Hiroshi stared up from the beach, the dark smoke of the burned island of Uzushiogakure rose slowly from the horizon. He sscratched his arms from where the blood had dried on his skin.
"Hiroshi-kun"
Hiroshi averted his eyes towards the elder men beside him on the beach, briefly wondering if he also looked as exhausted and haggard. He probably was.
"Yes Ji-chan?"
He rested his spotted and calloused hand upon his head. Rubbing slightly the elder was covered in grime and blood. A katana rested on his waist. His face solemn, dull purple eyes, beneath thick eyebrows. His once red-blooded hair was now faded to gray.
"It is time to leave."
The solemn tone of the statement greatly contrasted with the kind smile marks around his eyes.
"There is much to do Hiroshi."
Hiroshi stared once more at the orange horizon, stained by the ink black smoke. His first home since his second birth.
"Yes, we have."
Ikamuzu Hiroshi rubbed his eyes dispelling the old memories. And stared at the envelop on his hands. It was a heavy with all the signatures of the community.
His stomach twisted and burn with expectations. After this there would be no going back. The ruse would be dispelled, and it would mean life or death for his people.
"Ikamuzu-san?"
Hiroshi looked up at the reception attendant of the Hokage Tower. She smiles gesturing at the door.
"The Hokage will see you now."
He stood up nodding his head at her as he passed by. Through the door the Hokage stood behind a great wooden desk smiling as he stuffed his pipe with more tabaco.
"Hello Ikamuzu-kun..."
The Hokage trailed off staring at the distance for a moment and them refocusing at him.
"Have we met before?"
Hiroshi blinked.
"Not that I am aware of Hokage-sama."
The weathered Hokage hummed chewing on his pipe.
"How may I be of assistance today?"
"I came with a petition, here are the documents, and bellow the signatures."
The Hokage weighted the document and the signatures.
"There is a lot of signatures. Let's see. The people of sector 36A2 wish to have Uzumaki Naruto to move in their community..."
Hiroshi felt like chuckling ever more, as Hiruzen eyes begun to grow on their sockets. Just a fraction as the man retook his control and read the document with a knife sharp edge. Reading the petition and mumbling a few parts.
"Willing to raise him, train him, love him, believe in him..."
He slides his fingers upon a few lines.
"The people have put together the resources to pay monthly for an A ranking mission on of protection from Konoha for Naruto."
The Hokage blinked and looked up at Hirsohi with the closest impression of bafflement the young man believed the Hokage was willing to display to a stranger.
"Why?"
"We understand his sacrifice."
The Hokage raised one eyebrow.
"How?"
Hiroshi blinked at him.
"Well, we are all descendants or survivors of Uzushiogakure. We understand a little about seals."
Hiruzen hummed in thought looking up as he rose stretching.
"Well lets take a look shall we?"
Hiroshi blinked at him, as a numb sensation washed over him.
"What?"
The Hokage smiled, and Hiroshi felt It looked a tad smug.
"Sector 36A2 of course, I want to take a look to see the home and family that will be taking Naruto-kun."
Yes Hirsohi had not heard wrong, that was the curve ball he didn't see coming.
"Oh, okay."
But he was built in curve balls. His method to dealing with them, take then at face value. He then thought about the Hokage walking around his community. Well here hoping introduction to the community doesn't get him arrested.
He smiled a little sheepishly.
"We like to call it little Uzu."
The Hokage hummed smiling past him out the door and Hiroshi accompanied him.
He guided the aging Hokage as he made small talk for both of them. About the weather and recent inane gossip from around the village.
To be honest Hiroshi was waiting for, a prison arrest and a torture and interrogation visit. Not that there had not being plans made for that. But he was not shinobi.
He had to admit, it was a little overwhelming speaking with a man that was considered a legend in his own right.
More frighting yet. He had no need to stress that legend at all. No bragging, no light reminders of his power.
Simply an exceedingly kind, and inane, talk about the weather, the village and general gossip.
It was a humble approach and the scariest part. Humility is not the attribute of the weak. It was not submissive; it was not bragging. It was confidence in itself for knowing its own strengths and weaknesses. And being at peace with both.
Being master of its own soul.
And for that reason, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Third Hokage of Konoha was so much more scarier by being a humble talker than it would had being, if he was simply throwing accusations and raging around.
As they walked the buildings were slowly being left behind, dead trees and a beaten-up dirt path was in place. As they walked forward, abandoned housing and destroyed buildings still lingered from the Kyuubi attack.
It was curious for Hiroshi, the feeling of the residual bijuu chakra that had lingered from that time.
It was heavy with malice, as when you have that uncomfortable feeling from being in the same space as someone who is really pissed off. Even if it is not directed at you, it is a little uncomfortable.
The central area of Konoha was basically intact, even pristine but the suburbs were the biju attacked were in shambles.
Konoha may act tough, but it had scars that never really healed from the ordeal.
Acquiring property in the area was really ease. Because one, nobody wanted to live in ruins. And two because of the creeping feeling of the bijuu chakra.
Hiroshi looked down at the stone path that started abruptly at the middle of the ruins. Tall gates at a even intervals, framed It, full of fuinjutsu formulas on hanging talismans. Those tags had the function of filtering the kyuubi chackra. And that is where the genius of Uzumaki entered the equation.
Seals can be used for many purpurses. And syphoning the Kyuubi chackra, it is not that hard. Storing that chackra afterwards, not for everyone, but doable.
Repurpursing it?
Hiroshi still had a laugh every time he remembered the head of the Fuinjutsu Academy, looking at him as if he was crazy. Even more so when he proposed that it was actually nature oriented, he was sent home under escort.
A few meetings later it was agreed to experiment. And the results were very good. He couldn't channel nature chakra, nor any other Uzumaki in the clan at the moment. That require Sage training.
What they did though is use it to regrow the nature around the little community they built here.
They finally arrived at the arch that marked the entrance to Little Uzu.
It was a archway with wild roses growing over it, and a very non-descript plaque to the side.
Sector 36A2.
Attached a little lower was a rustic trunk piece with the carvings and the Uzumaki clan spiral.
"Welcome to Little Uzu."
Hiruzen barked a laugh beside him and Hiroshi smiled.
"Yeah we are a little..."
Hiruzen snorted waving him off.
"Say no more."
He laughed and gestured to the Hokage to follow him walking down the roses arcs.
The community was built in a form of spirals. The outer most one is filled with gardens, crops and parks. With small, secluded meditation gardens and fields were some children run around laughing.
There was a fair share of people walking around enjoying a day of blue skies and sunshine.
The middle spirals display the housings. Hiroshi sweated a little praying the old man would not notice the recycled the ruins in the region. Seals are indeed marvelous things.
Hiruzen stopped at the rim of the path, a somewhat fond and reminiscent look on his eyes, at what the people of Little Uzu built.
"Your people did a great work here."
Hiroshi was caught off guard as he scratched the back of his head.
"Well we just banded together you know?"
Hiruzen hummed in thought. As Hiroshi guided him, reaching the middle spiral. The houses that peppered it had a great space to grow.
Hiroshi turned on the street of cobbled stones and small houses, with a ridiculous amount of colors.
Some times he though if they should have instated a form of laws about the colorings.
Nothing straight out disrespectful, but it made him cringe in the sheer amount of colors. Purple dotted with green just felt wrong.
That is why he liked the inner and outer spiral more then the middle. His grandfather used to say he was a grumpy young old man.
Hiroshi grimace, the old man was closer to the truth that he ever knew.
Some people walked around talking to their neighoors over fences, or watching children playing around the grass of gardens a there was open air cooking.
The smells were great.
They turned on a peculiar round white house, with colorfull scribles on the outside as a small girl was running around with thick galss frames on her nose and a woman was setting the laundry.
He waved calling out.
"Hitomi-san! Karin-chan! Good evening!"
Hitomi wore a sundress and beneath it a long sleeved shirt. A long braided brown hair and violet eyes. Her daughter Karin was very alike and had a thick framed glass on the tip of her nose.
"Hiroshi-dono. Hokage-sama!"
The woman exclaimed as she notices the man and Karin came barreling on Hiroshi's leg. He bent down rubbing her hair, as her chubby hands batted them away laughing at the action.
Hitomi seemed at a loss for a moment looking at him. As Hiroshi explained.
"Hokage-sama would like to see the house and family that will be taking Naruto-kun in. Is your brother home?"
Her eyes softened a moment as she shook her head. As she gestured the round front door.
"Please come in."
The Hokage smiled tiping his hat.
"Pardon the intrusion."
The house counted on big windows letting a lot of light to pour in. It was a prefab that they mass produced, but was somewhat modular, so not two houses were usualy the same. Many could fell alike but that was it.
The living room, with a modest table and a radio, a spotted sofa. A dinnner room with a open kitchen.
The rooms were in another section. There was Hitomi room, Karin's room and her brother on the side. And other two with bare basic furniture that could be converted for Naruto.
Hitomi was serving tea as Hiruzen sat.
"Thank you."
"Your welcome."
"I am curious Hiroshi-kun you are not married with Hitomi-chan?"
Hiroshi scratched his head.
"Oh no, no. We are just friends."
Hiruzen hummed looking at Hitomi.
"Hitomi-chan you live here by yourselves with Karin-chan. Wont Naruto be a little too much to handle?"
Hitomi smiled looking at her cup.
"No children is easy to care for. But I do too have a brother. And Naruto will not be a burden. I was not the first volunteer for the position. Many families are already with more then one kid. And a few single parents are raising too."
Hiruzen then glanced at HIroshi.
"And you are not volunteering to be a father Hiroshi-kun?"
Hiroshi scratched his neck.
"It's not about Naruto in this instance. I am not confident or sure that I can be a parent. It is a responsibility I don't think I am ready for."
Hiruzen glanced at Hitomi them back at him. Puffing small rings from his pipe.
"I see."
He then turned back at Hiroshi.
"I have seen what I needed to see and I will have to think about a lot. Understand it is not a decision I can take lightly."
Hiroshi and Hitomi bowed.
"Of course Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen nodded with a small smile, and walked out the door.
"I will see myself out Hiroshi-kun, have a good day."
Hiroshi observed as Hiruzen left the house disappearing around the curve of the road. He scratched his neck.
"So how long do you think he will wander through the compound before leaving."
Hitomi shook her head and began to collect the tea dishes.
"I believe that would be up to Hokage-sama's discretion."
Hiroshi nodded absently and looked up the kitchen.
"Set up dinner yet?"
Hitomi shook her head sighing.
"Haven't got the time yet."
Hiroshi smiled.
"Let me scrunch something up."
Dinner was a busy affair as was cooking. Karin liked to nose in everything she could, even if it was not really good at it. The kitchen was a little of a mess. To which Hitomi assured him he had not to worry about. He already cooked; she would take care of it.
So it was a Hiroshi, with little sauce stains on his clothes that walked down the road with a bag with a little left overs and scratching his chin about the reunion he was walking into.
He arrived at the central plaza, benches and gardens open up to people still walking and talking on the streets, laughing and the smell of a few street cooks on the air.
He walked up to the central building with a spiral insignia on it. Walking in the door it was a grand hall, to fit most of the people.
He walked up to the end through a door were touched a place on the panel beside it, a light construct read his palm, scan his person and compared his retina.
The door slides open putting him face to face with an older woman.
"Oh you are here, I was starting to think Konoha might have you in T&I. I was about to raise troops."
Hiroshi sighet pressing the bridge of his nose as he side stepped her.
"Please dont."
The woman looked back at the entrance for a moment before humming and closing the door.
"You became clan head Hiroshi-kun, you have been chosen. And after everythin you did, you better believe in your loyal subjects."
Hiroshi stared at the woman for a moment.
"I fell like I have being promoted to a cat herder."
The woman snorted behind a polite hand.
"Well you did work hard for it."
He looked up in supplicant patient.
"Well I am here, please don't start a war with our, kind of allies."
The old woman smiled amused.
"I make no promises, but I will see what I can do about it."
Hiroshi walked into the room as others were already sited and waiting, chatting amongst themselves.
Some younger some older stopping to bow.
"Welcome Hiroshi-sama."
Hirsohi smiled and bowed.
"Thank you, and welcome as well."
They all sited down around a round table with the spiral inscribed upon it.
"The council of Uzu monthly reunion shall begin. So who wants to go first?"
There were chuckles around as a man rose up.
"Well Agri corps are doing well, the new vertical farming is presenting great results, and showing to be a great alternative for our lack of space. The hydroponics are a curious things, and some are a little suspcious of the results. Next harvest seems to be going down very well."
Another one nodded haply.
"So far then we can keep preparing for a Haverest Celebration?"
The other men nodded. Hiorshi turned to the second.
"So head of Cultural Events, how we going?"
The other closed his eyes for a moment summing up his thoughts.
"I believe the cultural center here on Little Uzu is doing great. The multiple activities we provide are showing good results around the border. Old shogi matches for the elderly and bochin lanes are very popular and they like it a lot. The knitting is popular more along the ladies, although you can see one or other guy learning… Not sure if they are interested or if it is for the ladies. Huh."
There were a few chuckles.
"There have being cooking lessons. People are enjoying it greatly. We have a few plays on the horizon. Once again everything amateur. The infrastructure department is understaffed, but then again when they are not?"
Hiroshi looked away with a little smile. In another life when one of his elder sisters had the same job and problem.
"Make some oficines, they will expose the work and show how to work with tools in a secure ambiance. Some people will be interested, not everyone is for the stage. Remember to bring out the crew for the applause after the curtain call. They are a fundamental part of the play as well."
The head of culture nodded. A woman with glasses pushed them up coughing the attention of the others.
"The clan is going well financially. Despite of your… exoteric administration."
Hiroshi stared at her not quiet sure, how to translate that. He did not feel particular offended, or singled out. So he smiled and nodded.
"Thank you."
The woman nodded and sat again, after a moment of silence another man stood up.
"The academy and dojo are doing great. Kids are learning the basics of kenjutsu, and mixed martial arts. Of course, not everyone shine on the martial arts so we are trying a few other sports. Soccer is curiously popular for some reason."
He shook his head.
"Anyway tai-chi and bending are really popular on the chackra users of the clan. A lot of the hot heads are more calm and in control. Can't say if that is good or bad though."
Hiroshi shook his head smiling ruefully.
"That is for history to decide not us. They might look back rubbing their foreheads saying, what the hell were these people thinking?"
Hiroshi shrugged helpless.
"I have no idea."
The others seemed to ponder about for a moment or two. A man raised his hand and Hiroshi gestured acknowledge him.
"Foreign affairs are a little bit. Well see for yourselves."
The man taped on the table bringing up a light projection interface. Everyone leaned a little in. the screens begun to pop showing a arid area were villagers were without food water. A village and some shinobi bringing in more supplies.
The man looked grim at the pictures.
"Things are not good in Wind Country. I really have no idea what is going on with the Daymio over there."
An older man glanced at him.
"Idiot?"
The man grimaced and waved his hand.
"Not sure if idiot, incompetent, neglectful or court politics mucking things up. What I know is that his relationship with his village is hostile at best and insulting at worst."
Hiroshi grimaced.
"And the Kazekage?"
"Running around like a headless chicken, trying to keep his Hidden Village together, support the surroundings to his and trying to get out of a financial depression. One they never really recovered after the war and the disappearance of the third kazekage."
He then grimaced.
"And Hiruzen is not helping at all."
Everyone stoped for a moment as the old woman looked up to the ceiling.
"Hiruzen or Konoha?"
The man though for a moment.
"Konoha. It has being taking requests for missions, that should by all accounts being executed by Suna. It is really crippling their mercenary economy."
The Head of finances tilted her head.
"And there lies the problem with the shinobi system."
The others looked at her.
"Lets say, tomorrow all the countries merge together in a super country. There is no longer needed to spy, kill or murder. No more reason to fend off or deploy shinobi. What is left for these people and the villages to do?"
The man of the academies rubs his stubble of an arm.
"Ruin and despair."
The woman nodded.
"They need not just more strength, they need more autonomy. Self reliance, for when peace is finally achieved. Then they can lay down arms and weapons, secured that they will have a future regardless."
Her eyes softened.
"That they can also be a part of a peaceful world."
Hiroshi took a deep breath, an open-end problem. Focus. Break down the problems and necessities.
"What they need?"
The foreign affairs head stopped for a moment.
"Money and water. Also, food, but crops can be have if they have water."
He glanced at the financial department.
"They need to solve the bare minimum of food before they can begin to work towards money. There is no way around it. We don't have the financial clout to help them."
The foreign affairs person sighed.
"If they would even accept the help from someone form Konoha. They are very prideful."
Hitoshi mumbled to himself.
"Find out the main commercial sectors and try to find out if they would be amiable to a meeting."
Some eyebrows rose as the foreign affairs nodded.
"Easy enough. Why though?"
Hiroshi blinked.
"I think I know what the problem is, but I don't want to mess it up with presumptions. I want to talk to them what they believed they need to get out of this depression."
The woman stopped for a moment.
"It could work. I will run the numbers."
The foreign affairs looked at him.
"And water?"
Hiroshi looked at the elder woman.
"We need a seal to go into the ocean and to sent back sweet water and salt."
The woman looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Uzushiogakure was an island on a cliff surrounded by the sea and whirlpools. We have the schematics for such a seal for a long time now."
She looked ponderous for a moment.
"The challenge will be the distance of the Suna to the ocean."
Her eyes gained a gleam.
"But he Calligraphy Academy is always eager to the challenged."
Hiroshi smiled. As he turned to another person.
"And the village?"
The man took a deep breath.
"Things are bad in Konoha."
Everyone stared at him.
"Oh boy where to start? The Populus in general is still scared out of their minds about the Kyubi attack. The death of Yondaime, and the kid they are calling the demon. For crying out loud, he is a child! And the ridiculous idea of Uchiha betrayal."
A lot of people snorted except Hiroshi that was staring at the table for a moment, and everyone quieted around him.
"I think, people need to remember of two children, that one day meet across a river. They were looking for a friend. And they found each other. That they introduced each by first name. Families could be enemies and they decided to be friends, so they let out their families. Together they played and dreamed about a better future, they shared secrets and one day they found out and as they feared turned them apart. Years come and go and the children grew into their parents war, till it was their war. After losses the dream come again and they made a village and proper for a time. Their power scared others into making their own villages and the violence started again. One friend wanted to march down and with their might bring peace, by taking over the others. The other said they should do as they did in their own land. Bring forth friendship to unite others. They both disagreed and the friend who wanted to bring theirs to battle tried to rally his family to do it with him. And to his disappointment, the family decided to be loyal to the principles to which they founded the village, they now lived in."
Hiroshi looked back up as someone was scribbling down what he said.
"Perhaps a good play with a lot of comedy to relate better to the civilians could be a good idea."
The cultural head was scribbling frantic as mumbling to himself as he nodded his head.
"We will need a play, no professionals. People of the village. Sympathy comes from who you know of familiar faces. Need clans to give snippets of the founding from their point of view. Yes!"
Everyone turned aside knowing the man would be in his little bubble for some time now.
"Anything else?"
"The shinobi in the genin corps are rotting away."
Hiroshi stared at him for a moment after addressing the rest.
"Yeah, I got nothing. Any ideas?"
The man without an arm scratched his chim.
"More training, if they are just wasting away in the corps feeling abandoned by Konoha that will fester into traitors and the like. Probably make the shinobi corps an extension of the academy, drill then in all genin areas till they can progress to chuunin. What do we even use the genin corps for anyways?"
"Canon fodder."
"Yeah, we need… Konoha need to revamp that or loose face with its corp."
Hiroshi looked around.
"Ok we have a problem, let's think a solution. anything else?"
Everybody shook their heads and Hiroshi yamed.
"Well meeting adjourned then. Good night to everyone."
Hiroshi stretched as people begun milling about as the one armed men came by looking down at Hirsohi bag of food.
"So what did my sister cooked up?"
The man looked down at the food container.
"That looks edible, so I guess you cooked?"
Hiroshi snorted.
"Your sister cooking is just fine."
"Yeah, you are the over achiever that spoiled us."
Hirsohi glanced at the men.
"By the way, the Hokage scouted out your home today. Wanted to see were Naruto would be living."
The man hummed; Hiroshi didn't push further if he was displeased he would let it be know.
He turned in a corridor with the leader of the Calligraphy academy discussing with someone else.
"Everything alright?"
The two looked at him nodding with fond smiles.
"Everything is fine Hiroshi-kun. We are just discussing upgrades to the barrier seal."
The other pickup seamless.
"A few pests passed through. We are figuring out sealing the gaps."
Hiroshi shook his head.
"Remember to rest yourselves."
They both nodded. Hiroshi walked home thinking it had being a good day. There more to do yet.