Disclaimer: Naruto is a comic by Masashi Kishomoto, published by Shonen Jump, and produced as a cartoon by Viz Media. The Art of War is the published text of Sun Tzu. The Kuroihi Syndicate, the Enkou Syndicates, Sora Keitaro, Sakurazaki Hana, Momiji Hashi, Dewaya Yahiko, Chairman Kuroihi and all affiliated members are my intellectual properties.

Author's Notes: Hey again everyone. Thanks for dealing with my otherwise busy schedule. I'm once again going through the transition of returning to school while working. Needless to say, Healthcare is a very exhausting and needs a lot of commitment on my part. Thanks again for all your comments, reviews, support, and favorites. Please bear with any spelling/grammar errors for now since none of my betas got back to me. Now on to review responses:

DarkRavie: Thank you for kind words.

Senyor Fier Mensheir: Well thank you for that. I'm not sure if one would say this story has substance, but whatever works for you.

T3KO: Kinda sorta, its really closer to sexual tension arising out of his current relationship with Hinata. That is, Hinata is currently filling the position Naruto filled in the cannon story. That is, he thinks of Hinata as a best friend/rival. This is complicated by her gender, which confuses him into questioning whether his feelings for her are romantic or friendly.

Shadow-Sensei: Wish your little brother a happy birthday for me. Don't worry about speculations since I think I am literally on the last leg of this story at the moment. That aside, as I said above, Sasuke sees Hinata as a best friend/rival that is complicated by sexual tension, which confuses him into thinking he may love her.

All Nightmare Long: Believe me, I was run ragged a long time ago. Right now, I just want to get the chapters done on schedule.

Tedlay: And it was an honor to have you as a reader.

I Can't Think of a Good Name34: I aim to please! The hinted Sasuhina and intended NaruHina will lead to a lot of tension in the later chapters.

Peter Kim: Maybe. Although I note that you have a lot of hatred towards Sasuke. You have to understand Sasuke isn't a bad person. He's merely been misled his whole life, making him confused and angry all at the same time. Especially since this is a world of espionage and deceit which breeds a lot of hate and creates more tension.

Faroush: Who says there isn't? The Akatsuki are, like most of the gangs I've introduced, criminals. Additionally, the part of the story involving the Akatsuki (the second arc) will not be entirely Naruto's story.

Rajvir: Thank you for the kind words.

And now, without further ado, I present the next chapter of Takato's Light.

Oyabun

(An Older Brother)

Chapter 29: Election

A quick stroll to Konohamaru's house proved fruitless for Naruto. The boy wasn't home nor were his parents. He proceeded to the shinobi academy and found the students pacing around the track field. They were gasping for breath, while an unconcerned Iruka pestered them to run faster. Among them, Naruto caught a glimpse of Konohamaru running side by side with Moegi and Udon. As Konohamaru came to the turn in the track, he caught sight of Naruto and his face lit up. Naruto pressed a finger against his lips and Konohamaru nodded in understanding.

Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon raced past him. Naruto slipped behind the old tree from which the swing hung. He waited patiently as each of the students slowly finished their laps. He prayed that Konohamaru and his friends didn't finish last, otherwise there would be no time for him to talk to them.

"Hey Boss, what's up?" Konohamaru said from behind the tree. Naruto sighed, "I thought I told you to stop calling me that. Listen, you three huddle up beneath the tree so it looks like you're just talking to each other."

He heard the scuffling of feet and immediately knew they had followed his orders, "Konohamaru, do you think you can go the office next week?"

"Hmm? What for?"

"I need your help," Naruto said cautiously, only to earn an excited, "Really?"

Naruto shushed him and answered, "Yes, the leader of the gang died and I'm trying to get voted as the new leader."

"So how do you want my help?"

"Just come to office wearing something nice: kimono, yukata, business suit. Make sure it has the Sarutobi clan's symbol on it. If they think I have your clan's backing, it doubles my chances."

"Okay, so it's next week?"

"It's today, one week from now."

"Alright."

Naruto bid them farewell and quickly made himself scarce. He next had to find the one called Gamakichi. He wasn't sure how he was going to do that but he surmised finding Jiraiya would help.

…………

"What the? You again?" Jiraiya screamed aloud, "How did you find me?"

"Gee, I don't know. How did I find a pervert?" Naruto answered sarcastically, "It wasn't that hard. All I did was walk around the women's bath house."

"Wha-"

"Just tell me where I can find Gamakichi and I'll be on my way," Naruto said before Jiraiya could get a word in edge wise. Clearly insulted, Jiraiya childishly said, "And what makes you think I'm going to help you find Gamakichi?"

"What makes you think I was asking?" Naruto replied dangerously. Jiraiya angrily replied, "Listen you little punk! Beat it before I kick your little butt down the street!"

"Wouldn't that be nice? A grown man beating up a kid," Naruto answered bitterly. Jiraiya instantly picked him up by the shoulders, "I'll show you a grown man beating a kid."

Before Naruto could do anything else, Jiraiya threw him into a giant pot and sealed it with a block of wood. A soft thud echoed from the top of the pot. Consumed by the darkness, Naruto beat against the wooden block in a vain effort to escape from the small prison but found it did not budge. The soft thud he heard a few seconds ago was clearly a heavy weight the man placed to keep Naruto from escaping.

"Damn that old man," Naruto cursed silently. He began rocking his body back and forth, hoping to tip the jar one way or another. If he was lucky, whatever was on top would slide off and he could get out. A few seconds into his rocking, he felt the pot tip backwards before landing on the ground. Whatever was on top slid off and the wooden board fell away for Naruto to climb out.

He emerged to find Jiraiya long gone, and he no closer to finding Gamakichi. Annoyed Naruto went off for the nearest bath house, hoping to catch the old pervert there. Unsurprisingly, he found the old man in plain sight, staring straight through a small hole in the wall, "Ooh yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!"

"Hey old man!" Naruto growled threateningly. Jiraiya leered at Naruto, "Oh, you again. I'm still not going to help you, you know."

"Why not?"

"Because you're interrupting my research!" Jiraiya hissed before returning to the small hole in the wall.

"Research? You mean being a voyeur?" Naruto asked sarcastically, earning him a scoff, "A little boy like you wouldn't understand the importance or the value of my work. Now hurry along before I throw you in another jar."

"Can you just tell me where Gamakichi is?" Naruto pleaded.

"Look kid, Gamakichi is a member of a prestigious summon clan. He doesn't have time to waste with a little boy like you."

"Prestigious?"

"You really are clueless aren't you? The Gama Clan is one of the greatest summon clans in the world of ninja, not that a gangster like you would know anything about that. I'd probably waist my time explaining it so why don't you just get lost and leave me to my work."

"Not until you give me Gamakichi."

Jiraiya sighed, "Alright, if it means that much to you I'll bring him out. But I don't want you to bother me again!"

Jiraiya bit his thumb to let some blood out and ran through a series of hand signs. He finished by slamming his palm into the ground, sending black markings out in all directions and a cloud of smoke emerging beneath his palm. When the smoke cleared, Naruto caught sight of the little orange toad he had been looking for, "Hey Jiraiya, what's u- oh, hey kid! How you doin'?"

"Alright, I brought him out," Jiraiya stated, "Now leave me alone so I can conduct my research."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto waved him off and picked up the toad. They went away quickly, disappearing around the corner while a bewildered Gamakichi asked, "What was that about?"

"Oh, nothing," Naruto assured the toad, "Anyway, I wanted to ask you about the Toad Summons."

"Hmm? You mean the Gama Clan? What did you want to know?"

"Whatever you can tell me," he answered eagerly. Gamakichi responded only with a perplex look that made him uneasy. Naruto remained adamant and said again, "Anything Gamakichi. I want to know everything I can about the Gamas."

"Why all the sudden interest?"

Naruto paused. He needed to calculate the value of the Gamas to his cause before he could figure out how they could help him. Saying that would probably cause Gamakichi to straight out lie and admitting he needed help was the last thing he wanted to do. Before he could even surmise an excuse, Gamakichi hopped off him and said, "Sorry kid, that's disclosed exclusively to those who can summon the Gamas."

"Excuse me?" Naruto said, his voice growing dangerous. Gama waved him off, "Don't worry! Do you still have that scroll I gave you?"

"Yes."

"Well that scroll acts as a make-shift summoning jutsu. It's only good three times so use it wisely. When its opened, it automatically summons Gama. He's a quiet guy but I'm sure he'll be able to help you."

"Gama?"

"Yep."

"Of the Gama Clan?" Naruto retorted. Gamakichi nodded. Naruto scoffed, "Gamakichi, what do you take me for? An idiot? Am I really supposed to believe there's someone in your clan named Gama?"

"If you don't believe me, see for yourself. Now tell me why you have all this sudden interest?"

"I…um…"

"Let me guess, you want to be able to summon the Gamas. Am I right?" Gamakichi guessed. Naruto paused for a second to consider his options. If he could summon the Gamas, then he would already have their services at his disposal. But there was no telling how much skill he would need to acquire just to summon one of the smaller gamas. Still, being able to summon them at his disposal wasn't something he could easily refuse. Although with a hint of hesitation, Naruto found himself nodding.

Gamakichi decided to hop off Naruto and said, "Well alright, the first thing you have to do is sign the scroll with your name in blood."

"My blood?"

"Consider it a sacrifice that seals the deal," Gamakichi said assuringly.

"Okay, so where is this scroll?"

Gamakichi froze, "uh…I don't know. Maybe we should ask Jiraiya."

And with those five words, Naruto immediately decided he would be better off without the ability to summon the toads. He would die and go to hell before he ever had to deal with the perverted old man again. Naruto was already walking away when Gamakichi hopped along side him, "Hey, where are you going?"

"Home."

"What about signing the contract?"

"I am not dealing with the old man!" Naruto said, "He's…uh, I'm too frustrated to think of a word to describe him."

"Yeah, I agree," Gamakichi said, "But he's a good guy when you get to know him. He is a bit…different, but you just need to give him a chance. Besides, you might enjoy training under him. He wasn't kidding when he said he was the Great Gama Sennin. He's both the great Gama Sennin and one of the Legendary Sannin."

"Don't care, he's obnoxious," Naruto said definitively. Gamakichi hopped up onto his head and laughed, "Wow, you really hate him. Well I don't really feel like going back to Mt. Myobokuzan yet. Mind if hang around? I don't feel like peeping with Jiraiya."

"Why not," Naruto frowned. HE agreed with Gamakichi's sentiments whole heartedly. Anything was better than being around the old pervert. Naruto was certain he knew why the old man peeped. He probably never got to be with any woman in his life so he had to resort to perversion to fulfill those needs. OF course this was Naruto's hypothesis and not the truth. However, he returned to his apartment with a certainty that he was right.

……………

One week seemingly passed at a crawl. Gamakichi spent the entire time at Naruto's side, claiming he didn't want to go back to the old pervert despite his suspicions of ulterior motives. Naruto, who no longer had to disguise himself as Yahiko, witnessed first hand what the news of his death meant. Hana was in a state of shock, moving back into the Dewaya Office without another thought. She spoke very little and claimed nothing was wrong despite the expression on her face that betrayed her words. The receptionist Yahiko was with in tears when he last saw her, refusing to meet anyone's gaze and disappearing from work when she received the words. If rumors were true, she locked herself in her apartment and was refusing to leave.

A flood of complaints immediately swamped Shinji and requests for additional protection as the Kaki, the Enkou, and every small time gang in Konoha began moving in on the Dewaya's territory. The Konoha nin began a series of crack downs on any form of gang activity in preparation of the Chunin Exam's final test. Shinji did his best to handle the growing pressure but was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Miji made no attempt to patch things up with the gang, instead going to visit the receptionist at her apartment only to be turned away.

Naruto was quickly pulled off his vacation in favor of helping strengthen the declining number of Dewaya. Some of the members began deserting the clan in favor of joining the Kaki or the Enkou. In that time three violent attacks occurred, each of which ended with at least five people dead and ten arrested by the village shinobi.

Despite what everyone wanted to believe, it was obvious the entire village was already in the midst of a tense gang war. Ironically, it was less of a war and more of a massacre as the Dewaya slowly lost whatever footing they had.

On the day of the election, the remaining high-ranked Dewaya gathered together in the office while the lower ranked stood guard outside. Among them was a man in a black jumpsuit lined with yellow trim. Emblazoned on the back was a white dragon that doubled as a holster for his katana. His hair was tied back in a bun, clearly displaying the scars on his face. His escort consisted of two younger men dressed in similar clothes except with sun glasses. Haku explained the man was Han, and his two escorts were his personal body guards. Several other men came, whom Haku listed off as the other senior members of the clan.

One guest Naruto did not expect was none other than Hashi-sensei himself. Hashi did not look at Naruto once when he appeared. He grazed past Naruto and rushed inside the office immediately.

Naruto came to the office dressed in his standard Kuroihi attire, while Haku was adorned in his casual kimono and mask. After Hashi's arrival, Haku made his way inside while Naruto said he wanted a moment to get some fresh air. Haku nodded in understanding and proceeded inside.

Naruto took the moment to sigh and wait. The clan meeting was going to begin soon and neither Hinata, Sasuke or Konohamaru had appeared. He was getting anxious. Did he forget to tell them the time? He did, didn't he? How could he have forgotten something so important? There wasn't enough time for him to find all of them before the meeting began. He would have to go it alone.

He was about to walk back inside and tell Haku that he would have to abandon the plan when he heard Hinata's voice behind him, "Um…Naruto."

Naruto spun on his heels to see Hinata in a beautiful white-silk kimono. Her short hair was tied to the back of her head, showing every detail of her face to Naruto. He never noticed it before; not in the academy, not in the Land of Waves, or when he spoke with her a few weeks ago; but she was very pretty. He found it mesmerizing at first, but quickly shook his head and reminded himself that he had work to do.

"Hey Hinata, you're just in time," he said, "Where's Sasuke?"

"I don't know," she murmured, "Is this alright? You did ask me to wear a kimono with the clan symbol but out clan doesn't really have one."

"That's alright," Naruto said, "You have your clan's eyes so that should be enough for them. Now if Sasuke and Konohamaru would get here."

"Konohamaru...you invited Konohamaru?" Hinata asked critically, a shocked expression on her face, "Naruto, Konohamaru's just a kid-"

"And we aren't?" he cut her off, knowing immediately where she was going, "I didn't bully him into coming. He agreed of his own free will."

"Naruto, I didn't mean-"

"Never mind, here he comes now," Naruto said, pointing out the familiar figure of Konohamaru racing towards him. Unlike Hinata, Konohamaru was dressed in his normal attire. Notably, his scarf seemed exceedingly longer than normal.

"HEY BOSS!" he shouted, "I'm here like you asked!"

"I also asked you to wear something formal," Naruto stated with disappointment. Konohamaru shrugged, "I didn't have anything to wear."

"You could have at least worn something nice," Naruto reprimanded, earning an innocent, "What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?"

Naruto tried to hold himself back from saying everything. Dressed the way he was, Konohamaru wasn't going to leave much of an impression on the other gang leaders. Ignoring the fact that he was only nine, maybe ten, Naruto was already certain the council wouldn't be impressed by Naruto's choice to invite a child to the meeting. He sighed, deciding not to answer Konohamaru's question.

"Hm? Aren't you Hinata?" Konohamaru asked her.

"Yes," Hinata bowed respectfully, "It's an honor to meet you again Konohamaru."

"Uh, same here I think," Konohamaru scratched the back of his head, bowing as well. Naruto shook his head and folded his arms, "I don't think Sasuke's coming so we may as well go inside."

"I'm right here, idiot," Sasuke said from atop the roof. Before Naruto had time to look up, Sasuke was already beside him, "No wonder you dropped out of the academy. You didn't even notice me until I said something."

"I didn't drop out," Naruto responded indifferently, "And I'm not in the mood for belittlement."

A quick examination of his attire put a scowl on his face, "I thought I said wear something nice."

"You also said to wear something with the clan symbol," Sasuke said, turning around to show them the fan-like mark on the back of his shirt, "This should be good enough, besides, we're not trying to impress these guys."

"You're not, I am," Naruto corrected bitterly. Sasuke remained unimpressed, annoying Naruto even more. However, time was of the essence and he didn't feel like arguing pointlessly with him. He made a motion for them to follow and went inside.

There, he found Haku waiting for him outside the meeting room, "So they're all here?"

"It's you," Sasuke and Hinata said in unison, shocked by Haku.

"You're supposed to be dead!" Sasuke was the first to say.

"Hello to you too," Haku replied dismissively, "Are they all here?"

"Yes, although only one of them bothered to dress properly," Naruto stated with poorly concealed disapproval. Konohamaru was quick to express his anger, "I said I didn't have anything to wear!"

"So do you have a plan?" Sasuke asked. Naruto's head jerked to the side as he obliviously admitted, "I'm making this up as I go, now come on. The meetings already started."

Naruto quickly pushed the door open, ignoring their surprised faces as he went in first. He motioned for them to follow when he noticed they were still standing in awe at his lack of preparation. He said he needed their help, but he didn't even have a plan himself. More importantly, he just walked into the room head first without so much as a glance backwards. As soon as Naruto stepped in, they heard a hushed silence fall over the crowd. Whispers traveled in all directions as one of the men, the one Haku pointed out to be the Shateigashira, asked aloud, "What is this? Some kind of joke?"

"That's exactly what I was wondering," Hashi said. As Naruto examined the layout, he noticed everyone had taken a seat on a pillow positioned along the edge of the room while Hashi's seat was on the far back where Yahiko sat during Naruto's initiation. Beside him was an elderly man dressed in long white robes and a purple vest. His head was shaved bald and adorned the most passive expression he had ever seen. Naruto instantly concluded he was a priest.

He returned his attention to Hashi and said, "I could ask you the same thing Hashi-sensei."

A stir grew among the rest of the council as the shateigashira angrily scowled, "You will not refer to Boss Hashi with such disre-"

"It's alright," Hashi said, "I personally took Naruto as my student in the style of kenjutsu."

"Personally," the shateigashira said, examining Naruto closely, "I can see why, he looks remarkably like your-"

"That's enough," Hashi silenced the man, "Naruto, why are you here and who are your friends?"

"My friends are Sarutobi Konohamaru, Uchiha Sasuke, and Hyuga Hinata. They're here to offer their condolences for Yahiko's death. As for myself, I understand today the council is deciding who will succeed Yahiko as the Oyabun."

"You brought the heirs of three of Konoha's own shinobi clans to the meeting? What were you thinking!" Shinji asked from his seat. Another stir began across the room as everyone began to trade hushed whispers among one another. At this point Hashi stood up and raised his arms in the air to silence them all, "Will all of you calm down. Naruto, only senior clan members are allowed to make votes for this meeting."

"But there are no rules against spectating," Naruto noted, earning him some degree of dislike from the older clansmen. Hashi brushed his chin with his hand and chuckled, "I see. Well then, you and your friends can take a seat."

"Boss Hashi, you can't be serious?" one of the senior clansmen said. Hashi's face lit up, "I am very serious."

"But they're kids and only one of them is a Dewaya! This could be a trap!"

"Do you doubt me?"

The clansmen recoiled back, hesitant to answer the gang boss. He bowed to Hashi and said, "Please, sir, forgive my insolence."

"That's all well and good," Hashi said dismissively, continuing while Naruto and the others took seats on empty pillows in the corner of the room, "Now, as I was saying, Yahiko's death puts us in a very awkward position. We need to name a successor, and we need to name one now. As usual, the clan can put forth their candidate on the condition that the candidate consents to the nomination. However, only my approval or a three-quarters vote will decide the winner. Are there nominations who would like to come forth?"

"I nominate Shinji!" Miji muttered quietly, which earned quite the cheer from some of the other members. Shinji scratched the back of his head and said, "I thank you, but I must decline. I'm an accountant, not a fighter."

"Oh come on Shinji! You were the nominee before Yahiko and you turned that down too. Just accept already! We want you to lead and you're the best for the job, so why won't you do it?" one of the other clansmen pointed out, to which Shinji waved it off, "I'm going to level with all of you, I can make revenue go up and turn profits where most of us can only find depreciating value. But there isn't a lot I can do when push comes to shove. Let's face facts here: I'm a financial consultant, not a war leader. If you all want me to keep turning profits, I can do that. But if you want me to wage a war, my hands are tied."

There were tones of disapproval among them, but Hashi again had to silence them, "Are there any other nominees."

"I nominate Han Doragon," one of Han's subordinates stated. This nomination garnered some praise, although less than Yahiko's and only from some of the older members. Hashi nodded at Han, who calmly said, "I have no objections towards this nomination."

Hashi smiled seriously and asked, "Any others?"

Naruto and Haku exchanged momentary glances, which Naruto nodded to him as the time. As Haku said, the only real nominations were Shinji and Han. Shinji refused, as expected, but Han didn't. This would be problematic since Han would probably weigh in more favor than himself. Sighing, he gave Haku a nod who took the signal and spoke aloud, "I nominate Naruto."

A stunned silence followed. Everyone in the room had their eyes on Naruto and Haku with a mix of disbelief and surprise. Hashi, on the other hand, wore a disappointed frown and remained quiet. Then he heard a snicker, followed by chuckles, followed by mocking laughter. It was a noise that echoed in his mind and sent him on an unexpected road of nostalgia.

"Idiot!"

"Dead Last"

"Loser!'

Dozens of small children laughing.

"Look! I think he's going to cry!"

An angry face scowled at him.

"Didn't you practice your Henge at all? That looks nothing like me!"

"Ha! That dork failed again!"

"Why don't you just give up!"

"Naruto?"

Naruto came to his senses at the sound of Hinata's voice, and came to the realization that he was standing with his katana drawn. All eyes were on him with a mix of disapproval and spite. Even Hashi gazed at Naruto with uncertainty. His eyes said it all, he was both confused and disappointed. Naruto quickly replaced his katana in its scabbard and bowed, "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"Do you accept the nomination?" Hashi asked, which caused all heads to turn to him. Naruto nodded, "I do."

"Boss, you aren't seriously considering his nomination are you?" Han asked with a neutral tone.

"Why not? I'm sure you are all aware of the incident in the Land of Waves. Naruto, being the person he was, took the initiative to resolve the hostage situation. While he did stir up a gang war, it took very little to placate it. He may be young, but he has both thethis is unprecedented. ingenuity and the drive needed to be a leader."

"But a kid?" Miji stated, "This…boy isn't going to make the Dewaya look well. The Dewaya would be outcasts if we make him a leader!"

"Are you questioning me?" Hashi snapped, "Your behavior in the past few weeks is shameful to both yourself and the clan. You want to speak of making the Dewaya look bad, first you need to look at yourself."

Hashi's words seemed to strike a chord with Miji, who silently sunk back down in to his pillow without begging for forgiveness. Hoping for no further interruptions, Hashi asked, "Are there any others?"

There was a moment's silence which Hashi decided meant no and promptly said, "Okay then…two candidates: One a promising youth and the other a seasoned veteran. Both clearly have some powerful friends, political or physical. Who to choose."

"Naruto-" Hinata said aloud again, catching everyone's attention, "Choose Naruto."

"Why would I do that?" Hashi noted, "Yes, he has made some very prominent friends, but you're heirs not clan heads. Your political prowess is…limited at best. Besides which, you are all children. Aside from your clan's name, what makes you think your opinion has any weight in this room."

"Um…well…"

"Show some respect for the heir of the Hyuga Clan," Sasuke said aloud, his calm voice just barely containing the anger behind them. Naruto was thankful that they were at least making an effort to support his bid. However, he couldn't help but begin to think that this was starting to be a bad idea. He took a deep breath and did his best to remain calm.

"And who are you to talk, Uchiha?" Hashi barked with a warning tone, "As I recall, you don't even have a clan to inherit. Your entire clan is dead, save for you. You have even less standing than her, which is worsened by the fact that she is no longer the heir of the clan. As I recall, that right passed over to her younger sister."

Naruto heard Hinata's voice quiver at Hashi's words. Naruto was at a crossroads on how to respond. On the one hand, Hashi's words were definitely striking chords in both Hinata and Sasuke inclining him to step in and stop his sensei. Inversely, Hashi-sensei was the teacher so who was he to question his judgment. He didn't know which road to take, until he heard the indefinite sound of a stifled sob behind him. It was Hinata. Acting without thought, Naruto said, "Sensei, there's no need to belittle my friends. They just wanted to offer their condolences for Yahiko's death."

"Be that as it may, they should still know their place," Hashi reprimanded, "They have no authority here. They are children, genin no less, who have come to bid their prayers and nothing more. They should not come here and expect to be treated as royalty."

Naruto and Hashi stared each other down, filling the air with tension sensed by everyone in the room. An eternity passed, ending with Naruto bowing his head and Hashi nodding approvingly, "I suppose the natural path to take would be a vote. Do you all agree?"

Hushed agreements filled the room and Hashi silenced them again to ask, "All in favor of Han as the next clan leader?"

To no surprise on Naruto's surprise, a good number of people raised their hands. Hashi counted them out before asking, "All in favor of Naruto?"

This time, Naruto had to rub his eyes when he saw an equal number of hands go up. Did his eyes deceive him or were some members of the clan actually voting for him? He received his answer in the form of a disgruntled sigh from Hashi, "A perfect tie. That leaves one other alternative: a duel. Do both candidates accept?"

"Yes."

"What?" Naruto stuttered out. Hashi went on to explain, "Traditionally, whenever there is a perfect divide over who to choose as the next clan leader, there is a duel between the candidates to decide who will inherit the clan. It's a simple duel. The only weapon you will be allowed is your katana but there are no limitations on what techniques you use. The fight goes until one party is either dead or unable to continue. Do you accept?"

Naruto felt a lump forming in his throat and heard a voice in his head telling him to refuse. Strangely, he found himself nodding and rising off the pillow to meet Han. Naruto and Han met in the center of the room while everyone else stepped against the walls to give them room. Naruto glanced backwards at Haku, looking for some form of help only to be met with grim worry. In that instant, Naruto realized he was on his own and swallowed the lump in his throat. Han bowed before him, which Naruto returned.

"Please, try to die with some honor," Han said with his neutral tone before drawing his katana. Naruto did the same only to feel a stabbing sensation in his gut. A quick glance down told him he had been stabbed in the stomach, just below his rib cage by Han's katana. Naruto concluded Han was able to move faster than Naruto's eyes could follow. If such were the case, he was already a dead person. As he felt the blood leave his body, the world began to darken and sounds of the spectators echoed in his head. He couldn't explain it, but although he could somehow hear their voices as they spoke.

"That kid never stood a chance."

"Figures he'd go down in the first minute."

"Do you think Naruto's alright Haku?"

"I…I don't know."

Naruto's body became extremely heavy and his muscles buckled just to keep him aloft. The pain disappeared as Han drew the sword out of Naruto and replaced it in the sheath. His body became light and his head became dizzy as the world vanished into darkness. He felt himself in death's grasp, coming to his senses inside a giant sewer cluttered with rusting pipes and blood red water.

"Is this hell?" he said aloud to no one in particular, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"Naruto…Uzumaki…" a dark voice beckoned him from the other side of the hall. Naruto found himself drawn to the voice, unwittingly traversing down the hall towards a large room which held a giant, steel gate. Behind the gate was nothing but darkness. Over the gate's lock was a sign reading: Seal. What it meant, he didn't know.

"Uzumaki Naruto…" the dark voice boomed again. Slowly, a red chakra crept out from beyond the cage and began to take shape in front him. It molded itself into a perfect replica of Hakuoro, the grandson of Oboro. Hakuoro's eyes, however, were blood red and appeared more animal than human. Despite the size difference, Naruto was intimidated by the small boy who said, "How dare you die! I will not allow myself to disappear because of your stupidity!"

"Who are you?" Naruto asked, his voice shaking. The boy's presence seemed to chill the air around him, chilling him to the bone and robbing him of any content. The boy dissipated back into chakra and disappeared behind the gate, where a giant face appeared. It had the same eyes as the boy, only it wore a giant grin bearing ferocious animal teeth and a pair of long whiskers, "I am the DEMON LORD! The Nine-Tailed Fox."

"You mean the demon killed by the Fourth Hokage?" Naruto said skeptically, to which the giant face let out a loud roar, "YOUR FOOL OF A HOKAGE COULD NEVER HOPE TO KILL ME! EVEN IF HE DID, IT WOULD NOT PREVENT MY RETURN! ALL HE COULD DO WAS SEAL ME AWAY TO BUY YOU AND YOUR VILLAGE MORE TIME!"

"So what do you want with me?" Naruto asked, shaken by the demon's presence. The giant face could only growl and add, "I want to buy myself more time. Because of your precious hokage, my life is now bound to yours. Every memory, every emotion, I am forced to suffer through as you live your life. I am trapped here watching you live your life, while living it at the same time. Your damned hokage made sure if you die, I will perish as well. Therefore, I intend to loan you some of my power."

"What's the catch?" Naruto asked, his voice still shaking.

"We can discuss that later…Now, you were dying?"

Naruto felt himself thrown out of the room and into darkness again. The face disappeared behind the gate, along with the sewer. As he flew further backwards, he felt himself return to a world of agonizing pain and dizziness. The world was spinning uncontrollably fast, and yet, he found himself spurring with energy. Off to his side was his katana, just in reach for him. He grabbed it and took up an offensive stance. He couldn't explain how, but his pain was disappearing as more energy flooded into his body.

It was a strange strength that revitalized him. Before he knew what he was doing, he close the gap on Han whose back was turned. Before he could get a block in, Han parried his sword and kicked him backwards into the air. Naruto used the momentum to flip himself in the air and land on his feet, stopping just inches away from Konohamaru. Bringing his sword forward, Naruto rushed in fast and low. Hopefully, by hitting the leg, he would be able to slow down Han's reaction time. Just as he was about to take a swing on his leg, Han brought the sword down on top of him, prompting Naruto to veer to the side to avoid the blade.

He turned on his heels and made another attempt to go for the leg when he noticed what appeared to be a twitch in Han's left thumb. He dismissed it as nothing and thrust the sword at Han's knee, only to be parried again. Growing desperate, Naruto leapt back to put some distance between them. As Han brought his sword up to face, he saw his left thumb twitch again. He wasn't sure how or what, but that twitch must have meant something. He scanned his surroundings for some hint or clue as to its meaning when one of the clan members, an elderly gentleman in the Kuroihi suit sitting two seats to Hashi's left, who seemed to be a world away. His eyes were closed as he noiselessly muttered something, his arms put forward while each finger twitched at random intervals. Naruto was certain this had something to do with Han and slowly began stepping in the man's direction.

Han however, set his katana down in Naruto's path. Naruto met Han's katana with his own, knocking it up and out of his hands. Taking this chance, Naruto rushed towards the man only to be met in the gut by a swift kick. The wind rushed out of him, sending him to his knees on the ground. An unexplainable anger overtook him. He refused to back down, to lose to the like of this man. Rising back up on to his feet, Naruto nailed a punch square in the man's jaw.

Han recoiled backwards from Naruto's attack, but Naruto refused to stop there. Taking his katana, he took made a swing for Han's right knee. The blade connected, slicing deep into the joint between the two bones without drawing any blood. Naruto had no time to question why this was so and continued towards the old man. At least he did, until he felt his legs became binded and caused him to fall forward.

As he fell to the ground, he noticed Han was limp on the ground beside him, his body as limp as a noodle. Unsure of what to make of it, Naruto swung back onto his feet, losing balance temporarily because his legs still refused to move. Picking up his katana, he noticed the old man wore a panicked look on his face. Then it all clicked in his head. He had figured out what was going on. HE sliced the katana through the air and regained control of his legs. Rushing towards the old man, Naruto swung the blade up to his chin and declared, "You lose!"

The old man threw his hands into the air, causing the still limp Han to twitch on the ground. With a weak smile, he said, "Okay…I concede."

The room was silent, unable to process what they had just seen. At least Naruto was. There were no cheers, no groans, no murmurs or whispers of distraught. There was only silence. At least until Hashi said, "I believe we have our next clan leader."

There was still silence as Naruto replaced his katana in its scabbard. He looked at Haku, both tired and gleeful at his victory. Haku's face remained passive, as did Sasuke's. Konohamaru's was definitely cheerful joy, while Hinata remained trapped between a smile and scowl. He then turned his gaze in Hashi's direction where he saw a concerned frown awaiting him. He approached Hashi and bowed respectfully, something Hashi did not return.

With a weary voice, he murmured, "What was that, that thing you just did?"

"What do you mean, sensei?"

"You unleashed a wave of red chakra…it…it chilled the air and, well, it felt like it drained all the happiness out of the room."

"I…I don't know," was all Naruto could say, trying to wrap his mind around everything that just happened. It must not have been more than ten minutes, yet it felt like it was an eternity. Hashi, unsatisfied with the answer, said, "It doesn't matter. We'll talk of it later. Besides, I thought I asked you to stay in hiding. Instead, I see you've made friends with some of Konoha's elite. Do you mind if I ask why?"

"I haven't made friends with any of them," Naruto whispered back, "I thought I could win some support from the others clansmen if I could trick them into thinking I had connections with Konoha's clans."

"Well you certainly had me fooled," Hashi answered, "It was still a risky strategem. If they talk, the entire village will know you're here. Then again, I suppose that is the plan since you seem so intent on becoming the Dewaya's new leader."

"Not if I go by an alias," Naruto said, to which Hashi found himself smiling amusedly, "Boss Kitsune, heh?"

Naruto nodded, causing Hashi grunt his disapproval and pat him on the back, "But what about them?"

"They haven't said anything before, why would they start now?" Naruto reasoned. Hashi shook his head, "I can't believe I'm doing this…I'm going to initiate you. Master Ryu, if you would?"

"Indeed," the priest said, setting a small table between Naruto and Hashi and beckoning them to sit. He set two small cups and a bottle of sake on the table. As they took their seats, the old priest began reciting the same words as Yahiko on the day of his initiation. After a lengthy speech, Naruto and Hashi exchanged glasses of sake and took long gulps.

There was applause and chanting as Hashi and Naruto set their cups down on the table. Hashi then bid Naruto to rise and said, "Naruto, I welcome you as a full fledged member of the Sakurazaki clan, and I grant you permission to lead the Dewaya. As of this moment, any decision you make as the leader has my approval. I now permit you to lead your clan as you see fit."

Naruto bowed again and turned to face the entire Dewaya Clan. Everyone was quick to scrutinize the new leader, this child who had bested Han in a duel, "As of this moment, we are changing our name to the Kitsune Syndicate. You are all to address me as Boss Kitsune. As such, my first action is to change our clan's symbol from the dragon to fox."

This caused a great stir among everyone in the room, save for Haku who watched silently.

"Boss Sakurazaki, you can't be serious? This has got to be a joke!" Miji said

"Do you trust my judgment?" Hashi asked Miji, who nodded, "Then trust Naruto. If you would please continue Naruto?"

"Thank you, sensei," Naruto bowed, "My next action will be the complete reorganization of our clan. Han, you're moving from being wakagashira to so-honbucho. You're private security firm makes you the best candidate to handle our defenses. Haku, I want you to take over as wakagashira. Take your pick of subordinates, and I'll initiate them into the clan. Shinji, I want you to take over the position of Saiko-komon. I don't know who the current saiko-komon is and I have no ill will towards you. But right now, I'd be a little happier if this clan's profit margins went up. Miji, I want you to become his personal assistant."

Miji scoffed angrily when his name came up, turning his head away in disgust. Naruto ignored him and went on, "As my final action, I want Haku to send a message to the other clans. Tell them we are not going to be pushed around without pushing back, agreed?"

Haku nodded and took leave. With that, Naruto dismissed everyone and left the room with Sasuke, Hinata and Konohamaru. They were all oddly silent, as if trying to find the words to speak. Naruto smiled at them and kindly offered, "Thanks, all of you."

"But we didn't do anything except get yelled at," Konohamaru said. Naruto waved his finger, "Nope, you guys were more than enough to convince some of the other clansmen. You saw it didn't you? Just by being there, you convinced half the council to make me leader."

"If you say so," Sasuke said, "Is that it?"

Naruto nodded. Sasuke departed in his usual manner, along with Konohamaru who raced away into the village. Hinata on the other hand, stayed behind with Naruto. Naruto was unnerved by her decision to stay, uncertain of what to make of it. At least until Hinata said, "Naruto…I…um…"

"I'm sorry about what sensei said," Naruto said apologetically, feeling remorse over his former instructor's actions earlier. Hinata shook her head and said, "No, it's…not that…I…well…are you…okay?"

"Yeah…I'm fine," he answered, examining carefully the area where the sword stabbed him. The wound seemed to have vanished. No trace of its presence remained save for the dried blood on his shirt. He would have to clean it later.

"I'm glad…to hear that," she stuttered again, drawing herself close to Naruto, "I…sorry…"

Before Naruto could ask what she meant she ran off at a remarkable pace, given she was wearing a yukata. He wanted to chase after her, failing to realize that he already was giving chase after her. He didn't want her traveling alone in this part of Konoha. Kunoichi or not, this was not the safest part of the village and there was no telling what was around the next corner.

"Hinata! Wait!" he cried aloud. She stopped in her tracks, turning around to face him, "Na….naruto?"

There were what appeared to be tears in her eyes. Naruto brushed them off her face and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No…it's nothing," she smiled weakly, her happiness betrayed only by the tears coming from her eyes. Naruto was unable to reason why she was crying, and probably never would. Still, he found himself drawn to her natural beauty, and happily said, "Why don't I walk you home."

She looked at him with a stunned face, before nodding meekly, "If…you…wouldn't…mind."

"Okay, let's go," Naruto said. Together the two walked to the Hyuga compound.

…………

Author's Notes: Well, another chapter over and done with. After all, health care is not a job to be taken lightly. My next update will be in six weeks on Friday, September 25th. If you loved the story, leave a comment in the reviews section. I also welcome constructive criticism and analysis into the next chapter of the story. If you are attending Northern Illinois University and would like to chat, just PM me and we can meet face to face! Until next time, this is leonardo1123581321 signing out!