Raven and Naruto return to Ryo's shop later that day in time for dinner as promised. Ryo, like most of the other shop owners in Konoha, lives above the shop with his family. As soon as Raven walks through the door he finds himself nearly tackled by a short brunet wearing a traditional style Chinese sleeveless blue shirt and green pants. "Raven-kun," the woman says trying to squeeze him tighter only to find his clothing and armor prevented her from doing so. "Where have you been?"
"Suka-chan," Raven laughs as he returns the hug gently so as not to harm the smaller woman. "Here and there," he tells here, "Mostly training and sightseeing, with a little bounty hunting on the side."
"Same old Raven-kun," Suka nearly giggles as she lets him go before walking over to Naruto. "And this must be Naruto-kun," she says as she leans down to look at the boy. "Listen to Raven-kun and you'll be an even greater shinobi then him someday."
"I'm going to be the greatest shinobi the world has ever known," Naruto beams, "Raven-niisan said so."
"I believe it," she smiles ruffling the boy's hair a little. "Come on and I'll introduce you to Ten-Ten. You'll like her."
Raven watches as Suka and Naruto go into the dinning room he can't help the tinge of guilt that grips him as he wonders what the boy's parents might think about his delayed return. He is pulled from his musings by the delighted squeals coming from the other room and grins at the smells just now reaching his nose.
0o0o0o0o0
As Raven finishes tucking Naruto into bed be heads down stairs and opens the backdoor and grins at the ANBU standing before him wearing a Dog mask. "Evening Kakashi," he says, "What can I do for you?"
"The Council wishes to speak to you about Naruto," Kakashi tells him. "You are to report to them at 8:00am tomorrow morning."
Raven sighs as he nods, "I'll be there." Kakashi simply nods before vanishing in a poof of smoke.
'So it begins,' the voice in his head says, 'We both knew this was coming.'
'Hai,' Raven thinks, 'Still I thought we'd have a little more time.'
'Nothing we can do about it now,' the voice tells him. 'Get some sleep and we'll deal with them in the morning while Naruto's training.' Raven just nods mentally before following the voices' advice and going to bed.
0o0o0o0o0
The sun wasn't even up when Raven walks silently into Naruto's room and picks the still sleeping boy up and gently cradles him in his arms before walking down stairs and out the back door. 'Time to start your training Naruto-kun.'
In the center of the back yard (or the training field that serves as the back yard) is a small pond roughly 10 foot in diameter and about 7 foot deep. Raven walks over towards the waters edge before focusing chakra into his feet. He then proceeds to walk to the very center of the pond, where the water is the deepest and drops Naruto.
Less then three seconds after the small boy's body breaks the surface of the icy cold water his head pops up as he lets out an ear splitting screech that somehow manages to wake up the entire village. Raven pays the boys ungodly volume no attention as he grabs the back of Naruto's shirt before the boy is able to fall below the surface again. "Now that you're up we can begin."
"Be…begin… begin what?" the soaked child stutters through chattering teeth.
Raven carries the shivering boy towards the shore as he answers. "Your training of course," Raven answers. "And the first lesson you just learned is the a shinobi must never lets guard down, even when sleeping."
"But… but you never… you never said anything about trying to drown me," Naruto stammers as Raven hands him a set of dry training clothes.
"I didn't want to ruin the surprise," Raven grins. "Listen Naruto I told you that this training would be intense and that there would be plenty of times you may hate me for doing this to you," he tells the young boy while kneeling before him. "But theses lessons are necessary if you are to become the greatest shinobi ever."
Seeing the boy's face go from one of sadness to a look of determination causes Raven to grin. "Now that I've got your full attention I can tell you the training regiment you're going to follow until I say otherwise. First of all we will begin physical training at 5am every day. This portion of the training will focus on increasing your strength, speed and stamina and will continue until noon. You will have half an hour for lunch before we continue on to your reading and writing lessons, which will last until dinnertime when you get another half hour to eat and relax. After that we will begin your etiquette and cultural lessons until bed time."
"Physical and reading I can understand," Naruto says as he finishes dressing. "But what are etiquit and culteril lessons?"
"Etiquette and Cultural," Raven corrects the boy with a smile. "Basically they teach you manners and how act in polite company. These skills are very important to a shinobi on deep cover and diplomatic assignments." Naruto nods his understanding as Raven reaches into his coat and pulls out a scroll. "Now I've got a few errands to run but I'll be back in time for lunch and to start on your lessons," he tells Naruto as he unrolls the scroll on the ground.
Raven bites his thumb, causing it to bleed before smearing the blood across the writing on the scroll. "Some of my friends will look after you until I return," he tells the wide-eyed boy as he performs several rapid hand seals before slapping his hand down on the scroll. There is suddenly a large poof of smoke and as the smoke begins to clears three dozen Dragons of varying size and color suddenly appear between a now slack jawed Naruto and a still calm Raven.
"Hoga... Koga come forward," Raven says as he puts the now re-rolled scroll away. A small Black Dragons roughly the size of a large horse steps forward and sit in front of Raven awaiting instructions while a tiny green Dragonet lands on the Dragons head. "Hoga," Raven says addressing the Dragonet, "Naruto is to run five laps the field then rest for ten minutes before doing twenty sit-ups and twenty push-ups. After that he can take another ten minute break before repeating the process over again. "You will keep pace and time for him," Raven says as the Dragonet nods. "If I'm not back by noon take him back to the house and wait for me there." Again the tiny creature nods before flying over to sit on the head of a slightly scared Naruto.
"Koga," Raven says addressing the Dragon. "You're in charge until I return," he tells the animal as it nods in understanding. "You and the others are to guard Naruto with your lives and if anyone tries to harm the boy you are to execute them immediately and send Shunta to notify me." The Dragon once again nods before turning around to face the others. They all nod in unison before quickly flying in various directions to patrol the area leaving Koga and a small Blue Dragonet to lie down in the field watching Hoga and Naruto.
Raven looks at Naruto and offers the boy a warm smile. "Don't worry Naruto," he says in a friendly voice, "They won't let anything happen to you, I promise." Raven looks up and notices the position of the now higher sun before looking back at the boy. "I've got to go know but I'll be back as soon as I can," With that he takes of down the path leading from the training field towards the village.
"Raven-sama said for you to run," Hoga says shocking the poor boy. Naruto is so shocked by the fact that the tiny creature can speak that he doesn't even notice the squeaky voice it uses. "You run," the Dragonet tells Naruto before snapping at the boy's bottom, causing him to run as fast as he can around the pond with Hoga hot on his heels. Every time Naruto starts to slow down Hoga snaps at his butt again causing the boy to pick the pace back up. This scene causes the two watching to laugh in voices that are clearly not human.
0o0o0o0o0
Raven pushes open the large double doors to the Council Chamber with enough force to cause them to nearly fly open as he stares across the room from the hallway. The almost thunderous boom caused by the thick wooden doors hitting the opposing walls at the exact same moment causes everyone in the room including the Hokage to jump at least three inches out of their chairs before eyes filled with anger, annoyance and even amusement fall upon the man that just now begins to enter the room giving off an aura for confidence and power that not only captures their attention but prevents even the most hardened of those in attendance from looking away.
'Look at the way they both admire and fear you,' the voice tells him. 'It's like an elixir,' it comments, 'There is no denying how addictively intoxicating the sweet seductive taste of true terror is.'
'Control yourself,' Raven orders the voice. 'Don't forget that it was your addiction that got you in this mess in the first place.' The voice does not answer nor does it really need to. Raven allows the matter to drop as he reaches the center of the large semicircle of tables behind which the entire council is now seated. He allows his eyes to wander from one end of the table to the other as he discerns just how many allies and enemies he has on the council comprised of both civilian and shinobi representatives.
The council is made up of prominent merchants, Clan Heads and Ranking Shinobi along with the Hokage and his former teammates, now his most trusted advisors. Following his initial scan of the room Raven now knows that he is possibly in for a fight whether he wants one or not. 'Shibi, Chouza, Tsume, Shikaku, Inoichi, Haishi and Otousan will support me,' he thinks to himself after running his mental tally. 'Koharu and Homura could go either way just like Fugaku. And of course Danzou would love to have a Jinchuuriki as a weapon under his control. Kami I hate politics.'/i
'But we're so good at it,' the voice almost purrs inside his mind before chuckling at its own joke. 'Neither the Uchiha nor the old man's advisors will be a problem,' the voice tells him, 'Unless I miss my guess they'll more then likely abstain from the vote. Your biggest problems are going to come from the civilians and Danzou who could try getting the shinobi that still harbor old grudges on their side.'
'Not to mention the Bakas that will probably blame me for not being here to help when Kyuubi attacked,' Raven adds. 'As fucked up as it seems you know there will be those that will try and twist this around and blame me for Minato's death by saying I should have been here to fight the Kyuubi myself instead of allowing him and so many other to die. Of course the more sadistic of them will try saying that I plan on releasing the Kyuubi so that we could destroy the village and take over the world,' Raven growls mentally while maintaining a mask of indifference that would make both the Uchiha's and Hyuuga's jealous. In fact it was doing just that as the Head of the Uchiha Clan almost glares at him.
"Why have I been summoned?" Raven inquires. Crossing his arms over his chest he uses tenses specific muscles in his body while using chakra to stick to the floor giving off the illusion of leaning against an invisible wall.
The Hokage takes a puff of his pipe before addressing the man he and his wife raised as a son, "You are here to discuss your adoption of Naruto Uzumaki."
Raven looks to the only 'father' he as ever really known with a raised eyebrow. "Tell me Otousan, since when does a simple adoption require the approval of the Council. Honestly, one would think that the members of this Council would have better things to do then to concern themselves with something as trivial as a simple adoption."
"You will show this Council the proper respect or we'll have you arrested," one of the civilian merchants tells him. "You have no idea what kind of monster that boy is." Before the man could utter another word against Naruto he finds himself pinned against the wall behind him by this throat as his feet dangle off the ground.
All eyes in the room were once again upon Raven as he holds the man up with his left hand. "You will hold your tongue or lose it sir," he warns the man before dropping him to the ground. Standing over the now cowering man he addresses the others, never once taking his eyes off the man trembling at his feet. "You call the boy a monster and a demon," he snarls. "You have no idea what a real monster is nor what a TRUE demon is."
Closing his eyes, Raven takes a calming breath as he moves back towards his spot in front of the council allowing the man's friends to help him back to his seat. "For your information, sir," he says, "I am no stranger. My name is Raven Sarutobi and during the last Great Shinobi War I was known as Konoha No Akuma, The Demon of the Leaf. And like Naruto-kun I too am a Jinchuuriki."
The resulting uproar from the Civilians on the council at Raven's identity is almost deafening and it takes the Hokage several minutes to restore order to the meeting. Once things have settled back down Raven continues.
"I grew up the exact same way Naruto did," he tells them closing his eyes as he tells his story. "I was hated and beaten by the village I was born to before being cast out into the streets by the very people that had cursed me to this existence." He can hear and almost feel the shock and dismay his words cause in those that had not known the full story of his origins. "When I was only five years old the Elders of my village ordered my assassination and if it hadn't been for Otousan finding me in the forest that night I wouldn't be alive now.
"He took me in and gave me a home, but more then that he gave me a family that truly loved me and didn't fear what their neighbors or the council thought. Growing up in the Sarutobi household I learned many things the most important being the 'Will of Fire' and how it connects every person in this village to each other." Raven maintains his mask as he mentally smiles at the silent contemplation his carefully chosen words have cause nearly every member of the council.
"I became a Konoha shinobi and dedicated my life not only to the protection of this village but to the safety of her people. It was during the last Great Shinobi War my secret was revealed and this very council tried to do to me what my first village had done," he growls causing many in the room to retreat as far from him as their chairs would allow. "I fought, bled and nearly died protecting my friends, comrades and this village from enemy shinobi and the thanks I got were three teams of ANBU ordered to kill me." His eyes suddenly snap open revealing green reptilian slitted eyes as he looks around the table, holding the gazes of those that would cause Naruto harm for a few moments before moving on to the next.
"I was enraged at the betrayal this village had shown me and would have gladly torn the council to shreds along with the ANBU sent to carry out their orders if it hadn't been for Otousan and my friends. They are the ones that held ME in check not the Hatibi no Tatsu, the Eight Tailed Dragon. Hell, Hatibi can care less what happens in the world so long as it survives."
'You're laying it on a little thick,' Hatibi warns, 'Although the eyes were a nice touch.'
Raven doesn't reply as he closes his eyes again, taking another breath he gives the illusion of calming his nerves and allowing his anger to subside when in actuality he was waiting for the perfect moment to play his trump card. "I apologize for losing my temper Otousan," Raven says as he opens his normal onyx eyes to meet the Hokage's warm smile. "I will not allow this council to do to Naruto what was done to me."
"Answer me Sarutobi-san," Haishi says attempting to restore order to the meeting. "What are your intensions for the boy?"
"I will raise Naruto as my son the way his mother wished for me to," Raven answers honestly causing yet another uproar. "I will prepare him for the Academy and continue to care for and train him until the time when he is able to care for himself."
"And what of the Kyuubi?" Haishi asks, "What will you teach the boy in regards to the demon?"
"If is possible I will teach him how to harness its power without losing himself to the Bijuu," Raven says, "If that is not possible then I will teach him how to contain the Fox so that it can not harm anyone ever again."
Haishi nods at Raven's answers before looking to the rest of the council. "The Hyuuga Clan has no objections to the boy's adoption."
"NO OBJECTIONS?" one of the council members yells, "Weren't you listening? He just said he's going to teach the boy how to free the Demon."
Haishi glares at the man with his opal eyes as his faces convey only the slightest hint of anger, which for a Hyuuga is paramount to anger. "I heard every word he said clearly. He will teach the boy to either be like himself or to completely seal the Kyuubi away for good."
"Haishi's right," Inoichi says, "Raven-san's service record speaks for itself and since he's also a Jinchuuriki like Naruto who better to care for the boy then another Jinchuuriki? To my knowledge, Raven has over twenty years of experience controlling his Bijuu. I can't think of anyone more qualified to raise the boy."
"This is outrageous," one of the civilians almost shouts. "You expect us to just allow this…this freak to just waltz into our village and train the 'Demon Brat'. Have you gone insane? He should be arrested and the both of them executed.'
"I'd love to see you try," Tsume Inuzuka laughs. "There isn't a shinobi alive that could kill Raven-san," the former Kunoichi tells the civilians, "Not even a Kage."
"She is correct," Shibi Aburame adds, "During the War it was Raven-sama who single handedly destroyed the village Kakougan in a single night." Everyone in the room remembers hearing about that incident. Kakougan, Granite, was Earth Country's second largest Shinobi Village next to Iwa until the entire village was wiped out by an unknown invasion force the completely eradicated every Shinobi in the village in a single night leaving only the civilians alive. Over two thousand shinobi and kunoichi ranging from ANBU to Genin were killed in one night and no one ever knew who was responsible, until now.
Raven remembered that night as well although much differently then everyone else. It was his first and only SSS-Ranked off the books Mission and while it had been a major turning point in the War it had left him completely weak and helpless for almost two months afterwards. The only reason that Shibi even knew about the Mission was due to the fact that Raven had been forced to seek refuge at the Aburame Compound until he was strong enough to protect himself.
"As Troublesome as this all is," Shikaku sighs, "Can we please get back to the matter at hand."
"Of course Nara-san," Raven replies to his lazy friend's request. Resuming his previous leaning he reaches into his coat and pulls out a scroll. He tosses it to the Hokage with a smirk, "This was delivered to me last night," he tells the Council although he fails to mention just how it was delivered. "It is the Last Will and Testament of Naruto's mother and it names me as his legal guardian."
The Hokage smiles as he unrolls the document before retrieving his reading glasses from inside his robes. Once his glasses are in place he begins to read the document aloud to the Council.
'The Last Will and Testament of Kushina Uzumaki'
I Kushina Uzumaki being of sound mind and expanding body, hehe I'm seven months pregnant, do here by leave all of my worldly possessions to my as yet unborn son Naruto Uzumaki in the event of my death. Should his father no longer be among live at the time of my death then I entrust the care and safety of our son to Raven Sarutobi upon his return to Konoha. Should Raven-kun be unable to fulfill this obligation then this duty shall fall to Kakashi Hatake who if also is unable to comply with this request shall pass the well being of my child to whomever the Hokage deems worthy.
Signed,
Kushina Uzumaki
Witnessed By,
Kakashi Hatake
Jiraiya of the Sannin
Asuma Sarutobi
Notarized By
Minato Namikaze the Yondaime Hokage
"That Document is obviously a forgery," one of the council nearly yells. "Who is this Kushina Uzumaki and how come we've never heard of her before and who is the boy's father and why hasn't he come forward to claim his brat?"
"This document is not a forgery," The Hokage replies. "I remember discussing it with her the day Kushina decided to write her will. As to who she is, she was a Chunnin from the former Whirlpool Country that came to Konoha following its destruction during the Last Great Shinobi War. Sadly she passed away shortly after giving birth to Naruto. As for the boy's father… he unfortunately perished while battling Kyuubi, his will has not yet been discovered."
"That settles the matter then," Shibi Aburame says as he begins to rise from his chair. "The boy's mother clearly named Raven-san as his legal guardian. As the document as been authenticated this council no longer has any say in the matter." As he moves to leave the Hokage adjourns the meeting declaring Raven Naruto's legal guarding in accordance with Kushina's will much to the disappointment of the opposition and the delight of the supporters.
After everyone else has left the room Sarutobi looks at Raven with a proud smile. "You know you could have just shown her will in the beginning and saved yourself all the trouble of the hearing," he tells his adopted son.
"Now where's the fun in that Otousan?" Raven asks grinning like the cat that ate the canary.
"Some things will never change," the Hokage laughs as they walk out of the Council Chamber together.
0o0o0o0o0
A/N: Sorry for the rather long delay with this update. As Kakashi would say, "I got lost on the road of life." LOL. Actually I got side tracked working on Master of Puppets and it took me awhile to recollect my thoughts for this chapter. I actually ended up rewriting it half a dozen times before finally coming up with a version I actually liked.
I hope you all enjoyed it and I'll try not to take so long with the next chapter. As always please remember to review and let me know what you think. I'm not too sure about some of the translations I'm using since the on-line translator I found isn't that good and leafninja(dot)com only translates things found in the show. If anyone knows a good website for a decent on-line translator then please let me know.
Until next time.