AN/ Not a mistake, but a repost. Check out this new and improved version. If you like, let me know what you think.
Naruto gazed at the village of Konoha from atop the Hokage mountain, watching on as the gilded rays of the first morning light cast the village in a golden glow. It truly was a one of a kind sight to see. For him, this was a place of comfort, a place he visited when he was younger, just a reject, a failure in the eyes of everyone else. It was a place he visited when his teacher, Jiraiya, had passed. So to did he visit this place when Sasuke died. It was a place he found himself visiting more and more now that he was not aging. Once he found he would outlive everyone he cared for.
Even now he could recall every time he visited and for whom he visited, Hinata, Ino, Hanabi, Boruto, Himawari, Inojin, Chinami, and Kawaki… it was for them and so… so many more…
And now Naruto found it hard to believe that the possibly be the last time that he gazed upon the village like this. Part of him didn't want this to be the last time that he beheld such a gorgeous vista. It was thinking about his upcoming trial that had him thinking about how things had all started…
He wasn't as naïve as he was in his youth, at one time he had been Hokage himself, he had been married three times over, hell by the time he had stepped down from his position as Hokage his son had just had his first child, and he was a grandfather… at the time he had felt it best that he had retired, with the uniqueness of his situation, he felt it better if he stepped back from the limelight to care for his aging wives and families. And so he had faded away, back into the shadows of myth and legend. Just another faceless hero from the Fourth Shinobi World War. it wasn't until some time after had out lived his wives and children that he had reenlisted into the Shinobi forces of Konoha.
By then, things had changed, the world had changed… Shinobi were now a dying breed. And it wasn't just the five great villages in the alliance any more. It had expanded to a coalition of many Nations and as a result Many of the villages had already downsized their shinobi forces, replacing them with more cost efficient infantry men equipped with an advanced Chakra Armor and special Jutsu condenser type weapons called casters that came in many shapes and forms from guns to staves. They were officially known as Ashigaru
It wasn't until a year after his reenlistment that even whispers of his return had spread. That was thanks to the efforts of the current Hokage, Itachi Uchiha, third of his name. For more than a year, no, instead of sending Naruto out on missions, he had instead asked rather than ordered the blonde for assistance in increasing the strength of the Shinobi forces within Konoha. It was the fact that the Hokage had asked rather than ordered him was why Naruto had gone above and beyond when retraining all of Konoha's forces. It wasn't even until he was finished with retraining and restructuring the Shinobi forces of Konoha that he had taken on his first mission. And still it wasn't until well after its completion that the other Kage of the alliance had even noticed.
The uproar surrounding his return from the Alliance members was monumental. The only one of the other four Kage not to complain was the seventh Raikage, Raimei Agatsuma, daughter of the Sixth Raikage. It didn't surprise Naruto that Itachi made a compromise in order to maintain peace between the Land of Fire and the other nations. From then on, while a loyal shinobi of Konoha and as such he would answer directly to his Kage, he would also be given missions from the Alliance as well.
Over the years, Naruto was assigned 'missions' from members of the alliance. They ranged from escort and bodyguard missions that were used to curry favor with the blonde. Rarely was he ever assigned a mission from the alliance that required his skill. He accepted them all without complaint. Doing his best to maintain the delicate balance of the alliance.
It was some time later, after a botched bodyguard 'mission' that was to guard the newly elected Kazekage, a rather cutthroat woman with crimson hair and a rather svelte figure named Sadako.
She had contracted him for the duration of her stay in the land of fire for the joint war games and Field training exercises that were held annually between the two long-time allies.
]|[
Initially Naruto had wanted to take part himself, however, Itachi had made an excellent case in favor of leaving things to the newly trained and improved Konoha forces. So he had accepted the contract from the Kazekage instead. Even if he didn't see why, she wouldn't simply use her own Shinobi forces to do the job.
By the third day, just as his kage had said, Konoha's robust shinobi forces had proven their worth and were out classing the mixed Suna forces in almost every regard. Naruto had to maintain a strictly professional air between himself in the Suna Kage despite her blatant flirting. He wasn't blind, nor did she not pique his interest. It was just that not only was she young enough to be his granddaughter, not that would stop him. But she was currently his superior client, and to top things off she was a foremen dignitary and leader of a Nations military. His duty as a shinobi came before anything else.
It was at night when she approached him while he was on guard just outside her tent. That overlooked the proving grounds where the training games were being held.
"Uzumaki-Dono, can I have a word with you?" Sadako asked.
Naruto quirked a brow in puzzlement. While he was curious, he was currently on night guard, and wouldn't be relieved of duty for quite some time. "I am sorry but at the moment I am on duty, so unless it's urgent I'm afraid would be best to wait in until I am off duty." the blonde apologize.
"Please, it's a rather time sensitive matter," she begged, batting her eyes at him in a manner that she was sure was coquettish.
The blonde sage huffed, turning to walk inside, a shadow clone forming to take his place. If something happened, at the very least, the clone could alert him to any danger.
"So what is it you needed?" he asked once inside the relative privacy of the tent.
"The past three days have made it quite clear to me it was a mistake of my forbearer, the sixth Kazekage, to reduce our shinobi forces in place of the Ashigaru. Cost effective they might be… but in the long run, the forces of Konoha have proven that means nothing in the face of skilled and well trained Shinobi."
Naruto nodded, completely agreeing with the Kazekage's sentiments about the trend of many nations using the Ashigaru as their primary fighting force. However, he failed to see what this had to do with him. "Yes, but what does this have to do with me?" he asked, putting his thoughts into words.
"Well…" she smiled a smile that was like sin its self, "I hoped that much like Konoha, that you would assist Suna in rebuilding our shinobi forces to meet your high standards."
"I'm sure that as a long-time ally of Konoha, arrangements could be made with Suna." Naruto stated amicably, still not getting what her aim was, As he turned to leave.
There was a rustling of cloth, "Uzumaki-Dono…" she purred wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her bare breasts into his back, "I'm sure I can be… quite accommodating… so what could I do to make sure that Suna receives your personal touch?" a questing hand trailed lower, wondering down his muscled pecks and chiseled abs.
Naruto froze, his mind trying to process the implications of what she had just said to him. Was she the Kazekage of Suna trying to seduce him? A loyal shinobi of Konoha… the attempt was nice, were he in his right mind, he was sure he would have given it a three out of ten. She had nothing on Hanabi…
Right now, however, he was going over her words carefully in his head, making sure that he hadn't misheard her. Surely she wasn't trying to convince him to defect, right? Right?!
In a flash, he vanished from sight without a word, halting her advances in their tracks. From then on he was distant, almost cold towards her for the duration of her stay, maintaining a strictly professional air between them.
]|[
Eventually, not long after the war games had concluded, Suna made a formal request from Konoha, at the behest of their Kage Sadoko, to restructure and retrain their shinobi core. And while Naruto never mentioned the incident to his Kage, perhaps out of sentimental fondness for the Village, one of his long-time friends fought to protect. He maintained a distant closed off demeanor around the Suna Kage.
For a time, things returned to a somewhat regular routine. Years would pass while he did his duty to his village while looking over the descendants of his line. Then, out of the blue, he was summoned to a meeting of the five great nations. In attendance at this meeting where the Five Kage, Itachi the Hokage, Sadoko the Kazekage, Daichi the Tsuchikage, he was a rather spinless coward who preferred others do his dirty work, Raimei the Raikage, and finally the Mizukage Kaito who was a rather portly older gentleman. Also in attendance were the Daimyo of each country.
Once he arrived, he soon found out why he was summoned… it was to eliminate a growing terrorist movement hidden in the land of Stone, a country nestled right between the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth.
He swore never again would he allow an organization the likes of Kara or the Akatsuki. Only these Haiki, these people who had taken to calling themselves the forsaken, were not the terrorists he had been told of when he finally found them. They were anything but…
It was thanks to passaging time that few recognized his face, and thanks to that, he was able to infiltrate the village with ease. He found they were just the beginnings of a village. They were Nothing like the terrorists that he was told they were…
When he came here, Naruto was prepared to be their end, their executioner. It was these people that stayed his hand they were striving to keep the shinobi arts alive in an era where the days of shinobi were quickly coming to an end, where the title of Kage was nothing more than a elected position in most countries outside of the land of Fire and the land of Lightning.
He watched them for days before deciding to dispatch a clone. It was necessary for him to sort this out. He needed to see the Hokage, no matter what.
When his clone found his Kage, he was just as perplexed about the whole situation as Naruto himself was. The answer he received stunned him to his core. These people, while they were in fact dissidents from the Iwa, they had left the village rather than have their livelihoods as shinobi replaced by the Ashigaru. This was something that Itachi had suspected for quite some time now.
Until now, Naruto had served his village, nation, and the alliance without complaint. He did his duty without question. Never did doing his duty leave him feeling so empty until that day, That was why he did what he did, why he restarted the village hidden in the eddies, chose to restart Uzushio, a village that would take in the downtrodden, the persecuted, the dregs of society, And lift them up. He gave them a home, a place where anyone could become a shinobi if they wished. His decision sent waves of shock around the world.
On a whim, Naruto stretched. All of this thinking about a past that he could not change had made him feel restless. He found himself with an urge to move his body. He wanted to leap through the forest, just like in the old days. Just as he was about to leap into the forest, a familiar raven haired beauty appeared before him.
"Nanadaime-Sama, it's time." She bowed in apology.
Naruto snorted, "Sarada, how many times do I have to tell you, you can call me Naruto?"
"I couldn't possibly address you so informally," she blushed prettily, a scarlet hue spreading across her cheeks.
Naruto took one last look at the brilliant horizon spread out before him, "I'm gunna miss this…" He sighed.
"Naruto… you know regardless of what happens this day, we Bijuu will always be by your side."
Kurama said, Manifesting in a burst of crimson chakra, he took the form of a small fox. Initially he had wanted to leave Naruto alone, to let him work through his emotions in his own time. It's been a long time since Naruto was a child. But he felt it only appropriate that he remind Naruto that no matter what happened, he still had allies.
"Thanks Kurama." Naruto grinned softly at Kurama's embarrassment.
"Bah, I have no need of thanks for the likes of you." Kurama scoffed mightily, trying to hide his embarrassment behind bravado. "Now get going Brat!"
Naruto snorted in amusement. He supposed that the old fox was right, though. "I suppose you're right, Kurama. If things go well, I suppose I'll see you later, Sarada…"
"Wait! Don't think I'll let you go it alone." She Exclaimed, grabbing his arm just as he was about to use the Hirashin.
Naruto paused. "Are you sure about this? What they'll say won't be kind."
"Yes, I made a promise. I won't abandon you now…"
Naruto could tell despite her spreading blush that she was serious. "Ok," he sighed, "if you're sure."
She nodded wordlessly.
Then, in a flash of golden light, they vanished. In an instant they traveled thousands of miles to their destination, the fortress city of Yōsai within the land of Iron. several Samurai who were to be their escort met them.
"Uzumaki-Sama, Uchiha-Sama, please follow me." the lead samurai said.
Wordlessly, they followed until they came upon the closed door, beyond which were the ten who would decide his fate.
"Uzumaki-Sama, has arrived." His lead escort said, knocking on the door.
With a gruff, "enter…" the doors to the chamber opened.
As much as Sarada would have liked to have joined Naruto, only he was allowed to enter. She knew forcing the issue would only make things worse. As Naruto stepped inside, all she could do was wait until it was all over.
When Naruto entered the council chamber where his Fate was to be decided, where the five Kage, and the Daimyo for each Nation. The Fire Daimyo, the Water Daimyo, the Earth Daimyo, the Lightning Daimyo, and finally the Wind Daimyo.
"I would like to start things off by saying that deliberating this case was not a straightforward thing to do, especially considering your service to your nation and the world." the noble Raikage Raimei began. "And while the mission that we sent you on was erroneous to the highest degree…" she leveled her coldest glare at the spineless coward of a Tsuchikage, "That, however, does not excuse the actions you took…"
"For the crimes of treason, destabilization of the world economy, threatening the five nations with the use of force or usurpation, refusal to comply with national policy, the attempted murder of the Tsuchikage, and the sheltering of wanted criminals." Sadoko added, She hated this. Her every word tasted like bile on her tongue. She never wanted this. but Sadoko knew she had a duty. She might have been elected to her position as a kage. She was still a Shinobi born and bread. "This counsel with a judgment of three for one abstaining and two against. We herby find you guilty… the sentence is banishment."
If only for the briefest of moments, Naruto allowed a slight widening of his eyes in surprise. He knew that Itachi and Raimei were in his corner. But for one of the other kage to abstain in protest said a lot. And based on the roiling negativity, he could feel coming off of Sadoko not directed at him but at her Daimyo. It might be likely that it was she who was forced to abstain. Ceding her vote to the noble in the process.
They all knew that these were trumped-up charges, that they really couldn't fight him if he wanted to resist them.
"What say you?" Daichi, the old fool, sneered at the blonde.
"I'll go," Naruto responded simply. They were such simple words and yet to his allies it felt like they had failed him profoundly. It was like he was giving up and accepting his fate, but Naruto wasn't a fool. He knew what would happen if he resisted. The alliance that had benefitted so many and still did to this very day would come crumbling down. They would try to rally around him. But that would mean war.
War was a terrible thing, a meat grinder fueled by the lives of the young. No one won in war.
"Great, now, then we can get on to more important business." Kaito scoffed.
Naruto quirked a brow. "More important work like what to do with the bijuu when I am gone?"
"That no longer has anything to do with you!" the TsuchiKage all but hissed. Finding his bravado now that it seemed like the blond had given up. "We have other methods aside from you to suborn those monsters to our will."
The doors behind the blonde exploded off of their hinges, and the room was bathed in centuries old killing intent. So thick, so potent it was as if they were drowning in it, like it was a pit of black death so thick that he could not hope for escape.
"A monster am i?" Kurama growled venomously, as he stalked into the room. "You witless morons seek to shackle us once more? When we only just attained our freedom?"
Desperate for salvation in any form, Daichi searched the room for any who could best this beast. Until his eyes landed on the former matriarch of the Uchiha. "Uchiha-Sama does something."
"No," Sarada looked at him coldly.
Daichi's already pale complexion went as white as a corpse.
"Kurama, that's enough," Naruto said softly. Sensing that if this went on any longer, then the Tsuchikage was likely to have a heart attack.
"You should just kill them all and be done with this farce." the kitsune scoffed.
Naruto cleared his through, "right so considering recent events, I hope you won't object to the Bijuu following me if they wish?"
As much as both the Tsuchikage and Mizukage wished to protest. They couldn't when each and every Daimyo screeched in almost unison, "no!"
"Good, good." the blonde grinned, "then that brings me to my second topic of discussion before I leave."
"Recognize the Shinobi of Uzu as an official village and agree not to escalate hostilities against them." Everyone fell silent at his demand, even the Daimyo.
"E-excuse me, Uzumaki-Sama, but per international law, where would these Shinobi of Uzu even live? What country would host them?" the Fire Daimyo asked timidly. "In order for Uzu to be recognized, they would need to be granted land by a country willing to host them. Especially with the island of Uzushio reduced to its current state. And as much as the land of fire would love to continue hosting them on the land granted to your kinsmen, it cannot continue forever. I'm afraid."
There was another commotion from just beyond the chambers. "Ah, I believe gentlemen and ladies, that is where I come in." Everyone knew who that was. It was Homura kazehana, the current Daimyo of the land of spring and granddaughter of former spring Daimyo Koyuki. "The land of spring will repatriate the Uzu shinobi and allow them to settle in our lands." she Grinned looking every bit the spitting image of her grandmother.
The Fire Diamyo smiled softly. "I find this acceptable." His approval and the tacit approval of the other lords silenced all protests that the Kage could have had on the matter. "We will grant you seventy-two hours to put your affairs in order. Now I think this meeting is over."