For What It's Worth

by Havoc-Teir

Naruto Uzumaki - Senju. SS-class shinobi that lead the allied forces of Sand, Mist, and Cloud against the Akatsuki, bringing the world to peace. In its wake, the last senju aided him and even fought by his side but when world was saved, their arms were laid to rest. Now what...?

For What It's Worth

One shot

Chapter One; So…?

On an island far off the coast between Water and Sea countries, a new travel destination popped up after the fourth great shinobi conflict. A conflict that caused all the nations to watch upon the rising up of two groups of missing ninjas combating one another. The first by the name of Akatsuki, a group of S-ranked rogue shinobi trying to capture the tailed beasts, giant masses of chakra with consciousness that are typically sealed within hosts by the name of Jinchurki, the power of human sacrifice. The second came much later, it's purpose not known until even later when this group struck at the heart of the first group and began hunting them down with ruthless abandon.

The final battle between the two groups was in the watery planes of the Hidden Rain village, the Akatsuki were on the defensive with the Hidden Sand, Hidden Mist, and Hidden Cloud forces mixed among the attackers. They were undercover but it was effectively an open secret that no-one cared to think about. The downfall of the menace caused a collect breath held to release and smiles all round as the full extent of the Moon-Eye-Plan was revealed which horrified the Kage's who came across it.

This same group were soon found tearing through the patty fields of the Rice country, shredding through the Hidden Sound forces before confronting the rogue sannin and his runaway elements. The village was crushed completely and totally, with a level of finality that caused many eyes to look to this group. Said group, upon returning the 'Last Uchiha' back home, began to disperse but their camp was attacked by numerous groups of ANBU level enemies. By sunup only the leader remained in a forest of blood, sweat, tears, and charred bones stepping through the corpses of friends and foe, Naruto Uzumaki-Senju lost the last spark of hope for the future. Glancing up into the gathering storm clouds for the first time in the six years since his banishment from his home village, he cried for his fallen friends, and family as his wife Tayuya Uzumaki and unborn child had died in his arms during this attack. By the time the Kazekage and his forces arrived at the bloodbath, the bodies had buried with the last Uzumaki matriarch's grave marked with her sword and flute, her husband no-where in sight and wouldn't be found for four years.

Back to that island, unofficially known as Rogue's Refuge, was the centre of commerce in the southern sea's and all the missing-nin that survived that last battle, joined their leader on the small island that grew into a village then spawling ocean town. The town was held up on stilts just above the ocean waves within a cove to protect it from the gale force winds and raging waves that faded into the bright yellow sandy beaches. No one cared for your past, nor your story, just that if you were there then there was an understanding.

Yet despite that all, Naruto sat alone upon the decking of his beachside house looking out at the setting sun with a nice, chilled beer in his hand. His honey brown eyes glistened in the low light but a sigh slip through his lips as he senses the arrival of his unwanted guests that have been stalking around his island for the past several hours "What can I do for you, Lord fourth?" as said man freezes off to the side of him "Umm… Nar… son…"
"You do not get to call me that, lord fourth." Naruto speaking softly, coldly, but firmly as he continues to stare off to the horizon while swinging his legs off the decking "Speak your business and then take your ten shinobi with you."
"Look, son…" Minato froze upon an icy glare so cold it would have frozen the sun "…Naruto… the village want you back…"
"Not intreasted."
"…please… we will…"
"So, you come here, after two decades of life with sweet promises of jutsu, family bonds, and a massive welcome home?" with a raised eyebrow "Well…"
"Listen Lord fourth." Naruto finally turning to the man known as the yellow flash who had faked his death in the wake of the nine-tails attack, his wife went along with him.

The Namikaze family returned to the village of the hidden leaf fifteen years after the attack, welcomed back as heroes who beaten the might of the nine tails and the leaf's enemies. "I was banished seven years ago. In that time, I fought alongside 'Criminals and sociopaths' and those kinds of people who most consider 'Undesirables'." A sip of his beer as another sigh escapes his lips "Among them, I found more honourable, honest, and truly good people among the rough rejects and yet…" he looks back at the man "…when the world was perched upon the edge of destruction, the alarms sounded yet none of you moved. Your so-called prophecy, told you that day was coming yet you cowered in fear in the face of that chosen day."
"I WAS NO…"
"…we didn't though." Naruto continuing on completely ignoring the red faced blond "We 'The undesirables' stood firm against the crazy dreams of the truly insane Uchiha…" a tungsten gaze upon the reinstated hokage "…your former student, I believe."
"I did…"
"…we didn't ask for anything in return, hell, most of us just treated it as a threat that had to be quashed, completely and firmly." Naruto chuckles lightly as he recalls the aftermath, sipping on his beer once more "…yet, now." His eyes return back from the horizon firmly upon the leaf shinobi before him "…after all this time, you try and use our blood ties to drag me back to that hell hole." eyes narrowing "You are a piece of work, Namikaze."
"Naruto. We want you to rejoin the famil…" a snort from a new blonde caught his attention as Tsunade Senju-Uzumaki stepped out onto the decking, handing Naruto another beer and a wad of bills "I should know by now never to bet against you."
"You'll still make that mistake again though, huh?" the male blond chuckled back as they then both turn to fourth "Wha… you sa… you said you didn't know where he was?" Minato gasps out "When you asked, I didn't know." Tsunade chuckles before sipping on her hard martini "He offered me bed and board in a perfect environment."
"Perfect?"
"Sun, Sand, Gambling, and Drinking." Tsunade cheered as she and Naruto toasted one another "A perfect, permanent vacation."

"NARUTO NAMIKAZE!" a new voice yells drawing the attention of the trio, a red headed woman charging toward them only to be smash into a barrier that appeared causing a snort from the youngest blond "Stupid."
"Watch what…"
"Shut it, Minato." Tsunade growls out "Besides, she got my name wrong." Naruto adds before sipping his beer "We have dinner at the Uch…" Naruto covers Tsunade's mouth with his hand "I know. Just waiting for the crowd to leave." With a soft smile before his face turns to stone as his bright eyes dim upon the visage of his former villages leader "Now, Namikaze, tell me what you want so we can get on with our evening."
"Naruto, we have come to bring you back home to the leaf where you will be reinstated as a hidden leaf shinobi with your previous rank and station." Two snorts were the result of his little speech that was clearly rehearsed "Ka-chan…" Naruto looking to Tsunade who looks back at him "Yes, Sochi?"
"Last time I checked, which was a good ten years ago, I was banished from the Land of Fire and it's allies by the order of Kohnoha's council, backed by the Hokage." his head nodding towards the other blonde who began to growl "My hands were tied. Damn old coots."
"Regardless, I am not your shinobi lord forth." Naruto reported again dryly "So, you can't order me to return."
"…I… I…"
"Listen, we have a previous engagement to tend to…" Naruto downing the last of his beer, Tsunade doing the same before they both stand "So, I assume you can find your way out."
"…but."
"For your sake, don't be here when we get back." with a hardened steel gaze.

The following morning, or afternoon more accurately "…it's time to get up." a voice causing the then to stir from his restful slumber "Breakfast is going to get cold." A yawn from the man as his eyes flicked open "Shion… it's…"
"Come on… we have guests." Shion says with her care filled smile, which fades upon seeing the almost murderous intent upon her lover's face "Who…?" was his soft, icy words. This causes the former priestess to actually gulp "…umm… the… hokage and his entourage." He growls at that "You are too kind, you know?"

"Listen…" her words were soft but instantly froze the double S-ranked shinobi dead in his tracks "…you know how much I love I have for you. I consider us all family." She says stepping towards him as he is completely locked onto her eyes "As they are yours, even if only by blood, you will be civil in this house. Do I make myself clear?" with such a soft smile, that even the clouds got jealous. Naruto gulped "…fine." An almost whisper and she smiled at him with a nod as she pulled down his shirt and fixed his collar "Good. Now hurry this up, I want my Naru-cookies later." Chuckling as she twirls around, deliberately rubbing against him as she does cause him to chuckle before following her out.

Shion leads both Naruto and Tsunade into the kitchen, both groggy in similar postures as they make a beeline for the coffee cups the priestess holds out for them. In unison the two seemed reborn, as their mugs hit the countertop as they enter the living room and freeze upon seeing the Namikaze's sitting at the table with a full breakfast spread before them, the arriving shinobi both growl at this until the third blonde clears her throat which silences the twos non-verbal protest. Tsunade sits at the tables head, Naruto at her left and Shion on her right with two chair space between them and the Namikaze family "Thank you for the food." was announced and the food began to evaporate "By the sage… this is amazing!" Miniato announces "Can I have the recipe for this?" Kushina questions various other similar types of praise directed towards the chef caused Shion to blush profusely "It wasn't really…"

"This fish is amazing, how did you get such a rich salty flavour." Mito Namikaze, Naruto's twin sister, questioned Shion who had a twitching eyebrow while both Tsunade and Naruto were holding back their chuckle, mirth twinkling within their amused gaze upon their chef "Wait, have you tied the salad? I haven't had anything like it before." Spoke the middle child, Narumi Namikaze who was basically a carbon copy of her mother. At that declaration, the mother-son duo straight up just lost it, laughing hard and heavy whilst the whole table save Shion looked on in confusion, the priestess patiently waiting for them to calm down.

Some minutes later the laughter had subsided enough for normal conversation and it was the fourth Hokage who broke the silence "What was so funny?" still chuckling Tsunade looked at her successor dead in the eye "Of all the things here, the meats, rice, soups, and condiments." Her gaze flowed over the table at each person "You complimented the only things not made by Shion-chan." Their eyes widen at that and at least had the decency to blush at that and the meal continued on an unsure silence.

"I have been ordered to be civil about this so speak." Naruto from his arm chair, Shion sitting upon its arm, his hand softly running up and down her lower back smoothly and slowly "Why do you insist on taking me back?" Shion glances down to him "Wait, that's why they're here? To convince you to go back?" Naruto nodded and this time Shion sighed hard, a break from her normally dignified norm, her hand meeting her face "I see. No wonder you two were so moody this morning."

"Listen, Naruto…" Minato bringing the rooms attention to him "…the hidden leaf is in a bad way and our enemies are closing in for the kill. We need all the help we can…"

"I am aware of your village's imminent economic collapse, Lord Forth." Naruto with his free left hand raised to stop him "What I fail to see is how this relates to me?" his former siblings look at him incredulously "It's our home Naruto-nii. Surely you want to save it?" spoke Mito jumping from her seat on the couch, flinching at the now common snort from the three blondes, it was always considered bad when Shion snorted at something which caused a raised eyebrow from Tsunade and Naruto at her use of their favourite response "That place was no home." The former priestess declared, forgoing any sort of etiquette at this point, sliding onto Naruto's lap without breaking eye contact with Minato "You who claimed him as family, do you even know what he went through after you left him behind? How broken his soul was? Yet even after all that, you dare question his loyalty? He saved the damn world twice over already and you dare…" Naruto's arms around her tighten and she pauses upon hearing him speak in a muffled whisper "…leave it. Let it go. Hatred, guilt, and sorrow will consume you if you let them, so let it go." She nods as she sighs softly, leaning into his warmth as the stunned emerge from their shock.

"As the last Uzumaki…" Naruto began but was silenced when the hokage's wife spoke up "You aren't the last…" she was silenced by a large puff sound and the sight of a large scroll unrolling before them. The children of Kage looked confused but both the Kage and his wife studied it quickly, their eyes widen when the reached the bottom "A clan scroll! For the Uzumaki! I looked everywhere for it!" Kushina shouts looking over all the names, all of which were labelled deceased with dates and times. As they reached the bottom, six names were all recently deceased with a blank entry beneath Naruto who, according to this, was the grandson of the main house yet his mother wasn't listed "Umm… Sochi…" Kushina glaring at the peculiar incident "Why am I, nor your siblings, on here? This is a clan scroll. We should all be…"
"Namikaze Kushina. You haven't been Uzumaki for the last nineteen, almost twenty years." Naruto announced causing the woman to widen her eyes "Wha… wha… what do you…?"
"What did you expect, Kushina?" Tsunade questions from the armchair beside Naruto and Shion "That the Shinigami wouldn't keep tabs? That the Uzumaki elders wouldn't be informed just because they died?"
"You can't be serious, can you?" Kushina almost whales "Oh, but we are." Naruto states as he feels Shion's grip upon his arms tighten "Before we went against the Akatsuki, Ka-chan took me to Uzu where we stumbled upon the elders. Upon seeing my life from my eyes…"
"…and mine." Tsunade cutting in, presenting her own two cents "…and with our joint experiences, the elders conferred with the Shinigami to confirm that you both still lived." The hollow smile that stretched across his face offered no comfort "I care not for your excuses, phony promises, empty threats."
"Your so-called prophecy was fulfilled without your star child." Shion cutting in with an uncharacteristically scowl upon her delicate features "As a priestess, I understand your insistence on following them however to build lives upon them is nothing but folly."
"…but…" the argument of Minato was halted upon Shion's raised hand "As a leader, you may have had the best interest in heart but as parents…" her eyes turned ice cold "…you failed."

"For what it's worth…" Tsunade and Naruto spoke simultaneously causing their guests to glance between the two, their movements synchronised as they both sigh rubbing their eyes with their left hands "…you guys are truly…" Tsunade begins "…pathetic." Naruto finishes. Heckles raised among the Namikaze "PATHETIC?! You're the one who was left behind!" yelled out Mito, jumping to her feet "Get out." Shion spoke softly gaining the rooms attention "What?" Mito questioned as the red haze of anger lowered "Get out of my house." Shion states firmly as she constricts her lovers' arms around her tighter "…but…"
"Now." She continued not once did she raise her voice, its softness continued throughout but her words were clearly orders.

As the Namikaze family were halfway out the door the worst possible outcome, at least in Naruto and Tsunade's opinion at least, happened "Mama! Papa!" young voice's echoing from the upper floor. Kushina perked up but before she could try and protest the door was slammed in her face.

The two children barrel down the stairs, caught by Naruto and Shion respectively "I thought I told you to wait until we come to get you." Shion sighed in exasperation, looking to Naruto who sighed "Fine. They stayed put longer than any time than before."
"Okay, okay." Shion carrying the youngest duo of the house toward the kitchen, Naruto in behind "I'm going to get a manicure!" Tsunade shouts as she heads to the door "OKAY!" as she opened the door only for Kushina still arguing with Minato in the front garden, much to the annoyance of the house's occupants.

"JUST LEAVE!" Yelled Tsunade from the doorway, causing the Namikaze family to jolt in surprise which causes their argument to fall silent. "You guys are causing a ruckus!" she continued with a half and puff "Forget it." As she strolls passed them wanting to get to her appointment "Wait! Su-chan!" Tsunade whirled round on the Red headed mother "DON'T EVER CALL ME THAT AGAIN!" she roared with so much bloodlust and killing intent that even the ocean beyond the house had retreated.

"Damn, she's piss…" Naruto froze upon Shion's glare "My bad." he spoke sheepishly under her watch, the kids blissfully unaware of the conflict between the parents above them.

That night before a bonfire, Naruto's family sat around on the beach beneath the blanket of stars with their guests laughing and charming one another. "…I heard that you had an unwelcome visit." Spoke a man with long black hair, equally obsidian orbs for eyes glancing at the host, his tear troth lines coming into view "Most unwelcome." Naruto sighs as he leans forward on his knees, fingers gripping his sake bottle as a chuckle escaped his plain shirt man lips "I see." before a swig of his own drink "We've done enough for this worlds peace, Itachi." Naruto almost whispered.

Itachi glances back at him, a soft smile upon his face who nods along with that whilst rising his glass "Indeed we have." Naruto taps his glass against his with a smile "We did it. We actually did it." another chuckle entered the soft conversation "It was a crazy plan, dobe." Sasuke dropping down beside his brother, handing down a new set of small sake bottle "It worked, didn't it?" Naruto states as the three men watch over their children running around and laughing on a backdrop of the calm sea "it did." Sasuke comments before sighing in contentment. His eyes slide towards his brothers "If you had told me five years ago that we'd be sitting here, watching over the next generation…" a snort from Naruto interrupted him "Yeah, we know." Itachi mentioned softly as he sips his drink. As soon as he swallowed the three bursts out in laughter at the recalling the drama of their past in comparison to their current selves.

Several loud thuds on the door jolts the three awake, all equally as pissed as one another as three sets of red eyes glare at said door from the living room. Shion, steps down from the top floor only to be caught off guard by the three sets of scarlet eyes on her, freezing her for a moment. The door parts and Kushina bursts in to find herself being hit with two Tsukuyomi and a Kitsune illusion. She dropped like a stone.

"I suggest you back the fuck up." Naruto growled out halfway through his pint of coffee, at the island in the kitchen, sleepy, groggily, and definitely hangover. He was one of three, flanked by the last two Uchiha "Why are you even still here?" spoke Sasuke, narrowed eyes as he takes another sip from his own coffee "Naruto is my son!" Kushina growled way too loudly, all three men to wince visibly "Quiet down would ya." Naruto whined as Tsunade stumbled in and wordlessly takes an offered cup from her son.

"I needed that." Tsunade sighs hard, looking deep into her mug with a deep long sigh of contemplation before she finally looked up to see the three struggling men. A chuckle escaped the Senju matriarchs' lips and her teasing sense kicked in full blast "Is my little sochi struggling with a little drink…?"
"Like your much better…?"
"Oh, but I am…" she grins, dramatically posing with hands on hips "…damn Senju." groaned Sasuke staring down into the coffee "Have I told you how much I love you, ka-chan?" Naruto's voice snapping the two Uchiha to their Senju friend, a green glowing hand atop his crown from the matriarch "Oh? Perhaps a few times but I won't turn down more."

"Ahem." Kushina clearing her throat, tired of this soap opera. Naruto peaks one eye open to see the red faced, red head "What are you still doing here, Namikaze?
"I am your…"
"Do not waste our time." Naruto sighs as Tsunade finally finishes her clean-up of his hangover "Fine." Kushina snipped "Can you please come home?"
"I am home." Naruto replies swiftly "…and as before, I am not your son but hers…" gesturing to the medic current tending to Itachi, having finished Sasuke already. "…but I carried you for ten months…"
"…and abandoned in ten minutes." Spoke Tsunade coming back to the island, retaking her coffee "Man, I love this stuff…" looking to her son "…where'd you find this?"
"It's the demon blend mixed with the ocean blend from Neo-Uzu." Shion who was preparing breakfast "Ah, so that explains why I can't replicate it."
"Listen, Namikaze…" Sasuke talks as coldly as an artic desert "…I suggest you just leave. Deal with the crap that disgrace of a village created for itself."

"We're being threatened by the Stone, Lightning, and Sound." Kushina continues despite the coldness being returned to her "We have no one coming to our aide, being abandoned by the Sand, the Mist wants nothing to do with us."
"We know." Itachi chimes as a plate is placed before him, courtesy of one former priestess, thanking her before his obsidian eyes lock back on to the Red-haired woman "The Leaf always claimed to be the strongest, the one with the noble goal of protecting the weak and defending the helpless."
"…then why…"
"That Leaf village is not the one my family died to protect." Spoke the last Senju, chowing down on the maple cured bacon "This place is more of the dream my grandpa…" she points her fork at Itachi and Sasuke sitting upon the opposite side of the island "…and their clan head, came up with." The last Senju stared dead into the pale violet eyes of Uzumaki "Here…" her manicured finger dented the countertop, causing Shion to freeze whilst staring unblinking at the offending finger "…the kids are carefree, everyone has a place and is safe from harm. Second chances are given but not forgotten." The stare turns cold "Trying to drag us around 'just because…' is foolish and trying to claim relations without action is petty. Namikaze; your clan makes claims of grandeur, claims to seek world peace; yet now you're in trouble and seek to turn the utopia created here to ash."
"We never…"
"Just leave, Kushina." Tsunade finishes with a dismissive tone "We… do… not… want… you… here…"