Child of Gods, Reject of Men

by Ronin2106

Forced to pay for the sealing of Kyuubi into his siblings, Naruto slowly dies after sealing. However,Shiva, God of Creation and Destruction, witnesses what happens and decides to save him. With his wife Parvati and Izanami, he saves Naruto, by making him more than man. How will Shinobi world react to a Child of Gods? Eventual OP! Naruto, Eventual Name!Change! Sequel is in works.

5. Chapter 5

The two quickly crossed the seemingly invisible line that separated Konoha and the Uchiha district, with Uchiha clansmen in their majority being surprised to see their Head and Leader walking with one of Hokage's own children. Aside from confusion, surprise and sometimes amazement, Naruto didn't feel any negative emotions from the Uchihas towards his person whatsoever, which was actually a much unexpected surprise for him. Usually, when he walked the streets, people would project plenty of disdain, disgust and simple arrogance, mostly due to the reputation Naruto bore, but here… People seemed to not give a damn about his reputation among the populace itself and aside from surprise, there was hardly anything that Naruto felt from them that would warrant him to be on his guard.

Same was with Fugaku, since the man was actually sincere and honest with Naruto, and seemed to want to genuinely want to get to know Naruto, as a person and not as a tool to get to his father. From what he had heard from Tomoe, Fugaku was one of the few Uchihas that she actually respected and would consider to be, if not a friend, then at least a respected acquaintance. That alone, in Naruto's opinion, spoke volumes when it came to the person, since Tomoe was a good judge of character, at least most of the time, with his father not being taken into the account.

When Naruto's thoughts had turned towards his father and his relations with Tomoe, he couldn't help but be forced to suppress a feeling of hatred and anger towards his father, as well as severe disappointment in him. Just as Tomoe had promised him all that time ago, she told him everything there was to know about her son and Naruto's half-brother, Masamune, including who was the father. It was a shock for Naruto, to say the least, but it dissipated quickly enough giving way to Naruto's usual demeanor and understanding. He learned about Tomoe's unreciprocated love for Minato, her fierce rivalry with Kushina and more, including how his father had taken advantage of a woman that was in love with him, when he just wanted to let off some steam and forget about constantly temperamental hot-tempered Kushina.

While some would say that both of the parties were at fault here, Naruto blamed Minato more in this case, since he acted like a pig and when Tomoe came to him, being pregnant with his child… He just pretended that this wasn't his and that what had happened between the two of them never actually transpired. Needless to say, that after that, Naruto's opinion of Minato had soured greatly, and while Naruto did try his best to not show it, there were already subtle hints if one were to look closer, like with Naruto fully stopping to use surname of Namikaze on public, stopping to affectionately call Minato as "dad', and instead using a more honorable "father". Overall, the rift between Naruto and his family has continued to grow, with that dinner proving even to his dense parents that their son was different from what they had thought of him.

His relations with Kushina had also went downhill since Tsunade revealed to everyone that he was familiar with Amagi and Tomoe. Temperamental woman hadn't learned that her son could be just as determined as she is when he was up to something, so when Kushina had made clear as day that she will not have him spend his time with those two, Naruto simply ignored her and went on with his life as always. When supposed convincing wasn't taking effect with Naruto, Kushina resorted to means of lesser moral value, such as shouting, threats of punishment and at times, when Naruto was starting to lose his cool and let his fierce Minamoto nature slip out, Kushina used brute force on him. It didn't happen often, nor did it ever happen when Minato or someone else was in sight, but when it did, it was always because Naruto brought up Tomoe in one way or the other. Kushina hated with absolute venomous fury the very fact of her existence, and it was more than enough to make her do what she would regret later, like hit her son and break his lip one time. Kushina would always try and make amends towards Naruto once she cooled off, but for Naruto, every hit was like a chisel chipping away at the remaining affection and respect he had towards Kushina. And that once mountain was starting to look like a small rock…

The less said about his siblings the better, but Mito had also become a victim in this division within the family, being forced to watch as her family's unity and love for one another falls to pieces. She heard more than enough times how Kushina berated her foolish child for not following her demands, and once the little girl was a witness to a time when Kushina's anger had gotten better of her and she hit Naruto with her open palm, forcing him to fall on to the floor. It took Naruto the whole evening that day to calm her down and to put her mind at ease, but the damage was already done: his sister witnessed how their mother hit her own son and her daughter's favorite brother. Since that day forth, Naruto could clearly sense a tingle of anger from Mito directed towards Kushina, but also fear…

Fear that she too may become someone whom her mother may hit. Gods and Heavens above, if that were to happen, then no matter how much of self-control or patience Naruto has, he will not hold back and make sure that Kushina pays for it dearly. Mother or not, or rather, blood mother or not, since the real person whom Naruto considered to be his mother was Tomoe, for whom he held admiration, respect and affections that a son would harbor for a mother. He didn't know if Tomoe was aware of it or not, and if she was, then she didn't disapprove of his feelings towards her.

She certainly did start to act more motherly after their talk, when she allowed herself to let out the grief and pain that she harbored inside of her. She also started to show softer and affectionate side towards Naruto, especially when she saw the cut on his lip that was made by Kushina. Tomoe treated it without delay and demanded to know who did it to him, with Naruto deciding back then not to tell her, for fear that it might only ignite more conflict in the future for him between him and Kushina. But he had little to no doubt in his mind that Tomoe already knew who was responsible for that cut and bruises she saw a couple of times.

Soon enough, while Naruto was dwelling on the past and what was happening in his own life, he and Fugaku had reached his house, with Fugaku sliding open the door and letting Naruto to get in. The house wasn't as different from the others as Naruto had expected it to be, having a feel and sense of a family home, though also being modeled in a more traditional sense and also being the size of a good mansion, almost as big as Tomoe's home. While Naruto and Fugaku undressed their shoes, they heard the voice that belonged to the lady of this house, Mikoto Uchiha.

"Fugaku? Is that you?" Mikoto asked, with her voice coming closer and closer. "You are a little late today. Did something happen during your patrol?"

"Nothing of concern, Mikoto. I simply made a stop and made a very interesting acquaintance with someone. We now have a guest for the dinner today, so could please prepare another set of utensils and plates?" Fugaku asked of her.

"You've brought a guest? That is certainly new, and who could that interesting person be… Naruto?" Mikoto finally appeared from the hallway, looking with quite a surprise on her face at the person whom her husband brought along with him. "My, look at you, Naruto. I almost didn't recognize you. When did you get so… So tall and also so handsome for a young boy. It's like Kushina secretly spoils you with some kind of secret Uzumaki menu, while your brother and sister eat her regular food. I mean…"

"You are very kind, Lady Mikoto, but there is no blame upon my mother for my appearance and physique. I've long since been having a more balanced ration of food, which helped me to develop better than my siblings. But I'm sure if you wait a little longer, they'll surely overshadow me in no time." Naruto bowed before Mikoto as a gesture of politeness and greeting, surprising her once more. "I hope I'm not being a bother. Your husband wished for me to join you for the dinner, but if you prefer, I will…"

"What, are you saying that I would oppose such a well-mannered boy to join me and my family for dinner? Who do you take me for, a Hyuuga?" Mikoto chuckled a little. "Since my husband himself have decided to bring you along, it would be impolite of me to not welcome you in our home. Please, come in."

"Thank you, and could you please tell me where I can wash my hands?" Naruto asked of Mikoto, yet again surprising her. "I've just returned from the streets and it would be improper to not have washed my hands before a meal."

"O-of course. The bathroom is just a little down the hallway, first door to the left." Mikoto pointed towards it, and Naruto immediately went towards it, but not before thanking her. "Is this really Naruto, or rather, is that really Kushina and Minato's son? I know I haven't seen him all that often, but still, he is so…"

"My thoughts were exactly the same, dear." Fugaku admitted to her. "I actually met him when I heard him playing his flute at Inari's temple. When we talked, he showed an uncanny perception of things that shouldn't be easy for a child his age to understand, and yet… He didn't deny the fact that he is overlooked by his parents, yet accepts it without any form of regret or anger. He may be called a fool by the people, but I've not seen a child as perceptive of things as he is. Not even Itachi was so smart, yet also seemingly carefree…"

"I remember Kushina often complaining about how Naruto seemed to fall under bad influence, but if this is what she considers bad…" Mikoto shook her head. "He seems far more polite and respectful than both Natsu and Narumi, and I mean worlds more polite than they are. I often wonder how Kushina and Minato even control those two with their egos, but Naruto… He's like a complete opposite of the two, and yet he is the most badmouthed of the family. Either I don't understand something, or Kushina may be exaggerating things to the point of absurdity."

"We'll see soon enough." Fugaku told Mikoto, as Naruto returned from the bathroom.

"Thank you." Naruto thanked Mikoto, who smiled to him.

"Dinner should be ready by now. Come with me, I'll have you seated." Mikoto told Naruto, who followed her, while Fugaku went on to wash his own hands.

Soon enough, Mikoto and Naruto entered the dining room of the Uchihas, finding that the rest of the family was already assembled there, safe for the head of the family himself. The first one Naruto came into visual contact with was Itachi, the eldest son and child in the family, being five years older than Naruto himself, already not just an accomplished Shinobi, but an Anbu, from what Akagi once told him. While Itachi did seem surprised to see Naruto, he did give him a small smile and nodded, while Naruto felt from him quite complex and conflicting emotions, almost like with Fugaku. He felt a conflict between a son and a Shinobi, and Uchiha and a loyal to Leaf defender, same as Fugaku, only there was also shame added to it as well. Shame for the fact that he was forced to work on people that oppressed his own, for the good of the Village as a whole. Naruto couldn't help but feel sympathetic and sorry towards Itachi for the hardships he had right now, and also admiration for being able to hide it so well.

Another person with whom Naruto met with his eyes was Itachi's younger brother and second son of Fugaku and Mikoto, Sasuke, and that is where Naruto was instantly reminded of the fact that he was a social outcast among the people of Konoha and children as well. Sasuke had a scowl on his face when looking at Naruto, disliking the fact that he was here and that he seemed to have grabbed the attention of others. Naruto could sense pride in the boy, much the same as with Natsu, but not yet to the same level, as well as a strong desire to prove himself and show himself before his parents. If Naruto were to guess, then he would have to say that Sasuke feels inferior before Itachi and his supposed best friend, Natsu, due to his status as a Hero of Leaf. If only Sasuke were to realize the hollowness of that title…

Naruto didn't stop for long on Sasuke, and soon enough he looked upon someone that truly had captivated his attention, and he seemed to have become a target of that someone's interest. It was girl that stood practically as tall as he was, possessing long and very beautiful straight black hair reaching to her hips and two strands sticking up from top and slouching back, and beautiful violet eyes that reminded Naruto of gems. Though she was close to his age, if not being older a little, she was starting to show that her figure was going to be one of great envy to all women. She was dressed in a kendo training attire, consisting of black hakama and haori, intended to let her more without any trouble. Naruto noticed blisters on her hands, sign of someone who trained in weapons, but this was not the only thing that he noticed about her. Naruto could also sense from this girl a potent aura, one that was similar to that of Amagi, but only from a very great distance. Her aura was like pure energy made manifest, like lightning, but there was also something that Naruto couldn't fully pinpoint about this girl, something about her that he couldn't yet realize about her. In her emotions, Naruto could read surprise and amazement, but also slight fright, which quickly washed away to give place for curiosity. But along with that, Naruto could sense something around her that seemed to block his full powers on her, some kind of barrier that prevented him from fully seeing her as she was.

What truly got his interest fired up towards her was the fact of a relatively normal sized black cat with golden eyes standing near her, with the only thing seemingly out of the ordinary with it was the fact that she had a tail split in two and exuded powerful energy, along with being in the spiritual form. It didn't take Naruto long to realize that he was looking at a Nekomata, a cat Yokai that possess strong powers, much like with Kitsune, but one that doesn't serve to any deity or Kami. They varied in their characters, much like humans, but most were usually just relatively harmless pranksters and troublemakers, like normal cats, though there were cases of Nekomata becoming a serious menace to the people in the past, from what Naruto had heard.

But this one wasn't like that, instead she, and Naruto could tell that this was female feline, was very protective of the girl next to Naruto and cared for her, feeling threatened by the fact that two 5-tailed Kitsune were in the same room as she and that girl are. Naruto had heard from Amagi that Nekomata are just as fiercely protective of their masters as are Kitsune, if not even more, so Naruto made a very small gesture so as to make Akagi and Kaga to leave the room. He could sense their confusion and wanted to protest, but they understood that he was in no danger, and this was an act of trust. The Kitsune left the room, with the Nekomata standing down, while the girl seemed surprised when she saw Kitsune leave. It confirmed to Naruto that she too was capable of seeing Yokai and the Nekomata herself had either connected with the girl, or like with Akagi and Kaga, protects her from dangers.

Mikoto noticed that Naruto and the girl were trading glances with each other, innocently thinking to herself that the two must've already caught each other's eye. While a romantic inside Mikoto was starting to get excited, the motherly side of her took over and implemented itself, when she coughed a little, getting the two's attention. Once it was done, she spoke up.

"Children, we have a guest with us for the dinner. Itachi, please be a dear and help me set additional plate for Naruto?" Mikoto asked of her son.

"Of course." Itachi politely said, before leaving for the kitchen to get all that was needed.

"Fool, why are you in our house? Did your brother or sister decide that they had enough of you and have decided to send you here to us?" Sasuke asked arrogantly, which immediately earned him a scowl from Mikoto.

"Sasuke, where are your manners, young man? That is no way to treat a guest of your father, one that he personally had invited our home." Mikoto reprimanded her youngest son, making him flinch at the harsh tone of his mother. "Now, apologize to Naruto this instant or I'll send you to your room without any dinner."

"Lady Mikoto, there is no need for it, since I don't really feel insulted or debased whatsoever." Naruto honestly said to her, surprising her and causing her and others to look at him. "And no, Sasuke, my siblings haven't sent me here, though I am beginning to think that they are growing tired me. Oh well, not everyone can handle a fool like me on a constant basis. Even Heroes of Konoha have their limit." Naruto half-jokingly stated, with Mikoto noticing that there was no ill in his words, either towards his siblings or himself.

"Naruto, this isn't a joking matter, and you shouldn't really talk like that." Mikoto told him in a concerned manner, with Naruto looking at her in a surprised way. "Just because everyone may say you are a fool doesn't mean you have to start call yourself that way."

"I know." Naruto simply told her, surprising her once again. "I mean, if I were a real fool, would I be saying it like that without a care in the world?"

"He simply plays the fool, while real fools state that they are geniuses, which begs the question, are you a genius, like your father and mother?" The girl with Nekomata asked, finally speaking up and drawing attention to her.

"Hm, I'm afraid that I am not a genius like them and probably won't be." Naruto said, before continuing his thought. "They've had years of training, experience in battles and a war. Most probably, I'll not be able to repeat their feats and follow in their footsteps so as to emulate them fully. And personally, I think that forging one's own path instead of following in others footsteps is more important than just trying to repeat the successes of others."

"But wouldn't it be an insult to your parents and their pride if they heard you say it like that, that you would rather make your own way, instead of honoring them?" She asked again, curious to know what he would answer.

"If they are good parents, then they would understand and support me." Naruto answered to her.

"And if they are not?" She pointed out to him on the unanswered part.

"Then what would be the point of honoring them?" Naruto asked back, making the girl muse at the question for a little, before Naruto spoke up again. "My apologies, it is bad manners to answer on a question with a question of your own. I hope you can forgive me for acting like a fool I am." The girl gave Naruto a small smile when he spoke in a lighthearted tone.

"That makes two of us." She said with a small smile. "I am Akeno. Himejima Akeno."

"Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki, pleased to make your acquaintance." Naruto bowed politely before her, with Akeno following suit.

It was at that moment when Fugaku chose to enter into the room, finding the scene before him a surprising one. He hadn't seen Akeno ever bow like that before anyone, but then he remembered her upbringing and past, and seeing how Naruto was repeating after her, he put his mind at ease, and with a small cough, he got everyone's attentions pointed towards himself.

"I see you've just met our with Mikoto goddaughter, Naruto." Fugaku spoke. "Let me introduce you properly. Naruto, this is Akeno. Akeno, this is Naruto, my guest."

"We've just exchanged our names, Lord Fugaku." Naruto politely told him, with Fugaku nodding to him.

"Very well, but do please stop using titles at the table, Naruto. As a guest here at our dinner, you are seen as a friend and so you can allow yourself some informality." Fugaku told him, with Naruto nodding to him. "Alright, since everyone knows each other, I believe it is time for us to eat. Naruto, you can take seat at Akeno's right." Naruto nodded to him, moving past him, Mikoto and Akeno, before taking his seat.

Once everyone was seated, Fugaku and everyone else said their thanks for the food and began to eat, with Mikoto and Fugaku, along with Itachi, observing how Naruto was eating. As it turned out, Naruto's table manners were far better than those of his siblings and even Kushina herself, as Mikoto could attest to it. While Kushina was a good and dear friend to her, she always found appalling her friend's way of eating, or rather, stuffing her face with everything that fit her fancy, which in most cases, was some variant of ramen. Mikoto was actually wondering, how was Kushina even capable of eating ramen like that, practically living off the diet that consisted of solely that food. She may've had a preference towards tomato and all cuisines that used it, but even she didn't eat tomatoes all the time. Her children, at least Natsu and Narumi, were starting to be the same way as their mother, if not worse, when it came to table manners or social manners, talking with their mouth full or shouting any time they wished. To be quite honest, Naruto seemed like a necessary breath of fresh air when compared to the other Uzumaki.

That's not to mention his manners and the way he acted and moved since coming here, which was the polar opposite of his siblings. Mikoto had visited Kushina with Sasuke plenty of times, and every time she had to observe nearly the same picture all the time: Natsu and Narumi bragged about something to Sasuke, teasing and borderline mocking him about not being able to do so, while Kushina seemed ignorant about it, or actively stating how proud she was nearly every little thing they did. And in all the talks she had with her friend, she rarely if ever heard her speak about Naruto and Mito, her youngest children. This concerned Mikoto, especially when she looked at the twins and saw the way they acted to be not just unbefitting, but downright atrocious, since it would make them prideful and unapproachable in the future. Mikoto actively tried to make certain that Sasuke wouldn't end up inheriting his friends' bad habits, but it would seem that she was failing at that, since Sasuke was starting to show traits similar to Natsu and Narumi.

By contrast, Naruto had so far been polite and seemed humble, or rather was humble, and when he did sound somewhat proud, like with his height, there wasn't any meaningless pride or verbal jabs towards his siblings. Instead, he was quick to assure that they would outgrow him soon, showing respect towards them and acting like a little brother would towards his older siblings. It was a form of etiquette that not all practiced and many tried to preach, yet Naruto followed it to the letter, but it was only the following of the etiquette. What really piqued Mikoto's interest was how Naruto answered to Akeno's questions, and his answers had provided to her some semblance of an understanding of Naruto. He may be a child, but he thinks not in the way that a child his age does, with his speech and thoughts being sharper and smoother than that of his siblings. Mikoto compared Naruto to Itachi in her mind, and saw that while there were similarities, they were different, with Naruto not being as introverted as her eldest, and he didn't seem to always carry a weight upon his mind, like there was always something that bothered him.

Still, she didn't have much that could support her thoughts on him, and now that her interest was piqued, Mikoto decided not to waste this opportunity.

"Naruto, how do you find the food? I hope that it is to your liking, though if I had prior knowledge of your visit, I would've made some ramen for you." Mikoto asked with a small smile.

"No, that would've been unnecessary. Your food is very good and tasty, and I rather enjoy these types of meal instead of ramen." Naruto admitted to Mikoto, sensing her curiosity and the curiosity of others, deciding to share some information about himself.

"Oh, that is certainly surprising. I remember once asking your siblings what they would prefer if they were to visit me, and they didn't hesitate with the answer, which was ramen. I was almost shocked when you said that you like this food better, Naruto." Mikoto said with surprise in her voice. "But then again, everyone has their own tastes, and it is good to see that Kushina is accommodating yours, seeing how you've grown up."

"I'm afraid that my mother has little to do with my growth, Mikoto." Naruto said, with the rest of the table looking with interest at him. "My diet was largely the same as my siblings over a year ago, but since then… Let's just say that someone took notice of me and was very kind as to introduce me to better choices in cuisine and food, instead of just ramen and other foods my mother makes on constant basis, which often and coincidentally have some relation to ramen…"

"Would that someone happen to be Amagi?" Fugaku asked, with Naruto nodding to him. "I see. Well, it's no surprise to me that she would do something like that. She is a very kind woman and one of the better people I've met. She had allowed many of the Uchiha civilians to live on the territory of her temple after the attack, before relocated. She always took care to see the people fed and have everything they need, paying out from her own pockets to accommodate them. Your parents must be happy for you to have such a good friend."

"I think they would prefer if I had friends of different sort, same as my siblings, but I'm afraid that I don't have the same approachability as they are." Naruto said without sadness in his voice. "Other kids don't really like me hanging around with them, and if they do approach me, then it's either because of a dare, or to try and get close to my siblings through me."

"Then those other kids are fools, because you seem like someone I would want as a friend. You seem far more interesting than others, so I would like to get to know you better." Akeno admitted to him, surprising Naruto a little, before she smiled. "But then again, most boys are often fools and act like that. They don't know that girls' value more than just being daring and showing off, though there are those that like people like that, but I'd avoid girls like them. They are always annoying and talk only about the girls' stuff and boys and nothing else."

"Sounds almost like Narumi, when she is with her friends Ino and Sakura." Naruto admitted with a small chuckle. "And thank you… It was very kind. I too would like to know you better, Akeno."

"I mean it." Akeno smiled to him. "And should you be nearby, you are always welcome to ask me out."

"Would you stop with all this mushy stuff? It's grossing me out." Sasuke said with disgust, with Itachi chuckling at that.

"No need to get embarrassed Sasuke. Sooner or later, you may find yourself in a position similar to this." Itachi commented with a small smile. "Maybe you should take advantage of this and see how you should act in this situation?"

"Why would I want to watch these two? They are just two weirdos. One likes to pray to some stupid Gods, the other believes in some strange things and says they are real. What did you call them? Yoki?" Sasuke asked of Naruto.

"Yokai, and they aren't just things." Naruto corrected Sasuke. "Sure, some of them may appear to look like simple things, but they are in fact alive."

"Oh yeah, and why then why is it that nobody can ever find them? Are they just shy of everyone but you, or maybe they are just your made-up friends, since you are too foolish to get real ones?" Sasuke decided to take a stab at Naruto, which angered Mikoto.

"Or maybe he is smart enough to have friends that don't limit themselves to things like: "I will be Hokage one day and you will allow respect me!" Or something like: "When I become head of my clan, everyone will bow before me and show respect to me." Akeno defended Naruto with a small smirk, making Sasuke growl a little at her.

"Sasuke, one more word from you about our guest, and you'll be doing the dishes for the rest of the week and won't leave the house until then." Mikoto promised to him, before turning to Naruto. "I'm sorry about that, Naruto. It is fine by us, if you believe in Yokai and beings like them. Akeno here, for an example, believes and prays to Gods and we have a shrine in our mansion, dedicated to Amaterasu."

"Yes, unlike some other Clans, Clan Uchiha has something of a history with religion and Gods, and it has been our forefathers' wish that we honor and respect them, for they believed that our powers and prowess comes directly from them." Fugaku told Naruto and Sasuke, noticing how now his youngest son was paying attention. "Many of our Clan prefer to pray to Hachiman and Bishamon, since they are gods of war, while those that work crafts give prays to Inari and Kagatsuchi. That reminds me, I'll have to talk to Amagi and ask her to consecrate several shrines that our Clan had procured…" Fugaku thought out loud.

"She'll be happy to help. And answering to your question, Sasuke…" Naruto suddenly returned to what seemed to have been already forgotten. "I don't really know why Yokai don't show themselves, but if I were to guess… I would say that the Yokai are afraid of us." Everyone sat still and looked at him when he said it.

"Afraid of us?" Akeno asked of Naruto, curious to hear what he had to say about it, with her Nekomata friend getting closer to hear. "I've read that many Yokai aren't really afraid of humans and many are really strong and powerful, so they wouldn't have trouble with defending themselves."

"Against normal people, sure… But when I said us, I should've better said Shinobi." Naruto said with a calm and clear voice, which surprised others.

"Pft, of course they would be afraid of Shinobi, since they would simply kill them and there wouldn't be much they would do about it. Anything that can do weird stuff we don't is worth killing." Sasuke arrogantly agreed with Naruto, ignoring the saddened tone in his voice.

"Yeah, or they would be made to do what Shinobi want them to do, like kill other people or Yokai." Naruto continued, but disdain for that thought was clear in his voice. "Humans have a tendency to both fear and try to kill what seems to be stronger, better at something or more fearful than they are, and with Shinobi it's the same, only they also try to make use of it to the best of their abilities, like with Toads or Dogs, creatures that are better than us in something."

"And what's wrong with that? Those are just animals and we are men, we are definitely better than they are in every way." Sasuke said with the same tone as before, until Naruto turned his head to him and suddenly asked him a question.

"Can you fly, Sasuke?" Naruto suddenly asked him, startling him and the others.

"What? Of course not, you fool. Nobody can fly." Sasuke answered to him.

"Except for birds, bees, bugs and even some fish. Should we kill them all?" Naruto asked again of Sasuke, making the kid nervous. "Should we go out and kill all the pigeons, since they can do what we can't?"

"No, why would you say that?" Sasuke asked of Naruto.

"Because you were the one who said it first, Sasuke." Fugaku told him, drawing the attention of Sasuke to him. "While it is true that we humans are capable of almost anything when we set our sights towards something, we must never let our pride or envy guide our actions. If we were to do as you've said earlier, we would have no fish, no birds or bugs and this world would be far less populated with life. Even plants and trees would be cut and torn down, since they also can do things we can. Sasuke, never let your envy and pride get the better of your mind, that is a sure way for a Shinobi to lose to any opponent, even as small as a pigeon."

"Yes, father." Sasuke nodded to him in agreement.

"As for what you said, Naruto… You are probably right about it." Fugaku agreed with him. "In our world, having any possible advantage over our enemies is the key to winning the battle. The Summons, for instance, are considered to be extremely valuable in our world, and that is for a reason. They can make even what may seem your average Shinobi into a force of nature. Just look at the three Sannins, and their summons aren't even the greatest around. Imagine what people would be able to do if we had someone like… Hm, what was that smoke spirit named again?"

"Enenra?" Naruto asked, with Fugaku nodding to him.

"Yes, that one. Entirely made of smock and intangible, able to fit into any crack and scout ahead, not to mention being able to command smock and fire. A fearsome weapon in the right hands." Fugaku said with assurance in his voice.

"And one that would be far too dangerous in the wrong hands. And I think Yokai about know it." Naruto continued his line of thought. "In most stories I read, Yokai don't really go out of their way to be evil or hurt humans, or do they just want to have constant wars. There are those among them that would like nothing more than hurt others, like Oni or all the Ayakashi Yokai, but others, those that don't seek to hurt humans, I think they are afraid of Shinobi and of what they can do with them to the world. If you take a look at the Valley of the End, you'll see why they would be afraid. And that was just two most powerful Shinobi fighting each other, with Kyuubi being in it as well. So what would happen if every Shinobi were to get himself an Enenra? I think that there would be no end to fires and ashes would rain down to no end. And Yokai maybe understand it better, and that's why they stay away from us: because all we Shinobi do is just fight, kill, steal and hurt others." Naruto said with saddened tone.

Everyone at the table sat in their own thought, thinking about what Naruto just said, and most did find themselves agreeing with him. Fugaku couldn't help but almost fully agree with what Naruto said, since as a Shinobi, he would definitely make use of the powers that Yokai provided, because that was how it was in their world. Even if you didn't use it, then the other Shinobi and other Villages would make use of their powers to the fullest, to offset the balance of powers and shift it to their side. Either you use it now, or it will be used on you later on, this is one of the principals of the Shinobi world that they lived in, and Fugaku understood it well, and it seemed like Naruto also understood it.

He could see in his eyes not the naïve amazement or enthusiasm of children when one was talking about Shinobi, but cold pragmatic eyes of someone who understands what Shinobi really are about. Fugaku always wished that his children knew the reality of Shinobi world, which is why he took Itachi to that battlefield, to instill in him early on, that the Shinobi World wasn't a world of adventures, glory or fame. It is all about death, superiority of the strong over weak and strike down your foes, lest they strike you down. Loyalty among Shinobi from different Villages is always fickle and fragile, with alliances springing up and dying in no time, with even current alliance with Suna already being seen with others as something not worth the trouble, hence why Konoha had tried to make peace with Kumo several years ago. Had that peace treaty been signed, Konoha and Kumo would've signed a treaty of defense and alliance shortly after, with Suna breaking away and making quick friends with Iwa, creating a new alliance against which Konoha would be forced to fight. This was the cycle of Shinobi World.

Where Fugaku saw the maturity of Naruto, Mikoto observed in Naruto his disdain and distaste for the Shinobi, or rather the world itself and how it worked, at least as she saw it. Behind that maturity and truth, there was sadness and disdain about the Shinobi world, one that Mikoto didn't want to believe she saw. This child was nothing like his siblings, for he didn't seek excitement and glory, not with this kind of look in his eyes. No, he didn't want to be in this world, didn't seem to belong here and would rather be somewhere else, but he is here and has to deal with it. Mikoto couldn't fully grasp what it was in Naruto that drew her to this conclusion, but it was clear that he was vastly different from all people she knew, even from her son Itachi. This wasn't just a mature child, but a person that seemed to understand the darkness of the World of Shinobi and didn't embrace it like all the others did. Such people, from what Mikoto had learned, didn't last long in the field or in this life, either dying or breaking inside. Yet, along with disdain, there was… anger? No, more like determination, defiance even… Mikoto had a feeling that where others fell, this one may just prove to be capable of rising above even highest peaks.

Akeno too had been paying extra attention to what Naruto had to say, and how he said it, and it left her with a clear impression of the boy. She already had a very strong positive feeling about him, as if she already could sense that he was different from the others, and that wasn't just because of him being followed by two Kitsune, no. There was something in his aura, like it almost showed what a person he really was to Akeno, and she could see that Naruto was completely different from not just the other kids, but people as well. She could sense that he wasn't like all the others, and those golden eyes of his… Akeno could practically see his soul in them, and it wasn't the same as all the other people. Naruto had something that Akeno could only describe as otherworldly in him, but this was not all that had her all interested in him at a first glance.

The way he talked and carried himself, as well as how he spoke about the Yokai and Shinobi, it was completely different from what she would've expected a kid of his age would say. Instead of excitement and clear desire to be a Shinobi, he spoke of the worst aspects of it, about how they would use everything, even living beings, as a weapon. Akeno, while she was living with the Uchihas, had little love for Shinobi or their way of life, because of her own past and what had forced her to come to live here in Konoha. Since as long as she could remember, Akeno was always capable of sensing beings that were supernatural to humans, at times even thinking she could almost touch them. However, it wasn't until she became bonded with her Nekomata friend did she realize how real the Yokai, Kami, Oni and Deities were. And she could see that Naruto also believed in all of it, since he was also capable of seeing her Nekomata companion.

"Hm, so this is the child that Amagi had been protecting? He is clearly far more than just a mortal, Akeno, but I sense no malice or ill intent from him towards you or me." Nekomata spoke to Akeno, with Naruto also hearing it, but not responding. "You, redhead. If you can hear what I am saying, then why don't you make it clear for me and Akeno?" Naruto leaned a little towards Akeno and whispered to her, while others were preoccupied with their thoughts.

"Your friend sure is protective of you." Naruto told Akeno, who nodded to him.

"She is, and I trust only her completely." Akeno stated to him, before putting down the chopsticks. "Thank you for the food, Mikoto. I think I'll skip the tea and head outside for some fresh air, if that is okay with you."

"Certainly, Akeno." Mikoto agreed, before noticing that Naruto too had finished his food. "Oh, Naruto, you are done as well? If you do not mind and have timed, then why don't Akeno show you around the mansion, since this is your first time in here."

"Um, thank you for the food and offer. If you do not mind…" Naruto turned to Akeno, who already gotten up and pulled Naruto with her.

"C'mon, I'll show you the garden. We got some really cute fishes in the pond…" With that, she practically dragged the boy with her, leaving the room in stunned silence.

"Mikoto, why do I get the feeling like you have some kind of ulterior motive behind that offer?" Fugaku asked of his wife, who looked at him with completely innocent expression.

"Fugaku, now what motives would I have towards Akeno and Naruto?" Mikoto asked of him in a manner that spoke of complete innocence, yet underneath meant that the woman had already began a new scheme in her mind.

"She's had this expression that time when Izumi was visiting…" Itachi noted mentally, while finishing with his food. "And she also asked me to show her our garden that time… Hm, is it because we were alone that Izumi was blushing so hard?" Itachi mused, while putting down his chopsticks and preparing to leave…

"Itachi, dear, have you had enough? You know it very important for a Shinobi to eat plenty of food, if he is to have enough stamina and chakra to complete his tasks."…until Mikoto stopped him in his tracks with her question. "You know, you seem to have grown a little leaner since you've joined the ANBU… Itachi, tell me, are you feeling well?" Mikoto stood up and moved towards Itachi, so as if to take a closer look at him.

"Um, I am feeling fine, mother. And I believe I've had enough, and if I get hungry, I'll just come later and make myself something..." Itachi was about to finish his sentence, when Mikoto forcefully made him sit back. "Mother, is something…"

"Just because you are feeling "fine" doesn't mean that you are "well", Itachi. As I thought, you've lost even more weight since you've joined the black ops unit. You are almost just flesh and bones no, with no mass or muscles in between. That will not stand." Mikoto said in a determined voice, before heading to kitchen for additional helpings.

"Father, what's gotten into mother?" Sasuke asked in a concerned manner, while Itachi had the same question in mind. "Big brother doesn't look all that different, does he?"

"Sasuke, Itachi, that isn't something that I can explain in details while she is away. All I can say is this: please let her feed you, Itachi, because you do look a little thinner than usual, and, whatever your reason may be, do not go outside to the garden until Naruto and Akeno return." Fugaku told them, confusing his sons even more. "It's better this way for all of us, unless you wish to upset your mother."

"Okay…" Itachi said in an unsure way, just as Mikoto returned with food, immediately going to him with it.

"There you go, Itachi. Don't you worry, with me taking care you, we'll have both healthy and handsome in no time. Girls won't stop chasing you once I am done." Mikoto said out loud with a smile, making Itachi sweat drop a little at that, before Mikoto turned her attention to Sasuke. "Sasuke, would you like some more rice or pork?" Mikoto asked with a smile that said that he should accept it.

"I-I'll take more pork, mom." Sasuke said a little nervously, with Mikoto going to him with food.

"That's my boy." Mikoto said happily, while Fugaku mentally chuckled at this one.

"She just met the boy for the first time, and already she sees Naruto as if he is one of her own… And something tells me that Naruto could use some motherly support and affections, if my suspicious about his parents are correct." Fugaku thought to himself, before remembering something that Naruto told him earlier this day. "To make him listen… Why do you need the Council… He might be right. Maybe it's time see if Minato really is a Hokage, or he is just there to keep the chair warm, while all those greedy sleaze balls pull the strings on him." With that in mind, Fugaku has made a decision and with a newfound resolve, rose up from his seat, attracting the attention to everyone.

"Fugaku, is something the matter, dear? You've not finished your meal." Mikoto noticed the serious look on her husband's face, which softened up a little once he spoke to her.

"Oh, nothing serious, I just remembered something I needed to do. Here, give me a second." Fugaku made the cross sign, creating a Shadow Clone. "You know what to do." His clone nodded and left the room and headed to Fugaku's cabinet.

"Are you sure your Clone will be enough for whatever you've forgotten? You never leave any serious matters unattended personally." Mikoto asked of her husband, but he gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, I just needed to write a letter and the Clone can do that just fine." Fugaku assured her and his kids. "Now, could you pass me that pork? It looks quite delicious, and it's been quite a long times since you've spoiled us with your best dishes. I'll take the moment and use it to enjoy your best."

"Like you don't enjoy my cooking all the time." Mikoto chuckled, before passing him the meat.

"Which is every moment with you and your food is a fond memory for me which I treasure as much as I can." Fugaku said with a soft smile, with Makoto blushing a little, before passing a little more of meat.

"Flatterer. Just don't start complaining when you won't fit in your jacket." Mikoto warned him.

"I'll be sure to keep it in mind, darling." Fugaku chuckled, as he dived in for the food.

---

Outside.

Once the pair left the room, with the Nekomata in tow, Akeno let go of Naruto's hand and turned to him with a slightly embarrassed expression, showing that she didn't exactly think this through. She spoke up right after turning to face Naruto.

"Sorry for dragging you out. Mikoto offer sounded too good to pass up and I kinda… Well, I couldn't help myself and take this opportunity." Akeno said with an apologetic tone. "Again, sorry for dragging you out, but… You really can see her, and those Kitsune, are they with you?" Akeno asked of Naruto in a slightly excited tone, with Naruto nodding to her.

"Yeah, I can see your Nekomata friend, and they are with me. Would you like to meet them?" Naruto offered, with Akeno's face beaming from hearing it.

"Yes! I-I mean… We should probably take it to the garden, lest they think we are doing something weird, okay?" Akeno offered, with Naruto agreeing with her.

"You did agree to show me the garden and I was actually curious about it. After you." Naruto told Akeno, who nodded to him with the smile and lead him through the mansion and towards the courtyard.

Their walk was quick, since the mansion wasn't as large as one would actually expect from the leader of one of the founding Clans. Naruto compared this mansion to that of Tomoe, and he found himself seeing Tomoe's home as bigger than this one, which was kinda surprising to him. As for the backyard itself, it was smaller than what Tomoe had, but definitely bigger than the one Namikaze had, and far better decorated and made than both Tomoe's and Namikaze's. A small pond with koi fishes, with a bridge over the water, which was surrounded by stones. Several trees and bushes placed around the place, giving it a feel of esthetical beauty and natural feel, which Naruto learned to appreciate.

With his connection to Yokai and his training as an Onmyoji, Naruto came to learn and appreciate the nature and its beauty. While to most people nature appeared to be just trees, grass, rivers and so on, Naruto learned how to see more in all of it, how to recognize the true value and worth of all this. Forests, rivers, seas, deserts, mountains, everything in nature, from the smallest of grasses to the mightiest of trees- it was all the expression of the Sekai, this world, a manifestation of his living force and chakra into the world, just like humans and Yokai were as well. To learn to connect with it directly was Naruto's primary goal, one which he wasn't yet able to fully complete, but he could already proudly state that while he couldn't fully connect with nature's chakra, he could sense it all over around him.

This was a big success, since none of the normal Shinobi and even some of the Sages weren't able to fully sense it like Naruto did. It was almost as if he could see it flowing in patters and waves in the air and earth all around him, and when Naruto did find himself in the meditation, he could almost lose himself in the sense of all that chakra around himself. He could also sense the intensity and power of the place itself, and this particular garden held a special level of power, one that allowed Naruto to glimpse into the reason as to why this place was made into a garden. Uchiha may not even realize it, but this place had a recuperating effect on those that were here, letting them regain their power and rest their mind from the trouble of the mundane world.

However, this was not what Naruto was fully focusing on at this moment, as he stopped reminiscing completely on the nature once Akeno had stepped off the wooden floor and onto the grass. After she made a couple of steps, she turned to Naruto and looked at him with her violet eyes, full of expectations. It was clear that she had a hundred and one question, and couldn't choose which one she should ask first. Deciding to take the initiative in this time, Naruto offered Akeno a reassuring smile and spoke up to her.

"So, would you like to meet them?" Naruto asked of Akeno, who beamed with a smile, nodding to him eagerly.

"Can I? I mean, can you… I mean, are they…" Out of sheer excitement from meeting new Yokai, Akeno couldn't formulate her sentences, with Naruto chuckling lightly at her, making her blush. "Hey, don't laugh. It's just… it's the first time I've ever met someone who can also see and talk to Yokai, and… it's the first time I actually saw such beautiful Yokai."

"Oh ho, so now I've been relegated to just average looking ones, Akeno?" Nekomata spoke up from her spirit form, as she roamed near the girl, her tone being playfully hurt. "But of course, it's the same with everyone. Everybody is cat person, until some cheeky foxy comes around, waves her tails a little, and that's when everyone turns traitor on the cat. How very typical of humans…"

"I-I didn't mean it like that! I mean… Hey, stop making fun of me! You know I care about you and have to put up with your antics without as much as a complain." Akeno told with a pout to the cat, who chuckled back. "And you are a pretty difficult cat to deal with, what with your habits, for instance."

"Without complaints, eh? Sounds pretty much like complaining to me." Nekomata chuckled, as she turned to look at Naruto. "Well, redhead, bring out your companions. Let's see them, since my little kitten here can't hold herself in place because of them. Plus I'm a bit curious about them myself. I could've swore I saw them before, but I didn't have much of chance to make sure." Nekomata said, with Naruto nodding to her and Akeno, before sending a small pulse of chakra, which served as signal for the Kitsune.

And not a second later, both Akagi and Kaga gracefully jumped over the wall of the mansion and landed right before Naruto and Akeno in their fox forms. Akeno looked at them with awe in eyes and expression, clearly enamored by the beautiful Yokai and how their looked, while Naruto felt her excitement rolling off the girl in waves. It was almost addicting, and he barely had time to react when the Nekomata spoke up again.

"Well, well, if it isn't Akagi and Kaga in the furred up flesh. I knew that you looked familiar before, but now… You have my sincerest sympathies, redhead." Nekomata said with a playful tone, immediately drawing a confused look from Naruto and Akeno, while Akagi and Kaga seemed to have recognized the Nekomata. "To have companions such as these two… I can't imagine through what horrors you have to go through every day of your life. You poor thing, why don't you let this kitty make your day a little bit better with my paws." At that one, Akeno and Naruto turned instantly to Akagi and Kaga, growling at Nekomata and showing their teeth ready to tear apart the cat.

"You better keep your dirty paws away from our Naruto, you raggedy cat!" Akagi snarled at her, as she and Kaga took position in front of Naruto, putting themselves between him and Nekomata. "I thought that this place had a peculiarly familiar smell of a wet, unwashed cat, and lo and behold, the very bearer of that title lives here! So, found another small-minded fool to take care of you, Yoruichi?"

"Wait, you three know each other?" Akeno asked of them, surprised to hear about it, with Naruto being in the same boat as she is.

"You could say that, kitten. We've sorta crossed tails a hundred or so years ago, back when these two had only 4 tails instead of 5. By the way, looks like years been good on you two. I mean, just look at all that nice and fluffy fur, I swear it was smaller than the last time." Yoruichi said with fake appraisal. "Oh wait, doesn't the Kitsune's fur always stay the same since its birth? If that's the case, then it would seem you've been having one too many chickens lately, for a decade or so. Careful, or you might not be able to jump as gracefully as you did. Perhaps you should go on a diet or something…"

"Like the one you are partaking, consisting of everything that looks edible with liters of milk? No thanks." Kaga answered back. "And also, a fat joke? Really, Yoruichi? That wasn't even original or hurting. It was quite pathetic, especially for someone like you. Did your life as a perverted cat dull your claws and mind?"

"At least I can get into some good quality action, unlike you two." Yoruichi chuckled at the two, earning another growl from them. "I don't even know if I should laugh or feel sorry for you, since… You two now need to start choosing men since they are kids, if you wish to get at least a little bit of that tail fluffing. How truly sad, to find Kitsune so bad at love that they need a child to learn how to even kiss."

"Well, unlike some loose pussycat here, we have standards, while you seem to start wiggle your tails at the first person that offers you a bit of fish and milk." Akagi said back, with Yoruichi not really reacting to it. "Also, unlike a certain kitty cat here, Kaga and I age like wine, getting better and better with years, while you are just like your favorite milk, sour up until it becomes just impossible to even smell. And besides, what's the point for us to have anyone, but Naruto, who already knows how to read our tells and treat us right at the age of 6? Care to imagine what he will be able to do when he hits 14?"

"Ho ho, wish to stress test this statement, Akagi?" Yoruichi suddenly dared her. "Or are you two scared that your precious little treasure boy here will flee right into my paws the moment I decide to be serious with him?"

"As if. Unlike the ilk you prefer to hang out with, Naruto is a true gentleman in the making, one that will be a worthy husband to Goddesses and Kami, and he is all ours." Kaga said with a smirk. "Go ahead, do your best and worst. I'll be delighted to see what it will be like for you to get rejected." Kaga and Akagi stepped away, allowing Yoruichi to move in closer to Naruto.

"Wait, what is going on? Naruto, what did they mean by all that talk?" Akeno asked of him. "Yoruichi, what are you about to…"

And it was at that moment when Yoruichi decided to press on her offensive and prove to Akagi and Kaga that she wasn't just all talk and no bite. In a second, she transformed from the simple looking black cat into what can only be described an exotic goddess that descended from the heaven. Dark skin that reminded Naruto of a milk chocolate, with long purple hair made into a ponytail and bangs covering her beautiful smiling face, coupled with golden eyes. Her height was nearly the same as with Akagi and Kaga, while figure wasn't as pronounced as theirs, but it was still very well-endowed, with fine looking breasts, long legs and wide hips, coupled with slender figure. All of that was on full display to Naruto, as she was on her hands and knees before him… With not a single article of cloths on her to obstruct the young boy's view of all her assets. Akeno was shocked to see her guardian to actually do it, while Akagi and Kaga instantly reacted with cursing.

"You shameless bitch! That's unfair!" Both Kitsune instantly responded, while Yoruichi smirked at them both.

"Ah ah, you didn't say anything about transformations, so it's fair game. And besides… I think he is liking what he is seeing, don't you, Naruto?" Yoruichi said with a seductive tone, as she began to crawl to him in a slow, delicately enticing way. "Now, no need to feel shy. I know this must be pretty new for you, but you clearly have something to say to me, hm? Go ahead, tell me what you want. Do you like what you are seeing, or would you prefer a closer view?" Yoruichi practically purred to him, as she came up to Naruto's face and was just very inches away from him, while he wasn't even flinching.

"Yoruichi-san." Naruto finally spoke up.

"My, so official. No need for the honorifics, since we are getting to know each other very closely." Yoruichi said to him, as she placed her head near his ear. "Now, what is it that you wish this naughty kitty to do for you?"

"Could you…"

"Yeeees?" Yoruichi sounded eager to hear what he had to say.

"Could you please put some clothes on?" Naruto suddenly told her, surprising and startling Yoruichi.

"Wh-what?" She asked again.

"Could you please put some clothes on? While I can see that you are comfortable in this way, Akeno isn't and it makes me uncomfortable, seeing her in distress like this because of you." Naruto explained to her, with Yoruichi looking at him with a clear surprise in her eyes. "The way you act and look… It makes her sad, and if you wish to please me, then please do as I ask."

"Hm… Well, looks like you really are not like the rest of the boys. But then again, you are still just a child, so it was foolish of me to even attempt to seduce someone like you. Now I feel dirty…" Yoruichi admitted with a sigh, as she rose up from her knees and snapped her fingers.

In an instant, she was now dressed in a black form fitting shirt with cleavage showing, and tight black pants and shoes. Akeno's distress instantly dissipated once Yoruichi was done with it, while Akagi and Kaga both had smirks on their faces.

"Now that was worth waiting a century to see." Akagi chuckled, almost laughing at her. "So what's it like, Yoruichi? To be found unappealing naked and be forced to put on some clothes, just to please a man?"

"Oh can it, you nympho fox. I can smell both of your smells all over him, so don't go judging me for what you two seem to be doing to him regularly. I'll just wait for a few years, and then we'll see whose tails will be circling around him." Yoruichi said with a smirk, before turning to Naruto. "Well, redhead, you've got me. Although, I am curious about how you were able to tell that Akeno was feeling distressed? She is pretty used to my antics, and although that was something new for her, she shouldn't have been as shocked as that."

"It's something I've always been able to do, sense people's emotions and what they are thinking. I'm sorry I've used it on you like that without telling." Naruto apologized to Akeno.

"Yeah, no problem, and thanks for it." Akeno nodded to him. "Also, sorry about all this…"

"No problem. We just have very interesting friends with their own unique traits to them." Naruto said with a smile, making Akeno also smile. "Anyway, I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Pleased to meet you."

"Well, at least you have manners, which is at least some plus of having frigid disciplinary as a caretaker." Yoruichi smirked at the way Kaga growled at her. "Anyway, I'm Yoruichi. You can think of me as a caretaker of this little kitten here. But if you want, I can adopt you as well." Yoruichi playfully suggested.

"Thanks, but I like my life as it is. And they aren't as bad as you make them sound. Had it not been for Akagi and Kaga, I wouldn't know a thing about Yokai or Sekai, and I wouldn't be who I am right now." Naruto told her, with Yoruichi sensing sincerity in his voice. "I must admit, this is the first time I've met a Nekomata. Among all the Yokai I saw, I didn't see a single one before."

"Well, most of my kind are rather solitary, not liking to compete or share with other Nekomatas either territory, mates or food. As for why you didn't see any here is because we largely prefer to avoid Hidden Villages and Shinobi, preferring to settle in bigger cities or near outskirts of villages, where there are larger opportunities to find a suitable mate." Yoruichi told him. "While Shinobi do make for the finest ones around, but given the general view of Shinobi towards Yokai, it is kinda hard to land a good mate that will take care of you and your kittens. Plus, in the past, there were more than enough instances of them killing their Nekomata wives when they found out about their true nature. You could say, we've learned from our mistakes, but I'm not here looking for a potential husband."

"Yes, I can see that. Your protectiveness of Akeno really is impressive." Naruto noted, before turning to Akeno herself. "She cares a lot about you, Akeno."

"I know, it's just… She can be really weird and strange to deal with." Akeno said with sigh, before looking at Yoruichi with a small smile. "But, if it not been for Yoruichi, I would be dead, alongside my mother…" Akeno's face saddened when she said it.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up, I…" Naruto could clearly see that there was great pain in Akeno, and he didn't wish to bring it up to her.

"No, it's… it's okay." Akeno said, before composing. "You know, it's easy for me to talk to you. Like, you have this aura around you, one that makes me want to… Want to talk about things and not fear that I'll get laughed at or that you'll not understand."

"That's our Naruto for you." Akagi said with pride in her voice, with Akeno turning her head towards the two Kitsune, getting a curious look from Akagi and Kaga. "Hm, is there something wrong?"

"N-no, it's just… I didn't really see any Kitsune so close. I did notice a few in the village, but they were really far away. I'm just looking at you two and… You are really pretty." Akeno admitted to them with some shyness in her tone, with Akagi and Kaga feeling pleased about it, while Naruto noticed that Akeno wanted to do more than just say it, and then he decided to help her out with it.

"Akagi, Kaga, will it be okay if Akeno were stroke you furs? Naruto suddenly asked, making Akeno embarrassed in a second, while Yoruichi seemed a little bit peeved.

"Huh? Naruto, do you know what you are asking of us? Kitsune's fur isn't just some random fox's fur you can just grab on and stroke to your liking. We don't just hand the permission for it to everyone, it has to be someone really special." Kaga stated in a proud manner, making Akeno feel saddened at this.

"Three hours, with both of you individually." Naruto suddenly said to them, with both Kitsune perking up after hearing it.

"Six, and do us our tails for a month!" Akagi suddenly demanded, with Naruto sighing at this one, while Yoruichi was starting to get concerned about it.

"Kiddo, mind telling me what are you offering these two, because I'm starting to feel a little bit uncomfortable." Yoruichi asked of him, with Naruto turning to her and speaking up.

"Were you ever near the Inari Temple or the woods near Forest of Death?" Naruto asked of her.

"Quite a few times, especially in the recent years, why?" Yoruichi asked of him, before Naruto pulled out from his shirt his flute. "Wait, you are the one who is playing the flute all the time."

"Wow, you are the one who is always playing it? Amazing, your playing is so good, and it's really unique. It almost feels like you are playing not the notes, but a song from your heart." Akeno commented with a smile, with Naruto giving her his own smile.

"Well, since I never did buy any notebooks with those things, I kinda do play from the heart." Naruto stated to them, before turning to Akagi and Kaga. "Four hours and tails for a month, but only on the weekends. I do have a life, remember."

"Fine, but no touching the tails. Those are reserved only for Naruto." Kaga made sure to look menacingly at Yoruichi, who simply smirked at her, while Akeno beamed when she heard it.

"Well, go ahead." Naruto simply told her, with Akeno nodding to him. "Don't worry, they won't bite. Just don't be too rough on the fur, they really don't like it."

"Okay." Akeno told him as she went towards them.

"And what was it about the tails?" Yoruichi still had her curiosity not satisfied, with Naruto turning again towards her and simply stating to her the obvious answer.

"Tail brushing. They say I have a good hand and so they sometimes ask me to brush their tails." Naruto told Yoruichi, who looked at him with quite a surprised look on her face. "Maybe it's because I often brush my sister's hair or something else, but they really seem to like it."

"Well of course those two would like having their tails brushed. And I thought I was dirty… These two have been having their tails stroked for years now, and he doesn't even realize just what he was doing for them." Yoruichi gave the two Kitsune a dirty look, who simply smirked back at her. "Although, if he is capable of making these two want him to do their tails for a month, I wonder just how good is he? I mean, to even be allowed to touch a Kitsune's tail, much less brush them… I wonder if he wouldn't mind brushing my fur one day." Yoruichi thought to herself with a measure of her in heart.

Akeno carefully approached Akagi and Kaga, both of whom decided to sit down, so as to give the girl an easier access to them. Once that was done and Akagi gave a nod to Akeno, the girl reached out with her hand and gently put on Akagi's head just behind her ears. Akeno was surprised at the softness and warmth of the fur, comparing it to the softest silk that she had touched and the warmest of cloths she wore. It was like there was fire underneath the fur which served as the heat source for it. Once she started to stroke it, Akeno couldn't believe how easily her hand travelled through the fur and how nice it felt in her palm. Akagi smiled to Akeno, showing that she liked the way she moved her hand through her fur, with Akeno smiling back to her. After a couple of minutes of stroking, Akagi gently rose up from the ground and moved away, while motioning for Akeno to move onto Kaga.

Kaga seemed to look with indifference at Akeno, but she still allowed her to come closer, which the girl did with some hesitation in her movement. Akeno extended her hand carefully, as if preparing to pull it back, since Kaga seemed to be the scarier of the two Kitsune, from both her posture and way she spoke in a regal, commanding voice. Yet it was Kaga that actually initiated the first contact with Akeno, as she gently moved her head to be right beneath Akeno's hand, letting it fall on her fur. Akeno was surprised when she finally touched it, and reveled in the sensation of white Kitsune's fur, as it felt warm, yet also soft and peculiarly nice. It was as if snow made take form of Kitsune, but with warmth of a real fur and softness to match it. Similar to Akagi's yet also distinct and different in its own right, with Akeno quickly getting addicted to the feel of it. For the next few minutes, Akeno stroked the fur of the white-furred Kitsune, until Kaga had decided that it was enough for now and moved up, without a word to Akeno and leaving her to join Akagi. Akeno smiled to her and bowed a little to them both, before returning Naruto, speaking up.

"Wow, they are so fluffy and soft. It's almost like touching clouds with Kaga, while Akeno's like the softest silk, better than the one Mikoto once let me see." Akeno shared her experiences with Naruto. "I wish I could touch their tails, though, but I guess they only let those they know do it. And you must be really special for them, if they let you brush them."

"You have no idea how special he is for us, girl." Akagi said with a possessive voice. "Naruto is ours, and we are his. Our tails are only his privilege to touch, hold and do whatever he wishes with them."

"My, my, and I thought I was dirty… You two little minxes have already marked him, didn't you?" Yoruichi narrowed her eyes at the two in a knowing fashion. "Hm, he doesn't have your marks yet, but the amount of smell you've put on him all but screams private property for every other Kitsune and other Yokai in the area. Choosing them young indeed, Kaga, Akagi." Yoruichi chuckled at the two, who glared at her.

"Thank you, for convincing them, but I kinda feel bad that you now have to do all those things for them." Akeno said to Naruto.

"Eh, it's not really bad, and I really like both tail brushing and playing flute, so it's everyone's win." Naruto told Akeno, who felt relieved a little at it. "If you want, I could also sing for you and do your hair." Naruto said in a joking manner, not noticing how Akeno blushed after hearing him say that, while Yoruichi laughed out loud, with Akagi and Kaga looking positively shocked.

"Naruto, what is the meaning of that proposal?!" Akagi and Kaga asked, or rather, demanded of him to know immediately, with Naruto not realizing what he said.

"Y-you sh-shouldn't ask girl of such things, or make such improper propositions, especially on her first meeting…" Akeno bashfully stated to him, averting her eyes from him.

"I don't know about that, Akeno. I think you should take him on his offer." Yoruichi spoke up, gaining a look full of shock from Akeno. "I mean, if this kid can make two Kitsune want to brush his tails, then imagine what he will be able to do with your silky hair, hm? Well, if you don't want it, then how about you do my hair instead? I can assure you, it's just as good as those two's tails, if not even better. And plus, where had you ever seen hair like this, with this dark silky purple color? Doesn't it invoke something inside you, hm?" Yoruichi twirled her hair a little, to show it off for Naruto.

"C-can we just forget about it already?" Akeno asked of everyone, with a silent agreement being achieved on the matter.

"Oh girl, you don't know what you are missing, but there is still plenty of time... Say, Naruto, you aren't really human, are you?" Yoruichi suddenly asked of him, deciding to change the top and find out something that had been bugging her since she saw the boy. "No normal human can see Yokai and interact with us like you do, and I can clearly see that you weren't granted the ability to see us by other Yokai, that would be seen by us. Those eyes of yours… They aren't normal eyes, you know? That golden color, and that aura of yours… It's not of human origin."

"I can say that I was born as a human to my mother and father." Naruto said to Yoruichi, who nodded to him.

"Yeah, but something happened and you became… Hm, curious. You don't smell like a Hannya or are you a half-breed with any other Yokai, but you aren't human." Yoruichi stated to him. "Could you be…" She moved closer to him, before suddenly smelling him.

"Um, I know I haven't had a bath today, but I'm certain I wasn't doing anything to work up a sweat." Naruto noted, before Yoruichi stopped and moved away from him.

"Don't worry about that, although you do smell of some already washed off sweat. I just wanted to see if I could figure out what you are." Yoruichi stated to him, before looking at him with narrowed eyes. "But I didn't expect you to be what you are. Naruto, which of the Gods have chosen you?"

"Wait, what does that mean, Yoruichi?" Akeno asked of her.

"She means that I've been adopted, or made a child of Gods, though I personally don't know how it all works." Naruto admitted to Akeno, who stood silent at that. "I've never actually met them, but I do know who they are and when they've made me their child. My divine parents are Shiva and Parvati, and my grandmother is Izanami." He could see clear shock on the faces of Akeno and Yoruichi.

"Sh-Shiva… A-As in Lord Shiva, the God of Destruction and Creation, and his wife Lady Parvati, the three aspect Goddess, not to mention Lady Izanami, Goddess of Death and Creation?" Akeno asked of him in an incredulous way. "H-How did…"

"They just did, as to why… I can't say for sure either. All I know is that when I nearly died due to a brand of Shinigami, they came and gave me my life." Naruto told them. "I myself didn't know about it until I was 5, when I met Amagi… She was the one who opened my eyes, to both myself and the world around me, and how it was cruel."

"Why are you so open with us? While I appreciate the trust you are giving us, but isn't this a little too soon for you to tell things like that?" Akeno asked of him, with Naruto just shrugging to her.

"Well, I can tell that neither you nor Yoruichi will tell others about it, and I just know that I can trust you. Like I said, I can see things like that." Naruto told Akeno, who nodded to him.

"Those eyes are a gift of Lord Shiva, no doubt about it. He is gifted with such great perception and understanding of things, that it allows him to perceive every possibility that exists in the universe, of every being in it." Yoruichi told them both. "It does seem possible that he would gift his son with a similar ability. Those eyes of yours allow you to perceive things that would be impossible for others to see, like Yokai or emotions. That would also explain how you are able to trust us so easy, though it is still surprising for me."

"You might be surprised, but I usually have a much easier time dealing with Yokai than with humans." Naruto told them. "I mean, you can't really tell them about Yokai and how you see them, and have them believe you and your words. That's not to mention how you can tell how your parents are really feeling about you, how your father believes that you aren't living up to his name and are a disappointment to him and the family, when he is smiling and telling that he loves you." Naruto's voice cracked up a little, with a tear coming to his eye.

"Naruto…" Akeno looked at him with worry.

"Or how about when my mother tells everyone just how great her children are, yet when she speaks of me, all she says is how I've become a delinquent that doesn't listen to her anymore. I would actually listen to her, if she had only stopped with that shouting and demands and listened to me. In her mind, I'm already a lost cause, a prodigal son that just doesn't understand anything and just fools around. To her, I'm a fool that doesn't know that his mother is always right, even when she is in the wrong." A second streak of tears joined the first one. "All she seems to hear is how I refuse to listen to her, and she always tells me how I must always listen to her, despite the fact that she doesn't even tell me what is wrong with my friends. And when I try to stand my ground… She just can't stand when people refuse her or slight her… B-but is it any reason to hit your own son?!" Naruto was starting to break down on the spot before them all.

Akeno and Yoruichi stood there still, shocked at what they had heard, while Akagi and Kaga could only look down with sadness and shame. As much as they had loved and adored Naruto, cared and nurtured him, they couldn't do one thing that they wished they could- they couldn't take away the pain that was inflicted upon him by people around him and his parents. No matter how much he tried to push away the feeling of rejection, no matter how little mind he paid to people ignoring or seeing him as a fool, no matter how much he appeared to accept the fact of him being a fool in others eyes… It still hurt him. Naruto wasn't always able to close off his mind and heart to things like this, and like needles, they pierced inside and little by little, the pain of these stabs was starting to become greater and greater.

For years Naruto had been forced to see how his brother and sister get everything that they could ever ask for and more: recognition, praises, adoration, unadulterated love from parents and people. And for what? For holding that damned Kyuubi?! They didn't do anything about it, did they do the sealing, or was it them that had defeated the beast? No, they are just vessels for it, like bottles that hold water in them, but does a bottle get praised for putting water in it, or even holding it? No, yet they are… And what is there for Naruto?

Nothing more than disappointment from his parents, mocking from siblings, indifference from godparents and ridicule from Shinobi and hatred from civilians. He may've been able to control his abilities, but that didn't mean he could take away the knowledge of people's feelings towards him. Naruto may've made it seem like it was easy for him to not care about all these things, but how can a boy his age not seek recognition and love from others, especially when his siblings had it all. For what reason did the universe decree that he was to be the one in shadows and used as an object of mockery.

Amagi and Tomoe may've helped Naruto to alleviate some pressure and pain that he was feeling, and had it not been for them, he would've probably just forgotten about his dreams and gone downhill. He thought about, more times than he could count, to abandon his dream and goal of a better world, and just go with the flow. Each time Naruto had forced himself to push those thoughts back into the darkness of his mind, yet they never left him, and the temptation was always there. How easy it would be for him, to just start to act like his parents want him to be, to show them that he had every bit of potential they thought was in his siblings. Oh how easy it would be, and how seductively enticing it sounds to Naruto: praises and love from his parents, respect and adoration of masses, acceptance by his siblings. All that Naruto would have to do is give in to weakness and just become what people want him to be, what he swore to end, and what Naruto constantly stops himself from becoming.

Had he ever made that decision, he would never again respect himself or even be able to look himself in the eyes, but was it worth being a mockery in the eyes of others. He may've claimed to be a fool, but he was no fool, not like those people that called him that. He was idealistic and optimistic, but he also had smarts and wisdom, gifts of understanding and power, and yet he was forced to always hide it… Naruto was tired of it, tired of being unable to speak up, fed up with people looking down on him and seeing him as a fool.

He was no longer capable of just putting up a front of the normal son and boy to his parents, who saw him as a failure and disappointment. He couldn't hold it anymore, as it just boiled up inside of him and right now, before someone who was like him, even not directly… He just broke down, as tears began to fall and he just lost control of his knees, hitting the ground with them and just trying to hold back the pain inside of him, but failing.

It was then, at his moment of absolute weakness before essentially strangers, when Naruto received a gift that he had given to Tomoe all those months ago. He didn't even see how Akeno came close to him, kneeled down before him… And pulled him into an embrace, surprising and startling him, yet he didn't try to detach from her. But this was not the only things that had surprised him. In the next instant, he found himself surrounded by soft, warm black feathered wings, coming from Akeno's back, as they formed a barrier around him, so as to show that right now he was protected from all the bad in the world. Shocked and stunned, Naruto couldn't muster up a response at first…

"Akeno… W-Why…" He asked in a weak voice, with Akeno answering.

"Because you are hurting, and I hate to see people hurt themselves. So cry, just cry and tell me everything." Akeno asked of him, holding him close to her. "I can see that you have too much of pain inside you, I sense it in your aura and soul. You don't have to be the only one who understands it all and is being kind… I just want to help someone who is like me. Someone who is not like them. So please, let me be the one to help you."

For all this time, Naruto had been trying to be humane, not expecting anyone else to act like this towards him. He expected a road ahead to be hard, but even now it was proving to be unbearable. He didn't know why, but he could feel and his heart was telling him that he could trust this girl, someone whom she claimed was like him. And so Naruto did, as he let out his soul to Akeno, with tears telling her all that had been bottled up inside of him. He told her all about his pain that he felt from everyone's emotions and their negativity, how it was making him mad that nobody was acknowledging him for who he simply was. He told Akeno about how he had to hide his real feelings and suppress his anger all the time, all the frustration, irritation and rage he felt bottling up all the time with his real family.

While Naruto's positive disposition was no lie, he always wore a mask that would hide his far baser and much less dignified side of him, one which consisted of his darker emotions and feelings. It was his temper and anger, a burning flame that fanner his worse impulses and which Naruto always tried to keep suppressed, but it never was easy to simply put that fire away. He had to always keep in check or else it would spill out and claim Naruto, and he saw what unchecked emotions did with people, since he lived with Kushina, who had little to no restrain on her emotions. It is partially because of her that he feared to ever accept his darker side of himself, since he was afraid of falling into a deep pit that he heard Shinobi falling and becoming monsters. This world has had enough monsters already, and Naruto wished to never become another one, so he kept his dark side under constant watch, but the walls around it were crumbling and it seeped outside more and more outside. Like today with Fugaku at the temple…

Akeno didn't let him out her embrace as she listened to him, her black wings keeping him warm, as the sunset past and night began to roll in. They didn't know for how long they stayed like this, but by the time Naruto was done, when he finally had nothing left inside, stars were starting to show up above them.

Once it was done, Akeno slowly detached her wings from him, before following it with her hands, while exhausted Naruto could only look with his cried up eyes at her and speak up.

"Why? Why d-do you… Y-you don't know me…" Naruto asked of her, why she would act like this.

"Because I want to know you, Naruto." She told him with a small smile. "And because, just like you, I know I can trust you fully, because I see it in you. I see who you are, and I want to know you, even if it's something that hurts you. You are not like others, Naruto, just like me…" She looked at her wings, with Naruto finally paying them attention.

"They are warm and beautiful… Akeno, are you…" Naruto was about to ask, as both he and Akeno both heard footsteps coming towards them, forcing Yoruichi to disappear into her spirit form, while Akeno hid her wings.

"Children, are you okay in here? Do you know how late its'…" Mikoto came to the yard, only to be frozen by the scene before her, where she saw Naruto and Akeno on their knees, with Naruto's eyes still red from crying. "Naruto, Akeno, is everything…"

"Yes, everything is fine it's just…" Akeno tried to defend Naruto, but wasn't able to come up with a good enough excuse, but then Naruto spoke up.

"I was feeling really bad for a while, Lady Mikoto, and Akeno… She made it better." Naruto said to her, rising up from his knees, along with helping Akeno. "I am sorry for having exploited your hospitality in such a way, but I…"

"No need to apologize, Naruto, I can understand what you mean." Mikoto told him sympathetically, as she came up to him. "I'm not blind, and I have ears, Naruto… I heard what people say about you, and what Kushina told me about you. I'm sorry you had to hear as well…" Mikoto pulled him a protective hug.

"Thank you…" Naruto said weakly, meaning to both Mikoto and Akeno, as some leftover tear fell from his eye.

"It's getting late, so I'll walk you back home, okay?" Mikoto received a nod from Naruto. "Good. Oh, and one more thing. Fugaku asked me to give you this. He said that you should give it to Minato when you have the chance. Can you do it for him?" Mikoto gave Naruto an envelope, with him accepting it and tucking it away.

"I will. And Akeno, thank you for what you did." Naruto thanked her, with Akeno smiling to him. "If you or your friend do not mind, I would like to hang out with you more. I'm usually at Inari Temple when I'm free."

"I'll be sure to look for you there. And about that proposal you've made… I'll think about it" Akeno told him with a smile, as he and Mikoto left the garden, Akagi and Kaga following them. "He is something else, isn't he?"

"That would be what we in our industry call an understatement, kitten." Yoruichi told Akeno, who turned to face her. "He may be amazing as a person, and I can only imagine what he will become when he grows up, but at the same time… I can't help but feel sorry for him, for he has to carry such great burdens on his soul."

"Yeah…" Akeno admitted with a sad sigh. "To always be aware of what people think about you, to not have your parents support and be despised for simply being alive… I can't imagine how he still manages to put up that smile and be polite to all, playing the role that he hates so much…"

"Not any man would be able to live like that, and he is still a child, so it is even more impressive and far sadder than it would seem- to live with a mask and in shadows of his supposed betters." Yoruichi said with wisdom in her voice. "There is greatness in him, but he can't go on like that, no. Just keeping that anger and temper of his behind the bars is no good thing for him. He has to embrace it, take that fire and use it to fan himself, instead of trying to put it out. If he were to do it… He might just live up to the gods that have blessed him and his people."

"Do you think he'll be able to do it? I mean, even his closest people weren't able to help him with it." Akeno noted.

"I think Naruto needed not Amagi or Tomoe, but someone like him, someone who also has to live among men and act like them, when in reality he hides himself. This might be one of the reasons why he put his trust in you, kitten." Akeno thought about what Yoruichi said. "I think that he'll be able to do it, at least now. All those grievances and pain that were bottled up inside of him were weighing quite heavily on him, but now that load is lightened, and his mind shall see the road ahead far more clearly. Something tells me that maybe today he will be able to make the first step towards who he should be instead of pretending to be."

"Do you mean he was just pretending to be nice with us?" Akeno asked with fear in his eyes, with Yoruichi shaking her head.

"No, he was sincere with us all this time, I mean that he was just not being fully himself and used his niceness to compensate for the lack of emotionality in him that is a usual thing to see among his kind, the Uzumaki." Yoruichi said with knowledge in her voice. "Well, only time will if he will become the fire breathing dragon, or ashes… By the way, kitten, I must say that I am very proud of you, and not just because of your kindness towards him. I wasn't expecting you to accept that proposal of his." Yoruichi chuckled suggestively, with Akeno blushing deep red.

"I-I only did it because I w-want to h-hear him play, n-not because of my hair and brushing…" Akeno mumbled out.

"Still, I'm proud of you, Akeno. We might just make one great seductress out of you, though it is in your blood." Yoruichi laughed at the sight of Akeno's blush reaching sun level.

---

On route towards Namikaze mansion.

Mikoto and Naruto were well on their way towards the house of Namikaze family, moving along the streets, with people in here trying to move away from their path, while also sending looks towards Naruto, who since leaving the mansion was deep in his thoughts. Mikoto wasn't blind as to what she was seeing, and it was honestly disgusting her, the way people were just debasing Naruto with just their eyes, looking at him in a way that said that he was below them, and for what? She heard rumors, but didn't think that there would be those that would actually believe such a nonsense, yet she was proven wrong now, when she took a good look at the "good people" of Konoha.

Arrogance, sneer, contempt at the boy- and that was just the first things she could see in their eyes. Now Mikoto started to feel really bad for Naruto and also ashamed of herself for not noticing it all sooner. For a supposed best friend and someone who was the prime candidate for being a godmother to Kushina's kids, it was simply atrocious that she didn't see it all happening. Had Minato and Kushina not been swayed by Lord Third and Jiraiya, Mikoto would've been the godmother of Kushina's kids, instead of Tsunade Senju. Mikoto was quite upset at that fact when Kushina told her that she and Minato had already decided and went through with the idea, without even informing her. Kushina back then claimed that it was just so sudden and things were hectic and different back then, since the attack happened just recently. Mikoto may've forgiven Kushina, but the aftermath still remained, and this left a bad taste in her mouth when she looked at that pig Tsunade.

It was clear that the woman cared naught for her responsibilities as a godmother, especially towards Naruto, since Mikoto had heard plenty of things related to Slug Princess from her acquaintances and also Tomoe Uchiha, being someone whom Mikoto saw as a friend, even if a distant one. To say that the famed best medic and one of the three legendary Sannins was a repulsive person to Mikoto would be an understatement. The woman was a terrible gambler and drunkard, far interested in spending her family's money and fortunes by losing and covering up her debts. Then there was also the fact of her taking advantage of Shizune Kato, a young, capable and very talented kunoichi, whom Tomoe praised quite highly, but who was practically on a leash by Tsunade. Sure, she may've been her student and apprentice, but Tsunade practically utilized her as a servant to herself instead of acting like a master. If only the girl were to leave her master's shadow, she might flourish into something great…

And this was the person that Kushina wants her children to inspire to be like? Clearly, she simply made her decision based on simple fame and prestige that it would bring to her, since Kushina was always after recognition through any way possible. While Mikoto could understand such a desire, she detested the fact of Kushina using her own children for that thing, practically caring little to nothing about the consequences, and they were already showing. At least with Naruto, there was still time and chance for him to become someone different from what his foolish parents want to mold his siblings into, and Mikoto wished to help him, since she felt a connection to this child and guilt towards him for not helping earlier. And that is not to mention what she had heard back home, something that she became an unwilling witness to…

As they were walking down the road, Mikoto had finally gathered up her thoughts and spoke up.

"Naruto, can I ask you something?" Mikoto received a nod from him. "Are you… Are you happy with your family?" She asked of him, with Naruto looking up at her.

"What brought this on?" He asked, tone of the voice not cheerful like before or benign, but rather tired and exhausted, as if he had grown weary of keeping up the mask. "Is this because you've heard me and Akeno?" Naruto wasn't really asking, but Mikoto was shocked that he said it.

"How did you…" Mikoto wanted to ask, but then she figured it out herself. "You are a sensor, aren't you?"

"Tomoe says I am, since I can sense where people are at all time, not to mention their emotions…" Naruto was simply done with lying and not telling anything to anyone, he simply didn't have it in him, with Mikoto looking at him with surprise.

"You mean, you can sense what people think and feel?" Naruto simply nodded to her. "And what they think about… Naruto…" It was then that Mikoto realized that Naruto didn't need to deal with lies or false hopes about his parents.

He always knows how they feel about him and what is on their mind, and he has to live with the truth. It was no wonder that Naruto had been able to so quickly grow close to Akeno, even breaking down in front of her. And all these people with their disgust… Such a gift, yet also such a curse, to be gifted it to a child. Now Mikoto believed that she had started to understand why he was the way he is.

"If you want to offer me sympathies or say you are sorry, then don't." Naruto told her with a seemingly uncaring tone. "There was nothing that you could do, so why say you are sorry?"

"Because there was something I could do, but I didn't. I…" Mikoto tried to defend her position, but wasn't able.

"Just because you think you could change it doesn't mean you could. You've had your own life to attend to and even if you have some soft feelings towards me, doesn't mean that you should've acted…" Naruto let out a tired sigh. "Can we please just not talk about it, Lady Mikoto? As much as I may respect you, I have no patience of strength to listen to you debasing yourself."

"Very well." Mikoto decided to respect the wish of Naruto. "But could you answer the question I asked earlier?" Naruto let out a sigh, before deciding to answer.

"If you wish to know, then I'll answer it. Am I happy with them? No, I am not happy with them." Naruto admitted to Mikoto Naruto without reservations. "My father states that he loves me and will support me no matter what, but in reality, he feels disappointed with me for no good reason and thinks that I'll never amount to much. When he looks at Natsu and Narumi, I can sense how happy he is with them and how proud he is of them, even when they show off and reveal their real faces. In his eyes, they are the perfect children to him and my mother. As for those two… They may appear to be nice and all, but in reality, they are nothing more than shallow, arrogant detestable pricks that look down on all that are not them and see themselves as almost like gods. They get everything they want, from best of training to whatever catches their eye, and even when they are in the wrong or do a bad thing, they always get away with it. They've get trained by our parents, Sannins and even former apprentices of my folks, as well as having the admiration and respect, but for what? Holding that beast, serving as its bottles, and they get praised for it and stuff. Pft…" Naruto let out a frustrated sigh. "And then… There is my mother…"

"Naruto, what I heard you say about her, that she hit you… Is this…" Mikoto didn't want to believe what she had heard, but Naruto confirmed it for her.

"She did, a couple of times, when I lost my cool and mentioned to her Tomoe. Every time I did so, it seemed like a switch turned on in her mind and she just lost it. Ever since she learned that I've been spending time with her and Amagi, she has been constantly demanding of me to stop my meetings, but I didn't and won't." Naruto told Mikoto. "She always tries to make them look evil and bad, but in reality, all she does is just make herself look good. She thinks she is a great mother and that all her children should love her, but how can a son love a mother that stroke him for not pleasing her and which spends at best, a fifth of time she gives to Natsu and Narumi? And that's not to mention Mito… She is the reason why I still go home, because she has to have family near her. And whom will she have near her if I leave? Two arrogant idiots that see her as someone who should worship them for simply existing, and the parents that have dumped their responsibilities for her on a caretaker and still see themselves as great parents? I don't think so…"

"How long has this been going on for you?" She asked of Naruto.

"Since I got 5 and they started to train them. Since then… It just went downhill. If before I was just a fool kid that believed in ghost stories, I've gradually degraded into a disappointment in their eyes that isn't worth their time, yet they still make it for me in their mind." Naruto said with bitterness. "And as for those two godparents… Jiraiya is a prideful, arrogant leech that brags about himself and embellishes those two idiots, while not even hiding the fact of thinking of me as a waste time. And Tsunade… She is just someone I don't get at all. She both seems to hate me, but also wants to get to know more of me. As if I'm a pet project to her and something she despises for no good reason. I just try to get away from both as much as can."

"That would explain why you spend so much time away, as Fugaku mentioned it to me, although I'm surprised that you sound so different now." Mikoto admitted to him.

"I'm tired already to just hold it together and not let all that anger and rage out." Naruto admitted to Mikoto. "It wasn't an act, if you are wondering. I really do believe in what I said and I did mean it all, but the mannerisms… It's starting to feel kinda redundant for me, and I just start to get pissed at people just thinking I'm a fool for no good reason, other than believing in helping all the people regardless of their origin. I'm just… I just can't continue to pull off that nice guy attitude…"

"Then don't do it." Mikoto suddenly told him, making Naruto look up at her. "I can see that you are actually a really good person, better than your siblings, but the way you presented yourself to us did give us off the feeling of falsehood, at least to me and Fugaku. But there was also like incompletion in you, a missing part in it. Now I think I can guess what it is- it's your flame."

"Flame?" Naruto asked of her.

"Well, it's a metaphor. Oh wait, you probably…"

"I know what a metaphor is, Mikoto-san. Unlike some, I do like to read books." Naruto gave her a rather not so kind look for thinking that he was illiterate. "By flame, you mean my temper? Like with my siblings and mother?"

"You could say that. You are an Uzumaki, and your people are known for the strength of character and willfulness, and I can actually see it in you, though it is in what I can only describe a purer and stronger form." Mikoto told him, with Naruto looking at her with a confused eye. "Your mother, Kushina, she also has a temper, true, and your siblings too, but from what I see, where their tempers are unchecked for most part, I see in you someone who can take control of yourself, if only he lets go of this strange inhibition that holds him back."

"It's not so strange." Naruto argued back. "You saw my mother and siblings, and I know what are their thoughts and emotions… I don't want to turn out to be the same way as they are. I don't want to become a jerk like Natsu, or someone like my mother…"

"I don't think that you will ever become like them. You are far too smart to be like them, and you seem to have something that they don't have- humility." Mikoto told him, surprising Naruto. "Naruto, I can see that you may be scared of those impulses and emotions, which is surprising to me, but then again, you are not a simple child. You have a clearer view and understanding of things that many older Shinobi can't comprehend, but you are still a child, though with a mind of sage it would seem. To cut off a part of your character is like cutting away a part of your humanity and soul. We combine in ourselves both the spirit and body, mind and instinct, Yin and Yang, with both parts existing in balance. To cut away one out of the body would be like cutting a person into two, and no one can exist like that. Even chakra itself consists of two parts, spiritual and physical, and so are people are made of good and bad emotions. What matters is how we choose to use our sides, Naruto. Don't try to cut away something you will never be able to replace. If you do, then you will become something horrific." Mikoto told him, with him being in deep thought about it, as they walked through the streets.

To accept that part of himself instead of trying to cut it off… The more Naruto now thought about it, the more tempting it was starting to sound, like it was something that he needed. The fear of falling was there, but now that he had let out his grievances and pain out of his heart, Naruto could now think clearer and better, and he found himself agreeing with Mikoto and how it was aligning with what he was trying to achieve. Humans weren't perfect, and we were made in the way we are, with clear mind and powerful emotions, and if Naruto wished to remain humane and human, he couldn't let himself just cut off that part of himself.

But he could accept that part of him, let it work for him and enhance himself… Maybe this was something that he was missing in his trainings, that part that Amagi commented he seemed to lack in order to become Onmyoji. Was he really so foolish as to cut away what made him human, his emotions and instincts? Just because they were of less benevolent nature didn't mean they were bad, and Naruto was foolish to think about it in such a way. He thought that he would need only benign feelings originally, but high morals mean little to nothing without passion and will behind them. To start up the fires in hearts of others, one will need to have the flame to share with people…

As he was in deep thought, Naruto didn't even notice how he and Mikoto had reached the mansion. Mikoto smiled to him and Naruto decided to smile her back, with Mikoto noticing that his smile was now different, it was… It was more genuine and with fire in it. Once she saw fit, Mikoto was preparing to leave, as she turned to move ahead towards her home. Naruto already twisted the doorknob and opened up the door… when a hand grabbed him and practically shoved him inside the house. Within a second's span, Naruto went from grinning to looking at an enraged Kushina.

"Where the hell have you been?!" She demanded to know of him. "It's night outside, and you are out there, carousing and doing god knows what! Where were you, young man?!" Kushina's emotions were running rampant, with anger, suspicions, disbelief in Naruto being all mixed into a bad cocktail.

"I was at Mikoto Uchiha's house." Naruto told Kushina, before he felt her grip on his collar tighten.

"Don't lie to me, Naruto. I warn you, I am in a very bad mood and you are in deep trouble now, mister! Now where were you all this time? Were you with Tomoe? What did she tell you this time, huh?!" Kushina demanded to know.

"I didn't see her, and I told you already where I was today!" Naruto said with force, trying to get out of the grip. "Let me go already!"

"No, you are lying! Why would Mikoto want to have you at her house when there are Natsu and Narumi?! I know it, I can see it in your lying eyes! Tell me what that bitch told you about us!" Kushina demanded to know, until Naruto had suddenly managed to release himself from her grip, surprising her. "So, you want to go that way, huh? Since you don't want to listen your mother, I will have to discipline you." She was preparing to do the disciplining already, having raised her hand… when someone suddenly just up and grabbed it. "What the…"

"Kushina, what the hell are you doing to your son?!" Kushina's eyes widened when she heard Mikoto's voice behind her, before she was released by her, forcing the redheaded woman to turn and face an enraged woman. "So, is this how you are being a great mother to all your children? By raising your head and trying to beat a confession out of them?"

"Mikoto, I-I know it looked like I was about to do what you thought, but I assure you I…" Kushina was trying to state otherwise, but Mikoto wasn't budging.

"Don't try, I heard everything, and for your information, he was at our house, and he acted every bit a good guest would, unlike Natsu and Narumi, or you for that matter." Mikoto told Kushina, who was surprised to hear her say such a thing about Naruto. "Now, what you will do right now is let your son go and get into bed, because he had a very eventful day today. And while he does that, you and will have a serious talk, regarding your attitude. Am I clear?" To emphasize her point, Mikoto revealed to Kushina her Sharingan, showing that she wasn't in the mood for jokes.

"Okay… Naruto, go to your room. We'll talk some other time about it…"

"There will be no talk, and no more hands being raised at him for whatever reason you may come up with." Mikoto told Kushina with force. "Naruto, I hope I will be seeing you around our home a lot more often now. I really enjoyed your company."

"Heh, you can bet on it." Naruto smiled to Mikoto with an Uzumaki trademark smile, which surprised Kushina, since she never saw it before being displayed by Naruto. "Thanks for the dinner. It was really good, and I'll be sure to stop by when I get the chance." With that out of the way, Naruto dashed off upstairs to get into bed… but not before recalling what Fugaku had asked of him.

---

Three days later. Inari Temple.

The clear night sky was illuminated by the moon, as it shed its light on the sleeping Konoha, as the three figures were moving towards the temple. When they arrived on top of the hill, they've found themselves being waited on by the head priestess of this shrine. Amagi stood just in front of the three most important persons in the Village at the moment, but didn't show either reverence or much of respect, only seeming indifference. Once they got close to her did she speak up.

"Lord Hokage, I was informed that you would be arriving alone, without the company." Amagi said, looking at his companions.

"The circumstances have changed a little, Lady Amagi, but I am certain that this will not pose a problem for us all." Minato said with a small smile. "Now, I believe we are awaited. Would you care to lead us in?"

"No." Amagi suddenly said to him.

"I am sorry, what?" Minato looked at her confused with his companions being in the same state. "But why? Shouldn't we meet with…"

"You should, but not Lord Third and Jiraiya. I have agreed to allow this meeting to happen inside my temple on the conditions that were discussed previously and agreed upon, and I will not deviate from them, no matter who you bring." Amagi stated to him with steel in her voice. "Either we go in alone, or not go in at all."

"Hey, lady, watch whom you are speaking to here!" Jiraiya looked at her with an indignant look, but Amagi spared him not a glance. "We are the three greatest Shinobi in all of Leaf, and Sensei and I help Minato run this place. So you should let us in, since we obviously are needed in this place and with a meeting as important as this one."

"Lord Hokage, do you realize what you are doing here with these three?" Amagi asked of him, but didn't wait for the answer. "This meeting was to happen between you and the organizer of it, and it should've stayed only between the two of you. By bringing here these two, you do not only show disrespect to that person, but also a complete lack of trust in a man you claim to trust completely."

"It never was my intention to insult anyone like that. Lord Third here has a great deal of experience in dealing with internal problems of the Leaf, and my Sensei is one of the Sannins and so…" Minato tried to defend himself, but wasn't allowed.

"Are you actually a Hokage, or are you just someone who keeps the seat warm, until someone else takes it?" Amagi asked of Minato, challenging him. "If you are a man you claim to be, and your intentions are to see this through, then you will step upon this hallowed ground alone, as the traditions demand. But if you are a lesser man, then there is no point for this meeting." Amagi stated to him with conviction, with Minato not being able to argue with her on this one.

"You are correct. Lord Third, Sensei, thank you for accompanying me so far, but this is something I need to do on my own." Minato said.

"Kid, you don't need to go in alone like that! We can just force our way in and…"

"And what? Attack an unarmed priestess that has agreed to be an arbitrary of this meeting, deconsecrating the respected and hallowed traditions of Shinobi? I thought I taught you better than this, Jiraiya." Lord Third sounded quite disappointed with him, before turning to look at Amagi. "If you would permit us, Lady Amagi, we shall remain here until the meeting has concluded. As per traditions, I give you my word that we shall not interfere with the meeting in any form or manner." Amagi bowed before Lord Third in appreciation.

"Thank you for understanding, Lord Third. Lord Fourth, if you would follow me." Amagi turned around and led Minato towards the temple.

Their walk was swift and not long, as they reached the large open room, lit by the candles and with two places being prepared for the delegates, with one being occupied already. Once Amagi led Minato inside the room, she hurried to leave it, but not before closing the doors behind her, leaving Minato and the organizer of this meeting alone. It was Minato that broke the silence first.

"Lord Fugaku, my apologies for the delay." Minato addressed Fugaku Uchiha, who looked from his seat at the man.

"Apologies accepted, and I thank you for coming. Please, take a seat, Lord Hokage." Fugaku offered him the seat in front of him, with Minato accepting it, sitting on his knees before the man and a plate, with a teapot and two cups before them. "I believe it is well past time that the two of us have finally talked, eye to eye and without any distractions."

"I agree." Minato nodded to him, with their discussion beginning.

---

Over 20k… I am beat tired and amazed that I had managed to make it this long. I didn't even plan for it to be this long, and yet… I'll need a few days off after this one, and even though I feel like I've rushed this chapter, it was worth working on it, even if I feel I could do something better with it. Oh well, I'm just out of juice with this one.

So anyway, as you may've seen, I've introduced two characters that are definitely going to become quite prominent in the future of this story. My personal favorite waifu from DxD Akeno Himejima, and Yoruichi from Bleach, an iconic cat-lady. I will be honest with you, I was debating with myself over who I should put in, but after long and hard thought, I decided to put these two, because I feel like their implementation will be easier and more interesting for me. Also, I'm afraid I've limited knowledge of Bleach, so if I've messed up Yoruichi for you, then I deeply apologize and I hope you can forgive me for author's liberties. Also, I know that she is a Shinigami, and not a Nekomata, but… I mean c'mon, she is definite a Neko, and as for who is Akeno, I'll dive into her backstory in next chapter.

Now, the main thing about this chapter: Naruto and his breakdown. Truthfully, when I re-read my previous chapters and examined my thoughts about the future of my fic, I saw that I made Naruto appear as an overly polite, extremely knowledgeable and amicable person, but in a way that seemed kinda hollow for me, like… I don't know it seemed a little bit forced and I realized it as my mistake. So, instead of going back and rewriting it, I decided to use it as a way for Naruto to grow as person and move further in his path. As you can see, he is deeply affected by what he has been sensing and feeling, as well as what people think of him. It took a great deal of toll on him, and eventually, it just was too much to handle for Naruto.

He may be the protagonist, but he is a child, and even if has a mind enhanced by deities, he isn't perfect, and I plan to make him quite a bit different. He will be nice and polite enough, but I hope to use this change to give him more passion and drive behind his words, sorta mix into him some of Canon Naruto, but not in a way of making him a loud-mouthed dofus, no.

Now, I think this covers it up for this one. I welcome you to share your opinion on the chapter in reviews, and I now want to know whom would you want to see in Naruto's harem. And yes, this is a going to be a story with a harem, since… Well, it is me, after all. Anyway, give me your opinion on who do you think would go nicely with Naruto, and they don't have to be from Narutoverse. I'll welcome suggestions from other media as well.

Review, suggest, question- I'll answer it all. And also, thanks for the support you've given me and this story so far. I know that the chapters were a bit slow building and exposition was colossal in amounts, but next chapter will be a treat with a twist so to speak.

Next time: A meeting in the Temple; Past of the winged angel; Academy starts…

See ya soon!