Author's Note: Here is the next chapter! I have gotten so many great reviews and feedback. Some of you have asked about Naruto's development and what techniques he will learn. I can say for certain that he will be learning fuinjutsu, since that is the core technique behind the masks. I will also have Naruto learn other Uzumaki techniques, and hopefully you will like what I decide to do. The chapter is slightly shorter this time, but I wanted to get it posted as close to on time as I could. Please continue to read and review, I have read every single one and I really appreciate your kind words.
Reminder: I do not own Naruto or the related IP. Original characters and story elements are mine.
Naruto had eventually gotten the hang of utilizing his expanded vision to track his teammates' movements, which was incredibly useful, but the most he had managed with the other technique was a brief fade into invisibility that lasted a few moments. Still, necessity had driven him to the utmost reaches of his creativity and timing with his new ability. Sasuke or Sakura had cried foul on him for using shadow clones more than once when they had him cornered, only for him to fade out of existence at the last moment. After an indeterminable time, all three genin had flopped to the grass, scuffed and exhausted. True to his word, Kakashi had given them an early lunch before ending training for the morning. After a quick detour to the mission supply depot, where Team 7 picked up some work lights and a generator to use while they continued the inventory, they made their way back to the Uzumaki Shrine.
Once they had arrived and set up the lights, Kakashi directed the genin to the library to begin cataloging the records there. Upon seeing the portrait of Uzumaki Ashina, Naruto was reminded of the discovery he and Hinata had made the night before. A sly grin crept onto his face as his prankster mind once again whirred to life. If he had been able to get the drop on Uchiha Sasuke of all people with just one of Kichijōten's masks, imagine what he could do with an entire basement full of Uzumaki secret techniques.
The three genin began cataloging the books and scrolls on the shelves around the room. Most were journals or biographies of the Uzumaki clan, though there were a few about other Uzushio ninja that appeared to be from families allied with the Uzumaki but not large enough to be full clans. There was also a collection of mission reports dating from before the First Great Shinobi World War up through the Second War. Naruto made a mental note to show those to Iruka-sensei, since he knew the scarred chunin had a penchant for history.
Two books among the shelves made Naruto's short list to read next. The first was found by Sakura, The Ancient Art of Fuinjutsu: A Primer by Uzumaki Ashina. Naruto recalled the Hokage's praise for Ashina's mastery of sealing, and set the book aside to take home at the end of the day.
The second was a thick leather-bound volume without a title, but it contained a genealogy of the Uzumaki clan and allied families in Uzushio. Naruto had let out an exclamation upon finding the record, and immediately began leafing through it.
"Hey guys, come look at what I just found!"
Sakura peered over the blond's shoulder, "It looks like a pedigree chart," she remarked.
Naruto blinked, "A pedi-what-now?"
"It's like a family tree," Kakashi explained. "It shows how members of the Uzumaki clan are related to one another." The silver-haired jonin took a closer look at the trext, "This one also seems to show some of the other families that lived in Uzushio and were allied with the Uzumaki."
Naruto's eyes traced the names of his ancestors and their friends. He saw Ashina with his birth and death dates listed on a page with several others, perhaps his parents and children. As he kept looking, the names seemed to whisper greetings to their distant descendant. Uzumaki Kona, Uzumaki Fujin, Uzumaki Saito, Yuki Hajimura, Kataga Takashi, Uzumaki Okamune, and countless others.
"I wonder if my parents' names are in here?" the whisper from the Last Uzumaki contained more longing and hope than his teammates thought possible.
After a moment, the genin got back to work sorting through the remaining books. Their time was spent mostly in silence, each contemplating the breif glimpse into Naruto's emotions he normally kept well hidden. For the genin, this was the first time they saw something in Naruto other than the brash knucklehead from the academy, and they wondered what else they didn't know about him. Their jonin sensei once again questioned if the law was doing more harm than good, and he cursed his inability to make any meaningful change.
The three genin worked quickly for the remainder of the afternoon, and Kakashi even put his orange book away to lend a hand. By the time they were finished for the day, they had gone through the library and started cataloging the contents of the storage rooms.
"Alright team," Kakashi gathered them at the entrance to the shrine, "we've made good time, and tomorrow is our last day to complete the mission. GO home and get some rest, and report directly here in the morning, except for you, Naruto. You still have to meet your new taijutsu instructor at Training Ground 9 at 0400."
Naruto winced once more at the early hour, but nodded in agreement. He was willing to do whatever was necessary to learn his clan fighting techniques.
"I am going to stop by the mission office to give Hokage-sama an update on our progress," Kakashi continued. He pulled out his book as he turned to leave, waving over his shoulder as he went, "You're all dismissed. Ja ne!"
Sasuke immediately started in the direction of the Uchiha compound, Sakura prancing at his heels like a puppy.
"Hey, Sasuke-kun! Since we are finished for the day, would you like to go to dinner with me before heading home?"
The Last Uchiha didn't even acknowledge the pinkette's offer, and soon disappeared into the trees, leaving Sakura standing dejectedly in the clearing. Her shoulders slumped, but then tensed as she waited for the inevitable counter-offer from her annoying blond teammate. When the moment passed, and no such invitation was extended, she looked around, confused.
Naruto was sitting on the steps to the shrine, the Uzumaki genealogy book open on his lap as he poured over it like a drowning man grasping for a lifeline. She supposed he was too distracted by the thought of finding out who his parents were to take advantage of Sasuke's rejection of her, for which she was glad. As she headed off towards the village proper and her own home, she felt a twang of disappointment that seemed unrelated to her failed attempt to go on a date with Sasuke. She quickly shook the thought from her head, not daring to examine it too closely, and focused on her next attempt to woo the dark-haired prodigy.
For his part, Naruto had decided to look through his clan's history to see if he could find any clues pointing to his parents' identities while he waited for Hinata to arrive. He didn't know where to begin, however, and so simply opened to a random page near the middle of the book, half hoping he'd have an instinctual recognition of his parents' names. After a few fruitless minutes, he found a name he did recognize. Uzumaki Kichijōten had been born some seventy years ago to Konoru and Iyomi. She had two brothers, Tateka was three years older, and Akimitsu was ten years younger. She had no children herself, but she did have a small collection of nephews and one niece through her brothers. The records stopped approximately forty-seven years after Kichijōten's birth. In fact, most of the entries ended with a presumed death date of about twenty-three years ago.
That must have been when Uzushio was destroyed, he thought, somberly.
As he saw more and more of his anscestors' lives cut short by that fateful date, he felt an overwhelming sadness begin to bubble up inside himself. He was surprised by the sudden pain of loss over something he hadn't known existed until two days prior. His clan had been gone before he'd been born, but the ache of 'might-have-been' was made more poignant with each name he read.
Naruto was pulled from his morose thoughts by a sound coming from the trees. The warm afternoon sun shone in his eyes, but through the brightness he saw Hinata step into the clearing, bearing a cloth-wrapped bundle. She must have seen something in his gaze, for she hesitated, then quickened her pace towards him.
"Naruto-kun, are you...alright?" concern etched across her face.
Confused, the blond suddenly noticed an itchiness in his eyes, and rubbed his hand across his face. It came away damp.
"Y-yeah, Hinata-chan," his response sounding thicker than he'd anticipated. He quickly cleared his throat, and scrunched his face up into a smile, "Couldn't be better!"
For some reason, she looked even more pained at his answer, but she remained silent. After an awkward moment, Naruto gestured to her bundle.
"What do you have there?"
Hinata started, seeming to just remember she had something in her hands, "O-oh...I brought some...some food," she unwrapped the cloth and spread it on the top step of the shrine before placing the two bentos it had concealed on top of it. "I didn't know if you'd...if you'd eaten yet, and thought you might...be hungry..."
Naruto opened the bento nearest to him. Inside was a grilled fish, onigiri, carrots and edamame, miniature tomatoes, and a small bowl of berries and melon balls. His mouth began to water even before the scent hit his nose, and his stomach growled in approval.
"Oh wow, Hinata-chan, this looks great!" the smile he favored her with showed his genuine excitement. The tension in her shoulders seemed to lessen, and she sat down on the steps, a small smile of her own gracing her lips.
The two genin ate quickly, eager to begin the exploration of the hidden basement beneath the shrine. When the meal was finished, Naruto bounded up from his seat, his exuberance restored. Hinata packed up the bentos, rewrapping them and setting them aside before rising more gracefully to her own feet.
Naruto led the way back to the library, though Hinata kept at his heels. A quick pulse of chakra, and Ashina's portrait once again swung aside, revealing the secret staircase. Naruto turned to meet Hinata's gaze, finding his own excitement reflected in her pearlescent eyes. A shared nod, and the two descended into the last hold of the Uzumaki clan.
When they left the reach of the work lights above, the pair pulled out their flashlights, illuminating the final steps and a short passage ending in a door emblazoned with the Uzumaki Crest. As Naruto reached forward to open the portal, he once again felt the weight he had come to associate with the shrine settle over him.
...Uzumaki...
He hesitated, glancing back to Hinata. The girl showed no signs of having heard the whisper, though her cheeks flushed red. She returned his look, puzzled.
"Naruto-kun?"
The boy shook himself, "It's nothing, HInata-chan, just nervous I guess."
Hinata smiled gently, and in a moment of boldness that surprised her, she stepped forward, placing her hand above Naruto's. Blushing furiously, she nodded once more, "Whenever you are...are ready... I'm h-here..."
Naruto grinned, anticipation again surging to the fore, and returned her nod. Together they pushed forward, opening the door and stepping through.
Their flashlights illuminated a large room with a surprisingly high ceiling. The floor was made from smooth, close-fit stone, and the walls near the door were paneled with a fine, dark wood. Lanterns were ensconced at regular intervals on the walls As they ventured deeper into the room, they began lighting the lamps along the way. The glow soon revealed colorful murals replacing the paneling, and several doors marked passages to side chambers. The center of the room was dominated by a large circle inlaid with some kind of metal inscribed with seals along the circumference. The ceiling held a beautiful mosaic depicting the Land of Whirlpools encircled by a great dragon whose coils churned the water into the namesake vortices that protected the island. Cranes flew above the steep mountains that surrounded a verdant valley, split by a wide river. On the bank, a pair of kirin bent to drink from the laughing water while a third seemed to gaze down toward the chamber floor. The flickering lantern light gave life to the image, and the watchful kirin appeared to look curiously at the awestruck genin.
Hinata had never seen anything so grand, even in the Hyuga estate. To think that something that had been so lovingly and painstakingly crafted was hidden underground was almost heartbreaking. Wonder filled her mind at the thought that she was perhaps the first non-Uzumaki to see such a treasure.
"Naruto-kun, this...this is amazing!" Hinata's voice escaped as barely a whisper, her eyes never leaving the stunning scene above her.
"Yeah," Naruto's voice held more reverence than she had ever heard in him before, and she was nearly overwhelmed that she was allowed to be a part of this discovery.
Eventually, the two pulled themselves away from admiring the ceiling, and moved towards one of the doors at the side of the chamber. The spell of the mosaic seemed to fade as the thrill of adventure once again urged them onward.
The door revealed another library, though this one was larger than the one above. Racks lined the walls, filled with scrolls of all sizes, from the small field scrolls used by shinobi on mission to ones larger and thicker than the Scroll of Sealing that had played such an important part of Naruto's graduation. A quick perusal showed them to contain techniques from every branch of the ninja arts, from ninjutsu and genjutsu, to taijutsu and weapon jutsu, though by far the largest portion of the collection was devoted to fuinjutsu.
The next room contained displays of weapons and armor, mostly swords, but also a few pole arms, unusual for a ninja clan. In the center of the chamber stood a suit of old style armor on a stand, two curved sword hilts visible above the shoulders.
"This looks like the same set Ashina-jiji is wearing in the picture upstairs," Naruto noted.
Hinata nodded her agreement, though she was stunned that all of this could have been hidden underneath the Uzumaki shrine for who knows how long, with no one in the village any wiser. The wealth of techniques in the scrolls alone would be irresistable to almost any ninja. The presence of the concealing barrier made more sense now that she could see what it was truly protecting.
The final rooms in the basement were less exciting, holding what looked to be a workbench or study in one, and training equipment and supplies in the other. The two genin returned to the central chamber, dazed by the magnitude of their discovery. Hinata's worry was growing as she turned to Naruto, who kept glancing back to the scroll room.
"N-naruto-kun," she began, "I think... I think it would be...best...to activate the b-barrier seals...and keep them active...as much...as much as p-possible."
"Huh? Why?"
Hinata knew only too well the lengths some would go to gain power, as an old memory of a terrifying night played in the back of her mind, "S-some people might...might try to s...steal your clan secrets if...if they knew they were here. Now that you've...found the shrine...someone may get curious about...about what may be left."
Naruto's face darkened as he remembered the chunin from the mission office. He knew it would be foolish to think that no one in the village would steal from him if they found out what the shrine contained. He looked to the blue-haired girl who had helped him so much more than he ever expected, and discovered it was easy to place his trust in her.
"Hinata-chan," Naruto's seriousness surprised the girl, though she gave him her full attention, "can you help me keep this place a secret, as long as possible?"
Fear threatened to overwhelm the young Hyuga heiress. She knew how important clan secrets were, being from one of the most prominent clans in the village, herself, but she was terrified that she would fall short of his expectations. Could she really keep all this a secret? She looked into Naruto's eyes, and saw the complete trust he had in her. Those blue eyes looked into her own lavender ones, and she could detect no hint of hesitation. That he would be so willing to entrust his clan's legacy to her was as humbling as it was frightening, but it was also encouraging. When he looked at her that way, she felt like she could accomplish anything. Her fear soon faded, and determination filled her own eyes as she met his gaze. She would not let Naruto down.
With no further hesitation, she nodded.