Author's Review Response:
To Everyone: Thanks for all of your ideas and comments regarding the last chapter. I truly appreciate your contribution to this story and whatever I come up with that leads to certain events will be specially mentioned. Thank you so much, guys.
Without further delay, on with the show!
Konohagakure, Elemental Nations, 91 N.E.
Thump! Thump!
Within the large forest that surrounds the Village Hidden by Tree Leaves, two people fell down to the ground in a harsh manner after a climactic final bout. One was a red-haired teenage boy who wielded the power of sand. And the other, a blond young man who had the ability to manipulate wind, water, and lightning.
These two were named Gaara and Naruto respectively.
Our main protagonist, Naruto, landed on his stomach, while Gaara, former adversary, crashed on his back. Both boys had given and received quite a bit of punishment, nearly killing each other in the process of their fight.
...However, the blond magic-user ended up emerging victorious.
'Phew!' Naruto, or Ventos as he mostly preferred to be called, thought to himself. 'I forgot how much a fight a jinchūriki can put. And this guy went full-on demon! Fuck, this guy's strong! If I didn't summon Kaiser, I would have gone into Ryū no Chikara (Dragon Force) with no control and killed myself in the process from the magic power exhaustion.'
Shifting his head a bit, the pastel blond wizard glanced to see Gaara, who was wondering how could our blond protagonist get so strong. His thoughts were cut short as the red-haired shinobi noticed Naruto crawling towards him.
"...N-No! S-stop! Don't get a-any closer! I-I do not want to disappear!" Gaara grunted in fear, unable to move from the damage he took fighting the one-eyed mage.
Reaching a close enough distance, Naruto said, "The pain's got to hurt real bad, huh? The agony of loneliness…"
Gaara's eyes dilated, hearing those words as he gazed at the now dull blue eyes of his now-former adversary.
"I know that feeling all too way, dattebayo." Naruto continued. "I was deep in that kind of anguish, it was a bleak and empty place. But one day, there were more people that entered my life. People that I've grown to care for like family in my eyes, even in a shit hole like this rotten village. And I give a damn about them a lot more than I do myself, so I won't anybody hurt them!"
He spoke once more with a sharp edge, raising his head that had blood running down it, saying, "That's why I won't ever give up! I'll stop, even if I got to grind you into dust!"
"W-Why, though? Why would you do any of this for people excluding yourself?" Gaara questioned, gazing at the dilated and slit eyes of Naruto.
"Because they saved me from my own self, rescuing me from those years of loneliness and saw me for who I am. Not for the lies that people made of me or the false impressions others spread out of a spiteful whim. The ones who stuck by me through thick and thin, they're my family!"
Gaara, turning his head while recalling a memory of a certain caretaker of the past, unknowingly whispered an answer he has in the form of a question.
"...Love. Is that why he's so strong?"
The Dragon Slayer continued to struggle moving but was stopped by a certain raven-haired shinobi.
"That's enough, 'Ruto."
The tan-skinned blond turned to see a damaged, but alive Itachi Uchiha kneeling beside him.
The Uchiha heir explained while looking at Gaara, "This guy's chakra is used up now. There's no reason to go on further in fighting him."
Suddenly, jumping in front of the incapacitated Suna demon container were Kankurō and Temari, who were half concerned for their brother and half standoffish, ready to engage in combat if necessary.
"...Stop, it's all over."
The older siblings turned to their younger brother in confusion and concern. Kankurō, wanting to protest for his brother's safety retorted, "But Gaara..."
The face-paint-wearing ninja couldn't help but marvel at the way Gaara was acting at the moment. Sure, he was hurt and tired, but the sudden acceptance and almost submissive expression threw him off. However, instead of seeing it as a negative sign, Kankurō had viewed this as an opportunity for change for Gaara.
A chance for the better of Gaara, and the relationship between Gaara, Temari, and himself.
"Alright, Gaara…" Kankurō accepted, picking the redhead by wrapping his shoulder around him.
Temari turned to glance at Naruto, who was being placed on a tree trunk as supported by Itachi. Their eyes met, and from Naruto's perspective, Temari gave him a grateful nod for keeping his promise to her. Naruto nodded back in acknowledgment.
From there, the Suna ninja vanished without a trace.
Itachi, while checking for injuries, began a conversation about the recent fight against them, the abilities they used, and strategies.
"You seem to have a few cuts around the head, forearms, and upper torso." Itachi analyzed. "Judging from the looks of it, they were either from the sand claws, shurikens, or the trees he sent you to."
Naruto groaned, "Yeah...That fight wasn't as fun as I thought it would be."
"Fun? More like a nightmare." Itachi said with less vigor than his best friend. "I knew that Chidori could cut it, but not to the degree that I'd like. So I used Ēnton: Kuroba instead. And it still wasn't enough!"
Hating to see his friend down, Naruto thought back to what the Uchiha did accomplish and said, "Hey, don't sweat it. You were able to pierce through that tough defense and cut him twice! That second time with the glowing black sword was unexpected, but still pretty cool!"
Itachi paused, immediately asking Naruto to repeat the last thing that he said, saying, "Wait...Could you run that by me again, dobe?"
"Oh," Ventos said. "See, before I kicked the crap out of Gaara, I saw that you struck him with this black almost fiery-like blade construct while you were super focused. What was really weird was that not only was the sword glowing, but you had this black hue around you while three curved segment constructs were surrounding you. Now that I look back that it...they sort of look like a half of a ribcage."
Lost in thought, Itachi spoke cognitively, 'Black hue, constructs, a sword? That sounds an awful lot like… Are my Mangekyō Sharingan developing the technique once used by Madara Uchiha himself? If so, I must inform my father about this. It's time I swap these eyes for Shisui-nii's and get to training seriously.'
"Oi, teme! What's going on in that head of yours!"
Itachi shook his head as he comes back to Naruto, responding with, "Oh, I was thinking about what kind of stupid shit you'd got into to get your hands on a dragon summon."
Feeling a tick mark appearing on his head, Naruto shouted, "You wanna go, pal? Cause it sounds like you're asking for a fight!"
"Please. You're too messed up to be even standing properly, let alone fight me."
"Says who, teme?"
"Says me, dobe!"
Both friends looked at each other seriously before laughing at the same time, enjoying each other's company.
The humorous moment died down as a bright light covered the opening of where the two boys were located. From the light, five people emerged.
Those being Magius (still in his All-Father form) and all four Hokage.
Naruto and Itachi, recognizing the last three Hokage that was supposed to be dead, let their jaws drop to the floor.
"...That can't be!" Itachi said, nearly falling down out of shock.
Naruto responded, saying, "I know...but somehow I think it is."
Over by the four Hokage and Magius, Hashirama and the others glanced at the amount of destruction of trees, the bits of sand lying around, and the debris that surrounded the area. It looked as if a small war had broken out and got out of control.
Tobirama, being the first to speak said, "This seems to be the right place." Minato, observing the area, instantly noticed the injured Itachi and Naruto. Calling the younger blond's name, he (along with the others) made their way toward the boys' current location.
Neither blond spoke for a few seconds, but rather stared at each other. But Naruto being the witty mage that he was, made the first thing he said a humorous thing.
"Kon'nichiwa, Hokage-sama. Boy, you sure look like shit right now." He snorted, earning a few amusing smirks from Itachi and the others.
Minato, blinking a few times before remembering his...altercation with Hiruzen, formed a smile while quipped back playfully with, "Well, I suppose we both got smacked around with the ugly stick today."
Turning to Itachi with a rather serious expression, Minato asked for a mission report from the said subordinate. Itachi debriefed both his and Naruto's involvement in fighting Gaara in detail. The other Hokage was absolutely in awe at the power the two teenagers displayed. Magius, in particular, grinned at the sound of Hikaru returning and growing into a fine king and guardian beast. Needless to say, the former leaders and their current successor were more than content with how everything turned out.
Hashirama, noticing the way Itachi was helping Naruto, asked the teens a question out of deja vu and nostalgia.
"Say, I keep help but notice the way you two carry yourselves around each other. Are you friends by any chance?" The Shodaime Hokage questioned.
"Hai," Both friends nodded after glancing at each other. "We've been friends since we're five years old."
Turning to Itachi, the former Senju clan head then inquired, "That's great...And I take it that you're an Uchiha, son?"
"Hai, sir. I am Itachi Uchiha, heir to the Uchiha clan. I never thought I would get to see a legend of the village stand before me. It's an honor to meet you in person, Shodaime-sama." Itachi said while nodding once again, formerly greeting himself as he bowed slightly.
Blinking humorously, Hashirama boasted his famous wholehearted laugh, then turned to Tobirama as he grinned, "You see, Tobirama? I knew that someday the Uchiha clan would change their attitude! It was only a matter of time!"
While Hiruzen and Minato sweatdrop from Hashirama's antics, the Nidaime simply snorted, saying, "More like they learned how to be cordial if you ask me. I bet they still act stuck as ever, even as of this generation."
"He's not that far o—Oof!" Naruto whispered until Itachi elbowed him, making wheezed in pain as he held his rib.
"Anyway, as much as I find it amazing to be here with three of the strongest shinobi of their time, it is strange that you're here back from the dead. Why is that, exactly?" Itachi said, giving his friend a quick Uchiha-like glare.
Hiruzen made himself known as he answered, "You must be Fugaku and Mikoto's boy."
Itachi nodded, responding positively, "Hai, Sandaime-sama. I am their eldest child."
"I see," Hiruzen, happy to know that Naruto was his best friend. "Well, Itachi-kun, we came back through my former student's forbidden technique that temporarily brings our souls back from the afterlife and stored into reanimated bodies. Fortunately, Naruto-kun's current guardian has freed us from Orochimaru's control and drove him to retreat."
Satisfied with the answer, Itachi remained silent and nodded thanks to the ancient archmage.
Naruto, however, was still puzzled at the fact the three most powerful ninja of their times were still hanging around.
The younger blond asked, "That's great and all, but if that scaly douchebag isn't around, then why hasn't Magius sent you back yet?"
At this point, Hashirama stepped forward, followed by the other three Hokage.
"We're here to see you actually, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze." The Shodaime Hokage said, with the other Hokage approaching.
Ventos, hearing his original name proper, quickly responded by retorting, "First of all, it's Drakkenborne. Naruto Ventos Drakkenborne. Secondly, what business would the former Hokage have with somebody relatively unimportant like me?"
Ignoring the flinching Minato, Naruto watched the Sandaime Hokage slowly, allowing himself to slip away from Itachi's supportive hold and remain tense.
But none of the Hokage and Itachi expected Hiruzen to...give Naruto a hug?
"What-t? What are you—?" Naruto muttered.
Hiruzen cut Naruto off by speaking while patting his back, "Sorry if this action is so sudden, but I haven't seen you since Tsunade and my wife helped deliver you and your sister. Surely, you don't mind sparing this old monkey a hug?"
"I understand that your life has been a confusing and difficult one, but nonetheless, it warms my heart to see you all grown up and strong, Naruto-kun." Said Hiruzen, breaking the hug off while gently placing his left hand on his shoulder.
Walking back to his fellow Hokage, Hiruzen remained silent and glanced back at Hashirama to take back the reign to speak.
"As co-founder of Konoha and the original Hokage, I took it upon myself to rally my successors to speak to you as representatives of the village to personally offer you a form of apology."
Shocked to the core at the words of one of the forefathers of Konoha, Ventos silently leaned forward ever so slightly while his back made a creaking noise.
'D-Did he just say...are they really...this is...what?'
The young wizard's mind was baffled. Never in a million years would he think he'd hear the Kami no Shinobi (God Of Shinobi) himself apologize on the entire village's behalf. And the weird part about it was that there were no superficial or artificial emotions coming from any of the Hokage, they were all genuine, which stupefied the pastel blond the most. ...He was simply at a loss for words.
Naruto then focused himself as Hashirama continued, "My wife, Mito, was the first jinchūriki of the Kyūbi no Yōkō of the Uzumaki clan. And they taught how to fight the beast's nearly endless malice through the power of love. So to hear that a member of my and my beloved's clan was ostracized because of a lie and misconception of a "demon status'" has greatly disheartened and rightfully angered my being. Regardless if you held the fox or not, you should have never been mistreated the way that you did here. Konohagakure was intended to be a welcoming safe place, a big family to all who live there."
"And because of those lies, you were given a false burden to bear at such a young age, not even making genin yet," Tobirama said, entering the conversation. "I could only imagine the torment you must have gone through, living a life of isolation and grief. By all means, I wouldn't blame you for detesting this village and all those in it. You have every right to do so, being falsely labeled as a jinchūriki."
"But even though you were stuck shouldering this harsh burden, and despite the hate and damage that was dealt on you by the people that were supposed to treat you fairly, today, you chose to set aside those negative feelings and selflessly risked your life and save this very village," Hiruzen said with pride in his tone.
Minato, being the final Hokage, wrapped up by saying, "So as the Hokage, and on the behalf of all of Konohagakure…"
Both Itachi and Naruto nearly fainted from bewilderment from what happened next.
All the Hokage, the first to the fourth and current, bowed to Naruto in the most humble and respectful way possible.
"...We give you our sincere gratitude. Thank you, Naruto Ventos Drakkenborne." All four Hokage acknowledged.
Naruto didn't know what to make of the scene. He wanted to crumble up what he had just said to him and throw it back at their faces, but Naruto couldn't because he didn't possess the heart to. If you asked him about a month or two back, he'd done it thirty seconds ago.
But the blond mage wasn't that edgy and angst-driven brat of a child anymore, he's changed.
Ventos shook his while lightly chuckling, amused at his own irony as he said, "Damn it all! Your words... they shouldn't mean anything to me by now, but frankly, I would have been lying to myself if I said so. I mean, I hate this accursed ninja world, its customs, and the willingness to sacrifice precious things like family, bonds, and the sort for the sake of whatever the fuck the philosophy of the week is. That tore relationships apart as you can clearly see. ...Yet, a part of me can't help but find some sort of elation or joy from receiving praise from literal legends of the past that I've only read about during my childhood (except for one). Nevertheless, I didn't do it for you, your cause, or that so-called "Will Of Fire" that the village this day and age fails to truly abide by. I did it for the few loved ones I have that are currently living in it. So think little of it, dattebayo."
Of course, Magius, Itachi, and Minato knowing how the younger blond is, expected much of a neutral response as such. But the past three Hokage glanced at Minato's child with a bit of astoundment to their expressions. They were not offended by the teen's actions as they were justified, but what confused them was his logic behind his reasoning. If he saved the village because of those few people he held dear, Naruto, by default, had inherited the Will Of Fire. The difference is that his loyalty wasn't toward the village, but to the precious people that were loyal to him and that he trusted.
But now wasn't the time to argue and debate ideology.
Itachi patted his friend on the back, empathizing to the bitterness that was clearly in his voice. This action had not gone unnoticed as the elder Senju once again gazed at the young mage and his shinobi ally. For a moment, the nostalgia that took a hold of Hashirama's thoughts came rushing back full force when watching Naruto and Itachi interact. It reminded him of the glory days…
...back when he and his own friend built Konohagakure.
Tobirama, watching his older brother spacing out again, spoke quietly to him from behind, "...They seem awfully familiar, don't they Hashirama?"
"Yes, they do," Hashirama replied in the same way so that only they could be heard by themselves, never dropping his smile. "It's like Madara and I, except their friendship seems...stronger than ours at it's prime."
"...Hmph. Let's hope so. At the rate the village is going, Konoha cannot afford another leaf drifting astray, let alone for one to be an Uchiha."
Hashirama paused, recalling his friend turning away from everything they had built together for a darker path, a path of hatred that led to him attack the village and their eventual confrontation. Shaking his head from those bleaker memories, the Shodaime Hokage nodded to his younger brother.
The Nidaime, now satisfied with their final task being completed, decided that they should return to the afterlife. The white spiky-haired Senju said, "Mahōtsukai-san, I believe we are ready to depart."
Magius, who nodded, was about to gently plant his staff on the ground, was stopped by a voice.
"Wait!"
All eyes turned to Itachi, who quickly went up to Hashirama, much to the surprise of everyone. Itachi said, "I have an important question to ask you, something about my eyes and...my ancestor. But I cannot say it here. Can we talk somewhere pri—"
Magius cut the Uchiha heir off, saying, "Say no more, child. I'll create a barrier where no can be heard from the outside in."
Like that, Magius formed a few runes out of magic and formed a dome that turned invisible so that the two could talk. Watching the two, everyone witnessed the Uchiha heir discuss something to Hashirama, which resulted in Hashirama's jaw drop out of amazement, then smiling profoundly as he then looked back at Naruto. Out of nowhere, they saw the man laughing before responding to Itachi's silent words with a few of his own. Once they were done, both of them nodded to Magius, which the war god snapped his fingers, undoing the spell completely.
Itachi walked back to his best friend's side, with eyes brimming with determination and excitement. The trio of the former Hokage stood in front of Minato and the two young men, ready for the ninjutsu to be undone. Magius advised the gentlemen to say their final words before he undoes the jutsu with his magic.
Hashirama started off the farewells by saying, "Yondaime, although I am disappointed in you and the village, I still have faith that you both can be redeemed. Take responsibility and get your act together. Itachi-san, remember what I told you. Madara's story is not your destiny, you who you want to be and how you decide to live. Naruto-san, as Hokage, I am forever grateful for the act of heroism you've made for this village. And as a family member, I wish you the best of luck for your life and happiness in whatever you decide to do with it."
Tobirama was up next by saying, "I second my brother when it comes to your actions, Namikaze. Atone for them, and make this right. As for you two young men, always remember to remain steadfast and do not be afraid to rely on others for strength. That is your greatest power."
Finally, Hiruzen wrapped up the farewell as he addressed his former pupil's student first, "Minato... when I chose you to become Hokage, it was because of your dedication to the village, your loved ones, and the willingness to put yourself out there to defend that along with your competence in thinking things through. As such, I also understand that as imperfect human beings, we tend to make mistakes. But the truth of the matter is that it's not about making those mistakes, rather it's about admitting those errors that happened and working towards correcting them. Please, fix your family's mistakes, Minato. Remind me and the other people out there who I chose to succeed me and why I did, because the Minato Namikaze that I've known for years has always been honest and noble at heart. Oh, and tell the other two students of mine to grow up and apologize too."
Minato bowed his head in thought and shame as the Sandaime Hokage turned to Itachi and Naruto, saying, "Itachi-kun, you and the ninja of your generation are the future of Konoha. I entrust that you and they try your best to work towards protecting the village and one day make it a better place to live by guiding it. I have faith in you. Naruto-kun, words can't express how glad I am of you and your growth as not only a powerful but mature young man. You've made an old relic proud. Have a great life and take care of yourself."
The two teens looked at each other before grinning as they said, "Hai, Sandaime-sama!"
Once the exchange was done, the three Hokage gave Magius the signal. And with a single tap of his spear on the ground, the reanimated bodies began to dissolve as the spirits of the Hokage were released, allowing them to ascend to the next life once more.
Once that was over, Magius walked over to Naruto to inspect for any damages. While doing so, Naruto marveled at his godfather's younger and towering appearance but remained silent. In his mind, Ventos concluded with Magius' current state being his true form…
...Which unbeknownst the younger blond, he was correct.
Once he was done, Magius said, "Namikaze, my family and I will take care of Naruto's injuries back in the apartment. You take Itachi and yourself to the hospital. And no, this is not a request."
Too tired to make a retort, the Yondaime simply nodded as he took a hold of Itachi by the shoulder and vanished in a yellow flash.
Grasping Naruto's shoulder, Magius and the blond mage also made their exit via a white flash of light.
-Timeskip, Two Days Later, Hokage Rock-
Two days have passed since the so-called invasion, which was now being dubbed the failed "Konoha Crush" Incident. Of course, it was nowhere near as devastating as the event of October 10th, but the collateral lateral and the lives that were lost weren't something to snuff at. Granted, if it weren't for the joint efforts of the Konoha-nin and the wizards of Andreíos Soul, things could have gone a lot worse.
Fortunately, Naruto and friends had saved the day once more.
Speaking of which, the blond mage and his guild brothers and sisters spent the last two days resting in the apartment from their respective battles. Of course, Naruto suffered the most amount of injuries so he was reluctantly placed on bed rest by a headstrong Galeen. Normally, the young man would protest the sentence due to him being used to his healing factor from being part Uzumaki. That, however, was quickly shut down by a single glare from the Ranryūojoō, which he nervously complied and dismissed the thought to go outside anyway.
Needless to say, when a queen says no, her word is absolute.
On the bright side, Naruto spent a lot of time with his younger sister, Bara, who came to visit along with a few other people. During the time he was healing, Squad 8, Itachi, Hanabi, little Sasuke, and Bara all came by to catch up and get details on the fast forty-eight hours (without mentioning his guardian beast to the rest besides Itachi). Much to Naruto's amusement, none could have ever thought that he would have defeated the Ichibi container alone, let alone meet the first three Hokage back from the dead.
In conclusion, the time he spent with his friends and his god family proved to be what the teen wizard needed after all of the chaos and drama he was dealing with.
Speaking of the devil, let's go back to Minato. The Yondaime Hokage took his time to give himself a break and think about his life. He used Kage Bunshin to do all of his paperwork and other jobs to focus more on himself and his family. When admitting himself and his son's friend into the hospital, he was visited by his student, wife, and two daughters that came to make sure he was alright. He reassured that he was fine, joking that an old friend finally smacked him around silly enough to set his head straight.
After that, he told Kakashi to take the girls back home while he spoke to Kushina alone. Kushina was then given an explanation of what exactly happened to Naruto and Gaara, and the sudden attack on the current Kage by Orochimaru, the kinjutsu, everything.
Saying that Kushina was astounded and slightly jealous that Minato met Mito's husband and brother-in-law would be an understatement. She always admired her mother figure's family but was unfortunately born after Hashirama's death. That jealousy was quickly squandered by her holding back laughter after realizing that the old monkey was the reason behind Minato's hospitalization.
Delving into the conversation, Minato tells Kushina that she and the Hokage of the past were right about one thing. It was time for him to admit his faults and own up to the mistakes that he's made. He promised to Kushina that by the end of the year, he'll own almost everything he's done. Kushina, staring at her husband, saw the conviction in his blue eyes. She smiled and pulled her husband into a hug, stating that they shall own up to their mistakes, together.
Once Minato was released the next day, Kushina said that she was going to move back into their house by the end of the week.
After the two days had passed, Minato ordered Kakashi to relay Naruto to meet him on top of the Hokage Rock early at seven in the morning. Why so early? Well, he's heard from Kakashi that the younger blond liked to get up around five-thirty and train from six to seven in the morning.
Nevertheless, the Yondaime Hokage sat on the left side of Hiruzen's head, waiting for his son almost anxiously. Not long after, the sun started to rise, causing the Dragon Slayer to land right on Hiruzen's head, with his arms, upper torso, and neck. Both of them remained silent as they watched the sunrise from the morning sky, bringing light to the village that was currently under reconstruction.
After more than two minutes of awkward quietness, Minato broke the ice.
"...It's kind of been rough for everyone the last few days, huh? You know, with the attack and such."
Naruto, remaining indifferent and not facing Minato, responded. "Yeah, it was."
"Are you sure that you don't need to stop by the hospital? Those wounds you got were pretty nasty." Asked the Yondaime Hokage, looking at his son's bandages with concern.
Naruto paused for about five seconds before plainly stating, "The last thing I need to worry about is for one of the nurses and or doctors to try to kill me with poison while I'm unconscious."
Minato flinched as he mentally kicked himself for thinking about such an offer. He recalled hearing such assassination attempts in his medical files. His darker thoughts were quickly dismissed at the sound of the mage's question.
"Is there a reason why you brought us all the way up here? I'm pretty sure that you have a meeting with the Konoha Council regarding the Chunin Exam, and I have to check in with Mizukage-sama on some things."
Minato steeled his resolve as he prepared for the upcoming conversation. Turning to Naruto, he spoke, "They can both wait, Naruto. We need to talk, so let me start this off by saying these two words."
Naruto, curious but still refusing to look at the man, cocked a brow as he inquired, "What could you possibly have to say that's more of a priority than our daily occu–"
"I'm sorry."
A clear crack could be heard on the right side of Hiruzen's stone head from the mage's neck as Naruto shifted his head in Minato's direction. You could see the baffled expression on his face from hearing what Minato just said.
"C-Could you run that by me again, Hokage-sama?" Ventos requested, making sure that he wasn't deaf or that his hearing was playing tricks on him.
Minato once again said, "I said that I am sorry. I'm sorry for everything that I have done to you and put you through, and for the things that I haven't done for you."
Confusion and frustration overtook Ventos' heart, as a part of him wanted to scream at him like he did a month back, but another did not know how to respond. These two feelings clashed until one dominated in the form of another question.
"I don't understand! Why are you doing this now? Why wait until this very moment to start apologizing?"
Sensing his frustrating confusion, Minato gave context, "Because, that was what I should have said from the very beginning, and you deserve that and more. To be honest, I wasn't exactly thinking straight until recently ever since the day after you and your sister's birth. And for years I've been avoiding this nagging feeling that all the effort that I've put into what I was doing was for naught. Truth be told, it wasn't until everything important to me that I've spent precious time building up began to slip from my fingers like grains of sand."
"Okay, if we are actually going there for real, then we can start this off by explaining to me why," Ventos said after letting out a sigh. "What possessed you to take advice from a guy who has never had any children of his own to plan your own kids' future? To screw over one's chance of having a life for the sake of the other's comfort?"
Minato, trying to find the right words to start off, began by expressing, "...Naruto, my relationship with Jiraiya is very much like your bond with Drakkenborne. Much like how that man saved you and provided you shelter, Jiraiya had rescued me from the cruel ninja world. If it wasn't for him offering me a new place to call home, I would have never come to Konoha, met Kushina, or had you and your sisters."
That piece of information alone took the Dragon Slayer by surprise. The recoil stopped with Naruto inquiring, "What do you mean by that? I was under the impression that you're native to Konoha. Is that not the case?"
"No…" Minato answered, turning away from Naruto in shame. "I suppose I never told you this since I always pushed you away from the family and me, and that was my fault as well."
"...You're hiding something." The one-eyed blond confirmed, sensing that something was off.
No sense of keeping it bottled up, Minato came clean by saying, "The truth is that I originated from a small ninja village in Kaminari no Kuni, which was the former home of the long-deceased independent Namikaze Clan."
Naruto was once again taken by surprise. He always wondered why they had his father's name after his mother's due to the tradition of the stronger ninja's surname carrying over to the child when named. So to hear that Minato being from a clan was sort of big news for Naruto.
"You're a foreigner as well? I thought that your wife was the only one." Said the younger blond.
Minato shrugged, saying, "I wouldn't blame you for not hearing much about it. We were hiding in plain sight, using our daily lives as farmers and merchants as a guise to mask our true identity as an entire town that was run by a single small but deadly ninja clan."
"...If that's the case, then what happened to the original Namikaze clan?" The teenage boy asked out of curiosity.
"War. Specifically, the Dainiji Ninkai Taisen (Second Great Ninja War) happened." Minato responded with the same indifference as Naruto did at the start of their "talk".
Naruto remained quiet but gestured to his biological father to continue with his story.
As previously stated, Minato came from Kaminari no Kuni. Specifically, he was born in the Hekireki no Satō (Thunderclap Village) to former clan head, Raiu Namikaze, and his wife, Kazane, and was two hours ahead of his own fraternal twin sister, Miruki. It was founded by Raikō Namikaze, leader of the clan during the Sengoku (Warring States) Period and Minato's ancestor. The Namikaze clan were not only known for their quality livestock and products, generous nature in business deals, and reasonable negotiators, but they were even more renowned as ninja that were has known for their stealth, agility, and assassination mastery.
And what truly solidified the Namikaze as a revered ninja clan was their strong Raiton techniques and the ability to move at such a high speed that taijutsu was rendered useless against them. This was because of their Kekkei Genkai known as Sudoku Jinton, or Velocity Swift Release. With these two abilities combined, the Namikaze clan's reputation as a powerful economic and combative force that had influence in the Northwest reached Kaminari no Kuni to parts of Tsuchi no Kuni.
Prior to the second war, Iwakagure's Kamizuru clan had some...issues with the Namikaze clan. Apparently, the Namikaze (and the Aburame) were enemies to the Kamizuru clan since the Sengoku Period. Fights were bound to happen between these two rival clans due to both of them having powerful Kekkei Genkai that went by the same name. Oftentimes, members of the Iwa native ninja clan would provoke the Namikaze clan members into all-out fights to see which one was more deserving of their bloodline limit's name. The battles would end up either being a stalemate, or the Namikaze outsmarting the Kamizuru ninja.
Raiu, who grew tired of the pettiness of the Kamizuru and wanting to end the long feud between them, held a ceasefire with Ishimaru Kamizuru (father of the Sandaime Tsuchikage) and suggested differentiating the Jinton name into two different bloodlines, Sudoku Jinton and Genshi (no) Jinton respectively and that they were to sign it off to Daimyō of both lands to make it official. Ishimaru rejected the idea, being the stubborn man that he was. Raiu, thinking of another strategy of persuasion, offered a one on one match between Ishimaru and himself that determined the split and changes to the Jinton Kekkei Genkai. According to Minato, Raiu finished the match in under a minute. His fast pace movements, precise and strong taijutsu style, and his skilled use of lightning-based ninjutsu proved more of a match to Ishimaru's Dōton techniques.
After all, Minato's father wasn't called Narumikazuchi no Raiu (Raiu the Roaring Thunder).
Begrudgingly, Ishimaru admitted defeat and honored the conditions to the ire of most of the Kamizuru clan. Little did anybody know that one member of the Kamizuru clan swore vengeance against the entire Namikaze clan for embarrassing his leader in front of the entire clan and the Earth Daiymō on their territory.
How Minato knew about this was due to an event that took place when he was about seven years old.
See, Minato had a heated argument with his parents regarding the gap in the progress of his training between Miruki and himself. While Miruki inherited their father's Kekkei Genkai and affinity for lightning, Minato, on the other hand, ended up inheriting a strong affinity for wind as his mother came from a small clan on Kaze no Kuni that was known for their skilled Fūton users and their powerful Taiton (Typhoon Release), and gifted in understanding and adapting to fuinjutsu and shurikenjutsu (Hidden Hand Blade Techniques). Minato felt that Raiu did not like him because Minato was drastically different from everybody else in the clan in terms of his skills. While Minato excelled in stealth and assassination exercises, Miruki did better in that, along with taijutsu spars and ninjutsu training due to the Sudoku Jinton. Understanding that this was the case, Minato would quietly excuse himself at times from training to read on fuinjutsu to take his mind off of negative connotations. Of course, a child could only take so much pain until he or she explodes. And that's what happened when Raiu decided to have somebody else take over Minato's training so he could focus on helping Miruki with the Kekkei Genkai. Minato expressed that no matter how hard he tried to gain his approval, it won't ever be enough. Raiu, out of frustration, responded that he was on the verge of losing his heir status if his attitude wouldn't change. Minato, reverting back to his quiet self, apologized for his behavior...and that he was the family disappointment before running out of their home. From what he remembered, he swore he heard his mother and sister call out to him, but Minato shook it off as he left to his secret spot to think.
Minato would often find a meadow that was near the border between Shimo no Kuni (Land of Frost) and Kaminari no Kuni. Oftentimes Minato would use the time to either vent by practicing taijutsu on the sparse trees that were provided, or practice tree climbing to master chakra control. Minato stayed out for quite a while until he started to smell something...searing. It was as if somebody was having a barbecue. The blond wouldn't normally react to such things if it weren't a large smoke cloud that came from the direction of his village.
Not wasting any time, Minato took his little seven-year-old legs and ran as fast as he could. Unfortunately, what he ended up finding was his village in fire and brimstone. Bodies of his brethren and the attackers were on the floor covered in blood. Unusual-looking stones scattered around the buildings and burnt marks on the ground indicated that his clansmen had put up a fight but were outnumbered due to the number of bodies that carried the earth emblem on their hitai-ate.
Iwa ninja had destroyed his home.
Feeling dread building up, the anxious and fearful Minato hurried his way to the direction of his home, only to find the compound completely destroyed. All that remained was debris, Raiu's necklace that was salvaged (and what Minato was currently wearing as he told the story) and a pair of hair ties that his sister wore when wearing pigtails (something that Ruki uses to tie her hair). All Minato could do was sink his knees to the ground and scream as he mourned for the great loss he was suffering from.
His entire family was gone in under a day.
Once Minato was done with his tale, the two blonds remained silent once more. Naruto processed his paternal side's history and downfall for about a minute and thirty seconds. While he understood the tension between the Kamizuru and Namikaze clans, what the mage couldn't wrap his head around was who led the platoon of Iwa-nin that murdered his father's family and why would the Tsuchikage allow such an order if they were in a ceasefire.
Naruto, after arranging his thoughts, asked, "Why would the Tsuchikage order for your clan's destruction during the war? I get that the Kamizuru clan hated the Namikaze clan, but based on the information you gave me, they did not commit any crimes that bypassed the ceasefire, regardless if the two clans were still considered at war still. The Iwa-nin should have been focusing on their adversaries."
Minato responded emotionlessly, "That's because Onoki never gave such orders. The platoon that raised my home to the ground acted on their own accord out of spite, jealousy, and revenge."
"Did you ever find out who was responsible for leading the attack, Hokage-sama?"
"Hai. I met the same platoon in the next war. They were parading my clan's eradication like an epic tale. One of them claimed to be the one in charge of the operation. I'll never forget his name...Hachi Kamizuru, youngest son of Ishimaru and brother of Onoki."
Realizing what Minato said, Naruto's visible eye widened as he stated, "He was the guy that you hinted towards earlier, the one member that never got over his leader's defeat. Your father humiliated his own father."
Minato nodded, as he answered solemnly, "That's right, Hachi never got over the shame that befallen Ishimaru. While Ishimaru grew depressed and closed himself off from the other members, Hachi's bitterness over watching his father suffer from his pride being taken turned into hatred for my clan. So he devised a plan to feed that hatred with ten other shinobi, which resulted in my family's death. By the time I got there, buildings were toppled, our livestock was slaughtered, the libraries were brunt, and everything that I grew up to know and love was all wiped out. Outside of a few scrolls, the accessories my father and sister wore, and myself, there was nothing left. Only I remained."
Naruto nodded quietly, pitying the pain that Minato went through as a child. With another question coming up, Naruto asked out of curiosity, "Say, what was your reaction to the bastard that bragged about your family being slaughtered?"
"Ah...well, let's just that after the war was over, Iwa (and Kumo) placed me in the Bingo Book and advised people to flee on sight. After all...I did leave a thousand ninja in body bags when everything was said and done." Minato responded, indifferent to the memories of the war he participated in.
"Right…" Naruto said, feeling a sense of deja vu. "How did you get to Konoha, anyway?"
Minato responded with a small smile on his face, "While surviving the long and harsh hike across Kaminari no Kuni, I was eventually found by Jiraiya, who was wandering about a month after the war with Tsunade. According to him, they were at Kaminari no Kuni to blow off some steam after their fight with Hanzō. After exchanging greetings and stories, Jiraiya offered me food, a new pair of clothes, a place to recover, and a new country and village to start over. And of course, I gratefully took it."
Closing his eyes, Naruto was beginning to understand where Minato was coming from. To Minato (at the time), Jiraiya was his brand new start. The young mage could relate, Magius saved him from the cruelty of Konoha and provided him care as time passed. And in a matter of years, he had a family that loved and supported him as he did for them. And because of that, Naruto had an unshakable trust and never questioned his faith in Magius. Perhaps, that was how Minato felt when it came to Jiraiya. Naruto's thoughts were interrupted by Minato's voice.
"When you and Ruki were, born I was the happiest man on the entire planet." Minato expressed, showing emotion in the tone of his voice. "I finally had a family of my own with the woman I love. So you can only imagine the fear that washed over my being after nearly losing you two and your mother after October 10th. And considering the vague memories that I have about my family and their customs, my self-confidence to be a father while upholding my duty to the village as Hokage waned greatly. ...It's a lot of responsibility for a young man at the age I was."
Looking directly at his father, Naruto deduced, "...So you turned to a person you trust may have a direction for you to go."
"Jiraiya, yes." Minato nodded. "At the time, my trust in his… "wisdom" was nearly unquestioned. I figured he could help me out since I was a first-time father with no parenting skills. However, due to the toads speaking of a "Child of Destiny" that carried a great burden, and your sister being chosen to house the Kyūbi inside her by the Sandiame because she was younger, ...well, you know the rest."
A stoic, almost dead-looking expression formed on Ventos' face. He stated, "So you went along with his plan."
Minato whipped his head to turn toward his son's direction and quickly said, "NOT IMMEDIATELY! I-I did not like the plan, not at all. But then he reminded me of what I've lost I–"
"–you caved."
Minato, confused by what Naruto was talking about, could only let out an intelligent response, "Huh?"
"That toad sage played on your weakness. He used your trauma you suffered and shouldered all of your life, just like how you did when stringing Kushina along to train Ruki. When doing that, the pressure of messing up got to your head, thus you caved in. You gave in to his cause." Naruto concluded, prompting Minato to look away in shame.
"It makes sense, but it's still not an excuse. You let his intimidation tactics rule over your choices, and family as a result. And the fact that you knew of my suffering and allowed it, then manipulate everyone and everything for the sake of something that isn't meant to be taken too seriously." Ventos said with a firm but also a cordial tone of voice.
Minato nodded guiltily in agreement, saying, "I know, and I acknowledge that I have made a tremendous mistake doing to you to one day forgive–"
Getting fed up with Minato's groveling, Naruto let out his Uzumaki side and shouted, "–Cut that out, dattebayo!"
The Yondaime Hokage's head perked up and looked at his son in confusion.
Taking a deep breath, Naruto started to speak, "Look, I'm not going to beat around the bush. You're a shit father, Hokage-sama. There's no denying that. But if it weren't for your actions, I wouldn't have met Magius, Galeen, and all the other people that shaped me to be who I am today."
"Wait," Minato said, feeling hope swelling all around him as he said, So does that mean–"
"It means that I understand you to a certain degree. You're a war orphan who suffers from a traumatic event that is still plaguing you right now. With that being said, I would try to do something about that since it's clearly messing with your mental state and decision making." Naruto advised.
Minato silently jotted that down as he asked Naruto, "...Do you still resent us? Your mother and I?"
Naruto slowly stood up and turned to Minato, answering, "For Bara, the Mizukage, and my godparent's sake, I will be cordial to you and the rest of your family and associates in public and private settings. As far as forgiveness is concerned, that will take a very long time from now. Hell, it could be years, decades even before I could truly forgive you. Regardless, I will not sacrifice my new chance of happiness for the sake of wasting my energy to hate you. Just know that just because I say that I forgive you, doesn't mean I will forget what has been done to me. I won't ever forget. And remember, anybody who threatens my guild will be considered my enemy. Even if it's my blood relatives."
Minato accepted his son's response, albeit a pang of sadness was still there. The Namikaze clan head nodded his head in silence as he wiped away a few tears of bittersweetness. Naruto was about to take his leave, the Yondaime called to him.
"Naruto, wait!"
The Dragon Slayer stopped his movement to look at his father again. He said, "What is it?"
Minato, standing up and turning to his son at full height requested, "Could you stop by the Senju Estate to and speak with Kushina? She could really use a talk like this, you know?"
Shifting his head away from Minato and taking a breath as he answered his father, "Let her know to meet me in the park by the old spot. She'll know what you are referring to."
As he nods for the final time, Minato watches his son walk away.
Minato then said, "I'm proud of who you've turned out to be. Always remember that, musuko."
Naruto paused, letting his father's words sink in for a few seconds. Accepting them indifferently, he acknowledges Minato with his own final nod before walking away to meet up with the Mizukage."
To Be Continued…
Author's Note:
Hey guys, the chapter you've been waiting for is finally here. I chose to go the neutral route in forgiveness due to the maturity Naruto obtained during the Chamber Arc. Mind you, he hasn't forgave his parents because he's a fifteen-year-old kid. That doesn't mean that his past would give him an excuse to become a dislikable character. I wanted Naruto to receive closure and understand what happened, why it happened, and what would Naruto do afterwards.
Look, I don't expect you to all agree with what I chose for Naruto, but I don't want to write about torturing people for being people. But I also don't want to have people sweeping their dirt under the rug. I want to write about people growing from their pain and mistakes and to become better from the lessons that their actions conveyed. So if you don't like what I've done, then you can stop reading. Just don't bother commenting on my story since I told you that I was going to do something like this.
On a lighter note, I enjoyed writing this chapter so much. It feels so cathartic, expanding on Minato's backstory and how his past came back to haunt him, then how it became his own family's undoing. Let me know how you guys feel about this story.
Oh, I did something fun in my spare time. I've assigned a fan casting of voice actors that I believe suit each character. Let me know how you feel for each choice.
Characters Japanese Voices/English Voices
Naruto "Ventos" Drakkenborne Shunsuke Kazama / Aaron Dismuke
Lucia "Kai" Sorcha Nanako Inoue / Laura Bailey
Animus Brandt Brynar Kappei Yamaguchi / Sam Reige
Titania Of Fadaheim Kanae Itō / Erika Harlacher
Beowulf Snedig Ami Koshimizu / Tara Strong
Magius Drakkenborne Kinryū Arimoto / Dan Green
Galeen Drakkenborne Kikuko Inoue / Cate Blanchett
Ruki Uzumaki-Namikaze Ema Kogure / Cristina "Vee" Valenzuela
Bara Uzumaki-Namikaze Sachi Matsumoto / Cassandra Lee Morris
I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'll update whenever I can, so I'll be taking my leave now. Have a blessed day! Shadow, out!
-DarkShadowGames451