Author's Note: I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out. This one gave me a lot of trouble, especially trying to get the timeline sorted out. Big shout out to keepyourpantsongohan on tumblr for most of the timeline. And thank you to everyone who has followed this story so far, and those who have reviewed. I appreciate all your comments, and all the positive feedback this story has gotten. Without further ado, here is the next chapter of Naruto of the Noh Masks.

I do not own Naruto or any of the related IP. Original characters and story elements are mine.

The sun shone brilliantly down on the busy village below. It's gentle rays offered a quiet benediction of mid-Spring in contrast to the more firm hand it will take once the season turns to Summer. The light streamed through the six large windows of the Konoha mission office, wrapping everything in its warm embrace. Several ninja teams were waiting patiently as scrolls and reports changed hands with each issuance and completion from those at the front of the queue. In one particularly friendly patch of sunlight stood a quiet young girl, newly minted as a genin. She basked in the warmth of the sun, despite already wearing a cream-colored jacket with fur trim. She followed the grain patterns of the hardwood floor with her pearlescent eyes as she listened to the steady murmur of the reporting teams ahead. She glanced up through her dark blue bangs at her own team.

Kiba stood with pocketed hands, his faithful nin-pup Akamaru in his customary place atop Kiba's head. Kiba had his own fur-trimmed hood down, allowing his spiky brown hair to peer through Akamaru's white, though he kept the gray jacket fully closed. His face was in a mask of bored acceptance instead of his usual Inuzuka smirk. Their sensei, Kurenai, stood patiently in her customary wrap-dress with the crimson sleeve that matched her eyes. Despite her outward professionalism, those who knew her well could see the hints of boredom in her posture and gaze. The girl suppressed a giggle at her team and their sensei. The young ninjas each sported a fur-trimmed jacket in defiance of the heat. Their sensei, a tall, raven-haired woman, was the only one dressed for a warm Land of Fire Spring, wearing her favorite wrap-style dress with one crimson sleeve.

That just left Shino, her last teammate. She didn't have to look far to find him, though. He was examining a small insect crawling among the leaves of one of the potted plants, his high collar and sunglasses obscuring nearly all of his features, though his spiked brown hair was visible above his Konoha forehead protector. The boy reach out one pale finger to the insect, gently inviting. The invitation was immediately accepted, and the small traveler crawled along Shino's finger, happily.

Hyuga Hinata smiled quietly to herself, content in her observations of her team. She was grateful to be placed with such strong genin, and her sensei had been looking after her training since long before the team was formed. Her smile faltered at the memory of why someone outside of the Hyuga clan had been asked to train the clan heiress. Her father's stern eyes, always so full of disappointment when he looked at her, changed to the even worse apathy once Kurenai had agreed to take Hinata on.

Hinata was pulled from the painful memory by the arrival of another team, opening the door behind her. She turned, curious, and her breath hitched at the sight of the orange-clad blond striding through the door. He was flanked by his two teammates, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke, and tailed by their sensei, Hatake Kakashi, his nose buried in his usual orange book. Hinata felt her face redden at the sight of the young Uzumaki, but the rising heat was quickly doused by the cool curiosity of something quite unusual for the boy. He, too, was reading as he walked, though this one was a brown, leather-bound book, that appeared to be fairly old. She wondered what in the book could have captured Naruto's mercurial attention so completely, but the thought of asking him about it brought the flush back to her cheeks tenfold. Her blush intensified further when Naruto's team took up position in the queue directly behind her own team, the blond himself stopping right next to her, though he was oblivious to her proximity, lost as he was in the pages.

Kurenai noticed HInata's sudden stiffening, and glanced back to see what had caused it. When she set eyes upon the blond, understanding sparked across her eyes. Her inner Puck grinned mischievously, anxious for an opportunity to break up the tedium of line-waiting.

"Hello, Kakashi-senpai," she narrowed her eyes at the offensive book in hands, but continued on. "Here to report, or pick up?"

"Pick up, Kurenai-san," the silver-haired jonin replied without looking up. "Busy morning of training. I thought a nice mission would be good for a break."

Kurenai, knowing of Kakashi's notorious laziness, opened her mouth to reply. She was interrupted, however, by her more boisterous student.

"Hey Shino, check it out!" Kiba called, "Naruto's reading, I didn't know he could read!"

Naruto looked up at the sound of his name, but his mind was still walking with Kichijōten, "Huh?" he blinked, owlishly. "Did you say something, Kiba?"

Kakashi beamed with pride in his now-favorite student, and Kurenai stifled her laughter with a cough, "Naruto-san, what book are you reading?" she asked, genuinely curious.

The sun shining through the windows could have gone black without notice for the light of excitement that shone from Naruto's face at the raven-haired jonin's question.

"It's a journal from my ancestor!" he began, waving his arms. "She was a really strong ninja from Uzushio! She used masks and stuff, but not like Kakashi-sensei, more like the ANBU guys!"

Hinata listened intently as Naruto went on to describe his discovery of an old shrine near the outskirts of the village that had once belonged to the Uzumaki clan. She frowned, she didn't remember hearing about an Uzumaki clan in Konoha.

She waited, a surprisingly long time, for Naruto to stop for a breath in his description of the shrine and what he had found inside, "U-um...Kurenai-s-sensai?" She faltered when six and a half sets of eyes turned to her.

Kurenai knelt down to be eye-level with the shy Hyuga, "Yes, Hinata-chan?"

The heiress swallowed nervously, but focusing on her sensei helped, "I haven't heard of the Uzumaki clan...are they...?"

Kurenai smiled at her student, guessing her unfinished question, "No, the Uzumaki are not a clan affiliated with Konoha, though there have been a few Uzumaki who have lived here." She looked to Kakashi, "Though I must admit, I don't know much about them myself."

"Kakashi-sensei told us the Uzumaki came from the Land of Whirlpools," Sakura chimed in. She went on to summarize what they had learned just that morning. She glanced at Naruto when the story reached its depressing conclusion.

Naruto's exuberance was once again dampened by the sad tale of his clan, but his resolve burned in his eyes even brighter. A resolve that did not escape Hinata's notice. Naruto-kun comes from a clan, but how horrible must it be for him to learn of his family only to hear they are all gone! She thought. She longed to be able to comfort him in some way, but every time she tried to form the words, her thoughts would stumble over themselves and become so tangled, she couldn't possibly hope to give them voice. Seeing Naruto's determined spirit shine in his gaze bolstered her own flagging will.

"N-Naruto-kun...I'm...I'm sorry-" her breath caught when the blond turned to her, and surprised blue met true compassion, for maybe the first time, in pale lavender.

Naruto chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. He wasn't sure what the look coming from Hinata was, so he decided to react the way he did whenever confronted with the unfamiliar. He scrunched up his eyes in a toothy smile, mask of bravado slipping naturally into place.

"Heh heh, don't worry about it Hinata! I'm gonna bring them back!"

Hinata's heart nearly broke at the appearance of the mask, but Naruto's confident exclamation provided a lifeline to cling to. She resolved to be the support Naruto needed, to be someone he could trust without the mask.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a call from the mission desk, "Team 8, we are ready for your report."

Kurenai straightened and started forward, Shino and Kiba falling into step behind her. Hinata paused for a moment, pressing her index fingers together as she glanced to Naruto one more time. A small cough from her sensei ushered her forward, however, and she stepped quickly up beside her teammates. She listened with half an ear as Shino gave the report on their dog-walking mission in his calm, efficient manner, her thoughts on the recent revelation of Naruto's heritage.

Her team was soon dismissed, and Kurenai instructed them to return to their training ground for evaluation on their mission performance. As they left, Hinata saw Naruto once again absorbed in his book, and a small, shy smile graced her face.

"Team 7!"

Naruto was once again pulled from his book as his team moved forward to receive their mission assignment for the day. He slipped the book back into his pouch before looking up at the table, behind which sat several chunin, including his Academy teacher, Umino Iruka. He also saw the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and remembered his axe in need of grinding. The old ninja noticed the flash of irritation in the younger, but made no comment as the available missions were listed for Team 7's selection.

Kakashi noticed Naruto's ire as well, and a sudden Puckishness overcame him. He interrupted the recitation with a cough, "Excuse me, Hokage-sama, but I think Naruto here might have already found a mission for us." He gestured to the shortest member of his team.

The Sandaime raised one wizened brow, "Oh? And what might that be?"

"It seems the Uzumaki Mask Shrine survived the Kyubi attack, and Naruto stumbled across it yesterday."

Sarutobi didn't bother to hide his shock, his other brow rising to meet its brother. He understood where Naruto's anger was coming from, now, but he motioned for Kakashi to continue amidst the murmurs of the chunin seated at the table.

"From Naruto's description, the shrine is in understandable disrepair. I propose Team 7 investigate the shrine to determine the condition of the structure and its contents."

"Please excuse me, Hokage-sama," Iruka motioned for his leader's attention, "I didn't know the Uzumaki had a shrine in Konoha. What does Kakashi-san mean, 'it survived'?"

"Iruka-sensei, you knew there was an Uzumaki clan? Why didn't you tell me?" Naruto was hurt his former teacher also kept this information from him. He glared back to the Hokage, "Why didn't ANYONE ever tell me?!"

Iruka blanched, "Naruto, I-"

Sarutobi cleared his throat, desperately wishing he had his pipe. This was not how he'd hoped this would happen. "Naruto-kun," he began, "the history of the Uzumaki clan connection with Konoha is included with the history portion of the first half of the Academy cirriculum. By the time you got to his class, they should have already been covered."

"Um, Hokage-sama," Sakura raised her hand, confused, "we were never taught about the Uzumaki clan. We didn't even know they were a clan, only that the Shodaime was married to Uzumaki Mito. And that was only mentioned once."

The Hokage was nearly apoplectic. He turned to Iruka, "Iruka, did you know about this?"

The Academy instructor sputtered, "Hokage-sama, I assure you, as far as I know, the cirriculum is that same as when I was a student. As you said, I didn't cover the Uzumaki connection to Konoha in my class because I assumed it was covered in the first two years."

"And is Onanaba Getora still the junior academy instructor?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He made a mental note to have Getora brought to his office for a...talk...about his performance of his duties. He turned back to Naruto, who's glare had lessened, but still persisted, "I am sorry, Naruto-kun. It appears that a portion of your education was neglected. I trust, based on your reaction, Kakashi-kun has rectified this error?"

The silver-haired jonin nodded, but Nartuo was not satisfied.

"That still doesn't explain why YOU never told me, old man!"

"Naruto!" Iruka scolded, "don't speak to the Hokage like that!"

Sarutobi raised his hand, placatingly, "It's alright, Iruka-kun. Naruto has a right to be angry." He turned to the blond, "Again, I must apolpgize, Naruto-kun. I assumed you had been taught about the Uzumaki already, and I felt there was nothing else I could tell you. Allow me to correct some of that now."

Naruto folded his arms, foot tapping impatiently as the Hokage leaned back, looking to the ceiling for a moment. He again wished for his pipe. After he had gathered his thoughts, he looked back down, intentionally meeting Naruto's gaze.

"Before I begin, would you kindly tell me what Kakashi-kun told you about the Uzumaki? I don't wish to repeat what has already been said."

Naruto looked to the side, still hiding his hurt, "He said the Uzumaki were a clan from the Land of Whirlpools. They were like cousins or something to the Senju before Konoha was founded, but they didn't want to leave their home to join the village. He told us that sometimes an Uzumaki would come to live here, like Mito-sama, but the village where they lived was destroyed and the Uzumaki were wiped out." Fists clenched at his side and trembling, Naruto looked back to the Hokage, desperation and pleading hope warring across his face.

"Yes, that is correct," the old Hokage intoned, quietly. "The Uzumaki were a noble clan, known for their potent lifeforce and chakra, as well has being the foremost fuinjutsu masters in the world. In fact, Uzumaki Ashina shared much of his knowledge with Shodaime-sama, Senju Hashirama, and is known as the father of Konoha's sealing techniques."

"Uzumaki...Ashina...," the name tickled Naruto's memory, "Oh! He wrote one of the books that was in the shrine! Something about a sealing treat?"

The Sandaime nodded, "If there is a book on sealing written by Uzumaki Ashina, you would do well to learn from it. You will not find a more talented master of that most complex art."

Naruto's eyes shone like stars at that statement, and his pure excitement lightened Sarutobi's heart. Perhaps this will be for the best, after all.

"The Uzumaki continued to aid Konoha throughout our early history. In fact, Hashirama-sama incorporated the Uzumaki clan symbol into the Konoha emblem, as well as the standard shinobi uniform, as a symbol of our friendship with them."

Naruto reached up to the battered forehead protector that Iruka had given the night he became a genin. His fingers lightly traced the leaf symbol with its familiar swirl center.

Seeing his audience so enthralled, Sarutobi smiled to himself, I've still got it. "Now we come to the answer to Iruka-kun's question. The Uzumaki Mask Shrine. When Hashirama-sama's brother, Tobirama-sensei, became the Nidaime Hokage, the Uzumaki built a shrine in Konoha to commemorate their bond with the late Shodaime. And, I believe, give Mito-sama some connection with her homeland, as comfort for the passing of her husband.

"Over the years, Mito-sama collected copies of many of the writings of and about the Uzumaki, and placed them in the shrine. Among the scrolls and books were also masks constructed by the Uzumaki, though I do not know what purpose they served. Mito-sama and the Uzumaki that had immigrated to Konoha used the shrine to remember their home and heritage, so I suspect the masks reminded them of their culture. The masks were given a place of prominence within the shrine, so it became known as the Uzumaki Mask Shrine."

Sarutobi paused for a moment, preparing for the sad turn the tale was about to take.

"When Uzushio was destroyed, the few Uzumakis in the village were devastated. However, the Third Shinobi World War started soon after, so there was little time to mourn, and even less time to search for survivors. If any Uzumaki survived outside of Konoha, we could never find them. When the war permitted, the Konoha Uzumaki requested permission to return to Uzushio to gather what the could of their clan's legacy. Most had been lost during the invaision and the intervening time, but what remained was brought back to Konoha and stored within the Uzumaki shrine."

Once more, the Sandaime's gaze drifted to the ceiling, "Then the Kyubi attacked.

"The destruction wrought by the beast devastated the village and destroyed much of the surrounding area. The Uzumaki fought the beast, but in the end they perished. I thought that the light of the once-proud clan had been forever extinguished, and the world was diminished for it." Old eyes drifted back down to meet new, "And then, you appeared, my boy. I was told your name was Uzumaki Naruto, and you were the last hope for the future of the Uzumaki clan."

Naruto heaved a great sniff, but he dared not blink for fear unleashing his welling tears as the Hokage finished his tale.

The somber mood was broken by one of the other chunin sitting at the mission table, "Excuse me, Hokage-sama, but if this shrine did survive, and it still holds remnants of such a skilled group of ninjas, it could prove to be a valuable asset to the village-"

"What?!" Naruto roared. "There's no way I'd let you take anything from my family's shrine!"

Once again, an unexpected voice responded to Naruto's emotion, this time dousing his rage.

"It would be treason to remove anything from the Uzumaki Shrine," Sasuke said cooly, eyeing the offending chunin. "If Naruto is the sole surviving member of the Uzumaki clan, and since he is a ninja of Konoha, that would place the Uzumaki clan under the protection of the Konoha Clan Pact. No member of the village may lay claim to any clan property or holding while any living member of that clan remains affiliated with the village. If the village were to try to take anything from the Uzumaki clan, the other clans would revolt."

Naruto was shocked at Sasuke's support for the second time that day. Maybe he wasn't such a jerk after all. When Sasuke saw Naruto's look, he grunted, and turned away, spiking Naruto's irritation with his attitude. Perhaps not.

The Hokage lifted both hands up, palms forward, "No one," he shot an angry look at the chunin down the table, who suddenly found his paperwork very interesting, "is suggesting the village take anything from the Uzumaki clan, Sasuke-kun. However, I believe sending Team 7 to investigate the shrine more fully is an excellent idea. You are to make note of the condition of the shrine and the grounds surrounding, and to assist Naruto-kun in making a full inventory of the contents. This will be a D-rank mission, paid from the village clan support fund. You will have three days to complete the mission."

Iruka quickly copied the Hokage's instructions onto a blank mission scroll before presenting it to Kakashi. The three genin and one jonin bowed tot he Hokage, and taking the scoll, turned to begin their mission.

"Naruto-kun," Sarutobi called as they reached the door. The young blond turned, frowning. "If you wish to make note of any needed repairs to the shrine, you may submit a request for financial aid from the village to fund the restoration. Seeing the Uzumaki Mask Shrine returned to its former glory would be a joy, indeed, and it would go far to remind the village of one of its oldest allies."

Naruto's eyes softened at the Hokage's sincere smile, and he managed a small smile in return. He nodded once, then turned to follow his team through the door.