sisters fading away. That didn't mean Naruto stopped looking after them, but he knew not to bother getting any closer to them. It was just how things ended up, and there was no point making a big fuss about it, especially when his cries went unheard. With time he realized that they didn't need him with Kushina's constant diligence, and so he admired them from afar with proud eyes, always cheering them on silently and hoping they were happy.
Reaching the hallway bathroom he walked inside and immediately removed his sweaty, dirt caked clothes to place them in the wicker hamper by the door. He looked at his reflection in the mirror the best he could, though if he didn't stand a few feet away from the sink he could only see the top of his spiky, unruly golden hair. Obviously he didn't see any difference after only a single day, but he could day dream about what he might look like in a few years. He could tell he would be thin like his father, though his face would most certainly be round like his mother, along with her natural tan and almond shaped eyes. He'd be taller than his sisters and his mother, and maybe taller than his dad too! If he worked properly he would shoot for a swimmer's body type, nothing like the sickly thin shinobi and kunoichi who often retired as Genin after three or so years.
He walked over to the bath to get a shower going, happy to see that no one had wandered in and adjusted the shower head when he wasn't looking again. After steam filled the room he stepped in and felt the first layer of grime simply melt away, and he let out a cute little sigh of relief. Remembering his fairy grandmother's orders he made the shower a quick affair so he would have time to dress properly. Thankfully no one disturbed him this time so he was able to get in and out in under ten minutes, and with a large towel wrapped around his shoulders like a cloak he ran to his room to avoid being seen, as well as the slight chill of the air. Whether Akane or Mito actually looked at him or not, he most certainly didn't want any girls, especially his sisters, to see his bits in any way, shape, or form.
His bedroom door was closed and locked in no time affording him a chance to relax, though he knew he had only about ten more minutes before his family sat down for their evening meal. He could hear his sisters heading back downstairs, no doubt cleaned and dressed in their casual house clothes after a long day of training. He did a small maneuver that he liked to call a 'shimmy shake' which involved several rub downs with his towel before he hopped over to his dresser to throw on one of the nice sets of clothing that his grandmother had given him as a gift. It took nearly five minutes alone to decide on what to wear, mostly because he had almost no idea how any of it went on, but with his bundle of clothes set on his bed he got to work.
Downstairs, Mito and Akane were both seated at the dining room table with their legs swinging beneath them in a strange pendulum of impatience. As per the norm, the two of them were dressed according to their personalities. Akane, ever the tomboy, had opted for a simple pair of black leggings and an oversized orange t-shirt, though the shirt had a very cute cat-pastry hybrid spewing rainbows on the chest to betray her inner girl. Mito was wearing a black flared skirt with a plain white blouse, a set of bracelets hanging loosely from her left wrist, and a small locket fastened around her neck. She never let anyone know what was in the locket, but whatever it was she cared a great deal for the small trinket and nearly never left it anywhere, except during training.
Kushina was busying her hands in the kitchen preparing dinner for her boisterous little ones, and enjoying their little grunts of annoyance whenever she brought in something that they weren't allowed to touch yet. Her meals, while delicious, were a bit standardized almost to the point of becoming bland, though she had yet to hear any complaints. Due to Akane's and Mito's enhanced metabolism, large meals were required to sate their hunger. This, topped with her own legendary appetite and a strong, virile man to feed, and she needed meals that were easy to prepare, could be made in large quantities, and provided all of the basic essentials. That in mind lead to many, many bowls of ramen, plenty of rice, lots of steamed vegetables, and the occasional large pot of miso soup.
Minato, being the wise man he often claimed to be, had never once complained about her cooking, even when she was all too aware of her poor skills at the start of their relationship. Instead, he chose the high road and offered to take the family out to eat at least once a week to break the monotony. Currently, the man in question had just arrived in the family sitting room with a burst of yellow light. The chakra pulse alerted Kushina to his arrival, so she hurried into the dining room with the final pot of food to place down before her husband could walk in. It was a sort of game the two had silently initiated after so many times trying to beat the other to the finish first. Minato walked into the dining room wearing a knowing smirk that only his beloved wife could see, and then he walked to her side to peck her cheek. The kiss was a simple thing, but it sent small shocks through her body with the promise of what was to come later on after their children were tucked in for the night.
"You win again, love." Minato spoke huskily into her ear, making sure their excitable little ones wouldn't overhear.
Kushina batted her eye lashes at him sweetly, "As if you had a chance, Minato-kun."
The two of them shared a chuckle before the red-head lead her husband to his seat, knowing he would insist on getting distracted from their meal if he got out of her sight. By then he had submitted to her guidance with a defeated sigh escaping his smiling lips. There really was no negotiating anything with Kushina, even if the world were on fire. The younger men called him whipped, but his own generation knew better and often called him a lucky bastard. As soon as he was sat down properly he could feel the built up energy burst from his daughters when the inevitable storm of questions surged into him, like the proverbial tidal wave crashing into the shore.
Akane was first to assault her father with unrivalled enthusiasm, "Tou-san! What did you have to do at work today? You save any princesses? You beat up any monsters? Find a really cool, ancient sword that talks and kills vampires?!"
Minato laughed with quite literal sweat drops running down his cheek, "Take it easy, Akane-chan, being Hokage isn't about going out on quests. It is a serious position that requires me to be here, alert, and always keeping both eyes on every shinobi both in and out of the village."
"That sounds boring~" Akane whined while slouching back in her chair and staring blankly at the ceiling.
Mito chose this moment to interject while eyeing her sister with a sly grin, "Guess that means I will be the next Hokage easy then…"
Kushina and Minato felt the room grow cold before Akane looked over at Mito with a mechanical slowness, "Excuse me… nee-chan? You just say you would be the next Hokage?"
"Well you said it was boring… guess that means there won't be any competition." Mito replied casually, her little hands holding both sides of a warm cup of tea that her mother had just given her.
Minato had just snapped his hand out to grab the back of Akane's shirt as the feisty girl fought to get at her sister, "I'm gonna be Hokage way before you, cherry!"
"Cherry?!" Mito asked while her hair practically caught flame, "You take that back, or I'll kick your butt Angry Child."
Minato sighed as he watched Mito have to be held back by her mother much the same way he was keeping Akane held back while she yelled angrily, "You two need to calm down right now, you hear me?"
This was the scene that the last member of the Namikaze household entered the room to. Naruto had taken his time getting dressed in order to figure out how each part fit, and he was pleased with how well his grandmother had judged his size. He was sporting a very smart white Tangzhuang suit coat with a golden dragon sewn into the fine silk that wove down from the mandarin collar and through the sets of knotted buttons down the front. On the back was sewn a patch similar to his training tee representing the fairy hollow in the willow tree. Matching pants colored black completed the ensemble giving him a slightly formal look that was still comfortable for wearing around the house. His feet were wrapped in white bandages and fitted with a pair of black slippers. All together, he was a handsome little man, and if Aingeal had not needed to return to the hollow he was sure she would have been cooing into his ear relentlessly about how he would grow up to be a heart throb like his fathers.
As was the norm he felt none of the eyes in the room focus on him for more than a half second, but that suited him just fine. He had promised to keep the existence of the fairies a secret until he was old enough to protect himself, so he really didn't want to explain where he found his new clothes. Oh, he could play it off by telling them he had received them as a gift, but that might bring about more questions. The quality of the silk was too good to attempt a lie about buying them with the non-existent allowance he was given, and he most certainly did not want his family thinking he had stolen from the village. Attention was the last thing he needed at the moment, so for the first time in his young life, he was grateful for his sister's bickering. He took his place at the table just as Akane had been calmed down, and Mito was finally absent the red glow that had enveloped her cheeks.
Minato took in a cleansing breath to release his tension before returning to his meal, only to stop as he caught sight of his son. Normally he wouldn't have focused on the boy, but the conversation with Kakashi that morning had stirred his curiosity. Of course he hadn't let it effect his daily routine, but now that the boy was right in front of him Kakashi's request came to the forefront of his mind. He took in the clothes Naruto was wearing with fascination. The style was obviously foreign, though he could see certain aspects in the clothes some of the women in the village wore, particularly several kunoichi who were more in tune with fashion than their shinobi counter-parts. It gave him a look of sophistication and class that his home lacked, even though he held such a high position in the village. Looking over to his little girls and their neat, yet very casual dress, he wondered why Naruto had chosen to dress up like this. How long had he been dressing like this? He would have to speak with Kakashi and his team as soon as they arrived for their nightly assignments.
While Akane recovered from the spat rather quickly, Mito was one to hold a grudge when someone insulted her hair. Unlike her self-conscious mother, she loved her hair to death and always prided herself on keeping it clean, cute, and on display. She was in no way vain, but she was proud of her Uzumaki red hair, and to honor her clan she wouldn't let anyone mess with it. Stewing over the recent altercation with her little sister she decided to keep her eyes facing away from the girl. It was due to this that she found her eyes lingering on her big brother for longer than normal, and her cheeks flared up as a consequence. With his hair half tamed, and those new clothes, he was actually a very handsome boy. He reminded her of a prince from a story book, and all little girls had little fantasies about heroic princes coming to their rescue. It was silly of course, especially with her aspirations to think about, but she was just a child and had every right to behave like one if she wanted to. She watched him eat quietly, using his chop sticks with ease, which was something that surprised her since he was supposed to be a messy boy.
Naruto was well aware of eyes boring holes into him, but he preferred to keep his eyes averted and simply finish his meal. He stuck to the rice, vegetables, and a small portion of soup, avoiding the ramen so that his sisters would have more of their favorite dish. He knew it was spoiling them to allow them more of the unhealthy noodle dish, but this was the closest he could come to doting on his sisters and he found a small amount of joy in the allusion. The little smile on his lips at the thought didn't go unnoticed by his watchers, but he wouldn't know that. In no time at all his food was finished, and his dishes were assembled neatly in front of him while he sat quietly. Allowing a set amount of time to pass before he left had become a habit since his earliest memories being aware of his place in the family. It was a waiting game really, one that he never won simply because he could wait forever and never hear his name called.
Minato had kept eating, albeit slowly due to distraction; he was less interested in the food and much more interested in the small blonde sitting to his right. Naruto had finished eating before anyone else and seemed content even though he had only consumed a small, single serving. That was normal, even if he was a growing boy, but for him to sit quietly was abnormal. Children were constantly in motion, always making noise, and never satisfied until their energy was depleted. It was unrealistic to believe he would have the same fire as his sisters considering their burden, but he was still a kid. Remembering the meeting with Kakashi that morning he had to wonder if the usually strict and professional ANBU had noticed this before and been keeping such odd behavior to himself. Minato's musings were cut suddenly when he realized that Naruto had stood up from his seat.
Feeling that he'd given them enough time, and seeing the animated conversation between Kushina and Akane dominating the dinner table, Naruto conceded it was clear tonight wouldn't be the night. He left his dishes in a neat pile for cleanup, walked over to his mother and whispered a thank you that only his two watchers could hear, before finally retreating from the group to go back to his bedroom. The first few times he had waited at dinner for someone to ask him about his day had been rather disappointing affairs. It took him some time to put together, but eventually he chalked it up to the attention and care that his sisters needed for their supposed illness. It became easier after his revelations, but no matter how much he told himself that this was simply the norm, he couldn't shake the desire to be talked to, acknowledged by the humans he considered his family. At least it didn't hurt anymore, at least he had the puzzle in front of him to explain why things were the way they were.
Back with the rest of his family Minato had set his food aside half eaten as a small ache formed in the pit of his stomach. Sensing the distress from her husband, Kushina let her voice die down before facing her blonde lover, "Minato-kun, is something wrong with your dinner?"
"No… no, Kushina-chan, nothing is wrong with the food… Hey, honey, did you recently go clothes shopping for the kids?" Minato saw an opportunity to get some answers and possibly settle his distress.
Kushina smiled as she put on a cute thinking pose, "Ahh… I bought Mito-chan a new dress and new sandals for her training, and I had to replace Akane-chan's pony pajamas because of her recent accident."
While Akane let her head slam on the table in despair at her embarrassing moment being shared to the whole table, Mito was listening in and only frowned in confusion. Her mother hadn't mentioned her brother, though she was sure the clothes he was wearing looks brand new, "Kaa-san, what about Aniki?"
To Minato's surprise it took Kushina a moment to register just who her daughter was referring to, and in all honesty he was glad that Mito had asked before he did, because he might have become frustrated with her hesitation, "Oh, Naruto, no I didn't, he hasn't outgrown his clothes yet and he has always kept his things nice and neat, so I never need to replace anything."
That explanation soothed Mito and Minato both considering they were afraid the woman might have not cared enough to even consider him. That being said, there was still the matter of the clothes he had worn to dinner, so Minato pursued the issue a little further, "Are you sure? I don't recall having bought him any Tangzhuang style outfits, and as far as I know the kids' godparents haven't been by in a while."
"Tangzhuang?" Kushina let her mouth test the word a few times before she looked at her husband with a frown, "I'm not sure I've ever even heard of that before. When was he wearing it?"
Minato sighed and stood up from the table with a weight heavy on his shoulders, "Never mind it, Kushi-hime, I have to go take care of some work in my office before whatever is attacking my stomach gets the best of me. Afraid I might not be able to help with the clean up so I'll make it up to you, I promise. Wrap up a little something in case I feel better and get hungry, okay?"
Kushina could only nod as she watched the man circle the table to place a gentle kiss on her lips. The usual spark was there that reminded her how much she loved him, but there was clearly something off with the Yellow Flash. She would use her womanly charms to seduce the problem out of him later on if he tried to keep her out of the loop. After he left the room she turned to look at her daughters expecting gleeful smiles and excited chatter, instead she found both of them looking sedate, and confused. Akane was looking at Mito with worried eyes, clearly concerned with her slightly older sister. Mito seemed in another world as her eyes stared unblinking at the empty seat across from her and Akane. Following the gaze, Kushina spotted a cluster of neatly arranged dishes, all obviously used recently, and situated perfectly so that they could be gathered with ease.
'Are those Naruto's?'
Minato entered his private study before pulsing his chakra in a code to summon his ANBU. The night shift of Team Ro seemed to appear out of the shadows, and only their leader was still on his feet. All together there were three, though the only one with a visible mask was his most trusted ANBU, Inu. The dog-masked man was standing a foot in front of his subordinates with only his head bowed toward their Hokage, his fist held to his chest in a standard salute. Minato had his back turned to them while he leaned on the back wall, his hand clamped onto a dark stained wood shelf decorated with several family photos. Without turning away from the photographs, he spoke low and clear to emphasize his serious mood.
"Inu."
Said man looked up at the back of his leader with a sense of foreboding, "Hai, Hokage-sama?"
Minato turned toward them with a stern look that was poorly presented by the normally jovial man, "I need everything that you know about Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto, now."
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