Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Author's notes: Hi, guys! This is my first ever fan fiction and second ever attempt at writing any kind of literature, so please keep that in mind. I pondered greatly on whether I even wanted to write this down but I figured that, as so many stories have inspired me to be a better person, who knows, maybe this writing, while based on Kishimoto's work, may end up inspiring others as well in some constructive fashion. So, with that motivation in mind, I invite you to enjoy the read!
For those who are in the know as far as the Naruto-verse is concerned: there will be no alien Ootsutsuki in my story. The Ootsutsuki family will be part of the plot but they will just be humans who originated from Kaguya, a princess who ate the chakra fruit in a desperate attempt to gain the power to stop all wars. I always thought that the alien Ootsutsuki bit was too much of a stretch.
Alright, all this being said, on with the story!
Normal Text
'Person thinking'
"Person talking"
"Jinchuriki talking inside his head with Bijuu"
'Bijuu thinking'
"Bijuu talking"
"Bijuu talking inside jinchurki's head"
Chapter 1 - Beginnings
A leader who sacrifices his family for the good of his people.
A mother who wishes she could have seen her son all grown up.
A son crying in the middle of a forest, that only minutes before was the epicenter of a battle of legendary proportions.
Thus begins the story of Uzumaki Naruto, a blond bundle of energy, with cerulean blue eyes, golden hair and 6 cute little whisker marks, three on each cheek.
"So, it is done. He sealed it inside the boy." Said Sarutobi Hiruzen, formerly the third Hokage of Konoha, as he picked up the baby. Seeing that the seal was still visible on his belly, he quickly wrapped him in his cloth to conceal the evidence from prying eyes. Call him paranoid, but, in such situations, you can never be too careful.
"Sarutobi-sama! Are you alright?!" cried the ANBU team leader just moments after he arrived at the scene.
Whispering, Hiruzen answered "Yes, I am alright. It seems Minato sealed the Kyuubi inside this baby, for the good of the village."
"Do you know who this baby belongs to, sir?"
"I do, but as of this moment, that information is classified, for both the family's and this baby's safety. And no, his parents did not survive today's events."
"I understand. So, what do you wish to do with the boy, sir?"
With a weariness that spoke of a wisdom much beyond his years, Sarutobi responded: "I will take him to one of the orphanages. After today, there are bound to be many a child who will join him…"
"Yes, that would probably be best."
He brought the ANBU closer to him and again, whispered sternly so only they could hear "None of you will speak of what you witnessed here today. This boy's status as a Jinchuriki is, as of this moment, an S class secret, for both his safety and the safety of Konoha. Should our enemies hear of him, they may attempt to kidnap him and use him as a weapon against us. Should our people hear of his status, I dread how they would react, knowing that the Kyuubi was not destroyed, but that it lives on inside this boy. I fear that many, in their fear, anger and loss, will fail to distinguish between the kunai and the sealing scroll."
"We understand, Hokage-sama."
"Hokage-sama? Hmm… Yes, I guess, after today, I will have to resume my position until I find a worthy successor. Alright, men. Gather the remains of our heroes and take them to the hospital to be prepared for a proper funeral. Remove any evidence regarding the sealing. I will take the boy to the orphanage with utmost discretion. It shouldn't be too difficult, seeing as the entire village is in total disarray."
"Yes, Hokage-sama. At once."
Sarutobi made his way back to the village, leaving behind the ANBU who executed their duties as requested by their current Hokage. Holding Naruto in his arms, he couldn't help but shed a few tears knowing just how difficult this boy's life is shaping up to be. He knew that he couldn't really take him into his custody, because that would raise suspicion as to why, of all the children in the village, he had brought this particular orphan under his care. It would bring too many eyes towards the boy and, given his uncanny resemblance to his father, his identity would be discovered much too soon. So, he resolved to leave him in the orphanage, deciding then and there that he would look after the boy from a distance, to the best of his abilities. Concealment would be Naruto's best friend until he would be capable of protecting himself, he thought.
True to his word, he chose the orphanage closest to the Hokage tower, so he could easily make his way over there whenever he found some spare time, under the pretense of wanting to visit the future generation of Konoha. Sure, he cared about all the people in the village, but he felt especially responsible for Minato's and Kushina's legacy, since, to him, they were practically family.
When asked by the matron of the orphanage about the boy's parentage, the Hokage simply stated that they were both shinobi who died during the Kyuubi's attack, like many of the other children who she received that day. Seeing the weariness in his eyes, the matron did not push the issue any further. Also, she figured that, if the boy had been from a particular clan, he would have been claimed by them already. As such, to her, Naruto was simply one of many children left without parents and without any other relatives to look after them.
After leaving Naruto, he made his way to the Hokage tower, where no doubt the council was waiting for him to arrive. As he entered the council room, he noticed that, indeed, all the clan heads and surviving civilian council members were present.
The first to open the session was an elder councilwoman by the name of Koharu.
"You taking the hokage seat means the Yondaime has fallen, is that correct?"
"Yes. He died in his battle against the Kyuubi." Replied Hiruzen with sadness in his voice.
"I think everyone is in agreement that, until a new successor is chosen, Sarutobi Hiruzen is to be reinstated as Hokage of Konoha. Does anyone object this decision?"
Seeing that no one objected, Koharu continued. "Good, at least one matter is solved. Tell us, Hiruzen, what happened with the Kyuubi? Were you able to find anything?"
At this point, Hiruzen knew that he had to give them the truth, though he feared that some in the room had agendas that might go against his goals for the boy. He thought for a moment and, steeling himself, he answered sternly. "What I am about to tell you must NOT leave this room. This is classified as an S-class secret that only those directly involved have the privilege to divulge to others. The Kyuubi was sealed inside one Naruto Uzumaki by the Yondaime. The Yondaime Hokage sacrificed himself to achieve this goal."
Hearing this, another council member, by the name of Danzo decided to intervene. "Hiruzen, where is the boy now? Are you certain that the Kyuubi was sealed? And, are you certain that it won't come out and attack the village once more?"
"Yes, Danzo, the village is safe. It seems I have to remind you all that Minato was one of the top three seal masters in Konoha, equal to Kushina and Jiraya of the Sannin. The seal was still visible when I retrieved the boy, but it receded on my way to the orphanage where I placed him. The boy is currently residing in the orphanage not far from here. I chose to place him there and leave him as a low-profile citizen in order to protect his identity as a Jinchuriki, until he grows powerful enough to protect himself, which, to my mind, would be when he reaches the rank of chuunin. I wish to keep an eye on the boy, albeit from a certain distance, so as to not arouse too much suspicion."
"I think we should commence his preparation immediately. With proper raising and training, he could be a great asset to the village."
Hearing this, Sarutobi unleashed his killing intent upon the room and everyone was stunned into silence. "He will not become a mindless tool for war, Danzo. The boy may become a great warrior in time, but he will NOT become a monster. Do not even dare suggest this again."
"There will come a day when you will wish he was taught to keep his emotions in check." Spite could be felt in Danzo's voice as he realized that he could not get his hands on the boy and turn him into a powerful weapon for war against Konoha's enemies… and, of course, under his influence, but surely, this is of no concern to the rest of the council.
Tsume Inuzuka, the head of the Inuzuka clan felt that this boy's life would be hard enough with the burden he was given. As such, given the strong familial instincts of her clan, she decided to suggest a different solution: "So, the pup will grow without a pack, huh… I would be glad to adopt him, if you agree to this, Hokage-sama. He is burdened enough as it is. At least he would have a family with us."
"You just wish to have the power of the Kyuubi under your control, to increase the status and power of the clan. I will not accept this." Such was the response of Uchiha Fugaku, the head of the Uchiha clan, one of the founding clans of Konoha. The Uchiha were proud of their lineage and, above all, they were proud of their eyes, the Sharingan, said to be the most powerful dojutsu in the elemental nations. Strength is their language and they measure the value of a person by their prowess on the battlefield.
"What? You think we all think like you, that it all boils down to power and politics? This boy needs a family. He needs love and support in order to face the hardships that will no doubt come his way. Also, who are you to talk about this? Wasn't the culprit who unleashed the Nine-Tails from Kushina's body an Uchiha? That is what I heard. Several eye-witnesses stated that the Kyuubi's eyes were in the form of a Sharingan when it attacked the village. How am I to know that you weren't involved and how am I to know that you won't try something right after this meeting?"
At this the council members started arguing with one another over the fact that any clan member who adopted Naruto would inevitably increase their power and bring imbalance in the status quo of the current clan hierarchy of the village. As this argument continued, Hiruzen thought deeply about the issue and realized that they were correct. As such, as much as it pained him, he decided to intervene and stop the quarrel once and for all.
"No one will adopt Naruto. As much as it pains me to say this, it is true that politically, his placement in any clan will offset the balance of power within the village. If any of you wish to give him a family however, I won't stop you from befriending the boy as he grows up, but I will watch over him and ensure that he is not misled or manipulated by any of you for personal interests. I believe I don't have to say what will happen to those who go against my word."
The council members quieted down after hearing Hiruzen's decision. None were happy with it, but sometimes, a negotiation is successful when no one party is truly happy with the results.
Having decided this matter, the council moved on to discuss reconstruction efforts, as well as how to handle missions and personnel management, seeing as they needed to appear strong now more than ever, in order to avoid a fourth Shinobi War. If that were to happen at this moment, it would have disastrous consequences for the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
Several hours passed and the meeting was over. Sitting in the Hokage's office, Sarutobi glanced at the photo Minato kept on his desk. It was a photo of him and his wife, Kushina, sitting together on a bench in the back yard of their residence. How happy they looked in this picture... It broke the old man's heart to look at it.
'How I wish you didn't have to sacrifice yourselves, you two. I will do my best to protect the village in your stead, Minato, though I really hope to find a successor soon. As much as I don't like to admit it, age is creeping up on me and I am not the man I once was.'
He stood up, took his pipe and started smoking while looking over the village from his window. Somehow, he knew that difficult years were ahead, but, at the same time, a sense of hope snuck its way into his heart. It came out of nowhere, but the more he thought about this feeling, the more he started to connect it with a certain blonde bundle of joy that resided in the orphanage closest to his office.
'I look forward to seeing the kind of man that you will become, Naruto. I will be watching.'