The first night went well but on the second night all hell broke lose. Out of nowhere they were stopped by a bunch of extremely powerful rogue ninjas. They all fought well but Naruto had to use his Odama rasengan to stop them. The rogue ninjas were all defeated and killed and they got ready to continue on. Naruto took to steps and then felt himself begin to fall. The last thing he heard was Sakura screaming his name before darkness claimed him.
When he regained consciousness, he was lying under a tree with Sakura checking over him.
"Oh thank god you're finally conscious again!" she said relieved. "Your body is using up a lot of your chakra because your pregnant."
"Yeah I know, chi told me." said Naruto. "Its because I'm having more than one kit. It takes a lot to maintain them all."
"Why didn't you say you were feeling tired sooner Naruto?" asked Sakura upset and worried.
"That's because I wasn't really all that tired." said Naruto. "Its actually because I used the rasengan that I fainted. Think about it , rasengan is a ball of chakra so it actually takes chakra from my body just like your healing jutsu does to you. I didn't get to absorb it back because I fainted." he explained.
Sakura nodded in understanding. "Still," she said. "You need to rest so we'll stay here for tonight . Now go back to sleep."
Naruto nodded and drifted off. The others quickly set up camp and Neji and Sai went to find food while the others stood on guard. As soon as dinner was ready, Sakura woke Naruto and made sure he ate and took his vitamins. They slept through the night peacefully and started back to Konoha the next day.
Naruto was a little embarrassed by all the attention he was receiving but he knew better than to argue with Sakura. Sakura checked him over again and then she turned to Sai.
"Sai , please send a message to Tsunade-sama to tell her that we'll be arriving a little late tomorrow night since we'll be making numerous stops on the way." she said.
Sai nodded and began to send the message.
"What's going on ?" Kakashi asked worriedly.
He knew that his Ruka would kill him if anything happened to their adopted son.
While she continued to use her chakra to check him over she said. "Well as you know Naruto will probably be having more than one babies since he is a fox demon now. Well the thing is , his body is using up a lot of his chakra to protect and help the babies grow. This is quite normal except for the fact that these babies are unique. Babies with bloodline traits tend to use up more chakra as they grow and these babies have two, the Kyuubi and the sharingan. There is also the fact that this is the first trimester and it is the most dangerous time for any mother. He will have to be extra careful for the next few months." she told them all.
"Will my kits be okay?" Naruto asked nervously.
Sakura smiled and nodded. "Yes they will. You have an unusual amount of chakra because of the Kyuubi and as the babies continue to grow they will need less and less. Don't worry I'll be watching over you and these babies personally." she told him reassuringly.
"Our kits will be fine so don't worry brat." sent Chiyuki affectionately.
"Okay Chi." said Naruto , then he fell asleep.
The next day went smoothly, they occasionally stopped to give Naruto a chance to rest a bit before continuing on. When they finally reached Konoha, it was late in the evening. They immediately reported to the Hokage tower at Naruto's insistence.
Lady Tsunade was fast asleep on a bunch of papers.
"Tsunade-sama," called Sakura softly, trying to wake her.
"Jiraiya stop trying to peep in the women's bath you perv." Tsunade screamed out as she woke up.
Everyone began to laugh, even the Anbus on guard duty.
"So you've been getting more complaints on Jiraiya I see." said Naruto.
Tsunade flushed a bit then remembered the delay.
"Hey brat, how are you feeling?" she asked as she walked around the desk and began using her chakra to check on the babies.
"I'm feeling rather good actually." said Naruto. "But I would kill for a bowl of ramen with a large fish, onion and apples floating in it with mustard on top all at the same time."
Tsunade and the others looked at him in surprise, then she smiled.
"So the cravings have started then." she said and the she sent Sai to go get what Naruto wanted to eat.
"So how was the mission?" she asked resuming her seat.
Everyone turned to look at Naruto since it was technically his mission.
"It was a success Tsunade-sama." he said. "We not only secured trades between the two villages but I managed to strengthen our ties with them too. There is also something I would like to discuss with you as well."
Tsunade brightened upon hearing that and nodded. "Good work brat." she said. "Now go home to bed and report here first thing tomorrow. Sakura go with him and check him over when he gets there. Kakashi stay here for a minute."
Everyone nodded and after Saying goodbye to Tsunade and Shizune, Naruto, Neji and Sakura left.
Kakashi turned to Tsunade and waited.
"So how did everything with Naruto work out at the conference in your opinion?" she asked him.
He smiled under his mask. "It went even better than you would ever have guessed Tsunade-sama. He strengthened our ties with the other villages immensely and left them all in awe. He raised insightful points and made both sides think it was all their idea. He is a very good diplomat and I think he will make a very good Hokage. On a personal note, when he went to Sunagakure, he was welcomed as a hero there and all the villages loved him . He actually knew most of them by name and spent a lot of time visiting with them when he wasn't working. It was clear that he had done this before. He also has a knowledge rivaling yours on herbal remedies. He and Sakura helped the Kazekage since Naruto realized that it was possible that Gaara might be able to conceive too and he used some of his demon Chakra to help his uterus fully develop. Gaara actually smiled , he was so happy." he told her proudly.
Tsunade smiled happily. "Do you know what he wants to talk to me about?" she asked.
He nodded. "No but I have a feeling its about Neji. Listen to what he has to say and remember that his main interest has always been for the good of this village." he advised.
Tsunade nodded and after thanking him, she allowed him to leave. Her little kyuubi brat had really improved. The only regret she had was the cause of such and improvement, Sasuke would pay.
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Neji went to cut Sai off on his way home to tell him where to find Naruto. He smiled when he thought of the fact that had immediately requested a meeting on his behalf even though he himself wasn't feeling all that great. Naruto really was a great person.
Naruto and Sakura went to his house and was immediately accosted by Iruka. Iruka ordered him to go take a shower after Sakura had checked him over and after collecting his meal from Sai gratefully, Naruto went to his room after eating, took a shower, wrote his report on the mission and went to bed.
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the next morning...
The next morning Naruto woke up early and went through his usual routine, then he hurried out of the house with his report to see Tsunade after leaving a note for Iruka.
When he got there Tsunade was fast asleep at her desk with a bottle of Sake nearby. It looked as if she hadn't even made it home at all. He reached over and shook her awake.
"One more bet." she yelled as she woke up.
Then she saw Naruto grinning at her and realized where she was.
"Hey brat, what are you doing back here again tonight?" she asked confused.
"Tsunade-sama its morning now." he said calmly.
"Oh," she said, feeling a bit foolish.
Then she noticed he was wearing the official Chunin gear and arched a brow. He sat on the chair infront of her and waited patiently for her to pull herself together after sending one of the Anbu to get her some tea. Then he began to speak.
"Tsunade-sama , I have something important I want to discuss with you ." he said. "Please just hear me out completely before you decide okay?"
Tsunade nodded. "So what's on your mind brat?" she asked.
"Well," he started, scratching his whisker marks. "Its about Neji. He has been Gaara's lover for the last two years as you know and now that it is possible for Gaara to conceive , its only natural that they want to be together. I'm sure that that isn't enough to convince the council or the Hyuga clan but think of all the political advantages." then he explained it all to her and waited for her decision.
Tsunade looked over at the blond before her. He had changed so much in the last few weeks. Before , he would have stormed in and demanded what he wanted like a child and then throw a fit, but instead here he was making a formal request and acting like an adult. It both made her happy and broke her heart.
"Listen Brat." she said. " the reason I had asked you to come back here this morning was to begin training as the Rokudaime. But since you've already started working even before I told you, here is what we'll do. I am in complete agreement with your decision and I am going to let you address the council on the matter and then figure out where to go from there." she told him.
He smiled gratefully. "Thank you Tsunade-baachan." he said.
Tsunade grinned and got up. Then she sent a ninja with a message to the council room before turning to Naruto.
"How about we go have some ramen for breakfast then go address the council?" she asked.
He nodded, never really one to pass up free ramen and went with her. They went to Ichiraku's and after eating an almost insane amount of noodle, they began making there way to the council room.
"I'm so proud of you Naruto." said Tsunade, looking a bit teary eyed. "You really have come a long way from the hot-headed little brat that challenged me."
Naruto smiled a bit at that shared memory. "I was still so naive then." he said. "Life really does change people."
She nodded. "Yes it does." she agreed. "But in your case , all your experiences, the good and the bad, made you into the wonderful man you are today. Whenever I see you, I feel happy knowing that this village will be in good hands."
Just then they reached the council room. He stopped and turned to her before they entered.
"I will make the dream of your husband and your brother reality." he said firmly. "Thank you for everything Tsunade -baachan, you've become the mother that I always prayed for."
Tsunade smiled and patted him on his head, then they turned and entered the council room.
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with the council...
They entered the council room and after exchanging greetings, Naruto was told to sit in the middle of the room. He obeyed and saw Lady Tsunade standing off to the side observing. He felt happy that she felt he was strong enough to face them alone.
"Uzumaki Naruto, Rokudaime of our village, you wish to address this council?" said the chairman.
Naruto answered firmly. "Yes I do sir." he said. He knew that most of these people hated him but he didnt care, he would bare it for his friends happiness.
"Then you have our permission to do so." the chairman replied.
"Thank you all very much." Naruto said politely. Then he began to speak. "I would like to petition the council on not only Neji Hyugas behalf but on this village's future as well. As I'm sure you're all aware, Neji Hyuga and the Kazekage of Sunagakure have been in a relationship for some time. It has been discovered that, like me the former Jinchiruuki can actually conceive. They would like to continue there relationship and have Neji move there permanently. I know that you are all worried about the Hyuga kekkai genkai but that need not be a concern in this case. Think of the advantages of such a union. The two villages will not only be allied by oath but by blood as well. Any children they produce will be powerful and allied to both villages. They may not be as powerful as the babies I'm currently carrying but the fact still remains that they will both have the residual power of the former demon Gaara held as well as a bloodline trait. There is also the fact that Neji will be their and will be able to keep an eye out on our interests. There is also a ninety-nine percent chance that there offspring will inherit the Kazekage position after Gaara. So you would not only have someone there watching our backs from the frontlines, but a powerful alliance of blood as well as knowing that the future leader of that village will be one of us." he told them all.
The council had listened through all this , their emotions going from hate of this boy to outrage at his proposal to cold calculation and greed at being able to keep and eye on things as well as future partial control of Suna. They talked among themselves for a while after sending Naruto and Tsunade outside. Then after almost an hour, they called him back in.
"Very well." said the chairman. "We'll allow it."
Naruto stood up and bowed formally to the council. "Thank you all for your decision and wisdom." he told them politely.
"You will go immediately to the Hyuga household and discuss this with the head of the clan." said the chairman.
Naruto Nodded. "Yes sir and thank you again." he said.
Then he and Tsunade left the council room, not knowing that he had just managed to impress more than half of the council.
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As soon as they were away from the council, Tsunade glomped him.
"Good job Naruto, you just made me really proud." she said happily.
Naruto hugged her back, struggling to breathe as he was being smothered by her boobs. She noticed and released the poor man.
"Thanks Tsunade-sama." he said. "I couldn't do it without you. Now I better hurry over to the Hyuga clan." he told her.
Tsunade nodded and watched him go with pride in her eyes. He was the grandson of her heart.
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with the Hyugas...
Naruto hurried to the Hyuga clan estate and immediately requested an audience with the head of the clan, Hiashi's father. He was taken to a private sitting room and served tea while he waited. They all knew he was now their Rokudaime and so he was treated with respect. Naruto stood and bowed when the clan leader entered , followed by Hinata and her sister Hanabi.
"Lord Hyuga , Ladies Hyuga I apologize for stopping by with prior notice." he told them formally.
Lord Hyuga nodded and motioned for him to sit. This boy had not only beaten Neji in a fair fight, but had given Hinata the courage she needed to become stronger and make her worthy of honor and respect as the clans future leader.
"What can I do for you Rokudaime Uzumaki?" lord Hyuga asked.
He noticed that the boy firmed his resolve and looked him directly in the eye before speaking.
"Lord Hyuga, I have just left a meeting with the council in regards to Neji Hyuga's possible move to Sunagakure in order to solidify our alliance there and they have given there permission. I am here now to formally request your approval out of respect for you and your clan. " he started , then he explained his reasons. He didnt tell them about Neji's relationship with the Kazekage just yet.
When he was done he sat quietly and waited for the lord to speak. Lord Hyuga had listened but was still a bit reluctant to agree.
"This would mean that one of our clansmen would be living away from us in a foreign land among strangers. I don't know if I can agree to that Rokudaime Uzumaki." said Lord Hyuga.
Naruto nodded. "I'm well aware of that lord Hyuga but Neji would not really be among strangers as he is loved by everyone there and is considered an honored lord and hero. He is also the chosen mate of the current Kazekage." he said and watched as the lord's eyes widen in surprise but he continued on. "There are times when we must all do what is necessary to protect this village lord Hyuga. I myself am carrying the children of Uchiha Sasuke in my womb. The circumstances that gave me these children were not ideal , but I will bare them anyway not only because I want them, but because it will finally restore the Uchiha bloodline to this village." he said simply.
Lord Hyuga looked over at the boy. He knew that what Naruto said was true and had been informed of the rape when he had found Hinata crying and training angrily after she had been informed. He also knew that no one had suffered more and for this village than the Rokudaime and yet here he was still fighting to protect it. His respect for the younger man grew and he felt regret that this boy wasn't meant for Hinata. He would have made a fine son-in-law.
"Very well Rokudaime Uzumaki." said the lord. "I will call Neji to hear his opinion and if he wants to go, then I'll allow it."
Naruto smiled gratefully. "Thank you Lord Hyuga." he said.
Lord Hyuga nodded in acknowledgment of his answer and then sent a servant to call Neji. Neji came in and was surprised to see Naruto. He bowed before his uncle and greeted them , then he waited for his uncle to speak.
Lord Hyuga looked over at Neji. "Rokudaime Uzumaki has requested that you move to Sunagakure permanently both as a diplomat and mate of the Kazekage. Is this what you want?" he asked simply.
Neji face lit up and he smiled for the first time in his uncles presence, surprising him.
"Yes uncle, I would love to go." he said enthusiastically, then he calmed down. "If that is alright with you of course."
Lord Hyuga looked at the happy man and knew what he had to do.
"Very well Neji, you may go. I will remove your seal as soon as you are packed and ready to go." he said.
Neji grinned happily. "Thank you my lord." he said.
Lord Hyuga nodded and dismissed him and Neji actually ran out the door. The lord looked over at Naruto to see him smiling at his friends unusual exit with a slightly sad and wistful expression on his face. Then Naruto turned to him and as if a switch had been flipped his face went blank, actually surprising the lord. He found himself very curious about the Kyuubi vessel.
"Thank you very much Lord Hyuga." said Naruto formally. "I will take my leave now as I have disturbed you for more than enough for one morning."
lord Hyuga nodded. "It was a welcomed visit Rokudaime Uzumaki." he said. "I would like it very much if you sometimes dropped by for a visit." he told the boy, surprising everyone in the room, including the servants.
Naruto smiled and nodded. "Thank you very much Lord Hyuga, I would like that as well." he said formally. Then after saying goodbye again to them all, he left.
As he walked out the door and began to make his way off the estate , Neji ran up to him.
"Naruto thank you so much for this." Neji said gratefully.
Naruto smiled. "I always keep my word Neji, its my ninja way. I told you before, people who love each other as much as you two do should not be apart." he said, then. "I will be expecting a visit from you two when I finally give birth to my litter."
Neji smiled and nodded. "Count on it Rokudaime-sama." he said.
Naruto grinned and patted him on the back. "Just take care of each other and hurry up and give my kits some company." he said. "Now I'll see you later, I have a certain craving for ramen with mustard and fish floating in it."
Neji looked a bit green at that but allowed him to leave. " I hope it all works out for you as well Naruto," he thought to himself. "You deserve to be happy too."
Then he remembered what Naruto had said to him at the Chunin exam so long ago.
"When I become Hokage I will change the Hyuga clan."
"You've already done that Naruto, at least for me." he said with a smile, then he hurried off to go pack.
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with Naruto...
When Naruto finally returned to Tsunade's office, he was surprised to find his own desk waiting for him. Shizune gave him a huge pile of paperwork and after a brief explanation, left him to it. He was surprisingly good at it and had come a long way from the brat who was pretending to be stupid and had just written his name on the Chunin exam test sheet.
Tsunade was overjoyed to here this and promptly left all the paperwork to him. He sat in on meetings , watched as she gave out assignments etc. he even gave Tsunade herself a few useful tips and advice on how to do certain things more efficiently. Shizune was in seventh heaven to actually be getting so much work completed in one day. There was no doubt about it, Naruto would make a great Hokage.
He also had Tsunade send her fastest eagle to give the good news to Gaara.
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meanwhile with Sasuke...
He was outside training when he saw a little orange kitsune run by him. He stopped and looked at it for a minute. The fox reminded him so much of Naruto and he watched as it playfully began to chase a squirrel. The squirrel scampered up the tree and the fox tried to go after it but kept on falling down. He watched as the fox stopped for a bit and cocked its head to the side as if thinking deeply. Then it ran to a nearby tree that was easier to climb and sped up as it jumped across to the other tree containing the squirrel. It caught the squirrel and they fell to the ground. That was when it got strange, he thought that the fox would try to eat the squirrel but instead, it licked it with its tongue as if apologizing for causing him to fall out of the tree. Then the squirrel jumped on the fox's back and turned and looked straight at Sasuke as if trying to tell him something. It turned away and trotted off with its friend.
Sasuke watched them go and began to think about Naruto again. Naruto was always trying to catch him and bring him back. But when they had finally connected , he had raped him and left him there. He began to wonder if Naruto would ever forgive him. He sighed in frustration.
"Stop thinking about that little fool. He got what he deserved. You don't need him or his forgiveness." he told himself.
But as he looked up at the bright sunshine, the exact color of Naruto's hair, he began to wonder.
Tbc
authors note: hello again. Thank you for taking the time out to read my story. I know that fox and squirrels don't normally act that way to each other but go with it. thank you all again and please review. See you at the end of the next chapter. Ja ne.