Short background infos
- Naruto was lucky enough to injure Orochimaru lightly in the Forest of Death
- He did not train with Jiraiya
- His contact with Kurama is blocked, as are his accelerated healing abilities
- Special warning for Smart!Naruto
Naruto looked from the trapped Third Hokage to the three figures standing in front of the tree.
"Naruto-kun," Orochimaru greeted him cordially. "How nice of you to join us. How did you get past the barrier?"
"I was already there before it went up," Naruto replied, "you were just too busy monologuing to see me."
Orochimaru twitched. "Impossible, I would have noticed you."
Naruto shrugged, "Well, clearly, you didn't because I was sitting on the crossbeam." He pointed at the wooden column just below the roof. "You should buy some glasses."
Cold eyes fixed on him. "Well, it does not matter. I will make you pay for daring to injure my face."
Naruto glanced at the man's cheek. The scratch he had left during their encounter in the Forest of Death had already healed.
Orochimaru gestured lazily towards the two men. "Allow me to introduce: Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama. The First and Second Hokage. They will assist me today."
Naruto stared at the men's empty eyes. "Assist you?" he repeated, "You need two Hokage to fight for you? Isn't that a bit too much?"
He hummed thoughtfully, then his eyes widened in realization. "Ah, I got it! It's like this thing with men and swords, right? Mah, you must be really tiny to overcompensate that much."
"Naruto!" the Third chocked out, still caught by the massive tree. "Don't provoke him!"
His warning came too late. Anger was practically rolling from Orochimaru in tangible waves.
"Subdue him!" he screeched.
The First and the Second moved as one.
They were so fast they blurred in front of him.
Naruto barely dodged the blow the Second was sending towards his face and jumped over the First's kick aiming for his legs.
It was only a short reprieve, though. Because a hand grabbed his arm and threw him to the ground.
He groaned at the painful impact and quickly scrambled away from the branches breaching the ground beneath him. He stumbled over a loose tile and his hands tried to steady himself, but his fingers only slid over the wet, slippery roof.
"This is totally overkilling," he complained loudly.
Naruto jumped to his feet only a breath before a torrent of water surged towards the spot he had just been lying on.
"Orochimaru!" the Third screamed and tried to reach for his fallen staff. "Stop it! This is too much!"
Orochimaru snickered. "That is the point, sensei. It is meant to be too much." His glittering eyes fell on the child desperately trying to keep out of the men's reach. "Run, child. Run!"
Naruto winced as he impacted the ground. He flickered out of the way of an incoming punch and quickly brought his hands up. "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A torrent of wind blew his attackers a step backward and he could breathe for a few moments. "Oi, Snake guy, you've got nothing to gloat about."
His reprieve barely lasted one sentence because he was suddenly yanked into the air. He had completely failed to see the thin vines sneaking up behind him. Naruto buried his hand in the green mass and pulled. The vines did not give away.
Senju Hashirama appeared in front of him. He looked grim.
"You could try begging," Orochimaru suggested helpfully, a malicious glint in his eyes. "I have heard the First is very merciful. Although," he added in a mock-pitying tone, "I do not think he will listen to you."
"Orochimaru! Stop it!"
Naruto wheezed as the punch hit him and he gasped for air. Harsh hands ripped him from his confines and threw him back.
Naruto vaguely realized that something hard was colliding with his cheek and his ears rung.
He tasted blood.
Senju Tobirama grabbed him by his collar.
Orochimaru cackled.
"You are a coward," Naruto rasped as the man's grip tightened painfully, "You act like a toddler because I injured your cheek. Now you don't even have the balls to take your own revenge – and force others to do the dirty work."
"Enough! Subdue him!" Orochimaru snarled, sounding very much like a child throwing a temper tantrum.
Naruto was swallowed by a wave of pain.
Naruto's entire body throbbed, and he could barely move. This was hopeless. He could not fight these men. He had known it from the very beginning. But he had hoped for something. Anything. His mind whirled. What could he do? Could he turn this around somehow? How?
'Subdue him,' Orochimaru had ordered. Subdue…what did it mean? Overpower? Defeat? Incapable of fighting?
It was a risky choice, but Naruto had to try as long as he still had some energy left.
He allowed the next punch to hit and stayed sprawled on the ground.
For several long seconds, nothing happened, then Orochimaru started to cackle again. "Seems like the loudmouth has finally been silenced. What poor excuse of a ninja. Well, at least he had the undeserved privilege of getting beaten by those he admired so much. He should thank me for this honor. Don't you think so, sensei?"
"Orochimaru!" The Third had finally managed to free himself and descended angrily on his student. "You have gone too far!"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "You want to fight, sensei? Weakened, as you are?" He smirked and licked over his lips. "As you wish. Nidaime, keep the brat down. Shodai, deal with your student."
Naruto suppressed a painful whimper as he was roughly turned onto his stomach and a foot landed on his back.
But at least the worst was over for now.
Now he just had to watch and wait for the right opportunity.
The Third was exhausted and weary, but also extremely angry. Orochimaru had attacked his village, endangered his people, and dishonored the first two Hokage. On top of that, he was also responsible for Naruto's current condition. He could only imagine how traumatizing today's happenings must be for the child.
But he had no time to dwell on these thoughts. The Shodai's attacks were as strong as ever. Even in death, his skills had not lessened.
He countered the raging flood of water with an intense wind-strengthened wall of fire. Hashirama placed his hand on the floor and the ground rumbled.
Hiruzen cursed as thick roots broke through the ground. A loud, gnawing sound erupted from behind him.
He quickly jumped out of the way of a falling rock.
The earth groaned and shuddered. Hiruzen was thrown back, and he could see Orochimaru and the Nidaime leaping backward to escape a collapsing pillar.
Behind Orochimaru, something moved. Something small, something familiar. Something blonde.
Naruto!
What was he doing?!
He could see the child jumping into Orochimaru's escape path. He could hear Orochimaru's frantically screeched: "Stop him!"
Now three things happened at once:
The Nidaime jumped forward, grabbed Naruto by his collar, and smashed him down with such force that Hiruzen could almost hear the impact.
The Shodai whirled around and slammed his hand down. Vines twisted around the child to keep it in place.
Orochimaru dropped the stone tablet he had been cradling almost protectively and a small splinter broke from the intricately carved seal.
For a moment there was dead silence as everyone stared at the tablet.
Then, gnashing.
Hiruzen turned his head and saw the two coffins slowly crumbling to the ground. He looked back, fully expecting the Hokage to have vanished, too, but to his surprise, they were still there.
But something else had changed.
Senju Hashirama stood. His black eyes fell on Hiruzen, wandered over the destruction towards Naruto and his brother, and finally settled on Orochimaru. The usually gentle face darkened dangerously. "Hiruzen, who is this?"
There was an uncharacteristic contempt in Hashirama's tone that made Hiruzen wince. "My ill-bred student," he answered with a great amount of guilt and walked towards the two men. His steps were heavy.
"And why," a second, very familiar voice cut in, "would a student of yours attack his own village?" Tobirama's voice sounded like sharpened steel.
"My village?" Orochimaru sneered, "I have nothing to do with this dirty, traitorous place."
"The only traitor I see," Tobirama replied coldly, "is you. Hiruzen, he is your student. Solve the problem."
"You want him to kill me?" Orochimaru snickered, "the old man is way too gentle for that. Always forgiving everything. You could cut his head off and he would forgive you if you just said, 'I am sorry.'"
"He might be," Hashirama replied evenly, "but we are not. For the sins you have committed today, you will pay your due price." His lips twisted slightly. "You can always try begging. I am very merciful. Although," his stance shifted slightly, "I do not think I will listen to you."
Hiruzen recognized the words. They were the same ones Orochimaru had given to Naruto before. But this time they were coming from the Shodai himself, and it was Orochimaru who was at the receiving end of his displeasure.
Orochimaru tried to flee, but thick branches erupted around him and wrapped tightly around him. A groan left his lips as Tobirama's hand met his neck and he slumped down, unconscious.
The three men turned towards the child.
Naruto made a sorry picture. Ripped clothes hung limply down the small body, and there was hardly any skin left that was not either torn or dark blue. Hiruzen could see a foot-sized bruise on his back.
Hashirama placed his hand on the broken floor and the vines retreated.
"Naruto? Are you alright?" Hiruzen almost winced at the absurdity of his question. Of course, the boy was not alright. But what he had meant was 'Are you still alive?'
His relief was almost tangible when the child answered with a feeble: "I'll live. But… I don't think… I can move."
Thank kami, the child lived.
Naruto heard cloth rustle next to him and he could see the tall figure of the Shodai kneeling down beside his head.
He tried to look at him, but a sharp pain pierced through him, and he groaned slightly.
"Do not move," a gentle but firm voice ordered, and Naruto felt a hand resting on his shoulder, followed by a warm green light.
There was a moment of silence before the Shodai spoke again. "His organs are undamaged, but his body has taken quite a harsh beating. There are more broken bones and torn tissues than intact ones but nothing that will cause permanent damage." An ironic smile appeared on his lips. "I suppose it was fortunate that my brother and I have excellent control over our strength."
Naruto huffed. "Please excuse me if I am not in the mood to appreciate your professionalism right now."
Twin snorts sounded above him, accompanied by an exasperated, but relieved "Naruto…"
"No," the First commented. He sounded rueful, "I suppose you wouldn't."
The green light became brighter, and Naruto suddenly felt the throbbing lessen and his limbs answered his call again.
Two hands grabbed him under his arms, supported him into a seated position, and held him upright. Naruto looked up and met the Shodai's eyes. The man smiled softly at him. It was a stark difference from the cold look he had worn before. "I have stabilized your body enough to be safely transported. Do try not to move just yet."
Naruto nodded and his gaze fell past the smiling Shodai to the tree holding Orochimaru. He frowned. "Please tell me you are not going to keep him as a tree decoration."
The men followed his gaze.
"He will be dealt with," a deep voice spoke up from behind him. The hands holding him upright switched positions and Naruto was gently lifted up.
Naruto turned his head and threw a suspicious look at the Nidaime.
The man raised an eyebrow. "What is it, child?"
"Are you sure his control is gone?" Naruto inquired nervously. "You are not going to be overcome by the sudden compulsion to throw me down, are you? I don't think my body could take that now."
"I assure you, child," the man replied dryly, "I am in complete control of my actions."
Naruto stared at him and sighed as he slumped in the man's hold. He was too tired and hurt to move. It did not stop him from being his snarky self, though. "Just for your information: That was not reassuring. At all."
The Nidaime smirked.
"Eh, jiji," Naruto continued and fixed his gaze on the man he considered his grandfather, "Can you do me a favor?"
The Third raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Naruto?"
Naruto gave him the most serious look he could muster in his current condition. "Please remind me to never borrow money from either of them. I am serious. If those two ever decide to start a crime syndicate, I'll be moving into some remote temple."
He could hear the Nidaime snort in amusement, and the Shodai's laughter rang lightly. The Third shook his head in fond exasperation.
"Naruto," he replied, and his eyes sparkled in merriment. "There is a serious problem with this plan of yours."
Naruto had no idea what he was talking about. In his eyes, his plan was completely reasonable. He frowned. "What problem?"
"You are forgetting," the Third informed him flatly, "that remote temples do not tend to offer instant ramen."
Naruto was horrified. That was not something he had considered. He sagged even further into the Second's arms, looking thoroughly defeated.
Hiruzen shook his head at Naruto's antics and turned towards his teacher. "There is something I am wondering about, though. Why have you not dissolved yet?"
"Do you honestly think that I did not take precautions against my own jutsu, Saru?" Tobirama inquired dryly.
A frown marred his face as he looked at the broken stone tablet and Hashirama bent down to gather the pieces. "He should never have been able to summon us at all. I have placed a seal on Hashirama and me to prevent this. For him to manage it, he must have had access to one of our bodies."
He threw a cold look at Orochimaru. "I shall thoroughly question him on this."
Hiruzen suppressed a shudder at the icy promise in the man's tone and focused on the only child in their midst. "Naruto. What happened while the three of us were fighting? Were you not unconscious before?"
Naruto blinked as he suddenly found himself under the intense scrutiny of the three men.
"I wasn't," he answered. "Unconscious, I mean," he added when three inquiring looks were thrown his way.
The Third frowned. "I saw you being knocked out."
"Yes," Naruto replied, "but I just pretended. It was clear from the very beginning that I had no chance at all. I was quickly running out of energy and strength. I knew I had to turn things around before I was completely taken out. That was when I remembered that coward snake wanted me taken down, but not dead. It was the only chance to end things, so I took it. "
He coughed and missed the looks the three Hokage exchanged over his head.
"Sure," Naruto continued, "I could have failed. But I knew Orochimaru thought badly of my skills. I was sure, he would happily believe that I was knocked out. I was also sure that he would completely ignore me after I was taken down because I am not good enough to be a threat."
He coughed again. "Orochimaru is arrogant and bigheaded, and that makes him vulnerable. I just had to wait for the right moment. As I thought, Orochimaru ignored me and watched your fight. That was when I saw him fingering a small stone tablet. Iruka-sensei once said, 'people tend to keep close what they want to protect most' and Orochimaru did look very protective. When I saw him leaping backward, distracted from the blast, I threw a pebble at his wrist, and he lost his hold on the tablet. You know the rest."
"Clever," the Nidaime commented. Naruto thought he actually sounded impressed." You accurately determined your opponent's vulnerability, predicted his actions, and waited for the right moment to use it against him. Not an easy feat considering the disadvantageous position you started from. It was foolish of this man to disregard you. Enemies should not be left unrestricted, no matter their apparent level of skill."
"No, they shouldn't," The Shodai agreed, "appearances can be deceiving, after all." He placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder and smiled at him. "Well done, young one. Hiruzen, you have to congratulate his family for having such a resourceful child."
To Naruto's surprise the Third chuckled. "In this case, I will have to congratulate you two then," he replied, and Naruto froze in the Nidaime's hold. "This child is after all your great-grandson, Tobirama-sensei."
His eyes widened as the Third's words hit home. "I'm what?"
"He is what?" The Nidaime's grip tightened around him.
"Yours," the Third repeated and he sounded very amused.
"I have a nephew!" Naruto winced slightly as he was suddenly hugged by a very excited Senju Hashirama. The man immediately released him and grinned sheepishly. "My apologies. I forgot you were injured."
"Well done, brother," the Nidaime commented dryly and tightened his hold around him. "We are lucky he is from my side of the family. This way he at least inherited a brain."
Naruto absently listened as the two brothers bickered with each other, and silently reveled in the fact that he had finally found his family.
A/N
Yup, I made Minato Tobirama's grandchild. :D
It was a spontaneous decision because I had a sudden craving for family fluff at the end. :P