Bloodline Flash
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or make money from this fanfic.
Chapter 9
Naruto sighed as he hit the floor. Even with his absurd levels of stamina and chakra the Hokage had been a slave driver. It had been almost two weeks since the day Sakura had spoken to the Hokage about his 'lounging' about the mission room and Naruto had redoubled his efforts to prove himself useful. He had assured his grandfather figure that he would be alright and began producing even more clones to help with repairs throughout the village as well as the normal messenger duties.
While he knew his chakra would replenish itself by morning but it always left him beat afterwards. He turned at the noise coming from the small kitchen nearby. Jiraiya walked out and grinned at him before offering him a bowl of ramen.
"Enjoy it, I added plenty of veggies and meats to help replenish your chakra," the white haired sennin told him.
"I didn't know you knew how to make ramen ero-kyoufu," Naruto said he began to devour the food before him.
Jiraiya grinned, "Who do you think introduced your dad to Ramen? The fact that your mom was obsessed with the stuff only helped when he made her my special family recipe," he told him.
Naruto smiled while continuing to slurp down the noodles. He loved this time of evening with Jiraiya. Every day they went to the mission room together where Jiraiya would help Hiruzen with planning and the day-to-day rebuilding efforts, Naruto would provide support, and Hiruzen would oversee everything. Afterwards they would come home, eat, and he would tell him about his parents.
The two would often talk well into the night before crashing on either the couch or the bed depending on how tired they were. Neither knew what the next day would bring nor the headache it would cause.
The next morning they moved toward the Hokage tower and took stock of the village around them. Much of the village had been repaired already and was back in working order. Normally it would have taken longer but with Naruto's clones providing extra manual labor and freeing up several hundred shinobi usually used as messengers repairs had sped along at a rapid pace.
As the duo entered the tower an ANBU appeared before them handing Jiraiya a message. The older man frowned as he read it, "Is this happening now?"
The ANBU nodded, "Ok, we'll be there in a moment."
The ANBU vanished as Naruto looked from one to the other before his curiosity finally got the better of him.
"What's that ero-kyoufu?"
"This, my boy, is a message!" Jiraiya proclaimed loudly as he brandished the note to his apprentice and godson before continuing forward into the building.
Naruto nearly fell down as he hurriedly followed the older man, "That's not what I meant!"
Jiraiya chuckled, "It's a summons for us to meet sensei at the council chambers. Apparently some emergency council has been summoned by the elders. They normally don't bother but we knew that would likely happen soon, I'm surprised it hasn't happened before now actually."
Naruto nodded, "Uh, and why would they want me there?"
Jiraiya looked down at him as they walked toward the room and raised an eyebrow, "Because the meeting is most likely about you and your now revealed bloodline. Many on the shinobi and civilian council will likely want to try and get on your good side as the heir to both the Uzumaki and Namikaze clans. Not to mention your Kekkei Genkai appearing. No one, not even my teammate Tsunade, knows for sure how they come about and yours is particularly powerful. Believe me, this was going to happen no matter what but we've prepared for it. Just trust me and stay quiet k?"
Naruto nodded, "Alright ero-kyoufu! I trust you and ji-ji to handle it."
Jiraiya winked at him and continued to ignore the 'ero-kyoufu' title. While it annoyed him a little he felt it was more than he deserved for the horrible years he had spent away from his godson. The fact he was willing to give him the title at all meant the world to the white haired sennin.
The duo walked in silence as they arrived at the doors to the council chamber. The chamber was a long rectangular room with three tables inside. One table at the end of the room rested on raised landing where the Hokage and advisors sat, the other two spread from the Hokage on the floor toward the doorway lengthwise leaving room between them. One on side the Shinobi council sat consisting of the clanheads of the great clans of Konoha and on the other the civilian council that consisted of the wealthiest and most influential civilians of Konoha.
Between the two shinobi and civilians and placed before the Hokage was another smaller table and chair that petitioners could sit at. However Jiraiya ignored that as he and Naruto walked forward, the older man yawning, "Isn't it too early for politics?" he asked.
Hiruzen allowed a slight smile at his students obvious lack of concern, "I am in complete agreement Jiraiya-kun, now will you reveal whatever mystery reason you have for requesting this meeting Danzo?"
To Hiruzen's side a man wrapped in bandages with a small tuff of black hair and holding a cane stepped forward with a frown, "I think it would be obvious Hiruzen. We had a potentially new and powerful Kekkei Genkai appear. I think we all want to know where it came from and why were not informed that the Yondaime had an heir."
Hiruzen shrugged knowing the cat was out of the bag, "That should be obvious, the number of enemies Minato accumulated in his life would transfer to his son. The assassins he would deal with would have been more than the village was capable of defending against. Anonymity was his best defense."
"So he really is Minato's pup?" Tsume, the Inuzuka clanhead asked.
"Yes, he was my father," Naruto said proudly.
Several civilians frowned, "Are we sure of this? The boy could be making it up and taking advantage of the situation to gain more fame than should be granted," one of the civilians stated.
Jiraiya chuckled at that, "Other than being a mini-clone of Minato with what is obviously Uzumaki bone structure? Yeah, Tsunade did the blood tests herself and confirmed it a few days after he was born. He's Kushina's and Minato's son alright."
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow at this, not even he had been aware that Jiraiya had sought out Tsunade to perform the bloodwork for Naruto. He only knew that Jiraiya took had someone he trusted perform the tests.
"And what of his new ability, is it a Kekkei Genkai? And is it transferable to any children he has?" Inoichi of the Yamanaka clan asked.
"Yes, that was confirmed at the tournament, although it was a previously unknown one. We won't know if his children will receive it until he has them though, you know that," Jiraiya told him while Naruto blushed and rubbed his neck as the mention of him having kids.
"Then we must enact the Clan Restoration Act immediately! Imagine an army of teleporting shinobi! We would never be challenged by another village ever again!" Another civilian cried out before being silenced by the glares of the shinobi council.
"I'm afraid that is impossible. The bylaws of the Namikaze and the alliance with the Uzumaki clan prohibit such an action by the council," Hiruzen explained, "for us to do so would break the ties of both clans with the village."
Danzo frowned at this and nodded, he knew that many clans had such bylaws to stop the village from becoming too involved in their affairs, thus why Sasuke was allowed to roam free without being tied down by any marriage contracts to force his rebuilding of the Uchiha clan.
"If that is everything we have work to do…" Jiraiya began.
"Actually Uchiha-sama spoke with me recently over dinner. He expressed his concern that his clan was not being given the proper respect it deserved. Something I agree with. I'd like to know why you did not take Uchiha-sama as your apprentice Jiraiya-sama?" another civilian councilor asked while other nodded along.
"Who I take as my apprentice is none of your concern. Am I clear?" Jiraiya said, his voice cold as ice.
Danzo smirked slightly under his bandages, So the Uchiha isn't happy that the Uzumaki-Namikaze is receiving higher level training hmmmm
"I agree, Jiraiya-san has the right to apprentice any who he wishes, the council has no reason or right to understand why," Danzo said as Hiruzen raised an eyebrow wondering what his old rival was up too.
Danzo smirked inwardly at this new information, I can use this to attract the boy to me, training with my Ne forces would provide the perfect way to gain from him what may be denied through the Uzumaki-Namikaze.
"That is correct, now I believe we have exhausted the purpose of this 'emergency' session," Hiruzen said, his contempt for the waste of time he felt this meeting has been obviously in his voice.
"There is one more thing Hokage-sama," Koharu said quietly, "It has to do with young Naruto and his status as heir to both the Uzumaki and Namikaze clans. As heir to both he will be unable to merge the clans, the bylaws of the great clans makes that very clear. He will need to choose one or the other to represent in the village."
Hiruzen smiled, "Ahhhh, and should he do so the remaining clan will then have its assets absorbed by the village. But you forget one thing Koharu, the Uzumaki were never a clan of our village. Therefore those rules do not apply. Naruto-kun merely need take a second wife under the Uzumaki name to restore the clan. And even that decision need not be made until he turns 16 after all. It is much too early for us to bring up such a thing."
Koharu frowned and nodded to the Hokage while Naruto's eyes grew to the size of saucers as Jiraiya grinned, already knowing where he would find inspiration for his next book from.
Danzo nodded, already expecting the result, " Before we dismiss I would like to renew my petition to have the boy turned over to me for personal training…"
"That is already taken care of. As Naruto is officially my apprentice," Jiraiya responded.
"I understand but you are often gone from the village for long periods of time, it would be best if he had someone here to continue his training, perhaps when you are unable too?" Danzo said.
"I had intended to tell you after my replacement arrives but I have chosen to retire to the village to take care of my godson and his training more directly," Jiraiya told him.
Danzo frowned at this, "But your spy network will suffer greatly from your lack of attention Jiraiya-san and we do not know any replacement who would be capable of running your network at your level of competency. Should we lose your spy network it could prove disastrous to Konoha."
Jiraiya shrugged, "I have already contacted my chosen successor and he will be here any day now to receive instructions. I have worked with him the past few years with the intention of turning my network over to him."
Again Danzo frowned, having never known that Jiraiya had a successor to his spy network, "And who would this be?"
"Why, Itachi Uchiha of course," Jiraiya told him with a grin.