A/N: I don't own Naruto.
I'm not sure how you make a crop of short hair look shaggy, but he always managed it, somehow. Head-to-desk, he hid blue, bloodshot eyes behind the orange sleeves of a dusty, patchwork jacket. There was a fresh tear on his navy-blue shoulder pad, courtesy of a drunken civilian who'd managed to get his hands on kunai, no doubt given to him by a vengeful shinobi who'd wanted to keep his hands clean from the act. That cut was the most obvious one. He'd gotten a few nicks on his hands and feet throughout the traditional high-stakes game of hide-and-seek he played with the citizenry. But, for reasons he couldn't quite comprehend, those wounds usually healed up within seconds. Usually, the abuse was contained to glaring, hateful derision, or at its worst outright, willful neglect. But come midnight of October 10th, some drunkard always came knocking.
This year had been better than others. He'd had 10 months at the academy, and combined with a fulltime, lifetime lesson in stealth and evasion, giving those small groups of drunkards 'the slip' had become old hat in a matter of hours. The first group caught him by surprise, especially the one brandishing ninja tools. But after that first scare, he'd turned it into a morbid game of cat and mouse. That small, gnawing, resentful part of his brain drew some satisfaction in finally escaping those bastards mostly unscathed. But doing it for seven hours was grueling, especially on a body whose main source of nutrition was ramen. So it was with little wonder that, as the academy opened its doors and our blond hero found his seat, he collapsed upon it in a heap of sweat, dirt, and a newfound sense of pride.
Happy tenth birthday, Uzumaki Naruto.
Iruka prided himself on being the second person in the building every morning. He gave himself enough time to enjoy his breakfast of rice, natto, and eggs, brew himself the day's coffee, and be in the office by 7:30. Since class started at 9, it was rare for any of the other instructors to get there before 8, and Iruka enjoyed having those silent few minutes to center himself before the day's pandemonium started. The echoing clack of his steps broke the otherwise quiet morning, a courtesy he did to let the janitor know that there was at least one other person in the building.
To his surprise, he opened his door to find a disheveled, orange figure slumped over in one of the seats. The telltale blond shag and orange jumpsuit were a dead giveaway, but really, he was shocked that Naruto had bothered to show up at all. His attendance was sparse, if we are being generous, and he hadn't even bothered to attend this month. That being said, he wasn't exactly bewildered by Naruto's lack of interest; most of the instructor's actively sabotaged the poor child's education, and it was a miracle he could even throw a kunai straight. There was only so much time he could give to support the blond, and as a lowly instructor, there was little he could do to influence the actions of his colleagues. A sigh escaped resigned lips as he approached closer.
Naruto was dirtier than usual. While the boy was the antithesis of organization (he'd scouted out his apartment on a number of occasions), the blond had made it a point to at least be presentable whenever he decided to show up. But mud and grime caked his orange jumpsuit, with grass stains streaking his knees and elbows. A leaf or two, and several clumps of dirt, had buried themselves among his yellow locks, and white stuffing billowed from the open gash at his jacket's left shoulder. He was happy to note a lack of blood on the boy, and the soft rise of his back seemed to indicate Naruto was sleeping peacefully.
As Iruka turned his attention to the board, he caught a blond head stirring out of the corner of his eye. Crusty, periwinkle, bloodshot orbs creaked open and stared into the scar-faced chunin's chocolate ones. Iruka's breath hitched, noting the full extent of Naruto's exhaustion. The blond, ever optimistic and fearless, gave him that tireless, white, Cheshire grin and let out a stifled breath.
Iruka swallowed the guilt-laced knot building in his throat. "Are you okay, Naruto?" He breathed out in a half-whisper.
Grin undisturbed but lacking his usual vibrance, Naruto answered back. "You know, the normal birthday harassment. Been up all ni-." A yawn interrupted, and unconsciously, Naruto lay his head back on his desk and let sleep's warm, black embrace overwhelm him.
"Sweet dreams, Naruto," Iruka said more to himself than to his young student, turning once again toward the board to prepare for the day's lesson.
It was his first-time seeing Naruto post-birthday-beatdown, but it left a cold, unsettling coil rumble in his stomach. He didn't know whether to feel guilty he hadn't looked after Naruto more carefully, or to feel angry that Naruto brushed it off so casually. He'd heard rumors before, of how some of the civilians would gang up on him the evening of his birthday and beat him unconscious. None of the village's shinobi dare lay a finger on him: he was protected by the word of the Hokage himself. The last time one of Konoha's ninja had attacked Naruto in a drunken stupor, Sarutobi had seen him disappeared to the darkest bowels of Morino Ibiki's T&I. It sent a shiver down his spine thinking of the incident. He'd tried to pry the truth out of Ibiki once over several bottles of sake, but the man had simply iced over at the question, pointedly ordering his inferior to never mention it again. The rumors that had leaked were enough to keep the rest of the shinobi force from ever attempting such a thing again.
The Hokage's word, however, did little to stifle the grudge many of the civilian population held toward Naruto. Every October 10th, the tension would boil over, and a few of the more courageous drunkards would take their unabating resentment and hatred and set themselves on the child. The civilian council, made of merchants and wealthy businessmen, kept the Hokage in stalemate, refusing to allow military rule of civilian matters. The village's prosperity heavily depended upon the middle and upper-middle class contingent, and since Naruto had not yet been classified as a shinobi, repercussions were out of the Hokage's jurisdiction. Though the civilian police force did not let the child be murdered, they turned a blind eye to anything less than lethal.
Iruka had been lonely growing up an orphan, but he had never been outright abandoned. No matter what his minor sins, Naruto deserved better than to have the memories of his birthdays filled by prejudicial attacks.
Inundated in thought, Iruka had missed the clamor growing behind him as his classroom began to fill out with the raucous hijinks of his students. In particular, he could hear the enthusiastic growl characteristic of Inuzuka Kiba. And it seemed to be directed at the classroom's other infamous clown.
"Happy birthday, idiot!" Kiba grinned at Naruto as he placed a 10-candled cupcake in front of the blond. "Orange-frosting and blue candles, per Hinata's suggestion!"
Lifting his head up, Naruto drew his eyes to the wide, mischievous smile of the Inuzuka clan's heir, following the thumb jutted toward the stammering, quivering figure of the white-eyed girl hiding behind him.
Kiba continued, "Oh yeah. Shikamaru and Chouji pitched in too. Man, you shoulda seen Chouji SALIVATING the whole way here. It took both Shikamaru and I to make sure he didn't jump the poor cupcake and devour it in one!"
Comprehension dawning, the patented Uzumaki smile split his face as his eyes sparked with appreciation. Naruto extended his hand for a high-five, which Kiba readily met with a clasp of his own.
"Quite wise of you Kiba," Naruto exclaimed while putting on airs. "It is great to honor your future Hokage with a token of your appreciation! Know that I won't forget this when the time comes to choose advisors!"
Kiba, in mock scandal, retorted, "Ha! You think you can match the greatness of the… Uh… Great Inuzuka Kiba! That hat was destined for my head, and your lips for my feet!" It was odd to imagine that a friendship had developed through these daily repartees, but Iruka noted that the same could be said of the small yet important bonds the young orphan had developed with his classmates.
"If Inuzuka Kiba was destined for greatness, then Uzumaki Naruto was bound for legend!" Naruto hit back. "I can see it now. Iruka-sensei, up-front-"
"-Leave me out of your fantasies, Naruto," Iruka interrupted as he placed the finishing touches to his lesson plan.
"Mah, mah, fine Iruka-sensei. You're not needed for this anyway!" Naruto shot back before turning to Kiba. "Right beside my name, 'Uzumaki Naruto, the one man to surpass the fourth Hokage-"
Kiba broke out in laughter, spittle covering Naruto's face. "Are we getting delusional there, Naruto? You, a clanless nobody, surpassing the Fourth Hokage?"
Kids had a way of being unintentionally nasty. Kiba really meant nothing by it. He knew little of the pervasive loneliness Naruto suffered through daily, yet it had stabbed Naruto in a way little else could. His smile slipped for a half-second, before he replaced his open smile with a defensive one, though no one but Hinata and Iruka would be able to tell that difference.
"Kiba, that was very rude of you to say to a fellow classmate," Iruka called out. "Apologize to Naruto."
"We were just playing Iruka-sensei. You never say anything when he calls me 'Dog-Breath!'"
"Yeah Iruka-sensei," Naruto butted in. "We were just playing. It'd take a lot more than that for 'Dog-Breath' to hurt my feelings!"
Iruka sighed as we watched Naruto and Kiba recommence their fighting. He had gotten better at burying the hurt, but the way Naruto held his eyes tight, a tear threatening to spill over, was enough to give him away. It was 9 in the morning, and already, his mental meanderings had left Iruka emotionally drained. Exhaling, he slumped back in his chair, needing another 5 minutes to gather himself.
He wasn't sure what urged the next words out of his mouth. Maybe all the day's dwellings had made him so tired he'd decided it was a good idea to exercise poor judgment. Maybe the fact that he too had been an orphan provoked compassion out of him, a desire to help alleviate Naruto of his loneliness and sorrow. That same concern Iruka felt as he lay eyes on Naruto that morning caught fire, awakening a paternalistic instinct he'd never recognized in himself. Abruptly, Iruka slammed the eraser onto the blackboard, erasing the intricate lattice of equations he'd calligraphed onto every inch. His arm worked vigorously, but unlike the meticulous layout of his lesson plan, the chalk smear was inelegant and disorganized. Like he didn't care about the state of his blackboard. Which was so out of character that, for the first time in his career, every set of eyes and ears were entirely centered upon him. Iruka finally turned to a stunned class, catching mouths agape, brows furrowed and eyes wide.
Iruka was big-hearted and straight-forward. The last word he would use to describe himself was indulgent, but he decided that, with all attention gravitating toward him, he would not miss this opportunity for the ideal class session. He turned his newfound appreciation for theatricality into a full-blown drama, drawing up an old tattered book from the bottom of his desk drawer. As he laid it flat, inquisitive faces glued themselves to the relic their teacher had just produced. A cloud bloomed as Iruka blew the dust-riddled covered, hints of cobwebs untangling from the leather binding and scattering across the desk.
"Actually, Kiba," Iruka started.
The silence was dense, bordering on suffocating. Kiba could feel the warm tickle of Hinata's breath at the nape of his neck, synced with his own. The tension was inexplicable, and that made it all the worse. This was not their Iruka. Two seats away from Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke's felt his heart begin to pound, paranoia shooting electric currents from his brain down his hands, mouth dry and tongue sticky as a single thought began to creep into his head: they had been infiltrated by an imposter.
"Naruto does have clan."
Iruka let the words hang, as he watched 27 pairs of eyes flitter and fixate, and 27 different mouths widen or close. Even in that dense silence, 27 sets of ears could hear the revelation reverberate within their brains. It was Haruno Sakura on whom realization first dawned, as her body leaned forward, head straight and emerald orbs staring straight ahead. Kiba felt rooted, conflicted between going back to his seat, and the information not fully digesting. So he compromised, and folding his legs underneath him and taking his place on the floor. Consequently, Hinata was now fully exposed to the classroom, and caught between wanting to reach out to Naruto, wanting to hide, and wanting to head back to her seat, began to feel lightheaded and took a seat next to Kiba before she experienced another full-blown fainting episode.
Naruto's chest heaved, his breathing becoming more and more labored. His brain couldn't find the right contortion for his face. He couldn't pair his standard elation with the full-blown psychiatric shock. Disbelief cycled into hope cycled into doubt and recycled into disbelief. He stood up, chair thrown back, legs quaking and arms burning. Hands clenched it was the pinch of nails breaking the skin of his palms that let Naruto know that he was still awake. He could hear every beat of his heart through his ear drum, the muscles of his throat contracting, making each short breath painful. Naruto looked down at his hands, closing and opening them, unsure of… everything. Finally, tear-filled, blue eyes looked back at those friendly, warm chocolate ones as a broken screech slipped past the young blond's lips.
"What?"
The 27 students sat on the floor, legs crossed, huddled as Iruka began his lesson. Sasuke, who would actively seek solitude and usually stole away from the company of others, was so engrossed that he never let the fact that his and Sakura's knees were touching bother him. Likewise, Sakura's proximity to the brooding clan head had not even caught her attention.
"Very little on the Uzumaki clan has been retained from the third to fourth to fifth edition of the academy's A Brief History of Konoha. Each edition cut more in favor of adding more contemporary events, such as the betrayal of Orochimaru, or the battle between the Fourth Hokage and the Nine-Tailed Fox."
Iruka continued. "I was in the academy when we began using the third edition, but I have this hand-me-down copy of the second edition from my own sensei. Sadly, even what the second edition has is a paltry five pages, so it's no wonder you all have never heard of the Uzumaki clan." Iruka paused, checking his student's eyes to see if he'd lost anyone. He was quite surprised (and proud) that everyone's attention was still focusto led solely on him.
"But, as luck has it, when I was in the academy, I was tasked with a report on the clan. I'll admit, while my memory of that report is hazy at best, I'll do the best to fill in any blanks."
For the next three hours, Iruka regaled the class with stories of prodigious, ageless shinobi whose mastery of fuinjutsu was unmatched by any known people's. He recounted myths from the warring states period, of ninja who could survive multiple fatal wounds, and who could bend the laws of nature to their will. He explained the origin behind the spiral crest on the flak jackets of Konoha's advanced shinobi, and their proximity to the founding clan of Konohagakure, the Senjus. In particular, he honed in on Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the first Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and how their lineage would eventually lead to the birth of one of the three sannin, Tsunade Senju.
"Wait, Iruka-sensei," Naruto interrupted. "If my clan is so important and powerful, where is everyone?"
Looking down at Naruto, he saw periwinkle irises teaming with hope. He'd never seen Naruto like this: well-mannered, focused, and bordering on maturity. Because his story gave something to Naruto that he'd never had: a home. Naruto found no need for attention, be it in praise or derision, if he could just find someone to be close to, someone to acknowledge him for no other reason than for being himself, and being alive. For two hours, he'd given this boy a sense of belonging, that he too came from somewhere, that buried underneath the nights he sobbed into his pillow, dark and alone, there must be someone out there who cares for him, who loves him with no other reason than being kin. In that moment, as Iruka hesitated and he saw the hope begin to escape Naruto's eyes, he knew the grave sin he had committed. He had held the young boy's fragile worldview in his hands. In his enthusiasm, he'd forgotten that by the end of the day, he would be the one to strip that feeling away from him. The shinobi world dealt in short lives and ephemeral moments, and it was a lesson Naruto would learn sooner rather than later. Exhaling, Iruka steeled himself to finish his story.
"Sometime, during the Second Shinobi War, an allied Kirigakure and Kumogakure laid siege to Uzushiogakure. Already fighting on two fronts against Sunagakure and Tsuchigakure, Konoha was unable to open a third front and protect one of their ally nations. Uzushiogakure was destroyed, with those managing to escape the destruction scattering to the other nations, living in hiding. Those left behind have kept quiet, afraid that their infamy will bring unwanted attention. There are some unsubstantiated rumors that there are some Uzumaki living in the minor countries of the grass and rain, but Konoha has no records of contact with any of them."
Naruto didn't even twitch, eyes affixed to the floor, his light, gentle breath the only signs of life. The others began to move, picking themselves off the floor and moving to gather their belongings, heading home early to partake in the annual festival. Kiba and Hinata sat diligently by Naruto, while Shikamaru and Chouji stood dutifully by the other with Naruto's things. As Kiba prepared to deliver words of encouragement, Naruto halted him.
"I just need to be alone for a bit. I'll catch up with you guys at the festival."
Kiba offered his friend a one-armed hug, which the blond readily accepted, though he did not return one of his own.
"We-we'll hold onto your stuff, N-Naruto-kun," Hinata managed to squeak out to him. Naruto merely replied with a curt nod, eyes unmoved. Quietly, the four friends were chaperoned to the door by Iruka, whose warm nod promised that he would make sure Naruto was okay. As the door closed behind them, Naruto, still seated, turned his head to face his teacher.
"Iruka-sensei," his voice quaked, raspy, grasping at what calm and composure he could find. "Why did you tell me that story."
It had been a long day for Iruka already, and it was only lunchtime. He'd have to thank his big heart for the newest mess he'd created for himself. Finding his way over to Naruto, he crouched, bringing himself to eye level.
"Because Naruto. I know what it's like to be an orphan. But I was lucky to have at least known my parents, to know I was loved by someone. Even on my loneliest day, I had memories of old times to turn to. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't miss them, but whenever that feeling came, I could visit them inside a picture frame, or inside my mind. And as I became old enough, I started setting up a life of my own, filled with my own friends, and with those I wanted to take care of.
"I wanted you to know that, once upon a time, there was a group of people out there who were a lot like you. With boundless energy, and mischievous to boot. A large family who, whatever their legacy, would come home to each other, and share their daily toils over a warm meal.
"You may not have met your parents. And as far as I can tell, you're the only Uzumaki left. But that doesn't mean you can't start having that now. You have people that care enough about you to share the fragments of their toils and joys with you. Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba and Hinata, as odd a group as I've ever seen as a teacher, care enough to bring you a cupcake that probably took a week's worth of chores to save up for.
"Cherish that and share yourself back. Not the mask you wear every day, but the Uzumaki Naruto that who isn't afraid to show his hurt. You've been through a lot, and you're going to go through a lot, but it's so much better when you have your special people there for you.
"Now, dry your tears. We're expected at Ichiraku. I told Teuchi we'd stop by for you birthday."
Wiping the last of his tears on the tattered orange sleeve, Naruto stood up. Almost immediately, the Naruto's customary smile appeared, in full bloom, the corners of his eyelids wrinkled and nose upturned. Before Iruka could counter, Naruto had wrapped his arms around the young man's neck, pulling him the still crouched Iruka closer.
"Hey, Iruka-sensei!" the blond called out. "Don't forget that I've got you too!" Iruka let a small grin grace his lips, nodding and gesturing toward the door. Naruto took one last sniff as he centered himself, exhaled the last of his nerves, and set his sights on the door.
As they took a right down the hall and toward the exit, Naruto turned to his mentor.
"Growing up, did your dreams ever change?" he asked. Iruka paused his gait for a split second. Taking his right hand to his chin, his eyes squinted, searching for the most precise answer. Why did Naruto have to start getting philosophical with him right now? Not that he minded. It was his responsibility to field these sorts of questions from his students, and it was a responsibility he took great pride in performing. He chalked that up as another consequence of his bleeding heart. Or maybe no one ever gave Naruto the due credit for his depth.
"Maybe the specific goals changed." Iruka shrugged. "I went from wanting to continue my family's legacy, to leaving a legacy of my own through my students. The outcomes are different, but at its root, I just want to make sure I help contribute to the growth of the next generation. Teach them how to nurture their own wills of fire, so to speak. Why do you ask?"
They found themselves outside, the midday sun casting a glare onto the increasingly vibrant village. Papier-Mache effigies of the Nine-Tails were being burnt outside of the academy campus, in honor of the Fourth Hokage's defeat of the Kyuubi.
"Protecting the village, just like you and jiji do, that's important to me." Naruto started. "But I want something for myself too." Naruto picked up a stray rock and pelted it at one of the abandoned effigies, striking and knocking its head in. "Wherever my clan is, I want to make them proud. I want to make sure their legacy doesn't die with me. I want the Uzumaki, present and future, to know they have a home right here whenever they need one!"
Naruto hopped onto the nearest cement post, sucking in a full-lungs worth of air puffing his chest outward, hands on hips in a defiant stance. "Sensei, I'm going to revive the Uzumaki clan! It may just be me! There may be others, but by the time I die, the Uzumaki will have a home here in Konoha!"
He turned his back to Iruka, facing toward the Hokage monument. Jabbing a figure toward the stone heads etched into the side, Naruto bellowed out a challenge to his future predecessors. "Watch me! I'll be the first Uzumaki Hokage, and I'll be the damn best Hokage this village has ever seen!" Shifting back to Iruka, his radiant smile removed any traces of his previous melancholy.
"And there's no way I can do that on an empty stomach! What are we waiting for Iruka-sensei! Let's get some ramen!"
Without taking a second glance back, Naruto's legs broke into a bounding blur, deep imprints marking the route to Ichiraku's.
Iruka took one last look back at the academy before following Naruto's lead to Ichiraku's. It was only noon, but he already knew the day was bound to be filled with headaches.
Iruka was gratefully that the Anbu hadn't come calling until after his meal with Naruto was over. Behind the fox-shaped mask, a mass of grey hair spiked upward, and it was really only out of formality that Iruka refrained from using his real name.
"I take it Hokage-sama has requested my presence, Anbu-san?" The masked soldier gave him a quick nod before blurring out of sight.
The things he did for his students…
He'd never been on the receiving end of Hiruzen's wrath. Very few had, even when taking his enemies into account. On the battlefield, the man dubbed the "God of Shinobi" was infamous for his stoicism, vicious in his efficiency as the ideal shinobi should be. He wore the mask of a kind old man in front of the village's youth, but his ninja knew there was a reason HE led THEM, and not the other way around.
As Iruka crossed the threshold into the Hokage's office, he noted the grimace carved into the Third's expression. He found no mirth playing at the edge of the Hokage's eyes, as he bore the full weight of his glare upon the young teacher. Removing the pipe from his mouth, Hiruzen turned toward the view of the Hokage monument, his eyes tracing over his predecessors and successor.
"Tell me, chuunin."
Shit, when the Hokage referred to you by rank… Whatever came next would make "unpleasant" look kind. Iruka stilled, dread worming it's way up his legs, a numb electricity paralyzing him in place. It was the first time he felt the man's killing intent. Barely a sliver of it churned his stomach, bile and acid burning their way up his esophagus. The nausea left his brain hazy, and he didn't know whether to run, hide, or vomit.
"On whose order's did you decide to toe the line on revealing an S-Class secret?"
He couldn't corral a single thought, images flashing past him like a runaway reel.
"Well, chuunin?"
Perspiration beaded down the younger shinobi's face, air so heavy it was hard work just to take a breath in. Hiruzen stepped away from the window, and finally gave Iruka his undivided attention. His steps silent, threatening lethality, softly made their way past the paper-laden oaken desk.
"Answer me," he commanded in calm menace.
Iruka felt the tension deepen by an inch, but it was enough for Iruka to feel the inside of his chest swelter, like he was inhaling steam. His eyes beaded, frantically searching for his voice. Hiruzen moved closer, looking up at his subordinate with a face that barely betrayed his rage.
"What gave, you, an academy instructor, to nearly break one of the stipulations of an international treaty?"
He wanted to die just to get away.
"Do not forget, chuunin. I am your Lord Hokage. When it comes to the security of this village, my word is LAW. Do not take my leniency as a license for insubordination."
Without warning, the oppressive atmosphere dissipated, leaving Iruka to crumple on the floor, heaving. Hiruzen marched to his desk, robes snapping in his wake as he let his pipe and installed himself into the Hokage's chair.
Embers crackled out of the wooden bowel as Hiruzen inhaled, before he pushed out a stream of dark smoke.
"You're not usually one for insubordination Iruka, particularly the kind that, had Kumogakure gotten word, might spark the beginnings of an international scandal. Regardless of the absurdity of the treaty demands, we will respect the provision that the history of the Uzushiogakure not be taught in the academy."
Iruka's mouth creaked open in an attempt to speak, but he was halted by the Hokage's uplifted hand.
"My questions were rhetorical. I'm not blind. It's evident to everyone in that building how much you favor the boy. While my duties as Hokage prevent me from being as present as I would like in young Naruto's life, I would expect you to exercise better judgment in the upbringing of our young ward."
Taking another drag of his pipe, the Hokage allowed himself the luxury of a sigh.
"I knew you would be too open-hearted to be his teacher. Too sympathetic to his plight. But were it anyone else, I'm afraid the child would have developed into a full-blown psychopath. Thank God he's an Uzumaki. If there's one thing more resilient than their bodies, it's their spirits."
Seeing the chuunin finally composed and standing at attention, the Hokage nodded his permission to allow Iruka to speak.
"Hokage-sama, there is only so much the two of us or his four classmates can do. How much longer until the solitude and suffering fester into hate? Naruto needs a deeper sense of belonging than platitudes. He needs a family, blood-related or not."
"And so you thought it prudent to share with the entire class a small snippet of history we have expressly forbidden from being spoken of within the academy walls?" The Hokage fired back.
Before Iruka could formulate a response, the Hokage's door slid open. In the doorway stood his old rival, bandaged from head to toe, leaning on his single arm on his crutch. His one eye remained half-lidded and expressionless, starring past Iruka and straight at the Hokage. Grunting in irritation, the Hokage nodded, motioning his approval for Danzo to enter the office.
"Despite his insubordination, I believe Umino has a point. Naruto has yet to have his loyalty properly rooted to Konoha."
Danzo placed himself just behind Iruka, allowing the younger nin to shield the broken half of his body. "You've always worked in half-measures Hiruzen. I offered to make him a part of Root-"
"-which has now been disbanded," the Hokage interrupted. "We have had this discussion on many an occasion, Danzo. You will not transform that child into another one of your mindless drones."
"You squander his potential, Sarutobi. You prevented me from getting to him, from ANY shinobi getting to him, in an effort to give him a childhood. Yet you've allowed something as weak as the civilian council to undermine your efforts, and the child is no stronger as a shinobi or human because of it. At his age, he would sell his loyalty to anyone willing to give him recognition, and were it not for you, Jiraiya and Kakashi, I would have made my move already.
"If any of the other five nations knew who he was, their spies would have either assassinated him or whisked him off to be indoctrinated. Your plan has relied upon the ignorance of the other nations for too long.
"In the aftermath of the fox's attack, it was Root who hunted and eliminated the spies ready to reveal the identity of our Jinchuuriki to their respective Kage. And even now, my men still clean up Already, one of Kiri's double agents has made an attempt to get this information back to the Mizukage. If it weren't for my men, he would be halfway to the Land of Water rather than sitting in cell in T&I with Morino. It's a miracle that Tsuchigakure has yet to breech our security. I'm sure they'd be highly interested in an Uzumaki who is the spitting image of-"
The killing intent that roiled off of the Hokage dwarfed what Iruka had felt earlier. Such an instantaneous drop in blood pressure floored the scar-faced instructor, leaving him out cold on the Hokage's office floor. Four shinobi, masked and covered head-to-toe in black attire, dropped from the ceiling, backs to their Hokage as they surrounded Hiruzen.
"Despite your designs for this hat, and our differences in philosophy, I had decided to overlook your machinations because, beneath your cynicism and depravity, your only allegiance is to this village.
"But as a shinobi of Konoha, that loyalty means you are bound to my word. You will never again attempt to utter those words in my, or anyone else's presence, until this office has made its decision.
"Until that time, I will decide what is to be done about Uzumaki Naruto. You are dismissed, Shimura."
Without flinching, Danzo retreated back out through the Hokage's door. Having deemed the scene safe, one of the Anbu, face concealed behind a serpent mask, wafted smelling salts at the fallen chuunin.
Jerking awake, he blushed in embarrassment, on the floor and surrounded by the Hokage's personal guard. Unsteady and still reeling from his sudden loss of consciousness, Iruka placed one hand on his knee in an attempt to stand. His leg gave out underneath him, and he felt and arm wrap around his, jolting him into an upright stance.
"Don't be such a wimp, Teach!" Serpent joked from behind the mask, giving Iruka a solid slap to the back before taking her place alongside her other three companions. The four Anbu finally disappeared, standing by for the Hokage's next set of orders.
Alone, functionally at least, the Hokage addressed Iruka once again.
"I will grant that you and Shimura may be right on this. I have let this situation escalate into an untenable position. Naruto is not fragile, but he has borne the weight of his burden, alone, for too long. I would never dream to allow him to be molded like the rest of Root, but his sense of loyalty is too malleability, and our threats loom too large, for me to allow this to go uncheck."
"Iruka, for your insubordination, you will be temporarily removed from the academy and placed on active duty. You will also surrender a quarter of your earnings from any future missions you undertake to the Konoha treasury. You are dismissed."
The scar-faced teacher about-faced as soon as the words left Hiruzen's mouth, finding the fastest way out of the Hokage's sight.
Flicking his fore- and middle fingers into the air, the Hokage called upon the grey-haired Anbu of his security detail. Wordlessly, the man reappeared at his side, posture straight, arms at attention.
"Bring me Naruto."
Placing his hands in a tiger seal, the shinobi flickered out of existence, leaving the Hokage to gather his thoughts.
Kakashi found Naruto smack dab in the middle of the festival, huddled amongst his four friends. While vendors would usually refuse to even acknowledge his presence, the fact that he was accompanied by four clan heirs gave pause to anyone who might otherwise want to subject Naruto to unpleasantries. Whatever melancholy that had affect Naruto early seemed to have been purged, as the young Jinchuuriki was back to his animated displays of emotion. Flapping his arms and constantly pointing to the spiral on the side of his jacket, it didn't take a genius to figure out what occupied the group's current topic of conversation. Perched in the canopy, Kakashi focused his hearing on the conversation. The Hokage wouldn't mind him taking a little "extra time" to find his quarry.
"The Uzumaki clan couldn't have been that strong, Naruto!" Kiba argued back, bits of dango flying out of his mouth as he tried to juggle eating and conversing. "If they were, they'd still be around!"
Shikamaru rubbed his temples. If it weren't for Chouji enjoying the company of these two loudmouths, he would have abandoned them for cloud-watching hours ago.
"Troublesome," he whispered over to Chouji, who happily munched on his fifth helping of cotton candy. He insisted on trying one of every color.
"It took two hidden villages working together to wipe them out! Not even small ones! Big ones like the lightning idiots and those mist bastards! Let's see the Inuzuka try to hold off even one hidden village on their own!"
"If the Uzumaki are so much better than the Inuzuka, how come I can kick your ass, idiot?" Kiba retorted, grabbing Naruto by his jacket collar.
Hinata shuffled over between the two hotheads, gaze turned toward the ground and index fingers tapping one another.
"P-Please don't fight you two." Hinata pushed out in what would very generously be considered a whisper. "We're friends. We-we shouldn't be hurting each other."
"Like hell we're friends!" Naruto responded, staring daggers right back at Kiba. "This bastard is a second-tier rival!"
As Kiba raised his fist to show Naruto how painful a "second-tier" punch could be, Chouji and Shikamaru decided to intervene, pulling them away from each other.
"While I'm fine with the two of you getting us kicked out," Shikamaru started, "It'd be too troublesome to explain to our parents why weren't at the fireworks with them later tonight."
"That's fine with me!" Naruto bit out, hints of resentment peppering his voice. "It's not like I have parents!" Slipping through the Nara's arms, Naruto lunged toward Kiba, ready to pin him to the floor.
Fully expecting the tactic, Chouji grabbed hold of Naruto's overstretched arm, tossing him into a full-body throw. To add insult to injury, as Naruto landed chest-first into the ground, Chouji decided he would plop right down on top of him to prevent the situation from escalating any further.
Out of energy, and effectively having ended the fight, the five friends burst out into fits of laughter. Hinata hid her smile behind two dainty, alabaster hands, such public displays of affection unfitting of her Hyuuga upbringing. Chouji let himself off Naruto while Kiba offered a hand to his downed comrade. The blond jinchuuriki, accepted in graciously, pulling himself off the floor and giving his rival a thumbs-up.
As the five found a bench to sit on, Kiba turned his attention back to the subject at hand.
"If I'm being honest though, Naruto, how can we even be sure you're an Uzumaki?"
Naruto crossed his arms and squinted in thought, turning his attention to the canopy above. "What do you mean, Kiba?" He responded.
"I mean, look at what we know about them. The Uzumaki all have red hair and you're a blond. You're more likely to be related to the Fourth Hokage or to be a lost Yamanaka than you are to be related to them."
Shikamaru added his rebuttal. "If that mattered, you could say the same of the Hyuuga. Hinata and Neji have different shades of hair color. I don't think that particularly matters in the long run."
"But they're easily identified by their dojutsu," Chouji interjected. "Iruka sensei didn't mention any kekkai genkai the Uzumaki may have had to easily identify them by."
"And it's not like Naruto has shown any exclusive abilities either." Kiba posited.
"Y-you don't n-necessarily have to manifest a k-kekkai genkai to be part of a clan, K-Kiba." Hinata piped up. "Clans are f-filled with people w-who cannot perform or sh-show aptitude in their clan's teachings."
"So where does that leave us?" Chouji directed toward his best friend.
"Right back at the beginning, with few clues and no answers," the Nara replied.
Taking that as his queue, Kakashi flipped down from his hiding place amongst the tree tops. He jolted the group from their nonchalance, startling the five children before they quickly assumed the basic defensive stance taught at the academy. Kakashi shoved his hands in his pockets, cluing to the rambunctious cadets that he was not there looking for a fight.
Having finally gotten a good look at the figure, Hinata was the first to break the silence.
"P-pardon us, Anbu-san. W-we were st-st-startled by your presence."
Kakashi shrugged. "No worries," he let out in monotone. "I'm just here for one of you."
The grey-haired shinobi made his way over to the orange clad Jinchuuriki, placing one hand on his shoulder. Naruto, for his part, stood wide-eyed at the smooth display of power Kakashi had just exhibited. Before the blond could utter a word, both were gone in a flash of smoke and leaves. The four stood stunned in bewilderment, mouths agape and saucer-eyed.
Kiba was the first to break the silence.
"What do you think they wanted him for?"
Shikamaru tisked, resting his hands behind his heads before staring off to the sky.
"If I had to guess," he began, "Probably Uzumaki business."
"Then why the Anbu?" Chouji questioned.
"Putting the pieces together, I think we were told something we shouldn't have been."
"Why would any of this be a secret?" Kiba interrupted. "It's not like Iruka gave us any major information. Today was basically story time!"
"B-but we all know th-there's some big secret surrounding Naruto-kun," Hinata interjected. "We-we've seen the ways the adults have treated him. Especially the civilians."
"Whenever it comes to Naruto, my dad stays mum." Shikamaru added. "He's never even given me a clue to what it's all about."
"So what, are you saying Iruka-sensei accidentally let us into a village-wide conspiracy, and that Naruto's at the center of it?" Kiba was having difficulty controlling the volume of his voice, as the nearby villagers began exchanging whispers and glancing over in the group's direction.
Chouji wrapped his arms around Shikamaru and Kiba, huddling them closer to Hinata.
"Guys, everyone is starting to stare at us."
"You don't think-," Kiba was quickly cut off by an increasingly agitated Shikamaru.
"Whatever it is, it's too troublesome to talk about in the open." He glanced up at the sun, measuring the angle between it and the horizon.
"We have a few hours before the closing ceremony and the fireworks. I say we head to Ichiraku and talk about it away from prying eyes."
"Wh-what about Teuchi-san and Ayame-chan?"
"Old man Teuchi is one of the few adults who's shown any kindness to Naruto. He won't interrupt us while we're talking."
With plan in place, the four set off toward Ichiraku Ramen, determined to uncover the secret surrounding their exuberant friend.
"Let me get a pork-ramen as well," Chouji called toward the older ramen chef, finishing up the order the four of them had placed. The four scooched themselves over to the farthest side of the ramen stand, Chouji and Kiba electing to stand in order to give themselves a little more privacy.
"So, whatever is going on with Naruto is something all of the adults know." Shikamaru began. "They always seem to want to avoid talking about it around us, and the closer anyone is to the Hokage, the less likely they are to mention it."
"Can we assume this is ninja business?" Kiba asked.
"I think we can," Chouji answered. "Like Shikamaru said, our parents clam up or redirect every time we hint about Naruto's past. The only ones who openly talk about Naruto are the civilians, who probably aren't as exposed to the authority of the Hokage."
"But s-something as big as the existence of a h-hidden village seems too large to hide. From Iruka-sensei's s-story, Uzushiogakure must have still existed 30 years ago."
"And it's not like you can just bury that kind of knowledge in a single generation!" Kiba inserted. "We've got the clan's symbol sewn into our military's uniforms for God's sake. It's not like anyone is trying to hide it! We just didn't know about it!"
"S-so the secret itself c-can't be the existence of Uzushiogakure. It's only im-important relative to Naruto-kun."
"Which means, as far as any of the major villages know, Naruto is truly the last-known descendant of the Uzumaki clan." Shikamaru concluded. "And the only reason WE know that is because of the way everyone has been acting today."
It was Chouji's turn to ask a question.
"So why didn't the adults just play it off?"
Shikamaru clasped his hands together, narrowing his eyes as he tried to will the facts into a solution.
"It has to be related to the secret surrounding Naruto. That Naruto may be the last Uzumaki only matters because of what the adults know and what we don't."
"That still doesn't explain why it would matter that Iruka revealed this non-classified history to us." Chouji exclaimed.
"May-maybe Naruto-kun himself d-doesn't know." Hinata answered. "We-we're not even shinobi yet. The Hokage probably thinks Naruto too young to know what the secret is."
"So basically, all we have is that Naruto is the last Uzumaki, and that that's important for some reason." Kiba stated.
"Iruka didn't give us much to go on," Shikamaru surmised. "The only Uzumaki we have any clear identity of is Uzumaki Mito, and we can immediately conclude that Naruto is in no way a direct descendant of that line."
"If he was, he'd be treated like royalty, just like Tsunade was." Kiba conjectured. "There's no way Naruto would have been left an orphan and without an inheritance to speak of."
"So what we know is that Naruto is an Uzumaki, but he's not a descendant of the most well-known Konohan Uzumaki." Chouji commented.
"Any way we can get our hands on a registry of Konoha's citizens?" Kiba proposed.
"That information is h-highly classified, Kiba." Hinata replied. "I don't think a-anyone under Chuunin would have access to those files."
"Great, looks like we're stuck then!" Kiba growled out in frustration. "Damnit Iruka-sensei! What kind of secret did you let us in on!"
Just as Kiba was about to share his frustration with the rest of the restaurant, Teuchi appeared with their ordered, placing four bowls of pork ramen down for the group.
"Speaking of Iruka, it seems your teacher has been quiet the popular figure today!" Teuchi remarked. "I saw him speaking with one of the Anbu earlier."
"When did you see Iruka-sensei with Anbu?!" Kiba asked.
"Just a few minutes after Naruto finished his lunch. Looked like they were in a rush. They spoke for maybe 10 seconds before taking off."
"Damn, it looks like whatever happened was important enough for the Hokage to call on him," Chouji remarked.
Teuchi noted the exasperated faces of his four customers, scrunched in consternation.
"What's got the four of you in a tizzy?" He asked. "It's rare to see all four of you preoccupied by something."
"Teuchi-san," Shikamaru implored. "Why does no one ever want to talk about Naruto?"
Teuchi cursed his luck. He had hope that it would be Iruka or Sarutobi-sama who would be the ones on the receiving ends of those questions. Of course it would fall on their friendly neighborhood ramen-chef to stonewall a group of mischievous and curious academy cadets on deepest secret in the hidden village. He wasn't a ninja damnit! How could he be? He could barely manage to convincingly sell white lies! And with both the Hyuuga and Nara heirs doing the questioning, there was little doubt he'd be able to both reveal nothing and adequately satisfy their curiosity. Shikamaru always had a way of conjuring answers from sparse pieces of information.
"See! Right there!" Kiba exclaimed as he pointed straight at the furrowed brows and tight, straight lips adorning Teuchi's face. "Why does every single one of the adults get like that? What's so special about Naruto?"
"There's a ton special about me, dog-breath!"
The five turned to find Naruto standing right outside the ramen stand, escorted by the grey-haired Anbu from earlier. Hinata shook off her shock and took stock of the blond. His patented Uzumaki smile was plastered on his face, and as far as she could tell, it was the genuine version.
"What's with the satchel?" Shikamaru inquired. "We didn't see you with it before."
"Jiji gave it to me as part of my birthday present!" Naruto heaved to pack onto the counter for all to see. Emblazoned on the front was the Uzumaki's trademark red spiral. "Cool, right!" The groups eyes were affixed to the bundle in front of them: aside from the Uzumaki symbol, a tapestry of waves, ships and gods decorated the satchel. Fujin, the wind god, exhaled a typhoon across the open ocean, threatening to capsize the fleet of boats that dared to cross these waters. A lone figure stood upon the ships bow, long red-hair flaring out in the wind, a massive scroll unfurling and sending a hurricane of its own in retort to the wind god. The stitch-work was intricate, and Shikamaru noted it was clearly the product of a master artisan. He filed that piece of information away for later.
"But you ain't seen nothing yet!" The blond continued as moved to undo the satchel's buckles.
"Naruto," his Anbu escort called. "Remember Hokage-sama's words." Naruto immediately withdrew his hands, scratching the back of his head and offering his escort a sheepish apology.
"Sorry, Anbu-san, I got a little carried away."
"W-Where d-did you go, Naruto-kun?" Hinata cut in. "We-we were worried about you!"
Kakashi interceded before his blond-haired charge let his enthusiasm get the better of him.
"Might I suggest a change of location. This isn't the kind of conversation to be having in such an open venue."
"Right!" Naruto nodded.
"So… how about we meet up you know where after the fireworks?" He proposed.
"Alright, but you better not hold out on us, Naruto!" Kiba threatened. "After the day we've had, we want some answers!"
"Yeah, for sure. I'll tell you everything jiji and I talked about!"
The five split apart, the clan heirs heading to meet their respective families in anticipation of the annual firework show to commemorate the village's triumph over the Kyuubi, while Naruto sprinted back to his apartment, satchel secured and held tightly to his chest.
He couldn't wait to start!
On the outskirts of Konoha, ensconced in the hollowed remains of a millennia-old tree, the 5 friends gathered in their "secret" base, hidden away from all except the patrolling Nara and the customary Hyuuga bodyguard who made sure Hinata was always one shushin away should her safety be compromised.
"It's still pretty sweet your dads gave us permission to use their old base," Kiba addressed to Shikamaru and Chouji.
"It makes sense if you think about," Shikamaru replied. "It's under constant patrol by the most trusted members of our clan, but gives us adequate space from the adults whenever we find ourselves in the throes of teenage rebellion."
"Jeez, I wonder how many babes your parents brought back here to have a little smooch session," Kiba interjected. His comment caused a blush to erupt across Hinata's face before Naruto replied by smacking the Inuzuka across the back of the head. Pained, Kiba began rubbing his head furiously.
"It's a secret base, dog-breath!" Naruto stated. "Of course they didn't bring girls back here. No girls allowed!"
"Well what about Hinata?" Chouji countered.
"Well, Hinata's Hinata!" The blond answered back. He wrapped his arm around the blushing Hyuuga, causing the latter's breath to hitch as she felt her crush draw her closer. "What would a princess like her want with a couple of ruffians like us?"
Hinata leaned her head back against the trees inner wall. Even in her daze, she didn't want Naruto's compliments to end.
"It's not like I'll bring Sakura-chan here once we start dating!"
And that immediately deflated any sense of self-esteem Hinata had been developing over the course of the last hour.
Eyes glazed over, it was clear to Kiba that Naruto was lost in some kind of day dream. Never one to let an opportunity like this to go by, the Inuzuka clobbered the Uzumaki's head with his own fist, vengeance for the violence meted out to him earlier. Now it was Naruto's turn to writhe around the floor in pain, frantically rubbing the sore.
"Stop being delusional Naruto! Everyone knows Sakura and Ino have the hots for Sasuke-kun!"
Naruto, recovered and with renewed vigor, spat back at Kiba.
"She'll drop that whiny, brooding loser once she's seen Uzumaki Naruto is the real deal! Who'd pass up a chance to be with history's strongest Hokage?"
"Naruto-" Shikamaru interrupted. "-You have as much of a chance with Sakura as Chouji does with Ino."
Chouji immediately spewed a mouthful of chips onto the ground.
"No way Shikamaru!" Chouji exclaimed. "There's no way she wouldn't hide my chips and make me go on a diet. I can't live like that. No Akamichi can live like that!"
"Oh come on Chouji," Kiba teased. "Anyone with eyes knows Ino's gonna grow up to be a major hottie. Put in the work now, and you can reap the benefits afterwards. Plus, your dads are friends. You already got an in!"
Chouji's face turned green, though that didn't stop him from reaching over and tearing open a new bag of chips.
"Stop teasing him, Kiba." Shikamaru chastised. "Anyway, we're getting sidetracked. We came to find out what all the fuss around Naruto is today, and it sounds like he has something interesting to tell us."
Kiba immediately turned his attention from the flustered Akimichi to the hyperactive blond.
"Yeah, that's right! You promised us some answers Naruto!" Kiba stated with a hint of accusation. "It's about time you spilled."
"Alright, alright!" Naruto replied, hands held up, palms toward Kiba in a show of reconciliation. "Jiji did give me permission to tell you guys, but you've got to promise me you'll keep everything a secret!"
"You don't have to worry about us Naruto." Chouji affirmed. "There aren't any gossips here."
The five friends circled around the table, even Kiba going quiet as Naruto began to recount his meeting with the Hokage earlier that day.
It was his first time traveling by shushin. He felt cross-eyed, feet and legs foreign as they tried to find themselves while Naruto stumbled around the Hokage's office. Kakashi announced his departure with a single nod to the Hokage before disappearing into the office's shadows. Hiruzen shifted his sights toward the young cadet, who was beginning to collect his bearings. Noticing the Hokage's gaze on him, Naruto quickly conjured a more dignified posture, right hand fixed into a salute just above his brow.
"At ease, Naruto," the Hokage called out, as he watched Naruto relax his stance and return to his more laid-back attitude. Hiruzen allowed himself a quick smile. Naurto's enthusiasm was infectious, if a little silly. Maybe he shouldn't have indulged the boy's mock fealty. It trivialized the burden of the hat to his young charge. He wondered if all Naruto saw of the position was a village-wide father figure, and he was more than a little shocked to realize he'd missed something so obvious.
"I take it you have a great many questions you'd like answered."
Naruto's smile and wide eyes constricted into a look of concentration. Hiruzen could hardly recall the last time he had seen the child so serious. Outside of the planning stages for one of his bi-monthly pranks, Naruto hardly allowed himself to focus on anything. He watched as Naruto grasped his chin with his right thumb and forefinger, stroking a non-existent beard as he tried to coalesce his feelings into a tangible thought. The seconds ticked by, eyes tight, lost in deliberation. It had been the longest Hiruzen had ever seen the boy so quiet. Crouching down, the blond crossed one leg over the other and sat upon the Hokage's carpet, stilled and quiet.
A minute passed.
And another.
The discrete, unoffending sound of his breathing was the only sign indicating that, yes, Uzumaki Naruto was indeed alive.
As their meeting reached its fifth minute, Naruto finally unclenched his eyelids and gazed back at the Hokage.
"Hokage-jiji," Naruto opened. Despite the hardened browline and unwavering stare, Hiruzen could see Naruto's bottom lip quivering, fists clenched in attempt to stop his arms from quaking.
"Who am I?"
It was finally out in the open, and frankly, sooner than the Hokage would have liked.
He could tell it had been a hard day. Hints of tar and grain coated his teeth, and the inside of his throat felt minced. He'd first picked up smoking during the first months of his first reign. Without a sensei to turn to, and with the stability of the shinobi world precarious at best, Hiruzen had found solace in a smoke with a side of solitude.
"Jiji," Naruto creaked out, breaking the Third out of his contemplation. He set his pipe down on his desk, and beckoned the young boy to come join him on his side of the desk.
Naruto stood, feet heavy with hesitance, uncertainty tingling through his legs and feeding doubt with every step he took toward the older man.
Having finally made his way to the Hokage's side, he noticed document, a half-inch thick, lying on top of a red folder. At the top left corner, he found a familiar set of blue eyes staring back at him, pearly white teeth gritted sloppily.
"These are your papers from the orphanage, Naruto." Hiruzen began.
"Officially, Uzumaki Naruto is an orphan of unknown origin, born on the 10th of October in the wake of the worst disaster that had ever befallen the village. Parents unknown, he was found, miraculously unharmed, amidst the devastation the Kyuubi no Kitsune had wrought. He has no known connections to any living Konohan's, and during the six month period since his discovery, no one has come forward to claim kinship to him.
"In accordance with Section 3.4b of the Shodaime Hokage's First Decrees, concerning the well-being of children of unknown origin, this child is to be made a ward of the state, until the child reaches the rank of chuunin, or becomes an adult per the standards set by Konoha's Civilian Council. Per Section 3.4b, Subsection I, the child will be named in honor of one Konoha's fallen clans, a memorial to the sacrifices of our comrades, and a charm with which the child may grow strong and one day rebuild that memory in his own image. The surname Uzumaki has been chosen to honor the long-standing friendship between the villages of Uzushiogakure and Konohagakure.
"Per Section 3.4b, Subsection II, following the child's ninth birthday, he shall be offered enrollment into Konoha's ninja academy. The state shall see to it that any housing, dietary, or academic needs are sufficiently met until the time he reaches the rank of chuunin or becomes an adult per the standards set by Konoha's Civilian Council.
"Uzumaki Naruto, age six months, has been deemed mature enough to be moved from the Konoha General Hospital nursery to a state-owned, civilian-run orphanage. By signing this form, the individual acknowledges the facts as communicated by this dossier, and assumes ownership concerning the execution of the aforementioned responsibilities."
Beneath the text were two names and signatures Naruto did not recognize. He sat still and kept his eyes focused on the Hokage.
"Were anyone to ask, that's the story," the Sarutobi patriarch imparted. "Were any dignitary or foreign spy looking for information on Uzumaki Naruto, that is the sum total of your history. You appeared one day, and here you are."
Hiruzen's eyes scanned Naruto's, watching his periwinkle irises flit from left-to-right, scavenging the document for any sign that what the Hokage said hadn't been true. His eyes jerked back to the top, before Naruto grabbed the stack and flipped to the dossier's second page. His eyes jolted more sporadically across this page, the corners of his mouth creasing into a flat line as he poured past words and phrases beyond his comprehension. Naruto flipped the second page, nearly tearing it from the staple. The third page was just as confusing as the second. As was the fourth. And the fifth. Until Naruto slammed the dossier down onto the Hokage's desk, crossing his arms across his chest and giving his full attention to the floor.
"So that's it, then?" his voice strained out.
"Naruto," Hiruzen called out. Naruto's eyes shifted, watching as the Third began pulling a large bundle from beneath his desk. As he set the package out, the blond noted how intricate the embroidery was: he could make out the snarling, ghoulish expression upon the face of the wind god, meandering curves stitched into wisps of wind, gathering around his mouth as he prepared to unleash another tempest upon the legion of approach ships. He could make out the gritted teeth and stinging eyes of the lone Uzumaki upon the bow, red leather scales dampened dark by the surging tides and red hair whipping freely in the wind as the warrior unleashed a whirlwind of his own from the large scroll unfurling in his left hand.
"You are only two years from graduating the academy, yet there's so much of the shinobi world you still don't understand. And to some degree, I'm happy we were able to shield you from that cruel truth. Let your generation have a longer childhood than any of your elders could have dreamed of having.
"Like most stories, Naruto, yours goes deeper than the first layer. We've just made it harder for anyone to make it past the cover story."
"I don't get it!" Naruto interrupted.
"What's so special about me? Why can't I know where I come from?"
"Because, Naruto," the Hokage fired back. "The stronger a shinobi, the more enemies he makes. Your young friend, Hinata, the heiress of a powerful and storied clan, was kidnapped at the age of 3, to be used as a brood mother for Kumogakure. Sasuke has been placed under 24-hour Anbu surveillance, to ensure that the last Uchiha is not kidnapped or killed by any foreign nations who have designs on their infamous kekkei genaki.
"Imagine the kind of danger would befall the child who happened to be the last known Uzumaki. If two large nations took it upon themselves to raze a minor village over the threat they felt it posed, what do you think these countries would do to any stragglers they managed to find?"
"What are you saying, jiji?" Naruto struck back. "That the truth was kept from me to protect me?"
The dam finally broke. Naruto felt hot tears streak down his face, unable to care who saw his mask break.
"Do you know what it's been like?" He pushed on. "Wondering every night if my parents left me because the couldn't take care of me or because they just didn't want to? Wondering if I was irreplaceable to anyone?
"The only people I ever had were people everyone else had," he continued. "Chouji, Hinata, Shikamaru and Kiba all have their families. You have the village. Teuchi has Ayame, and Iruka has the class. But me? There's been no one for me."
Hiruzen finally stood, embracing the young blond as he let the emotions deluge his walls. The gesture only seemed to intensify the outpouring as the jinchuuriki let out a bellowing wail. Small arms finally returned the Hokage's embrace.
As the wails turned to sniffles, and the tears ran dry, Hiruzen decided to finish his conversation with boy.
"Naruto," the Hokage began. "I know this has caused you a great amount of pain. I did what I thought was necessary to protect you from danger, and I won't apologize for that. Seeing you here has made me realize that I may have allowed myself to be negligent toward you, but I am also proud to see that despite this, you have still grown strong.
"For your tenth birthday, I want to give you a family keepsake. It was entrusted to me by Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the First Hokage, with the promise that I pass it onto whomever Konoha's head Uzumaki would be."
Hiruzen picked up the satchel and placed it on his lap, allowing the blond to inspect the heirloom. The blond traced his hands along the broidery, hands lingering along the single clan member depicted in the tapestry. Moving onward, Naruto began to trace the crimson spiral that represented the Uzumaki clan. His eyes caught sight of two straps on either side of the emblem, each one ending in worn, golden buckles. Curiosity getting the better of him, Naruto tried prying the buckles open, but found them too strong to budge.
"The pack is bound by a blood seal," the Hokage lectured. Taking one finger and placing it onto the satchel, Hiruzen sent a spark of chakra, revealing complex markings arranged in an array of telescoping circles and linear scribblings stemming from the clan's spiral.
"Bite your thumb and swipe a drop of your blood across the spiral in front."
Hesitating, Naruto took a deep breath before performing as requested. Naruto's eyes remained rivetted on the buckles, watching as they slow peeled themselves open. Hiruzen placed the bag back on his desk, slowing the constants to spill out in front of them. Jars of ink, unused scrolls, and a single, leather bound book freed themselves from the confines of the satchel. Naruto clasped each with an eager hand, his senses inspecting every aspect of his new found treasures.
"As I'm sure Iruka told you, the Uzumaki were far and away the greatest seal masters the world had ever known. Mito left this in the hopes that whoever the Uzumaki had stationed here would be able to continue that tradition."
Naruto shifted his attention to the book, fingers delicately peeling back the cover and paging through its contents.
"Whether you choose to continue your family's legacy is entirely up to you. Having unlocked the blood seal, you now know that you are indeed a member of the legendary Uzumaki clan.
"However, Naruto, I ask that for your own sake, you do not reveal this information to anyone you do not feel can keep this secret. You are lucky that, unlike your other clan members, you do not share their telltale red hair color. You would have been harder to keep a secret had that been the case."
For the first time since he had entered the office, Naruto's mood had morphed into determination, conviction filling his eyes. He turned toward the Hokage. Bending at the waist, Naruto bowed his head forward, allowing his forehead to come level with his knees. He held his position for several seconds, before finally coming back up to see the surprised look on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face.
Welling with warmth, Naruto allowed his customary grin to return to him, before giving the Hokage a thumbs up.
"Thanks for the gift, Hokage-jiji!" He declared. "I'm not going to let my clan down!"
"One last gift for you, Naruto!" the Hokage called out. He pulled one more item from his desk, a black, moleskin notebook absent of any distinguishing features.
"This is the personal journal of Uzumaki Ashina, regarded by many as the strongest clan head the Uzumaki ever produced, and the subject of the tapestry on your satchel." Hiruzen turned the book over to Naruto, who placed it into the satchel with the rest of his newly acquired heirlooms.
"It was discovered sometime after Mito's passing by one of my students, himself an accomplished seal master. It is not locked by a blood seal, but most of its contents are more philosophical and theoretical musings than secret techniques. I hope you put them all to good use."
"No worries, jiji!" Naruto replied. "You can count on me."
Hiruzen flicked his fore- and middle fingers into the air, Kakashi flickering into existence moments later.
"Fox, please return Naruto to his friends. I'm sure his absence has caused them an undue amount of worry."
Kakashi gave the Hokage a simple nod as he marched over to Naruto, arm outstretched and ready to shushin him back.
"Wait." Naruto called out to the Hokage. Hiruzen turned to him, anticipating his next question.
"When the day comes that you finally make chuunin, Naruto, I will reveal to you everything concerning your legacy. I promise you that. Become strong, and be someone who can defend your clan from any forces that may threaten it."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Naruto stated, raising his right arm in salute.
The Hokage gave a quick smile before nodding toward Kakashi.
"Dismissed!"
It had been several hours since the sun had hidden itself behind the Hokage Mountain, and by Shikamura's estimation, it must have been around 10 in the evening. The five, having been satisfied with Naruto's story, promised they would take his secret to their graves. Pouring out of the tree house, the group departed toward their respective homes, promising to see each other first thing the following morning.
Pajamas on and plush fox in hand, Naruto was all prepped for some shut eye when he heard a knock at the door.
Peering through his door's peephole, he could make out his scar-faced teacher, two purple boxes in hand and a party hat upon his head.
"Happy birthday, Naruto!" Iruka called out, hoping to catch the blond's attention.
Unbolting his door, Naruto through the door open and welcomed his mentor inside.
"Sorry it's a mess, Iruka-sensei! I haven't had a chance to clean this week."
Iruka took a look at the mountain full of empty ramen cups and handful of filled trash bags around strewn about the apartment, and deduced that that was hardly the case.
"Looks to me like it's been more than a month!" he teased. Naruto puffed out his cheek in a pout before knocking a few stray ramen cups from his dining table and offering his sensei a seat.
Iruka placed the two purple boxes next to one another, opening the first one to reveal an orange-frosted cake, decorated with the image of a fox.
"I'm sorry I didn't get this one to you early Naruto. A couple of things came up," Iruka apologized.
"No worries, Iruka-sensei! I've been busy most of the day too!" He pulled out the Uzumaki satchel, pulling out the various objects and relaying to Iruka the story of his encounter with the Hokage.
"Well, that's a pretty big responsibility to take on for your birthday, Naruto," the scar-faced brunet responded. "But I'm sure you'll make your ancestors proud."
"Hell yeah I will! I can't wait to start practicing making seals. My pranks will become absolutely legendary, and there won't be anything you can do to stop me!"
Naruto caught a split-second tick in Iruka's expression before the chuunin decided to nod and give him a mirthful smile. Shrugging it off, Naruto switched his attention to the second purple box Iruka has brought with him.
"So what else did you bring me, sensei?" Naruto pondered aloud as he reached for the box. Iruka quickly snatched it and moved it out of his range.
"I'm not sure I should give this to you now. I can't let you make everyone's lives harder if you plan to continue making your pranks more and more intricate."
"Come on Iruka-sensei, I'm just kidding." Iruka gave his young compatriot a faux-glare, causing the blond to sheepishly begin scratching the back of his head. "Okay, I'm MOSTLY kidding."
"Fine, Naruto," Iruka relented with a sigh. "Just don't let this come back and bite me in the butt later." The chuunin handed the box to blond, who plopped it onto the dining table and tore the top open.
"Alright! Just what I needed!" the birthday-boy exclaimed. Rummaging through, he found a brand new, master craftsman's level set of kunai and shuriken, several spools of ninja wire, and a new pair of black shinobi sandals.
"I'm glad you like them." Iruka expressed as he watched Naruto grab one of the kunai and launch it at a picture of Kiba on which he'd drawn a bullseye. Iruka rolled his eyes as Naruto shot him a smile.
As midnight approached, the two shared cake and a cup of tea before Iruka informed Naruto it was time for him to go. As Naruto headed to open the door for the young man, Iruka paused and called out to his young friend.
"What's up Iruka-sensei."
Iruka had spent several hours thinking of how to break the news to Naruto. The young jinchuuriki may be coarse in his delivery, but beneath his bravado, Naruto was still a ten-year old boy, trying to find himself and his way through life. He had decided that being direct was the only way he could do this, particularly considering how dense his young charge could be from time-to-time.
"Come next week, I will no longer be teaching at the academy."
Both figures silently stared at one another, Naruto searching Iruka for evidence of some ersatz emotion revealing what he'd said to be a huge joke.
"Don't kid around-" Naruto started.
"-I'm not kidding, Naruto." He responded. "By the Hokage's orders, come Monday, I will be back on active duty."
"That doesn't make any sense!" Naruto shot back, "Why would Hokage-jiji force you out of the academy? What would you have to be punished for…"
Naruto trailed off as he realized the full scale of the consequences of the most important day of his life.
"But Hokage-jiji said everything was okay! As long as I only tell you and the others, I should still be safe!"
Iruka exhaled, searching for an explanation.
"I am not being punished for the consequences of my actions, Naruto. I am being punished for going against an order from the Hokage. And as a shinobi of the leaf village, there is no higher authority than the word of the Hokage."
"But you can't just leave! I finally find out I belong to a family, and then you get taken away the same day? What am I supposed to do? None of the other teachers give shit about me, and most would rather see me fail out than become a decent shinobi?
"How can I hope to reform my clan and become Hokage if I can't even get someone to teach me the proper taijutsu stance, or the proper way to throw a shuriken. Hell, it's a miracle I can even throw a kunai straight!"
Iruka permitted himself a laugh at the last phrase, though he quickly moved to assuage the young boy's worries.
"Hokage-sama has a plan, Naruto. He strictly assigned me as your primary teacher because he trusted me to watch over you. He wouldn't send me out if he could not ensure that you would be getting the proper education while I'm gone."
Naruto squinted his eyes at the chuunin and frowned, still apprehensive concerning the latest turn of events.
"Do you at least know when you'll be back?" he asked.
Iruka shook his head in the negative.
"Whenever Hokage-sama deems me to have spent the respective time out in the field atoning for my indiscretion."
Naruto's apprehension turned to full blown frustration, grabbing another shuriken and launching it at his Kiba-themed dart board.
"Gaaaaah," Naruto interjected. "This sucks!"
"Yes, Naruto, it does, but I have to pay the consequences for my actions. This is just another fact of shinobi life."
"That doesn't make it fair."
"But either way, we have to accept it."
Naruto relented, knowing that Iruka was right. This was the life they had both chosen for themselves. And while it would give them the strength to forge their own paths, it also brought an intimate knowledge of loss that few outside of their ranks would experience.
"Are you leaving tonight?" Naruto questioned. Iruka gave him a small, lop-sided smile and nodded in the affirmative.
"My team leaves for the Taki border tonight."
Naruto frowned, and shuttered his eyes. Swallowing the knot forming in his throat, he quickly composed himself and rushed Iruka, pulling the chuunin into a hug.
"Watching Kiba and Hinata, I'd always wondered what it was like to have a sibling. Thanks so much for being a big brother to me, Iruka-sensei."
Iruka felt blood rush to his cheeks, and felt glad that Naruto wasn't quite able to see it.
"Don't worry about me. I'll be back to teaching before you know it."
Pulling back from his young charge, Iruka gave him one last smile before he made his way to the door.
Opening it out ward, he felt it drag an object underneath its weight, the crunch of cardboard tearing echoing down the open corridors of the apartment complex. Looking down, Iruka noticed a small crumpled box trapped beneath. Pulling it out, he noticed the box was thin but long, about three feet in length. Underneath, Iruka noted a light blue note tacked on.
Naruto stepped out through the entrance, looking left and right to see if he could catch any trace of the package's prior owner. Iruka handed the note over to the blond, who turned on the porch light in order to get a better look.
Happy Birthday Tenth Birthday, Naruto
Naruto flipped the card, finding there was nothing written on the other side, and nothing to indicate the identity of the author.
Inspecting the package for any booby traps, Iruka ascertained that the box was harmless and handed it over to Naruto.
Without wasting a moment, Naruto tore into the package, bare hands ripping the cardboard down the middle. Hitting the ground with a light thud, Naruto proceeded to turn on the hall light, revealing a black sheath with a flat handle wrapped in black bandage.
"It's a tanto," Iruka observed, picking the blade up and handing the object to Naruto.
Pulling back the sheath revealed a spotless, steel blade. Before Naruto could test out his new toy's edge, Iruka slipped the sheath back over, causing Naruto to pout in protest.
"Come on Iruka-sensei!" He shouted. "I've got all of this neat stuff I've just gotta try out!"
"You can wait until tomorrow, Naruto. You should get some sleep. It's the weekend, and you're going to have the next two days to try out all of your new presents."
Naruto snatched the blade away from the chuunin, sticking his tongue out in the process. Iruka crossed his arms and gave Naruto a pointed stare. The younger boy sighed, wordlessly relenting before taking the tanto and placing it with the rest of his newly-acquired gifts.
"Who do you think it's from?" The blond asked.
Iruka shrugged.
"Hard to say. They didn't exactly leave a calling card, did they."
Naruto scowled, shaking his head in frustration.
"Too many mysteries today, Iruka-sensei! Can't anyone just be direct?"
Iruka smiled, happy to see that the boy had returned to good spirits.
Stepping out into the porch, he turned back to Naruto with one last observation.
"Whoever it is, it's safe to stay that you've got one more person looking out for you."
He grinned and gave the blond a thumbs up, who returned the gesture before shutting the door.
Lingering, Iruka gave one last look before he set off to prepare for his mission. He was not confident this wouldn't be the last time knocking on the young boy's door.
A/N: It's been a damn long while since I've written anything, and this took a while to get on paper. I'm a bit rusty, and this probably needs more editing, but if I don't get it out, I'm afraid I'll take forever just to get it "perfect."
A few things before anyone decides they'd like to continue reading this story:
- I'm inconsistent with my usage of honorifics. I'll try to get more consistent, but no promises. My general rule is to give priority to the flow of the phrase.
- I really hated the God-tier level fighting in the last part of Naruto. Even when Kyuubi-powered Naruto deus ex machina'd himself to victory early on, there was at least some level of tactical forethought going on. Speaking of God-tier, the Kaguya and Zetsu reveal was some weakass writing. I don't plan on including any version of that in this fic.
- I'll mostly end up sticking to canon pairings. I think Hinata is fucking awesome, and Kishimoto poorly utilized her. Actually, Kishimoto poorly utilized a number of his characters. Shino not making it past chuunin, Sakura practically being wasted even though she's the lead girl. And let's not even get started on fucking Neji. He deserved way better than that. RIP.
- I have a general outline for how the structure of this fic will go, so I'll actually know what I'm doing with a fic for once. That being said, I have my hands full with my new job, so updates will usually not come less than a week apart.
- If you see my list of favorites, you'll see that I've been on this site for a damn long fucking time. In that time, I've absorbed a countless number of fics, many of which I've only subscribed to. If you feel like I've ripped off an idea of yours, please let me know. In all honesty, there are a ton of you (whose pen-names I sadly can't keep straight) who have acted as an inspiration for this fic. Thank you for making me laugh, cry, cheer and vomit at random hours of the day for the last decade and a half. This community is awesome.
With that, thank you for reading the first chapter of Once Upon a Time in Konoha. I hope not to disappoint, and I hope you're kind enough to leave a review afterward. Flame, criticism, whatever. It's the first time in a while I've written, and I need all of the criticism I can get.