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.

13. Chapter 13

Fujiwara Clan's Mansion. Three months since Uzumaki moved into Konoha.

The atmosphere at the recently constructed mansion of Fujiwara Clan seemed to be as tense as it could get for the Namikaze family members, as they sat at the table, with their meals practically untouched. On the other hand, all the others that were gathered at the table were dining without any reservations or seeming thoughts of something serious and important. At the table, along with Namikaze family of Kushina, Minato, Natsu and Narumi, were also gathered Date Masamune, who sat at the head of the table, with Date Shigezane and Kojuro Katakura sitting at his left and right respectively. To the left of Shigezane sat Tomoe, Naruto, Mito and Amagi, enjoying the prepared meals and casually talking with other guests, along with praising the chef for his talent, with Date Masamune accepting them all with a smile.

To Kojuro's right sat three persons, two girls and an older looking man dressed in brown traditional garments, with his black greying hair made in tail and a goatee. He was Oda Clan's oldest retainer and one of the most important people in that small clan, being a confidante and advisor to the current Oda Clan leader, though in private he also acted as more of a supportive grandfather to young girls. The younger of the two girls was 7 years old and appeared to be Naruto's age, same as her sister, though it was false impression, possessing pinkish red hair reaching to past her shoulders and beautiful violet eyes. She was dressed in pink and white kimono and seemed to exude an aura of sophistication and grace, appearing like a true princess from the fairy tales.

This was in stark contrast to her older sister, who sat in between the Oda advisor and her younger sister, dressed in deep crimson and black kimono. She had long flowing crimson hair that reached up to her hips, which she now had made into a pony tail, coupled with blue eyes and a beauty that matched that of her sister. But where her sister appeared beautiful in a similar manner to a sakura tree, this girl possessed a beauty of a rising sun. Her personality was also different from that of the younger girl, for instead of grace, politeness and sophistication, Oda Nobuna, or Nobunaga as she preferred to be called, possessed resilience, frankness and pragmatism. To her younger sister Oichi, she was a caring headstrong older sister, ready to punch and brake anyone who dared to touch her, while to Masahide Hirate, or Gramps, as she called him, she was both a cause of many headaches, as well as someone he was proud of, despite Nobunaga at times acting like a fool.

He and others forgave it to Nobunaga because of the fact that they knew that she was no fool, and never was one, even while her father Nobuhide was alive. She was shrewd and cunning like him, having inherited the warrior's spirit of Nobuhide, who held high regards from both Dosetsu Tachibana and Masamune Date. That quality, unfortunately for Nobuna, was what drove a wedge between Nobuna and her mother, who wished that her daughter would act far more like a girl instead of a boy. Nobuna's mother wished to raise her like she did Oichi, into a perfect doll, but that idea never got realized, for half a year ago, Oda Clan was nearly wiped out by Kirigakure Shinobi. In that day, Nobuna lost both her beloved father and her scolding mother, along with three of her older brothers, Nobuhiro, Nobutomo, and Nobukiyo. Clan Oda lost all of its male members and was reduced to only two living members of said Clan, with Nobuna being forced to step in as the new leader.

This is where her strong-willed character was tested, and where she had to learn just how unjust and violent the world is to the Uzumaki. She had managed to keep what was left of Oda Clan alive, thanks in large part to Masahide, but even so, Nobunaga understood that Oda were done for if they remained alone. They were far too weak to stand a chance in another fight with any of the Hidden Villages, and therefore, in order to save her Clan and retainers, Oda Nobuna willingly pledged herself and her Clan as vassals to Fujiwara Clan, led by Date Masamune. It was a necessary move, one that ensured survival of Oda Clan, and Nobunaga knew that Masamune was a man of his word and treated his vassals and retainers as family. She knew that with him she was safe, but what didn't realize back then, that this very man would shock her to the core right after they've moved into Konohagakure. Nobuna still recalled their talk three months ago.

---

Three months ago. Uzumaki camp.

The tent of Date Masamune was large enough to house a dozen or so men, not counting him and the furniture, but right now there were only five people in it, that being Masamune himself, Katakura Kojuro, Oda Nobuna and Oichi, with Masahide Hirate being the last. It was barely a day after the Uzumaki had moved into Konoha and established their joint camp on the lands granted to them by Tomoe Uchiha, or Tomoe Minamoto as Date Masamune referred to her. Though Uzumaki were offered lodgings and places to house them, by Konoha's Council, Uzumaki leaders refused their offer and simply decided to settle where they were now.

But before that, before coming here, every single Uzumaki, be it a simple child or head of the family or entire Clan, went to Tomoe Minamoto, and bowed before her, showing their appreciation of the gift she made to Uzumaki, as well as showing their respect and admiration. Nobuna was among the very first to go to her and show her respects to the woman, and while she did so, she also got a chance at seen what person she was. Needless to say, Nobuna was deeply impressed by that strong and resilient woman, who clearly was an Uzumaki in spirit. While there, Nobuna was also able to see Naruto, Masamune's grandson and the divine son of Lord Shiva and Lady Parvati. Nobuna, like all of the Heads of Uzumaki Clans, was aware of the status of Naruto and she was curious to see what he was like. After seeing him, however, Nobunaga's interest seemed to evaporate, for she found him to be completely average and not noteworthy, though she did note that he was kinda cute and handsome, even with that scar on his head.

After that, she decided to first focus on her Clan settling in Konoha, and only after that she would worry about making proper acquaintances with Naruto. Though they've just got her, the Hojo Clan was already hard at work in designing and planning the settlement for Uzumaki, with many volunteers having joined in, with Oda Clan being no exception. Nobuna didn't know all the details, but she did hear that this is going to be a district similar to that of Uchihas, with mansions, houses, shops and all the rest needed buildings. She would later ask for details, but Nobuna trusted the skills of Hojo Ujiyasu, so she left it at that, and would've focused on studies under Masahide, if weren't for a summon from Date Masamune, requesting that Nobuna, Oichi and Masahide came as soon as possible.

The three went there without delay, and after a short talk, Masamune finally revealed to the three why he had summoned them.

"As you know full well, I do not have a chosen heir to lead the Fujiwara Clan, and while I do have my grandsons and granddaughters, I must think about what is best for my Clan and who is best suited to lead it after me." Masamune told the three, before he looked directly into Nobuna's confused eyes. "Nobuna, you've got will and resilience in you, and you don't have fear to speak your mind on whatever subject, and you are a pretty sharp person. In fact, you kinda remind me of the way I used to be. Wouldn't you agree, Kojuro?"

"Yes, my Lord." Kojuro agreed with him.

"Because of all that, along with seeing you manage your Clan and doing your hardest to keep it together, I'd like to ask you something, Nobuna, and I want you to give me your honest answer." Masamune leaned closer to her. "How would you like to become the next Head of Fujiwara Clan, Nobuna?" Masahide was shocked to hear it, while Oichi didn't quite understand what Masamune mean, while Nobuna seemed to feign ignorance.

"Um, pardon me, Masamune, but don't you have a grandson, Naruto? I was pretty sure you've liked him." Nobuna spoke up. "So, if this is some kind of joke, then I don't get it."

"This is no joking matter, Lady Nobuna. You possess qualities that Lord Masamune and his chief retainers find necessary for the leader of Fujiwara Clan." Kojuro spoke up, with Nobuna realizing that this was serious. "Though Naruto Minamoto is Lord Masamune's grandson, that alone does not serve as evidence of his adequacy to become heir of Fujiwara Clan. You, Lady Nobuna, on the other hand, have both education, personal qualities and experience, which makes you a far more suitable candidate. This is why Lord Masamune is offering you to become his daughter."

"His daughter? B-but what about the Oda Clan? I am head of Clan Oda, and even if I'm your vassal, that doesn't mean that I'll just up and obey this. And besides, you've only just met Naruto, you don't even really know him. He could be perfectly suited for this role." Oda Nobuna spoke up. "Lord Masamune, with all due respect…"

"Before you say that you would like to decline, let me first tell you this: this is not a demand from. This is an offer, Nobuna, with no strings attached or any consequences if you decline. Your Clan is safe with me and whoever my successor will be, you have my word." Masamune told her, putting Nobuna at ease. "Naturally, I will not outright grab you and place you in my Clan, nor do I plan to retire any time soon, much less die. All I am offering is for you, a talent and strong girl, to become my family and lead my Clan, should there come a time when I can't do it. While you and your sister are young, I believe that the two of you will make excellent leaders in your own rights."

Nobuna could clearly see that there was sense in what Masamune was telling, and she understood that while she would be leaving Clan Oda, she wouldn't be betraying it. In fact, she would be doing a far better service to her Clan if she were to become an heiress of Masamune. Through that move, she would secure her Clan's place with Fujiwara, ensuring the powerful bond between the two Clans would remain unbroken, and also eliminating any possibility of a break up between the two. With Nobuna as head of Clan Fujiwara, she would have a real chance to help Oda rebuild and recover after all that had happened, and all she needed to do was agree, and she was tempted to do so.

And yet… something didn't sit well with her about this whole situation. There was something odd about it, not to mention that Nobuna didn't want to just hand over the reins over Oda Clan to Oichi. Not out of greed or desire to keep all the power to herself, no, but out of love and care for her little sister. Oichi was soft-spoken and kind-hearted, possessing every quality for her to become a desirable woman in the future for any husband. Nobuna knew that she did have inner strength in her and that she was as smart as Nobuna, but Nobunaga also knew that her sister had no desire for ruling or holding power. She was content to be in Nobuna's shadow and help her out from there, and Nobuna always knew she could rely on Oichi, but to put such a burden on her as ruling the Oda Clan like that…

Masahide noticed that his young Lady and her sister were deeply in thoughts about what they just heard. Realizing that this was a far too important decision to make like that, he decided to make it easier for the girls, as he spoke up.

"Lord Masamune, Sir Katakura, it is a great honor and even greater responsibility that you offer to young Lady Nobuna. Your Clan is one of the founders and has a history that goes back to the very roots of Uzumaki people, and your offer is something I am certain that young Lady will consider with all of her seriousness." Masahide spoke diplomatically. "However, if I may be so bold, such an offer is not something that can be agreed upon in a moment. If Lady Nobuna were to agree right now…"

"Then it would simply look like I've used the Oda Clan to get myself an heiress, and I would be branding myself a thief and Nobuna as a traitor." Masamune finished for Masahide, before he turned to Oda Nobuna. "You have a good advisor, Nobuna, and he is right to be concerned. And I also see it in your eyes that this isn't something you can decide right now, which is why I've decided to postpone naming my heir for three months."

"Lord Masamune, what do you mean by that?" Nobuna asked, trying to figure out what he is playing.

"I've decided to evaluate Kushina's triplets and figure out, if either one of them will make a decent heir to me. Officially, I will "evaluate" three months later, after we've settled in good and proper, but in reality I will use this time to better see what each of them is made out of." Masamune explained to Nobuna, who now understood what he meant. "So, until then, you don't have trouble yourself with giving me an immediate answer. Take your time, relax and breathe easier, you and your Clan have had it rough for months, and I don't want the pressure to affect your decision and judgement. Until I've made my judgement about the triplets, you are free to not give me your answer."

"I… I see, Lord Masamune. I thank you for your offer and the trust you show to me." Nobuna bowed before him a little. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead." Masamune nodded to her.

"You said you are going to evaluate them and see if either of them would make an heir, yet you didn't say a thing about evaluating me." Nobuna noted, with Masamune nodding to her. "Wouldn't it imply that you've already made your decision?"

"The only decision I've made so far concerning it all is that you have all that it takes to be a Fujiwara Clan Head, not that you will be the future head." Masamune stated to Nobuna, who nodded to him. "If I did decide on the latter, we I wouldn't be going to all the trouble of finding out if those three are worth something. Anything else I can clarify to you?"

"Just one thing: given Naruto's nature, wouldn't be make an instant choice for you?" Nobuna wanted to know that.

"That fact has nothing to do with this matter. I need a strong and capable heir, not divine one, and not every God has what it takes to be a Fujiwara Clan Head, or a Clan Head at all." Masamune told Nobuna.

"I see. May we be excused? I have a lot to think about." Nobuna said to him, with Masamune nodding to her, giving his permission, and she was already prepared to leave, before Masamune spoke up.

"Nobuna, Konoha's Council is aware of me favoring you, as are Kushina and her children, along with Naruto. Keep that in mind." Masamune informed the girl on her way out, with Nobuna nodding to him, before leaving the tent.

It didn't take the three long to reach Nobuna's tent, which she shared with her little sister. She burst inside at high speed, almost running, surprising two guests that were waiting for Nobuna to arrive. The first one was a tall, muscular looking girl with long brown hair made into a ponytail, dressed in freely blue long sleeved tunic and pants, matching in color to her eyes. She was three years older than Nobuna and almost a head taller than her, but she was one of her closest friends, being almost as close to her as Oichi and having trained Nobuna in martial arts.

The other person in the tent was also a girl, same age as the first one, but unlike her more brutish companion, she exuded an air of feminine beauty, possessing long flowing bluish hair, with two pink ribbons on either side of her head acting as decoration. She has a soft looking face with blue eyes of near same brightness as Nobuna, while her attire is a black and pink kimono, which showed her developing figure. In her hand she held a fan, which she used either as a way to fan herself or to hide her face or part of it.

Those two were closest friends of Nobuna and children of her late father's main retainers, Shibata Katsuie and Niwa Nagahide, who after the death of nearly all of her family, and of their parents, have become as important to her as her only remaining family. Nobuna could fully trust them without reservations, signified by the fact that she finally allowed herself to relax, slouching her shoulders and letting her hair down.

"Well, what did Masamune want?" Katsuie was the first one to speak up, with Nobuna simply dragging herself to the closest chair and sitting in it. "Was it something about his grandson?"

"You could say that, Riku." Nobuna said, using Katsuie's nickname. "I thought he was going to ask me to get close to his grandson, become friends with him all that… But what he told me was not what I was expecting."

"What, what did he tell you?" Katsuie asked of Nobuna.

"Perhaps it would be best if you were to tell us everything that you have talked about in that tent." Nagahide said, sitting down with the others, with Nobuna telling the two of them about what they talked about. "I see. Well, well, he may be a Fujiwara Dragon, but definitely has Mogami Fox's blood in him. 50 points for shrewdness to the man."

"That sly wretch, who does he think he is?! We pledge ourselves to him, and he thinks that he can just take our Lady from our Clan because he ordered it?!" Katsuie was quick to jump to conclusions, as always. "Nobuna, just give the order and we will teach that man how to cross the Oda Clan!"

"Riku, calm down and sit back. He didn't order anything, and he made it pretty apparent that he is aware of what it would mean if I were to leave my clan like that." Nobuna told her, with Katsuie settling down. "He did say that he already decided if I was worthy of being an heiress of his Clan, not if I will be one. He will make it so only if he has my consent…"

"Nobuna, please don't tell me that you are thinking of accepting it?" Katsuie caught on to what Nobuna was thinking about. "That offer is entirely inappropriate. You need to refuse it."

"Does she, and is it so inappropriate?" Nagahide asked out loud, opening up her fan and moving it, doing so when she was thinking about something. "From one angle, it is a highly suspicious and strange offer to make, especially towards another Clan Head, as it would clearly be something that would divide the Clan and its leader. But if you look from another angle… This could be a golden opportunity for the Oda."

"What are your thoughts on it, Manchiyo?" Nobuna wanted to hear Nagahide's opinion on all of this.

"If you accept this offer, it will mean a de-facto unification between Oda and Fujiwara Clans, with you at the head of Fujiwara and Oichi leading the Oda. It would secure the future of Oda and ensure that we can recover and expand while being protected by Fujiwara, without the need to be fearful of them abusing us in any way or treating us as low-ranking footmen. At first glance taking that offer is the best way you can help our Clan, Nobuna. However," Nagahide looked directly into Nobuna's eyes. "That doesn't mean that this is the best way in which you for certain can help our Clan. Besides that, there is also the fact that Date Masamune would never even think about putting Oda in harm's way, meaning we can be certain he will let us recover our strength. And also there is what you, Nobuna, really want to do? The decision is yours to make, but my advice is to take Masamune's advice. Three months is plenty of time to make up your mind."

"Yeah, I thought about doing just that. Still, you have a point in there about taking that offer, since it would really mean the Oda are going to be safe and sound." Nobuna sighed, thinking about it. "Still, something seems a bit strange about all this…"

"Um, Nobuna?" Oichi finally spoke up, drawing the full attention of everyone in the tent. "Are you going to think about accepting that offer?" She asked of her older sister.

"Well… I guess I will, but that doesn't mean I will decide to move into Fujiwara Clan right away, so no need to worry, Ichi." Nobuna tried to reassure her as best as she could.

"No, what I mean is that if you really do decide to accept that offer, I will do my best to support you, both as your vassal and your sister." Oichi promised to Nobuna, who smiled to her. "You can always count on me, Nobu. I know that you will always do the best thing for the Clan."

"I know, and I know that I can always count you, Ichi." Nobuna told her. "And while it is an enticing offer, I can't shake off the feeling that that there is something off about it. Like it's a test of some kind or something like that."

"If it's a test, then what is it meant for? To test out your loyalty to the Fujiwara Clan?" Katsuie suggested.

"Possibly, or maybe to see what kind of person Nobuna really is. If she were to accept it right away, Masamune would see her as greedy and ambitions, and if she didn't give him the answer when the time expires, he would see her as meek and indecisive. 40 points towards this theory." Nagahide suggested, before turning to Masahide, who appeared to be deep in his thoughts. "Masahide-san, you have been surprisingly quiet throughout this time. Would you care to share your thoughts on the matter?" Masahide seemingly snapped out of his daze and looked at Nagahide, before turning to Nobuna.

"Well, Gramps, what kind of advice do you have for me? Should I take the offer, or should I decline it right away?" Nobuna asked of Masahide, who cleared up his throat and spoke up.

"Before doing anything of that sort, I believe it would be wiser to first look at this situation from a different angle, not the one through which you have looked at so far." Masahide spoke up. "Lord Masamune's offer is interesting and is a golden opportunity for Oda Clan, true, but it can also be a test for you and your resolve and determination."

"I think we've already established it." Nobuna pointed out.

"Yes, but what we need also to understand is that Nobuna was already evaluated by Lord Masamune, and that he seems to now take his time to evaluate the other candidates." Masahide reminded them all. "Why take your time to evaluate the others, when you've already found a seemingly perfect candidate with all the qualities? Would it not make sense to simply take Lady Nobuna as heiress already? I believe that this isn't just a test for you, milady, but also a test for the other candidates. In fact, this is a test primarily designed for them, with you serving as the bar to which they should aspire to."

"Which would mean that Nobuna isn't his first choice, but rather his backup. 70 points for cunning to the foxy Dragon." Nagahide stated with admiration, with her fan fully opened up. "So, Masamune wishes for those three to aspire to be like Nobuna, if they really want to become heirs. An interesting way to motivate someone to do better than you already do."

"Perhaps, but I do not think that this was intended to become a competition for all three of the triplets. Rather, I have a feeling that Masamune has prepared this test specifically for one of them- Naruto." Masahide continued, with Nobuna looking at him with interest. "Natsu and Narumi may be Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed Biju, but that means nothing to Masamune, but what he does care is the spirit of Uzumaki within those three. And out of those three, it would appear only Naruto possesses it in the fullest, according to what I have been able to piece together from the rumors in Konoha."

"We did see him at Lady Tomoe's mansion, when we went to pay our respects to her. He didn't really strike me as someone all that impressive or anything of note." Katsuie stated her opinion, with Nobuna agreeing with her. "Aside from that scar of his, those golden eyes and somewhat slim body, not much to look at."

"But did you ask yourself where exactly did he get that scar of his?" Nagahide asked Katsuie, who shook her head. "Before we came here, Naruto had spent all of summer and September in hospital, where he was put due to falling into a coma after his older brother had decided to be a poor sport and hit Naruto directly in his head with the stone. I heard that his chances of survival were as low as one in ten, and that no normal person gets to survive having your head opened like that, with pieces of your skull flying inside your brain like a shrapnel. And he not only survived, but also has recovered in record time."

"When did you have time to do all that research on him, Manchiyo?" Nobuna asked of her, impressed with what she just heard.

"I asked around the village, specifically the Uchiha district. It would appear Naruto has a very good reputation in those parts, better than in other districts of this village. Did you know that he also plays a flute? Maybe you two could collaborate, Nobuna: he provides the music, you sing the songs." Nagahide offered with a chuckle. "Aside from your love of musical arts, you two may have more in common than you would think, Nobuna."

"What do you mean by that, Manchiyo?" Nobuna asked her.

"You have heard about Kushina's youngest child, Mito?" Nobuna nodded to that one. "A couple of hours ago, I happened to have heard a couple of Fujiwara retainers talking about her, and about the fact that she will be adopted into the Clan."

"That could be just baseless rumors." Nobuna noted.

"Yet why would Date Shigezane, one of Masamune's closest advisors and most trusted men, would be talking about it with Oniniwa Tsunamoto, another important advisor and a trusted confidant of Masamune?" Nagahide revealed to everyone the names of those retainers. "I am fairly certain that they've noticed me, though didn't make it known, yet they did discuss Mito's future in Fujiwara Clan, and it was also then that Shigezane mentioned how Naruto was concerned about her. The way he said, it seemed as if Naruto wanted for his sister to go to Fujiwara."

"He is concerned for his sister's safety, which is natural, given his received injury at the hands of his brother." Masahide stated, with Nobunaga thinking about it all. "And that talk between Shigezane and Tsunamoto, it seems like Masamune had wanted for us to find out about Mito and hear about it. Nobuna, it is up to you to decide on how to proceed."

"Masamune clearly is playing some kind game here, and we are a part of it now… I'll not be hasty and make the decision right away. Just as he told me, I'll take my time and relax, let my Clan calm down after all the excitement." Nobuna told them all, with Nagahide and Masahide nodding to her.

"But, if Masamune is manipulating us, shouldn't we do something about it? He could end up hurting you through these schemes." Oichi spoke up.

"I doubt that Masamune would be playing it like that just to see me get hurt. No, he clearly has thought things through." Nobuna noted. "Don't worry, Ichi, we won't be idle either. He didn't say that I shouldn't take a closer look at his candidates, did he?"

"I think we can all guess who you will be reviewing first." Nagahide noted, with Nobuna flashing her a smile. "He is quite easy on the eyes, with those blazing red hair with silver in them, not to mention those eyes of his… I can see why you'd want to review him first, Nobuna." Nagahide chuckled lightly, before catching the folded fan that Nobuna threw at her.

"Manchiyo, his looks have nothing to do with it, and you know it." Nobuna stated with a little bit of a pink on her cheeks. "Now, Gramps, what's for dinner?"

---

Back to the present.

After that meeting and the discussion with her closest retainers and sister, Nobunaga has decided to put to use her Clan, instructing them to gather information about Kushina Namikaze's children. While only her closest friends and family knew the real reason why Nobuna had ordered it, she explained the reason why she was so interested in them was in the fact that they were Masamune's grandchildren and one of them could become his heir, so it would do well for Oda Clan to be informed.

Nobuna knew that her Clan would sooner or later hear about Masamune's opinion of Nobuna, and when her people would start to ask questions, she would state that that she did know about Masamune's claim, and that it didn't matter to Nobuna. She was loyal to her Clan and to her pledge towards both Oda and Fujiwara, as leader and vassal respectively, and she wasn't looking to leave her Clan. That was exactly what she said to her retainers later on when they came asking questions.

Her Clan was quick to start and gather copious amount of information from Konoha's civilians and Shinobi, with practically all of those that were asked having given their opinion, thoughts and information on the triplets without reservations. Nobunaga and her advisors were a little surprised at that, having not expected the people of Konoha to be have such loose lips. She even commented on it by stating that Konoha was a spy's dream place, for here you could learn more about something from the populace by simply asking them. Maybe it had something to do with the mentality of the villagers, or the fact that they simply considered Oda to be already loyal Shinobi of the Village. Whatever was the reason for such lack of reservations and restraints in talking, Oda exploited it to the fullest.

The information on the two Jinchuriki twins was as vast as it was detailed, and Nobuna was able to learn much from it. And what she learned had led her to believe that that Natsu and Narumi were not who Masamune would ever want as members of his Clan, much less his heirs. Prideful, full of themselves, arrogant to the point of stupidity, and also clearly hard to control, they were loose cannons, capable of firing at either enemy, or at their own allies, if the latter look funny at them.

The popular opinion on them was generally a negative one, for they were seen as unreliable, but needed and necessary, as well as treated with a modicum of respect, due to them being children of Fourth Hokage. However, it seemed to be only a fraction of the devotion they had previously, and that in the past they were seen as nothing short of messiahs, but since then, the general public has finally had its eyes opened. Still, there were those that sought to make friends with them, but it was mostly so as to have favor with Hokage and his wife, so only Clans like Yamanaka, Inuzuka and some others were doing so. Nobuna had decided for herself that the twins were not worth her time and effort, even if they were considered to be prodigies and excelled in the Academy, that didn't make them desirable friends.

Now Naruto was a much more interesting case for Nobunaga, for there too was a lot of information on him, but a vast part of it were just guesses, unconfirmed rumors and simply what people thought about him, either good or bad. It took her some effort and time to piece together what was truly consistent and real about Naruto, but it was worth it in the end, for Nobunaga found Naruto intriguing. A boy who didn't have any significant interest in being a Shinobi, yet seemed to possess the greatest talent out of all children of in this generation, including the Jinchuriki twins. He believed in Yokai and openly admitted it, as well as being a religious person, an oddity among the Shinobi population, but a norm for Uzumaki. It was clear that he was aware of Yokai and he was good friends with some of them, including the Tenko he was staying with.

Aside from that, Nobuna found out about Naruto's status as a legal orphan, since Minato and Kushina had lost their rights on him, after the Council found out about the treatment that he received in their family. This prompted practically all the Clans to start an unofficial political war for the boy, seeing him as someone who could greatly strengthen their positions. They were clearly vying to get the Uzumaki genes into their own, intending to use him as a breeding tool, something that Nobuna found disgusting. It was obvious to Nobunaga that the Clans were going to go to great lengths in order to obtain Naruto, and given the fact that Uzumaki Clans were intending to keep to themselves to a certain degree, this meant that Naruto was that more valuable for them to get.

But all that told nothing of what Naruto really was, his full personality and character, whether he was a real Uzumaki in heart or simply had adopted their customs. The amount of talk and rumors surrounding him were far too much to use to make heads or tails about the boy. Some claimed him to be a fool, others saw him as genius like his father, and the most interesting, the Uchiha Clan, claimed that he was someone who practically saved them from being exiles and outcasts. According to the Uchiha clan members, Naruto was able to convince Fugaku and Minato to have a meet in private and come to a solution to the trouble between Konoha and Uchiha. If that were true, then Nobunaga believed he really was genius, or someone really extraordinary, someone whom Lord Shiva and Lady Parvati would really adopt as their own.

Yet this was still pretty much guess work, and it would remain only that, had it not been for a chance encounter, when Nobuna would get to see what Naruto really was. It was also when Nobunaga had to admit that he really was easy on the eyes.

---

Two months ago. Uchiha marketplace.

While she was Head of her own Clan and had the responsibility of running it, there really wasn't all that much that Nobuna needed to do right now, since her people were acting without her actively butting in and giving out commands. After the information she needed was gathered, Nobuna simply didn't have any other order to give to her people, so she decided to instead let them focus on something more at hand, such as lending a helping hand to Hojo Clan. The notion of voluntary help from Oda Clan was positively received by the members of Hojo Clan, and those of the Oda Clan that did decide to help out with building the new district were put to work almost immediately. Those that weren't involved, were either working with the Police Force, or performing Shinobi duties for Konoha, either within or outside of the village.

It took a bit of time for the Uzumaki Clans to integrate into the Village, along with integrating Uzumaki warriors into the Shinobi forces. The Council and Hokage had initially expected that Uzumaki would need to be retrained from their Samurai ways, but the truth was that Uzumaki didn't need to be retained all that much. In fact, what Konoha considered to be their "Shinobi ways" were something that Uzumaki had practiced for practically as long as their Nation had existed.

While Shinobi Clans and later Villages weren't looked favorably by Uzumaki, that didn't mean that Uzumaki were dismissive of their ways of warfare. For centuries and millennia, Uzumaki had to combat various coalitions of Shinobi Clans and Samurai Lands, leading to Uzumaki developing a unique, combined style from the two, taking elements from both and expanding upon it.

For a normal Uzumaki warrior, it was of utmost importance to learn what was considered to be ways of both Samurai and Shinobi, while in practice by Uzumaki there wasn't much of distinction at this point. They simply studied and learned the ways of both and mixed it into what they practiced now, making Uzumaki highly dangerous to deal with. And while the Uzumaki had far more specialized and dedicated masters of either craft, they were much fever than one could imagine, and even those individuals had a lot of experience in Uzumaki Way of Warrior, as it was commonly known.

Besides, the Shinobi of Elemental Nations were something of an oddity, since they relied on their Elemental Jutsu and weren't as trained in stealth, infiltration, diversions and all that. They were more akin to fancy mercenaries, from Uzumaki perspectives, who employed the said tactics, but weren't fully dedicated to them.

By contrast, Uzumaki had dedicated and fully trained specialists that were engaged in espionage, diversions, assassinations, intelligence gathering and more, and they made up a bulk of Uzumaki information network. They didn't wear uniforms, didn't shoot out fireballs or anything like that, since it would give them away. Instead, they blended in with the common people, took positions where none could find or suspect them of being a spy. Among Uzumaki, these were what they could describe as real Shinobi, not what Elemental Nations and Hidden Villages were employing.

Of course, Uzumaki weren't really going to tell Konoha or any other Shinobi about it, and all they needed to know was the fact that a simple, run-of-the-mill Uzumaki warrior was equally as good at being a Shinobi as he was being a Samurai. That made the transition a little easier, but what Uzumaki couldn't really get behind was getting rid of their armors and wearing those vests, since it made no sense to the Uzumaki. While it was true that the vests were light, provided no trouble to moving limbs and didn't make noise, but so did Uzumaki armor.

It may've looked like your traditional and commonly seen armor of Elemental Samurai, it was vastly different from the types of armor used by others. Uzumaki armor was developed over millennia and incorporated modern technologies of metallurgy, forging and more, so as to make it light, easy to move in, and also very effective at stopping enemy attacks. Add to that Sound Suppressing Seal, and you could be as silent as if you were wearing nothing at all, plus Uzumaki learned from very early on how to wear that armor and deal with the weight. For a normal Uzumaki, who was used to wearing armor for the majority of his or her time, weight of the armor was never an issue.

But it seemed to be an issue for the Council and Hokage, who wished that Uzumaki would "adapt" to Konoha's "modern" ways of Shinobi. The Heads of Uzumaki Clans collectively stated, that armor was part of their culture and an integral one at that, and that this was something as important to them, as the Will of Fire was to Konoha's population. The Council at first seemed to think that the armors were actually relics of Uzumaki that were saved from devastation, used for hundreds of years and kept because of their historical value. While there was truth to Uzumaki armor being items of cultural importance, they were no relics, and there wasn't a suit or a piece of armor among Uzumaki that was older than 30 years, as was stated to the Council. In the end, it was decided to simply drop the issue completely.

That, along with many other issues was what Nobunaga was supposed to be dealing with, but in reality she simply went along with what Masamune was deciding, largely due to the fact of him making best of sense at that, and also due to the fact that he was Nobuna's liege. Hence, she was left with quite a bit of free time on her hand, and due to the fact that she, unlike some of Uzumaki children, wasn't attending the Shinobi Academy, Nobunaga decided to use the opportunity and browse the marketplace with her little sister Oichi. She didn't have much of a desire before, and now was a little sorry she didn't come here sooner, for the market had practically everything that one could desire for.

Nobunaga and Oichi were browsing the various shops and look at what was available, before stopping at the clothing shop. They were with Masahide and dressed in normal everyday clothes, so they didn't stick out as much as they would, and given the fact that there were now many Uzumaki living in Konoha, the chance of Nobunaga and Oichi being recognized as leaders of Oda Clan wasn't very high. Oichi was looking at the cute pink and white dress, with Nobuna noticing it and asking for the shop keeper.

"Say, how much for that dress my sister is eyeing right now?" Nobuna asked of the woman, who was clearly an Uchiha.

"Oh, that one costs 8500 ryo. Your sister clearly has a good taste in clothing, this dress is from Mino Province to the north, and you are lucky you've managed to find it. These usually go out like hot cakes when they arrive." Uchiha woman told Nobuna and Masahide. "Good thing I have a brother-in-law who works closely with tailors, so I can get these without trouble."

"Hm, sounds a little bit pricey for my tastes… Is the stuff from Mino all that in fashion?" Nobuna asked of her.

"Let me put it this way: if you wish to appear like a member of the nobility, you only use Mino products, especially in garments department." The woman told Nobuna. "And wives of Clan Heads or Councilors do like to picture themselves as real high-class nobility."

"Is that so? Well, my sister deserves only the best. We'll take it, plus those two that she was looking at previously!" Nobuna said, shocking Oichi and surprising the shop keeper. "Those are from Mino, right?"

"Yes, they are. That would, however, cost you… 22500 ryo for all." The shopkeeper told Nobuna, who turned to Masahide, who already opened up his wallet and gave the necessary amount of money to the shopkeeper. "Pleasure doing business with you. If there is something that caught your eye, please be sure to tell me."

"Thanks, but I think I'll pass. No offence, but I don't really have much of an interest in all this stuff. I prefer something a bit more… boyish." Nobuna said with a bit of embracement, with the woman simply chuckling at that.

"That's alright, I myself was the same way when I was your age. Say, there is a shop two buildings down the street, where they sell clothes that I'm sure you'll like. Everything from jackets to jeans, and at a good price." The woman recommended, with Nobuna perking up after hearing about it. "Tell the shop keeper that Fuku sent you, and they'll show the best they have in store there."

"Really? Well, I guess I now know where we'll stopping at. C'mon, Gramps, Sis, we are going shopping!" Nobuna practically dragged the two with her.

"S-sister, you didn't have to spend so much on those dresses. I would've been fine without those." Oichi told Nobunaga, who looked at her for a second with consideration, before smiling fully to her.

"Maybe, but fine isn't what I want your state to be, Ichi. You are my little sister, and it's my duty to spoil you, plus you really wanted to buy those dresses, and I couldn't resist it." Nobunaga explained herself. "Besides, I've gotta spend money somehow, and since I did pay up in advance for our mansion and houses for the Clan, I don't know what else to spend all that money we have. Food, water, clothes, and medicine- we got it all, in spades! Heck, might actually come here and start selling those, since our holding scrolls are practically bursting with all of that stuff."

"But then you wouldn't know where to put all the money you'd earn from the sales." Masahide pointed with a bit of amusement.

"Exactly! So, in order to free up some space in those scrolls, we are going shopping!" Nobuna declared proudly.

"But… Wouldn't the things we bought take up that freed space?" Oichi asked, with Nobuna stopping dead in her tracks, realizing the error in her logic, before instantly coming with a response.

"We'll just make more of those scrolls. We've got the needed paper too, in spades as well, plus we are the Oda of Owari! We've evented the storage scroll to begin with, and nobody can make one better than the Oda still!" Nobuna stated with pride, with Masahide simply chuckling at her. "What's so funny, Gramps?"

"Oh, nothing. Just an old man, enjoying watching his little granddaughter come up with excuses to go and have fun like a normal girl." Nobuna immediately felt heat rising to her cheeks, as they reddened. "You know, Nobunaga, there is nothing wrong with you acting like a girl. And I did see you looking intently at one of the dresses back in the store."

"Then why didn't you buy it, sis?" Oichi asked of Nobuna.

"W-well… Dresses never did look well on me… And mother always said I looked like a peasant in noble woman's clothes…" Nobuna mumbled out, embarrassed and remembering how her mother chastised her about it.

"Your mother was in the wrong to demand of you to be like Oichi in every way, but that doesn't mean that you can act like a simple girl. You have your own beauty, Nobuna, and it would be a shame if you put it to waste, wearing only boys clothing." Masahide stated to her, with Nobuna nodding to him. "So, how about that dress?"

"Okay, but ask if they have a vermillion red one like that one. Pink's good and all, but it's more of an Ichi's color, I want mine to be blazing red." Nobuna stated with her spirit back in full, with Masahide chuckling.

"I believe they do have one. Would you mind waiting for me there at the bench? I'll be back in a few minutes." Masahide handed the packages to Nobuna and headed back to the store, while the two girls sat on the bench, deciding to wait for him, but their rest was short lived.

"Well, well, look what we have here." Nobuna looked towards the source of the sound, finding Natsu Namikaze and Kiba Inuzuka, coming her and Oichi's way. "Hello there, girls. What are you doing here all by your lonesome selves?"

"Waiting on someone who knows how to talk to girls like a normal person." Nobuna responded.

"Oh ho, is that so? But is he an heir to a powerful and proud Clan? I guess no, but I and my friend here are heirs. Kiba Inuzuka, of the Inuzuka Clan, and this is Natsu Namikaze-Uzumaki, heir to Uzumaki, Namikaze, and soon to be, Fujiwara Clans." Kiba introduced him and Natsu, with Nobuna and Oichi not really impressed. "So, what do you say you ditch your friend and come have fun with us, eh?"

"I'd say go and fish for company elsewhere. Me and my sis are uninterested in spending time in a company of boys." Nobuna tried to talk them off, but that had an opposite effect.

"Playing hard to get card? Classic, but we all know that you actually want to come with us." Natsu said, relying on what Jiraiya had told him about women. "C'mon, we'll buy you ice cream."

"Sorry, but like I said, we are not into little boys, and also, buy us an ice cream? Where did you learn that line from, a hooker?" Nobuna asked in a mocking manner of Natsu, making him and Kiba mad. "Why don't you grab your doggy here and run along to your mommy, before she finds out you've been spending time with not so good people?"

"Hey, stop with all this nonsense! You are girl, and I'm an Inuzuka, so that means you do what I tell you!" Kiba practically barked at her, before getting an idea and moving towards Oichi. "C'mon, girl. Let's ditch this stupid sister of yours and go have fun." He moved to grab Oichi's hand.

"N-no, I don't want to go. Please, just go away." Oichi said in a meek manner, with Kiba practically moving to grab her, only to be stopped by Nobuna, who placed herself between him and Oichi.

"Stay away from her, or else you and your friend will regret making moves on us." Nobuna glared at Kiba and stated in a threatening voice.

"Oh yeah, and what you are gonna do to us?" Natsu asked in a daring manner, with Nobuna's eyes moving to him, before they suddenly changed color from blue to crimson red, with Oichi noticing it with fear.

"Sister, please, calm down…" Oichi tried to reach her, but Nobuna was already mad enough that her family's bloodline limit was starting to activate.

"I'll turn the two he-dogs here into bitches, then we'll see how some dumb heirs start to make moves on you two." Nobuna stated, with Natsu feeling challenged and ready to throw his weight at her, with Kiba being faster to respond.

"You bitch, I'll teach you some manners!" Kiba was ready to slap Nobuna, but then found his hand caught by someone. "What the…"

"I'd ask if your mothers had taught you any manners, but I unfortunately happen to know both of them, so I'll just skip that part." Naruto stated, as his left hand gripped Kiba's arm, holding him without much issue. "Harassing girls on the street in broad day light? You know that this is a legal crime of invading personal space of another person, and it's not something you get away with a slap on the wrist."

"Naruto, you better let go of me, before I ARGH!" Kiba shouted out in pain, before Naruto released him. "You dumb nerd, Imma teach you some manners too!" Kiba used his chance and launched himself at Naruto.

However, Naruto didn't seem phased or even concerned at Kiba's seemingly ferocious assault, as Nobuna noted from his look and posture, yet she also saw that Naruto was perfectly prepared to respond. And his response was in side-stepping from Kiba's path, letting him run past Naruto… before Naruto chopped him with his hand on the neck. The effect was instant, as Kiba dropped onto the ground like a sack of potatoes, knocked out without any signs of waking up. Nobuna was impressed, for it was a perfectly executed attack with the prior evasion, with Naruto wasting minimal effort and having perfect control. Now she had no doubt that he really was trained in the arts of combat, and that someone of Kiba's level was way beneath him.

Nobuna did hear of Naruto being trained by Tomoe Uchiha, or Minamoto as some of Uzumaki called her, and now she had her proof of that fact. From what she did see of the woman, she would've trained Naruto to the point of making his peers look like slow chubby children by comparison. The way he moved and his reaction were top notch, as Nobunaga observed it, and just that one move told her that he was definitely not a green novice. He knew how to fight, and was ready for it, and despite being just out of the hospital, he was already in a good enough form to thrown down. Now Nobuna fully had changed her earlier opinion about Naruto and was now far more intrigued in seeing what he had in store.

Naruto was turning to face Natsu, before avoiding his fist and moving to safer distance, with Natsu glaring at him, while Nobuna observed them both. Naruto decided to speak up.

"Resorting to cheap tricks from the start? Nice try, but won't work on me twice, Natsu." Naruto told him without much of a pride. "Why don't you grab your friend and leave, before you end up becoming a laughing stock, instead of simply a disappointing stock?"

"Oh, what's the matter, Naruto? Afraid I'll beat you before all these people and these cute girls?" Natsu pointed at the gathering crowd, which Nobuna and Oichi finally noticed. "Besides, didn't you say that you'd give me a fight I deserve back in the hospital, or will you play the amnesia card now and chicken out?"

"You seem to mistake my mercy for cowardice, Natsu. The only reason why I won't fight you here is because there is way too few people here to see me break you." Naruto told him with complete confidence, making Natsu waver in his own determination and confidence. "You saw what I did to Kiba, and I wasn't even trying. Care to guess what I can do to you, when I pretend to try?" Naruto dared him, with Nobuna noting how Natsu wavered and gave up, moving to pick up Kiba.

"When Mom and Aunt Tsume hear of this, you and that priestess will regret crossing our paths." Natsu with Kiba, who was coming back to his senses, limped out of the place, while Naruto turned to Nobuna and Oichi.

"Sorry you had to come across them. Natsu and Kiba don't know the meaning of the phrase: "being a respectable person." Naruto spoke to them.

"That showed. Thanks, but you didn't need to stick it to them. I could've handled them with no problem. Not the first time I had to scare off jerks." Nobunaga told Naruto.

"Maybe, but it was the right thing to do, so I did it." Naruto told Nobunaga, who nodded to him.

"Well, if you did it in hopes of getting kiss on the cheek, then you shouldn't have bothered." Nobunaga told Naruto, wanting to see his reaction, which was simply blinking at her.

"Why would I ask for something like that, when I did it just because it was the right thing to do?" Naruto asked of Nobunaga, impressing her with this answer. "Besides, I'd just be acting like those two if I asked for it, if not even worse."

"Huh, you really are serious. You know, you are really different from other guys I've met." Nobunaga admitted to him, deciding that he was actually a real deal nice guy after all. "Um, sorry about what I said earlier. I kinda had a bad experience with nice guys before."

"No problem. I'm Naruto." Naruto offered her the hand, with Nobunaga shaking it.

"I've figured. I'm… Um…" Nobunaga didn't really want to reveal who she is, nor was she sure if he remembered her.

"That's okay, I already know who you and your sister are. We did meet a few weeks back, though we didn't really talk back then." Naruto revealed to Nobunaga and Oichi. "Are you settling in alright in the Village?"

"Yeah, more or less. Kinda surprised how lively it is here, though. I was expecting a much smaller place, a village actually, but not a full sized city like that." Nobuna noted.

"Well, there used to be less folks living here, and the marketplace was closer to the center of the Village, but since the summer it seemed to have moved here, since all the craftsmen and traders now do business here." Naruto told Nobuna. "It's a lot livelier than from what I remember it being. It's really nice to see Uchiha Clan doing so well now."

"Um, thank you for stepping in to help us." Oichi spoke up with a smile, with Naruto nodding to her. "Will you be alright? He did say he would tell his mother and the other boy's mother."

"Don't worry. Kushina will most likely try to give me another lecture about the family values and how I shouldn't have attacked Natsu, provided he decides to lie about what really happened. As for Tsume, she will most likely dash towards wherever I am and try to get me to apologize and admit that I should not have attacked one of her own pups, so to speak." Naruto told them like this was no big issue.

"Still, that does sound like you've just put yourself in quite a bind because of us." Nobunaga noted, with Naruto shrugging it off.

"Eh, happens to everyone. I'll just shake it off later on." Naruto told them. "So, how do you find the market and shops?"

"Pretty good overall. Better than anything I saw beforehand, to be honest." Nobuna told him, before a thought hit her. "Say, you wouldn't really want to deal with those two idiots' mommies, would you?"

"Well, at this point I'd say I'm pretty much immune to whatever Kushina has to say, but Tsume does have a certain lack of restraint, and I am pretty certain I wouldn't want to have shots for several weeks, in case I get rabies." Naruto's delivery made Nobuna chuckle at the joke. "Eh, I'll manage, but it is safe to say I'd much rather spend time in some other, more pleasant way. Why do you ask?"

"I'm asking because I'm wondering if spending time, having lunch with me and my sister here, with possibility of a few more people joining in, is what you would consider pleasant time." Nobuna offered, with Naruto catching on what she meant. "So, what do you say to such a way to thank you for being a good decent man?"

"When you put it like that, I am left with little choice but to say yes." Naruto agreed, with Oichi smiling to him.

"Good, because I hate it when people say no to me, especially when I'm offering something to them." Nobuna told him. "Now, where is Gramps? He should've returned by now…"

"Um, he wouldn't happen to be about a meter ninety centimeters, wearing brown kimono, have a goatee and short tail hairstyle?" Naruto asked, with Nobunaga and Oichi nodding to him. "Because I happened to have seen him at an antique shop, examining teapots that were there."

"Gramps…" Nobuna grumbled, as she took off with Naruto and Oichi to get her Gramps.

---

A few hours later. Uzumaki camp.

Business was going as usual among the Uzumaki in their camp, at least until they were disturbed by a large group of Shinobi with red markings on their faces practically storming the camp site, followed by an equally numbered pack of Nin-kens. The work on the Uzumaki district was progressing quite well and there were already foundations for buildings laid in and even pavement for roads and sidewalks already made, which was testament to the organizing and constructing skill of Hojo Clan. The working hours were practically over for most of the Uzumaki, so the camp was bustling with people, who were now stepping aside so as to avoid being pushed away by an angry mob of Inuzuka Shinobi.

Tsume was personally leading the group, showing her scowl and fangs to everyone who dared to stand in her way, while internally she almost ready to laugh. This was something that she had hoped would happen in the Village, something that will let her show off her Clan and its capabilities, show that Inuzuka Clan wasn't just some dog-breeding Clan, but a Clan of proud and strong warriors. And what better way to demonstrate than by humiliating and putting in their place the Uzumaki. This was why she was storming into the Uzumaki Clans' camp, determined to find Naruto Uzumaki, or Minamoto as he calls himself now, and to force him, along with those two Uzumaki wenches that he defended, to apologize for assaulting her son in the manner that he did.

When Kiba came back home and told Tsume what had happened, she had half a mind to slap him for showing himself as an utter idiot, but then she realized what a golden opportunity he just presented to Tsume. Ever since coming to Konoha, Inuzuka Clan had been looked down as second or even third rate Clan, due to their wild nature and way they communicated with their dogs, seen as nothing more than effective trackers and somewhat decent Shinobi. After Tsume had come to power in her Clan, she was trying to bolster the positions of her Clan in the Council and in the Village itself, but her lack of political scheming, diplomacy and refusal to understand the way of politics in Village, meant that she was largely unsuccessful.

In Inuzuka Clan, strength meant everything, if you were weak, then you were at the bottom, and if you were strong, then you could get whatever you wanted. This was the principal by which her Clan had existed for ages, and she wasn't going to change the old ways that have worked for her kin and made them strong. So what if they were brash, didn't know how to properly get along with others, and could cause trouble for Civilians? They should consider themselves grateful that men of Inuzuka actually look at them and see them as women worthy of their attention. Those two Uzumaki girls should've been honored to have been noticed by her son and asked out, not lash out like some dumb bitch that doesn't know better. Tsume was going to make certain that the Uzumaki understood with whom they've just messed with, and how it was a bad idea to mess with Inuzuka Clan.

Tsume and her strongest Clan members with their Ninkens have reached what could be considered the center of the camp, with most of the Uzumaki having dispersed, yet surrounded the Inuzuka, while also giving them a somewhat wide berth. Tsume decided to start now.

"Listen up, Uzumaki, I am Tsume Inuzuka, leader of Clan Inuzuka and mother of Kiba Inuzuka. Earlier today, my son was assaulted by one Naruto Uzumaki, and I know that he is now taking shelter within your camp, along with two girls that have insulted my son. I want those three brats brought before me, or else me and my Clansmen will tear this place apart, but we will find them. You have five minutes to get them!" Tsume issued her demand, which sounded like an ultimatum to the Uzumaki.

The moment Tsume stated her ultimatum, the cogs of war machine that was Uzumaki warriors have begun to move. It was common knowledge that Uzumaki didn't know how to comply with aggressors and usually left those said aggressor either dead or bloodied, and Tsume knew it, yet she believed that Uzumaki would comply due to the fact that she was a Konoha's Shinobi and could, in theory, call upon all of Konoha on her side. Unfortunately, she completely miscalculated her chances and didn't account for the fact that Uzumaki weren't afraid of her, and that whenever threatened, Uzumaki's first response was to arm themselves for a fight.

The front two rows of the crowd that surrounded Inuzuka provided sufficient enough cover for the Uzumaki behind those rows to quietly change from their clothes into armor and grab their weapons, while Inuzuka were oblivious to it. In a minute's time, the front rows dispersed and disappeared behind the armored warriors of Uzumaki, ready and armed to the teeth. The sight of them was enough surprise and shock the Inuzuka and Tsume, who didn't expect such a reaction from Uzumaki. The central tent's cloth moved away and from there stepped out Oda Nobunaga, followed by Naruto and Oichi. She spoke up.

"Are you looking for me, Tsume of Inuzuka?" Nobuna asked of her, before continuing. "I am Oda Nobuna, Head of Clan Oda and daughter of Nobuhide Oda, the Tiger of Owari. Naruto Minamoto is my guest and of my Clan, while the other girl is my sister, Oda Oichi. I will say this only once: take your pack and get out of here, because I will not hand them over, nor will I apologize for your dumb son's harassment."

"Hah, you've got a lot of guts, talking to me like that, little girl. But do you honestly think that all these grown men and women will stand alongside you, just because you're the head of one of the Clans?" Tsume asked of Nobuna in a daring manner. "The last thing you Uzumaki need is trouble with Konoha, and if you attack me, you'll have trouble. So, why don't you drop this whole show and just do as I say? You and your sister will apologize to me and my son for insulting him and my Clan, and that boy will do the same."

"If you think that you can just force us to do what you want, then you clearly never met real Uzumaki. Naruto is my guest and my friend, so that means he is under my protection, and like hell will any of the Oda Clan or their friends bow before a bitch and her unneutered pack of flee bags." Oda Nobuna declared, drawing the ire of Inuzuka towards her.

"Little bitch, I'll show you how to make fun of…" One of the more hot-blooded Inuzuka members decided to make the first move towards Oda Nobuna, only to be stopped by the sound and look of all Uzumaki unsheathing their weapons and readying them for a fight. "What the… Step aside you morons, or do you want to fight the Inuzuka, huh?!"

"We are not the ones who barged into one's home and started making threats." Masamune emerged from the tent behind Nobuna, followed by Kojuro, Shigezane and Masahide, all of whom were also ready for a battle. "You come to Uzumaki, making such threats, you best be ready to back them up with not just words, but also action and steel, Tsume Inuzuka."

"Masamune, it's good that you've come. Order that girl and her sister to do as I've said, or else…" Tsume wasn't allowed to finish, as Dosetsu Tachibana spoke up, having arrived a few minutes prior.

"You dumb bitch, didn't you get the memo? The only way you'll get the girls and the kid is through our dead bodies." Dosetsu and his Tachibana warriors took the place to the right of Oda Nobunaga and her Oda clansmen. "Those two girls are of our blood, and that kid is the guest of Clan Oda, so we won't give either of them to you."

"What does he being a guest to you even mean?" Another one of the Inuzuka Shinobi asked.

"It means that the hospitality of Oda Clan is yours, and that means that as a guest to Oda, he will be protected from any threat, be it made by a single individual, or by an entire army." Tamekage Nagao and his Nagao Clan, dressed in white armor and cloths appeared, taking position to the left of their Oda cousins. "This is the way of Uzumaki, Tsume Inuzuka, so I suggest you forget the altercation ever happened, lest you wish to make an enemy of us all."

"That doesn't explain why are all of you are taking arms to defend them like that." Tsume stated to them.

"All Uzumaki are one family, and even if Clans and families feud between each other, when one is threatened by someone like you, we'll forget every and all past grievances, and unite into one force." Yoshiaki Mogami stated with pride, bringing with him warriors of Mogami and Fujiwara. "Threaten one Uzumaki, and you threaten the whole nation. We stand and fight as one, this is The Way."

"This is The Way." Other Uzumaki warriors, including Clan leaders, repeated in equally strong determination, surprising and scaring the Inuzuka Clan and even overconfident Tsume.

"So, what will you do now, Tsume?" Masamune asked of her, drawing attention to him. "We'll not give the kids to you, and we won't stand idle if you decide to take them by force. If you do decide to do so, then I can assure you, that your Clan will not survive to see this day's dusk."

"You are bluffing. You've swore to serve Konoha and defend it, and if you attack us, you would be declaring war on all of Konoha." Tsume stated to Masamune. "All because of two little girls and that damn brat, you would risk fighting the whole Hidden Village, Masamune?"

"I'd do it for even one of them, and I did do something similar not so long ago, didn't I?" Masamune reminded Tsume about the Kusagakure incident. "Back then, I tore through all of Kusagakure, killed over 70 of their Shinobi, all on my own. Care to see what half a thousand of Uzumaki warriors can do to Konoha?" To add to the power of his statement and determination, Masamune's hand audibly slightly unsheathed his sword, preparing it for the fight.

Tsume had never expected to find herself in such a situation, never did she really think that the Uzumaki would be so determined or stubborn. She knew that Kushina was stubborn, but never to this point, not to the point of absurdity, yet these Uzumaki… Tsume could really see it in their eyes. Each and every warrior, man and woman, young and old- they were all ready to fight her and her entire Clan, even the whole of Konoha, all to protect Oda Nobunaga, her sister and Naruto. Such stalwart determination was something that was rarely seen among Shinobi, the sheer dedication to the principals and ideals that these Uzumaki were displaying were something that Tsume couldn't fully comprehend. These men and women weren't one bit concerned or intimidated by the Inuzuka, instead, they were prepared to fight and die if need be. Yet, Tsume, led by her pride and brash nature, wasn't willing to give up without a fight and honestly believed, at least at first, that her own Clan members would stand their ground and not give in.

But when she started to hear the whines of their dogs, Tsume was forced to look around and notice something that shook her to the core: they were all scared, both dogs and men. This was a shock to Tsume, for these weren't untested and not trustworthy men, but tried and experienced warriors of Inuzuka, with their Ninkens having tasted blood of men and animals alike in battle. The Inuzuka were famous for their ferocity and fierceness, as well as fearlessness, yet now… The Inuzuka were revealing to the Uzumaki the side they didn't wish to show anyone: the instinct of self-preservation, one that was telling them to flee, and Tsume too was sensing her own instinct telling her to do so.

She was gravely mistaken in coming here to pick a fight with Uzumaki, and now she had to either follow up her threat, or retreat, an option which was starting to become more and more appealing by the second. Yet if she did order to get out, the Inuzuka would be looked down upon and seen as toothless dogs, they would become the joke to all of Konoha, never to be seen with proper respect that her Clan really deserves. And so, led by her arrogance and desire of power, as well as pride, Tsume was preparing to give out the order to fight their way to the kids…

"Tsume Inuzuka, what the hell do you think you are doing?!" A new and powerful voice suddenly roared throughout the camp, with the Uzumaki stepping away, revealing Fugaku Uchiha with two dozen Police Shinobi behind him, moving towards the center of the camp. "Are you trying to start a civil war over the fact that your son had harassed a girl? Explain yourself."

"Fugaku, those two girls and that brat had dared to insult my Clan and my son, as well as attack him without provocation! I came here to demand them to apologize to us, but instead, all of these Uzumaki just went on ahead to take up arms. We did nothing to provoke them, and only wanted to…" Tsume was going to continue explaining her point, until Oda Nobunaga had spoken up instead.

"Her son was trying to force my sister into going out with him, while also making rude and just dirty comments, like some old dirty pervert, and same was with Natsu." Nobuna stated, before glaring at Tsume. "She threatened to level this entire camp if we didn't appear before her, and she was ready to take us by force. In response, I used the fact of Naruto being the guest of my Clan to protect him, while the others came here to support and protect the Oda Clan in case Inuzuka attacked us, which she clearly was going to do."

"I see. And Naruto being the guest of Clan Oda means…" Fugaku was trying to wrap his head around it.

"Means that Clan Oda will defend him if he is threatened by anyone. It is one of the common traditions among Uzumaki Clans, providing their guests with hospitality and protection while they are being hosted." Date Masamune explained to Fugaku. "Another common tradition of Uzumaki Clans is to band together in case someone of not Uzumaki descent decides to start a feud with us. Had it been, for an example, Nagao Clan bearing down on Oda, only my Fujiwara Clan would get involved, and only due to the fact of Oda being a vassal Clan to Fujiwara. Given the fact that Inuzuka are not of Uzumaki descent, the other Clans, including my own, were forced to intervene and be ready for a fight."

"And what would happen if you didn't?" Fugaku asked of Masamune and Nobunaga, largely out of curiosity.

"Then we wouldn't be Uzumaki." Masamune simply stated to Fugaku, before turning towards Naruto. "And in case of breaking the guest right… The last one to do so had his whole family wiped out by the relative of the man he betrayed. It happened around seven centuries ago, and serves a pretty good reminder on why you shouldn't break the guest rights, especially during weddings." Masamune recalled out loud.

"Right. Anyway, Tsume, whatever your accusations may be, I have over half a hundred witnesses stating that your son and Natsu Namikaze had purposefully harassed and tried coarse those two girls into whatever they wanted. According to the laws of Konoha, I have enough evidence and cause to have your son arrested or suspended from his Shinobi training, unless you can come to a suitable agreement with the suffered party." Fugaku told Tsume, who looked insulted at the very thought of apologizing to a brat. "Nobuna Oda, would you be willing to settle this incident in a peaceful manner?"

"I am, if she'll provide us additional manpower for building out mansions and district, as well as pay for the materials needed to finish this all up. She can discuss it all with Lord Ujiyasu Hojo or his brother." Oda Nobuna stated out loud. "That, and I want that brat of hers apologize to me and my sister for what he did, and it better be a good apology, or else I'll make her a new daughter instead."

"The Inuzuka Clan are not laborers and never will be someone's workhorses!" Tsume growled out and looked with a furious look at Nobuna Oda.

"Okay, then we can settle it in a good old fashioned slaughter." Nobuna flashed a somewhat predatory grin to Tsume, with her starting to reconsider her position.

"Fugaku, you have to do something!" Tsume turned towards him, with the Head of Police Force having already made up his mind about this situation.

"I have. It is you who is refusing to settle this peacefully, and I am not about to drag the Police Force or Konoha's Shinobi Forces into a feud between you and the Uzumaki Clans. Either you agree or be ready to fight an actual war." Fugaku stated to Tsume her position, with her finally deciding to relent.

"Fine… I'll provide the manpower for this whole thing." Tsume stated, deciding to at least do that.

"Nope. Manpower, paying for materials, your brat apologizing on his knees, or no deal." Nobuna wasn't going to let Tsume dictate the conditions, which made her even madder.

"Are you trying to make an enemy out of my Clan, girl?" Tsume narrowed her eyes upon Nobunaga.

"Are you?" Nobunaga asked back.

"Tsume, this enough already. For once in your life, swallow that pride of yours and agree to the deal, unless you are prepared to have your Clan slaughtered with extreme prejudice, because, from the looks of this, that's how they usually do things." Fugaku himself wasn't willing to make enemies of even one Uzumaki Clan here.

"Fine, I'll do it all." Tsume relented, with Nobuna grinning, while the Uzumaki also relaxed their posture. "But you better remember this, brat: the Inuzuka never forget those that have wronged us."

"You are always welcome to come back, if you want. Just remember, that all of them will also be here waiting." Nobuna pointed at all of the Uzumaki that have gathered here, and they were in agreement with Nobunaga, before Tsume and her clansmen stormed out of the camp, and the Uzumaki were starting to return back to what they were doing before all this, while Nobuna turned to Naruto. "Wanna bet she'll forget all about the conditions by the time she gets back home?"

"I'm not going to bet on something as obvious as that." Naruto chuckled with Nobuna. "Thanks, I mean it." Naruto sounded really impressed and also somewhat shocked.

"What's with the look on your face? Were you expecting me to give you away like that to that bitch?" Nobuna asked of Naruto, with him not finding it in himself to give a solid answer.

"Let's just say that I've gotten used to most people not really taking my side, when I get in trouble with someone." Naruto told Oda Nobuna. "One of the reasons why I hang around alone is because I don't like getting into trouble with other Clans. Usually when that happened, I'd end up being at fault of everything."

"Even when you didn't do a thing?" Nobuna asked of him, with Naruto nodding to her. "You mean to say, you were framed for doing something by those douches, all so that they could cover up their asses, and it worked?"

"That's what practically happened all the time, really." Naruto admitted to her.

"Well it ain't working with me. Anyone who messes with my friends is automatically messing with me, and those soon end up regretting their lives' choices." Nobuna told Naruto, surprising him.

"Does that include me?" Naruto asked of Nobuna, who looked at him with a little surprise, before figuring out what she just said and meant by her words.

"Did I stutter? Of course you are now my friend! Now, what should I call you now?" Nobuna put her hand to the chin, starting to think about what nickname would suit him best.

"Um, you could just call me Naruto, like everyone does." Naruto told her.

"She means what nickname would better fit you." Oichi spoke up, getting Naruto's attention. "It's something my sister likes to do with all her friends, especially close ones. She says she has no problem remembering people who have nicknames to them, but I think she just likes to give them as a way to show her affection."

"Is that so?" Naruto asked, with Nobuna coming up with the needed nickname.

"I got it! I'll now call you Genji!" Nobunaga proclaimed to Naruto, surprising and confusing him a little, with Nobunaga noticing it on his face. "You said you are Minamoto, right? And another name of Minamoto is Genji, so I can call you that! Do you like it?"

"Sure thing, but what should I call you?" Nobuna looked at him with a question. "You give people names, so you ought to have your own, right?"

"Huh, that's true… Well you can call me Nobunaga! Oda Nobunaga, now that sounds like a cool name, am I right?" Nobunaga told Naruto, who had to agree with her. "Never really liked my name, a bit too girly for my tastes, so now I think of it as a shorter version of Nobunaga, so if you want, you can call me either way."

"Sure, although I think both names fit you really well, both Nobunaga and Nobuna." Naruto admitted to her, with Nobuna's cheeks gaining a healthy red hue.

"S-sure, wh-whatever you say…" Nobuna mumbled under her breath, with Oichi giving her sister a knowing smile, while Naruto seemingly found himself confused.

"Naruto, if you are done flirting with her, then let's go. Amagi has asked me to bring you back to the temple, and she also told me to remind you about the groceries." Fugaku told Naruto, who now remembered the reason why he was out in the market.

"I forgot about it. Sorry, Nobuna, but I gotta run. Wanna hang out some time tomorrow at the Temple?" Naruto asked of her with his tone indicating hurry.

"Sure, I'll drop by tomorrow morning." Nobuna told him with the smile, with Naruto waving her and Oichi a goodbye, before leaving with Fugaku and Uchiha.

"Not so interesting, was it?" Oichi asked her with a very small teasing smile, while Nobuna turned to her with a small glare. "I don't know about that now, Nobuna. I think he is plenty interesting, especially now."

"Not a word about it to Manchiyo and Riku." Nobuna told Oichi, who had a look akin to that of a cat that just caught a canary. "I mean it, Ichi! I'll never hear the end if they find out…"

"Oh, is great and scary Nobunaga Oda afraid of telling her friends about her new boyfriend?" Nagahide Niwa made her presence known, with Nobuna paling after hearing her voice, before facing her and Katsuie. "You know that wasn't very nice of you, Nobuna. Not telling us that you were bringing a friend, having invited him on a lunch. Minus 40 points for not sharing."

"You should've informed us about bringing him along, it is not proper for the leader of the Clan and her sister to have lunch with a man like that, in private! People could think you were… You were engaging in… a romantic affair." Katsuie blushed a nice red hue after she said it, while Nobuna groaned.

"By the way, is he easy on the eyes?" Nagahide asked of Nobuna.

"Oh shut it, Manchiyo!" Nobuna cried out, now blushing herself. "And yeah, he is…" She added afterwards, hoping that none had heard her.

And all throughout this exchange, none were able to notice a small, genuinely happy smile of Masamune Date and a nod that he gave to Shigezane and Tsunamoto, silently telling them that they did their job well. It looked like things were proceeding even better than one could hope for.

---

Back to the present.

After that day, Nobunaga had gained a whole new level of respect and admiration for Naruto, as well as fully accepted him as her friend, which was indicated by giving him a nickname, which, in her own opinion, was a bit rushed. Not in the fact of acknowledging him as her friend, but in the fact of the choice in nickname itself, since Nobuna usually takes extra care and time to come up with the suitable name. It was her way of showing care and affection towards those that were close to her, a little quirk she had and couldn't get rid of, nor wasn't going to, despite how much her own mother had tried to do so, constantly stating to Nobuna that this was not how true ladies behaved and she wasn't going to act like a boy. Honestly, Nobuna at times thought that her mother had some form mental issue, which made her fixated with raising Nobuna like a lady, something that, fortunately, Nobuhide didn't support and raised her the way she is now.

Well, since Nobuna had already named Naruto, she wasn't going to go back on her word, and she stuck to Genji from there on, and it wasn't long until he became part of her little circle of trust and friendship, so to speak. For Nobunaga, it was very easy to get along with Naruto, having no trouble with finding things to talk about, something to do together or a game to play together. He was really approachable for Nobuna and her friends, to whom she formally introduce Naruto about a week after she called him her friend, and she was nearly amazed how easily he found common ground with Katsuie and Nagahide. In a matter of hours they were chatting like they were good friends for years, something that both surprised and bothered Nobunaga a little, since she feared that she would end up excluded, a fear she possessed for as long she remembered. Yet it proved to be a foolish one, since Naruto didn't forget or shun Nobuna in the slightest, instead simply gaining more friends and fully getting embraced into Oda Clan's life, so to speak.

And Naruto didn't exclude Nobunaga from his life, showing to her who and what he really was, telling her of what gifts he had. Nobuna was surprised to learn of his telepathic and empathic abilities, believing at first that he was all the more awesome, but a bit later, after hearing of his life before the Uzumaki came, she felt pity and sorry for Naruto. To always be aware of what others always think of you, with no secrets hidden from you and always knowing just how true are the people towards you… No wonder Naruto had few to no friends before, since he always knew that he was a third wheel when compared to his siblings. Nobuna never had to hide her emotions and feelings, staying true to them, moving on an impulse and so, but also having her mind to help her. According to Naruto, he did use his empathy on Nobuna at first, yes, but then he told her that with her, there was no need to use it, since she always showed what she really felt. And the way he said to Nobuna, it made her feel like this was a very touching compliment to her.

Another thing that he revealed to Nobuna was the fact that he was able to perceive Yokai practically from birth, telling her about how the Yokai were all around them and even proving it to her by asking his friends, Akagi and Kaga to reveal themselves to Nobuna. In reality, Nobunaga didn't need any convincing about the existence of Yokai, for Uzumaki knew about them practically from the beginning, though not all were able to perceive them, and not one of the Uzumaki could do so as Naruto did. The process of opening eyes to Yokai Realm, as it was known to Uzumaki, was considered a sort of rite of passage among Uzumaki, a ceremony that signifies that the person is ready to see the true world as it was, in all its splendor. Nobuna was still too young to have her eyes opened up, so to speak, yet Naruto did tell her that she already had two strong Yokai that was following her, even making it reveal itself to Nobuna. To say that she was surprised to discover that her father's Yokai Panther, Hyobishin, and a Yokai Peacock, Tengen Kujaku, have picked Nobunaga as their partner. According to Naruto, that meant that Nobuna possessed great power in her and extremely high raw energy in her, enough to attract the two of them.

But not everything that was connected to Naruto proved to be something that Nobunaga would enjoy about him. The real bump for Nobuna came when she was introduced to Akeno Himejima, Naruto's other close friend, and one that was with him a bit longer. While Nobuna had greeted the girl warmly and without any rudeness, internally she was feeling something that she had never felt before, and it would be only later that she would find out, thanks to Manchiyo, that it was jealousy. Nobuna was a selfish girl that she was ready to admit, and she liked her friends focused on her, but not to the point of obsession, true and she had no problem with them having other friends, but with Naruto… Something inside Nobuna was not okay with Naruto hanging out with Akeno, and it wasn't because she sensed her to be a danger to him. No, if anything, it was clear that Akeno was as close and loyal to Naruto as Nobunaga, and that was something that was pissing her off, along with the fact that she was really pretty.

That was not to say that Nobunaga wasn't beautiful herself, quite the opposite, since she had flowing red hair, one good thing that came from her mother, blue eyes and an already forming figure, which promises to be quite head turning. What also didn't escape Nobuna's attention was the fact that Akeno too clearly didn't like her, though she didn't show it in any obvious way, but Oda Princess knew that the feelings she had towards the girl were reciprocated by Akeno. Nobuna suspected that Akeno was now too seeing her as a rival for the attention and affection from Naruto, and Nobuna had to admit that she too saw Akeno as such.

This had the unexpected effect of Nobunaga trying to be more feminine and get more in touch with her girly side, a side effect that seemed to amuse Oichi and Nagahide, the two girls who were most helpful to Nobunaga. While Nobuna was getting a little bit more aware of her girly side, Nagahide did advise her never to change for Naruto, because it was what attracted him to her, and Nobuna took that advice to heart. But that didn't mean she was ready to let Akeno claim Naruto through the ways of woman charms, since Nobunaga was also a girl and an attractive one, and as they say, in love and war, all things permitted…

Nobunaga didn't even notice how the year had passed and in came January, as she was so caught up with the matters of her Clan, settling in and also her friendship with Naruto, and it only dawned upon her that the time to make her real decision has come. A day ago, an invitation to a dinner to Fujiwara Clan came, and Nobunaga realized that Date Masamune has made his decision and was going to make it known, as well as that the time for Nobunaga to make her ultimate decision regarding the proposition Masamune made to her. But, unlike in the past, she was now far more affirmed in her judgement and knew what she wanted and what was best for her Clan and her close friends, and with that in mind she went to that dinner.

She wasn't surprised to see Naruto, along with Amagi and Tomoe, being among the invited, while Kushina and Minato with their children were also an expected sight, though not a welcome one. At least with Kushina, Minato and their two eldest, for Nobuna held great disdain for them all, especially Kushina and Natsu, while Mito was a different story all together. The two had been introduced to one another by Naruto and Nobuna quickly found herself liking the girl, or Munchkin, as she liked to call Mito. It was safe to say that the two were very friendly with each other, while Narumi and Natsu were not someone with whom Nobuna ever wanted to associate, despite Kushina and Minato trying to get on her good side. They've tried inviting her to dinners, coming off as friendly, offering gifts and many other things, all of which had failed, for Nobunaga was of the same mind about them as Naruto and Masamune.

It was amusing to see the two and their spawn looking so stiff and not even eating, thinking that they are being played, while in reality this is nothing more than one of Uzumaki customs, to have dinner on amicable terms, before discussing business on more friendly grounds. Naruto and Mito knew of this traditions, while Hokage and his family didn't. Anyway, Nobunaga wasn't going to break the news to them, instead deciding to enjoy the delicious food.

"Could you pass some of that beef, please?" Nobuna asked of Naruto, who nodded and passed to it her, as she took a big whiff. "Ah, spicy! Lord Masamune, just one whiff of is enough to rise up a dead man. How did you come up with such a thing?"

"Trial and error, my dear. Trial and error." Masamune simply answered. "That, and I also had two willing guinea pigs to test all the food I came up with." Masamune chuckled, while Shigezane and Kojuro simply shook their head.

"Well, then they have my thanks, for because of them we can enjoy such delicious dishes." Amagi bowed her head a little to the two, with the two responding with the same. "I must say, Lord Masamune, that you could give the best of Akimichi a run for their money. I am actually surprised that you haven't opened up a restaurant of your own. You could get quite rich through your trade."

"I'm already rich, and was richer than that when I started to learn how to cook. I did not just because I liked to do it, but also… Let's just say that there was a very good motivator to learn how to do it." For a moment, a shadow of grief came upon the face of Masamune, until it disappeared, as he turned to the Namikaze. "What, is the food not to your liking, Lord Hokage? A bit too much for your stomach."

"No, not at all, Lord Masamune. The food is quite tasty, that is for certain." Minato was quick to reply.

"Strange you would say so, without having even taken a bit from it. It's almost as if you are afraid you would be poisoned." Tomoe noted with a hint of amusing, taking in the glare from Kushina without even flinching. "One would think that you would be aware of the fact that Uzumaki do not dabble in poisoning their guests, but then again, you aren't the Uzumaki that would know of it."

"Another word from you, and I'll…" Kushina growled out, before Masamune spoke up.

"Kushina, restrain yourself, before I'll have you restrained against your will. You are not a feral hound like your friend Tsume to growl at every time someone looks at you in a funny way." Masamune reprimanded her.

"Father, why did you invite these two? They have no relation to the Uzumaki, and no say in your decision? And why not just announce your decision already, and not waste time with this charade?" Kushina demanded to know from Masamune.

"The fact that you ask these questions was enough of a reason to invite you here." Masamune cryptically told her, as he took a sip of water and wiped his lips with a napkin. "But if you are this anxious, then I guess we can move forward with the evening, if all the guests are satisfied and not wish for additional helpings." Masamune looked at the guests, noticing that most were quite satisfied, safe for Mito.

"I…" Mito was about to speak up, until she caught the glare from Narumi and Natsu.

"Mito, if you wish to ask for something, just ask. Nobody will stop you if you are feeling hungry." Masamune's gaze made the twins flinch. "So, what is that have caught your eye?"

"Um, I want a second helping of that curry." Mito said, with Masamune smiling to her and personally filling her dish. "Thank you."

"Dig in before it gets cold." Masamune told her, as Mito immediate started to it. "Don't rush it, savor the taste, or you might chock on it accidentally."

"Lord Masamune, is this absolutely necessary to…" Minato tried to speak up, but was immediately rebuffed by Shigezane.

"It is the way of Uzumaki, Lord Hokage: until all guests are satisfied and fed, no business shall be conducted. You adhere to the traditions of Hyuuga when they invite you their dinner, don't you?" Shigezane asked of Minato, who nodded to him. "It is the same here. Your lack of knowledge and unwanted eagerness to rush this affair does not do you credit. Both you and your family." Shigezane stated to him, with Minato deciding that the best thing he could do would be to shut up and wait until Mito was finished.

It took several more minutes until Mito was fed and satisfied, when Masamune has ordered for the aides to take the plates and food away, clearing the table. After that done, it was now as clear as it could be to everyone, that now was the time to talk seriously about what was on everyone's mind. Masamune started out first.

"Now that all parties are fed and satisfied, we can talk for real. And the first thing that I must say, Minato, Kushina, is that I am not very impressed by the efforts you've been putting into trying to influence my choice." Masamune told them, confusing the two. "Don't look like you don't know what I'm talking about. Gifts towards the Uzumaki Clans, a private meeting with each of the leaders, a show of your children with promises of power, in case one of them ends up my heir… Did you really think that I wouldn't learn about it, or that none of them would tell me about your efforts? They all knew better than to try and influence me like that."

"Lord Masamune, we were merely trying to establish friendly relations with the Uzumaki Clans and to have them properly connect with Konoha. That is all that we've tried to do." Minato tried to explain himself. "Ever since you've came to our Village, the Uzumaki Clans have remained isolated and refused to conform to the ways of Konoha, and I tried to breach the gap between the Clans and the Village proper."

"And in what way should they conform to Konoha's standard? Shedding their armor, forgetting how to fight as they do, or sell off all their secrets to the populace?" Masamune knew that this was what Minato was trying to do, and what the greedy Shinobi Council was demanding of him. "If that is the case, then why you do not demand the same from someone like Yamanaka, or Hyuuga? They can hardly be called "conventional" Shinobi of Konoha?"

"Yet their ways have proven to be beneficial for Konoha, while the Uzumaki Clans seem content with only working with the Uchiha Clan only." Minato noted to Masamune.

"The Uchihas respect our traditions and do not try to enforce their views on us, like your Council and the Clans that seem to wish for Uzumaki to be split between themselves, like loot among thieves." Masamune told Minato. "The Clans are open to talks with those that are ready to treat us as equals, but so far, only Uchiha Clan showed us such respect. The rest seem to look down on us, thinking that us coming here was an act of desperation and that we will put up with everything. Some, like the Inuzuka, even believe that they can just push us around for no good reason and make themselves look good at our expense."

"What happened with Tsume was an unfortunate accident, a lapse of judgement from an otherwise reliable and loyal Shinobi." Minato decided to defend her.

"There seem to be quite a great number of those lapse, though, if the civilians to be believed." Nobuna spoke up, getting the attention of Minato and others. "My clansmen have heard many times how Inuzuka have on numerous times harassed the Civilians and even other Shinobi, all as if to prove their strength, like some wild animal before their pack. And yet the Council doesn't seem to have an issue with that."

"That is an entirely different issue, and a little girl like you have no right to speak back like that, or to speak at all while the grown-ups talk of serious things." Kushina tried to reprimand Nobuna, but failed.

"I think I have the right to comment on her act, given how she tried to strong arm me and my sister into apologizing for her son's harassment of us." Nobuna reminded.

"You could've simply said you were sorry and put the whole thing behind, instead of extorting money and using her men as slave labor." Kushina narrowed her eyes on Nobuna.

"Do you ask forgiveness before the rabid dog that tries to bite you around here? Or do you put it out of its misery? Because the Uzumaki prefer the latter option." Oda Nobuna noted. "And need I remind you that your son here has also tried to coarse me and my sister into hanging out with him and Kiba, acting like we were his property the moment he saw us? I must say, never did I think I would hear a boy his age act like some middle-aged perverted bastard who needs Viagra."

"One more word about my son here, you little wench, and I…" Kushina was ready to lash out at Nobunaga, before Masamune spoke up.

"One more threat like that from you, Kushina, and I'll have you thrown out of here, literally." Masamune told her with his eyes fixed fully on her. "This girl is my vassal and leader of Oda Clan, and she is currently the only one who I can safely say has my complete confidence in her ability to lead my Clan, should I name her my heir."

"Lord Masamune, y-you can't be serious. But she isn't your blood, not your grandchild, like Natsu and Narumi…" Minato was in shock to hear Masamune state that.

"Thankfully, because if she were like them, I imagine the Oda Clan would be rid of her just to spare themselves the trouble." Tomoe noted. "And Naruto with Mito, thankfully, didn't inherit their older siblings' tendencies and their abrasive natures. At least something good did come from all that neglect you've put them through."

"Naruto and Mito are the youngest siblings, not the eldest ones, which implies that they have no right to inheritance, not while they have older siblings." Minato stated with assurance, with Masamune not being convinced of that.

"The Uzumaki do not put the same value of primogeniture as the other Clans do. True, it is often an expect way of inheritance, but our history knows moments when Leaders chose their younger children to lead the Clan. The same applies to the adopted children as well." Masamune stated to Minato. "And if I remember correctly, it is usually Konoha's policy not to interfere in the Clans' internal affairs."

"I am simply trying to prevent you from making a mistake, Lord Masamune." Minato told him with force, which seemed to have a bad effect on Shigezane and Kojuro.

"And who do you think you are to state when he is making a mistake?" Kojuro asked of Minato with narrowed eyes. "Lord Hokage, make no mistake, your family's invitation here was a courtesy, not an honor or an expected thing. We could've simply sent you a notice with the decision our Lord had come to, and after the thorough investigation we performed, it had long became clear that your eldest children are not suited for the position of heirs of Fujiwara. One fact of them abusing their youngest sister and your eldest son trying to kill his brother is enough evidence for our Lord to rule them out completely."

"Those things happened long ago, and my children have changed for the better! Father, you can't deny them their heritage, their right like you denied me." Kushina stated to Masamune, who seemed to be in thought. "They are still kids, and children their age can do stupid things, true, but children do grow up and they can yet grow up worthy of your name and name of Fujiwara, unlike with Naruto and Mito…"

"And what makes you think that Naruto and Mito do not have what it takes to be Fujiwara?" Masamune suddenly asked of Kushina, making her freeze up at the mistake she made. "I already know what you are going to say, so I'll spare you saying it out loud and I will simply say that Naruto has more than enough qualities to become my heir, with Mito having potential to be one as well in the future. However, it would seem that until there have been made a definitive and undeniable conclusion made, either you or someone else from your friends will try to rock the boat so to speak. So, I've come up with the solution that will see my heir or heiress chosen, whoever it may be."

"What do you mean, Lord Masamune?" Minato asked of him.

"A day after tomorrow, at 10 o'clock, Natsu, Narumi, Naruto and Nobuna will meet at your Chuunin Arena, to find out which one is worthy to become my heir. The process will be the same as with Chuunin Exams." Masamune simply stated to them.

"You would have them fight each other?" Minato asked of them.

"In battle, the person's true nature comes out, and through it, I will be able to make my judgement and decide, which one of them is worthy of being my Heir." Masamune told them, with Natsu and Narumi looking anxious for the fight. "Of course, if someone doesn't want to put up a fight, then they are free not to do so, but in that case, they are disqualified immediately."

"Oh, we'll fight." Natsu said with a predatory smile, as he turned towards Naruto. "You better be ready, Naruto, because this time, you won't get away with just being put into a hospital."

"Pray that you and Narumi will be lucky enough to end up there, after I'm through with you." Naruto answered to them.

"There won't be any fatalities. I will not have children acting like maniacs and killing each other, it is enough that you will be acting like barbarians." Masamune told them, making sure that they understood it well, with Naruto acknowledging it. "The last one standing will be my heir or heiress, just knock out the other competitors, rough them up a little, but nothing that will mean killing them."

"But you still wish to have them fight." Kushina noted to him.

"There is control to be exercises in a fight, one that prevents men from descending into animals. That factor is the difference between an honorable fight and a senseless slugfest that you like to indulge yourself in." Tomoe noted, making Kushina glare her, while Tomoe turned to Masamune. "Will I be permitted to watch it? I have a personal interest in this fight."

"Yes, anyone who wishes to see it can also come and watch it. The more the merrier, as they say, and less men to say that they don't agree with the outcome afterwards." Masamune noted, as he rose up, with his retainers and everyone else. "Until the day of the fight comes, you are free to do as you please, but if either one of the candidates ends up in any way impaired by some external malicious cause, then the fight is off. In other words, you try and eliminate the competition beforehand, you can forget about this whole thing. That is all I have to say to you." And with that said, Masamune left the room, followed by Shigezane, with Namikaze leaving soon after, while Kojuro was left to see Tomoe and Amagi off, since Naruto was going to stay with Fujiwara for a little longer.

"Well, I hope there won't be any hard feelings between us, Nobuna." Naruto turned to the girl, who looked at him with a bit of a confused look. "Three to one odds… May the best one win?" Naruto offered her his hand, which she didn't shake and gave him her special look, one that spoke that she had a genius idea.

"I think you should do your math again, Genji." Nobunaga told him with her grin, making him understand what she meant. "I think the odds are gonna be close to equal, mathematically wise." She shook his hand at that one.

"They might just be, Nobunaga. See you tomorrow?" Naruto told her with a smile.

"You bet." With that said, Nobuna left the room and headed towards the door out, where Oichi was already waiting her, and as she put on her shoes, she saw Masamune coming to her.

"You were awful quiet during the whole event." Masamune noted to her.

"Oh, was I supposed to say something?" She asked, feigning ignorance.

"You know what I mean, Nobuna. One word, and this whole thing is over." Masamune reminded her of his offer to her.

"And I know that you already know that I've already made up my mind." Nobunaga Oda turned to Masamune with a victorious grin, making the man grin. "Sorry to disappoint you." And with that said, she and Oichi went towards their own mansion.

"Did everything go as you've predicted, my Lord?" Kojuro came up and asked of Masamune, who turned to his friend and smiled to him.

"Even better." Was all that Masamune told him, before going back inside, while Kojuro nodded to him and followed his liege back.

---

I am sorry that I was not able to write up the fight you were waiting for so long, but I really got caught up in writing Oda Nobuna (or Nobunaga, both variants work for her) and her parts, that I didn't even notice how I was starting to go overboard. Guess I was just that preoccupied with her.

Now, as for her looks, she looks like her Avenger version from Fate/Grand Order, but with blue eyes, becoming red when she gets mad. You could picture her as Rias Gremory (a shock, I know), if you like. As for her sister Oichi, then Euphemia li Britannia from Code Geass is for whom you should look for. And you can bet that at least Nobuna is going to be with Naruto.

Leave a review, suggestion, question about the story- I'll answer it all, and thank you for your continued support.

Next time: Uzumaki showdown; Losing control of beasts; New Young Dragon.

See ya!