Sarutobi looked at the two clan heads standing across from him in his office, Hiashi Hyuga and Tsume Inuzuka, and mentally sighed. He was going to get a lot of lip from them for what he was about to reveal.
"I am sorry for interrupting your busy days, but a matter has come up that needed to be brought to both of your intentions." Nothing was said by either party; both patiently waiting for the reasoning, but Sarutobi could tell Tsume was a little bit on edge.
"Today, I apprehended your daughter, Hinata; your son Kiba, and Naruto Uzumaki inside of a classified area." This simple little comment caused a reaction to both clan heads.
"What the heck was my brat doing with your brat and the Uzumaki brat?" She turned to Hiashi, seemingly to blame him.
Hiashi let out a small sigh. "If I'm correct, then they were both fooled into believing a highly disrespectful prank Uzumaki tried to pull in the academy today."
"What are you talking about?" Tsume bluntly asked the proper clan leader.
"Uzumaki is taking classes with my nephew, who is set to graduate next month, as he is attempting to graduate early. Today, my nephew told me about how the Uzumaki said he found the Yondaime alive and was willing to prove it. Somehow, he convinced my daughter and your son into coming with him. I always knew my daughter's skills were weak, but being unable to catch such a blatant lie? An outrage to the Hyuga name!" He firmly spoke to the room.
Sarutobi nodded. "Quite true. Such a blantant lie should be caught by a well-trained Hyuga. However, it was no lie."
Even Hiashi couldn't stop himself from whipping his neck around, like Tsume did. "What are you talking 'bout, Hokage-sama?" She was quick to ask.
"Naruto Uzumaki was not telling a lie. Until this information is revealed to the public, this is a SSS class secret, understand?" Sarutobi told them.
Shocked by the insane classification level, both quietly complied. "You both know the full story of how Minato defeated the Kyuubi, correct?"
Hiashi nodded. "Of course, you told the jonin council this years ago. Sealing half inside himself to got with him to Shinigami, he sealed the other half inside the Uzumaki. He couldn't seal the entire beast into himself and for his plan to work to save Konoha, he was forced to divide the burden between himself and an orphan."
Sarutobi listened to the rehash of what he told them 11 years before, and nodded. "That is what you were told. However, much was kept from the council that day." He then proceeded to tell them the (almost) complete story, about what Kushina had done, about Naruto's true heritage, and how Minato had been kept in a secret base until that time he recovered.
At the end of the story, Hiashi was contemplative and Tsume was pissed.
"Why couldn't you trust us? You know none of us would ever betray you! The clans of Konoha are your most loyal of followers. Even the bastard Uchihas, bless them in their grave could be trusted." Tsume barked out, wishing she had brought her partner for back up.
It hurt Sarutobi the irony in that statement, but there was nothing he could say to it but, "I did not want a perverse bidding war for a boy because of his legacy when his father had a chance to wake up and raise his son. And I did not want to raise people's hopes if Minato had never woke up, or had simply passed away during his coma. While far from ideal, I did what I thought was best in the situation."
Tsume attempted to argue, but Hiashi interrupted her. "I understand, Hokage-sama. If it had been me, I would have made the same decision."
Tsume turned her head to the Hyuga. "What have you been drinking, Hiashi-san?"
Hiashi ignored the insult but answered the Inuzuka head. "Secrets are better kept in the hands for a few. If you want proof of this, look at what happened to Naruto-sama's secret of containing the Kyuubi. Once it was known to the masses, lies and corruption of the original tale were created, as were conspiracies, until the truth was hidden and a system of hatred was developed towards him."
Tsume shot out a glare to the Hyuga, but turned in a huff away from him. "So, Hokage-sama, what is going to happen to my pup? And Hiashi's little girl, too?"
Sarutobi simply sighed. "It is very complicated. While I wish I could simply keep your children at the base and not let them out until I announce to the public the survival of Minato, trying so would be very foolish. Between your two clans, you would find the location and compromise a safehouse if you chose to object to my plan. So rather, I am ordering that they be reprimanded to the compound house for the next week or so, until the revelation can be made."
Tsume thought about it for a moment, and gave a small grin. "That isn't too bad. I can make Kiba do chores until he drops."
Hiashi ignored the scheming of the woman next to him and gave a curt nod, signaling agreement to the solution. "It would be best to do so." He paused for a moment, and decided to ask. "Has Minato said anything about his duties as Neji's godfather?"
Ignoring Tsume's surprise at the statement, Sarutobi nodded. "He knows of Hizashi's fate, and from what I felt when I spoke with him, he is quite angry with Kumo right now. For his duties…he has other things he needs to contend with first."
Hiashi could guess what that meant, and nodded in agreement.
…
Minato was now able to freely walk without too much of a hassle, and did so on the outskirts of Konoha with his son and ANBU assistant. He and his son wore black cloaks over their clothing, his son's orange jumpsuit and the white dress shirt and the navy blue shinobi pants he had been given. Each man had a bouquet of roses in their hands, as they quietly followed the ANBU assistant to their destination.
Naruto eventually broke the silence. "What was she like?"
Minato, knowing implicitly who he was talking about, gave a warm smile. "She always love to talk, and had the most cheerful personality, just like you seem too." Naruto smiled at the compliment.
"What else?" He asked, almost impatiently.
Naruto let his mind wander as he thought about his long deceased wife. "Quick to temper. If you did anything wrong to her, you'd be sure to know. A bit of a tomboy at heart though, she hated girly colors and girly things. Fearless too. One time, during the treaty discussions during the Third Shinobi War, she smacked the Yondaime Kazekage for not trying hard enough to do a good job for his people. It surprised everyone at the table."
"She was also very loyal to Konoha, even though she wasn't from here."
Naruto was surprised. "What do you mean, she wasn't from Konoha?" He had not expected this fact at all.
Minato explained. "Your mother was from the island village off the coast of the Land of Fire, in the Land of Whirlpools. It was destroyed by Kumo, Iwa, and Yugakure during the Second Shinobi War because of how they feared how strong it would become if left unchecked for any longer. Your mother was in a clan that based itself in the Land of Whirlpools who was already feared, and was sent to Konoha for training by the clan due to their good relations with us…among other things." Minato never liked talking about the burden his wife held, the same burden passed onto their son. "After her village was destroyed, she eventually steeled herself to becoming the best member of Konoha she could be, so she chose the goal of Hokage to do such a thing."
Naruto was quiet as he thought about what his father said. Eventually he turned to him and simply said. "I wish I had met her."
Minato simply gave him a soft smile. "I know son. I wish you could have met her too."
They were heading through a break into the forest into the desired field when the ANBU stopped them.
"What's wrong?" Naruto asked, looking around in some worry. His mind immediately drifted to a ninja attack, which scared him. His dad, a weird concept for him but the truth, wsa very powerful but was still fairly weak, and he, thought destined to become Hokage, couldn't even do a Bunshin correctly. He just hoped the ANBU would be enough if it was an attack.
"It appears someone else is already at the grave." Naruto looked through the gap and saw the ninja, Kakashi, who was supposed to watch him but didn't, kneeling in front of a grave. Naruto was wondering what the heck he was doing, and looked up at his father to see what he thought. His father was staring at the man too, very intently. Naruto decided to say nothing for once.
…
Kakashi knew they were there. He wasn't a top jonin for nothing. But he was going to finish this conversation before he left his sensei and his son alone to speak.
"I just…I hope you don't think I failed him. It is bad enough for sensei to think that, but if you both… I made a promise that day to never turn my back on my comrades and I think I kept it. I'm almost certain I did. I just hope sensei understands this soon. He's here to talk to you now. And Naruto's here too. That is one thing I could have done, taking him here. But I think it was probably for him to come and see you with his father. Hopefully it won't take me eleven years to see you again, Kushina-sama. Good day."
With that, Kakashi shunshin'd out of the field and left the three he sensed to do what they came to do.
Minato slowly walked behind the ANBU assistant to the grave Kakashi had been at, only confirming his suspicions. Naruto solemnly followed as they crossed the field, before the ANBU stopped in front of a grave marker. "Her final resting place is here, Minato-sama. I will leave you and your child to mourn." The ANBU quickly vanished from sight, though he was not completely gone.
The two blondes each had their bouquet of roses in front of them as they read the grave in front of them.
Here lies the remains of Kushina Uzumaki, wife of the Yondaime Hokage, heiress of the former Uzumaki clan July 10 XXXX – October 10 XXXX.
"Mom was a heiress?" Naruto asked as he read the grave marker.
Minato slowly nodded as he was pulled out of his focus of his beloved's last resting place. "By Konoha's standards she was, but not to the Uzumaki clan. She was only called that since her mother was considered the top ninja in the clan, and the de facto leader"
Naruto simply nodded and stared at the grave marker some more. Finally taking the intiative, he put his bouquet of roses in front of the marker and kissed it.
"Hey mom, it's me Naruto. I'm, I'm sorry that I didn't come here before, but I wish I had. Jiji told me that you both had died beating the Kyuubi, and I wanted to visit your graves, but I wasn't allowed. Dad is here though, he's been in a coma for a while, since you saved his life." By this point, Naruto was fighting tears as his words grew deeper and more emotional. "Thank you for that. You found a way so that I could have a parent. Even though he wasn't there for me when I was little, he's here now, and he is never going to leave." Naruto flashed a big grin to the marker, trying to show her spirit how much it meant to him. "Dad told me that you loved me and couldn't wait to raise me. And thinking on it…I love you too, kaa-chan." With that line, Naruto backed from the marker and wiped his eyes.
Minato gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder, and then laid his flowers on the grave marker before giving it a kiss. "It's me Kushina. It has taken me 11 years, but I can finally say thank you. I thought I was going to die that day, but you figured out a way to save me and stop Naruto from losing the chance to know his parents. I love you so much, and I will accomplish our dream together. I became Hokage, and I will now raise Naruto to be the best he can be, like we said we would." Turning to Naruto, he asked. "Can you give me a second alone with Kushina-chan, Naruto?" Naruto nodded, and backed off to let his dad have a few private words with his mom.
Judging Naruto to be far enough away, Minato kneeled in front of the grave. "I wish it had been you, " He began to confess, "I wish it had been you that survived and not me. I had been prepared to die that day to save Konoha, but you weren't. You just expected to have a tough, but rewarding birth, and the chance to hold our son. Not to let the beast get free and ruin our village." His fingers went over her name slowly. "I'm going to miss you. I mean, of course I would, but I really will. I can promise you there will never be anyone else for me, and I will do my best to raise Naruto, even though he has pretty much raised himself. I can't wait to see you again, but don't hate me when I say I hope it isn't soon. I love you, my fiery Habanero." Minato didn't notice the tears coming from his eyes, until he realized the tears dropping onto the grave marker as he kissed it again. He wiped his eyes clear and stood up, beckoning his son over. "Come on, Naruto. I want to take you to my and Kushina's house. Your new home."
Naruto's eyes went wide at the thought of having a home. He didn't say anything though, but just walked slowly to his father. The ANBU assistant came into view, and followed the duo to their new home.
…
I know some people don't like my treatment of Kakashi, but it will remain in place for a while. This is NOT Kakashi bashing, however. This is just a character not liking another character because he has lost all trust in him.
Hiashi and Tsume don't know everything that their children know, but they know enough so that they won't be interrogating them on what THEY know.
Jiraiya will come in next chapter, and the rebirth of Minato as a ninja will come with it. Don't worry, Naruto will start getting his badass levels up next chapter too. Look for Chapter 6 to be the big reveal to Konoha, near the end.
And don't worry, the Neji-godfather fact will be addressed next time. Until then, relax!
