What If Konoha Honored the 4th Hokage's Dying Wish

Chapter 18

- Trip to the Sage Woods -

Three weeks after the Hyuuga dinner, Naruto had all his girls gathered together in the newly built living room of the expansion. He did the clone shuffle and cuddled up next to all the girls simultaneously. The topic of discussion tonight was Hinata.

Naruto and his clones took turns speaking so that the girls never knew who was the real one.

"Okay, girls. I promise I am not doing this on purpose. Three weeks ago. Hiashi Hyuuga formally. Offered me Hinata's hand. In marriage. I don't know why. This always happens. To me."

The girls laughed at his antics. They were each more than happy to snuggle in with their Naruto. Unsurprisingly, it was Anko that took the lead.

"Damn, Ruto. Six girls before your 14th birthday. That is quite the pace you're setting." Her playful tone earned chuckles from the other girls.

Samui added, "I used to think guys that wanted harems were disgusting. Now look at me." She then planted a fat kiss on her Naruto clone.

Haku laughed out loud as her clone tickled her. "If it were anybody else, I would agree with you Samui. But this is Ruto. How can I not adore him?" She then jumped onto the clone's lap and initiated a little make out session.

"Yup, it is Ruto alright. I have known him since I was three, along with Hinata-Chan, so I don't see a problem with letting her into the club." Ino squealed as a Naruto applied lighting chakra over her budding nipple. She slapped the clone in a playful manner and decided to follow the other girls' examples.

Hinata watched the other girls make out with their Narutos. She made eye contact with hers, which happened to be the original, and closed her eyes, inviting him in for a kiss. Naruto obliged. Hinata had an enormous amount of pent-up sexual frustration. She had been watching him date other girls and build his harem. She wanted so badly to be a part of it, but never had the courage to ask. Thus, when she was kissing Naruto, she went from shy and timid to an unrestrained freak. It didn't take her more than a minute to mount him and lead the kiss from there. The girls eventually got their Naruto fix and calmed down, since Naruto made it clear he wanted to talk about something serious.

"Okay, girls. Kurama has told me that it is time for me to visit the Sage Woods. I need to go and address my summon clan. This can take anywhere from a couple of months to a year. Kyu has told me that we can stop back from time to time. My plan is to leave a blood clone in my place. It should act like a shadow clone; I don't really know. Haven't done this jutsu before. I am leaving the clone to study under the Hokage and act as the Hokage's assistant. I will leave it instructions to take each of you out once a week. Does that sound fair?

"Ruto, will this blood clone be able to make shadow clones?" Was the astute question from Kurotsuchi.

"Maybe a couple. Since he will not have a link to Kurama, I don't want him to push it. That jutsu has a terrible backlash. It will have as much chakra as Kakashi and should be self-sustaining. So, it might be able to manage a couple clones, but nowhere near what I can make."

"Ruto, are we allowed to treat him like you?" Was the suggestive question from Anko.

"I really wish you wouldn't. I should get all of its memories in the end, but I would rather enjoy firsts and save that level of intimacy for us." It was a sweet sentiment and he got nods from every girl except Anko.

Naruto decided that a night to bond with each girl was a good idea. He went with each girl into their own room. Anko got her months' worth of sex out of the real Naruto that night. The rest of the girls enjoyed make out sessions with light petting. Naruto was the most surprised, yet again, by the fierce transformation of Hinata in the bedroom.

The next day came all too soon and the group was eating breakfast in the kitchen. Naruto had let Kyu out the previous night and saw Kyu in the kitchen with Tsume. She gave a casual greeting to the other girls. It was no mystery what her and Kyu were doing. Naruto wondered if there were anything he could do about the memories of Kyu and Tsume. Naruto found himself strangely attracted to and protective of the feral woman. Kyu and Tsume found it cute. Tsume just found it sad that her daughter, Hana, didn't have a place in Naruto's harem. Additionally, she found it surprising how well the girls got along. She just marked it up as a credit to Naruto.

The Hokage, Jiraiya and Tsunade showed up toward the end of breakfast to see Naruto off. Naruto went through hand signs a liter of his blood that he had saved up formed into a 'blood clone'. He confirmed with the blood clone that it understood his instructions before stepping into the middle of the training grounds. He summoned Kurama, who then reverse summoned him to the Sage Woods. The girls looked at the blood clone and realized that it just wasn't the same. Hopefully, it would be able to give them their Ruto fix.

Naruto appeared next to Kurama in the Sage Woods. There were massive redwood like trees that spanned as far as Naruto could see. The trees seemed to be around 30ft in diameter with some standing above others with 50ft in diameter trucks. The ground level foliage was rich and fairly dense with brown pine needles filling in where green left space. There was a vibrant forest life in the area, between the squirrels Naruto could see and the deer running beneath the redwood trees.

Kurama made a sweeping motion with his head that told Naruto to follow him. They bounded through the forest for 15-20 minutes before things changed. Naruto could see a clearing about a mile or two in diameter that was peppered with massive trees. The base of the biggest tree must have been 200ft in diameter. He saw kitsune scurrying around the clearing. They had anywhere from one to six tails and were a variety of colors. They varied in sizes from Labrador retrievers to mammoth sized creatures. Naruto noticed that there weren't any fox kits running around but figured he could ask Kurama about that later. As Naruto and his partner appeared at the edge of the clearing, all foxes turned and bowed to Kurama.

Kurama's voice carried across the clearing. "It is good to see you all again, please return to what you were doing." The motion returned to the clearing. Kurama shrank down to a lion-sized fox with his nine orange tails swinging behind him. In this form, his shoulders were at Naruto's shoulder height.

An envoy of regal looking foxes made their way to greet Kurama. Two seven tailed foxes were in the lead, flanked behind by five more. The lead fox on the left had a beautiful brown fur coat, with patches of white at its paws, underbelly and around its left eye. There were battle scars on its snout and it gave off a dominant aura. The lead fox on the left had a dark blue coat that shimmered with a purple sheen. Naruto saw that his one's underbelly was a soft purple, and he could make out teats. The face carried a gentler, but no less powerful, visage to it. The foxes in the rear were clearly older and smaller. Their whiskers were greyed, and their fur didn't shine like the two in front of them. Their auras were also not nearly as flamboyant despite them having six tails .

"Greeting, Lord Kurama, welcome home." Came the soft and elegant voice of the fox on the right. All foxes of the envoy bowed their heads in respect to Kurama.

"Ah, Kalisi, it is good to see you again. Fenrick, I thank you again for your help dealing with those snakes. Elders, it has been too long. Have your whiskers greyed more or is it just me?" Kurama's playful greeting put the group at ease.

Fenrick answered, "Lord Kurama, it is good to see you again. Thank you for calling me out for some fun. I am always up for a snake hunt."

The elder in the center stepped forward, "As impudent as ever Lord Kurama. We were alive when the Sage, may Kami rest his soul, chose you. It has been a century since we last saw you. So, forgive this old fox for greying a bit."

"It is all in good fun, Henrich. We have much to discuss, but before we gather in the council let me introduce you to my partner and our newest summoner, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze."

All foxes bowed their heads and Henrich beckoned them to follow him to the biggest tree in the clearing. Before entering the tree, all foxes shrunk down to the size of a great Dane. After they entered, more foxes followed. Soon the massive room, complete with a balcony overlooking the main seating area, was filled by the Kitsune clan.

The meeting began by Kurama telling his story and the reason for his absence. After he had spoken, Henrich explained the Kitsune's past century. The Kitsune had been in trouble without their fox lord present. Since Kurama's departure, they have not been able to conceive new kits, which had left the clan distressed. Any pregnancies would fail, and the lack of new blood had massive ramifications for the clan. Evidently, Kitsune received chakra blessings from Kurama when new kits were in the womb. These chakra blessings ensured a successful pregnancy.

Naruto was distressed to hear this. After the Kitsune recognized his right to speak, he began.

"As of right now, Kurama is sealed inside me. We have found workarounds for this, such as his summoning and me letting his soul inhabit a human form. If you honor me as your summoner, I will do my utmost to create a portal that is linked to here from my home village. I am a fuinjutsu master and will be able to link our two realms, should you allow it." Naruto concluded with a bow to those assembled.

Kalisi spoke, "Do you have the authority to create such a portal? And we cannot give access to our realm to any human." There were many nodding heads to this.

"In four years, I will become the leader of my village. If I cannot get approval to do it before then, then I will create the portal when I become Hokage. As I said, I am a seal master. I can create the portal so only the kitsune clan and its summoners may use it. The toads have one such portal outside of Konoha."

Fenrich then spoke, "That is all well and good. However, Lord Kurama is sealed inside you and your souls are linked by the Shinigami. If he dies, the Kitsune clan will die out without his blessings."

Kurama spoke. "I will leave the Kitsune clan scroll in the possession of the elders. Should we fall, however unlikely it may be, either Fenrich or Kalisi will take over the clan. Your blessings should be sufficient to birth the kits. They will not be as strong until you grow your eighth tail, but it will do for a worst-case scenario." Kurama's tone was confident and absolute.

One of the elder spoke up in a wheezy voice. "Lord Kurama, surely you are not content to be sealed in such a human. Would it not be best to kill him and begin your reformation."

"You are a fool. Do not sleep through my words. A power far greater than mine bonds us. The Shinigami himself has bound our souls. Until we repay the Shinigami, if he dies, I die. There is nobody foolish enough to attempt to trick the Shinigami. Death will always win out in the end."

The elder backed away with his head bowed, ears down and tails between his legs.

Naruto spoke up. "I pledge to return to these woods once a month so Kurama can bless any kits. This is a priority to me, and it brings me to my next question. I have spoken with Kurama, and he wanted me to get the approval of the clan. I wish to make the fox clan a family contract for the Namikaze side of my lineage."

Murmurs broke out among the crowd of foxes. It was silenced by Kurama's growl.

"This human Kit here has earned my complete trust. He has accepted and purified my hatred for humanity. I wished to leave this decision to the kitsune clan as a matter of respect. Now, I will hear a vote on this." His voice echoed throughout the chamber.

Kalisi then put it to a vote. Kitsune had a rather unique way of voting. They raised their tails. Therefore, the more powerful members of the clan carried more weight in their vote. The final count was 420 tails in approval with 60 tails against the measure. Kurama let out a pleased growl from his throat.

"Good, now on to the next matter. Where is Kitsurayu?" An old grey fox stepped forward in response to Kurama's call. "Good to see you again, old friend. I wish you to instruct Naruto in the ways of the kitsune. Once he has mastered your teachings, you will see if he can learn senjutsu."

Gasps and chirps erupted from the foxes in attendance. Kitsurayu bowed his ancient and greying head.

"It will be done, Lord Kurama."

The meeting was brought to a close and Naruto went to meet and bond with as many Kitsune as he could. He created nearly 100 shadow clones that went out and got to know the kitsune. While they were initially stunned, they opened up to in and welcome him into the clan. Just like his affect of his human friends, Naruto's presence brought light and life back to the Kitsune clan.

-Eight Months of Training-

Naruto had studied with Kitsurayu, Fenrich, Kalisi and Kurama for the past eight months. He worked tirelessly to absorb the knowledge of the Kitsune clan. The only breaks he allowed himself were Sundays when he would return to Konoha for a day at a time. Many other of the battle kitsune enjoyed sparring against Naruto as well. The way the boy used the shadow clones essentially made it so he could learn from anyone who was willing to teach him. He demonstrated his mastery of the Kitsune arts after three months of training.

It was his training in senjutsu that caused him to hit a roadblock. Naruto had been meditating since early childhood, so he picked up quickly on feeling out natural energy. Naruto could feel the natural energy and draw it into himself; however, instead of permeating throughout his chakra system, it flowed into the seal. Kurama could feel the influx of natural energy, but he couldn't release it from the seal in a constructive manner.

This problem went on until Naruto forced Jiraiya to give him the key to his seal. Naruto's plan was to unlock his seal and eliminate the obstacle. However, Kurama informed him that doing so would instigate a fight between Naruto's chakra and his. Kurama wouldn't overtly try to kill the boy, but the potency of his chakra posed a great risk to Naruto. Therefore, Naruto trained for the fight to come with Kurama's chakra.

Naruto prepared in a cave, far from the Kitsune clan compound. He laid out seal matrices that would help him suppress and control Kurama's chakra. He created chakra storage seals on his own body. He combined these seals into a tattoo of Kurama over his back. Really, the tattoo was just a seal that converted the ink on his back into a permanent genjutsu. The real seals were hidden under the tattoo like genjutsu. Naruto spent weeks storing chakra into the seals to use as a reserve. Using these seals would severely strain his chakra network and tenketsu, but he deemed the risk worth it.

At the start of the seventh month with the Kitsune clan, Naruto was ready to open his seal. He removed all chakra restrictive seals, weight seals and gravity seals that he had been using for training. At 14.5 years old, Naruto was going to take on the strongest biju in existence, at its full power. Naruto placed himself in the middle of his sealing matrix. He activated the barrier that would feed off of the chakra of those within the barrier to maintain itself. If he failed and lost control, he would be locked inside this cave in theory.

Naruto meditated and entered his mindscape. He walked over to Kurama and hugged his massive snout. Kurama wrapped his tail around him and returned the gesture. After a "I believe in you, Kit," from Kurama, Naruto approached the seal with the key in hand. The rock that was holding the sealing tag floated up to chest heightand showed Naruto the tag. Naruto removed the tag all at once and inserted the key. Suddenly, a pair of hands stopped him. He turned to see his father, Minato Namikaze, staring at him.

"Hey there, Naruto, I am a chakra construct left by … well me." The image of Naruto's father scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, the same way Naruto did.

"Yeah, I could have guessed that Tu-Chan. Well, I was about to fight Kurama in order to share and integrate his chakra, wanna help?"

The nonchalant statement from his son caused Minato to grow worried. "Son, are you sure you're ready? You don't even look fifteen yet."

"Tu-Chan, it seems you didn't have access to my memories as a stored construct. Here." Naruto touched the chakra construct's forehead and focused him memories into Minato's head.

"Wow, okay then. Well before you do that, let's bring you mother out." Minato put his hand on the seal and a redhead beauty emerged from it. She looked confused for a second before she ran and tackled Naruto. While hugging his mother, he also imprinted his memories on the now freed chakra construct. Kushina began crying into Naruto's shoulder.

"I'm so proud of my Sochi. Minato-Kun, did you see all he has done?"

"Yes, Kushi-Chan. Who would have thought to bring about world peace by marrying someone from each village. It is so simple, its genius." Minato laughed as he said this.

"I knew Jiraiya perverted you, you Ero-blondie."

Another sheepish neck rub from his father and a chuckle, then, "It never seemed to bother you in the bedroom."

Naruto covered his ears and said "Eww" while Kushina's chakra construct pounded on Minato. Naruto thought that his mother must have gotten that from Tsunade. A deep chuckle drew the groups attention.

"Well, I regret to inform you that it is not good to see you both again. I have partnered with your Kit, and he has my respect, but you two do not."

"C'mon, Kurama. Don't be like that. They are only chakra constructs. Anyway, you wanna get this fight over with? That chakra draining barrier will kill us both if we don't hurry this up."

Naruto's playful response worried Kurama. It is like he wasn't taking this seriously. "Oi, Kit. This isn't a walk through the park. This is going to be your toughest fight yet. So, serious mode on and bring it, ningen." Kurama's smile was battle crazed. He wanted a good fight.

Naruto and the two chakra constructs took battle positions. Naruto approached the seal once again and turned the key counterclockwise. They were blasted by a wave of potent red chakra as the chakra barrier shimmered out of existence and Kurama let out a roar. The fight was on.

Naruto summoned 40 clones and performed the firestorm collaboration jutsu. Kurama answered it with his 'kistune fire stream'. The fire jutsu clashed in a magnificent display that blinded the motionless Kurama. He felt the chakra around him, but his legs were wrapped by those damned Uzumaki chakra chain. 20 Naruto clones with 'Odoma Rasengans' and the 4th Hokage with his 'Odoma Rasengan' pelted the head of Kurama, driving it into the ground. Before dispelling, each Naruto clone attached a weight seal to the fox's head. Kurama struggled to lift his head due to the weight, and then he was wrapped up in Uzumaki chakra chains. The weight seals added more weight with the more chakra added. Since Kurama was made purely of chakra, they each kept soaking up chakra until each seal weighed well over one ton.

Naruto dashed to Kurama, linked his chakra to his and began pulling on Kurama's chakra. The prone form of Kurama felt it impossible to move. The seal from outside was draining his chakra and the three constructs in his mind were making it difficult. He didn't want to kill the Kit anyway because then he would die. He was holding himself back quite a bit, but he was still going to make them work for it. Kurama swished his tails in a violent maelstrom sending semi-sized wind blades left and right. Minato rapidly created a lightning barrier to absorb the impact of the wind blades. Kushina clasped her hands together and more chakra chains sprouted from the ground and began immobilizing Kurama's tails one by one.

The fox was finally immobilized and Kushina was struggling the suppress the fox. Naruto had been pulling on Kurama's chakra, but it felt like his whole body was full of the burning chakra. He paused his advance as his left eye turned black with a red iris. Half of Naruto's body started Kyuubifying. He had one fox ear on the left top of his head. His left hand had morphed into a claw. He sprouted four tails. This was more chakra than he had ever controlled before, and he felt his will slipping to the power of the chakra. A hand on his shoulder brought him back.

"Think of all those counting on you to return home, son. Anko, Ino, Hinata, Samui, Kurotsuchi, Haku, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Hiruzen, Danzo, Hitomi, Hiashi, Hizashi, Mikoto, Sasuke, Shisui, Itachi, Shikamaru, Chouji, Kurama." The voice of his father urged him to take a step back with each name. Reaffirming his will, strengthening his resolve. By the time his father reach Kurama's name he was shrouded in a violent red storm with eight tails waving violently behind him. He remembered his promise to Ai, Ohnoki and Mei. He remembered his vow to change this world for the better. He remembered his vow to himself.

He screamed out in a loud, powerful and feral voice, "Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze Never gives up and never goes back on his word!" The last pull severed the connection between his chakra and the fox. The outer seals were helping to drain the excess chakra, but they were soon overloaded by the sheer quantity of it. Internally, his mother let go of Kurama and wrapped him in a hug. His black eyes with red pupils reverted to their ocean blue state. His features began to soften and return to normal. He embraced his mother's chakra construct and the tails condensed into a golden shroud around him. The seal on his stomach standing out in an intricate and bold black color was burning from the heavy chakra flow. His father embraced him from behind and helped bring the last bit of rampaging chakra under control.

He walked over to Kurama, who looked like he was skin and bones and held out a glowing, golden fist. When the fox's fist contacted with Naruto's life instantly returned to Kurama. Kurama was perplexed, he just fought me for my chakra. Then he realized it. The chakra that Naruto returned was purified. The fog of hatred that Kurama normally felt from his chakra was absent. The ancient kitsune looked down at the boy. He was now certain that he was the boy his father spoke of.

"Sorry about that Kyu, it was never about stealing your chakra for me. It was about removing every obstacle that stopped us from sharing it. Whatya say, partner?" Naruto's voice was filled with mirth, and he had that gigawatt smile on his silly human face.

Kurama roared out in laughter. "I say that you are the one my father spoke of. From this day, until your dying day, I am your partner. Proud member of the Namikaze Kitsune clan." The fox placed a genuine smile on its face. Unfortunately, Minato and Kushina were not used to Kurama, so they perceived it as a menacing grin. Who could blame them? A 40-story fox with teeth as big as they were will inevitably look pretty damned menacing.

Naruto turned around to address his parent's chakra constructs. He noticed that he was now standing as tall as his father at 5ft 11inches. The power radiating from him felt strange. He created a shadow clone and observed it. Indeed, it was taller and more mature. It looked like he had gone through puberty already. His body was toned into an Olympian figure and the tight muscles rippled just beneath the skin. His face was more angular and feral, and his whisker marks were more distinct. After taking in his appearance, he shook it off and shelved it for later.

"Thanks, mom and dad. I appreciate your help in that. Kurama, I want you in on this so come." The mindscape changed from a destroyed battle ground to the lakeside view. Kurama posted up on his rock and watched Naruto sit at the water's edge talking to his parents' chakra constructs. Kushina did most of the talking while Minato sat back and listened. Since they had access to his memories, Kushina kept picking his brain and bugging him about the girls in his life. He had about one hour with his parents to simply relax and be a kid.

The chakra constructs started flickering and they knew they were running out of time. Kushina pulled Naruto into a deep hug. "Keep true to yourself, Sochi. I am so proud of you. Sorry, Minato, I took up most of your time."

"No worries, my love. Son, listen to everything your nagging mother said. I am proud of the man you've become. Protect those you love, protect Konoha and fulfill your dream. You are on the right path." While he was saying this, he wrapped Naruto in a tender embrace.

Kushina looked up to Kurama, "I am sorry I never gave you a chance. Look after my Sochi, please." She bowed along with Minato to the great Kitsune.

Kurama grunted. "I gave him my word. Now you have it too. Rest peacefully in the pure world."

Naruto was holding his parents' hands as the chakra constructs blinked out of existence. He wiped the tears from his eyes and went to rest in one of Kurama's tails. Now that the seal was down, Naruto's connection to him felt so vivid. Being near Kurama felt like home. His consciousness fell into a peaceful resting state while wrapped in Kyu's tail.

After Naruto awoke in the cave, he returned to his senjutsu training with Kitsurayu. It took him three additional days to reach an unstable senjutsu state. The remainder of the month was him perfecting the senjutsu state. Just like every other problem, Naruto found that he could solve it with clones. In battle, he could dispatch clones to collect nature energy and dispel to return the energy to himself. In his full Kitsune sage mode, Naruto's speed doubled, his sensory abilities went beyond Kurama's own, his strength increased by five times and his body was far more durable. He naturally healed fast, but with Sage mode activated he could heal broken bones in less than a minute and lesser injuries almost instantly. The balance of natural energy with his chakra enhanced his jutsu and elevated their potency and scale.

The final test of Naruto's senjutsu training was a fight between Kalisi and Fenrick, at the same time. It was a very one-sided contest. Naruto nailed them with multiple combination jutsu and would attack openings with punches and kicks that sent the massive foxes sprawling. They ended up surrendering due to injuries. After the spar was over, it was announced that the first birth in the clan would happen in one month's time. The group celebrated with a barrel of Kistune Fire Whiskey. Not even Naruto's natural resistance to poisons could prevent the hang over he felt the next day.

-Return to Konoha-

Naruto thanked the Kitsune clan and promised to be present with Kurama for the birth of the first kits in centuries. There were multiple pregnancies in progress and the spirit of the Kitsune clan had never been higher. The clan bid them farewell before Kurama reverse summoned them to Konoha.

Naruto appeared in the training grounds of the Namikaze estate, where the girls were waiting for him. They had each made do with the Naruto blood clone, however, they realized it paled compared to the real thing. It was Anko who tackled him to the ground and the rest piled on. He was showered in love, affection and 'I missed you'. When he all got the girls to let him stand up, they gasped. Naruto was now a full head taller than all of them. Multiple hands felt out his toned body and Naruto had to stop Anko's hand from exploring elsewhere.

"Okay, girls. Do you want to catch up together or clone style?" He asked while chuckling.

The girls looked at each other and then back to him. "Clones, please."

Naruto laughed heartily as five other Narutos appeared laughing as well. They dashed inside and came back out carrying an assortment of drinks and snacks. Each pair split off and caught up with each other. They talked until dinner time. Then Naruto and his clones went to prepare a meal for his ladies, after which the group ate in an amicable peace. Once the group finished eating, the girls told Naruto that they all wanted to spend the night with the real him.

Naruto wound up on his bed with six gorgeous women. Most people would call this heaven and Naruto tended to agree. Lying on a king-sized bed with six horny women in their nightgowns was a slice of heaven. Since Anko was the only one that had crossed the sex line with Naruto, the night ended calmly with the girls falling asleep on top of him.

The next morning, he promised each girl a date and some alone time. It was then that his blood clone came to him while he was eating breakfast. Naruto and the blood clone joined hands that the blood clone dispersed in a red mist. As the mist was absorbed into Naruto, eight months of memories came charging back into his head. He meditated for an hour to sort it all out. That was when he picked up on a key event. The sand siblings were still in Konoha, and the Naruto clone hand been involved in resolving the fallout with the Sand.

-Flashback 6 months ago-

The Naruto clone, just Naruto for this flashback, walked into the Hokage's office. The typical important people were there.

"You called for me, Hokage-Sama."

"Yes, Naruto-Kun. The Sand has sent us their response to our demands, and I wanted you to be involved."

"How is the Gaki involved this time, sensei? Don't tell me it's another marriage proposal." Jiraiya deadpanned at the look Hiruzen was giving him.

"The boy already has six intended spouses. Isn't that the maximum allowed by the CRA?" Koharu interjected. She was growing sick of this kid being involved in literally everything.

"Let's review the other items before addressing that one." Hiruzen said in a cautious tone. He knew Naruto's political harem was stretched thin already. Then that damned Hiashi had to go and throw his daughter into it.

"The first item was a trade for their captured shinobi. They claim that they do not have the funds to match our demand." Homura said in a simple tone.

"Well, they don't have much of a choice," Danzo started. "The standard price was attached to the heads of the prisoner shinobi. I do not see why we should concede on such a thing."

"The reason for them joining Orochimaru in the first place was an economic depression brought on by their daimyo giving us more missions than Tsunagakore. If we press on this issue, all-out war is the inevitable outcome." Hiruzen said wearily.

Naruto chipped in, "What if we forgo immediate payment? Say, we take ten percent of their GDP until the standard amount is paid off. In addition, we let them have the missions from their daimyo and effectively turn all of Tsuna into a labor force. Our forces are stretched this as is with all the mission requests after the chunin exams. We could apply this policy to all our demands. This will secure a financial income source for Konoha and not completely destroy their economy."

Danzo shook his head, "We trained you too well, Naruto-Kun. Maybe we should have all village children given political education by clan heads. It has produced wondrous results so far."

Hiruzen nodded his head. "That is an idea worth considering another time. For now, we will put the vote of payment by percentage to our council for a vote. The next issue was repaying cost of reconstruction. They bring up a fair point that it was Otogakore that did most of the damage. How about we reduce the amount owed by half and offer to put this to their collected debt?" He got nods from around the room.

Danzo felt he should speak on this next issue. "The return of the sand siblings, whom we are holding as political prisoners. This is a card we cannot afford to play lightly. We have their jinchuriki and two of their highest potential shinobi."

Naruto offered his opinion. "I believe this is where we press for jutsu and knowledge. Let's ask for a few Tsuna wind jutsu and their collected knowledge on poisons and antidotes."

This got excited looks from those in the room. Tsunade decided to speak on this.

"Tsuna was always leagues ahead of us in poisons. I had to work my tail off in the second shinobi war to keep up with Chiyo. I believe this knowledge will be worth it."

"Which brings us to item four. They want to offer political marriage to reinstate the prior alliance and prevent betrayal. Unlike other villages, they will not fight for the custody of the children. In return for this leniency, they selected Naruto as their chosen suitor for Temari Subaku." Hiruzen's voice was cautious in its approach.

"Am I the only damned man in Konoha? Even I must admit this is getting ridiculous." Naruto was exasperated. "Can we at least attempt a counteroffer on this point? I will not make the decision on this. At this point, you can ask my future wives if they refute the counter."

Koharu was shocked at his reluctance but appreciated the boy's integrity. "I believe we have many other clan heirs that could pass. Shikamaru Nara, Itachi Uchiha, Chouji Akimichi and Kiba Inuzuka to name a few."

"Too lazy, ANBU commander, not really the political type of guy and are you insane?" Was Jiraiya's response. While crude, there was truth in all he said.

Hiruzen sighed deeply. "We will counteroffer with their pick of the clan heirs. Finally, what to do about Gaara's seal? They did not wish to pay to have the seal reinforced."

"Then I will do it for free. You all know my stance on biju and their hosts. I cannot, in good conscience, return Gaara without altering his seal. It is part of my promise to Kurama. I propose we offer this as a good faith addition." Naruto's stern voice once again made them look at him as far more than a 14-year-old kid.

Danzo had to pitch in his two cents. "Naruto, seals regarding biju are some of the most highly prized secrets of every hidden village. We cannot simply give it away."

"Danzo-Sensei, what does it cost us to do so? I will not use any of the best Uzumaki sealing techniques. I will simply separate the biju from its host. Imagine if you and Mrs. Shimura were stuck together 24/7/365 and she knew every idea that popped into your head. Not only that, but she could force certain thoughts into your head. That is how Gaara has lived his life."

Danzo visibly shuddered at the idea. Danzo was a man that required his alone time. Naruto just spelled out one of his nightmares. "Fine, Naruto-Kun. You have done well diplomatically thus far. Is there anyway to incorporate a failsafe should said jinchuriki be turned against us in the future."

"No, Danzo-Sensei. I am the failsafe. Even if Gaara gets complete mastery over Shukaku, I will be far stronger. Biju suppressing and containment seals are far too complex to try adding foreign elements into the seal." Everyone nodded at this and knew it to be true. Naruto casually thrashed Gaara in the finals. Naruto had one last thought to add. "Hokage-Sama, these negotiations will go on forever via letter. I propose that they send and envoy of council delegates since they do not have a Kage. Since they are the ones in the wrong, they should come to us. Set a date for after my original's return. I leave the rest in your capable hands." With a bow, Naruto left the group to discuss. End of Flashback.