Naruto
The God of War returned to Konohagakure.
Naruto Uzumaki smiled as the gates of the village opened for the returning teams. This latest deployment to the frontlines lasted over three months and has seen some of the hairiest fighting of the war. Despite being strong of body and will, his students desperately needed some time to recover. Those rank-and-file ninjas under him craved the comforts of home. Their victory over the forces of Iwagakure at the Battle of Koharu earned them as much, along with praises from the Hokage.
He stroked the mane of his horse, Jing-Ai, gently. While Konoha could never replace Uzushiogakure in his heart, Naruto loved the people as if they belonged to his own family. Upon his arrival, they accepted him with open arms despite his fate of becoming the Nine-Tailed Fox's second jinchūriki. Those dearest to him lived in the village; thus, he swore to give his life in defense of Konoha.
"Third Company," he raised his guandao high. "Steady march! We're home!" The men and women of the third company cried out in joy and began to chatter amongst themselves. Then, his eyes fell upon his three students. Once again, they had impressed him beyond measure. The idea of taking on a team Genin seemed awful initially. Still, they had become his little brothers and sister over the past two years.
Asuma Sarutobi, Raidō Namiashi, and Kurenai Yūhi.
Each one of them embodied a particular aspect of himself. Asuma represented his love of life. Raidō's sense of duty matched his own. Lastly, and his favorite, despite their opposing combat styles, Kurenai carried on his bravery.
He loved them more than he did himself.
"Naruto-Sensei," Kurenai groaned and held up a wooden box. "Is it Asuma's turn to carry it?"
"Hmph. We are almost there," Naruto flashed a wide grin at the girl. When she did not return it, he sighed and reached a single hand out to take it from her. "I'll take it from here, princess."
She yanked the box back. "I am not a princess!"
"Prove it by taking my shift," Asuma fiddled around for a cigarette in his pocket.
"I will!" Kurenai blinked as soon as the words left her mouth. Naruto roared with laughter at his prized pupil's folly. Yes, he loved his team immensely.
Wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters gathered at the front gate to welcome their loved ones home. Then, a thin line of shinobi cleared the street to allow them to march through the village toward the Hokage Tower. It seemed that the Third wanted a parade to celebrate the recent victories. With the war entering its third year, the populace needed reassurance that Konoha could overcome its enemies.
He scanned the faces of the crowds in search of her.
Kushina Uzumaki, dressed in a pale green kimono, stared at him with tears threatening to spill from pale violet eyes. She noticed his glance and shouted something lost among the crowd's roar. It did not matter. Naruto Uzumaki was more than satisfied as long as he saw her face.
She accepted him into Konoha with open arms, ashamed about her failure to take on the burden of the Nine-Tails but willing to support him through the struggle. They existed together as foreigners in a strange land far from home with a culture drastically different than their own. Their friendship blossomed into a more profound connection after the fall of Uzushiogakure, becoming a dynamic duo on and off the battlefield. She filled his life with light. She was the reason he went to war. She was to be his wife come winter.
"Hope she has the sound seals ready," he muttered with a depraved grin forming despite his best effort. All Uzumaki were known for their…extreme tastes. Asuma raised an eyebrow at him.
"Sensei?"
Naruto waved. "Nothing, Asuma. Enjoy the moment. You've all earned this."
A large stage waited for them at the base of the Hokage Tower under the watchful stone gaze of Hashirama, Tobirama, and Hiruzen. The real, fleshy Hiruzen stood on a raised platform at the center of the stage, dressed in the robes of his office. Orochimaru stood on his left in a silky lavender hakama. At the same time, Jonin Commander Minato Namikaze, a stupid cloak swaying in the late autumn breeze, peered at him from the right. A few other officials, primarily members of the civilian council and clan representatives, filled out the rest of the stage to leave no spot unclaimed. They wanted a show, and Naruto wanted nothing more than to give a perfect performance.
"Form ranks!" Naruto continued to ride forward as the soldiers of Third Company took formation in even rows. At the start of their deployment, they numbered two hundred. Three months of constant fighting slashed their numbers by half. While most of the missing were among the living, far too many good people had fallen at the siege of Koharu. He gave a small prayer for the lost souls, wishing them rest and recovery before a swift return to the living world.
Naruto dismounted before the stage and took the box from Kurenai. The three students followed closely behind him.
"Captain Naruto Uzumaki and Third Company," Hiruzen smiled at him from under the oversized hat. "You return to us as honored heroes. News of your victories has spread across the Land of Fire and beyond. Hope has returned to the occupied territories, even our own Daimyo speaking of Konoha's 'God Of War' with eagerness. All of you have brought honor to our village."
The crowds cheered as Hiruzen finished his brief speech. Naruto would have liked something a little longer but found the words acceptable. It got the job done bluntly, something he respected.
"Lord Hokage," Naruto strode forward with the box tucked under one arm and guandao in the other. "I have returned with a mighty gift that will change the war's course." He allowed his three students to take his weapon and smiled as they struggled to lift it. Kushina's weight seals, while making the polearm far damaging, meant that the wielder needed exceptional strength.
"I am eager to see what it is," Hiruzen looked confused but maintained an awkward smile.
Naruto pushed the lid aside and reached inside to retrieve the bloody head of Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage.
A horrified gasp echoed throughout the gathered council members on the stage. Naruto turned to display the grizzly, dripping trophy to the citizens of Konoha with a wide grin. The amusement faded quickly on their faces as war's harsh reality came to their homes. Silence descended on the gathering as the Hokage stared at him with an unreadable expression.
A single woman lost in the crowd cried out. "What a hunk, Dattebane!" Who else but Kushina?
"This needed to be reported immediately," Minato broke the silence. "The death of a Kage is a serious matter even in battle." Of course, Minato Namikaze spoke out against his victory.
During boyhood, Minato and he was considered best friends to the point of almost being called brothers. Despite Naruto's parents hailing from the Uzumaki Clan, their similar blond hair and blue eyes made many suspect some type of family bond. Things changed when Minato became Jiraiya's student, and Naruto became Orochimaru's student. Their master's rivalry passed on to their students. Kushina, friends with both, tried to bridge the gap. However, she became the next battlefield as puberty took hold. In the end, Naruto won her heart and Minato's loathing.
"Come now." Orochimaru beamed with contained pride at his student. "Naru scored a massive blow against Iwagakure. They will be confused and leaderless until a new Tsuchikage is named."
Minato shook his head and frowned. "The Third Tsuchikage was about to come to the negotiation table. We have slain our best opportunity for peace."
"Why have peace when you can have victory?" Naruto tossed the head onto the stage and retrieved his weapon from the struggling students. Leave it up to Minato to complain about a massive victory.
Hiruzen held up his hand. "We can discuss the repercussions later. Captain Naruto won a great victory for our village. This will give us a chance to recover our strength and, hopefully, force our opponents to negotiate. Truly, Naruto, you are a 'God of War. Allow the men and women of Third Company to be welcomed by their families. Dismissed!"
Naruto mounted Jing-Ai again after promising the horse a nice bath and an hour of grooming. He produced a small bag of coins from his belt pouch. "Team Ten." All three students stared up at him. "Enjoy a bonus for a job well done!" He tossed the bag of coins toward Kurenai. The last thing he wanted to hear was how Asuma spent all the money on cigarettes or Raidō buying booby magazines.
He looked towards the stage to catch a glimpse of his sensei but found that the Snake Sanin had already disappeared. While a fantastic teacher, Orochimaru rarely engaged in pleasantries beyond what was officially required. Eventually, the man would slither around for a few words of admiration.
"Ambush!" Asuma cried out as Naruto noticed a red missile coming straight for him.
In the blink, Kushina Uzumaki had tackled him from Jing-Ai and pinned him to the ground. She brushed a red strand of hair from her face and looked down at him with misty eyes. A string of nonsense spewed from her mouth, none of which he understood. Finally, after a full minute of baby talk, she calmed down enough to speak normally. "I am making ramen tonight."
Naruto wrapped her into a tight embrace. Between irritating Minato and ramen, how could the day get any better?
"Minato is bringing some sake from Mount Myōboku," she placed a finger on his lips to silence the protest. "No arguments. He promised to be on his best behavior tonight. As the husband of the future Hokage, I expect you'll do the same."
He wanted to whine and complain about the presence of his rival at his homecoming dinner but remained silent for her. If a single meal with Minato made Kushina happy, he would endure it. "And what if the future Hokage is pleased by my performance tonight?" His hands slipped between the folds of her outfit.
Kushina allowed her cherry-scented hair to brush his cheek. "Then, God of War, you might discover her chained up by accident."
"Sensei! You can't touch the Hokage like that!" Kurenai stomped her foot. "Especially in public!"
Naruto rolled his eyes and withdrew his hands after managing to earn a shiver from the redhead. "And you're not supposed to stalk your teammate outside of training."
Kurenai's eyes widened. "I do not stalk Asuma."
"Funny how he did not mention any names," Kushina's smile widened into a face-splitting grin. "Oh, enough with that frown, or I'll make you do the dishes after we eat."
Naruto watched the exchange between them. In the future, once Iwagakure posed no threat to anyone, he desired a family. He and Kushina grew up as orphans, so the idea of giving his much more sociable wife a huge family thrilled him. Since she would be Hokage, he would play the role of househusband and trainer of the next generation of the Uzumaki. But, unfortunately, his cooking skills needed much work before Kushina would dare dream of him serving a family dinner.
"Are you telling me these brats will eat with us?" He pushed his future wife (and Hokage) off. "Their tastebuds aren't yet developed enough to enjoy the thousand flavors of Uzumaki Ramen."
Raidō accepted his challenge with a snarl. "No, Naruto-Sensei! We shall savor each as if prisoners enjoying their last meals before an execution."
"Hmph. I shall be the judge of that." Born in love, betrayal, heroism, and villainy, Uzumaki Ramen became the staple food of not only the entire Uzumaki clan but all Uzushiogakure. The recipe, passed among the female members of the clan, was so complex that only a master of fūinjutsu could understand it correctly. Luckily enough for him, Kushina was the undisputed master of the sealing arts, along with being one of the best cooks in the entire village. However, she made it rarely because the dish required at least three days of heavy labor to prepare due to the necessary seals to get the pot at the perfect temperature. Good thing he promised to be back in time for it.
"See, Kurenai?" Kushina dusted off her kimono and sauntered over to the fresh Chūnin. "You need to find yourself an Uzumaki man like that. Taller than any of these Konoha boys and built like a mountain. Scary on the battlefield and between the bedsheets. Fearsome in war and philosophical in peace, database!"
No matter what happened, Kushina would always be his number-one fan. No matter what happened, he would always be by her side.
"Let's go before you make me blush, woman." Naruto used his weapon to stand. "Team Ten! Get cleaned up, kiss your mommies, and meet me at my place for dinner in a few hours. Dismissed!"
Kushina
People never suspected a shinobi of making a summoning contract with horses. By nature, horses lacked the subtly required for most missions and any unique animal to compete with Gamabunta of Myōboku or Manda of Ryūchi. Kushina did not believe such a contract existed until her boyfriend showed up to a date mounted on a white mare and grinning like an idiot. It took her many years before gaining the confidence to ride one of his pets. Now, whenever walking home from a mission, she rode whatever horse he brought with him while he guided it through the busy streets. It made her feel like an actual princess.
Kushina rubbed the face of Jing-Ai gently. Her best gal-pal, Mikoto Uchiha, once claimed that horses were nothing more than big dogs. It seemed like a silly claim, especially given her past experiences having to do D-Rank missions with the Inuzuka, but there was some truth to it. Her soon-to-be husband's mounts marched with gentle pride and undying loyalty to their master. Indeed, these animals matched her Naruto.
Naruto stopped to allow a flower cart to pass. She frowned at the thought of its destination. Despite the victories of the Third Company, too many good people lost their lives in the fighting. How many grieving families needed to be created before the war ended? She prayed that the death of the Third Tsuchikage forced a cease-fire and a return to the negotiation tables.
"How is training with Hiruzen, Lady Hokage?"
She liked the sound of that. While not prideful by most measurements, the thought of being addressed as 'Lady Hokage' made her giddy. It symbolized her dreams of uniting all the various factions of Konoha into one giant family and a chance to carry on the legacy of her homeland.
"I've not been named successor yet." But, of course, her number one fan did not care about that. He believed her to be the obvious candidate. "What if they want you to become Hokage instead of me?"
Naruto snorted at the mere suggestion of becoming Hokage. "I am never one to hide in shadows." His outfit of bright orange robes and lavish golden armor made stealth all but impossible. She thought of one of the ancient Kings of Uzu. "Not to mention, that is your dream."
"And tell me, Naruto Uzumaki, what is your dream? What do you want to achieve?"
"I have the greatest woman in the world by my side. What else could one man want?" He flashed one of his trademark grins. "Now, all I have to do is ensure you become Hokage."
"I am being serious, mister. What do you want to achieve in life? You can't just spend life propping my life up and bringing back heads." She thought for a second before smiling. "Though, if my favorite man brings his Lady Hokage a head, he shall receive head in return."
The sight of Konoha's God of War blushing made everything better. Before speaking again, he remained silent for a long time, far too long for her taste. "I have thought about that much over the past three months. I wish to reestablish our homeland one day."
It was her turn to be surprised. Of all the answers he could have given, a return to Uzu did not even cross her mind. "What of Konoha?"
"Konohagakure will always hold a special place in my heart, but our homeland is where my heart lays. One day, I wish for our children to know the hills and rivers of Uzu."
"Like a king of old?" She clicked her tongue. "Naruto Uzumaki, King of Whirlpools. Kushina Uzumaki, Fourth Hokage. We would be destined for the history books for sure."
They arrived home lost in their own thoughts of the future. She dismounted before Jang-Ai disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Once in the final stages of cooking, Uzumaki Ramen took eight hours to simmer. It left her just enough time to finish cleaning the house for the party. "Should I draw you a bath?"
"No." Naruto unlocked the front door and removed his boots before stepping inside. "I wish to pray."
She followed him through the house to the small garden in their backyard. A small shrine made of stone stood to watch over the brightly colored tulips. All children of Uzushiogakure knew the three gods of Uzu, even if not from a faithful family. Seiōbo, Queen Mother of The West, stood at the top of the pantheon as the patron goddess of all Uzumaki. Legends stated that she heard the desperate cries of a pair of exiled Senju lovers and blessed them with long lives, explaining the reason for the Uzumaki's longer lifespans. Emperor Guan sat a few inches shorter on a throne to her right. Her father told how the mythical Emperor Guan appeared during a war to slay the invading Inuzuka Clan and fell in love with the Uzumaki Matriarch. On their wedding night, he taught her the art of fūinjutsu. Common belief claimed Seiōbo, disguised as the Matriarch, took him as her consort. The lowest ranking of the pantheon, Jiutian, sat to the left of her mother. Known as 'The Dark Lady,' she guarded the souls of the slain and ushered them back into the cycle of rebirth. Lovers prayed to her by practicing the 'Sacred Arts of the Bedchamber.' Kushina thought it silly until the night Naruto decided to drag her into worship.
Kushina never imagined marrying a religious man, often scoffing at the thought of praying or making offerings. However, Naruto slowly changed her mind on the subject due to his devotion to the Gods of Uzu. She doubted that her faith would ever reach beyond general respect, but it meant the world to him to have her sit with him during prayer. Somewhere in the afterlife, her mother would be proud.
"Queen Mother of the West, you who hear the cries of the lover and loved, please listen to our sorrow." Naruto kneeled before the shrine, placing his guandao before the main altar. "May you take the souls of those lost in avoidable tragedies and release them from all suffering by filling their hearts with wisdom and compassion."
Kushina took her spot next to him, bowing her head. The thought of the flower cart returned to her mind. "May all those who suffer from loss and grief find healing in the light of your love. Allow those lost souls, doomed to wander the earth, to find escape in your compassion." Soothing tears rolled down her face as Naruto continued the prayer.
"Mother of Mercy. Forgive the harm your children have done to others. May we find the path of peace in your love of wisdom." He placed his forehead upon the altar, muttering a private prayer before withdrawing.
The tranquility of the setting shattered as a yellow blur appeared. "Never took you for one praying, Kushina-chan!"
The first chapter of 'The Gods of Uzu' is done! I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. As you can tell, things in this world are a bit different than Canon. Naruto's and Kushina's backstory will be expanded as we go on. As per the title, this story will have a heavy influence of spirituality in it that will directly tie with the plot. Prepare for reincarnations, soulmates, and all the other fun stuff.
This Naruto is heavily influenced by Chinese history with Guan Yu (Romance of the Three Kingdoms) being the main inspiration. He is powerful but can be overly brash and prideful at critical moments. As of the current point, he has yet to actually meet the Nine-Tailed fox and only used the chakra once (which will be explored in the next chapter). Needless to say, but TenTen is going to worship the ground Naruto walks on.
