The Hokage's office was very crowded. Team Seven was gathered in the middle, Haku and Zabuza close to me. The Hokage sat at his desk, not saying a word as he studied the two missing-nin. The ANBU beside him looked tense and I struggled against a laugh as their hands twitched towards their swords. Worst of all, Danzo stood in between the elders, directly behind Hiruzen. The silence thickened as they all studied the mask hiding my face.
~Flashback, at the Village Gates~
"Oi, Naruto," Kakashi called behind me.
"What's up?" I squinted, the rising sun in my eyes.
"We're almost at Konoha; are you sure about the mask?" he said, staring pointedly at the mask I had just unsealed.
"Of course I'm sure. I said I was going to tell the village when the mission was over. Guess what? The missions over and I brought home a couple of missing-nin. I'm sure the council will want some explanation as to why we didn't fight. Kiiroi Kitsune is a more known name than Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto," I reasoned. Sasuke sighed and Sakura shrugged.
After a few more minutes of walking, we reached the gates. Striding towards the guard, I watched as the chuunin nearly fell out of his chair, recognizing me. I looked back at everyone else.
"Yes, you do have that effect on people," Haku answered before I had a chance to ask. I sighed and looked back at the man, not touching my mask.
"You. Tell the Hokage, Danzo, and the ninja council to get their asses to the Hokage's office. I know where it is, I'll meet them there. Ja ne," I said, Shunshining into the village, close to the gates. I heard Sakura report that Team Seven had returned from a successful mission, apologizing for my, the Kiiroi Kitsune's, rudeness. I chuckled as the chuunin nearly fainted, waving them all in without a glance to Zabuza or Haku.
~End Flashback~
"Why are you here?" Nara Shikaku asked warily. I shrugged, lowering my voice.
"Iwa, Kiri, Ame, Kumo, Suna, Taki, Tani, Ishi, Yume, Yuki, and dozens of other villages and countries later- You'd think people would stop asking thing like 'why are you here' and 'what do you want'. I don't usually answer that type of question. Good start, Shikaku-san. Try again," I smiled behind my mask, trying not to let the humor into my voice. Shikaku thought before glancing around me.
"Where is Naruto?" he asked. I nodded, smiling.
"And that is why you are jounin commander," I said, letting my smile color my voice. "There is something I need everyone in this room to know about. You are not, under any circumstances allowed to reveal this information with anyone unless I give you permission to do so. If I find out that you have, I will personally deliver your punishment. You may leave now if you don't want the temptation. This is highly sensitive information which, as of right now, only thirteen people in the world know, six of them being in this room." Nobody left. Glancing around the room, Shikaku cleared his throat.
"What did you want to tell us?" he asked, his eyes catching the Namikaze ring on my finger. I stared him down, forcing him quiet.
"My identity. If my real name escapes this room at this point in time, I can guarantee that Iwa and Kumo will get over their differences and forge an alliance so that they can attack Konoha, probably allied with the Yondaime Kazekage."
"Why would they attack us? We didn't do anything to Kumo and we haven't touched Suna or Iwa since the last war," Inoichi asked, his eyes wide with indignation. Shikaku shook his head.
"Unknowingly and indirectly we have invaded them," he said, making Inoichi turn on him. "It was not ordered by anyone in the Leaf, Inoichi. Take off the mask, Naruto."
The inevitable gasps filled the room. Sasuke scoffed, rolling his eyes while Haku and Sakura laughed with each other. I moved my hand to my mask and took off the yellow mask. Shikaku nodded, a little smug.
"You always were sharp, Shikaku-san. You saw the ring, right?" I said, holding up my right hand as the scarred ninja nodded. I coughed, turning to everyone else. "Okay, yes, I admit it. I am the Kiiroi Kitsune, Kitsune-sennin, and Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto…" I meant to continue dramatically but I took one look at Danzo's bandaged face and cracked up. When I straightened, I wiped a tear from my eye. "Danzo, you should see your face! Okay, matters at hand," I said, smiling. The smile disappeared when Danzo leaned towards Hiruzen, whispering in his ear. With my hearing, I heard every word.
"See what I told you? The boy was meant to be a weapon from day one. I didn't influence any aspect of his life and he still grew to be a tool," he smiled smugly.
"Oi, Danzo! I can hear every single word you're saying," I shouted. I calmed down, glancing at the other ninjas who had not heard a word. "Danzo is boasting about how perfect a weapon I've become without his influence."
"Too bad you have emotions," Kakashi said sarcastically, winking his visible eye. I shrugged.
"If only, right?" I chuckled, not looking behind me. "There is a reason why I never wanted to be ROOT, Danzo. You treat people like chess pieces on your political chessboard. You dehumanize people," I said coldly. "Kuchiyose no jutsu," I muttered.
Having been privy to my thoughts Kyuubi appeared the size of a normal fox. I put a hand on his head and sealed away the chakra he could not control before he could try to destroy something, driven by his chakra. The shinobi in front of me stepped back as one, only Team Seven, Haku, and Zabuza staying in place. Sakura even scoffed at the reaction, ignoring her own initial response to Kyuubi's thrashing tails.
"Yes, Kyuubi no Kitsune is standing in the Hokage's office. He is not doing any damage, not killing or hurting anyone, and has been doing that each time I've summoned him unless I specifically tell him to do so," I said, watching Kyuu sit down, releasing a low growl.
"Danzo," he snarled. "If I didn't have a debt to this village, I'd kill you where you stand." The room was silent until Inoichi nodded at the fox.
"It's strange, seeing you outside of Naruto's mindscape…" he mused, walking out of the huddle and towards Kyuubi, many council members trying to stop him. "Quiet, Chouza. He and Naruto are good friends, Kyuubi wouldn't try anything if he thought Naruto or his friends may be injured," he said, brushing off the Akimichi's warnings.
"Yamanaka," Kyuubi nodded at the blonde ninja. I turned to the council, blocking out Kyuubi's mind as he and Inoichi talked like old friends.
"I need to address this council. That is why you are here. I call a council meeting in forty minutes to discuss the futures of missing-nin Momochi Zabuza and Yuki Haku," I announced.
"Granted," Hiruzen said, nodding. "Where will they stay for the duration of the meeting?"
"At my house. I need to pick up a few things before the meeting," I replied, nodding at my kenjutsu teacher and medical ninjutsu student. "Also, I request for the meeting to be given top priority status. We are talking about two human lives that shouldn't have to wait for their answer."
"Granted. The council shall meet in the Council Room at noon," the Professor announced. The council members all left, getting ready for the meeting and going to tell the clan heads that weren't there.
"Team Seven, congrats on your first real mission," I said, smiling at my team. "I'm giving you two days off. Don't waste it. Dismissed," I ordered. The two genin smiled and walked out of the office. "Hiruzen-ojiisan, I have a mission request."
"Didn't you just give your team a chance to relax? You just came back from a mission."
"This is important. I'd like to be allowed to leave Konoha. I'd like to find an old student of yours'."
"Which one?"
"Senju Tsunade," I answered seriously. "Sakura has immense potential as a medical kunoichi. I can teach her everything that Tsunade can but I can't give her the same relationship from student to master. Sakura needs someone other than me to turn to when things don't go her way. I'd also like to find Jiraiya. He's beginning to poke around, trying to get information on me. I need to make sure he knows I support Konoha."
"I'll think about it. Go get ready for the meeting, it's nearly ten," he advised, standing from his desk. I nodded and turned to Zabuza and Haku, Kakashi already gone.
"Let's get going, the Namikaze Manor is a little far from here, in the noble district," I said, grimacing as Zabuza chuckled.
"Doing well for yourself, Kitsune?"
"It's an inheritance, and I told you to call me Naruto," I grumbled. Haku smiled serenely as I lead her and laughing swordsmen out of the office and further into Konoha.
I got the last laugh when Zabuza's eyes widened when we entered the richer parts of Konoha. This is where the higher clans lived, along with a number of rich merchant families. Walking the route towards my home, I waved to everyone I knew.
Passing the mostly abandoned Uchiha compound, I stepped inside to talk to Tori, the current clan head of the remains of Uchiha. After a reunion with Sasuke, she and her children moved back into the Uchiha compound, taking one of the smaller, cozier homes as their own. Sasuke had declined her invitation to move in with her, staying in Kakashi's apartment.
Skipping the chitchat, I told her about the meeting and introduced her to Zabuza and Haku.
"Tori-chan, I don't really want to play the politics card- Namikaze and Uchiha were allied in the past, blah, blah, blah- but I'd really appreciate it if you stay open minded to what I'll say," I said genuinely. Tori thought about it for a while before nodding.
"I will. Either way, you have good judgment. If you say something and it makes sense, I'll agree with it."
"Thank you, Tori-chan. Bye Fugaku-kun, bye Tera-chan!" I called into the house. The twins, now three years old, ran out and gave me a hug before dashing back into the house, playing ninja. "I'll see you at the meeting, Tori-chan," I said, smiling as I lead Zabuza and Haku out of the compound and further down the street, stopping at the Namikaze gates.
"This is us," I announced, biting my thumb and opening the blood seal. Zabuza looked into the compound and whistled. "My father was the only Namikaze left in Konoha when I was born. The whole compound and the wealth of the clan belongs to me according to the documents I found in my father's desk."
"The wealth of the clan… Pretty important sounding," Zabuza commented, glancing at the houses as we passed each heading towards the Manor. Coming into sight of it, I pointed at it.
"It is. All of the clan business, money, jutsu, and appearance is my responsibility. No pressure or anything," I said, rolling my eyes as I opened the front door and stood to the side, letting the two missing-nin in first. That would've worked if they hadn't paused at the doorway. "It's a house, it won't bite," I promised.
"You need to have a party," Haku breathed, walking into the secondary living room. This was the room designed for guests of the clan head; nobody spent any time in this room unless they were trying to impress someone.
"Ignore this room. This is where guests of the clan head have tea, or something like that. I hate politics," I said, leading them to the primary living room. "Okay, the kitchen is through that door if you get hungry. The fridge and shelves are stocked, just don't eat all my food. You can explore the house but touch the rooms with Kyuubi drawn onto the door and I will kill you," I said, thinking about my bedroom and my father's study- the door to the Namikaze clan records. The two nodded and I smiled. "Stay here for a minute, I need to get some papers from my dad's office."
I was about to leave the room when I glanced at Zabuza's sword.
"Actually, I need to establish some rules. No jutsu, swordfights, or training inside or close to any of the houses. If you get bored or want to train, go out the front door and to the training ground on your left. That is the field I use so it's already set up."
I nodded to myself and walked down the hall to my father's office, the door glowing with a golden fox with nine tails. I opened the door and sat at the desk, opening the filing cabinet and digging through the files for the right papers. Finding them, I left the office and found a note on my coffee table in the living room.
Got bored, went training. By the way, where do you keep your gauze?
Zabuza
I grabbed a roll of gauze with instructions for a weak cauterizing jutsu that I wanted Haku to learn anyway. I tied the two into a bundle and threw it, hard, from my front lawn. I didn't move until I heard Zabuza exclaim in surprise and then in pain. I could hear Haku's laugh from the main gates.