Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. Both are owned by Kishimoto.
Chapter 1: The exile and a potential war!
(5 years after banishment from Konoha)
"I've never thought I'd be able to bring back Uzushiogakure...The glory of the Uzumaki has come a long way…"
A tall young blonde haired man with deep ocean blue eyes was sitting on what appears to be a throne thinking to himself. He was of course donning gold armor with a black suit under it(A/N: think of a gold version of Hashirama's armor). He no longer wore any forehead protector. His height is officially 180cm and his face looks very stern yet friendly. On the shoulder pads of his armor is the Uzumaki Clan's family symbol. Strapped on the side of his waist seems to be a beautifully made katana that has a red tsuka, a gold grip and a blood-crimson blade. The young man is Naruto Uzumaki, the new emperor of Uzu no Kuni and the true heir of the Uzumaki Clan.
All these years, 5 years, he finally revived the Uzumaki. He worked so hard to make it to where he is and now, he's sitting on the throne, which he earned by uniting his own clan together and people of other nations he shared sympathy for. The grand plan to revive Uzushiogakure had come so far and he can now plan out the next phrase of his plan: To unite the Elemental Nations under one alliance and to end their bitter wars among each other for struggles of power. Clearly, to THIS Naruto, the idea that the Senju leader, Hashirama Senju, proposed that the Bijus be used as a war deterrent is baffling risky as instead of promoting peace, it encourages these villages who had bijus to use them as a weapon of destruction against each other. So far, he got Kirigakure's support in that regard after helping them and through Gaara, has Suna's support.. All the allies he made throughout the years consisted of Kirigakure, Sunagakure, Takigakure, Nami no Kuni, Yuki no Kuni, and Tsuki no Kuni. His friendly nature and his charismatic beliefs are what drew people to understand his idea of peace and his desires to quell the hatred and bloodshed that is made through violence.
The sacrifices Naruto had to make to make it this far in his dream, the sweats and blood he made, even having to defeat powerful enemies he'd never dream to defeat. What he'd never imagine is seeing people that sacrificed themselves for him to walk this path for peace…
"Kit, you've truly gone farther than I've ever thought you'd could've gone...Not only you surpassed the Yondaime Hokage as a Shinobi but you also surpassed him as a leader. Your wife is proud of you. Your people and clansmen are proud of you. Your parents are proud of you. I'm proud of you, my ningen of an apprentice."
Naruto smiled softly as he heard Kyuubi praising him from his mindscape. Ever since that day he found out he was banished, he was forever grateful to Kyuubi for leading him to where he was now. Five years of not only training, but traveling around the Elemental nations finding more Uzumakis like himself and participating in learning politics, more Ninjutsus, and gaining allies for the resurrecting of Uzushiogakure. He also convinced Kirigakure and Takigakure to allow him to grant Asylum to their Jinchurikis, thus making them official citizens of Uzushiogakure. He'll be damned if he doesn't try to protect his fellow Jinchurikis from Akatsuki's potential threat. He insisted on offering Gaara asylum as well, however much to his surprise, Gaara declined the offer, believing that staying in Suna will make him much better for what he desired to do.
"Kurama-sensei, I am grateful for your tutelage, your wisdom, and for your schemings in reviving Uzushiogakure. It is most fortunate that we have Chomei-san, Isobu-san and Saiken-san on our side along with Saiken-san's Jinchuriki, Utakata and Chomei-san's Jinchuriki, Fu-chan. Iwa and Kumo's Jinchurikis will be even more difficult to persuade...Sensei, what do you propose?"
Before Kurama could speak, a man with scarlet, smooth red hair entered the throne room and bowed before Naruto. The man appears to be in his late twenties with bandages around his right eye, indicating he lost his eye. He wore a red-colored flak jacket with black pants. His left eye's iris color is brown with black pupil. On the back of his jacket is a katana.
"Naruto-sama, your royal highness. It is I, Takimaru Uzumaki. I have come with a new regard for Konoha, my great emperor!"
Naruto nodded and stood up before Takimaru, confusing the red-haired older Uzumaki of his action. Why would he, the emperor, rise up before him?
"Rise, Takimaru-nii-chan! And how many times must I tell you to just refer to me as Naruto? I may be an emperor of Uzushiogakure but still, nonetheless, you're like an older brother to me. I could never let a family of mine treat me with so much formality!"
Takimaru rises up from his bowing and glances at Naruto as the younger Uzumaki walks around from his seat. The room is pretty spacious with a bit of red walls and orange swirls all over it. The insignia of the Uzumaki clan was proudly worn to represent their leader who is feverly loyal to his clan and people of Uzushiogakure!
"I apologize. My Uzu-majesty. It's a force of habit I've had for serving you so long, haha! However, the news regarding Konoha is that from what our spies are reporting, Tsunade of the legendary sannin and their Godaime Hokage has been debating a team of Konoha-nins to propose an alliance with us, milord. What are your thoughts on this, Naruto-sama?"
Naruto subconsciously held the hilt of his katana, confusing Takimaru on his lord's action. He wasn't sure where this was going but he observed Naruto carefully to see any signs of aggression however he could not find one.
"Naruto-sama is holding onto the Utsukushī shinkōshoku(1) for some reason. Is me saying 'Konoha' setting him off now…?"
Sensing nervousness surrounding Takimaru, Naruto relaxed his grip onto the now-named Utsukushī shinkōshoku. It wasn't that he wished to scare the older uzumaki. He knew very well that if he wanted to kill Takimaru, he would've done it years ago. On the contrary, he instinctively gripped his blade when he heard the idea of Konoha proposing an alliance. He doesn't trust it by any means, especially when he knows that Sasuke could very well be involved in this "alliance" rubbish.
"I don't mean to make you nervous, Takimaru-Nii-chan. The word 'Konoha' made me grab Utsukushī shinkōshoku without thinking. As for my thoughts you asked for, not that I'd actually accept the proposal, however, let them come here as they decide. The empress and I will decide on what to do with them depending on their intentions. Baa-chan likely would actually be friendly with this idea but I do not trust Kakashi, Sasuke-teme and most certainly not their council. Not after what I learned that happened with Hinata-chan 2 years ago from Gaara…"
(Flashback 2 years ago in Suna)
As Naruto, Anko and Takimaru were overseeing Suna alongside Gaara, from the top of the Kazekaze tower, they carefully observed the village itself.
"Naruto-san, I am very happy to see you are concerned for my safety from the Akatsuki. I'm glad to see that you regarded me as your friend. But here's the issue. I AM Kazekage now. I can't just leave Suna even if Uzushiogakure could provide me asylum for Shukaku. I do support your idea that Bijus shouldn't be used as a weapon though. I have yet to find the same comradery with Shukaku that you shared with Kyuubi but I will find it one day."
Naruto nodded, respecting Gaara's decision. A kage must protect their people at all costs and Naruto, he who wanted to be Hokage, agreed with this. Even so, he refused to have the bijus be used as weapons of war. They deserve every bit of peace and quiet away from humans, even if it means he will have to undo the shodaime Hokage's wish. The idea of going around and capturing bijus who did nothing to humans and send them off to villages as a war deterrent is such a very bad idea in the vein that these creatures didn't do humans wrong.
"Kit, you really hate Hashirama, do you?"
Naruto shook his head, affirming that he doesn't hate the senju for what he did. Rather, he believed that Hashirama's idea for peace was not only risky but also played a role in creating more rift between bijus and humans unnecessarily. He would never hate the Hokage for what they did for Konoha's sake, though he carried resentment for his own father for idealistically believing he wouldn't suffer for carrying Kurama within him.
"No, Sensei, I do not blame the senju for his naive belief. In his time, peace was something of a dream. In his quest for peace, he made a fatal mistake. Assuming that giving villages bijus would give the nations peace when in reality it created more rift that bijus shouldn't have. Why should bijus be forced to give loyalty to people who treated them cruelly? Why should they have to be forced to kill Jinchurikis and fight their own siblings? For us humans, it is fair as your kind acts as our war deterrent but for you bijus, a mass of chakra with your own free will, is it not unfair and cruel to be forced into battles you wish to have no involvement in?"
Kurama grins proudly, seeing Naruto becoming so wise yet still is the same brat he knew him as. He wasn't wrong in his belief that they should have the option whether to fight for their village or not. Saiken and her Jinchuriki went with Naruto willingly. Naruto knows very well that Isobu will be hard to convince once it revives but he must find it and persuade it before Akatsuki finds it. If The Akatsuki gets the other Jinchurikis before he does, there's no telling what will happen.
"Naruto, as powerful as you are, you still need some training before we can take them head on. I have little doubts you can defeat Itachi as you are now but you still haven't mastered the Hiraishin and you haven't fully mastered Fox Senjutsu. Granted, you are THE master of Fuinjutsu and you mastered three elemental nature types but if Itachi is anything to go by, they work in two cell units and for us on our own, that is a disadvantage. I am aware you're strong enough to hold your own but I don't feel like we should press our luck."
Naruto cursed as Kurama pointed out the flaws of his training. True he became a lot more powerful than he was as a Konoha-nin and probably more powerful training under Kurama than he'd be under Jiraiya but there's still the fact they'd be after him and his people. Takimaru and Anko are very powerful in their own rights as Takimaru is a high A rank shinobi borderlining low S rank with Anko being mid A rank. The Akatsuki consist of S class criminals or so his spies reported to him stated they were. Naruto himself is considered by Kurama to be low S rank as he currently is with his own Chakra and probably mid S rank with Kurama's chakra in tow on top of his incompleted Fox Senjutsu.
Naruto had mastered nearly every form of Uzumaki fuuinjutsu, being considered a gifted prodigy by Takimaru and can even create his own fuuinjutsu. His elemental mastery includes mastering Fire release(his secondary affinity), wind release(his primary affinity) and lightning release.
For his fire-release ninjutsus so far, he had learned Fire release: Great Fireball Technique, Fire release: Great Dragon Flame technique, Fire release: Flame Bullet, Fire release: Dragon Flame Technique, Fire release: Phoenix Sage Fire, and Fire release: Great Fire Destruction. Most of these techniques are from the Uchiha-related scroll given to him by Mikoto Uchiha prior to her death as a present for his 7th birthday. Why didn't he try to learn them earlier? He didn't want to attract attention to himself that the fox boy is trying to learn high level ninjutsus when he shouldn't. To Naruto, Mikoto meant everything to him and he'd be damned if he doesn't learn what she was trying to pass down to him before she died. But still...why didn't she use this to help her own son, Sasuke, out? In the end, it took Naruto 3 months with the aid of his Kage Bushin technique to master every Fire release technique that was in the scroll.
For his wind-release ninjutsus, he had learned Wind release: Breakthrough, Wind release:Great Breakthrough, Wind release: Gale Palm, Wind release: Air Bullet, and Blade of Wind. Suna's Gaara and Temari taught him the basics of how to utilize Wind release and its potent prowess under his command. Unfortunately, they couldn't teach him more as he had to travel around for his quest to help Uzushiogakure. In the end, it was Kurama who actually taught Naruto the advanced step of Wind release. How to finally call the wind at his side as if it's second nature to him. It took Naruto a month and a half to master the Wind release technique he had under his arsenal. What's more? He starts to test the elemental affinity on the Rasengan, as he learned that the Rasengan was an incomplete technique due to it not having the elemental affinity incorporated into it as his father intended for it. Though he struggled with it immensely, describing it as looking left and right at the same time, thanks to the Kage Bushins, he's able to shape the chakra into a sphere and then infuses it with wind chakra. He successfully managed to create the Wind Release:Rasengan, though he feels that the technique isn't perfected. It's not unstable per say, it's just Naruto feels that he could take it one more step further though Kurama tells him that can be tested for later when he gets training times.
As for Lightning, Naruto decided to invest in Lightning ninjutsus. Why for this? He wants to show Sasuke the next time he fights him that he, Naruto Uzumaki, always had the potential to fuck him up. So in this case, he wants to counter Sasuke's lightning release technique. Out of his three elements, Lightning for Naruto is what he learned the least yet for him, he has massive potential in it to the point where by grasping the complex nature of two lightning release techniques, Naruto would be able to create his own. Learning Lightning release: Thunderclap Arrow and Lightning release: Thunderbolt is what paves ways for Naruto to invent his ultimate lightning technique, though he is said to not have completed it yet so even he doesn't know what to name it.
His Chakra control had gotten significantly better as he is able to use his chakra more sparingly and use multiple high ranking techniques without signs of exhaustion yet he noted that his chakra control is still high chunin level, which to say he still hadn't mastered it yet. It's not enough to actually help him against Genjutsu users on its own, which is one of the biggest reasons why Kurama insists that he avoids the Akatsuki until he at least has high jonin chakra control.
"Ugh...I know, Sensei. They're too powerful for me as I am now despite how much I learned and mastered. Tou-chan's Hiraishin formula is taking me a long time to figure it out. How the hell did he master it when I can't even figure out its exact formula? Hell, I still haven't mastered your powers and senjutsus. Kaa-chan and Tou-chan would be able to mop the floor with me if they were alive now. If only Ero-sennin was still here so I could gauge mys-."
Kurama scoffed at Naruto as he was looking down on his own abilities. Since when his apprentice had gotten soft on himself?
"Naruto, shut the fuck up! Yondaime is, as hateful as I am to admit, a true prodigy. I'm sure you'd master the Hiraishin eventually, kit. But bloody hell, you are comparing yourself to actual prodigies and geniuses. You have immense talent, kit. It is one of the reasons why I decided to make you MY apprentice and the heir of the Fox contract. Yes, I did say that you're likely no match for the Akatsuki as you are now, but you know that we are playing it safe. I don't know what those bastards want with us bijus, but once we complete your apprenticeship, you should be able to finish rebuilding Uzushiogakure, reforming the Uzumaki clan, and take down Madara!"
Naruto nodded pridefully as his master is only advising him to be cautious. No use beating yourself up over enemies that you can't match in combat.
"Gaki, are you okay? You seem to be spacing out a lot lately…"
Anko was staring at Naruto's face in concern. Anko and Naruto shared a similar background. Both were treated as a pariah for something that wasn't their fault. Orochimaru's betrayal made nearly everyone distrust her and called her "Snake's stank". Seeing how Naruto bearing all that hatred from the village and being regarded as a threat in the same vein she was, she came to understand that he and her aren't so different.
"Oh, Yeah, I'm fine, Anko! I was talking to Kurama-sensei, you know?"
She was getting a worried expression as she noticed that Gaara was making a sad expression on his face. Why would the Kazekage be sad in a time like this? Naruto took notice of this and looked at Gaara with concern.
"Kazekage-sama, I know it's not my place to speak as I am the bodyguard of Naruto-sama and Anko-san but I must ask… What is bothering you?"
Naruto, agreeing with Takimaru's question, followed up with a voice filled with dreaded concern for his fellow Jinchuriki.
"Yeah...Gaara, what seems to bother you?"
Temari and Kankuro, taking a signal from Gaara, left the top of the tower, knowing that Naruto would be met with some devastating, heartbreaking news. Both siblings look at each other, understanding what each other is thinking.
"Naruto-san, I want you to stay calm and not react in rage, understands? If Suna senses you're here, Konoha will come after you for sure and not only try to capture you but Suna's council will have a handful with Konoha potentially accusing them of attempting to upset the balance of powers by recruiting you into our army."
Naruto frowned as he didn't like where this was going. No doubt that the next word coming out of Gaara's mouth will be the one that will change his views of Konoha forever. Anko and Takimaru, seeing the bad direction of this conversation, stood close to Naruto to make sure that the blonde Uzumaki will take this new without going blind in rage.
"According to other Hidden Villages in the Elemental Nation, there was a small civil war that broke out of Konoha a few weeks ago. This civil war was said to have started over the loss of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Konoha had started to dwindle in powers slowly but assuredly due to losing every major alliance that you helped make for them. Then, losing economical influences, the people pit blames on either each other or on you. The war broke out while Tsunade was rumored to take a visit to the Fire Daimyo."
Naruto nodded slowly as he understood that Konoha is slowly losing control of itself because Tsunade isn't there to ensure that they wouldn't start killing each other. The Will of Fire is definitely dying out. Though he was exiled, he still had some love for the village and was hoping to reconcile with them once Uzushiogakure was finished in its rebuilding process. Hiruzen, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Ino, Kiba, Hinata, Iruka and Konohamaru...They're all part of why he's still sane and not turn out like how Gaara previously was. Granted he's still mad at both Hiruzen and Jiraiya for withholding information from them but he can't stop giving them love as they actually show that they care about him.
"That's not even the worst of it. Hinata Hyuga was killed in said war by Sasuke Uchiha for the 'crime' of defending the 'treacherous kyuubi' and she was made an example out of to show what would happen if they sympathize with you. Of course, Tsunade did come back and punished the-."
Naruto was stunned and couldn't believe what he was hearing. Hinata? Killed by Sasuke? But why? Why would he kill her?
"H-Hinata? Tell me you're joking, Gaara! Sasuke for all the dick he could've been, he wouldn't harm her, would he? After all, she had been nothing but kind and caring!"
Gaara, in response, regretfully shook his head, indicating that he was actually serious about this.
The blonde Jinchuriki's eyes widened in horror as he found out one of his closest precious people died. His last shred of affection for Konoha was wilted away as he found himself a surging guilt inside him. Hinata...What could she have done to deserve this?
"Fucking...It's all my fault! If I had taken her along with me instead of denying her to come with me, I'd protected her! Why am I so stupid?!"
Naruto starts to shed tears as he subconsciously flares up his chakra, causing Gaara to subdue him with his sands before he starts to act off.
"Naruto-san, calm down! I know you are angry but please! Control yourself!"
Naruto, listening to Gaara's words, receded his chakra as he fell on his knees with Anko and Takimaru comforting him while Gaara had his sand return back to its gourd.
"Naruto-sama, I understand your feeling but please do not allow every fruit of our labors and hard work to be thwarted. We have too many enemies behind us for us to act irrationally now."
Anko nodded in agreement as she hugs Naruto to comfort his pain, knowing how important Hinata was as a person and what her death will mean to the future. Deep down, despite being older than her, Anko knew that Hinata was probably a person of great virtue and courage if her killer is really Sasuke Uchiha.
"Naruto-kun, do not blame yourself for Hinata-san's death."
Naruto looks up at Anko as she is starting to talk about Hinata a bit. She can see why Naruto is tremendously hurt by this revelation and looking at him reminds her of what it was like losing her friends to Orochimaru's lust for power.
"I may not know much about Hinata Hyuga as a person, but I do know that she is a kunoichi that bravely gave her life to fight for what she believes. If what Gaara said is accurate, she did die trying to protect the very fact that you were Konoha's greatest hero. You saved Konoha TWICE in your life yet they ignored this critical fact. She died loving you, Naruto-kun. Do you not know what this means?"
Naruto silently stared at Anko as she was telling him these facts. Hinata loved him? Why didn't he know that? How could he not see it? Has acting the fool really slipped into his real, intelligent self?
"Naruto-sama, Anko-san is saying that Hinata-san died for your sake, as I'd be willing to do so myself. Your life is not just your own anymore, milord. She died this way and she knew if there's one way she'd die, she'd die loving you. I don't know this woman myself but I'd say she'd definitely have the soul of an Uzumaki if she died this way. So, milord, stand up and don't quit! You said you'd want to rebuild our home and restore our clan to its former glory, right? This isn't the way to grace Hinata-san's spirit!"
Kurama boomed within Naruto's head the similar notion as he does want Naruto to see that he actually does care for his well-being.
"Kit, that girl gave her life because she was in love with you. I wouldn't be surprised if she was the leader of your Konoha Sympathizers. Ironically, looking back, your parents gave their lives for you for the same reason Hinata did. They loved you. Your life isn't no longer just yours. It was never JUST yours to begin with. This is NOT the Naruto Uzumaki she'd want to see."
Naruto wiped his tears and stood up, reaffirming his newfound conviction with determination and fiery passion as he remembered what he wanted to do and what needed to be done.
"Hinata-chan's sacrifices won't be in vain as I, Naruto Uzumaki, vow on my Nindo that Hinata-chan's death will be honored as a hero of Uzushiogakure! Konoha, whatever love I had left for you is now gone as you murdered a kind-hearted woman just because she defended me. I won't be like Sasuke-teme and hunger for vengeance but I will be damn sure that he gets everything that is coming to him!"
(Flashback ends)
"Naruto-sama…"
As Takimaru tried to find words to say through his throat, Naruto turned to him and gave him a grin worthy of an Uzumaki.
"Takimaru-nii-chan, it's okay. Hinata-chan's sacrifice is honored here. She's our hero. For her, for my parents, for our people, and for Rikudo-Jiji, I will accomplish the goal of bringing peace to this world, even if it means to fight hell to get it."
Takimaru beamed at Naruto with pride and joy. This boy truly has a heart of gold, even if his tempers can be furiously cruel at times. Due to the fact that Kushina Uzumaki was originally meant to be the heiress of the clan before Konoha acknowledged her as the most potent Uzumaki to house Kurama, by proxy, Naruto is the rightful heir of the clan. This of course means that Naruto is Takimaru's superior though Naruto treats him as an equal regardless of emperor status or not. He had long since taught his new superior how to use Kenjutsu and it was no secret that while he is considered the new Uzushiogakure's greatest swordmaster, Naruto was starting to be viewed as his equal in the ways of the blade. Takimaru was often nowadays compared to Kisame in terms of using the blade except for the fact Kisame's sword, Samehada, is very deadly and likes to consume chakra of people with high reserves.
"Right, milord. Also, if I may ask, as your personal guard, how would you like us to prepare our army for when Iwa will inevitably strike us? They do have two Jinchurikis and Onoki of Both Scales, their Tsuchikage with the feared Dust Release. I fear that if they strike...Our newly built Uzu no Kuni will be destroyed again…"
Naruto turns his head curiously at Takimaru, knowing that this is a perfectly reasonable question that is to be asked of. Two Jinchurikis and Onoki on one side is very concerning especially since his new nation is still relatively young and thus it is vulnerable to high class shinobi villages to strike against. Konoha-nins he is aware of their strengths and weaknesses, but the other villages he may be wary of. No matter how strong he is personally, if his people aren't strong enough to look after themselves as well, he will fail as a leader if he doesn't prepare them for combat. The Uzumaki Clan in itself is still small with Naruto managing to group together 6 adult survivors of the original Uzushiogakure and their children, who are by extension Uzumakis as well. Takimaru is the only one who didn't have any child of his own but to him, serving Naruto is top priority before settling down.
"Send to me Nami Uzumaki, Takimaru. She is our leading commander of our Academy's training programs. I'd like to get a run through of our students, and perhaps… I will summon our council for a meeting concerning both Konoha and Iwa. And Nii-chan, please make haste. Time for us is of essence."
Takimaru nodded as he walked out the room, leaving Naruto to himself. The young blonde haired Uzumaki sighed as he crossed his fingers together.
"Kage no Bunshin!"
As smoke dispensed, another Naruto appeared next to the original before he used a henge to transform into an orange-headed man with blood red eyes and goatee. The man was wearing a dark red sweatshirt with the number nine on its back as he had a black pants with blue shinobi sandals.
"Ah...It has been a while since I assumed this form, Kit. I assume you need me for this meeting so we can discuss war against Iwa?"
Naruto nodded his head and withdrew from his armor, an Uzu forehead protector. He wrapped it around his head, feeling prideful of his heritage and of his loyalty to Uzu no Kuni. He isn't going to let the men, women, and children who decide to fight for Uzushiogakure to fend for themselves. He is their emperor first and foremost! He will fight for them like how Hiruzen fought for Konoha!
"As much as you are my master, Kurama-sensei, you are too an advisor of Uzushiogakure. I need every last bit of your insights and the council does too, seeing as you helped forming them as well. As for fighting a war with Iwa, I do not wish to fight them. They will want to make sure that we do not come back a second time. I refuse to launch an attack on their nation but I will at least make defensive strategies against them. As one of the best strategists I know of the world, sensei, I believe that your intelligence will help here."
Kurama cupped his human-like chin as he noted that it has been sometimes since he had seen wars with his own eyes. Tactically, Onoki wouldn't strike so hastily. Oh no! Kurama knows how the Tsuchikage would act since he's a being of wisdom himself. Assaulting Uzushiogakure directly isn't a smart idea as its closest ally is Kirigakure and provoking one of the strongest hidden villages in the world will result in another Shinobi War World! Onoki may be known to be a stubborn man, but he is far from stupid!
"If we were to look at it from a geographical perspective, Uzushiogakure is still near Hi no Kuni's territory. So even if we're not guarded by Konoha, which to be honest, we don't even have to be, Onoki's army will have to be mobilized through Takigakure first. Takigakure IS one of our allies. To walk pass here with his army would mean for Onoki not only is he leaving his own village defenseless but attacking it would mean he's asking for war from them. Tactically, this will prove to be unwise even for him. Fu-san would not take Iwa attacking her former comrades very lightly. Now, suppose that if they DID make it pass Takigakure without any scuffles…"
Naruto looks at Kurama and sees where he was going with this strategy. It is so ingenious of Kurama yet it is also a simple plan that even the most basic of shinobis should see coming in terms of practices.
"Even if they made it pass it, they still have to walk past Otogakure and that means walk past Orochimaru-teme. Knowing that Orochimaru-teme have a bingo book bounty, Iwa would not ignore that. Orochimaru-teme is worth 15,946,273 Ryo. Knowing that much, Iwa wouldn't ignore that easily. It's a huge economic funding for them even if Orochimaru-teme is a dangerous confrontation. Once they make it past him, no doubt they'd lose a good portion of their troops and thus have burned out some energy journeying. If we factor in the Akatsuki, however, they will not ignore the chance of capturing two Jinchurikis at one time. Hmmm… It's hard to imagine that Onoki would spark a plot to destroy Uzushigo without risking losing many of his forces and risking two Jinchurikis. The risk doesn't seem worth it in comparison to demolishing a potent threat to them."
Grinning at Naruto, Kurama patted him on the back seeing that he is grasping advantages on the Geographical grounds much better than he previously had, which by then meant Naruto knew only little of it. He is glad to have an apprentice so worthy of his power and wisdom. Naruto is truly the most intelligent Uzumaki he had seen and that's something considering that Mito Uzumaki is a cunning kunoichi and she's Hashirama's wife!
"You are very sharp, my apprentice! Any other paths to Uzushiogakure for Iwa would only require them to march past Konoha and while marching past Konoha is the easiest path to us, fighting them is by no means easy either. They'd lose more of their troops taking any other directions than to go through Taki. If we initiate a defensive protocol, they'd find themselves more burned out and unprepared to break past our defenses. Remember that the only reason why the original Uzushiogakure was destroyed as it was is because at the time of its demise, Kumo, Iwa and Kiri attacked it from all angles. Seeing as Kiri is our ally now, that closes down any thoughts of Iwa being capable of ambushes. Kumo COULD still come in but Kiri being so close by means they may see this as them trying to take away one of their biggest economical links and therefore is threatening Kiri indirectly through attacking us. Though I doubt that Kumo would want to get involved with them too much. We have three Jinchurikis and a biju of our own here, Kit. To our current knowledge, Iwa and Kumo still have two and Suna lost theirs to Akatsuki a while ago. Saving Gaara was worth our ass but fuck, losing Shukaku as an ally is a kicker. Main point being that Iwa would have so many disadvantages against us that attacking us as it is now would only result in them losing their numbers. I doubt the Tsuchikage is willing to stack his own men with so little to gain from it."
Naruto, understanding the advantages that he had, chuckled slightly. If Iwa's tacticians have any sense of strategies, it would have to be either not confront Uzushio directly or attack him when it is least expected. Still, it's best not to underestimate them. It has been proven time and time again that Shinobis can overcome even the worst of combat scenarios and still win. After all, he did do this with Kiba, Neji, Kabuto, Sasuke, and many more enemies throughout the years.
"Kurama-sensei, while it is true that we have Isobu-san, Utataka and Fu-chan here as our allies, I don't want to involve them. Both of us don't have a choice but to fight should it come to that, those three should at least be given choices whether to fight or not. While having them fighting is beneficial to us, I refuse to have your brothers and sisters fight a war that means you have to fight each other…"
Kurama deep down agreed with Naruto here even if he doesn't show it. All these years, he and his siblings weren't given a choice but to fight one another on the behalf of foolish humans and now. In this time siding with Uzushiogakure, they have free will of their own and here, thanks to Naruto's struggles and determination to prove himself to others and Kurama's new willingness to help others, Uzushiogakure looked at Bijus as more than mindless bounds of chakra. They're sentimental and they possess hearts. Hell, it was rumored that Isobu is very popular with children once they stopped being scared of him.
"Kit, I'm glad you're considerate of us. I agree that we should leave it to them whether they wish to fight or not. After all, should we fall, at least they can fall back on their own villages for safety so they do have a fair choice this time around."
Both of them smirked at each other just before an Uzu Anbu jumped in front of Naruto and bowed before him, much to his surprise. Aren't the anbus supposed to hide quietly until the Emperor is facing a threat?
"Naruto-sama, the council, Takimaru-san, and your wife, our empress majesty is requesting your presence in the council chamber!"
Naruto and the clone-possessed Kurama both head out to the door of the throne room with Naruto raising his right hand.
"Thank you, Kuroi-san, you are dismissed for now."
Said Anbu nodded understandably as they disappeared using a whirlpool-like shushin, making Kurama look at Naruto curiously as if it was his first time seeing that variation of shushin.
"Awesome. I was about to call for the council meeting anyway hahaha! Hopefully I can see Nami before I get there. Now, let us go, Kurama-sensei!"
(Meanwhile in Konoha's council chamber)
Tsunade gathered the following people within the council: Jiraiya, Shikaku Nara, Inochi Yamanaka, Choza Akimichi, Hiashi Hyuga, Tsume Inuzuka, Sasuke Uchiha, Asuma Sarutobi, Homura Mitokada, Koharu Utatane and Danzo Shimura. The shinobi council, filled with so many powerful shinobis and kunoichis, are anxiously debating among one another with the exception of Sasuke, Jiraiya and Danzo.
"Ahem. People, people!"
They all turned towards Tsunade, who was the speaking voice of which gathered their attention. It seems like they all knew what this meeting could be. Oh yes, how could they not?! It is no secret that Konoha is slowly losing its influence and powers over the years. Although they still boast a very powerful military and still are in control of one of the most powerful nations in the world, financially speaking and trade-wise, they are losing their influences along with their alliances and they all wondered why they lost their allies.
"I am here to inform you all that as we are losing our established power slowly, It'll only be a matter of time before the other villages will perceive us as being vulnerable to attacks. Also, apparently, according to our sources...recently, Uzushiogakure… The former home of the Uzumaki Clan had been restored for quite some time…"
The rest of the council members gasped as they never expected to see the day Uzushiogakure returned to the face of the Earth as a securing power and one that is still growing. The Uzumaki Clan...They were truly feared people and leaving survivors at all is likely to threaten a single nation's peace of mind due to how powerful their people are as a whole. Their power in Fuuinjutsu for peace's sake can even call forth the power of LITERAL Gods! Their great life energy and very potent chakra are beyond that of normal humans and they aged significantly slower than any other clans, even the Senju doesn't have as much longevity as an Uzumaki does and the Senju are their distant cousin. Though they were not known for this as much as they were for Fuuinjutsu, they have affinity for kenjutsus as well, with some of their members even being able to match Kiri's swordsmen.
"Uzumaki? Wait, you can't mean THE Uzumaki?"
Hiashi asked as he realized the connection this could make. Uzumaki Clan? Kushina Uzumaki...Naruto Uzumaki! How could he not see this before?! The brat his foolish elder daughter died for, the boy who the Hyuga clan so treated spitefully, IS the same boy who was related to Kushina! He stared down at Sasuke Uchiha, who sat across him giving him a slight evil grin filled with malice and devoid of any compassion.
"Yes, Hiashi-san...It is that same Uzumaki Clan. The truth is...Naruto was, to our knowledge, the last survivor of the Uzumaki Clan."
The rest of the council murmured as they found out that Naruto, their said-to-be deadlast, was a descendant of a very powerful and feared clan. How could someone so weak belong to a powerful clan of shinobis?
"What you council members failed to realize is that Naruto-kun always had the potential to do unimaginable things that most of us can even dare to dream of doing. It's just he never had teachers that could bring out the best of that potential...Well I partially did, mind you."
Jiraiya chuckled softly as he did make Naruto his apprentice for a short time. That boy is meant to do great things and him defeating powerful prodigies like Neji and Sasuke proved his belief that Naruto had so much latent potential he could actually surpass Minato if he had a proper teacher. Unfortunately, Kakashi was NOT the teacher that can bring out Naruto's deep potential due to him favoring Sasuke for being more like him.
"So, the dobe is actually descended from such a powerful clan? Perhaps I was wrong about him. The next time I see him, I will suggest that he could help me kill HIM!"
As Sasuke was conspiring to manipulate Naruto to join his cause, Danzo seemed to have a different thing in mind.
"Damn these foolish people for banishing our weapon. The Jinchuriki could have been used as a weapon to do Konoha's biddings. Now, we may not be able to defend ourselves as easily anymore. Not unless we capture the boy once again and I can enslave him with my Kotoamatsukami, then I can rule Konoha with an iron fist over Tsunade!"
"Council members, I will assign a S rank mission to team 7 and team 8 to go investigate Uzushiogakure and establish your own power base there. And Uchiha-san, please do not make a scene over there. Their emperor is said to be a very powerful man in combat and their empress, though isn't as powerful, is very close to his level of power."
Sasuke, though mildly annoyed by Tsunade giving him a backhanded commentary, can only shrug. He can't afford to be arrogant and lose his cool. At least not right now. The last time he was arrogant towards an opponent, he underestimated Naruto and lost to him. While he thinks Naruto was just lucky, he can't help but be curious that if it's possible the power his former rival uses can be subdued using the Sharingan.
"Hokage-sama, if I may be so bold, if this is an S class mission, I wish to play a part of it. Team 7 and Team 8, as trustworthy as they are, are still lacking in the ways of diplomacy. Out of us, I believe I have the best experience of diplomatic negotiations. After all, Nidaime Hokage was my mentor and he was the best negotiator this village ever produced."
Jiraiya sneered at Danzo. Of course he saw through the bullshit the warhawk was spewing out. Danzo had no intentions to negotiate with the emperor. Either he gets his way or he will conspire against him.
"While I am tempted to say no, Danzo-san, I'll just give you the benefit of the doubt and let you go along with this. Just don't try anything funny. Now, any questions?"
Shikaku raised up his hand and gave Tsunade a polite but stern look. What he's about to ask will bring her a lot of headaches.
"Hokage-sama, out of curiosity and this is troublesome to ask but Is Naruto the son of Kushina Uzumaki?"
Of course there were a lot of whispers after Shikaku commented on it. He knew the exact answer to the question but he wanted direct confirmation from the Hokage herself. Since Naruto is no longer a shinobi of Konoha, the laws surrounding his existence are rendered pointless and thus it is why a civil war broke loose. One that took the lives of many civilians, turned friends against each other, killed the daughter of his best friend, and worst of all, turned lovers into enemies. Kurenai and Asuma apparently broke up over whether Naruto's banishment was fair or unfair. According to Shikamaru, Asuma agreed that while the Uzumaki boy was treated far too cruelly, Naruto being banished was a necessary evil to the Sarutobi as he could be a threat to everyone's well-being, whether a Jinchuriki is a war deterrent or not.
Kurenai on the other hand feels nothing but empathy and grief for Naruto. He, a hero of all these people since the day he first breathed, was treated like he's their villain. Sasuke was the real villain for considering to be next to Orochimaru's side and she had seen the truth even without her eyes. After witnessing Hinata's death, her hatred for the Uchiha sparks even more intensely but she knows she can't attack him for the fact Kakashi will subdue her.
"Shikaku-san, you already know the answer and the truth of everything will be unraveled soon. For now, I consider this meeting adjourned."
Shikaku nodded understandingly, knowing that the truth about the Uzumaki, Naruto and of his banishment will be known soon as he and the other members of the council left the room, leaving Tsunade and Jiraiya alone with each other.
"Tsunade-hime, I don't think we did the right thing and hid everything from Naruto-kun. The gaki was understandably mad and while I had told him everything about his family and their strengths, we only told him when he got banished…"
Tsunade shook her head. Her teacher left with her a lot to work on and the Fire Daimyo left her even more messes after the small civil war. She would like to get a huge bottle of sake after everything for Konoha had been resolved. Every key alliance that Konoha had built upon had been swiped the moment that Naruto vanished as if when he goes, he took those alliances with him. Granted she can't blame him due to the fact that not only she considered him to be like a grandson she never had, but because those council fools was idiotic enough to banish him when he was only just fulfilling his mission. Praising the traitor while condemning the hero...why does it feel so familiar to her?
"Sasuke Uchiha got us all into this mess, Jiraiya. The fact that the council agreed that Sasuke was manipulated and forced by Orochimaru's cursed seal to go to him really pissed me off and just as soon as they decided to have Inochi check his mind AFTER Naruto-kun was declared banished, we starts to lose trust from other villages once they found out Naruto-kun was banished for doing his duty as a Konoha shinobi… Even after I take the mantle of Hokage, these sneaky assholes still try to loophole through my authority!"
Jiraiya flinched as she shouted with rage. How could she let this all happen? Was she a terrible Hokage? Was her love for Konoha and her grandfather not enough?
"Hime… I agree it was the Uchiha who caused us so much. Naruto-kun and Anko-san left us for so long and I oddly enough think they'll be okay. I do hope that if they're still alive, they won't be our enemies... especially Naruto-kun."
Chapter 1 of this story is completed.
Now, regarding Anko, she does indeed play an important role in this story. I'm saving her debut for next chapter! As for me having a big time skip and for you guys not seeing how Naruto gets here, I'll have it explained in several flashbacks. 5 years of building an empire is a LOT to detail on and I can't squeeze it all on this chapter. Maybe I'll have a flashback of what happened right after Naruto's banishment in the next chapter or a few chapters ahead.
Now, regarding Hinata, I won't go into too much detail for why she's not here so to speak but I assure you I don't intend to do her dirty. Criticisms and suggestions are very welcome here but I suggest you refrain from flaming too much. Authors nowadays are struggling to find ways to please all his fans, of course!
1) Utsukushii shinshoku(うつくしいしんしょく or otherwise translated as either "Beautiful Erosion" or "Beautiful Scarlet"), This Katana may not seem relevant now but I trust you will know that it will play a very critical role in this story and it is noted to be a very special sort of weapon. Its powers are unknown and only with time will you know what it is capable of.
See ya all next chapter! Ja ne!