Ch.6
"I am so sorry, Kurama. I am personally going over your protection details this time. I have no clue how former ROOT infiltrated it, but I'm getting to the bottom of it." The Hokage said, visibly holding in his fury behind his desk. Kurama could feel it even in the seal within Naru.
"I appreciate it. Although Naru was fine, Inu was seriously wounded and now Jiraiya's apartment is destroyed, greatly reducing the value of his building." Kurama didn't care so much about money, but she learned quick that life in human society was dominated by the concept of money or failing that; barter and trade. Nothing was done for free unless it was done out of altruism, which was a vanishingly short trait among humanity, she long knew.
"Jiraiya has been informed and is already making plans to repair the property. Inu is being taken care of as befitting his role as an ANBU agent. This event is a great shame on me, but I do find a silver lining in these events." Hiruzen said as he stapled his fingers before his face. "I'm going to give you the Uzumaki Clan grounds that Minato and Kushina lived in when they were alive."
"You mean the 'Namikaze Compound'?" Kurama asked, since most people here, suspiciously, didn't even know about the Uzumaki and the moment the 4th Hokage moved in, they presumptuously unofficially renamed it to his name.
"A misconception many make since Minato was the larger name in their relationship. That and they married behind closed doors, so many never knew of Minato's name change. Minato Namikaze was an orphan and there is no Namikaze clan. He took the last name Uzumaki, keeping Namikaze as his middle name." Hiruzen explained to her.
"But the public, as short-minded as they are, stopped hearing after Namikaze. He should've just dropped it entirely." Kurama huffed in annoyance. "Now I'll have to deal with explaining this constantly to everyone who bothers to bring it up."
"He wanted to keep it to remember his roots. Keep himself humble." Hiruzen chuckled to himself. "On all official records, Naru's name is Naru Namikaze Uzumaki. Those records are sealed for the moment for her protection. Tensions with Iwa are still high."
"Ugh, just drop the Namikaze bit. Why is that so hard?" Kurama grumbled while rubbing her brow, the other arm still holding a sleeping Naru against the side of her bosom.
"It was the wish of her parents that she have it as her middle name as well. That said, middle names can be omitted in non-official matters, so she's ultimately just Naru Uzumaki beyond official purposes." Hiruzen excused and Kurama rolled her eyes. "That said, the Uzumaki Estate is rather…neglected, aside from the main house and
"I'll use the main house unless more Uzumakis start showing up." Kurama sighed, rubbing her brow. "More aren't showing up, are they?"
"A mother with her newly born daughter had shown interest in migrating from Kusa. The report had been buried in paperwork on Danzo's desk. After our meeting a week ago he seems to have disappeared from the Village." Hiruzen told her with a frown and Kurama huffed at the hospital's insistence that she stay the full week. "It seems my friend has put in for an extended vacation for an indeterminate amount of time. All the paperwork was in order too."
"Please tell me you branded him a traitor at least." Kurama grunted with a head shake.
"I, unfortunately, despite how damning all the evidence is, it is all…circumstantial." Hiruzen spat the word like a curse and his spit could be venomous with how caustic his tone was. "Even Orochimaru's evidence is not enough. Orochimaru is in self exile for the next 17 years unless I can get my hands on Danzo and break the War Hawk's plots."
"The man is more like a spider than a hawk." Kurama snarled.
"A trapdoor spider at that." Hiruzen agreed and huffed on his pipe. "That all said, I have had the Uzumaki Compound being cleaned this past week, you can move in immediately."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Kurama stood and Hiruzen waved for her to sit again.
"Oh, and I have been putting this off since you were on a probationary period until I could confirm your trustworthiness. You will need to attend the monthly Konoha Council meeting. As an acting Clan Head; you will need to be there to at least stay up to date on any laws that may be passed. I have final say on any law being passed since we are a military dictatorship, but I like to try and spread out my paperwork." Hiruzen explained with a sadistic smirk.
"What? No, I want nothing to do with Politics!" Kurama declared in horror as the man cackled.
=Fox=
"Reporting for duty, ma'am." Inu said before he and his team vanished into the shadows of the Uzumaki Compound after Kurama finished settling in. She sighed as she settled Naru back down to sleep and left her Fox Doll to guard her as well while she went to the kitchen to make lunch. Knocking on her new door made a groan leave her lips as she changed her trajectory to deal with whoever this was.
Kurama opened the door to see a man with red hair making Kurama's heart leap in her chest, hoping this was not an Uzumaki and a blond woman who was holding a baby girl with pink hair. "Hello Ma'am, we live just outside the compound and wondered who had moved in." The man spoke politely with no ill intent.
"I am Kurama Uzumaki, acting head of the Uzumaki Clan. The Hokage has just given me permission to live in my Clan's Compound this morning. I just set my daughter down to sleep." Kurama explained to them.
"Oh, We meant no disrespect, Uzumaki-dono. We just knew this place was once the home of the Fourth Hokage and his Lover. We were just wondering what relations you may have had. So this is the Uzumaki Compound. I guess we should have believed Kushina-chan about her dreams of bringing the scattered remains of her clan here." The yellow haired woman said with a bright smile. That was not blond, it was outright yellow. Humans are so colorful.
"Who are you two?" Kurama asked, still on edge.
"Oh, we're so rude. I am Kizashi Haruno and this is my wife, Mebuki." Kizashi said with a full bow in apology.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Uzumaki-dono. I hope our daughters can be friends." Mebuki said with a half bow, holding her pink haired daughter close.
"It is nice to meet you too." Kurama said on edge. "Sorry if I seem standoffish, my old home had been attacked twice, the second one my daughter had been caught in the fire and we both just got out of the hospital."
"Oh, that's terrible. What people could do such horrible things?" Mebuki stated in dismay as she clutched her daughter and Kizashi tried comforting his mate. "I guess leaving the Shinobi forces may have been a good idea, dear." Ah, she wondered why civilians had some ninja movements.
"I think it may have, neither of us have large names or are attached to clans to be targets." Kizashi muttered. Ow, that hurt. Then Kurama heard Naru crying about a dirty diaper, the joys of motherhood. At least her chakra has changed and now can be selectively corrosive.
"I've enjoyed your time, but I must attend to my daughter." Kurama stressed out before closing the door on the two and rushing to Naru. "Thank Kami for your timing."
After Kurama took care of Naru, she heard more knocking at her door. Kurama let the Fox Doll growl for her as she marched back to the front door. She just wanted food! Opening the door she calmed at seeing many of those she was starting to call friends. How novel the concept was now she wasn't in a rush to think about.
"I've been trying to make lunch. Why don't you all take a seat in the living while I cook." Kurama suggested and gestured for them to all enter.
"No ramen." They all chorused with a mix of amused grins and deadpan faces.
=Fox=
"I'm so sorry to hear about your old residence." Mikoto told Kurama as the Uchiha drank her tea. "I heard that you were with the Hokage at the time. Just days before the scandal with Orocimaru leaving." The Snake and the Monkey had hashed out a scheme to save face, even if it was at the Sannin's expense. At least Orochimaru appreciated the challenge set before him.
"You wouldn't know about what happened to him, do you?" Fugaku asked directly.
"Only a little and I don't think I can divulge it. It was personal." Kurama voiced sadly, she was hoping to learn from the man after the Hokage had made the suggestion.
"I'm just happy to see them both alright! Fuck, when I heard about them being in fire due to arson…I'm just happy I have no idea who those fuckers were or I'd be after their families. I don't like seeing my friends or family hurt." Tsume snarled as she petted her Ninken hound.
"I know many of the civilians are not educated in fuinjutsu, some of their fear is understandable, but for Chunins to attacked your home. Horrible." Hiata said, looking apologetically at Kurama.
"Indeed, but many are letting their hatred fuel them. I have heard many statements with the 'Demon' having a mother as a Clan Head and having the secrets of the Uzumaki at its fingertips that it is too dangerous to let live. Bastards. Naru is a cage, not a demon." Hiashi huffed.
Kurama rolled her eyes at the man. It took her explaining the finer details of the seal to him personally to actually get him to see that. Explaining that with the seal used on Naru that even if the Biju in her knew how it worked that without access to a key in its chakra network all the demon could do is weaken its bars over the span of years. Not that Kurama would do that now.
Hiashi at the start was just as hateful and ignorant as most of the villagers, but Kurama turned him around in time. She was unsure about Fugaku, though. He didn't hate Naru, for sure, but sometimes Kurama saw this look. She was unsure of where Fugaku stood on this issue.
"I don't believe the attacks will stop. At least not until the city believes my home is too dangerous to attack." Kurama sighed, knowing how hard it was to defend a den in the wild when she watched animals in their own environment. "But I'm sure by the end of the year they will."
"We'll try and help the best we can." Hiata told her sincerely while hugging the secret vixen.
"Thank you." Kurama sighed as she learned into the hug. "You all have been so welcoming, it's been strange. On the road, whenever my family got close to civilization they shunned us, tried to imprison us. Many of my siblings are trapped in the other great villages. When Jiraiya found me I thought that he was there to do the same thing. Then he offered Naru for me to raise. This has been surreal for me."
"Was…was life in the wild really that bad? Some villages have taken Uzumaki in. I have heard things that they do though, because of how your chakra can heal and all, but I thought they were just tall tales." Mikoto said, looking grimly at Fugaku.
"There's a mother with her recently born daughter. They're trying to leave Kusa to come to Konoha. The report was buried under bureaucratic workloads. Her husband had been practically bled dry of his chakra before he died a month ago. Any reports of the family have vanished and Kusa went into information lockdown until a week ago." Kurama told them to the horrified looks of all.
"Is the mother? What about the daughter?" Hiata asked in worry.
"The Hokage is looking into it for me. Thankfully Konoha had been a sister village to Uzushio, we can make demands for the safe transfer of the family." Kurama sighed, unsure if she should be scared, disgusted or happy at these developments.
The demon felt strange, this was not how she normally interacted with people. Her father did not count, her relationship with him and her siblings were different. Her father was kind, understanding and wise. Her siblings were strange, tense and argumentative. Ashura and Indra, she never interacted with them outside of one tense meeting with Indra and the boy ordered her around like a pet even though they called the same man father. Kurama didn't like Indra at all.
"So you intend to try and rebuild your clan here in Konoha?" Tsume asked with a wicked smile.
"I can only hope." Kurama replied and Tsume pouted before making a very lewd gesture with her hands! "O-oh! Um…I uh…might?" Kurama sheepishly admitted, wondering if she even could. Sure, the doctors have said she is absolutely peak health in all cases after 'recovering' from the attack Jiraiya had rescued her from, but did that include fertility for this body? Could she have babies of her own? The thought oddly enticed her and occupied her mind sometimes.
"Why couldn't you? You're not that old right? I know rumors are you've said you're older than Hokage-sama." Hiata commented with curiosity..
"Those rumors are true, but us Uzumaki women remain fertile long past when most people die of age." Kurama claimed, which was true. She was just embellishing it a bit.
"How old are you?" Fukagu asked before his wife started to slap him in the head, repeatedly.
"I am so sick of this question. If you want a number on it, then I will only say it is in the triple digits." Kurama groused, causing everyone to gawk at her and she blushed while peering into her tea cup. "Like I keep deflecting: old enough to know better."
"Damn and I thought Mito was old when she died four years ago." Tsume said blinking in amazement. Wait, how long?! Mito had Kurama extracted fourteen years ago! She just assumed that Kushina was going to die even if she wasn't in labor at the time. So Uzumaki are resilient enough to survive extraction when in good health? That means…
Kurama's Fox Doll eyed Naru with intensity, at the Seal. Maybe, she could be free without hurting her daughter, if she becomes strong enough. With this new goal in mind, Kurama decided her daughter would become a kunoichi, so she would not only be able to defend herself, but so that she could eventually be free without killing her precious daughter.
"Kurama? Are you crying? Did we say something to upset you?" Hiashi asked with concern.
"I knew Mito-sama. I had assumed she died long ago, but only six years? If we knew, we would have come to Konoha." Kurama half-truthed. She did know her, fairly well even if Mito treated her as a burden more than anything.
"Six years is a long time, Kurama." Mikoto said mournfully.
"Not to an Uzumaki." Kurama groused
"I guess that is true." Tsume chuckled before rubbing her belly. "This one isn't due for another four months but he's already trying to kick my bladder."
"With how old you are, how many kids have you had?" Haifa asked. "You do so well with Naru."
"Two and I've outlived them both." Kurama said, referring to her jinchuuriki. "The youngest was just days old when the bandits-."
"Oh Kami! I'm so sorry for reminding you of that!" Tsume said, looking ill.
"It's okay, I'm recovering." Kurama lied and then inwardly felt dread. She lied. Easily and without hesitation. Was experiencing being human twisting her so much, so fast, that she would resort to casually lying with an ease no worse than breathing? "I…need to take care of something. I'll see you at the Akakmichi's on Friday for lunch like we planned." Kurama said stiffly, leading to her friends looking worried before they stood to leave.
"Have a good day, Kurama." Mikoto said before she was the last to exit the front door.
Kurama went to the kitchen and wondered what she could have been lying so blatantly about that even she recognized it. She was okay? Recovering? What did that mean? Why was she crying? Was this her human Doll's hormones? No, it was reacting to her chakra, to her in the seal. She was crying in the seal.
"I…miss them, all of them." Kurama hiccupped as she thought of her family for the first time outside of the well of anger she stewed in for so long. She realized she saw Mito and Kushina as daughters in some twisted fashion. She missed the few friends she made in the centuries of her life outside of her family, long dead.
Kurama sobbed as memories and feelings she buried under centuries of rage and hatred broke down her walls. She wept when she realized she was the reason her siblings were imprisoned. She choked after she realized she was the reason her daughters were dead or an orphan.
And she lied!
"What am I doing?! What am I?!" Kurama wailed in rage, frustration and despair before Naru cried in discomfort, soKurama entered the nursery to see Naru covered in her corrosive chakra. She snarled at Naru as anger overcame her senses. It was the baby's fault! She made her lie!
"What are you doing?! How are you doing this?!" Kurama wailed with tears running down her face as she struggled with her emotions. She stared at Naru as thoughts of ripping the seal to shreds and leaving the husk behind came to her. Kurama almost grinned at the thought before she broke down in retching sobs at even thinking of doing that to her baby.
Kurama felt Inu appear as she wailed uncontrollably on the floor in front of Naru's crib. Then the demon was in the seal and her raging irrational emotions swirled as she realized that Inu did something to stop her from harming Naru.
"No! Let me out! I'll be good! Don't seal me away! No!" Kurama screamed as she banged and scrapped at the bars of her seal for what felt like hours. The vixen grew more horrified as she thought about what would happen to Naru without her care at that horrible orphanage.
=Fox=
Hurama sobbed as she looked at the tag on Naru as the infant wailed in agony at the burns all over her body. Hurama looked around in shock at being able to well, be, with her Boss's connection severed and Furama did the same.
"Kurama! We need a doctor. You can't heal Naru on your own." Furama declared as the Fox Doll took charge. Inu pulled out his sword, ready to attack Furama as was his duty, but Hurama raised her hands in the air between him and Naru while trying to get her emotions under control.
"Get a doctor! Kurama is emotionally unstable, she's not thinking straight! She wasn't trying to kill Naru!" Hurama tried to explain through her disgusting snot-filled sobbing.
"You misunderstand. I was ready to strike you to protect both Naru and yourself. I can't believe we didn't consider that you may need therapy." Inu stated with compassion in his voice as he gently used his unarmed hand to pull her away from Naru's crying form as the wounds rapidly regenerated and the baby settled down into an exhausted slumber.