I'm rather enjoying these OCs of mine… I promise they won't show up too often. And I'm only making OCs that have a purpose. Besides the two I've already mentioned, and the one that's been made in this chapter, there should only be one more.
After all, Kumori needed a leader. Naruto needed a mother figure. He needed a father figure/ someone to provide a home. And the fourth… Well, Naruto needs a teacher right?
Things are pretty mild right now, which is why this fic is currently rated T. It will get worse later on, I think, and if it does I will up the rating. I may change the genres in the future as well. What they are now reflects the story at its current state.
To Muahahahahah, No I do not recall the name of the fic that inspired this, and though I have hunted through the Naruto fandom I have not been able to find it again. I know that very little was written, and it was abandoned, and I believe there is the possibility that the author may have deleted it.
Someone asked about pairings, and though I answered them, I will say it again for all of you. At this time, there are no pairings planned. If, in the future, I choose to have pairings, they won't happen till we hit Shipuuden. At that time, I will make a list of both female and male characters for Naruto, and your own votes will decide who he is paired with.
Assuming that neither of them end up with him, or I don't add them to that list, I will make separate lists for Sasuke and Sakura after Naruto's pairing has been decided.
That said, this fic will not focus on romance, and I ask that until I make that list, that you not bug me about pairings.
iamthealmightylinefearmypower
Hana stood before her Kage in silence. The man was waiting, and she knew this, but she was still getting her thoughts together. She sighed and met his dark eyes.
"This is the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki." He intoned, looking at the boy in her arms. "Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze." She swallowed. Of course the man knew who the boy was. He seemed to know everything, and when he didn't, he was too good at hiding any surprise for her to truly believe he wasn't knowledgeable.
She nodded once, and stood straight. "He was attacked by the villagers of Konoha." She told the man, witnessing a small flash of anger in his eyes though he remained otherwise stone-faced. "He ended up wandering down here and into my sector. By his words I determined that an attack on his person is not an uncommon occurrence." The man's hands tightened into fists where they were crossed over his chest but he said nothing. She continued.
"He's been told he's a monster enough times to have come to believe it, and was told that Kumori was a place for monsters. He came down here in the hopes of finding a home. Personally I think it would be unethical to allow this to continue. That said, I understand that such things are out of my hands, and so I've brought the boy to you. May I say however, that regardless of where he currently resides, his mother was of Kumori, and as his father is… Unknown, there is technically nothing tying him to Konoha."
Here the ageless man smiled. It was a sneaky bit of work on her part, and not a very subtle attempt at manipulation. They knew very well who fathered the child. But no one would be able to use it as an argument to keep him in Konoha without revealing old truths that were better left buried right now. Because no one could publically reveal the boy's heritage, they couldn't even argue that the child belonged in Konoha because his father was a Konohagakure citizen. By public knowledge, Naruto should belong in Kumori.
He imagined they would still fight against it, if only because of his status as a Jinchuuriki, but the old laws stated that a child of one side belonged there unless they chose otherwise; and they were not deemed eligible to choose otherwise until they became a legal adult. Whether that meant they were a civilian and turned sixteen, or they were a Shinobi and attained their title as such. The cards would be on their side in this. Besides that, the Kage of Kumori, no matter how rough a man he may be, was known for having a soft spot for children.
"I suppose then," He began, "That I ought to set up a meeting with the Hokage. Why it is a child of a Kumori citizen has been allowed to live in Konoha this long I do not understand. I feel such an oversight needs to be rectified."
Hana couldn't hold back a blinding smile at that. But the joyous expression faded after a moment. Scheduling a meeting with the Hokage may take a couple days, and if they managed to keep the child in Kumori after that…
Well, there was the issue of where he would live.
"What am I to do with him? The brothels are not fit to bring a child, and I will not allow him to be subjected to the gangs." She gave him a hard look at this, as though daring the man to argue against him.
"Take him to Kyoshi."
She started. "The priest?" He nodded. "Why him?"
He looked her in the eye. "He will be willing to care for the boy, and has the room for him." She nodded reluctantly in assent. She did not care much for the naïve priest, but she would not deny that he would be a good option for the little demon vessel.
With a shallow nod, she left.
Iamthealmightylinefearmypower
Hiruzen sighed for what may have been the tenth time that day. He was worried. Naruto's apartment had been burned to the ground, and while his ninja had determined the child was not inside at the time, he had not been found yet. He had not even shown up for class today.
His shinobi were searching the village extensively, but had yet to find the little blond. He wished he could go out to search himself, but as Hokage he had too many duties to fulfill, and a missing child, no matter who that child may be, could not be placed above those duties. The council had forbidden his express involvement.
They had too much power these days. Power he had allowed for them to have. Truth be told, as Hokage, he was the sole leader of Konohagakure. The council was meant only as advisors to himself, but he was old. In his age he could not handle things as well as he once had, and so left a number of duties for them to fulfill. There were no laws which gave them their power; rather it was his own complacency. Realistically speaking, he could easily stand against them and take back his full role, perhaps even disband them entirely, but it was far more trouble than it was worth.
A plain white scroll with a single, purple line marking the seal caught his eye. It had been brought to him this morning along with his many other bits of paperwork. He recognized the style of it all too well. But he had avoided looking at it just yet. Choosing instead to sign meaningless paperwork while he fretted over Naruto's absence.
But he knew he could not put it off for much longer, as so, with an aged sigh, he reached for it.
It was not often he received a message from Kumori after all.
iamthealmightylinefearmypower
Hana sighed as she lay the little blond down on the tatami mat. They were all that was here right now. There were no mattresses, as the priest seemed to live a life of simplicity; believing that one should only have what one absolutely needs.
It was not the most comfortable way of life; certainly not. But the man seemed happy, so who was she to judge? She would still make sure to purchase a proper bed for the child regardless; and more toys to be sure. Kyoshi might be a minimalist, but that didn't mean Naruto had to be.
Kyoshi Miyamoto was a Shinto priest. He was very young for his chosen career, and a bit naïve. He always saw the best in people, and was either blind to the darker side of the world, or chose not to see it. He was tall, and lean, with long, pale limbs and the fingers of a pianist. Long, strait black hair was held loosely from his face with a white sash; and soft amber eyes stared out from an angular face. He was slightly feminine, and very soft-spoken.
He wore a white Hakama and matching Uwangi. He chose to go barefoot, rather than wear sandals, and his feet didn't suffer only because he rarely left the shrine to Amaterasu, where he both worked and lived. It was not exactly a traditional style of dress for a Kannushi, but he was simply so kind that no one ever said a word about it.
Hana didn't like him very much. There was nothing wrong with him really. It was more her own jealousy that a man could find himself in adulthood and still retain the innocence of a child. She envied his ability to remain pure.
The shrine was a simple place. A large, well cared-for building with red gates lining the entrance. There was a smaller building located behind it that acted as the man's home, and now she supposed, it would act as Naruto's home as well. There was no garden, as here beneath the Earth there was no sunlight, and so no way to grow crops. They has several special buildings in Kumori that were lined in powerful seals to allow plants to grow within them.
But beyond these buildings, Kumori was filled with countless, constantly lit lanterns that kept up the visibility. Even with these, Kumori looked as though it was in a constant state of night. One had to look at a clock in order to tell if it was daylight above ground or not.
There were still 'dark' areas of the city though. Places not lit by lanterns, that most often held criminals. Many of Kumori's citizens were criminals. Most of them though were still good people, people who had come here seeking a second chance. Others were refugees. People with nowhere else to go.
But those who lived in the dark areas…
They were still criminals. Even in Kumori.
iamthealmightylinefearmypower
There was a special building within Konoha; or rather, just outside of her walls. It was found within the center of the Forest of Death, and it served two purposes. The first, was for Chunin exams that were held within Konohagakure.
The second, was as a meeting place for the Kage of Kumori, and the Hokage of Konoha. There were a few places in the old and dangerous forest that were entrances to Kumori, and training ground 44 was actually considered the dual property of Konoha and Kumori. As such, it was seen as neutral ground, and thus an excellent place for the two Kages and their guard to meet and speak peacefully.
The room for these meetings was in the first level basement of the building. There were three basements, and the third level had a tunnel that connected into Kumori, though only Kumori nin were permitted to use it. It was an old room, the grey walls cracking in places and the stone worn down until it was smooth. The tower in this Forest was one of the older buildings in Konoha, and though the higher levels had been rebuilt and renovated as necessary through the years, the foundations and basement levels were the originals; the only change to them being the addition of the tunnel entrance on level three.
While the room was old, the table within it where the Hokage now sat was not. It was new, polished wood, and round in shape. He sat at one end of the table, two Anbu guards in their seats on either side of him, and two more standing near the wall behind him. The Kage of Kumori was not yet here, and so he waited.
There were two doors in this room, and he looked up in interest as the knobs on the one he knew led to the lower stairs began to turn. The Kage of Kumori, at least twenty years younger than himself if not more so, entered; standing tall and firm.
He was flanked on either side by Kuroi Yabun, with their uniforms that showed no skin and dark masks. They were of equal height and left nothing on their outward appearance in the way of identifying markers; their masks themselves specially made to cause fluxes in their chakra so that not only would it be impossible to recognize them by chakra signature, but also so that the Hyuuga clan could not see through them. Their identities would always be protected fully. Not that they really needed that considering where they lived.
No one messed with shinobi of the dark districts after all.
He also noted with surprise that there was a woman walking just a bit behind them. He frowned at the sight of her. Her sparse dress and make up made suggestions in the way of her career. She was exceptionally beautiful.
But for what purpose had the Kage brought such a woman here?
"Hiruzen." The man greeted; his deep voice echoing slightly in the large room.
"Daichi." He replied in kind.
The man nodded and pulled out a chair for the woman, who gave him a smile and a respectful nod, and then sat himself. The Kuroi Yabun each stood directly behind one of the two of them rather than sitting themselves or moving to stand near the walls.
"May I ask the nature of this meeting?" He had learned some time ago that Daichi Hayashi had no love for small talk. If he didn't wish to irritate him then it was best to get straight to the point.
The man pulled out a piece of paper. Hiruzen could not see the writing from here, but he noted the official Kumori seal upon the page. A simple black circle representing a cloud with a white stripe straight through its center. The Kage passed him the page before speaking. "We are claiming one Naruto Uzumaki as a citizen of Kumori."
He froze as he grasped the page. He looked up at Daichi, but the man's face was hard and serious. He looked to the paper then, reading through the form. It was a citizenship form.
For Kushina Uzumaki.
He frowned. There were old laws between Konoha and Kumori. One of which loosely stated that a child born, would automatically be a citizen of whichever city their parents were a citizen of, regardless of birthplace. If they had a parent from both villages, then they would be a citizen of whichever place they were born in.
Naruto was born in Konoha, so he was meant to be a citizen of Konoha. But as he could not claim who the father was…. And that place was actually blank on the child's birth scroll…
He sent the Kage a steely look. He could do very little. He knew this. But… "You know very well that the council will not stand for this."
He received a predatory grin in response to his words. "We are willing to compromise."
He looked from the Kage to the paper before him and sighed. He was getting too damn old for this shit…
iamthealmightylinefearmypower
Kakashi stood before the three of them. Sasuke and Sakura sat upon the ground, looking exhausted and somehow dejected; despite the bells they each held in their hands. Naruto was stuck on his feet and tied to the stump, his head down rather than looking up at Kakashi. He didn't really understand. The kid had done something amazing by being willing to make a sacrifice for his teammates and yet… He seemed almost ashamed…
Growls filled the air and he almost laughed. "Uh oh. Stomachs growling huh? That's too bad. Oh, by the way, about this exercise, well, I've decided. I won't send any of you back to the academy." Naruto looked up with a smile. Ah… So he does care.
"But… We didn't really get the bells…" Sakura mumbled. Sasuke nodded in agreement with her. Then she smiled and jumped to her feet excitedly. "That means! All three of us-"
"Yes, all three of you… Are being dropped from the program. Permanently" Inside, Kakashi cackled in evil glee at the way their faces immediately dropped.
"But-!" Sakura looked caught between angry and heartbroken. "Drop us from the program… That means we can never become ninja! Why would you do that?" He nearly faltered at Naruto's expression. The child was staring at him like he'd been betrayed. Kakashi supposed he had, for if he really dropped from the program then his sacrifice earlier would have been pointless.
"Because you don't think like ninja, you think like little kids. Like brats." He saw Sasuke glare only a moment before the boy rushed him. It was child's play to pin him down and sit on his back. Kakashi actually felt irritated now. "You think it's all about you."
"LET GO OF SASUKE! YOU CAN'T STEP ON HIM LIKE HE'S SOME BUG!" He flicked an irritated glance at the girl, eyes drifting to Naruto again, but his head was once again hung in shame.
He looked seriously at the girl. "You don't know what it means to be a ninja. You think it's a game huh? Why do you think we put you on squads? Did you ever consider that question?"
She seemed confused. "I don't know what you mean."
"I mean, you never realized what this exercise is all about. The only one who came close was Naruto." Said blond looked up at the sound of his name, seemingly confused.
"What it's about?" Sakura's brow scrunched up in thought.
"Yes. That's what determines whether you pass or fail." He paused to clear his temper. "Use your head. Three people on a squad. Why do you think we would do that?"
She thought for a moment but it was Naruto who answered after a moment of thought. "Teamwork." He practically whispered the word.
"Exactly. It's too late now, but if all three of you had come at me, you might have been able to take the bells form the start. Well, anyway, it's over."
Sakura blinked. Wait a minute… "You set it up with three people but only two bells! Even if we had worked together only two of us would have gotten the bells! You pit us against each other from the beginning!"
"Precisely. I did it on purpose. I wanted to see if you could overcome that and put the squad ahead of yourselves. Sakura!" He barked. "You were obsessed with helping Sasuke and never even considered helping Naruto." She looked ashamed of herself, casting a guilty glance at the blond. "Naruto. You do everything on your own. Everything. You only did better because you gave up the bells in the end, but you never even thought to work with your teammates from the beginning." Kakashi watched him clench his fists and look down again. "And you, Sasuke. You thought the others were so far beneath you they were worthless." Said boy practically growled at him.
"Arrogance." He continued. "Ninja missions are carried out in squads. Of course you need individual skills, but teamwork is the most important part. Every Shinobi understands this. When individuals put themselves above the squad, this can lead to failure. And death! For example-" He pulled a kunai from his pouch and held it to the Uchiha's throat. "Sakura! Kill Naruto now or Sasuke dies!"
She looked at him with a panicked expression and Naruto's head snapped up. But there was no fear in his eyes. He sighed and pulled the blade away.
"That's what happens on a mission. The enemy takes a hostage and you've got an impossible choice. And someone ends up dead." He put the kunai away and got off Sasuke's back, walking away from them. "Every mission your life is on the line."
He came to stand before the small monument. "Did you look at this stone? The names engraved on it?" His voice was more sad than angry now. "They are all ninja who are honored as heroes in our village." He glanced back at the children, who were looking at the old stone with wonder. "They are a special kind of hero." He told them, turning back to look at it; his eyes immediately searching out the names he knew. He paused, swallowing. "They are all ninja, who have been killed in the line of duty." He felt more then saw their surprise and then sadness. "This is a memorial stone. The names of my closest friend are engraved here." A sense of melancholy seemed to settle over them all. Even the Uchiha…
Obito's eye itched in its socket and he turned around. "Alright. I'm going to give you one more chance. But I'm going to make it much harder on you. You'll have three hours to get a bell." He eyed Sasuke and Sakura. "Eat lunch now to build up strength. But," He sent a silent apology to the blond. "Naruto doesn't get any." The boy in question's stomach growled but he nodded in grave acceptance. "And if anyone tries to feed him, that person will immediately fail." He narrowed his eyes at them. "I make the rules. You follow them. Got it?"
They nodded in acceptance, and he left them.
iamthealmightylinefearmypower
It was nearly three hours later that Kakashi wandered in late to the Jounin meeting in the Hokage's grand old office. He felt rather pleased with the children. They had broken the rules for the sake of teamwork, and thus succeeded in being the first team for him to ever pass. He was proud of them for it, and if he was honest with himself, he was actually looking forward to teaching them.
Many other Jounin were there and they glared at him as he entered, having been forced to stand there and wait for him. He eye-smiled at them all as though he were completely oblivious to their ire. This of course only seemed to irritate them further. He stopped near his old, comrade? Acquaintance? Asuma. He wouldn't dare call the man a friend.
Asuma was one of the Hokage's sons. He was taller than Kakashi, thicker built. Where the silver-haired man was built for speed, Asuma was built more for strength. He had dark, spiky hair that was common among the younger men of the Sarutobi clan. It came down from sideburns into a short, well-kept beard; though he had no moustache. Dark brown, almost black, eyes found themselves above a broad, rounded nose and a wide mouth. His skin was covered in a dark tan, a somewhat unusual occurrence among ninja who lived a good portion of their lives sneaking through the darkness.
His outfit was not so different from Kakashi's own clothing, the most obvious differences being the lack of plated gloves and the angular piece of cloth tied around the man's waist; proudly wearing the kanji for fire. Then there was, of course, the cigarette that hung from his mouth. Kakashi couldn't really recall a time he had ever seen the man not smoking.
Asuma stood next to Kurenai Yuhi; a fairly new addition to the Jounin ranks. This round of students would be the first she had tested. She was a beautiful woman. Her body made by decent curves and muscles. Thick, wavy black hair fell from her head in waves; an unusual sight among Kunoichi her age (who tended to prefer short cuts or keeping their hair up as it was mostly the young and inexperienced who bothered to have their hair long). Her eyes were strange; a deep shade of red, with purplish rings running through them, and framed by long lashes.
She didn't wear the traditional Jounin garb. Rather a red top with a single long sleeve was covered by a mesh tank and then white wraps. The wraps were thick and with a single black line running through their middle; little triangle branching off of it like thorns on a vine. It stopped high on her thighs, and she kept her decency through bandages wrapped all around her upper thighs, though her hands and lower arms were wrapped as well.
He cast them both a friendly glance and while Asuma shook his head bemusedly at Kakashi's lateness, Kurenai gave him a sharp, irritated glance. He made a note to avoid her for a few days. If there was one thing he had learned in his life it was that nothing was scarier than a pissed-off woman.
The Hokage sighed, and Kakashi came to attention; as did the other Jounin within the room. Hiruzen Sarutobi, their most esteemed Hokage, was an aged man. Kakashi wasn't certain as to exactly how old he was, but he knew the man had taught the three great Sanin, and that they had to be at least fifty. He was tanned like Asuma, and the silver-haired man had to wonder if it was more a Sarutobi thing than an Asuma thing. He had a longer beard than his son; bleached white with age. His eyes were angular, his nose large, and his skin covered in wrinkles and the occasional age-spot.
Most of his form was hidden behind the traditional white and red Hokage robes and the odd triangular hat; with its fire symbol and pieces of cloth that fell down to the old man's shoulders. It was somewhat surprising that he bothered to wear it all, as many Kages in this age chose only to wear their traditional dress on important occasions. Despite his clothes, and his age, Kakashi had no doubt that the man was powerful. He often put out a kind, grandfatherly demeanor, but there were still moments where he reminded his subordinates exactly why he was called 'the professor'.
"Now that everyone is here," The Hokage cast a reprimanding glance at Kakashi, who chose that moment to pull out his book and seemingly ignore the world. "Let's go over which teams have passed." He began to call out team numbers and Kakashi tuned him out, waiting until his own team's number would be called.
"Team 7?" There was no sound in the man's voice and Kakashi heard someone in the back mutter about why they bothered to ask, and that they should just put down whatever teams Kakashi tested as having failed.
To spite them, he didn't even look up from his book when he replied. "Pass."
The Hokage sputtered. There were similar shocked reactions around the room and Kakashi was rather pleased that he could smirk and no one would see. "P-Pass?" He looked up from his book at the Hokage and had to hold back a snicker. The old man looked almost as though he would have a heart-attack. He could hear his colleagues muttering to each other in surprise but didn't look up from his book until one of them spoke a bit louder.
"Of course he passed them! The Uchiha's on that team!" There were murmurs of agreement and Kakashi felt a twinge of irritation.
"Actually," He started, not bothering to take his eyes off his precious Icha Icha, "Uchiha had nothing to do with it. They nearly failed. It was Uzumaki who made me choose to give them a second chance."
A few of them sputtered in something close to, if not, outrage, and the same Jounin who spoke of Sasuke was the first to recover. "You mean that damned fox! That's preposterous!"
He did look up this time, catching the man with a steely gaze. "The Uchiha was arrogant. He felt himself better than the others and completely disregarded his teammates. Uzumaki worked alone as well, but he was the one to retrieve the bells from me." A few looked as though they would interrupt him but he continued on. "After he got them, he gave them away to his teammates." There was silence now; the shock of the Jounin a near palpable thing in the air. "It was his sacrifice that made me choose to give them a second chance, and the other two only succeeded in convincing me to pass them as team after I lectured them on the importance of teamwork." He narrowed his eyes. "Do not assume that what he contains has any bearing on his nature as a person. You cannot blame a cage for the crimes of its prisoner."
He offered a respectful nod to Lord Hokage, who looked rather proud of him, and left. Kami knows what he would do to those idiots if they pissed him off any further.
iamthealmightylinefearmypower
There we go. Next chapter marks the beginning of the wave arc and will begin just as they set out, skipping over them meeting Tazuna.
I ask you now if you want for Haku and Zabuza, or just one of the two to survive, or if you want it to go a bit like canon. Keep in mind that if they live, either one or both may find their ways onto the eventual pairing list.
Also, would you rather Haku be a boy or a girl? I can work with either so…
Review lovies!
