I do not own 'Naruto'
Politics
"Naruto Uzumaki returning from mission." Naruto spoke to the guards, the eternal Chunins.
"Welcome back, your just in time too." Izumo stated. "Tomorrows the start of the finals."
Naruto nodded and went on his way.
"I miss his pranking days." One of the Chunin muttered. "It made this tolerable."
The two sat down as the continued to monitor the entrance to their great village.
"He glued us to our seats, didn't he?"
"Yep."
"I'm back Hokage-Sama." Naruto greeted as he entered the office.
"Oh, welcome back Naruto-Kun." The Third greeted kindly. "And who's this fellow."
"That is going to take a long time to explain and I need to speak with the Council." Naruto spoke seriously.
Hiruzen sighed. He could already feel a headache coming along.
"Greetings." Naruto spoke as he nodded to the Clan heads.
"Why have you called this meeting?"
"Before we begin, I'd like to request that the civilian council be expelled." Naruto spoke calmly. "This is entirely clan matters."
The civilians on the council gave an uproar. They were silenced by Naruto flashing his eyes and placing his hand on his newly acquired sword.
This action angered Ranmaru. Using Raiga's weapon for such a fear tactics was demeaning. In his anger, his eyes began glowing as he glared at the blond. Something the Civilians and Shinobi noticed.
Good. Naruto thought. The seed has been planted.
"Since the boy is too young, how about he come with one of us?" A civilian asked. "He would be bored to tears here, listening to politics."
Naruto nodded and Ranmaru made his way to the civilians. Any time not by Naruto was good in Ranmaru's opinion.
Once the Civilians have been escorted out, it was time for business. But first...
"Naruto...why did you just send a small boy off with a bunch of strangers?" Someone asked.
"Strangers that don't like you."
"If anything happens to Ranmaru, then I will be within my rights to execute each and every last one of them." Naruto answered coldly. Then maybe this council could select a few civilian with some common sense.
"Naruto-San, why is it that every time I see you there's a new person with you?" Tsume asked, she had meant it to lighten the mood but sighed at the answer.
"Same reason." Naruto answered.
"Huh?"
"That there was Ranmaru." Naruto introduced. "He's my cousin."
There was a moment of silence the filled the room.
"Why would you bring him here?" Danzo asked.
"I brought Ranmaru here so that the village will have the bloodline in it's possession and not an enemy nation." Naruto answered.
"I'm going to call bull." Danzo stated breaking character. "You know that he'd be wanted as a weapon or used to breed more with your bloodline. If not those, people will use him for prestige and other political reasons."
"That's exactly what I want." Naruto stated. "When people find out about him and his connections to me, they'll go ballistic." The blond smirked. "They'll also see his hatred for me and try to use it. People will want his bloodline mixed with theirs for both physical and political power." Naruto stated. "They'll want to make connections with the Clan so that theirs will grow, effectively increasing our own."
"Why not try all of this on yourself?" The Nara head spoke. "Money, power, women, you're literally passing up a chance to have it all."
Naruto reached up to his collar and showed the Curse seal that all of them were familiar with.
"Orochimaru placed this seal on me, and we all know that it means trouble." He spoke. "While not only that, I have my tenant and that was enough trouble for me. When people find out about Orochimaru's Curse seal, and they will, they'll hate me even more." Naruto stated. If that's possible. "They'll call for my head, but they won't get it. I have not broken any laws and I am Shinobi who can and will defend himself."
"But here comes sweet and gullible Ramaru." Danzo spoke. "He's young, determined and full of potential. Best of all, he's male, capable of spreading his seed an incalculable amount of times. The CRA would no doubt be in-acted."
"This sounds a lot like-"
"Sasuke Uchiha, yes." Naruto admitted.
"So you want to make another Sasuke?" Danzo asked.
"No, Sasuke is power hungry and blinded by revenge. No one ever tried to point him in any direction, they just gave in to his demands." Naruto answered. "Ranmaru here will not be treated like a prince as the Uchiha was. Instead, people will treat him like a tool, a weapon."
"So your basically making a weapon against you?" The Third asked, confused as much as the rest of the Clan heads. "For you?"
"It's not for me, it's for the village." Naruto stated without missing a beat. "I though that it'd be nice to have a...fail-safe in case things became...crazy."
Many nodded in understanding. Rather to die on your own terms than through some ludicrous act, many Shinobi-no, many warriors throughout history would rather go their own way. Some wanted to go peacefully in their sleep. Some wanted to go out in a blaze of glory on the battlefield, where their names would be sung. Some, some just wanted to know that they left a mark, to have made a difference in their lives.
"Your doing a lot to plan your death."
"I never said that he'd win." Naruto stated casually. "Should-no, when they day comes that he tries to kill me, I don't plan to just roll over and die for him. It would make this whole thing a wasted effort. It will be a fight to the death, both of us giving all we can. Though I plan to have our family name secured. We may be gone by then, but our legacy will remain."
Genius! Pure genius! Danzo thought. Naruto plans to have the people give Ranmaru the means to take him down, effectively building him up! they're going to basically place him on a pedestal of their own will! He's not planning for any short-term glory, he's thinking long term for his family! In a short amount of time! Only two or three generations top!
It seems that the Third was having the same thoughts as his, but he was taking it differently.
"What are you up to Naruto?" Hiruzen asked aloud. "You've just told your entire plan to the Clan heads, what makes you think they'll act as your puppets?"
"Puppets are toys Hokage-Sama, I'm not playing with them." He answered honestly. "They're tools, for their village and for their own families."
Many of the Clan heads agreed that they had a responsibility to their families and/or village before themselves.
"Still..."
"They now know my plan now, so they can either get on board and have their own Clans furthered as any good leader and family head would." Naruto spoke as he eyed each Clam head.
There was a moment of silence as tension began building at the obvious threat words hung in the air.
"Or?" Someone asked.
"Or they lose out of what could be the largest political move in their life-time." Naruto answered. "The civilians are no doubt already interested in him and it's only a matter of time before they realize they could use him."
There was another pause as the Clan heads already began forming plans in their heads. Ways that they could benefit from such an alliance.
"We ask you again Naruto, why not do all this for yourself?" Hiashi asked. "Forget your burdens, most would use that as an excuse to say they deserved the power. Others wouldn't care and would take it. Loyalty to family and village only goes so far when there's no love from any side."
"And you've stated that's there's a lot of love lacking for your life."
All eyes were on Naruto as the blond began shifting uncomfortably in his spot, not meeting his gaze. Gone was the cold and calculating Shinobi, skilled in the arts of death and manipulation. Now he was the teenage boy with a lot to learn of the world.
"What was that Naruto-San.
"I...eyes...rlfriend."
"Once more, just a little louder."
"I...only have eyes for my girlfriend."
There was another pause as people tried to process the words that now hung in the air.
Hiruzen chuckled at his surrogate grandson as the blond blushed.
It seems that some of the old Naruto is still in there. He thought. Good.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Inoichi laughed so hard he could have broken something. "You're giving up all this for Ino!? When she finds out about this she's going to-" His laughter was cut short as he began paling at the very ideas. "Oh my Lord."
"...It's best we don't tell her." Naruto spoke as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Agreed."
Naruto was on a roof, silent as he trailed his target.
It took him a third of a second to realize he wasn't alone.
"What can I do for you Danzo?" Naruto asked.
"The boy."
"What of him?" Naruto asked casually.
"What's to stop him from becoming like the Uchiha?" Danzo asked. "Everything you've stated was good for your Clan and it's future, even benefiting other Clans, but you've never stated the boy. He could become worse than the Uchiha, arrogant and unstable, a risk."
"What's to stop Ranmaru from becoming like the Uchiha?" Naruto asked with a growing smile. The first all day. "That."
He pointed to Ranmaru, who was walking behind a certain ice user. He had saw her blade and remembered it from Raiga informing him of the other Seven. But since the wielder wan't Zabuza, his curiosity was peaked.
"Why are you following me kid?" Haku asked, kind but firm.
"I wanted to ask about that blade of yours." Ranmaru spoke.
"It belonged to someone special to me." Haku spoke sadly. "Someone who was taken from me."
"I know the feeling." Ranmaru spoke as he showed her one of the Kiba blades.
A smile formed on both their lips as they began a conversation. Their topic obviously on a certain blond, a topic that could easily lead to revenge. A partnership that could lead to friendship.
"That's what will stop Ranmaru from becoming like the Uchiha." Naruto answered. "A bond."
Review
Told you all I had a plan for the Seal, can't believe you all doubted me. There's more to come with it in the future.
Next chapter, Chunin exam fights.