The Maelstrom Hidden in the Leaf

by PhoenixBlaze12

With tension and conflict everywhere, the truth must be set free in order for the Will of Fire to shine brightly once more. Only problem is, what is the cost of that freedom? With enemies within and outside Konoha, Naruto will navigate the new terrain he's found himself in to protect those precious to him. Only thing is, who will protect him?

Hey guys, welcome to the story! I feel honored that you chose this story out of plethora of FanFics on this website. Big shout out to FenreldStormblade for letting me adopt his story, the Hero and the Florist, as well as becoming my Beta. We talked and I shot some ideas to him, and he liked what I had in store for this story. It means a lot! Some ground rules before we begin, I will accept all comments and criticisms, that's the only way I feel that I will grow as an author. What I will not tolerate is needless bashing, I understand that you all will have your own opinions, and I will respect those opinions, but if you have nothing to say which will add value to the story, please show yourself out.

With that out of the way let's discuss some general details. This will be canon, but it will not strictly follow the canon timeline. I have my reasons for doing so, all will be revealed later. My purpose in doing so is to better develop the story. With that in mind, thank you and enjoy the story.

Chapter 1: Well That Sucked!

It was a beautiful day in the Hidden Leaf Village. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and an alcoholic blonde was enjoying her latest saucer of sake… what, it's a tough job, at least she wasn't smoking like a chimney *cough* Sandaime *cough*.

Where was I? Oh, at the beginning, sorry~!

Looking at her empty saucer, the blonde leaned back and observed the village from her office. For over three years, she ran this village, and honestly, she took comfort in knowing she had reinvented herself into a productive member of this village. She took pride in the work she did, to ensure the prosperity and longevity of Konoha.

However.

The door swung open and what followed sour the blonde's mood quickly. A well-endowed brunette with a stack of papers and a jacket-wearing pig with a beaded necklace leading the charge. Fuck, if she didn't need another drink.

Setting the stack of paper down, the young lady smiled as she wiped her brow, "Here you go, my lady, your work for this afternoon," the smile didn't last as she noticed the object in her boss's hand and on her desk. "Lady Tsunade! Are you drinking on the job again!?"

Faking shock, Tsunade was taken back, "Shizune, how dare you accuse me of such reckless behavior! I was not drinking!"

"Oh really, then why is a bottle of sake on your desk and what looks to be a recently used saucer in your hand?"

With her chest puffed out, Tsunade replied confidently, "I was merely examining the quality of the sake for after work."

Suddenly, her was missing a bottle and her hand was absent a saucer. Looking in front of the desk, she saw Shizune with the bottle in her hand and Tonton with the saucer in her mouth. "How many times am I going to tell you? No. Drinking. At. WORK!"

"OINK!"

"Not you too, Tonton," cried out Tsunade.

"Until you start behaving yourself, the only thing you'll be having is tea and water!" exclaimed Shizune.

"But those are –" she was cut off as her door was knocked on. "Enter."

"Excuse us," said the voice as the door swung open, revealing four people entering the room.

"Team Kakashi, welcome back. Before we get started, I must ask: what the hell happened on that mission? You all look terrible."

She wasn't wrong, everyone had cuts and bruises, and Captain Yamato's flak jacket looked as if he were stabbed in the chest.

"Hokage-sama, our current state of health and well being revolves around the details of the mission. It's not a stretch to say we are very fortunate to return together."

"Alright. Sakura, Sai, Naruto! You three go to the hospital and receive treatment for your injuries. Shizune, Yamato, come with me, I'll receive your report as Shizune heals you Yamato."

"Hai, Lady Fifth!"

(Hospital, Yamato's Room, 30 Minutes Later)

"After Orochimaru calmed Sasuke down, they left. We were in to pursue them," concluded Yamato.

Tsunade nodded, "Shizune, how is Yamato's condition, mainly the wound on his chest?"

"My lady, he is very lucky to have channeled Mokuton chakra to his chest. It prevents the blade from pierce any further than the epidermis. His other wounds are light cuts and scratches. He should make a full recovery by the end of tomorrow. I recommend he be given the week off to recuperate."

"Very well, Yamato, you and Team Kakashi have a week to rest up."

"Understood, Hokage-sama."

"You don't seem very happy to be here Tenzo. After all, your dear senpai is here to keep you company."

Mixed reactions throughout the room. Shizune sighed, Yamato chuckled, and Tsunade just ripped the divider sheet back and looked at the other occupant of the room.

"You couldn't stay quiet, could you Kakashi?"

"Hmm, I could have Hokage-sama, but then I would be left out of the conversation and that's not very nice now is it," said Kakashi, with his signature eye smile and ero-novel in hand.

"How sensei managed to handle you I will never know?" asked Tsunade.

"That's because, unlike you, the Sandaime knew how to relax and joke with his subordinates," teased Kakashi.

Several veins popped on her forehead, "I have the power to break you down to dust and build you back up to par. Car to test that out?"

"Ma, ma, you're proving me right you know. Besides, you wouldn't harm an injured person unless they were Jiraiya-sama."

"Humph, you do have a point," Tsunade said.

"Now, that hurts a little, wouldn't you say?"

All heads turned to the window where the found the Legendary Super Pervert leaning against the wall looking outside.

"You're back, and so soon. What happened you pervert?" asked Tsunade.

"Nothing, my informant met with me and I was able to confirm his intel, so I returned home, and this is the kind of greeting I get. You're so cruel hime!"

"Ma, it's good to see you again Jiraiya-sama," said Kakashi.

"See, now that's how you greet someone!" exclaimed Jiraiya as he pointed to Kakashi.

Everyone else shook their heads, Tsunade asked, "Whatever, I take it you heard everything then?"

"I did, it seems he is still having trouble controlling the fox's power beyond the fourth tail, though, that's to be expected, even with all the training he put it to attain some control," Said Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya, I thought he would be more advanced, especially with his skills?" Tsunade asked.

The other occupants looked confused, "Hime, it's not that simple. We are talking about the Kyuubi, it is Destruction Incarnate, even with his abilities, he was still bound to give in to the malicious intent. Let's not forget, from the Shodai Hokage's journals, even he said that out of all the Bijuu, the Kyuubi was far more powerful than the other eight, and that, while it was no struggle for him to make it submit, the Shodai had to put more effort into subduing the beast. Even your grandmother attested to this."

"I'm sorry to interrupt," all eyes turned to Kakashi, "but could we be filled in as to what you are talking about?"

Jiraiya and Tsunade made eye contact, as if speaking telepathically, "Go ahead Jiraiya, this may prove useful for them to know."

"Very well, however, what is going to be said here is not to be spoken of outside of this room, understood?" Jiraiya commanded.

"Wouldn't it make sense to put up some silencing seal tags and check to make sure nobody is listening to us?" Shizune asked.

"Oh Shizune, how you wound me~! Do not worry, I did that before making myself known. Of course, you were so engrossed in your previous conversation to notice me, but then again, I am the best spy this village has for a reason," boasted Jiraiya.

While he was the most skilled in espionage in the entire village, Tsunade could not deal with his ego much longer, "Hurry up and tell them old man!"

"First of all, we're the same age and I've accepted that, unlike you," Tsunade glared murderously, "We need to get started anyways, we've got a lot to cover."

Jiraiya took a seat and faced them, "You already know this, but during the training trip, Naruto lost control when he reached the fourth tail of the Kyuubi's chakra. As a result, he destroyed the training area and left a nasty mark on me. That's all you knew beforehand, what I didn't tell you, aside from Tsunade, was that I began to research the Bijuu while on the training trip to figure out if there was an appropriate method to control the Kyuubi's chakra. So, under the cover of nightfall, I returned to the village to petition to Tsunade to allow me access to the Senju Clan Compound. She granted my request and I began my research. I read through dozens of scrolls and journals from not only the Shodai Hokage's collection, but also from his wife, Tsunade's grandmother, Uzumaki Mito."

"Uzumaki Mito?!" Kakashi asked surprised, "Is there a connection between her and Naruto?"

"Yeah, there is. Before Konoha was formed, during the Warring Clan Era, there was infighting in the Senju Clan. The head of the clan at the time, Senju Akira, wanted to continue to fight against neighboring clans that threatened the Senju. Another member, Senju Kaito proposed allying with Neighboring clans and live in harmony with one another, and to help defend one another. They both had supporters, so ultimately the Senju clan split with Senju Akira and the traditionist faction remaining in their ancestral compound, while Senju Kaito and his modernist faction left the Senju clan, in the hope of living peacefully with others. They traveled and inhabited an island nation, surrounded by whirlpools as a natural defense, allowing them to live peacefully. They changed their lasts names, to fit the land which they now called home. So, Senju Kaito became Uzumaki Kaito, the first leader of the Uzumaki Clan and Uzugakure, cousin to the Senju Clan."

"So, the Uzumaki and Senju clans are related?" asked Shizune.

"Yes, though to be completely honest, while the Uzumaki were an autonomous clan separate of their ancestors, they were still members of the Senju clan." said Tsunade.

"Lady Hokage, I don't understand. How could the Uzumaki be autonomous but still be part of the Senju clan? Is that a contradiction?" Yamato asked.

"You would be right normally," started Jiraiya, "however the Senju and the Uzumaki were not 'normal' during those times. When clans would split apart back then, it would mean complete disregard for each other, but their commitment to family is what made the Senju and Uzumaki stand out from the other clans. Despite their disagreement, Senju Akira and Uzumaki Kaito kept in touch and talked very often, after all they were brothers. Despite not seeing eye to eye on all issues, Akira respected Kaito and the Uzumaki clan for pursuing their goals, and he made a decree during the first New Year's celebration between the two clans. Akira said that, while the Uzumaki were independent, they were family and would always be considered Senju of the Forest, always family. That bond lasted many generations, throughout the war, and that brings us to Senju Hashirama and Uzumaki Mito, the Shodai Hokage and his wife and princess to Uzugakure. Truthfully, Naruto is related to the Shodai Hokage, the Shodai's wife, the Nidaime Hokage, and to Tsunade as well. They are cousins. So, despite his family being Uzumaki for many generations, he is still a Senju by blood. So technically his name is Uzumaki-Senju Naruto, heir to the Senju and Uzumaki clans."

That left all three Jonin shocked. Uzumaki Naruto, once thought to have no family, was the heir to the most prominent clans in the all the nations. He was, by rights, a prince.

'Prince Naruto rolls right off the tongue,' thought Kakashi.

"Let's continue," said Jiraiya which brought their focus back to him, "after the founding of Konoha, the Shodai married Lady Mito, to build the bond between our two villages. Everyone knows of Senju Hashirama and his exploits, but Lady Mito kept to the background. Even among the Uzumaki, she was considered a prodigy at Fuinjutsu, the only ones who exceeded her skills were Hashirama-sama and, to an extent, his brother, the Nidaime Hokage, Senju Tobirama. Her alias back then was Fuin no Megami. Her greatest achievement, was never revealed to the world, as it was considered revolutionary, though it was developed to a lesser extent by the other nations."

"What did Mito-sama accomplish that couldn't be revealed?" asked Yamato. The same question rang through Kakashi's and Shizune's mind. What had the wife accomplished that demanded it never be told to the masses.

"Though this bastardizes her accomplishment, in a nutshell, she pioneered the weapons of war that the Five Great Nations are still using now and days. Lady Mito created the Jinchuriki."

Everything stopped, it's as life had paused.

The wife of the Shodai Hokage created the Jinchuriki.

"What do you mean by that, Lord Jiraiya!? Why would the Lady Mito create the Jinchuriki, it doesn't make sense!?" Shizune practically yelled.

"You all know the story of how Uchiha Madara left the village, only to come back to destroy Konoha, but was stopped and killed by Hashirama-sama at the Valley of the End. If that doesn't ring a bell to you, it's where Naruto and Sasuke fought it out three years ago before Sasuke left to join Orochimaru," taking in their looks, he could tell they too shocked to ask questions, so he continued.

"That's the official story, the one told to children in the academy. The real story is much different. Prior to challenging Hashirama-sama, Madara sought help. From the Shodai's journals, every time he and Madara met on the battlefield, they would either come to a draw, or the Shodai would win, but would spare Madara's life. Very little is known about Madara after he left the village, however it is safe to assume that he knew that he couldn't defeat Hashirama-sama in a one-on-one fight. Every record tells the tale of Senju Hashirama, and his godly strength, only to be closely matched by Uchiha Madara. But close wasn't going to cut it, so Madara went and subdued the strongest beast that he could find, the apex of power and destruction, and forced it to fight alongside with him. That beast was the Kyuubi no Yoko, and Madara effortlessly commanded him in the battle with Hashirama-sama. Though, even that wasn't enough. Hashirama-sama quickly released the Kyuubi from Madara's control and restrained it, and then proceeded to fight Madara, where in the end, the Shodai killed Uchiha Madara," said Jiraiya.

"That's unbelievable, it's unfathomable. How could one man be so strong?" asked Shizune.

Tsunade stepped up, "Every generation has the one shinobi, or the group of shinobi that rise to heights unforeseen as the most powerful in the entire world. That was the constant, and it was held true. When one legendary shinobi died, another, stronger shinobi would step up and claim the mantel for themselves. However, grandfather was not somebody who the rules of common sense applied to. At a very young age, he surpassed all the Senju children. With an affinity to all five chakra natures, the Mokuton, and unparalleled strength in Taijutsu, Genjutsu, and Fuinjutsu, there was not a shinobi alive that didn't respect and fear him. In addition to all of that, his Iryojutsu and sensory abilities far surpasses anything I can do. Sarutobi-sensei was called the Professor for his unparalleled knowledge in all the shinobi arts, and would eventually earn the title shared by grandfather, but it was hardly a comparison. It would be like comparing an academy student to him at his prime. My grandfather, Senju Hashirama was by all accounts a force of nature, one who could truly be called the Kami no Shinobi.

Jiraiya picked up, "Moving on. With his godly strength, Hashirama-sama subdued the Kyuubi and killed Uchiha Madara. When Tobirama-sama and Lady Mito arrived at the battlefield, they were greeted to a new landscape, changed entirely by the battle. After regaling them with the events that took place, they were ready to set off for the village, but one problem kept them, the Kyuubi. It was agreed that they couldn't leave the Kyuubi there unattended, in fear that someone might try to misuse its power, so Mito-sama came up with an idea. To seal the Kyuubi away, with minimal risk and worry of it's release or capture. With the help of both Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-sama, they were able to seal the Kyuubi inside of Lady Mito, while ensuring her chakra coils remained intact. Lady Mito returned to the village not only as the beloved wife of the Shodai Hokage or the feared Fuinjutsu master, but as the first Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko."

"Jeez, that's a little too much for to handle, especially after a mission," said Yamato, "though it makes sense why you went to the Senju Clan Compound, to search for notes on how to teach Naruto control over the Kyuubi."

"That is right, but despite the awesome history lesson we all learned, I came to a dead end. There were no notes on how to control, not only the Kyuubi's chakra, but any Bijuu's chakra," Jiraiya said.

"What do you mean Jiraiya-sama? There should have been tips to control the Bijuu's chakra." Kakashi said.

"It is as I said, Hashirama-sama and Lady Mito left no notes, because Lady Mito never tried to control the fox's chakra. If you look back at our history, Konoha has been blessed with some of the most powerful shinobi ever seen by the world. At the time, with Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-sama and the strength of Konoha, Lady Mito must have decided that controlling the fox's chakra was not needed. However, that is no longer the case. We do not have the Shodai or Nidaime anymore, nor the Sandaime or Yondaime Hokage, and as we speak, there are three perfect Jinchuriki across the nations. From what my contacts have told me, the perfect Jinchuriki are, the late Yondaime Mizukage, who had full control of the Sanbi, the Raikage's brother, Killer B, who has full control of the Hachibi, and Yugito Nii, who has control of the Nibi, but her control is far less than Killer B. The cherry on top, Iwa's two Jinchuriki for the Yonbi and Gobi have very good control of their Bijuu. Gaara had the Ichibi taken from him by the Akatsuki, and despite that his control of sand is just as strong, if not stronger. The only Jinchuriki I have little intel on is the Nanabi Jinchuriki, all we know is that it is held by some girl named Fu, and that's it, but it would be safe to assume that her training to control her Bijuu's chakra. The only Jinchuriki that remains a mystery is the Rokubi. So realistically, Naruto, in terms of Bijuu chakra control, is most likely the weakest."

"Jiraiya, is there something you're not saying?" Tsunade questioned the sage.

"I was getting to it. The intel I confirmed before returning was regarding movement of foreign shinobi along our borders. I confirmed that Iwa shinobi were scouting our shared border with Kusagakure, and that Kumo shinobi have been more present along our shared border with Yugakure. So far, there hasn't been any conflict, mostly due to our defenses, however, it doesn't seem like they will be letting up anytime soon," explained Jiraiya.

"You think that geezer Onoki and idiot A would order his shinobi to report back on our borders? They must be crazy to test our borders" asked Tsunade.

"Normally, you would be right, but you need to the room Tsunade and look at all the facts. After we lost the Yondaime, Sarutobi-sensei charged me with fortifying our defenses by feeding false information to our enemies, long enough for sensei to marshal the forces back to an acceptable level. Our enemies found out about the Kyuubi attack and the Yondaime's untimely death, but by the time that happened, they couldn't do anything. They were still recovering from the war and were in no position to launch a campaign. About 3.5 years ago, sensei and I did it, we managed to fortify our defenses and rebuild our shinobi force, everything was looking great. Then, Orochimaru and Sunagakure, and we not only lost a lot of our shinobi forces, but we also lost sensei as well. Not to mention we were, for the first time in a long time without a powerful military ally to support us. With our only ally being Suna, with a diminished shinobi force, and without the Kami no Shinobi, Konoha has not been so vulnerable since the death of Hashirama-sama. Naturally, our enemies took notice and started to build their military forces. The only deterrent we had now was the fact that Naruto and I brought Tsunade back to the village, along with a handful of powerful Shinobi, like Guy and you, Kakashi. With one Sannin protecting the village from within and the other Sannin defending the village from all foreign threats from outside, it made Onoki and A hold back for a while. Now, that's not the case. They have much larger armies, more equipment, not to mention the combined might of four Jinchuriki, all with better control of their Bijuu than the other five. Meanwhile, we're now back to where were before Orochimaru's attack, with no allies, and a Jinchuriki with terrible control of his Bijuu. I'm not going to lie to you, things could be worse," he looked to Tsunade, "we still have one surprise that they won't be expecting."

"Jiraiya, you can't be serious, if we let him go all out that will paint a larger target on his back."

"Hime, when I came to you 3.5 years ago and told you what happened, you told me to keep it under wraps. Every time the gaki, surpassed our expectations, you blocked him, ordered me to keep him under control and to not show off his abilities. He agreed, and look what almost happened, he damn near died on this last mission because you were so worried about the threats that will come later, you never stopped to look at the threats he's facing right now. I can't believe I'm saying this, but the only reason Yamato and his team aren't dead is because Orochimaru saved them, and that's a fact. So please don't come at me with 'it's for his safety bullshit', the time to act is now. We are not only facing threats from the Akatsuki, but from two Great Nations and Orochimaru. We need all the help we can get, and Naruto is our silver lining. We need to utilize his strength, otherwise I wasted 3.5 years training him," Jiraiya said firmly.

"Oh, so that's how it is, you spent all this time, not training your student, but building a weapon of war. Is that it Jiraiya?!" exclaimed Tsunade.

"Lady Tsunade, that's enough," said Shizune, as she, Kakashi, and Yamato were shocked to hear the words come out of her mouth.

Then there was chuckling coming from Jiraiya, not the good natured chuckling, but the ominous kind, "You know, when all of my students died, I was angry at myself for not doing my duty as their sensei and protecting them. When Orochimaru defected, I was angry at myself for not helping him sooner. When you abandoned the village, I was angry at myself for not being there for you when you needed someone to listen to you. When I figured out how Naruto had been treated his whole life, I was angry at myself for not accepting my duty as his godfather and raising him. When Sarutobi-sensei died, I was angry at how I couldn't save my surrogate father. My entire life, I've been angry at myself for letting those around me down, and those feelings will always be with me, because I deserve to suffer for my inactions."

"Jiraiya," Tsunade spoke, shaken to her core. Next thing she knew, Jiraiya grabbed her by her throat and slammed her against the wall.

"Now it seems I've got something new to be angry about," Tsunade stared into his eyes, only to find rage and anger. Never had she seen this side of Jiraiya before.

"Lord Jiraiya! Please stop!" Yelled Shizune, as she, Kakashi and Yamato rushed to calm down/hold back the angry toad sage, though he did not budge an inch.

Jiraiya stared Tsunade dead in her fearful eyes, her praying for forgiveness, "Now, I'm angry for two reasons. I'm angry that I listened to you, because of you Naruto almost died, and that would be on me, because I listened to your stupid commands these past few years, when I should have let him be himself. Never again will that happen, understood?" She nodded frantically, feeling herself losing air quickly. "Also, I don't care who you think you are, whether you are Tsunade of the Senju clan, or Tsunade the Godaime Hokage, if you ever call my godson a weapon of war again, I WILL KILL YOU! UNDERSTOOD!?" She nodded quickly, tears streaming down her face. Jiraiya dropped her and walked back to his seat, as the three observants assisted the Hokage to her feet.

Leaning against the wall, concerned faces filled Tsunade's vision as a bottle of water was handed off by Yamato.

"Jiraiya-sama, I understand that you care for Naruto deeply, but that might have gone too far," Kakashi said, trying to calm the toad sage down.

"Perhaps, but I don't regret it. I stand firm in my belief that Naruto shouldn't be hindered for asinine reasons, even if it means going overboard."

"What exactly do you mean by hindered, like his training wasn't up to par with what you wanted?" Kakashi asked.

"The exact opposite, Naruto far exceeded all of my expectations, and became very powerful, very fast. I was content with him not showboating until after we returned to the village, that way at least he would be safe and sound. But Tsunade said no, that it was too much of a risk to take, and commanded Naruto to not reveal his true strength, to not draw attention to himself. Specifically, the Akatsuki. I understood laying low was important, that's why we never stayed at the same place for two days in a row, but to hold him back knowing damn well that he was strong enough to hold his own was too much, and I was a fool to go along with the idea," Jiraiya said as he retook his seat.

"Jiraiya-sama, how strong is Naruto is he were to go all out?" questioned Yamato.

"Honestly, he's probably stronger than Tsunade, that's how good of a job I did." Jiraiya said confidently.

All four sets of eyes swung to him, wide as can be. Questions flying out of the floodgate, until they were drowned out by another voice.

"FOR KAMIS SAKE SAKURA, SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!"

(Hospital, Team Kakashi's Room, Moments Before)

After being admitted and scanned for any unseen injuries, Team Kakashi sat in their beds as the doctor finished healing them. Though despite feeling better, nobody wanted to talk, rather no one knew what to say. Naruto seemed distant, Sakura looked said, and Sai…... well, Sai was Sai. Noticing the tension, Sai began the dialogue, "Well that sucked."

"Shut up, Sai," said Sakura, not even bothering to look at him.

"I was merely making a statement based off the overall success of the mission, in addition to all the unforeseen events that took place."

"Keep it up and you're going to have pain in an unforeseen place, baka!"

"I don't know how you possibly think you can hurt me in your current state…... ugly."

…. Oh, hell no! "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE CALLING UGLY, YOU PALE ASS MOTHER-."

"Can you two please be quiet," said the, unlikely, voice of reason in the room.

Swinging their heads arounds, Sakura and Sai noticed that Naruto was reclined, looking out the window, but despite looking relaxed, his tone spoke the opposite.

"Hey, Naruto. Are you alright?" asked Sakura.

"I'm fine, Sakura-chan, I'm just tired."

"Are you sure, you're never this quiet,"

"I just want to rest, so please let's not say anything until the doctor comes back."

"You know Naruto, I am a medical professional, if somethings wro-."

"SAKURA, SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!"

You ever run into a situation where everything just seems to stop, no movement, no noise, nothing. That is what all the visitors and personnel of the hospital felt after the burst of anger rang throughout the hospital. Though, none were more shocked than the two occupants sharing the same room. Sakura looked taken back and shocked. As for Sai, his eyes widened and looked tense.

"Naruto, just relax." Said Sakura.

"Relax, why should I relax?"

"Naruto, whatever it is I promise you that it will be okay."

"Really, it'll be okay. Maybe we were not on the same mission but let me tell you what I recall. I remember losing control and still losing to Orochimaru, I remember all of us encountering Sasuke for the first in in three years, and I remember you, Sai, Captain Yamato and me all getting our asses handed to us by Sasuke. I have trained for the last three years to bring him back, only to find out, not only was he stronger than all of us, but he still had more to show, more to prove. You know what else I remember, I remember him, staring us down, with no intention of letting us live, only to be stopped by Orochimaru of all people. Orochimaru took pity on us, and you want to know why. It was because we were not worth him wasting his time to kill us, because he had better things to do than to dispose of four Konoha Shinobi. That Sakura is why I'm mad, you finally get it, you dumb pink-haired banshee!?"

Sakura, processing what Naruto screamed at her, looked down unable to say anything.

Sai spoke up, "Naruto-san, perhaps you should calm down. It's been a rather-"

Naruto interrupted, "Shut up Sai. Do not think I forgot what you did. The only reason you're still breathing is because of Captain Yamato. Cross me again, and I swear on the Shinigami to hunt you down like the rat you are, understood?"

Sai shut up immediately, tension swelling up further, nodding to the angry blond.

Naruto walked to the window, and hopped on to the windowsill, "I want to be left alone. Don't bother me for the rest of the day," with that he jumped out and disappeared into the village.

Immediately afterwards, the door to the room flung open revealing Tsunade, Jiraiya and the Jonin. Noticing the absence, Tsunade spoke up, "Sakura, what happened, where's Naruto?"

(Five Hours Later)

Deep within the woods, sitting at a campfire was Naruto, looking at the fishes he had caught slowly cooking. He was about to begin dinner, but multiple presences appeared behind him, all peaceful, and all recognized by the blond.

"You know," began Naruto, "It is very rude to interrupt somebody who's about to eat, right?"

"You know you raised a lot of alarms when you disappeared from your hospital room, even more so when it took us five hours to locate you. You were very close to becoming a flight risk," said the pig-tailed blond, "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Crackling fire and a gentle breeze were all that answered her as the blond had yet to turn around. Growing frustrated Tsunade asked once more, "Explain yourself, or face the consequences, Genin Uzumaki."

"So that's the game you want to play. Very well, where would you like me to start, Godaime-sama?"

The words contained no malice, no hate, and yet it felt so wrong to hear all the same. Nevertheless, Tsunade persisted, "I want you to explain your actions against Sakura and Sai. You were out of line."

"Funny, I don't see it that way. Instead, I see it as a wake-up call of sorts. Hopefully, now they realize the errors of their ways," Naruto said as he picked up a fish and began eating.

"What do you mean? The entire hospital heard you, and so did everybody close enough to the hospital. Not to mention, the panic that set after you left. How can you explain that?"

"The sooner that Sakura wakes up and faces the music, the better, because overall, her performance during the mission was subpar. Anybody who was there could attest to that. Also, Sai ran off with Orochimaru, to complete some unknown objective, effectively leaving us one man down. What I said was not opinionated, but the cold, hard truth of the matter. If they took it to heart, that's on them. I won't apologize for being honest. As for my disappearing act, I simply stated that I wanted to be alone. Obviously, that was too much to ask for, and clearly you think so little of my love for the village to threaten to label me as a flight risk. Despite holding me back, I never once lost an ounce of love for the village, the same, however, can not be said for you. You crippled me by ordering to hold back, making me an easier to harm and injure, or worse. For the past few years, I have blindly abided by your orders, now I wish to say that I will no longer be following your orders, as they are baseless, childish, and selfish."

"Oh, and what makes you think I will allow you to do as you wish, would you dare defy an order from your leader, knowing what hardships would befall you?" Tsunade asked.

Naruto chuckled, "The fact that you have to play your position as a point means you've already lost the argument. I understand that as Hokage you can not show bias towards the Shinobi, it wouldn't be fair. But at the same time, you should praise your Shinobi for developing new skills, for reaching new heights. Only then can we truly blossom into fine shinobi worthy of serving Konoha. I've reached new heights, far beyond what you all expected of me, yet I am met with resistance and forced to hide my skills while my comrades who trained hard are allowed to be proud and show off their skills. Tell me, as Hokage, have you been treating me fairly, or have you shown bias?" Silence was all that was met, "It was a rhetorical question, but the point still stands. I will not allow your paranoia to hold me back any longer, and if you have a problem with that, tough luck. You no longer have an argument to present, nor do you have any reason to deny me freedom any longer. I am not the same Genin that brought you back, but rather the Jonin you've failed to acknowledge. It's ironic really, I, the highest ranked person from my graduating class, am still pretending to be a Genin. It's a rather humbling experience, but not one I wish to continue further," Naruto said as he stood to face the group of Tsunade, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Yamato and Shizune, "You can be mad all you want, but you will no longer stand in my way. As the heir to the two most powerful clans in the village still, you hold no power over me. All you can do is assign me on missions, or bar me from taking them. Either way, from the treasury of both clan accounts and my inheritance, plus the income I could make from supplying the local ninja stores with seals, I no longer require missions to live. So, what will you do Godaime-sama, the ball is in your court?" Naruto asked as he sat down and picked up another fish.

All eyes, aside from Naruto, were on her. Biting down on her nail, she tried to find an obvious solution to the predicament. She could blacklist him from missions, but that wouldn't his finances anyway. She couldn't force him into retirement, the village needed him. The thought of an administrative position popped into her head but realized he would prank her and make her life miserable. Tsunade finally come to the realization that she had lost, that no decision she made would be a favorable outcome in the long run. She had conceded, as she began to tear up "Alright, you no longer have to hide your abilities, your heritage, or your true rank. All I ask for is one thing?"

Naruto perked up, "What's that?"

Trembling, Tsunade tried to reign in her emotions but failing all the same, "I want you to promise me that every time you leave the village that you will come back safe and sound. You're the only family I have left, I can't afford to lose you too."

An epiphany struck Naruto as he berated himself. All this time he thought she was doing this to hold on to Uzumaki Naruto, the Kyuubi no Jinchuriki, but she trying to protect Uzumaki-Senju Naruto, her remaining family. Though that didn't excuse everything she did, he could understand her position better than anyone.

In the end, family was all that they had.

Naruto jumped to his feet, and put his hands behind his head and said, "That's a promise I can make," he turned to reveal his grin, "Obaa-chan."

Tsunade widened her eyes, and she hugged Naruto, who returned the hug, the others relaxing in the back. All in the world seemed good.

Well, it was good, until Tsunade threw Naruto into the river. Naruto surfaced, "Hey, what's the big idea obaa-chan?"

"Baka, just when I thought things were going okay, you had to call me that!"

"Call you what? Obaa-chan? But you're old-," began Naruto as he jumped out of the water, narrowly missing a boulder meant for him. He turned, but immediately hauled ass as an angry Tsunade was on his trail.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING OLD YOU LITTLE SHIT!?"

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

(30 Minutes Later)

Seated around the fire, everyone was happy and having a great time, even Naruto who was sporting a few bumps and a black eye. "So, where do we go from here?" Naruto asked.

Jiraiya spoke up, "First things first, you need to be evaluated by hime so that she can attest to your strength. That will be crucial for when you publicly announce yourself as heir to the Uzumaki and Senju clans."

"Ero-sennin, I don't understand, you've seen how strong I am. Wouldn't your word be enough?" asked Naruto.

Kakashi interjected, "Unfortunately not, Naruto. Despite being a Sannin, Jiraiya-sama is still registered as a Jonin of Konoha, even if has more liberties and freedom than the rest of us. Though he is highly respected and welcomed among the council, it is Tsunade-sama's approval that will make the transition easier. That way, you won't have to deal with the bureaucracy and resistance from members who would wish to use you for their own personal gains."

"So, the evaluation is just a test to prove myself, is that right?" asked Naruto.

"You're not wrong gaki, but you're not exactly right either," said an exasperated Tsunade.

Seeing the confusion on Naruto's face, Shizune spoke up, "Naruto-kun, never before in the history of Konoha has there been an instance where someone proclaimed themselves as the heir of two clans, let alone two of the most prominent clans. By doing so, the distribution of political power in Konoha will shift drastically. When Tsunade-sama returned, she accepted the role of Hokage, but if the Hokage is from a clan, they are unable to assume the position as clan head during council meetings. That's why Sandaime-sama assigned Sarutobi Asuma-san, his son, to represent the Sarutobi clan. In addition to the absence of a Senju clan head for a while, the Uzumaki clan has not been represented in the same amount of time. Plus, you descend from two royal lines, so your political clout will only increase much more. As a result, you wouldn't be referred to as Lord Naruto, but rather Prince Naruto of the Konohagakure and Uzugakure, heir of the Senju and Uzumaki clans."

"You are the heir gaki," Tsunade began, "but since I can't stand for the Senju clan during the council meetings, and my work as Hokage and Director of the Hospital and Medical Ninja Program, I have no time to attend to clan matters. So, once we finish your evaluation and I present you before the council, you will officially be made the heads of both clans."

"That sounds cool, but I know nothing of the politics of Konoha, hell I've been gone for a while. I just wanted to be recognized as heir, I didn't think I'd be thrown into the deep end so soon."

Tsunade snorted, "Don't kid yourself. You might possess a tremendous amount of strength, but you're like a dull blade. It'll take a while but I will help sharpen your intellect and begin to instruct you in matters regarding the politics of Konoha, clan matters for both the Senju and Uzumaki clans, and instruct you on all members of the council, who they are, what they do, who will try to use you, and who you need to look out for. This will take a couple of months, so don't worry about it."

"Okay, that makes sense."

Yamato coughed and got the attention of everyone, "Sorry to cut in, but there still remains a rather large issue at hand, and this is not me going against you Naruto, but rather something we need to prepare for. During the mission, you were unable to steel your emotions, and the fox temporarily took control. I was able to bring you back, and that's the end of that story. However, Sai will report to Danzo, and inform him of this hiccup. If there is going to be pushback from those who would oppose you, Danzo would use this as ammunition to bar you from joining the council, even as a proxy. Not to mention, there are those on the council and within the village who would like to see you fail because of your Jinchuriki status. The road to claiming your birthright was always going to be a difficult task, but now it's only going to get harder. For the next couple of months, you must not divert from the path that you are on. When the time comes, and the council decides whether you are to be acknowledged as a dual clan head or not, you must be prepared to make the argument of your life. Are you prepared to do that?"

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes, so long as I do it the right way. But I've got one question, who is this Danzo guy you're talking about?"

Jiraiya spoke up, "Danzo is one of the Hokage's advisors and sits on the council. Also, he was Sarutobi-sensei's teammate long ago, under the tutelage of the Nidaime Hokage. Though, he is nothing like sensei, where sensei preached peace and community, Danzo preached about power and tyranny. Danzo looked up to Tobirama-sama and followed his teachings to the letter. Some would say that Danzo is fixated on the ideals and teachings of the Nidaime. When it came to choose the Sandaime, the Nidaime selected Sarutobi-sensei, not Danzo. For that, Danzo resented sensei. He would later to go on to say that sensei was dishonoring the Nidaime due to his pacifist teachings and leadership. As a result, Danzo formed his sub-faction of Anbu, one that would be loyal to him and him alone, Root which your teammate Sai belongs to. Root shinobi are trained to be emotionless and follow orders without question. Danzo based the conditioning of his soldiers from the rules of shinobi conduct that the Nidaime constructed during his tenure, only thing is that Danzo took it to the extreme. Root are trained for the sole purpose of following Danzo's every command, and to complete every mission as a 'model' shinobi worthy of Konoha, or to die. Those are the only two options they have. Sensei ordered for the organization to be abolished, but we know it is still in operation."

"I don't understand," Naruto began, "If it was ordered to shut down, why is it still active?"

Jiraiya picked up, "Throughout the years, Danzo was there to oppose sensei and every twist and turn, belittling him, but sensei never retaliated violently, only through peaceful dialogue, and it was seldom when sensei had to assert himself. Danzo even opposed sensei when he ordered for Root to be shut down. While he may have known that Danzo had not listened to him, Sarutobi-sensei kept a close on Danzo and his dealings. Though he would never admit to saying it, Root had a purpose, a minute purpose, in protecting Konoha from the shadows, and sensei allowed Danzo to act when it was in the best interest of Konoha, not himself. However, Danzo still tested sensei and tried to see how much he could get away with. Though they could never be confirmed, it was well known within the inner circles of Konoha that Danzo had repeatedly attempted to assassinate sensei using his Root shinobi. But like I said, Danzo is very good at covering his tracks, so there was never any proof to link the attempts to Danzo. We all knew, don't get me wrong, nobody is stupid enough to try and assassinate the Kami no Shinobi, unless they were sure they would get away with it, or at the very least, be able to cover their trails. But sensei never once retaliated against Danzo, never once suggesting taking his life for all the treason he committed. I believe that Sarutobi-sensei saw the teammate who he had grown up with and fought alongside in the war with, not the monster he is today. I don't like speaking ill of the dead, but Orochimaru is nothing compared to the mess that is Shimura Danzo, and sensei was foolish to let him get away with so much, let alone live. Had it been anybody else, they would have been gifted to Ibiki and killed afterwards." He turned his attention from the fire to Naruto, "That is who will be standing in your way, Naruto. He will be the toughest obstacle that you will have faced but trust me when I say that you're not alone in this. Everyone you see around this fire wants you to succeed, so we will help you. That's a promise."

Naruto looked at each person around the fire, "Thank you guys, I won't fail you. Now let's kick some geezer ass!"

"Hell no!" All eyes turned to Tsunade, "It's been a stressful day as is. I want to go home, drink, and pass out. Let's worry about that wrinkly ass later, okay?" Everyone nodded, and stood to leave, "Before I forget, Naruto, I will schedule you to be evaluated in three days. I'll send for the exact time and location tomorrow but take these next couple of days to relax. Jiraiya has attested to your strength so you will be evaluated as such, understood?"

"I understand, but I hope you weren't betting on me, I don't want any bad luck right now," said Naruto as everyone laughed. Well, almost everyone.

"WHAT WAS THAT YOU LITTLE SHIT!?" yelled Tsunade as she chased after the blond.

"NOT AGAIN! IT WAS A JOKE! SOMEBODY STOP THIS CRAZY GRANNY! PLEASE!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A GRANNY GAKI?!"

"AAAAAHHHHHH, NOT THE FACE, NOT THE FACE!" screamed Naruto, and his pained filled voice filled the forest as the rest of the group laughed at the blonds expense.

"SAY IT GAKI, I WON'T LET YOU GO UNTIL YOU SAY IT!"

"YOU'RE NOT A GRANNY, YOU'RE NOT A GRANNY! UNCLE, UNCLE! I DON'T THINK MY LEGS SUPPOSED TO GO THAT FAR BACK! UNCLE!" screamed Naruto.