-I don't own Naruto. Naruto was created by Kishimoto, please support the official release.-
Italics are thoughts. -Italics inside hyphens are the setting-
"Italics in quotation marks represent the Mind Body Transmission Jutsu (Telepathy) of the Yamanka Clan"
-Mid September, 7 Months after Naruto returned to Konoha-
It seemed like time had flown by for Naruto and his friends. It had already been over half a year since his return to Konoha, and in that time he grew considerably.
-Flashback/Montage-
Shortly after taking his seat on the council he was finally tested by Tsunade on just how far he had progressed during his training trip. First Team 7 had recreated the bell test, and the Uchiha, soon to be Uchiha, and Uzumaki had absolutely destroyed Kakashi.
Then he was put through a series of 1 on 1 spars. Sakura, Shikamaru, Sasuke, Lee, Kakshi, Shizune, finally Tsunade herself all fought against him. He didn't win all of them, but he obviously did well, because he was immediately promoted to Tobuketsu Jonin, specializing in Fuinjutsu, and was told that the only thing holding him back from being eligible to try for the full Jonin rank was that he was lacking a minimum number of missions.
Unfortunately for him his other duties meant that he was making slow progress on meeting the minimum number of missions, but it didn't discourage him.
Throughout March and April he had taken hardly any missions while he had acclimated to his role as a Clan Head and village council member.
The civilian councilors clearly didn't enjoy that he was there, but they begrudgingly accepted his presence, especially after Sasuke had expressed displeasure that so many of them had opposed Naruto joining the council.
Naruto still found it strange to being refereed to as "Uzumaki-sama" by the general public, but he was slowly getting used to it.
That being said, he could tell that roughly half the population of the village only did so because it was expected, and they made no effort to hide their contempt for him. Still, only half? That was an improvement as far as he was concerned.
Using the Shadow Clone training method he had developed while training with Jiraya, Naruto had started to work on adding elemental chakra to the Rasengan, assisted by Kakashi and Yamato.
It was hard work, but by early June he had finished the move he dubbed 'Wind Style: Rasenshuriken" Only for Tsunade to declare the technique forbidden, a Kinjutsu, due to the amount of damage the jutsu did to its caster.
When not busy with Council business or the occasional mission, Naruto had also been busy helping Ino train.
She was making good progress, and right around the time Naruto finished the Rasenshuriken her various teachers had all told her they thought she was ready to enter the chunin exams. The only problem was she had no team.
July had seen Ino gain a teammate, in a way that caught both Ino and her future husband completely off guard.
-Flashback, July 1st-
The sun was setting over Konoha on one of those summer nights where it stayed relatively light out until quite late. Naruto and Ino were just finishing an evening training session when an ANBU appeared before them. "Uzumaki-sama, Hokage-sama wishes to see you, please follow me to the T&I Building."
"T&I? What's baa-chan doing there?" a curious Naruto asked aloud. "You'll find out, but it's urgent, so please come with me, Uzumaki-sama."
After a quick goodbye to Ino he headed off after the ANBU. The T&I building was in the heart of Konoha, and it took a good half hour to walk there from the Uzumaki Estate on the outskirts of the village.
Inside the building he was ushered inside the office of the T&I commander, Ibiki Morino, to find Tsunade seated at what would usually be Ibiki's desk.
"What's up baa-chan? Why are we meeting here?" asked the curious Uzumaki. Tsunade stared at him with a serious expression and a glare, causing Naruto to tense up.
"About a month and a half ago an ANBU team operating near the Land of Waves encountered a girl about your age who claimed to be one of Orochimaru's top researchers, and who willingly and gladly surrendered to them without a fight. Since then Ibiki, Inoichi, and Anko have put the girl through all sorts of interrogations."
"And why does this requires my attention?" asked Naruto. "The girl is actually a Kusa missing-nin. She fled Kusa because they were abusing a very particular Kekkai Genkai. She can heal people by letting them bite her and suck out her chakra. Does that sound familiar to you?"
Naruto froze. He had read about that Kekkai Genkai in the library beneath the Uzumaki temple. "T-That's an Uzumaki Kekkai Genkai" he said, shocked. It took him a moment to recover from the surprising news, but he eventually continued.
"It's one held only by Uzumaki pure bloods, people who have no non Uzumaki ancestors. She might be the only one left who has it. The clan feared what other villages would do if they learned about it, so Uzu went to great lengths to try to keep that ability secret. I can't imagine how rare it is now."
"I read in my grandmother's journal that she thought one of the reasons for Uzu's destruction was an attempt by another village to steal or destroy this particular bloodline" Tsunade added. "And if she is the only remaining pure blooded Uzumaki she'll be the last one to possess such a Kekkai Genkai."
Naruto had loaned her Mito's journal from the Uzumaki library, and she had eagerly read it, which allowed her to know just how vigorously the Uzumaki Clan had attempted to keep this particular bloodline ability secret. "Needless to say I've kept the fact that she has that ability classified."
"Thank You, Hokage-sama. The Uzumaki Clan appreciates your discretion." The serious nature of the discussion caused Naruto to switch to the formal style of speech he used for council meetings and Uzumaki Clan business. He didn't like formality, but he was smart enough to know when it was required.
"Of course, but there's more. Apparently at some meeting shortly after you returned from your training trip she overheard Kabuto and Orochimaru discussing how the Uzumaki Clan was back, and she decided to defect from Oto to help restore the clan. As I said, T&I has done a number on her, and they did not detect any deception. She's actually been very helpful and willing to give up info on Orochimaru's network."
"So what is to become of her? Technically she's a missing-nin from an allied village" Naruto pointed out.
Tsunade smiled both because of the fact that Naruto was using his head and because she already had solved this particular issue, "Not a problem. Every treaty Konoha signs with other villages includes a clause preventing them from harboring secret techniques or Kekkai Genkai from Konoha Clans and vice-versa. The Uzumaki are an established Konoha Clan, and by having her on their roster without informing us they were technically in violation of our treaty. If they try anything I'll bring that up and they'll be thankful to just remain our allies despite their transgression."
"And the fact that she worked for Orochimaru?" "Inoichi searched her mind. She was never truly loyal to him, just happy to be treated better than she was in Kusa. As soon as she heard the Uuzmaki Clan was back any token loyalty or sympathy she had towards Oto was gone."
Tsunade then sighed, somewhat ashamed at one of their other actions to determine Karin's intent. "We also put her under a pretty harsh genjutsu, but we only did so in order to make sure her intentions were pure."
Naruto's eyebrows arched in a way that conveyed both curiosity and skepticism, and his eyes seemed to bore right through the Hokage's skull. "What exactly did they put her through?"
"They let her mind picture what she imagined you looked like, then had that 'Naruto' be tied up. She held a sword and was being ordered by Kabuto to kill you."
Naruto was not happy. "Hokage-sama how dare you put a member of my clan through that!"
"Don't you want to know how she reacted?" Tsunade asked.
Naruto shook his head. "No, if she had acted in a way that was a cause for concern you wouldn't have called me down here, Hokage-sama."
"What if I'm just summoning you to witness her execution."
"Wouldn't happen, you know that as soon as I realized she is from my clan I'd have done everything in my power to stop you from executing her, even if she had killed me in the genjutsu."
Tsunade couldn't really dispute that point, so decided to move on. "Well just so you know She turned on Kabuto and attacked him. Once she killed him the genjutsu ended and I was summoned here. I had a very brief chat with her, and then I summoned you."
Naruto beamed, it seemed his clan was about to get bigger. "What's her name? Can I see her?"
Tsunade smiled at his enthusiasm. "Of course you can, and her name is Uzumaki Karin."
The two headed deeper into the building, to the holding cells. Outside of one particular cell stood Inoichi and Ibiki.
Naruto gave a nod and wave to his future father-in-law and the man who had served as a Procter during his chunin exam before looking into the cell.
Inside was a girl about his age with long red hair and red glasses. Her hands were cuffed together, and a number of Chakra suppressing tags and seals were on her clothing, cutting her off from her chakra network.
A genin level kunoichi, even one with a rare bloodline, wasn't really a security risk in such a secure facility, but T&I was known for being extremely cautious and thorough.
"Here he is Karin-san, my future son-in-law, Uzumaki Naruto" spoke Inoichi.
Karin looked out of her cell, and saw a blond boy staring back at her. "Are you kidding me? He doesn't even have red hair! There's no way he's an Uzumaki!" she screamed incredulously.
"Great! I risked my life to escape Orochimaru, was interrogated for over a month, and when they finally believe me it turns out the person I risked my life to join is not even an actual Uzumaki!"
Naruto frowned for a second, but then contained his emotions and forced a smile. "I'm actually half Uzumaki, and its nice to meet you Karin-chan." "Prove it!" she spat back at him, her voice full of rage, she clearly felt like she had been set up and lied too.
Naruto pulled out a storage scroll and unsealed paper and a chakra conducting pen. "I take it you have some Fuinjutsu skill, Karin-chan?" She nodded, and took a deep breath to calm down before responding "My mother taught me some in secret before she died, but I'm a bit rusty."
"Do you remember how to make an Uzumaki Blood Seal?" he asked. She simply nodded in return. "Good, how about a demonstration then? Make one, and I'll open it."
Naruto turned to Ibiki and Inoichi, and asked them to open the cell and unseal Karin's chakra. They in turn looked to Tsunade for confirmation.
Upon getting the Hokage's consent Inoichi went to summon more ANBU just in case, while Ibiki opened the cell and began removing the handcuffs and chakra suppression seals from Karin.
Once free she immediately set to work, and after a few minutes, she was rusty after all, she produced the required seal, which she then sealed the pen inside.
An Uzumaki Blood Seal was a type of fuinjutsu used by the clan had to convey classified messages. Uzumaki blood was required in order to open the seal. If he opened it that would be definitive evidence that Naruto was indeed an Uzumaki, at least partially.
Naruto drew blood from his thumb as if he was going to perform the summoning jutsu, but instead put said bloody thumb on the seal and shouted "Kai!" The seal reacted with his blood, and produced the pen. Karin's eyes went wide upon seeing that he was able to undo the seal. "Kabuto was right, you really are the son of Kushina-sama and" she caught herself abruptly before she could finish the sentence.
Just as she was about to say "The Yondaime Hokage" she remembered being told by Tsunade that Naruto's ancestry was classified, and that she would be severely punished if she revealed to anyone who either of his parents were.
The warning came with a briefing on who was already aware of what in regards to his heritage, so she knew that she wouldn't get in trouble for mentioning Kushina around him but still, I almost got in big trouble for mentioning his father. Hokage-sama would have locked me up for life! Maybe even killed me! I need to be more careful, she thought.
She then realized that he was staring at her, confused as to why she didn't finish her sentence. To try to keep him from pressing further she bowed low. "Naruto-sama, I apologize for ever doubting you. Please forgive me, all I want is to serve our clan in any way I can."
Naruto rubbed the back of his head, somewhat embarrassed by her display towards him "It's ok Karin-chan. If anything I'm at fault for not realizing my hair color would be a problem. I should have died my hair red before this meeting" he joked, "and please, no need to use '-sama.'"
"I can't do that, Naruto-sama. After she heard that Kushina-sama had died my mother thought we were the last of the clan, but she still taught me proper protocol for speaking with a clan head. Karin Uzumaki, at your service, Naruto-sama."
Naruto took two fingers and pinched the bridge of his nose, he was willing to put up with formality when dealing with official clan business, but he didn't really want people he considered close to him to use such reverence when speaking with him.
"*sigh* Very well then Karin-chan. Hokage-sama is she free to go?"
Hearing Tsunade affirm that she was free to leave Naruto turned around and headed towards the exit. "Come on Karin-chan, let's get you out of here." Karin bowed and followed her Clan's lord. "Lead on, Naruto-sama."
To most people in Konoha, Karin Uzumaki came off as loud, stubborn, and abrasive. To Naruto and Ino however, she was friendly, respectful, loyal, devoted, and completely obedient.
Despite their objections she insisted on referring to them as 'Naruto-sama' and 'Ino-sama,' and it was as if the Karin that interacted with them and the Karin that interacted with other people were two separate persons.
Like most clans the Uzumaki had a main family, and being a member of this family was a prerequisite to leading the Clan. Outside of the Clan Head and their immediate family everyone else was pretty much equal, but loyalty and respect towards the main family had been a key component of Uzu's culture.
Though he would have been pretty far down in the line of succession, Naruto would have been a member of the main family if he had been born in Uzu. Kushina had been the youngest child of the last leader of the Hidden Whirlpool Village, so even though all of Naruto's cousins would have been higher ranking than him he still would have been addressed as 'Naruto-sama' by every non 'royal' member of the village.
Karin had pieced all of this together based on what she remembered her mother saying and what she had heard Orochimaru and Kabuto say. She was not a member of the main family. However, her mother had been the child of people who worked for the main family.
Karin's grandmother had been a cook for the Uzumaki 'royal' family, and Karin's grandfather had been one of their bodyguards. Respect, loyalty, and obedience to the main family had been ingrained into her mother from birth.
Though she was aware that some members of the clan were in Konoha, and had even kept tabs on their exploits, Karin;s mother put herself into a self imposed exile, the thought of being around other Uzumaki was too painful for her. That is until she had met a fellow Uzumaki exile, Karin's father, and for a few years her life was happy, but it was not to last.
Back on her own, when Karin had been born she had devoted herself to raise Karin as a proper member of the Uzumaki clan. As a young girl Karin's bedtime stories had been tales of the great heroes of Uzu, most of whom were members of the main family.
Karin had been raised to revere, obey, and down right worship the main family. After her mother's death, she had set all thoughts of the Uzumaki aside, as her goal simply became to survive since she was being abused by Kusa in a similar way as what had led to her mother's death: total chakra depletion as a result of healing too many people at once.
It wasn't until she heard Orochimaru and Kabuto discussing the Uzumaki several years later that all Karin had been raised to believe as a child flooded back to her. She threw herself into her training, she needed to be strong if she was going to be able to be useful to her clan.
At first Naruto and Ino had been extremely uncomfortable with Karin's devotion to them. She basically acted like their servant.
Their judgement in the matter was clouded by the Hyuga Clan, where all but a small few members were considered to be the branch family, and were essentially servants of the main branch. They didn't want that for the Uzumaki.
After reading more on Uzumaki culture, and a few discussions with Tsunade, who recalled some stories Mito had told her, they had finally decided to let the matter drop.
They still weren't necessarily comfortable with Karin's level of devotion to them and her insistence on calling them '-sama,' but she stood firm on the matter, so Naruto and Ino decided it wasn't worth the trouble.
Karin insisted on being close by Naruto at all times, at least until her skills improved and she could get to him faster in case of emergency. She also needed a place to live. Though the construction of the Uzumaki Clan Head mansion was moving along nicely, it was not finished, so Karin had moved into Naruto's apartment with him, much to Ino's chagrin.
Naruto had also commissioned the building of a second, though smaller, house on the Uzumaki estate so that she could have her own place and Naruto and Ino would be able to have some privacy once they started living with each other.
In the meantime Naruto now found himself unable to cook or clean his own apartment, as Karin had insisted on taking over all the domestic work. "Naruto-sama is the Lord of the Clan, he can't be bothered to do such things" was her argument whenever he tried to help with the chores.
In truth Karin considered doing the housework for a teenage boy to be a small price to pay for what she had gained since joining Konoha. She hadn't been so happy since before her mother had died. Her clan was back, and she was finally achieving her mother's goal.
Since she had joined the village it had been determined that she and Ino would be teammates on the same Genin Team, and the two kunoichi ended up becoming fast friends after Ino got used to being referred to as "Ino-sama." Karin had also become good friends with Tenten, and to a lesser extent Hinata.
Naruto had been forced to fight off attempts to force him marry Karin in addition to Ino, as elders and civilians hoped that doing so would help prevent the Uzumaki bloodline from becoming too diluted.
Thankfully, the contract between the Uzumaki and Yamanaka stated that Ino was to be "the only woman allowed to marry Naruto in his capacity as Lord of the Uzumaki." It was an oddly worded line in the contract, but it bailed him out of having to take Karin as a wife as well.
By the end of July Karin had settled into Konoha, and made friends, but she was just pleased that she was able to follow in her ancestors' footsteps of working for the Uzumaki main family.
Meanwhile, Konoha was gearing up for a major event. In late July Sasuke had turned 16. Sakura had been 16 since March. The Uchiha wedding was therefore scheduled for early August. Originally Ino had never planned on attending the wedding, but Naruto was Sasuke's best man, and as his fiance and the future matriarch of the Uzumaki she was therefore all but required to attend the wedding.
It would have been scandalous for Naruto to show up by himself, or for anyone other than the girl that was betrothed to him to be his date for the occasion. Ino attended solely to keep up appearances.
Naruto and Ino had grown closer to each other over the preceding months, and freely admitted they liked each other. However, neither had been fully able to move on from their previous love, and it had proved to be a stumbling block in their relationship. Feelings for Sakura and Sasuke prevented Naruto and Ino from taking their relationship to the next level.
The Uchiha wedding was going to be a watershed moment for Naruto and Ino's relationship, and they both knew it.
If after seeing the long time objects of their affections finally married to another they still weren't able to move on and fully commit to each other, they were very worried about the future of their relationship. Neither one of them wanted to remain stuck in their unrequited loves or be in a loveless marriage.
-The Uchiha Wedding-
Sasuke and Sakura took their final sips of Sake, completing the san-san-ku-do ceremony, and officially making them a married couple.
Normally such a ceremony would be completed in front of a small audience of close family, but the Uchiha wedding was a big deal.
Tsunade herself acted as the priestess, and most of the other Clan Heads and their immediate families were in attendance.
Naruto and Hinata were also on the podium as Best Man and Maid of Honor, though they were off to the side and the focus was on the couple.
With the ceremony complete, the newly minted Uchiha matriarch stole a kiss from her husband, eliciting loud roars of applause, and a few 'awws' from the audience, before embracing her Maid of Honor.
Sasuke made his way to Naruto, and the two pseudo-brothers embraced. "You take good care of her, teme." "Hn, of course, keep your eyes on your own girl dobe."
In truth, Naruto had been expecting his heart to shatter when his teammates kissed. His guilt at having feelings for his best friend's fiance had been tearing him apart for quite a while, especially because he knew that he should be moving past Sakura and focusing on Ino.
He had been both excited for and dreading this day. On one hand, his best friend took an important step in the revival of his clan and the girl he cared for had her life-long dream come true. He was truly happy for both of them, and honored to be a part of it.
On the other hand he fully expected his heart to shatter. He was going to be another Jiraya, except it would be worse. Instead of just being stuck in an unrequited love for the rest of his life he was going to also be trapped a loveless marriage.
As much as he wanted to look away as Sakura moved to kiss Sasuke, he was the best man, he couldn't do that.
As their lips touched he waited for his heart to shatter into million tiny pieces. However, instead of feeling dejected, he found he had a strong desire to kiss Ino.
He wasn't really sure what to make of that, romance had never been his strong suit, or that of his mentors, though Kakashi had managed to get married, so at least one of them had something going. With his Best Man duties temporarily complete he went off to find his own fiance and see if he could piece together just what was going on in his heart.
Ino had sat in the back row, as if trying to hide from the rest of the guests.
Shikamaru and Choji, her own pseudo-brothers that she had practically grown up with, sat protectively on either side of her, fully knowing her emotional dilemma. She was tempted to feign illness and summon Karin, who was waiting in a tea shop nearby, to take her home. Only the desire to not cause a scene kept Ino from doing so.
She had wanted to look away after the final sips of Sake, knowing Sakura was likely going to go in for a kiss as her dream came true, however Ino's inner gossip queen took over and she couldn't help but stare.
Shikamaru and Choji tensed, expecting her to start to have an emotional breakdown as her own dream of being Mrs. Uchiha finally shattered, permanently out of her reach, and they were surprised when instead of tears she just smiled.
"I'm happy for them" she said as her old teammates looked at her with shocked expressions. In truth Ino was just as surprised at how well she was taking this as Shikamaru and Choji were. Instead of the pain she expected, she felt happiness for them, and a strong desire to mend her relationship with Sakura.
Does this mean I'm actually over Sasuke? She thought before her mind turned to her own man, I need to find Naruto!
After a several minutes of alternating between searching for each other and having to stop and exchange pleasantries with people, Naruto and Ino finally met up on the dance floor.
They joined a number of other couples, including the bride and groom, on the floor in a slow dance, but held each other close enough that they could have a whispered conversation.
"How are you feeling?" Naruto asked. "I feel guilty about how much of a bitch I've been to Sakura. I'm gonna have to mend my relationship with her, after all you are teammates with the Uchihas and we'll likely socialize with them a lot. I don't want it to be awkward for you to have to chose between your wife and your teammate."
Naruto gave her a 'no nonsense' look. "Ino-chan, you know that's not what I meant."
She looked into his eyes and managed to give him a smile, "I'm doing ok. I watched them kiss and all I felt was happiness for them. No pain, no jealously, just embarrassment at my behavior these past few years. I'm not sure, but I think I may finally be fully over Sasuke, and I think I'm ready to take things further with you. I am also serious about needing to fix things with Sakura."
Ino truly felt like a great weight had been lifted from her, but she knew she wasn't the only one who had been dreading this day, and was concerned for the man she was now ready to commit to. "How about you, Naruto-kun? How are you?"
Naruto couldn't help but smile back at her. "About the same as you. When I saw them kiss I wasn't jealous, all I felt was an overwhelming urge to kiss you."
Ino's smile got bigger, and she blushed at the thought of really kissing Naruto. The two had kissed each other on the cheek before, but their feelings for others had always held them back from actually kissing on the lips.
"I suppose that can be arranged" she said somewhat teasingly, "but later, we don't want to be rude and upstage the bride and groom at their own wedding reception do we?" Naruto's expression was one of joy as he silently assented and held her closer to him, getting lost in the music as they danced.
In the month and a half since the Uchiha Wedding, with Sakura and Sasuke out of their way, Naruto and Ino had grown much closer. Their relationship bloomed from casual attraction to full on romance.
Ino had also made a point of apologizing to Sakura, and the two had begun to repair their relationship. It was slow going, as there were years of pent up aggression and anger on both sides, but they did make progress. This in turn was a good thing for all the Kunoichi of their generation.
Previously Tenten and Hinata were caught in the middle of the "great Sasuke feud" as they called it. They could either hang out with Ino or Sakura, but not both at the same time. Also, choosing to hang out with one would temporarily earn them the wrath of the other. It was not healthy for their friendships.
Now, with Ino and Sakura back on speaking terms, and with the addition of Karin to their group, the female members of the Konoha 12 could finally socialize as a group again.
The other big event that happened in August was the birth of the Sarutobi Clan Heiress. The small black haired, red eyed baby girl, named Mirai, had been welcomed into the world just one week after the Uchiha wedding, and Asuma and Kurenai couldn't have been happier.
Teams 10 and 8 had immediately become incredibly overprotective of the girl that was their honorary niece. Ino and Hinata baby sat for brief periods to allow the Sarutobi couple to actually sleep. Shino and Shikamaru were tapped to serve as teachers and mentors for the girl when she was old enough. Choji, Kiba, and Akamaru also helped out in a variety of ways. There was no doubt that the baby would refer to her parents' students as 'Aunt' and 'Uncle' when she was old enough.
The possible political benefits were not lost on Tsunade, or Asuma for that matter. The Sarutobi clan was already incredibly close with the Akimichi, Yamanaka, and Nara, but the bonds baby Miria would eventually develop with Shino, Kiba, and Hinata would lead to closer ties between the Sarutobi and Aburame, Inuzuka, and Hyuga, much like his marriage to Kurenai had.
Similarly, they could expect closer ties to the Uzumaki because of Ino. The Senju were also involved, as Kakashi and Shizune were Mirai's god parents, and the soon to be born Senju heir or heiress would likely grow up a close friend of the infant Sarutobi.
It all made Tsunade very nostalgic as she observed the two parents with great joy, but also great sadness. I wish Sarutobi-sensei were here to see this, he would have loved to meet his granddaughter she thought as she watched Konohamaru hold his baby cousin for the first time, while his Aunt and Uncle looked on.
-End of Montage. The Uzumaki Library, September 22nd-
September 22nd, one day before Ino's sixteenth birthday. Just a few weeks before Naruto turned sixteen as well.
If it weren't for the fact that she was still a genin she'd likely be consumed with planning a late October or early November wedding, instead she was spending her last day as a 15 year old in the Uzumaki Library with Karin, continuing to read up on her soon to be clan.
Over the past few months she had occasionally pulled out her future mother-in-law's journal and read a few pages. The more she read the more she became interested in Kushina, and often accompanied Naruto on his secret visits to her grave. Secret because his heritage was technically still classified.
On this particular day Ino and Karin had finished reading a fuinjutsu scroll, and had practiced the techniques it held until their chakra became low and they had to stop, so as she waited for her reserves to recover Ino decided to once again pull out Kushina's journal and read a few more pages.
After about 15 minutes of reading, she stumbled upon a page that caught her attention. "Today Minato-kun asked me on a date! I can't believe it! We're meeting at the park tomorrow evening. I'm so excited! He saved my life all those years ago, and he's one of the only people who doesn't make fun of my hair! I really like him, and I know this is gonna be great, dattebane!"
At first the significance of the line was lost on the former Yamanaka Heriess. It's really cute how she actually writes out the verbal tick she supposedly had. Naruto has one too….
Suddenly, it dawned on her. Wait, hold on a second….Minato? As in Namikaze-sama? Kushina dated the Yondaime? Could he be? I mean, Naruto kinda looks like him, but he couldn't be...could he? Ino skipped forward several pages, searching for answers.
Eventually, after flipping forward by a couple of years, she found her answer. "Minato-kun asked me to marry him! Of course I said Yes, but I'm going to keep my last name in honor of my home village 'tebane! Minato-kun was sweet enough to say it didn't bother him that I wasn't going to take the name Naimkaze."
Kushina married Lord Fourth!? Naruto really is? No, this doesn't actually prove anything. I need to find more. Again, Ino skipped forward, though not as many pages this time, looking for definitive proof of her suspicions.
"Just three more months until we get to meet our child! Minato-kun and I decided what we are going to name our child if it is a boy.
If we have a son we'd want him to be exactly like the main character in Jiraya-sensei's only non-smut book, Tales of An Utterly Gutsy Shinobi, so if it is a boy we're going to give him the same name as that character: Naruto. We're still not sure what we're going to name our child if it's a girl."
OH. MY. GOD. Naruto is really the Yondaime's son. Naruto is not only a member of the Uzumaki main family but the child of a Hokage. This is fantastic! Ino was absolutely shocked, and could hardly contain her joy. I'm going to marry the Yondaime's son! Take that forehead! She mentally gave herself a point in the now renewed friendly rivalry between her and Sakura Uchiha.
"Is everything ok, Ino-sama?" Karin had noticed Ino's shocked expression. Ino was still to stunned to speak, and simply handed the book to Karin. Karin looked the page over before responding with "Ah, you finally figured it out. Are you going to tell Naruto-sama?" Her words snapped Ino back to reality, and she frowned, "wait, you knew?"
"Yes, when I first heard about the revived Uzumaki Clan Orochimaru made the comment that he was curious to see just how far the child of Kushina-sama and Minato-sama would go. When I got here Hokage-sama made it very clear that I couldn't reveal that I knew who Naruto-sama's father was to anyone, not even him."
At that point Karin came to a realization. By following the Hokage's orders and lying to Naruto she had essentially betrayed Naruto's trust, and after all he had done for her since she had arrived in Konoha.
She quickly fell to her knees in front of Ino. "Please forgive me, Ino-sama. I've brought shame to my ancestors by putting the village above Naruto-sama. It will never happen again, I swear."
"I'm not the one you need to apologize to" Ino replied,"but Naruto is one of the most forgiving people I've ever met, and I'm sure he'll forgive you. Right now we just need to find him, he needs to read this." She said, referring to Kushina's diary.
Though low on chakra, Karin activated her sensory ability and focused on Naruto's chakra signature. She didn't actually need to do so, as she was fully aware of where Naruto was, but he had asked her to stall for him, so she made a show of using her abilities. "Naruto-sama is in the Uchiha Compound. Would you like me to go get him for you, Ino-sama?"
"No thanks Karin, he's probably just doing some Team 7 bonding, and this is the perfect opportunity to practice one of my Yamanaka techniques." Over the months Ino had continued to train with Danzo and her long-lost cousin Fu. Since she was promised to the Uzumaki Clan no one in the Yamanaka Clan was willing to train her in their abilities, but Danzo and Fu were more than happy to.
That was the only reason she continued to train with them, overall they still creeped her out and scared her.
Like most Yamanaka, and also most Uzumaki, Ino was a sensor. In the general shinobi population it was an incredibly rare thing, but it was more common than not in these two clans. She too honed in on Naruto's chakra signature before using the telepathic communication technique Fu had recently taught her.
Shindenshin no jutsu. "Naruto? It's Ino, I need to see you at the temple library as soon as possible. I found something really important."
Naruto couldn't reply, as she didn't yet have the skill or chakra capacity for two way communication, though Fu assured her that once she mastered the technique they would be able to hash out entire marital arguments telepathically. For now she just sat back and waited for him.
-The Uchiha Compound-
Naruto had not just been bonding with his teammates. They had been putting the finishing touches on Ino's surprise birthday party that would be happening the next day. That was why he had asked Karin to keep Ino distracted.
Naruto originally wanted to host it at the Uzumaki Estate, but the weather forecast called for rain, and due to how intricate and huge Kushina's designs were the Uzumaki Mansion wouldn't be finished until February at the earliest. It had been slightly delayed by Naruto's insistence that a house for Karin be finished at the same time, making it a full year construction project
Thanks to Ino and Sakura's renewed friendship it had been fairly easy for him to convince his teammates and pseudo-siblings to host the party at the Uchiha compound.
The plan was simple, Sakura, Karin, Hinata, and Tenten would take Ino out to lunch and distract here while the rest of the Konoha 12, their sensei, Ino's parents, and a few other guests gathered at the Uchiha compound.
After finishing heir lunch the girls would make up some excuse to go to the Uchiha compound, and when they arrived the surprise party would begin.
Just as this small army of Shadow Clones finished decorating the main room of the Uchiha mansion Naruto heard Ino's voice in his head. "Naruto? It's Ino, I need to see you at the temple library as soon as possible I found something really important."
Naruto was proud of Ino's development as kunoichi, and was pleased at her progress with this technique. She's getting really good at that whole telepathy thing. I wonder why she's making me keep the fact that she knows how to use it a secret? And what could be so important?
Thankfully they were done, so Naruto quickly took his leave. "Thanks again, Sasuke, Sakura-chan. I owe you for all this. I'd like to stay and hang out for a bit, but I promised Ino I'd meet up with her this afternoon. See you tomorrow!"
-The Uzumaki Temple Library-
Karin looked up from the scroll she was reading "Naruto-sama is approaching." Ino 'turned on' her own sensory abilities and found Naruto's chakra approaching the temple. He'd be in the library in just a couple minutes.
She stood up and headed to a corner of the room where a couple of months back she had set up an electronic kettle, some tea, and some cups. Karin was immediately at her side "please, allow me Ino-sama."
Ino shook her head, but relented. She had given up trying to argue with Karin some time ago. The Uzumaki are possibly the most stubborn Clan in the village. I suppose if Shikamaru is to be believed I'll fit quite well.
"What's up, Ino?" Naruto called as he walked down the stairs. Ino walked over and met him at the base of the stairs, where she wrapped her arms around his neck and claimed his lips for a quick kiss.
She then guided him to the couch and sat down next to him. "For what it's' worth, I'm sorry you found out this way." she said as she handed him a book. "This is your mother's journal. I've flagged the pages I think you should read."
As Naruto began reading Ino draped her arms around him and leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder and sending a subconscious message of support.
Karin brought out the tea and kneeled in front of Naruto, ready to confess her sins against him and beg forgiveness when he finished reading.
With each page he read, Naruto's expression grew more confused, until he reached the page detailing his name. At that point his body language and facial expression became unreadable.
Naruto put down the book and stared at it with a blank expression. He made no reaction for several long moments, but eventually he spoke in a very soft voice. "My own father...my own father made me a jinchuuriki...my own father made me the object of hatred for the whole village."
As tears began to flow from his eyes Ino tightened her grip on her fiance, doing her best to silently support and comfort him. No one dared move for what seemed like ages, but finally Naruto was able to recompose himself.
As he looked up from the book he had been staring at he noticed Karin, kneeling in front of him with her head bowed. She usually only does this when she has something she needs to tell me but doesn't want to interrupt he thought. "What's up, Karin-chan?"
Karin blinked nervously. Despite Ino's words and her own observations of Naruto she was terrified. Would he be upset? Would he exile her from the Uzumaki Clan? Would he send her back to prison or banish her from Konoha?
"I must apologize, Naruto-sama. I didn't realize it until just recently, but I broke my oath to serve the clan before the village."
She confessed all. She had known the identity of Naruto's father, but had followed Tsunade's instructions not to reveal his identity. The moment she became a member of Naruto's new Uzumaki Clan she should have told him, but she didn't.
She went further into detail. She had asked Tsunade why the information had to be kept from Naruto. Apparently the Hokage didn't trust him with the information. To her, he was still the short, loudmouthed, idiot who would have shouted his father's identity from the rooftops.
Tsunade ignored just how much the boy had matured since he was a genin. Could he still be rambunctious, obnoxious, and occasionally stupid? Yeah, but that was the exception now, not the rule. To Naruto it felt like his beloved 'baa-chan' had betrayed him, and it hurt. He had finally learned his father's identity, but at the cost of realizing some of the people he looked up to the most had purposely lied to him.
He sat there for a couple minutes, processing Karin's words. All the while Karin was nearly hyperventilating, she was so nervous about how he would react. Finally, he looked the kneeling girl straight in the eyes. "You're right Karin, technically you broke your oath to me." Oh No! He's not gonna forgive me!
"But you were still new to the village and were probably just trying to stay on the Hokage's good side so you wouldn't be thrown back in prison. I forgive you and you're not the person I'm mad at, just don't do it again."
Karin's eyes lit up h-he forgave me! "N-Naruto-sama...thank you, I won't fail you again." The Uzumaki Clan Head didn't really feel like smiling, but forced one on his face in order to reassure his clanswoman. "I know you won't, Karin-chan."
The young Lord of the Uzumaki then turned to Ino, still wrapped tightly and protectively around him. "Ino-chan, thank you. I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to bail on our dinner plans. I need to go have a chat with Hokage-sama."
-1 Hour later, The Hokage Tower-
"Hokage-sama?" Tsunade's secretary stuck his head in the door cautiously. Seeing that nothing was being thrown at him he continued, "Uzumaki-sama would like to speak to you."
Tsunade perked up, it had been a stressful day and she had almost punched that particular secretary through a wall several times, perhaps a visit from her pseudo-grand son would cheer her up. "Send him in."
"Hokage-sama." Naruto said coldly as he walked in. That's weird. He usually only calls me that when other people are around. When we are alone it's usually 'baa-chan.' "What can I do for you, gaki?"
His voice was like ice as he emotionlessly stated "You can explain to me why my own father made me a jinchuuriki, and why both you and Lord 3rd lied to me."
That got Tsunade's attention. Oh, Shit! He found out, and he's mad. He's not even referring to Sarutobi-sensei as 'jiji' even when he's in clan head mode and calling me Hokage-sama he insists on calling Sarutobi-sensei 'jiji.' This is bad. "How did you find out? Did Karin tell you? I told her she'd be going back to prison if she said anything, but I guess"
"Karin-chan didn't say anything. Ino read in my mother's journal how she and my father decided on my name" he interrupted before Tsunade could finish throwing his clanswoman under the metaphorical bus. "Who else knows? Kakashi-sensei?"
Tsunade nodded. "Yes, Kakashi knows you are his sensei and surrogate father's son. So do all the Clan Heads except Sasuke. You shouldn't blame any of them. Sarutobi-sensei passed a law that any one who revealed your heritage would be executed, no trial, just death. I've kept that law in place. If you are going to be mad at anyone be mad at me, not Kakashi or the Clan Heads."
"Why?" Emotion returned to Naruto's voice, it was full of hurt. "Your father had a lot of enemies, if they knew you were alive they'd have sent assassins after you, and quite frankly I don't think you'll be able to keep your mouth shut about this, it's for your own good, Naruto."
Naruto glared back at her. "I can forgive Jiji, after all as a kid I definitely would have told everybody. You though, I thought you knew me better than that, Hokage-sama. Has my behavior as Clan Head been overly loud or immature?"
Tsunade looked down in guilt, she had to admit that Naruto had shown himself to be much more mature since he returned from his training trip, but she had refused to acknowledge that he had grown up. Part of her still wanted to view him as the naive boy she considered her grandson.
She got up from her desk and moved towards her distant relative. She reached out to pull him in to an embrace, only for him to push her away. "Naruto….I'm sorry, you're right, I should have told you" she said, desperate for his forgiveness.
He continued to look back at her coldly. "I want all of my father's records, holdings, anything. I know the Namikaze weren't a clan, but I'm guessing he still had quite a few things of value. I just came down here to ask for what's rightfully mine, and to tell you that while I won't hold this against the Senju Clan as a whole, you've betrayed your grandmother's clan and that won't be forgotten, Hokage-sama."
With that, Naruto shushined out of the Hokage Tower, leaving Tsunade to drink until she blacked out, unable to deal with the pain she felt from Naruto's words.
-Naruto's Apartment-
Assuming that Karin and Ino would still be at the temple, and wanting to be alone, Naruto headed back to his apartment, or rather, Karin and his apartment.
His whole world had shattered, Naruto dreamed of being the Hokage, but having realized that the 3rd, 4th, and 5th had all betrayed him in one way or another, his heroes didn't seem so heroic anymore. He had meant what he said about forgiving the 3rd, but the 4th and the 5th? No. In his mind what they did to him was unforgivable.
Eager to sleep off how horrible he felt, he entered the apartment only to find Karin and Ino waiting for him. Within minutes he had told them about his meeting with Tsunade, and had collapsed, sobbing, into Ino's arms.
Ino gave Karin a look, and the redhead got the message. She headed outside to give the couple some privacy, and occupied herself with guard duty from the rooftop.
For the second time in just a few hours Naruto felt his betrothed tighten her hold on him, offering support and comfort. It was a nice feeling to know that she was there for him, it wasn't something he was used too. Whenever he broke down as a kid there had been no one there for him, and he had to admit that having her be there for him helped.
Ino ran a hand through Naruto's hair, stroking his head as he let out his emotions. She didn't like to see her fiance like this. She was well aware of how sad Naruto's life had been, and how much of his exuberance had just been an act, but the fact that he was probably used to feeling like this offered her no comfort.
It's not fair, he's been through so much in his life. If I had known what he was going through when we were kids I wouldn't have been such a jerk to him. I'd like to think I would have tried to be his friend.
Ino had to fight back the urge to apologize for how she had treated her fiance in the past. She had tried to do so numerous times during their relationship and he always waved it off like it wasn't a big deal and that she had no need to apologize. As a whole their relationship was great, but his refusal to hear her out on this issue was one of their few points of contention.
As she held his heaving form against her own she had a bit of an epiphany. His constant refusal to accept her apology was not helping either of them. It wasn't helping her get over her guilt and it certainly wasn't helping him move on with his life, and right now he really needed to come to peace with his past and move on.
I can't control how anyone else feels about how they treated him, but I know what I did was unacceptable. I will make him acknowledge that! "Naruto, I'm sorry for how I" "Ino-chan, how many times do I have to tell you that you don't need to apologize? Can we not do this right now?" he forced out in between sobs, interrupting her attempted apology yet again.
Ino held firm. "No, Naruto, we are doing this right now, I know you're feeling down and the last thing you want is to relive painful memories, but now that you know who your father is you need to acknowledge the fact that the way this village has treated you is unacceptable. Lord 3rd, Lady 5th, The civilians, The council, and even me. All of us have mistreated you in some shape or form and you'll never be able to move on and find inner peace unless you accept that."
"But Ino, you're here for me know. You're one of my best friends now." He said pleadingly, this was not a conversation he wanted to have, ever.
"That doesn't excuse what I did in the past Naruto, now please, let me do this. If not for your own sake than let me do this so that I can not be consumed by guilt every time I see you upset. Knowing that I played a part in making your past painful is tearing me up. Please let me apologize so that we can both move on."
She feels guilty when she sees me like this? The realization came as a shock to Naruto, and between that and his less than composed state he could only nod meekly, assenting to her desire.
Ino took a deep breath and began,
"Naruto, when we were kids I went out of my way to be mean to you and pick on you. I did so because everyone else did and I just went with the crowd. I wanted to be popular. I didn't bother to think about what you had done to deserve the scorn of our classmates, which of course was nothing. I just picked on you. I contributed to your misery. Despite that you've never been anything but incredibly kind to me, and have always gone out of your way to help me. I don't deserve your kindness given all that I've done in the past, and I'll never be able to repay you for what you've done for me these last few months, but let me just say that I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to treat you that way when we were kids, and I'm sorry."
Naruto lifted his head off of Ino's shoulder, where it had been for his whole break down, and tried to calm his emotions. This conversation, that he had been trying to avoid for months, was happening, and he needed to be composed for it. Truly this was a terrible day for him.
He thought for a minute about her words, and he couldn't deny the logic. He was the child of both a Clan Head and a Kage, by all rights he should practically be royalty in Konoha like he certainly would have been in Uzu. Instead, he had been an outcast, and to this day was still a pariah to a good chunk of the populace.
He was also unable to deny that Ino had been extremely mean to him when they were younger, actively scoffing at his attempts at friendship, and that it had hurt, a lot. She had been one of his biggest bullies.
In the back of his mind Naruto had known all of this, he had known his treatment was wrong for years. Yet, to him, he had a very good reason for trying to forget about all of it.
"You are right, Ino. What happened to me was wrong, and you aren't blameless in it. That being said you've more than made it up, and I forgive you. I'm also sorry for preventing you from apologizing all those times. I don't like to think about my childhood. All it does is make me mad, really mad. Sometimes some of the fox's influence leaks in and I end up imagining myself killing villagers in revenge. It scares me and I don't like to think about it, so now that you've apologized and I've forgiven you can we not talk about this anymore?"
Ino's facial expression was one part relief at being forgiven, one part frown at learning why Naruto avoided this conversation for so long, and one part concern and sympathy. "Ok, we won't talk about this anymore...for now."
Naruto forced a smile, he had to admit that acknowledging his mistreatment at the hands of the village made him feel a bit better. "Thanks, Ino-chan. And thanks for today. It's been difficult, but your comfort and support has been amazing. I, I love you."
Those last words slipped out, surprising not only Ino, but Naruto himself. He had never thought about it before, but now that he had said it he realized that he did in fact love Ino. Her constant companionship the last several months had been very important, and she was amongst his most important people.
As he thought about her, and their relationship, all the sorrow he felt was replaced by a warm feeling. Scratch that, Ino is not just amongst my precious people, she is my most precious person. So this is what it feels like to be in love?
Meanwhile Ino's initial shock at his confession had been replaced by her own warm feelings, and a deep blush was visible on her face.
Naruto loves me? After all I did to him he really loves me? That's just like him. I was a bitch to him for years, and yet as soon as our marriage was arranged he's taking time to help me deal with my problems and get my career back on track. I don't even want to think about where my life would be right now without him. At this point I can't imagine my life without him in it….oh my god, I, I "I love you too, Naruto."
They sat on the couch, holding each other and soaking in their new love late into the night. Before either one had realized how tired they were they had fallen asleep, on the couch, in each other's arms, with smiles on their faces.
Eventually Karin returned to the apartment, and knowing that Inoichi didn't allow Ino to spend the night at Naruto's apartment she woke the couple up and escorted Ino home while Naruto climbed into bed.
When Karin returned she lay down on the couch, having refused Naruto's offers to let her sleep in the bed and him on the couch when she had first moved in. "Naruto-sama deserves the bed more than I do. I'm happy to take the couch and grateful to Naruto-sama for putting me up until the compound is done" was her stock response when asked about living arrangements.
Naruto's day had been a whirlwind of various emotions. It had started with enjoyment and excitement as he hung out with his Team 7 family and prepared for Ino's birthday.
It had turned dark as he learned his father's identity, and with that secret came the realization that the people he had looked up to the most had essentially betrayed him.
It had ended better than he had ever expected, with love, and the realization that he and Ino would not be stuck in a loveless marriage.
With all that had gone on Naruto was mentally and emotionally exhausted, and quickly fell asleep, after all there was a party the next day, and Naruto was more determined than ever to make sure that the girl he loved had a memorable birthday.
-End of Chapter-
Well, I didn't have to re-write that as much as I thought I did.
We'll soon be gearing up for Ino's chunin exams, in fact I think there is a good chance that the second half of the next chapter will introduce you to her 3rd teammate and jonin 'sensei', and ch. 12 will probably include the 1st exam, if not the second as well, in addition to some other things I want to have other characters doing as side plots.
If you couldn't tell, the Uchiha wedding incorporated elements of both the standard Western wedding, and the Shinto wedding that episode 500 of the Anime and the credits to The Last Movie implied is the style actually used in canon. This is what I'm going to be using, because I don't know enough about Japanese culture to feel comfortable writing about a full on Shinto wedding.
On the 4th betraying Naruto: That's how Naruto perceives the fact that his own father made him a Jinchuuriki. Wether or not it was an actual betrayal is debatable, but in Naruto's mind it was.
Romance really isn't my strength. Given my own complete lack of any romantic life I have no experience with it, and so I'm terrible at writing it. My apologies if that whole 'they realize they are in love' scene came off as too cheesy or going from 'liking each other but it's complicated' to 'I love you' in approximately a month and a half is too rushed.
Only received one question after Ch. 9, so I'll go ahead and answer that one:
Q: How does Danzo have Sishui's eye when Itachi is the one who has it? He puts it on a bird, and crams it down Naruto's throat.
A: It's true that Shishui gives one of his eyes to Itachi. It's also also true that Danzo gets his hands on the other. To quote from Narutopedia: "Danzo, however, determined to protect the village in his own way and, believing that Shisui may try to manipulate him as well, stole the latter's right eye, implanting it into his socket." So you're both right and wrong, in canon one is in Naruto's stomach by way of Itachi, the other is with Danzo.
Thanks for reading,
-Col. Bogey