Ninja Kitsune
Chapter 2: Cutting Through Red Tape (Hayabusa Style)
Flashback: 3rd Shinobi World War, Hidden Rain Village:
He had been tracking remnants of the Black Spider Clan all over the elemental nations, and the three he was currently following were the last of them. He stood on the roof of the tallest tower in the Hidden Rain, looking out over the village. He then spotted a battle ongoing and leapt from the tower. He jumped from rooftop to rooftop until he got a good look at the conflict. The last three Black Spider ninjas had joined in a battle between the forces of the Hidden Rain, and several Konoha shinobi. Two of the Konoha squad had gotten separated from the rest, fighting the three black spiders, a blonde haired man, and a red-haired woman. He jumped down from the roof and engaged the black clad ninjas.
Konoha: Village streets, Current time, early afternoon.
Ryu walked the streets on his way to the Hokage's tower. His mind continued to wander as he remembered his two lost friends. "Naruko has to be their daughter," he thought, "But I thought Minato was some sort of hero to this village. Why be so cruel to his own child? There must be more to this than meets the eye, and the third better have some answers." With that thought, he continued his trek to the tower.
Flashback: 5 years ago, October 12.
He was talking to Master Muramasa at the elderly weaponsmith's shop. He was getting some repair work done on his staff, as well as resupplying with Shuriken and Kunai. He enjoyied talking to the old man, as Muramasa never held back an opinion. He had become a trusted friend over the years Ryu had known him.
A couple of hours and a long conversation later, Ryu walke out of the shop and cut through an alley. That's when he heard something behind him.
"Master Ryu," came a female voice, as a lavendar-haired kunoichi jumped down in front of him. She looked troubled.
"Ayane," he said, "What's wrong?"
"I just heard from my source in Konoha," Ayane reported, "Minato and Kushina were killed when the Kyuubi attacked. 2 days ago."
"Any word of their child?" Ryu asked, "Kushina was due on that day, according to Minato's last letter."
"My source tells me that the child died too," Ayane replied, "I'm sorry. I knew they were friends of yours."
"Someone had to have pulled Kyuubi from Kushina's seal," Ryu told Ayane, "I want to know who, and how to find him."
"I'll put some feelers out," the kunoichi responded, "If I find something out, you'll be the first to know."
"Thank you," Ryu said, and Ayane left.
Konoha: Hokage's tower, Present Day
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at his desk, with a mountain of paperwork that would make Everest jealous. He started to hear a commotion coming from outside his office, then his door is blasted off it's hinges by a kick from an unknown ninja. His ANBU guards attack the mystery man, but they are quickly knocked out cold. The ninja then walked over to Sarutobi's desk and slammed his hands down with enough force to send all the papers flying, all over the room.
"Is that really necessary?" Sarutobi asked, "You are usually more respectful than that, Ryu."
"I'm not usually as pissed off as I am now," Ryu responded, "Why was I told that Minato and Kushina's child died with her parents? And to top THAT off, how can you sit idly by, and let that same child be abused and beaten within an inch of her life on a regular basis?"
"The council won't let me protect her from the villagers," Hiruzen replied, "And the news of her death was to protect her from Minato's enemies, in Iwa especially. If they knew Minato had a child, they would go to the ends of the Earth to get to her."
"You could have gotten word to me through Ayane," Ryu reminded the elderly Hokage, "I would have cared for her."
"The coulcil would never allow it," Sarutobi told Ryu, "They seem intent on letting her suffer."
"Why," the Ninja Dragon inquired, "Wasn't Minato a hero to this damn village?"
"Minato sealed the Kyuubi into Naruko-chan," Sarutobi explained, "the coulcilors, lead by Koharu, Homura and Danzo, see her as the fox in the flesh."
"And you?"
"I see her as Naruko-chan. She's a sweet girl, with a ton of potential. But the council, and thus almost the entire village, is against her."
"Kushina and Minato were my friends," Ryu told the Hokage, "I'm going to care for Naruko, and the council be damned."
"You still have to go before them to finalize the adoption," Hiruzen informs Ryu, "I hope you're ready for a splitting migraine."
"We'll see about that," Ryu thought.
Naruko's Room.
The young girl lay asleep as Ayane lands behind a chair. She looks down at the blonde child and thinks, "No wonder Ryu is so angry. This girl looks just like both Kushina and Minato. This has to be their daughter. I was told she died."
Just then, Naruko started to wake up. She looked around and saw the lavendar-haired young woman sitting beside her bed. "You're Ryu's friend, aren't you?" she inquired, "He said to look for the lavendar hair."
"I am," Ayane answers, "My nameis Ayane Hajin. What's your?"
"Naruko Uzumaki," the little girl responded.
Ayane smiled. "Uzumaki," she thought, "Definately Kushina's. Ryu must be royally pissed." She then started to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Naruko asked.
"Oh, Only that someone high up in this village just pissed off the wrong man," the kunoichi explains, "You'll find out soon enough."
Council Chamber
Ryu sat with Sarutobi as he called the council to order. "Ryu Hayabusa has told me he wants to adopt Naruko Uzumaki-chan," the elderly hokage explains, "He was a close friend of her parents and wants to care for her."
"That child has no parents," one councilor, a woman with pink hair, shrieks, "She's a demon."
"And you're an idiot," Ryu shot back, "She is the demon's JAILOR, not the demon itself. I know her parents, because I met them during the last war, in an engagement in the Hidden Rain."
"You expect us to allow this, after you insult one of us?" Koharu asks, "And the demon brat no less."
"Why should we do this?" Homura continued, "Surely, if you want a student, there are other kids more worthy."
"And why should we give you the jinchuriki?" Danzo finished, "She could be a great weapon to this village."
A second after Danzo finished his statement, He, Koharu and Homura had a kunai through their left eyes. Three seconds later, the heads of the Hyuga and Uchiha clans were covered in a crimson mask of blood and brains, as the elders' heads exploded.
"I'm not asking," Ryu calmly responded "I'm TELLING you how it's going to be. For the last five years, you've allowed Kushina and Minato's daughter to be neglected, abused and beaten within an inch of her young life. THAT ENDS NOW! I counted Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki as two of my closest friends. I WILL NOT allow their daughter to suffer this abuse any longer.
"He made his point," Hiashi Hyuga remarked, still trying to get Danzo's blood out of his hair, "I say we alow it, with a few small stipulations."
"What stipulations?" Ryu asked.
"First," Hiashi explains, "You stay in Konoha. Her father was our Hokage, and she has the potential to reach that level as well. Second, you join our ninja ranks. A Hayabusa, even the last of the clan, would be a great asset. Third, when Naruko reaches 10 years of age, she joins the ninja academy."
"You know, Hiashi," Ryu responded, "Minato always spoke highly of you, and as such, I've always had a lot of respect for you. I accept those conditions, with one of my own. I am the last of my clan. If one of these idiots on this council tries to force the Clan Restoration Act on me, they'll get the same splitting migraine that those other three morons got."
Naruko's Room, Later.
Ryu walked in on Naruko and Ayane talking about training and about the little girl's dream to become Hokage.
"How did it go?" Ayane asked.
"Three councilors had to be taken out with a splitting migraine, but I got council approval to adpot Naruko-chan, and train her. So, young lady, you have to get better soon, so we can start your training."
"Did they have any conditions?" Ayane inquired
"A few, but they're minor things." Ryu then went on to explain the conditions.
"I'll stay too," Ayane told Ryu, "I think I can help you train Naruko-chan. Besides, I'm starting to like this kid." The three of them talked for a while longer, until Naruko fell asleep, this time, unafraid.
A/N: Feels good to be writing again. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyied the story so far.
Now, a note on Ryu. Being the Ninja Dragon, he's a kage level shinobi, which is why he's so casual with Sarutobi, and is able to take out ANBU with little effort.
Ayane, is roughly around jonin level, herself.
Now, on to the meat of this note. I need some suggestions (read: answers to 2 questions).
1: Should Ryu take Kakashi's place as team 7's sensei?
2: Give ideas on pairings.
One plan I already have is for Ryu to face Orochimaru during the chunin exams, both in the Forest of Death, and in the Invasion. That's still a ways off, though. Anyway, leave reviews. They make me write more and faster. Also, those who have read my previous works, give me ideas for villains for "return of the Dragon Lineage". Timeskip coming next chapter.