Sarutobi Hiruzen watched as the two sleeping children slowly woke up. After the initial fawning over the cute children had died down, the clan members had started discussing among themselves over whether the tail that appeared on Naruto was a sign that the demon fox was breaking out.
Of course, the Hokage had told them all that if the demon really was breaking loose, then they would be fighting for their lives instead of standing around peacefully, which seemed to mostly put their concerns to rest, at least for now. Besides, that vile chakra of the demon would have been leaking all over the place, and it wouldn't take a sensor to feel the rage and hate contained in it. The older members of the clan remembered the feeling of the fox's chakra, and they would certainly know if it got out again.
Naruto was the first to wake up, and grinned when he saw the old man looking back at him. He tried to move his tail, but Hinata was gripping it rather tightly and wouldn't let go. Tamamo ended up letting the tail dissolve back into mana, and Hiruzen watched with interest as it faded away into golden motes of light. Hinata started waking up when she realized that her fluffy tail wasn't there anymore.
Interesting, Hiruzen thought to himself. I've never seen Kushina materialize a tail like that before. I wonder if Naruto gained a small measure of control over the fox's power, even if he doesn't know it.
"Good morning, Naruto-kun. How are you feeling?" Hiruzen asked.
"I feel great, old man!"
The old man just chuckled. "That's good to know. I see your injuries are healed. Could you take off your shirt so I can see if your body is fine?"
"Sure." Naruto complied and removed his top.
"Now just close your eyes, this won't take long." Hiruzen made hand seals for the Mystical Palm technique and ran it over his body. While Naruto had his eyes closed, he poked a finger at the boy's stomach, making seal markings appear on his skin. He quickly did a check on the seal.
The seal looks perfectly fine for now. There shouldn't be any trouble, he thought to himself.
Pulling back his hands, he allowed Naruto to pull his clothes back on as Hinata got out of bed.
"Wow, I didn't know you were a doctor, jiji!"
"People used to call me "The Professor". I know every jutsu in this village except clan techniques."
"C-can you teach me?" Naruto asked with wide eyes.
"Maybe when you're older, I will. Ah, good morning, Hinata-chan."
"G-good morning, Hokage-sama."
"I believe your mother wants you both to go and eat breakfast. Why don't the both of you get ready? She'll be here soon." Hiruzen asked and both children nodded.
"By the way, Naruto. I don't know if you're aware of it, but you should avoid showing your fox ears and tail in public, especially not when there are villagers around."
"Huh? Why?" Naruto asked.
"The villagers can become...afraid... if they saw. They fear what they do not understand."
Naruto scrunched up his face, deep in thought.
Just do what he says, Naruto-chan.
"Okay, I'll do it, old man!"
"Very good. I'll drop by later today." Hiruzen replied before exiting the room.
The two children changed into the clothes that were left for them next to the bed, and Hinata spoke up.
"A-ano, what was that strange mark on your belly?" Hinata asked.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Naruto asked as he lifted up his shirt, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.
"T-the Hokage poked your stomach, l-like this." Hinata poked at Naruto's stomach, but nothing happened besides making him laugh.
"T-that tickles!" Naruto choked out.
"S-sorry..." Hinata poked her fingers together.
"It's fine." Naruto grinned. "Let's go!"
Hinata watched in shock at the speed that Naruto was eating his food, while Hitomi looked on with a bemused expression.
"I was really hungry," Naruto explained sheepishly.
"We are going to teach you some manners later, young man." Hitomi jokingly scolded.
Hinata giggled while her mother just smiled.
"Where's otou-san?" Hinata asked.
"He's in a council meeting with the Hokage, dear. They're...talking about the ninja who tried to kidnap you. It turns out he was from Kumogakure."
Hinata just stayed silent while Naruto spoke up.
"But the old man's gonna send him away, right?"
"Of course. The Hokage will deal with it, so don't worry."
The rest of the breakfast was eaten in comfortable silence.
The Hokage had just finished penning a very strongly worded letter to the Raikage. To think the ambassador, who was also their head ninja, would try to kidnap the Hyuuga heiress on the same day the peace treaty between Kumo and Konoha was signed...
The Raikage had demanded that they send the ninja that attacked their own ninja, no doubt expecting a Hyuuga, and the Hokage had cheekily replied that it was no ninja that attacked, but rather a three year old boy. There was no way in hell that Hiruzen would hand Naruto over to them, and for once the council seemed to be in agreement.
They would end up being the laughing stock of the shinobi world once the word got out to the other villages. The Hokage knew that Konoha had the upper hand in this incident and the fact that Kumo broke a treaty as soon as it was signed and their head ninja got beaten by a three year old would deliver a very heavy blow to their reputation. Since the head ninja wasn't killed and had information interrogated out of him, Kumo couldn't demand the body of a Konoha-nin either.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was no warmonger and so he did not dissolve the peace treaty. However, he made it very clear that Kumo-nin were no longer welcome in Fire Country and trespassers would be dealt with harshly.
Sighing to himself, he rolled up the scroll he was writing on and had his secretary deal with it, before exiting his office. Maybe he would take Naruto out for lunch or something.
Naruto stood with Hiashi as they watched various clan members train in their Juuken, or Gentle Fist.
Well, that's interesting. To think that those light taps can cause so much internal damage. Tamamo noted.
"Wow, cool! Can I learn to fight like that?"
"Unfortunately, I am afraid not. The Juuken is unique to our clan, and requires our eyes, the Byakugan, to perform."
"What's that?" Naruto asked in confusion.
"It is our bloodline," Hiashi replied as veins bulged near his eyes. "It allows us to see 360 degrees around us and lets us see through objects. We can also see chakra and the tenketsu along the chakra pathways."
Hiashi forgot that he was talking to a three year old, judging by the blank look on Naruto's face, although Tamamo understood some of it.
"Basically, it lets us see all around us without having to turn our heads." Hiashi simplified his explanation for Naruto's benefit.
"That's amazing!" Naruto replied with stars in his eyes.
Wow, what a cheat skill. Seeing through objects too. Those remind me of Mystic Eyes... I wonder what tenketsu are...
"You may not be able to use our Juuken, but I'm sure that the basic Academy Style taijutsu will serve you well. Eventually you'll learn another style that suits you, that won't require our special eyes."
Naruto looked a bit disappointed, but he quickly got over it.
Hey, Tamamo. Do you know fighting styles?
Eh? Well I have my own style which I created myself. And then there's the Polygamist Castration Fist. Perfect for dealing with perverts. Tamamo replied proudly.
C-Can you teach me? Naruto asked, even though he didn't know what "polygamist" or "castration" meant.
Hmm... I think I can start teaching you when they start training you in this "Academy Style". It sounds basic, which should give you a good start. Eh? But then I'll have to give up my appearance of a frail maiden...
While Tamamo started rambling to herself mentally and Naruto was trying to calm her down, the Hokage walked in.
"Hokage-sama. Are you well?" Hiashi greeted with a small bow. The Hokage didn't have his hat on, indicating that he wasn't here for any official business.
"I am well, Hiashi-sama. I just completed another pile of paperwork. Recent events have created plenty of it, as you might imagine." The Hokage replied, as Hiashi nodded sympathetically. As a clan head, he had his own fair share of paperwork as well.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" Hiashi asked.
"I just wanted to take young Naruto here for a walk around the village, and take him out for lunch while I'm at it."
"I'm sure he'll agree. Isn't that right, Naruto?"
"Huh? Of course I'll go with you, old man! Can Hinata-chan come too?"
The Hokage raised an eyebrow. "Of course she is welcome to come along. If her father approves, that is."
Naruto did his best impression of puppy-eyes that even Hiashi couldn't say no to, not that he was planning on refusing the boy in the first place.
"Hinata is with her mother in that room down the hallway. Go ahead and ask her to come with you."
Naruto smiled and took off running to find his friend while the Hokage just looked amused.
"Hokage-sama, if I may propose something to you."
"Hm? What sort of proposal is it?"
"I would like to take in Naruto. He deserves better."
The Hokage had a look of deep thought on his face.
"You know that the boy is not allowed to be affiliated with any clan, for obvious reasons."
"I do not wish to adopt the boy, or to make him into a Hyuuga. I merely wish to provide him with shelter, even for a little while."
"Well...it does seem that Naruto ran away from the orphanage that night, from what I have heard from the ninja I sent there to investigate. It appears that his life there was very lonesome." the Hokage replied while looking at the sky. "To be honest, if I could have my way, I'd have taken the boy in myself, politics be damned."
"My wife was quite adamant about this, and my daughter has grown quite attached to the boy. We both heard from Hinata about the injuries the boy received, he was in a lot of pain, even if the injuries have healed due to the fox's power."
"Ah, yes. It would seem that he can exert some control over the fox's power, since it seemed that he did not go out of control at all. Judging from the injuries he inflicted on the kidnapper, it would seem that he was quite...coordinated."
"The Hyuuga owe him a debt, and I don't intend to leave it unpaid. The boy's actions have changed my opinion of him. He has saved my daughter from a fate worse than death, which is why I implore you to provide your support, Hokage-sama."
The Hokage closed his eyes before replying. "Very well. I owe it to the boy, and the Yondaime as well, since he wanted the boy to be seen as a hero. For the both of them, I'll fight the council."
"Thank you very much, Hokage-sama. Also, it seems my wife and brother have figured out his parentage, judging by his last name and his appearance..."
"And you will remember that his lineage is an S-class secret, punishable by death if exposed." The Hokage sighed. "I have told absolutely no one of this secret, and I would like to keep it that way. And I believe those that knew Kushina also know very well why it is to be never spoken of in public. I don't want to draw any attention to him, especially from abroad. I would not want foreign villages to start sending assassins after him. Even if I did reveal his lineage to the public, I am afraid that the villagers are too deeply rooted in their hate to treat him any differently."
"Do you intend on telling Naruto?"
"I will tell him when he's ready. He is still too young to understand, and I'd rather not have him deal with his burden or his family tree just yet. You've seen how he acts, the poor boy is starving for attention."
"I cannot blame him for that." Hiashi sighed.
"I try to talk to him when I can make time in my schedule. Perhaps I should get Jiraiya to come back and see the child."
"It would be good for him to have more people he can be close to in his life."
"Anyways, I'll accept your proposal. I trust that you have prepared a place for him to stay in your compound?"
"There is a small unused cottage next to the main building of the compound. It is not in the best condition at the moment, but I can easily send for some people to renovate it properly. In the meantime, I will have Naruto stay with my family. Afterwards, I'll have some clan members assigned to watch over the boy once he gets situated into his new home."
"Do you believe that your clan will accept the boy? Remember that you also have to provide Naruto with the proper education. I would like it if he became a ninja, and I'm certain that his parents would wish for the same thing. I don't think that the civilians would ever understand him."
"Judging by the reaction this morning, I would say that the majority of them don't mind his presence. As a matter of fact, I believe that some of the younger members in the clan have taken quite the liking to him. The older members will need some time before they accept him, but I believe they will tolerate his presence at the very least."
"That's good to hear. I'll fund the cost of his stay. I want to reinforce the image that he isn't dependent on your clan to live, but merely living on your land, which could lessen some of the possible complaints from the council. If he's anything like his parents, I'm certain that he will do well."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama. He will be sheltered as a guest of the clan and be provided with a proper education to be prepared for the academy."
"No, thank you, Hiashi. You've done a great service for the boy."
The Hokage walked through the village, with two children in tow. Naruto and Hinata took in the surroundings with wide eyes. Hinata never left the compound much, while Naruto was usually cooped up in the orphanage.
Hiruzen noticed that most of the villagers seemed to be glaring at Naruto and frowned, but at least he knew that no one would dare to try anything with him around. Especially with the ANBU he had following him and the children around.
Naruto and Hinata also seemed to notice the glares, although they didn't know why the villagers were doing it. Tamamo also noticed it and frowned.
"Ne, ne, what does the Hokage do, old man?" Naruto asked as they continued to walk around the village. Truth be told, Tamamo was also quite curious. Obviously the old man was quite important if he could walk around people's clan compounds and order masked ninja around.
The old man looked up in thought as he decided how to best explain the position of Hokage to a three year old.
"The Hokage is the leader of the village, and is considered to be the strongest ninja in the village as well."
"But, but you're so old!"
"You don't get to live this long without knowing some tricks up your sleeves. It's precisely because I'm strong that I got to live to be this old." The Hokage chuckled at the looks of amazement on both of the children's faces.
"But the Hokage doesn't just lead the people. He must also guide and protect the village as well. The village is like one big family, so when the ninjas of this village fight, they not only fight for the village, but also to protect their comrades and loved ones. This is why Konoha is the strongest ninja village."
He pat the children on the head as they looked up at him in awe.
"Now, why don't we go get some food?" he asked and they both nodded.
"Hmm...what to eat for lunch." the Hokage muttered to himself. However, Naruto caught the scent of something good.
"What's that, old man?" Naruto pointed at a nearby stall.
"It's called ramen. Have you two ever tried ramen before?" he asked, and both children shook their heads.
"Very well, let's head there, then. I'm sure you'll like it."
He helped the two children onto the tall stools as a young girl and an older man appeared from behind the stall.
"Welcome to Ichiraku's Ramen- H-Hokage-sama?"
"Indeed it is," the Hokage replied with a grin. "I was taking these two out for lunch when this young man smelled something delicious nearby. Why don't the both of you introduce yourselves?"
"M-my name is H-Hyuuga Hinata." Hinata gave a small bow.
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto copied Hinata and gave a small bow as well.
"Such polite children! I'm Ichiraku Teuchi, and this is my daughter Ayame." The both of the bowed back.
"This is their first time eating ramen. Why don't you recommend something for them?" the Hokage asked.
"First time eating ramen? Your first bowls will be on the house today! Miso ramen is always a good choice. What would you like, Hokage-sama?"
"I'll take one miso ramen as well, then."
"Very well, three miso ramen coming right up."
Soon enough, three piping hot bowls of ramen appeared and they all dug in.
Hinata thought it was delicious, Naruto thought it was the most amazing thing that he'd ever eaten.
Everyone watched in amazement as Naruto appeared to be inhaling the contents of the bowl. Even Tamamo was surprised that the boy was capable of eating that fast.
"Wow, that was so good! Can I have another?"
Hinata and Hiruzen both ate one bowl while Naruto downed two bowls.
The Hokage pulled out some ryo and paid for the food. They all waved goodbye to the nice people at the ramen stand and promised to come back some other time.
"Now, it's time to take you both back to the compound. I have good news for you, Naruto. Hinata's father has agreed to let you stay with his family. Once you get back, he'll tell you the details."
"Y-you mean I don't have to go back to the orphanage anymore?!"
Hiruzen nodded as Naruto began jumping for joy.
"We can stay together, Hinata!" Naruto excitedly hugged Hinata, who was more subdued but equally happy and hugged him back.
He just smiled at the happy children before leading them back.
"Hey, old man. Can you show us a cool technique?"
"Well, I guess we have a bit of time to spare."
He racked his mind for a technique that was sufficiently flashy without being too destructive.
"Hm, this should do." Hiruzen muttered as he pulled out a shuriken.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Three more copies of the Hokage appeared while the two children watched with their mouths open. All four Hokages gently threw their shuriken forward.
"Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Instantly, the four shuriken suddenly became twelve shuriken as they all fell down onto the ground. When the clones all dispelled, only the original real shuriken was embedded in the ground, but the ground was littered with marks left by the cloned shuriken.
Wow, that was impressive. I wonder if I could learn the jutsus in this world.
Yeah, we can learn together, Tamamo!
"Wow, that was so awesome, jiji! Can you show me how to do that?" Naruto asked excitedly. Hinata wasn't quite as expressive but on the inside she also wanted to get stronger.
"Maybe when you're both older, I'll teach you both how to do that. In the meantime, work hard and get strong, okay?" the Hokage replied, and both children nodded enthusiastically.
"Come on now, let's be on our way." The Hokage started walking again with each of them holding hands.
After they arrived safely at the front gates, Hiashi took the children in while Hitomi thanked the Hokage profusely for allowing them to care for Naruto. The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. Hitomi spent time with the two of them, and Naruto somehow managed to end up with a group of branch family members chasing after him in the training grounds. He had only been in the Hyuuga compound for less than a day and he was already making the whole place more lively.
Eventually it was bedtime, so as usual, Hitomi tucked Hinata, along with Naruto, into their little bed. Hiashi raised an eyebrow as he watched his daughter automatically latch on to Naruto as soon as his wife backed away from the bed, followed by Naruto wrapping his tail around her.
"Don't you think they're so cute? It's almost as though they're talking to each other in their dreams!" Hitomi was fawning over the children, as usual. Little did she know how spot on her last statement was.
But still, Hiashi thought to himself, the son of a kage wasn't so bad. Considering the alternatives that the clan elders would undoubtedly try to push onto his daughter when she was older, she could honestly do a lot worse. The only issue was that it was an S-ranked secret, making it basically impossible to convince the clan council with.
I'll just deal with it when the time comes, Hiashi thought to himself as he walked into his bedroom with his wife.
Don't worry, there will be a time skip in the next chapter so things will start to pick up.