I do not own Naruto that is the property of Masashi Kishimoto.
"I am big" God, biju, summon talking
"I am normal" Human talking
"You can't hear me inside my mind" Inner thoughts of a person
I am enjoying writing and it seems that my story is attracting interest though I wished I had more reviews. Anyway I am thinking of looking into getting a beta.
For now here is the next chapter of A Clan Reborn.
Chapter 3: Suspicion
With the election of Sarutobi, Hiruzen to assume the title of Hokage once more Konoha quickly found its way onto the path of reconstruction. The third Hokage would contact the Daimyo and receive permission to conscript samurai from the army to help with their rebuilding, getting the wall rebuilt in a matter of months through a combination of ninjutsu and manpower. While the garrison for its defense would be swelled by the addition of members of the Hyuga clan, their bloodline allowing those on the wall to spot and respond quickly to intrusions despite the limited man power in the area.
During this time the genin and the civilians would rebuild the civilian quarter, reestablishing the stores, businesses, and banks. There would also be changes to the area, the grocery stores that were exposed to the Kyubi's chakra were burned and the food disposed of. All ninjas with knowledge of fuinjutsu were called in, tasked with removing the Kyubi's presence from the area, they succeeded, partially. The chakra stayed but no longer in worrying amounts and would disperse in a decade or so. However food was no longer allowed to be sold in the area and backdoor agreements were made to move the grocery stores to appropriate locations and replacing the abandoned area with blacksmiths, specifically those who used chakra metal in the hopes that the metal would absorb part of the Kyubi's power.
As for the clans, they too did their part. The Akimichi carried the needed stone and were great builders. The Aburame wove, creating clothes and shelter for those without, while rebuilding their hives to replace what was lost. The Hyuga as previously stated were guards for the village and also monitored the Kyubi chakra informing the workers when an area was safe. The Inuzuka hunted, bringing food to the village. The Kurama clan would act as healers showing that they used their control over their chakra for more than just genjutsu. The Nara and Yamanaka clans worked together, creating salves and potions, the Nara from their deer, and the Yamanaka from their gardens, serving relief for both a strained medical force and for the citizens of their village afflicted by Kyubi's chakra. The Sarutobi and Shimura clans would help with the rebuilding and volunteer their members for any missions they could, working themselves to exhaustion. The Uchiha clan would establish order conscripting every member into the military police and enforcing a curfew. As for the lone Uzumaki family, Kushina between watching over her son would reinforce the new wall with seals, making the hastily constructed barrier strong.
This road to recovery would not be without its troubles. Kushina had been right; the secret about her son's status would not be a secret for long, the people knew there was a jinchuriki. Few understood fuinjutsu and its complexity and even those that did knew the terror a jinchuriki could bring from previous conflicts. The people were worried, the people were scared, and they called for action.
Sarutobi responded to these fears with acknowledgement, proclaiming Uzumaki, Naruto a hero for holding back the Kyubi, but was met with fear and shouts of protest. It would be during a council meeting that the matter was settled. Naruto's identity would be kept secret from the younger generation in the hope that the friendship between the younger generation and their jinchuriki would foster loyalty to the village. During this time Kushina had to reveal her own previous status so as to keep custody of Naruto as the elders desired control of the jinchuriki to belong to the state and not to a single clan, it was only through the sympathies of fellow parents and her speech of how she would be best to train her son due to her previous status that she maintained custody of her child.
However, the damage was done. With the knowledge that Kushina had failed in her duties as a jinchuriki, no matter the circumstances, the leadership had someone to blame, and began to subtly discourage business interactions with the Uzumaki district. Kushina with little choice was forced to spread her business outside of Konoha, even selling parts of the district to support this transition. Still with the blame laid on her shoulders she found herself forced into conducting trade with nearby lands, particularly the countries of Hot Springs and Frost, allies of the Land of Lightning, a controversial venture for a high ranking member of a ninja village.
Sarutobi would respond to these problems by granting Kushina his support in her business ventures, rewarding her for her loyalty at the Hokage election. Kushina would also get her ANBU, Sarutobi declaring that the idea of a biju bomb was not unknown and he would not have the Kyubi released because someone damaged little Naruto's seal. He even put down the thoughts of using Naruto as a biju bomb to destroy one of the hidden villages of their rivals in order to direct the attention of the world elsewhere. Defeating these thoughts by referencing Kumo's jinchuriki, and how they can call on the power of their beast whenever they want, saying how such a weapon would leave Konoha uncontested. Sarutobi's words, while not appreciated by Kushina would protect her son; the ANBU would make sure no threat touched him, whether foreign or domestic.
Sadly, with the citizenry unable to lash out at the baby and unwilling to fight Kushina, they would lash out at the Uzumaki's place of worship and ransack the Uzumaki Mask Storage Temple, destroying the place of worship and leaving it in ruins. This action would go unpunished and the mob would be content, while Kushina would be furious she would create a hidden altar in her home for the God of Death and continue her worship in private, her son in a crib by her side when she prayed.
Similarly it was not just the Uzumaki clan that was affected by these revelations. With rumors caused by Madara's supposed ability to control the Kyubi and the absence of the clan head's family during the attack taking on a life of their own in the streets, the Uchiha found themselves being looked at with suspicion. Fugaku could not dispute these rumors for the embarrassment of admitting that he and his wife were passed out from exhaustion from certain activities while their son, Itachi, was out watching their other son, Sasuke. The admission alone would make a mockery of the Uchiha clan and had no guarantee of stopping the rumors. Fugaku would rationalize that admitting the truth would solve nothing, with a whole clan of suspects, and the commonness of clone jutsu, the people would remain suspicious. After all, Fugaku's greatest sin is his pride and he cannot imagine a world without it.
Sadly this was just the beginning of the Uchiha's troubles. With their members enforcing the curfew and establishing order, the mob had people to direct their anger upon. They did not appreciate the idea that the ones that might have caused the attack were bossing them around nor did they like the curfew in general. Still the Uchiha would do their duty, content in the knowledge that the leadership of Konoha would continue to support them. That those who were their leaders would never believe baseless rumors and that just as the suspicions cast upon them when Madara went rogue, they would pass.
Perhaps the future would have been different if Kushina had never been revealed to the council as the previous jinchuriki. The revelation of Kushina's status would be crushing as would the identity of the new jinchuriki. All of a sudden it was known that the Uchiha had access to the previous jinchuriki, had knowledge of when she would be vulnerable. Then there was Naruto to consider, after the Kyubi attack, Kushina had maintained the clan alliance between the Uzumaki and the Uchiha forged by her friendship with Mikoto. The council had to wonder, if the Uchiha were really behind the Kyubi attack then what was to stop them from using the new jinchuriki to try again, to use a much more vulnerable jinchuriki.
The distrust breed from these revelations would cause the Uchiha to be isolated and their influence marginalized. The alliance born from an academy friendship would be strained and would only hold due to Mikoto's insistence, their lack of allies on the council, and the concession of Kushina to secure their compound with Uzumaki seals. The alliance would survive but the added security would be noticed, Shimura, Danzo would begin to watch the clan, believing the Uchiha had something to hide.
Outside of Konoha the world watched and waited and soon someone would take advantage. The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning and the Raikage of the village of Kumo would strike. The Daimyo would order the Raikage to test the Land of Fire's defenses and weaken them, to prepare the land for invasion from his samurai armies. Thus began a silent war between Lightning and Fire.
Konoha responded quickly to the threat, appointing Shikaku once more as an advisor to the Hokage, and reinstating Danzo as leader of the publicly disavowed group, root, the black ops of Konoha. Messages would be sent throughout the country as every shinobi garrison was put on alert and the ANBU left Konoha engaging with their Kumo equivalent, BOLT, along the border of the Land of Fire. As tensions rose, samurai were mobilized by their commanders and allies were contacted; the Elemental Nations held its breath. If Lightning and Fire were to go to war, then the Fourth World War would begin.
Then a miracle happened, a major shinobi engagement took place near the border of Fire country, with heavy casualties on both sides, resulting in the death of the BOLT commander and the death of Choshi Akimichi, one of Konoha's councilors. The aftermath of this conflict would result in the Land of Lightning sending a diplomatic party to Fire country. The world would take a collective sigh of relief as talks for peace began.
During these talks, the diplomatic party from Lightning would eventually find itself in Konoha. Once in Konoha, treachery would take place. The shinobi representative from Kumo would kidnap the daughter of Hiashi Hyuga, Hinata Hyuga. He would then be intercepted by the girl's father and killed.
Lightning would deny the entire incident claiming an unprovoked attack even having their current Raikage produce a copy of his ninja's orders. They demanded restitution for the loss of Kumo's representative in the form of his killer. The Land of Fire disagreed declaring the Land of Lightning dishonorable and Konoha citing that Kumo's representative was caught in the act of kidnapping one Hinata Hyuga. However, with Konoha's evidence deceased and the lies provided by Kumo, the Elemental Nations began to apply pressure for a quick solution to their dispute.
Under pressure from the other nations to find a quick solution and a lack of desire for another war not even five years after the Third World War had come to an end. It was decided that a treaty would be created under the observation of the Land of Iron and that Konoha would give up Hiashi Hyuga to Kumo.
The Land of Lightning would be greatly affected by this deal. While Kumo received what they wanted in the finished treaty, they would suffer a heavy price, which would in the end amount to nothing as Hiashi Hyuga's twin brother, Hizashi Hyuga, would take his place; the caged bird seal on his head denying Kumo the byakugan even after his last breath. Kumo shinobi would be banned from foreign hidden villages, and would always be watched when on foreign soil, their shinobi now synonymous with the word untrustworthy. The Lightning Daimyo would have his control over his forces put into question and would suffer from an unfavorable treaty, enforced by the other Daimyo. The loss of political power and trust would cause him to adopt an isolationist policy and become more militaristic, while censoring the power of the Raikage.
Konoha would also suffer consequences from this agreement. They would gain the nickname tree huggers from certain factions in rival militaries and be viewed as pushovers; a view that would cause nukenin to interfere in their missions more often and for foreign shinobi to look down on them. This view would remain prevalent for many years despite efforts to correct it.
Perhaps the one least affected by this treaty was the Fire Daimyo. He was able to paint himself as the skilled diplomat, establishing peace for his country and forging a favorable treaty, all with the sacrifice of one life. He would even take another wife, Lady Shijimi, the sister of the current Lightning Daimyo in exchange for the sacrificed Hyuga's life, giving himself a way to install his own ruler in Lightning country if something should happen to the Daimyo's family and if she were to produce a son. Yes, perhaps the greatest sin of the Fire Daimyo, Koshiro Nobunaga, is greed, but he is quite good at it.
As for Kushina, she now found herself estranged from the Hyuga as well as the Akimichi as her trade with the allies of the Land of Lightning, the Lands of Hot Springs and Frost were well known. With the near war between her home and Lightning, those who conducted trade with their allies are looked upon with suspicion.
This suspicion would bring up once forgotten concerns. The people would whisper of the worshippers of death, of how they killed for fun and for pleasure. They would speak of her being foreigner and not one of them, as they did in her youth. Then they would consider her connection to the Uchiha, the 'instigators' of the Kyubi attack and of her connection to the new jinchuriki. They would begin to feel fear, wondering if she would unleash the Kyubi to sacrifice them to her dark god.
Kushina would see these changes but she could not run. Naruto needed her and as long as he was a jinchuriki he would be hunted. So she began to make arrangements, moving her businesses once more, she began to traffic her products to a more disreputable sort. The kind with connections, the kind that can make people disappear, and began to entrench herself into their world. She would be ready, in three years she will be ready to disappear with her son, and to a place they can escape the fear.
As Kushina grabbed her now three year old son and she began to lead him in a prayer to the Shinigami for safety and guidance at their small hidden altar. The Uchiha began to act. With the kidnapping of the Hyuga heiress and their connection to Kushina, people began to ask questions. Wondering why the clan hadn't kept watch over the treacherous people of Kumo, and from these questions wild accusations began to form. One such accusation was that they were in on it and were going to use the Uzumaki trade routes to smuggle the Kumo scum back to their village with the heiress safely in hand. The Uchiha had heard these rumors, said by drunken men, and saw how their supposed connection to the Kyubi attack had poisoned the minds of the citizenry. It was perhaps this outlandish theory that put them over the edge.
To the Uchiha clan it didn't matter if one bitter drunk needed someone to blame, they were tired of the state of things. They had watched as the village they were loyal to, turned their backs on them. They watched as their power withered and died until they had the influence of a minor clan at best. They watched as the rabble insulted their honor and called them traitors, accusing them of the Kyubi attack. They also watched as their last ally, Kushina, the only one to stick by them was persecuted. The Uchiha clan was done with it; they had decided that if they would not get the respect they deserved, then they will take it. It was on this day, in the aftermath of the treaty that the Uchiha clan began to plan their coup.
Meanwhile in the Shimura compound, Danzo watched and waited. He gave no credit to the rumors, finding them ridiculous at best, but there were coincidences, and he did not trust either the Uzumaki or the Uchiha. The minute either stepped out of line he would have his root bring them to heel but for now he would wait. He knew his vice, paranoia, but in the world he lived in, it had always served him well.
So it was that while the Elemental Nations avoided war, Konoha began to tick. A race against time had begun between Kushina, the Uchiha clan, and Danzo. Would Kushina be able to escape from Konoha with her son, or would the Uchiha clan launch their coup before Konoha can prepare, or would Danzo catch them in the act and have them executed as traitors? Only time could tell.
Before anyone says anything, I know I said that Naruto would start taking his role as the main character by this chapter, but the setting had to be set. Now the first chapter we meet Naruto in is going to be during this race against time between Kushina, the Uchiha clan, and Danzo.
As for the story I hope you are enjoying it, it seems so with 30 favorites and 49 followers on its second day, so a shout out to all of you for your support. Once again please review.
Also after you have met Naruto I will most likely be having a poll on what to make his summon. Please note that any summon will be in line with the Shinigami theme and will not be overly powerful, but more of a strategic summon.
Finally for those who may be concerned about the persecution references taking place in this story, remember that even today people are hated because of their religion. In my story the shinobi almost entirely worships the Sage of Six Paths, placing the Uzumaki in the minority. Also remember that the common belief is that the Shinigami is a dark god, thus causing tension between the two groups.