A/N - Yep, another new story. I've been wanting to do a story like this for quite some time, but I just couldn't think of a good premise, especially because I wanted to do it in the Elemental Nations. I just recently figured out what I wanted to do with this kind of story, so I figured I'd give it a go and see what happened.

Anywho, I have no idea who is in the harem this time. Could be damn near anybody, as you'll see from the chapter. XD

Okay, not sure what else to say. Sooo, enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 1 – The Beginning

'Them'. That's what so many people called the creatures that had once been Humans. They had other names as well, such as zombies, the walking dead, living corpses, etc. Nobody knew quite how it had happened or how it had begun. Who was the first zombie? Where did the virus originate from? These questions and more went unanswered. The adults had their theories, but there was no way to determine the truth.

Once bitten by one of 'Them', the victim dies moments later and is reanimated as one of 'Them'. The virus continued to spread in this fashion and it had become damn near uncontrollable. 'Them' were powerful and could take quite a bit of damage without dying again. It took time, but they eventually realized that 'Them' were blind and could not feel anything. The people of the Elemental Nations also learned that in order to kill 'Them', you needed to destroy their heads in some way. Remove it from the body, pierce the brain, whatever, just so long as you destroyed the damn thing.

Unfortunately, while they may be blind, their hearing was enhanced to an insane degree. The slightest noise would draw their attention. 'Them' were hard to stop, especially when they were in large groups. Shinobi could use a variety of jutsu to try and kill them, but unfortunately they seemed mostly immune to a great many jutsu. No, the best thing anyone could do was to kill them in the ways mentioned before.

Many people theorized that somebody tried to create a type of super soldier, only to fail and create these monstrosities instead. It was as plausible a theory as anyone could come up with, so most people seemed to stick to that belief.

A young man by the age of 17 sat in the classroom, pondering over 'Them' and trying to figure out just what made them tick. There had to be some reason for their existence. They couldn't have just appeared out of nowhere one day! No, they were created by somebody, and the virus spread throughout the world as they knew it. However, he knew one thing for certain: 'Them' stayed away from large villages and cities. Nobody quite knew why, but villages like Konohagakure and the capital of the Land of Fire were perfectly safe. However, they kept the gates closed, just to be on the safe side.

Naruto frowned as he looked out the window of the classroom. We may be safe, but those smaller villages out there are still in danger. I bet it's like a ghost town in some of those places. Just thinking about it makes me shiver. It's like nightmares brought to life!

It was at this point that Naruto felt something hard impact his forehead. Looking down on the desk, he saw a piece of white chalk lying on his desk. Looking down at the teacher, one Iruka Umino, Naruto frowned and asked, "What was that for?"

"Pay attention in my class Uzumaki! I'm tired of you tuning me out all the time! What I'm teaching could very well save your life out there." Iruka said.

"Yeah, about that. Y'see, you don't care about me. You never have. You and Mizuki there have also been trying to sabotage my education to ensure I'll never become a shinobi of this village. The problem with that is the fact that we need all the shinobi we can get to fight out there on the front lines. People need us. Besides that, I don't understand why you hate me so much. What did I ever do to either of you?" Naruto asked, sounding a bit apathetic.

Iruka flinched at that and found it incredibly hard to look at the other students, knowing they'd be giving him glares, wondering if what Naruto said is true. Mizuki, on the other hand, just scowled and said, "You have no proof of any of that. All you have is your word against ours."

Naruto smirked and said, "Hokage-sama already knows the truth. I've given him plenty of evidence already. The only reason you two still have a job is because you still have a purpose here: teaching the other students. Me? I just couldn't give a rat's ass anymore. I'll become a shinobi of the village one way or another and then I'll be out there helping people. So you two go ahead and keep doing what it is you do, I don't care."

Iruka frowned and asked, "If that's true, then why hasn't he just had us replaced yet?"

"You'd have to ask him yourself. As for why I'm still bothering to attend classes with you asshats, it's simple. I'm not here for the lectures and the history lessons. I'm here for the practical stuff. And just so you know, that Clone Technique you keep bitching at me about? I've got too much chakra. I can't possibly create a few measly clones. If I wanted to have any chance at using it, I'd have to flood the whole room with clones, and even then they're pretty much useless. I don't see the point." Naruto explained.

Mizuki scowled and said, "Bullshit! There's no way someone who's not even a Genin yet could have that much chakra! Unless everyone's right about you and you're the…!"

Iruka harshly elbowed Mizuki in the ribs and said, "You know it's forbidden! Don't say anymore!"

The silver-haired instructor scowled at Naruto for a while longer before looking at Iruka. "You know I hate that thing, Iruka! Everyone deserves to know what kind of monster he really is! Don't tell me you don't feel the same way?"

Iruka sighed and shook his head. "It's still forbidden. Unless you want to be executed?"

Before Mizuki could respond, a student with blonde hair and her hair in a ponytail spoke up, interrupting their conversation. "Just what are you two talking about? Naruto's harmless. He wouldn't hurt anyone that didn't deserve it. So what the hell is your problem with him anyways?"

Naruto quirked a brow at that, not sure why one of Sasuke's fangirls would be defending him. Shrugging it off, he decided to pay attention to the two Chunin to see how they'd react. This should be interesting.

Mizuki looked into Ino's eyes before saying, "You don't know that thing's true nature, Miss Yamanaka. It's best for everyone if they stopped trying to associate with it."

Another student, a purple-haired girl with a slender frame with a sheathed katana sitting beside her, spoke up at this point. "You keep referring to Naruto-kun as an 'it', Mizuki-sensei. Is it really so hard for you to accept that he is a person, just like you and I?"

Mizuki, tired of being called out on this, exclaimed, "He's a fucking demon goddammit! I don't care if I'm executed for it, you all deserve to know the truth! He's the motherfucking Kyuubi! I'm sick of people trying to treat it as a human being! I've had to watch as it parades around, pretending to be a Human and smiling without a care in the world. Well I am sick of it! Why the Hokage lets that thing run around loose, I'll never understand! It deserves to die!"

Gasps were heard all around the classroom. The other students weren't sure what to think of the information that had just been given to them. However, before anyone could so much as speak a word, an Anbu appeared behind Mizuki and gripped him by the neck before vanishing with him. As soon as they were gone, Iruka frowned and shook his head. "Rest in peace, Mizuki." he said quietly to himself.

Sadly, the damage had been done. The students turned as one to look up at Naruto to see him trembling with his head lowered. They couldn't tell what he was feeling or what was going through his head. After a while though, Naruto looked hard into Iruka's eyes and asked, "So that's why people hate me? They think I'm the Kyuubi? Tell me something, Iruka-sensei. Do I look like the Kyuubi to you? Because from what I understand about fuinjutsu and the various jinchuriki throughout the world, I'm simply its jailer and NOT the beast itself. But you know that, don't you? So I'm willing to bet the Kyuubi did something to you that you took rather personally. Tell me, who did the Kyuubi kill? It had to have been someone you cared about, otherwise you wouldn't be directing such hatred towards me."

Iruka scowled at him and said, "You may not be the Kyuubi itself, but there's no telling when you'll lose control and hurt somebody. And if you really must know, the Kyuubi killed my parents. Satisfied now?"

"No. Far from it. I'm PISSED that you and those like you decided to take your anger and frustration out on me from the very moment I was born. I did NOTHING to any of you! But no, simply existing was a crime. Is a crime! And I'm pissed that I had to learn this from assholes like you two instead of from somebody I trusted! Gramps has a LOT of explaining to do. As for all of you," here, Naruto looked at the other students, "I'll leave it up to you to decide what you do with this information. Feel free to continue shunning me, I don't give a shit. I just want you all to form your own opinions rather than continue to follow the crowd. Now…" Turning back to the front of the classroom, Naruto stood up and said, "I'm going to go and pay Gramps a visit. He has a LOT to answer for." And with that, he walked out of the classroom, nobody even attempting to try and stop him.

Once he was gone, a girl with orange hair and red eyes stared hard at Iruka and asked, "So what's your problem with Naruto-kun? All this time he's been suffering as a result of your actions, it's all because he holds the Kyuubi? I don't care what the Kyuubi did to you or anyone else! Naruto-kun's been nothing but good to people, good to me! If he really was the Kyuubi, I doubt he'd have been so nice to people. Hell, even if he was the Kyuubi, I'd still be his friend simply because he's a good person!"

Iruka frowned deeply at her and said, "Be careful who you say that to, Ms. Miyamoto. Not everyone will be as forgiving as I am of that kind of talk."

The now named Rei Miyamoto glared at him in response, but didn't say anything more. She didn't have to, as one Saya Takagi, spoke up. "You really are as dumb as you look, aren't you Iruka? It wasn't all that hard to piece together the fact that Naruto-kun has the Kyuubi sealed within him, what with everyone calling him a demon all the time and making references to the fox. He's a Human, just like you and me. The only difference between us is the fact he's been dealt a cruel hand in life and has been made to suffer for it. See, there's a very good reason I decided to befriend him. He needed positive interaction with somebody, as opposed to the poisonous words and actions the majority of the village hits him with." Sighing softly, the pink-haired girl shook her head and said, "Very few people treat him with any kind of human decency. I'm ashamed of you, Iruka-sensei. I'm ashamed to even know half the people of this village for how they treat him."

A boy by the name of Sasuke Uchiha scoffed and said, "You're defending a freak of nature. I always knew there was something off about him, and now I know why. Heh, once I awaken my Sharingan, I might just make him my pet and make good use of him before disposing of the freak."

Hearing this coming from their beloved caused an interesting split between the fangirls. Those like Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka couldn't believe their crush could say such a horrible thing. They were beginning to question if Sasuke was really the Prince Charming everyone thought he was. The others, like Ami and Misuzu Ichijou stayed true to their beloved and nodded along with his words.

Misuzu's best friend, a girl by the name of Toshimi Niki, wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that her best friend was siding with the class emo. She didn't like the boy one bit. He was arrogant and mean, and he just proved that with what he had just said. Toshimi had never understood the appeal, and she and Misuzu had butted heads many times because of it. While it was true that Toshimi hadn't yet talked with Naruto, she didn't hate him. If anything, she felt he was misunderstood and deserved to have some real friends. So then, why was she so hesitant to talk to him? Thinking on it now, she realized that she was afraid of what other people would think of her for associating with him. Sighing sadly, the brunette shook her head and muttered, "Naruto…I'll try to be nicer to you from now on."

Misuzu, who was sitting next to Toshimi, scowled at her and asked, "What the hell?! I could tolerate you not liking Sasuke-kun, but to betray me and go after Naruto of all people? What's wrong with you Shimi-chan?!"

Toshimi glared at her best friend and said, "I'm not going to pine after him like you do Sasuke. All I'm saying is that I want to extend the olive branch and try to befriend him. Naruto deserves at least that much. I'm starting to wonder why we're even friends anymore. You're so obsessed with Sasuke this and Sasuke that that you can't even think for yourself anymore!"

Misuzu recoiled in shock and stammered for a time as she tried to think of what to say in response. "M-Maybe…"

Toshimi shook her head and said, "No. I don't want to hear it anymore. Until you can pull your head out of your ass and see day from night again, I don't want to have anything to do with you. I love you Misuzu-chan, I do, but I just can't tolerate it anymore."

Meanwhile, a girl sitting beside one Hinata Hyuga, going by the name if Miku Yuuki, found herself grinning. "So I was right. Naruto-kun is quite the catch. I wonder…"

Hinata looked at the orange-haired girl sitting next to her and shook her head. "N-No, Miku-san. You shouldn't think like that. N-Naruto-kun isn't s-some sex object. You s-should get to know him as a p-person before even t-thinking about something like…like that."

The yellow-eyed girl simply grinned at Hinata and said, "Oh hush, Hina-chan. And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Miku-chan? Besides, don't tell me you haven't at least considered what you'd do with him if you got some alone time together? You're crazy about the guy after he saved you from those bullies ages ago. Besides that, I know you've snuck a peek at his package. Tell me, how big is he?"

The shy Hyuga blushed so red that it looked like she might just faint. Leaning closer to Miku, she whispered, "Fully erect? I'd say he's a little over 10 inches. I can't even imagine what that would feel like."

Miku whistled in appreciation and said, "Now I really wanna go for a ride." All poor Hinata could do was blush worse and faint with a goofy grin on her face.

At the front of the classroom, Iruka sighed as he listened to all the chatter going on in his classroom. They were all discussing Naruto and the revelation about him being the village's jinchuriki. It seemed like they were split in half when it came to the blonde. Half decided to hate him, the other half decided that he already had it bad enough and deserved to be treated fairly. Realizing that even if he used his Big Head Technique that they'd still ignore him and the lesson for today, he banged his head on his desk and thought, Dammit Mizuki. Look at what you've caused now.

Hokage's Office

Hiruzen sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose as Naruto entered the office and took a seat across from him without a word. "Dammit Mizuki." He muttered.

"So what's your excuse for not telling me Gramps? Don't feed me some bullshit excuse about having a normal childhood, because that DIDN'T happen and you know it!" Naruto questioned, clearly angry with the Hokage.

The Hokage shook his head and said, "That's really the only excuse I can give. I truly wanted you to grow up loved by the people, but, as you said, it didn't happen that way. They were supposed to have seen you as a hero for holding the Kyuubi at bay within you. I…honestly have no reason to give you about why I didn't tell you. I'm sorry, Naruto-kun."

"Then you should tell me who my parents were. If you want to set things right, I'd start there. I'm pretty sure I know who my dad is at this point, considering what I just learned. So I'm giving you this ONE chance, Hokage-sama. Tell me who my parents are." Naruto demanded.

Hiruzen sighed again and massaged his forehead. He could feel a monster of a headache coming on. After some time had passed, he looked into Naruto's eyes and said, "I can't tell you, Naruto-kun. They've decreed that you aren't to know until you've made Chunin."

"I see. And rather than fight them on it and do the right thing, you'd rather bend to their demands. Fine then, I'm going to state my father's name and you're going to tell me if I'm right. If you refuse, then I'm going to walk out that door and whatever relationship we had up until this point dies. Is that what you want, Hokage-sama?" Naruto said, deciding he had enough of the bullshit.

Before Hiruzen could respond, Naruto looked him dead in the eyes and said, "Minato Namikaze. Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure and worshipped as a hero for 'vanquishing the Kyuubi'. Only he didn't vanquish it. He sealed it within his son on the day of his birth. October 10th. I look just like him, only with whisker marks. Now, it's your turn Hokage-sama."

The Hokage flinched and looked away, neither confirming or denying that Naruto was right. Seeing this, Naruto rose from his chair and made his way towards the door. "I thought you were better than this, Hokage-sama." Naruto said before opening the door and leaving the room.

Once he was alone in his office, Hiruzen slammed his head down on the desk and groaned. "Dammit. All I had to do was tell him the truth and I couldn't bring myself to do it!"

Naruto

Leaving the tower, Naruto soon punched a hole in the wall and shouted in rage. "Goddammit! Obviously I can't trust a damn person, can I?"

"You can trust me." a familiar voice stated from behind him.

Turning to see who it was, Naruto was a little surprised to see Shizuka Marikawa standing there, smiling kindly at him. "Shizuka-chan?"

The beautiful blonde medic shinobi hugged him tight, pressing his head against her bountiful bosom. "It's okay Naruto-kun. Do you remember what I told you before? You can come talk to me anytime. If something's troubling you, I'll always be there to lend an ear. Okay?"

Naruto blushed fiercely as he slowly freed himself from Shizuka's hold. "Thanks Shizuka-chan. But aren't you needed at the hospital?"

The blonde tapped her finger against her chin and asked, "Am I? I can't seem to recall."

Sighing softly, Naruto said, "Forget it. Can we go somewhere and talk? It might be nice to have somebody to vent to."

Shizuka smiled brightly at this and nodded her head. "Of course! Let's go to Ramen Ichiraku. If I remember right, that's your favorite place to eat at in the village, right?"

Naruto smiled sadly and said, "More like one of the only places that'll serve me and treat me right. The only other places to eat are Yakiniku Q and the dango place Anko-chan frequents."

The beautiful medic looked at Naruto sadly and said, "Well then, maybe I'll have to treat you to one of my meals someday. I can cook pretty well, you know. I'm sure you'd like some of my dishes!"

The spiky-haired teen looked at Shizuka for a moment and chuckled softly. "You're sweet, Shizu-chan. Come on, we should get going." he said before leading her to his favorite eatery in the village.

After arriving at the ramen stand and placing their orders, Shizuka asked, "So what's the matter Naruto-kun? Something was obviously bothering you earlier."

"I finally learned why I'm so hated in the village…from one of the asshole teachers I told you guys about." Naruto said, looking pointedly at the Ichiraku family and Shizuka. "Then again, I'm pretty sure you all knew and didn't tell me about it. Am I right?"

Shizuka frowned and tapped her finger against her chin as she looked up in thought. "You're hated? By who?"

Teuchi sighed and facepalmed himself. "Damn near everyone in the village Marikawa-san. And yes, Naruto-kun, you and others your age are the only ones who weren't aware. If it wasn't for the fact the Third made a law forbidding it, we would've told you so much sooner."

Naruto sighed and nodded his head. "I'm not surprised. As soon as Mizuki announced it in front of the whole classroom, an Anbu came and took him away. I doubt we'll be seeing him again."

The elder Ichiraku frowned and asked, "Just what did he say, Naruto-kun? And how did your classmates take the news?"

The spiky-haired teen shook his head and said, somewhat in disbelief, "Mizuki-teme told everyone that I'm the Kyuubi. As for how they took it? Hell if I know. I left to go and confront the old man."

Teuchi looked worried as he asked, "What did the Third say to you?"

"He didn't even try to excuse why he hid the Kyuubi from me all this time. Then when I asked him who my parents were, he wouldn't tell me. So I told him I'd tell him who I think my father is, knowing what I do now, and he could either confirm or deny it. He didn't say a thing. So I left. He seems insistent that he can't tell me because the councils have 'forbidden it'. The Hokage has all the power, NOT them." Naruto explained angrily.

Shizuka blinked and asked, "Really? I thought you already knew. I mean, it was no secret to anyone that Minato-kun and Kushina-chan were happy as can be when they knew they were going to have you. I mean, it's pretty obvious just by looking at you who your parents were."

Teuchi facepalmed again and said, "You're not good at keeping secrets, are you Marikawa-san?" Sighing softly, he looked into Naruto's eyes and said, "The councils didn't want you to know who your parents were. Nor did they want you to get your inheritance or anything. Then they made sure to have the Uzumaki clan wiped from the village's history, just to keep you from realizing how important you are. They wanted EVERYTHING stripped from you the moment you were revealed to house the Kyuubi."

The busty medic nin frowned sadly and shook her head. "That's terrible! If I had known all of that, I would've told you everything, Naruto-kun. I don't care what the councils think. So here's the truth: your parents were Minato Namikaze and a wonderful person known as Kushina Uzumaki. I'm sure they've left quite the inheritance for you, so I'll go with you to get what's yours from the Hokage. And if he doesn't hand it over, I'll have to tell him no more free checkups for him. I'm sure he'll listen then!"

Naruto sweatdropped and said, "Yeah, somehow I doubt that he'll care much about that, Shizuka-chan. But thank you." Turning away from her, Naruto placed his order and waited patiently for Teuchi and Ayame to bring it to him. Sadly, he wouldn't be able to enjoy it as an Anbu entered and informed the four of them that they were to be at the village square in a matter of minutes. Sighing softly, Naruto stood up and took Shizuka's hand in his. "Come on guys, let's go see what this is about."

Shizuka blushed slightly at the contact, but smiled at her younger companion as she walked with him and the Ichiraku's to their destination. Upon arrival, they saw that almost the entire village was there, watching the strange sight that was a bloody and broken Mizuki pinned in place with a sword positioned at his throat. "Well, this isn't at all what I was expecting." the medic nin said.

"I figured this would happen the moment he revealed his version of the truth to the entire classroom." Naruto said with an uncaring shrug of his shoulders.

Before anymore could be said, they were caught off guard when a rather ample-chested girl glomped onto Naruto's back and whispered huskily in his ear, "Why hello again Na-ru-to-kun. I was wondering where you got off to."

Naruto blushed deeply as he said, "H-Hi Miku-chan. Is there some reason you're clinging to me like this?"

"Why Naruto-kun, you act like you don't enjoy this." Miku teased. "Besides, is it wrong for a girl to be affectionate with her future husband? I assure you, I have plenty to offer you."

The blonde's eyes widened as he felt her rubbing her bountiful breasts against his back. Shocked by what she said, he turned to ask her what she meant, only for her to claim his lips with hers, taking his first kiss in the process. When they separated moments later, he was blushing badly and struggled to formulate words to respond to what she had just done.

Giggling to herself, Miku started snaking her hands downwards from his chest, only to receive a harsh whack to the back of the head. Turning to see who had hit her, she pouted upon seeing Saeko Busujima standing there with her sheathed katana. "Behave yourself Yuuki-san. Are you okay Naruto-kun?"

Miku pouted cutely, but relented regardless. Seeing this, Naruto said, "Thanks Saeko-san. How did everyone take the news?"

Saeko tapped her katana against her shoulder and said, "Well, I'd say about half of the class is against you now, while the others are supportive. The Uchiha runt seems to like the idea of controlling you like a mindless animal once he awakens his Sharingan. I think I'd like to pluck out his eyes once he's awakened them and make sure they're put to a more productive use. His comment seems to have turned half of his fangirls against him, while the other half are still avid supporters for some reason. So don't be surprised if some of his fangirls come up to you later to apologize or something. Then you've got Iruka." Sighing, she palmed her face and said, "He still thinks you're a problem that needs to be dealt with. When Rei-san spoke out in your defense, he warned her to be careful about saying such things to him or anyone else. I think he has a point though, sadly. Your supporters need to be cautious about who they say certain things in front of."

"I thought Rei-chan was still upset with me after my argument with Takashi? Why's she defending me, all of a sudden?" Naruto wondered aloud.

Miku poked his cheek and said, "Dummy. It's because she can't decide who she likes more: you or Takashi. Personally, I think you're the better catch. After all, you're a pretty special person with a little something special. I think you're sexy."

Naruto blushed fiercely again, but decided to try and ignore the wonderful sensation her breasts made when rubbing against his back. "Thank you, Miku-chan. But, umm…can you please stop? People are staring…"

The orange-haired girl looked around to see that a bunch of people were, indeed, staring at them. Sticking her tongue out at them, she then kissed Naruto on the cheek and said, "So what? Let them stare. I don't care what they think."

The blonde smiled thankfully at her, but before he could say anything, Hinata walked up with Rei. The two of them pried Miku off of Naruto with matching sighs. "How are you holding up, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, deciding she'd push through her nerves and speak without a fucking stutter. Now wasn't the time for such a thing, after all.

Naruto shrugged and said, "I'm all right. Kind of surprised to hear not everybody's against me. Faith in people has been restored!" he joked.

Hinata giggled and said, "I'm glad to hear it, Naruto-kun. I assume you know why we've been called here?"

The blonde simply nodded and pointed to Mizuki. "I'm pretty sure he's about to be publicly executed. It was hinted that there was a law forbidding people from talking about me and my connection to the fox. Sooo I'm pretty sure he's toast."

Hinata nodded in understanding, but before she could say anything, Rei walked up and poked him on the cheek. "Are you sure you're holding up okay, Naruto-kun? Did you get the answers you were hoping for from the Hokage?"

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Nope. Tried to get him to at least tell me who my parents were and he wouldn't even give me that much. Pops and Shizu-chan here had to tell me the truth."

Rei and the others scowled as they heard this. Saeko asked, "Why would he hide your parents' identities from you? That doesn't make any sense."

Teuchi sighed and spoke up at this point. "It's best not to discuss it here. I suggest that, if you want to know the truth, you all come by my stand later. We can talk about it there."

The girls each nodded before noticing some more girls walking up to them. Rei sighed as she noticed Takashi walking up behind them with a noticeable frown on his face. At this point, she was kind of regretting the promise she had made to Takashi when they were children. While Takashi was a nice enough guy, he was a bit wishy-washy and didn't have the same kind of confidence that others his age had. At the same time, however, while she still cared for Takashi, she had found herself growing incredibly fond of Naruto as they all got to know each other better. She just felt drawn to him and she found that she couldn't really put it into words. Rei just knew that she was falling for him and was taking less of an interest in Takashi every day. Besides, Takashi was clinging to that promise, believing that everything would be okay between them because of it. It was getting to be kind of irritating, if she had to be brutally honest.

As the group reached them, one of the girls, Toshimi Niki, spoke up. "Hello there, Naruto-kun. I know we haven't talked before, but I'm Toshimi Niki. I wanted to get to know you and see if we could maybe be friends."

Naruto quirked a brow at her and asked, "Aren't you and your friend Sasuke fangirls though? Why would you want anything to do with me? It's not out of pity, is it?"

Toshimi scowled and shook her head. "Oh hell no! Misuzu-chan might like Sasuke, but I just don't see the appeal in a guy like that. I told her earlier that until she can pull her head out of her ass, she and I can't be friends. Besides, I only hesitated in approaching you before out of my friendship for her. You could say I'm curious about you, Naruto-kun. So yes, I'd like to be friends, and it's not out of pity."

Naruto smiled at her and nodded his head in thanks. "Thanks Toshimi-san."

"None of that -san stuff. Just call me Toshimi-chan." she said with a smile on her face.

Chuckling softly, Naruto nodded before turning his gaze to Sakura and Ino. "You two look horrible. What happened?"

Sakura sighed and said, "We're sorry, Naruto. I'm especially sorry for all the times I hit you and badmouthed you in an effort to please Sasuke. I…fell in with the crowd, but that's really no excuse. I'll be honest, I'd probably still be mixed in with the wrong crowd if not for the fact Sasuke said what he did. I can't see what I ever saw in him."

Ino nodded and said, "Yeah. There's something SERIOUSLY wrong with that creep. And I'm sorry for hurting you too, Naruto. We'd like to start over and be your friends. That sound good to you? 'Cause I'm not leaving until you agree to become our friend."

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "I have no problem with that. I never hated either of you. And Sakura-chan, just so you know for future reference, I like your forehead. You shouldn't feel the need to hide it away. It's one of your best features."

Sakura blushed badly at hearing this. Looking hopefully into his eyes, she asked, "It is? Really?"

The blonde nodded and gave her a bright smile. "Of course it is. I don't understand why other people have picked on you so much for it. You're beautiful as you are."

At hearing this, Sakura threw her arms around Naruto and buried her face in his chest as she began to cry. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Ino smirked at this and looked Naruto in the eyes. "Careful there big guy, say anymore and she's likely to fall for you." she teased.

Naruto chuckled softly and simply hugged Sakura back, gently running his fingers through her long, pink hair. "I wouldn't complain about that. Might be nice to get that kind of attention." he joked back.

Ino couldn't help but smirk a bit more as she looked him in the eyes. "Okay, I can definitely see the appeal now. We're going to get along great, Naruto. I'm certain of it."

The spiky-haired teen nodded before looking at Takashi. "How's it going Taka?"

Takashi sighed and shook his head. "It's going. I really have no idea what to think about any of this. That guy really thinks you're the Kyuubi? Far as I know, you're just another regular guy. Just like the rest of us guys. I don't care if you house the damn thing inside you or not."

Naruto shrugged and let Sakura go so she could move back to Ino's side. Looking Takashi in the eyes, he said, "Thanks. Anyways, looks like the show's about to start."

Turning as one, they listened as the Hokage began to speak. "For too long now, I've sat by and watched as time after time after time, you have broken my law that I set into place 17 years ago. I strictly forbade anyone from mentioning Naruto Uzumaki and his status to anyone. So many of you broke my law and managed to convince your children, your relatives, your friends, and everyone else you could think of that Naruto Uzumaki IS the Kyuubi. I let you get away with this because the councils always protected you."

"Earlier today, Mizuki, Chunin academy teacher for Naruto-kun's class, told all of his students that Naruto is the Kyuubi. Since I'm sure a great many of you are under the misconception that Naruto is in fact the Kyuubi, let me clear something up for you." Hiruzen said before he held up a storage scroll and a kunai. "I am going to show you something. Then I am going to ask you a question. It's a very simple question that almost all of you should be able to answer correctly."

Taking the kunai, he sealed it within the scroll before letting the scroll fall to the ground. "Now, I sealed the kunai into the scroll. Does this make the scroll the kunai?"

One man was stupid enough to say, "Of course not! But what does this have to do with that boy being the demon? I mean it's obvious that he's the Kyuubi itself! Who are you to tell us otherwise?!" Needless to say, he was soon executed by an Anbu before she vanished into the shadows once again.

Hiruzen sighed and shook his head in disappointment. "Obviously you don't understand. What the Fourth did was seal the Kyuubi within his SON. Minato's son was to be the scroll that contained the kunai. They are NOT one in the same. And yes, you have been abusing and hating the Fourth's CHILD! Now you will all see the price of betraying Minato-kun's wishes!" Motioning towards his Anbu, one of them approached Mizuki and lifted his head up so everyone could watch as the Anbu slit his throat and let him bleed out, thrashing around in anguish.

Once Mizuki was confirmed dead, the Hokage looked at the gathered crowd and said, "You should be disgusted with yourselves. To think I've allowed the councils to push me around for so long. I'm ashamed of myself! From now on, if any of you try anything stupid like Mizuki and that man, you WILL be executed on the spot. We have enough to deal with with 'Them' lurking outside the walls. We don't need to be attacking one of our own!" And with that, Hiruzen and his Anbu returned to his office, leaving the dead bodies there as a continual message to the people: their shit would no longer be tolerated.

Once they were gone, Naruto just knew he was going to be bombarded with questions. So with a sigh, he looked at Teuchi and asked, "Think your stand's big enough for the whole group?"

Teuchi chuckled and said, "Follow me. I'll take you all to my house. It's more than big enough for all of you." Thanking him, the group followed after him, eager to hear the truth straight from Naruto's mouth.

As they walked, Miku couldn't help but stare hungrily at Naruto. Oh you make quite the fine catch indeed, Naruto Uzumaki. I'm going to enjoy making you fall for me.

Noticing her lustful looks towards Naruto, Saeko bonked her on the head again and said, "Behave yourself, Yuuki-san."

"First, OW! Second, why do you even care? You rarely talk to the guy." Miku asked indignantly.

Saeko simply grinned at her and said, "Because he interests me."

"Uh-huh." Miku said before shrugging carelessly. "Whatever. Just know that I'm going to make him mine. I wouldn't mind sharing though." She said with a grin.

Saeko simply sighed, but found herself smiling at the thought. Naruto Uzumaki. You're quite the interesting one.

Teuchi's House

Naruto was seated between Shizuka Marikawa and Ayame Ichiraku, the two of them working to keep the girls from mobbing him. Staring at the gathered group of people, mostly girls, he asked, "So what do you want to talk about first?"

Sakura was the first one to speak up. "Did…did you really mean what you said before? About me, I mean."

The blonde blinked in shock. "Seriously? That's what you want to know, more than anything else?" Seeing her nod, he chuckled softly and said, "I meant every word. I think you're charming as you are, forehead and everything."

The pinkette blushed badly and suddenly found the floor very interesting to stare at. Seeing this, Ino giggled and poked her friend's forehead. "Awww, is somebody getting a crush? So cuuuuute." she teased.

Sakura simply punched her friend lightly in the arm and said, "Shut up."

Ino simply giggled and hugged Sakura against her. "You know I love you Sakura. You're my best friend."

"I know. Thanks." Sakura replied.

"Okay, seriously, any questions you want me to answer or anything?" Naruto questioned, getting everyone's attention again.

"Is it true that your dad's the Fourth Hokage?" Takashi asked.

"Apparently. I kind of figured as much." Naruto said with a shrug of his shoulders. "And yes, he sealed the Kyuubi within his own son, me. I'm kind of surprised you all aren't trying to avoid me. So many people think I'm a freak of nature that I got kind of used to it."

Saya frowned at him and walked up to him. Reaching up, she flicked him in the forehead hard and said, "That's stupid of you, and you know it. Screw what other people say about you. You're still my favorite blonde knucklehead. And how could you think I, of all people, would abandon you simply for knowing you hold the fox? I thought you knew me better than that."

Naruto chuckled ruefully and said, "Thanks Saya-chan. I appreciate that."

"As well you should." she said before she tilted his head up and kissed him on the forehead. "There."

Naruto blushed a healthy shade of red and watched as Saya sat back down in her original position. Chuckling softly, he looked around at everyone and asked, "So…what are your thoughts?"

Rei frowned for a moment and asked, "Do you know who your mother was? Or what she was like?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "All I know is her name was Kushina. I honestly don't know anything about her yet."

Teuchi spoke up at this point as he started handing out refreshments to everybody. "Kushina-chan was a frequent customer of mine. She was a ramen addict, similar to you, Naruto-kun. She was so ecstatic when she learned she was pregnant with you. She also had a nasty temper on her. Oh the stories I heard from and about her." Chuckling, he walked up to Naruto and patted him on the head. "You would've loved her."

Naruto smiled and nodded his head. "Thanks Pops." Looking at the others, the blonde frowned for a moment before he asked, "Seriously though, why are all of you here, talking to me? I get that you don't hate me or anything, but…"

Toshimi smiled at him and said, "Like I said before, I want to be your friend. I think that's what we all want. Though I get the feeling some among us would like to be more than friends." Giggling a bit, she sent knowing looks at a few of the girls.

The spiky-haired teen blushed and scratched at his whiskered cheek. "I-I see. That would certainly explain some things. But…I can't just choose one person to be with if it comes down to that. I would hate to break anyone's heart."

Shizuka smiled at him and said, "Then don't. You can be with more than one girl, you know? Besides, as the last of your clan, it would make sense in a way for you to be with multiple women. And knowing you, you'd care for each and every one of them. You could all be happy and smiling together and oh, it just sounds so wonderful!"

Naruto blinked a couple of times before saying, "That's right. You guys did mention something about an Uzumaki clan before. So I'm the last of the clan, huh? Damn."

"Yep. And your father was studying 'Them' before the night of the Kyuubi attack. He was trying so hard to solve the mystery and hopefully find a permanent cure or solution. Sadly, nobody knows what became of his research. Personally? I think Danzo took his notes and did something with them. That old bastard would definitely do something like that, especially if it meant he could somehow weaponize 'Them' and use them to further his own goals. His main goal, however, is to become Hokage, no matter what he has to do." Teuchi explained.

The blonde scowled and clenched his fist tight. "Then I know one person I'll need to deal with soon." Looking around at everyone, he sighed softly and smiled kindly at them. "Anyways, thanks. I don't deserve such kindness."

"Yes you do." Hinata said. "You're a good person, Naruto-kun. You more than deserve to have good things happen in your life. I mean, you saved me, after all. Why do you think I like you?"

Naruto blushed and said, "I-I don't know? I really didn't think anyone felt that way about me. I'm the outcast with very few friends. I didn't think anyone really cared."

Shizuka smiled and shook her head. "Enough about that. Would anyone like some wine? Wine sounds lovely right now!"

Teuchi sweatdropped again and said, "Marikawa-san, I don't have any wine. Besides, this is my house and they're still just teenagers. They aren't permitted to drink any until they're at least Genin."

"Really? That's a shame." Shizuka said, tapping her finger against her chin. "Oh well." Looking at Naruto, she leaned against him and smiled brightly. "You're so warm."

Once more, Naruto's face erupted in a blush as he muttered, "Thanks."

It was at this point that a knock sounded on the door. Opening it, Teuchi was surprised to see the Hokage standing there in the doorway. Letting him in, he watched as the old man approached Naruto.

Looking into the blonde's eyes, Hiruzen sighed sadly before saying, "Hello, Naruto-kun. I know you probably don't want to see me right now, but I brought this for you." Rifling through his pockets, he pulled out a large scroll and handed it to the blonde. "That scroll contains numerous other scrolls and items that belonged to your parents. I'm also giving you your parents' home. Well, one of them. The other one was destroyed during the Kyuubi attack. They decided to leave you a home…that I kept from you for too long. I'm sorry."

Before Naruto could say anything, Rei shouted, "Why the hell would you keep such a thing from him in the first place?! Didn't you feel that Naruto-kun deserved a proper home? I've seen the apartment he lives in, and it's not pretty. I'm amazed you let Naruto-kun live there, considering how bad it is."

Takashi placed a hand on Rei's shoulder and said, "Rei-chan, you shouldn't…"

Rei shrugged Takashi's hand off of her and said, "No! Hokage-sama needs to hear this! He should've done something MUCH sooner!"

"But…" Takashi weakly tried to protest.

Hiruzen sighed and shook his head. "No, she's right. I was too afraid of the councils disapproval and their supposed power over me to do anything. Naruto-kun, cherish your friendship with these people. Come, I'll guide you to your new home. You all are welcome to come as well, if you'd like." he said before leading them out of Teuchi's house and towards the clan district where his new home waited for him.

As they walked along, Miku slipped up beside Naruto and leaned in close. "Want me to help you break in the new bed properly?" she teased.

Naruto blushed badly at that and said, "M-Maybe later? We need to get to know each other better first, Miku-chan."

"Aww, that's no fun. Don't you like me, Na-ru-to-kun?" she asked in a seductive tone. All Naruto could do was blush worse as they walked along, Miku teasing him the entire way.

When they finally arrived at what would be his new home, their eyes widened at the sight of it. It looked amazing and it looked as if it could house a lot of people. If they had to put it into words, it was like a freaking mansion!

Doing as Hiruzen instructed him to, Naruto smeared some blood on the gate before proceeding through it and up to the door, which Naruto unlocked with a key that the Hokage gave him. Stepping inside, he couldn't help but grin. "Oh yeah, I'm going to like living here."

"Why don't you have a look around, Naruto-kun? We can wait here for you." Hiruzen suggested before he walked over to a nearby chair and sat down.

Naruto nodded and smiled at his friends before he went off to explore his new home. As he left, a few of the girls came to a decision. Once they were all Genin, they were definitely moving in here. All for their Naruto-kun…

When the blonde found the master bedroom, he walked in and sat down on the bed, loving how soft it was already. Kicking off his sandals, he laid back on the bed and closed his eyes, simply relishing in the feeling he got from doing so. The bed was leagues better than the one he had at that lousy apartment. In fact, as he lay there, he found himself slowly drifting off. At least, he was until…

Feeling someone straddling him, he opened his eyes to see Miku in his face. Blushing at how close she was, he went to speak, only to feel her lips on his again. Slowly, he began kissing her back while she rubbed his crotch through his pants. When they parted, Miku said, "We're alone in here, Naruto-kun. If you desire, we can take this even further and I can show you a real good time. But if you aren't ready, then there's no need to rush things. I'll be patient with you. You're well worth the wait, after all."

Naruto frowned in thought for a moment before shaking his head. "As much as I'd like to, and trust me, I'd really like to, we can't keep the Hokage and the others waiting for too long. I have a feeling we'd be at it for hours. That, and I'm not sure if there's silencing seals on the walls or not. Everyone would hear us."

Lime begins! (don't like? Don't read!)

The orange-haired girl pouted cutely, but nodded her head in understanding. "All good points. Fine then, I know what we can do." she said with a grin on her face. Slowly, she climbed off of him and proceeded to free his cock from the confines of his pants. Massaging it gently, she soon licked the tip, getting a taste for it. Liking it, she took it into her mouth and began to suck on it and lick it from the base to the tip. Hearing Naruto moan and whisper her name spurred Miku on more and she could feel herself getting wetter. Reaching down under her skirt, she pushed her panties aside and began thrusting a few of her fingers in her hungry snatch.

Naruto began running his fingers through her hair and said, "Damn MIku-chan, that feels so good. I'm already about to cum."

The orange-haired girl simply looked up at him, making a show of swallowing his cock and sliding back and forth on its length. The entire time, she was moaning in delight as she fingered herself and sucked him off. When he finally came, shooting his load down her throat, she picked up the pace with her fingers until she moaned out Naruto's name as she squirted all over the floor.

Slipping her panties back into place, she watched as Naruto put away his cock again and grinned at him. "I'm looking forward to next time we get to be alone together like this, Naruto-kun. I want you BAD."

Lime ends (Safe to read again!)

Naruto was blushing as the two of them stood up. Before Naruto could say anything, however, Miku grabbed his hand and placed it on her left breast. "Feel this? These are yours, sweetheart. I'm going to really make you want me." she said with a wink before she turned and sauntered off, leaving him standing there absolutely stunned.

Well, I can't say my life is boring…

A/N - And that's the chapter! I couldn't figure out where to end the chapter, so I picked that. Works for me! lol.

Anywho, as you can see, a lot of the girls are interested in him and there's definitely potential for a lot of them to end up in the harem. There's still more characters from Highschool of the Dead that will be introduced in later chapters, so I hope you're looking forward to that.

All right, seeing as I have no idea what else to say, I'll just say this: Hope you enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to more! Ciao!