Crimson and Golden Leaves

by Paridise

Years of suffering has led a young blond down the path of pain. Uzumaki Naruto, a citizen of Konoha, sadness and hate follows his every footstep. This changes however. A lost family member, Uzumaki Kotaro, cousin to Naruto comes and unites with him. Becoming brothers and enduring each other's hardships together, they will furfill their destinies and become Legends. AU/CD Story.

24. Chapter 24 - The Root of the Problem

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto the anime or manga. This story is based off the world of Naruto. All rights go to Masashi Kishimoto.

Chapter 24 – The Root of the Problem

Nara Compound

"Come on you guys, those two will be coming over at any minute!" Nara Yoshino shouted as she prepared multiple large breakfast dishes. Ranging from a simple rice dish to grilled fish. She had it all laid out and ready to go.

Both Shikaku and Shikamaru sighed heavily in synch. The woman has been on their case all morning. Shikamaru was preparing the table while his father was sweeping the floor clean, despite it being spotless.

It has been three full days since the funeral of the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. Konoha was still grieving but much of the village and her ninja have begun to move on from their lives. Animosity has been brewing within the population and some people such as Shikaku were sure it was going to pop very soon. Whether for better or worse.

Shikamaru laid out plates and chopsticks onto the table, his mother was going all out. Yoshino invited her guests to come over since two of them have to go to an important meeting afterwards. She was also dead worried about them, she wanted to know if they were holding up well after the death of one of their loved ones.

Shikaku placed the brush away and groaned. "You know those two wouldn't care one bit if this place was a dump as long as they got some of your food Yoshino," he said.

Yoshino came in like a storm and stood in front of Shikaku with a downright frightful expression on her face. She pointed her finger at her husband and narrowed her eyes.

"That's no excuse," she said with her mighty voice. "Whenever we get invited over to their house, their place is absolutely spotless, and the food is always delicious. It doesn't make sense since they're both boys! So, I will never host them or anyone in substandard conditions."

Shikamaru yawned as he watched his parents bicker. It has been a while since the two families got together to eat. The last time was just the week before the Chūnin exams. A shiver ran down Shikamaru's back. Those set of exams brought back some real bad memoires.

Shikamaru's senses moved back to his parents, seeing them come out of the kitchen with pots filled with food, covered in lids. Some of the plates' contents were ready to be picked off, the fresh food on them made a great aroma come into the air.

His tummy rumbled when all the smells had hit his nose. It surprised him greatly, he was never one for a large appetite. Shikamaru knew that his mother went all out to make all her boys happy with good food. He was hoping now that they will come sooner than later now, he was hungry.

"Make sure everyone has their own bowls Shikaku, breakfast is the most important meal of the day," Yoshino lamented.

Shikaku exhaled heavily. "That's debatable dear. Look, calm down. They will enjoy this no matter what," he said. "I can promise you that."

Knock! Knock!

All three pairs of the Nara eyes moved to the door. It was time to begin the feast.

"They're here. I'll let them in now," Yoshino said as she walked over to the door, dusting her hands clean off her apron. "I should really take this thing off."

The door opened, and it revealed two people. Both wearing their ninja attire, the Uzumaki brothers smiled once they saw Yoshino. The woman's company always made them happy.

Yoshino smiled herself. "Come in you two. Come on, I made plenty of yummy food," she said as she quickly hugged Naruto first and then Kotaro.

Naruto and Kotaro returned the hugs and walked inside what they considered a second home.

Naruto sniffed hard through his nose and could smell everything. "Sweet, Yoshino-kaasan is really spoiling us today," he said. "I wanna eat right now."

Kotaro pulled back Naruto from his collar before the boy could run off. "Hold your horses there Naruto. Don't be too hasty," he said. "I'm going to eat first."

Naruto puffed up his cheeks and punched Kotaro's leg. Kotaro grunted and rubbed the punched spot soothingly. The kid put way too much power into it.

"Jeez Naruto. I'm going to get a nasty bruise if you keep doing that," Kotaro said. "Yoshino, the usual seats?" he asked afterwards.

Yoshino nodded with her hands on her hips. "Yes. But Kotaro, are you ok? You have bags under your eyes," she said with concern.

Kotaro threw her a smile and waved her off. "Yeah, I'm all good. Couldn't get to sleep last night, my room was too warm even with the windows open," he said.

Yoshino shook her head but formed a smile on her lips. She then clapped her hands and moved to her spot. "Alright! The food is going to get cold if we don't eat now," she said.

Shikaku moved his way to the head of the table as Yoshino and Shikamaru took their seats at opposite sides. Kotaro took off his shinobi sandal boots and Naruto took off his shinobi sandals. They placed them beside the others.

The Uzumaki brothers come over to the Nara household so much that they have their own spots for their footwear.

Naruto went over first and plopped to the ground without grace beside Shikamaru. Kotaro cracked his back as he stalked over and sat down between Shikaku and Yoshino.

As of routine, each took food from the various platters and bowls and made a wonderful, fresh breakfast. "Thank you for the meal," they all said altogether.

Yoshino saw Naruto and Shikamaru converse with each other like always. She smiled in joy. She found out herself that Shikamaru was finally revealed to one of many of the dark secrets which lay deep into Konoha's. The secret in question was Naruto being the Kyūbi's Jinchūriki. It was obvious from looking between the boys, nothing has changed. This made her so proud of her son.

Yoshino looked to her left and saw Kotaro eat his food in silence, it was strange. By now, he and her husband would be on some cryptic and strange tangent on some event happening in the Mainland. However, there was only silence between them. That wasn't right. It wasn't right at all.

Yoshino could see it in Shikaku's eyes that he has something to say, something big but he is clearly holding back from saying anything. He noticed the quietness as well. He wasn't a Jōnin commander for nothing.

"Kotaro, is your tongue tied up?" Yoshino asked with a warm smile. She moved her head and looked at his eyes which were staring at his food. They were dull, completely out of focus.

The voice of Yoshino shook Kotaro, he looked at her. Yoshino saw the true clarity of his eyes return.

Kotaro laughed and scratched his chin in embarrassment. "No, no. It's not tied up. Just… thinking about some stuff," he said.

Yoshino huffed. "Now, you're being secretive again Kotaro. Come on, tell me, I thought we were like a close family," she said.

Kotaro bit his lip. "I don't really want to talk about it. It's just stuff that happened before I came to Konoha. What I should be doing is eating this scrumptious food in front of me. Oh yum, grilled mackerel, lucky us. Thank you, Yoshino, your cooking is top-class," he said.

Yoshino shook her head and dug slowly into her own meal. She doesn't like it when she is deflected like that. She however did not ride the questioning out; the woman could just tell that Kotaro simply did not want to talk about it at that moment. She knows that he will eventually tell her, as she has some idea of what is troubling him.

Shikaku knew that Kotaro was in a state to talk. He loosened his shoulders and sighed once he was ready, the topic was quite heavy. "Did you hear about those abductions going around the Land of Fire Kotaro?" he asked. "There were more reports just before the finals."

Kotaro drank some water and nodded a yes. He placed the water down and shifted his eyes to Shikaku. "I know. Awful stuff. Only one body was found but the man's eyes were gouged out. There were also signs of torture according to other sources. Strangest thing was the supposed chakra burns," he said. "These people were normal citizens; the majority should have no control over their dormant chakra."

"As astute as ever. It must have been chakra forced into their systems. I just wonder why they would do it," Shikaku said. "There's only one reason that comes to mind."

Kotaro pursed his lips in thought. "It can be a way to poison a target. You could also leave some of your chakra in another's system, so you can be more familiar with them. I don't think those work with this. You can unlock your chakra if another puts their chakra into you, it's risky though. That can lead to illness if not done properly. It's always better to do it by yourself," he said.

"Makes sense, it's like putting viruses in your body, you have no idea what will happen," Shikaku said. "It'll be something to look out for in the future. Most of the abductions have occurred in the rural villages northeast in the Land of Fire," he continued. "Something might happen in another country if we don't get to shut it down first."

"Northeast, huh?" Kotaro said as he leaned slightly back. "Near two countries, the Lands of Frost and Lightning. Unfortunately, we can't do anything until we have our new Hokage. If we can say anything right now, it's most likely a rouge ninja if we're dealing with chakra. This behaviour is cult like, isn't it?" Kotaro said.

Shikaku agreed with a nod. "It is. Maybe we can convince the Daimyō to give us the mission. No wait, we can't do that. Our numbers are too small for the moment, it would only lead into making Konoha weaker. We have to rise from our ashes," he said.

Kotaro smiled grimly and nodded himself. "Couldn't have said it better myself. No location on the targets' base, multiple abductions and possible political bullshit. Doesn't sound good. Also, the Daimyō now wouldn't allow us. He is too selfish and greedy, unlike his father. The poor man is bed-ridden and gave the duties to his son. Being pampered has produced a selfish brat who's in charge of the whole nation," he spat.

Shikaku lightly laughed. "Brat? You're younger than him," he said.

Kotaro ate some food and shook his head. "Doesn't change who he is," he said. "I don't like him. If his father just has a simple illness, he should have recovered by now. It's been over four months!"

"I think that's enough talking about the things happening outside of Konoha. I think you two should be more worried about our internal affairs, right boys?" Yoshino said, her words aiming for Naruto and Shikamaru.

Shikamaru turned his head to the rest, he had a question in his eye. "I'm just wondering why you two came here for breakfast today?" he asked.

Naruto slapped the back of Shikamaru with a big grin. "Do we need a reason!? No, we don't. We can come whenever we want, and I know we would have the best time ever!" he said. "Right Niichan!?"

Kotaro grinned himself. "Yeah, you're a hundred percent right. Shikamaru, is it that you don't want us here?" he teased. "I can't believe that you don't like us!"

Shikamaru sighed and shook his head sluggishly. "It's not that at all. I was just curious. You're one of my best friends and you're my bro, come on. Don't be troublesome and just tell me," he said.

Yoshino giggled whilst Shikaku chuckled at their son's words. "I'll tell you soon," Shikaku said. "There's a big meeting going to happen very soon. Kotaro and I need to attend it to discuss the future of Konoha. But, I wanted to talk to him about what we will be discussing and the consequences of it all. A plan of action basically."

"What will you be talking about?" Shikamaru asked. "It'll probably take all day."

"Why do you think I prepared so much food!?" Yoshino said. "It's because these two will be inside nearly all day. You should be thanking your lucky stars that you aren't in their positions."

Shikamaru sighed a breath of relief. "Then, what should we do for the day?" he asked. "We can't go on missions and Asuma-sensei said there's no training until everything calms down."

Yoshino waved her hands. "We don't care. Help around the village by not getting into trouble," she suggested.

"I would second that," Shikaku said. "All the influential and wealthy civilians will be at this meeting. They don't want any more damage done to the village, so Shikamaru it might be a good idea just to train at the back or even at Naruto's place."

"Training? Yeah Shikamaru! That sounds fun," Naruto said with excitement. "We should do that."

Shikamaru felt a cold sweat come on the spot once it clicked together. Training with an Uzumaki? Shikamaru would rather run away. The horrible memories of Kotaro's one-week boot camp training came rushing back to him. "Never again," he murmured under his breath.

Kotaro laughed lightly at Shikamaru's reaction but it quickly died down. "I'm sure the severity of Iwagakure's 'Operation Earthquake' will be the main topic of this meeting. I'm not looking forward to it at all," he said.

"That reminds me," Naruto said, moving his way to stand between Kotaro and Shikaku. "What's going to happen to Shika and I with the finals. We fought and stuff. Shouldn't we be considered Chūnin already?"

Shikaku sighed while he crossed his arms and closed his weary eyes. "Is that all you're thinking about Naruto? You're a troublesome kid can't even think of anything apart from yourself," he said.

"You still haven't answered the question Shikaku-ojisan," Naruto said with a sly smile. "So, what is it?"

"Yes, you can still be potentially promoted to Chūnin," Shikaku yawned out. "However, nobody can sign it off bar the Hokage. So, you will have to wait until then."

Naruto scoffed at the answer. "Come on! I worked so hard. All I want is to have that jacket now. It'll make things a little better."

Naruto felt arms wrap around him from behind and a motherly kiss placed on top of his head. "Never change Naruto," Yoshino said as she held him tighter. "Never change."

Shikaku got up from the floor. "It's time to go. Come on Kotaro, we can't be late for this," he said, already making his way to the door.

Kotaro looked down to his hand and sighed. "Don't worry Shikaku. We won't be late for the opening act."

---

ROOT Headquarters

Sitting peacefully deep within his own confines, Shimura Danzō was thinking. Thinking hard of every potential move that could happen within the next few hours. If he played his cards right, the low support that he has could grow tenfold. Of course, the same could be said if things run away from his grasp.

However, being in such a low position before coming means that it couldn't get any worse.

Danzō doesn't care if most of the village officials dislike him. He doesn't like them either. All he cares for is Konoha plain and simple. He would do anything for the village.

Breathing in and tightening his grip on his trusty cane, Danzō looked down to the very few notes he wrote for himself.

Drifting his lone eye to a scroll on his desk, a new scroll that was very recently written out by one of his subordinates. It was the report from Sai on his findings about the Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi, Uzumaki Naruto.

The report was filled with trivial information. But reading over it made one point perfectly clear. Uzumaki Naruto, and his brother to add to the fact stayed in their residential premise for long periods of time.

The younger brother stayed home whilst the elder went and aided those who were injured in the recent attacks.

Both were taking the death of his former comrade very heavily, much more so than he did.

Exhaling loudly, Danzō stared off into some random space, he was imagining his future. Konoha's future.

"The Jinchūriki is irreplaceable. The other is expendable. For Konoha to become the strongest, I must break them both. It will be decided soon. I will have my reign."

---

Konoha Grand Council Auditorium

Hokage Mountain Heart Chambers

"Here we are. What do you think of it?"

"Why are you asking me that Shikaku? we're only at the entrance."

Kotaro and Shikaku were just outside Hokage mountain. Behind the Hokage tower, squads of ANBU spent days forming a new auditorium for the meetings between the Hokage and the two councils. Both men laughed with each other's words. They were both in good moods. They would have to be for what's to follow.

Kotaro watched as some recognisable Jōnin entered the new chambers, there was even the civilian council and some of the wealthy citizens in Konoha which bring a large income in the trade market.

Seeing someone he recognised, he had to call them out. A man with black spikey hair and his iconic sunglasses.

"Aoba, how are you doing?" Kotaro asked loudly as he watched Aoba walk towards the entrance. A friendly gesture in the morning should always cheer the people around up.

The reaction surprised him. Aoba grew a small snarl and grunted heavily. Turning his head and face away from Kotaro, he walked away and went towards the meeting place.

"What's his problem? I don't like this. This is going to become a brewing pot full of trouble," Kotaro said. "Only one has to set things off and everything will fall apart."

Shikaku agreed with a nod. "There has always been a balance, courtesy of the Hokage. But he's dead now and we don't have a replacement. The ninja don't know what to do and the normal citizens are both worried and ambitious. We might need another meeting after this to sort out who's going to be our main candidate," he said. "There's simply too much to discuss for one day."

Kotaro dug his left hand into his pocket and sighed. "We should get a move on. It would be bad if we got the worst seats in the house," he said, not waiting and walking ahead.

Shikaku grunted and followed suit. "Do you have all those reports condensed down for your part? I'm sure many would like to hear about the kill counts and injuries," he asked.

Kotaro descended the stone steps with Shikaku by his side. He tightened his grip on his thick scroll in his right hand which he wrote everything down on.

"Yeah, everything is here. But I feel like I'm going to get some hate for reading it out," he said. "You know how people are, especially if they lost someone that they love. A man from the Iwa attack said I killed his sister… He really wanted me dead."

"These people all want the best for Konoha. I hope it doesn't come to that," Shikaku said. "It would set a bad standard for the village."

Kotaro snorted. "Jeez Shikaku. That's very optimistic of you. Am I to believe you're the Shikaku that I know or are you a fake?" he accused. Kotaro then felt a quick smack on the back of his head.

"I can be optimistic when I need to be," Shikaku said. "I'd would even say that it is the upmost of importance as of right now."

"Whatever," Kotaro said. "Just don't get your hopes up."

Kotaro and Shikaku reached the bottom of the stone stairs. There were lights already installed into the walks, the cables hidden from view. Kotaro was surprised in how much work the ANBU had put in so far. The floor and walls had intricate patterns, no doubt that the work was done by a very experienced Earth ninjutsu user.

The two walked ahead and entered a large space. An auditorium like what was described briefly to them. There were many rows with wooden chairs. All freshly made. All the seats had a wooden rest to place your belongings or notes.

Kotaro quickly counted the number of seats roughly in his mind. 'No doubt they could hold well over two hundred people here, maybe even three hundred. The ANBU really did go all out with this one,' he thought.

The seats all pointed towards a stage with a large black chalkboard on the wall. There was a grand carved stone table with chairs. Kotaro assumed that is where the Hokage and his or her advisors would seat.

There was two large stone chairs beside each other, all decorated sashes with the Konoha symbol. To Kotaro, it could only be a seat for someone on the same rank as the Hokage, the Fire Daimyō.

For a village that was attacked by three opposing forces, it was a true surprise to Kotaro that the auditorium was decked out with red carpet. There were banners in a beige and navy colour that had the Konoha leaf on the bottom hanging off the walls.

Everything seemed a bit strange to him. Like they were avoiding the elephant in the room until the meeting started.

Kotaro felt a tug on his shoulders, he knew it was Shikaku. Kotaro turned his head and followed him. They sat down beside each other and rested. Kotaro looked between the seats beside and in front of him. There was plenty of space to move out and leave your spot.

"They really planned this place out. It will be easy for people to move out and speak to the crowd in front of them," Kotaro said.

Shikaku nodded. "This was designed a long time ago but never was followed through. The attack damaged the small council chambers in the Hokage tower. Homura-san and Koharu-san suggested we build this place rather than rebuild it there," he said. "This way we can hear everyone's opinion without having to play cat and mouse."

"I don't know if that's a good or bad thing."

Shikaku shrugged his shoulders. "The only thing we can do is sit and wait," he said. "Danzō, Homura and Koharu have yet to make their appearance. Those three will be the heads of this meeting. We should prepare ourselves if any outrageous requests come from them."

"Outrageous requests?" Kotaro repeated. "If that's coming from your mouth, I should be getting scared."

The two watched as more and more took their seats. Two familiar people came down the stairs and joined their row.

"There you are," Asuma said, wiping his face with his hands. "I was wondering where you could be."

Kotaro smiled. "I thought my hair would make that easy for you. Kakashi, how're you doing?" he asked.

Kakashi groaned. "I was doing fine Kotaro, until I got pulled out from my own thing," he said with a hint of annoyance.

Asuma grunted heavily. "Kakashi, it was better that I did it rather than Gai. If you were late for this thing, you would have gotten into deep shit," he said. "I did you a big favour."

Kakashi waved him off. "Yeah sure. Just remember, you owe me something for this. I wouldn't mind a snack or sweet," he said.

Kotaro lightly laughed. "Kakashi, I don't think you're in any position to demand anything. Just drink some Sake at the Shadow's bar and forget about it. It's what the kids are doing these days," he said.

Asuma shook his head. "Isn't the law for any under twenty can't drink alcohol?" he said.

Kotaro scoffed. "And who actually abides to that rule. Asuma, you broke that law when you were sixteen by stealing Jiji's stash. I did it when I was the same age but with my Kaa-chan's."

Asuma nodded with a slight sigh. "I forgot you remember too much on what you hear. They should change the laws if too many are doing it underage. But the Daimyō is the only one who can do that. At least I only did it sparingly," he said.

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders. "Doesn't change the fact that you did it. Anyway, the Hokage's advisors are here. We should quiet down," he said, he put away his limited edition of the Icha-Icha book. "Seems like I can't get some good morning reading after all."

Just as Kakashi said, Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu came in and sat in the stone seats on the stage. There were cushions underneath to ensure the ultimate comfort.

There was much chatter among the various people in the auditorium. Kotaro could see that his side on the right-hand side were comprised of ninja and the left-hand side was comprised of the influential and wealthy citizens.

They should all be thinking of the future of Konoha and her best interests, but Kotaro had a suspicious feeling that the civilians will have greedy thoughts. Hopefully not all of them, after all both sides need each other to prosper.

Kotaro saw the old woman, Utatane Koharu stand up from her seat with a file of papers in her hands.

"It looks like everyone is here. Good, now we can begin. Welcome all to the first meeting between the shinobi and civilians of Konoha. This will be the first meeting of the Konoha Courts. Please keep silent until it is your turn to report. Otherwise, raise your hand and call politely to ask a question. This has to be civilised from start to finish," she said. "We will not tolerate any mischievous behaviour."

Homura stood up beside Koharu and coughed into his hand.

"This meeting will greatly determine the future of our wonderful village. Cooperating with each other will only lead to Konoha's glory. It is not gone, only lost for the moment. We recovered time and time again. After the events of the Kyūbi attack, we did not falter afterwards. No, we stood strong. We need to do the same, we can't let our enemies get the upper hand in this," he said.

Kotaro watched as Homura stood back down in his seat, which was beside Danzō. The man didn't stand up to give a speech. Kotaro narrowed his eyes on the man who only had one eye. Hiruzen never told him how Danzō lost the eye. It was a mystery to him as well. Or what even happened to his right arm.

The only explanation was that Danzō must have been caught in an accident in the early days of ROOT when it was officially operational. That however did not convince Kotaro. Danzō was Hiruzen's rival, there was no way a ninja with that much pedigree and skill could simply get caught in an accident in a division he founded.

Or maybe, just maybe it was really an accident. What a headscratcher.

Kotaro shrugged his shoulders, maybe he will never find out. It wasn't particularly interesting anyway, it was just annoying for him. As if the man was hiding something big. Kotaro was curious, but not enough to go out of his way to find out the secrets of an old man who keeps to himself all day.

Kotaro leaned back and made himself comfortable. The meeting already started but he was in a good mood. 'The Konoha Courts, huh? That's a good name. Those old coots outdone themselves there,' he thought.

His eyes drifted back to Danzō, the only one who was different from the rest.

I don't see you as an important part of Konoha. You've only been here for nearly three years. A mercenary with an honorary badge at best. Thought you might like to get reminded of that.

The harsh words of Danzō ran through his mind. Kotaro wondered if that was the opinion of most of Konoha. It wouldn't surprise him, he was an outsider after all. There's only so much he can do in three years of residing in Konoha. At least most of the Shinobi respect him for his skills and mission record.

Koharu coughed into her hand and then scanned the room. "I will start things off then. As all of you are aware, the recent simultaneous attack from Iwagakure, Otogakure and Sunagakure has devastated Konoha. From very bottom to the top. Everyone has been affected, she said.

Taking a breath, she continued. "The worst cases are the Central Square where the markets is held and the Konoha defence boundary, otherwise known as the walls. It hasn't been completely determined but we can safely assume that over ninety percent of the property damage was caused by the Iwa ninja."

Kotaro swallowed the grave news. It was hard to digest. Damage to the property is costly, but having it all by one enemy force, with it being the smallest of the three was worrying.

Kotaro knew from previous reports that Iwa have been performing well since his mission to the Land of Stone. Their failed mission to bring his head has led them to improve both their ninja and economy.

Koharu looked around the auditorium, looking for someone specific. "Yuriko Koike-san, please can you continue with your report," she said.

Yuriko Koike, a member of the Civilian council stood from her seat with a grim smile. She had a piece of paper which was covered in tiny writing. How the hell could she even read it?

"Of course. The final report has come, and it isn't good news. The Hokage tower has received severe damage. Most of the walls have holes going all the way through. More ANBU have had to be stationed there to make sure we don't allow any illegal immigrants from coming into our village.

This is however costing us money which we are currently running out of," she said. "This is miserable times."

Everyone nodded with the statement and waited to listen to more.

"The markets area has been severely damaged. The ground has been exposed to the ninja techniques of those Iwa ninja and ruptured. Nearly all the neighbourhoods in the eastern district have been torn to pieces. The least amount of damage was found in the western sector of Konoha, however the western sector is the least populated and has the least amount of density in facilities," Yuriko Koike said.

Kotaro sighed at the news. It was completely true. His and Naruto's home was virtually untouched. There was one sign of a break-in attempt through the front door, however there were seals protecting it. Kotaro assumed it was either an Oto ninja, an Iwa ninja or worst of all, a looter.

There were many gruntled noises coming from various people. It wasn't just one group, it was nearly everybody.

Kotaro saw Tsume growl under her breath when the words were said. Her clan grounds were vandalised during the attack. He found out from the woman herself that the sheds and kennels were damaged beyond belief. The worst part was that over half the food stock became spoilt. Kotaro felt bad for the animals in their care. The Inuzuka clan didn't cater just for the canine species, they also housed cats and other animals.

"Thank Yuriko Koike-san, you may sit. We will now hear of the established clans of Konoha say their piece on the damage they received," Koharu said. "We will begin with the Aburame clan. Shibi, please begin."

A man covered by a heavy coat stood up. Kotaro's eyes picked up on the man, he was in the crowd of people. It was surprise how he didn't see him in the first place, but Kotaro knew his eyes always moved away from him. Was it an Aburame curse to be ignored by the general public?

"The forest where we dwell was untouched. We have nothing to report," Shibi said, with his usual calm monotonic voice.

Kotaro felt Shikaku lean towards him. "That's more than he usually says. Lucky us," he said with hints of sarcasm running through his voice.

Koharu nodded. "Akimichi Chōza, will you please tell us what happened to your clan grounds," she said.

Kotaro heard a heavy man get to his feet behind his ears. He looked behind and saw Chōza stand up with a sour puss on his face. "The Akimichi clan houses are all fine on the outside, however, some of our houses were ransacked of goods. The fridges and food storages were all destroyed. It made me and my fellow clansmen very frustrated," he said with anger.

The people in the auditorium had to listen to similar reports for all the other clans. Kotaro was surprised that both Asuma and Kakashi had to talk as well. He had nearly forgotten that Hiruzen was the head of the Sarutobi clan, and Asuma was next in line. They both spoke without wavering.

'How times change so quickly,' Kotaro thought.

Time had passed, and everyone had said their piece apart from one.

"And finally, will Yamanaka Inoichi tell us to conclude the damage done to the individual clans in Konoha," Koharu said. She took a glass of fresh water and jugged it down, all this talking had made her throat dry.

Inoichi, who was sitting beside Chōza, stood up. His eyes and facial expression was stern. "There wasn't much damage done to the majority of the Yamanaka members. However, my flower shop and home were heavily damaged. Myself, my wife and daughter are staying in a house owned by the clan, but all my property has been damaged," he said.

They whole discussion about the property damage had bored Kotaro to a great extent. It was a broken record, with only new voices when it came to repeat the track. He felt bad for them, of course, but it quickly grew old.

Koharu sighed and slumped her shoulders. "We shall move onto what's next on the agenda. Homura? Danzō? What's next to discuss?" she asked.

"The death count and the injured," Danzō said. "That needs to be discussed."

Homura agreed by nodding. He was in no mood for wasting time.

Koharu looked at the list sighed once more. "The one who will tell us about the injured, dead and the hospital status will be… Uzumaki Kotaro. Will you please stand and tell us your report?" she asked.

Kotaro felt his heart beat a little faster. He grunted as he stood up and took out his papers from the brown envelope he held. He heard many grunts and groans throughout the crowd. Mainly from the left side. He hadn't even spoken a word, and the first impression was going down the drain.

"Of course, Koharu-san," Kotaro said. "I think it would be best if we began with the death count. Fortunately, despite the high numbers of enemies within the village during the surprise attack, the overall fatalities are just lower whilst comparing it to the Kyūbi attack thirteen years prior to this. Most of the deaths are comprised of Chūnin ninja.

From my judgement, it would be reasonable to suggest that since Genin had an extraordinarily little part in the evacuations and the fighting, they had the least amount of danger. This shows since there was no reported deaths in any of the Genin ranks. Most were forced to go to the safety bunkers. There were Jōnin that were killed in action, but the number is relatively low. The Chūnin however, were the highest and the most worrying.

Since the ninja forces of Konoha before the attack are fifty percent Chūnin, fifteen percent Jōnin, fifteen percent Genin and the rest ANBU, it is absurdly clear that the Chūnin were our biggest fighting group. With recent reports, their numbers have decreased down to half. Considering that our largest forces were of ninja with the rank of Chūnin, this is extremely worrying news.

Even though we have to grieve over the losses of our fellow comrades, the reported deaths of civilians were low. They saved the children and the people who couldn't fight.

I will call out the number of reported deaths with their ranking.

Genin, zero deaths.

Chūnin, three thousand and four hundred deaths.

Jōnin, three hundred and fifty-two hundred deaths.

ANBU soldiers, classified.

ANBU Black OP Squads, classified.

Civilian fatalities, ninety-eight."

Kotaro took a deep breath. He looked around and saw everyone had their eyes glued onto him. He swallowed his built-up salvia and knew he had to continue.

"The main causes of death were simple stab wounds in crucial anatomical areas, direct hits from elemental jutsu or being caught in other jutsu attacks and being caught in heavy-duty explosives. The main weapons used and found in the corpses were kunai, short swords such as a tantō and a whole range of diamond like weapons.

The jutsu ranged from all elements, however there was a significant number of areas obliterated by Earth ninjutsu and the heavy-duty explosives. These areas are some of the areas where a majority of causalities were found. The investigation of how the explosives were planted in nearly every single key location in Konoha has bared no fruit. I had received word before this meeting that more investigations will proceed.

Most of the deaths sustained happened within the first ten minutes of the invasion attack. Even though the late Hokage-sama prepared for the threat for Orochimaru, we still underestimated both Suna and Oto. It didn't help one bit that Iwa came and fought as well. The casualties would have been significantly lower if they were not part of the attack.

The good news is that those admitted into emergency care that only sustained non-life-threatening injuries are recovering well. A few number of them have already started the rehab programs for broken limbs. The nurses have been working tirelessly this past week. The majority, however, will take a minimum of two months to go back to peak condition.

The hospital is over crowded with patients from this attack and we didn't have enough staff before the attack, each and every person who can use the Healing Palm Technique has been called in and has worked overtime. Some of the nurses have already collapsed from low chakra levels and the high-stress work environment.

From the results of the current reports and the events leading after the attack, it would be wise to improve on our medical system. When we create plans to reconstruct the village of Konoha, it would be smart to introduce a medic-ninja program.

This way a four-man cell would have at least one member with adept knowledge on anatomy and medical practices. The rate of survival would significantly rise if we introduce this program. This would help with mission success for long-termed missions in friendly or enemy territory, and if we are at war in the future. A medic-nin that has skill in both in fighting and healing has now become extraordinarily rare in this village.

It is also essential to renovate the hospital to house the training school for these medic-nin. Konoha hospital needs more beds to house our sick and injured. This is one of the priorities that should be high on all of our lists. It is a problem we have to solve sooner rather than later.

That is all I have to report Koharu-san."

Kotaro sighed a breath of relief once he was done talking. He quickly went to his seat to get a bottle of water and didn't hesitate to drink from it.

Koharu nodded after Kotaro finished. "Thank you, Kotaro-san," she said. "We will think about your proposal for the future."

As she sat back down, Homura stood up. "Now that the Chūnin exams were mentioned in the report, I would feel that it is necessary to say that the multiple Daimyō that visited had already told us of their displeasures. It is a worrying trend, one that may lead to a large drop of outside mission requests. High-profile missions will become harder to come by, with this, we can no longer assume that we will be getting large rewards anytime soon," he said.

"What does this mean then?" Shikaku called out his question from the stands. Most were surprised that anyone would speak out in such a fashion.

Kotaro smiled at the man. The same question was on his mind.

Homura coughed into his head and focused his eyes on Shikaku. "Until all of this has calmed down and show the world we can still perform to the highest level, we are considering raising taxes in all sectors of the budget," he said. "Kishihiro Oda was the one who said that if we don't we won't be able to garner the money to repair every damaged and broken facility in Konoha."

"WHAT!"

Multiple uproars erupted throughout the auditorium. A lot of people on both sides stood from their seats in anger.

Kotaro resisted the urge to join in. Paying taxes was bad enough, paying a higher price seemed dreadful. He knew one thing though, if he made a show of himself here, it would only harm the neutral reputation he had in Konoha. He had to keep that intact, for his and Naruto's future.

"Silence!" a new man's voice shouted. "This is no way to talk. Everyone calm down and let us discuss this like adults."

Homura looked the man and sighed. "Okuno Shinsuke-san, thank you for being the voice of reason," he said. "It seems that you have something to say. Tell us what is on your mind."

Kotaro looked to the bald man who was standing with confidence. Okuno Shinsuke, one of the four members of the civilian council along with Kishihiro Oda and Yuriko Koike. This man was responsible for all the infrastructure of Konoha. He actively worked with the higher echelon of shinobi in the village. Mainly the large clans found throughout the village.

Okuno Shinsuke nodded and rested his hands on his hips. His large beard was the only hair to be found. A char black, the same as the hair he had in his youth according to the locals.

"I understand what he's insinuating with raising taxes. It is one solution that will solve our problem, but it will clearly create more problems in the future da-ro," Okuno Shinsuke said with a grunt. "Many people have no homes as of right now and probably won't until the end of the year. And you expect them to pay more taxes!?"

Many cheers were heard all around the auditorium. Many were not happy with the idea.

"What else can we do? Uzuki Kumiko said that from her predictions, our trades will decrease in value since we will have to pump the rest of our finds back into repairs and the people," Homura said. "This will be a time where everyone will have to make sacrifices to make Konoha great again."

Kotaro sighed as the crowds erupted in an uproar again. However, the name caught his interest. From his experience, Uzuki Kumiko was a lovely woman. Being the mother of Yūgao, it was no surprise that both mother and daughter shared similar personalities. He remembered their first true meeting as if it was yesterday. Yūgao was off-duty following a nasty accident where she fell ill from a venom attack.

It was during his second year of living in Konoha and he helped nurse her back to health. Not only did he meet her mother Kumiko, but his friendship with Hayate improved. Kotaro found it a damn shame that he has died. He could clearly see it, they were perfect for each other. He never believed in soul mates, but it was one case where it would have been fine to call it that.

Ever since the death of Hayate, Yūgao has become closed off. Not only has it affected her, but also her mother. Kotaro wished that both the Gekkō and Uzuki families will move on and grow stronger because of it.

"Make sacrifices?" Okuno Shinsuke said. "We do that every day, so the ninja of this village can survive and prevail. Now you want us to do more da-ro. What else do you want? All my money? My wife and daughter? My life?"

Homura wiped the sweat building on his forehead and exhaled heavily through gritted teeth. "No. Don't exaggerate things. You are only putting your frustrations from the last few days on us and the ideas presented to you all. Don't eat your own words and act like an adult like you said so yourself," he said. "We shouldn't be selfish here. If Konoha recovers, we all recover. Let's make Konoha great again."

Bang! Bang!

Kotaro watched as the time bomb of a crowd became silent once the cane of Danzō struck the floor twice. He stood from his seat, staring down and Homura to make him sit down. His one eye then glossed over the crowd. The man was unreadable, most of the time. Kotaro couldn't decide whether the man was furious or simply annoyed.

"There is one fact that has stayed true since the dawn of this village. Since the day Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara shook hands and established this village. This is a Hidden Village. A ninja village," Danzō said sternly. "All of those who do not work in the shinobi system have to remember that we protect you. We protect the village. It is only fair that you give us the resources to survive and protect the great tree that is Konoha."

Nobody dared to utter a word against the man. His aura did enough to buy everyone's silence, only if it was for a brief few moments.

"There are many reasons why we are in this situation," Danzō continued. "Hiruzen was too soft. After he was chosen to have the position of Hokage once again after the death of the Yondaime, he was careless and changed little after the Kyūbi attack. What we need now is a leader who will not tolerate such acts."

Kotaro grunted, his anger was growing. Insulting a man soon after his death was one of the ultimate signs of disrespect. Especially for a man who lived and died for his village. However, he had to keep himself in check. It was nor the time or place to speak out.

"In the Eastern Forest of Konoha. I'm sure many saw the fight between the Ichibi of Sunagakure and the Yonbi of Iwagakure. The Ichibi Jinchūriki and his sister are being restrained in the ANBU headquarters. We will negotiate with Sunagakure once we receive a letter from them. This can help us strengthen Konoha while making our enemies weaker," Danzō said. "I will say one thing. These weapons were allowed to create destruction within our village. There was no force within our current capabilities that would have stopped both beasts. I suggest we train our Jinchūriki to avoid these future threats."

The heart stopped beating. Now was the time to say something.

"Hold it!" Kotaro blurted out standing up, causing everyone to direct their attention to him. He could feel their narrowed eyes on him, but he didn't care anymore. "What do you mean by 'train'?" he asked.

Danzō remained unfazed from the interruption. "What else do you think it means? Train the boy so he could be a useful force for Konoha," he said.

"But Naruto is already a ninja of the village. He is clearly above a Chūnin level ninja. Why do we need to train him to use his Jinchūriki power when Naruto's own power could hold its own?" Kotaro asked.

"You say those words, but did you not see the boy use the power of the Kyūbi in the first round? He is ready to be trained to be the weapon he was born to be," Danzō said.

Kotaro snarled, his eyes were filled with rage. His Naruto, his little brother will be just a weapon? Merely seen as an object? The calmness he once had has vanished completely.

"How dare you say such things! You should keep the wishes of the Sandaime and the Yondaime Hokage alive by allowing Naruto to become a hero of the village! Not a weapon!" Kotaro shouted. "It's bad enough that this damn village ignored and neglected him for nearly all his life, but now this!? Come on!"

"Calm down you fool!" Shikaku said while yanking Kotaro's arm. "Don't fall into his game, he is trying to get you mad. He knows about your short fuse."

Kotaro started to breathe in and out, he could feel his heart slowing down already. He looked to Danzō again and saw that he was the same as before.

"I will say the things necessary to keep this village alive," Danzō said. "We can't allow our enemies get the upper hand on us."

Kotaro sat back down and covered his face with his hands. He lost his composure too quickly, and showed his anger, his weakness to the faces of the village. Kotaro knew he just added more fuel to the upcoming fire. He looked around and saw the sympathizing eyes of Inuzuka Tsume, he threw her a fake smile and looked on ahead once again.

"One thing is clear, is that Iwa essentially won this fight," Danzō said with a surprising hint of annoyance. "But we can turn things around."

"What do you mean?" Hyūga Hiashi asked from the crowds.

"We have the Sandaime Tsuchikage's granddaughter. She is currently in a jail cell in ANBU headquarters. Unlike with Sunagakure, we can't use her in the same way. They have a hostage of their own. Uchiha Sasuke," he said.

The majority gasped from the news. The chattering had begun between many, filling the auditorium with the mish mash of many voices.

Homura stood up from his seat and stood beside Danzō. "We will trade hostages. The granddaughter and her squad for Uchiha Sasuke. Since Hiruzen has left us and could not declare a decision in the Hokage's name, we did a vote. It was decided with two votes yes to go ahead and do the trade," he said. "We will form an experienced and strong team to do the exchange. We have already exchanged letters and decided on a location. Kannabi bridge in the Land of Tall Grass. With this, we can make a peace treaty and recover from the attacks."

Kotaro saw Kakashi flinch when the name of the location was called out. He wondered what could have possibly happened to him and that bridge. All Kotaro knew that it was destroyed during the Third Great Shinobi World War. It was later rebuilt, and it was finished five years after the end of the war. A large bridge that connects the Land of Tall Grass to the Land of Earth.

The talks went on and on afterwards. Eating into the day. The civilians who owned businesses that contributed to the markets were infuriated with what happened since they cannot create any money. The blacksmith, the tailor, the builders and many more told their dissatisfactions with the recent attacks. Their workshops and materials were either heavily damaged or destroyed altogether.

There was one theme in nearly every complaint that made some of the ninja worried.

"It's his fault for all this!" an angry shopkeeper said in the far stands. "One of them said it to me as well. 'The one you should blame is Uzumaki Kotaro. If he didn't do what he did two years ago, we wouldn't be here now.' My whole business is ruined because of him!" she shouted.

Kotaro slouched in his seat after he heard it yet again. It must have been over the tenth time that his name had popped up, and it was always associated with the destruction of either their house or business. He didn't know what to feel. There was so much hate behind their eyes, their words.

Kotaro felt his right knee get patted softly. He looked at the hand, and then to the owner. Shikaku was giving him a wry smile but his eyes were sad. He then took his hand away and crossed his arms.

"Those Iwa ninja were smart," Shikaku said. "They're inciting unrest within Konoha. Using you and the events two years ago to shield them from their own actions. It's sad, our own people are blaming you for this rather than Iwagakure themselves."

Kotaro felt like crying in the corner at that moment. The shit really and truly had hit the fan. He tried his best to get on the good side of the people in the last three years. All of this so he and Naruto could live a happy and peaceful life. But now it was disintegrating right in front of his eyes.

"What can I do to stop this?" Kotaro asked, his voice was quiet. "I want this to stop. I'm being used as a scapegoat."

Shikaku could see that Kotaro was having enough of this. This isn't how he is supposed to be. Having so much hate poured on top of him at once with such fierceness could break any one down.

Kotaro felt the seat beside him to his left became empty. He looked and saw Asuma standing up, his hand going into a clenched fist and then opening quickly. He could sense his aura, Asuma was mad.

"If I can say a word," Asuma said loudly, gathering the attention of the room. "The mission two years ago, the mission that Kotaro went on. How can you all say he's the blame for everything when most don't know what even happened?" he asked.

There were murmurs amongst the crowds. Mission record details never went out to the public. It never had to.

Asuma grunted. "Uzumaki Kotaro was ordered by the Hokage to go the Land of Stone to renew a trade agreement. He and his team were ambushed by Kitsuchi and his squad, otherwise known as Iwa shinobi. He made his team return and he fought them all by himself. It's a miracle that he even survived it. None of this is his fault," he said heatedly. "He made Konoha stronger, in her military and economy. Saying he's at fault for this is… hypocritical."

There were grumbles still among the crowds. Kotaro looked over the seas of people and still saw some were glaring at him. Asuma's speech only helped so much.

"Do you not find it suspicious?" the voice of Danzō asked. "His actions, everything he's done so far."

"What!? What do you mean?" Asuma asked.

"Please, you call yourself Hiruzen's child, yet you never suspected the actions of others who come to your life? From the very start, Uzumaki Kotaro has been building close relations with the clan heads and the Hokage of Konoha. Why would he do this?" Danzō asked. "It could be the simple reason of he wanted to have a good relationship with the influential members of Konoha. Or he could be up to something else. Maybe to usurp the government system in this village for an outside organisation."

"Danzō, what are you trying to suggest?" Koharu said. "I had my doubts about the young man but those are now washed away. No spy or plant would go on and do so much for a village they are not loyal to. Especially considering his circumstances."

"Don't let old age cloud your judgement. The world we live in is a ruthless one," Danzō further lamented.

"And don't let your views get the better of you. We've had the blood works done. Uzumaki Kotaro is related to Uzumaki Kushina and Mito. There is no denying it whatsoever. The Uzumaki clan has helped Konoha in the past where we could have perished. It is only right to do the same," Koharu said.

"It doesn't mean we can't question the suspicious history of one of our ninja. Nearly three years ago, Uzumaki Kotaro came into the Konoha ranks by becoming a Chūnin. He had his mind entered by Yamanaka Inoichi and was interrogated by Morino Ibiki. I have the report right here," Danzō said.

Homura was stunned. "Why would you bring such a thing to this meeting Danzō?" he asked. "Are you trying to tarnish him?"

Danzō shook his head. "I never planned for that. Instinct allowed me to predict what would happen in this meeting. It seemed that my intuition was correct after all," he said. "Uzumaki Kotaro, I have questions to ask you."

Kotaro felt his stomach twist. What more could be in store for him? He breathed deeply and stood up from his seat. He could see in some of the Ninja's eyes, those who he forged close relations to were in a terrible mood from the onslaught of comments about him. It made him feel a little bit better to know that not everyone was against him.

Kotaro looked straight at Danzō with newly focused eyes. "Ask away," he said.

Danzō exhaled heavily through his nose before he spoke his first word. "From the mind-walk report by Yamanaka Inoichi, he had written down a location from one of your memories. All he had was that it was a populated and tourist town. Tell us where you were," he demanded.

Kotaro could feel the coldness of Danzō's words. He never understood why he hated him, and everyone else for that matter. However, he didn't want any more reasons to add to it. "Kusatsu Onsen. It was a famous hot spring town in the north west part of the Land of Fire," Kotaro said.

"Why were you doing in the Himeji region of the Land of Fire when you said that you mainly stayed on the eastern coast of the country?" Danzō asked. "A contradiction?"

Kotaro scratched the back of his head. He was getting anxious. This was his past, he wanted to leave it alone.

"A contradiction? Not at all, Kaa-chan was beginning to get ill. She seemed strong at first, but she got weaker as time went on. We decided to go towards the mountain ranges to find some medicinal herbs to heal her illness. We stayed there for a few months," Kotaro said with a struggle.

"Danzō, I don't understand why you're badgering him for this kind of information," Homura said. "We should focus on Konoha, not a ninja's life story."

Danzō ignored Homura. "However, the town was burnt to ashes prior to your entry of becoming a ninja here in Konoha. What happened? It could be reasonable to suggest that someone played some part in that town's demise. Could you have done something?"

Kotaro grunted. "There was no reason to do so. It was from natural causes. The town was built on the bottom of a mountain. There was a surprise landslide, and an electric generator was destroyed, and it ignited the town on fire," he said.

Silence rung through the auditorium. Kotaro could see the doubt in people's eyes. They don't believe him. He looked to the very back and his eyes widened. He saw Jiraiya with crossed arms leaning against the wall. It seemed he wasn't in the best of moods as well. His eyes eventually turned back to Danzō.

'This guy!? What is he trying to do? Why is he trying to divide the people already? Konoha needs everyone to cooperate, not to dig up my past you bastard,' Kotaro thought with gritted teeth. The memories he shared with only a bare few were now resurfacing for everyone to hear. Negativity came and swung at him at full force.

From his seat, Shikaku could see Kotaro visibly shaking. It wasn't from fear, but guilt.

"So, you did nothing to protect the town," Danzō said.

Kotaro shook his head slowly. "No… I couldn't," he said weakly. "Kumi, the others. They're all dead and I couldn't have done a thing."

Having enough of this, Shikaku stood up and forced Kotaro to sit back into his seat. He then looked down to the Hokage's advisors with focused eyes. He appeared to be as calm as ever, but inside, he has never been angrier. Doing this to someone he considered family, the closest thing to a nephew, even he had his limits.

Kotaro slouched in his chair and looked down to the ground. Depression overcame him in an instant. "I really am a nuisance… aren't I?" he muttered under his breath.

Shikaku inhaled deeply through his nose. He has a few words he needs to say but he has to say them calmly. Shouting will not help him, Kotaro or anyone else.

"This has nothing to do with Konoha," Shikaku said. "Konoha doesn't need this. Konoha needs all of her ninja to perform to their highest standards. Danzō, I don't know what you're playing at. But, the late Hokage-sama placed his faith in Kotaro and it paid off.

If he had any ill-will, Kotaro would never have become a ninja of our village. I trust his judgement far above yours. We're allowed to have our opinions but bring clear proof that someone is conspiring against Konoha."

Tsume also stood up, it was clear she had enough. Her fangs were showing. "There's certain things that the Inuzuka clan respects above all else. Honesty, pride and love. Kotaro, and other Uzumaki, have shown all three from the moment we've met them. You three should be careful before you insult someone we respect. Because if you disrespect him, you disrespect us," she barked out.

Koharu stood up from her seat. "Alright, this has gone for far too long. Tsume, speak calmly during these sessions. Danzō, that was too far. We should have stopped you from the beginning," she said. "It is already evening, and past the ending time. This meeting is finished and will resume in two days. It'll begin at the same time. Thank you all for attending."

The sound of the people leaving was heard loudly. The way to the stairs was jampacked with both civilian and ninja. It didn't take long for the auditorium to become empty. Very few stayed behind.

Kotaro looked up and saw Shikaku rubbing his face with his hands. To his left, Asuma and Kakashi were reflecting the whole meeting. It ran from late morning to evening. There was a lot to process but the meeting certainly ended with a bang. Tsume was also there, Chōza and Inoichi were coming to where they were.

Kotaro looked back down to the stone table and saw that Homura, Koharu and Danzō all disappeared.

There was four things he wanted to do at that moment. First was to get fresh air, second to punch Danzō right in the face, third was to drink some sake and the last he couldn't do even if he ran all the way to the Capital just to try to do it. Kotaro decided to stay in his seat and listen to the clan heads talk amongst themselves.

It was only the four. Chōza, Inoichi, Shikaku and Tsume. The four clans he had developed solid relationships with.

"What the fuck was that about?" Tsume asked. "Everything was going well until those people started to complain and that half-blind guy ruined the meeting."

Shikaku nodded. "It certainly seemed something was going on. It's obvious that Iwa was trying to incite unrest in Konoha. But could Danzō be doing the same?" he asked.

Inoichi shrugged his shoulders. "Your guess is as good as mine. The man is an enigma. I don't talk to him but the last time I actually talked to him was when Fū was taken into his ROOT program. That was many years ago. That man has a grand plan for Konoha. And it seems that he wants Naruto to become a Jinchūriki like the others and Kotaro out of the picture," he said.

Chōza sighed as his large belly rumbled. "This doesn't sound good at all," he said. "Like the sound of a diet."

Shikaku grunted. "This really isn't the time to make jokes Chōza. Like you said, Danzō is a man who keeps in the shadows. Kotaro has told me that the first time he met him was when he and Hiruzen were talking in the Hokage's office. They were arguing over the position over who will be the next Hokage," he said.

"Really?" Tsume said. "Interesting… That man, I don't know what I would do if he became the Hokage. He put his name forward when Hokage-sama retired after the war but lost to Minato, he wasn't even considered from what I remembered."

"Yes, you're right Tsume," Inoichi said. "Even Uchiha Fugaku fared better than he did. If things go as tradition, he will need both the Fire Daimyō's blessing and a majority vote from the Jōnin."

"Hopefully Jiraiya-sama will be the candidate," Chōza said. "I know he would be a much better fit than any other."

Shikaku groaned. "I have my doubts. He is a man of adventures. It'll be hard to keep him in one place. But he's a better choice than none. Kakashi could even be up for consideration," he said.

Hearing this, Kakashi got out from his stupor and went up to the clan heads. "What? Me, becoming the Hokage? If that's the case, then surely Asuma or Kotaro would be up for consideration as well," he said.

Shikaku shook his head. "No. You are the most suited for the position from all the Jōnin. The fact is that there is a law that says a ninja has to reside in Konoha for ten years or more and as well hold the rank of Jōnin for more than five years to ever be considered the position of Hokage. Kotaro may have the strength and diplomatic skills already but the Nidaime Hokage wrote those laws years ago. We cannot break them," he said. "He can't be a candidate."

"Damn," Kakashi said. "I don't want to become Hokage. I'm not worthy of that position."

"You would be better suited for it compared to me," the voice of Jiraiya said as he descended from the stairs, joining the group. "My spy network cannot function without me. There is one more choice, but she'll be a longshot."

"Jiraiya-sama," Inoichi greeted. "We were just talking about you," he said.

Jiraiya nodded. "Ah, I know and heard. Like I said, I cannot become the Hokage. I'm not suited for the position. But there is someone else in mind," he said.

The clan heads and others stopped talking once they saw Kotaro stand up from his seat and leave towards the exit.

"Kotaro, are you alright?" Asuma asked with obvious worry. He knew it himself that Kotaro's emotions must be churned up into a big mess.

Kotaro looked back with an obviously fake smile. "Yeah… Just going to get some fresh air. Thanks, you guys," he said. He then walked ahead and left them alone.

"Kotaro…" Kakashi said. He was worried himself. "I've never seen him so… depressed."

Shikaku sighed heavily. "This isn't the first time. He's always hid his weak side, just like you did Kakashi after you father died. He has his own monsters to fight, like the rest of us," he said.

"Should we not help him?" Asuma asked. "With Tou-san's death, those memories and what happened in the meeting, he needs our help."

Shikaku shook his head. "Amazing that you say that since it was your father's death. No. He needs some time alone. However, I do want you two to check up on him before Naruto finds him like that or worse. Both of those brothers rely on each other more than I will ever know. If one goes down, the other will fall shortly after. Maybe it's an Uzumaki trait after all?" he said. "Give him some time and make sure he gets home. You two are his dear friends."

Asuma and Kakashi nodded and turned for the exit. They left the clan heads and Jiraiya alone.

"So Jiraiya-sama," Tsume said, "who's this other Hokage candidate that you have hidden from us?"

---

Uzumaki Residence

"Where is he?" Naruto wondered as he walked through his home. "He should be home by now. It's getting really late."

Naruto returned home after spending the whole day with Shikamaru in the Nara compound. He only left once Shikaku returned to the house. Now, he is at his own home trying to find his big brother, but he is nowhere to be seen.

Naruto went to Kotaro's bedroom and opened the door. There was no one inside. Completely empty.

Not only did not help him, but it only made Naruto more worried. He quickly went down the stairs and then continued down to the basement of the house. It was too small to do anything practical, so it was used for storage.

Naruto opened the door and looked around. The only things they store down here is dry ingredients for cooking, ingredients for poisons or medicine and finally sake. And lots of it.

Naruto's eyes hovered over where the alcoholic beverage should be and sees that there is a small crate missing. He was only down here yesterday to get some items for a remedy since he caught himself in a large bunch of stinging nettles. He knew that some of the sake has been taken.

"No… Not this again," Naruto stuttered.

Not wasting any time, Naruto ran up the stairs and sprinted out of the door. He didn't know where to look first. This wasn't the first time sometime like this happened before.

Only once ever. The first was when Kotaro had nearly stayed in Konoha. It was the anniversary of the death of Naruto's Aunt. He couldn't hold in his feelings and broke down. He was found in the front of the Uzumaki residence crying in a drunken state. Naruto had to nurse him back to normal.

It was heart-breaking for Naruto. To see someone, you look up to so much fall down to such a low. A troubling experience. One that neither should be going through.

Naruto had no clue where to start, but he had to find him, to save him. That was all that mattered now. One of his loved ones was in trouble and he needed to fix it.

Naruto wished he could just turn a corner and just find him. But, there was no luck. Every time he looked left or right, it was just empty streets. He ran and ran, then he jumped to the roof tops, so he could see more of the village.

Thinking of his brother brought back key words from their past.

Sensing chakra can help predict attacks, know the next position, the emotional state of the enemy. Since chakra is intertwined with our body and spirit, people who can 'sense' chakra can tell a lot about others just by their chakra. Naruto, sensing is on a whole other level.

"Nii-chan isn't my enemy, but I know he's sad. Depressed even. I have to help him. If I can sense his chakra, his sadness, maybe I'll find out where his location is," Naruto said. "Seems like a longshot, this sensing business is harder than it looks."

Naruto calmed down his chakra and formed the Ram hand seal to focus on his sensing. He didn't have much skill in it yet, but he was sure to master it soon.

Naruto relaxed his chakra, he tried to feel out any heavy, sad chakra. A main lesson he learnt was that your emotions and chakra were intertwined. If he could feel it, he was sure to find Kotaro.

Naruto was standing there for minutes, holding his position, trying his best to search him out. Suddenly, a shock like feeling ran down his spine. He looked around for the source of it, but all he saw was the faces of Hokage Mountain.

"He's around there, huh?" Naruto said. "That is where the meeting was held… Why did you go back there Nii-chan?"

Naruto dashed across the rooftops towards the Hokage mountain. It was harder than usual since there were many buildings destroyed, and some with holes in the roofs.

Eventually, Naruto made it to the base of Hokage mountain. He looked to the foot of the mountain and saw a large metal double door that was recently installed. He walked up to it to inspect it closer.

Once Naruto had reached the metal doors, it was obvious that it was locked. Naruto looked all over the metal doors that had a large Konoha symbol on it, but the doors had no key hole. He then tried to push the door open. However, it wouldn't budge on inch.

Naruto stepped back and sighed. "Jeez, you aren't making this easy Nii-chan. You just have to hide in the weird spots," he said.

Naruto looked up to the sky and saw that night had come and already taken over the sky. The stars blotting the dark canvas painted a magical picture. He saw the moon, it was in its waning crescent stage. It was eerie as much as it was beautiful.

Naruto's eyes caught sight of the jawlines of the Hokage's. There was a figure on top of the Yondaime's fringe of hair. Naruto's eyes widened.

"It must be him!" Naruto said with joy. "Finally, we can go home and be ok again."

Less than a minute passed, and Naruto was already standing on top of the head of the Sandaime Hokage. He looks to the Yondaime's head and sees Kotaro slouching on the fringe with bottles balancing beside him.

Naruto jumped to the Yondaime's head, he stalked over to the sluggish body of Kotaro and hit him with light taps with his foot.

"Wha the!? Kotaro grumbled with a slur. "Who that?"

Naruto waved his hand in front of his nose. "Jeez, Nii-chan. You smell really bad. You reek of alcohol," he said. "Come on, you have to go to bed."

Kotaro slumped up and his eyes looked at Naruto. "Huh? Naruto… What the hell are you doing here?" Kotaro then stood up with a burp before jumping away from the cliff face, landing on the ground behind the heads.

Naruto sighed and followed after him. He watched as Kotaro walked around the top of Hokage mountain with an angry expression. A drunk and angry Kotaro was not something he wanted to deal with ever.

"Nii-chan, come on and let's go home. You don't want to embarrass yourself," Naruto said.

Kotaro threw his bottle into the ground with force. The bottle smashed into many miniscule pieces. He then started to breathe heavily.

"Embarrass myself? What difference would it make?" Kotaro asked, his words have lost their slur, but he was still clearly intoxicated.

Naruto was shocked about that fact the most. It was a fact that any who carried Uzumaki genes had a high tolerance for the alcoholic beverages. To be in this state must have meant he drank way too much for a normal person. Naruto was wondering what could have possibly made him go into this state.

"Nii-chan, what happened to you ttebayo?" he asked. "You're not supposed to be like this."

"Then what am I supposed to be then!?" Kotaro shouted. "A lap-dog? A scapegoat?"

Naruto flinched from the loud bark. The only solace was that Kotaro wasn't directly facing him. He knew that meant that he wasn't the source of the deep built-up rage.

"What happened in the meeting today Kotaro-nii?" Naruto asked. "You can tell me anything."

Kotaro clenched his fist and then smashed his foot into the ground, causing spider-web cracks to appear. He then exhaled heavily and slumped his shoulders.

"That meeting yeah?" Kotaro said with a wry grin. "That fucking meeting was just a shitstorm. Everything was my fault. Your house got destroyed. Oopsies that was my fault. What? Your family heirloom was smashed to pieces. Yes, blame me, Uzumaki Kotaro. Excuse me? Your family member was killed by an Earth ninjutsu. That must mean it's my fault, even though I can't even use basic Earth Ninjutsu or whatever, but it's my fault of course!"

Naruto stepped back once he saw Kotaro walk up and down in paces. He was constantly flexing his fingers, a tell-tale sign of too much emotion in one's body. Especially in Kotaro's case.

Naruto took a deep breath before uttering a word. He was not afraid of what his brother would do to him. He knew Kotaro would never purposely hurt, even when his is in this horrid state. It was the others, the ninja and civilians of Konoha. It was no rumour that Kotaro was a juggernaut, that much was fact. It wouldn't take much to set him off, like a bull on the verge of a rampage.

The best solution would be to calm him down with his words, only his words would work. Naruto would have to choose his words carefully. If it fails, the back-up plan would be to try to incapacitate him to an unconscious state, which seemed harder than finding the answer to the purpose of life.

"What else happened?" Naruto asked calmly.

Kotaro rubbed his face ruggedly and then flicked his hands. "What didn't happen is a better question. The villagers are just two-faced assholes. I spend my money I earn on missions in their shops, their stalls and produce. A cut of the money I earn goes to their protection. And they still treat us like shit Naruto! And don't even get me started on Danzō," he said with bite.

"Danzō?" Naruto said. "You mean that bandaged guy with the cane."

Kotaro pointed his finger at Naruto. "Yes, the very same guy! I don't know how he found out, but he mentioned what happened before I came here. He mentioned that village. All those memories came back to me. All those memories I just want to forget. God! I want to beat the living shit out of that man now!" he shouted.

Naruto stepped forward and then put out his hand. "Nii-chan, you're drunk. Come on and let's go home, so you can go to bed," he said. His voice was soothing, trying its best to be encouraging.

Kotaro shoulders slumped even more. His eyes focused onto Naruto. His loudness disappeared for a sudden coldness.

"Hey Naruto," Kotaro said. "Do you want to leave here?" he asked, "We could find a new place to live. Just me and you," he said. "Fly away and be free. Like those eagles in the skies."

Naruto flinched again. "What? But, what about our dreams? I want to be the Hokage," he said.

Kotaro tried his best to stand up straight but it was a mundane effort. He stumbled before he could stand properly.

"Naruto, your deepest desire was to be acknowledged, right?" Kotaro said. "Becoming Hokage will not make everyone acknowledge you. You have to be acknowledged to be Hokage.

But, don't you see that with this village, their grudges, it's nearly impossible for you to get that hat. I want to believe it so much! You would be the best Hokage, but they won't let you become it!

They hate me, they hate you! They hate us! How can you ever get that hat!?" Kotaro asked with a shout, letting his tears run down his face.

Naruto started to tear up as well. "Nii-chan. What about The Nara, Akimichi, Kakashi-sensei, Asuma-sensei, Anko," he said. "Do they mean nothing to you?"

Kotaro grunted loudly. "I'm only thinking of our future here. What good is there staying here? Tell me why we should stay here when everyone single person hates your and my guts!?"

BANG! CRACK!

Naruto watched as two figures flashed past him with incredible speeds. The darkness didn't help but he recognised one of them. The moonlight reflected off his silver hair.

Naruto focused on the tall figure that punched Kotaro. It was Asuma. Kotaro stumbled back and fell to the ground. "Naruto… Kaa-chan," he murmured under his breath. "Please don't leave me."

Naruto's heart stopped once the words were heard. He fell to his knees and watched his older brother yawn and then begin to fall asleep. Kotaro pinched his nose and then felt the stinging pain, some blood leaked from his nostril. Naruto than watched his brother close his eyes and then not move a muscle.

Asuma looked at his hand and then to the ground where Kotaro laid. "What is he made out of? I broke his nose, but my index finger is broken as well," Asuma said. He started to shake his hand to ease the pain. "Stupid Uzumaki and their strong bones."

Kakashi sighed and turned around to see Naruto wide-eyed. Kakashi walked over to his student and knelt to him. "Don't worry," he said. "You don't have to see this anymore."

Naruto didn't say a word but instead watched Asuma pick his sleeping drunk brother up and place him on his shoulders. Asuma's turned around and looked down to Naruto.

"This isn't your brother," Asuma said. "Once he sobers up, and reflects on what happened today, he'll know what he did wrong."

"You don't hate him, do you Naruto? The meeting today messed him up and the drink made it worse. He drunk way too much," Kakashi said. "He always did and still will believe in you, he was letting everything get to him and not thinking straight. Not thinking of what you wanted or needed."

Naruto stood back up and dusted off his knees. He tried to keep calm, but it just wasn't happening. Kakashi stood back up himself and stepped back, he has never seen such a nasty facial expression on Naruto's face. Not even during his ANBU patrol days when he kept watch on him, or anytime they were together for Team Seven. He was always cheerful, this was the polar opposite.

"Hate Nii-chan? He said some stuff that really hurt, but I will never hate him. This Danzō guy, he talk about Nii-chan's past. He was in so much pain before he came here. I will never forgive him!" Naruto declared. His eyes were stone cold.

Kakashi placed his hands on top of Naruto's shoulders and made the boy look into his eye. "Calm down Naruto. That's good to hear, but it would be best not to focus your anger on him. It would be best if you nursed your Nii-chan back to normal. You're the only one who can do it," he said. "The deep wounds that were in his heart were reopened. You will need to stitch them back together."

Naruto pursed his lips and clenched his fists. Water welled up under his eyes again. "Why did Nii-chan go like this!? He's not supposed to be like this. What am I supposed to say? What am I supposed to do?" he asked desperately. "Please tell me Sensei!"

Asuma came close to the two with Kotaro on his shoulder. "You're going have to talk about it. Talk about it all. He barely talks about it to me, or to Kakashi or Anko. Naruto, you are the only one who can delve into his demons," Asuma said. "Kakashi, let's bring them home now."

Kakashi nodded. He spun on the spot and picked up Naruto and placed him on his back, giving him a piggy-back ride. The two Jōnin then transported the two Uzumaki back to their home.

The trip was silent. There was nothing to talk about. He didn't know if his perception of time changed, but it didn't take long for Naruto to see the front of his house.

Asuma opened the door to the home. His chakra could be used to open the house since he was exceptionally good friend. He didn't waste any time and went up the stairs.

Kakashi dropped Naruto onto the couch in the living room. Kakashi then sat in one of the bachelor chairs, and then looked to Naruto.

"Kakashi-sensei, is it true that most of the village hates us? Hates me?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi sighed, he didn't know what to do. He closed his eye and nodded slowly. "Yes… Most of the village hates both you and your brother," he said.

"Why?" Naruto asked. "Just because of the Kyūbi?"

Kakashi nodded. "A lot of people lost homes and family that day. Grudges can last a lifetime. Naruto, you are not to blame for what happened nearly thirteen years ago. Neither is Kotaro. However, people can be idiots. They want to unload their anger and hate on something. After the attack, all the hate focused on you and the Uchiha clan."

"Sasuke's clan… Why would they hate them?" Naruto asked further. "The police force helped keep the crime low."

"And the people hated the police. But many believed that the clan used the Kyūbi to attack the village to usurp the Hokage. I will tell you this more later Naruto, I promise. But, when the Uchiha clan perished, all that hate then focused onto you. You were made into an outcast. The sore thumb of Konoha," Kakashi said.

"What does that have to do with Nii-chan?"

Kakashi looked at his fingers. He then sighed heavily again. "When Kotaro showed you love, acceptance and kindness. He accepted you for what you really are. But the hate was still there.

When they found out that someone was related to you, loved you and treated you as a human being. Some began to detest him. Then it grew and grew. The attack from Iwa, it gave the people a more legitimate reason to hate your brother. Another reason to unload their hate. Is it unjustified? Yes, it is. But we live in a world where things change in a moment's notice," he said.

Naruto ran his hands through his hair. He then rested his hands on the armrest of the cushioned couch. "I want to change it all," he declared.

Kakashi focused on Naruto. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

Naruto wryly smiled. "This hate in the village. I want to get rid of it. I will prove to the village that I'm no monster. I'll show them that I'm worthy to be the Hokage. I want to protect my friends, my Nii-chan. I don't care how long it takes, I will change it," he said.

Kakashi felt goose bumps crawl up his arms. The image of Naruto changed slightly in his eyes and he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Sensei…"

"Kakashi-sensei? Are you ok?" Naruto asked. "I couldn't hear you."

Kakashi shook his head slowly and smiled under his mask. "I'm fine," he said before standing up.

Asuma came down the stairs and dusted his hands. "He's in his room sleeping like a baby. Naruto, you will take care of him for us, right?" he asked.

Naruto stood up from his seat to look at Asuma. "Yeah, I will. I really… can't thank you enough," he said.

Asuma waved Naruto off. "We do these things for those we consider precious. Our family. Naruto, don't worry, Kakashi and I will have your backs. Us and many more will walk with you and your brother no matter what," he said. "You really helped out with Shikamaru and Chōji. You also helped out with Sasuke and Sakura. Kotaro, he's helped us two and the other Jōnin in more ways than one. We owe you two. Don't forget it."

Kakashi ruffled Naruto's hair as he walked towards the door. "My past families are gone. Blood and team. But now, I have a new one. And you're a part of that family Naruto. I will always be there for you. Just don't expect me to be on time," he said with an eye-smile.

The two Jōnin left through the front door. Naruto waved them off as he rested on the door frame. He then lightly laughed to himself as he thought of the next morning. "I better prepare, it's going to be a very long talk I'll be having with him."

---

The Next Morning

Uzumaki Residence

It was ten in the morning and the birds were singing. It was a glorious day; the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud speck found in the sky. The flowers danced with the breeze and the trees stood gracefully as their crowns shook gently.

Naruto was outside enjoying the weather. In front of him was two cups of tea. One black and one green. Naruto drank his green tea and rested in the back. He was waiting for someone to show their face. He heard the shower stop not too long ago, so his wait shouldn't be long.

The glass door to the back of the house slid open. A man with deep dark bags under his eyes walked outside with his hands digging into his pockets.

Naruto watched as his brothers come to him with a face that had guilt and worry written all over it. It was a nice change to see his brother in his regular comfort clothes. A simple grey t-shirt and green three quarter lengths. He didn't bother to wear any sandals, he was bare-foot.

Naruto grabbed the mug filled with black tea and lifted it to Kotaro. Kotaro stopped once he saw the action. He then slowly took out his hands and grabbed the mug.

After one sip, Kotaro sighed a breath of comfort. He looked to the nature around them, it relaxed him. He then looked back towards the house and saw the large array of exotic plants.

"Your garden is looking nice," Kotaro said.

Naruto nodded. "I know," he said coldly. He couldn't be easy on his big brother now, he had to make sure that Kotaro knew he made a mistake.

Kotaro bit his lip. He didn't like the cold Naruto, he wanted his warm Naruto. He went down to the ground and sat. He then drank more of his tea.

"Do you remember anything from last night?" Naruto asked. "Anything you said?"

Kotaro nodded with a slight groan, honestly, Kotaro didn't want to remember anything from last night. "Only bits and pieces. When I woke up, I wondered how I got back to the house. But then I saw my nose in the mirror. It was a bit of a shocker. Then more of it came when I had my shower," he said.

Naruto nodded and drank some of his tea. The herbal taste was very soothing. "Is there anything you want to get off your chest ttebayo?" he asked.

Kotaro placed his mug on the ground. He then clicked his fingers with anxiousness. "I was just… Actually, there's no excuse. I should have never said that stuff. I let my anger get the better of me Naruto. I'm supposed to be your Nii-chan, but then I act like that and make you worry over me. I'm a terrible Nii-chan," he said.

Naruto rested his chin on his hand and tilted his head, looking at his brother with focused eyes. "You don't want my forgiveness?" he asked.

Kotaro shook his head no. "I don't deserve it. I have to make it up for you. Like I said, I had let my anger get the better of me. I was selfish and didn't think of anyone else apart from myself. I tried to convince you to leave the village… I still can't believe I said those words," he admitted. "I'm pathetic."

SLAP!

Kotaro felt his whole cheek sting in pain. He looked back and saw that Naruto was staring down at him.

"You're an idiot but not pathetic," Naruto said. "You've done enough, you can't shoulder everything by yourself. Why didn't you talk to me? Why would you let this bottle up in you?" he asked. "I thought we were brothers."

Kotaro's eyes widened, he then grabbed Naruto's shoulders with desperateness. "We are! I wanted to talk to you for so long, but the Chūnin exams were on. I knew if I talked to you, you would worry about me rather than the exams and the final fights. I didn't want you to hate me if you lost one of your fights," he said. "That would be the worst thing in the world."

"I… didn't know you were suffering," Naruto said quietly, his fists were shaking. "I'm your little brother, I'm supposed to know when you're in pain. I'm just as bad."

Kotaro shook his head. "No, not at all. You're great as always, my sweet little brother. I kept a strong face whenever you were around. I didn't want you to worry about me one bit. This past two months were so stressful for the both of us. We needed each other but we didn't want to burden each other either. Ironic, isn't it?" he said.

Naruto nodded with a small smile. "It is. But I'm just wondering."

"Wondering about what?" Kotaro asked.

"If that village never came up in that meeting. If those memories didn't come back to haunt you. Would you be like this?" Naruto asked. "Or would you have just bottled up what happened with the other villagers?"

Kotaro looked up to the sky and thought about it for a moment. "I don't know. I probably would have complained about it to you or Shikaku. It was just that with Jiji's death, that meeting and Danzō bringing up that… time really messed me up in the head, ya know?" he said. "I don't ever want to go through something like that again."

Naruto laughed and then ruffled Kotaro's hair, confusing the latter. He waited until Naruto actually spoke, so he could understand the reason for the laugh.

"Say, people say that the only way to move on from the past is to talk about it," Naruto said. "You and I are going to spend all day if we have to just talking about that village, that girl Kumi you were like really good friends with and Aunt Aiko," Naruto said.

Kotaro shrunk when he heard the words. "I don't really want to talk about it."

Naruto shook his head and wagged his finger. "I don't care. I'm sick of you acting all mopey Nii-chan. If we don't talk about this, then I will never forgive you," he declared.

Kotaro shook his head in defeat. "Jeez, you really are blackmailing me now," he said. "Fine, we'll talk."

Naruto smirked in victory, before being wrapped up in a tight hug. "Naruto, never change, ok?" he heard Kotaro say.

Naruto smiled. "Yeah, don't worry. The more I change, the more I will stay the same. Don't worry Nii-chan, you and I, we'll always be together."

---

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