Deal

2011

A/N: Please note that everyone is now speaking Japanese, now that they are back in Hidden Leaf Village.

Chapter 17

The small family was ushered into the Sandaime's office with his old student and a very late elite jonin.

Hurizen Sarutobi, the Professor of Shinobi, Lord Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf was doing his best to defeat his arch nemesis – paperwork.

His day just took a different turn. A familiar shout echoed through his office.

"HEY JIJI!"

Naruto slowly entered ahead of his family and waved. "Missed me?"

The old hokage stood as he could see that the boy was a bit nervous about what kind of greeting he would get from him.

Someone had taken the child away when he was five. The evidence left behind had shown that Naruto had been hurt and hurt badly.

He glanced over at the two men and the young boy hiding behind them. How did they enter into this drama?

With a smile, Lord Third opened his arms. "Naruto-chan, you are a sight for these poor eyes. Jiriaya, where did you find him? And who are these people?"

"Sensei." Jiriaya's serous tone seemed out of place. Sarutobi frowned. His former student wouldn't be so serious unless something happened. "Please have all of your ANBU leave. What I have to say is SS-rank information."

The old hokage of the Hidden Leaf frown, but nodded as he trusted his former student. He made the signal to dismiss all of his guards.

Four shadows extracted themselves from different parts of the office except for. . .

The Sandaime glanced down at the dark-haired boy moved from behind the men to stand in front of them. The boy was looking up at the ceiling and before anyone could react, he threw several shurikens at a spot over the desk.

A hand came out and reflected the throwing star as Naruto fired off a red light.

A black clad ANBU with a plain white mask fell stunned, from the ceiling.

"The Hokage told you to leave! How rude!" the dark-haired boy shouted at the stunned ANBU.

"Root!" Jiriaya said, with disgust as he examined the mask. "I thought you had disbanded them, sensei?"

"I did, but I knew that Danzo just went underground," came the graveling voice. "He and the council managed to cut most of my power and I didn't have the manpower to clean house after that night."

Kakashi wrapped the fallen spy with ninja wire and called in one of the ANBU guards to come back in.

Once the spy and the real ANBU left with orders to take the spy to T & I, Hurizen reactivated the seals to make his office secured.

The family watched dark-haired boy for a moment, who finally gave a nod. "It's safe. There's no one else listening . . . Yeah, all clear."

The hooded man placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder, before lowering his hood. "Well done, Haru," came a voice that the aged hokage hadn't heard since that terrible night.

That was when the Third Hokage sat back in his chair in shock because standing in front of him was a ghost – spirit!

"Hello, Lord Third."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"So, let me get this straight?" Lord Third reiterated. "You never died, Minato? You were thrown out of Leaf and sent to another dimension to help this boy as part of the deal with the Shinigami to seal the Kyuubi into your son?"

Minato nodded. Naruto rubbed his stomach as Haru moved to stand protectively nearby.

"He knows?"

"Yes, Lord Third. He knows. Naruto and Haru both do. Naruto has even spoken to the nine-tails and have come to some sort of accord."

Hurizen turned to what he had thought were two loyal members of the Leaf. "And you knew about this?" he accused.

Jiriaya nodded, while Kakashi stood quietly behind the boys as Minato stepped up. "I ordered them not to say anything, Lord Third. I'm still Lord Fourth, after all. I never died. I was just exiled by the Shinigami. And it had to be kept a secret, for the security of the village and for myself."

Minato looked up to where the Root ANBU had once been hiding. "We have too many enemies both here and in the other villages that would've tried to keep me out forever if they had a chance. Both Kakashi-kun and Jiriaya-sensei are loyal to Leaf, as you well know. They kept me informed while I raised my sons and waited for the day we all could return."

The old hokage returned to his desk as he took in all of the implications of this news. "And who are these two?" he pointed to Haru and Sirius.

"This is Namikaze Haru, my adopted son," Minato said as he placed a hand on Haru's shoulder. "His parents were aurors, that world's version of shinobi. They were great friends and mentors, helping me to adjust to my new life. They were killed by a nasty piece of work that was on the same level as Orochimaru-teme, leaving Haru an orphan at 15 months. And this is Sirius-sama. He's the head of his clan and Haru's god-father. Due to betrayal of someone he trusted, he was sent to prison for the mistaken belief that he killed Haru's parents. In time, I was able to clear his name. He came with us so he will be tutoring Haru in his Kekkei Genkai."

Minato refused to tell his old sensei that Naruto also had the same bloodline limit as Haru, but not as strong. What they did behind the Namikaze Compound walls was no one's business but the clan's.

"I see. And it was you that took Naruto when he was five? Killing those shinobi and civilians?"

Minato's pleasant smile faded as it took on a cold steely look. "I wanted my son close to me. I worried over time how he was doing. When I finally managed to get the toads to come to my summons, I found out how disappointed I was in you for failing to keep your word. I found my son in a pool of his own blood crying and asking why? What had he done for them to attack him? So yes, I killed them and took him out of here on the only night I could slip in and out without detection." Minato's cold eyes dared anyone to challenge his claim on his son.

Ducking his head in shame, Lord Third started to explain how he lost control of the council after that horrible night. He had tried to protect Naruto, but his hands were tied, not only by the council but by his own advisers. He had put the needs of the village over the needs of an innocent child. He could've done more.

Minato didn't move or say anything as he let the old man babble on how he had tried to keep Naruto safe. He had heard most of it by both Kakashi and Jiriaya over the years. He needed to hear it from his old mentor for himself.

"I'm so sorry, Minato, but I am old. I wanted to retire, but with your death, I couldn't. There was no one to take your place that I could trust. Danzo made certain that no one could take Naruto in, keeping the clans away from him. Every week in my office, he would demand I turn Naruto over to him, until Naruto disappeared. Then he would demand that I would pay a reward for his return. I refused."

Minato sighed and closed his eyes. "I understand, Lord Third I don't like it, but I do understand. However, Danzo's finished. I have enough on him to execute him on the spot."

Suddenly, the door to the outer office burst open, breaking the seals of silence as three elderly people walked in, only to freeze, wide-eyed with fear.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Kakashi lead the family through the streets. Minato had stayed behind to continue meeting with Lord Third. He was leading them to the Namikaze's compound. Thankfully, his sensei had sealed it before he 'died ' or he was certain that the nearest neighbors, Hyuga clan, would've taken it over.

Naruto cut his palm and placed it on the large paper seal that crossed the two gates.

"Naruto-kun?" Kakashi said when they arrived at a vine covered gate. The moment the blood hit the seal, it disintegrated.

Naruto grinned as he stepped up to the gate. "Tou-san has been teaching both Haru and me seals since we were little."

"I'm going to have to set you both down and find out how much you know."

Naruto grinned up at his adoptive older brother. "Bring it on. We're not kids anymore."

Pushing them open, they stood looking over the overgrown garden. It was a modern house with some distinct traditional aspects.

Sirius whistled. "I knew that Minato said it was a nice place, but he never said it was a huge Japanese manor house."

Naruto and Haru laughed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Minato came home to both his sons sitting in a small room next to the master bedroom. Haru was comforting his older brother as they faced a banner that says "Welcome Home Naruto" over a baby's crib.

"Why did Jiji keep this all from me? Didn't he love me? Why?" his son whispered, looking up at his father. "I could've lived here with Kashi-nee and be safe."

Minato clutched his fist tightly. He had asked the same thing at the elderly advisers. Danzo back-stepped in his answers under the angry glare of the Yondaime. The bandaged war-hawk sweated under his bandages as he stammered his answers that Minato demanded.

In the end and with great satisfaction, the three counselors were sent to Ibiki to re-affirm their loyalty to the Leaf. He wanted answers and he was going to get them before he had them executed for treason.

His and Kushina's son wasn't a weapon to be used. He had already defeated one old man with delusions of using an innocent child as a weapon. He would be damned to let it happen in his village.

He had a council meeting in an hour and had only come home to check on his sons. He had forgotten that Kushina had decorated this small room next to their room for their newborn son.

The newly awaken Tally popped in, frightening Kakashi. "Tally has seen the kitchen. It needs work to be ready for food. Boys need to eat. Tally needs money."

"Tally, this is Kakashi and Jiriaya. Both are members of the family. Treat them as such. This is Tally. I will expect you treat her with respect. She has been a god send."

Tally eep'd and popped out to the amazement of the two shinobi.

"Do not offer any thing that resemble clothes to her. Do not leave your weapons around. She hates them. If you make a mess, do not clean it up. She will be offended and, in her eyes, you will do it wrong."

"But what is she? I've never seen anything like her," Jiriaya asked, still looking at where the tiny being had been standing.

"She's a house elf and our friend," Haru answered. "She's great and makes the best biscuits."

Minato laughed and rubbed his son's hair. "Yes, she does and she is right. We need to feed you two and I have a meeting to back get to."

An hour later and buoyed up from being with his family, Minato re-entered the council room, ready to take back his life in the Hidden Leaf Village.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Well, they are back in Konoha. By my estimation, I only have two to three chapters left of this story. Sorry, but I am losing interest in this story and I found a nice stopping point to bring it to a nice conclusion.

Please check my profile for the latest update of my stressful life.

Until next time. – GF