Chapter 2

Introduction Arc II

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag from his pipe as he observed the two Uchiha in front of him. Both of them were standing nervously, not at all acting in the manner befitting two powerful shinobi who had always served Konoha to the best of their capabilities. His eyes drifted to the mission scroll before he set his pipe down softly on the office desk. He smoothened his greying hair and expanded his senses, observing the chakra fluctuations of the two Shinobi in front of him. Stapling his fingers together, the 2nd God of Shinobi leaned forward on his desk, his dark eyes trained on his two shinobi. "Before I even ask about the foreign shinobi waiting outside my office, may I ask how a 40-man strong platoon made up of the most elite members of your clan was decimated to just two shinobi?"

"Lord Hokage, before I begin on my mission report regarding that matter, I must preface by asking you to keep an open mind," Naori murmured in a low voice, her head facing downwards unwilling to meet the eyes of her village leader. Her purple hair fell limply to her sides whilst Naka remained quiet with a grimace on his face.

Hiruzen felt his hidden ANBU shuffle at the perceived disrespect. One of them had their hands on their short sword, ready to unsheathe it. Bursting his chakra to make them back down, Hiruzen leaned back on his chair before motioning Naori to continue quietly with a wave of his wrinkling hands.

"We forced the Iwa scouting party to fall back. The Kamizuru platoon was then encircled and destroyed with very few among them managing to escape back to the border of the Land of Earth." Naori recited in a neutral voice. She hugged her tired body limply trying to maintain a rigid body in front of her leader, but her growing fatigue made it impossible. "However, we only won due to the use of a forbidden technique of the Uchiha Clan. The genjutsu that warps reality."

"Izanagi," Hiruzen muttered as the two Uchiha snapped their heads toward him in surprise. Honestly, it was like the new generations forgot that he was a fighter first and foremost and knew all the techniques that were hidden within the walls of Konohagakure. "Is that why both of you are currently blind in one eye?"

Naka answered for Naori. His lone functioning eye observing Naori's fatigue with a guilt-driven focus. "Yes, Lord Hokage. The Iwa ninja knew about our ambush. Likely they had some hidden scouts along the way that we could not sense. Instead, we fell into their ambush and to preserve the sanctity of our mission we began to use our forbidden technique. We only lost one member due to Izanagi. Without it, most of us would have likely perished and the rest would be tortured in Iwa until we broke."

Naori nodded stiffly as she hummed softly, making Naka fall silent as she picked up the report. She pushed the bangs of her hair backward. "But the Izanagi has a corrupting streak. As rare as it was on the battlefield, no one felt it before, but with so many using it at the same time, it led to many of our soldiers losing their minds and fighting over the Izanagi and their visual prowess with it."

Hiruzen let out a tired sigh as he suddenly understood what had happened. "And so they turned one another and slaughtered each other. I understand what happened now. And what about you two? Did you use the Izanagi as well?"

Naka shuffled guiltily from one foot to the other. He nodded. "I used the Izanagi as well. Like the others, I became afflicted with its madness as well. After some time, it was only me and Naori left. She had hidden and tried to talk the others and me out of our stupor. Finally, with only me left, she countered the Izanagi and its aftereffects on me."

"Izanami." Hiruzen took a small drag from his pipe in understanding, with a look of appreciation overcoming his face as he observed Naori. "The last person to learn that forbidden technique was Kagami Uchiha. You do your clan proud Jonin Uchiha."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage." Naori inclined her head, letting a small smile overcome her features. 'Uncle Kagami taught me the technique himself.'

Hiruzen took the mission scroll and quickly scribbled some sentences on it before sealing it into another scroll. He looked up and addressed the two Uchiha in the room. "The loss of 38 Uchiha clansmen in one swoop is not appreciated. Jonin Naka Uchiha, you shall be on probation for 3 months for succumbing to the forbidden technique. Nonetheless, I am happy that at least 2 of you survived. If you wish for it, you can get an eye transplant for your blind eyes. It won't be a Sharingan, but a non-Sharingan eye is better than no eye at all. Now, can someone explain the foreign shinobi to me?"

"At the end of the mission, as I picked up Naka to turn back we were intercepted by a Kusa platoon." Naori began, her hands moving nervously along the hem of her outfit. "They tried to take me and Naka prisoner. The foreigner intervened."

"How so?"

"He fell from the sky." It took all of Naori's internal strength to answer that with a straight face. As it was, she had to stifle a small smile from overtaking her face as she felt Hiruzen's confused stare. "According to him, he had a sealing accident that catapulted him and made him land in front of me just as the Kusa ninjas were advancing."

"I see," Hiruzen muttered raising an eyebrow in thought. 'Sealing accident? Not an accident anyone would want to experience for sure. Sealing accidents, by their very nature, are explosive and destructive.'

"He then introduced himself as Naruto Uzumaki." Naori continued, this time with a smaller voice as she spoke the name aloud, emphasizing the clan name. Hiruzen's eyes widened as he heard the clan name.

"Uzumaki." Hiruzen tried the name slowly. It was one of his greatest failures after all. Konoha had mobilized 3 divisions to aid Uzushio when it was besieged by Kiri. But the divisions had arrived too late. Led by his student Tsunade they had arrived to the horrific sight of the once great home of the Uzumakis decimated, burned, and salted to the ground. Uzushio Delenda Est had been written on one of the gate walls. The horrific words written in the language of the western continent had taunted his forces for their failure. It had been one of the contributing causes for the end of the Second Great Shinobi War. Though Konoha won on the western front, the eastern front had been a failure. "He's an Uzumaki? Are you sure?"

Naori nodded stiffly. "Yes. He has the characteristic red hair. And he used the Adamantine Sealing Chains during the fight to restrain the Kusa ninja. His chains look like the chains of Ms. Uzumaki exactly."

Hiruzen stroked the tip of his beard in thought as he heard that. 'Another Uzumaki? After so long? Jiraiya did mention that some were scattered throughout the nations, still, we thought Kushina to be the last legitimately confirmed Uzumaki left. For Kushina's sake, I hope that this Uzumaki is who he says he is. It would be cruel to find family after a decade only to find out it was a false veneer.'

"Very well. Jonins Uchiha. You may leave. Go to the hospital and check up on yourselves. Jonin Naori Uchiha, before you leave, please send in the Uzumaki." Hiruzen ordered clearly with a firm tone, his eyes trained on the door of his office. Both the Uchiha bowed their head. Naka body flickered out whilst Naori left via the door. A minute later Hiruzen heard shuffling as the door opened again. Red hair peeked inside as half-lidded blue eyes observed the Professor with a sense of mischievousness. 'My word. He even looks like Kushina. The same shade of red hair. The roundness of their face. And that twinkle in the eye.'

"Naruto Uzumaki?" Hiruzen questioned with a tilt of his head, letting his greying hair fall by the wayside a bit. "Please come in and sit down."

The words made it look like it was a request, but it wasn't. The Uzumaki clearly understood that. His azure eyes snapped up in attention and his posture straightened out. He strode forward, ignoring his cuffed hands, and sat down comfortably in front of the supreme military leader of the Land of Fire. His eyes maintained eye contact with the Hokage. Hiruzen looked at the man's body frame, before looking up again. 'Even his body frame. It resembles Kazama so much. Kushina would hate to see someone who resembles her father so much.'

"Mr. Uzumaki. Let me begin by thanking you for saving two of my shinobi." Hiruzen began, eying the Uzumaki in front of him. "I assume you wish to gain asylum with Konoha?"

Naruto nodded vigorously. "Yeah, that would be awesome old man!"

A gasp could be heard as the hidden ANBU all bristled at the tone that the Uzumaki had leveled with the Hokage. Their chakra began leaking out, but the Uzumaki seemed unfazed. Hiruzen, personally, felt his right eye twitch in irritation. Even in manners, he could see the resemblance between Naruto and Kushina. "I'm only 55. That's not old young man."

"Pfft." Naruto waved his cuffed hands around dismissively. "You're almost thrice my age. You're old. O-L-D old."

"Why you-" One of the ANBU snarled quietly and seemed to be getting ready to burst out and attack the redhead in front of Hiruzen. Hiruzen had half a mind to allow the ANBU to do what he wished, but in the end, Hiruzen subtly sent a motion with his left hand, which was hanging to his side still to stand down.

"I suppose." Hiruzen inclined his head in acceptance. "Mr. Uzumaki, you will have to forgive me. But this is wartime. I cannot admit any refugee who walks to the gates of my village. If indeed you are Uzumaki, I will need to take a blood sample and test it to make sure you are indeed who you say you are. After that, you will have to undergo a mind walk from one of our Yamanaka shinobi to make sure you have no ill will to the village. Then and only then can I allow you to stay in the village."

"Well then, let's get started. Why waste time?" Came the grinning answer of Naruto Uzumaki.

It hurt. Looking at the younger (and sterner!) face of the Third Hokage had made Naruto's heart thump in agitation. The Old Man had tried his best. He truly had. Without him, Teuchi, Ayame, and later Iruka-sensei, Naruto would have most likely turned out like Gaara during his younger years – a bloodthirsty monster who didn't know right from wrong. Naruto had steeled himself, ready to meet familiar faces who would not recognize him. Yet imagining it was nowhere near the reality of it. It took all of Naruto's strength to not break the cuffs, burst forward, and pull Hiruzen into a tight hug. It took all of his strength to not bawl in front of the Third Hokage, who had been like his own grandfather when he was young. He still remembered the dark and gloomy day of the Third's funeral. He remembered being strong for Konohamaru, despite wanting to cry his eyes out like the young grandson of the Third Hokage. He had gone to sleep that day with wet eyes.

So he plastered a happy-go-lucky face and tried to poke fun at his adoptive grandfather like he had always done with the Third Hokage. Even when the medic that was summoned to take his blood sample arrived, Naruto didn't stop poking fun at the Third Hokage.

"So, do you have any hobbies besides reading smut, Lord Hokage?" Naruto asked with a neutral tone that hid his smirk. 'Under the second folder of his third drawer are all the smut books in Konoha. He was so embarrassed when I found out the first time around.'

The medic who was pulling out Naruto's blood with an injection paused.

Hiruzen blushed quickly before his eyes twitched as he glared at Naruto without heat. "I don't read smut."

Naruto hummed and shook his head as the medic finally finished taking his blood out. The medic bowed to the Hokage and left. Naruto grinned up to Hiruzen. "That's not what I heard! I know a guy who met this crazy tall guy with spiky white hair wearing a kabuki dress. The kabuki guy said he was a smut writer and that the Third Hokage was his number one fan. Made all the news in the villages up north!"

Hiruzen's right eye was twitching so much that Naruto honestly feared that he was going to develop an eye infection.

Naruto was saved from a comment from the highest military authority in the Land of Fire when a blonde Yamanaka body flickered into the room. Light green eyes trained on Naruto as Naruto forced himself to put on an impassive face. Inoichi Yamanaka's death in the future had been a blow to the Allied Shinobi Forces. Granted, Naruto didn't know Inoichi as well as he would have liked, but still, Ino and her mother had later told him that Inoichi had always vouched for him had warmed Naruto's heart and made it despair at the same time. Warm because behind the scenes, it seemed that he always had some allies, but despaired because Inoichi had died before personally telling Naruto that.

Hiruzen turned to Inoichi and smiled. "Ah. Inoichi. This is Mr. Naruto Uzumaki. He has come to Konoha asking for refuge. The normal procedure shall be applied."

Inoichi bowed deeply to the Hokage before shuffling behind Naruto, who was still looking at the Third Hokage. Naruto relaxed, knowing personally from experience that the best way to experience the Yamanaka clan's mind walking was to relax and calm themselves. Inoichi grabbed Naruto head gently and asked, "Mr. Uzumaki, before I start the mind walk, I must ask. Do you have a history of mental disorders or ailments? They can sometimes take physical form in the mindscape and make my job harder and your health deteriorate."

Naruto shrugged and shook his head. "No. You can start when you want mister."

Nodding, Inoichi activated the mind-transfer technique and delved into Naruto's mindscape. Immediately, Inoichi found himself in an odd place. Mindscapes were always a fascinating subject for Inoichi. 'Everyone's mindscape is different. It can be a valley, a house, a city, anything. My mindscape is a big garden. This Uzumaki's mindscape seems to be a…. sewer. Well, that's odd. Mindscapes are supposed to represent our Yin chakra. Collected in the mind, it takes the form of a person's mentality both consciously and subconsciously. For it to be a sewer….is odd.'

Slowly in front of him, Naruto came into focus in one of the tunnels of the sewer-like mindscape. Inoichi walked slowly to Naruto in the mindscape. "Mr. Uzumaki. In the mind, one cannot say anything but the truth. So your interrogation will take place here. Do you have any ill will to Konohagakure no Sato or the Land of Fire?"

The mindscape version of Naruto shook his head resolutely. "No."

"Are you working for any enemy of the Land of Fire and Konoha?" Inoichi continued impassively, still somewhat enchanted by the odd sewer mindscape of the Uzumaki.

"No."

"Do you plan to betray the Land of Fire or the village anytime in the future?"

"No." This time, Naruto's answer came out to be somewhat like a growl. Inoichi noted it with a curious gaze. 'One cannot fake emotions in the mindscape either. The very thought of betraying the village makes him angry. That's a good response. Hmm, no need to go any further. All the basic requirements have been met.'

Inoichi canceled the mind-transfer technique and exited back to his body. Opening his eyes, he bowed to the Third Hokage. "Lord Hokage. I completed the basic interrogation. Naruto Uzumaki does not have any ill intentions towards the village."

Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe and nodded. "Very well. Thank you Inoichi. I will want a report on his psychological state of mind from your mind walk on my table by the end of the day."

"Of course Lord Hokage." Inoichi nodded in assent before leaving with a body-flicker.

Hiruzen turned to Naruto and looked at him meaningfully. "It is good that you passed that interrogation. Even if you do not pass the blood test I can allow you to enter the village based on that alone."

Naruto smiled with a small shrug present on his broad shoulders. "I do not need to worry Lord Hokage. I will pass the blood test as well."

'It's good that blood test machines are still not as developed as they became under Grandma Tsunade. If they're using Mum's blood as a baseline, then my blood will only show a 'very close relation' and not 'son'. It would be awkward trying to explain how a 22-year-old woman had a 20-year-old son.' Naruto thought with relief flooding his head. He did not like the prospect of trying to explain his time-traveling escapade to everyone.

Silence enveloped the office as the Third Hokage and Naruto simply tried to observe each other. Naruto's happy-go-lucky façade was breaking, maybe as a result of the mental interrogation he went through and he was finding it hard to focus on Hiruzen without revealing his inner turmoil. His face was pinched and he took deep breaths. Hiruzen observed Naruto with growing curiosity, wondering about his future course of action with this newcomer to the village.

The silence was broken when the medic from before body flickered into the Hokage's office. He bowed his head deeply and addressed the Hokage. "Lord Hokage. Mr. Uzumaki's blood was tested with the blood of Ms. Uzumaki. It is clear that Mr. Uzumaki is a clan member of Ms. Uzumaki as both of them show a very close relation with the same recessive traits that clan members share. Mr. Uzumaki here is definitely an Uzumaki."

Hiruzen smoothened his robes unconsciously and dismissed the medic. The medic bowed before leaving. Hiruzen turned his attention to the smug Uzumaki who was radiating and humming a happy tune. Hiruzen clasped his hands together and leaned forward. "Very well. Naruto Uzumaki. You are officially granted refuge in Konoha. You can pick up your official papers and cards of identification from the administrative building tomorrow."

Naruto nodded happily. But in his head, his thoughts were churning. 'Now, how to proceed…? Yes! Mum!'

Naruto tried and failed to hide the tremble on his chin. He had met his mother only once. He had received the good fortune of bonding with his father on the battlefield against Madara and later Kaguya. Though Naruto had failed in the end, he still got to spend some good bonding time with his dad. He didn't receive that luxury with his mother. Barring a fifteen-minute conversation in his head with his mother's chakra imprint, Naruto had never known his mother personally. 'I know Dad's favorite color, his favorite dish. His favorite hobbies. His favorite clothes and festivals. It was gloomy and depressing trying to hide from Kaguya, but we managed to pass the time by talking with each other. But Mum? I know nothing about her. I should've asked Dad….'

"Lord Hokage?" Naruto began with an unspoken question and a trembling voice. "What did the medic mean by Ms. Uzumaki?"

Understanding flooded Hiruzen's face. The growing gaunt lines in his old and wizened face wrinkled a bit as he looked at Naruto with a mixture of understanding a pity. "Mr. Uzumaki. You have family here in Konoha. Another Uzumaki, who came to live in Konoha before the Fall of Uzushio survived. Her name is Kushina Uzumaki. As the medic said, you seem to be a very close relation to her."

"Can I meet her?" Came the quiet voice of the redhead in front of the Third Hokage of Konoha. The seemingly irreverent and mischievous Uzumaki had paled and he had closed his eyes. Hiruzen smiled softly.

"Of course." He nodded slowly. "She isn't the only family you have left in Konoha though."

Naruto's eyes snapped towards Hiruzen with a questioning gaze. 'What does he mean by that?!'

"If you are determined as a very close relation by our blood test, then that means that you are either a first cousin or second cousin of Kushina." Hiruzen pointed out taking another drag out of his pipe before setting it down on the table again. "That means you are third or fourth cousin to Tsunade Senju who is the granddaughter of Mito Uzumaki and the remaining members of the Senju Clan are your distant cousins as well. The Uzumaki and Senju are sibling clans after all. Though not many Senju remain I am sure they will be happy to take you in. Young Kushina does live in the Senju clan compound as well."

Naruto inclined his head, trying to disguise the cascade of thoughts in his head. 'Only Grandma Tsunade was the remaining Senju in the future. So the other Senjus all died out or married out of the clan within only a few years from now huh….'

But before Naruto could question Hiruzen further, Hiruzen spoke up first. "But before we get into the details about your family, I will have to ask. Do you wish to be a Shinobi of Konoha?"

"Yes." Came the simple and soft answer from Naruto.

"Then an examination must be held," Hiruzen muttered stroking his beard. "Very well. Until the examination is held, you shall be under probation. After the examination, a suitable rank will be given to you and you shall enter our Shinobi forces. Kami knows that we need all the forces we can muster. During your probation period, you shall be monitored by Naori Uchiha, Kushina Uzumaki, and Tsunade Senju."

Naruto's eyes focused on Hiruzen with a speculative gaze as he heard the names. Hiruzen inclined his head and nodded slightly, confirming the young Uzumaki's unspoken question. 'I can understand the need to find family after so long. Naori is the only one he is properly familiar with in the village. And with Kushina and Tsunade, maybe he can bond over their familial ties. After Nawaki, Tsunade needs this as well.'

Hiruzen turned to the hidden ANBU in the corner of his room and ordered, "Bring Kushina Uzumaki here. Tell her it's my order."

The ANBU disappeared two quiet minutes later, two bodies flickered into the Hokage's office. Naruto's breath hitched. With her hair falling down to her ankles, and her glowing violet eyes, she was as beautiful as he remembered. Her kind aura remained the same and all Naruto wanted to do was curl up in her lap and cry like the neglected son that he was. He turned away, failing to hide the suspicious shine in his eyes from Hiruzen.

His fists clenched under the cuffs. 'I promise. I promise. Mum, Dad, you won't have to die like last time. I promise.'

The redheaded Jinchuriki of Konoha materialized in the middle of the office with a huff as she looked straight at the Third Hokage and pouted. "What's the meaning of summoning me in the middle of my lunch old man?!"

Hiruzen chuckled, well used to Kushina's antics by now. Perhaps that was why he wasn't as bothered by Naruto's own antics, unlike his ANBU. They were eerily similar. "Kushina. You may wish to sit down."

"Why, what's the matter?" Kushina asked curiously as her eyes drifted towards Naruto, who was still looking resolutely at the floor, unwilling to turn back and look at his mother's face. Kushina's eyes narrowed slightly, observing Naruto's hair. 'That hair color….'

Hiruzen pointed at Naruto gently. "Kushina. This man here is Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki."

Kushina stilled. It was like the very atmosphere had stilled around here and was now trying to suffocate her as a hole opened up in the ground trying to swallow her whole at the same time. It had been so long. So long since she had heard the surname attached to anyone's name but her own. Her violet eyes snapped towards the seated redhead who still didn't seem inclined to turn and look over at her. 'After so long! Another Uzumaki?!'

Hiruzen continued on as if he was blind to the turmoil that both the Uzumakis in front of him were facing. "After we conducted a blood test it was determined that Naruto is either a first or second cousin of yours. I know that Kazama had many younger siblings who lived throughout the Land of Whirlpools before the Fall, so it's likely Naruto here is one of your first cousins who managed to survive the Fall."

Kushina flung herself into her memories. Trying to remember her father and everything he had said about his family before Kushina was sent to live in Konoha. It hurt, knowing that her memories of her father were becoming more and more blurrier with each passing day and she shoved down the anger that threatened to bubble in her gut in response to that.

"Dad?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Why can't I meet my uncles and aunties?"

"Ah…sweetie, you will meet them in the future I promise. During your next visit here from Konoha, you will definitely meet them. It's just that to guard our land, we Uzumaki must be vigilant. The land is large compared to our clan population and we must remain scattered throughout the land to protect it. It is, after all, an Uzumaki's duty to protect the swirling whirlpools and everyone who lives in it."

"So I can finally meet my cousins then?"

"You have met them before. But well, you were too young to remember them. But yes, you will."

She never did. Three months after that, one month before her normal visit back to Uzushio to meet her family, Uzushio had been besieged and sacked by Kiri. She moved forward hesitantly, putting a nervous hand on the shoulder of the new Uzumaki, and turned to look at his face properly. Immediately she was struck by the resemblance. 'That face! The curve in his eye, the posture and frame of his body! He looks…. just like Dad. His eyes, look like Minato's, but everything else is like me and Dad.'

She withdrew her hand with a weak gasp as tears threatened to spill. She swallowed deeply and nodded. "He…. He looks just like my dad. My uncles were said to be near copies of my father, so it's very likely…"

"I am your first cousin." The other Uzumaki, Naruto answered softly, his head finally looking up at her, making eye contact.

Unable to control herself, and forgetting every lesson about decorum that needed to be shown in front of the Hokage, she flung herself at Naruto, catching his surprised frame in a tight hug. Naruto was rigid at first, but his rigid frame melted away as he slowly grasped and hugged her back. Burying their heads together in a tight embrace, Kushina murmured, "Welcome home."

Far away, in the destroyed Land of Whirlpools, the torrents that churned deep within the ocean sang in joy. For two children of the land had been reunited at last.

Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the enthusiastic response to the first chapter! I would love for more reviews and the such! Just for clarification's sake, because some beta readers asked this of me, the pairing is Naruto x Naori.