Chapter 3
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever." Mahatma Gandhi
As the time drew near for the start of the new school year, Naruto received several scrolls from Jiraiya via his toads. Contained in these scrolls was apparel for school, books, ninja tools, a sealing kit and three jutsu scrolls.
Of the books he received one really caught his attention, it was written by someone referring to themselves as Tsuki no Uzumaki (Swirling tide by the moon). What was interesting about the book was that it detailed the relationship between the Senju and Uzumaki clans.
While that was interesting, what really grabbed his attention the most wasn't the contribution of the Uzumaki clan in the development of the Hidden Leaf. But that he apparently had or was from a clan and never knew. For the next two to three hours nothing else mattered as he lost himself in the pages.
When he finally came to the end of the book, the Uzumaki clan symbol stood alone on the last page. His finger traced over the design he had seen so many times without truly knowing it was a part of him.
To his amazement, it started to glow, dimly at first but then intensified until what appeared to be translucent figure stood before him.
"Greetings, Uzumaki Kushina, or perhaps you are her descendant. I am Tsuki no Uzumaki."
"What the hell!" Naruto exclaimed dropping the book and jumping to his feet. "How could he know this book would reach this Kushina person?"
However, the figure continued to speak indicating that it was a pre-recoding using the owner's chakra.
"I have used a bit of my chakra to ensure that the knowledge of our village survives and that the power of the Uzumaki remains relevant into the future."
"What is he talking about?" Naruto wondered aloud as he continued listening to the man speak.
"The situation in the village grows dire, the invaders are pressing their advantage and I cannot use too much of my chakra on this. So you must absorb my chakra, reach your hand and touch our symbol within my construct and all my knowledge will be yours."
"Wow! How the hell did he do this? That doesn't matter, there's no other Uzumaki in this village, but me so I guess I can have his knowledge for myself. Sweet!"
"Make sure to pass it onto the next generation as I have passed it onto you. I must caution you, never write it down less it falls into the hands of our enemies."
"Don't worry; if I ever get a family, I'll be sure to pass it on to them. I promise and I never go back on my word."
"This is all I have time for, I must go do my part, use this wisely, it's not a short cut to power but merely a manual. Stay safe and remember an Uzumaki never gives up, never backs down, and never goes back his word."
As his last words were spoken the Uzumaki symbol appeared just as he said it would. Reaching his hand to it, he felt the chakra pulse and then latch onto him before seeping into his body.
"Huh, funny, I don't feel different or know anything more than I did before. Maybe the old man was mistaken and he didn't really leave his knowledge."
With that Naruto packed away the book and other items from Jiraiya. It was dinner time and he needed to help Chinami set the table. Putting everything out his mind he left his room.
Only time will tell, whether or not, he received the promised knowledge from Tsuki no Uzumaki.
We enter to learn….
Bright skies greeted Naruto as he stepped out of his apartment. He had forgone his usual morning training session because of his excitement. Today was the first day attending the ninja academy and he couldn't wait to see who he'd be in class with. 'I wonder what it will be like. I hope the teachers are as least neutral towards me.'
When Naruto entered the academy that morning he had no real expectations about the quality of education he would receive or how teachers would react to his presence. However, he was determined to learn all that was being taught in order to be the best ninja possible, and then he would decide what direction he would take his career.
"Good morning class, my name is Ryoshi Kasho but you will refer to me as Ryoshi sensei. I would like to welcome all of you to the rest of your lives; as you progress through this academic year I will try my best to impart to you all the basic knowledge for your advancement. Several subject matters will be cover ranging from math, geography, history, science, chakra control, physical conditioning, and weaponry; you will be expected to also study and train in your own time in order to keep up."
"Before we go any further, I'll be calling the register please answer in the affirmative when you hear your name. Aburame Shino, here sensei…and finally Yamanaka Ino, here sensei."
"Today we will be reviewing the founding of the Hidden Leave Village and by extending the Senju and Uchiha clans. Please turn in your books to chapter one." He allows time for students to complete the task. "You will also be expected to familiarize yourself with the other chapters and come prepared to discuss in class."
"Let us begin."
During the lecture, Naruto tried his best to pay attention but the class was boring and besides Jiraiya and Chinami already taught him this.
"….and that concludes that chapter, any questions?"
Naruto raised his hand and waited to be acknowledged.
"Yes Uzumaki, what seems to be the problem?"
"Sensei, you said that there were two clans involved in setting up the village, but weren't there actually three?"
"Really and who might the third one be?"
"The Uzumaki clan sensei." He said as a matter of fact.
"Well Uzumaki you are mistaken, our history books only recorded two clans." At this point, the other students started to snicker at him.
"Then explain why it is that the Leaf symbol includes a part of the Village Hidden in the Whirlpools logo and why both chunin and Jonin uniforms bear the Uzumaki clan symbol."
Before their sensei can respond, Shikamaru whispers to Naruto. "Must you be such a troublesome blonde Naruto?" Sighing like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, he then asked his next question louder. "How is it you know this when it's not stated in our textbooks?"
"I found a book on the subject; it detailed the relationship between the Senju and Uzumaki clans, their contribution to the village, and about Hashirama Senju's marriage to Mito Uzumaki." "But you don't have to take my word for it; we can always ask the Hokage."
All eyes turned to their sensei to see his reaction and hear what action he would take.
"I will make a request to the Hokage and let you know what he says," was his response before putting an end to the issue, "in the meantime it's time for math class to start then we'll have lunch."
As soon as their sensei announced lunch Naruto leaped from his seat and made his way to Hinata wanting to catch up with her.
"Hey Hinata-chan," Naruto greeted her excitedly, "good to see you again after such a long time."
Smiling back at him, Hinata responded in kind. "Yes, it's good to see you as well Naruto-kun."
"Isn't it great we're in the same class?"
"Yes, it is."
"We should have lunch together that way we can continue to catch-up while we eat."
"I'd like that."
Elsewhere in the village, Chinami was busy doing what she does best, gathering information for Jiraiya on different factions in the village. This is in hopes of discovering the source behind the humours surrounding the Uchiha's connection to the Kyuubi attack. Fearing a worst-case scenario, she's been keeping Jiraiya abreast of the situation. Today she has gained information indicating that she had been right to be concerned, tonight she would pen Jiraiya a note.
Back at the academy, lunch was now over. The students were just beginning their geography class to be followed by going out into the training grounds for physical conditioning and chakra control exercises. Afterward homework was given and they were dismissed for the day.
"Bye Hinata-chan, see you tomorrow okay," Naruto shouted as he rushed out.
"Bye Naruto-kun, see you tomorrow as well." Hinata waved as Neji approached from the left side of the building, he was her escort home.
After leaving school, Naruto headed straight home to change his clothing, pick up a snack, some water and head on out to his usual training ground. He still had several hours of light before he had to return for dinner. Today he was going to check on his garden since he didn't get it done that morning. Then he would get in some weapons training, taijutsu, and finish off with meditation to help control his chakra.
Returning home he called out as was his custom.
"I'm home."
"Welcome home Naruto-chan." Chinami responded, exiting the kitchen while wiping her hands in a towel. "How was your first day at the academy?"
"It was okay I guess considering I already know the material we're covering. The great part is that I'm in class with Hinata-chan. I haven't seen her in so long it was great to catch up."
"That's good to hear, dinner will be ready in a few." She stated returning to the kitchen. "Do you have homework?"
"Yes I do, however, it's due the day after tomorrow."
"Still, better get it done while the information is still fresh in your mind."
"Alright, I'll get it done after dinner." He reassured.
Shortly after dinner she sat down and wrote her report and had her summons deliver it to Jiraiya.
On the third day of the week, Naruto decided that he would introduce Hinata to Shino and his other friends.
It was lunch time and as usual, he and Hinata were having lunch together when he brought up the subject.
"Hey Hinata-chan, I want to introduce you to a friend of mine."
"Okay Naruto-kun I'd really like that."
"Great lets go, he's over by the lunch shack." He grabbed her hand and took off.
"Hey Shino, how's it going?"
"I'm good Naruto."
"Great! I'd like you to meet my first friend ever. Shino this is Hinata, Hinata meet Shino."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Shino-kun"
"The pleasure is mine as well Hinata-chan."
"Good now for the final introductions. Both of you come with me please."
Under the large tree in the yard sat the three boys Naruto was planning to introduce both Hinata and Shino to.
"Hey guys!"
"Hey, Naruto!" Chorused the boys.
"Who have you got there with you?" Kiba inquired.
"This is Hinata-chan and Shino; they are my friends as well." He replied grinning madly.
"Well I'm Shikamaru, that's Choji and those two are Kiba and Akamaru; pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Please to meet you all." Offered Hinata, politely bowing her head.
"The pleasure is mine as well." Replied Shino, also inclining his head towards the other boys.
"Alright, now that we've all been introduced, let's all be friends and have lunch together every day okay. Maybe we can even train together sometimes." Naruto stated excitedly.
"Yes let's be." Agreed Choji and everyone nodded in the affirmative.
For the next few weeks Naruto tried his best to get used to his new life at the academy. He particularly enjoyed science, math, geography, and weaponry.
It took three weeks from the day of the request before the Hokage was able to not just respond to the request but put in an appearance. The students were extremely excited to have him visit them and explain what the books seemingly omitted.
"Good morning students."
"Good morning Hokage-sama." they chorused.
"Ah, I hope you are all taking in your lessons. Now I understand that young Naruto raised questions of why the Uzumaki clan was not mentioned in the history books for the contribution to the village."
"Well to be honest it's most likely an oversight but let me assure that yes, the Uzumaki clan did assist the Hidden Leaf in the early stages of its development. The seals that protect our village and allow us to detect foreign chakra was a gift from them among other things."
"Also because they were distant relatives to the Senju clan, an alliance was formed and they did come to our aide in the first great shinobi war."
"However, we were unable to return the favour when they needed it most. Sometime around the end of the second war and leading up to the third, three of the great nations and a few small ones banded together and destroyed them for several reasons. 1. Because they were our allies, they believed removing them would make it easier to take us down, and 2. The other nations feared their fuinjutsu and others wanted it for themselves. Fuinjutsu to an Uzumaki was what lightning is to thunder.
The red swirl you see on our uniforms is there in remembrance of them and to remind us of what we lost.
While he spoke he could feel Naruto's gaze burning into him but he refused to make eye contact afraid of what he might see there. He still recalls the many times the boy had asked about his family and how he had simply said he didn't know anything about them. Well it seemed that Naruto had one-upped him by getting him to come give this talk on his clan.
Sasuke raised his hand and waited for the Hokage to acknowledge him.
"Yes, Sasuke-chan, what is your question?"
"How strong was this clan for if it took so many nations to destroy it?
That's a good question, my boy. The Uzumaki clan consisted of around two hundred to three hundred members at the time but there were other small non shinobi and shinobi clans as well as civilians living in the Village Hidden in the Whirlpools.
The clan was known to have immeasurable chakra capacity and could use fuinjutsu in combat. So imagine being able to perform high level jutsus one after the other without it affecting you and you'll get the picture.
It was rumoured that the combined efforts of the attacking force numbered around fifty thousand or more. However, it took them almost a week to defeat the Uzumaki clan and it cost them dearly. At the end, there were only around five thousand remaining. It's also believed that some of the Uzumaki clan members and others survived the onslaught and have scattered throughout the elemental nations."
Amazement could be seen on the faces of the students
This time it was Naruto who raised his hand, but he didn't wait to be acknowledged.
"Hokage-sama, if as you said Hidden Leaf was allied to the Uzumaki clan, then how come they didn't just move here?"
"That my boy I am afraid I cannot answer." This, however, did not deter him from asking more questions.
"But were there Uzumakis that lived here before the destruction of the clan besides Mito Uzumaki?" Anticipation shone clearly in his eyes at what the answer might be.
The Hokage was stumped; clearly, he couldn't just say he didn't know. 'When did Naruto-chan get so smart?' He wondered to himself. Sighing he resigned himself to answer truthfully.
"Yes, there was one other female but she died during the Kyuubi attack."
Still afraid to look the boy in the eye, but knowing if he didn't end things now there might be more questions that he just couldn't answer.
Meanwhile, Naruto was trembling with quiet rage, disbelieve clear in his eyes this time around. He was having a hard time reconciling the kind old man he met in the forest and the Hokage who seemed to have no problems lying to his face. 'All along he knew who my mother or father was and he lied to my face over and over.' Naruto thought to himself not realizing that he was trembling outwardly.
"I'm afraid that's all the time I have with you today, I am the Hokage after all and must attend to my duties." With that he bid the class farewell and exited the room.
It was the third month of the academic year and they were finally going to discuss the events of the Kyuubi's attack on the village. All were expected to read the chapters ahead of that particular history class so they could have a vibrant discussion on the topic.
Naruto listened with rap attention, but the more he digested what was being said the more inconsistencies he found. but all he could do, was bide his time until their sensei finish so he could ask his questions.
"And that concludes our lesson on the Kyuuibi's attack; anyone has a question or need clarification on anything?"
"Sensei."
"Yes Uzumaki."
"I have a few questions concerning the lesson."
"What would they be Uzumaki?"
"Well, there are some things I don't quite understand about its attack on the village, sir."
"And what would that be Uzumaki?"
"Well according to your lecture and from what the textbook says, the Kyuubi was taller than even the mountains surrounding the village, its tails even smashed them. Also, it is said that its chakra was incredibly dense and foul that it could be felt as far as Lightning Village."
"Get to your point Uzumaki, we don't have all day to entertain you."
"I guess what I wanted to know was:
Why was everyone caught so off guard by its arrival, shouldn't the sensory ninjas have detected its chakra long before it got here, and what about those who patrol the wall surely they would have seen it from miles away? There are also the ninjas stationed at the village's outposts, why didn't they send a message to warn the village?"
Another aspect that doesn't make a lot of sense is; if a threat that big was approaching the village why didn't the Hokage engage it outside the village instead of waiting until it entered and reeked incomprehensive damage resulting in massive casualties?"
"Finally, how did the Fourth Hokage destroy the Kyuubi, if its entire being is made of chakra?"
"Do you doubt Lord Fourth's abilities and immense power Uzumaki?"
"I do not doubt he was as powerful as was said sir, but facts are facts. We were taught that chakra cannot be destroyed only dispersed or sealed. Therefore, how was it possible for him to…"
Before Naruto could finish, Shikamaru raised his hand and waited to be acknowledged.
Glad for the reprieve, Ryoshi sensei quickly acknowledged him. "Yes Shikamaru, you have something to add?
"Yes, sensei."
"It's quite troublesome to be kept from my nap, but I have to agree with Naruto's assessment of the Kyuubi's attack. There's no way it should have gotten the drop on us."
Shino as well raised his hand as well wanting to add his views.
"Sensei."
"Yes, Shino."
"It is a logical conclusion that Uzumaki-san has arrived at, why you may ask, because if what is stated about the Kyuubi's destruction is truth, then our lesson on chakra is faulty and needs to be revised"
It was after this class that Ryoshi sensei put in for a request to be transferred to another class. He sighted emotional stress as his main reason for needing to be reassigned. The next week Iruka Umino was appointed as the new sensei.
Chinami was at a loss, she knew something big was being planned by several fractions and it just kept on eluding her. She got to the point where she's had to use her summons to help gather information. 'This is crazy, there's a reason for the tension around the village, if only I could figure out what's causing it." She was brought out of her thoughts when the telltale sound of her summons returning to her. The information, however, was far dire than she could ever have imagined.
'This is not good; I must inform Master Jiraiya about these developments. A coup d'état! Damn it what the hell are they thinking, this would certainly destroy the village.' Her mind was spinning at the implications, this just couldn't be happening.
That night they had just finished dinner, cleaned the kitchen and Naruto having finished his homework, retired to his room for the night. Chinami sat at the table to pen another message to Jiraiya, this one was sure to have him returning.
Dear Jiraiya,
How are you my friend, hope all is well with you. Things here are fine for the moment cannot speak to later. My little pet keeps growing stronger by the day.
I trust business is thriving.
Remember the fan makers? Apparently they have become much more disgruntled since last we spoke. The villagers have gotten bolder with the accusations against them for bringing unwanted trouble on the village. I hear they plan to retaliate real soon perhaps in a matter of a week. However, such action would only bring about severe unrest.
Also that hawk with the broken wing, he has recovered his strength and has started hunting again within the village. Rumour has it that he has acquired a taste for eyeballs.
It would also seem that the monkey has really grown old and tired. He may not be able to sustain his rule of the trees for much longer without assistance sooner rather than later as first thought.
Oh, please remember to acquire the medicinal herbs for my garden on your return journey, I wouldn't want to be lacking in case the slug princess decided to grace our presence unexpectedly.
On a final note, do remember your promise to teach a skill to our little friend, he has grown impatient for your return. It grows later and I must retire for the night.
Take care until we meet.
Chinami
Rolling up the scroll she sealed it and then performed a summoning jutsu. A black and white ferret appeared before her to which she handed the scroll and asked him to deliver to Master Jiraiya. That being done she retired for the night.
The plot thickens….
It took almost two days for the summons to locate Jiraiya and deliver the message. Upon reading, a grim look came over his face and he immediately started to pack his belongings. 'How the hell did the situation become so bad in the village when the old man keeps on assuring me everything is fine and I'm not needed back.' These and other thoughts occupied his mind as he summoned a toad to get him to his destination without delay. 'If anything, bad happens to Naruto, I swear to the great toad sage, I will raze that place to the ground.'
It was midnight when he arrived at the village walls, releasing his summon, he masked his presence before he entered. Instead of seeking out Chinami, he instead made his way to the home of a certain ANBU captain hoping to get some inside information.
Jiraiya entered the building having bypassed the security seals without setting them off. He knocked on the apartment door in three rapid taps and waited to be let in.
Hearing the knocks and knowing who it was, Kakashi opened the door but before he could invite him in, Jiraiya simply pushed him back and entered. "I'd say sorry to disturb your beauty sleep, but there's no time for pleasantries."
"Hello to you too Jairaya-sama, do come on in." Kakashi greeted, sarcasm dripping thickly from his lips.
Jiraiya gave him a look that told him to cut the crap. "Look kid, I'm here on strictly business.
"What can you tell me about the tension around the Uchihas as it relates to the Kyuubi attack?"
"Not much actually, things have been tight-lipped on that subject from the top, but I know there have been a few highly secured meetings taking place between the Hokage and his advisors."
"This is not good; I was hoping you knew something more." "What about someone in the clan that you might be close to and trust?
"There is the heir to the clan, Itachi, he was my subordinate at one time, but he's now a captain as well."
"That's great, here's what I want you to do, find him now and both of you meet me at the back of the Hokage's monument in about two hours. I have someone to see before then."
Not waiting on Kakashi to agree to his request, Jiraiya disappeared in a Shunshin and reappeared just inside Naruto's apartment. Knocking at Chinami's bedroom door in two rapid taps he spoke in hushed tone. "Meet me at the back of Hokage monument in an hour and a half." He then left the apartment the way he came.
In no time she exited the room fully dressed and awake knowing that once her master was on a mission there was no delay to his actions. Gathering the documents she would need for the meeting, she stopped to pen a note to Naruto for his to fix his breakfast and lunch knowing there no way she'd be back before he left.
Making a shadow clone to help him mark out the privacy seals needed to protect them from the spies he knew were always active, he got to work knowing he only had a short time. Meanwhile, at the Anbu barracks Kakashi had already located Itachi and informed the boy of Jiraiya's request to meet with him.
Twenty minutes before the time, all parties arrived and Jiraiya activated the seals, blocking out all unwanted spectators.
"Good, we're all here." Jiraiya spoke up; getting the attention of the others.
"The reason for this meeting is simple; I want to know what the hell is happening with the Uchihas." As he said this, he notices Itachi tense but paid him no mind.
The first to speak was Chinami. "From what I've gathered, it all started after the Kyuubi attack. Someone has maliciously started rumours of the clan's possible involvement. Though there is no concrete evidence to suggest it is true, it has not stopped villagers from repeating it within the hearing of clan members. However, the clan has, for the most part, ignored the rumours as just that, but recently it would seem that efforts have been ramped up to further antagonize the clan."
"Now it got me curious as to who would benefit from such a move and it wasn't until two weeks ago that I got the answer. It seemed that a branch of Anbu called Ne (Root) have been placing villagers under genjutsu, which makes them act out specifically against the authority of the police force. But this is only one part, digging deeper I uncovered a conspiracy geared toward the annihilation of the clan."
"I am not sure if young Itachi here has noticed that a few of his clan members have gone missing over the weeks and months. It would appear that someone in the high echelon of government has been assigning them missions from which they never return. However, a check with the missions office shows no record of any such mission having been given or even exiting."
"What are you saying?" This time it was Kakashi asking the question as dread slowly settle on the pit of his stomach.
"Don't be daft brat, she is clearly stating that someone is not only targeting the Uchihas, but making them disappear," Jiraiya replied upset that Kakashi had interrupted Chinami's reporting.
Ignoring the interruption she continued. "This, of course, led me to dig even further into what might be happening. I decided that the best course of action would be to have my summons trail the Anbu involved, this led to the discovery of an underground facility run by a man in bandages with one eye. There are apparently numerous unregistered ninjas that answer to him and he's been using them to usurp power from the Hokage."
"If what you say is true, why haven't you reported it to the Hokage? Itachi inquired speaking up for the first time since arriving.
"Because she doesn't answer to him, she answers to me." A fire in his eyes and his voice full of authority, just begging the Uchiha brat to question him. "As the spymaster of this village and a sannin, I have more authority than you can imagine." He watched both Kakashi and Itachi; just dare any of them to challenge his declaration. "Chinami, the man's name is Danzo, now please continue your report."
"Two months after I started my investigations something very strange happened. My summons reported that a small white snake continuously made its entrance and exit from the same hole in the wall and was picked up by a white hair boy wearing glasses. This boy would then meet with this Danzo guy to deliver messages."
"Do you have a sketch of the boy by chance?" Jiraiya inquired already knowing whose spy the boy was.
Producing the requested sketch required from her, Chinami gave the last of her report. "One last thing, this Danzo, he's stronger than he looks. There's a power to him that can only be felt on his right side, almost like that part was added on to him."
"A job well done as usual Chinami."
"Thank you, master Jiraiya."
"Now young man, do you want to enlighten us on what's happening inside your clan?"
Hesitating but for a moment, Itachi took a deep breath and then slowly released it before answering. "My clan is planning a coup d'état." He stated frankly. "Myself along with Shisui has already informed the Hokage and have been giving regulate updates to him and the council members."
"Was Danzo present at these meets?" This time it was Chinami asking the question.
"Yes, he is at all of the meetings."
"What sort of information have you given to them about the clan?"
"For starters we told them about the stockpile of weapons the clan has accumulated, but last meeting Shisui mentioned what his mangekyou Sharingan could do. He then suggested using it to stop the coup to buy the Hokage time to come up with a permanent solution."
"Let me guess," Jiraiya inserted, "Danzo didn't agree and instead suggested total annihilation of the entire clan, even though there are innocent women and children in it. Am I right?"
"Yes, he said there was no guarantee this would hold and we could still be facing a civil war."
"Typical war hawk mentality, why Hiruzen sensei continues to turn a blind eye to his dealings I will never know."
"So what do we do now?"
"First, I need to meet with this Shisui, you will go fetch him and bring him here now." Itachi nodded to Jiraiya, then he disappeared in a Shunshin.
"Knowing how Danzo thinks, we have very little time before he takes matters into his own hands. That boy may very well be in danger as we speak. Besides I need to pay sensei a visit to gear where his head is at concerning this whole ordeal."
Turning to Kakashi he asked him to go assemble a team of ANBU he could trust explicitly.
"Chinami, I need you at the ready. We're about to wring the neck of a hawk and silence a few detractors. Chose your mission wisely, now go prepare yourself for tonight."
Arriving at the Hokages residence Jiraiya decided to make breakfast knowing that his sensei was an early riser. He didn't have to wait long to be graced with his presence.
"What do I own this pleasure Jiraiya-kun; I did not know you were returning to the village so soon."
"Who says I have." Came Jiraiya's rebut, seemingly stalling for time. "Besides I was hungry and this place always has good ingredients for making my favourite food."
"You always were a terrible liar." His sensei chuckled but got his student's attention with the activation of the privacy seal. "You may speak freely my student."
"The Uchihas." Jiraiya said as he placed a plate before his sensei then taking a seat with his own plate.
"It always amazes me how you can switch from that idiotic persona of yours to being so serious." Releasing a sigh he spoke to the matter at hand. "To answer you, I'm afraid it's not good, from the reports received they are planning a coup d'état and nothing I've tried so far has worked."
"So what, you've given up and left it in Danzo's hands? "You know, his anything to protect the village mentality. Problem is he does not care whether there are innocents involved."
"Nothing has been decided, we are still weighing our options."
"That might be so for you, but not Danzo. He and his root will move on the Uchihas whether you consent or not." Pushing away from the table he placed his plate in the sink. "The question is what will you do if he does?"
"What will you have me do Jiraiya-kun? You know very well the political backlash that will befall me if I move against him without concrete evidence of his crimes."
"Be that as it may, all I need from you right now is for you to issue two separate S-class missions to a few ninjas; I need them gone from the village immediately."
"Who are these ninjas you speak of?" Hiruzen inquired of this student, not sure if he could honour the request.
"One for Itachi and Shisui Uchiha, and another to Kakashi Hatake and a few of his Anbu friends, no details necessary they will get those from me."
"Do I want to know why you want them gone?"
"Do you trust me sensei, or have I not earned that from you like Orochimau once did?"
"Of course I trust you my boy, you never would have step foot in here if I didn't."
"Good then issue those missions immediately and we will talk later." Satisfied that his request would be honoured, he dispersed himself proving to his sensei that he indeed wasn't really there to begin with.
Meanwhile back at the location with the original Jiraiya, Itachi arrived with Shisui in tow along with Kakashi and his Ro Anbu team.
"Good you're all here, now listen up. You are all to report to the Hokage's office where you will be assigned missions, S-class to be precise. You are to leave immediately upon receiving them; speak to no one about your departure. Once outside it will be up to you how to keep yourselves hidden until tonight when you return.
"Any questions before I continue?" No one spoke and so he continued.
"Now Kakashi, as team leader, you will be tasked with the removal of the hawk from his nest. His state of well being is up to you, but my preference would be dead. Be mindful of his 'eyas' (baby hawks), their claws are just as sharp."
Kakashi stopped him to make an inquiry. "Will you be joining us or should we expect your subordinate instead?"
"Chinami will most likely accompany you; she has a particular set of skills that will be beneficial to you in this situation, please utilize them wisely."
"As for you two, we will be the second team. Our task will be an extraction. For that to happen we need all the parties to be in the same place at the same time."
"That won't be a problem, there is a special meeting being held tonight to finalize plans." Shusui spoke for the first time since his arrival. "Once they enter the building the doors are sealed to ensure secrecy."
"Is it a standalone building that they're using for the meeting?"
Itachi and Shusui looked at each other in confusion before nodding their heads in the affirmative. This only caused Jiraiya to grin like a Cheshire cat.
"Alright you're all dismissed." With that Jiraiya was left alone in the clearing. He had much to do before the rendezvous tonight.
Back at the apartment an alarm blazed in the quietness for a long time before eventually being silenced. It was four thirty am and time for a certain blonde brat to start his morning routine.
"I never took you for a lazy brat." A voice boomed just outside his bedroom door. The grumpiness suddenly vanished once he recognized who it was.
Counting down the seconds till the door opened and he was tackle, Jiraiya didn't have to wait long. He got to five and a yellow blur rocketed into him.
"You're here, why didn't anyone tell me you were coming home?" Though his voice was muffled, it wasn't hard to understand what he was saying.
"Well if we told you, it wouldn't be a surprise now would it and besides, I'm only here for a few days and I'm working most of it."
Hurrying on before the pout on the boys face made him die from cuteness overload, he hoped what he said next would pacify him.
"However, I thought since I'm free this morning, maybe we could do some training together before you go to the academy."
"Yes! You're awesome."
"Oh, I know I am." Before he finished his declaration, Naruto had disappeared back into his bedroom to change before returning.
"I'm ready, let's go."
"Oi, not so fast brat, there's a note on the table for you from Chinami."
"What does it say?
"What, you don't read?" Jirairay responded sarcastically. "Anyway, it says she's gone out and won't be back until late so you have to fix your breakfast and lunch."
"Okay, I can do that when I get back."
Arriving at the grounds, Naruto started his warm-up routine. Jiraiya watched in amusement as the boy vibrated with more energy than anyone had a right to at this time of the morning.
Half an hour later he was finished; ready for whatever Jiraiya had in store for him.
"Hey Naruto, notice anything different around here." Looking around Naruto's eyes landed on the new training dummies that had been set up for practice.
"Thank you very much for those, it's much appreciated."
"You are welcome brat. Now have you learned any of the jutsu I sent you?"
"I've started practicing and have memorized the seals for the water ones already. I'm now working on memorizing the seals for the three lightning then I'll do the wind."
"That's good, let's get in some taijutsu and then we'll work on the water ones."
For the next half an hour they engaged in an intense battle of kicking, punching, blocking, and dodging.
"Alright that's enough; let's see how you do with the water jutsus."
"Okay, I'll start with the wild water wave, dragon, tiger, and hare." A torrent of water came out his mouth, but there was hardly any force behind it. He then attempted the other two; one being water prison jutsu and the other waterfall basin jutsu.
"Not bad, just keep practicing and you'll get them or you can have Chinami assist you where necessary."
"Now, half an hour meditation and we need to get back, you still have to make breakfast and lunch so you can get to school early.
Back at the apartment, Naruto rushed to the bathroom for a shower while Jiraiya entered the kitchen to start cooking. Finishing with his shower, he quickly dressed and joined Jiraiya in the kitchen.
"What are you making?"
"I'm making some rice, fish, and pancakes."
"Okay, I'll boil eggs and sauté some vegetables to add to that. I think I'll also make some takoyaki as well, those are easy to do."
"Well hurry up, you need to eat before you leave. Chinami would skin me alive if you didn't."
Finished with their cooking, both sat down to eat, once done Naruto pack his bento box, gathered his books, and left for the academy.
Alone in the apartment Jiraiya summoned a messenger toad and gave it a message to take back to Fukasaku. Then he sat down to work on some seals he would need for the upcoming mission.
At school, Naruto was having a difficult time adjusting to his new sensei because he was of the opinion that the man was silently judging him for something unknown.
For Iruka Umino, it was proving much more difficult than he imagine being the sensei of the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki. While the boy did his work and never caused problems in class, it was still hard not to think of his parent's death when he looked at him.
The hours flew by faster than anyone realized and before they knew it, the school day was finished. There was homework as usual, but this time around they had to do a presentation on a past ninja they wished they had met.
On returning home he called out.
"I'm home!"
"Yes, brat we can see and hear you just fine."
Looking up at Jiraiya he gave him a huge smile, clearly he was happy that the man was still around and was greeting him upon returning home.
"I'm glad you still here, I need you help with my project."
"You have a project you want my help with?" They were now sitting across from one another at the dining table.
"Yeah, we have to name someone we would have liked to meet and say why."
"So who did you choose? Wait don't answer let me guess, Lord Fourth."
"Nah, as great as he was, it's not him."
"Really, not him?
"Yes, really not him." Sarcasm clearly in his voice
"Then who is it?"
"Hatake Sakumo."
"Well now, you sure know how to pick them."
"He just sounds like a really cool guy and what he did was great. I just don't understand why the villagers turned against him that way."
"Well, people can be ignorant at times and sometimes they can become hostile if their way of life is threatened. They will also lash out at anyone if it will make them feel better."
"So, did you know him?"
"Did I know him?" "Of course, I did, he was one of my very best friends, but sadly, I was away from the village at the time things went down."
Looking across at Naruto he realized that he had his rapt attention. So he began the tale of Konoha's white fang. At the end of the tale, one question played on Jiraiya's mind that he just had to ask.
"So, why him of all people?"
"Because, like me he knows what it's like to be discriminated against, even when he did the right thing they still hated him."
"Well, I think you've made an excellent choice."
"Thanks, Raiya."
"Are you two finished with your bonding session?" Chinami called out. "Because the dinner, will not place itself on the table."
"You heard the lady, let's bring in the food." Naruto said grinning at Jiraiya's affront expression. "Besides I'm starving."
With dinner done and dishes washed, Naruto retreated to his room to tackle his homework and project. That left Jiraiya and Chinami the privacy needed to finalise plans for their upcoming mission.
"Have you decided which mission team you'll be assisting?"
"Yes, I'll accompany Hatake-san to the hawk's nest."
"Good, because I've already told him you will assist them. Be extra careful down there tonight, the old hawk is not to be underestimated."
"I think I'll turn in and get some rest."
"Yes, I'll do the same as well."
In a small town not too far from the village, Kakashi and his team was busy finalizing their plan on how to take down the Danzo. They also needed to decide how to incorporate Chinami into the dynamics of the team.
Meanwhile, Itachi and Shisui were holed up in the Uchiha barrack with the weapons, trying to decide the best course of action, for getting Jiraiya onto the compound without raising too much suspicion. Also they decided they would seal up all the weapons in order to secure and to keep any other Uchiha from discovering them should they need to use the facilities in the future.
It was a quarter to midnight, Jiraiya and Chinami were in the training ground awaiting the arrival of the others. 'This is it, there's no turning back.' Thought Chinami as she tripled checked her equipment. 'Sensei, I hope you appreciate the things I do for this village, for you.' This was Jiraiya's thought as the others finally arrived.
"Are you ready for this Kakashi? A nod was his only answer. "Great, Chinami brief them on your skills so they can assign your task."
"Itachi, Shisui, has the meeting started?"
"Yes, it has." Itachi responded.
"Good, I'll need one or both of you to cast a genjutsu on everyone else to keep them blissfully unaware of our activities. Let's go"
"What exactly do you plan to do?" Shusui inquired of him.
"Nothing much, we're just going to make a building disappear that's all."
Itachi and Shisui looked at each other in silence communication before shaking their heads and following after the toad sage.
Arriving at the compound the two Uchihas set about casting a double-layered genjutsu required of them. Jiraiya on the other hand had created a clone and was opening a large scroll with a complex sealing matrix, then indicated to them to produce a shadow clone each.
"Alright, for this to work we will need to sync our chakra together before applying it to the seal, once that has happens we will then hold the scroll above the building while channeling more chakra so the seal can do its job."
"After this, then what?"
"Once the building is fully stored into the scroll, we will go and back up the other team.
"What will happen to them?" Asked Shisui, curious about the fate of his clanmates.
"When all is said and done, we will release them in a secluded location so the Hokage can make a decision on their fates. Left to me, I'd send them to a high-security prison in Fire Country or to Hozuki Castle if they refuse to see the era of their ways."
"I think that is more than fair. It will also give us a chance to address the clan peacefully." Itachi stated.
An hour later and the task completed, the three men left the way they came with no one the wiser. Making their way to the underground bunker of the root organization, they were met with chaos in the hallway as young boys and girls scampered to safety trying to avoid the dueling ninjas.
Earlier, Chinami had done as Jiraiya asked and briefed Team Kakashi about her skills, a family jutsu that allowed for her to walk through walls. Once they arrived at the entrance to the foundation hideout, they knocked out the guards and used them to unlock the door. Moving quickly through the hallways Team Kakashi was able to dispatch the ninjas they came in contact with since they had the element of surprise in their favour. Chinami was charged with finding the filing room and securing the documents, once they were able to coax the information out of one of the occupants.
Jiraiya moved through quickly to get to where Kakashi was, signaling him to follow they made their way to Danzo's location. Arriving they found the man in question waiting for them with his top guards surrounding him. However, before entering Jiraiya camouflaged himself.
"What is the meaning of this intrusion?" Asked Danzo, irritation evident in his voice.
"Danzo Shimura, by the authority of the Hokage, you are to surrender." Inu/Kakashi informed the war hawk.
"What are the charges?" Danzo inquired, trying to give the impression of calm.
"Treason among other high crimes." Replied Inu/Kakashi
"Nonsense, everything I've done has been for the good of this village." Danzo barked at ingrate.
"No Danzo, everything you've done is for your own benefit and no one else." This time it was Jiraiya who spoke up, dropping his camouflage jutsu. By this time though, two more Anbu had joined them.
"Jiraiya? I seem to have missed your return to the village."
"That is of no concern to you, now surrender or we take you by force. "
"Then come, take me if you can."
With that said pandemonium erupted within the building, weapons clashed in melee combat and jutsus were hurled back and forth. However, what no one expected, it was for Jiraiya to summon one of his battle toads into the middle of the chaos. Once Gamaken materialized, he quickly set out neutralizing the Aburame in the midst while Jiraiya handled the Yamanaka using fuinjutsu.
Making short work of Danzo's men, both Kakashi and Jiraiya turned their attention to the man of the hour.
"Enough is enough, Danzo you have no one but yourself to blame for this situation."
"I will never let you take me alive." Before they could respond to his declaration, Jiraiya yelled for everyone to run while grabbing the Yamanaka as he realized what Danzo meant. The coward that he was, he activated a seal with the intention of not only taking out himself but everyone within immediate range of the explosion.
"Well, that was anticlimactic." Said one of the Anbu, voicing what was clearly everyone's thought.
"There's a reason Danzo was never made Hokage." Jiraiya spoke up giving everyone something to think about. "Ok, we still have to round up the remaining root members."
"What are we going to do with them?" asked Kakashi, not that he really cared what became of them.
"Take them to T&I, they'll know what to do."
"Alright, you have your orders, move out," Kakashi ordered his team.
Hours later, everything of note and everyone had left the bunker and Jiraiya made his way to talk with the Hokage.
Entering the office, he was met with a rather serious Hokage. "What did you do Jiraiya?"
"I did something, everything, and nothing that didn't need doing."
"Don't play games; I felt the tremor from an explosion."
"Well if you must know, I dug up the rotting roots, however, the main root activated its defence mechanism in hopes of taking us with itself."
"Do you have any idea, the political backlash this will cause?"
"Have more faith than that sensei, we liberated his files, just go through them and find the evidence needed before informing anyone of his demise."
"You make it sound so easy."
Before Jiraiya could respond, a knock was heard at the office door. Opening it to reveal Chinami and Kakashi, impatient written all over their face.
"Is something the matter?" Jiraiya inquired of the two.
"Depends on how you look at it." Responded Kakashi in a joking manner before cutting himself off when Chinami elbowed him in the arm.
Speak up for the first time, Chinami proceeded to give a preliminary report of her finds. "We've briefly scanned through the documents taken from Danzo; you are not going to believe the things this man had his hands in. More importantly is how he plotted against the Uchihas to remove them so that he could acquire their dojutsu."
"What do you mean?" Disbelieve evident in the Hokage's voice as he spoke. Seeing the look on their faces he motioned for her to continue.
"Danzo knew that the Uchiha's were not only present during the Kyuubi attack, but were the ones guiding the civilians to safety. He had his followers keeping tabs on everyone."
"If you're wondering if he was assisting then the answer is no. He never left his underground bunker and his root never helped out either. According to him, he needed to stay safe so that he could take up the role of Hokage should the blonde fool give his life in service to the village."
"Also, from one particular file he kept, it would appear he was having enhancement done to himself with cells taken from a H.S. This was apparently to allow him to effectively wield the Sharingan so that he could control the weapon of the village."
At this the Hokage paled, his eyes widening abnormally and his heart beating so hard he was sure the other occupants heard it.
"There's a lot more, but we need time to sort through it all." Explained Chinami seeing the Hokage's reaction to what has been said so far.
"You have my permission to do so, and I'll assign it as an S-class mission to the three of you, submit a report on your findings at the end."
'Now Jiraiya, what of the Uchiha clan?"
The morning sun rose over the village waking the remaining villagers still clinging to the last of their peaceful sleep. For one little blonde boy, light just meant he needed to bring his morning routine to an end.
As is his custom, he called out to announce his arrival.
"I'm back." His voice echoed in the silent apartment.
"Yes, we heard you brat, must you wake the dead as well."
"Funny, but its morning;" Naruto fired back. "Why are you even still sleeping?"
"Some of us worked the midnight shift while you got your beauty sleep; not that it does you any good." Jiraiya snarked.
"I heard that you know." Retorted Naruto.
"You were meant too." Came Jiraiya's response.
"Hah, you're so funny."
"I know right."
"No, not really."
"Spoilsport."
Having enough, Naruto shifted the conversation. "So, where's Chinami and what's for breakfast?"
'She's still sleeping and besides, you can cook. Go make us something to eat brat."
"Hey, I'm not your servant you know."
'Sheesh! Keep your voice down."
Whipping up something quickly for both his breakfast and lunch Naruto showered, dressed then headed out the door; books and lunch in hand.
"Good morning students, please settle down class is about to begin."
"Good morning sensei."
"First up this morning I will be collecting your projects, please pass them to the front. Also if anyone wishes to give a verbal presentation, you should indicate by raising your hand."
Everyone started gazing around to see if anyone would raise their hand, but no one seemed interested. However, just as Iruka was about to move on Naruto indicate his desire to.
"Oh, Naruto I almost didn't realise you had raised your hand, please come forward.
Doing as instructed, he stood before the class with hands behind his back and waited for the murmuring to subside.
"Good morning, my person of interest is Hatake Sakumo and he died at the beginning of the third great ninja war. The reason I picked him is because he was and still is, Konaho's unsung hero."
"According to what little is written of him, he was a kind man, someone who rivaled the sannnin in skills and power and earned himself the moniker 'Konoha's White Fang', but he was also a humble man and doting father. "
"His is a rather tragic story; you see he and his team were assigned a top priority mission, one where failure was not an option under any circumstance. However, a short time into their journey ninjas from Iwa confronted them taking Hatake's teammates hostage. This left him two difficult choices; on the one hand he could leave them and complete the mission or on the other hand, save them and forfeit the mission. Apparently, he chose the latter, and nothing was ever the same again."
"The people of the village including the very teammates he had saved turned against him; for what must have seemed like an eternity he endure the discrimination and when it eventually became too much, he took his life."
"My reason for picking him is because I can identify with him. Like him I know what it feels like to have everyone hate you even when you've done nothing wrong."
"Furthermore, if I were Hokage at the time, I would never have kept him in the village to ensure the hatred of the villagers; I would have given him another team and sent them to complete the mission. The reason being no one would have expected him to return. Sometimes as ninjas we limit ourselves, but if at first you don't succeed then you get up and try again."
"For me, if I could meet him, I'd thank him for standing on principles in spite of the consequences. That is why to me, Hatake Sakumo is a hero."
With that said he retook his seat.
For a while there was complete silence within the classroom, some of the girls wiping a stray tear from their faces while the boys had somber looks.
Finally gaining composure, Iruka thanked him for his presentation before announced the next activity.
A month had passed and Naruto had really hit his stride at the academy, his grades were good in both the theory and practical aspects. He remained friends with Shikamaru, Kiba, and Choji, but he was even better friends with Shino and Hinata; who oftentimes share pearls of wisdom with them.
"Class today we will be testing your skills with shuriken and kunai. There are ten target boards displayed for you to attempt and hit the bullseye. I'll be calling you alphabetically."
"Aburame Shino, please take your mark."
The first time Iruka had called on Shino to demonstrate his skill with weapons he had informed him that it was against clan policy. However, sometime later Naruto had explained to him the benefits of incorporating different features to compliment his clan techniques and how they could possibly save his or a teammate's life.
"Good job Shino, you are improving. Next up is, Ackimichi Choji."
"Good job Choji, keep practicing. Next up is, Hyuga Hinata."
Prior to this class, the girls were not allowed to participate in this activity, instead of attending classes in floral arrangement and flower pressing. That was until Naruto kept showing up at said classes citing, he had a right to attend any class he thought benefited his career as a ninja. This did not sit well with some of the girls like Ino and Sakura.
A complaint was made to Iruka concerning the unwarranted attendance of Naruto and advised him to talk sense into the boy.
"Iruka sensei." Called out Ino
"Yes Ino, what seem to be the matter?"
"It's Naruto, he's been attending the girls-only class when he shouldn't be doing so."
This, of course, caused the some of the boys to laugh at him and call him unsavory names.
"Naruto, please refrain from going to girls-only classes, it's obviously causing problems."
"I'm afraid I cannot honour your request sensei."
"And why not baka?" Demanded Sakura, becoming furious at his refusal to comply.
"Because no one should be barred from a class because of gender and if floral arrangement is good for the girls' ninja careers then it has to be good for mine as well. After all I might be sent on an undercover mission and have to work in a flowers shop."
"But we don't come to the boys' only activities." Declared Ino noisily.
"And whose fault is that…" Retorted Naruto. "…If you don't think learning to throw weapons is an important skill or practicing taijutsu is necessary to your career? Then that's your problem. Unless, you're going to scare off your opponent, with a floral arrangement?"
"Naruto, there's a reason the girls learn those particular skills."
"And nothing is wrong with them doing so; I just don't think they have to come at the cost of other important skills, especially for students that don't have clans or other ninjas to help them learn the skill."
"All basic ninja skills should be available to everyone and classes like floral arranges should be extras, something you learn for future reference or if you plan to go into a particular field like espionage and infiltration."
So that it was how Iruka understood and agreed with Naruto's observations and analysis of the academy's curriculum. He then brought it to the attention of both the principal and the Hokage.
The school year finally came to an end with little to no fanfare. Everyone was excited for the break, some students needed to find jobs and others were going on family vacations.
Naruto for the most part had no special plans outside of incorporating learning the jutsus Jiraiya gave him to his normal routine.
However, midway through his vacation, he got a surprise visit from one of Jiraiya's toads that were charged with delivering Naruto to an undisclosed location.
Having arrived at the location, Naruto was at a loss as to why he had been taken to the ruins of a village, but would soon get his answer after he spotted a familiar figure standing amidst the rubbles.
"Jiraiya!"
"Yo Naruto! Long time no see."
"Yeah, good to see you too."
Boisterous laughter filtered through the air as Jiraiya took in Naruto's bewildered expression.
"Bet you're wondering why we're here?"
"Well yes, I am. The question is where is here?"
"Well, my dear boy this is the Village Hidden in the Whirlpools or at least what's left of it anyway."
"Wow! They had all this in their village?"
"Close your mouth before you catch flies."
"You just have to ruin the moment." Naruto pouted.
"Of course, who else is here to do it?" Jiraiya couldn't help smiling at the pout on his godson's face. "Come on let's set up camp."
Tasks done, they sat around a campfire cooking dinner. Jiraiya decided it was the perfect opportunity to broach one of the topics to be covered with his godson.
"So, I guess you're wondering why I brought you out here."
"Yes, I am, but I knew you would say when you were ready."
"Well, I thought it was time that I cleared up some things for you, like why the villagers treat you the way they do and give you the name of your mother." Jiraiya held up his hand to stop the questions he knew was on the boy's mind. "First you have to promise to let me talk without interrupting me."
'Okay."