I don't own the Naruto license or any of the related characters. I just use them to feed my sick mind with their adventures.

Thank you for your feedback, I'm amazed that this story has been so well received and it means a lot to me. At the moment, the start-up is a bit complicated but it's necessary for the story to run smoothly. Enjoy :)

In the morning, Hinata and her family were able to leave the bunker, but hard, tired faces greeted them on the other side of the heavy shelter doors. Some of them immediately wanted to know more: what had happened? Who had attacked the village?

Faces turned deathly pale, and incomprehension disfigured their expressions. Some covered their mouths with their hands, many gasped at the news, all were in a state of incomprehension and worry.

-I knew those Uchiha thugs should have been expelled from the village! cried an elderly woman. They'll bring us nothing but trouble now!

-You'd better keep your ideas to yourself, we don't know what might happen if they hear us... Look what they've done to the Hokage!

Hinata understood that something serious had happened that night. No one said anything to her, but a member of her clan came to claim her, Hiashi was back at the estate and his daughters were being claimed. Still recovering from their complicated night, the girls were taken to their father's bedroom. All was dark in the room, with the clan chief lying in the center of his gray futon, his face taut and looking in pain. The elder of the two children couldn't hold back a scream when she saw her father's left arm completely blackened with burns, his skin like soaked coal and the smell of charred flesh almost made her regurgitate her previous night's meal.

Her father turned his gaze to his children, frightened by the appearance of his limbs, but despite the pain and his physical condition, he addressed them in a confident, strong voice.

-Hinata, your little sister is too young to understand everything I'm about to say, but you need to know what happened last night. It will be crucial for your future and that of the clan. He took a deep breath and began again. The Uchiha staged a coup, killing the Hokage and the village elders. As you can see, I was wounded, but they didn't kill us. I don't know why, it didn't seem to be their aim. Hinata, I don't know what that madman Fugaku is up to, he'll probably want to ensure his hold on power by paralyzing the most powerful clans in the village. You're my heir and it's your duty to make sure the clan doesn't disappear, okay?

-But... Father, what can I do... I'm only a child...

An angel passed between father and child, Hanabi who couldn't understand what was at stake in this discussion sobbed softly at the sight of her father's body. Gently, Hiashi replied:

-Whatever you can.

Fugaku Uchiha was a well-liked and feared man in his clan, most of whom saw him as stern and insensitive, whereas he was seen as a model father to the rest. His hatred and anger against the former rulers of Konoha had driven him to plan this coup d'état in agreement with his family, and it only took one word for everyone to agree with him. The fan clan had been too unfairly blamed and sidelined following the incident with the nine-tailed fox demon.

After that difficult night, he was currently in the Hokage council room, precisely where the former leaders were meeting. A fine revenge... but it was only the beginning. At his side were his closest advisors, the men he trusted most, who had followed and supported him since the first day he became leader, but today his eldest son was with them, Itachi, the boy who was his greatest pride and also his greatest fear. The teenager was perhaps the most powerful member of the clan, a genius who did everything better than anyone else and who promised to be a god when he grew up... or a monster.

"Thank God, if he hadn't chosen his clan, he'd probably have massacred us all," Fugaku thought inwardly.

He knew that his son didn't completely agree with his father's methods, but the Uchiha had confidence in his successor now that the clan was in charge of the village, and there would be no more fraudulent conspiracies or ostracism for his clan. He would place his heirs in high positions to secure their futures and impose his vision of things, not by violence he hoped.

-Fugaku-sama, we have a lot of things to see to as soon as possible so that the village doesn't try to overthrow us in their turn, the other clans aren't going to stand idly by after what happened that night. The man who had just opened the conversation was the clan's oldest Uchiha, a man with salt-and-pepper hair and dark circles. We need to find a way to establish your dominance over these woodlice.

-Violence or threats won't work, and don't forget that other countries can always come and attack us on our borders, and we'll need as many soldiers as possible to defend the land of fire.

Fugaku pondered as the men around him discussed, needing a disguised way to keep the pressure and fear on the village without descending into violence... Something that had already traumatized them in the past...

-Bring me the Uzumaki boy, I think my wife would be happy to have a third boy to look after...

Naruto felt sick, his whole body trembling in spite of himself and his instinct was to run away as far as his legs would let him, but another part of him had decided to follow the dark-haired stranger who had invited himself into the little orphan's room that served as his home. He hadn't said anything in particular, the blond child just knew he had to follow him. He was lost, the noise of that night had woken him up in his bed, he hadn't dared move from under his comforter, feeling the building above him shake and creak had scared him too much to even try to look at what was going on outside and seeing the state of the village they were currently passing through made his stomach turn.

It wasn't the old man who wanted to see Naruto; the man sitting in the old man's chair had hair as black as the person he'd been following. His piercing gaze and cold, strict appearance put Naruto on the defensive.

-Where's the third of the name? Naruto asked nonchalantly, true to form.

Be careful what you say, runt," exclaimed a black-and-white-haired man beside the other sitting behind the hokage's desk.

-That's enough Toma, let him ask questions, it's normal at his age. Children are the future of the clan and the village, aren't they? It's the role of adults to listen to them and guide them.

Naruto felt his chest warm up; it was very rare when an adult didn't reject him or insult him. He didn't know this stranger, but he felt a connection between them.

-Sadly, the third of the name is no longer with us, illness and old age have taken him in the night, it's an immeasurable loss that the village is currently suffering and there's no doubt that we'll remember his name for a long time to come. You've probably heard or seen what happened last night?

-Hmm, more or less... I don't understand, does the third man's death have anything to do with all this mayhem?

The man took a few seconds before answering, observing Naruto who had relaxed a little in front of him.

-A secret village organization tried to seize power, taking advantage of the fact that the Hokage was no longer of this world to prevent them. However, he had his doubts and entrusted them to me; I'm Konoha's police chief, you know, and my clan is actively involved. So when I heard that Sarutobi had just died, I knew they'd try something, and we had to eliminate them.

Naruto looked surprised.

-Do you mean you had to kill them...?

Fugaku didn't answer, but closed his eyelids and nodded gravely. Wasn't the most important thing to preserve the village, after all? As chief of police, this man would never have done anything outside the law, would he?

-Do you know why they wanted to overthrow the third of that name? Fugaku asked, and Naruto shrugged. It's for you, Naruto, it's you they wanted, or rather what's inside you.

The young boy was stunned; was the raven-haired man crazy after all?

-I'm having trouble following you at the moment, but I don't see why they'd be willing to kill the old man for me.

Fugaku settled back in the armchair he'd been occupying, folded his hands between them and prepared himself, this was going to be a long story.

-Naruto Uzumaki, you're an orphan, aren't you? Do you know what your parents did?

Fugaku understood in a few seconds that the child didn't know anything, observing his discomfited face and his eyes clouded with sadness.

-As chief of police, I have access to a few files concerning the inhabitants of Konoha, you see? Yours is very impressive: your parents abandoned you, probably at birth, and you were found in the middle of garbage with the cord still attached to your belly. The Uchiha struck a pose, noticing that Naruto was tucking his head into his shoulders. He continued. You were placed in an orphanage because no one wanted to adopt you, you were a crybaby and you fed with difficulty, you screamed regularly at night and you even prevented the other babies from sleeping because of your screams. Just a few days after you were born, the nine-tailed fox demon attacked the village. It traumatized the whole village and cost the fourth in line his life. Do you know what happened to the fox demon, Naruto?

The blond child, uncomfortable and destroyed, nodded negatively.

Fugaku's only reply was to point at him.

-You've been chosen to be the demon's vessel. Out of all the orphans, the ones nobody wanted, they chose the loudest and most rejected. The Fourth Hokage placed this demon inside you with a seal. The Third Hokage may have taken pity on you by not killing you, even protecting you as best he could, but the elders didn't see you as a potential protector of the village - quite the opposite, I think. They would have awakened the demon for... destructive purposes.

He decided to give Naruto time to digest what he'd just told him; who wouldn't be upset after such depressing announcements? Fugaku almost felt sorry for him when he saw him biting his lips, tears flooding his eyelids, he held back from crying and wiped himself with the back of his orange sleeve. Fugaku decided it was time to get it over with and rose from his chair, silently skirting his desk and approaching the boy, who was almost sobbing now.

-This... It's impossible for me to have a demon inside me. It's not funny what you're saying!

-Young Uzumaki, Fugaku knelt down beside him and put his hand on his shoulder. If you accept, it would be an honor to help you learn more about this demon and how to master it. Believe me, if I'd known about your situation earlier, I'd never have let all this happen... You know, I think there's a spare room in my house in the Uchiha clan, and I've got a boy you should get on well with... If you agree, of course.

-What's that supposed to mean? Naruto sniffed, far from calm.

-I'd like you to become my son, future times promise to be complicated, but know that the entire clan will be there to support and protect you. Your family will always be there for you.

The blond suddenly lost control of himself and threw himself into Fugaku's arms, He'd always dreamed of hearing those words one day, and now his heart could explode with relief, crying his eyes out. If at first the man hadn't expected this sudden gesture of affection, his sons showing little of their feelings, but he closed his arms around the former orphan's back in return.

In the Hokage's office, three pairs of scarlet eyes shone with an ominous gleam.