I don't own Naruto.
AN: I recently finished a campaign on Total War: Shogun 2 with my brother. At the end of my campaign, it dawned on me that a lot of interesting twists and turns came up would be a good baseline for a political-thriller. I came up with this story inspired by my experience in that campaign.
From now on, I will update my projects in arcs because it's easier for me to organize my writing this way.
This is a large AU. While I won't blatantly disregard lore or characters, I'll do my best to keep it familiar and still retain my creative decisions. I coined the term, "Edo-era AU", in terms of the level of science, politics, and culture that will be tied to this story.
I felt it was appropriate to categorize this story with a mature rating for adult themes of: Language, Violence, and Gore. I will be updating this list in the future as I add more chapters.
Great Name
Prologue 01 - Dark Dawn
He rebounded back to a familiar plane.
The forest before him was devastated. Hundreds of trees decapitated, uprooted, or burnt from the havoc breathed from such an ungodly calamity. A large chunk of the mountain was missing and within a month, the earth would shift from its awkward infrastructure back to its natural body.
Communities needed to be evacuated before they would get swallowed by the landslide. They would have to be placed temporarily in shelters and some of the emergency food supplies would be spent on them. Treasury would also provide stipends to financially stabilized the households as they worked to reclaim what was theirs.
His eyes scanned the damaged mountain.
Northwest.
That's close to the Fukuda trade route. A major artery in the Konoha trade network. It needed to be closed off and the route diverted away from the impending landslide. Supplies would be delayed as Konoha military secured an alternative path. But, afterwards, it could ensure a safe connection between Konoha and the other towns within the Land.
A spry laughter ripped him away from logistics.
In his right arm, a baby wrapped in warm clothed grappled with his fingers. The baby tried to catch one of his fingers. When the baby accomplished the mission, he would wiggle his finger free and was rewarded with a bounty full of laughter.
"Lively…" His fingers wormed out of the baby's clutches once more. Once more, the baby laughed. "Even though you went through so much. You are full of life."
Sparkling blue eyes reflected off of his.
The baby's blemished cheeks stretched to prepare his lips for a battle cry before wrangling with his father's fingers again.
A woman with flowing red hair snuggled in his left. She rested her cheek on his shoulder. She was heavy, but he didn't care. He loved the space she occupied.
He tilted his head left, unwinding atop her head. His tears drenched her scalp, "My love, look at what we've done. The sun rises on Konoha again and our boy is playing already. He hasn't slept. All he's done is cry and laugh. I can tell he's a handful. He's going to turn our hairs gray in a matter of months. He also has your cheeks! He has my eyes though. I beat you there."
He looked further in. Desperate to see her. All he found were her vacant eyes.
He struggled to continue, "I wish you could see what I see…"
He closed her eyes. He didn't want the boy to see his mother like this.
A long, black staff impaled the ground. It caused a small crater to form.
"My boy, what did you do?"
A man approached them. He was short, far shorter than him. He wore a battle armor from a different time. It had a black and red color consistency. The man removed his helmet and tied it securely to his belt.
"Lord Third, the threat is no more." He smiled as he reported. "The beast is sealed and it will hold for as long as Naruto lives."
Naruto squealed in joy. He didn't know if Naruto was aware of his name, but the coincidence made him happy.
"Naruto…" The Third's eyes were watering, "Handsome name."
He chuckled, gently. "Lord Senju helped us. He practically shoved it down our throats!"
"Rest, Minato." The Third's hand firmly clamped on his right shoulder. "The Reaper Death Seal is a powerful jutsu. You require all the rest you can get."
"I will. Soon."
The Third looked at Kushina, then Naruto. The clear differences between them pushed him over the edge. Tears streamed along his cheeks. The Third began to ramble.
"It should've been me! If you'd given me time… If you allowed me to—"
"Konoha cried," Minato interrupted.
The Third was silent.
He continued, "She called out to me. My body answered. Before I knew it, I was pulled into actions that put Konoha above all. It was like, I knew what to do the moment I heard her. I finally understood what you and Jiraiya have taught me."
The Third's eyes grew to anger.
"You were supposed to flourish, Minato! Lead Konoha in a new age!"
He hadn't even reached his anniversary yet. Since he took the Hat, the months stretched out to years. It felt like he did a decades work in the matter of ten months. He didn't know being Hokage was like this. How did Hiruzen stay as the Hokage for two decades?
"This is selfish of me, Lord Third." He raised Naruto slightly so that the Third could take him in safely. He gestured towards his wife, "Of us."
The Third nodded as he enveloped Naruto, who now started to cry aggressively. "Jiraiya will—"
"I've already sent Genma. Lord Senju will return in a days' time."
"He won't abandon his campaign. Not when he's so close to reuniting with her."
He appreciated the Third's honesty. With the time he was given, there were no room to embellish words. The Third wanted him to know of Jiraiya's changes.
"He will. I've named him," he reassured with a smile.
Hiruzen held Naruto closer and the baby got quieter and quieter by the second. The sun rays bathed Naruto who shimmied out of the way, leaning towards Hiruzen's chest piece. Hiruzen noticed that his armor was caked with mud and dirt so he separated from Naruto as much as he could, but Naruto wouldn't have it. He fought to get closer to Hiruzen. Then, yawned and closed his eyes. Hiruzen pulled on the cloth to form a makeshift shade.
"I trust you, Hiruzen." Lightning marched in his eyes. The warrior that starred down dozens of shinobis looked up to the Third. Quakes rumbling from his words, "Make him frightening. As I am."
Hiruzen looked Minato in the eyes, "Naruto will grow strong. I promise you. Stronger than any shinobi the world has ever seen. He will take the Hat from me, just like his father before him. His great name shall be known across the Lands."
His great name.
Those words calmed him down. The weight of security, commerce, power, none of that influenced Minato any more. At first he was fighting to keep his eyes open, but now his breathing was steady, sporadic. His joints, more relaxed than ever. Minato locked onto Naruto. He wanted to tell Hiruzen to loosen the wrap for just a moment but his mouth wouldn't form the words. And, he didn't want to disturb Naruto's slumber.
The baby looked so peaceful.
So, Minato let Naruto sleep.
Moments later, Minato closed his eyes as well.
