Chapter 3 : Schemes and Scrolls
After leaving the five girls to their own devices, Kakashi decided that a little report to Tsunade and Jiraiya was in order, though he knew they had watched the whole thing via the Hokage's Crystal viewing orb. Kakashi walked into the office and sure enough Tsunade was at her desk with the crystal orb in front of her and her usual bottle of sake to the side, Jiraiya was a few feet away, leaning against the wall and Shizune was sitting next to Tsunade with Ton-Ton next to her sleeping.
"I take it you all saw that?" Kakashi asked nonchalant.
They nodded and Jiraiya sighed.
"I knew the brat was still having some problems but he's so damn good at hiding his emotions at times its hard to tell what the hell he is thinking. He was like this in training sometimes...pushing himself beyond his limits..." Jiraiya said looking thoughtful and beginning an explanation.
Flashback...
Jiraiya shielded himself from the massive explosion caused by another one of Naruto's newly created jutsu's, a variation of the Rasengan he called the Rasen-Shuriken. It made a Rasengan and then Naruto would manipulate the chakra into a massive spiraling four bladed shuriken of pure chakra. The problem with the attack was that one...it tore his arm to shreds and two he hadn't figured out how to throw it yet since it didn't act like his Bullet Rasengan.
"D-dammit..." Naruto panted and dropped to his knees, his teeth gritted in immense pain. Three tails weakly moving behind him.
Jiraiya ran up, cringed and winced at the same time. Naruto's entire right arm was shredded, in some places the bone was clearly visible. Most of the flesh on Naruto's hand had been ripped off leaving only a few nerve endings, bone and shredded tissue.
"NARUTO! Are you trying to fucking kill yourself!?" Jiraiya raged.
Shakily Naruto raised his maimed hand and arm as crimson chakra leaked out. Slowly tissue, muscle, veins, arteries and nerves began growing back. Naruto's face was twisted in a scowl of pain as the chakra also caused a searing burning sensation to rip through his arm as it repaired him. A spurt of blood from behind the teen hit the ground as a fourth tail grew from his spine.
"S-sorry...Ero-sennin, but I must do this. I have to get stronger so I can protect my precious people and keep my promise...I was too weak to bring Sauske back the first time. I was too damn foolish and ignorant to realize...that I needed...to grow up...and stop...being a kid...to...take responsibility for my actions..." Naruto ground out through gritted teeth.
"Naruto...I...I know how you feel. When, Orochimaru defected from Konoha I blamed myself. I always thought what if I had been a better friend, what if I could have prevented it...what if this, what if that...but the truth was, Orochimaru, chose his own path of his own twisted free will and there wasn't anything I or anyone else could have done to stop him...Uchiha is the same, granted the cursed seal corrodes the mind but he didn't have it long enough or use it enough to do that type of damage. It was his own darkness...his own thirst for power that let him make the decision to become a traitor; had he truly cared...he wouldn't have betrayed all of you for selfish ambitions and delusions of grandeur and power." Jiraiya said placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"You don't think I don't already know that?" Naruto asked in a quiet monotone. "Childish ignorance allowed me to believe that he was my friend...my brother if you want. But the damn reality is I was nothing more than a rival first and a stepping stone to the Magenkyo second." A dark scowl crossed Naruto's features.
"I was arrogant and stupid. And then in a childish hope of making the girl I liked happy, I tossed my own desires to the wind and made a promise to bring the bastard back to her. I realize now that was just another one of my childish mistakes but it would be dishonorable to break a promise...even if it shouldn't have been made. So I will return the bastard to her...beaten to within an inch of his pampered and spoiled life if I must."
"Then there is the Akatsuki...they want to rule the damn world using the power of the Biju. Damn fool hardy bastards don't realize that if they try to do things like that, that they will open a Pandora's box that they won't be able to close. Those are two of the main reasons I work so damn hard...I can't let that happen and I will not let them hurt my friends so a little pain means nothing." Naruto stated as he watched skin start to form on his hand, the healing nearly finished.
Jiraiya sighed. "But do you have to nearly kill yourself? And who the hell said anything about having to toss your own happiness away. If you like that Sakura girl then you should tell her, the Uchiha be damned."
Naruto gave a bitter chuckle.
"If only it were that easy. She could never love me, especially now that I truly am a demon..." Jiraiya resisted an urge to bop him upside the head for that remark. "...she will always be in love with Sauske because she has yet to grow up and out of foolish obsession...she might never get over that. Besides...I am a Jinchuuriki...it is my job, my duty and my curse to always sacrifice everything that I am for the benefit of others. Granted I fight against it but sometimes...I just grow tired of it all." Naruto closed his eyes. "Even I have my emotional limits..." He then passed out from chakra exhaustion and pain.
Jiraiya frowned, ever since he tinkered with the seal and Naruto began absorbing the demon fox at an accelerated rate and the demon stopped messing with his mind and thought processes...Naruto had become much smarter. But with that came many painful truths, memories of the past and nasty realizations that no person his age should have to deal with. Granted the abuses and tortures he suffered as a child didn't help but the realization of a Jinchuuriki's role basically karma's way of kicking you in the nuts...more than once, dangling something you desire in front of you and then delivering another kick whenever you try to obtain it.
End Flashback...
"And that's pretty much how it went." Jiraiya said tiredly. "The kid has had a damn rough life with on boot to the ass after another. Anything he has gained has only come from sacrifice. Every day he sacrifices something be it happiness, physical or mental health or even power at times just to ensure that everyone else remains in their own blissful little worlds. Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't have been better if he had just remained the happy go lucky knucklehead he was before I messed with the seal and stopped that damn fox from messing with his mind...at least he was happier when he was dimwitted."
"But...it's not like he doesn't have happy moments now right?" Shizune asked a bit upset for her little brother.
"He does sometimes, be he hates pity so he puts on a smile so people don't worry about him. He may have gotten rid of the facade of the fool but he still wears a facade, always smiling...just not in the ignorant or arrogant manner he used to." Jiraiya shrugged a bit. "By nature he is a very kind, gentle and giving person...but he has a darker nature as well born from all the hate and pain he has received. It doesn't control him thankfully but sometimes it does get out...especially if he loses himself to anger or rage. The damn fox can't take him over anymore but the kids own rage is nearly as bad and brings out a blood thirst comparable to Kyuubi's."
Tsunade frowned. "Do you think that could become a problem?"
"I don't think so, I've yet to see him attack an innocent but when he's like that I still can't get through to him. I learned to just wait it out until he either cools off or kills what pissed him off." Jiraiya answered.
"Hmm...I wonder if your jewel or Tanzo's special abilities could suppress his power when he's like that to cool him off." Kakashi wondered.
"It would if he was an actual Biju or if he was using Kyuubi's tainted chakra when he gets like that." Jiraiya mused.
"Tainted chakra?" Shizune and Tsunade asked in unison.
Jiraiya nodded. "When the seal was adjusted and the extra seal that Shinigami placed on him was revealed I discovered that it purified the evil from Kyuubi's chakra. It was still left as demonic chakra and too powerful for humans to handle in large amounts but it no longer held the taint of evil and malice that Kyuubi's influence put into it. That also led to the birth of a third type of chakra...a purple colored chakra that Naruto calls Chaos Chakra. It's a perfect fusion of Human and Demon chakra's but is fuels solely on emotions, thankfully it doesn't seem that it can be tainted. But depending on Naruto's emotions at the time depends on how it can work and since it is a fusion of human and demon chakra...it's much stronger, requires less control than demon chakra but more than human but if used in large amounts it leaves his body more stressed and weak when he stops using it. Kind of like a trump card if you will, he can use it for any type of jutsu, medical included, but if used for prolonged periods of time or for long battles it can put him into a stasis coma afterwards...until its reserves replenish and his body recovers." The old pervert explained.
"That could be problematic." Kakashi frowned.
The others nodded.
"Chaos Chakra also slows his healing and regeneration factors, but since he's a Hanyou its not to bad...though it will leave him with slower healing abilities than usual and won't stop scars from appearing if he were human it would kill him. I guess it's a double edged sword, especially if he's in one of those stasis coma's, those leave him weak, low healing factors and very vulnerable to attack or assassination or poisons. So he tries not to use that power unless he has too." Jiraiya added.
Kakashi sighed. "Well...back to the reason I came here...what do you think we should do about the girls. They found out his secret and I don't think he knows that they were there but he did suspect someone was despite all the concealing jutsu they used. Personally I think they would be good for him, he could use a bit of brightness in his life."
"I agree but I don't want him to turn into a bigamist or a playboy either." Tsunade stated.
Jiraiya snorted. "Good luck with that. He may have gotten a bit better at reading and knowing what women want but that only goes just so far. He is still painfully innocent with women, did any of you know he's never even kissed a girl before and the only female he's ever really hugged was Tsunade...maybe that Sakura girl but I don't really know. Beyond the more simple factors of a relationship he is completely oblivious and innocent and more than a little shy. I tried to work some of that out of him but he got pissed at me because it was taking time out of his training. He read a few romance novels to get an idea of things but they only helped him a little. He seems to think that no woman in their right mind would want him so he's pretty much brushed aside and abandoned all notion of dating or romance. He'll treat a girl like a princess because that's his nature...but if a girl wants his attention they'll practically have to beat it out of him, especially if they want affection beyond that of good friendship."
Shizune arched an eyebrow. "Surly he isn't that dense...he is a male after all." She said.
"You don't really know Naruto, as well as the rest of us do." Kakashi droned. "The Hyuga heiress has had a crush on him for years, even before he left on the training trip and he never once picked up on it. He might pick up on it now but given the way he thinks he'll just see it as her trying to be nicer to him than most people and will likely not pursue anything because of either some kind of fear of rejection or simply because he is a Jinchuuriki."
"Other than what he's read in books he has no knowledge or experience with relationships or women." Jiraiya added. "Anything beyond the simpler emotions will confuse him. He's adaptable enough to learn how to deal with them quickly but given his past I'm not sure just how he will deal with things like that, he might choose to avoid relationships all together just to avoid any trouble it might cause, especially since the villagers still hate him with a passion...he will likely refuse any romantic advances if for nothing more than to protect any girl interested in him from those small minded bastards."
"That might piss the council off as well." Tsunade mused. "Because of his Omni-Element Kekkei Genkai some of them will likely want him to...for lack of better words...become a breeding tool. They would have enforced the Clan Restoration Act on the Uchiha had he not defected and become labeled as a Missing Ninja. They might or might not try to enforce that on Naruto...hard to say with how prejudice some of them are."
"Still...would it be so bad if Naruto-kun had more than one wife? I may be a bit of a prude at times but he's like a little brother to me and I know he could use the happiness...besides from what Jiraiya-sama said he's not a pervert and he's well known for how well he's treated women in the past." Shizune offered.
Tsunade smirked. "You almost sound interested."
"No, I'm not. He is cute, I'll admit, but I'm already dating Iruka and you know that. I just want him to be happy and you should too! You would have adopted him had those bastards on the council not refused." Shizune said with a huff.
"I know, I know." Tsunade sighed. "I also want him to be happy, but like Jiraiya said...he might try to avoid relationships because of all the crap that happened in his past."
Jiraiya let a slight smirk cross his features. "Well then...first we deal with the council. Since he is the last of the Namikaze the council can't execute him, it's forbidden to do so unless he has committed a crime and there is undeniable proof. Exile is also out of the question for the same reason added to the fact he has a Kekkei Genkai, Sarutobi-sensei thought that something like this might happen so when Naruto became a Shinobi he made a scroll containing a law that we can use, he never passed it since he wanted it to be used as a last resort."
"The law simply states that as the last heir of both Uzumaki and Namikaze clans that Naruto cannot be executed or exiled unless he has committed horrible criminal acts. The clause is that in order for him to be prosecuted there must be a large account of undeniable evidence against him. His signature and stamp is already on the scroll along with mine as a witness, all it needs is the current Hokage's signature and stamp and the law can be passed." Jiraiya grinned pulling out the scroll Sarutobi had given him to keep safe.
Tsunade grabbed the scroll, read it over and then quickly signed and stamped it in her own blood.
"That takes care of that problem. The civilians might stop being so harsh towards Naruto too once they discover he is Minato-sensei's son. I know it won't stop all of them but it might stop some of the more sensible ones from being so cruel." Kakashi stated.
"The romance problem will have to wait for a while though. I'm sure those girls, especially my apprentice, will try to get Naruto to warm up towards them and we will help when we can. If by chance he does fall for more than one then we can go from there, so long as he doesn't end up being like Jiraiya I won't have any problems." Tsunade said rolling up the law scroll.
Jiraiya pouted a bit, Kakashi snickered and Shizune nodded. If they all planned carefully enough then good things would be in store for their favorite blonde Shinobi's future.
The next day found Naruto walking towards the Hokage tower after doing his usual morning training exercises, cleaned up and had a light breakfast. He was glad once again that he could hide his ears and tail by turning into his full human form. Putting his face into an impassive, stoic mask he continued his trek to the tower.
Still...you would have thought four years would change some things but it was still the same. The angry whispers, the foul looks and glares, the sneers from shop owners. Naruto was beginning to wonder if the only way to make these bastards happy was for him to drop of the face of the earth...not like he'd give them the pleasure though.
A particularly rowdy drunk caught sight of him and began bellowing about demons and brats. Naruto just tuned him out. Not happy about being ignored the drunk began chucking empty sake bottles at Naruto. Naruto caught the first two but the third followed right behind the second and he didn't see it until it was too late, the bottle hit his upper forehead and shattered, digging a couple of deep gashes into his head.
Naruto shot the man a glare that could melt lead but otherwise remained quiet and tossed the bottles into a near by bin. Had the man not been drunk...he'd be passing glass for a month. Sick of the bull shit he just ported the rest of the way, vanishing in a swirl of leaves.
Tsunade nearly jumped out of her skin when Naruto appeared suddenly in front of her desk with several large gashes on his head and blood flowing down onto his torso. With several quiet curses and some irritated grumbling the teen Hanyou began pulling shards of glass out of his scalp and forehead.
"Wha...what the hell happened!?" Tsunade asked.
"Drunken old bastard, several sake bottles and the usual bullshit...simple enough or do I need to make a detailed report?" He snapped irritably.
Tsunade cringed a bit, she didn't blame him for being pissed but he didn't need to take it out on her.
Pulling the last shard out he sighed as his healing finished up the last wound. He then sighed and began wiping off the blood with his handkerchief. "Sorry about biting your head off, mom, but I'm getting sick of the crap the villagers keep pulling. I swear if that old bastard hadn't been drunk I would have made him eat those bottles after I finished ramming one up his ass for good measure."
Tsunade sighed. "It's okay, kiddo, hopefully after the announcement of your lineage they will cool down or knock it off. Anyway...are you here to reinstate yourself for active duty or is it something else? I've already added you back into the active roster."
"I figured you might, I just came here to read my clan scroll in case I had some questions, besides I figured you might like to spend some time with me considering you haven't seen me in four years." Naruto said his smile once again in place and thankfully not the fake one.
"I'd like that but I have so much damn paperwork to do I might not be much company." She said with a slight grumble.
Naruto chuckled. "You know there is an easier way to do paperwork."
"Huh!? How!?" She asked, her eyes practically begging.
Naruto smirked. "There's a lot to be said about the versatility of the Shadow Clone, whatever they experience you learn when they are dismissed or destroyed. Quite useful for learning chakra control, jutsu's or reading scrolls while your training physically so who says you can't have a Shadow Clone or two do your paperwork for you since you will learn what they did when they've finished and you've dismissed them."
Tsunade's jaw dropped. "I...how...damn..." She muttered and made the familiar seal. "Shadow Clone jutsu." Three clones poofed into existence and the original grinned. "Alright you three, get this paperwork finished up." She ordered, they nodded obediently and started to work.
Naruto chuckled as he began reading through the scroll. Tsunade, giddily opened a bottle of sake and offered Naruto a drink, to her surprise he accepted.
"A down side to being a Hanyou...it will take about thirty of those bottles just to give me a slight buzz, but the taste is good so I make due." Naruto answered the unasked question.
"Sucks to be you kid..." Tsunade muttered and downed another gulp as Naruto bit his thumb and swiped some blood across the bloodline seal on the clan scroll.
The clan scroll was pretty simple. The head of the clan, being him as he is the last, is to assume a place in the council once the heir or head is old enough...being 15 years of age or is Jounin ranked. Naruto wasn't too thrilled with the idea but the law, was the law and by law he was required to be on the Shinobi council as last scion of the Namikaze.
The second part was the duties required of him such as handling the clans financial affairs any civillian businesses owned by the clan or any other matters pertaining there in to other clan members. Being the last his only real duty was to handle the financial affairs since the last of the clans civillian business, a Shinobi tools shop and a small diner, were shut down when the owners died during the last war and then destroyed during the Kyuubi attack.
The rest was about the laws and services he was expected to abide by and do for the village. These were simple since he was an acting Shinobi.
Next came the marriage rituals, laws and customs.
Naruto frowned. "What the hell is Poly...err...Polygamy? I know I've heard Ero-sennin say that word before." He asked with a confused look on his face.
Tsunade promptly spat her sake out after choking on it and her clones giggled...one of them rather perversely.
"What does the scroll say?" Tsunade asked after she stopped hacking.
"Umm...lets see...it's here under the part for Marriage rituals, rights, customs and laws." Naruto began. "Ah...here. As the Namikaze clan predates the founding of Konoha it is still under some old laws and practices. One of which is Polygamy. In the event that there are few to no clan members left, the heir or clan head is within his or her right to practice Polygamy to ensure the continued existence of the Namikaze. If the last scion is female then all children born to her must carry the Namikaze surname by law. Huh...the rest is smudged...I can't read it..." Naruto still looked confused.
Tsunade looked at him for a moment...3...2...1...and busted out laughing to the point tears began streaming down her face. For once fortune has smiled on her and this could be just what they needed to ensure Naruto gained some happiness in his life...all she had to do was play her cards right...a little manipulating here and there...heh, heh, heh.
"What the hell is so funny?" Naruto asked slightly annoyed.
Tsunade calmed herself slightly and regained most of her composure.
"Naruto-kun, Polygamy is the practice of having multiple spouses." She answered with a snicker at his dumbstruck expression.
"Huh!?!?" Was his rather intelligent reply.
She snickered again. "It means that you, as last member of your clan and heir to the Namikaze name can marry more than one woman and will be encouraged to, to ensure the next generation and growth of your clan." She smiled lightly but was holding back a smirk. "This is perfect! Not only would it really piss off those bastards on the council but if we can get Naruto to warm up a bit some or all of those girls might just have a chance with him. Then they can work on healing all the pain he holds in...that and I want grandbabies!"
Naruto felt a sudden headache coming on, sighed and rolled the scroll back up. He should have known there would be something like this in the scroll; the teme would have been in the same predicament if he had remained loyal. Then again...he did always wonder if the prick wasn't batting for the other team, after all who in their right mind would pass up girls like Sakura and Ino? Well...he would but he actually had valid reasons, such as keeping them safe and the fact he doubted they would even give him the time of day once they found out what he was. Sauske on the other hand...he had no real reasons, that whole I am an Avenger, crap was a load. Hell he even tried the Sexy Jutsu on him once...not so much as a twitch...though he could swear that he caught Sauske checking Kakashi's ass out once...kami, if his sensei knew that he'd of flipped his gears.
"Maybe that was part of the reason he went to the pedophile Hebi-teme..." Naruto let out a slight shudder at the thought.
"Well...at any rate, I'm fine with taking a place on the council as head of the Namikaze...err...sort of. I'll do it but only because its the law. The whole marriage thing...I'll have to think about it, I had planned on never getting married and I doubt that opinion will change any time soon." Naruto commented.
Tsunade frowned...Jiraiya and Kakashi were right...this could be...troublesome.
"Naruto-kun..." She started gently. "I am sure you can meet a nice girl that won't care about your unique circumstances."
"That isn't what I worry about." He lied. "The last thing I want is for some girl to be labeled the villages demon whore and you know as well as I do that will happen. She would be in near constant danger of beatings, abuse and probably rape and I'll be damned if I am the cause of that kind of treatment."
"Don't you want kids someday?" Tsunade asked a bit sadly...the truth in his words stung all the more hearing them coming from his own mouth.
"Yes, I'd love to have children someday; one of my biggest dreams was to have a large family. But unless some miracle happens and I'm suddenly accepted by everyone I will not pursue any kind of relationship further than friendship with any woman." Naruto shrugged. "It's not like I'd know what the hell I was doing anyways...I didn't even get the talk until I went on the trip with Ero-sennin and I tuned most of that out because he was being a bit too perverted for my tastes."
"But if the village became more accepting of you then you would consider it? We...I just want you to be happy, Naruto-kun, everyone deserves to have some happiness in their life and I don't want you to end up like me...well...that is if you could actually age...damn. (Sigh) I just don't want you to feel lonely anymore...you might be able to hide it from most but I can tell and so can Jiraiya and Kakashi...we all know that kind of pain." Tsunade said softly.
Naruto closed his eyes for a moment and massaged the bridge of his nose for a moment to ward off any possible headaches.
"If I was shown some acceptance I might be inclined to consider dating and thank you for your concern, mom, it is appreciated. But until that time I have promises to keep and a people to protect. The Akatsuki and Orochimaru are dangerous; I need to keep my focus on them and whatever other tasks I might have in the village or what missions you might give me." Naruto said.
"Well...at least he isn't completely against the idea." Tsunade mused.
"Was there anything you needed me for today?" Naruto asked.
"There is a council meeting..." She checked the clock. "...in about five minutes...damn I lost track of time again. I suggest you attend since we will be revealing your heritage. The fact that you opened the blood seal on the scroll and the birth certificate that was found with it will be all the proof needed."
"I'm not going to be able to hide the fact I'm part demon anymore am I?" Naruto said more than asked.
"Unfortunately no...it will only be a matter of time before someone figures it out. To be honest some already know of your secret...one of them is Shikamaru...he figured it out on his own. Your friends aren't kids anymore, they are ninja...it will be impossible to keep this a secret from them forever and as Hokage I was duty bound to add all the details concerning you into the reports for the Shinobi council and to effect the Elder and Civilian councils. I'm sorry...I didn't want to add it into the reports but its better done sooner than later." Tsunade apologized.
"Shit...this could cause a lot of problems." Naruto muttered as his mind raced through possible scenarios.
"Don't worry too much, kiddo, Sarutobi-sensei made a law for just such an occasion and had Jiraiya hold onto the scroll for him should it ever be needed. I signed the scroll last night and it has been added to the information given to the council. So unless you are caught with undeniable proof doing some sort of horrible crime or betrayal the council can't execute or exile you." Tsunade smirked and held up the scroll.
Naruto chuckled. "Good old, Ji-chan, always thinking ahead. Well then...this should make things a bit easier. Hmm...since I will likely have missions and such to deal with would you mind if I nominated you as the acting Namikaze representative should I be out of the village?"
"Sure, since I have to attend all the meetings anyways it shouldn't be a problem." Tsunade agreed.
"Let's go then." Naruto smirked.
Tsunade returned the smirk. "Now...all I have to do is get him a girlfriend or two, get him promoted to Jounin once he has the proper amount of missions under his belt and then I can name him my successor as Hokage and retire in peace!"
Naruto and Tsunade walked into the massive council chambers, a large circular room with rows of climbing stands and small desk tops much like those he saw in the academy's lecture halls. On the lowest levels of the seats were the Civilian council members, to his surprise he saw Teuchi Ichiraku amongst them as well as an attractive pink haired woman that looked a lot like Sakura. Just behind them were the Shinobi council seats, amongst them were the Hyuga, Aburame, Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka and Inuzuka clan heads as well as the leader of ROOT ANBU, Danzo, an old war hoarse that has a habit of making his troops into emotionless weapons subservient to him. And finally behind them at the top most seats there were the three elder's seats, one was still empty due to Sarutobi's death. His teammates Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane were the only ones there.
"Hokage-sama, why have you brought that...that demon here!?" A pudgy looking merchant from the civilian council asked.
Naruto arched an eyebrow. "Half-Demon actually and I would have thought as a member of the council you would show a bit more tact and finesse, especially when dealing with someone who has enough power to end your existence at the snap of a finger." Naruto said in monotone, his face masked in his usual stoic and impassive look.
The rotund man began sputtering and turned a nice shade of puce. Homura looked down at the teen Hanyou.
"Is that a threat Uzumaki-san?" Homura asked.
"I'd prefer Namikaze and no, it was not a threat. I was merely trying to put a point across. My point being is that while I do have the power and ability to raze this entire village to the ground I will not. As much as many deserve it I will damn the innocents for the crimes of the ignorant. I will continue my duties here in Konoha as a Shinobi but know this...I am loyal to only Tsunade-hime and those I deem worthy of my loyalty...if I am attacked in anyway I will defend myself as it is my right to do so." Naruto said leveling a diamond hard glare at the entire council.
"I know that many of you do not like me, the feeling is mutual. That aside I still desire a peaceful co-existence with the others living in this village and to take up my duties as the Namikaze clan head. As long as I am granted my peace and if you could kindly see to it that I'm not scowled at, sneered at or hated where ever I go and be allowed to do business with local establishments I will give you my word on my honor and my clans honor that I will do all in my power to protect Konoha and her people so long as they do not attack me." Naruto droned.
The Shinobi council looked sufficiently impressed; the offer was a good one. Konoha would be safe with an up and coming demon lord acting as its protector. Naruto noticed a slight gleam in Danzo's visible eye.
Naruto let out his true form causing many to let out gasps as six golden blond furred tails swayed about behind him. Naruto leveled his gaze with Danzo, the two sizing each other up. Naruto's peircing gave never wavered against Danzo's hungry and calculating one.
"Know this as well...I will not be controlled or toyed with. I am not Konoha's person weapon, I am a Guardian. If one of you tries to control or manipulate me through my precious people or threats..." A massive wave of killing intent washed over the area creating a pressure that made it feel as if the gravity had increased by ten times the usual. "...then not even hell itself will hide or spare you my wraith. Danzo of ROOT, this applies especially to you...if you harm or threaten anyone I care for...I will rip your entrails out an inch at a time and hang you with them at the village gates as an example. Traitors, Corruption and the like will not be tolerated by me. Am I understood!?"
Now Danzo was many things...corrupt and cunning were just two of them but he was far from stupid. So until he found a way to gain some measure of control over the demon spawn or kill it he would play his part...at least he could make use of the demon should certain missions or tasks come up.
"Yes, Naruto-dono, I understand...I would rather we be allies than enemies." He lied smoothly.
Naruto still caught the lie but gave a curt nod. Tsunade had a smirk on her face, with Naruto around some much needed trash pick up could happen. Teuchi nodded at him with a smile, Naruto returned the smile and gave a slight wave. The Shinobi council looked both impressed and weary of him...he sighed.
"I do not wish for any of you to fear me. Though I am a Hanyou, I still just want to be a normal person. I want to have as normal a life as I can and protect people that are precious to me. The demon that attacked this village sixteen years ago is gone. Once I have finished absorbing and purifying the last of its power Shinigami will claim its soul and I will take its place as the nine tailed lord."
"At present I am at six of the damnable beast's tails and the other three will be absorbed sometime between now and my eighteenth birthday. I am also currently stronger than Kyuubi was when he attacked due to the face my own human chakra remains, as such I hold more than one source of chakra. I have a natural affinity for all the elements including three sub-elements...should I have children and yes they will be quarter demon by blood, they will inherit my Element Kekkei Genkai as well as other facets of my power...inhuman stamina, strength and speed and large chakra capacities that will rival a Kage's or a Sannin's." Naruto said...he really didn't want to play this card but it was a minor manipulation considering how Konoha favored its Bloodline Limits.
Tsunade was surprised as well but she knew he was doing this as a measure of gaining favor from the council. She could also use this to her advantage sometime later if she needed to. Naruto himself was mildly surprised to see that he was easily gaining the support of the Shinobi clans...in fact they had all...even the stuck up Hyuga...had seemed to show him, dare he say it, respect since he had entered the chamber. Perhaps things wouldn't be as bad as he first thought, though he still needed to keep an eye out for bastards like Danzo.
"Namikaze-san, might that be your true form?" Koharu asked curiously.
"Actually my base form is what I came in with; I was human to start off with after all. But I can assume the form of a six tailed fox in various sizes..." Naruto said and shifted his form again.
After a large puff of black smoke faded, there stood a hoarse sized six tailed fox. However where Kyuubi's form was frightful and instilled fear with its blood red fur and eyes, Naruto's form did not. Naruto had the same golden blonde colored fur as he had hair in his human form and he a set of softly glowing icy sapphire blue eyes. Where Kyuubi's aura had given off a feeling of malice, rage and hatred, Naruto's gave off a feeling of warmth, safety and protection.
"I can currently increase my size to be about three quarters of what Kyuubi's original size was, once I finished absorbing its tails I will be able to grow a bit larger than that." Naruto stated and shifted back to his base human form. "I trust that, that is enough to satisfy your curiosity?"
Various heads nodded, some looking at him in awe while others...mainly his previous abusers...looked on in utter fear.
Naruto sighed. "I noticed that some of you still fear me..." He shook his head. "...please do not. I have not given you any reason to fear me. If it is my taking revenge against any of you for past abuses you are worried about then don't. I may not be able to forget but I will readily forgive. I was and still am a living, walking and talking reminder of the horror you all suffered when Kyuubi attacked."
"You all seem to forget though that I too was a victim that day. I lost both of my parents because of that damn fox-teme and was then forced against my will to carry my parents and many innocents murderer around inside of me while I suffered for its crimes. I sacrificed my entire childhood. I am a Jinchuuriki...the living embodiment of sacrifice, the jailor and eventual executioner of the nine tailed lord Kyuubi. Once the fox is gone my job as a Jinchuuriki will be finished but not my duty as a Shinobi or a Guardian. I still don't expect many of you to like me nor do I ask for anything more than some simple acceptance so that we may all move on with our lives." Naruto said looking around the room.
Tsunade was impressed, she hadn't expected Naruto to change the meeting around as he had done but he wasn't the Number one most Surprising and Unpredictable Shinobi for nothing. It was time...
"Honored members of the council, Naruto Namikaze, has now spoken his peace and intentions for the future thus far. I now ask for a vote. Will you accept him as the Clan heir of the Namikaze, allow him to take his rightful place as a member of the council...me being his speaker when he is not present and accept his offers for protection in return for his own well deserved peace and acceptance?" Tsunade asked. To vote Yay...raise your hands now.
Every member of the Shinobi council and surprisingly the two elders raised their hands followed by about half of the civilian council. When the call for nay came up only a few civilian council members raised their hands and even then it was half heartedly due to the fact they knew they were beaten.
Naruto bowed to the council. "I thank you for the chance you have given me; I will do what I can to ensure that none of you are disappointed."
"Good...now then, later today, Naruto, will be publicly announced as the heir to the Namikaze clan. However the thirds law still stands, as such only Naruto can tell those he wishes about his Hanyou status and the Kyuubi. I know he has planned on telling some of his friends in the near future anyway so do not concern yourselves with minor details. Now...we all have much to do so as of now this meeting is dismissed." Tsunade said.
Both Naruto and Tsunade turned and walked out of the chambers. Some rather deep revelations had been made this day but be they for better or worse...no one was sure. The only thing they did know was that things would definitely be different from this day forward.
Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto