You guys are awesome!
Sorry about the wait, but I had a car accident on Last Monday, so it set me back a few days. However, I am back up and good to go. In addition, I'm going to do my absolute best to update at least every two weeks.
And without any more delay, here is the next Chapter. Chapter 29: Uzumaki
There it was a sense of anticipation and accomplishment that stirred within Tsunade as she waited for the Shinobi Council to make their recommendations for Chunin promotions. She had read all of the reports and notes on each applicant's actions and scoring, but she hadn't been there. It went without saying, of course, that Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Hinata Hyuga would be passing along with a few others, but she was interested to see what the Council's views were.
The Slug Sannin wasn't too proud to privately admit that she was new to the political game of this level, and the Council's reaction would go a long way in informing her of what their motives were and how they viewed the actions of others. Moving towards the Council door with the ease of a battle tested kunoichi, Tsunade glanced at one of the ANBU guards standing outside the door. The ANBU's mask was painted to resemble a Tiger. "Tiger." Tsunade stopped in front of the elite ninja, "What have they been talking about inside the council chamber?"
Tiger straightened even more and saluted before giving his report. "Hokage-Sama, The council quickly deemed Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Sasuke Uchiha as Chunin ranks. In addition, Sakura Haruno and Hinata Hyuga were also named in the recommendation list." He paused, knowing that the next statement might provoke what was secretly called 'Mamma Bear Mode' from Tsunade. "They have spent these last two hours debating about Naruto Uzumaki."
"I see." Tsunade's tone gave nothing away. "In that case, I will be entering. If you please." She gestured to the Council door. While she could have easily opened it herself, Tsunade was attempting to create an image of herself in the minds of the Council. She was reasonable and approachable. She was the Fifth Hokage and carried herself with all of the authority her station gave her. Unless it came to Naruto Uzumaki. Then she was much closer to the Slug Sannin, whose only current goal was making sure no one harmed her godson.
Tiger bowed. Moving in front of the arched door, the ANBU pushed the door open, letting the furious debate spill out into the corridor.
"We can't promote the Uzumaki!" An irate voice cried, "Who knows what he will do with the extra power."
Shikaku Nara fought the illogical urge to slam his head against the table. They had been at this for the better part of two hours, and none of the -for lack of better term - 'Naruto haters' could come up with any solid or realistic reason why the more-than-qualified Genin shouldn't be promoted. It was mostly vague references and thinly-veiled hate. Were it not such a serious topic, the Nara would have been amused at their unwillingness to directly say what they all thought Naruto really was; as if saying it out loud would bring the Kyubi crashing through the door.
Granted, there was several problems that would undoubtedly arise if Naruto Uzumaki was granted Chunin rank, but those problems were less than the issues that would arise if they didn't grant him the increased rank. But Shikaku had put considerable thought into how to solve the problems that would blossom when Naruto became Chunin, and was fairly confident his current plan would satisfy the blonde. Now only if he could somehow convince the rather stupid - he tried to avoid using such words, given that it was hardly fair to compare their intelligence with his, but such a word was undeniably true in this case - council members before Tsunade came back. If they did not come to an agreement, and Tsunade stepped in and made an executive decision, it could lead to unrest and mistrust on behalf of the village.
And such unrest would be a beacon to the other villages, and they may attack. The Head of the Nara Clan wasn't about to let his Clan nor his village but put at risk because of fools or the fearful.
A thoughtful look crossed Inoichi's face as he considered how to convince the second half of the council that Naruto Uzumaki should be granted Chunin status. The blonde haired Yamanaka fought to contain the very Shikaku-like faint smirk from appearing on his face at a sudden thought. "You do realize," Inoichi pointed out, "That the other villages are aware of how talented Naruto Uzumaki is, correct?" At their shocked look, the Yamanaka made a mental reminder to see if there was any laws requiring the Civilian Council to be part of what was, quite frankly, Shinobi business. "Not only that, but Naruto Uzumaki may be...unhappy if he finds out that certain members of this Council didn't want him to become Chunin. To him, it may be like we are preventing him from protecting those he cares about..."
Glancing at all of the startled faces, Inoichi couldn't help but let the smirk appear on his face as he leaned back. Shikaku would have been hard pressed to come up with a better explanation. Hearing the doors open, the Yamanaka Clan Head watched as the Fifth Hokage entered, her confident walk showing exactly how much the council intimidated her. "Here's to hoping my speech convinced them in time." The blonde haired man shot a quick prayer upwards, hoping that the council would heed his and his friends' words.
"Has the council decided on their recommendations?" There wasn't a coy bone in Tsunade's body.
Shikaku glanced at all of his fellow council members. "Are we all in favor of everyone on the list?" Heads nodded, some quickly while others were more hesitant. A few more were fearful or begrudging, but it was enough. The majority ruled. The Nara quickly motioned over one of the ANBU, Ox it looked like, and passed the Hokage's guard the list of Chunin potentials. The large ninja took it without a word, and taking several even-paced steps, handed the paper to the Fifth Hokage as he reached her.
"Thank-you." Tsunade thanked the ANBU as she read over the list, putting a face to each name she read. Pursing her lips as she read down the list, she considered each one, no matter how a part of her wanted to ignore them in favor of scanning the list for the three names that she wanted to find. She found the first name she was looking for near the bottom. "Sakura Haruno." Tsunade was relieved. While Tiger had told her that the pink haired kunoichi had been recommended, part of her had maintained caution given what she knew of the council.
Finding Hinata Hyuga on the directly under Sakura's name, Tsunade couldn't help but smile. "Only one name left." Reading the next line, the Fifth Hokage's smile grew larger. 'Naruto Uzumaki' was in bold, underlined lettering. Quickly reading over the names one more time, Tsunade nodded to herself. The council had everyone on their list that had been on her list. "I agree with the list." Tsunade's voice was calm, but not dangerously so. She handed the list to the ANBU. "Inform the Leaf ninja on this list that they should arrive in my office later today, by three-thirty. For those listed who are not a Leaf ninja, have our messengers send our recommendations to the villages they are under." Ox bowed and headed out, motioning to Tiger to take his place.
"Now then." The Fifth Hokage folded her hands in front of her. "What reports do you have for me today?"
"Haaaa!" Lee's fist struck the wooden target as he yelled, "Haaaa!" Breathing in and out evenly, he felt his heart rate begin to slow from its rapid pace. He had been training for just over four hours, ever since Tsunade had healed him. In a way, the once loud black-haired Genin was glad that he had been injured. His time of forced bed rest had given him little else to do besides think. And from all those days of self-examination, a new ideal and purpose had formed.
But it was one thing to decide in a sterile hospital room, and quite another to put it into practice. But Lee was hopeful. He had managed to stifle some of his automatic shouts that he used to yell, having realized that his normal loudness worked against him. Plus, he wasn't planning on being a ninja forever. No, he had a different goal now. And the first step began now.
Breathing slowly out his mouth, the taijutsu user slowly flowed his hands in front of him. Once he had scoffed at such ideas as balance and patience, but now he was training his mind just as he was training his body. Sliding his right foot back behind him, Lee firmly planted his back foot against the ground as he brought his open right hand in front of him, pulling it close to his chest. His left hand and arm flowed into a vertical guard.
"Breathe in." He breathed in, pulling in the warm, dry summer air.
"Breathe out." He breathed out slowly, seeking to find the balance within himself.
"Breathe in." He took another breath, filling the air fill his lungs. He prepared himself.
"Now!" Pushing off of his back foot with enough force to kick up dust around the area, Lee lunged forward, slamming his right foot into the ground as his right palm surged towards the wooden dummy. Just before his palm reached the halfway point towards its target, Lee breathed outwards in explosive whoosh. His palm slammed into the dead center of the wooden target. With a loud crack the wood exploded out the back of the target, the hardened wood no match for the force behind his palm.
"Breathe in." Lee flowed back into the second part of the stance. "Within action, there is focus."
"Breathe out." He moved his hands slowly, envisioning what he wanted to do before he did it. "Within focus, there is balance."
"Breathe in." His stance hardened as he readied himself for another strike. "Within balance, there is power."
"There you are my Youthful Apprentice!" The boisterous voice of Lee's sensei and adoptive father broke the young ninja's concentration, "It is most youthful to see you training so hard the same day you were let out of the hospital."
"Gei-Sensei." Lee relaxed his stance and turned to greet his openly grinning teacher, "I'm glad you came. I have something I need to tell you." Lee swallowed as he prepared to break the news to the closest thing he had to a father. "Balance. Balance."
"What is it, Lee?" Gai, unbeknownst to many in the village, could be serious when the situation truly called for it.
"I did a lot of thinking when I was in that bed," Lee began, slowly finding his center once again, "And I slowly realized something." "Breathe in. Breathe out." He took a deep breath. "I do not wish to be a ninja forever. I feel that my talents could help others out a different way." Not daring to glance at Gai, he turned his head to look at the broken training dummy. "I will train as a ninja until I have mastered taijutsu. Once I have done that, I'm going to retire and open a taijutsu school." "Breathe in. Breathe out."
Wetting his dry lips, he continued, his voice firm now that he had found his center.
"The school will be open to anyone who wishes to learn how to defend themselves, not just ninja." He looked over at his serious looking sensei, "I saw so many injured while I was in the hospital. If I could train even one person so they could defend themselves, I will gladly do it." Speaking the words aloud gave them power, filling Lee with resolve. He would open the school one day.
"Such a youthful dream!" Gai was nothing if expressive, "It warms my heart to hear of such a thing!" The Jonin nodded to himself, as if coming to an agreement. "I will round up your other youthful teammates and we will have a most youthful spar to see how we can train more!" Instantly sprinting off, Lee could only watch his teacher leave with a wide smile. It was good to have friends and comrades.
It only took about five minutes after Tsunade's meeting with the council - turns out that they could cut down on the paperwork when asked nicely - for the Slug Sannin to realize that she had a slight bit of an issue about to happen. She had originally planning on simply handing out the Chunin ranks and vests to all those granted the rank at once, but then she didn't honestly know what Sakura and Hinata would do when she met them for the first time.
Tsunade firmly believed that getting in the good graces of the girls Naruto considered his best friends was imperative. And in a group setting it was much easier for something to be misheard or misunderstood. "Hawk." The Fifth Hokage called to one of the two ANBU guarding the office door, "Can you come in here a moment?"
Hawk entered the office and bowed slightly, waiting for instructions. "Yes, Hokage-Sama?"
Tsunade mentally shook her head. "I still need to get used to be called 'hokage-sama'." Out loud, however, she simply issued a simple addition to the order she had given Tiger and his partner, Dove. "Find Tiger and Dove. They have the list of new Chunin. I want to meet each Chunin separately, in the order that they are in the list."
Hawk didn't let any of his slight confusion to the Fifth's order show in his tone or body language. "I'll grab Neko and take care of that now." He shot a quick glance at the clock. "Ox and Deer can take over our shift." Receiving a nod from his leader, the elite shinobi quickly moved out of the office, gathering his partner, Neko, as he passed by.
"What's the rush Irezumi?" Neko's comment was teasing, as she spoke to her partner. Open curiosity colored her words. "Did boss lady put a rush on it?"
Hawk shot her an unseen grin as he hurried toward Ox's location. "Wolf has complaint duty."
"Oh." Neko attempted to avoid giggling, but still several of them sneaked past her lips as she thought of the silent and slightly emotionally stunted solo ANBU operative blankly staring at the civilians as they attempted to explain their complaints. It was something neither her nor per partner wanted to miss. Especially if it was one of the civilian council members…
Tiger arrived at the current residence of Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Hinata Hyuga. Politely knocking, the elite operative waited calmly for someone to answer the door. He had already identified several seal arrays that gave the door increased structural integrity, and if his basic sealing knowledge was correct, there was a rather nasty fire seal set to go off if he tried to force his way inside.
Hearing feet move in his direction before a slight wave of chakra rippled over him, Tiger waited, knowing that Naruto's servant, Haku, was checking to make sure he wasn't an imposter. It was exactly that type of caution that would carry the young ninjas far.
"Hello ANBU-San." Haku bowed slightly - slightly, her deeper bows were reserved for her Naruto-Sama alone - "What can I do for you?"
Tiger returned the slight bow. "Haku-San, I have a message for Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyuga, and Sakura Haruno."
"You may find them in Training Ground Twenty-Seven along with Jonin Kurenai." Haku remembered Tiger was one of the few ANBU who stood against the traitorous ANBU who had hurt Naruto in the past, and thus treated him with respect and politeness.
"Thank-you." Tiger bowed again before moving off with a shunshin. Haku turned and headed back inside, closing the door behind her. Making her way to the kitchen, the ice user wondered yet again how exactly she was going to explain her feelings towards Naruto to Sakura and Hinata, given that her feeling stretched far beyond mere friendship.
While Naruto had been gone, she had been able to do a bit of soul-searching, and had realized the truth of something she tried to deny, but could not no longer. "I believe I love Naruto-Sama." Haku didn't notice the fond smile that crept up on her face as she thought of her...best friend and master. "I know he isn't perfect, but I care for all of him, from his slight innocence and simple joy of discovering something new, to that dark part of him that would burn that world if it hurt those close to him." She felt a flush move up her cheeks as that part of her mind that noticed Naruto as a male flashed an image of him shirtless. "Naruto-Sama..." Haku sighed happily for a moment before shaking her head. "Even if I don't ever be with him in that way, I need to tell someone. And it would be good to reassure Sakura-Chan and Hinata-Chan that I don't plan on stealing Naruto-Sama away from them."
Hinata was quiet as she walked alongside Naruto and Sakura as the threesome made their way inside the first floor of the Hokage Tower. They had been summoned by ANBU to Hokage's office, and if judging by several other Genin who took part in the Chunin exams, they would be reviving their Chunin vests and ranks. Normally this would have thrilled the gentle Hyuga, but given that it was Tsunade who would be giving them out, Hinata didn't know what to feel.
She had felt anger towards the woman for abandoning Naruto, but after listening to the sunny Uzumaki's retelling of the adventure, Hinata couldn't help the feeling that Tsunade was doing all she could to help Naruto now that the Sannin knew her godson was alive. As they reached the fourth floor, Hinata finally resolved to just treat Tsunade with indifference, and see if she was honest about her intention to help Naruto. A glance at Sakura confirmed that the pink-haired kunoichi was of the same mind as Hinata.
Naruto pushed the door open, barely holding himself back from rushing into the room. He was going to become Chunin! And then he would be one step closer to becoming the Head of the Uzumaki Clan, which in turn would allow him to provide even greater protection for his precious people. Spotting the Fifth Hokage's aide, Naruto happily waved to her. "Shizune." He greeted, "How are you doing?"
Shizune couldn't help but smile warmly back, Naruto's smile obliterating any attempt at remaining emotionless and professional. "I'm doing well, thank-you. How about yourself Naruto-Kun?"
Naruto grinned before pointing at the Chunin vests beside her. "I'm doing great." Shizune giggled in amusement at his behavior. Beside him, Sakura couldn't help but smile as she saw Naruto's bright smile. His smile never failed to lift her spirits and brighten her day.
"Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Hinata Hyuga." Tsunade announced, feeling slightly bad for having to interrupt their fun, "Please step forward." It was interesting to watch, some clinical part of the Fifth Hokage noted, how interesting it was watch how each of the three moved to stand in front of her. Hinata Hyuga's face became a perfect emotionless mask as her political training took over. Sakura Haruno's back straightened as she stood at attention, her green eyes flashing with intelligence. Naruto was a strange mix of calmness, much like the center of a hurricane, and eagerness, like that of a bright eyed child.
Tsunade had to take a moment to compose herself, hiding her lower face behind clasped hands. "This is how he should have always been. That innocence should have been protected all of those years ago, not taking away by the very village he was unknowingly protecting." Tears welled up in her eyes, but she pushed them back with everything she had. "But I may have failed back then, but I will not fail now. Never again will my godson suffer at the hands of another."
Tsunade looked up at the three ninjas of Team Eight. Her face was dry and her resolve was set. "Let them come. Let those who would wish my godson and those he cared about try to hurt him. They will not succeed." Outwardly, her expression betrayed nothing besides a slight determined look on her beautiful face. "I have called you three here today for a very special occasion: You three ninjas have done this village a great service, and have proven yourselves that you are far beyond mere Genin. With the power invested in me as the Fifth Hokage of Konoha, I, Tsunade Senju, hereby grant the rank of Chunin to Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyuga, and Sakura Haruno." A warm proud smile crossed her lips as she struggled to keep her professional aura."My aide, Shizune, has your new Shinobi papers to sign and as well as Chunin vests."
Naruto couldn't help but light up the room with his smile, and all those present felt the expression's hypnotic warmth. "Thank-you, Tsunade." He inclined his head as he picked up his paperwork, quickly scribbling his signature before picking up his new combat vest. He couldn't wait to try it on.
In all her years of living, no thanks ever meant more to Tsunade then her godson's gratitude in that moment. It would be something she would treasure forever. "You're not going to cry." The Slug Sannin sternly told herself, "Now is not the time. You can cry later in private."
"Naruto-Kun," Sakura glanced at Hinata, who gave her a nod in return, "Why don't you head home to show Haku-Chan the good news?" At the Last Uzumaki's confused look, she elaborated. "Hinata-Chan and I have to...talk to the Hokage for a few moments."
Naruto grinned again and sprinted out the door, something close to pride stirring deep within him. He couldn't wait to show Haku-Chan!
The door closed behind the excited blonde with a sharp thud, the sound almost causing Tsunade to flinch. "Now then, Tsunade," There was something in Sakura's voice that prevented any words, "Tell me how you really feel about our Naruto-Kun?"
Tsunade almost swallowed in the face of the combined weight of Sakura and Hinata's stares. But she would not run away. She was done running. "Alright. I will tell you everything."
"Haku-Chan!" Naruto happily burst into the house, "Guess what I just got."
"Naruto-Sama?" Haku moved quickly into the living room to meet him, unconsciously tilting her head slightly in confusion, the gesture something she learned from her beloved master. "What is it?"
Holding up the green vest, Naruto smiled that smile that Haku loved so much. A smile that made his face light up and his bright blue eye dance with joy. "I got promoted to Chunin."
"Naruto-Sama." Haku hurled herself into his arms, hugging him as she shared in his joy of achieving his next step in his goals. "I always believed in you." Her arms tightened around him, attempting to show how proud she was of him, "I knew you could do it Naruto-Sama." Feeling him tighten his arms around her, Haku once again swore to do all she could to help him achieve his goals. But now, in this moment, she was content to stay here, wrapped in the arms of the one she secretly loved.
It had been two days since Naruto and his friends had become Chunin. They had given the village two days as the foursome of Naruto, Hinata, Haku, and Sakura gathered all of the information they needed to make sure that Naruto was acknowledged as the son of Minato and Kushina. Not only that, but the three young women had finally convinced the last Uzumaki that despite not needing money - years of saving all of his extra money to make sure he could eat each day had given him a rather frugal outlook - it was the idea behind an inheritance that was important. And the idea that his parents had cared enough to leave something behind for him was something he could get behind.
Once they had gathered evidence, they had sat down together and carefully planned out what Naruto would say to the council for maximum impact, keeping the council off guard and open until Naruto gained all that he needed.
"And for the next item on the list," Shizune brushed her hair back behind her ear, using the gesture to block the momentary expression on her face, "Naruto Uzumaki." The door opened and Naruto strode in, his posture calm and in control. Quiet murmurs began to drift from the different factions on the council as the wondered why this...Chunin was here.
"I wish to claim my heritage." Naruto's voice rang out in the room, instantly silencing the whispers. Some of the more intelligent members of the council began to put a few pieces together.
"And what are you claiming, boy?" One of the minor clan Heads spoke up, condensation and distaste dripping from every word.
"I am the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki." The silence that followed was almost a physical thing. For several of those on the council, it was the final piece needed, and they couldn't refute the Last Uzumaki's bold statement. For others, it was cool indifference that poorly masked their shock. And lastly there was the group that couldn't believe that the demon would take their hero's image and claim that it was Minato's son.
Not hearing any protests, Naruto forged onwards, once again thankful for Hinata-Chan's, Sakura-Chan's, and Haku-Chan's suggestions on how he could craft the news of who his parents were. "I have a folder containing the blood work from both Minato and Kushina when compared to mine. The results were verified by eight different medical ninja, each from a different area." Naruto took a breath before continuing, "Each medical ninja was not told of the blood sample's significance, so they could not have skewed the results."
Pausing to pull the folder with copies out of a seal, he continued onwards, not giving them time to form rebuttals. "In addition, I have the original copy of the secret marriage certificate between Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki." He paused, letting the tension and shock build. "It was witnessed by Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya the Toad Sannin, and Tsunade the Slug Sannin." It was a testament to the Shinobi's training that they did not openly gape in shock. "If you wish to examine the evidence, please speak up now."
Slowly waking up from their shock and stunned stupor, the council room exploded in shouts, both for and against Naruto Uzumaki's claim. All knew what would happen if and/or when he was acknowledged as Minato and Kushina's son. A new clan head, especially one who was known to be as powerful as Naruto, could very well change the entire political landscape. Not to mention a portion of the council still believed that Naruto was the Kyubi itself...
It had taken Jiraiya the better part of the last two days to discover Danzo's secret base where he trained his operatives. "Danzo hid his tracks well," The Spymaster acknowledged, "But I am quite motivated." Reaching his hand towards the seemingly inconspicuous rock in front of him, only to halt just as his fingers brushed the almost undetectable round button. "It's rude to stare you know." He had felt their chakra signatures for some time as he had entered this abandoned training ground. Their chakra signatures were all flat and emotionless.
Jiraiya casually pulled his hand back and glanced at one of the trees he knew one of Danzo's ninja was hiding in. "I've got some information for your boss that he might find very...interesting."
Ten ninja dressed in combat gear dropped from the trees to surround him in an instant. The only non-standard ninja gear was a midriff bearing combat vest and a blank white mask. On the mask was a single symbol: 'Root'. "Wait here." One of the young ninja ordered.
Jiraiya spread his arms and grinned. "I'll stay right here." Eying the bare stomach of the only kunoichi that was part of Root, he giggled. "The view is just fine."
It only took just under three minutes for the messenger ninja to return. "Danzo-Sama will see you now." His emotionless voice gave nothing away; gave no hints to Danzo's mood. Jiraiya nodded before gesturing for the ninja to lead. A short time later, the Toad Sannin was walking deep inside the underground base, inwardly marveling at somehow the underground complex had escaped the knowledge of almost everyone in the village when it was being built.
Stopping at a heavy stone door, Jiraiya's guide brushed past him. "Wait here." The lack of emotion from the mask wearing ninja made him seem almost robotic as the Root shinobi placed his hand on the door, seals lighting up as his hand touched the stone. The door opened on soundless hidden hinges. Standing between the four remaining guards, Jiraiya felt the air grow slightly awkward. Not one for such still air, the white haired man glanced at the young ninja standing at attention on his left.
"Sooo..." Jiraiya's voice was loud in the hall, "Peeped at the hot springs lately?" If he was disappointed by the lack of response, the super pervert didn't show it. "I haven't been there myself lately you see," He tilted his head at the emotionless Root shinobi on his right, "And I wanted to know how the...terrain was looking." Turning his head to fully look at the ninja, his voice deceptively mild, "Since you after all, spy on the village."
The ninja's hand twitched. It was nearly unnoticeable, but for a legendary ninja like Jiraiya, it had been all too obvious. "Normally you eliminate people who figure it out, eh?" Jiraiya blinked, his face flipping back to the perverted grin he was known for. "I mean, all of the women you would have seen..." Sighing happily to himself, Jiraiya couldn't help but giggle to himself as he thought of how high quality the women were at the hot springs in Konoha. Practically all of the women there were at least a seven out of ten.
"Hmmm..." Jiraiya considered, "Perhaps I should see if I can't get Naruto a private hot spring for his household." He stroked his chin as he considered the matter further. "Not only would it let me peep at the hot spring without having to make sure that none of Naruto's girl space friends are present, it would create quite the..." Jiraiya giggled again, "Romantic atmosphere for them..." He nodded to himself, coming to a decision. "I haven't gotten Naruto or any of his girls a present yet for becoming Chunin. Note to self: Check into who is the best builder of artificial hot springs."
The heavy stone door opened once again. "Danzo-Sama is ready for you." The odd mix of reverence towards their leader combined with the emotionless tone was slightly disconcerting, but Jiraiya pushed it aside as he entered the room.
"Danzo." The spymaster greeted the bandaged man sitting at the desk in front of him, "So nice of you to meet with me." In contrast to his earlier tone, there was a calm professionalism to Jiraiya's words.
"Jiraiya." Danzo returned, his voice indicating that he was not pleased that his base had been found, "What do you have to show me?"
Making sure to make no sudden movements as he carefully pulling out a thin notebook, the spymaster placed the papers on Danzo's clean desk. "Just wanted to drop off a few notes on a few people I figured you might be interested in."
Danzo reached his non-bandaged arm across the desk and picked up the notebook, idly leafing through it for a moment when a particular passage caught his attention. Giving the notebook his full attention, the old ex-war hero rapidly read the page that had caught his attention, only to flip back a few pages to start the entire entry from it's beginning point. Once he had finished the entire five page entry, Danzo placed the notebook on his desk and leaned back for a moment, thinking of what he would do with the information he just read.
"And what," The bandaged man began, "Do you want for this information?"
Jiraiya's expression was cold, like a frozen flame. "I only ask that you do what you do best." Seeing Danzo slowly nod, The Spymaster dismissed himself, heading towards the stone door. Pausing at the doorway, the Toad Sannin spoke again, not turning around. "I don't know exactly what your goals and aims are," His voice held a mix of understanding and warning, "But I'm not going to investigate them." There was a slight flex of chakra from the Sannin. "However, make no mistake. If you even think about touching Naruto or those he cares about, you'll find out exactly why I am called the Toad Sage." His message delivered, The man who was Naruto Uzumaki's godfather headed out.
"Shall we eliminate him, Danzo-Sama?" One of his masked Root ninja asked, idly fingering the blade strapped to his back, "We know where he sleeps." The report was delivered with the same emotionless monotone that Danzo had trained all of his Root ninja in.
"No." Danzo shook his head slightly, "We have no need. As long as I abide by his simple stipulation, he will not betray us nor Konoha." Another Root member entered the room and dropped to one knee, waiting to give her report.
"Report."
"Naruto Uzumaki has declared that he is the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki." Even through all of the emotion training she had undergone, there still was faint traces of bafflement within her tone. "The Council does not seem to be able to decide on if they should believe him."
"I see." Danzo turned and began walking towards the door, stopping to grab his cane as he passed it. His limp became more pronounced. "Gather Teams Three and Twelve." The leader of Root ordered, "Inform them that they will be completing a night operation tonight inside Konoha itself." Sweeping out of the room, the bandaged man moved swiftly towards the base entrance, seeking to stop the foolish council from undoing much that he had set into motion.
Naruto idly wondered if the council was aware that the Council Room door had a rather advanced silencing seal on it, preventing any sound from escaping the room. Soon after his announcement, he had been ushered out of the room by two of the ANBU guards. As he passed Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage informed him that the council would be voting in his favor 'one way or another'. The slightly dark smile on her face slightly reminded Naruto of the expression an hungry wolf had.
Shrugging, the Last Uzumaki settled back against the wall to wait once more. Much of his calm was from the back-up plan He, Sakura, Hinata, and Haku had devised if the council would not acknowledge his claim. Naruto let out the faintest sigh. He really really hoped that they couldn't have to go to Plan C, or Kami forbid, Plan D.
The Blonde paused, considering something as he eyed the position of the sun in the sky. "I'll give them another twenty minutes. If they don't decide on anything, I'll let a clone here. This is valuable time I could be training." His fight with Itachi and Kisame had highlighted the fact that he wasn't nearly strong enough yet. Yet. Plus, once this heritage thing was over, one way or another, he would be able to spend all of the time training when he wasn't on missions or hanging out with one of his precious people.
"Speaking precious people, I have to talk to Hinata. She needs to set up a meeting with Neji. It shouldn't take long to apply the...fix to the Caged Bird Seal."
Sighing once again as the lack of excitement set in, Naruto leaned against the wall and idly began attempting to create a Rasengan in his palm, only to allow it to dissipate one it formed. "This is going to be a looong twenty minutes."
By the time Danzo arrived the council had split into two, well technically three, different camps. The first, and most prestigious, was the 'pro Naruto Uzumaki' group. While all of the members were not directly caring about Naruto per say, all of them realized the implications of having the council directly dictate clan matters, especially something important as inheritance. Not only that, but Shikaku had a rather solid plan on how to deal with the issue of the village accidentally stealing his heritage.
The second group was made up primarily of civilians and several of the lesser clans. Their reasons for not wanting Naruto to claim his heritage ranged from worries about the money that some of them personally benefited from, to not wanting to change the status quo, to hatred of 'the demon'. The ones that were concerned about the money had not been reassured by Shikaku's plan. The ones that feared the change to the status quo feared that Naruto would either be as effective in politics as he was in combat, or that he would use the power of his clan headship to do something counter-productive to their own plans. The last group simply hated or feared - perhaps both - Naruto. They saw his declaration as a direct insult against Minato, the hero who had saved them all those years ago from the Kyubi's wrath.
The last group was comprised of a single person, Tsunade Senju. Aside from being the Fifth Hokage, she was also known now officially as the godmother of Naruto Uzumaki. Her reasons for wanting Naruto to gain his heritage was fairly straight forward.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The distinctive sound of Danzo's cane was loud in the room as both side of the argument had fallen temporarily quiet as they gathered more verbal ammunition. Had he been not so in control of his own emotions, the bandaged man would have smiled in amusement at the sight of how the side opposing Naruto Uzumaki brightened as soon as they caught sight of him, assuming he would side with them given his civilian status. The looks of shock and defeat on their faces was even more gratifying when he instead moved to sit on the opposite side of the room.
"Shikaku Nara." Danzo's voice was just emotionless enough to instill slight caution, "What plan do you have when Naruto Uzumaki is acknowledged as the Head of the Uzumaki Clan?"
If the Nara Clan Head noticed Danzo's wording, he didn't acknowledge it. "First, the primary reason is that Konoha has technically stolen Naruto Uzumaki's heritage. And as such, we need to repay him somehow. However, we do not currently have the money to repay him." Danzo nodded slightly, aware of the situation. "So what I am proposing is that we grant Naruto Uzumaki land inside the city. It will be granted as the Uzumaki Clan land, conferring on it all of the protections that Clan territory gives." The sharp eyed Nara glanced slightly at the room at quiet room, aware that the entire council was actually listening to his plan now. "The cost of the land and any buildings that would be built inside it would be subtracted from the amount we owe Uzumaki-San."
"That may not appease Naruto Uzumaki." Danzo's voice didn't allow any rebuttal. "However, we can guarantee he will take the deal if we make the Uzumaki clan exempt from any village mandated Clan Laws." He paused, "He will be able to directly do more than the average clan. Such as defending those in his Clan or multiple marriages."
"Wha-why would we want that?" One of the council members demanded.
"Naruto Uzumaki is a ninja of this village because he is close to people inside it." Danzo's voice was blunt and cold. "Naruto Uzumaki is a valuable asset and he would not abuse the power granted him." Danzo leaned back slightly, presumably to provide relief to his back, "Unless, of course, you happen to harm one of the seven people he cares about."
Danzo's words was the spark that started the momentum for Naruto Uzumaki. The debate didn't last too much longer given the ideas that had been planted in their minds.
"Naruto Uzumaki." Ox opened the council door, "The council is ready for you." Naruto flexed his hand, idly noting that his theory on increasing the chakra output to the Rasengan had indeed stabilized it slightly. More training was needed. Following the ANBU member into the room, Naruto stopped before the Council.
"Naruto Uzumaki," Tsunade began, doing her absolute best to maintain at least a professional front, "The Council of Konoha has found your claim of being the son of Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze to be true." She gave up all attempts to be professional, pride and warmth suffusion every word that she spoke. "With the power invested in me, I declare you Naruto Uzumaki, the Head of the Uzumaki Clan."
It was odd, Naruto considered, at how numb he felt in that moment when he heard those words. For years he had longed to hear official acknowledgement that he had a family; that he mattered. Later that desire faded as he gained those who cared for him, just the way he was. And then recently, the subject of his heritage had been brought up enough times, the event that it was declared gone over a hundred times, that he had, in a way, gotten used to it.
"Thank-you," He automatically replied, having gone over his response dozens of times with Hinata, Sakura, and Haku. "Honored Fifth Hokage. I will protect my clan." He blinked, his mind slowly coming to grips of what just happened.
"The Hyuga clan wishes to speak." Hiashi Hyuga's political mask was perfect, not showing even the faintest hint of what he was thinking.
"Granted." Tsunade allowed.
"The Hyuga clan proposes an alliance with the Uzumaki Clan." It was a political master stroke.
Naruto nodded in acceptance as he turned to Hinata's father. "I accept."
The council was stunned. Taking advantage of their shock, Naruto faced the center of the room yet again. "And as is my right as the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, I lay claim to what was passed down to me." Subconsciously his spine straightened and his blue eyes practically glowed with an intimidating light. "Where is my inheritance?"
Had it not been for the Shikaku's forethought and plan, the meeting would have gotten even more awkwardly silent then it did. "Uzumaki-San," The brilliant Nara Clan head began, "We have a proposal for you." At Naruto's nod, Shikaku continued. "We are preparing to offer a piece of land..."
"Well," Naruto mentally blinked, "That is quite the deal they are offering." Putting every ounce of his brainpower into action, the Last Uzumaki attempted to figure out the council's angle, remembering Hinata-Chan's warning.
"...Naruto-Kun, almost everyone on the council is out for themselves or the faction they belong to. You will either have to force them into a deal or anything they offer will be benefitting them in some way."
Casting his thoughts to what he knew of each person on the council, Naruto really couldn't come up with any reason how they benefitted from giving him effectively his own territory inside their village. What could they gain from something that allowed him free rein inside the walls of the soon-to-be-built Uzumaki compound? Wait...perhaps that was it? "Hmmm...I'll have to make that a stipulation." Naruto's eyes flickered, seemingly unnoticed by all, a brighter blue. "Still, Mom and Dad gave me more than just money. But this is a start. I can protect my precious people that much more if I accept this deal."
"There is two additions that will need to be added before I accept." Naruto's voice was calm and collected. It wasn't so difficult to think if he considered this a way to protect those he cared about. "First: I will chose the builder for the Uzumaki compound." The council members nodded. "Secondly, there is still the matter of the non-monetary items and knowledge my parents left me." A pause. "But we will return to that at later time. But this deal is for the money only."
Tsunade couldn't help but beam at her godson. He had it figured all out! "All in favor of these additions, raise your hands." The decision was quick. "The motion has passed." She pulled out a pen and carefully signed the papers spelling out exactly what the terms of the deal was. "Naruto Uzumaki, please sign here," She indicated on line on the page, marked with a tiny 'x', "And here." She pointed to another signature line on the final page.
For the first time in years, Sasuke wasn't sure what he was feeling. Satisfaction? Disappointment? Confusion? He didn't know. It had just been little over ten minutes since the council's contact had stopped over and informed the Last Uchiha about Naruto's revealed heritage. After getting a few pointed questions answered by the messenger, Sasuke had let the council man go.
Sighing, Sasuke attempted to dredge up old memories of when he learned from his mother how to deal with emotions. Ignoring the surge of raw open pain at remembering her death, and then the bubbling hatred for his murderous brother, Sasuke attempted to work through each emotion he was feeling, one by one.
Satisfaction: He now knew that Naruto Uzumaki wasn't just a clan-less loser who somehow had gained enough power to rival an Uchiha. It was...comforting to know that the Uchiha hadn't fallen so much that a mere commoner could best him.
Disappointment: Finding out that Naruto had a rather impressive heritage made him less...unique. Somehow. What the hell was he thinking? It was a good thing that Naruto wasn't just a commoner right?
Confusion: Now that he thought about it, how did he miss the close resemblance to Minato Namikaze? The Fourth Hokage's face was literally on a damn mountain on one side of the village. How did the Third Hokage not realize? How did anyone not see it?
The Last Uchiha breathed out slowly, pushing the conflicting emotions slowly out of the way. It didn't matter what he felt. What mattered was what he did now that he knew the truth about Naruto Uzumaki. His rival. "I will give him one week. Then I will fight him, again and again, until I become strong enough to beat him. After all, if I beat him, the son of Minato Namikaze, I will be well on my way to becoming strong enough to kill Itachi." The faintest flicker of a tiny satisfied smile ghosted across the Last Uchiha's face. "I will realize my goal. You will die Brother."
The Hyuga clan buzzed with activity as the Branch House members prepared for the celebration party for Team Eight. The team had gained Chunin status, and the Hyuga clan would be remiss to not help them celebrate. Luckily, they didn't have to hide this party, unlike the birthday party they threw for Naruto last year. Spotting Hiashi Hyuga, the Clan Head, walking in their direction, all of the Branch Members in the area stopped and bowed deeply.
"Hiashi-Sama." Haruna bowed, her voice respectful and subservient, "What can we do for you?"
"You are planning a celebration for Team Eight are you not?"
"Yes, Hiashi-Sama." She hesitated, unsure if she should look up from her bow, "...Is something wrong?"
"No." Hiashi shook his head, "You have done nothing wrong." He paused, considering something. "In fact, you are excused from your normal duties, along with anyone else you deem as important to creating this celebration."
"Hiashi-Sama?" She looked up, confusion written all over her face.
"You see, Naruto Uzumaki has declared that he is the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki." Ignoring the involuntary gasps of shock and surprise from the surrounding clan members, Hiashi continued. "As is his right, he is now the recognized Head of Clan Uzumaki. I allied the Hyuga clan shortly after the reveal." Locking eye contact with Haruna, he impressed upon her how important the celebration would be. "Since we are now allies, as well as the fact that my daughter is on Team Eight, anything less than doing our best for Team Eight is unacceptable." His voice softened ever so slightly.
"Do you understand your new duties, Haruna-San?"
"Yes, Hiashi-Sama." She nodded, her mind furiously planning on how she would contact everyone Team Eight considered important. "We will not fail the Hyuga Clan." Inwardly, she continued, "We will not fail Hinata-Sama, Naruto-Sama, or Sakura-San."
"Good." Hiashi nodded before turning and leaving the area. "Now that I have secured arrangements for Hinata and her friends, I shall inform the Hyuga Council of our newest alliance..." There may, just maybe, have been a small smirk as the Hyuga Clan Head thought of the council's reaction. Of course, given that he was a proper Hyuga, such a open emotion would have never crossed his face.
"What is it Haku-Chan?" Sakura questioned as she sat down in their living room, concern and slight worry visible in her tone and posture, "Did something happen?" Beside her, Hinata moved to sit down as well, concern plainly written across her face, the emotionless Hyuga mask nowhere in sight.
"There's nothing wrong." Haku quickly reassured her closest friends, "I'm fine." The beautiful ice user glanced down, mentally preparing herself for her confession. "But I do have something I must tell both of you." Despite her words, the black haired beauty couldn't bring herself to start, embarrassment flushing her cheeks. She ducked her head. "Perhaps this was a bad idea."
Seeing that Haku was having trouble starting, Sakura smiled encouragingly. "Take your time Haku-Chan."
Hinata gave the embarrassed young woman a warm, gentle smile. "We are here for you Haku-Chan."
Haku felt her heart grow warm at their words, bolstering her courage. "I…" Haku wet her suddenly dry lips, "I realized something the other day." She took a deep breath. "I love Naruto-Sama." It was suddenly quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Haku forged on, attempting to reassure them before she lost her courage. "But don't worry." Tears welled up inside of her eyes in spite of Haku's promise to let Naruto go, "I won't stand in the way of you two. All I ask in life is to continue serving Naruto-Sama always."
Pain, sharper than she ever felt, clutched her heart. "It's for Naruto-Sama." Haku attempted to tell herself sternly, but her heart ached at the thought of never being able to be closer to her beloved master. "I want his happiness above all else." Tears prickled at her closed eyelids. "The world isn't always fair, but I will do my utmost to make sure Naruto-Sama is happy. That's what's most important." Perhaps in time the heartache would fade into a dull throb, but right now, Haku wanted nothing more than to weep.
"W-Well," Sakura began, her brain still catching up with the recent revelation, "That's...s-something." Seeing the ice user's body shake as she fought to hold back her tears, Sakura felt her heart break in empathy. Slowly she remembered something Hinata said to her sometime ago when Sakura herself was doubting if she was able to continue attempting to become closer to Naruto.
"Good. I don't want my rival to give up so easily."
Exchanging glances with Hinata, who nodded, Sakura turned back to Haku and reached out to touch her dear friend's shoulder. "Haku-Chan." Her voice was firm, "We don't accept your proposal." Haku froze. "If you wish to pursue Naruto-Kun because of how you feel, we will allow it." Sakura paused. "If that's what you want."
Happy warm tears spilled out to trickle down Haku's pale cheeks. "Thank-you." It was barely a whisper, but contained every ounce of gratefulness she possessed. "Thank-you for allowing me to become closer to Naruto-Sama."
"Oh, it's not going to be that easy." Sakura snorted, feeling a strange sense of relief, now that she knew where Haku-Chan stood, "Hinata and I aren't just going to give up." She tapped one of the small sealing scrolls she kept at her waist, unsealing a piece of paper. "Here is the rules Hinata and I agreed to." She held out the paper. "You can sign it as well if you want, provided you follow the rules."
Haku quickly agreed and signed the paper after carefully reading each rule. Now that the tension in the room had vanished, all three of the young women felt slightly mentally exhausted. Leaning back in their respective chairs, a comfortable silence fell over the room.
"Naruto-Sama is amazing isn't he?" Haku's voice was soft, and introspective. The other two occupants in the room murmured their agreements.
"Yeah. And he's now officially the Head of the Uzumaki Clan." Sakura agreed. "We need to get him a gift to celebrate." After another few minutes of comfortable quiet passed, a thought occurred to the pink haired kunoichi that she couldn't help but voice. "Hinata-Chan, what things can we help Naruto-Kun with now that he is head of his clan?"
"There is paperwork as well as several duties that do not directly require the Clan Head," Hinata closed her eyes attempting to remember, "If he grants us Clan Power, we can help him even more."
"What is the highest level of power one can have in a clan if one is not the clan head?" Haku, as always, wanted to help her Naruto-Sama the most.
"The Clan Matriarch." Hinata answered automatically, before her eyes widened. Quickly sitting up with a flex of her strong core muscles, her pale eyes met the eyes of the other two. Each of them realized just how much more girls were going to start to pay attention to Naruto once the word got out.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Shit." Sakura's words summed up their thoughts quite succinctly, "Looks like we have to…" Her brain stalled as a fierce blush covered her face, "Tell Naruto-Kun about how we feel."
"W-We c-can't let those…" There was determination in Hinata's voice, even as her face flushed hot, "...women take advantage of Naruto-Kun."
Haku nodded. "We have to protect Naruto-Sama." Her normally composed face flushed, "Even if that means we confess our true feelings." She glanced at Hinata and Sakura. "You both love him as well?"
"W-well, uhhhh…" Sakura stammered, as Hinata's mind ground to a halt, "I-I-uhhhh….W-What I t-think is...uh…" With every stammer, her face grew more and more red. "I-I don't…" With a mortified moan, the pink haired girl hid her face in her hands.
"Sakura-Chan." Haku's voice was patient and understanding, "Is there only certain parts of Naruto-Sama that you like?"
Sakura's head snapped up. "No! I like all parts of Naruto-Kun. From how his eyes light up when he smiles, to those moments when he has lost control of himself." Sakura blinked, "Even if he doesn't ever choose me, I'll be happy to stand at his side, doing whatever it takes to make sure he is happy and knows he is worthy of love."
Haku smiled. "And what exactly is the definition of love?"
"The definition of love is-" Sakura cut herself off as she realized something important. "I love Naruto-Kun, don't I?" Her voice grew inquisitive. "I love Naruto-Kun?" Her tone was tentative. "I love Naruto-Kun?" Determination bled into her tone. "I love Naruto-Kun." She met Haku's eyes, no trace of doubt in her voice. "Yes. I love Naruto-Kun."
Haku nodded, her gentle smile not abating. "Hinata-Chan?" She prompted, "Do you love Naruto-Kun?"
Hinata came back to herself. "Yes." She nodded, doing her best to ignore her how her face almost glowed, "I have loved him for a long time." She shook her head, her long purple bangs tossing slightly from side to side. "I just didn't realize it until you said something Haku-Chan."
Sakura glanced at the other two young women. "So we are all in agreement?" They nodded. "Then in that case," Sakura took a deep breath, "We will tell Naruto-Kun our feelings when he comes home tonight."
So what did you think? Drop a review and let me know.
As most of you are undoubtedly aware by now, I am male. And as such, I tried my best to step into the minds of Hinata, Sakura, and Haku, but don't exactly know how the mind of a woman truely works. Let me know if I badly miswrote them.
To my reviewers' direct questions:
ImaginationAngel: I'm planning for the first clash to happen next chapter.
Heika: Given the sheer absurd brokenness of the canon Shadow Clones, I instead changed it so each clone has access to the abilities of the creator, but can only take one hit. Personally I'm a cynic, and as such, firmly believe that humans often do things that may grant them increased power, regardless of the writing on the wall that says it's going to fail. Cynicism again, but people who are angry and hateful tend not to use logic. Personally, it was never really explained why the Kybui had empathic abilities, given that it didn't need them. So I pulled that bit out. If you have any more questions, fire a PM over and I'll be happy to explain in more detail.
Amimaman: As far as I am aware, there is not any more girls going to be added to the harem (if it ends up being a harem). Sasuke is slowly starting to be changed by the world around him, but it's going to take time. Sadly Hiruzen trusted his village a bit too much.
Guest: You are quite correct in a way. Personally I felt that Naruto's unending attempts had something to do with keeping Sasuke back from the edge. Without him, Sasuke fell faster. However, unlike in canon, HotE Sasuke is starting to wonder (even if he doesn't consciously realize it) if there is more to life then hating things. And yeah, Itachi basically hosed over his brother. Several times.
StayBlessed: Officially, she is off assisting Asuma with his clan duties when she isn't helping Team Eight train. Unofficially, I couldn't find a reason to put a scene in with her without it feeling like it was forced.
Yorae Rasante: I have a few anonymous reviews each chapter and I try my best to accommodate them just like my other reviewers. I didn't want to force them to create an account to have a question answered.
LoveLifeForever: The main difference (to Hinata anyway) between Hiashi and Hiruzen is that most people aren't aware that he felt sorry for what he had done. Readers are aware that he was, but Hinata is not aware.