Naruto: Winter Fox

Review Response:

OutlawKnight: Thanks for all the praise and suggestion. Tsume will definitely have a unique reaction to his bloodline, you'll see exactly how in this chapter. As for his new summons, I already have an idea for that but it won't come to pass for a few more chapters.

DeCkLaRatioN: To clarify Kyuubi is a guy in this fic, and I've looked through the previous chapters and I don't see Kyuubi ever being referred to as female.

Yamamoto: I added a few quirks for the body and eye parts of the bloodline. The body gained the immunity to the cold and the claws, and the eyes gained the ability to see through any visible impediment.

MWkillkenny84: Sorry no Iruka/Harem. It's a nice idea but I can't really see it working. Though I usually pair Iruka with Ayame, it's a personal favorite for a minor pairing.

"Normal Speech"

'Normal Thought'

"Mental Communication"

"Demon/Large Summons Speech"

'Demon/Large Summons Thought'

Jutsu

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any other media that appear or seem to appear in this story.

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Chapter 4: Winter Settles In

(The Next Morning)

Naruto awoke quite gently the next morning, which was unusual in and of itself. Usually the blonde awoke in a nest of twisted limbs and tossed sheets, his energetic nature committed to keep him moving even while he slept, but this morning the blonde awoke softly, still beneath the comforter of his bed with his head nestled between two extremely soft pillows. Finding himself not wanting to leave the warm embrace the blonde snuggled his head deeper into his soft headrests, eliciting a soft moan from the pillows.

'Wait a minute,' reasoned the blonde's still half-asleep mind, 'pillows don't moan.'

That thought brought Naruto's mind to, at least, a semblance of wakefulness. Eyes still closed the blonde felt around with his other senses. He soon found that both his arms were wrapped around something large and warm and were holding it quite close against his body, while he felt a third arm slung over his own neck. Taking a brief sniff of the air, he was instantly bathed in the scent of fresh snow and herbs. His ears were picking up several unusual sounds, a soft, steady thumping coming from beneath his 'pillows,' and the gentle sound of soft breathing that was not his own.

'Oh shit.' was the blonde's first thought as he opened his eyes. Staring back at him was the impressive sight of Haku's perky, C-cup breasts, veiled from view by a loose collection of cloth. Backing his head away slowly to avoid awakening his sleeping bedmate the blonde simple started at his mate. Haku's dark black hair was down, falling just past her shoulder blades in a slightly messy tumble of sleep, her eyes were shut and her face was completely relaxed, at least from what he could see since half of her head was nuzzled deep into his shoulder. She was dressed solely in a deep blue night robe, her body pressing against his own at nearly every opportunity, including her perky breasts rubbing and smooching against his chest to create the soft pillows he'd been enjoying a moment before.

'Kami, even when she's asleep she looks like a goddess.' thought Naruto in wonder as he simply stared at the woman he'd been blessed to call his mate. It was several minutes before the blonde was able to shake off his daze and return to the realm of conscious thought. 'Focus Naruto!' he mentally ordered himself, 'Marvel over the glorious beauty that is your mate later. Right now you need to think of how you ended up like this and how to prevent Haku from going ballistic when she wakes up.'

Quickly obeying his own mental instructions the blonde quickly thought back to the day before. After he and Haku left the old man's office he'd taken her on a quick tour of Konoha, pointing out most of the major attractions, along with several of his favorite places. After several hours of sight-seeing the blonde realized that it was getting close to the time he needed to meet Kotetsu and Izumo at Ichiraku's. Quickly leading his female companion to the ramen stall, the blonde was quite pleased to find that not only had the two Chūnin arrived, but they'd managed to find Iruka-sensei and drag him along as well, as well as greeting Teuchi and Ayame Ichiraku, the stand's owner and his daughter who were also quite close to the blonde. The Chūnin instructor and ramen stand owners were more than a little surprised to see how much their favorite blonde had changed in a little over two months and a single mission. When the man had asked what had happened. Naruto had been eager to explain, but he first introduced Haku to his assembled friends as his 'girlfriend,' both having decided earlier that it would be best not to mention their mating bond.

This statement had gotten quite the array of reactions from the five adults present. Ayame had squealed happily, glad that her little brother had finally found a girl. Teuchi grinned happily behind the stall, lost in thought as he reminisced his own youth with Ayame's mother. Iruka had smiled proudly and congratulated his favorite student and little brother figure. Kotetsu and Izumo had stood dumbstruck for a little bit, before both Chūnin had rushed the blonde, grabbed him by either side of the neck and noogied him relentlessly for 'finding such a major hottie before either of them.' Naruto had laughed and blushed at all the good-natured teasing and attention, while Haku merely smiled and blushed deeply, happy to be accepted by her boyfriend's precious people.

After the teasing and congratulations had ended, Naruto began to recount his adventure in Wave Country. Naruto kept mostly to the truth adding only a few embellishments and bits of bragging. He'd told them about the battle with the Demon Brothers and Zabuza, his first meeting with his Hyōmegami (Ice Goddess), getting a deep blush from Haku; and his second encounter with her and Zabuza on the bridge. He left out the parts about dealing with the Kyuubi; while he trusted everyone present in the stall, you never knew who was listening in. Especially in a ninja village. He'd even told them about his new bloodline, demonstrating it by creating an ice rose and gently placing it in Haku's hair, again causing the Hyōton user to blush furiously.

The celebration following the completion of the story had lasted well into the night, celebrating the blonde's first C- turned A-class mission as well as the founding of his bloodline and his acquiring a girlfriend. At the end Naruto and Haku had left, Iruka, Kotetsu, and Izumo covering the bill in celebration, and returned to the blonde's apartment. Both were exhausted from the long day as they got ready for bed, Naruto slipping into a pair of shorts and a sleeveless night shirt while Haku stripped into her underwear and put on her sleeping robe. Both were so used to sleeping next to each other for over a month the two didn't even notice as they climbed into the same bed and drifted quickly off to sleep.

Finishing his mental recap the blonde thought calmly, 'Okay, glad I remember everything. Now all I have to do is find a way out of this before Haku wakes up and gets angry with me.'

Luckily for the blonde he needn't have worried. Haku had been awake for quite some time and simply enjoyed the sensation of being wrapped in Naruto's arms. When she felt her beloved stir she slowly opened her eyes and softly whispered out, "Naruto-kun."

Naruto's head instantly bolted up to stare into Haku's face an excuse and apology on his lips before he fell under the spell of those dark brown eyes. Haku was likewise mesmerized by her beloved's gaze, staring into the soft, iceberg blue eyes of the young blonde she'd fallen for. When she'd first met him in the woods she'd instantly fallen into those deep blue pools of radiance, and even now, with his bloodline changing those orbs into a cool, iceberg blue, she couldn't help but get lost in them once again. 'How can such a cold color hold so much warmth, light, and love?' she thought to herself dreamily as she stared into his eyes before leaning in and capturing the blonde's lips in a deep kiss, which Naruto quickly returned.

The kiss soon grew more heated as their tongues began to dance and do battle in each other's mouths. Soon, Naruto's hands began to dance along her back before moving lower, caressing and groping her plump and firm rear. Haku moaned deeply into the kiss in pleasure as her own hands move to caress her blonde lover's golden locks. After several minutes of energetic kissing and caressing the two finally broke apart, the need for air overriding their lust. The two simply stared at each other as they panted, mouths still connected by a thin stream of saliva, as they continued to lie in bed. Despite their month-long duration of alone-time the two had yet to 'go all the way.' Both still believed they were too young just yet, and needed more time to grow closer. Though if they had many more mornings like this they would likely find themselves fulfilling their more carnal of desires with each other much sooner than they thought.

Deciding that someone needed to break the silence before they either simply lay in bed all day or broke their precautions of abstinence, Haku spoke up, "We should probably get up and start getting ready. Hokage-sama said he wanted us to meet him in his office at noon." she stated quietly as she began to rise from the bed.

Naruto was a little disappointed, wanting to continue their tongue war, but decided they could always do that later. He also stood and began to get ready to meet the old man.

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(A few hours later, Hokage Tower)

The pair of ice-wielders arrived at the Hokage's tower a few hours later, both dressed in their standard shinobi attire, Reitō-en sheathed across Naruto's back and Haku carrying her sword, Haruyuki (Spring Snow), as well. As the secretary buzzed them in for their appointment, the old man sitting behind his desk, once again locked in battle with his papery nemesis, looked up at the two teens and gave them a week smile. "Naruto-kun, Haku san. Good morning. I hope last night treated you well." greeted the elderly Kage.

"Pretty good old man." answered Naruto while Haku nodded her head in agreement. "You wanted us to be here to talk about the council meeting and me starting my own clan?"

"Ah, yes. Now there shouldn't be any major problems with it, but considering your…unique status," stated the old Hokage, getting frowns from both Haku and Naruto, "I doubt the majority of the Civilian Council will be very happy with approving your nomination for forming your own clan. While they may not be able to stop it on their own, if the vast majority of them stand against you in the vote, it could raise some difficulties." stated the Hokage gloomily, before a smirk crossed his weathered face. "But if you're willing to listen to an old man's plan, I think we may be able to get a full authorization without any problems."

"What's the plan old man?" questioned Naruto curiously, his prankster instincts blazing, telling him this would be good.

"Simple," smirked the old Kage, "we don't tell them that it's you that awakened the bloodline." he finished with a large grin as he started explaining his plan.

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(1 Hour later, Council Chambers)

The full council of Konoha was gathered in the central meeting chamber. The council was divided into four independent sections: the Shinobi Clan Heads, who represented their respective clans, the Shinobi Division Representatives, who represented the different divisions of Konoha's military, the Civilian Council, who represented Konoha's civilian populace, and the Elder Council, who acted as the Hokage's advisors and represented the interests of the nonclan shinobi. Each section of the council took up a side of the rectangular table that served as the central focus for the meeting room, as well as the room's only furnishings save a few extra chair for those waiting to speak in front of the council.

As soon as the entirety of the council was seated in their respective spots Sarutobi cleared his voice and spoke up. "Thank you all for coming today. Now we have several issues on the board today, most involving the successful return of Team 7 from their C- turned A-class mission." stated the Hokage calmly as he picked up his copy of the mission file. Yesterday, he and Kakashi had printed up an 'abridged' version of the document to hand out the remainder of the council in preparation for this meeting. "Now the first item up for vote is the foundation of a new clan within Konoha. A young man returning with Team 7 has an undocumented bloodline that is not fully claimed by any of the other villages, and they have requested the right to form their own clan in Konoha. A limited description of the bloodline and its abilities are listed in the file."

Many of the councilors opened their files at the mention of this. Those that had fully read through the file were questioning themselves, believing that the only non-Konoha shinobi returning was listed as one Haku Momochi and the document had stated that he was a she. Most of the councilors quickly passed it off as a simple misprint in the file, though several of the shinobi, including one Danzō Shimura, raised suspicious eyes at it.

"And where is young Momochi-san?" questioned one of the civilian councilors. It was unusual for a person being voted on by the council to not be standing within the chambers

Sarutobi raised his eyes at the question as if surprised by it. "Haku Momochi is currently in my office, filling out the paperwork to fully enter our village as a shinobi, along with a companion acting as a guide. I have instructed them to both come to the council chambers once Momochi-san has finished with the paperwork." answered the Hokage honestly. That got some nods of agreement from many councilors; since filling out the requient paperwork to become a shinobi of the village was an important process, and no council decisions would hold sway over the individual until they were filled out.

"Now if there are no other questions, I'd like to put this to a vote before our young shinobi arrives for the answer." stated the Hokage, getting nods of accent. "All those in favor of the founding of a new clan within Konoha?" asked the Hokage raising his own hand. Most of the council raised their hands in agreement. "Excellent, the motion carries. As of this moment the matter is closed and the Uzumaki clan is now a fully recognized clan under Konoha law" stated the Hokage happily as he stamped the file in front of him with his seal.

The final part of the Hokage's statement caught most of the council like a blow to the head. Most shared confused glances before Danzō stood. "Sarutobi, what do you mean…" started the old war hawk before he was interrupted by an Anbu appearing next to the Hokage.

"Pardon my interruption honorable council," stated the Anbu calmly, "but there is a pair of young shinobi waiting outside, saying that they have business with the council and were instructed by Hokage-sama to come here as soon as possible."

"That must be them now, please send them in." instructed the Hokage, before he turned his attention to Danzō. "If you'd be kind enough to wait a moment Danzō-san, I'd like to explain everything that's happened to the young ones." he finished before turning his attention to Naruto and Haku, who'd both just entered the room and were now walking forward to stand next to the Hokage's seat.

Haku bowed to the old man before presenting a small stack of papers. "I've completed the paperwork you needed me to do, Hokage-sama." she stated softly

Sarutobi took the small pile of papers and quickly thumbed through them before nodding. "Everything look to be in proper order. Let me be the first to welcome you to the Leaf Village as a fully qualified shinobi, Ms. Momochi." stated the Hokage warmly getting more confused looked from the council before he turned to Naruto. "And Naruto, I have some good news. The council has voted and, in a near unanimous vote, your petition to form your own clan has passed. Congratulations my boy, you are now a clan head, though you can't officially take the title and the council position until you either reach the age of 20 or become a jounin." stated the Hokage proudly.

Naruto gave the old man a very large grin, "Thanks Ojii-san." he replied happily.

That was the point when the bubble of silent confusion that had enveloped the council finally popped. "Hokage-sama! What is the meaning of this!" shouted a civilian councilman, a rather rotund man with a balding plate of dull black hair.

"What do you mean Councilman Igashi? I was just congratulating Naruto on his acceptance for the formation of his new clan, the matter we just voted on." asked the Hokage in a fake, confused tone.

"But we were under the impression that it was Momochi-san who was creating their own clan?" stated another council member angrily, this one a female with shoulder length pink hair.

"Haku-san?" questioned the Hokage. "Now where on earth did you get an idea like that Councilwoman Haruno? I clearly stated that it was a young man returning with team 7 that had awakened the bloodline, and the mission report clearly states that Haku-san is a young lady. I thought it was pretty obvious I was speaking of Naruto-kun. We all know that young Sasuke already possesses the Sharingan, and Kakashi-san's family has no history of containing a kekkai genkai."

"Hmhm. Clever move Sarutobi." chuckled Danzō, getting many stares from the remainder of the council. "You knew a good percentage of the council would be against the...boy being given the right to form his own clan. So, rather than risking the vote being denied based purely on the boy's condition, you instead mislead the majority of the council into believing that it was young Momochi who possessed the bloodline, while knowing that those of us with enough skill and experience to see through it wouldn't raise the issue." Danzō was of course already scheming ways to get this new bloodline and clan under his control, but for now he was willing to tip his hat, as it were, for a well-placed bit of trickery on the part of his old rival.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Danzō." stated the Hokage with a large shit-eating grin on his face.

"This is unacceptable!" shouted Haruno. "I refuse to allow this…this…this creature to form its own clan! I demand the vote be stricken from the records!"

"That is impossible." stated Koharu, one of the elders. "A vote passed by the council can only be stricken from the records with a full seventy-five percent majority vote and the Hokage's approval, unless the Hokage or a councilor violated some law in the commission of the vote which then only requires a fifty percent majority vote."

"Then I call for the majority vote!" shouted Igashi "The Hokage lied to us about who was starting the clan, and lying to the council on an official matter is a clear violation of Konoha law!"

Tsume Inuzuka snorted at that. "That's a load of bull. The Hokage never lied to us; he just let the majority jump to the wrong conclusion." The Inuzuka matriarch stated while she occasionally tossed glances at the newly transformed blonde. She, like the majority of the clan heads, never had anything against the blonde, seeing him as just another gaki who'd gotten a bad hand in life. Now the gaki had come back transformed into what could only be classified as a first-class stud and was radiating enough pheromones that it made the Inuzuka matriarch a little itchy in a way she'd though she'd long forgotten. 'Shame the gaki's not a few years older.' thought the Inuzuka matriarch with a saucy smirk. 'Oh, well. Maybe I've actually found a stud for little Hana-chan to sink her teeth into.'

"What about the creature's so called bloodline!" shouted a third civilian, this one a near-skeletal man who looked older than the Hokage. "I demand proof of its existence!"

"That is…acceptable." stated Sarutobi before he looked over to Naruto. "Would you mind giving the council a demonstration of your bloodline's abilities Naruto-kun?"

"I've got no problem with that." agreed the blonde with a shrug. "So what do you want to see?"

Inoichi Yamanaka decided to take the lead for this part. "According to the information Hokage-sama has provided, your bloodline is comprised of three separate parts: body, chakra, and eyes. Is that correct?" he questioned getting a nod from the blonde. "According to the information most of the body aspect is impossible to test, since it only reinforces several aspects of your physiology, and the only other parts are impossible to fully test without proper preparation. However an analysis by one of our medic-nin should at least be able to quantify some of it." he stated looking to the representative of the medic division.

The woman nodded in response and walked over to Naruto. As she approached Naruto took a moment to study her. She was a grizzled old woman with light brownish-gray hair parted to either side, a sharp nose, and her face was covered in a set of heavy wrinkles. She wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, dark-red lipstick, and a white medical kimono marked with the symbol of the Konoha medic division.

"If you would be so kind, Uzumaki-san, please remain still. This may take a few minutes." she stated as she went through a set of handseals. Naruto nodded his head in confirmation. The woman finished her seals and pronounced "Iryōjutsu: Jintaibunseki (Medical Technique: Body Analysis)" stated the medic as her hands glowed a pale green with energy. Slowly the woman began to run his hands over most of Naruto's body, keeping her hands a bit less than an inch away from his skin as the chakra coating his hands slowly leaked out of her hands and into the blonde. After nearly half an hour, the aged medic returned to her feet from the kneeling position she'd lowered into to examine Naruto's legs and looked over the council.

"After careful analysis, I've noted several unique factors about Uzumaki-san's physiology." stated the medic calmly adjusting her glasses. "His muscles have become, for lack of a better term, denser due to an increase in cellular content and growth within each muscular area. This increased density would definitely account for, and indicate, increased strength and speed. His heart has also increased in size, allowing for increased blood-flow, which would also facilitate a boost in his endurance. His chakra network has also expanded and the vessels seem to be reinforced by unique muscular growth, which could facilitate an increased effectiveness and resistance to damage. I've noticed an increase in cellular division and mitosis, along with an extremely high amount of thrombocytes in his bloodstream, which could be attributive to some form of cellular regeneration or a healing factor. His sensory organs also seem to have been strengthened through increased perceptionary cell generation, particularly in his nasal and auditory regions, indicating a strengthening of those senses. The pain receptors in his nervous system also seemed to have mutated slightly, which could indicate a heightened pain tolerance. I've also noticed several new traits, most them reminiscent of artic or subartic species, which could prove as indicators for his claims of immunity to the effects of cold environments. The most notable being several unique chemical in his blood that promote thermal increases when a large enough amount is released into his bloodstream, and a thin layer of hyper-dense muscle beneath skin which could act as a form of insulation when properly tensed. Both the chemical release and muscle control seem to be connected to the hypothalamus of his brain, which indicates they could activate in order to maintain his body temperature. Finally I've noted several new muscle groups on his body, particularly on his fingers and toes, which could act as triggers for his claws." she stated in the crisp, practiced decorum of a doctor reading off symptoms to a disease, before she took a slow breath and continued.

"While I cannot be sure about the full effects of these changes or whether they are indeed hereditary gifts which could be labeled part of a kekkai genkai without further testing and analysis. I can say that my preliminary examination does strongly indicate that Uzumaki-san's claims to, at least to the physical aspect of his kekkai genkai, are indeed true."

"IT'S BECAUSE OF THE DEMON! ITS TAKING CONTROL" screamed councilwoman Haruno. Before the Hokage or Naruto could respond, it was the medic-nin representative who spoke up.

"That is extremely unlikely." stated the woman in the complete calm of a doctor in his element. Getting a confused look from the council, including the Hokage and Naruto, she continued, "Uzumaki-san's medical records have always been carefully studied by the medic division just in case such an effect would be taking place. There have been no indicators of any physiological changes in his body besides his unusual healing ability which in and of itself, is chakra-based and outside our realm of expertise. While it is possible that the Kyuubi could affect such changes on its host, it is unlikely that any of these changes could improve the creature's influence on the boy."

After several minutes of silence Inoichi spoke up again. "Well you've heard her, it seems the body part of his bloodline checks out, at least for now." stated the Yamanaka clan head calmly.

"Indeed." stated the medic calmly before he turned to Naruto. "Although I'd like to request that Uzumaki-san come to the hospital in the near future so we can do a more detailed analysis. Hopefully it will help gain some answers on the complete nature of the physiological changes his bloodline has caused and the exact effects those changes have had on him."

"I believe that would be Naruto's choice." stated the Hokage.

"It's fine by me, as long as it's nothing too invasive." agreed the blonde, getting a nod from the medic.

"We can set an exact date and any other specifics after this meeting is complete." stated the Hokage calmly. "I'd also like to speak with you about a new student entering the medic training program as well Furofuki."

"Of course Hokage-sama." agreed the woman with a short bow, before she returned to her seat.

"Moving on." stated Inoichi, once again taking the lead, "The file also finally states that your bloodline grants you a unique subelement. Hyōton, if I'm not mistaken. Would you mind demonstrating it, and what are its elemental components?"

"Hai." agreed Naruto. "Hyōton is formed by combining Fūton (Wind Release) and Suiton (Water Release) chakra." stated the blonde calmly as he formed a quick pair of handseals before he slammed both palms onto the table and pronounced, "Hyōton: Muhyo (Ice Release: Hoarfrost)." From where the blonde's hands touched the table a thick blanket of white frost quickly spread to cover the table, along with any cups, files, or any other miscellaneous items left on there. Many of the councilors who had their hands resting on the table quickly brought them off, each hissing in pain at the sudden sting of the cold. The frost continued to spread over the tabletop, moving down the legs only to stop once it touched the floor.

After a minute of staring at their now frosty table several councilors began tapping it. Inoichi quickly tapped the thick layer of frost with the back of his knuckles. "I guess that proves that part of the bloodline." he stated with a smirk.

The Anbu representative studied the layer of frost in front of him, more specifically where his file rested now coated in a thick layer of frost and frozen to the table. The man quickly channeled Katon chakra into his hand and placed it on top of his file in hopes of melting the ice and drying off his file before it was ruined. To his surprise the heat of his technique didn't seem to affect the thick coating of frost. "Interesting." he stated aloud, getting the attention of the entirety of the council. "I just tried to melt the ice with some Katon chakra, but for some reason it's not affected." he clarified.

Around the council several other shinobi with fire elements tried their own luck in melting the frost, with limited to no success. One civilian even brought out a lighter and held it against the frost, only for the ice to remain completely unaffected.

"I can explain that." stated Naruto amusedly as he watched. When the council's attention turned to him he explained, "The ice produced by Hyōton techniques isn't normal ice. It is laced with my own chakra, making it a lot more durable and difficult to melt. Added to that, since it's comprised partially of Suiton chakra, Katon chakra loses a great deal of its potency against it. In order to properly melt my ice you'd after overload my chakra with more of your own."

With that many of the attempting shinobi added more of their own chakra to their Katon techniques, eventually getting full success on melting the ice.

Once the table was clear and dried Inoichi returned to the main subject. "Now the final part of your bloodline, it says you possess a dōjutsu. While we can't detect any abilities of a dōjutsu without field testing, we would like to see you activate yours, simply to see what it looks like and ensure that is an actual dōjutsu transformation."

Naruto nodded his head and closed his eyes for a moment and channeling chakra into them to activate his dōjutsu. After a moment he snapped them open to reveal his now activated dōjutsu. The white sclera of his eyes had changed to a light, frosty gray, his pupil had expanded to at least twice its former size and was now snow white, and his pupil was now slit and a dark blue in color. Several members of the council leaned forward to get a better look at his eye before Inoichi nodded his head.

"Well it certainly looks like a dōjutsu. We'll have to fully test the claims at a later date, but for now it appears that all the information presented on your bloodline was accurate enough. Now all it needs is a name. As clan head and first-generation holder, it's your decision Uzumaki-san. I'm sure you'll want to think about…" he was cut off by Naruto suddenly speaking.

"Actually, I've been thinking of a name for it since I first obtained it, and I believe I've come up with the perfect name." stated the blonde confidently.

"And that would be?" questioned the Yamanaka clan head.

"Fuyukitsune (Winter Fox)." stated the blonde proudly, getting many surprised looks and smirks from the clan heads and shinobi council, and a few glares from the civilian council.

"Awww, I'm touched kit." stated the Kyuubi melodramatically from within the blonde's head.

'Well you are the one who gave it to me. I thought you at least deserved some billing.' responded the blonde with a mental smirk.

"An…interesting name." stated Inoichi as he tried to suppress a smirk, like most of the shinobi he could guess at the barb the blonde was throwing at the civilians. "No doubt based partially based on your…unique status."

"Hai." agreed the blonde calmly. "I want my clan to remember where they come from." answered the blonde.

"Well I believe that settles that matter. Now that matters involving Naruto and Haku are over, you two can leave. Please wait in my office until the meetings over so we can discuss a few other matters." stated Sarutobi before he was interrupted by Councilman Igashi.

"Actually Hokage-sama there are a couple of other matters we need to discuss with the dem…Uzumaki-san." stated Igashi calmly.

"Such as?" questioned the blonde calmly.

Igashi cleared his throat before indicating the sword strapped to Naruto's back. "That blade you carry, is it true that it originally belonged to Zabuza Momochi, one of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū (Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist)?"

"That is correct. Reitō-en (Frozen Flame) was once Kubikiribōchō (Decapitating Carving Knife), one of the seven mystic blades of the Seven Swordsmen, however due to its unique abilities, it transformed into the blade I now carry after I took possession of it." answered the blonde.

"Unique abilities?" questioned the Anbu commander. Information on the seven swordsmen and there blades was scarce at best, and any additional information would be a benefit.

"According to what Zabuza told Haku, each of the seven blades had a unique ability. While he didn't go into any details about the other blades, he did state that his was the most powerful. It was originally called is the Mumeiken (Nameless Sword), but the name is supposed to shift with each new owner as they obtain it. Unlike the other six blades, the Mumeiken does not hold a stagnant power; instead with each new owner its form shifts and changes to become the perfect blade for its master. For Zabuza it became the Kubikiribōchō, a massive blade with incredible cutting power that could decapitate opponents with a single movement and regenerate by feeding on their blood. For me it became the Reitō-en, whose abilities I still don't fully comprehend." explained the blonde.

Councilman Igashi once again cleared his throat. "The council demands that you hand over that blade to us, so that we can ensure that it is placed in the proper hands." ordered the man calmly.

Naruto instantly snarled at the demand. "Not gonna' happen you overstuffed bastard." growled the blonde.

Igashi and the rest of the civilians steamed at the blatant refusal. "Now see here you little abomination!" snarled the man. "As the council we have the authority to…" the man's tirade was cut short by the Hokage.

"Actually Igashi, you don't have any authority in this matter." stated the Hokage calmly. "Naruto was given that sword by Zabuza Momochi himself, as witnessed by Hatake Kakashi, acting as a full bequeathal. Under Konoha law that sword is fully and totally Naruto's property. Only the Hokage, namely me, can order him to surrender it, and even then only under war-time conditions."

Igashi growled as he realized he couldn't win this fight and returned to his seat, only for the skeletal councilman to stand and take his place. "We also understand that…Uzumaki-san took possession of the entirety of the Gatō Corporation, as well as a significant portion of Gatō's financial basis?" questioned the man.

"That is correct Councilman…" the blonde stopped trying to place the man's name.

"Toshigi." clarified the skeletal civilian with a disdainful snort. "According to Konoha law all proceeds claimed during the completion of a mission, save bounties on nuke-nin and certain other exceptions, are to be handed over to the council. The shinobi over said proceeds will receive a proper reward once the value of the proceeds have been determined." the sneer in the man's voice let the blonde know that if he had any say in it, the blonde's proper reward turning would be next to nothing.

Naruto smirked as he remembered Kakashi-sensei's' lesson' on dealing with this particular council approach. "While that may be true councilman…" he took a moment to let the civilians gloat before crashing reality down on their weaselly heads, "IF my obtaining of Gatō Corporation and the finances were part of my mission objective." finished the blonde smugly.

"What do you mean?" questioned Toshigi with a visible frown.

"My team's mission was to, I quote, 'Protect the bridge builder Tazuna from any and all threats until the completion of the bridge.' Nowhere in there is there a mention of eliminating Gatō or claiming his corporation. That would make my acquisition fall under the category of 'spoils of war,' and nullifying my requirement to surrender it to the council."

Toshigi and the remainder of the council were dumbstruck by that little statement until Homura, another member of the elder council, spoke up. "The boy is correct. Given the circumstances, his acquisitions would fall under the 'spoils of war' category." he stated calmly as he readjusted his glasses. "However, even that category has some policies and obligations. If my memory serves it is ten percent of the total value of all acquisitions, along with ten percent of all profits for any corporations or businesses acquired for the first five years of ownership."

"That is acceptable. I will have the requient forms filled out and hand over the payment to the Hokage." agreed the blonde.

"Now if that's all the interruptions?" stated Sarutobi as he tossed a glance to the Civilians who muttered among themselves while nodding in frustrated agreement. "Naruto, you and Haku can return to my office. I'll be there within an hour to finish our discussions from earlier."

Naruto and Haku both nodded and bowed before leaving the room.

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It was a little less than an hour later that the Hokage rejoined the two teens in his office. The old man was followed in by the medic-nin representative, who introduced herself as Furofuki. As the old man took his seat and drew out his pipe, Naruto spoke up. "So how did the rest of the meeting go?" questioned the blonde curiously.

Sarutobi took a deep inhale of his favorite pipeweed before slowly letting it out, the calming effects of the tobacco and various other herbs easing his nerves. "Fairly well." he responded calmly. "The civilians continued their attempts to remove your clan status as well as seize all the funds and properties you took from Gatō in order to inflate their own pockets. It got rather annoying when they found out that Haku also possesses the Hyōton ability. One of them even had the nerve to suggest we use her as breeding stock or have her married off to the Uchiha to create a stronger bloodline."

"WHO!" instantly snarled the blonde as he bolted out of his chair, his hand reaching for his sword, and murder clearly visible in his eyes. Haku quickly put a gentle, restraining hand on his shoulder, though she herself looked quite horrified by the idea.

"You needn't worry Naruto; his suggestion was rejected, quite violently actually. Tsume Inuzuka personally slugged the man in the face for suggesting such a thing and promised to rip, and I quote, "any idiotic pervert stupid enough to suggest such a thing in front of her again," end quote, into little pieces." stated the Hokage with a slight grin. The Inuzuka matriarch was not the kind of woman you should piss off in any way, shape, or form if you want to stay in one piece. Rumors still persisted of what she'd done when she'd found her husband in bed with another woman. While she claimed the man had run off before she could get her hands on him, many other people claimed to have seen her ninken, Kuromaru, chewing on several unusual bones shortly after he disappeared.

Naruto's rage seemed to deflate at that, but the boy still kept one hand near his sword's hilt for the rest of the meeting, occasionally muttering something about "perverted civilians," and "forced neutering." Most ignored those muttering, though Haku found her mate's desire to protect quite heart-warming.

"Moving on, since you're the only living male with the Fuyukitsune kekkai genkai, you are being placed under the Clan Restoration/Foundation Act, or CRA for short." explained the old Hokage as he studied his foster grandson, seeing the blushes on both Naruto's and Haku's faces he asked, "Were you two already aware of this act?"

"Kinda." stated the blonde. "Someone told me a little about. It basically means I need to marry multiple women, right?"

"That is one of the most well-known aspects of it, but there are several other benefits to it as well." explained the Hokage, before a curious expression crossed his face. "Who told you about it?"

"Ummm…" Naruto mumbled off while glancing at Furofuki who was now standing in a corner of the room. "Kakashi-sensei." he finally answered while scratching his whisker marks.

Sarutobi noted the signal. Since the blonde didn't want a lot of people to know that he could communicate with the fox, Kakashi, Naruto, Haku, and himself agreed that he'd scratch his whisker marks when giving out sources of information in the presence of others to indicate who he truly got the information from. "I see." stated the old man, "I suppose Kakashi, being who he is, would tease you about that part wouldn't he?" teased the old man.

"Ero-sensei." muttered the blonde under his breath.

"While it is important that the boy learns the exact details about the CRA, it would probably be best to save it for another day." stated Furofuki calmly. "Right now I'd like to set up that appointment for the analysis of Uzumaki-san's bloodline."

"Of course. Would tomorrow afternoon be alright." questioned the blonde, getting a nod from the old woman.

"That would be fine, I'll have a room set up and handle the examination myself. Be at the hospital lobby at two." she instructed, getting a nod of agreement from the blonde in response, before she turned to the Hokage. "Now Hokage-sama, you said there was something else you wanted to discuss with me? Something about a new student entering the medic program?"

"Yes. Haku-san here," he indicated the dark-haired kunoichi who bowed in response, "has expressed her interest in becoming a combat medic. I was hoping you could personally see to it that she is given the proper training."

"Of course." agreed the woman as she turned to face Haku and Naruto. "I believe you and Uzumaki-san are currently living together?" she asked getting blushes and nods from both teens. "Then why don't you accompany Uzumaki-san for his examination tomorrow and we can start getting you settled in afterwards." she stated.

"That's fine mam'" agreed Haku with a bow.

"Good." stated the woman before she bowed to the Hokage and left.

"Before I forget old man." stated Naruto suddenly as she left. "I was wondering if you could set me up with a couple of new trainers?" asked the blonde

"And what is wrong with Kakashi?" asked the Hokage. Naruto quickly explained what Kakashi had told him about the council's orders to focus his training on the Uchiha. "I see." muttered the Hokage, clearly unhappy with what he'd learned. "Well, given the circumstances, there's not much I can do about the council's orders to Kakashi, but I'm sure I can help with supplying you with a few new trainers if Kakashi is so heavily indisposed. What were you hoping to learn?"

"Taijutsu, something strong, something designed to break bones and smash faces, and maybe a kenjutsu instructor for both me and Haku. While the Muon Satsujin Jutsu (Soundless Murder Technique) that Zabuza taught Haku has some basic kenjutsu instructions, it's not really a combat style, more of an assassination style." answered the blonde.

The Hokage thought for a minute before the perfect instructors came to mind. "I think I know the perfect people." he stated quickly writing down some quick information on a scrap of paper. "Be at the first training ground listed here at five a.m. two days from now to meet your taijutsu instructor, he and his student are usually there at that time, and I'll send him a message to tell him to expect you. As for the second training ground, be there at three in the afternoon, two days from now as well. I know one of our village's kenjutsu specialists has been looking to pass on his art to some aspiring students, and I'm sure he'll be delighted to teach the two of you." he stated calmly

Naruto took the paper and nodded his head. "Thanks for the help Ojii-san." stated the blonde with a broad grin.

The old Hokage merely waved his hand as the two teens. "It's the least I could do Naruto." he stated warmly. "Now back to the CRA, in addition to the 'polygamy clause' you mentioned earlier it also has several other benefits including…" the old man continued explaining the finer points of the CRA for the remainder of the afternoon, before the two teen departed for their shared home.

~~~~~JUTSU IDENTIFICATION~~~~~

Iryōjutsu: Jintaibunseki (Medical Technique: Body Analysis): B-ranked Medic-nin ninjutsu. An advanced analysis ninjutsu favored by medic-nin looking to do a quick diagnostic of a patient's body. It sends medical chakra throughout the target's body which acts as a cross between sonar, x-ray, and a chemical analysis before returning to the wielder. It provides a large amount of basic information on the target's body, but it lacks a good deal of the precision of similar jutsu. It is most commonly used to locate and isolate problems and abnormalities within a subject before using other, more specific, analysis and detection jutsu to further identify the problem.

Hyōton: Muhyo (Ice Release: Hoarfrost): D-ranked Hyōton ninjutsu. One of the most basic techniques involving Hyōton. The user generates Hyōton chakra in their hands before slamming them into the ground, creating a large amount of thick frost. The exact area of frost created is entirely dependent on the amount of chakra put into the technique. The frost is quite durable, capable of absorbing most normal impacts so it could be used to temporarily seal an area. It also makes any surface it covers quite slick, creating a potentially dangerous hazard for opponents. With enough chakra control the exact shape and path of the created frost can be controlled, allowing for complex designs and traps to be crafted purely using this technique.

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END CHAPTER 4

I know it was a bit of a filler chapter, but it had a few thing that needed to be said and done.