Naruto was standing in the mission room listening to the Hokage listing off D-rank missions when he heard " Hokage-sama, I believe my team is ready for a C-rank mission. My team has worked together before they were formed and the truth is Hinata and Naruto refined their skills with them both learning ninjutsu that I give them to everyone once and a while. I've been focusing on Shikamaru's training which has improved a lot." Naruto saw the Hokage nod then heard " Ok Kurenai." Naruto then saw Hiruzen move over to some scrolls and after a couple minutes saw him roll one up hearing " Your mission is to escort a merchant to the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. Some wind ninja will pick up the merchant at the border." Naruto nodded with a small smile then he saw Kurenai take the scroll then heard the hokage say " Kurenai you'll pick up the client in an hour then you will meet your team at the gate." Naruto saw Kurenai nod, then saw her turn and heard " Meet me at the gate in forty five minutes." Naruto nodded then smirked as he puffed into smoke which shook everyone."
* Forty Five Minutes Later *
Naruto was standing at the main gate waiting for his teammates when he heard " I can't believe you were a clone." Naruto looked at Hinata and smiled then said " I replaced myself after hearing about the C-rank mission. I wanted to make sure I took everything." Naruto saw Hinata nod so he smiled then he smiled then said " You don't know a clone jutsu right?" Naruto saw Hinata nod so he said " Well your element is water so when we return I think you should learn Water Clone Jutsu." Naruto saw Hinata nod so he said " Good." Naruto smiled then walked up and said " You ok?" Naruto saw Hinata shake her head and heard " Nervous." Naruto chuckled and said " Same." Naruto saw Hinata smile so he squeezed her hand then moved away and looked at Kurenai as she walked up with the client. The client was a middle aged man with a black beard that was around his chin. He had long black hair and had a bag on his back with a white trench coat with a green outline and design on the right breast part of the coat. Naruto was confused as traveling merchants usually have a cart with them or a bigger bag.
Naruto saw Kurenai stop in front of him and the rest of the team as Shikamaru arrived just seconds ago. Naruto saw Kurenai walk behind him and then heard " This is Ano." Naruto nodded and said " Can I ask you something?" Naruto saw Ano nod so he said " A traveling merchant usually has more items or a cart." Naruto saw Ano nod then heard " My Grandfather was a retired Ninja from Suna and when he heard I was becoming a traveling merchant he taught me to defend myself and use storage scrolls. I have everything in scrolls." Naruto just nodded and said " Cool." Naruto then felt an elbow in his arm so he looked at Hinata then after a couple of seconds he looked back at Ano and said " Sorry I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto saw Ano nod, then heard his friends introduce themselves, then they quickly left.
* Couple Hours Later *
Naruto was walking with his team in silent thought when he heard " Naruto." Naruto turned to look at Ano then heard " What's with your arm if you don't mind." Naruto looked at his arm then at Ano and said " Let's just say it's a side effect to something." Naruto saw Ano nod so he turned back around and grabbed his arm and rubbed it. Naruto felt a hand on his so he looked at Hinata and just smiled then moved his hand. Naruto rubs his bandage arm every time the Kyuubi comes up as it reminds him of what he has gone through. Naruto just continued walking when he slightly turned his head. Naruto could tell these people were just bandits so Naruto grabbed his bow then slowed down. As Naruto got next to the merchant he grabbed an arrow and said " You want to see something?" Naruto saw Ano nod so he knocked his arrow and said " I work with seals and put seals on these to make fire not burn them." Naruto saw Ano nod so he smiled and without looking he aimed at the person in the tree and fired." Naruto turned and saw a bandit fall to the ground then he saw five more lands. Naruto saw one assuming the leader step up and heard " Just give us the money and we'll leave you alone." Naruto chuckled as he nodded as he put his bow on his back then he smiled as he saw a huge shadow circle appear that was under the bandits." Naruto looked at his feet when he heard " You three can move."
Naruto nodded and looked at Shikamaru then at Hinata seeing her just stand there. Naruto looked at Hinata for a few seconds when he heard a whistle so he pulled the merchant down and said " Down." Naruto felt a burst of wind above him so he stood up and looked at Hinata seeing the bandits on the ground. Naruto sighed and said " I have to admit I was confused." Naruto saw Ano stand up so he said " Sorry." Naruto saw Ano shake his head so he looked back at Hinata and said " Nice job." Naruto looked at Kurenai seeing her a little confused so he smiled and said " It was meant to be a surprise but we basically created our own language. The little chat I had with One was a sign that I knew someone was nearby hiding and putting my hand up is a sign for Shikamaru to use his jutsus and for Hinata to take them down." Naruto saw Kurenai chuckle and nod then he looked at Ano and said " Also the reason I pulled you down is because that wind wouldn't have killed you but you would have lost your hair and flew back until you hit a tree." Naruto saw Ano nod so he smiled then said " I'll tie them up."
Hiruzen was sitting in his office working on paperwork when he heard his door open. Hiruzen looked up seeing Kakashi so he said, " Kakashi, why are you here?" Hiruzen saw the one-eyed ninja look at him then heard " I heard Team eight is on a C-rank mission." Hiruzen nodded and then heard " I asked you for a C-rank mission yesterday and you denied no offense but I would like to know why you sent Team eight." Hiruzen nodded and said " They've been working together before the team was formed, trust each other with their lives but also Naruto told me how they are basically working on their own language with phrases and noises to tell each other without letting the enemy know they know." Hiruzen saw Kakashi nod and then heard " Ok." Hiruzen saw that Kakashi was about to leave so he said " Kakashi." Hiruzen saw Kakashi turn around so he said " I know you're mad at me for not being able to let you train Naruto." Hiruzen saw Kakashi nod and heard " Hokage-sama he was my sensei's legacy and you told me not to do anything for years then I asked you for a team with him so I can train my sensei's legacy and you denied." Hiruzen nodded and said " You're right so maybe tell him that and he might let you train him." Hiruzen saw Kakashi nod then leave so he sighed leaning back.
* Hours Later *
Naruto had walked onto the camp that they set up as it was going to be dark in an hour. Naruto had a couple of rabbits he had hunted down mainly to practice stealth but because he doesn't want to have those terrible tasting ninja bars. Naruto looked at his tent seeing it set up so he looked at Hinata and smiled. Naruto walked to the fire seeing Ano trying to help and start it. Naruto set down the dead animals and said crouching " You told me you have had a little bit of ninja training." Naruto saw Ano nod so he said " Everyone thinks seals are used for fights and traps but not always." Naruto reached into his pouch and pulled out a tag and set it on the sticks then he did hand signs. Naruto saw the tag light on fire so he said " fire tag." Naruto saw Ano nod so he stood up and said " I'm going to gut these." Naruto then walked over to his tent when he heard " Why go hunting?" Naruto looked at Shikamaru and said " Stealth training and no bars. If you say it's troublesome you are having none of it." Naruto saidShikakmaru turned and swore and heard him say " Troublesome," so he said " What?" Naruto saw Shikamaru walk away so he sat down in front of his tent and gutted the animals.
Naruto watched as the animals cooked when he heard " So who's keeping watch?" Naruto raised his hand and said " I have shadow clones and trained myself to wake up to recover memories if I fall asleep." Naruto saw Kurenai nod then heard " I'll take a second watch so Naruto can catch sleep." Naruto looked at Shikamaru and said " Ok." Naruto then grabbed the food from the fire and handed it out.
Naruto took a bite of his food when he heard " Naruto can I ask you something?" Naruto looked at Ano and nodded just to hear " Isn't Uzumaki a clane respected in Konoha." Naruto nodded and said, " Yea but I'm truly an Uzumaki." Naruto saw Ano nod so he sighed when he saw the Kyuubi version in front of him so he sighed then said " I'm going to get more wood." Naruto stood up and walked to the forest and started looking. Naruto saw the Kyuubi appear in front of him then heard " Can we talk?" Naruto nodded just to see the Kyuubi point as his bandaged arm and then heard him say " Your arm I've stopped the transformation but there is a problem." Naruto nodded and then heard " Do to the transformation that arm uses my chakra more than yours but also it has done something else." Naruto nodded to hear " Using my ninjutsu won't hurt but if you get chakra exhausted, Naruto the transformation will go ten times faster and my chakra needs to be fully restored to stop it and that could take days." Naruto nodded, then said " Ok I'll be careful." Naruto saw the Kyuubi nod then heard " I know you're worried but your friends have stuck by you to this day they won't leave." Naruto nodded with a chuckle then said " Maybe and no offense but holding a demon and looking like one are two different things." Naruto saw the Kyuubi nod so he then picked up sticks and headed back to camp after gathering enough.
* Later that Night *
Naruto was sitting just thinking as his clones watched the perimeter when he heard " Hey." Naruto turned and looked at Hinata and just smiled. Naruto was messing with his bandage hand when he heard " What's with you? You've been like this since you came back getting word." Naruto chuckled and then said " Nothing." Naruto saw Hinata sitting next to him and heard " We both know I won't leave until I know the truth." Naruto sighed as he continued messing with his arm and after a few seconds said " You know my transformation with my arm?" Naruto saw Hinata nod so he said " The Kyuubi need to talk to me so that's why I left and he told me do to us working together if I get completely chakra exhausted including him my transformation will continue but progress is ten times faster." Naruto felt a hand on his shoulder then heard " So." Naruto chuckled and said " Not looking like a demon and looking like one are different." Naruto felt Hinata wrap her arms around him and heard " Don't care." Naruto chuckled just to look at Hinata and after a few seconds said " I love you." Naruto saw Hinata blushing so he shook his head and said " No not like that. Like family Hinata." Naruto saw Hinata nod then heard " Ok."
* Next Morning *
Naruto was standing next to Hinata as Ano put his last thing away. Naruto smiled then continued walking with the merchant. After a couple of hours they got to the border and the merchant went with a Suna Genin. After that they decided to camp nearby and hang out, Kurenai commanding it.
Hiruzen watched as team seven walked out with their client going on their mission. Hiruzen sighed when he saw one of his Anbu appear and heard " Hokage-sama the council has been summoned just waiting for you." Hiruzen looked at the Anbu in confusion then said " Who summoned the council?" Hiruzen saw the Anbu look up and heard Danzo-sama but he said he was under your order." Hiruzen nodded and said " Hog thank you?" Hiruzen saw the Anbu nod then disappear so he stood up and walked to the council room.
Hiruzen entered the council room and walked next to his seat and said looking over the council " Why was the council summoned and why was my Anbu lied to?" Hiruzen saw a civilian council member stand up then heard " Danzo-sama has told us that you let the demon out of the village." Hiruzen looked at Danzo, seeing him stand, then heard " Hokage-sama, that is not the main reason why the council has been summoned. It was also summoned because I heard that the Kyuubi holder has made a deal not to forcefully take the Kyuubi's power but also works with him." Hiruzen sighed hoping this would be a secret but said " Yes it's true." Hiruzen saw Danzo nod and heard " The Kyuubi must be corrupting the kid. You should put him in my custody and I can show him how to use his power but also train him." Hiruzen shook his head and said " No, I've talked to Naruto about this and he can use the Kyuubi's chakra with the fox's agreement and as the last resort." Hiruzen saw Danzo nod and heard " If I can ask Why?" Hiruzen chuckled then said " He says it's not his power so he won't use it unless he has to and he uses it as a last resort to protect his friends." Hiruzen saw Danzo nod then heard " Hokage-sama I still believe you should give him to me. I can train him in his power then and still help him with dealing with the Kyuubi's power." Hiruzen shook his head when he saw Haishi Hyuga stand and heard " You have let that demon live if you let him live then let use the demon how it's meant as a weapon."
Hiruzen glared at Haishi and said " Shit down." Hiruzen saw Haishi do that so he looked at Danzo and said " Naruto Uzumaki is not a weapon." Hiruzen then smirked and said " In Doing so he's not a real Uzumaki the fourth and his wife gave everything to Naruto and in doing so Naruto is owner of the Uzumaki village and could leave to rebuild and also gets everything from the Fourth." Hiruzen saw Danzo shaking then heard " Doesn't matter…" Hiruzen was a little shaken by Shikaku who interrupted Danzo by saying " If Naruto is hurt in any way or has to leave and decides to rebuild the Uzumaki village the Nara's will leave Konoha to go to the village." Hiruzen smiled happily when he heard " Same with the Akimichi." Hiruzen looked at the Akimichi clan head just to hear " and the Ambrama." Hiruzen looked at the Ambrama clan head then back at Danzo hearing " Why? You hate him." Hiruzen saw a small smile from his head, surprised, then heard " My son showed me the truth. My clan and Naruto have some things in common. My clan never was beaten like how he was but we got looks due to us having something inside us and I didn't realize. Also Naruto is under the protection of my clan so even if there is an injury we are talking about civil war."
Hiruzen was shocked by this as it's not logical when he heard the Naras and Akimichi do the same." Hiruzen was more shook when he heard " Why?" Hiruzen looked at the head of Yamanaka to hear " I don't hate the kid but you are going to ruin Konoha and your clans over him." Hiruzen saw Shikaku smirking and heard " My son is refusing to speak to his mother due to her hating Naruto. Naruto should be a hero but he isn't." Hiruzen smiled and nodded just to hear " Not just that." Hiruzen looked at the corner seeing his student walk out to his very shook hands and said " Danzo had me return by a lie telling me Sarutobi sensei wanted the seal loosened but no. I'm one of the most powerful people in this village and I do a lot so if he's hurt or Danzo you take him, my whole spy network, me and the toad contract will be gone." Hiruzen couldn't help but smile so he said " Dismiss."
* Couple Hours Later *
Hiruzen saw one of Kakashi's dogs in front of him with a message so he took it and read. After reading and realizing it was a mission he looked at the dog and said " I'll send it back up." Hiruzen then stood up grabbing a piece of paper and wrote something on it then after summoning his Anbu gave it to the person and said " Have this be sent to team eight." Hiruzen saw the Anbu nod so he smiled and sat back down still not over the council meeting and how three clans basically said Naruto is family to them.