Author Note: Hey readers, this is an idea I have recently been highly intrigued by. I asked myself – What if Naruto had not been born with any advantages like he is in canon? What if he was just an ordinary civilian boy who had to train really hard to become competent? What if he relied on skillful combat rather than raw power, with Itachi's mantra of "Every Jutsu has a weakness" in his mind?
And thus, I am writing a new fanfic with this scenario in mind. I hope you all enjoy this!
So, let's get on with the story then.
"Human Speech"
'Human Thoughts'
"Summons/Bijuu/Jutsu Speech"
'Summons/Bijuu/Jutsu Thoughts'
Most Jutsu names are in English (Except the ones for which most of us know the Japanese translations)
WARNING: If any of you suffer from trauma related to the loss of a child, death of a relative after they gave birth, or any similar situation, I suggest you stop reading this book. It is M-rated for a reason, and there are going to be mature themes.
Chapter 1: Where it all Began
Strained screams could be heard from a secret room inside a cave, at a distance from the borders of Konohagakure. A redheaded woman with a swollen abdomen, indicating her pregnancy, was in labor on a cot at the center of the room. A middle-aged brunette woman was helping her deliver her child, as a yellow-haired man clasped her hand within his own. Animal-masked guards were stationed around the cot and outside the door, preventing any external interference.
"FUCK! Minato, you bastard you – ARGH! – you are so getting it later for doing this to me!", the redheaded woman, Kushina Uzumaki, screamed between laborious gasps. After an intense contraction, Kushina nearly crushed the yellow-haired man's, her husband Minato's, hand. Minato yelped in pain as he tried to placate his hotheaded wife.
"You're doing fine, dear, the head is starting to appear! You can do this!", he encouraged. Several stressful minutes later, an adorable whiskered baby boy, with tufts of Minato's spiky yellow hair, was held in the hands of the middle-aged woman, Biwako Sarutobi, the wife of the Sandaime Hokage.
Minato quickly moved to see the baby and hold him, but was admonished by Biwako, who claimed the mother should see the child before the father. Although he was slightly irked by Biwako's traditionalism, Minato quickly moved back to his wife's bedside, as Biwako laid the child next to Kushina.
The beautiful redhead tenderly hugged the baby to her breast, as she cried tears of joy at the experience of bringing new life to this world. Minato stroked her silky, crimson hair as he admired the child they created as the baby opened his big, cerulean eyes.
"He has your face and nose, Kushina-chan.", Minato said softly. "And he has your hair and eyes, anata.", Kushina responded lovingly. However, their moment was interrupted, as a lone figure wearing a one-eyed zebra-patterned mask warped into existence at the corner of the room.
The ANBU guards moved to apprehend him, but within a fraction of a second, they all fell down dead, blood spurting out of incisions on their throats.
Before Minato could react, the figure stabbed Biwako through the chest, as she released a silent wail of agony. The man grabbed the baby boy and held a kunai over him.
"Step away from the jinchuriki, Yondaime Hokage, or your precious child dies.", the masked man said in a deep, raspy voice. Without hesitating, Minato used his pure speed to snatch the child from the man. However, he realized a split second too late, that there were paper bombs placed on the blanket the baby was wrapped in.
Minato tried to remove it and run, but as he threw it away and jumped out of the room, the bombs exploded, scorching one of his arms, as well as badly burning the baby. Minato let out a choked sob as the baby's pulse was fading.
He used his Hiraishin no Jutsu to teleport to the hospital's emergency room. "Hokage-sama! What happened?", the chief medic asked in panic.
"My child! We were attacked! Please save him!", Minato said hurriedly, as the chief medic gave an assertive nod as took the baby.
"We will try our best to save him, Hokage-sama!", she said confidently. Minato nodded as he teleported to the cave where the masked man was unsealing the Kyuubi. He saw the man direct the Kyuubi to stab Kushina with a claw.
The masked man watched as the Kyuubi was about to penetrate Kushina's torso with a massive claw, but in a flash of yellow light, she disappeared. The masked man looked behind himself to see Minato holding Kushina bridal-style.
"Not bad, Konoha no Kiiroi Senkou. In seems you do live up to your name.", the masked man said. Minato scowled as he used Hiraishin once more to lay Kushina on a bed at his home.
Meanwhile, the masked man made his way towards Konohagakure, until he reached the border. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu.", he said calmly, as a massive summoning seal spread outwards from his hand that was pressed to the ground.
The masked man jumped away, as a massive auburn fox with nine tails swishing violently behind it, appeared and started rampaging its way towards the center of Konoha.
"Sandaime-sama! The Kyuubi is rampaging outside! Where is Yondaime-sama?!", one of Minato's elite guards, Tokubetsu Jounin Raido Namishi, shouted as he burst into Hiruzen Sarutobi's home.
"I see. Something must have gone wrong with the birth then. Order all shinobi who are Chuunin or under in rank to escort the civilians to the safe houses! I will prepare for battle!", Hiruzen ordered.
"You can count on me, Sandaime-sama!", Raido said confidently, as he used Shunshin to flicker away. Hiruzen turned away and got dressed in his battle attire (A/N: Same as canon).
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Enkou: Enma!", Hiruzen called, as he bit his thumb and slammed his palm onto the floor.
"Seems you are in a pickle, Hiruzen.", a buff monkey that was about 6 feet tall, and was dressed in tribal attire, said.
"I am, old friend, but we don't have the luxury of partaking in small talk right now. The Kyuubi has escaped and is attacking the village!", Hiruzen said assertively.
Enma, the boss summons of the monkeys. Gave an understanding nod and transformed into the famous Adamantine Staff that Hiruzen was famous for using in battle.
"Hiruzen, I am almost unbreakable, but I am still nothing against the power of the strongest Bijuu. Make sure you are careful.", Enma said.
"When am I not careful, my friend? Anyways, let's go! We must protect Konoha!", Hiruzen said, determination coursing through his powerful voice, as he grabbed the staff and speeded towards the commotion.
Hiruzen was sad to see how many shinobi had died fighting the Kyuubi, but he steeled his resolve and charged towards the battle. He saw Inoichi Yamanaka, Chouza Akimichi, and Shikaku Nara, among several other shinobi, try to stop the Kyuubi's rampage.
"Akimichi clan members, Suiton users, and Doton users! Help me push the Kyuubi back towards the border!", Hiruzen commanded, extending his staff to great lengths as it struck the Kyuubi, and with the help of the other shinobi, pushed it back.
The Kyuubi unleashed a massive roar, the power of which sent several shinobi flying. It seemed to concentrate as its chakra coalesced to form a large, reddish-black ball near its snout. "It's going to level the village!", a Jounin shouted as it released the Bijuudama, sending it flying towards the village.
Suddenly, a flash of yellow light appeared in the path of the incoming Bijuudama. Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage, had arrived at the battlefield.
He held his hands and one of his special kunai knives in a triangular shape. "Hiraishin: Dorai!", he shouted, causing a portal to appear and suck in the Bijuudama. The shinobi all heard a massive explosion and felt the ground violently shake as the explosion went off far away from the battle field.
"Thank you for saving us, Yondaime-sama!", all the shinobi cheered. However, Minato did not respond. Instead, he threw his tri-pronged kunai above the Kyuubi's head, as he used Hiraishin to teleport above it.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu.", he said, as a massive vermillion toad with a smoking pipe in its mouth appeared, crushing the Kyuubi with its weight. It wore a coat similar in design to the coat of a yakuza gang leader, and had a scar over one of its eyes.
"Gamabunta-sama, I am so sorry for asking you to do this difficult task, but could you hold the Kyuubi down for a few moments?", Minato asked respectfully.
The toad, Gamabunta, had a lot of questions, but he knew when he had to keep his mouth shut. Gamabunta nodded and spoke. "You have about two minutes. One if the Kyuubi gets too impatient.", Gamabunta said.
"Thank you, Gamabunta-sama.", Minato said before flashing away to the masked man. He saw the masked man standing idly at near the forest as he watched the destruction occur from afar.
"So, you have arrived, Yondaime Hokage.", the man said.
"You are no ordinary adversary. No Uchiha has the hatred required to control the Kyuubi with their Sharingan. The only one I can think of who is capable of such a thing is Madara Uchiha, but he is too old to still be alive today.", Minato said.
"Hn…you guessed correctly, Hokage, but I am afraid that will not do you any good. After all, this day will be the day you breathe your last breath.", Madara (A/N: I know this is Obito, but for the sake of the story, I will call him Madara until he is found out) taunted, as he pulled out a chain.
"Why did you do this?", Minato asked, unfazed by Madara's taunts.
"I could say I did it on a whim, or that I planned it, or that it's for war, or that it's for peace,
Minato did not answer as he swiftly tried to attack Madara, but he was surprised as he simply passed through him. However, he found himself caught in Madara's chain after he passed through. Minato instantly flashed out of the chain, using Hiraishin to escape. He realized that Madara had to materialize to attack him.
Both him and Madara realized that the other could not afford to draw out this battle. Madara couldn't because of the time remaining on the Kyuubi Summoning Contract, and Minato couldn't as he had to protect the village.
They both blitzed towards each other, aiming to finish the battle with one last attack. Minato through a tri-pronged kunai at Madara, which unsurprisingly passed through the Uchiha. Just as Madara's hand was about to touch him, Minato disappeared and reappeared at the location of his kunai, smashing a Rasengan into Madara's back.
As Madara stood up and tried to regain his bearings, Minato slammed a palm to his chest, as he said, "Fuinjutsu: Contract Seal". Madara's contract with the Kyuubi was now erased.
"I must hand it to you, Yondaime Hokage. You are indeed quite resourceful.", Madara said. Minato watched in bizarre fascination, as Madara's hand seemed to melt off his body and some weird goo dripped from his sleeve along with it.
"However, the Kyuubi will be my plaything again, as I am going to take over the world. There are so many ways to go about doing that.", Madara said, as he warped away.
Minato scowled as he flashed back to the battlefield. All the shinobi cheered as Minato teleported the Kyuubi to a safe location far away from Konoha's borders using his Hiraishin no Jutsu.
He flashed back to the hospital's emergency room. "Where is my child?", he asked quickly, as the nurses looked at him grimly. The chief medic walked up to him slowly, terrified of how he would react.
"Hokage-sama, we are so sorry, but he didn't make it. His right lung and liver had suffered serious damage from burns. Since he was an infant, it was not a good idea to use more chakra to accelerate his healing. We tried, of course, when everything else was failing, but his heart eventually gave out and he died.", she said morosely in a fragile voice.
Minato bit back a sob as he spoke. "C-Can I see?", he asked.
"Of course, Hokage-sama.", the chief medic said, showing Minato his son's corpse. Tears rolled down Minato's cheeks as he picked up the infant and held him to his chest. The other occupants of the room also bowed down their heads in silence, to pay respects to the Hokage's dead son.
Minato took a deep breath as he steeled himself. "Have any other babies been born today?", he asked.
"Yes, Hokage-sama, but may I ask why you need them?", the chief medic asked.
"It is important. For the sake of this village's safety.", Minato said.
The chief medic had no clue as to why the Hokage needed a baby to save the village, but she complied, not wanting to refuse the Hokage's orders in such a crisis.
"Follow me, Hokage-sama.", she said, leading him to the birthing rooms. Minato saw three babies, two of which were being held by their parents. The other was resting on the cot, on which his mother had birthed him. He had delicate tufts of spiky black hair, as well as blue eyes. However, the eyes were pupilless, and were more similar to the blue eyes of the Yamanaka Clan than Minato's blue eyes.
The mother was not breathing – clearly, she had passed away in the birthing process. The chief medic saw where Minato's attention was, and sneered in disdain.
"Hokage-sama, don't go for that one. The mother was a prostitute, who was already suffering a disease when she became pregnant. It is a miracle that the baby survived, but the mother passed away because of the strain of going into labor and the symptoms of the disease.", she said.
The medic's eyes widened as Minato unleashed strong killing intent and targeted it at her. "You would allow the child to suffer only because of his parentage? I should revoke your status as a medic! Did you forget the oath you took when you became a medic?", Minato asked dangerously.
"I'm so sorry, Hokage-sama. I know, I vowed to treat all patients, but my emotions got the better of me. That child is the result of my husband's infidelity. Nine months ago, we separated because of this.", The chief medic apologized.
"I will overlook this now if you don't repeat it. Don't let your emotions make you forget your oath.", Minato chastised.
"Yes, Hokage-sama, understood.", the medic said.
Minato nodded as he picked up the baby. He was surprised when he noticed that the boy's Chakra that he sensed was quite high, for a civilian-born baby. It was quite close to the Chakra level of a baby from a mid-tier Clan, like the Akimichi or the Nara Clan.
Of course, he would know, as a large part of politicking involved getting close enough to babies to kiss their foreheads. He could easily sense the babies' Chakra signatures that way.
"Does this boy have a name?", Minato asked.
"No, he doesn't.", the medic said.
"What was her name?", Minato asked, pointing to the prostitute.
"Yui Kazama.", the medic said, still unable to completely get rid of the venom in her voice.
"Alright then, I shall leave you to tend to your other patients.", Minato said, carrying the corpse of his son, as well as the son of Yui Kazama, as he teleported to his home.
As he set the two on the bed, he quickly wrote a letter to the raven baby boy, explaining what he did and his reasons, in case he died on this day.
Afterwards, Kushina stirred. "N-Naruto – Minato, where is our son?", Kushina asked, turning on the bed to face her husband. Minato turned away, unable to face her, as tears rolled down his cheeks.
"No! D-Don't tell me…is he dead?", Kushina asked tentatively, scared to know the truth. She got her response from Minato, as he gave a small, almost imperceptible nod.
Kushina broke down, wailing hot tears of grief, as her son died before experiencing life for himself. Minato released more tears of his own, before getting a grip over himself.
"Kushina, I know we both faced a tragic loss today, but we must mourn him after dealing with the Kyuubi. I need your help for this, Kushina. Please.", Minato begged, holding her hand softly.
Kushina, knowing her duty as a shinobi, slowly wiped her tears and nodded. "Minato…is that other boy here for the reason why I think he is?", Kushina asked, looking at the black-haired boy.
"He is, Kushina. I am sorry. I know you don't like it, but it must be done for the village.", Minato said.
Kushina shed some more tears, knowing the fate of this peaceful boy and the hardships he would have to endure. However, she gathered her resolve and held the boy. "Let's get this over with, Minato-kun.", she said.
Minato held Kushina, as he used Hiraishin to teleport to the place where he left the Kyuubi (About two minutes had passed from the time Minato had teleported the Kyuubi to present. Gamabunta was making sure to do whatever it took to make the Kyuubi stay where it was until now).
"Kushina, please set the child on that rock over there.", Minato said, as she did as she was told. Gamabunta saw Minato and nodded, disappearing to go back to Mount Myoboku.
Minato made a series of hand seals. Mi → Ino → Hitsuji → Usagi → Inu → Ne → Tori → Uma → Mi → Clap. "Shiki Fuujin!", Minato yelled. An astral image of the Shinigami appeared behind him.
"Minato! What are you doing?! Why are you using a suicide jutsu?!", Kushina yelled, tears threatening to leave her eyes.
"The boy is a civilian, Kushina, he will not be able to handle the full chakra of the Kyuubi. I will seal its Yin component within myself, while he gets the Yang. Shinigami-sama, please start the process.", Minato said, as the Shinigami licked his blade and plunged it into the Kyuubi, who unleashed a furious roar.
However, from Kushina's back, several Adamantine Chakra Chains emerged, wrapping themselves around the Kyuubi to restrain it. "I understand, Minato, do what you must.", Kushina said.
"Thank you so much, Kushina-chan. As the Yin half of the Kyuubi is inside me now, I will begin sealing the Yang half into the boy. Fuinjutsu: Hakke Fuin!", Minato said, sealing the rest of the Kyuubi into the infant.
"Now, where to put the key…", Minato mused. He thought of summoning Gerotora, but he was not sure if Jiraiya would let the boy sign the Toad Summoning Contract, so he decided to have Hiruzen give it to the boy when he felt he was ready.
As the Shinigami came to collect Minato's soul, Minato held up a hand. "I apologize, Shinigami-sama. Could you please allow me five more minutes?", Minato asked.
"Very well, Yondaime Hokage. You performed a very honorable act today to protect your people. I shall reward you five extra minutes for that.", the Shinigami said. Minato nodded gratefully, as he and Kushina walked towards the baby boy, and kneeled in front of him.
"I am sorry, my boy, for robbing you of the opportunity to live a peaceful life. I would have used my own son for this, if he were alive, as he was a much more compatible host, but unfortunately, he has passed away, and Kushina will be joining him soon. As you have taken on the burden that he would have, I thank you, and will honor you by naming you with the same name I intended to give my son. You are now Naruto Kazama, the new jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko.", Minato said, bowing his head before the boy.
Kushina was shocked that Minato was intending to use their own son for the sealing, but decided to argue with him about it in the Pure World. She did not want to waste the little time that Minato had left in this world.
"Naruto, I know that I am not your mother, but I still do wish for you to live the best life possible, as a fellow jinchuriki. Don't be picky. Eat lots and grow strong. Make sure that you bathe every day and stay warm. Also, don't stay up late – you need lots of sleep. And make friends – you don't need a lot of friends – just a few. Ones you can really, really trust.
I wasn't very good at it, but keep up with your studies and practice your ninjutsu hard. Remember that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, so don't get too depressed if you can't do something well. Respect your teachers and upperclassmen at the Academy.
Oh, and this is important – it's about the Three Prohibitions for a shinobi – be extra careful about lending and borrowing money. Put your mission wages into your savings account. No alcohol until you're twenty – too much can ruin your health, so drink in moderation. Another Prohibition is women. I'm a woman, so I don't know too much about this, but all you need to remember is that this world is made up of men and women, so it's only natural to take an interest in girls. But just don't get hooked on bad women.
Speaking of the Three Prohibitions, be wary of Jiraiya Sensei, you know. Naruto, from now on, you're going to face lots of pain and hardship. Be true to yourself. Have a dream and have the confidence to make that dream come true.", Kushina said, as a fresh wave of tears made it out of her eyes.
"That was beautiful, Kushina-chan…", Minato said as he kissed her lovingly before pulling away. "However, there is one more thing I want to do…well a few more things, actually.", he continued with a serious expression on his face. Kushina gained a curious look in her eye, but Minato explained.
"Let us seal some of our Chakra into Naruto's seal. We will need to guide him when all seems lost. The bastards on the Village Council care too much about ancestry, and Naruto has none. Coupled with that, him being the Kyuubi's jinchuriki will make it much more difficult for him.
Another thing I want to do is transfer all our property to him. We both have no remaining family, and it is the least we owe Naruto for making a sacrifice that is worth the Kyuubi's weight in gold. Let us write our wills to do this, before transferring all our remaining Chakra into Naruto's seal.", Minato said.
Kushina was more than inclined to agree with Minato, as both Minato and Kushina wrote their wills on scrolls. They both then extracted a few drops of Naruto's blood to make seals on the scrolls that would only open to his Chakra. They also imbued their wills with seals to prevent them from being damaged or tampered with, like "Fuinjutsu: Fuka Hoin", "Fuinjutsu: Gogyo Fuin", and "Fuinjutsu: Ninjutsu Reflection".
"Alright, I am ready, let us seal our Chakra in Naruto.", Kushina said. Minato nodded. "Fuinjutsu: Chakra Tensei Fuin!", they both shouted, putting their hands on either side of the seal containing the Kyuubi. Kushina immediately fell dead, collapsing from the exhaustion of losing the Kyuubi, using her chains, and performing complex Fuinjutsu. Even her Uzumaki endurance and stamina had limits.
However, Minato still had two minutes left. As Hiruzen ambled towards him, Minato beckoned at him to come closer. "What is it, Minato my boy?", Hiruzen asked kindly. "Sandaime-sama. Mine and Kushina's son died in the masked man's attack on Konoha. The Kyuubi did not escape the seal on a whim, but it was released by a masked man claiming to be Madara Uchiha.
Madara controlled the Kyuubi with his Sharingan, forcing it to attack the village, until I injured him and broke his contract with the Kyuubi. That is why, I have sealed the Kyuubi into that boy on that rock. However, I am afraid of what the Council has in store for him. I want you to promise me that you will protect him.
He may not be my son, but he has made a great sacrifice by holding the Kyuubi back from attacking the village. You do not need to treat him like a hero, or anything like that, but please allow him to be treated fairly. And give him his inheritance from me and Kushina once he becomes a Chuunin", Minato said.
"Inheritance?", Hiruzen asked in confusion.
"These two scrolls here. They can only be opened using his Chakra, and we have given them to him. Giving him our property is the least we can do to make up for robbing his opportunity to live a normal life.", Minato said. Hiruzen nodded.
"You have my promise, Minato. And my condolences for your loss as well. Now please rest my boy, you have earned it. I hope you find a way to reunite with your wife and child. By the way, what it the child's name?", Hiruzen asked softly.
"Naruto Kazama.", Minato said.
The Shinigami then stabbed his blade into Minato, absorbing his soul. However, before his soul was completely absorbed, Minato spoke again. "Thank you, Sandaime-sama, oh, and I can hear Kushina yelling that if Naruto is not treated right, she will make your life hell when you join her in the Pure World.", Minato said, before his soul completely vanished.
Hiruzen chuckled as a tear ran down his face. "I am sorry that you had to pass on at such a young age, Minato, Kushina. I hope you rest in peace. I shall make sure your wishes are honored and carried out.", Hiruzen said resolutely.
Hiruzen had the ANBU that were behind him bury the bodies of Minato and Kushina in the graveyard with the Memorial Stone.
(A/N: I know that the Memorial Stone is at some training ground in Konoha in canon, but I feel that this is a really stupid choice. Really? Place an obelisk onto which names of all of Konoha's martyrs on a training ground where it could be damaged in a spar? Yeah, no. I am changing the location of the Memorial Stone to the graveyard)
The Sandaime marched into the Hokage Office, before giving an order to an ANBU stationed there. "Neko, summon the Council. There is much to discuss about."
Neko gave a small nod, saying "Hai, Sandaime-sama", before flickering away. Hiruzen placed Naruto's inheritance in the Hokage's Personal Storage Vault. After a few minutes, Hiruzen walked into the Council Meeting Room.
"Hello, Council members, I have called you all today to inform you of grave news. The Yondaime Hokage and his wife Kushina Uzumaki have sacrificed their lives to defeat the Kyuubi. However, as you all know, the Kyuubi is a Bijuu, meaning that it cannot be killed. This is why, the Yondaime and Kushina sealed the Kyuubi into this newborn boy, Naruto Kazama.
Now, I know that many of you want to do away with the boy, as you feel that doing so will destroy the Kyuubi, but in actuality, doing so will release the beast once more. Remember, we have lost several powerful shinobi today. If you release the Kyuubi once more, we may be destroyed for good, so don't antagonize or harm this boy.
Treat him like how you would treat other Konoha citizens. He truly deserves to be worshipped as a hero for holding back the Kyuubi from attacking us, but the Yondaime advised against that, as he did not want the praise to go to his head.", Hiruzen said, holding up Naruto, who had been wrapped in a blanket.
"Will you be the acting Hokage now that the Yondaime has passed away, Sandaime-sama?", a civilian councilman asked.
"I will. By invoking Konoha's Emergency Hokage Restoration Law, which states that any able past Hokage should take up the mantle once more if the acting Hokage is dead or incapacitated, I am the new acting Hokage.", Hiruzen said.
"And you believe yourself to be able, Hiruzen? If I remember correctly, the law you invoked is only applicable if the Hokage in question is capable of combat. Otherwise, the position goes to the candidate chosen by the Village Elders.", Danzo asked.
"I do, Danzo. I played a key role in limiting the damage to the village by pushing the Kyuubi outside Konoha's borders, all the while sustaining minimal injury. And who would you three select if it were up to you?", Hiruzen countered, asking the Elders his own question.
"We were thinking Jiraiya or Tsunade would make a better choice. Jiraiya is preferable, as he is actually using the Sannin Travelling Rights Permit given to him by Daimyo-sama for the benefit of Konoha. Tsunade has been wasting her life gambling for the past two years.
Anyways, why I think they are a good idea is that they have made a name for themselves as the Sannin, along with Orochimaru before he went rogue. Their names invoke fear on battlefields for enemies, as well as hope for allies, similar to the names of Shodaime-sama and Madara Uchiha, but to a lesser extent.", the female elder, Koharu Utatane said.
"Hmm…you have a point. How is this idea – I will send for Jiraiya and Tsunade and discuss the offer of the position of Hokage with them, but if they refuse, I will take up the mantle, no questions asked. I will also be the acting Hokage until their response.", Hiruzen said.
"That is a sound idea, but let us follow standard protocol and have the Council cast a vote on the issue.", Koharu's husband, Homura Mitokado said. Together, Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were the Village Elders.
"Alright then. I will preside on the voting. First up, the Clan Leaders. Shibi Aburame?", Hiruzen called.
"I, Shibi Aburame, accept this decision.", Shibi said.
"Chouza Akimichi?", Hiruzen called.
"I, Chouza Akimichi, accept this decision.", Chouza said.
"Hiashi Hyuuga?", Hiruzen called.
"I, Hiashi Hyuuga, accept this decision.", Hiashi said curtly.
"Tsume Inuzuka?", Hiruzen called.
"I, Tsume Inuzuka, accept this decision.", Tsume said.
"Shikaku Nara?", Hiruzen called.
"Troublesome. I, Shikaku Nara, accept this decision.", Shikaku said lazily.
"Asuma Sarutobi?", Hiruzen called.
"I, Asuma Sarutobi, accept this decision.", Asuma said.
"Fugaku Uchiha?", Hiruzen called.
"I, Fugaku Uchiha, abstain from voting on this issue.", Fugaku said, angry that his Clan's Sharingan and their other special abilities were not utilized to protect the village. If they simply let Fugaku fight, he could have easily limited the damage much more by controlling the Kyuubi with his Mangekyou Sharingan.
"Inoichi Yamanaka?", Hiruzen called.
"I, Inoichi Yamanaka, accept this decision.", Inoichi said.
"Moving on to the Elders. Danzo Shimura?", Hiruzen called.
"I, Danzo Shimura, reject this decision.", Danzo said. None of the others on the Council were surprised, as they knew Danzo hungered for the seat of Hokage.
The only surprise so far was Fugaku Uchiha, as the man did possess great respect for the Sandaime, even naming his own son after Hiruzen's father, Sasuke Sarutobi. Something drastic must have happened very recently, or even on this day, for all that respect to go down the drain.
"Koharu Utatane?", Hiruzen continued to call.
"I, Koharu Utatane, accept this decision.", Koharu said.
"Homura Mitokado?", Hiruzen called.
"I, Homura Mitokado, accept this decision.", Homura said.
"Mebuki Haruno?", Hiruzen called.
"I, Mebuki Haruno, representative of the Civilian Council, accept this decision.", Mebuki said.
(A/N: Yeah, guys, I made the Elders and the Civilian Council a lot more reasonable in this fic. I get the reason why people bash them a lot, but sometimes it's just stupid. Several authors just turn these members of the Village Council to Uchiha cocksuckers, or literally people with the sole aim of causing as much harm to Naruto as possible. I am not going that route here. They will clash with Naruto a lot, but they will be more rational in going about that.)
"Alright then, by rule of simple majority, I will be acting Hokage until either Jiraiya or Tsunade accept the position. I will send for them and request their presence a week from today, and I will hold another Council Meeting to inform you of their decisions.", Hiruzen said.
All the Council members nodded before Hiruzen spoke again. "Now, we have another important issue to discuss. I forbid any of your Clans from taking in Naruto. Unfortunately, his status as a jinchuriki means that any Clan in possession of him will gain his loyalty, and he may end up functioning as a proxy for their overall power.
This will disrupt the power balance between the Clans. I cannot adopt him either, as I live in the Sarutobi Clan Compound, which will maximize his loyalty to the Sarutobi Clan compared to the village.", Hiruzen said seriously.
"I urge you to reconsider, Sandaime-sama. My wife, Mikoto, was meant to be the godmother of Minato's and Kushina's child. Knowing Minato, I assume he would want this boy to be treated as his own son would. Please, let my family adopt the boy. As you are well aware, I have more than enough resources to raise him well.", Fugaku said.
"I am very sorry, Fugaku-san. You adopting him is not possible. However, I will arrange for your family to visit him every now and then.", Hiruzen said.
"Thank you, Sandaime-sama.", Fugaku said, knowing that this would be the best he could get. At least he wouldn't be forbidden from interacting with the boy, and his wife would be happy. Of course, he had no intentions of using Naruto for his clan's benefit, as he was quite satisfied with their power as of now.
His son, Itachi, was already showing prodigious intellect and potential for someone so young. And his pride would never allow him to utilize a non-Uchiha to empower the Uchiha Clan. That would be ridiculous.
"Hiruzen, I don't believe that would be wise. How will you ensure that the boy will not be used as political leverage by the Uchiha Clan?", Danzo asked.
"It is simple, Danzo, I will visit the boy once a week, and make sure that his interactions with Fugaku-san and his family are beneficial, and he is not being manipulated in any way.", Hiruzen said. Danzo knew that he could not argue further without revealing his distrust in the Uchiha Clan, but he had one more avenue to lead the argument towards, which would allow him to turn Naruto into a tool for Konoha's gain.
"I would like to suggest an alternative. Instead of letting Naruto be raised in an orphanage, I can raise him. As I am the last remaining member of my Shimura Clan, Naruto cannot be used by my family for political gain. I can also train him to become an excellent shinobi capable of serving Konoha. He will also be emotionally conditioned, as psychologically challenged or overly temperamental jinchuriki tend to be unstable. This will make him a wonderful asset for Konoha's progress.", Danzo said.
"No, Danzo. This child should be allowed to experience a childhood before learning the ways of shinobi. I do not want his innocence to be stolen without him enjoying a carefree life till his preteens. Jinchuriki require larger amounts of food to support their larger energy requirements, and the orphanage may not be accommodative of this, so I will send weekly funds to support his growth.", Hiruzen said.
The Council (except Danzo) nodded in agreement. "Very well. You all are dismissed.", Hiruzen said, as the Council members filed out of the room. Hiruzen then turned to Naruto.
"Now, to find a good place to have you raised, my boy. Look at you, sleeping so peacefully. I only hope the villagers don't succumb to stupidity and try to harm you.", Hiruzen said, as he carried Naruto in the burping position outside the Hokage Tower.
He made his way to an orphanage that was well reputed for the quality of the lives of the children living there. He talked to the matron, a middle-aged woman with a plump figure and a kind face, who gave off the aura of a loving grandmother.
Hiruzen could see why it was so well-liked. The matron actually seemed to care for the children as if they were her own, there were several activities for the children to do, like play board games, play sports, and even swim. The home was…well…homey, with a warm, comforting aura that Hiruzen felt at ease in. Wonderful smells wafted from the kitchens, but the food was nothing fancy. Instead, it seemed to be healthy and hearty, like homecooked meals.
The children were also well-fed, hydrated, and cared for. The stereotypical depressing aura that most kids from orphanages had, were not observed in the demeanor of the children here. In other words, it seemed like a happy family.
"Alright, Naruto, welcome to your new home!", Hiruzen said, flamboyantly presenting the orphanage to Naruto, who had fallen asleep. 'I swear. If Naruto's like this now, I can already picture Jiraiya's disappointment when he won't react to his ridiculous introductions when he gets older.', Hiruzen thought with a sweat drop running down his temple. Things were going to get interesting in the next few years.
END of Chapter 1