Hey all, SonictheUltimate here. I've had this half demon Naruto story in my mind for years, ever since I first got into the series, and it's been driving me nuts. So, I've decided to give it a shot and get it out there. In this fic I'm gonna try to balance out the characters, and provide a new perspective on the Jinchuuriki, Biju, and the three Dojutsu. At the end of each chapter I'll provide my Author's Notes to give insights behind the story's points.
Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto. I wish I did, so that Sasuke wouldn't be such an overpowered douche, but I don't.
Normal speech
Flashback/thoughts
Biju/Summon, empahsis speech
Biju/Summon speech in flashback
Naruto Dojutsu Legends
*Prologue*
Long ago, there was a great, living power that roamed the land. This power was a biju known as the Juubi. A monster of unfathomable strength and bloodlust, it roamed the land. Its reign would go without obstacles, bringing an era of terror and uncertainty to all people, until one man rose up to combat the beast.
This man was known as the Rikudo Sennin, or the Sage of the Six Paths. This man met and fought the beast in a battle that shaped the face of the planet. The Sage defeated the beast by sealing it within himself, becoming the first individual known as a jinchuuriki to exist. He was elevated to god status, and essentially ruled the world.
Eventually though, as time passed, the man would die of old age, and upon this, the Juubi would be released upon the world once more. So before he passed away, the Sage sealed the body of the Juubi away it. He then divided the chakra of the beast into Nine biju, or to be more accurate, "sub-monsters";
The One-Tailed Raccoon- a geokinetic psychopath, focused only on destruction…
The Two Tailed Cat- a massive neko possessing an otherworldly flame…
The Three-Tailed Turtle- a giant leviathan of a beast, living in the water's depths…
The Four Tailed Monkey- A red furred titan, who possessed the power of lava…
The Five Tailed Dolphin-Horse- A graceful, agile monster who's sleek form and fur belied a startling savagery….
The Six Tailed Slug- An amorphous demon who was the dark incarnation of the legendary slug summons….
The Seven Tailed Horned Beetle- A massive winged beast that ruled the land and skies….
The Eight Tailed Oxtopus- An amphibious, horned biju that resembled an odd paradoxical fusion….
And last but not least, The Nine Tailed Fox, most powerful of the nine, with unmatched physical might…
As to the body of the Juubi itself, the only clue is a riddle to, "Look towards the night sky, where all are aligned at the Beginning of the End" He then divided up each of his and the Juubi's powers among those he deemed worthy.
How was the save able to do this, you might ask? You see sealing a biju inside a human does not go without drastic consequences on the human, and thus through the Juubi, the Sage gained additional features, almost outright giving himself the title of divinity. Some would say he became far more than human, in a transcendent way.
If one were to meet the Sage, one would have noticed that the one of the most striking features about were his eyes. Legends are unclear as to which had the eyes first, the Juubi or the Sage, but either way people claimed those eyes enabled him to see all.
They were often referred to as the Eyes of the Juubi. Each eye was a brilliant shinning white in the iris, however, six rings came in from each of the outer edges of each eye, reaching all the way to the center of the pupil. Lastly, each ring had three tomoe along it, varying in curves.
The Sage somehow divided these eyes into three separate individual groups, to the people who would begin the Hyuga line, they who desired order and structure above all, Byakugan, the All-Seeing Eye.
To the person who would begin the Uchiha, who desired strength and power above all, he gifted the Sharingan, the Copy Wheel Eye.
To the last and most obscure clan he gave the Rinnegan, the Samsara Eye. Sadly, the passage of time has eroded knowledge of her clan, as well as her clan's answer to the sage's question, and therefore the Rinnegan with it.
Lastly, the Sage passed down his legendary technique; the Mokuton, to the Senju clan, they who desired love and compassion in order to provide a means of balance, and controlling the tailed beasts.
The Sage set the greatest example of all in his usage of chakra. Through this energy was the birth of ninjutu, the manipulation of the elements and genjutsu, manipulation of the senses, AND a new power source for certain machines. Thus the modern shinobi world was born.
Alliances and betrayals existed in the centuries following. Eventually, the modern shinobi villages were formed, the Lands of Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and Lightning, with several smaller countries and subsidiaries. The nine tailed beasts roamed the world, and the existence of the Juubi and the Sage would pass into obscurity. However, the tailed beasts still exist, a constant reminder of the struggles of the past, and that is where our story begins.
The Kyuubi's Attack! Birth of a Half-Demon!
From the Wisdom of the Great Toad elder of Mount Myoboku:
"A great rage has appeared in the world. Its wrath will be halted by three sacrifices and in doing so the first of many a key will be unlocked…"
*October 10th, Twelve years ago*
The Kyuubi no Kitsune, a.k.a. the Nine-Tailed Fox loomed over the shinobi village of Konoha. Its tails, flowing widely seemed to increase the size of its terrifying visage. A path of destruction was left in the fox's wake.
Hundreds upon hundreds of shinobi lay dead. It didn't matter how they were killed, the end result was still the same. Dismembered remains littered the battlefield, along with pools of blood.
These were the lucky ones, in the sense that there being at least some remnants left that proved they existed.
Many had risen to fight, but their lives were snuffed out in an instant, being either crushed underneath the Kitsune's enormous paws, disappearing down its gaping maw, or disintegrated by its malicious chakra, its very presence a pestilence upon the battlefield, completely transforming the area it stood from lush forest to desolate waste where no grass or trees grew.
Weapons and jutsus were nearly useless against it; its thick fur, skin, and chakra repelling most attacks, and those few that actually breached its defenses would heal up instantly. Lastly, using said attacks required that the shinobi get too close for comfort to the beast's fangs, claws, and tails.
One man stood on tall, confronted the beast. His name was Minato Namikaze. He was the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, and the protector of its people. He truly loved the village, leading it to victory against all forces that would attack it. Its people would revere him, and his enemies, well, those that still live, would submit to him, referring to him as the "Yellow Flash of Konoha."
Minato stood atop the Toad Boss, Gamabunta. Although cantankerous, the Toad was immensely loyal to Minato, and thus fought valiantly to defeat the fox. Despite this though, he was outmatched and he knew it, though he'd never admit out loud. Although the toad rivaled the fox in size, the Fox was MUCH faster and more agile, and its regeneration, raw ferocity, and physical power gave it a massive edge over him.
Already Gamabunta's body had bruises and gouges, and thus he was bleeding profusely. The Chief Toad also held one webbed hand up against his chest, breathing heavy, with inlaid gasps of pain. A nasty scar traveled over his left eye, though the organ itself miraculously sustained no damage due to a slash being a VERY near miss.
The Toad was at his limit and he knew it was only by a miracle that he was still alive as it was. In fact, come to think of it…. The fox had been sighted en route towards Konoha. Attempts to deter or delay it had been unsuccessful, almost as if the fox were dead-set on reaching the village…
"Minato gaki, something is up" the Boss remarked.
"Yeah, Bunta, I picked up on it too," Minato replied. "Look at the fox's eyes. This attack came out of nowhere, there's no feral intelligence, or nothing indicating that the fox is in its own mind. It's like something is controlling it… That, and if the fox were serious, I doubt either of us would still be here right now."
"The Elder's prophecy said that a great rage would appear, what if it isn't the fox?"
Minato darkly mused inwardly to himself as he considered that possibility. He had his suspicions, especially ones regarding certain masked individuals, but now was neither the time nor the place to investigate. He was the last line of defense and if the fox beat him, then Konoha was doomed. As Hokage he couldn't let that happen. His people had sacrificed enough already to stop the fox, and he couldn't let that be in vain.
Already a massive chakra blast had destroyed most of one of the village walls. If he hadn't diverted it by using Gamabunta and himself as a distraction, the damage would have been far worse. He knew that there was only one option left. He wished he could say that he'd thought of it himself, but his inspiration was from elsewhere. "Heh, that crazy old monkey…"
The three people shushined onto Bunta's head behind Minato. The figures stepped up, revealing an old man and "young" blonde woman carrying a small bundle. The three of them were dressed in shinobi gear, the oldest of the three wielding a massive staff bigger than he was, whereas the third figure curiously enough, a person that resembled an odd fusion of a white-haired man and a toad dressed in a green and red kabuki outfit, with two frogs sitting on his shoulders.
These figures were Hiruzen Sarutobi the former Third Hokage, along with two of his students Jiraiya and Tsunade of the Sannin. Jiraiya was in his rarely-seen Sage Mode, the two toads Fukasaku and Shima on his shoulders.
All were worn out, tired, and wounded from the battle.
Sarutobi stepped forward and addressed his successor, "Minato I implore you, let me perform the jutsu instead. I'm old, and I've lived a long and happy life with my family. I've conferred with you and Jiraiya over this deed, and I can do the jutsu just as well as you can." He placed his staff down at his side, and in a puff of smoke it transformed, revealing the Monkey King Enma.
The summon remained silent, but nodded his acccepatance of Sarutobi's decision.
Stepping in front of his sensei Jiraiya the Toad Sannin addressed his student, "Gaki, for once the geezer has a point." "But as much as I'd like to see the old man finally out of my hair and not criticizing me for my research, I can't let him do this." He deserves to live out the rest of his days in peace." "Let me instead."
Then, as if playing some morbid game of "follow the leader," Tsunade shoved Jiraiya out of her way, taking precautions not to disturb the bundle she carried, opened her mouth to speak, but at stopped at Minato's outstretched hand.
Smiling regrettably, the Yondaime responded, "Thanks, I really do appreciate the offers. But Old man, we need the best possible chance to seal the Kyuubi. Admit you're not what you were in your prime."
Sarutobi glared annoyingly to this remark, but still listened.
"If your body gives out before the sealing completes, then who knows what could happen. The sealing when carried out successfully works 100%, but nobody knows what could occur if it's halted halfway. The seal could be incomplete, or it could end up in a chain reaction that would annihilate Konoha. Plus only a newborn's chakra network has the best chance of fusing with the beast's in order to maintain the seal."
Turning towards the Toad Sannin; "Sensei, who is going to maintain Konoha's spy networks if you die? You're needed because there are contacts that only answer to you. Besides, if there is more afoot here, then you're the one most likely to find out, as well as stop them preemptively if needed."
Lastly; to Tsunade; "No offense, Lady Tsunade, but you still have Dan to live for. After what you've already lost in your brother, I can't ask you to give him up. Besides, I need you to check up on his chakra networks, and body after the sealing's done. You're the world's greatest medic for a reason, and I need you to take care of any unexpected developments. Speaking of which, what about the operation, was it a success? How is she doing?"
At this, Tsunade's face fell, and she did not meet Minato's eyes. Minato gasped in under-standing, and fell to his knees, realizing the truth, "…No… she... couldn't have…"
Tsunade, the Slug Sannin stated; began, bitterness in her voice, "There were complications with the procedure, especially given what you and her asked me to do. Her body lost a lot of blood and much of her biological systems were badly damaged. She asked to see him before it happened and then... she was gone."
Reaching into the pocket on her ninja vest, she produced a photograph and handed it to Minato. "She asked me to tell that she has no regrets, that she was happy to have loved you, this village, and him."
At this she unwrapped the small bundle in her arms, revealing a, (surprisingly, given the fierce, raging battle), sleeping newborn boy. Sun gold hair fell from his head.
Silently, Minato took the bundle and the picture, cradling the infant in his arms. He then looked at the photograph, and tears streamed down his face. "I'm so sorry…." He muttered in a small voice to the child, "…for what happened to her. I hope that someday you can forgive me… for leaving you all alone and what else I'm about to do, but I… I'll understand if you don't…"
"Grow up to be a strong person that never gives up regardless of what happens…It doesn't matter to me what you choose, so long as it's what you want to do, that you never go back on your word and what you believe in. Get people who are precious to you, and protect them with all your might. I'll always love you and be watching over you...Naruto…"
Suddenly the toad boss's head that they stood on shook violently, as Gamabunta shuffled nervously. "Minato, I understand your pain, and believe me when I say that I really hate to break up this touching moment, nice kid by the way, but in case you haven't noticed there's a rather large, angry, freakin' fox heading right at us!" The toad boss immediately fired off a Suiton: Teppōdama at the charging fox. The water bullet distracted it enough for Gamabunta to leap out of the fox's path, coming down hundreds of feet away.
Minato and Jiraiya flew into action. Jiraiya opens up one of his many scrolls and upon which Minato laid the infant Naruto on, when Gamabunta moved again, this time taking a massive leap to dodge a vicious claw swipe from the Kyuubi.
"Dammit Bunta, hold still!" the toad sage screamed. While the four ninjas could anchor themselves to the toad's head with their chakra, the same was not true for the infant Naruto who nearly was thrown off. Now the child chose to wake, but instead of crying ironically enough was laughing giddily as if this were some macabre joyride.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A large poof of smoke and suddenly the Slug Queen Katsuyu appeared next to Gamabunta.
"I'll distract the fox, but for fucks sake hurry up!" Tsunade leapt over to her summon's head. The slug fired off an acid blast at the Kyuubi who dodged it. Then, growling menacingly, it set its eyes on this new target.
Minato inscribed a series of seals into Naruto's belly. He then turned to face the Kyuubi. "Bunta, I need you to get closer." The Toad obliged, although inwardly he was thinking this a suicidal maneuver.
Sarutobi set off a signal flare to Tsunade then flashes through a series of sign language signals.
Tsunade nodded upon seeing this, and Katsuya fired a massive amount of grey slime all over the Kyuubi, which hardened instantly. "Slug Style; Snail Shell Prison!"
Knowing that it wouldn't hold the fox for long Minato took his only chance. Before he made his move he tossed a scroll to Jiraiya. "When you feel that he is ready, give that to him."
Gamabunta lunged forward whereupon Minato leapt off the toad's head and flung one of his trademark kunai at the foxes exposed face. It hit its target, and he warped over to the fox's head in an instant and ran through the required hand seals, and thrust his hand straight down into the fox's head.
As soon as these requirements were met, a searing pain went through Minato's body, and he turned his head to see the Shinigami itself floating behind the Fourth Hokage, clad in its ethereal attire, thrusting its arm through his chest.
No words were spoken between the two… but to his surprise though, the Shinigami gave an almost imperceptible nod. It was almost as if it was acknowledging him directly, not just viewing him as one of many individuals foolish enough to call upon him.
Giving the specter a solemn yet respectful smile, Minato turned his head back and directed the jutsu towards the Kyuubi.
The act of sealing apparently was enough to release the Kyuubi from whatever had influenced it. Realizing what was to be its fate the fox instantly broke free from the immobilizing slime of Katsuyu in a massive outward blast of chakra and gave a primal roar of fury as it felt itself succumbing to the jutsu.
The Kyuubi no Kitsune, greatest of the biju, literally began to disintegrate before the survivors' eyes. Its massive body transformed into a large mass of red chakra. Then the chakra started to disappear in increasing amounts, almost like water running down a drain.
The chakra was all drawn into one point, the seal on the infant Naruto's belly. Just before the last bits of chakra receded, another ear splitting roar erupted, the last testimony of the Kyuubi no Kitsune attempting to fight its fate by the Shinigami's unyielding will.
Minato stood still, his body held up by the last bits of the fox's chakra, still potent enough to be solid. As the last bits were drawn in, his foothold vanished and his body began to plummet, the Shinigami's faint specter fading away.
The Yellow Flash thought once again of all that he had done, of Naruto, of the village, and of her, and gave one final, rueful smile. Remembering one last time his words to Naruto, Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash of Konoha, died, the eternal Shinigami claiming its payment.
Before the Yondaime could hit the ground, Gamabunta's massive tongue flashed out and caught his summoner. Laying him gently on the ground the tongue withdrew and the forms of Jiraiya and Sarutobi landed next to the fourth, with Tsunade landing soon after dispelling Katsuya. Tsunade immediately took Naruto out of Jiraiya's hands and began a diagnostic medical ninjutsu, while Jiraiya and Sarutobi began checking the seal's structure.
"Vitals are working perfectly, no outward defects..." Tsunade muttered as she began to run her diagnostic.
"The seal is holding up as well." Jiraiya said gesturing at the still glowing markings on Naruto's stomach. Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hang on a sec… WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!" Tsunade's teacher and teammate immediately were at her side. "His chakra networks are increasing at an exponential rate!"
The seal markings glowed a brilliant red forcing her to back off from her monitoring position. All three shinobi went into a combat stance.
King Enma, stood alongside Sarutobi, his fists clenched and his fangs bared. "Sarutobi, prepare yourself! We must stop it from breaking free, here and now!"
Sarutobi immediately took up the first hand sign for the Shiki Fūjin Seal. Old or not, if all had to do was provide a way to reinforce the seal by sacrificing himself he would do it in a heartbeat.
Gamabunta, having not yet dispelled in case of something like this, brandished his knife and held its massive point directly over Naruto's tiny body ready to drive it down in an instant. The Toad Boss steeled his mind regrettably. By all means he did not want to stoop as low as to kill the child, regardless of the child's background, but he knew that if the fox was going to break free, this would be the crucial moment to stop it. He would do whatever was necessary, carry what burdens may come, and pray Minato forgives him.
Fukasaku and Shima concurred with their fellow summons, gathering as much sage energy as possible for Jiraiya to strengthen the Sage Mode for whatever action he chose to do as well.
The infant Naruto, oddly enough didn't seem disturbed at all as the seeming mass, rather apparently watching curiously as the red chakra circulated around him. Finally, the chakra brightened to its maximum, at which the three shinobi turned and shielded their eyes, and a massive red pillar of chakra shot straight into the sky, forcing even the Toad and Monkey Boss to back off.
When the glow faded they turned to see the result of this odd occurrence, and for all the training all the instruction that they've had over the years on maintaining their composure, they all felt their jaws drop.
The infant Naruto was still alive, and in good spirits, giggling, and for the most part his appearance was that of a normal newborn child, excluding the nine orange, slightly red tinted, and white tipped tails protruding from Naruto's bottom, and the two fox- like ears from the top of his head.
Tsunade immediately rushed over and scanned Naruto again, noticing that the child's eyes were also slit and feral looking. Jiraiya tentatively asked. "How is he?"
"Everything about him is still fine. Organs, vitals, the works but this is definitely a new development. The fox's sealing and chakra must have caused the two to fuse on a deeper level than we had initially thought."
Glancing at her teammate and teacher, "I need more equipment and a more sterile environment to conduct further tests. Have Hiashi Hyuga and Inoichi Yamanaka meet me at the hospital ASAP. If the worse-case scenario has occurred and that either one or both of them are incapacitated or dead, then bring me anyone of their clans that's proficient in the Byakugan and mind-walking that also knows how to keep a secret."
"Also, gather around some surviving ninjas and set up emergency medical tents for all the wounded. I'll help them of course, but this takes priority."
"Pervert…" at this Jiraiya stood at attention." "Bring all of the scrolls and records on Minato then join me there. Old Man… I'll need you to help run interference against the villagers."
Sarutobi wasn't off put by the disrespectful manner to which he was addressed. Medical matters were Tsunade's forte, so he would provide whatever she needed.
Gamabunta standing over the shinobi breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Jiraiya-gaki, I'm hoping that you have things covered here. That fox kicked the crap out of me and I'm going to need all the sake in the world to get over this night."
"Yeah Bunta you can go. Fukasaku, Shima, thanks for all your help."
"Finally," as Shima and her husband detached themselves from Jiraiya's shoulders; "Now I can get home and start on dinner."
"Oh joy…" Fukasaku drolled; "…as if that were a plus."
This earned him an immediate sucker punch from Shima. Turning to face the shinobi, Gamabunta addressed them, stating. "Watch over the child and we all look forward to meeting him when he is of age."
King Enma turned to them and nodded his assent.
With that, the four summons disappeared in a puff of smoke.
The remaining three shinobi prepared to set out to the hospital when in a flash Kakashi Hatake arrived. The young jounin, his trademark face mask obscuring his speech showed signs of battle, yet his trademark face mask miraculously remained unscratched.
"The fox is gone?" He asked tentatively. The three seniors nodded.
"…and sensei?" he added tentatively.
Sarutobi stepped up to the young jounin and silently shook his head. Kakashi started and then realized, seeing the body of his teacher. His head drooped and a single tear rolled down his face from his unconcealed eye.
Sarutobi laid a hand on the young man's shoulder, "Young Hatake I understand that it hurts and we've all lost precious people in this terrible turn of events, but forgive me please when I say that now we must regroup and organize ourselves, and then we may mourn our losses."
"At this moment I have an important task for you. I will understand if you cannot partake it due to your grief, but I implore you not just as Hokage…" Noting that with this he was officially announcing his retaking of the title, "…but as a fellow leaf ninja to aid us."
Kakashi sniffled once then bowed before the old Hokage; "At your command Hokage-sama.
Smiling regrettably Sarutobi stated, "Track down the two individuals Inoichi and Hiashi Hyuga. If either happens to be dead or incapacitated, then another of their clan of higher rank may suffice. Tell them that the Sandaime Hokage requests their immediate appearance at the hospital in Tsunade's personal office. Although I'm certain that both will attend, tell Hiashi to consider it a late request from Minato. Hai Hokage-sama"
With that Kakashi turned to go off but stopped, seeing the infant in Tsunade's arms. He remained paused for a few seconds, staring at the infant's protruding ears and tails, but he also noticed the boy's bright yellow hair and brilliant blue eyes, before regaining his composure disappearing in a flash of wind and leaves.
Jiraiya walked over to the prone body of his student. His head bowed, he opened up a sealing scroll, bit his thumb, and flashing through some hand signs, the body disappeared in a puff of smoke, stored away into the scroll for preservation until burial. Sarutobi and Tsunade quietly bowed during this as well noting his demeanor, all three paying silent tribute, before starting to the hospital as fast as they could without injuring their precious cargo.
The hospital was pure chaos. The injured were innumerable. The sight of the Medical Slug Queen seemed to lift their spirits as much as the Sarutobi re-donning his Hokage hat.
Before Tsunade could be mobbed by the hospital staff, Sarutobi stepped in raised his hands, and announced, "Leaf shinobi and citizens I implore you, I understand that you are all hurting and that Tsunade's arrival has brought your hopes up, and I certainly do not want to stop her from assisting you all. But I must ask that you hold on for a little while longer as she must take a priority case of the utmost importance. Hold to your Will of Fire, and all will be well." Those who could do so raised a fist and a resounding cheer went up.
Unfortunately, the sudden noise had the effect of awakening the infant Naruto sleeping in Tsunade's arms. His sudden crying as a result caused the entire room to go silent. To her credit, Tsunade had covered Naruto with a small cloth to prevent Naruto and by extension his fox like features from being seen, but Naruto's fox ears apparently took exception to loud noises such as crowds cheering, and he cried in response.
"Shit," went through the heads of all three of the senior ninja. To the more experienced incapacitated ninja, or even the inquisitive civilian it would raise unfortunate questions as to why would three of the highest ranking ninja of Konohagakure be coming back from confronting the fox directly carrying a baby.
Then, as if fate really had it bad for Naruto and the three ninjas, his cries and squirming had dislodged one of his tails from underneath the cloth exposing it for all to see. If anything the silence in the room had grown more defined.
At this Sarutobi immediately gestured for his two students to proceed to Tsunade's medical station. Once the two left while trying to placate the distressed Naruto, Sarutobi then turned to face the crowd.
However this wasn't the kind old man persona that Sarutobi generally put up, but rather the "Badass Grandpa" aka, "The Professor" and "God of Shinobi." The look on his face clearly indicated that all present will listen and obey or face the consequences.
"I won't pretend to not know that all of you saw who, (Making it clear that it was a person and not a beast or animal), was being carried by Tsunade. At this moment I will only say that he is the hero of this village and that without him all of us would be dead right now. I must tend to him and the rest of my people, yourselves included and then and only then will I elaborate the circumstances behind what you just witnessed."
"I also am well aware how fast gossip travels, so mention of this incident to anybody outside of this room will result in DIRE consequences for both the person who talked and the person who listened. I expect my order on this matter to be followed, am I clear?" And just to increase the effect, Sarutobi let loose a small amount of his killing intent.
None of the speechless shinobi said anything. "Good." Sarutobi remarked to himself. "Now then I will also leave you with the one small basic rule that we all have been instructed with since our academy days; "Shinobi see what is underneath the underneath." I suggest that you keep that in mind for both this incident and when I offer my explanation."
At that point Kakashi arrived with a battle-weary Hiashi Hyuga and Inoichi Yamanaka.
"You called for us Hokage sama?"
Quickly adopting his "sagely old man" persona, Sarutobi led them in pursuit of his students. When they arrived at Tsunade's office and personal workstation, it was a mess. Scrolls and medicinal records were everywhere, as well as some of Jiraiya's sealing scrolls and notes. The two individuals in question were standing over an examination table where Naruto lay, burbling happily.
"Where the two of you able to discern what caused this?" remarked the Sandaime.
"No" Jiraiya said, gesturing at his notes. "Nothing in my notes or Minato's indicates this should have happened to Naruto."
Tsunade looked up and seeing the two new men stepped up to Hiashi and Inoichi, who bowed slightly to the sannin. Inoichi seemed to recoil slightly upon seeing Naruto, while Hiashi maintained his stoic nature, but his eyes still widened slightly at the sight.
"I'm sure the old man has already said what happened to the fox." Continuing she then added, "Hiashi, I need you to look into Naruto and the seal with your Byakugan and describe what exactly it is you see, including how his chakra is circulating."
"Inoichi, while he does that I need you to go into Naruto's mind and discern whether or not it is the fox in control in any fashion, or whether it's Naruto."
"Both of you, do not alter or influence ANYTHING if you can help it. Describe what you're doing as Jiraiya and I recheck Naruto's biological characteristics and Minato's seal. Lastly, with all due respect, I don't need to tell you what WILL happen if I, Jiraiya, or Sensei detect ANY foul play on your parts," cracking her knuckles for emphasis.
Hiashi stepped forward, "I understand, Tsunade-Sama," and activated his bloodline limit.
"I see the seal functioning in a secure matter. Naruto's chakra network remains the same as your average human's, I mean person's," he corrected himself, "…but there are additional networks going up into each of his tails, unusually these network filaments appear to be more developed than one would expect in body parts such as these.
"His chakra is calm at the moment but there are innumerable miniscule fluctuations of a red chakra, undoubtedly the fox's, constantly flowing through them." "The dominant is his with the red mixing in and supporting it."
The Hyuuga clan head's gaze traveled upwards. "His brain is functioning as well as one could expect for a child but I detect no deficiencies."
At that moment Hiashi's eyes met Naruto's. "What was that?" Something caught his notice for a split second.
Focusing his Byukugan further; "His chakra appears to be flowing to his eyes. It's building up..." Hiashi stepped backwards, hand covering his eyes. Tsunade was there instantly, examining his eyes for damage. Fortunately there was none.
Rubbing his eyes he reactivated his bloodline and met Naruto's eyes once again, searching for the mysterious phenomenon, but this time on his guard. Naruto's chakra was flowing smoothly with no signs of disturbance. Whatever occurred right then was gone. Looking at the child he couldn't help but think about how much the child resembled his dear departed friend.
Inoichi stepped up and gently placing a hand onto Naruto's forehead and began his family's signature jutsu. Unsurprisingly to him, he didn't really see anything but a blank white void, with a small "sphere" in the center, if you could call it that. Inoichi took a closer look and saw images flashing through it, these were the few things that Naruto had seen and heard through the few hours that he was born. He couldn't discern anything coherent though. The images were not flowing smoothly, and the words weren't understandable.
The Yamanaka smiled, relieved. This was actually what he was hoping for. Naruto after all was a newborn child. He didn't have any experiences or enough of an individualistic interpretation on reality in order to form a clear mindscape. Since he had no schooling, no learning behind words and connecting them with images, they would be exactly the "gibberish," for lack of a better term, that he saw.
There was no sign of the Kyuubi or a seal, so this meant either one of several things: Naruto was the Kyuubi reincarnated but with no memories or recordings of its previous existence, or he was the Kyuubi effectively "playing dead," waiting for a chance to strike, or lastly, that Naruto was an ordinary baby, and that due to the lack of life experience and concrete levels of thinking or imagination, any appearance of the fox would not be apparent until Naruto built up enough life experiences to form a mindscape, at which the fox would appear as a separate but hopefully sealed entity.
As the Inoichi was about to dispel his jutsu he couldn't help but feel as though for one brief second that he was being watched… Instinctively he quickly turned his head to see what spooked him, but there was nothing, nothing but the same blank void...
Returning to reality the man relayed what he saw to the sannin and Hokage, including the strange paranoia he felt. "I saw nothing out of the ordinary that indicates that Naruto wasn't a simple newborn Tsunade-sama. There was no indication that the fox has begun to or has influenced Naruto on a mental level as of yet. It is simply much too early to tell."
"For all we know the fox may not be influence Naruto with or without the seal because it can't. It wouldn't be able to do much with an infant body anyway. The only real option is to let Naruto grow up and see how he turns out along the future."
"Also if I may make a suggestion, Hokage sama?" At the elder's nod he continued, "Naruto's human characteristics are normal, but I'm uncertain as to how his animalistic features would influence him once he's developed enough. For all we know he could be feral or uncivilized if the fox's general instincts manifest. But that is outside my expertise. You might be better off consulting an Inuzuka or an Aburame as they would have a better ability for empathizing with their own animal instincts."
Sarutobi and the others took all this in. Addressing the two clan heads; "First and foremost I thank you for taking the time to come and help me with this analysis, despite pressing matters that I'm sure have come up in your own family's' recovery. Rest assured you both contributed a huge factor in securing Minato's victory over the Kyuubi."
"Next I ask that this be classified as an S-class secret, though by the end of this week I've no doubt that you will be hearing rumors regarding this. Lastly, I have one question for the both of you, and I ask that you do not let my status cloud your answer, answer impartially without fear of judgment."
The two clans listened intently.
"How do you view Naruto, as the Kyuubi itself or as a child with an unimaginable burden?"
There was silence for a few moments.
Hiashi spoke first, "We Hyuga are prided with being able to see through all, both figuratively and literally."
Turning his head at the now sleeping boy, he stared for a few moments, and then back to Sarutobi, "Given what you have told me Hokage-Sama, and what I myself have seen, I do not believe that Naruto is the fox itself."
Inoichi then spoke his turn, "Although Naruto's mind displayed none of the characteristics of the fox, for me it is too early to tell as to how he will turn out. I trust your judgment Hokage-sama, and therefore will maintain an open mind, but I cannot give a reply at this time."
Sarutobi took both their statements in mind. He was glad that Hiashi had more or less given him his support in favor of Naruto, though not without flaunting his clan's status, albeit lightly. His respect and friendship with the Fourth Hokage would also influence him. He wondered if Hiashi realized the truth…. It would however, be tricky for him to extend his favor publicly, given that the Hyuuga had its own ruling council within itself, and even he felt they were stuck-up.
Inoichi, on the other hand, while not outright stating a favorable opinion, was adopting a wait-and-see standpoint, (Perhaps he'd been hanging around Shikaku Nara too much), but then again this is true for any person growing up. At the very least he was giving Naruto a chance.
"Very well, you two are dismissed." The two men bowed, then exited.
"Hokage-sama?" Sarutobi almost cursed, he'd forgotten that Kakashi was still there. "Is there any other task you would like me to do?"
When he asked this Sarutobi noted that Kakashi kept stealing glances towards the sleeping Naruto. He would have to be told eventually, the old man knew. He owed it to the student of his successor, and felt that if anyone could keep a secret, it would be Kakashi.
"Head out to the battlefield and help bring in the injured and wounded…" Sarutobi then added; "Ask Maito Gai to help you."
"Hai Hokage-sama," and Kakashi vanished in a flash.
Turning to his students, the Sandaime noticed Jiraiya staring at him with a smirk, "Clever, old man, if anybody can keep Kakashi's mind off of being depressed it's that crazy-spandex obsessed freak."
*Meanwhile*
Out on the remnants of the battlefield, a bowl-cut hair styled jounin gave a cough, then went on ranting about how his youthfulness has caused people to talk about him.
Jiraiya sighed, and said, "So now what?"
The Toad Sage, normally vibrant, if in his own, ahem, unique way, was looking very down in spirit, worse than he'd ever been seen.
Tsunade looked thoughtful for a moment, then walked over to her bookshelf, pulled out a particularly large volume of what presumably was a medical journal and opened it…revealing a large hidden compartment concealing several large sake bottles. She tossed one to Jiraiya, and offered one to Sarutobi, who declined, shaking his head at his student's habit.
Hey, at least she wasn't a snake cosplayer hunting down boys.
*Elsewhere*
Somewhere in the newly created Village of Sound, said snake sannin began sneezing, then sliced a shinobi who said "Bless you" in half with his Kusanagi. He then added, "Thank you," to each of the halves.
"Minato's gone and the village is a wreck, we've lost a good deal of our military force, and civilians from the fox's attack. People are in a panic and we've lost a lot of structural damage. If Minato hadn't done what he did, We. Would. Be. Dead."
Changing the subject the old Hokage asked both his students; "What can you tell me about the seal based on Hiashi's and Inoichi's analysis?"
Jiraiya; spoke up. "Minato was a seal genius, and this proves it. The seal allows the Kyuubi's chakra to mix and merge with Naruto's, thus it should give him an almost limitless supply of chakra. The tails and ears were completely unexpected and thus there's no way to predict this affecting Naruto's future growth BUT, the seal for all intensive purposes, is functioning as it should. The fox will not and cannot break free."
Tsunade then spoke. "I've only seen things like these when I've analyzed the remnants of Orochimaru's sick experiments. The Kyuubi's chakra has affected Naruto on what appears to be a genetic level. This also explains the more, ahem purer mixture of chakra than if the chakra were merely dormant and being called upon at a whim. It's too early to tell, but Naruto will most likely developed heightened abilities such as reflexes and senses as he grows up. However, again it is still too early to tell."
An idea came to her, "Hey pervert, legends have said that there are nine biju." "Has your spy network detected anything regarding other villages sealing biju's and whether anything like this has happened before?"
"Yeah," Jiraiya nodded, "but it's been understandably tight." "I've heard that Iwa tried some-thing, and that Suna did something about the Shukaku and oddly enough a tea kettle, but that was years ago." He gained a puzzled expression. "The weirdest rumor I've heard about is Kumo have something about a rapping bull octopus… "
*Across the land, in Kumo*
At this, a certain young Kumo Jinchuuriki began sneezing, and then being struck by inspiration, whipped out a notepad and wrote; "My sneeze is loud, it ain't no breeze… OH YEAH…" only to get smacked by his brother's giant, gauntleted arm.
"WILL YOU SHUT UP WITH THAT RAPPING AND GET THE HELL OUT OF MY OFFICE!" "AND FOR THE LAST TIME, I WILL NOT APPROVE OF THIS STUPID PROPOSAL THAT ALL KUMO SHINOBI MUST UNDERGO A RAPPING TEST PROCTORED BY YOU BEFORE THEY GET CERTIFIED!"
The Raikage then grabbed his brother by the neck, and flung him out through the office window, shattering it.
The Raikage's secretary only sighed and pressed a speed dial number on her intercom, "Hello Kumo Glasswork's? Yeah, it's Nirisha. Yup, the usual order…no, this time it was his brother…. Ok, see you Tuesday… Thank you."
Jiraiya continued, "Either way I don't know their capabilities or how they reacted to being sealed, and it's not like we can just send a messenger saying; "Hey I've got a Jinchuuriki who's fused with his demon, has it happened to yours, and any tips for raising him?"
"Which would be like announcing to the ninja world that we've faced a biju, not just any, but the most powerful, have it contained, and potentially controllable, which would possibly tipping them off that we're vulnerable after the battle, leaving us open to attack, and ESPECIALLY Iwagakure given how Minato decimated their forces during the Third Great Ninja War. And even if they had a lapse in sanity and responded, it only reaffirms what Inoichi basically states, that it's all a case of nature vs. nurture." Sarutobi finished, looking at Naruto, before shifting to Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya… I know what you promised Minato, yet Konoha is vulnerable right now, maybe more so than we've ever been. What's worse is that if there truly is a deeper meaning behind the Kyuubi's attack, then we need to start looking into it now, while trails may still be fresh. I truly hate to deprive Naruto of someone he'll need, but we need your spy network. I won't ask you to leave, but I'll leave the choice up to you."
The Toad Sanin joined his sensei in observing Naruto. The resemblance was so uncanny, if one didn't take into account the tails and ears. He couldn't prevent Orochimaru from leaving the village, and now he lost the student that was the closest he'd ever had to a son.
"…What will you tell the village? It's not like he can use a genjutsu to disguise his appearance as an infant, like our old girl here, (earning him a sharp elbow from Tsunade)."
"If I leave, promise me you'll watch over him old man, because I don't know when I'll be back, but I'll try to make it back by the time he makes Genin or Chunin." Sarutobi nodded.
Then as if struck by inspiration, he turned to his teammate. "Tsunade, could you and Dan adopt Naruto? "
Tsunade blanched, "Wha, me?"
After a moment of consideration, "I would have to ask him, but I suppose I could watch over the brat for you. Especially for her as well…" she trailed off. "We've all lost so much, we can at least repay the heroes of this village this way…"
Jiraiya then added slyly, "Just try not to get him into gambling."
A vein throbbed in Tsunade's forehead and she growled, "Oh yeah? If it were up to you, pervert, you'd have him peeking in the hot springs at age five! Or worse you'd teach him how to read by using one of those books you keep peddling, so don't you dare point fingers at me!"
Clearing his throat Sarutobi stood up. "We will keep his background a secret," Regrettably he added "even from him."
Tsunade started to speak up, but then Sarutobi continued, "Telling him is one thing, but whether or not he'll keep it a secret is another. As a child he wouldn't be able to resist telling his background, even if we explicitly told him to keep it a secret. If this gets out we'd have every enemy clamoring for his blood."
"We'd also have endless fighting between each of the clans on who would get to raise him, or arrange a marriage. He'll have enough problems growing up, we don't need him to know all that has happened until we're sure he can handle it. Should he choose to become a ninja, we'll cross that line when we come to it."
Tsunade nodded, seeing the logic. Jiraiya remained silent, though he didn't like the idea of leaving Konoha so soon and not doing what he'd promised Minato, it was necessary.
"I will address the council and village later this week in regards to our victory, my reinstatement in office and coordinating recovery efforts."
The three ninja then all focused, addressing the sleeping Naruto, all knowing simultaneously that he would be in for a rough life, but that each one of them promised to be there for him in one form or another.
*Later that week*
The council's chambers was in chaos. Everyone of importance was there, ranging from shinobi, to militaries, to civilians, to merchants. The clans were arguing between themselves about how things should proceed now that he attack was over and with Minato being dead. That changed when the doors opened and in walked Sarutobi in full Hokage attire, along with his advisors and teammates Homura and Koharu. Taking his place before the crowd, Sarutobi addressed the crowd.
"This meeting is called to order. I understand that all have you been wondering as to what happened involving the Kyuubi's defeat. I apologize for the delay in informing you, but at the same time I thought it wise to give you at least some form of recovery to help your clans and the villages as a whole gain a foothold in restorative efforts."
"First and foremost I hereby announce that I reclaim office as the Sandaime Hokage, for the immediate, and if necessary, long-term future. I assume that there are no objections?"
There were cheers and hands clapping and in some of the more strict clans, nods of assent.
"Second, I will state that yes, Minato was able to defeat the fox, therefore we no longer have to worry about it."
Applause broke out, until one voice spoke up and asked, "Hokage-Sama, please pardon the interruption, but you said, "defeated," not killed," stated Shikaku Nara.
"Here we go…," the elderly Hokage grimaced inwardly, he had known that would get picked up on.
"Yes, I know exactly what I said; and once again you all are entitled of an explanation."
He snapped his fingers, and in walked Kakashi, carrying a small bundle, which he then placed on the tabled and unwrapped, it, revealing Naruto, fox features and all, to the shocked council.
"Killing a biju, especially one as powerful as the fox would have been impossible, even for Minato, therefore he sealed the fox into a child, this child being Naruto Uzumaki."
Once again silence met the Hokage's speech. Sarutobi studied each face in the crowd, and each held that same measure of being shocked. Well, almost all of them… Sarutobi definitely saw an almost imperceptible gleam in Danzo's remaining eye. "I need to keep an eye on him…" (Pun intended FYI).
Then pandemonium erupted.
If he didn't need to remain a strong and controlled figure he would have face palmed. There were shouts ranging from "Hokage-Sama are you crazy!," to clamoring over the strength of the seal, to the worst, and what he feared, "Kill the demon!"
One suicidal council member pulled out a kunai and flung it at the infant Naruto. The kunai was caught easily by Sarutobi, who snapped his fingers again and in an instant, Kakashi shot forward, Sharingan exposed, hand glowing in electricity, and impaled the poor S.O.B. through the chest. He then reappeared next to Sarutobi, standing stoically as if nothing had ever happened, all in the blink of an eye, his victim's blood dripping down his arm, and the council staring horrified at the body.
This had the effect of silencing the crowd as the implications of what had just happened sunk in. Sarutobi just used lethal force against a council member. In short, the old man was saying; "Shut the fuck up and listen."
At this Sarutobi immediately spoke to drive the point home, "Naruto is not a demon, or do you doubt Minato's genius!"
Gesturing at Naruto, "The seal's design has altered Naruto's appearance yes, but the fox has not, repeat NOT taken control of him."
(Inwardly, the Sandaime decided mentioning that Naruto's altered appearance was an unexpected development would be a VERY bad idea, last thing he needed to do was give the council any doubts, so he purposely left it out).
"He should gain access to some of if not all of the fox's abilities as he grows up, (At this Sarutobi could have sworn that Danzo was one minute from break dancing in joy), but there is no chance of him becoming the fox either."
"If you need further proof, my own students Jiraiya and Tsunade have analyzed the seal and Naruto alongside myself, and furthermore his chakra and mind were observed firsthand by Hiashi Hyuga and Inoichi Yamanaka!"
Both said clan heads, nodded and standing, gave brief summaries of their observations, (though as per Sarutobi's request they left out the independent anomalies that they each saw).
Fugaku Uchiha, however was infuriated, though it did not show on his outwardly calm face. He was blatantly incensed that the Hokage would call in his clan's immediate dojutsu rivals, and not even consider approaching him for his perspective. To top it all off, Sarutobi had the gall to parade that "Uchiha mockery" Kakashi around in front of the council, implying that the Jonin by himself was held in higher regard than his entire clan. This humiliation would not go un-answered in the future...
Sarutobi, then added, "Furthermore, Minato's last request was that we honor this child as a hero. If he hadn't been born he would not be able to seal the Kyuubi, and for the rest of his life he will have this burden."
"Hokage-sama …?"
"Here it comes," Sarutobi groaned.
"This child has unlimited potential as you've implied, and would make a fine weapon for us, especially while we recover from the fox's attack. Let me take the child and raise him in my ranks."
"Over my cold, dead body you will," Sarutobi inwardly thought.
Outwardly he said with a "polite" smile, "Absolutely not Danzo. Naruto will not be raised into a cold, ruthless, killing machine much like your ROOT was," placing an emphasis on the "past" tense of the word.
"Tsunade of the Sanin has agreed to adopt Naruto, and when he grows up he will be given the same choices that we all had in our growing up."
Danzo scowled inwardly at this.
"I will however say this, from this day forward I forbid talk of the fox's sealing into Naruto. Now obviously his appearance is not something that can be covered up so easily, so I offer this possible explanation instead; state that it is a mutation that manifested itself BY CHANCE, ("Which isn't too far from the truth," he thought to himself), from chakra emitted by the nine tailed fox on the day of his birth, if you must bring it up at all. Kami knows that the fox's chakra affected the environment, so it's plausible to have done this to a newborn child."
As further proof, as well as a better example to follow…" he snapped his fingers, and a pale-skinned, young shinobi about Kakashi's age stepped forward.
"ANBU Agent Yamato here, as you all know, has Mokuton abilities. Much like Naruto, he was bestowed them as an infant by an evil force, namely by my infamous student, yet we do not hold him in the same vein as Orochimaru, do we?"
Nobody in the council refuted this.
"Then I expect the same to be spoken of Naruto. Additionally, when the fox attacked Yamato found his powers were slightly influenced, heightened, by its presence. Nothing negative mind you, but this should remove your fears, both in the sense that Yamato can, if need be, suppress the beast, or that our own abilities may even be altered, possibly even for the better."
"So before you point fingers at Naruto, point them at yourselves. Maybe some of you were altered by the attack, maybe not. Yamato, you are dismissed."
"The fox is also to be referred to in records as being killed, not defeated or sealed, given that several of you were able to pick up on my words so easily implies that foreign shinobi would be able to do the same, thus is my reasoning for this. Also, as for anybody who is stupid enough to try and harm Naruto…" His gaze shifted behind him…
At this, Kakashi broke his stoic character, eye-smiled, held up his bloody hand, and waved "politely" to the council. Yamato also "honored" the council with a showing of his infamous "Ghoul Eyes."
"These are laws that will be punishable by death." Adopting a serene smile; "That being said, the matter is now closed and I propose that we move forward into restoring our village to its pre-fox glory."
The council all gave looks of affirmation, not wanting to invoke their Hokage's wrath, and additionally another of the Sanin. Orochimaru was bad enough.
Sarutobi then scanned the crowd as the statistics were taking place, issues discussed, and plans set. Practically all of the civilian members were casting hateful glares at the child. The shinobi council, for the most part was the same. A noteworthy few appeared to have something other than hatred on their minds. Shikaku Nara was as usual looking disinterested, but all who knew him figured that if he didn't outright say anything, then he had no grudge.
The same could be said for Shibi Aburame, who's only real reaction to Naruto's reveal was a single raised eyebrow.
Tsume Inuzuka had a fanged smirk on her face. This could either mean one or two things. One, she was against Naruto and intended to kill him the first chance she got, (and considering her clan isn't exactly known for subtly…). The other is that she was actually amused and glad, because if Naruto did indeed take on fox characteristics, this would mean that there was other animalistic shinobi that her children may form a kinship with.
Hiashi Hyuuga maintained his ever stoic demeanor, whereas Fugaku Uchiha allowed himself a furrowed brow and a somewhat slight condescending face.
That aside, few faces aside showed any signs of empathy for Naruto. Even then, Sarutobi rationalized that just because a few clan heads such as Hiashi offered their support, didn't guarantee that other individuals would. As an Aburame would say, the village is a hive-minded creature, but each has individual roles, and thus views to show.
Sarutobi hoped that it would be enough.
The rest of the week passed slowly. The village wall that destroyed by one of the Kyubi's chakra blasts was slowly being rebuilt. The dead that could be reclaimed and identified were given an elaborate ceremony at the end of the week, in which many tears were shed for the loved ones lost.
Minato himself attracted the most grief, as he was so beloved by the village. Jiraiya even broke down crying, while Tsunade and Dan consoled him. Kakashi stood stoically, but inside he was breaking. Maito Guy cried openly, stating that the Fourth's "Flames of Youth" would never die. Standing tall above the procession was Gamabunta, along with Fugasaku and Shima.
Lastly, Naruto was held by Tsunade, and at one point Tsunade took Naruto up to the Fourth's casket. Minato was smiling in his eternal sleep. The infant Naruto actually giggled and reached one small, grasping hand out towards the body, (At this though one couldn't help but notice the eyes on several onlookers darken severly), before Jiraiya and Tsunade took him away.
At last Minato's name was forever carved into the memorial stone. Sarutobi gave one final speech about pressing forward and remembering Minato for all of his deeds as a shinobi, but foremost for his caring as a friend and teacher. Finally, the body was laid to rest within the Hokage's Tomb, along with those of the previous deceased Hokages.
Sadly though certain individuals had promised to be there for Naruto, it would not come to pass as intended. Jiraiya would leave later in the week, with instructions to Sarutobi on how to contact him if absolutely necessary, as well as instructions on the conditions and stages of Naruto's seal. Although he stated that he needed to give further support immediately towards his maintaining his spy network, Sarutobi could tell that he was still grieving over Minato's death and truly needed time alone to mourn.
Dan was overjoyed in regards to Tsunade's agreement to adopt Naruto, was eager to raise him. However tragedy then struck, as within the same week, Dan was killed in action during a mission gone horribly wrong. Tsunade did everything she could to save him, but failed, and developed her paralyzing fear of blood.
To top it off, at this point, every time she saw Naruto, she was reminded of what she and Dan were to do, and just how much that she had lost in her life; her little brother, her teammate, her student, (heh), and now her lover. Her spirit broken, she departed from the Hidden Leaf village on an indefinite leave of absence.
The one promise she did keep was her promise to her lover's family that Dan's niece, Shizune would be sent to her when she became of age, in order to be trained as an apprentice. It was believed that Shizune may have been the only link she truly had to Dan that didn't cause her pain.
Kakashi buried himself in his work, taking mission after mission after mission and never giving himself a break. He attempted to teach genin teams, but not a single one passed. When asked for an explanation, he would not elaborate beyond saying that the students were; "Lower than trash."
With Naruto's foster mother departing, Naruto's fate was left wide in the open. Danzo, ever the opportunist, once again offered his interest in "adopting" Naruto, but this was stanchly denied by Sarutobi.
Sarutobi instead attempted to adopt him, but the council (which he suspected that Fugaku Uchiha had something to do with), objected, saying that for him to be biased towards one particular child to this extent would be unfair, especially since in his first meeting, Sarutobi made it clear that Naruto was to receive "equal treatment" like any other person.
Due to this, Sarutobi found himself trapped in a loophole by his own making. He couldn't adopt Naruto without revealing certain information about Naruto, and he couldn't bully the council without arousing suspicion and bringing a threat to the village's social-political structure.
Sarutobi decided to make the best of the situation. He decreed that his laws about the fox's sealing and Naruto's status still stood, but that Naruto would be placed in Konoha's orphanage, where he may be adopted by any one of Konoha's families.
This decision did not sit well with him in the least. "Naruto," he said, looking at the baby in question, "You are in for a rough life. I pray that the Will of Fire stands strong within you…"
Author's Notes
*Teleports in with Chaos Emerald*
Well here's the opening. With that I'll now address numerous points.
The Kyuubi's attack was the best time/place to set up the two fusing.
I wanted to provide a perspective from everybody else who was involved in the Kyuubi's attack, especially Jiraiya and Tsunade. I could definitely see Jiraiya being there in order to help his student out, and it only makes sense for him to be in Sage mode. I mean, he only uses it in outright emergencies, and you don't get much more dangerous than a Godzilla-sized fox showing up and attacking your home.
I'm uncertain as to whether or not Orochimaru defected before or after the fox's attack, so I placed it before in this one. Maybe I'll alter it if I can see his presence during the attack being useful.
Kakashi was old enough to participate, and considering how Minato was alive when he got his Sharingan, that's why he has it here. I initially didn't consider using Yamato, but I realized that his presence could help Sarutobi back up the claim that "Naruto isn't the fox" to the council.
You would think that anyone with half a brain would want to make sure that the fox was completely sealed and not influencing Naruto in any way, be it mentally or physically, immediately after the deed was done. Physically well, that's self explanatory, and it provides a reason for Tsunade to be there, plus if you readers haven't figured out, yes she did have a role to play regarding Minato and Kushina.
Mentally and in regards to chakra measures, it only makes sense to call in a Hyuga who could read chakra levels or a Yamanaka to read his mind. Yes, both of the anomalies that they saw sensed have a role to play, although it might be a tad predictable.
Given the presences of Hiashi and Inoichi, let first say that this will NOT be a NaruHarem fic. Naruto will either be with Hinata OR he will be with Sakura. One or the other, period. Romance isn't my strong suit anyway, as I'm trying for an adventure fic, so if a pairing occurs, it will not be the focus of my story.
I'm personally leaning towards Hinata, but I might change my mind as Sakura in my opinion, needs more character development. Additionally, Naruto will resolve the issue with whoever he doesn't pick.
Some of my plot twists might be predictable. Otherwise I've already dropped several hints as to who's who, and what some character's roles will play. Also, I don't plan Akatsuki being the ONLY threat to Naruto and the Jinchuurki…. I haven't decided whether or not the other hosts will be half-demon to the extent that Naruto is, but I am fond of the idea (You'll notice I left Killer Bee's physical appearance vague….)
Some of the other ninjas in Naruto's group will be able to keep up with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. It bugs me that it was established that practically any of the ninja have great potential, but after the time skip we really haven't seen much of them. There will be some more fights that deal with each of the rookie 12 on a personal level.
Also, Naruto will indeed be strong, but he will not be strong as in "one-shot all six Pains." Some of his more devastating techniques will, like the Rasenshuriken, have drawbacks.
I'm creating custom jutsu's for them, some of which may be based off of some other anime/ games.
I always hated how the Sharingan has all these uber, plot device powers every five freaking seconds, and yet the Byakugan, as well as the Rinnegan, both of which are supposedly the ancestors of the Sharingan, are currently barely touched upon in the manga. I'm going to attempt to equalize the three doujutsu out. Each doujutsu will have about two stages in order to match up with mangekyo sharingan.
I already have something in mind for Byakugan, the only question will be who gets it…first.
On that note, I suck at Japanese, namely in attack names and honorifics, etc. If anybody cares to send me a Japanese translation of a jutsu, or correct statements, then I'll alter the name as I see fit and I'll give credit to the person. The same goes for names of some characters. I do have some orginal characters in mind to help the story, but again with the name thing. Help in this regard is always appreciated. I'm also somewhat new to the site, so I'll accept beta readers who are interested.
Oh, before I forget. Today's first jutsu:
"Slug Style; Snail Shell Prison!"- This techniques of Katsuyu's fires an immobilizing slime that hardens almost instantly, a kind of "riot foam," if you will. However, this isn't very useful against fire based techniques, which can burn it off, or water which dilutes it. A strong enough opponent can break free as well.
Well, that is all, Read/review, and flames will be used to fuel my rage meter.
*Holds up Chaos Emerald*
CHAOS CONTROL!
*Vanishes*