This story takes a good chunk of it's material from The Lives Worth Saving by cywsaphyre. He said it was up for adoption quite a few years ago, so I incorporated quite a few elements to this fic.
It was over.
The Shinobi Alliance was wiped out years prior. They simply weren't strong enough. Madara was one step ahead of them time and time again.
Right now, Naruto is barely standing on his feet in front of Madara's Juubi form. He felt blood, sweat and death all around him. He was bleeding from everywhere, his clothes were torn and his chakra was fading. Kurama was taken by force from his own body years ago, like his mother before him. He barely managed to escape and regroup after that.
Sasuke, and Kakashi were dead. Sakura deserted with the other civilians when Sasuke died. Might Gai used all Eight Inner Gates, but that wasn't enough. Gai died, before landing his final attack. After him, Lee, the Yondaime along with the Nidaime tried to stop Madara. But he killed them as well. Hashirama was killed right after Madara gained his Juubi form. The God of Shinobi just couldn't match the power of the Juubi jinchuuriki.
The few that were unfortunate enough to live were already a part of the God Tree.
All that stood against Madara was one man.
Naruto Uzumaki was nearing his mid 30's, but still didn't look more than 21. When he escaped after Kurama was taken, he fled in a seemingly random direction, and found his way to the island nation of Uzushiogakure. Or at least, the ruins of the once great nation.
There he trained more seriously than he's ever before. Even with Kurama gone, he had more than enough chakra for an army of clones to help in his training. His sealing knowledge grew to a grandmaster level, even for Uzumaki standards. He trained in taijutsu, kenjutsu, and ninjutsu made exclusively by Uzumaki, for Uzumaki. Through the years of self isolation and training, he found a trump card that just might fix everything, but he was hesitant to use it due to it's unstable and unknown results.
As he huffed and puffed, he could swear he felt the Shinigami looming behind him, waiting patiently for him to die. He might have to use it. It was truly time for the Last Resort.
"So...the stubborn Naruto Uzumaki is finally giving up?" Madara asked with chuckle. How he made something as simple as a chuckle sound so sinister, Naruto will never know. "I have to admit, you gave me a good fight. It reminded me of my battles with Hashirama, and that warrior, Might Guy."
Naruto managed to do just as much, if not a bit more, damage to Madara as Might Guy.
"Shut up!" Naruto spat. "You don't get to say his name." 'Damn! My body...is giving up. I can't go for much longer, but I can't quit here.'
"Hn. It seems you've yet to truly grow up, despite how long it's been." Madara mused with a smirk. "But enough chatter. It's time for you to join the others."
"I refuse. I'll free them." Naruto growled at Madara, causing him to snort.
"And how will accomplish that?" Madara asked, while preparing his staff. He'll end the fool on the spot instead.
"With the remnants of my clan." Naruto replied with slight smirk. He tore off the rest of his sleeve, revealing dark blue seals on his left arm.
"Uzumaki fuinjutsu…" Madara mused. He could recognize them anywhere. If there was anyone he ever feared, it would be Mito Uzumaki, and her fuinjutsu prowess. But this seal was different. Madara was unsure what this means, but if the foolish blonde understands the art of Fuuinjutsu, then he cannot be taken lightly.
'Like what the warning said, the last resort.' Naruto thought, as he flared his remaining chakra into his left arm. His entire arm was engulfed in blue flame.
Naruto place his hand on his head, as Madara charged at him. He couldn't allow that man to do anything with that unknown seal.
Naruto was able to put his hand on his head, while Madara was getting closer. Uzumaki closed his eyes and focus.
'With the knowledge I have... I'll be able to end this War before it even begins.' Naruto thought with final smirk. He felt his conciousness slowly fading.
With a massive flash, Naruto disappeared.
Madara stared at the spot Naruto was in, and could only think of one word.
"Shit."
Naruto awoke on top of a building in the middle of a thunderstorm. He sat up, looking around. His arm was sore, and glancing at it showed that the seal was being washed away by the rain, it's purpose fulfilled.
He gazed at his darkened surroundings, and saw that he was in a major shinobi village. A flash of lightning illuminated the horizon, and he got an idea where he was. The mountain range was very distinctive.
"I'm in Kumo."
He hoped that the seal didn't have a bright flash at his entry and that people assumed that it was lightning if there was.
He didn't know how far back he went, but he owed it to Neji to locate and retrieve his dead father's corpse so that he could get a proper burial.
He made quick stop at a shinobi supply store. It seems that it was late enough for the store to be closed, so he made a clone appear at the other side of the door and had it unlock it. Walking in, without compunction, he resupplied in what he needed, as well as got a bunch of new clothing.
He didn't feel guilty about stealing from the village who tried to kidnap his mother, and his wife.
At 6'5" with his father's sharp looks, electric blue eyes and blonde hair, he cut an imposing figure. Dressed in combat boots, black pants, black sweater, black hooded cloak, a white featureless mask, and black gloves with the Uzumaki swirl in red on the back of each.
After sealing the extra clothes away, he set off to find Hizashi.
Slipping unseen over the wall surrounding the shrine, and passing by the lax guards placed at the entrance, the black-clad nin quickly sped into the interior of the shrine, pausing only long enough to deactivate the simple seals placed around the small building housing the body of Hyuuga Hizashi.
For someone as hated as the Hyuuga Clan Head's brother, the man really did get quite a resting place. Naruto supposed this had more to do with the fact that they simply wanted to flaunt the fact that they had Hizashi's body while ignoring the fact that they had failed to get their hands on Hyuuga Hiashi.
No torches were lit inside the shrine which made Naruto's self imposed mission that much easier. He saw his objective, and and some tension was released from his shoulders. If Hizashi was still here, then he still had ample time before the war.
Reaching the dust-covered coffin in which Hizashi had been laid out, he noted the somewhat complex seal on the lid.
He frowned.
This was not the seal he had come across in his former life. That seal had just been placed on the coffin for keeping the corpse from decomposing. A simple enough seal.
But this one...
Naruto leaned in closer, studying the symbols that made up the seal. Why would the seal on a dead body be different between the two times?
His eyes suddenly focused on the centre of the seal, a swirl of symbols that defined suspended life. Suspended life? The only reason that would be here...
Naruto silently pulled out a piece of paper, ink, and a brush. He had worked with Life Suspension Seals before, having come across them when going through Sasori's heart container. He knew how to counter it.
A few minutes later, he slapped the counter seal on top of the coffin. A brief flash of chakra lit the coffin lid before the ink on both seals disappeared. Quietly, he lifted the lid of the coffin, putting it aside carefully before taking a deep breath and looking inside.
Impassively, he watched the gentle rise and fall of Hyuuga Hizashi's chest as his mind raced at this new turn of events. The man had clearly been dead when he had gone to fetch the body. Which meant Kumo or someone else had killed the man sometime before Naruto did that mission.
He leaned closer and noted the familiar thin scar marring the man's throat, a calculated cut for murdering prisoners. Obviously, they had planned on killing him, someone had figured out what the Hyuuga's curse seal would do once the man was dead, someone else had then managed to save him, and then had Hizashi preserved until they could figure out how to break the curse seal.
Naruto had an inkling of a plan of how to get Hizashi to return without causing a massive political fallout for Konoha, but first, he needed to get his comrade home.
He unsealed an empty scroll and drew the seal he found in Uzu. It was used to seal wounded shinobi and keep them in stasis until they made it to a mednin.
He carefully placed Hizashi into the scroll, snd sealed him away. He fastened the scroll onto his back.
Without handsigns, a clone appeared and henged to take the same appearance as Hizashi down to the scar running across his throat. The clone laid in the coffin, while Naruto drew up another Life Suspension Seal.
He doubted the Kumo shinobi came regularly to check up on someone the rest of the world thought was dead.
Sitting on the ground for a moment, he felt for all the hiraishin seals that his father has scattered all over the Elemental Nations.
It took him a moment to find the one that's located in the Hokage's office. He latched onto it, and braced himself for what he was about to do.
He raised his hood, and hiraishined away.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage, and holder of the title 'the Professor', sat in his office starting his daily stack of paperwork. Oh, how he hated it.
Things started off as calmly as they usually do, until a figure appeared in front of his desk.
They were kneeling and their arms were raised in surrender. His ANBU immediately surrounded the figure, blades drawn. He was about to demand to know the identity of this intruder until he heard a code he hadn't heard since Tobirama explained to him things that only the Hokage can know.
"Red Privacy!"
That code made Sarutobi freeze. He thought on it for half a second, the decided to give the figure the benefit of the doubt.
"Leave us." Sarutobi spoke sternly.
Knowing better than to argue with their leader, they all left to guard the outside of the office.
Once they left, Sarutobi activated the security seals and sat back down.
"I don't know who you are, but it seems you know things that no one alive should know. It's because of this, I followed the proper protocol for Red Privacy. Now, please remove your mask and tell me who you are so that we may discuss the need for red privacy." Sarutobi asserted.
The man removed his hood, then he took his mask off.
"Naruto." Sarutobi whispered. His first thought was that he was looking at his successor, but he would recognize those whisker marks anywhere.
"Hai, Hokage-sama." Naruto stated.
The Sandaime tried valiantly to pull his thoughts together, steadying himself in the present as he studied the man in front of him. Now that he took the time, he could see the differences between the Yondaime and this blond. While the two had the same hair and eyes, this man, Naruto, was more broad shouldered to Minato's slender frame. His jawline and facial structure were deceivingly delicate but also held the same strength Minato had had. And the faint smile that still quirked the blond's lips as the man waited patiently for him to finish his observations was all Kushina. Absently, Sarutobi wondered if his laugh would be like Minato's.
"If what you say is true," Sarutobi finally voiced carefully, testing each word. "Then… you must be from the future."
Naruto nodded, the slightest flicker of relief flitting across his features. "Yes, how far into the future depends on when I am, exactly. You could ask me some questions to make sure."
Sarutobi didn't think anyone could pull off this sort of henge and not many people knew Minato and Kushina even had a son, not to mention that the whisker markings on the blond's face, but it didn't hurt to be cautious. "Who were your parents?"
Again, that faint smile appeared briefly, and Sarutobi frowned inwardly at this implication. Naruto had always been optimistic, and always had a ready smile for all. For his expressions to have faded to a mere shadow of what it once was, was a clear indication that things in the future had not turned out well. "Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki."
Sarutobi nodded. "Your godfather and godmother?"
"A pervert and a drunkard. Jiraiya and Tsunade." At this Sarutobi chuckled a bit.
"What happened, Naruto-kun? Why have you come back? What happened to referring me as jiji?" Sarutobi probed.
Naruto a seat, before speaking. "In order? We lost the Fourth Shinobi War. All the Great Nations allied together to fight a common enemy. I won't go into detail, so that I have some measure of insight to the future. I came back because I was the last able bodied shinobi. My comrades were either dead or trapped in the enemy's genjutsu. As far as I know, the civilians were left ignored while the enemy focused on me. As for your last question, I can't see you the same after all the secrets you kept from me."
"I was trying to give you a normal childhood." Sarutobi tried to justify. Naruto looked at him with weary eyes that held so much pain and anguish that it made him flinch.
"A lot of good that did, Sarutobi. Most of the villagers, and by most the stupid ones, see me as a walking reminder of that creature. They can't see the difference between the container and the object being contained. Then we have a kage who instead of correcting them, he makes excuses for them. I trusted you all my life Sarutobi." Naruto ranted. "I always thought of you as the kindest old man I knew. I always wondered why I was treated so badly by the populous, why I was thrown out of the orphanage when I was five years old when I did nothing wrong, why I was looked upon by the ninjas and villagers with intense loathing and disgust as if I was some sort of abomination, why parents would pull their children away from me and tell their children to stay away from me, why their children adapted their cruel behavior and view towards me, why I would be chased out of stores and restaurants while others overcharged me for their reluctant services, why everyone would sneer and call me "Kyuubi-Brat" or "Demon" under their breaths, why I spent the early years of my life always going to bed crying! I couldn't understand why I was treated by the populous so cruelly and I couldn't understand how you being the Hokage kept making excuses for such inexcusable actions against me, the son of this village's most beloved Yondaime who was made into a Jinchuuriki by his own father and not by my choice!"
Sarutobi sagged as if weight was being piled onto his shoulders. "I kept the knowledge of your parents' identity a secret for your own protection. Both Minato and Kushina made many powerful enemies from both Kumo and Iwa; enemies that would have come after you repeatedly in an endeavor to get revenge on your parents by killing you. At that time Konoha was heavily weakened after the losses suffered from the Kyuubi's surprise attack. The only way to keep you safe was to keep your identity as Yondaime's son and descendant of the Uzumaki clan secret."
"Like I couldn't keep a secret if I was taught about my family." Naruto retorted unconvinced. "I learned about my clan completely by accident by drifting to their island after being severely injured. No one told me shit.
"I was planning on telling you after you made Chuunin." Hiruzen said softly.
"And what if something had happened to you before that time." Naruto shot back. "Then what? Who else would have told me if not make sure I didn't get promoted beyond Genin?"
Hiruzen inwardly flinched at Naruto's logical jab. In all honesty, Hiruzen never took that possibly of his death before revealing to Naruto his heritage into consideration.
"You had absolutely no right to keep that information about my clan and familial roots hidden from me." Naruto continued. "You, who has grown with two loving parents, have no idea what it's like growing up not knowing your heritage and familial line or if your parents really cared about you or abandoned you to fend for yourself? No you couldn't possibly begin to understand that feeling so don't pretend to empathize with me."
"I'm sorry," Hiruzen apologized while feeling worn down as he acknowledged that Naruto's respect for him dropped several notches. "I know I have made mistakes. I did try to do my best but I'm far from perfect and some in the council back then even called for your immediate death after the sealing which I had to completely oppose, explaining that killing you would release Kyuubi. Another person suggested that we turn you into a living weapon which I also had to strongly oppose."
"You kept this information from me all my life Sarutobi and lied about not knowing anything about my parents saying that it was for my own good and protection." Naruto said calmly. "To be quite honest part of me truly hates you for that and that same part of me even hates Konoha as a whole for what they've done to me. Be very fortunate that there was a very small handful of people in this kami-forsaken village that I cared about, or I'd have left."
"I understand, Naruto. All I can do is apologize." Sarutobi sighed.
"No, you can make reparations." Naruto stated plainly.
"… how can Konoha do so?"
"I will be taking my seat on the council, and depending on how old the younger me currently is, I will be adopting him. Next I will demand the removal of the Uzumaki symbol from the back of the flak jackets. Konoha hasn't respected the Uzumaki, so they don't get to flaunt our symbol. Third, I will be restructuring the Shinobi Academy. The way it was when I graduated was absolutely pathetic."
As Naruto listed his demands, Sarutobi was once again weighed down. "I will try, Naruto-kun, but I don't have as much clout as I used to-"
"You are the Hokage!" Naruto roared. "Your word is law! You have a political opponent? Strip them of all their assets! Someone speaks to you without respect? Kill them! Konoha is a military dictatorship with only slight oversight from the Daimyo. You were taught by two of the greatest shinobi in the world, stop disappointing them by letting yourself be trampled by weaklings who would shit themselves from a single spike of your killing intent."
Properly chastised, Sarutobi thought about it for a moment. Naruto was right, he has lost himself. 'When has my Will of Fire become so diminished? This cannot continue.'
Naruto anger slowly ebbed away as he could practically see Sarutobi's Will of Fire being stoked again.
Gone was the Professor, in it's place was the inheritor of the title 'God of Shinobi'.
"Welcome back, jiji." Naruto congratulated.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun. I have forgotten who exactly I was. It has made me feeble, and weak minded. I have done you wrong, and with your help, I can repay the debt I owe you. Maybe I can repair the crumbling relationship between myself and my son." His back straighter, and his voice stronger.
"That's easy. Just listen to him. Don't keep explaining your side of things, but listen and properly understand what he says. There's a difference between hearing and listening, and only the truly wise can find that difference." Naruto explained.
"I see. I think I'll do that. Thank you. Now how is it are we to explain your existence? Then we can go about giving you clan head status."
"I already have a plan for that, one that'll get me the Hyuuga's support. But first…"
A clone popped behind him with a brush. Cutting his hand, Naruto presented it to the clone who proceeded to use the blood to draw a seal on the back of Naruto's neck. When the clone finished the seal, Naruto fed it a bit of chakra, and his hair grew and changed color to match his mother's long, straight, and red hair. The seal disappeared but it continued to use his chakra to power it.
The clone moved to stand in front of him, this time using chakra strings to collect drops of blood to draw a small and incredibly intricate seal between Naruto's eyes. Once the clone finished, it dispelled. Pushing a bit of chakra in the seal between his eyes, his eyes changed from the vibrant blue they were, to the amethyst that was prevalent in the Uzumaki clan. It also remolded Naruto's cheeks, making the whiskers vanish. That seal too vanished when it activated.
Sarutobi sat stunned watching this. "You look exactly like your mother."
"Thanks. Now, my plan: as you already know, I know about the Veiled Blades, and to the best of my knowledge, you didn't have any under your reign." Hiruzen nodded, allowing Naruto to continue. "Perfect, then you can tell anyone who asks that I've been on a mission for you for the past eight years. We can use the Hyuuga Affair, you know what that is? Great. We can use that and say I've been in Kumo to make sure they wouldn't try anything again. Don't worry, they don't."
"I could easily do that, but it would be smoother for you if you had proof." Sarutobi shared.
"Ah! Right! How could I forget?" Naruto turned and placed his scroll on the floor. Opening in, he unsealed the currently unconscious Hizashi.
Sarutobi had got up from his seat and observed Naruto work. He was surprised to see he already had Hizashi's corpse, but that surprise turned into shock when he noticed him breathing.
"Oh dear." Sarutobi was able to faintly get out.
Naruto snorted lightly, glancing around and walking over to the couch in the side office to put Hizashi down.
Sarutobi sighed, walking over to stand beside him. "This really is Hyuuga Hizashi?"
"Yup." Naruto responded. "I was expecting to come across a simple Body Stasis Seal, but instead, I found a Life Suspension Seal."
"And you managed to break it?" A note of amazement rang in the older Hokage's voice.
Naruto smiled faintly, now that he wasn't in a war, he could take a bit of pride in his accomplishments. "I'm an Uzumaki Fuuinjutsu Master, old man. As far as I know, I'm the foremost fuinjutsu expert in the Elemental Nations, far surpassing the pervert."
Sarutobi smiled warmly up at him, noticeable pride glowing on the old man's features and Naruto found himself smiling back just a little. Though he grew resentful of him, Naruto still held some affection for the man he saw as his grandfather.
"Well, the Hyuuga Clan will have to be notified. You replaced Hizashi-san with the clone, I presume?" Sarutobi continued.
Naruto nodded his head, arms crossed in front of him. "I did, and I replaced the Life Suspension Seal as well. So long as no one opens the coffin and examines it too closely, the switch should go by unnoticed. At least until one of those Kumo-nins get it into their heads that they might know how to get rid of the Caged Bird Seal without killing the man and the Raikage lets them."
Sarutobi shot him a speculative glance. "Do you?"
Naruto smiled, then frowned. "Of course. I can break any seal. It was created by an Uzumaki, but the Hyuuga Clan took the blueprints and altered it to add the pain inflicting part."
The Sandaime's eyes widened. "Even Orochimaru's curse seal?"
Naruto's frown became more pronounced. "Especially Orochimaru's curse seal. That is another seal made by Uzumaki, but it was originally created to take minuscule amounts of nature energy, and siphon it into the user when they were low on chakra. It as made as a pseudo-soldier pill.
Sarutobi stared for a moment longer, truly impressed by the growth of the man before him. They both made their way back to their seats. "Back on topic, we won't be able to keep this a secret for very long. Kumo only asked for Hiashi-san's body though and then eventually settled for Hizashi-san's body. There were no terms for a prisoner. We could've use that to our advantage, but we don't need nor want war."
Naruto nodded in agreement, so Sarutobi continued. "We would need some legitimate way to place Hizashi-san back in Konoha without alerting them to the fact that Konoha managed to send someone into Kumo for his body."
"Right, so here's my plan: What if we say that the Life Suspension Seal had been weakened with time? The coffin was covered in dust so it's obvious no one's poked around there for a while. We could say that Hizashi-san managed to escape because the Seal's hold on him slipped enough for him to get out. I could go back to Kumo and blow the shrine sky high. I'll leave some evidence of a faded Life Suspension Seal lying in the wreckage before making my way back to Konoha. We could say Hizashi-san blew up the place. I mean a disoriented man waking up inside a box is hardly ideal for anyone. He would try to get himself out and he could claim temporary selective memory loss. The mountains in Kaminari no Kuni are distinctive and he would've realized where he was and, not remembering much of anything, immediately set out for home. That could place him in Konoha without us ever having to lift a finger. Konoha finds out, shit hits the fan, and Kumo has no room for deniability this time around. You said so yourself: a prisoner was not the deal we made with Kumo. We get Hizashi-san back, Kumo can't declare war on us, and we'll have total control of the entire situation. This will also solve the problem between me and the Council. It took me near a decade to find Hizashi, and that's long enough for a less-than-average seal's power to decline enough for someone to break through." When Naruto finished detailing his plan, he discreetly used ANBU hand signs to Sarutobi before he could voice his confusion. 'He's awake.'
Sarutobi got the message, and schooled his features. He was about to speak, but another, incredibly raspy voice spoke up.
"I agree with this plan."
Both shinobi looked towards the couch at sitting Hizashi.
"Welcome back to the Land of the Living, Hizashi-san." Sarutobi said warmly with a smile.
Hizashi replied as Naruto got up to get him water. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."
"How are you feeling?"
Hizashi rolled his shoulders and neck before answering. "Stiff, but some stretching will make that go away I'm sure. Oh, thank you, ANBU-san."
Naruto had returned and handed him a large cup of water. "Your welcome, Hizashi-san. I've been searching for you for a while now." He turned to the Hokage. "May I assume that my time as a Veiled Blade is concluded, Hokage-sama?" He asked this while giving Sarutobi a wink.
"Yes. I'll draft your paperwork, and you'll be able to reintegrate yourself with the Village and properly meet your clansmate." Sarutobi stated.
"Great." He turned back to Hizashi and held his hand out. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Takeshi Uzumaki."
Hizashi shook the hand without hesitation. "The pleasure is all mine, Uzumaki-san. I thank you for saving my life."
"No thanks needed, Hizashi-san. We're both leaves of the same tree."
Sarutobi, watching this exchange, tried not to let his amusement show. Naruto, or Takeshi now, always had a natural charm that reeled people in, and it was refreshing to see that hasn't changed, despite the war he faced. 'A Fourth Shinobi War. How terrible.'
"Alright gentleman, back to the plan." Sarutobi drew their attention back to him as he turned to Takeshi. "It's an excellent plan. There are a few parts that will have to be smoothed out but overall, since Hizashi-san has agreed, we can work with it."
Takeshi nodded once in acknowledgement and Sarutobi turned back to Hizashi. "For now, Hizashi-san will have to stay here. No one comes into my office and the seals on the doors hide any chakra signals anybody give off once I activate them. Is that alright?"
Hizashi nodded as well. "Alright then. I'll be calling for Hiashi-san so that he may see his brother again, and so that he can give an input to your plan."
Both nodded again, and Hizashi went to the Hokage's suite that's only there when he chooses to stay there instead of his clan home. Takeshi placed his mask back, and Hiruzen flared his seal that calls for an ANBU. The current seals in the office only silences the room from eavesdropping, but it doesn't keep occupants from entering.
"Hai, Hokage-sama."
"Neko, please go get Hiashi-san for urgent news."
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