The Yellow Cyclone
The council room of Konoha was filled with greedy bastards and their cheif was Danzo. The one eyed bastard was just too cunning for his own good, his immoral and perverse loyalty toward the village was dangerous for everyone.
Danzo looked around himself satisfied, after one and a half year of constant scheming he has finally achieved what he sorely desired. Lord Third's drive to lead the village after Kyubi's rampage was low, so low that Danzo had used it to re-establish his Root.
Danzo had to give it to Minato; the brat was one hell of a leader. The boy was hailed as one of the most powerful shinobi Konoha had ever nurtured, and Danzo could stand witness to that. His prowess in the field didn't overshadow his skill with words; he was a shrewd but formidable diplomat. And it was this skill that saw him rise to the position of Kage soon after the last war ended, though it could also be attributed to his last showing in war.
A thousand Iwa shinobi were no child's play, the brat had the raw talent to match even the Nindaime-sama.
His organization, Ne, had been dismantled by the blonde brat when he had taken the title. His agents were transferred back to the ANBU Corps, but his political dogma remained the same. He couldn't dare to lose that; his organization could be rebuilt from scratch again.
But now, now he was after the biggest prize, the Kyubi Jinchuriki. The matron of the orphanage had refused to let the said "demon" remain in her care anymore; Hiruzen had tried to overrule her demands, but the civilian council had intervened at the right time. It wasn't due to any last-minute meeting he had with the Matron; greed and fear were the best motivators for all humans.
Danzo had tried to take the Namikaze under his control, but Jiraiya had overthrown his authority, taking the blonde genius under him as an apprentice. However, it seemed he didn't want any connections with the son of his former student. And he couldn't complain about it, as it had only helped Danzo to wrestle the custody of the jinchuriki from the old Hokage, who was starting to become just a symbolic head.
Hiruzen chose that moment to enter the room, with two ANBU trailing behind him; one silver-haired and one purple-haired, quite the distinctive pair of guards. In the arms of the purple-haired ANBU was a babe. The blond hair of the boy confirmed his identity from far away, as that particular shade of blond hair wasn't common in the village. Namikaze's shade of blond.
It wasn't surprising that the villagers ignored the facial features and blond locks of the boy; they ignored those features as minuscule details and hated the brat with passion.
And who was Danzo to alleviate their fears? On the contrary, he was happy to help them undermine the power of the Hokage; it was petty, but he was pleased to get one over on his former teammate.
"Order in the council, Hokage-sama has entered the room," the ANBU guard at the head of the table spoke in a firm voice, reminding everyone that he was still there to maintain order during the meeting.
"Settle down, everyone," Hiruzen said in an emotionless tone; the twitch around his eye indicated that he wasn't entirely happy with the topic of the meeting. The whole room quieted down as all the council members took their respective seats.
"Now, we should move on to the issue at hand," Hiruzen said as he took his seat, grimacing at the situation he had found himself in. "The council is hereby called upon by the request of one, Guré Souta. Address the council, Souta."
He should've accepted Jiraya's request to transfer Naruto's guardianship to him, at least they would have had absolute control over his living arrangements. However, that particular solution came with problems of its own; considering today's topic, he would have to reveal Naruto's guardianship. And although the Hokage was ultimately the guardian of every war orphan, Jiraiya's association with Naruto would have raised several eyebrows.
That didn't happen, and unsurprisingly, the civilian council has found some holes in his setup.
They had used these holes to usurp his control over the kids' guardianship; Jiraiya was unavailable to take the matter into his own hands. And he didn't have any significant relationship with the kids to adopt them, he shouldn't have been given the position again. He was past his prime, not just physically but mentally too.
He sighed as the despicable man started rambling.
"Respected councillors, we've gathered here to determine the guardianship of one Uzumaki Naruto" The disgust was clear in his voice, and the same feeling was shared by most of the civilian councillors.
"Wait a minute, this whole meeting is called to determine the guardianship of a single boy? Disgusting!" Hiashi Hyuga spoke up, he had good relations with the boy's parents and had tried to gain his guardianship. He had been denied of course by the elder council, according to them it would tip the balance of power in Konoha.
"Troublesome, but true," Shikaku Nara remarked, opening one eye lazily. "Still, we aren't allowed to interfere with the business of the civilian council." He added as an afterthought.
"This is no normal child, shinobi-san," he hissed through gritted teeth.
Hiruzen sighed; how idiotic could they get? "Demon brat," he muttered. Really? That's just plainly stupid.
The dog-masked ANBU's hand twitched towards his tanto, his blade was mere seconds away from chopping off the head of Souta Guré. Hiruzen caught the moment and shook his head; it wasn't the right time for that, even though he desired the same.
"What a ludicrous claim! The kid is merely one and half year old, what demonic thing he could do? Steal the candy from other kids?" asked Fugaku Uchiha with a sneer directed toward the man. He was never close with Namikaze, but he still respected the man for his skill and capable leadership. He would never forget how Minato had chewed him out when he had found about Itachi's voyage to the battlefield.
"You would be right if it was some other kid, Uchiha-san. But this brat is demon reincarnate, just look at those ungly marks at his face," Guré argued vehemently.
"They look rather unusual, I'll have to admit it." said the head of Kurama clan, Danzo smirked inwardly at his plant.
"It doesn't prove anything," Shikaku Nara remarked, waving his hand lazily. "We know some jinchurikis adapt the features of their beasts." Hiruzen nodded, appreciating his insight.
"The argument is not about whether he was a demon or not; that would be a rather idiotic argument in itself. Rather, it is about the guardianship of the boy." Homura spoke tightly.
The grey-haired ANBU shifted slightly, eyeing the old goat disdainfully behind his mask.
"And that stays with me," Hiruzen said firmly; he wouldn't have any arguments over that.
"Pardon me for my interruption, Hokage-sama, but the boy has no relation to you." One of the council members argued standing up hesitantly; another point went to Danzo's side of the council.
It was no secret that the civilians backed him so eagerly; he was one of the students of the Nindáime Hokage who had fought in the Second Great War. And after incurring several deep injuries, he had retired without any ceremony, but the warhawk could not let himself relax until his vision for Konoha was fulfilled.
"I concur with his judgement, Hokage-sama. The brat doesn't have any relation with you" A lower clan's head agreed.
"All the children in the village are my responsibility; I am the leader of this very village. It is my duty to ensure the welfare of each of its citizens." Hiruzen stated, looking around the council room.
He was seated at the head of the rectangular table that divided the civilian side of the council from that of the Shinobi. In recent years, after the death of Minato, the civilian councillors had gained more political power at an alarming rate. And Hiruzen knew who was behind it; his former teammate and friend had used the weakened state of the village to his own benefit.
"And I can't agree more with you, Hokage-sama. You've always looked for the betterment of the village, still you're one man, my lord." Guré said diplomatically.
Hiashi hissed under his breath; he couldn't call out the disgusting man on that comment. After all, he had been overly respectful in his approach.
"Does that mean something?" Hiruzen asked dangerously, letting go of some of his killer intent.
The short councilman whimpered and looked down fearfully. "Oh, of course not, my lord. I'm just saying that you could pass on some of those responsibilities."
"Which responsibility are we talking about here? If it's about Naruto then you shouldn't forget that I am still the Hokage, I hold more power than this whole council combined." Hiruzen replied coldly.
"It seems that Guré-san has worded that incorrectly, Hokage-sama," Danzo interjected smoothly, clearly indicating that he could not trust these idiots with such a simple matter. "He means that you're past your prime, Hiruzen. And I can't see you getting any younger either; we just want that you pass on some of those responsibilities to capable hands."
"It seems that you've lost your tact, Danzo. Don't forget you're still talking to the Leader of Leaf" Koharu snarked at her old friend.
"I apologize for my bluntness, Hokage-sama. But my concerns remain the same—" Danzo continued with a bored expression on his face. "—We've just recovered from the destruction caused by the Kyuubi, add Orochimaru's treacherous acts and desertion to that and you have Konoha looking like a ripe fruit ready for picking to the other nations of the Elemental Nations."
"Hardly!" Fugaku scoffed. "Iwa is still recovering from the damage caused to their shinobi ranks during the last war. Kiri has closed off its borders to other nations, and there are talks of internal conflict in the nation. Kumo has to still recover from the death of their last Kage, and the rampage of Hachibi after that." He listed down. "As for Sunagakure, we have a peace agreement with them, no matter how fragile it has become since Lord Fourth's demise."
"Precisely, Fugaku. I don't see how Konoha is in any worse situation than any other nation, it seems that this decade has treated each nation the same." Hiruzen replied easily.
"Again, we're moving off the core topic. The guardianship of this boy should be in the hands of someone of his blood, and as we know he's an orphan, so rightfully his guardianship should be allocated by the civilian council." Guré asserted, having unfortunately recovered from his previous embarrassment.
"You don't know this, Souta, but Naruto is of shinobi lineage. His case cannot be handled by civilians, as the nature of his situation makes him a war orphan, which fall under my direct jurisdiction." Hiruzen replied easily, glancing toward the boy in Neko's arms.
"Where are the papers confirming that? There should be at least a birth certificate and his parents' marriage certificate; don't tell me that the demon child is a bastard," one of the councilors, who worked with the business guild of Suna, questioned.
"These are S-ranked secrets; they must be kept on a need-to-know basis. Revealing them would hamper the safety of Naruto." Hiruzen asserted icely.
Danzo smirked internally; he was just waiting for this. "I thought you trusted us, Hokage-sama. We're your advisors; it's our duty to trust your judgment and work with you to better the future of the Leaf Village."
"Be that as it may, I still cannot disclose the information surrounding Naruto's parentage," Hiruzen retorted with a glare.
"Then legally you'll have to move him with a clan that'll look over him, that's the procedure for war orphans," Danzo said and smirked when Hiashi and Fugaku perked at the suggestion.
"Hyuga Clan will be honoured to take in Uzumaki Naruto, we'll provide him with everything he needs. Our compound is one of the safest place in Konoha, so his security shouldn't be a concern," Hiash spoke up standing.
"Uchiha clan will happily taken in Uzumaki-san, his needs would be taken care of efficiently and his securities would be our to priority," Fugaku stood with his request.
"I would also like to file in a request for available clans to adopt the brat, the Inuzuka clan is known for its loyalty and I'll make sure that the brats becomes a part of our pack," The matriarch of Inuzuka Clan stood up.
That was where the real problem lay; it wasn't that no clan was willing to adopt the boy. Quite the contrary, every major clan in Konoha was eager to assimilate the boy into their ranks. With a jinchuriki under their banner, their reputation and political power would greatly increase.
"I am pleased to see that so many clans have opened their arms to the jinchuriki—" Danzo said with a smirk. "—but the problem remains the same. In order for the brat to be adopted into one of these clans, his birth certificate must be presented before both the civilians and the Shinobi Council."
Hiruzen grimaced at the manipulator, the man was hell-bent on destroying his hard work, the work he had put in to secure Naruto's guardianship.
"Unfortunately, he is correct. Tobirama sensei implemented those law to avoid kidnapping of clan children by other clans." Hiruzen accepted remorsefully.
"That retains the issue of his guardianship, Hokage-sama. If you would just present the birth certificate, it'll be easy for all of us," Danzo said with an unaltered smirk.
"That's not something I'll divulge; that information is guarded tightly and will remain so." Hiruzen denied.
"Then, it forces our hand, Hokage-sama. We need the brat, he could be molded into a perfect weapon for the village. And after the defection of Orochimaru, we need something to hold off the enemies" One of the councillor said with resolve.
"You'll force him, eh?" said the ANBU from beside the Hokage. "How would you do that when you're dead? A dead man cannot use his hands, can he?" The killer intent released by the hound brought several people to their knees.
"Hound" Hiruzen said sternly. The grey haired boy receded his killer intent instantly, standing attentively behind his leader. Even some of the clan heads released the breath they're holding unknowingly.
"You're under Konoha's jurisdiction, ANBU. Keep your attitude under leash, or you'll taken into custody under the charge of assault" Homura snarled standing up.
"Protecting the Hokage is my primary and most crucial mission; collateral damage is allowed," the ANBU intoned in a no-nonsense tone.
"Stand down, Hound," the Hokage said in a mild tone, which was enough for the grey-haired ANBU to take his place beside the purple-haired ANBU.
"Insubordination in ANBU is punished harshly, keep your emotions under check" Koharu retorted diplomatically.
"He's under orders to protect me, and if you all forgot, I am still the Hokage," Hiruzen said sternly, even the clan heads stood in attention due to his rigid tone. Nobody wanted to piss off 'the God of Shinobi,' Sarutobi Hiruzen hadn't acquired that moniker without reason.
"If you will forgive me, Hokage sama. The boy needs to be admitted to the civilian hospital, as per the law regarding adoptive children." Guré requests with a bow.
"He's not up for adoption, that's final' Hiruzen said standing up.
"That'll go against the law, Hiruzen. I know it's hard for you, but the law states that a child without any proper certification falls under the jurisdiction of the civilian council. Even you aren't above the law, my friend." Homura said as he stood close to his former teammate.
"Well...Well...Well...the Hokage's losing his influence, that's something new" a voice drawled from the gate.
Danzo stiffened at the voice, Homura and Koharu instantly following his lead. On the other hand, Hiruzen's shoulders relaxed; he hadn't heard that voice in over half a decade, but he was glad the man had returned.
It would have been better if the man had abandoned his mission and returned back to the village; yet deserting a militaristic village like Kumogakure was no joke. Ei and his predecessors had enjoyed a firm control over the village with heavy hands, their policies had seen Kumogakure stand as one of the strongest of the five great nations. To reduce its influence and any opportunity for it to start another war, this mission was a cruel necessity.
Several gasps were heard across the council room as the man walked forward. He wore a black long coat over a gray t-shirt and a pair of black trousers. A utility pouch hung from a black belt, while a crimson strap ran across his back, fastened to a Kodachi. His spiky blond shoulder-length hair was tied with a black fabric, and his steely blue eyes scanned the room critically.
Hiashi and Fugaku stood up in shock, quickly followed by Shikamaru, Tsume, Aburame Shibi, Yamanaka Inochi, and Akimichi Choza. They had never imagined that this devil was still alive; otherwise, they wouldn't have needed to be having this meeting together.
The grey-haired ANBU at the side of Hokage stiffened as the man walked forward, he had never imagined that he would see the man alive ever again. Danzo shifted his weight on his cane trying his best to not look nervous, and failing to do so as he looked more uneasy than anyone else. Given his history with the blond, Kakashi didn't think the old warhawk was at fault for being nervous.
'Yondaime-sama,' one of the civic council members muttered out in both fear and awe, he was quickly followed by a few others.
"Quiet down, you little shits. I am not Minato; the brat was too noble for his own good." The blond said the last part to himself, his voice while smooth still holding a unnerving edge to it.
"Hokage-sama, my mission was successful. The reports are in this scroll." He handed the scroll to Hiruzen, who took it without any reaction. Pocketing the secretive report within his robe, Hiruzen nodded toward the man emotionlessly.
"You couldn't be him, he died five years ago. I saw him die with my own eyes, we all did" Homura stated fearfully glancing toward Hiruzen and Danzo, while the latter was shifting unconsciously, the former stood stoically as ever.
"You aren't as smart as you think, Mitakado," he said without turning toward the addressed man. "A simple genjutsu and emotional manipulation were all it took, though it did help that you always wanted me dead."
Kakashi looked at the elder critically upon hearing that declaration. Really? Did the man want him dead that badly?
"Such deviousness, I never thought I would see from you of all people." Danzo chuckled without any humour behind it, unlike those idiots councillor he knew to keep his temper in check while dealing with the blond.
The man gained a malicious grin as he replied without turning toward the man. "Ah, so you're still alive, eh warhawk? Thought you would die of a heart attack or one of your ROOTs would poison you."
"A pity, really. Hell has been waiting for its next guard for ages. How's the eye treating you, by the way?" The blond asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"You shouldn't talk about Danzo-sama like that, whoever you are," Guré stood up with a furious expression; this man was trespassing on their territory.
Fugaku hissed under his breath; Guré had a death wish. No one patronized "The Kiiro Kyōi" except Hiruzen Sarutobi. The Yellow menace was infamous for his short temper, and notorious for his rampages. Together with 'the Yellow Flash,' he had decimated entire contingents of enemy nations during the last war. There's a reason that even the shinobi from his own village feared him.
"And who might you be?" asked the curious man without any interest.
"Souta Guré, one of the esteemed councilmen of Konohagure no Sato," he announced, raising his nose and puffing his chest out. It was clear from his tone that the man believed his position granted him superiority over the shinobi population.
Danzo gritted his teeth at the idiot's behavior; the blonde was never to be taken lightly. Danzo still had the phantom pain in his right eye, and it still called for revenge, but the cyclops wasn't a veteran for nothing. He knew when he did have the upper hand and when he didn't.
"Never heard of you," the blond replied nonchalantly, walking forward toward the ANBU holding the baby.
"Arrest the man, ANBU! He's breaching the order of this council; uninvited persons are not allowed inside the council chamber!" The head of the trade guild shouted furiously, as three ANBU dropped from the ceiling, but they didn't move to do anything against the blond.
They would only act if the Hokage wanted them to and by the look on his face he clearly didn't, so they stood at their place assessing the situation.
"Pitting ANBU against me, that's hilarious!" The blond man snorted, glancing toward the councilman.
"If you don't want to die an excruciating death, then I would suggest you keep your traps shut." Hyuga Hiashi said tersely.
Unsurprisingly, they didn't heed his advice. "Who is this man? How dare you interrupt a session of council? Identify yourself!"
"Fucking idiots," Tsume grumbled lowly. Although her clan in particular didn't have any beef with the blonde man, still they didn't want to draw his negative attention.
It was clear that with Minato gone, the only one who could reign over the him was Hiruzen, the man wasn't known for being the most calm person in his family. Hell, the blonde could match the ferocity of Uzumaki Kushina when enraged.
The blonde man ignored them and walked towards the Neko. He looked at the boy in her arms with a smile. "He looks just like him, little Naruto." The man cooed.
Everyone in the room observed him with wide eyes; this was the same man who had dishonored the elders and council members with his venom-laced tongue only moments ago. Right now, he was playing with the child as if he were the most gentle person in the entire Elemental Nation.
"Please give him to me, Neko-san," he said in a commanding voice that Neko couldn't help but compare to that of Lord Fourth.
"Hai," she replied and gently passed the yellow bundle to the woman, who was cooing at the sleeping child.
The blonde inspected Naruto's little form; the boy wasn't overly chubby, but the fat on his skin was still visible. It meant the Hokage had designated an experienced nanny to take care of his nephew.
"I am allowed to take him with me, right?" The man asked glancing towards Hiruzen who smiled at him with a nod, who was he to stop the man from taking the burden of Naruto's care off his shoulder.
As the blonde was on his way out, one of the council members made the biggest mistake they could, even after observing the fondness the man showed towards the baby and the trust Sandaime had shown in him.
"Hey! He's taking the demon brat with him!" The man yelled, his voice dying down as the blond glanced over his shoulder.
The killer intent flowed from the blonde in waves; even the Hokage winced at the thought of the man's fate.
"Cut him down," the blond ordered, and the next moment, that councilor's head rolled on the floor.
Inu didn't waste a single second in obeying his order; his tanto was now red with the blood of the councilman. A satisfied smirk was plastered on his face beneath the mask.
Hiashi closed his eyes in silent prayer, not for the dead man. No, the bastard deserved what he got. The prayer was for those who would dare to stand against the devil, because that was what this man was. The bloody devil.
Danzo's grip on the cane tightened as he saw one of his most vocal supporters being cut down right before his eyes. The man couldn't be easily replaced; he was one of the few dealers of cannabis in the village. The same cannabis that was used in Leaf Hospital, some of which was supplied to Danzo for experimentation.
Homura stepped back, fear clear in his eyes; Danzo clicked his tongue in disapproval. His former teammate was getting too attached to his life, a problem indeed.
People around the beheaded man began to vomit violently and a few fainted; the Shinobi present in the room remained stoic, though one could see a hint of satisfaction in the eyes of a few and fear in others.
"What? How dare you?" sputtered Koharu.
"It's an S-ranked secret, and if you've forgotten the code, I must remind you that speaking of such secrets could get you beheaded." The blond man replied simply, turning around to face the hall. The kid in his lap was awakened by the sudden malevolent intent, and was looking at him attentively.
"But… You can't decide that, you're not—" Koharu started to say, but the blonde interrupted her.
"It would do you good to remember my relationship to the child, Koharu-san," he said with a smirk, and he didn't need to see to know that Hiruzen had a similar smirk plastered on his face.
"His relative? It's not possible; he has been under the watchful eye of the Hokage-sama for the past one and a half years." One of the civilian councilors shouted indignantly, it seems he had got his brain back.
"You mean to say I'm lying? That I would lie about Naruto and mine relationship, you've got some nerve to claim something like that around me." He drawled with only a limited amount of his KI. Although, it was enough to terrify the civilians out of their wits, causing them to back down instead of questioning him further.
"Then I think I should reveal who I am, and how you ungrateful swine are pissing on the sacrifice that Minato did for this damned village," he stated loudly, loud enough for every shinobi to hear it clearly and flinch in shame; it was truly sad to hear the truth coming from the blonde's mouth.
"How dare you!" Guré stood to protest, but halted as the blond made his presence known; the civilian saw their life flash before their eyes.
"Shut your ungrateful mouths before I deem your nonsense treason, and execute you with my own hands." The blond's tone was cold as ice, and his stare put even Hiruzen's to shame.
"Do you maggots know who I am? Do you've any ideas how much shit you're in?" He continued, but a bit calmly than before. "Pathetic, the lots of you. I still don't understand how my brother listened to your nonsense. I would've demolished this whole system of civilian council after a month of my coronation."
"Yes, and that's why Hiruzen chose Minato for the post instead of you. I always saw the brute-strength, skills and ruthlessness needed for the job in you, but the kindness and generosity that's needed to balance that graph wasn't there" Danzo said emotionlessly, how ironic the man that suppressed the emotions of his agents was prophesying about generosity.
"Oh? You're the one to talk about kindness, Danzo? Don't forget the precious values that you beat into your mindless soldiers." He scoffed, meeting the eyes of the man without any hint of fear; it was because of this same attitude that the shinobi population of the village feared him. A person who could go toe-to-toe against Danzo shouldn't be taken lightly; it would be a grave mistake to patronize the blond unnecessarily.
The blood on the floor of the council room was still fresh, and one could feel the weight of the Yondaime brothers' killer intent in the room. His eyes held the same determination that made Minato a legend, but this man was different; he wasn't calm and collected like Minato. No, he was like a cyclone that appeared suddenly and demolished everything in its path. You couldn't predict the next move of this man, no matter how close you were to him.
Minato had always said that if Kushina and his brother joined forces, then there would be destruction and chaos; there was a reason why Lord Third never sent the two together on the battlefield during the last war.
Shikaku Nara smirked to himself; it wouldn't be too troublesome to watch the blond take on the one-eyed manipulator. Meanwhile, Uchiha Fugaku muttered something about assholes and orange paint under his breath for some reason.
"For your kind information, Warhawk. I have always had that kindness and generosity, that you speak of so bluntly. It just wasn't there for nonsensical things like this council, or your little toy army." The kid in his arms fussed at his volume.
"Nonetheless, you little sea urchins need to know who I am or you'll continue to poke your noses into my business," he growled at the gathered council members.
"I am Namikaze Kaiyō, the head of the Namikaze clan and the older brother of Namikaze Minato, your beloved late Yondaime." He said with a satisfied smile, as several members in the civilian council and shinobi council gasped.
"Impossible. Yondaime-sama was an orphan; he never mentioned having a sibling." The man, who as much as Hiruzen could remember was the head of a small clan, called out.
"Of course he didn't, you idiots!" he snapped at them. "I was declared dead because I was sent into enemy territory."
"He's telling the truth, you idiots. Have you not heard of 'Kiiroi kyōi'?" Hiashi said harshly.
"Kiiroi kyōi? Wasn't he declared dead at the end of the war?" The civilian asked with a shrug.
"How big of an idiot are you? His hair alone gives away which family he belongs to; he's obviously the famous shinobi." Fugaku scolded calmly, maintaining his composure despite the presence of these imbeciles.
"It still doesn't prove that he has any relation to the boy; even if he is Yondaime-sama's brother, he'll have to provide proof of that," Guré gritted his teeth with a glare directed toward the man, it seemed he had regained his wit.
"My relationship to Naruto? That's above your pay grade, paper-pusher." Kaiyō snarled, before taking deep breaths to calm himself. He didn't want to startle the boy in his arms.
The council had been gathered here to determine the guardianship problem of Naruto, as it was now clear he had a blood relative; the issue was being concluded. Hiruzen stopped anyone from arguing further.
"ANBU, clean the council room. I don't want any unsuspecting members slipping on the blood," said Hiruzen as he walked out of the office, signaling Kaiyō to follow him.
Meanwhile, Danzo exited the council room clutching his cane. The brat was as good as under his control, but that bastard Kaiyō had to come and spoil everything for him.
Kaiyō and Kakashi walked in silence with him towards the Hokage Chamber; not because Hiruzen had nothing to say, quite the opposite. He had a few choice words reserved for the blonde, but he didn't want his shinobi or the workers in the office hearing such colorful language come from his mouth.
Meanwhile, Kaiyō kept his full attention on his nephew. The boy was the carbon copy of both of his parents, except for the whisker-like markings on either side of his cheekbones. He glanced back to see Inu trailing them from a distance and sighed before signaling the boy to move closer to him.
The gray-haired ANBU didn't waste a single second in following his order; he was right beside him the next moment. He simply lifted the bundle of sunshine off his chest and placed it in the ANBU's arms. The boy stiffened at the sudden movement. His body went rigid, and he stopped moving, but ultimately, his curiosity got the best of him as he gazed down at his sensei's son.
He continued to walk while keeping track of their destination, but most of his focus remained on the bundle in his arms. He sniffed lightly to gauge the state of the blonde's hygiene; his diaper was new, likely changed just before the meeting. Another sniff confirmed that the child had been kept clean and well-groomed, without any sign of illness or neglect.
It was to be expected that Hiruzen had kept Naruto under the care of a retired jonin from the last war; the woman had lost her husband and only son in a skirmish near Kusagakure. The woman had served the village until the end of the war, after which she had retired without any plans of ever returning to the life of a shinobi. Still, she was capable enough to keep Naruto secure.
The door to the Hokage's chamber closed behind him as he entered the room; Hiruzen walked behind his desk before sitting down in the Hokage's chair with a sigh.
"Did you really need to be so blatant with your approach, Kaiyō?" Hiruzen asked with a scowl.
"You don't expect me to remain civil with scum that spit on the sacrifice of my brother, Hokage-sama." He replied without any pause.
"I understand your feelings," Hiruzen said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "God knows, I feel the same way when someone uses the word 'demon' for Naruto." He paused and looked at Kakashi. "Still, you didn't need to order the ANBU to kill that councilman. You know the trade guild will increase my paperwork because of this; ungrateful idiots."
Hiruzen looked at the masked ANBU sternly. "And you," he said, "didn't need to kill that man so callously."
"I apologise for my transgression, Hokage sama. I was just following orders" The man bowed still balancing the bundle in his arm.
Hiruzen sighed heavily before sagging into his seat. "Perfect, you've been gone for nearly half a decade and now you come back to start giving orders to my ANBU."
"I apologize for that. It's just—with Minato, he always respected my advice, so I adopted the habit of ordering around his agents." Kaiyō said with a strained smile.
"If you're so eager to command the ANBU then you should have competed against your brother for the Kage position." Hiruzen said sharply.
"Me, and compete against Mina-kun?", Kaiyō chuckled genuinely. "Minato was a brat, but I couldn't compete with his native mind or over the top skill-set. You damn well know he could outfight and outthink me anytime if he wanted."
"Whatever!" Hiruzen waved off his concern. "I will ready the Namikaze estate for your accommodations; anything else you need to handle on your own."
He glanced up at the man with a smile. "It isn't like you're unfamiliar with this village or its people; just give them some time to accept that you aren't a ghost and your death was part of your mission."
"Of course, that should be left unsaid. I would also like you to relieve Inu of his duties for a day, please." The blond requested with a bow; it was at this moment that Hiruzen recalled how respectful the two brothers could be when dealing with someone they respected.
"Yes, take him with you for a week. He's not taken any leave for I don't know how long, that stuuborn brat" Hiruzen said with a wave.
Kaiyō gave a sharp look to the ANBU, who shifted nervously under the gaze. "I see," he said. "Hokage-sama, can I ask for one more favour?"
Hiruzen signaled the man to continue.
"If you could inform Naruto's caretaker that I would like to hire them on a monthly stipend, you see I have no experience nurturing a baby." He requested with a bow.
Hiruzen called out. A female ANBU appeared kneeling before him.
"Inform Matsuda Hiroi of Naminaze-san's offer, whatever her response is report it back to Kaiyō" Hiruzen ordered.
The ANBU agent vanished into a sealess shunshin.
"Thank you for supporting me, Hokage-sama. I couldn't fathom what I would've done if I didn't save Naruto from the grasp of that old warhawk" Kaiyō said with a respectful bow.
"It wasn't just for you, Kaiyō. I love the boy as my own grandson, his wellbeing will be my top priority." Hiruzen replied with a smile, he was glad that his last minute plan has stopped Danzo from getting his hand on Naruto.
Kaiyō nodded as he listened to the words of the old leader; he had to drop the mask he had crafted to remain elusive in Kumo. Minato had been paranoid of the Sandaime Raikage's dealings; the man had tried to kidnap Kushina on more than one occasion, and it was the second attempt that raised his suspicions.
No village was stupid enough to target the demon container of another nation; the attempt itself would be seen as a declaration of war. But that nutcase of the Raikage, Ei, had not only sent his elite jonin to capture Kushina, but he also accepted his mistake without any hesitation.
Yet, the final skirmish of the Third War had seen Ei brought to the brink of death before his son had brought him back to the village. However, he wouldn't survive; Kaiyō had made sure of that by injecting a potent yet odorless, colorless toxin into his IV bag.
He didn't regret leaving though; as much as he wanted to see the man thrash and suffocate to death, letting his own family live off the mere crumbs of bread for their livelihood couldn't be accepted. Kushina would kill him for leaving her baby boy without a guardian for over a year and a half, he shuddered at the thought.
"That'll be all for now, Kaiyō-kun. Though I want a detailed report of the progress you have made on your long-term mission, as well as a list of potential candidates to fill your absence." Hiruzen ordered.
Kaiyō nodded without any hesitation, "I am always eager to serve under the great tree, Hokage-sama."
Having finished speaking, the blond man turned to the ANBU, who were now eyeing the bundle in wonder.
"Carry him to the compound, Kashi," the famed shinobi said softly, smiling at the duo.
(_-_-_X_-_-_)
Kaiyō entered his childhood home with slow steps, taking in the smell of the garden that had been the pride of his father; he and his brother had spent countless evenings learning the art of gardening from their father in the very same garden.
The wood work on the door had faded a bit after years of unuse, Minato had moved into the Hokage residence before Kaiyo had left his village for the last time. He didn't get the chance to return when Minato had married that red chaos, as he called her affectionately.
Kushina was like a little sister to him; the girl was attached to his hip ever since he had saved her from Kumo's shinobi. As such, it didn't come as a surprise that Kaiyō and Kushina shared a deep bond. He used to supply food to the redhead whenever she came to his house or to the academy, although Kushina had come to Konoha with a few family members who all cared for her, she still felt like an outsider. It didn't help when students from the academy and on a rare occasion their families didn't fail to remind her of that constantly.
Kaiyō was familiar with the caretakers who had come with Kushina; after all, the daughter of one of them was his teammate.
Uzumaki Takako had been on his team with Uzuki Masao under Sakumo sensei, their team had been formed as a capture and interrogation specialists. Not everybody could break free from the chakra chains of Takao, Masao was a interrogation and torture specialist with him being their combat support.
He had heard that Kushina had bound even the mighty demon fox with her chains. Masao was captured by Kiri's hunter squad during the last few months of the third great war; he chose to end his life rather than risking any information leaks, a brave but foolish move. And their sensei had already committed suicide before any of them had left the Anbu Corps, leaving poor Kakashi alone.
Takako was the last member of his team left alive, but she was killed by Kumo shinobi in an attempt to abduct Kushina a second time. Leaving Kushina as the only Uzumaki left alive in the Leaf Village, he truly wept for his teammates.
Kaiyō had tried to watch over his sensei's son as much as he could, but Takako was too childish for that and Masao used to be too busy in the Interrogation and Torture department.
Although Minato had helped him by taking the brat to his training sessions, after his departure with Jiraiya on some secretive trip, Kaiyō had nurtured the boy by himself. He gave the cheeky brat as much attention as he could while completing high-ranking missions during the times of war, and here he was drowning himself into high-ranking Anbu operations to hide his sorrow.
He should have seen it coming, with Minato gone and Kushina following him; the brat never had a chance. The sorrow of losing his father had driven him to a single-minded quest to prove himself better than his predecessor. It took a heavy hand and carefully chosen words to calm down the then erratic Kakashi.
Nonetheless, Kaiyō touched the handle on the door and felt the jolt of chakra as it tried to get his blood for identification. A blood seal, now that was new; he couldn't remember applying it to the compound, so it must have been Minato's work.
He bit his finger and smeared the blood over the handle, with a whizzing sound, the seal disappeared from the metal handle. It was an one-time use blood seal; his brother had picked up some intricate designs from his wife. Kaiyō himself had learned the art from his teammate, who was desperate to teach it to someone after the fall of Uzushiogakure. The girl had thought herself as one of the last Uzumaki besides Kushina, and she feared the art of sealing and its history would die down with her, if any of her missions went haywire.
Kaiyō had picked the art as his own; it had taken him two years to reach the intermediate level and four years to achieve mastery in the sealing arts. Kushina had done the same for Minato, who was like a sponge when it came to learning fūinjutsu. His brother had learned the art in only two years, and even Jiraiya, the then seal master of Konoha, had been impressed by the skills of Minato with fūinjutsu.
It wasn't surprising that his brother had been called a genius that only appeared once in a century. Coming out of his thoughts, he opened the door to his home and was greeted by a dark but clean house. He closed the door to notice a piece of paper stuck to its backside, a stasis seal, another one of Minato's works.
Kaiyō chuckled to himself; his brother was too cheeky to not flaunt his skills wherever he could.
Kakashi followed his surrogate uncle dutifully, trying his best to keep the bundle of sunshine asleep. The man chuckled and he looked up to see the reason behind it; one of Minato-sensei's seals.
Kakashi had been thrown for a loop when the elder blond had entered the council chamber; it was surprising that he hadn't broken down and held the man for his dear life. He had always been emotionally connected with Kaiyō, the blond who had taken him in after the impromptu death of his father.
He had taught him the basics of ninja arts; beyond that, he had always been a great support on his side. Kakashi had learned assassination and infiltration techniques from the blond walking in front of him; his track record wouldn't be as neat if not for the man.
"Kashi, there must be a futon in the second bedroom on the first floor. It was Minato's, and mother kept it for his children." Kaiyō instructed him softly. "Check the first cupboard as you enter the room, you'll find it on the third shelf most probably."
Kakashi nodded and climbed the stairs to the first floor, while Kaiyō entered the kitchen and checked the drawers for any type of food. Nothing; he would have to go and buy supplies for the week, but leaving Naruto alone wasn't an option.
Kakashi entered the kitchen, still wearing his ANBU uniform. "Shed off that ugly uniform and mask, kid," he said. It was all Kaiyō could manage before the teenager barreled into him, his grip tight around the waist as the first sob left his lips.
"Calm down, Kashi." The man soothed him softly; Kakashi choked on his sobs, trying his best to squeeze the man as tightly as he could.
Kaiyō directed him to sit with himself while he adjusted the futon set Naruto on it, the boy was proper wreck by then. Crying loudly while holding him for his dear life.
"I...I thought y-you died, you know how hard it was. I cried and cried but no-one came for me, Minato s-sensei had Kushina, who d-did I've. I was lonely a-again, without you, without my f-father." The boy cried clutching the man for his dear life.
"I am sorry, Kashi. It was necessary for the village; you know I wouldn't put you through that without any reason." Kaiyō lifted the mask off his face and wiped his tears as the boy still refused to let him go.
"What about m-me then? Even Minato-sensei and Kushina d-died, you promised to never l-leave me alone. I was alone and s-scared, you could've told me. You k-know I could keep secrets" Kakashi said with a tear-drenched face, his mask was wet due to the tears.
"I... I wanted you when I lost Obito, then Rin. I searched for you, but you never came back to me. How could you do that to me?" The boy sobbed, still clutching his hand.
"You know that goes against the code, even if I wanted to tell you, it was an S-ranked mission," Kaiyō stated softly as he wiped Kakashi's tears with his sleeve.
"I understand, and I apologize for what happened; however, it still hurt." He said, looking down at the boy. "I promise you, I won't do anything like that ever again."
My mission is over; I don't think any more S-ranked missions would be advisable until Naruto and you get a bit settled, if ever." He said with a smile, ruffling his hair. The boy discarded his wet mask and replaced it with a new one.
Their interaction was cut short by the appearance of a crow-masked Anbu on the window of the kitchen.
The blonde opened the window. "Matsudo-san has accepted your offer, Namikaze-san. She'll be available from tomorrow morning; I've given her your address."
"Thank you for that, Anbu-san," Kaiyō replied with a thoughtful glance toward the Anbu.
"You wouldn't be Hiroko's son, would you?" he asked suddenly, causing the Anbu to stiffen at the mention of his father.
"Don't worry, your father was in corps with me and Minato. Tell him that I would like to share a drink with him tomorrow evening, for the old times' sake." The crow-masked Anbu nodded before disappearing in a quick shunshin.
He turned toward Kakashi, who had taken a seat at the dining table; old habits never die.
"Go get your clothes and other supplies, and take this money; it's enough for a week for all three of us." He placed a stack of notes in his hand.
"You don't have to live alone in your apartment while I'm here; take this sealing scroll. Seal anything of importance and move in there; I'll ready a room for you." Kaiyō stated firmly, stopping Kakashi from arguing with him.
"Oji-san," Kakashi spoke quickly.
"I don't care if you want to live in solace, you stubborn brat. You'll do as I say, or else you'll be sorry." Kaiyō growled, glaring at Kakashi.
Kakashi gulped before nodding quickly; he didn't want to anger the man any more than he already was. An angry Kaiyō was more dangerous than Kushina, he sometimes thought that his surrogate uncle discussed the victims of their rage with Kushina.
He hurried off from the house, trying to complete the given task as quickly as he could; annoying the man with his tardiness would be his last mistake for now.
(_-_-_X_-_-_)
On the other side of the village, a woman hummed to herself as she prepared food for her family. Her one-and-a-half-year-old son played with his older brother in the garden, while their father attended a council meeting.
The house belonged to none other than the Uchiha patriarch, Uchiha Fugaku. The village had been acting tense around the clan, and Fugaku had noticed it too; he was planning to call the elder council to discuss the solution for this.
Uchiha Mikoto was a former ANBU and war veteran; she had trained with the best of the shadows that had ever served the organization. Her team had been led by Panda, a capture and torture squad specializing in capturing Shinobi ranked between SS and A. She had been the interrogation specialist of the group, her Beaver mask putting fear into the hearts of enemy shinobi.
She had been taught rudimentary sensory techniques by her colleague and old friend, Uchiha Tako, who now went by the name of ANBU operative Crocodile.
She jolted into attention as she caught whiff of chakra that had been silent for nearly a decade now. She gasped in surprise and disbelief; this couldn't be true. She had seen him die, right in front of her, with her Sharingan. That memory was stored safely in her mind.
She clutched the edge of the cooking counter as she breathed deeply, focusing on that particular chakra signature.
There's no guessing it, it was his chakra. A lone tear trickled down her left cheek as she cried silently; how could this be true?
She had accepted her fate, her fucking bad luck. She had accepted that he was not in her future, simple as that, so she had tried to mold herself into the perfect wife for Fugaku.
"You better be ready with a good explanation, Namikaze." The woman whispered with a venom-laced voice.
This is an one-shot, for now at least. I don't plan on making this into a full story anytime soon.
It's been a rough year for me; I am not uploading any of the stories right now due to the fucked up mess my life is in.
This is just something I wanted to get off my chest, a simple base for a potential story with various variables.
If you want to use it for anything else, message me privately, and reviews are always appreciated as ever.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, all rights belong to Kishimoto.