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.

16. Chapter 16

Minamoto Tomoe's mansion. Two hours after the battle.

Stepping lightly, yet with a trained swiftness, Tomoe softly pushed opened the door that led to the room where Naruto was currently lying, still unconscious after the battle in the arena, from where he was carried out by none others than his divine father and mother, Shiva and Parvati. The sight of the two deities was far too much for any words to describe them in few short sentences, but at the moment she saw then at the first time, she saw her son laying in the arms of Parvati, who held him with care and love. At that moment, a tingle of envy and anger rose up in Tomoe, at the sight of the Goddess who held her Naruto, but it was quickly washed away the moment when Shiva spoke to her and asked to use Tomoe's residence to let their son recuperate in there. A request, or order, whichever it was, Tomoe gladly accepted and would've done so no matter what, for Naruto took precedence for her above all else.

With her, Shiva and Parvati, also came practically all of Uzumaki leaders and important warriors of the Clans, all of them drawn not just because of the worry over Naruto, but also because they all sensed and saw Shiva and Parvati, the two most central deities of their religion. To say that they were drawn to them like moth to flame would be saying nothing, for it took Tomoe the intervention from Date Masamune and Nagao Tamekage to settle them all down, though the latter too wished to see the two deities and speak with them. Fortunately for all, the Uzumaki did settle down and were now in the living room, patiently awaiting for an opportunity to see their deities. Amagi too was present there, though she was far more subsided and reserved, even more than usual, and Tomoe couldn't blame her for that, because they had to face off against Tamamo-no-Mae of all beings, but they've also had suffered casualties.

Akagi and Kaga were nowhere to be found and at first it was thought that they were just somewhere near, these hopes were dashed away when Yoruichi, who had managed to overcome Tamamo's control, told them about how Tamamo had managed trap both Kitsune sisters in some kind of golden gem or stone. When Amagi heard of it, she lost all color in her face and practically dropped onto the ground, and only with Tomoe's help she had managed to get up, telling them all, that the stone itself is the fragment of none other than Sessho-seki, the very stone in which Tamamo was originally imprisoned.

The stone itself was originally the very physical body of Tamamo, turned into a golden stone by Seimei Minamoto to imprison her, before it was broken down into fragments and purified of her soul and taint, with one single fragment remaining that contained her spirit. That very fragment was what Aiwa Minamoto had discovered and it was from it that Tamamo came to possess the wife of Date Masamune. Amagi told them that Sessho-seki's power is so great, that it could hold Kyuubi within it, along with nearly all other Tailed Beasts, and that Kaga and Akagi have no way of getting out of there. It became apparent that their fate was not a good one, and most certainly now, Tamamo will make use of them as her new slaves, replacing now lost to her Zuikaku and Shoukaku.

Speaking of the two Yokai, they've informed Tomoe that they were now her Shikigami and were now at her command, and that this was originally the will their previous partner, Mito Minamoto, that Tomoe were to inherit the two as her guardians. Tomoe had no trouble with accepting the two as her Shikigami and she had spent enough time around Yokai to not be surprised by most things connected them, and the fact that the two Suzaku sisters were close to Mito only solidified her decision. Currently they were in their spiritual form and explored the house, or rather guarded it and reconnected with the place where they've lived for a large portion of their lives.

Turning away from the thoughts that had invaded her mind when she briefly reminisced about the events of today, Tomoe instead turned back to where she was right now, as she stepped into the room. It was Naruto's room, one she gave to him when he moved to her, and it was a substantially larger room than the one that he had in Namikaze Estate. It had all the needed objects of comfort, along with bookshelves with books, TV and more, as Tomoe had made sure that Naruto had all that he could ask for in here. But that right now mattered little to nothing, for Tomoe was here to look at Naruto, who still sleeping in his bed, and at his side stood Shiva, the God of Destruction and one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, beings in Universe, looking at his son and waiting for his awakening. Though it looked like there was little to no emotion on his face, Tomoe could clearly see that the deity was simply masking his worry, while his divine wife Parvati didn't hide her worry, as she stood closer to Tomoe. Seeing them all like that and knowing who they were, Tomoe again felt herself being the third wheel here and after seeing that Naruto was still asleep, decided to take her leave, but was not able to, for Parvati's soft and quiet voice spoke to her.

"Is there something bothering you, Tomoe?" Tomoe stopped right before she could reach for the door knob, as Parvati spoke up. "Do we make you uncomfortable?" Tomoe turned to face the Goddess of Love and Family.

"No, it's not that… I just do not want to intrude." Tomoe told her, with Parvati's face shoving a small smile. "I imagine that you and Lord Shiva would like to have all the privacy you deserve, given the fact that…" Tomoe spoke with a bit of an awkward tone, something that Parvati instantly caught on, and was able to discern the concern that the woman had.

"Tomoe, I understand what you are trying to say, and as much as I appreciate your consideration for us, you have every right to be here with Naruto." Parvati told her, surprising Tomoe. "He is our son and we dearly love him, but it was you who had raised him and was there for him. You've helped him become the person he is now and you've devoted so much of your being to him. In many ways, you have more rights to be here with him than we, and it is beyond us to deny your right to be here."

"I didn't do all that much, and he is still your son first off all so…" Tomoe tried to speak up, but she was then interrupted.

"He was first your child, before we came and saved his life, and before he was born as Naruto Uzumaki, he was Masamune Uchiha." Shiva turned and faced Tomoe, shocking the woman with this information, before he continued. "It never was our intention to deceive or keep you in the dark about his past life, Tomoe Minamoto. Even without it, you've been there for him when he was laying the hospital, slowly passing away, alone, frightened and with no one to comfort him. And you came to him, offered him what his mother and father denied him- you gave him a love that only a true parent can offer to a child. As much as I may wish and want, I will not deny that you have the fullest right to call Naruto your son, and because of that, you should be here for him."

"Naruto… Is he Masamune?" Tomoe spoke with a quiet voice, before receiving a nod from Shiva. "But… But Tamamo killed Masamune… She told me…"

"She took his life, but not his soul. Your son's soul reincarnated from one life into another. And even before that, his soul had lived a life, before it was taken from him. A life of a hero, one that we found worthy to be made into one from his actions, but also from the way he carried himself. A one of a kind person, one that had the bravery to challenge the very Heavens if they had threatened the innocent, and generous enough to give everything he had to save as many as he could, one who gave his loyalty to his brother, yet was ultimately betrayed by him…" Parvati reminisced, before speaking to Tomoe again. "The soul of Masamune and Naruto, the soul of our son, it had walked this world before, but it doesn't mean that he isn't yours. Does knowing all this change your opinion of him?" Parvati looked towards Naruto, with Tomoe doing the same, before answering.

"No, it does not. Naruto is my son and there is nothing that will change that fact for me." She firmly stated to them. "I have but one question, though. Do those past lives… Is Naruto aware of them? Aware of his past lives and do they affect him?"

"His love and care for you are genuine and are not influenced by anything. His past lives do not hold sway over him, nor do they influence him in any way." Shiva answered the silent question of Tomoe. "The past is the past for him, and though he may later gain awareness and memories of those lives, the choices and path he chooses to follow will be only his own to decide."

"Yet you can see which on he will take, can't you?" Tomoe asked of Lord Shiva. "Amagi told me about your powers and how you can perceive everything. What will happen if he grows to become a tyrant? What if he grows up to threat the very Heavens itself? Will you act and destroy him?" Tomoe suddenly asked of Shiva.

"Shiva and I will never bring any harm to Naruto, Tomoe. Our love for him is absolute." Parvati told Tomoe softly, knowing that the woman tried to determine if she should protect Naruto from Shiva.

"Perhaps today it is, but tomorrow… Forgive me, but with my family's life on the line, I have to assume the worst, especially from the beings that can destroy worlds by mere gaze." Tomoe told them, with Shiva answering to her question.

"You are correct, Tomoe, and can perceive Naruto growing up as the greatest threat to all of Universe. And much like him, I can perceive such a future for every living being in every realm, even you are not exempt. Had I acted on this information, there would not be life or any worlds remaining, only void and empty space." Shiva answered to Tomoe, confusing her a little. "I can perceive every possible future for all beings, for I exist beyond time and space. I see it all happening before me even as I speak to you right now, but I do not act on what I see and sense."

"What do you mean by that?" Tomoe asked of him.

"When I ascended to become a deity, I've not just became connected to Universe like all deities. I went beyond that and became the manifestation of Universe's will and its soul, stepping past the normal boundaries of existence. I've become what other deities have attempted and failed at being, and I hold within me enough power to remake all of Cosmos in whatever way I wish. But as great as this power may be, there is an even greater responsibility that lies on my shoulders, a duty to see the Universe live and persist, to guard the cycle of life, death and rebirth." Shiva explained to Tomoe. "Because of it, I do not use my power freely or without purpose, nor do I destroy lives merely on the possibility of someone becoming a threat. Though I exist in every time and every reality, I live in the present and maintain my way of conduct."

"So there is a possibility for Naruto to turn evil, but you will not do anything against him to stop him from turning evil?" Tomoe asked of him.

"Aside from offering him my support and advice, I will not impede his freedom to choose his way." Shiva told Tomoe. "Unlike other deities that I've crossed in my travels, I do not engage impose my will directly without a valid enough reason. You may rest easy, Tomoe Minamoto. Naruto's life is his own, and I will not stop him from flourishing out of simple fear that he may become a threat. I've moved past such things."

"But not past love and selfishness." Tomoe noted, relaxing her posture, with Parvati chuckling, with Shiva simply giving her a small smile. "I guess not even deities are perfect."

"We are not, and before we ascended we were mortals. Desires and passions are not foreign for us, as is love for those we cherish." Parvati told Tomoe. "Love is one of the greatest feelings one can experience, a treasure for mortals and Gods alike. We hold it dear to us, and family is something that we are willing to die for."

"Family above all, the Way of Uzumaki." Tomoe noted, before noticing something. "Why are you so open with me? Not that I am complaining, but you have no need to explain it all to me."

"We are open with you because we wish for you trust us, Tomoe." Parvati told her, as took a glance at Naruto. "You are important to Naruto, more so than perhaps even we are, and we do not want him to have suffer because we can't get along. We love Naruto and will do anything to protect him, just as you will, but that doesn't mean we will impose ourselves on him or try to replace you."

"I see, and… I apologize for my mistrust." Tomoe bowed her head lowly before the two. "I've acted in unbecoming manner, and I do apologize for it."

"There is no need for forgiveness, because there is nothing to forgive. You've said nothing that I wasn't aware of already." Shiva told her, surprising Tomoe again, before she realized what he meant. "You've acted on your first instinct of defending Naruto, something that Parvati and I would've done if we were in your place."

"Do you honestly know everything that everyone will say and do the very next moment?" Tomoe asked.

"Yes and no." Shiva answered. "I see all possible futures for all beings and things. Which one will take place is not what I can say with absolute certainty. Knowing the future does not mean knowing how in what exact way will it unfold for certain in this line of time and space." The answer that Shiva gave was more confusing for Tomoe than informative.

"In simpler terms, Shiva exists in a way that he perceives every reality and timeline, while we exist in one line of reality. He may know all possible futures, but not which one will take place, because they are infinite." Parvati told to Tomoe, who nodded to her with an understanding. "I too had struggled to understand it, but that's what you get when your husband becomes the soul of Universe."

"Doesn't that bother you?" Tomoe asked of Parvati.

"Not in the slightest. He is still the man that I fell in love with and married all those eons ago. There are more important things for me to be bothered with." Parvati simply told Tomoe with a smile, before all had heard a groan coming from Naruto.

The moment they heard it, they've forgotten all and rushed to his side, as Naruto's eyes were starting to open up and his form move. His armor and weapons were removed from him and he was in simple black t-shirt and black pants in which he usually slept. Once his eyes had opened up, he saw his mothers and father looking at him with relief and smiles on their faces.

"Where…" Naruto asked, as he had tried to sit himself up, having awoken finally from his slumber.

"You are back home, Naruto." Tomoe told him softly, as she and Parvati moved to help him sit up, before she grabbed a flask of hers and gave it to Naruto. "Water, if you are thirsty." Naruto nodded her and took it, drinking the contents of the flask, satiating his thirst, before he was satisfied and gave it back to Tomoe.

"Did we win? What happened with the others?" Naruto asked ahead, once his mind was again operating at full capacity. "Mito, Nobuna and Akeno, are they alright? And what about Akagi and Kaga?" His torrent of questions was starting to pick up pace, and only Parvati's timely intervention prevented Naruto from asking more of those.

"The moment we arrived and saved you, Naruto, Shiva had used his power to dispel all those that had been summoned by Tamamo. Several of the Uzumaki warriors had died, but most survived and are healed, along with your friends Nobuna and Akeno, while Mito was unharmed and is safe. I saw to their wounds and remedied them personally, once we arrived here." Parvati told Naruto, easing his mind a little. "But Akagi and Kaga… We were not able to save them, my son. Tamamo had escaped before we could stop her."

"So, she took them… And I couldn't do a thing to even stop her." Naruto said with a voice filled with shame towards himself. "All this training, all the gifts you gave me, and yet I couldn't even protect those that I care for. For the second time now I've…"

"The first time you had been hindered by your beliefs and naiveté, but this time there is no fault that lays with you, my son." Shiva spoke up, gaining Naruto's fullest attention. "You and your friends have faced off against creatures and enemies that would've tore men and women thrice your age and experience to shreds. You've been put through the crucible that would break any, Naruto, and yet you've managed to survive and fight to the point when only direct intervention from Tamamo and Izanagi would secure their victory. You've fought, bled, struggled and moved forward, Naruto, and there is nothing that you must be ashamed of, my son."

"That may be so, but I still couldn't stop Tamamo from taking Kaga and Akagi, and you had to step in to save my life again. All that training and I still was helpless and incapable of acting." Naruto said, with Parvati sharing a look with Tomoe, before letting Tomoe to speak up.

"Naruto, those beings, Izanagi and Tamamo, they are not what your average Shinobi or even an Uzumaki warrior faces off on a daily basis, and that hell we've been through on that arena… I wouldn't have survived it had I been the same person before I faced off Tamamo the first time, and what you and your friends were through down there was far more than anyone would've asked of you." Tomoe told him with certainty in her voice, before moving closer to him and cupping his cheek. "Look at me, Naruto. The only reason you and they are still alive is because you've managed to do the impossible: you've survived long enough on that ring for us to summon your parents. You've faced off against Yokai, Ayakashi, Oni and even demonized twins, and you survived and fought them off. You saved your friends and yourself against things beyond even the likes of Sannins."

"Naruto, what you did there wasn't something you should be ashamed of, but proud of. That was your first battle, and it was a battle where you had to face off against beings you weren't prepared to fight against, but you persisted. You've saved your friends a number of times, and even with Yoruichi, Akagi, Medusa and Kaga there, your chances were as low as they could get, but you forged ahead and fought on. Fought to the point where beings beyond even strongest of Uzumaki had to step in to claim their victory." Parvati told him softly, taking his hand into her own. "Nobody could ask of you to face off against Tamamo and Izanagi, and there was no way you could be prepared against them. You and your friends did far more than could be expected of you, and even if Akagi and Kaga were taken from you, things could've turned out far worse if you did less than you did. Do not look at this battle as a sign of your weakness, for it is not. This was your battle christening in the worst possible battle, and you've passed it, a child of 7 who faced off against horrors of Yomi, ruined plans of a Fallen Tenko and forced a God of come after you. I know few mortals that can claim to have done so much already." Naruto had to admit that his mothers were right about it, but that didn't take away the fact that the loss of Akagi and Kaga had affected him.

"Naruto." Shiva turned the attention of his son towards him. "Tell me, what is a measure of a great warrior and true hero?"

"A measure of a warrior and hero…" Naruto thought about it a little, before answering. "Always standing for what they believe in?"

"No, and while that may be important, this is not what makes them truly great." Shiva told Naruto. "A warrior may face defeat, but it is after it that a true measure of him can be seen. He has a choice to make, he can take to heart what he had happened and use to strengthen himself and his resolve, or he can crumble from the knowledge of his defeat and inability to move forward. Can you guess which one a true warrior of Uzumaki would choose?" Shiva could see that his son was starting to understand him.

"You didn't win the battle in the arena, not because of any form of weakness you possessed, but because your enemy was simply far stronger and possessed the powers beyond anything you could counter at the moment. Akagi and Kaga were captured by Tamamo and she had managed to escape yes, but that is not the end of the story, no. Your friends are alive, and though they will be turned against you, there will be a chance for you to save them and defeat Tamamo, once and for all." Shiva told him. "The question is, though, are you capable of seizing this chance? Will you be able to do it, to rise up above what you are right now, remaining true to yourself, or will you break and mold into something that can't become what Akagi and Kaga need and wanted to see?" Shiva asked of Naruto a challenging question, sensing how his son contemplated it.

There was no denying that he had been defeated, yet he had managed to survive longer than should've been possible in normal situation, and that was anything but normal battle. Tamamo and Izanagi had nearly killed him, but it was now clear to Naruto that he wasn't even supposed to have lasted long enough for them to engage. He lost Kaga and Akagi, but everyone had managed to make it out of there alive and he was still here, breathing and contemplating it all. Things could've gone much, much worse had he done anything less, and despite it not being enough to achieve a total victory, he did more than expected. The question now in this: what he will do next?

And the more he thought about it, the more the answer became clear to Naruto, and he was embarrassed and ashamed to have lost his fighting spirit. Izanagi may be gone, but Tamamo-no-Mae remains, and she has Akagi and Kaga, that alone is enough of a reason for Naruto to move forward and train further, but there was now more. He saw that there were beings and things still far beyond his abilities, and they've nearly taken him down, but he was still here and alive, meaning that he had the opportunity to move forward.

Tamamo's power is incredible, but she isn't invincible, nor will she simply disappear and never appear again, no. Naruto could sense that she was not just interested in him, no… She now viewed him as an enemy, and in that brief chance he had to look inside her, Naruto sensed someone else inside, an Uzumaki soul, the one that had ultimately saved him from Izanagi. Though she was quickly suppressed by Tamamo, it didn't change the fact that Tamamo was vulnerable, and that she could be beaten.

So instead of wallowing in his defeat, he will rise up, move forward and do everything in his power to progress and become stronger. It will take years for Naruto to close up the gap between him and Tamamo, yes, but he will take it. Akagi and Kaga may now be under her thrall, but there will come a time when he and Tamamo will face off again, and when it happens, Naruto will have prepared himself and learned how to fight her. She may be a Fallen Tenko and one of Three Great Evil Yokai, but that doesn't mean she is invincible or impossible to beat. One way or the other, Naruto will defeat her, and no matter how many times it will take him, no matter if he is beaten again and again, he'll just rise up and get better.

Not because he is the son of deities or an Uzumaki, but because this is the only way he will be able to live. This is his way of life, the way of Naruto Minamoto, and he won't let anything hold him back. And with this thought process complete, Naruto's eyes regained their fire, reignited and blazing stronger than ever, with Shiva looking at his son with pride, while Tomoe and Parvati sensed that Naruto was better now. Though Shiva said little words of affection to Naruto, he said what his son needed to hear and understand. His powers were near limitless, but what good they would do if he couldn't use wisdom to help his son grow better and stronger? A parent's love isn't shown through simple act of affection, but also through the ability to help your child to grow and become better than he is right now, to evolve and change.

And though Shiva may be the God of Destruction, he stands not for annihilation or chaos, but for evolution and cycle of life, for an opportunity to grow and become better. And if he can't help his son do it, how can he do the same with the Universe?

---

Outside the room. Living room of Minamoto Tomoe's mansion.

It had been decades since the living room of the house that once belonged to Senju Clan was filled with so many men and women, old and young, and nearly all of them were Uzumaki, present here because they were drawn here to see their deities, to hear them speak and look upon them. Nearly every person of Uzumaki origin that was in the Arena had literally sensed and saw Lord Shiva and Lady Parvati descend upon this land to save Naruto, putting an end to the battle and destroying the monsters that were attacking them. For Uzumaki, a nation that was deeply and strongly connected with its roots and religion, this was a groundbreaking event, a defining moment in history.

The last time the central deities of Uzumaki pantheon had directly intervened in the lives of their descendants was shortly after a conflict that sparked within the Uzu, known as the Genpei War. This conflict saw the four founding Clans of Uzumaki and their branch families fight each other for ultimate control of Uzumaki. In the end, it was the Minamoto Clan that had managed to gain supremacy and claim to have gained the Mandate of Heaven, the sacred right and duty to rule over the Uzumaki, recognized by the Gods above.

The leader of Minamoto, Minamoto Yoritomo became officially the first Emperor of Uzumaki from Genji line, and he solidified his power through violence and death, killing his own brothers and cousins and nearly exterminating his own family in the process. The family was cherished above all within the Uzumaki society, and Yoritomo going so far as to execute all of his siblings was seen as the greatest crime imaginable, and the Gods had shown their discontent.

Lord Shiva, Lady Parvati, their sons Lords Kartikeya and Ganesha, along with sons of Kartikeya, the founders of Four Great Clans, all appeared before the court of Yoritomo and him personally. Lord Shiva showed his displeasure and anger at Yoritomo by subjecting the Emperor to condemnation, proclaiming that Yoritomo, his children and family are no longer Uzumaki, never have held the Mandate of Heaven, and were now enemies of Uzumaki and people. That was not just a spark, but a dragon's fire that lit the entire country into a frenzy of a new war against Yoritomo, led by Fujiwara Masamune, the ancestor of Date Masamune, who had dethroned and executed Yoritomo and all those that stood for Yoritomo.

In the aftermath of the Liberation War, as it was known, Fujiwara Masamune held the highest authority among the Uzumaki and seemingly held the Mandate of Heaven. But instead of assuming the control and being proclaimed the Emperor, he instead did something unexpected- he set up a completely new type of government, one that was comprised of heads of all Clans, with an elected Kanpaku, or Regent, to govern over the people of Uzumaki. A novelty at the time, but one that was approved by the Gods and Lord Shiva himself, and to Uzumaki, this was all the needed assurance they required. And so Fujiwara Masamune became the first Kanpaku, who had spent his entire tenure of 15 years rebuilding the Uzumaki Nation and reforming it, until retiring and letting his successor, Taira Nobukatsu, to continue his work. This system had governed the Uzumaki nation for over 8 centuries, until the Nation's destruction.

Date Masamune's thoughts had turned away from the past and returned back to the present, as he looked at the gathered Uzumaki and saw in their eyes the impatience and desire to go inside and ask for a meeting with Lord Shiva and Lady Parvati. The eagerness and determination that he felt from them was something that he understood and also shared, though it was a little more subsided and doused by the worry over Naruto and all that had happened. He couldn't blame his brethren or judge them over their desire and need to see Lord Shiva and Lady Parvati, for all of them believed that they could provide them the way forward, a guidance to reclaiming the Uzumaki glory and power, a path that would once again see the Uzumaki rise.

And Masamune too was not beyond wishing that the Gods had given him and his people a sign or directions, because after the destruction of Uzumaki Nation, the scattered Uzumaki Clans have lost something extremely important to them- their unity. Though they were now few and scattered, the Uzumaki, if united into one singular force would be enough to shake the world to its very foundations, and Masamune knew of it, which was one of the reasons why he had tried to unite as many Clans as he did. Even those that he gathered already were a considerable force, enough to potentially even destroy Konoha, hypothetically, but not enough to challenge the world.

What Uzumaki sorely needed was something to unite them, a goal or a symbol that would become a signal for Uzumaki Clans and warriors to gather into one Nation. This had already happened when Lord Shiva issued his condemnation of Yoritomo Minamoto, and it led to the Uzumaki Nation being saved from chaos and destruction, and all Uzumaki knew of it. If Shiva and Parvati were to speak today to the Uzumaki today… Their words would be something that could change the course of Uzumaki destiny and may even give the Uzumaki hope for the better future, one where they are allowed to command their own destiny and shape their future. Date Masamune didn't have any illusions about the complete loyalty of Uzumaki towards Konoha, and he himself knew that this was only a temporary solution, a means to an end and he had no intentions of making the Uzumaki or his Fujiwara Clan a permanent feature of Konoha.

But for now, Date Masamune and the other Uzumaki would have to play by the rules of Konoha and its leaders, and that now included providing the report to the Council about what exactly had transpired on the arena. It has already been over two hours since the battle had ended and the people of Konoha that were put to sleep awakened by the Uzumaki, and since then, the Uzumaki offered no response or shared little to no details about what had happened.

Date Masamune, who was an unofficial leader of Uzumaki Clans, now had to find a way to explain to Konoha what just had happened, and fortunately for him, decades of political games in Uzu have gifted him with an extensive experience in the field of diplomacy, political maneuvering and straight up bullshitting his way through the tough spots. And this wasn't even the worst debacle he found himself in, as right now, he had someone he could rely on to make his version as believable as possible, in form of Fugaku Uchiha, who just came up to Masamune, speaking up to him in a hushed manner.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything. Your brethren seem to be quite tense." Fugaku noted to Masamune, who simply nodded to him. "Is this normal for the Uzumaki?"

"Well, it's not a really common occurrence when our divine progenitors and ancestors make an appearance in such an open manner. Last time it happened was to tell us that our ruler was an enemy to us, and it led to his forced retirement in a rather breathtaking manner, so to speak." Masamune said in a slightly carefree manner, though it didn't seem to set Fugaku's mind at ease, before he spoke in a more serious tone. "We are a deeply religious people, Fugaku, and for us, arrival of Lord Shiva and Lady Parvati, especially at the time like this for our people… This could mean everything for our people."

"I see. I was half expecting them to be trying to barge into Naruto's room." Fugaku admitted. "With the way they've acted… Sorry if that sounded rude."

"Don't worry, and I do think that some would've tried to do so, but even our most zealous brethren know when to give some privacy to parents and their child." Masamune noted, with Fugaku nodding to him. "How is your family? How are they holding up?" Masamune asked with concern in his voice.

"Well, after what Mikoto, Itachi and I had witnessed… I think we are still in a state of shock, but not to the point where we can't think properly." Masamune nodded to Fugaku. "Still, Yokai, Oni, Ayakashi, all of them are real, and Naruto… How does this even work? He was born from Kushina and Minato, and yet he is the child of Gods… Does that make him a God too, or…"

"Before you lose yourself in a stream of endless questions, let me state that this isn't exactly the most proper time for an educational lecture. All I can say right now is that yes, Naruto was born to Minato and Kushina as a simple child." Fugaku nodded listening to Masamune. "Everything changed when Naruto was still in the hospital, suffering from the aftereffect of summoning a Shinigami, who was slowly taking away his soul. On the last day of his life, Lord Shiva, Lady Parvati, and Lady Izanami appeared and restored his soul and body, by using their essences to save him. He is still mortal, yes, but he has certain gifts from them, one of which is Naruto's ability to read emotions of others and see what a person really thinks. For more information, I believe it would be best if you were to discuss it with Naruto himself, because for now, we have something far more important to worry about."

"The Council." Fugaku understood what Masamune meant. "We've already received summons and for now, Mikoto and I have ignored them, and as for Itachi… It took us some effort to convince him not to inform the Elders about what had transpired." Masamune could clearly see that Fugaku was not pleased with his eldest son.

"While his loyalty to Konoha isn't something I can criticize, he did strike is a bit zealous in his determination to serve Konoha." Masamune noted, with Fugaku agreeing with the man. "I am, admittedly, biased when it comes down to the topic of loyalties, but a man who is so loyal to the government over the Clan can become a problem."

"Yes, and several members of my Clan have already expressed their concern over Itachi, and if he will be capable of defending the Uchihas' rights and place in the village. Right now we are once again a Clan that holds prominence and power in Konoha, but that isn't something that many in the Council want to have to deal with." Fugaku admitted, before letting out a sigh. "Mikoto and I will have to deal with it somehow, but for now… What do you plan on telling the Council? I imagine that telling them about Yokai and Oni is out of the question."

"That much is obvious, and thankfully, the lack of dead bodies of Yokai and Ayakashi is a blessing, thanks to Lord Shiva. And given the fact that not so many people had seen what had happened in reality makes it simpler for us to maneuver." Masamune told Fugaku. "I will tell the Council about Aiwa and Kushina, how they had conspired to destroy the Uzumaki Clans, about them weakening the seal on the Twins and their attempt to kill Naruto and others. As for how they've managed to get inside and what forces they used, Kushina has lived here for decades and had intimate knowledge about Konoha's defenses, due to her position as Hokage's wife, and as for the enemy… The Uzumaki never lacked for an enemy, and after the last war, there were plenty of those that wished to destroy us, so mercenaries, rogue Shinobi, Ronins, summons and all the others. Those are never in short supply, especially when there is someone who can pay for them."

"Not going to blame any other Hidden Villages or other Daimyo?" Fugaku asked of Masamune, who shook his head.

"Too much of a risk of my version being exposed and that would lead to inquiries. Along with that, I expect the Council to assume that other Hidden Villages had played a part in it, with their people participating, only not making it look like they are taking part in it. After all, would you miss a chance at weakening your enemy without him learning it was you?" Fugaku had to agree with Masamune on this one. "As for the lack of bodies, Aiwa knows the Uzumaki Sealing arts, and we have a couple of seals that would ensure that the secrets of our body were destroyed upon the death of our warriors. We'll say that Aiwa applied one of such seals to the mercenaries so as to make sure that there was no way of tracing her."

"Alright, that could work, but there is still one element that you seem to have forgotten about." Fugaku reminded Masamune. "Minato was awake and heard the plan before he was knocked out, as you've told me. And he lost a son and a wife today at the hands of Naruto and Tomoe, respectively, and will be facing the wrath of Council that could end his carrier as Hokage."

"We'll see how he decides to act right now." Masamune pointed towards the storming Minato, making his way to Masamune and Fugaku, who were standing near the hallway leading to Naruto's room. "And if he decides to be a problem, then I'll just have to make sure he behaves." Masamune already knew what he was going to do with Minato, whatever his stance on what had happened was going to be.

"Where are they?" Minato's voice didn't hide his anger and rage, as he questioned Masamune. "Don't play games with me, Masamune, I know that they are here. Where are Tomoe and Naruto?!" He demanded to know.

"They are in Naruto's room, with Lord Shiva and Lady Parvati." Masamune simply answered, before he put an arm across the hallway, stopping Minato from moving further. "You do realize that I can't exactly let you pass, given what had transpired some few hours ago, don't you?"

"Out of my way, Masamune, or else I'll make you move." Minato threatened the man, who simply put himself between Minato and the hallway.

"You couldn't beat me even on your best day, Fourth Hokage, and this is by far not your best day." Masamune told him in a tone that lacked boasting, but contained pure confidence. "And if you think that I'll just let you go there and try and do something stupid, then you clearly are not thinking straight."

"I don't care what you think, you will let me pass!" Minato pulled out two of his Hiraishin kunai and readied them, with Masamune remaining composed. "Either you move and let me through, Masamune, or I'll have to finish what Aiwa tried to do." Minato's eyes narrowed at Masamune's lack of reaction.

"I am not moving, and you are not going to kill Tomoe or Naruto." Masamune could clearly see what Minato had wanted to do. "Like it or not, but you have to face the music and admit that your wife had conspired against Konoha and tried to have its citizens killed."

"But my son was innocent and Naruto killed him!" Minato screamed out, as he sent both of his kunai flying towards the space behind Masamune.

But the Yellow Flash clearly underestimated the Dragon of Fujiwara, and Masamune showed just how wide the gap between them was when he effortlessly took out his katana, charging it with his energy, and destroyed the kunai before they were able to fly. Before Minato could take out another of his signature kunai or teleport out of here, Masamune grabbed the man by his collar and then slammed him against the wall, before speaking with a deathly serious tone, holding the blonde man above the floor.

"Now listen here, you worthless excuse of a leader, and you listen good! I and my brethren just had to fight against an endless swarm of monsters, and I nearly lost my grandson, all because of your wife trying to gain respect and power! She tried to have us killed, and Tomoe stopped her, and as for Natsu, he allowed the Kyuubi to take control of him and he nearly killed Nobuna and Akeno, so Naruto had to step in and kill him. Would he had saved him if he had the same chance as he did with Narumi, he would've. But he didn't have it, so he did what you Shinobi always do in these situations- he took actions and saved Konoha!" Masamune growled at Minato, who was now fearful for his life. "He did what was supposed to be your duty, regardless if he was his brother or not, and Tomoe did her, while you did nothing and allowed Kushina and Aiwa to turn that arena into a death traps, and your children into monsters!"

"So, here is what you will do: you will confess that you didn't know anything about the plan to the Council and that you were knocked out by Kushina and Aiwa after you discovered them. After that, you will admit that Natsu and Narumi's seals were tempered with by Kushina, and after you do that, you will transfer all the parentage rights over Narumi and Mito to me." Masamune told Minato, shocking him. "You will not make accusations towards Naruto and Tomoe, and you will not, in any way, try to impede them and their lives. Do that, and I can guarantee you that you will live past this evening, because if you do not comply, either the Council or I will have you lynched." After saying that, Masamune released Minato and allowed him to fall onto the floor, before getting back up slowly.

"You took away my wife and my son, but now you want to take away both Narumi and Mito?! What makes you think that I will comply with you?" Minato demanded to know.

"Because at the end of the day, you are not someone who can make strong and decisive decisions. That, and you are a coward, who is too fond of his own reputation and life, and will do anything to keep his life." Masamune told Minato, who didn't dispute it. "What had happened today will end your carrier as Hokage today, of that you can be certain, because the Council has been getting tired of an inactive and weak Hokage like you, who can't managed the politics and who has allowed his children to become unstable Jinchuriki. Your reputation is already in tatters, and after today and what Kushina did, the best you can hope is a retirement from the office. And as for Narumi and Mito, the Uzumaki can secure and strengthen the seal of the former, as well as correct her behavior, while the latter deserves to have people that care and love her."

"And what if I refuse and tell the truth about Naruto and his heritage?" Minato asked of Masamune with venom in his tone.

"Then you will have invited doom upon your land and those that you claim to protect." The powerful voice of Shiva stated it, as he, Parvati and Tomoe stepped out of the hallway, Masamune and others moving away and giving them space, with Tomoe soon joining them.

The moment Shiva and Parvati had entered the living room, all of the Uzumaki rose up on the feet and instantly looked towards their central deities. A hallow silence entered the room, and then all of the Uzumaki, along with Akeno, kneeled before the two deities and bowed before them, with their heads touching the floor. Fugaku, though not an Uzumaki or someone who was overly religious, still chose to also show his respect, but only bowing as low as he could. Tomoe simply decided to stand some distance away, while Minato was silenced by her glare, telling him that if he does something, he will be next to die at her hands. Shiva and Parvati observed their descendants prostrate themselves before them, with Parvati deciding that she and her husband have had enough of this.

"Please, all of you, rise up and look at us." Parvati's soft and caring voice touched all of them and they got up, looking at her descendants and seeing in them the devotion and faith, hope and reverence. "All of you, sons and daughters of Uzu, it is I that should bow before you, for had it not been for you today, we would've lost our son. You've had to fight against horrors that are not of this world and you have lost two sons and two daughters to this battle, but your resistance and perseverance had saved Naruto, and for that, you have my eternal gratitude." Parvati humbly put her hands together and bowed before the Uzumaki, putting to shock all those that saw it.

"L-Lady Parvati… P-please, y-you don't have t-to do th-this!" Yoshihiro Shimazu awkwardly tried to stop the Goddess from this, as such a display was not what they had expected and it was making them feel embarrassed. "J-just b-bearing witness t-to y-you and L-Lord Sh-Shiva is enough r-reward f-for us…" Parvati raised her head, letting the Uzumaki breathe easier.

"There is no need for such modesty and humility. You truly have earned my eternal gratitude." Parvati assured them all, before she turned towards Date Masamune. "Date Masamune, though it was the effort of all Uzumaki that had prevented the catastrophe, had it not been for you and Amagi, we would've been too late to prevent it. If there is anything you wish to ask of us, then ask and we shall give it to you."

"I won't ask for myself, but for all of my kin and brethren, Lady Parvati." Date Masamune's voice was filled with reverence and respect. "We face dark times, we saw our Nation destroyed and people scattered to the winds, but we still live and persist, we carry on the Way of the Uzumaki. And yet, despite how much we strive and move on, there is something that we lack. Lord Shiva, centuries ago you had saved our Nation from chaos and destruction. I ask of you only that you share your infinite wisdom with us once again, to give us what the Uzumaki need." Masamune bowed before the deity, with others doing the same, before Shiva had talked.

"My descendants, sons and daughters of Uzu, your plight is known to us, and though I cannot give you all what is lost, there is something that I can give you." Shiva's words carrier power and hope, which was caught by the Uzumaki and they looked at him. "The days and years ahead of you will be challenging and there shall be a great deal of hardship for all of you to face, but as the midnight of your suffering has already passed. The sun will rise again above you, and when the dawn breaks in the East, it will reveal the path forward, and the Mandate of Heaven shall find its new holder, armed with the heavenly blade that was lost, but will find its true wielder again. A new age and beginning will be signaled by it, and it will be then that it shall be decided, whether the Sengoku continues, or the Heian will take its place. And it will be with that dawn in the East, on the first day of spring, when Heavens will beacon for Uzumaki, where their destiny lies." Shiva told them all, with the Uzumaki and others listening in on what he spoke and understanding, that what was revealed to them by their Lord, was something that they needed.

"The first day of spring, heavenly sword and East… We dare not ask for more, Lord Shiva. In your wisdom we trust and thank for this." Masamune's voice seemed to crack a little, for it was far more than even he could hope for. "We spread the word to our brethren and let them know of your will." Shiva simply nodded to him and others, before he moved closer to Date Masamune and whispered something to him.

"Your hope is not misplaced. She lives and she saved Naruto in the arena." Masamune's eye widened and mouth was agape at what Shiva just told him, as tear began to appear from his eye. "He will need help and guidance. Give it to him, become a father to him, one that I can't be for him. Teach Naruto of what it means to be an Uzumaki."

"I-I… I will, Lord Shiva." Masamune barely had gotten words out of his mouth, as his Lord moved away from him, with other Uzumaki understanding that whatever was spoken was only meant for Masamune.

"You and your wife have been kind to Naruto and you see him as if he is one of your own." Parvati turned towards Fugaku, speaking to the man who surprised at the fact that the Goddess actually knew of it.

"I-it was nothing notable. We merely did the right thing, and there is much that I owe to Naruto, for showing me how to save my Clan." Fugaku told Parvati, who smiled to him, before softly taking his hands in her own and speaking to him.

"You did more than just the right thing, and though you may not be an Uzumaki, that does not mean that I shall not show my gratitude to you and your wife." Parvati smiled to him, before leaning in whispering something to him. "In the next month, she will come bearing news that the two of you wished to hear for years. Fear not for her, for she will be perfectly safe, as long as you are with her, and when the due time comes, you will share the joy you desired for so long." Fugaku was stunned and speechless after what Parvati had told him, with her leaving him with a small nod, before she moved to Nobuna and Akeno.

"Lady Parvati, thank you for healing us." Akeno bowed before the Goddess, with Nobuna doing the same, with Parvati smiling to them and cupping their cheeks with her hands, surprising the two girls.

"You have grown very close to my son. The first thing he asked when he had awakened was if you were alright, and he was relieved to hear you were." Parvati told to the two girls, before leaning in closer to them. "Please take good care of my son, and both of you have my approval. Do not fear, for I only wish the best for you and I will root for both of you. And, although they may not be able to say to you, know that both of your fathers are very, very proud of you and send their love to you." Parvati told the two stunned girls, as she leaned back and gave them a caring smile, before going to join her husband, as they were about to leave, yet she stopped, when she noticed one more important person that she wished to talk to, and walked to her.

Parvati softly approached Mito, who stood in the back ranks of the Uzumaki, with Izuna in her human form standing near the girl and holding her by the hand. When Parvati approached the two, Izuna bowed before the Goddess, as did Mito, before Parvati signaled them to raise their heads. Once they did, Parvati looked with a caring gaze at the young child and spoke to her.

"You are Naruto's little sister, Mito, aren't you?" Parvati asked of the girl, who nodded to her. "I have been looking forward to meeting you, little one. I am Parvati." Parvati's tone was soft and caring, like of a simple mother instead of the great Goddess.

"I know who you are. You are a great Goddess of Love, Beauty and Family, and you are my brother's mother." Mito told Parvati, slightly surprising everyone, but the Goddess and Shiva. "Izuna told me that had it not been for you and Lord Shiva, I wouldn't have had Naruto as my brother. Thank you very much for saving him when he was still little, and for saving him today." Mito bowed deeply before the Goddess and Shiva, who came up to them, with the two deities smiling at the child.

"Does it bother you, that we are also Naruto's parents, and that he is our child?" Parvati asked of Mito, who raised her head and shook it.

"He is still my brother and he took care of me when others didn't. Family doesn't have to be connected to each other through blood or through parents, as he once told me." Mito told them, with Parvati cupping her cheek caringly.

"Your brother cares and loves you more than himself, and I hope that we can get along in the future." Parvati told her affectionately. "If there is anything you wish for, you may ask for it."

"Is my brother going to be okay?" Mito instantly asked of them, with Shiva and Parvati sharing a look and a smile, before Shiva answered.

"He will be, and though his spirit was shaken and tested, he is determined to rise above what he is now and to vindicate himself and the hopes placed upon him." Shiva told the girl, with Mito nodding to him. "He will need your support along the way, little one, for the path he will walk is not for the faint of heart."

"Then I shall strive to ease the burden he will carry. Thank you for telling me this." Mito again bowed a little before them.

"You haven't yet told us if there was something you wished to have." Parvati noted.

"You've already given me all I could ask for. As long as my brother is safe and sound, there is nothing else that I would want to ask from you or the other Gods." Mito replied, with Parvati smiling to the girl and leaning closer to her, to kiss her on the forehead.

"You are such a bright and kind-hearted child. You remind me of my second son, Ganesha, while Naruto reminds me of Kartikeya. I hope that the bond you two share remains as strong as it is now, for as long as you are together, not even Heavens will be able to break you apart." Parvati told Mito, before turning to her husband. "We must now depart, but know this, Mito, that while we may not be your parents, we shall treat you with as much care and affection as we do our own children." And with this said, Parvati and Shiva turned to leave the living room, but much to everyone's surprise, they've been stopped by one person who had kept himself quiet throughout this entire time.

"Stop right there, you two!" Minato suddenly shouted at the two deities, with all of Uzumaki turning with an outrage present on their faces, ready to kill him. "You two, what have you done with my son?! Where is my real son, my and Kushina's Naruto?!"

"The boy that you believe now to be not yours has always been your and Kushina's child, born from your union. It was not by our design that you've grown apart from him, but it was your own conduct that separated Naruto from your family." Parvati told Minato, who was not convinced. "My husband, I and Lady Izanami did not replace him. We adopted him, made him our own, but never at the expense of who he was before and who were his parents."

"Yet you still have taken him as…" Minato was about to shout at them, when Shiva spoke up.

"Namikaze Minato, what you were told by Kushina and her mother were not complete truths, twisted into lies and deceit. You saw what they had done and what they desired to do, yet you persist with your ignorance and choose to believe in lies. You may do so at the expense of clarity of your mind." Shiva stated to him, before turning to face Minato. "However, that gives you no right to try and hurt my son. Know that I always know what you are doing, what you plan and what you will do, and if at any moment you decide to hurt my son in one way or the other, I will know of it the very moment you conceive the idea in your mind. And when I do learn of it, you will have earned your death, and in case you believe yourself capable of escaping it…" Shiva suddenly raised his hand and then snapped his finger, something that honestly scared all that were present in the room.

The very next moment, ground shook slightly while the thunderous sound of a mountain being pulverized and crushed echoed all the way to the mansion. Minato didn't know what the source of that sound was, but he suspected that the one responsible for it was Shiva, and that the God was not joking about it. Shiva and Parvati exited the living room and went to the courtyard, preparing to depart, when Shiva spoke again to Minato and Uzumaki.

"Heavens look upon you and so do I. Farewell, my children, and may the dawn come to you." And with that, Shiva and Parvati left Sekai, in the pillar of light, which came and was gone in an instant.

"He is certainly… Immeasurable." Fugaku stated, still coming to terms after meeting the God.

"That is what we call an understatement of the year, buddy." Date Shigezane told him, as he looked towards Fugaku, but then his gaze froze on one spot. "Um, guys? I think I know what Lord Shiva had done." The other Uzumaki and Minato looked at Shigezane, before moving to look at what he was looking, realizing what the man meant.

Out there, they all saw the rocky ridge that was the Hokage Mountain, but unlike yesterday, it was now lacking its most prominent feature. All of the faces of Hokage that were carved into the mountain were gone, and clouds of dust were rising from below the ridge, giving a hint as to what had happened to them. It would only be a few minutes later that Date Masamune would find out that in all carved up faces of Hokage were not just detached from the mountain, but were all smashed and crushed to pieces in a single moment, the debris flying down. Miraculously, not a single tiny stone had hit anyone or any building, with the entire debris landing safely away from the people, while the debris from Fourth Hokage's head had ended up landing and peppering the Hokage's Tower with stone, causing massive damage to it, but not hurting anyone.

Though nobody was hurt, it was enough to cause a massive panic to arise in Konoha among civilian and Shinobi population, and proved to be both a blessing and a curse for Date Masamune. It was a good enough evidence to make Minato Namikaze behave and do as he was told, while also swaying the council on his side. Yet at the same time, it was now a whole new thing that Masamune had to explain to the Council, without revealing anything about Gods, but then again, he did have a talent for what Aiwa always called: "Feeding people bullshit in industrial amounts."

---

Yomi. In the meantime.

A pale, beaten and nearly form of a woman was dragged by her arms by two Magatsu, who had been forced to roughen the woman up so as to stop her from trying to get away and escape, which for her was already a futile effort to begin with. Since she was already dead and in Yomi, there was no escape or hiding from their Mistress, and when Mistress wishes to see someone, her soldiers and servants will deliver that person before her as soon as possible. Finding this particular person wasn't hard, since she was among the most recent to arrive in here, and she stuck out like a sore thumb even among countless dead souls, with her red hair and purple eyes being a dead giveaway.

Kushina was no longer struggling or trying to get away from the Oni that dragged her to the palace, since she was far too weak and beaten up to do anything. Here in Yomi, it was like all of her former strength and power was gone and in its place was only weakness, something that she despised and desired to eradicate from herself. She had known that Yomi existed, as did the Yokai, though she never even encountered them, without the help of her mother, and preferred to simply ignore their existence and make it look like she was like all others, ignorant about them. Even when Naruto spoke about them, she dismissed it all as a childish fantasy, not even giving a second thought or thinking that he may actually be capable of interacting with them.

She thought that he was simply a boy who was trying to get her and Minato's attention, and when he didn't, he found it elsewhere, with the two persons that she despised, Tomoe Uchiha and Amagi, the latter of whom actually turned out to be a Tenko Kitsune of all things. Kushina couldn't explain the affection and care that her supposed son held for those two, not until her mother had revealed her the truth. And in all honesty, Kushina felt actual relieve and happiness when she had found that Naruto wasn't her, because she could never bear the thought of her own blood and child turning against her, and when Naruto did it to her, it tore her apart. Learning that he was never even hers was something that eased her soul and mind, and all of that motherly affection she felt for him was gone in a split second, replaced with the desire to hurt the boy as much as she could.

But now all of it didn't matter to Kushina, as she was now dead, killed by her rival and greatest adversary, Tomoe, and despite all of the powers she had gotten thanks to her mother, Tomoe was able to destroy her without any problem. It was as if Tomoe was simply far stronger and a much greater warrior than Kushina, someone who had all that Kushina couldn't have. Yet it doesn't matter now for Kushina, and when she arrived to Yomi, she was able to see her son Natsu, who had arrived some time before her, probably killed by Naruto. Seeing that her dead son was scared and frightened, Kushina tried to rush towards him, but the realm itself shifted and changed, and in a single moment, Kushina was not at the boat that ferried her here, but in the middle of a ghostly pale grass, with countless legions of dead surrounding her.

She didn't know for how long she searched and walked for her son, but she failed to find him among the dead, and at some point, all the dead souls suddenly began to move away from Kushina, as if scared of her. It confused her to a great extent, and only when Oni came for her she understood that the dead weren't afraid of her, but of the Oni. She struggled, bit and lashed out, begged and called for help, but none came, and after she had been beaten by the hulking monsters, she settled down and allowed them to carry her here. Kushina didn't know to whom did this place belong, but even she could sense that here was a force to great and mighty, that it made even Kyuubi feel like an infant.

Once they've arrived at their destination, the two Magatsu dropped Kushina on the floor and hurried away, for even they didn't want to be here when their Mistress decides to personally punish Kushina. With some effort, Kushina had managed to pick herself up and stand up, looking around and shaking from the freezing cold that surrounded her.

"These Magatsu aren't very informed about the manners or how to treat a woman, but they are loyal, endlessly devoted and powerful, and they will complete any command that is given to them. At least when they are under my command, and not being used by some thieving Fallen Kitsune." The regal, powerful voice of Izanami forced Kushina to look towards her, freeze up when she saw the Goddess of Death, who was now approaching Kushina. "Contrary to myth and popular belief, I am not as malicious and monstrous as my appearance may lead you to think. Though I am a Goddess of Death, I am still a Goddess of Creation and Life too, and within me beats a heart of a loving and devoted mother, something that you may believe we share, Kushina Uzumaki, daughter of Tamamo-no-Mae." Izanami walked towards the woman.

"Who… Wh-who are you?" Kushina asked with a fright inside her, though she already suspected the answer.

"I think you know who I am, my dear little sinner." Izanami chuckled, as she snapped her fingers and a black robed hunched servant appeared with a tray, carrying two glasses and a decanter with what appeared to be wine. "How would you like to refresh yourself? Please, go ahead, drink as much as you wish. I can see the thirst in your eyes is becoming agonizing, isn't it?" Kushina had to agree and she grabbed the decanter and poured its contents into a glass, before drinking it.

"Th-this wine has a strange taste…" Kushina noted, as she looked at the drink in her hand, while Izanami let out a pleased laugh.

"Did I say that this was wine?" Izanami asked in an amused tone. "What you have there is more valuable in Yomi than any wine. Many of my servants would kill for just a sip of it, for it is their favorite and most desired nectar. Blood of a human being." At that moment Kushina's arms shook from terror and she dropped the glass, breaking it and spilling the contents on the floor.

"And now look what you have gone and done." Izanami said with an indifferent tone, while Kushina tried to cough out the blood she consumed. "Don't bother trying to get it out of you, my dear. You've already consumed blood and enjoyed it, just as you've enjoyed inflicting suffering and pain upon others, even taking lives of innocents, not to mention newly-born infants." Izanami reminded Kushina of what she had done to Tomoe's child.

"You don't know about it." Kushina tried to state, yet failed, as Izanami smiled and chuckled some more.

"Foolish little child, I am the Goddess of Death and absolute ruler of Yomi. I know everything that the residents of my realm have done in here, or in their past life. You are not an exception, but unlike them, I have had my eye for you for quite some time." Izanami said with a smile, as she went to cup Kushina's chin. "I have been looking forward to seeing you here, Kushina, and now my delight at your sight is only matched by my incandescent and insatiable fury and desire to make you and your mother suffer for what you have done." With this, Izanami's grip on Kushina's chin tightened and the aura around Izanami darkened, becoming more and more powerful.

"P-please, I-I beg of y-you, I-I didn't d-do a th-thing, I…" And at that moment, Izanami grabbed Kushina by the throat and raised her above the floor.

"Did I stutter earlier, or did you forget so soon? I know every little detail about you, Kushina: who you are, your true parents, your role in killing your mentor, how you made Tomoe Uchiha's son into a sacrifice, but all that pales in comparison to what you have tried to do just few hours ago." Izanami's dark aura surrounded Kushina and nearly consumed her. "You and your wretched whore of a mother have conspired with Izanagi, my traitorous and petulant husband, to see my grandson murdered." And with this, she threw Kushina across the hall, making the dead redhead hit one of the wooden pillars.

"Y-your grandson? You mean… you mean Naruto?" Kushina asked with fright, as Izanami appeared right in front of her in a blink of an eye.

"Naturally, for I have only three direct grandsons now, and one of them happens to have come out of your womb and was conceived by both you and your worthless husband." Izanami told Kushina. "What your mother has told is part lies and part manipulated truths. Naruto always was your son, and yet you failed to at being his mother, never able to understand or even trying to get to know him, for he never was like you wished him to be. And you claim yourself to be an Uzumaki…" Izanami chuckled darkly.

"I am an Uzumaki, the purest of them all and the only one who has the right to that name, for my mother…"

"Your mother is a Tenko Kitsune who thought herself being greater than Gods and Men, and for her crimes she was put into a stone by one of my descendants, a true Uzumaki. Did she really tell you that she was the progenitor of Uzumaki? Foolish little girl, Tamamo never had any relations to Uzumaki, and never was she a progenitor to them." Izanami told Kushina with a malicious intent. "And you yourself have no relation to any Uzumaki, for if you did, you would know what it means to love your child like as an Uzumaki mother does."

"What do you mean?"

"A true mother always loves her children, accepting all his sides and giving them her love and loyalty, no matter what, and when they stumble and fall, she will do everything to help them rise up. I did so with all of my children, with my Tsukuyomi, Susanoo, Amaterasu and Kaguya." Izanami said to Kushina, as a shadow of sadness appeared in her eyes. "Amaterasu and Kaguya, my daughters and my two celestial princesses, and though Kaguya did not come from me and Izanagi, I took her as my own and loved her with all the love my heart could give. And even when my son Kagutsuchi came to life, burning me and casting me in this realm, I never could bring myself to stop loving him, and I bore him, knowing that it would cost me my life with Izanagi, because I loved him and love him still, just as I love all of my children, boundlessly and without reserve."

"And the only thing that could break my heart was seeing my family fall apart after I came here, to see Kaguya casted down to Sekai by my husband, where she had tried to guide humanity as a benevolent mother. And yet was turned into a monster when Izanagi decided to pit my daughters against one another, when he sent Amaterasu to kill to Kaguya, spinning lies and deceit about her to encourage my Sun to go and kill my Moon." Izanami continued, as a small tear appeared and fell from her eye. "My daughters, they loved and adored each other, and yet their father's arrogance and malice tore them apart, and in the end Kaguya was forced to do the unthinkable- she destroyed Amaterasu's body and nearly destroyed her soul. Had it not been for me, Amaterasu would've been gone from the existence, but I was able to save my precious daughter's soul, yet I was never able to restore her to her divine form or help her regain power, and for centuries and millennia all I could do was keep her close to me. At least, until most recent years, when I found a way to give her life again…" Izanami said with a small smile.

"Wh-why are you telling me this?" Kushina asked of Izanami, who chuckled and spoke again.

"So that you, Kushina, realize and understand the depths of hatred and fury that I hold towards Izanagi, for all the pain and suffering he brought to me and my children." Izanami answered, before finishing up her story. "And in the end, my dear Kaguya was sealed away in the moon by her own children, and although she committed horrible things, I still love and care for her, just as I care for the only child that had tried to make her see reason and change her views on humanity. Her Shiva, the same one who would one day rise above all Gods and Goddesses, surpassing even me and Izanagi. My grandson, who I love just as immensely and deeply as I love Kaguya, and his own children: brave and courageous Kartikeya, wise and quick-witted Ganesha, and kindhearted and compassionate Naruto… The same Naruto that you've conspired to slay with your mother and Izanagi." Izanami stepped closer to Kushina, helping her rise up to feet through her power.

"Wh-what w-will you do to me? A-and what of Natsu?" Kushina asked with fear in her voice.

"You can forget about Natsu, for his soul is already being cleansed and purified, to later on be born a new being. He will have no trace of your vile blood in him, no memory or even a shadow of anything related to you. His fate will be a dream for you, Kushina. An impossible dream, one that will never come to fruition, for I shall never let you leave my realm, never will I allow you the salvation of reincarnation and rebirth." Izanami chuckled darkly, as her dark chains restrained Kushina, before she stepped away and allowed Kushina to see the earlier hunched servant. "Take a closer look, Kushina. Does he look familiar to you?" Izanami asked of Kushina, who did look closer at the robed figure.

Though robes covered most of his body, she did see pale and thin hands, with skin practically hanging on the bones. But it was only after Kushina had managed to catch a glimpse under the hood that she finally recognized and realized who this was. Under the hood was a face that lacked lips, nose, eyes, tongue and ears, with skin almost ready to fall off the skull, but still Kushina had managed to recognize the man who had trained her husband and was a friend to her.

"J-Jiraiya…" Kushina whispered with terror, while Izanami chuckled.

"Yes, your husband's sensei and the fool that had dared to think about killing Naruto. He has been a guest in my care for quite some time now, and it seems that he has grown a little bit weary of being the sole living human in Yomi, yet I still have so much hospitality to show to him, that it will take all eternity just to show it all to him." Izanami laughed, as Jiraiya shuddered and nearly fell from fear, while Goddess of Death turned towards Kushina and spoke up. "Take a very good look at him, Kushina, and know that what I did to Jiraiya will seem like child's play to what I have in store for you." And at that moment Yomi was filled with cries of absolute anguish and terror, as well as laughter and joy coming from the ruler of this realm.

---

Two days later.

Naruto finished up dressing up and after fixing up his shirt, he exited his room and went towards the living room, to tell Tomoe that he was going out on a walk. Though it had already been two days, the ripples of what had happened were still being felt throughout the Village and its population, as in a matter of several days Konoha and its leadership had to make serious changes in the wake of the attack on Arena and death of Kushina and Natsu.

Fortunately for Naruto and Uzumaki, Date Masamune with support from Uchiha Clan and now former Fourth Hokage, had managed to convince everyone on the Council of his version of what had happened. To say that the Council was shocked would be an understatement, for they had never expected their Village to ever become a battlefield, to be breached and while also being helpless at stopping the attack. Add to the fact that Kushina had conspired with Aiwa Minamoto, who was revealed to have been her mother and wife to Date Masamune, was another bitter pill that the Council had to swallow, though they did try to use the fact of Aiwa being Masamune's wife against him.

That effort had failed when Masamune had revealed that right after he had found out about her crimes, he severed all connections with her and ousted her from his Clan, a statement confirmed by other Uzumaki leaders. Overall, the Council had no option but to go with Masamune's version of events and take it as an official one, especially given the lack of evidence that could dispute it.

After that was cleared out, the Council immediately moved on to deal with the aftermath of the attack, and the first decision was to have Minato Namikaze ousted from the office of Hokage and to have Narumi and Mito move to Fujiwara Clan, a decision that was hotly contested, but with the support from Uchiha Clan and Civilian Council, Masamune had managed to have his way in this one. The reasoning behind this was that Fujiwara Clan, much like other Clans of Uzumaki, had experts in the field of Sealing and could better secure the half of Kyuubi that was inside Narumi, while Mito was Naruto's sister and was best with her brother. Along with that Masamune has made it clear that he will correct the behavior of Narumi and reeducate her in the ways how a person like her should act, something that her father and mother had failed at. The Council were fed up with the Twins act and their behavior was seen as atrocious and detrimental for the Village as a whole, so an opportunity to have Narumi groomed into a far better Jinchuriki was a welcome notion.

A more complicated matter arose in form of what was to be done with Naruto, who had been confirmed to have killed Natsu and inadvertently released the half of Kyuubi from him, which will now reform into a new Bijuu. Some of the hardliners and those that had supported the Namikaze and Kushina wished to have Naruto punished and executed, as a traitor and a threat towards Konoha, but they were a very small minority, which was quickly silenced. After much deliberation and talks, the Council and Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was now reinstated as the Hokage, have decided to not punish Naruto, but to also promote him into the rank of Genin. A unique case, when a person hasn't attended a single class or even set foot into the Academy, was enlisted and promoted to the rank of Genin.

The basis behind such a decision was that Naruto also had to fight for his life, and even in the prior fight demonstrated capabilities and qualities of a very strong Shinobi, with him and Nobuna expertly handling the twins. And in the ensuing battle they had managed to survive and also, reportedly, kill a great number of enemies, before they were rescued. Masamune and Fugaku spared no expense at pointing out that the two had been up against experienced and dangerous warriors, not to mention the Kyuubi twins. In short, the Council saw that both Naruto and Oda Nobuna were not just capable prodigies, but geniuses and gems that they couldn't pass by. Therefore, both Naruto and Nobuna were made into Genins and for now they were placed into the reserve of Konoha Shinobi Forces, until it was to be decided who will be their official Jonin instructor or if they will have individual mentors.

Naruto and Nobuna didn't react all that strongly to the news, though they were a little surprised at the fact that they were made into Genins, but that just meant that they didn't have to go to Academy, which was a win for them, though they couldn't decide who could possibly be able to effectively train them. The only ones who had enough experience, strength and skills to train them were the Uzumaki warriors or Tomoe, with the former not fully being integrated into the Shinobi forces yet, while the latter was offered by the Council to be reinstated in the rank of Jonin in the Shinobi Forces, but Tomoe turned down the offer, even though she had demonstrated that she was more than capable, despite supposedly being ill. In reality, she came to enjoy her retirement and not having Council or Hokage commanding her, and that didn't stop her from training Naruto, which she will continue to do.

She has given him a week off to recuperate after the battle and to also have Naruto officially join the Fujiwara Clan as its member and an Heir of Date Masamune. It was now all but obvious that he was worthy to join in and to be recognized as its future leader, and now Masamune was making preparations to officially induct Naruto into his family. While it was basically seemingly pointless, he and other Uzumaki wished to do it in an official and traditional way, so as to show that Uzumaki still followed their ways.

A part of the adoption also meant Naruto had to choose another name, a symbol of his new life and new beginning as not a child of Namikaze, but a son of Fujiwara and Minamoto lines, so he had to think carefully of which name he will take. This was no small matter and had to be carefully thought over, as for Uzumaki, name represented what qualities a person possessed and to which family he belonged, as certain families used specific kanji and characters, to characterize their members and show a continuation of the line. Examples of that can be seen with Masamune, whose own father was Terumune, while his father and grandfather before him were Harumune and Tanemune, making the kanji of "mune" symbolic towards Fujiwara Clan. While this was not enforced in any way, it was something that was expected of the members, to take a name that had their family's traditional characters in it, so Naruto had to think on which name he will take.

At least he had a couple more days, and for now he wished to take a walk and to stretch his legs, having spent enough time inside the mansion. He didn't have any particular plans for the day, safe for visiting the Inari Temple and hanging out with Nobuna and Akeno. Once he had gotten to the living room, he found Tomoe sitting on the sofa, reading a book, before he saw Shoukaku bring in tea. The two Suzaku sisters have quickly earned the friendship of Naruto and loyalty of Tomoe, as they were once Mito's Shikigami, and while Naruto got along with them very well, the sight of them brought a small pang of pain at the memory of Akagi and Kaga, taken from him. He didn't show that he was uncomfortable around them, as he did enjoy their company, but he still… He missed the two Kitsune that had been with him since he was a toddler badly. Shoukaku noticed Naruto coming out from the hallway as she was putting down the tray in front of Tomoe, before she addressed him.

"Naruto, would you care for some tea? I've just prepared it, and if you'd like, I can get a few snacks as well." Shoukaku offered to him with Tomoe setting aside her book and pouring herself some tea.

"No, thanks for the offer, Shoukaku, but I'll pass. I was actually about to go outside for a bit, if you don't mind." Naruto turned towards Tomoe, who silently gave him her approval for that. "Is there anything I could pick up at the groceries while I'm out?"

"Zui-chan had already bought everything, thank you." Shoukaku answered, as Naruto nodded and headed towards the door outside. "Please do put on a jacket, it is snowing outside."

"I will. Thanks, Shoukaku…" Naruto was about to head down the hallway leading towards the door, before he was forced to step aside, as three figures barged into the living room, with those being Zuikaku, Akai Teruko and, most surprising of all, Yuhi Kurenai. "I didn't know you were expecting guests today, Mom."

"Yes, I too didn't know I was expecting any guests today." Tomoe looked at the three with a calm gaze, before speaking up. "Teruko, you are always a welcome guest here for sure. Zuikaku lives here, so she can barge in, but I don't recall you being either a welcome guest or someone who lives here. So, explain, what are you doing here, Kurenai?"

"I need to talk to you, Sensei. It is very important and urgent." Kurenai said after taking a few breaths, slightly surprising Naruto, though he could sense that she was dead serious and there was nothing but humility and respect towards Tomoe, while the woman in question didn't look all that interested in talking with her former student.

"Remind me, didn't you stop being my apprentice the moment you've decided to switch teachers, when I was in the process of mourning my son?" Tomoe asked with a bit of a harsh tone, with Kurenai feeling guilty and ashamed after hearing it. "So, after doing that and becoming a student of Kushina, why do you think you still have the right to barge in here, unannounced, without prior warning and demand that I hear you out, much less call me a Sensei?" Kurenai couldn't bring herself to speak up.

"Tomoe, I believe you should hear her out on this one." Teruko suddenly spoke up in defense of Kurenai, surprising both Naruto and Tomoe. "This has something to do with the attack on the arena two days ago."

"And what does that have to do with her being here? Is she here because of what happened between me and Kushina?" Tomoe asked of her, with Teruko shaking her head.

"No, it has got to do with the fact that she wasn't knocked out when Aiwa attacked, and that she saw Yokai and Oni, and they had tried to attack her." Now that was something that really surprised and caught the interest of both Naruto and Tomoe. "When the attack began and before we had managed to establish a barrier, I've heard Kurenai in the upper levels of the arena and rushed towards her, saving her. I've checked her with my Onmyodo and found out that she not only wasn't affected by the fog, but also had an extremely strong resistance to it."

"Strong resistance to it? Remind me, wasn't the spell that Aiwa used specifically designed to knock out all of humans, that didn't shield themselves through Onmyodo and Senjutsu?" Tomoe turned towards Naruto, who was currently the best source on that topic and the only one in the house who could answer it.

"Yes, it is. Though it is one of the more basic and standard spells in Youjutsu category, it is a guaranteed to knock out any human that is affected by it, and Aiwa's version was an enhanced one, so as to ensure that the effect took place nearly immediately." Naruto explained to Tomoe and others, as he looked at Kurenai, before using his senses on her, before actually noticing something through his energy sensing. "Huh, that's odd. Kurenai, are you aware that your body is absorbing natural energy?" Those news shocked Kurenai and surprised the others.

"N-no, but what does that even mean?" Kurenai asked in a near panicking state. "Does that make me like those monsters, a Yokai or an Oni?!"

"I too would like to know what does that mean. Naruto, care to elaborate? Doesn't natural energy absorbed into a human body cause it to mutate?" Tomoe asked of him, with him nodding to it.

"Kurenai's body is absorbing natural energy around her, and not in a deliberate and conscious manner, but automatically, in the same manner as Yokai, Ayakashi and Oni do." Naruto told them, before pointing towards Zuikaku and Shoukaku. "Take Zuikaku and Shoukaku. Though in their human form, they are actively absorbing natural energy into their body. For them it's just like breathing. Kurenai is doing the same thing, though it is masked and hidden."

"Yeah, now that you mention, I can actually sense what he's talking about, and it is really weird." Zuikaku commented, with Kurenai looking at her with a fright. "Humans normally can't do that, unless you were born a demigod, or from a union of a Yokai or a human."

"Wait… As in a half-breed? A Hannya?!" Kurenai asked with a fright, with Zuikaku nodding to her, with Naruto confirming it. "B-but that can't be. I-I'm a human, m-my father is a human, a-and my mother was also a human. They never knew a thing about Yokai or anything like that!"

"Well, there is also one more possibility." Naruto spoke up, getting the attention from Kurenai and others. "A human can be turned into a Yokai or Oni if a person was cursed at some point of their life. But in that case the cursed person would display all the characteristics of a creature he or she was turned to, unless someone had trained him or her in shapeshifting, or that person had an illusionary charm placed on them to mask their nature and appearance. But I don't sense any such charms on her, but I there is some kind of spell that is active on her. I can't say anything for sure unless I can examine it."

"Well, I guess that settles it. Once Naruto examines that spell on you, Kurenai, then we can decide what to do with you." Tomoe decided, before noticing that Naruto was hesitating. "What's with the hold up, Naruto?"

"Ahem, the spell itself is usually cast as a seal, and it is placed on Kurenai's abdomen, and I need a direct access to it. As in, one without any clothes covering it." Naruto pointed out, with Kurenai's face becoming crimson red as her name implies.

"Y-you want me to s-strip down in front of you?!" Kurenai practically shrieked.

"As tempting as this offer may sound, I think I'll pass on it until I'm older." Naruto dryly replied, making the woman look scandalized while Tomoe and Teruko chuckled. "And for the record, it wouldn't be the first time I were to observe a naked female form, nor the most alluring and developed." Naruto's implication were enough to nearly make Kurenai let out steam from her ears.

"Alright, that's enough teasing, Naruto. Kurenai, just show him your stomach and let him do his magic. Don't worry, unlike with other men, he happens to have an unnatural amount of decency, even for a 7-year old child, given the fact that he is used to bathing with naked Kitsune that could put the likes of Tsunade to shame." Tomoe told her former student, not making the situation any easier for the young Shinobi, but still managing to prompt her to act.

"Fine." With a defeated sigh, Kurenai relented and pulled up her dress, revealing to Naruto her abdomen, along with what she was wearing underneath her usual attire. "If you ogle or decide to feel up anything, I'll slap you so hard that your head will make a 180." Kurenai threatened him, though Naruto didn't take the threat seriously.

"I'll take that into consideration." Naruto replied, before using his Onmyodo magic and casting a scanning spell, which revealed an intricate and very sophisticated seal on Kurenai, written in a language that he didn't know, with blood used as a material. "A blood seal, written by the caster himself and with his blood used a source. The motif of the seal is something I am familiar with, but the language… Those kanji are used only in one place, and aside from Uzumaki, only inhabitants of that place can write or use it."

"What place are you talking about?" Teruko asked.

"Yomi." Naruto revealed, as his spell was done and finally had the answers, before moving away from Kurenai. "You can pull your dress back in its place, Kurenai, and you may want to sit down." Naruto's words were enough to make Kurenai frightened, but she obeyed and sat in a chair, with others also doing the same.

"Well, what did you find out, Naruto?" Tomoe asked of him.

"The seal and spell that were put on her were created by an Uzumaki Onmyoji, but the blood used to craft it was not his, but of someone very close relation to Kurenai. I suspect that it is her mother's." Naruto started. "And it's not just a masking spell and seal, but also a suppressing spell, designed to suppress not only inhuman physical characteristics, but also psychological ones as well, while also completely masking the nature of Kurenai from anyone who isn't trying to look at her very hard. It also blocked off all of her inborn abilities that she should've possessed, like being able to see and communicate with Yokai and their realm, use nature chakra freely and so on, but instead she was only allowed what she has as a human, and even then the amount was limited a bit, so as to not give off any wrong impressions. In short, that spell was designed to completely suppress all inhuman qualities of Kurenai, so that she would only have her human abilities. But she needed to have access to natural energy, since it's as essential to Yokai as air, so there was a loophole allowing the absorption of it, so as to strengthen the spell. Pretty clever, and as for that resistance she has, that is something that is natural for her kind."

"Alright, but what is her kind, or species then?" Tomoe asked of Naruto, who sighed.

"That's… That's the hardest part. Kurenai is a Kijo, a human woman that was turned into an Oni and a cousin to an Onibaba." The color instantly was gone from Kurenai as she heard it.

"I am… N-no, h-how can this be?! I-I never even d-done anything th-that would t-turn me i-into an Oni!" Kurenai denied it, trying to wrap her head around it all. "No, no… This isn't happening."

"I'm afraid that it is, and you best hear the rest of it. Like I said, you have been turned into a Kijo, but you have been a Kijo for all your life, meaning that you were turned into one before you were born." Naruto told her. "This means that someone had placed a powerful and very dangerous curse. Not upon you specifically, but upon one of your parents, if not both of them at the same time, and whoever did this had not just a malignant intent, but probably had gone as far as to offer his soul and life to make that curse into a reality. And so, when you were born, you were already a Kijo, and your mother had decided to hide that fact, because… Well, to put it simply, you would've been murdered, if not by Civilians then by Shinobi, if not worse."

"Worse? What could be even worse than that?" Kurenai asked of him, with tears in her eyes.

"Do you know the theory of how Kekkei Genkai came to be among Clans of Shinobi? The one that is dismissed as a nonsense." Naruto asked of Kurenai, who nodded. "That theory is actually accurate and correct. And if you were found and someone like Danzo Shimura were to get his hands on you… I believe the rest is pointless to state." Kurenai and others agreed on it.

"Okay, we've found out that she is a Kijo. But how did she become one?" Shoukaku asked of Naruto.

"Like I said, an extremely powerful curse, possibly even with the usage of life sacrifice. But whoever had placed it was really, really trying to make it, because those that cast these things go to only one place, and that is Yomi." Naruto said, trying to think of any theories that could help out with this mystery, before turning to Kurenai. "Did you father or mother make any enemies that might not be around anymore, or did they commit any serious atrocities. Like, for an example, kill innocent people in a gruesome fashion or defile a shrine or temple?"

"I-I don't know. My mother died soon after I was born, but she was a civilian and I heard from her friends she was the kindest soul, so n-no…" Kurenai shook her head. "As for my father, he had been a Shinobi for most of his life, and yes he did kill people, but that is something that all Shinobi do at one point or another, and I don't think he ever did something as bad as you've just said."

"I'm going to have to disagree with you on that one, Kurenai." Tomoe suddenly spoke up with a serious tone, taking a sip from her cup. "Twenty or so years ago, before you were born, Kurenai, there was a tragedy that had occurred in the Land of Fire, in Ava Province. Maybe you've heard about it, the burning of Mt. Kii."

"Mt. Kii… Didn't think I would ever hear the name of that place again." Teruko sighed, before elaborating. "I was in the vicinity of that mountain when the fire started and saw how it engulfed the entire mountain and its surrounding hills, including a Buddhist Temple, situated at the top of the mountain. It served as a safe haven for the refugees, who fled from Land of Tea when it was plunged into another civil war. I helped the refugees get to it, defending them from bandits and rogue Shinobi. I've seen some horrendous and nightmarish things, but that scene… I still have nightmares about it, especially the screams of the people that burned there." Teruko said with a dead voice, before shaking off the memory.

"But what does that have to do with my father?" Kurenai asked of Tomoe.

"When that civil war in Land of Tea kicked off, Konoha was looking for an opportunity to intervene, because Fire Daimyo wanted to put his supporter on the throne, and so, Konoha decided to orchestrate an accident that would give Land of Fire full legitimate right to go into Land of Tea and put a puppet Daimyo." Tomoe said with a dead serious voice. "The incident in question was the burning of Mt. Kii, which was spun in among the masses as the attack of the rebels and bandits from Land of Tea, who were looking forward to loot the temple and rape the women, before burning it to the ground."

"I've killed over two dozen would be looters and bandits while I led those refugees there, so no one was near it, and that fire was spreading far too fast for a normal one. It took minutes to engulf the entire area." Teruko stated, with Kurenai starting to understand what Tomoe meant. "And you can make it through normal arson. You'd need a Jutsu to make that fire."

"No…" Kurenai shook her head, but even she understood that this was making sense.

"I was a fresh Genin, not even a few weeks under my belt, but I remember hearing of that event, and how over 2000 souls were killed, with a temple, the mountain and nearby hills and forests being reduced to ashes." Tomoe continued her story. "On the next day after the incident occurred, me and my team were about to get our first C-rank when I saw Shinku enter the Hokage's office, reporting that the mission was complete. I never learned exactly what his mission was and I didn't connect it to the burning of the Temple, but after hearing what Naruto said… It now makes sense to me."

"B-but w-wouldn't a curse need magic to work, l-like whatever you just called it?" Kurenai asked, trying to find whatever way to make it seem like Naruto was wrong, but Naruto shook his head.

"Curses are very dangerous not just because they can be created through magic, but also because they can be casted on a person by using extremely powerful emotions and desires from a caster." Naruto told Kurenai, who slump down shaking her head in desperation and defeat. "I am sorry, but I'm afraid there is nothing that I can do to change that. Curses such as these are almost impossible to remove, and given the fact that we don't know who exactly put that curse, its details and so on, any attempt to remove that curse would result in a catastrophe, and even if it were removed… It would still mean you would die."

"W-why?" Kurenai asked of Naruto.

"Because of the nature of the curse, you were born a Kijo, not turned into one later on in your life. Had it been the latter, then there was a chance, but since it isn't… I am sorry, Kurenai, but there is nothing that can be done." Naruto sincerely told her, with Kurenai slumping even lower.

"So I'm… I'm a monster then. A spawn of hell…" Kurenai's tears fell down on to the floor. "Like those same demons back in the arena. They must've sensed I was one of them and were trying to save me from my human skin, so that I could join them…"

"They were trying to murder you, if not try and do something worse to you." Teruko told Kurenai with a sterner voice. "Oni have a ravenous appetite not only towards meat, but also towards opposite sex, and they lack any morals or standards when it comes to sex."

"WHAT DOES IT EVEN MATTER?!" Kurenai shouted as she looked at them with her eyes filled with tears. "I am a flesh eating monster, created because my father had burned innocent people! It would've been better if I had been killed on that arena, at least then I wouldn't be a threat to anyone…"

"I wouldn't dramatize it to such an extent." Shoukaku spoke up, getting the attention of Kurenai. "While it is horrible that you've been turned into a Kijo before you were born, it's not all that bad as it may seem. It doesn't mean that you have to go ahead and just run away and live off in some abandoned temple in the middle of nowhere. You can still lead a perfectly normal life, even if you wish to embrace your real self, though with a few adjustments."

"What are you talking about? What can you possibly understand what's it like, to be a monster your whole life and not even realize it?" Kurenai asked with grief in her eyes, before Shoukaku suddenly sprouted wings from her back, surprising her, before briefly turning into her true self for a brief time, until she reverted back into her human form. "Wh-what…"

"Like Naruto said, I'm a Yokai, just as my sister here, and just as Naruto's Shikigami inside of him." At that moment, from Naruto came Medusa, coming into view of Kurenai, before she assumed a human form of her own.

Her human form was that of a very tall, beautiful woman with long, reaching to her feet, purple hair, and same colored eyes. She had an hourglass figure with wide hips and a rather sizable chest, accented by the form fitting black dress she chose as her attire, which reached to her ankles. In short, she looked like an absolute Goddess, someone that even Kurenai envied a little, since despite being very tall for a woman, she had all the good proportions on her and then some. Medusa looked at Kurenai and spoke to her.

"They may not know anything about what it's like to be made into a monster against your will, but I do. I was made into one, not because I committed any crime or defiled any temples, but because of an injustice done to me, because the Goddess I served and prayed to found me guilty of rousing the desire of her uncle, who took me against my will and raped me. Instead of protection or justice, I was turned into this." And with this Medusa revealed the form she had before she was first slayed.

Her ends of her hair connected and formed heads of serpents, while her body was covered in golden scales, with golden wings sprouting from her back. Her hands gained claws and her eyes became serpentine eyelids, as she grew in size and mass, before stopping, while her feet formed into a massive tail that could encompass all of the room they were in. Kurenai, Teruko and Tomoe observed with shock what Medusa had become, for she was something that they had never seen before. A massive crossbreed between a serpent, woman and a dragon, something that had no name in this world, but probably had one from where she came. Medusa looked at the shocked Kurenai, before speaking up.

"This is what I was made into, a hideous monster, whose gaze would petrify any who caught it. This was the justice that I deserved, in the eyes of the Gods that I prayed and worshiped." Medusa continued, her voice now much stronger and more draconian. "And for decades I was forced to exist in this form, never able to look anyone in the eye, with only but one being keeping me away from going mad. That being was Kartikeya, a God of War from this realm and Naruto's brother, and he showed me kindness and treated me with far more care and sympathy than any God or Goddess had ever shown any mortal in my realm. And when my Gods had finally deigned that they have had their fill of satisfaction at my expense, they sent a hero, armed and guided by the said Gods, to slay me, and from my blood and corpse those accursed deities had birthed a steed to him, as a reward for slaying me! And to add to the misery, he took my own head as a trophy and weapon, to slay another monster that the Gods sent against the mortals, all so that they could have their fill of fun! Only after that I was allowed to pass to the afterlife, but even there I was not allowed to rest, and only after Kartikeya had won my soul from those soulless monsters that I had been truly been freed." With that said, Medusa reverted back to her human form, and looked at Kurenai with eyes filled with sympathy.

"I know what it's like to be a monster, and I know that being a non-human doesn't make you into one. You become a monster when you abandon what makes you human, when you toss aside all morals, sympathies and compassion. And even if you have scales, fangs and eyes that can turn men and Gods into stone, what truly matters is that you never lose sight of what makes you human." Medusa told Kurenai, sharing with her what she herself had learned. "I may no longer be physically a human, but I can now walk among them and live a life as one, even though I will never be like them again. And so can you, Kurenai Yuhi. This world is filled creatures like me: Yokai, Ayakashi, Oni, Kami and so forth. And most of them live in peace and quiet with humanity, without being hunted down or even noticed by humanity. You may not be a human, but that doesn't mean you have to stop being one just because you found who you really are."

"What… What should I do then?" Kurenai asked of Medusa, who told her.

"Embrace yourself, and live in whatever way you wish." Medusa told Kurenai, as she took her dragon form and went back inside Naruto.

"Embrace yourself…" Kurenai said with a hushed voice, her tears wiped away, before turning to Naruto. "Naruto… Can you… Can you break the spell?" She asked of him, with him scratching his head before answering.

"Well, I probably can, but given the nature of that spell and all that we had learned, it would probably be better if I didn't do it." Naruto told Kurenai, who wished to speak up, but he stopped her. "I know that you want it broken, but what I mean is that if I break the spell right away it can have serious consequences for your health and mind. You might not even be able to handle yourself when you gained the full power of Kijo."

"What do you mean?" Kurenai asked of him.

"What he means is that you might go mad because of the influx of emotions and all that stuff. Remember, Oni are different from the humans in the way they live and operate, you might end just becoming a mindless beast, bent on consuming human meat and copulating with whatever poor soul you happen to catch." Tomoe explained to Kurenai, who understood what she meant. "If you want to assume your real form and get all that it entails, it might be best to first talk with someone who has far more experience in matters like these. Amagi might know far more than we do and could help you with it. But the question is, do you want to become Kijo, and why do you want it?" Tomoe asked of Kurenai, who thought about a little, before speaking up.

"I've always wanted to be strong, powerful enough to not have to rely on others for help. When I left you for Kushina, I thought she would be able to teach me to be better, stronger… But all that she did was stunt me, turned me into her follower, while you… You really did teach me what matters out in the field, and I was too stupid to understand what you were trying to do, and I was too selfish to realize just what I had done when I left you." Kurenai said with shame in her voice. "I thought I was strong, that Kushina had made me into who I wanted to be, but when I saw you again, and then saw how Naruto moved and acted on the arena and even before… I saw that all that Kushina had taught me was nothing compared to what you taught me and Naruto. And during the attack… I was helpless and incapable of doing a single thing to protect myself. I was useless, defenseless, and I would've died there, had it not been for Lady Akai."

"I don't want to be helpless or useless like some stupid fan-girl, and don't want to run away when things get tough. I now know that there are beings more dangerous than any Shinobi, and I want to be ready to fight them, and if for that I need to embrace who I really am, then so be it." Kurenai stated with determination, before facing Tomoe, getting up from her seat and walking closer to her. "But there is also one more thing that I know and understand now, and that is the fact that there is only one person in this entire Village who can make me into a true warrior, and that is you, Tomoe." And with that, she fell on her knees before Tomoe, bowing her head before her.

"So please, I beg of you, Sensei! Please retrain me and finish my training. I had made a grave mistake when I turned away from you and your teachings, and I am ready to repent in whatever way possible, if only you grant me one more chance. Sensei, please…" Kurenai stated with determination and desire, with Tomoe letting out a frustrating sigh, before getting up and tapping Kurenai on the shoulder.

"Get up. The last thing I need is cleaning up the floor after you've cried me a river here." Kurenai rose up, turning towards Tomoe. "So, you will do anything to get me to train you, is that correct?"

"Anything you order, I will do it." Kurenai stated with determination.

"Alright, then here is what you will do: you will go to Hokage Tower and request for Naruto to be made your apprentice. As a Special Jonin, you have the right to take an apprentice of your own and train it in much the same way a regular Jonin trains the Genin Team. And Naruto will become your apprentice." Tomoe told her, surprising Naruto and Kurenai.

"Um, Mom, not that I am complaining, but didn't you say that you were going to see my training through till the very end, and that Kurenai hasn't…" Naruto was interrupted when Tomoe spoke again.

"I will train you and finish your training. This is so that you would have a good enough reason to take missions and complete them, earning you experience, recognition and notoriety. It's pretty obvious that you will not really fit with any Jonin from this Village or any team of Genins, since you are well past the level of Genin or Chuunin. Therefore, so as to not impede you, it's best you have a partner who will let you work at your own pace and progress without any trouble, and Kurenai here is best choice." Tomoe explained to him, before turning to the stunned Kurenai.

"She isn't a full-fledged Jonin, yes, and she is young, but she has experience in the field, is seen as loyal and dutiful towards the Village and Council, so she will be easy to control in the eyes of Sarutobi, Elders and other Councilmen." Tomoe then began to explain things to Kurenai. "Because Naruto is now a Genin, they will look for any way to put a leash on him, since he has enough skills, strength and chakra to survive the Arena and to kill one of Jinchuriki of Nine-Tails. Like it or not, that makes him not just extremely valuable, but also dangerous in the eyes of Council and Hokage. So, you, Kurenai, will come forth and announce that you will take him under your tutelage, and I can guarantee that they will see this as a way to control Naruto and ensure that he works exclusively for Konoha and their interests."

"Pretty clever, and there were already talks among Konoha's Shinobi on what will be done with Naruto." Teruko admitted. "It is pretty obvious that no one among the Uzumaki or Uchiha will be allowed to take Naruto as a partner and apprentice, since he has far too strong ties with them, but Kurenai, former student of Kushina and staunch supporter of her... If you make it look like you want to leash Naruto, so as to not let him become a threat, they will believe you and allow it to happen."

"Is this what you want for me to do?" Kurenai asked of them, before turning towards Naruto. "Will you be alright with me as your partner? I know that we have had pretty rocky relations, and I apologize for all I said about you and Mito. I am not opposed to having you as my partner, but only if you are not against it." She told him, with Naruto responding.

"I don't have any reservations, and since I know that you are alright with me as your comrade, even if we take away the motivation, I believe we'll work well together." Naruto said to her with a small smile, with Kurenai smiling back, before turning towards Tomoe. "She is honest in her desire and determination, and she is sincere in being ready to work with me. The decision is yours to make now, Mom." Naruto already knew what decision his mother has already made, and she then announced it.

"Well, if you are this determined and ready, then so be it. You know my rules and how I do things, so if you fall back or start feeling like you can't pull it off, then feel free to make yourself scarce and stop wasting my time." Tomoe stated to Kurenai, who smiled to her, with tears of happiness in her eyes. "From this moment on, forget everything that Kushina had taught, because from now on, you are my student, Kurenai, and I will not have you embarrass yourself in front of me."

"Thank you, Sensei! I will not fail you, I assure you." Kurenai bowed in gratitude before her.

"We'll see about that." Tomoe told her with a smirk, before she turned to Naruto. "Naruto, you were saying that you were going out? Go to Amagi and tell her about Kurenai, ask her to come here when she can. After that, be sure to inform Date Masamune about it as well, so that there isn't any problem. After that, feel free to go on date with either of your girlfriends, or both of them at once."

"They are not my girlfriends." Naruto said back.

"Not if Lady Parvati has anything to say about it." Teruko added with a chuckle, with Suzaku sisters joining in, followed by Tomoe, while Naruto simply shook his head at that, before heading towards the door, opening it up and leaving the mansion.

"Master, if you do not feel comfortable asking either of them out on a date, then I would like to offer my candidacy. I am perfectly fine if you wish to ask me out on a romantic tryst." Medusa said to him from inside of his being.

"Medusa, I am only 7 years old, and you are a grown woman. At best it would look hilarious, at worst it would look inappropriate." Naruto reminded her.

"I am perfectly capable of adjusting my physical form to whatever size and shape you may find appealing, and I am not a human, a though I do have morals and follow a certain code of conduct, I am a Yokai, and therefore am not beholden to the same standards of society as humans are." Medusa stated to Naruto, who let out a sigh. "And given my Yokai nature, it seems only appropriate that I choose a romantic partner that I can adjust to."

"Medusa, is it just me, or are you trying to flirt with me?" Naruto asked of her. "I may be a child, but I am not exactly as dense as some may think. And I know what romance entails, and I know that Yokai's general perception of romance is different from that of humans. I am aware that when it comes to romance, Yokai have a tendency to proceed things a faster pace than humans."

"A policy which I find very appealing to me, and at this moment I am not flirting with you. I am merely announcing my general disposition and making it clear on the nature of my intentions that I have towards you, Master." Medusa stated to him in an official tone. "However, if you would like, I can start acting a more daring and suggestive manner."

"Just… Just do whatever you feel natural, like you've done so far." Naruto had given up on arguing with his Shikigami.

"There are quite a few things I can do with you, Master. With my reach and flexibility, I can keep you up all night, and you wouldn't want to wink, Master~." Medusa's tone was as suggestive and seductive as one could get, and Naruto was reminded for a moment about Akagi and Kaga, something that Medusa instantly noticed and didn't waste time apologizing for. "Master, please forgive my impudence and vulgar approach towards you at such inappropriate time. It never was my intention to bring it up or hurt you in such a way. If there is anything I can do to…"

"It is alright, Medusa. It's just… Akagi and Kaga… They too have been quite suggestive and liked to flirt with me, especially Akagi. I pretended not to understand what they meant and let them do it, but I think they knew I understood what they meant. And they still flirted with me like they did, and I actually liked it about them, the way they never held back what they felt." Naruto reminisced with a pang of sadness. "I really liked it about them, how they were honest and forward towards me, just saying what was on their mind and hearts. Even when they were feeling jealous, they displayed just how much they cared for me… And now they are not here, not near me. Tamamo didn't just take them from me, she took part of my soul with them, ripped it out and left a hole in its stead."

"We will get them back, Master. Tamamo will rue the day she dared to take them away from you, and I will do my utmost to make her pay for her crimes." Medusa told him with complete confidence. "No matter what she decides to throw at you, be it demons, angels, Gods and Devils, I will stand by your side and aid you in whatever way I can. Both as your Shikigami, and as your friend and in whatever other role you may need me, Master"

"Thank you, Medusa. I couldn't ask for more from you." Naruto responded, as he moved along the street, before coming to a stop when he saw something that didn't please him.

"You worthless piece of filth!" An elderly old man with pale eyes of Hyuga, dressed in a noble looking kimono, slapped a young girl with long dark blue hair and lavender eyes, sending her to the ground. "You should know your place, to dare to speak to one of the Main Line like that! What gall, to raise your voice when none had asked for it!" When once he stated that, the man delivered a kick on the girl's back, making her scream in pain and forcing tears out of her eyes.

"I-I am sorry, G-grandfather, I-…" The girl's pleas fell on the deaf ears, as the man's cane hit her on the back, adding to her suffering and pain.

"You are not my granddaughter, Hinata. You have lost the right to speak to me like that when Hiashi made the right decision and removed you from the mainline." Hinata's grandfather Hizumi, as Naruto recognized him and the girl, stated with anger and vile, before raising his cane to strike the girl again. "But it seems like you've not learned your lesson and where your place is, you weak pathetic child. Let this be a reminder of what you are in the great Hyuga Clan, and how you must behave in it!" And with that, he sent his cane down upon the girl.

But it never connected, for it was caught and held in place by Naruto, whose golden eyes blazed with fury and rage at Hizumi and the other Hyuga that were with him, observing and relishing in the suffering inflicted upon the poor innocent girl. These were not only members of the Hyuga Main Family, but also Branch Family lines that stood there and watched how this piece of rotten filth hurt and debased his own grandchild. The people around were not going to intervene, for it meant incurring the wrath of Hyuuga Clan and trouble for them, but Naruto cared not for that. What he cared about was seeing Hinata, a shy, yet kindhearted and compassionate girl that had a heart of gold in her and a pure soul, getting hurt and beaten by this creature. For a second, Naruto felt himself ready to kill this man, but decided against it, but he will not be walking away unscathed.

"What?! Who do you think you are, daring to stand in the way of Hyuga?!" Hizumi screamed, before meeting Naruto's golden eyes and flinching at the amount of anger in them. "You, Kushina's worthless child?! How dare you…"

"No, how dare you, to hit an innocent young girl, just because she spoke in manner that you did not like!" Naruto roared at the man, as he pushed the cane and the man backwards with such force that the old Hyuga Elder nearly fell, if not for the assistance of other members of his Clan, while Naruto take a position in front of him, putting himself between Hinata and Hizumi. "She is your granddaughter, and yet you treat her worse than dogs?! Is this how "Noble and Elegant" Hyuga do business?!" Naruto demanded to know.

"She is not even worthy to be a Hyuga or a member of Branch Family, much less a member of Main Line! And who do you think you are addressing, foolish brat?!" Hizumi shouted at Naruto, while the Hyuga members that were near him started to encircle Naruto and Hinata.

"I am addressing what looks like a sack, filled with sand, ashes, piss and shit, who possesses neither respect, compassion nor morality. I am addressing a decrepit, worthless piece of filth and bile, who enjoys tormenting young and helpless children, for it allows him to feel power and strength, who feel perverted and abominable pleasure out of act of violence and sadism, when he makes his relatives who are supposedly beneath him suffer." The more Naruto talked, the more people around him backed away and tried to look away, for Hyuga were readying themselves to punish him and Hinata. "I am addressing neither a man nor even a human, but a toothless, rabid dog, who has lived for far too long and has lost all sense of fear and now thinks himself a god. When in reality he is just a pathetic mutt, who deserves nothing more but to be put down for good."

"KILL HIM!" Hizumi screamed, mad with fury and anger. "Make this brat suffer! Nobody insults a true Hyuga and gets away with it!" And with this, the Hyuga went on to attack Naruto, but he was ready for then, as was shown when his golden eyes seemed to have shined for a second with light, while Medusa left Naruto to deal with this at his command, as she went to Amagi.

What followed afterwards could only be described as a merciless slaughter, but not for Naruto, but for 7 Hyuga men that had tried to strike Naruto and Hinata, who was still whimpering on the cold ground from pain when the fight began. Naruto evaded the first attack, moving away and then catching the second attacker by his arm, before breaking it by striking at his outstretched elbow, making the man cry. His cries were silenced when Naruto uppercut him in the chin and then kicked him towards the two other Hyuga, forcing them to catch their unconscious brethren. But the moment they caught him was the same one that Naruto used to jump up and then kick them both on the head hard enough to knock lights and teeth out of their heads. Three down and the last for were coming for him, and Naruto wasn't finished either.

He took the initiative and moved for the closest one, who tried to use a Gentle Fist on Naruto, but the boy was nimble and quick, catching his outstretched hand. He then repeated the action with his first victim, breaking his arm, before pulling him closer and then delivering powerful kicks to the knees, making him fall on stomach and face first in the dirt. A quick stomp on the back of his head knocked the man out for good, with Naruto then moving in between the two Main Line members. Before they could act, Naruto punched one of them in the gut, before catching his arm and then throwing him over himself at the other man. Though they were taller, older and weight a bit more than Naruto, he had more than enough strength to pull this off, and as for his height, he stood just half a dozen centimeters short of an average height of a young teenager.

The thrown man collided with his relative and both were sent flying towards the wall behind them, slamming into it and passing out. It was then that Naruto turned his attention towards the last one, but he decided to be smarter and tried running away from Naruto. He was the first one to make Naruto use his chains in this fight, as he sent one of his golden chains after him, wrapping it around his leg and pulling him back. Though the man struggled and tried to break free, he wasn't lucky or strong enough, and he ended up facing Naruto again, before Naruto took him by his collar, lifting him up, and then tossing him like a sack of rotten potatoes, straight into the garbage pin. All that was left was Hizumi, who was internally shaking with fear, when he saw Naruto start approaching him.

"You… You can't do this to me. I am the Elder of Hyuga Clan, its former leader and father of the current Head! If you come any closer, then you will have the whole of Clan after your head!" Hizumi threatened, but threats had no effect on Naruto, and he simply continued to walk towards him. "Y-you will be kicked out of Shinobi Forces! The Council will see you punished, exiled! They will bring your head on the platter before me after they are done!" Yet still Naruto continued to move towards him, with Hizumi shaking out of fear, before deciding to put a stop to Naruto, as he gripped the cane and planned to strike Naruto with it.

But when he brought it up, the boy suddenly disappeared from the view of the old man, confusing and surprising him. However, he quickly found him, or rather, Naruto showed himself to Hizumi, when he pressed a tanto to his throat, the sharp blade touching the old Hyuga's skin and nearly cutting it. And then Naruto spoke to Hizumi, who was scared out of his wits and was simply wishing to survive.

"Now listen here. I don't care if you sick the whole Hyuga Clan on me or if you use your influence on the Council to demote me. However, if you, your son, or any other Hyuga, be they Main or Branch Line, ever as much as touches Hinata, then I will come and burn your whole inbred tree down, stem, roots and leafs." Naruto's quiet, deadly voice made it extremely clear that he was perfectly serious, with Hizumi shaking in his place and nodding frantically, as the blade was pressed a little bit closer to his throat. "From now on, she is under my protection, and you will tell about it to your entire Clan. You hurt Hinata, you attack me, and then I will do to you the same thing I did to Natsu. Got it? Good, now run." With that said, Naruto removed his blade and sealed it back, letting Hizumi rush away from the place, while Naruto walked to Hinata and knelt before her.

"Are you alright, Hinata?" His tone instantly changed from one of intimidation to one of absolute care, as he reached out to her with his hand. "Can you stand up?"

"I… I don't k-know… I-it hurts, it really hurts…" She said through her tears, with Naruto understanding that this was serious, and he carefully put his hands on her, before starting to roll her on her back. "Argh!" She screamed out of pain.

"Just bear with it for a second, okay?" Naruto managed to do as he planned, and then he proceeded to pick Hinata up in a bridal fashion, rising up with her and walking down the road, with the public looking with amazement and shock at what they were witnessing. "It's going to be alright, Hinata. I promise, they'll never hurt you like that again." And that was the promise that Hinata believed with her whole heart, while he carried her towards the hospital, when he knew Shizune would be able to help Hinata.

And none were aware of the fact that a certain Goddess of Life and Death observed it happening from her realm, with a smile on her face.

---

Several hours later. Fujiwara Clan's estate.

"Okay, let's see if I got this right: you just beat up seven members of Hyuga Clan, both Branch and Main Lines; insulted former Clan Head of said family; threatened to kill him and the entire Clan if they ever try to hurt the former heiress; and on top it all off, you took said former heiress and declared her, before half of Konoha, to be under your protection and then you brought her to the hospital." Masamune summarized all that Naruto had told him, though without caring for order of what had happened. "Well, Naruto, I hope you realize just what you have done right there."

"I do, and I made it clear that if they wish, then they can go ahead and take it to the Council or come after me." Naruto stated in firm tone without flinching. "If Hyuga Clan wishes for a war with me, I will give it to them, and I will not go back on my promise to Hinata."

"Oh, I'm not talking about that, Naruto. I personally have absolutely zero problem with that, if anything, I am actually very proud of you for doing what you did." Masamune replied with zero anger in his tone. "To beat up your own granddaughter like that just because she spoke up and to debase her is something that not even Oni would do. That old piece of shit deserved it, and it is long overdue that Hyuga learn that just because they have their Byakugan doesn't given them the right to act like high and mighty deities."

"Then what did you mean by that statement earlier?" Naruto asked of Masamune, who let out a chuckle.

"Oh boy… Naruto, girls and women in general are beings beyond our normal, masculine understanding. That is the part of their charm and beauty, yes, but it also makes it hard for us to understand them. However, if there is one thing that I had learned about them over my life, then it's that they are drawn towards those that will put themselves in danger for them, who manage to touch their hearts and make it beat faster than ever." Masamune shared with Naruto his wisdom. "You just defended that girl against abusers, carried her in your own arms, comforted and eased her pain and you did it having also proclaimed her to be in all but direct words yours. Do you see what I am getting at?"

"I… I guess, I do." Naruto did catch on what his grandfather meant. "Something tells me that for her safety and in order for me to keep my promise, it would be best for Hinata to stay away from Hyuuga Clan."

"Good, so now the question stands: will you be a man and take responsibility for that girl and what happens to her, or will you wash your hands off her. Whatever your choice may be, do keep in mind, that Clan Hyuga will go after her and make her suffer, or they will simply exile her completely from the Clan, and I suspect that they will take the latter option." Masamune told Naruto with a serious tone, with Naruto agreeing with him. "In that case, she will have no one to turn to."

"I've already stated that she is under my protection, and I intend to make sure that Hinata is safe and sound, whether she is a Hyuga or not." Naruto declared his intention loud and clear before Masamune, who chuckled and laughed before rising up on his feet, walking towards Naruto and patting him on the shoulder.

"That's what I wanted to hear, and I've gotta say, you've got one hell of a good taste in ladies, Naruto! If that girl has inherited all the nice genes from Hyuga, she'll grow up to be one head turning…" Masamune suddenly stopped, before patting Naruto again and seemingly hurrying away. "Ahem, Naruto, if worst comes to pass, know that you have made me very proud, and it was nice knowing you." And with that said, Masamune suddenly disappeared from the room, leaving Naruto confused as to what his grandfather meant by it, until he felt two pulsating cocktails of emotions that were enough to send shivers down his spine.

"Naruto…" That overly-sweet, almost innocent and promising all kinds of pain voice belonged to Akeno Himejima.

"Genji…" This aggressive, barely containing absolute rage and anger, coupled with intense desire for destruction, voice could only belong to Oda Nobunaga.

"Care to explain yourself?!" Both girls shouted at Naruto at the same time, their voices echoing throughout the estate and making every male in it, along with Masamune, who was already on the other end of the Village, shiver and wish good luck to Naruto.

On that day, Naruto learned two things: women are complex and mysterious creatures even for someone like him; and that he best avoid angering girls, especially multiple at the same time. Even with all of the gifts he has from his divine parents, he sure as hell would like not to repeat what had happened there. He did want to live for a long time, and angering two or more girls that he had feelings and cared about seemed like a very sure way to shorten his lifespan. And he also thought that his divine father agreed with him on that matter from his station.

And Shiva did agree with Naruto, for even God of Destruction was not above of possessing an instinct of self-preservation.

---

A week later.

The main hall of the Fujiwara Mansion was packed to the brim with guests from other clans, members of the Clan, retainers and vassals, friends and family, all of them dressed in official and appropriate kimono, representing their families and clans. The rows of seated on the floor Uzumaki were perfect in placement, as all of them observed what was happening right now before their eyes. Tomoe, Amagi, Fugaku, Mikoto, Kurenai, Mito, Akeno, Nobuna and Hinata were seated in the front row and were first to witness the ceremony before them, the ceremony of adoption into Fujiwara and a rite of manhood for Naruto.

Naruto was seated in front of Masamune, with a table with ink, brush and paper before them, both dressed in official dresses and kimono, with colors of Fujiwara and Minamoto on both respectively. Masamune with the official tone spoke up.

"Today, your childhood ends, and your old life comes to an end. From today, you will live a life as an adult and as a member of Fujiwara Clan. Will you uphold the traditions of Fujiwara and Uzumaki?" Masamune asked of Naruto.

"I will." Naruto replied with seriousness.

"Will you defend members of our Clan and stand for our vassals and retainers in times of need and against all enemies?" Masamune asked of Naruto.

"I will." Naruto replied with the same seriousness and determination.

"Will you serve not to indulge your own desires, but to better the Clan and all those that are in it?"

"I will"

"When called to war by a friend or kin, will you answer the call and ride out to war?"

"I will!" Naruto stated with even more fire than before.

"Do you swear to uphold all the oaths and vows you make in front of Clan and Gods?" Masamune asked the final question.

"I swear before the Clan and Gods." Naruto replied, before bowing before Masamune, who then reached out and gave Naruto a brush.

"Then use this to write your new name and may your new life begin as warrior and Heir of Fujiwara Clan." Masamune told Naruto, who took the brush and inked it, before proceeding to write down on the sheet of paper the name he chose.

It took him time and hours of thinking, but after much deliberation and consideration, the name that Naruto had wished for came to him out of nowhere, and instantly he knew, that this will be the name he will use for the rest of his life. His hand moved elegantly, strokes of his brush becoming kanji and forming words. In a minute, he was done, and after gently laying down the brush, Naruto took the sheet of paper and demonstrated the name to Date Masamune, who examined it and gave his approval with a nod. And after that, Naruto turned and revealed the name to all those that were gathered before speaking to all.

"This is my new name. From now on, my name is Genji Yoshimune. Fujiwara Genji Yoshimune." Fujiwara Yoshimune, formerly Minamoto Naruto, announced to all of Uzumaki and his family his new name, announcing to them his new life, with all those that were gathered confirmed it with their voices, bowing before him in respect.

And with this, an era came to an end, and new one was about to take place…

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Four days of work and it is done, a little later and a lot longer and twice as big as I originally intended it to be, but I believe it was needed so as to wrap it up as well as I did, and I hope that you find this chapter to your liking. And like I said in the last chapter, yes, this is the last chapter before a big time skip to the canon timeline and before you ask, don't expect for Naruto to be a Genin when we get there.

Now, onto a few questions that I believe may need clarification. First off, Kurenai's real nature, and yes, I did intend for her to end up as not entirely human and have been toying with the idea for months now. Now, about my choice in making her a Kijo, which is a female version of normal Oni, aka basically Nezuko from Kimetsu no Yaiba. It came down to her employing Genjutsu, aka illusions, something that Oni and especially Kijo are known to excel at, and in later parts of Naruto's story and in Boruto, Kurenai seems to have developed quite a taste for alcohol, another particular trait that links up to Oni, which reminded me of Shuten Doji, one of Three Great Evil Yokai of Japan. While I know that this explanation may seem flimsy, and the truth is also that making Kurenai a Kijo was also the best thing I could think of, as people can become Oni if they commit horrendous crimes, or are cursed by someone, and I decided that Kurenai was cursed because of actions of her father. This will explain how she had managed to stay awake during the attack on arena when it happened.

Now, as for Shiva and Parvati, and the interactions with Naruto. Naruto was shaken, beaten and lost some confidence, and Shiva saw it and instead of trying to make him feel better, he told him exactly what his son needed to hear. It may've been harsh, but it was a bit of tough love that Naruto needed to hear and to get back into the gear. Also, I have noticed that it seems to have been made not quite clear before, but yes, Akagi and Kaga were taken by Tamamo and that is for a long, long time.

The prophecy of Shiva. That is actually something Shiva witnessed in the future as a possible turn of events, which may come to fruition. I will leave it to you to interpret it, but yes, it is connected to Naruto. And yes, Naruto's soul has reincarnated several times and in the past life he was Masamune Uchiha, Tomoe's son, and he also had another life before that, and I actually would like for you to guess who he was in the past life. A couple of clues are in this chapter, actually, pretty big ones too.

As for the lore about Uzumaki civil war, Genpei War, that is actually from Japan's history, as are the name of Yoritomo Minamoto, the man who became first Shogun in Japan and established Shogunate, yet also essentially became one of the worst kinslayers in history, killing his brothers Noriyori and Yoshitsune soon after he became a ruler, as well as any and all Genji rivals he had. I am currently also watching a Japanese TV series Yoshitsune, detailing and following the life of legendary Minamoto no Yoshitsune, and I am loving it.

Now, getting off the topic for a bit, because… Well, because I feel so damn passionate and I want to ramble about it! I am a fan of many things, from Harry Potter to Naruto, and yet, if I would have to name one universe that has been my first love, it would have to be Star Wars. I mean Star Wars as in those that were created by George Lucas and all the marvelous Legends material that includes. I refuse to recognize the dumpster garbage that Kathleen Kennedy and her ideological nut jobs have created in form of that thrice cursed trilogy! God it was so damn awful that it literally made me lose faith and love in Star Wars…

…And then, after I saw the Last Jedi and saw my first ever hero, Luke Skywalker, debased and made into a mockery, I saw the Mandalorian, its first season, and I loved it, as it oozed all the goodness of Star Wars and it nearly brought back hope for me! And now, on this weekend, I watched the second season of Mandalorian and… I cried, cried the tears of happiness at what I saw. I will not spoil it for anyone who didn't watch it, because one must watch it, not talk about it. In two Seasons, the Mandalorian has not just managed to make me fall in love with Star Wars, but it also did more than that- it ignited in me imagination and inspiration, one that I haven't felt since a long time!

And now… Now I am seriously considering possibly starting a new fanfiction story, centered in the Star Wars. Yes, yes, I know that my track record with stories I write is abysmal and most are not finished, but that is just the way I am, and right now, while I do feel inspired writing this story, more so than any other before, if the size of chapters is any indication, I am also feeling inspired to write a story set in Star Wars.

Specifically, in the prequels era, when Jedi were still about and Anakin hasn't turned to the dark side, with the idea being of a time traveling accident, which caused a Jedi Knight from the SWTOR Era, the very same Jedi Knight that people play, to be sent into the future. Granted, the OC that I plan to insert will not act as a simple Jedi, nor will he even identify himself as a Jedi, but he will be the one who had gone against Vitiate and Valkoryon (main baddies of SWTOR), led the Eternal Alliance and was named Hero of Tython.

He's just not going to be all goody two shoes, and instead will be someone who has been through Hell and back, forged into a person that has moved past philosophies of Jedi and Sith and has crafted his own code. Not just a prodigy of a warrior and extremely gifted in the Force, but also an extremely capable and experienced commander and leader, someone who has led men and women to war, fought and defeated hundreds of Sith and Jedi, someone who has a list of accomplishments so long that even Thrawn and Revan will have to say: That is impressive. Imagine someone like that thrown in to an era where Jedi are practically inept puppets of Senate, Republic is a corrupt and crumbling mess and Sith are on the brink of victory, and where Mandalorians have pacifists ruling over them (the last one is hilarious for me! I am a fan of KOTOR and SWTOR).

Anyway, it is just me thinking about it, but I may actually start it, and I would like to consult anyone who has good grasp on Star Wars. If anyone can help me with it, I welcome your advice and wish to communicate with you about it through PM.

Alright, enough of me rambling on and on about Star Wars, this is Naruto fandom after all. So, here you have it, the final chapter of this era and arc, with Naruto now having become Fujiwara Genji Yoshimune, a name I took time and effort coming up with and choosing. And yes, he will be called that from on, and you can call him either Genji, Yoshimune or Genji Yoshimune if you would like. I did read about samurai of old having such names. For an example: Date Tojiro Masamune.

Okay, with all that said, I am afraid that this where I have to leave you for quite a while. As I mentioned in the last chapter, my exams are coming up and will last until February 7th, and I will be focused on them. I hope you can forgive me for not being able to post in the meantime.

Review, make suggestions, and ask questions- I will answer it all. And before I leave, I would like to say thank you all for your support of me and this story, because of you, I have managed to push past the limits I set before and made it here where I am.

See you all in February!