Prologue: The Sandaime Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi no Kitsune
The Shinobi World was a world born out of violence, bloodshed, and ruled by hatred... and hatred alone. For generations the people of the Elemental Nations fought over religion, philosophy, food, water, resources, land, revenge, love. Even a Whim... Great armies rose up as wars were waged across the land, the people of the world fighting with swords and bows during a simple time where samurai reigned supreme under the guidance of their Daimyō (大名, Feudal Lord).
Then everything changed…when an arukimiko (歩き巫女, Shrine Maiden) by the name of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya (大筒木カグヤ), after having a ritual sexual intercourse with a Kannushi (神主)/Shinshoku (神職) gave birth to a child of the kami (御子神, mikogami), in the Shugenja (修験者), Yamabushi (山伏) Temple of Kurama-dera (鞍馬寺) located on Mount Kurama (鞍馬山, Kurama-yama), the home of Sōjōbō no Tengu (僧正坊の天狗) with a Shinto shrine (神社, jinja) to Bishamonten (毘沙門天)/Bishamon (毘沙門)/Tamonten (多聞天). That child named Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo (大筒木ハゴロモ) grow up as a warrior Monk (僧兵, Sōhei) and became known only as the Rikudō Sennin (六道仙人, The Sage of the Six Paths), began traveling throughout the massive continent that made up the Elemental Nations. Everywhere the sage went, ordinary people were suddenly gifted with a source of energy that allowed them to manipulate the very fundamental elements of the world. That energy source, which the Rikudō Sennin thought would help bring people together, was called Chakra (チャクラ, chakura). An internal power cultivated by the Energies known as the Physical energy (身体エネルギー, Shintai Enerugī) and Spiritual energy (精神エネルギー, seishin enerugī) within a person's body, strengthened through meditation and training. The man had hoped that chakra would act as a connection to bring the people of the Elemental Nations together through his teaching of Ninshū (忍宗), a religion and philosophy focused on helping people to better understand themselves and those around them in the hopes of creating a world of peace and harmony.
He never imagined that it would be his own sons and daughter which he got from an Onna-musha (女武者) or Onna-bugeisha (女武芸者), belonging to a Samurai (侍) Clan known as the Uzumaki Clan (うずまき一族, Uzumaki Ichizoku), who would turn such a gift for peace, into weapons of war.
Their two sons and daughter, Ōtsutsuki Indra (大筒木インドラ, Ōtsutsuki Indora), Ōtsutsuki Asura (大筒木アシュラ, Ōtsutsuki Ashura), and Ōtsutsuki Moka (大筒木 萌香) were all extremely gifted in their own rights when it came to understanding chakra.
The eldest son, Indra understood better than anyone else the power that chakra would provide oneself, and became the first person to manipulate it into one of five basic natures (五大基本性質, Godai Kihon Seishitsu), Fire (火, Hi), Wind (風, Kaze), Lightning (雷, Kaminari), Earth (土, Tsuchi), Water (水, Mizu) using his creation of hand signs (印, In).
In doing so, the teachings of Ninshū were forever changed into what would be known around the world as Ninjutsu (忍術, Ninja Techniques).
With his understanding of chakra as a power to understand oneself, Indra began developing new techniques and abilities which would further enhance his beliefs, and let others called him, Genius of Ninshū (忍宗の天才, Ninshū no Tensai). This would one day lead to what his descendants, through The Uchiha Clan (うちは一族, Uchiha Ichizoku), would call: The Curse of Hatred (憎しみの呪い, Nikushimi no Noroi).
Because of his better understanding of himself, Indra's emotions were far more powerful than others, allowing him to love certain individuals more deeply than anyone could understand. But that intensity of emotion, especially love, came with drawbacks… Should the source of his love ever be killed, then that love would manifest itself as hate, and would eventually turn even the best of his descendants to a lifetime of destruction and hatred.
That passion, which led Indra to hatred and creating a never-ending cycle of reincarnation (転生, Tensei), a process through which the chakra and soul of a deceased individual are reborn in a new living vessel, referred to as a "reincarnate" (転生者, tensei-sha). That reincarnation would manifest itself in his reincarnate as the power of Fire through the use of a derived form of his father's Rinnegan (輪廻眼, Saṃsāra Eye)'s Dōjutsu (瞳術, Eye Techniques); the Sharingan (写輪眼, Copy Wheel Eye). A burning black flame (黒炎, Kokuen), known as Amaterasu (天照, Heavenly Illumination), said to represent the "Material World and Light" (物質界と光, Busshitsukai to Hikari), being the highest level of Fire Release (火遁, Katon), which would warm only himself, and devour all others in its path.
The younger son, Ōtsutsuki Asura, understood the power of chakra in a different way than his elder brother. To Asura, chakra was a way to better understand the world around him; creating a connection not just with people, but with nature as well.
This understanding of chakra allowed him to connect with others in ways that Indra never could. While his elder brother had very few connections that ran incredibly deep, Asura was able to connect with dozens as easily as breathing, creating a vast group of friends and followers who backed the younger brother's ideals over the two companions that followed the elder brother. This would one day lead to what his descendants, through The Senju Clan (千手一族, Senju Ichizoku), would call: The Will of Fire (火の意志, Hi no Ishi).
The daughter, Ōtsutsuki Moka, understood the power of chakra in a different yet similar way than both her brothers, To her, chakra was a way to better understand oneself and the world around her, for the goal to be at peace; creating a connection not just with the Kami, but with nature as well.
That understanding would manifest itself through the use of a derived form of her father's Rinnegan (輪廻眼, Saṃsāra Eye)'s Dōjutsu (瞳術, Eye Techniques); the Byakugan (白眼, White Eye), and her original ability to manipulate one's bone structures known as the Shikotsumyaku (屍骨脈, Dead Bone Pulse).
When the time came for the Rikudō Sennin to decide which of his children would take his place in guiding others through the teachings of Ninshū; it was Asura who was chosen. The sage believed his younger son better understood what chakra was meant to be more than his older son or only daughter, and ignored the rights of the elder sibling to inherit the parents' legacy, as was common at the time.
Unfortunately, his choice would lead his older son down the path of hatred, eventually causing the murder of Indra's two closest friends and the beginning of the Curse of Hatred.
When Indra attacked his father's village, hoping to destroy everything his father had built, both Asura and Moka stood up to face him; despite being far weaker than their older brother.
It looked as if there was no hope of stopping Indra's destruction of the ways of Ninshū, when Asura's and Moka's own powers finally awoke within them.
And just as his understanding of chakra allowed them to connect with others and nature, so too did their power manifest in that way.
Unlike their brother's destructive power of Fire that burned away all life, Asura's power manifested as a way to create life through the birth of Wood Release (木遁, Mokuton), a new form of Ninjutsu which allowed him to build forests and manipulate nature for growth and protection.
Whereas Moka's power manifested as a way to develop and preserve life through the birth of Boil Release (沸遁, Futton), Ice Release (氷遁, Hyōton), Lava Release (熔遁; 溶遁, Yōton), Magnet Release (磁遁, Jiton), Mud Release (泥遁, Deiton), Storm Release (嵐遁, Ranton), Typhoon Release (颱遁, Taiton), a new form of Ninjutsu which allowed her to create volcanoes, Hot springs (温泉, onsen) to produce some of the most fertile soil in the world, rich in nutrients such as iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus, but also manipulate the weather itself.
The two brothers, now with full control of their opposing powers, waged a mighty battle against each other that ravaged the landscape.
Eventually, their fighting came to a draw, when Moka stop both of them for killing each other, with her power. Which only fueled the hatred of the older brother, who promised that not even death would keep Indra from destroying their father's work, and that he would reincarnate over and over again until he succeeded.
Asura and Moka, refusing to allow their brother to undo their father's work, would also reincarnate themselves every time their brother did, and would always be there to stop Indra and in Moka to stop them for killing each other.
This cycle of reincarnation between the two brothers and sister continued on throughout the generations in the brothers and sister's descendants, the Uchiha, Senju, Kaguya, Hyūga and Uzumaki Clans. The three most well-known reincarnations -despite no one ever realizing it- were the two strongest shinobi and the strongest kunoichi of the Warring Clans Era: Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama, and Uzumaki Mito.
Indra's reincarnation Uchiha Madara (うちはマダラ), who (unknowingly) fully embraced the elder brother's ideals of chakra through his love of his younger brother Izuna, eventual awoke of his own Curse of Hatred when that same younger brother was later killed in battle with the younger brother's descendants, the Senju.
Asura's reincarnation, Senju Hashirama (千手柱間), was a man who believed in the same ideals as Asura and hoped to bring others together and create a world of peace, unknowingly following in the teachings of Ninshū.
Moka's reincarnation, Uzumaki Mito (うずまきミト), was a woman with a strong sense of duty to her husband and the village.
For a time, it seemed as if the cycle of reincarnation had ended when Madara, Mito and Hashirama joined together to create the first hidden village, known as Konohagakure no Sato (木ノ葉隠れの里, The Hidden Leaf Village). A tentative peace had been established between the three reincarnations…until the people of Konoha named Hashirama as Shodai Hokage (初代火影), instead of Madara, echoing the past when Asura was chosen to lead the teachings of Ninshū over Indra.
This action reignited the spark inside of Indra's reincarnation, and Madara went on to restart the brothers' cycle of reincarnation when he tried unsuccessfully to kill Hashirama and Mito being here to stop him.
After the latest reincarnations died, the soul of the Rikudō Sennin, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, watched on while the souls of his children once again sought out new vessels; He wondered if there would ever come a time that their cycle of reincarnation ended. He grew tired of the repetitive cycle, and decides to forcibly break the cycle himself.
And just as Indra struggled to find a worthy reincarnation, so too did Asura, and Moka, with most of their descendants, the Senju and Uzumaki being killed in the course of three Shinobi World Wars, and the last one being the second Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi, being pregnant. Hagoromo only suitable choice was the child of his children descendants, and so Hagoromo make sure to put an end to the repetitive cycle by having the souls of Indra, Asura and Moka reincarnated themselves inside the seed growing inside the Nidaime Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi no Kitsune. Let the last reincarnate of his children, The Child of the Prophecy (予言の子, Yogen no Ko), being The Saviour of this World (この世の救世主, Kono Yo no Kyūseishu).
Location: Konoha
Hokage Residence
Aftermath of the Kyūbi no Kitsune attack
There was tension in the air as Sarutobi Hiruzen (猿飛ヒルゼン), the Sandaime Hokage (三代目火影) of Konohagakure no Sato (木ノ葉隠れの里, the Hidden Leaf Village) had gathered the three elders of the Konoha Council (木ノ葉ご意見番, Konoha Go-Ikenban), his former teammates of Team Tobirama (扉間班, Tobirama-han), Utatane Koharu (うたたねコハル), Mitokado Homura (水戸門ホムラ) and with Shimura Danzō (志村ダンゾウ), the last member of the Escort Unit (護衛部隊, Goei Butai) and Commander (部隊長, Butaichō) of Root (根, Ne), a branch of Konohagakure's Anbu Black Ops (暗部, short for Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai {暗殺戦術特殊部隊, Special Assassination and Tactical Squad}) training subdivision for an emergency meeting. Like him, they exert great influence over the governing of Konoha and have garnered wide support from the village's shinobi, hold a social position similar to that of the Hokage and are regarded with the same respect as that of the Hokage. With their decades' worth of experience and knowledge, they were there to help him govern the village by giving him their opinions and advice, thus making sure all the decisions made are fair and take into account all possibilities and viewpoints with the best interest of Konoha and its inhabitants in mind.
The four most powerful inhabitants in Konohagakure no Sato (木ノ葉隠れの里, the Hidden Leaf Village), were seated at the head of the long table dominating the Council Chamber in the Hokage Residence, silently observing each other trying to decide the fate of the small bundle of blankets lying on the hard wooden surface in front of them.
The woman's voice broke the silence. "So, what are we going to do with her?"
They all turned their eyes towards the bundle or, rather, what was inside it: a small, fragile, utterly defenseless baby girl, born just a few hours ago. Despite all the terrible things that had happened in the first hours of her short life, she looked completely at peace as she slept, wrapped tightly inside a blue blanket. There was something heartbreakingly lovely about the small girl, with her thin, easy to tear skin strawberry pink with a tuft of bright-blood red hair, fragile, pointy bones, and visible veins. It was easy to pretend, even in a world like theirs, that all babies come wailing into the world pink and robust, ready to be handed to teary mothers and proud fathers. But sometimes it didn't go that way at all. Like tonight.
The woman, Utatane Koharu, continued: "The Yondaime Hokage (四代目火影) Namikaze Minato (波風ミナト) was a powerful man, renowned all over the world as Konoha's Yellow Flash (木ノ葉の黄色い閃光, Konoha no Kiiroi Senkō). His actions in the Third Shinobi World War (第三次忍界大戦, Daisanji Ninkai Taisen), against Iwagakure no Sato (岩隠れの里, Hidden Stone Village), made Konoha's victory over them possible and earned him a multitude of enemies both outside and inside the Land of Fire. And while none of those enemies would dare to strike at him directly, his daughter is another matter. Especially now that both he and his wife are dead and there is no fear of retribution from them.
"Indeed," the bespectacled gray-haired man, Mitokado Homura, nodded in agreement. "Before the end of the year, shinobi from Iwa would be swarming Konoha's forests, looking for revenge against the 'Yellow Flash'."
"They wouldn't be the only ones," the dark-haired man said. Unlike the others, Shimura Danzō looked battle-worn: he had an x-shaped scar on his chin and his right eye was covered with bandages. A cane was resting against the left side of his chair. "Uzumaki Kushina (うずまきクシナ), the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero (赤い血潮のハバネロ, Akai Chishio no Habanero) was not only the Yondaime's wife, but she was also the Commander of the Special Assassination and Tactical Squad (暗殺戦術特殊部隊, Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai) and more important we must remember that Uzumaki Kishina was the daughter of the late Whirlpool Daimyō (渦の国大名 Uzu no Kuni Daimyō), and her husband the Godaime Uzukage (五代目渦影) of Uzushiogakure no Sato (渦潮隠れの里, Hidden Whirling Tides Village), Uzumaki Kenshin (うずまき剣心) was a descendant of Uzumaki Mito (うずまきミト) from her brother side Uzumaki Raiden (うずまき雷電), the Sandaime Uzukage (三代目渦影) and because she was the only survivor of The Land of Whirlpools Affair (渦の国の件, Uzu no Kuni no Ken), The Tragedy of the Uzumaki Clan (うずまき一族の悲劇, Uzumaki Ichizoku no Higeki), also known as the Uzumaki Clan Downfall (うずまき一族滅亡) making her, the former ruler of the Land of Whirlpools (渦の国, Uzu no Kuni), a duty that is now pass on her daughter. Moreover, Kushina-Hime (姫, Princess) used the skills that she learned in the Hunter-nin Corps (追い忍部隊, Oinin Butai), of the ANBU (暗部) to track down both the Kinkaku Force (金角部隊, Kinkaku Butai) and the Ginkaku Force (銀角部隊, Ginkaku Butai) of Kumogakure no Sato (雲隠れの里, Hidden Cloud Village) led by the sons of the two first Gold and Silver Brothers (金銀兄弟, Kingin Kyōdai), also known as the "Two Lights" (二つの光, Futatsu no Hikari), Kinkaku (金角) and Ginkaku (銀角) along with A (エー, Ē), the Sandaime Raikage (三代目雷影), that she managed to completely wipe out during the Third Shinobi World War (第三次忍界大戦, Daisanji Ninkai Taisen). She also managed to kill five of The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist (霧の忍刀七人衆, Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū) and Yuki Hakuhyō (雪薄氷) the Sandaime Mizukage (三代目水影) of Kirigakure no Sato (霧隠れの里, Hidden Mist Village). Iwa, Kumo, Kiri, Suna, Ame even Kusa; they would all leap at the chance to get their hands on their daughter, and turn her against Konoha or use her in their breeding program."
Silence fell for a few moments as they all pondered Danzō's words. The man was a war hawk who believed that other nations were always plotting against Konoha and preferred to deal with those threats, both real and exaggerated, by eliminating them as soon as possible using any means necessary. But, despite his skewed moral compass (if he even had one) and his borderline paranoia, his assessment of a situation was not wrong. At least, most of the time it wasn't. And in this situation, caution was better than blind faith in the inherent goodness (supposedly) possessed by every human being. Plenty of wars had shown the four veterans just how highly most people valued the life of another. Needless to say, none of them believed even for a second that Minato and Kushina's enemies would hesitate to harm an infant in order to get some kind of revenge against a man and a woman who were well out of their grasp now.
The truth was that even if they were still alive, nothing would change. The assassins' job would just be a lot harder.
"Can we protect the girl?" Koharu finally asked the question on everyone's mind.
"No, we cannot." The third man spoke firmly, but his voice was quiet and held an undertone of defeat. He was wearing an old fashioned black armor, looking every bit like the veteran of two great wars and countless small skirmishes that he was, an unsettling image that belied his kind, grandfatherly personality. His eyes were dull and focused intently on the peacefully sleeping baby.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked exhausted, which was to be expected. He had gone toe-to-toe with the most powerful of the nine Bijū, the Kyūbi no Kitsune. He had fought it with everything he had while trying to ignore the screams of the people dying around him, the questions he had about its escape from Kushina's seal, the fear that gnawed on his belly as all his efforts served only to slow the Demon Fox down and buy time until the Yondaime joined the battle, his worry about the fate of his beloved Biwako...
His successor and then shortly after predecessor, Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage had arrived just as the Kyūbi was charging a Bijūdama, a devastating sphere of concentrated chakra, and teleported it with him far away, saving the village and the Shinobi still fighting, only to reappear soon after with Gamabunta and disappear with the Kyūbi. Hiruzen arrived on the battlefield shortly after the Sealing was complete accompanied by Homura, Koharu and Danzō, only to discover that Minato and that his wife, Uzumaki Kushina, the second Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi had perished. They managed to defeat the Fox by sealing it inside a newborn baby, their own daughter.
Hours after the sealing, they were still counting the dead and wounded; the number was staggering. The sheer destruction and chaos caused by Kyūbi was so great that the death toll and collateral was even greater than the Second and Third Shinobi Wars combined. Among the dead were the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and his wife, Uzumaki Kushina. And Sarutobi Biwako...
Hiruzen pushed the thought back. There would be time to grieve for the dead later. First, they had to tend to the living particularly Minato and Kushina's daugther.
The baby currently sleeping on the Council Chamber table, tightly wrapped in the blue blankets.
They bore witness to the final words of the Princess of Uzu and Commander of the ANBU, and with her dying breath, she warned them than a masked man belonging to the Uchiha Clan, whose identity was still unknown managed to engage in combat with Minato with surprisingly enough; relatively equal skills and in doing so, managed to locate and force the seal that contained the Kyūbi on her stomach open thus releasing the Kyūbi upon Konoha, by using the Dōjutsu known as the Mangekyō Sharingan (万華鏡写輪眼) taking the form of three dots followed by three curves spiralling counter-clockwise around the pupil, he forced the Kyūbi to attack Konoha by summoning it in the middle of the village. She also warn them regarding the fact that while the seal was strong, it, like the very first seal of the Kyūbi needed love to help combat the truly vile chakra that Kyūbi was made of in order to re-inforce the seal.
They all swore that her daughter would be cared for and protected, even if it cost them their lives to ensure her protection and safety. Uzumaki Kushina then died with a smile that could only be given by a woman that had faith in her Village and husband's predecessor, soon to be successor, he along with his teammates would keep their word.
He looked around the table at the faces of his old comrades and trusted councilors during his tenure as the Sandaime Hokage.
"The Hidden Leaf has suffered heavy losses tonight. A large part of the village has been destroyed, the Yondaime Hokage and thousands of others were killed during the Kyūbi's rampage and at least twice as many were wounded. Moreover, we have no inkling as to how a thing came to pass, since everyone present during Kushina's labor is now dead. Well, everyone but one, but she's not able to speak yet. In short, Konoha is weaker than it has ever been. Moreover, we have no inkling on the identity of the Uchiha responsible for the attack, we only know of the design of his Mangekyō Sharingan, it will of course be recorded both in the ANBU Archive, The Konoha Archive Library (木ノ葉古書所, Konoha Toshodokoro) and in a book in the Konoha Library (木ノ葉図書館, Konoha Toshokan) containing information of the Uchiha Clan."
Silence fell once again around the table, as none of the former Hokage's councilors could think of a way to dispute his grim assessment of the situation. As much as they, especially Danzō, hated to admit it, Konohagakure had never been this vulnerable before. The possibilities of what their enemies and even their 'allies' would do if they found out the extent of their powerlessness made them shiver in fear.
The small bundle stirred slightly, drawing the people out of their contemplation of the bleak future ahead. One of the baby's hands poked outside the blanket and grabbed its edge. Then, the girl opened her sleepy eyes and looked around blearily; her gaze soon cleared and focused on the four people around her, examining them closely. The four elders were looking just as intensely at the child, noticing in particular that she was so tiny, so vulnerable ,and her eyes as they blinked up at them, were a complete heterochromia iridum with the left eye being vivid green whereas the right eye was a beautiful sky-blue color both similar to a emerald and a sapphire. She also had a beauty-mark under the left corner of her mouth, and the characteristic bright blood red hair of the Uzumaki clan. The baby studied them with quiet intensity, before she opened her tiny mouth, and cooed softly, as if trying to speak to them.
"Damn," Homura's soft whisper was barely audible in the quiet room.
"She is beautiful, doesn't she?" Hiruzen's voice cracked a little as he looked fondly at the child.
"Yes," Homura let out a heavy sigh and rubbed one of his temples. "Still I wonder what are those marks on her palms? The dark-coloured, crescent moon-like on her left hand, and the light-coloured, sun-like on her right hand? Any idea?" Asked Homura.
The newborn's eyes were drawn to the bespectacled man, answering Homura's question by making a sort of cooing sound. Then, she squirmed again and extended her right hand, letting go of the blanket. She made that cooing sound once more, this time in a more demanding way.
The elders -save Danzō- chuckled at the baby's antics and Homura reached out to tuck the errant hand back inside the warmth of the blankets. Before he could secure it, however, the girl managed to grab hold of one of his fingers, cooing happily. Homura felt his lips draw in a smile and, on an impulse, he reached out with his free hand and poked the girl's nose lightly before tracing a finger over her chubby cheeks. The baby made a squealing sound that sounded a lot like laughter, showing how much she was enjoying the little game.
"She's such a cute little thing." Koharu's smile was small but very warm as she looked at the two of them. Anyone who knew the normally harsh and unforgiving woman would be surprised to see such a tender expression on her face.
"Yes, She is," Hiruzen said with a smile of his own.
With her round face, her Heterochromia iridum/iridis blue green eyes and red hair, she was an adorable baby, the kind women went 'aww!' over and begged to hold for a while. Just a normal baby, happy to have someone play with her, holding the greatest of the Tailed Beasts trapped inside her tiny little body.
In a few years, she'll have an army of boys chasing her, just like fangirls chased her father.' Few knew that Konoha's Yellow Flash, the fastest shinobi in the world, had first seen the value of speed as he was running for his innocence, trying to escape a mob of rabid fangirls intent on stealing a kiss from him. Oh, how Hiruzen had longed to be at the teen's place...
"This is no time for levity," Danzō said, well aware that his usual crisp tone could instantly extinguish any sign of mirth in his immediate area. "We're here to discuss the future of Konoha and how the survival of the village is directly tied to this child."
Homura raised an eyebrow at that. "'Survival'? Aren't you over-dramatizing the situation, Danzō?"
Said baby was staring at Danzō with interest, cooing softly. Evidently, she found the scarred and bandaged man amusing.
"Hardly," the one-eyed man said tersely. "If anything, I'm understating the danger." Seeing his fellow councilors and Jiraiya giving him their undivided attention, he continued. "To put it bluntly: Uzumaki Kushina, the second Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi and Commander of the ANBU is dead along with the Yondaime and the Nine-Tailed Fox is now imprisoned inside a defenseless baby."
"Iwa has two fully trained Jinchūriki: Yōton no Rōshi (熔遁の老紫, Rōshi of the Lava Release), the Yonbi no Saru Jinchūriki (四尾の猿人柱力, the Four-Tails Monkey Jinchūriki) and Han of the Steam (蒸気のハン, Jōki no Han), the Gobi no Bake-kujira Jinchūriki (五尾の化鯨人柱力, Five-Tails Ghost Whale Jinchūriki). Both of them are experienced powerful Shinobi (忍者) and very loyal to Ōnoki (オオノキ), the Sandaime Tsuchikage (三代目土影). Since the death of Yotsuki Fukai (夜月フカイ) also known as Blue B (ブルービー, Burū Bī), whom was the Eight-Tails (八尾の八岐の大蛇, Hachibi no Yamata no Orochi), Jinchūriki and like his uncle or father couldn't subjugate the beast due to "incompatibility", and that inability of the Jinchūriki to control the Eight-Tails cost Kumogakure many lives. Since then, we do not know what happened to the Hachibi. You all read the mission report written by Minato during the Third Shinobi World War (第三次忍界大戦, Daisanji Ninkai Taisen) when he encountered A the Unruly (きかん坊のエー, Kikanbō no Ē), the Yondaime Raikage (四代目雷影), and his wife Yotsuki Jun (夜月順一族), who gave birth to the new generation of The Gold and Silver Brothers (金銀兄弟, Kingin Kyōdai), Kinkaku (金角), and Ginkaku (銀角), and if they are like the two former generations, they will have the abilities similar to a Jinchūriki. The other tailed beast (尾獣, Bijū), in Kumo possession is the Nibi no Bakeneko (ニ尾の化け猫, The Two-Tails Monster Cat), the Blazing Monster Cat (炎の怪猫, Honō no Kaibyō), and we do not know who is its Jinchūriki yet.
Following the Three-Tails Giant Turtle (三尾の巨大亀, Sanbi no Kyodaigame)s' revival after being "killed" in Nohara Rin (のはらリン) when the girl was forcibly made into its Jinchūriki, as an elaborate scheme by the Sandaime Mizukage to destroy Konoha by having her to be taken back to our village as a Trojan horse, releasing the Tailed Beast to wreak havoc in Konoha. This scheme failed, however, as Nohara was fully aware of their schemes and chose to commit suicide rather than risk Konoha's safety which she achieved by intercepting her friend and fellow team-mate Kakashi's Chidori, which was meant to hit a Kiri-nin, impaling herself and dying at hands of the boy she loved before Kirigakure objectives could come to fruition. But even so, Kiri managed to capture it again, and the tailed beast was sealed within a young Karatachi Yagura (枸橘やぐら,) due to his ability to fully synchronize and control the Three-Tails, and he learned to control its powers over the following years, making him not only a perfect Jinchūriki, but able to have full mastery of Water Release (水遁, Suiton) which allow him to create vast quantities of the substance without a pre-existing water source like the Nidaime Hokage, enabling him to use high-level Water Release techniques at any given time; which has we know is no easy feat. By being the Sanbi Jinchūriki, he got the Coral Release (珊瑚遁, Sangoton). This Kekkei Genkai allows him the ability to produce, manipulate and sprout coral from any surface he or his chakra come into contact with. Further, it permits him to create great spires of Coral, and form constructs out of the organism. As diverse as most Doton techniques, this Kekkei Genkai grants a clever user a plethora of advantages. Further, the coral created from this Kekkei Genkai is capable of sapping chakra from those in the vicinity, replenishing Yagura own stores naturally. His mastery over his Suiton and his proficiency with Sangoton is such that Yagura is known for creating massive scale attacks, and is what makes him the strongest Shinobi within Kirigakure, thanks to that he rose to power and was and rightfully elected as the Yondaime Mizukage (四代目水影) of Kirigakure. It was with this Kekkei Genkai and the terror and destruction wrought under his leadership, that the various islands of the Land of Water were ultimately united, and Yagura had forever earned the moniker of "The Demon of the Reef" (鬼のサンゴ礁, Oni no sangoshō), from the "Village of the Bloody Mist" (血霧の里, Chigiri no Sato).
The other Jinchūriki Kirigakure possessed is Santon no Utakata (酸遁のウタカタ, Utakata of the Acid Release), also known as Utakata of the Bubble-line (バブル系のウタカタ, Baburu-kei no Utakata) and Soap Bubble Ninjutsu Utakata (しゃぼん玉の忍術のウタカタ, Shabondama no Ninjutsu no Utakata), the Six-Tails Slug Jinchūriki (六尾の蛞蝓人柱力, Rokubi no Namekuji Jinchūriki), and because the Yondaime Mizukage's reign is a time of darkness for Kiri, with corruption plaguing those in charge and the pursuit of power becoming paramount for many. Defection became widespread amongst Kiri's ranks, with several members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and even the Six-Tails' jinchūriki, Utakata, abandoning the village.
Our ally Suna, led by Rasa of the Gold Dust (砂金の羅砂, Sakin no Rasa), the Yondaime Kazekage (四代目風影) of Sunagakure no Sato (砂隠れの里) possesses the One-Tail Monster Tanuki (一尾の化け狸, Ichibi no Bakedanuki), and we do not know what he did with it, or whom is seal it within.
Finally my Ne told me that Fū (フウ) the Seven-Tails Kabutomushi Jinchūriki (七尾の甲虫人柱力, Nanabi, Shichibi no Kabutomushi Jinchūriki) of Takigakure no Sato (滝隠れの里, Hidden Waterfall Village) mysteriously disappeared one week ago, and that her father, Hisen of Hidden Waterfall (滝隠れのヒゼン, Takigakure no Hisen) died by using their Hero Water (英雄の水, Eiyu no Mizu), his corpse was discovered by their ANBU and the report said that his heart has been tear out of his ribcage.
Kushina and Minato's presences and the threat of the Kyūbi were the only things that prevented Iwa, Kiri and Kumo from attacking Konoha directly, and Suna to break their alliance with us. As of a few hours ago, this deterrent no longer applies. If Konoha is to survive, their child must be kept in the village in order to preserve the balance of power. Currently, she is our greatest asset, and ultimate weapon."
Hiruzen gave the old war hawk a warning glare. "She's a child, not an asset. And you can't just keep her locked up in Konoha; the Fire Daimyō (火の国大名, Hi no Kuni Daimyō) Shinji Masahiko (真子雅彦) will demand that custody of the Heiress of the Royal Throne of Uzu no Kuni be given to him."
Danzō returned his lifelong rival's glare with an even stare. "She's not a normal child; she's a Jinchūriki. She exists to protect this village. You'd be wise to remember this, Hiruzen."
"You are going too far, Danzō. What you need to remember is that-"
"Enough!" Koharu intervened sharply, her voice cutting before their argument could get out of hand. "This bickering gets us nowhere. You may not like it, Hiruzen, but we cannot afford to hide from the truth of the Yondaime's actions and we must decide, and decide quickly, what to do with our Jinchūriki. The fact is that both of you are right. The girl, or rather the demon sealed inside her, is the only thing that will stop the other nations from taking advantage of our current weakness. However, as soon as news of tonight's events reach the Fire Capital, the Fire Daimyō (火の国大名, Hi no Kuni Daimyō) Shinji Masahiko (真子雅彦) will lay claim on their daughter. Considering that the former Land of Whirlpools (渦の国, Uzu no Kuni), and Uzushiogakure (渦潮隠れの里, Uzushiogakure no Sato) are still even after their destruction the Land of Fire (火の国) and Konohagakure oldest and most steadfast ally, this is not a request we can turn down."
"We won't have to deny his request because it is never going to be made," Danzō said cryptically, leaving the others dumbfounded.
Koharu narrowed her eyes at him. "Explain."
"We will start by telling everyone the truth. The Kyūbi's rampage claimed many lives. Among the dead were the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, his wife, Uzumaki Kushina, and their newborn son, and due to the death of the Last Uzumaki, we need to invoke Shinobi charter number 116, Section 12b and Section 12d."
Hiruzen didn't need to hear any more; he knew exactly what Danzō, the man known as 'The Darkness of the Shinobi (忍の闇, Shinobi no Yami)', was going to say next and he could not -would not!- allow such a thing to happen. "So, this is your solution? Have you lost your mind?"
"Hardly. You may not like it, but even someone as soft as you, Hiruzen, can see that this is the best possible option for Konoha."
"I wouldn't be so confident about the success of this plan of yours, Danzō," Homura said before the retired Hokage had a chance to respond and escalate things. "The girl's parentage cannot be kept secret for long. Anyone who has seen her parents even in passing will realize that this girl is Kushina's daughter and therefore Minato's daughter as well. We may be able to keep her hidden for now, but you and I know that the Uzumaki clan was well known by the beauty of its ladies and that her blood red hair is a sign of her Uzumaki heritage. And I suspect that the resemblance to her mother will only become stronger as she grows older. Moreover, even if Jiraiya cannot be allow to raise her, others will try to do so, Kakashi will recognize her the moment he lays eyes on her; so will Namiashi Raidō (並足ライドウ), Shiranui Genma (不知火ゲンマ), Morino Ibiki (森乃イビキ), Gekkō Hayate (月光 ハヤテ) and Uzuki Yūgao (卯月夕顔), and I hardly doubt that clans like the Nara, Inuzuka and Aburame will not recognize her too, so how do you propose we deal with that? How are we going to handle this?"
But Danzō seemed to have been expecting these questions. "You are right. The red hair is a sign of her Uzumaki heritage, and the resemblance between mother and daughter will be impossible to ignore. However," one corner of Danzō's mouth turned upwards in a faint smirk, "this will not be a problem. Hatake Kakashi is an ANBU directly under the Hokage's command, and like him, the others will obey orders and can be convinced to see that this is for the good of the child as well as the village."
He ignored the coldest glare of Hiruzen and pressed on, knowing his victory over Hiruzen was near. "And for the clans, there is a way to resolute that problem." Danzō said cryptically, leaving Hiruzen to narrow his eyes at him. "Most of the time, if not always, people believe what they want to believe. They accept what they perceive as the truth and deny everything they think is a lie. In the end, 'reality' is just a collection of facts, preconceived notions and misconceptions. For instance: the Yondaime and Uzumaki Kushina were two of the greatest heroes of Konoha, so any child of their would be treated like royalty. But that raises another problem."
"It does," Koharu agreed, with a frown. "She can't be raised as neither Namikaze's or Uzumaki's daughter."
"What!?" Hiruzen demanded.
"Think, Hiruzen," Danzō said wearily. "The other villages will be looking towards us, trying to gauge us for weakness, but if we give enough of a show of strength, they shouldn't risk an invasion or breaking the current peace. Not unless we give them a good enough reason to... such as taking out the Jinchūriki legacy of the Yellow Flash raise as royalty before she's old enough to really be a problem for them. Therefore if she is raise as nothing more than an orphan girl with no clan name, the other villages will never considered that our Jinchūriki could be related to both even if she looks like a younger copy of the woman. In their eyes, she will not be the daughter of the Yondaime or Kushina; she will simply be a girl with red hair, blue and green eyes. And as long as those associated with the Yondaime and his wife stay away from the child, that's all our Jinchūriki will ever be: a nameless orphan with no inheritance."
Despite Danzō's cynical view of people, none of the others could find any fault with his argument. It was a cruel plan, condemning the child to a life away from her family and those who would view her like family. And at the same time it was perfect, ensuring that the vessel of the Nine-Tailed Fox would never leave Konohagakure, guaranteeing the safety of the village.
Hiruzen looked furious, he could not allow it. "So, what, you want me to strip her of her clan name, her inheritance, her status, everything she deserves and its righfully hers?" he demanded. "Just leave her as another couple of nameless, clanless orphan, in the wake of the Kyūbi attack? Like she isn't the child of the Yondaime Hokage? Like she isn't the direct descendant of Mito-Sama the wife of the Shodaime Hokage? Like she isn't the only thing Konoha have of royalty?"
"Yes, because we have to think of what's best for this village, and as we are weakened right now we have to use any means possible to project us as strong."
"More lies," Hiruzen almost spat the words in disgust.
"Think of them as a few additions to the truth, if that makes you more comfortable. In 'Root', you have no name. You have no feelings. You have no past. You have no future. There is only the mission. As Hokage it is your duty to put the best interests of the village above all else, even ethics and morals."
"A well-thought plan," Koharu admitted reluctantly. "However, every plan can be unraveled by unforeseen events. Should this happen, our relation with the Fire Daimyō (火の国大名, Hi no Kuni Daimyō) Shinji Masahiko (真子雅彦), which goes back to the founding of the village, will crumble. Are you really willing to take such a risk?"
"Sacrifice must be made to preserve peace and the great tree that is Konoha. From the moment the Kyūbi was sealed into her and she became our Jinchūriki, this girl became an asset to Konoha. Self-sacrifice is a ninja's duty. Self sacrifice, that's what epitomizes a Shinobi. Never seeing the light of day, toiling in the shadows. That's the way of a true Shinobi and not just her. Countless shinobi have died the same way. My father and grandfather among them. They died in battle as ninja. This world could not function on ideals and pleasantries. It's thanks to people like her that peace has been maintained. And make no mistake, if we lose the Kyūbi as well as the Hokage, our enemies will attack and Konoha will be at war. We need to maintain the status quo at any cost. This is for Konoha… for the Shinobi World... this girl will be sacrificed for that peace."
The oppressive silence fell around the table once again; even the baby was observing everything quietly, seemingly understanding the gravity of the conversation that would determine her future.
'Damn the status quo,' Hiruzen thought bitterly as he frantically tried to find a way to dispute Danzō's words. But it was futile, and he knew it very well. There was no other way.
The balance of power between the Five Great Nations was maintained by the Tailed Beasts each nation controlled and the Jinchūriki that wielded their power. And even though the Kyūbi's current Jinchūriki couldn't use the power of her Bijū at all, her very presence in Konoha would preserve the balance of power and the fragile peace that had followed the Third Shinobi World War. However, if the Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi should leave Konoha, then the delicate balance would shift and the Konoha would be at an incredibly disadvantageous position. Combined with the heavy losses Konoha had suffered just a few hours ago...
'Minato knew this. That's why he chose to seal the Fox instead of killing it.' But, no matter how Hiruzen looked at it, Namikaze Minato was not the kind of person who would treat anyone, even a Jinchūriki, as a tool, an asset to be used by the village, and strip that person of her legacy.
'So, what kind of person am I?' Hiruzen sighed and put his hands over his face for a moment, as if to block out a world in which the best way to protect his home and the people living in it was to sacrifice an innocent child. Or maybe it was so he wouldn't have to look in the guileless eyes of the baby he was going to turn into a bargaining chip in the power struggle between nations.
"Very well," he said after a while, letting his hands fall on the table; he would deal with the consequences of his actions and not hide behind excuses. "Danzō you have my permission to reinstate Root (根, Ne) that Minato disband, just do it in secret so that I can deny everything you do. The Root will have to take those missions that we publicly treat as to dirty." A small nod from Danzō was the confirmation that he understood the severity of the situation. "The Council will be informed that the Yondaime Hokage was killed during the Kyūbi's attack, along with his wife and their son. They will be told that before they died, they sealed the Kyūbi inside a newborn baby girl of unknown parents, both of them were killed during the attack. The orphelin girl will protect us from annihilation from both the fox and from the other hidden villages. The girl, Himiko, family name unknown, will be given to the orphanage. No-one outside the Council will be made aware of her burden. Not even her will be told the truth about the Kyūbi until she is old and mature enough to control its power. A letter will be sent to Tsunade, Jiraiya and the Fire Daimyō, informing them of the tragedy that befell Minato, Kushina and their son Naruto as they wanted to call their child if it was a boy. Moreover, the Shinobi charter number 116, Section 12b and Section 12d, will be invoke. All of the clan holdings of the Uzumaki Clan, including land, wealth, and techniques, shall be absorbed by Konoha." His voice was dull, lifeless as he passed the girl's sentence, he would deal with the consequences of his actions and not hide behind excuses..
Danzō bowed his head, acknowledging both Hiruzen's words and the effort it took for the kind-hearted man to say them. Despite all their disagreements, he deeply respected his rival. "Why name her Himiko (卑弥呼)?"
"Her parents had chosen the name Konohananosakuya-hime-no-Mikoto (木花開耶姫命) for her, I had just taken everything from her. The least I can do at least it give her a name close to it. We need to be careful if it gets out that she is the daughter of the heroes of Konoha and the Princess of Uzu no Kuni, there's no way of telling how the Shinobi's, civils and Fire Daimyō will react." he said after a while, letting his hands fall on the table; The council elders all nodded while looking at Himiko knowing the consequences for them if that knowledge leak out.
Danzō thought this was nothing more than foolish sentimentality; the girl's name shouldn't matter. But even he couldn't bring himself to argue against this. Because deep down, he knew that the name did matter. Deep beneath the emotional control he valued so much and all the layers of indifference he had cultivated over the years, he knew that he -they- had just done a terrible thing. But no price was too high when it came to the safety of the Hidden Leaf. He had decided that decades ago and now, when Konoha was most vulnerable, was not the time to grow a conscience.
So, Danzō nodded imperceptibly, deciding to allow little the girl to keep her name. "Will you take back the position of Hokage?"
Hiruzen gave a mirthless laugh at this. "I have to admit, I never thought I'd hear you say such a thing, Danzō."
"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't; I would vehemently object your re-appointment. But we have already established that these are not normal circumstances. Right now, we need someone to immediately take charge of the situation. We cannot afford division and infighting."
"If that is what you all want, then I accept." At least, as Hokage, he would be able to watch over the girl, find some way to give her a normal life. He hoped he could.
Koharu looked at Homura, who nodded. "Then it is decided. Now, we have to wait for the Council meeting to start in order to make everything official."
Hiruzen said nothing and simply sunk in his chair, turning his attention to the baby girl instead. He felt like he had just committed the greatest crime of his life.
It would be years before they realized the biggest mistake they made by stripping Himiko of her inheritance and hiding her existence to the population of Konoha, the Fire Daimyō, Jiraiya and Tsunade but by then it would be too late for them, because inside the seal of the young fallen Princess, The Kyūbi no Kitsune was listening, and moreover what The Kyūbi discovered inside little Himiko (卑弥呼) was far more important than what insufferable old men were plotting, and anything to come out of them could not be good, for both of them. No, the new development that the Kyūbi no Kitsune discovered could only help in making the young Princess feared and the strongest, and because of their decision, those foolish old men just made, left Himiko (卑弥呼) to suffer the burden of being the Sandaime Jinchūriki (人柱力) of the Kyūbi no Kitsune… But there was an unknown benefit to sealing the Kyūbi no Kitsune into Himiko that even Minato and Kushina could not have foreseen.
Most of the Shinobi World knew very little about Yin (陰, In) and Yang (陽, Yō) chakra, the closest they would ever come to understanding and utilizing it were through the creation of Genjutsu (幻術, Illusionary Techniques) and Iryōjutsu (医療忍術, Medical Ninja Techniques) respectively.
Yin chakra was made up of spiritual energy, controlling imagination and granting form to nothingness. Whereas Yang chakra was made up of physical energy, controlling vitality and granting life to things that had none.
Some Shinobi Clans, like the Nara Clan (奈良一族, Nara Ichizoku) and Akimichi Clan (秋道一族, Akimichi Ichizoku), would subconsciously use these chakra natures in their own techniques, but would never be able to fully utilize the two natures beyond what they already knew. For instance, the Nara Clan wielded Yin chakra to stretch and manipulate their shadows in a multiple of ways; while the Akimichi wielded Yang chakra to fill their bodies with vitality, drastically increasing their size.
If used together, the two chakra natures allowed one to access the power of life and death, which had only ever been seen in the hands of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo. But with the Rikudō Sennin's children inheriting ⅓ of his power each, the Uchiha gained control over Yin chakra, the Senju, gained control over Yang chakra, and the Uzumaki gained control over Yin and Yang but unable to used them together. None was able to use the Yin–Yang Release (陰陽遁, In'yōton, Onmyōton).
More importantly, Mokuton (木遁) wasn't a Kekkei Genkai (血継限界, Bloodline Limit), but a Kekkei Tōta (血継淘汰, Bloodline Selection), with Yang chakra as one of the main components for awakening the Mokuton (Wood Release) in Asura's reincarnations… And Konohananosakuya-hime-no-Mikoto (木花開耶姫命) or Himiko (卑弥呼) was born not only with the Kekkei Mōra (血継網羅, Bloodline Encompassing) represented by the San Daidōjutsu (三大瞳術, Three Great Eye Techniques), and the Shikotsumyaku (屍骨脈, Dead Bone Pulse), but with the Rikudō no In no Chikara (六道の陰の力, The Six Paths Yin Power), represented by a dark-coloured, crescent moon-like palm seal (掌の印, shō no in) on her left hand, but also the Rikudō no Yō no Chikara (六道の陽の力, The Six Paths Yang Power), represented by a light-coloured, sun-like palm seal (掌の印, shō no in) on her right hand, and with the events of her birth, she was just given a massive supply of Yin-Yang chakra through the Bijū (尾獣) sealed inside her.
