(A/N) I don't give a star about whether the timing is off or not, screw timing and whatever. Oh, it's TheDeadGirlRisen, that was pointed out to me. Oops.
The next day proved to be interesting. Naruto, Shikamaru, Shino, and Choji showed up without any backpacks, but with bloody red seals visible on their arms. Iruka took it, a shinobi packed efficiently, and that meant using storage seals.
The class set off, the few chaperones circling about the group. Well, less chaperones and more four chuunin and a Jounin. Escorts. Normally an academy field trip would not warrant a four chuunin and a jounin as an escort, but this was a class with Naruto and many clan heirs. The roads to Uzu generally weren't very treacherous, but it never hurt to be careful. Especially with so many clan heirs.
They arrived at Uzu, and Iruka stopped them just before the gates.
"Alright, this is another village, so we need to be careful. Each of you needs to pick one or two partners to travel with, preferably of the same gender. Stay with your partner or partners until this trip is over. Yes, you will be roomed together."
Naruto watched curiously as Sasuke basically immediately joined him, Shikamaru, and Shino. "You don't mind if I join you, do you?" He asked quickly, eyeing the fangirls of the class.
Naruto shrugged and gave him a thumbs up.
"You are using us as fangirl repellant," Shino observed dryly.
"And it's working," Sasuke said, retreating farther behind Naruto's back. "They aren't coming near and trying to drag me off to be their partner. Do you want to deal with them?"
Shino pushed up his glasses with a finger. "Not particularly. Their voices tend to upset my Kikiachu." The entire class knew about them now, Sasuke had hidden behind Shino one time, and the fangirl's screeching had disturbed Shino's bugs, and they flew out in a cloud of black. Needless to say, the fangirls avoided him like he had the plague. Even if Sasuke was hiding near Shino to get away from them.
Naruto sighed, glancing at the gates to Uzu. 'Are we going to get moving?' He signed.
Shino glanced at Iruka. "Does not look like it."
"Eager to get it over with?" Shikamaru yawned.
Naruto glanced at the gates again, hands twisting into more signs. 'The ones who took care of me after the injury live here, I was hoping to see them again.'
Shikamaru yawned. "If they know you're coming, they're probably gonna meet you at the gate."
Naruto shrugged. 'They're shinobi, there's a chance that they're on a mission.'
"If they knew you were coming they would endeavor to remain in the village to see you," Shino said, agreeing with Shikamaru.
'I guess,' Naruto signed, looking towards Uzu again.
"Okay, I need all of you to line up with your partners, and I'll write them down," Iruka instructed, clipboard at the ready.
Naruto, Sasuke, Shino, and Shikamaru got to the line first, as the fangirls were squabbling right in front about who went first, and they parted for the four, led by Shino.
"I figured you four would be paired up. Alright. As it's clear no one else will be getting through, for now, Kakashi!" Iruka shouted, one of the chuunin looking up as his name was called.
"Yeah, what is it Iruka?" He asked, standing up and coming over.
"Could you take these four into the city? The others will take a while to get sorted out, and I'm sure Naruto is very eager to see the city his clan is from."
Naruto nodded emphatically to prove Iruka's point.
Kakashi eye smiled at them. "Alright, let's go you four."
He led them into Uzu, handing paperwork to the guards with an easy smile. They smiled back, checking the paperwork, and handing it back. "Have a good time in Uzu. Though, go see Semari-sama if you will, you haven't informed her of anything lately."
Kakashi nodded. "Of course." Kakashi nodded to the guard, herding the children past them and into Uzu.
The people of Uzushio were mostly red-headed, and most non-red-heads were either cuddling up to a red-head or were the child of one.
"Naruto, if you're an Uzumaki, why isn't your hair red?" Sasuke wondered, glancing around at the people surrounding them.
'I dunno, Kakashi, do you know?' Naruto asked, looking at the silver-haired jounin.
"His father's genes overpowered his mother's," Kakashi said, shrugging.
Sasuke nodded, having moved out from hiding behind Shino. There were no fangirls yet, he was safe for now. "Who's Semari?"
"She's the leader of Uzu right now. She's also Naruto's grandmother. Due to circumstances, Naruto was not permitted to live with her, and her duties as the leader of the village keep her here."
"And you tell her stuff?" Sasuke asked, glancing at the biggest building in Uzu, which they were heading right for.
"About Naruto, yes. My last report, if you will, was before Naruto's injury. I have been a bit busy since then."
'Showing me sign language,' Naruto signed, a smirk on his face.
'You aren't supposed to know that, and you know it.' Kakashi signed back.
'Know what?' Shikamaru asked, following the signing trend. 'That you were in ANBU?'
Kakashi leveled him with a stare. 'You aren't supposed to know that either.'
Shino and Sasuke were confused. The conversation was moving too fast for Shino to follow, and Sasuke just plain didn't know sign language.
"Sorry about that," Kakashi said, shooting mild glares at Shikamaru and Naruto. "Some people know more than they should."
Naruto smiled innocently at him, and Shikamaru yawned.
"We are here," Shino said blandly, staring up at the large building.
Kakashi hummed in agreement. "Alright, come with me, we're going to go talk to Naruto's grandmother!"
They walked inside, Kakashi leading the four academy students right up to the secretary. "Kakashi Hatake. Is Semari free?"
The secretary nodded. "You have thirty minutes."
Kakashi nodded and led the kids right up to the office labeled Uzushiokage.
"Whirling Tides shadow?" Sasuke asked, frowning slightly at the plaque.
"Yes. She prefers Semari though. If you're being very formal, Semari Kuru Arashi is her full first name."
"The oncoming storm," Shikamaru muttered. "Interesting name. What's her last name then? You would've said Uzumaki if it was just that."
"It's Hogo Uzu Uzumaki," Kakashi replied. "Hogo Uzu is the branch of the Uzumaki clan she's from." He pushed the door open and walked inside. Five identical heads swiveled in his direction as he entered, the four shadow clones placing whatever they'd been doing down, and disappearing in a poof of smoke.
"Kakashi!" The one that was left said, grinning widely. "It's been ages!" She was fairly pretty, crimson red hair spilling down her back, and similarly colored eyes moving over the academy students. "Those are rather small for genin. And there's too many of them."
"They aren't genin," Kakashi said. "They're academy students."
Semari tilted her head, then understanding dawned on her face. "Oh, you're escorting the academy student field trip! How wonderful!"
Kakashi nodded. "This is Shino Aburame, Shikamaru Nara, Sasuke Uchiha, and your grandson, Naruto Uzumaki." He pointed to each kid as he said their name, and when he reached the last one, Semari gasped, hands flying to her mouth.
"Aww, you look just like little Minato-kun!" She cooed, appearing in front of Naruto and hugging him tightly.
Shika left his friend to suffer for a moment before he tapped the Uzushiokage's shoulder. "You're suffocating him."
She let go immediately and blushed slightly. "Oops! Sorry about that Naruto-kun!"
Naruto waved his hands in an 'it's fine' gesture.
"I was unable to send you a report until now as I was a bit busy. Naruto here suffered an injury to his throat, and is unable to speak," Kakashi said, patting Naruto's head.
Semari got a speculative gleam in her eye. "Would Naruto be the guppy that Hihana-chan and Choryu-kun basically adopted? And the one that made them want guppies of their own?"
Naruto nodded emphatically, beginning to sign. 'They took care of me after the injury and started teaching me sign language. Hihana-kaa-chan was the one to take me to the hospital.'
"Is that so?" Semari asked, a smirk beginning to form on her face. "Well, I suppose you won't mind if I call them in, right? I think Hihana-chan is done with her appointment."
Naruto lit up, nodding excitedly. 'What kind of appointment?' He asked curiously.
"I think I'll let her tell you," Semari said mischievously, winking at her grandson.
Semari got up and tapped one of the seals coating her walls. "Here, this is Hihana-chan's seal. She has a matching one on her right shoulder, and I can use it to summon her. These seals are a big portion of why Uzu is one of the most feared villages, even if we're smaller than most."
(A/N) There'll be a lot of fuuinjutsu, although you probably realized that, this being Uzushiogakure. For my Uzumaki clan, there are 5 branches of the clan, Hogo Uzu, specializing in barrier seals and sealing stuff into other stuff, Kushina, Mito, and Naruto are all from this branch, and the Hogo Uzu branch is the one with the chakra chains kekkei genkai. The Kieru Shio branch specializes in genjutsu, do remember that everything involves seals. This branch has the least amount of chakra over all, but that really isn't saying much, and the second most chakra control. No kekkei genkai. Iyashino Shio branch is the medics, Fukuro, the Uzumaki who did Shisui's arm, is part of this branch, as are Karin and her mother, but Karin has Hogo Uzu blood from her father. They are the only ones with more chakra control than the Kieru Shio branch. They have the bite healing kekkei genaki. The Difenda no Shio branch is the taijutsu users, Choryu is part of this branch. They have the most stamina, but no kekkei genkai. The Akai Arashi branch specializes in ninjutsu, Hihana is part of this branch by birth, they have the most chakra, and no kekkei genkai. There's also the Uzuki clan, which is small, and not particularly known outside of their association with the Uzumaki clan. They specialize in Musical genjutsu. Ask me if you want to know why a clan closely related to the Uzumaki can do a form of genjutsu we only see once in the show. Or just review that you want it explained in an AN or something.
Also, it's Minato's birthday today, so happy birthday to him. Go see the poll up on my profile, vote on what you want.