Chapter 2: Setting the Foundations
[Training Ground 43] [One week later]
"87… 88… 89…", Naruto said as he continued his set of one armed push ups. His body struggled to continue as he set the goal of doing a hundred of them. Each fatigued breath was worse by the second as his arms felt like pudding, his legs like jello, and his core felt like hot coals.
'Damnit! How does bushy brows and bushy brow sensei do it?', he thought. He had seen their training regiment as he walked to the training ground one day, and begged Iruka-sensei to create a similar one to theirs… He was starting to regret it.
Iruka stood to the side, with a slight smirk on his face, as he saw his student perform the modified training regiment of Might Guy. It wasn't as… rigorous as his but he seems to be adapting well enough.
'He's improved tremendously over this past week,' he thought. 'Almost on the level of a level genin… At this rate, he'll close the gap with Sasuke in a few months.' While Iruka thought Sasuke had the potential to be a great shinobi, he felt that the boy became a little erratic after his clan died.
'I suppose that's to be expected…', he thought before looking at Naruto. He, on the other hand, was determined and tenacious with his training, often over training to the point of exhaustion.
'If it wasn't for the fox and his Uzumaki genes, he would have ruined his body by now.'
With renewed vigor, Naruto took training katas and bukijutsu very seriously and each took anything he threw at him with stride as he forced the boy into as many scenarios a genin shinobi would find themselves in. He often used scenarios from his own experiences on missions. What surprised him was Naruto's fortitude and creative thinking.
'He even caught a simulated version of Tora in half the time my team would,' he thought. '… God, I hated that cat.' Remembering when his team had to catch the infamous cat of Madame Shijimi.
'How a cat that fat could out run Genin is beyond me…'
Focusing back onto Naruto, he noticed a few things about the boy as he trained him that made him stand out from the rest of his contemporaries. 'For one, he's the opposite of Shikamaru,' he thought.
From the few times he played shogi with young Nara, he figured that he liked to survey the battlefield for all options before acting accordingly. Naruto, on the other hand, reacts to situations kinetically and often comes up with creative and unpredictable ways to adapt.
'If there is a way for Naruto to adopt a loose formal way of planning with his kinetic adaptability, he would be a force feared by most shinobi.'
He wasn't a genius and with the exception his chakra reserves, he didn't have any innate talents or special skills that stood out from the rest… actually it was quite the opposite. But one thing he did have above the rest was hard work.
'Except for that Rock Lee kid that Gai took under his wing,' he shuddered. He could commend them on their exercise routines, but hearing their screams about youth could be grating at times.
Iruka observed Naruto's clones as they worked on their tasks. Whether it was practicing bukijutsu, taijutsu katas, or chakra control, it was outstanding at the pace they were setting as it made shinobi a little older than him seem like they were academy students. The revelation made him extremely disappointed in not only himself but the academy.
'I'll have to ask Lord Hokage to approve an audit,' he thought. 'The academy has grown too lax it seems.'
'If only Naruto-kun was given the proper guidance from the beginning…' he thought. Hearing the boy hit the hundredth one armed push up, he called out to him.
"Ok, You can stop Naruto."
"But I could keep going Iruka-nii, I'm not tired enough," Naruto said. Despite his fatigue, he felt a second… or third wind coming. He at least had three more before he was truly exhausted.
"And that is why you are stopping now," Iruka said. "You may feel good now Naruto but if you keep pushing your body without any rest, it will collapse on you. Although, you would probably feel fine if not a little sore in the morning, it is not a good practice. Consistency is better than short term output in the long haul. Your body can't continue extraneous exercise all the time. It will collapse on itself."
"So you are saying that when training, I should be consistent instead of exerting myself," he said. "But how will I be able to push my self further?"
"I'm not saying that you can't increase output, but sparingly. How do you think the Hokage and S-class shinobi got so powerful? They honed their skill at a consistent pace and increased output once they have mastered their current skill. That's how the Third and Fourth Hokage did it."
Naruto nodded in satisfaction. It would seem he was going about this wrong way for a while now. He was overusing his body in order to keep up with the rest of his classmates without the proper technique and was wasting muscle memory. Taking a kunai, from the ground, he looked at a target nearby.
'Keep the wrist stiff and move with the arm,' he thought as he threw the Kunai at the target. Thud. Naruto saw that he hit the target and nearly hitting the bullseye. Smiling at his progress, he bowed towards his teacher, surprising him.
"What are you doing Naruto?", Iruka asked.
"Just thanking you for helping progress this far sensei," he said. "You and Mikado-sensei have been drilling me on proper etiquette."
Smiling in satisfaction, Iruka bowed slightly to his student, before wrapping one arm around the young man.
"It's good that you are taking our lessons to heart Naruto but you don't have to be formal with me," he said. "I'm your big brother after all."
Nodding and giving one of his megawatt smiles, Naruto returned the hug before departing for his home. Iruka followed his example and left as well, not noticing that they were being watched.
Naruto landed in front of his house. Sweat lightly poured off his skin.
"Momo! I'm home!", he shouted, but got no answer.
'She must be out with Ayame-nee and Hinata-chan…', Naruto thought as he peeled off his clothes for a quick shower.
Turning on the shower, Naruto started to reminense the past week.
'I still can't believe Mikado-nee is an alien… Iruka-nii freaked at that one.'
[Flashback]
Silence filled the bedroom as Momo and Naruto sat seiza style in the middle of it as Mikado paced around the room, with a freshly brewed coffee in hand, as taking in the explanation while inspecting it.
'Hmm… At least she cleaned up for him. That's half of my initial job is done,' She thought as she inspected the bedroom. That was one of her objectives for this evening as she wanted to start instilling the importance of cleanliness and health.
"Naruto-kun… Who else, other than me, know about Momo-hime?", Mikado asked.
"Other than Ayame-nee and Teuchi-oji, no one else should know about her," Naruto said.
"Good," she said. "From the bags in the corner and the lingerie, I guess she took her shopping while you were training?"
"Hai."
Mikado nodded at the information. She then noticed something in the window and decided to walk over.
"That's good. Except for the fact, you seem to have a straggler," she said as she opened the window, surprising both of the teens.
Mikado leans down to see one Hinata Hyuga behind the window, shocking the young woman for being caught.
"Hello Hyuga-sama. How can I help you?", Mikado teasingly asked.
"Ah!", Hinata jumped back a little causing her to fall off the edge of the apartment.
She was going to right her self and land on the ground but was caught off guard when she was suddenly in Naruto's arms in his bedroom.
"Hinata! Are you alright?", he asked, glad that the Replacement Jutsu was one of his strong suits.
"N-Naruto-kun!", she whispered as she was held by her crush.
'So close!'', she thought as she fainted from embarrassment.
"Hinata?!", Naruto said.
'She seemed fine. Why did she just faint?', he thought.
"It's okay Naruto-kun. She'll wake up in a few minutes," Mikado said with amusing smile. She knew this would happen as she knew about her crush on Naruto for some time now.
'Che. Another love rival,' Momo silently seethed. It was bad enough with Ayame-chan but now this girl that seemed to have been following them during their shopping spree was the bigger rival.
'And she knows my 'extra' clothes for Naruto-kun.'
"Lay her on your bed," Mikado said. "We still have much to discuss."
"Hai. Hai," Naruto said as he placed her in his bed.
'This better not become a trend,' he thought.'… She's cute when she's sleeping.' Naruto never paid much attention to the girl as he had his eyes on Sakura-chan for years.
'… Maybe I should reassess my attraction for Sakura.'
He always had an attraction to the girl. Ever since she stood up for him when they were children, he tried to gain her attention.
'But she always had eyes for Sasuke…'
Naruto maybe academically dumb, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that she had feelings for him despite Sasuke's clear rejections. Heck, he watched as Sakura's and Ino's relationship practically be destroyed over the boy.
"…" Naruto caressed Hinata for a moment, before turning to the other two women in the room.
"… Now that I've explained myself, it's your turn Mikado-nee," Naruto said slightly impatiently.
"…." Mikado sighed as she took a sip of the coffee."I was a scientist for one of the more shady organizations in the galaxy… I escaped that life after finding out some of the terrible experiments they performed behind my back using my technology."
It was no use in lying as Naruto would always find out somehow.
'It's like he's a living lie detector test.'
"What type of experiments?", Naruto asked.
"My work mostly revolved around genetic enhancements and medicine to help the galaxy, but they used my findings to create weapons from viruses to biological weapons. One particular experiment I finished was a cure to a powerful neurological virus that could have had devastating effects on the galaxy if it mutated to be airborne."
"… My former… contemporaries created a variant of the virus and was going to release it, starting a pandemic on such a large scale, that would destroy half of the known galaxy. Only then they would sell the cure to the highest bidder as well as become its main and only distributor… Once I heard of this plot, I destroyed my research, leaked the information to the Devilukean Empire, and gave them the cure. I would then escape to this planet to stay hidden."
…
"That was you?!" Momo screamed.
She heard from her mother, that a secret contact leaked information on one of the most dangerous organizations in the galaxy. She became instantly wary of the woman in-front of her.
"…" Mikado stayed silent, showing obvious regret in her part, as Naruto burrowed into her soul.
"… Do you love him?", he asked.
"Huh?"
"Iruka," Naruto said. "I said do you love him? Mikado. Do you love me?"
Mikado felt self conscious at the gaze, but steeled herself.
"I do. I love you. I love Iruka… With all my heart," Said with conviction in her heart.
Iruka was the first man to actually look her without lust and treated her like an equal. She test him multiple times over the years and he delivered… And Naruto. He was the little brother she always wanted. She would do anything for him.
"… I believe you and forgive you," Naruto said.
"What?!", Momo screamed.
"This woman could've killed millions of people from a virus that she help create!", she said.
"And once she learned of their wrongdoings, she warned your family and gave your people the cure," he said.
Momo couldn't believe what she was hearing. This woman almost killed billions of lives and her crush just forgave her like that?! Naruto saw that Momo wasn't budging. He sighed.
"Look Momo. I know her character and I for a fact that she would never willingly harm people. Ever." Naruto said as he glared at Momo with strong conviction.
"Eep!", Momo almost saw a different man for a second.
'Those eyes are like Tou-san when he's in ruler mode.'
"Momo… Do you trust me?" Naruto asked. It was a simple question but held a lot of weight. Momo paused.
'Do I trust him?', she thought. Despite knowing him for a short time, it felt like she got to know his character. He shows his personality front and center and was completely honest… With a stranger.
"… Yes."
"Then trust in the me that trust in her," Naruto said.
Momo timidly nodded.
'If he could trust in her, then I guess I can too,' She convinced herself.
Nodding nodded in satisfaction, Naruto turned back to Mikado. He knew he could trust her, despite her lying to him.
'It was for my and Iruka-nii's safety. Jiji does the same…' , he thought.
Mikado sighed in relief.
"You need tell nii-san and Hokage-sama," Naruto said. "If there are people after you and probably Momo, we need to prepare… Also, tell nii-san your true feelings instead of going on little dates. He's kind of a block head when it come to love…"
'Pot calling the kettle black,' both women thought, deadpanning at the irony.
"… Okay Naruto-kun. We'll do it tomorrow." Mikado said.
Naruto nodded.
"Now… What do we do with her?", Naruto asked as he pointed at the 'sleeping' princess.
"I'll take care of that Naruto-kun. I'll take her back to the Hyuga compound," Mikado said as she picked up the girl and started to leave.
"Oh and Naruto-kun?"
"Yes nee-chan?"
"Your nutrition training starts tomorrow so prepare," She said in a sickeningly sweet tone.
"Y-yes nee-chan!"
Nodding in satisfaction. She left for the night.
[Flashback End]
After explaining the situation to Iruka and Hiruzen, things started to settle down a bit. His training was starting to bear fruit and Momo seemed to gain some friends in Ayame and Hinata as they helped the girl open up in comparison to her older self.
'But why does she still faints when I'm around?', he thought as he finished his shower. Putting on a black tank top and orange shorts. Naruto yawned as he pulled out 1st Hokage's journal.
"Might as well read," Naruto said as he created a clone to make dinner for tonight.
Momo was actually having a good time with her new friends. Despite being love rivals, she liked Hinata and Ayame. Ayame was like an older version of her that wasn't afraid to tease back and Hinata was fun to tease, almost on the same level as Naruto. Especially, since they didn't treat her like royalty like her "friends" back home. She was currently walking with the pale-eyed girl as Ayame had a shift with her father today.
'Home…', Momo thought. Everything happened so quickly, she completely forgot her family for a while.
They were probably freaked out about to her absence. There was no way to communicate with them. 'Lala will probably find a way to locate me by now. And then… suitors,' Momo shuddered.
"What's wrong Momo-san?", Hinata asked quietly. Despite Momo's relationship with her crush, she understood what it meant to be royalty and could empathize with the girl.
"Oh just my family. They will probably find me soon."
"Oh? What are they like?"
"I have my parents and two sisters, one older and the other my twin," she said. "My older sister is smart as hell and a great inventor but she is bit of a airhead about almost everything but inventing." She loved her but sometimes she wondered for her mental state.
"My twin however is a straight up tsundere," she said. "If she ends up liking Naruto-kun, she would probably pout and fuss before relenting to his advances." She was just a kid sometimes.
Hinata nodded. Her younger sister was a bit of a tsundere as well.
"… My father can be overbearing at times, always trying to get me a suitor for the sake of the clan, but we know he sabotages them half the time. He doesn't want daddy's little girls growing up too fast.", she chuckled.
Hinata stared at her for a minute as she could empathize with her about overbearing fathers.
"And your mother?"
"Mother… Is always busy. Father, praise his soul, is not a good ruler despite his power. Mom is better at ruling which givers her many responsibilities, but also leaves little time for us…", she said.
Her mother frustrated her sometimes. She knew about her responsibilities but would it kill her to visit her daughters.
"…" Hinata silently took in the information, She was comparing her family to hers.
"Thank you for sharing," Hinata said as she smiled at her.
"Your welcome!", Momo said. "Now tell me about your family. It's only fair."
She wanted to know about her friend's family. Naruto's was shrouded in mystery except for his last name and his mother's name. Kushina was it. Why was that name familiar?
"U-um I have my father, little sister, and cousin that are in my immediate family… My family is unfortunately split between the branch and main families. I am part of the main while my cousin is a part of the branch despite his talent," Hinata explained. She didn't want to explain the cruel practices of her family to her new friend.
"Mhm… What's your father like?", Momo asked mulling over the information.
"My father is similar to yours but can be… crueler," Hinata said.
She loved her father but his traditional methods of training were terrible for her. It worked for her sister and cousin, but she was not compatible with the traditional methods of the Hyuga.
"My sister is similar to your twin. She is a bit spoiled and can be a tsundere especially with her classmate, Konohamaru Sarutobi," She giggled.
She would often talk about the boy in her class.
"But she has become arrogant because of the elders in my clan. They want her to be the clan head over me due to my lacking in skill…"
"Sounds like brownnoses in the high council in the government. They keep pushing for my sisters and I to get married, mostly with their progeny to gain political power," Momo said in understanding.
She had grown tired of the old cronies in her father's empire. They always making everything worse whenever they get involved.
Nodding along with Momo.
"My cousin is… Complicated," Hinata said. "He hates me because of an incident when I was younger that resulted in death of his father. He hates all main family members, but me and the elders the most… But I can't bring myself to hate him at all. I love him like an older brother even if he hates me."
She couldn't hate her cousin despite his actions.
Momo was silent. Hinata's words felt similar to Naruto's sometimes when he was talking about some of the villagers.
Momo decided to confront Naruto on why the villagers seemed to hate him so much.
"Why do you allow them to treat you like that?! Why don't you hate them?"
"I can't bring myself to hate all the villagers for their ignorance towards me. Maybe certain individuals but not all of them…"
"Hate will only breed more hate. You must kill it with love. - Mito Uzumaki", Naruto said. Recalling a passage from Hashirama's journal as there were several chapters where he would mention something his wife would say or do.
'I guess Naruto influenced her more than I thought,' Momo thought.
"Well what do you want to do now?", She asked. She was feeling a bit hungry at the moment.
"There's a bakery around the corner that has some of the best sticky buns. You want some?", Hinata asked excitedly.
"What's a sticky bun?"
"Hah? You need to try one right away!", Hinata said, dragging the girl to the bakery.
…
"… You heard that Neji-kun?", a bun wearing girl landed on the street behind the two girls.
"…"
"… Fool," He whispered before he walked away to mull over his cousins words.
"Hey! Wait up!", Tenten said, following her crush.
Xxxxx
As they girls continue their outing, Naruto finished another chapter in Hashirama's journal.
"A shinobi is not bred but trained into being. Even one without the resources of a clan, can destroy those that cultivated by such means if given enough time and preparation. A true shinobi is tested by one's own conviction to protect, either their teammates, their loved ones, or the village itself. One such shinobi was my best friend and rival Madara Uchiha."
"Madara?", Naruto said. He thought he was a traitor to the village.
"Madara Uchiha, despite his betrayal, above all else loved his people, his clan. He thought by creating this village that it will give his people rest from the conflicts between us. But that changed when the people started to favor the Senju over the Uchiha… He saw the coming prejudice towards his people despite my urges for peace and became desperate in his attempt save them. Betraying and attacking the village was his misguided attempt to severe that tie between the Uchiha and Konoha. It failed, but he died a splendid shinobi."
"…" Naruto mulled over this revelation.
'Sasuke. Mikoto. Itachi… Is there more to this story than previously thought,' he thought. He would have to investigate later. Naruto closes the book as he notices the door open to reveal Momo.
"Welcome back Momo," he greeted.
"I'm back!"
"Dinner is almost ready, so if you want to take a bath first. Go ahead," He said as he took over the clones position. He was learning to cook from Mikado-nee and was actually pretty good at it.
"Hai!", Momo said as she started to strip.
"Hey! Do that in the bathroom you perv!"
"Muu! I thought you liked my body Naruto-kun!", Momo flirted as she hugged him.
"Y-yes I mean N-no. Shut up! And take a bath!", he shouted.
"Hai!", She laughed as she skipped into the bathroom.
"Tsk! That woman will be the death of me," He muttered.
"Ah!~," Momo sighed as she entered the bath.
"This was a good week," Momo said heartily.
She made new friends, actually had a man that didn't care about her status, and she wasn't hounded by suitors left and right. She relaxed in the tub as she saw a shooting star.
'Huh that looks familiar,' She thought. It was kind of similar to…
"Ah!", Momo was hit by another girl.
She had similar features to her, fair skin, pink hair, and a hear shaped tail. The only difference was the length of her hair and she was taller than her. And she was naked.
"Ugh! Get off me Lala!", Momo growled. Her sister's weight crushing her in the small bathtub.
"Owie!", the older girl cried. "Tele-tele-warp-kun malfunctioned again."
"Oh! Hey Momo! We've been looking all over for you!", Lala said joyously. She was happy that she was able to find her sister or father would have punished her.
"Yeah I thought so…," Momo muttered.
"Momo are you alright?! I heard noises!", Naruto said as he ran into the room.
"Ah-."
"Hello! My name is Lala Deviluke! What's your name?"
"… Again? Really? Why do girls keep landing in my house?!", Naruto yelled out.
"Oh? You don't like cute women in your house. Do you possibly swing the other way?"
"Zip it you! You and me both know that isn't true!", He growled before sighing.
"Get out. I'll have some clothes prepared for her outside the door," He said rubbing his temples.
'The women in my life are going to be the death of me. Shikamaru was right.'
A few minutes later, Momo and Lala walked into the dining room with meals at the ready. Naruto waited for them at the table.
"Come and eat. Then we'll talk," He said pointing at the plates in front of him.
Both girls nodded and sit down to eat.
"This is first time making a curry. I would love some feedback," Naruto smiled. He thought it was alright but he need some outside criticism in order to make it better.
"Okay!", Lala exclaimed as she took a bite. Her eyes widen before eating through her plate at an alarming rate.
"It's so good! Is this supposed to be sweet and spicy?"
Naruto chuckled at her antics and nodded.
Seeing her sister's reaction and despite her dislike for spicy food, Momo took a bite. Surprised at the taste, she started to eat at the same pace as her sister.
"So good!"
"Good thing I made extra or we may not have enough," Naruto chuckled as he got them more plates.
A few minutes later, a content silence took over the room as the residence had their fill.
"Ah. That was good," Naruto exclaimed.
"Now Lala, you're the sister of Momo?"
"Correct!"
"How did you get into my bathroom?"
"Oh! From my Tele-tele-warp-kun! It's one of my inventions that I make on my spare time!", She explained.
"It's a teleportation device that can teleport organic matter, but doesn't like inorganic matter so clothes tend to be left behind!"
Nodding at the explanation.
'So that's why Momo was naked when we first met,' He thought.
"Why did you use the device anyways?", He asked.
"Oh. It was to find Momo-chan! She has been gone for a week and people are worried, especially father!", She said, hiding the fact that it was to run from suitors as well.
"Well tell him. I'm not coming back until me and Naruto-kun are married!", Momo said.
"Wait. What?!", Naruto yelled. Surprised by her sudden outburst.
"I choose you Naruto Uzumaki to be my fiancé!", Momo declared. She had to stake her claim before her love rivals and sister tried to. She saw how Lala was looking at him. Unlike her, she wasn't an airhead.
"Do I get a say in this?!", Naruto asked.
"No!"
"Uzumaki? Where have I heard of that name before?", Lala asked herself. She vaguely remembered her mother telling her about someone with that name.
As they were arguing, Lala looked around the small apartment.
'It's cozy in here,' She thought. She continued to scan the rooms till she saw a woman with red hair on the dresser.
'She looks familiar…' Then she remembered a similar photo with her mother and father.
[Flashback]
"Kaa-san! Who is this?", Lala asked as she held up a picture of a younger Sephie and Gid with two others.
Spheie smiled at the picture sadly.
"This was kaa-san's best friends growing up. They were from a planet that your father and I were on when we were teenagers," She explained.
"Oh! Who are they?"
"The woman is Kushina Uzumaki. She was best friend before she died years prior. Before Momo and Nana were born. I heard her family perished in an incident. Her son would have been y'alls fiancé if they didn't die that day," She said as a tear shed from her eye at the memory of her lost friend.
"He would married all of us?!", She yelled, shocked by this revelation.
"Well he would be the last male heir of his clan as it was destroyed long ago. It was your father's idea, only trusting his daughters to his best friend's child," Sephie said, laughing at her husbands antics that day.
'Although, I do agree with him,' she thought. 'He maybe an idiot, but he has smart ideas sometimes.'
"Muh! I would have loved to meet him…" Lala said sadly.
"I wish you would have to sweetie."
"Oh yeah. What's the guys name? Oh his name was Mi-," Sephie was going to say but her memory was interrupted.
[Flashback End]
"Lala! LALA!", Naruto said. She was staring at his mother's photo for a few minutes and he started to get worried. He touched the young woman on her hand to see if it would shake it out of her stupor, only for her to jolt in surprise.
"Kyah!", she moaned, feeling a wave of pleasure emit from her hand.
"Lala! Are you alright?", he asked in concern.
'Momo did the same thing when I touched her for the first time,' he thought. It maybe something that he had to look into later on.
"I'm… fine," she panted.
'What was that?!', she thought. '… Mama said something like this would happen with someone of compatibility, especially with someone who had chakra… who was it that Mama bonded with?'
She looked back at the picture one more.
"Aha! Now I remember!", Lala said. She pounced and hugged Naruto, surprising the young man.
"Whoa! What do you remember?", Naruto asked, not expecting the sudden contact.
"Are you Kushina Uzumaki's son?!"
"Uh. Yes! But how do you know my mom?", Naruto asked. From what Momo and Mikado told him, this was a S Class Danger level planet due to the power and nature of his people. It was off limits for most of the galaxy.
"My mom was best friends with yours. She told me that you and us we're supposed to get married!", She said.
She then grabbed Momo, who was just as astonished as him and bowed.
"Thank you for having us in your home Fiancé-kun! Take care of us for now on!", She said.
…
…
Naruto, words silenced by the bizarre situation. Faints.
"Naruto/Fiancé-kun?"
[Three Weeks Later]
"Again," Iruka commanded.
He watched from the side of the field as his student fell on his back again.
"Hai," Naruto complied.
Pulling himself up, Naruto walked towards the middle off the field. Realigning himself to the many targets that surround him. Closing his eyes, Naruto attempted to expand his surroundings once again. Bracing himself and letting his chakra fill his senses and body.
A brief, tense pause filled the air. Neither student or sensei relenting to the tension. The wind blew as several leaves blew from the trees. One leaf in particular perched itself in front of Naruto's still form. Gracefully flowing through the wind, the leaf swayed in front of the boy as he tensed his muscles.
One. Two. One. Two. The leaf swayed back and forth until landing softly on the ground. That's when hell broke loose. Opening his eyes, Naruto threw multiple kunai at the targets, hitting the multiple of them with near precision, with only a few being off the mark.
Iruka then threw multiple shuriken at his student, making sure to stagger the timing so Naruto will be hard pressed to find a rhythm. Using his senses, Naruto intercepted three shuriken before ducking under a few more. He continued to do this as he became too focussed on dodging than doing the objective.
'Got to finish the objective,' he thought.
After a few more seconds of dodging the barrage, he noticed the window for escape tightening around him. Thinking quickly, Naruto jumped into the air as he threw 4 kunai at the rest of targets as he barely thread through the barrage, causing his clothes to be cut in multiple places. Just as he was about to land, he felt a kunai pierce him directly, causing him to fall.
"Naruto! Are you ok?!", Iruka said. Worried for his student. He then felt a presence land behind him and turns to see Naruto land behind him. He then hears the distinct poof of a shadow clone and the clang of the kunai hitting the ground. Realizing what he did, Iruka could only smirk.
'He made a quick clone to replace himself with to trick his opponents,' he thought.
"How was that Iruka-sensei?", Naruto asked.
"… You did great Naruto."
A proud smile marred Iruka's face at his student's performance and ruffles his hair.
"Hehe!", Naruto smiled.
"It's getting late. Don't you have some girlfriends to see?", Iruka teased.
"Oh! It is that time. Thanks Iruka-nii! And they are not my girlfriends!"
"Do you prefer fiancés then?"
"Gah!"
Chuckling at his expense as he left, Iruka felt a presence land behind. He turned to see a tall man with spiky silver hair that seemed to gravitate to left. He wore the standard jounin attire of a flak jacket, a blue pants and long sleeve shirt, fingerless gloves, and a combat sandals. He has a blue mask that covers the lower half of his face, and his right eye was a distinct dark grey as his headband rested lazily of his left eye.
"Hello Jonin Kakashi," Iruka said.
"Yo!", he said lazily.
Naruto landed in front of his apartment. He was going to open the door but a thought enter his mind.
"… I wonder," he thought
Curiosity taking over, Naruto expanded his chakra once more, but instead of enhancing his physical senses, he expanded sensitivity to chakra.
"Whoa," he said.
He felt many signatures around him, from faint to large energy signatures.
"Just like in Tobimara's journal…"
Naruto started to wonder if jiji had given him the wrong version of Tobirama's Journal as there was too much information about jutsu, chakra theory, and jutsu creation.
'It was the same for Lord Hashirama…' he thought, as he felt that the journal was filled with a lot of personal recollections.
Naruto felt two large presences in his apartment that out weighed most other signatures.
"It almost feels like chakra but it's different," he muttered. "One feels more like yin energy and the other more like yang."
Opening the door, Naruto sees both Momo and Lala lazing around the apartment. Momo was on the couch, reading a magazine. While Lala was at the table, tinkering with one of her inventions.
"Welcome back Naruto-kun!" Lala greeted.
She wore a low skirt pink kimono with a light yellow floral pattern and matching pants. However, it was a little snug in certain places as she hadn't gotten the custom fit clothes that was order for her tail. Her heart shaped tail swayed lightly behind as it was hindered by the fit.
"Hey~," Momo said risqué but lazy tone.
Naruto hummed as he stares at Momo and Lala. Feeling the energies within them intensely.
"Um… Naruto-kun?", Lala asked. Unsure how to react to his intense gaze.
"Yes Lala?"
"Why are you staring at us like that?"
"Yeah! It's pretty creepy!", Momo said.
"Oh. Sorry! I was testing out chakra sensing and noticed your energy signatures. It's like chakra but not and it's almost as large as mine," he explained.
"Oh! That's because of our Devilukean and Charmian physiology! The union of our parents gave my sisters and I powerful bodies and powers!", Lala explained. Her tail swaying joyously as the tip glowed faintly.
Nodding in satisfaction at the explanation, Naruto walked to the bathroom.
"Well I'm going to take a shower," he said.
"Of course Naruto-kun! Just so you know, I did run a bath in anticipation for your return!", Lala said happily.
"Thanks Lala, but you didn't have to do that," he said shyly, not expecting that type of affection.
"Of course I do! It's customary for wives to do this for their husbands is it not?"
"One. We aren't married. Two. Where did you get that idea? And Three. Can you make sure Momo doesn't peep on me?" he asked.
"We will be soon fiancé-kun! And I learned it from this magazine that Mikado-chan gave me!", Lala exclaimed. She was getting pointers from Mikado of how to be a good housewife.
"I don't think nee-chan is the best person to get that kind of advice," he muttered since she wasn't one herself.
… Yet.
"Aww. You don't like me anymore Naruto-kun?", Momo asked salaciously, taking slight offense to that last question.
"Don't give me that crap you damn Succubus! You're worst than that old perv that I met when I was younger!", Naruto said.
He met that perv of an old man that was peeking at the hot springs when he was a child. Before he was beat up for being caught.
'Although he did introduce me to the nee-chans at the red light district and gave me Gama-chan,' he thought. Naruto hadn't seen him since that introduction. The only reason he thought of him was because of Momo.
"Wonder what he's up too," he whispered. "… Probably spying on girls again and being a pervert."
Somewhere in the Land of Hot Water. A tall and well built, for his age, man crouched in a tree outside the hot springs of the town. He had fair skin and long, spiky white hair that was pulled into a ponytail that fell down his back. Two short white bangs framed his face which had two red lines under his eyes and went down across his cheeks.
He wore a green short skirt kimono with matching pants, under which was mesh armor suit that was only visible around his ankles and wrists. He also wore gray hand guards, a black belt, wooden sandals, and red haori with two yellow circles. He lastly had a giant scroll that lobbed over his back and was holding a black telescope.
"Hehe. This is great for my research," he giggled as he stared, in excitement, at the multitude of nude women.
"Huh? Achoo!", the old man sneezed with an enough force to fall from his perch and land on his head.
"Ouch! Where did that come from?"
He rubbed his head as he sat up.
"Someone must be talking about me… Hope it's a hot babe," he thought.
"Ahem!", a feminine voice called from behind him.
"Huh?"
He looked to see he was surrounded by dozens of women. Fury clearly in their eyes.
"Umm. Can we talk about this?"
"… No."
Screams of pain could be heard from all over the town that night. Several men prayed for their fallen brethren.
Naruto walked into the bathroom for a nice shower despite the cries of Momo as she was stopped by her older sister.
"Finally! Some peace and quiet," he sighed in relief as he stepped into the bath.
Relaxing in a sigh. Naruto thought back to the events of the past few weeks. Him learning of his mother, her clan, and their legacy. His new dream, his training, and his new mindset.
"And then there is Momo and Lala," he whispered.
He didn't know what to think of them. Their meeting was interesting to say the least. The first encounter and subsequent living with Momo was bearable despite her constant sexual advances. But the first encounter with Lala nearly gave him a heart attack.
'Especially when she claimed out of the blue that her and Momo were his fiancés in an arranged marriage,' he thought.
"That's all I remembered before I fainted," he murmured. A little embarrassed by his actions. Lala had explained to him after his spell that their mother's were childhood friends and they set up an arrange marriage if he was born.
"The old man must have nearly got heart attack when I busted in with Lala and Momo," he chuckled at the memory.
[Flashback]
"Old man! We've got to talk!", Naruto said, barging into the room with Lala and Momo.
Hiruzen froze at the sudden disturbance as he was clutching a familiar orange book."W-what is it my boy?", he stuttered, hiding the book and gave him his full attention.
'This is the first time in a while that I've seen Naruto-kun this anxious,' he thought.
He noticed the other two people in the room.
'They look familiar,' he thought but his memory was waning.
"First. Privacy seals please."
Nodding at the boy's request, he ushered the Anbu out as he snapped his fingers. The familiar glow of shined bright for a second before vanishing.
"So what is the problem my boy? And who are these two lovely ladies?"
It's the first time he saw the boy with anyone around his age in a long time. Naruto explained Momo's and Lala's origins to the old man from the beginning. After a few moments of shock before understanding. Hiruzen followed the boy's story intently.
"-And now Lala says that she and her sisters are my fiancés!", Naruto finished.
After a few moments to assess the situation. Hiruzen nodded to the boys tale.
"I understand your frustration Naruto-kun," Hiruzen said. "I was the same when I first heard of aliens back in the day."
"… What?"
"Of course! You think you're the only person to meet someone from the stars? I've met several through out my many years."
Naruto paused.
"Then do you know about Mikado?", he said.
"Yes. She explained her situation when she arrived on the came to an agreement for her safe harbor in exchange for her services."
"So you are extracting her knowledge of medical technology for safe harbor?", Momo asked.
"Partially. When she first came to Konoha, her first contact was with Naruto-kun. The agreement was to have an unbiased physician for him. The technology was a bonus." He explained.
'That's not surprising. Naruto-kun has a certain charisma that draws people to him,' Momo thought, nodding at the explanation. The same happened to her and her sister.
"Now. About this marriage contract," Hiruzen hummed.
"Ah. I remember Kushina gave me few documents before your birth to verify," he said as he opened a secret compartment within the desk.
"I've been looking through them again but haven't finished yet."
Hiruzen combed through the documents before he stopped on a certain large folder.
"Here we are…" Hiruzen said as he stared at the folder's title.
"What is it old man?" Naruto asked.
Hiruzen paused.
"Good luck my boy."
He tossed the folder at the boy. Naruto caught the folder and flipped it over to see the title. "Kushina's Harem Plan! a.k.a Give Me Lots of Grand babies Plan!" Naruto paused at the title.
"Jiji… What is this?"
"It seems that your mother had a plan for the Uzumaki's revival with you at the forefront."
"At least I now know where I get my sense flair from…"
Naruto opened the folder. He quickly flipped through the pages until he got to a section named Deviluke.
"Deviluke…" he said.
He took out the section and gave the rest to who he thought was Lala, not realizing his mistake. He read what seemed to be a contract carefully.
"Is that what you are looking for Naruto-kun?", Lala asked.
"Yes. It seems that our parents knew each other and this is a contract for our marriages," he said.
"That's great! That means we can be together!"
"But."
"But?"
"If I lose before our marriages to a suitor, I could lose the right to marry you."
"What?!", Both women said.
"And the marriage could be annulled if a party wishes."
"Well that's not going to happen! I'm not leaving your side!", Momo said, latching onto his arm.
"Neither am I!", Lala said, latching onto his other arm.
"Well I'm thinking about it."
"Huh?", they said.
"Momo. Lala… We've just met. Momo a few weeks ago and Lala just today. I want to at least get to know the people I marry before this type of arrangement," he explained.
"Muh! But I really like you Naruto-kun! And didn't our parents want us to get married?", Lala asked.
"You're the best person I've met outside my family! You can't just cancel it like that!", Momo said.
",,, How about this. I won't break the contract yet. But I want to take this relationship slow. Everything has been going so fast and I don't want any of us to regret future decisions. Is that fine?"
The girls mulled over the reasoning before nodding.
"Fine we'll take it slow Naruto-kun," Momo relented.
"But I don't think I'll regret being with you," she thought.
"Muh! Fine, but I won't like it!", Lala said.
"Cool. Thanks old man," Naruto said.
"Anytime Naruto-kun," He said.
'He handled it better than I thought,' he thought.
Hiruzen smiled as he watched them leave, but that soon changed as he pushed a button under the desk. A small compartment opens from the middle of the desk and a small metal cylinder reveals itself. A small, square hologram appears.
"It's been a while since I've been used," A robotic but feminine voice said. "What can I do for you Old Monkey?"
"Hello Eve… Would you please call Sephie-sama?"
"Ah. Why would I call that pink haired bitch?"
"Are you still mad at that time she tried to mess with your programming?"
"…Maybe."
"Well this is about your creator's son. Sephie needs to know."
"Fine… Calling Pink Haired Bitch."
"Thank you. Wait. What?"
In the vastness of Devilukean space, a fleet surrounds a large, elegant capital ship of the Empire. It was laced with systems and weapons that could support entire planets or destroy armies with its power alone. The bridge of the ship was large and held the Empire's greatest asset, Sephie Michaela Deviluke.
She was a woman of elegant and heavenly beauty. She had curly pink hair like her daughters that fell past her back and fair skin. She was a slim but voluptuous like all women of the Charmian race and had pinkish red eyes. She wore an off-shoulder dress that accented her assets, a golden tiara, and a pink veil that covered her face. And she was… bored.
'I've ruled the galaxy for years now,' she thought. 'Helping planet's, ruling my people, and spreading the religion. I haven't seen my daughters for a while and my husband has become a man whore… Probably because of the lost of Minato.'
'I miss my best friend too but I remembered my responsibilities to the people,' staring at the photo next to her throne.
A photo of Minato, Kushina, Gid, and herself in Konoha. Both the women have baby bumps and joyous smiles.
"How I miss you sis," she muttered.
She was pulled out of her reminiscing by a sudden call from her private line.
"Huh?"
It was a call from Konoha? Hiruzen hasn't called her since he gave her the bad news of their best friends deaths.
'Why have you called Hiruzen?', she thought.
"Answer."
"Hello Sephie-sama," the old monkey greeted.
"Hello Hiruzen-dono. What a surprise. Why have you've called this old woman?"
"Surely you jest. You haven't changed at all in looks or personality Sephie-sama. Your beauty truly knows no bounds."
"You sure know how to complement a woman."
"Years of experience with my own wife."
"If only Gid was half as courteous," she sighed.
There was a soft pause between them.
"… I've found your missing daughters Sephie-sama."
"Oh?"
"They're in Konoha. They seem to be enjoying the civilian life," he said lightheartedly.
" And why haven't you've called me before hand? They've been missing for weeks?"
"I just recognized them a few minutes ago. They seem to have become attached to one of my genin prospects… They seem to enamored with him to the point that they want to marry the poor boy."
"That's an unexpected but not unwelcome surprise. Who is the lucky or unlucky boy that caught my daughters' eyes?"
"His name is Naruto Uzumaki…"
"U-Uzumaki?!"
"Yes. He is Kushina's and Minato's son."
"… We have much to discuss Hiruzen."
"And I have an explanation to do."
"Yes you do Hiruzen. Yes you do."
Naruto started to relax in the bath as soothed his sore muscles and mind from training.
"Remember to enjoy the little things," he said, remembering a passage from Hashirama's book.
Naruto looked out the window once again only to see a familiar light, he saw a few weeks ago.
"Not again," he said as he sees it land near one of the training grounds.
Naruto quickly got out of the tub, dried himself, and changed clothes.
"Lala, Momo. We are about to go."
"Where are we going?", Momo asked.
"It seems like someone used Lala's teleportation device and landed near a training ground. I need to go get them before someone spots them," he explained.
"Oh…"
"I'll get some clothes for her!" Lala said.
Nodding. Naruto made two clones to wait for them.
"I'm going ahead. They will take you to my location," he said as he disappeared in a burst of speed.
"Owie," a teenage girl said.
She was fair skinned girl with long pink hair and purple eyes. She was a rather petite girl with a long black tail with a heart shaped tip. This is Nana Astar Deviluke… and she was naked.
"What hit me?" She asked herself.
"What hit me? More like what you hit," a male voice growled from under her.
She looks to see a raven head boy. He had fair skin and dark eyes. He wore a navy blue, short-sleeved shirt with a high collar, white shorts, and white arm warmers. He had navy blue kunai holster on right leg and navy blue sandals. His dark eyes glared at the girl her interrupted his training.
"Oh! Sorry!"
Quickly getting off the boy, she didn't notice her hand brushing agains't him, causing a jolt of electricity to flow through her hand and body.
"Mmmhhmm!", Nana suppressed a moan. She jumped back and landed on her butt.
'What was that?!', she thought before looking at the boy in front of her. She stared at him as he got up and dusted off his clothes.
…
"Who are you?", Nana asked. Not sure how to feel about him.
"That's the question I should be asking. Who are you? How did you get in the village? And why are you naked?" Sasuke asked with a slight blush.
'She's pretty cute,' he thought. 'Could do without the pink hair though.'
It reminded him too much of Sakura Haruno. Despite her competence, she was one of his more… outlandish fangirls that annoyed him greatly.
"Hmph! Rude! If you insist my name is Nana Astar Deviluke, one of the princesses of the Devilukean Empire," she gloated.
"Never heard of it."
"What?!"
"Never heard of it. Now how did you get in the village?" he asked, wondering how she hasn't noticed her nude form.
"I used my sister's technology which allows me to teleport. Must have malfunctioned," she explained.
"So does that malfunction involve clothes too?"
"No, Why?"
"You're naked," he deadpanned.
"Huh?"
Nana felt a slight shiver from the wind as she finally noticed that she was indeed naked.
"Kyaa! Don't look," she panicked as she rushed to cover her privates with her hands.
"Why didn't you tell me!?"
"I did… Twice."
"Well do you have any clothes?!"
"Only the clothes on my back. And no you can't wear my shirt."
"Please!"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"… No."
"Why not?!"
"I don't think you'll like my sweat all over your body considering I just finished training before you landed on me. Which hurt by the way."
"Sorry…"
"… Fine."
"Huh?"
Sasuke took off his shirt, revealing a short-sleeved metal mesh undershirt. Nana blushed at the boy's muscles.
'He definitely works hard,' she thought.
Sasuke blushed slightly at her staring at her body.
"Here before I take it back."
"Oh. Thank you," she said.
Nana put on the shirt quickly. 'Warm,' she thought.
"Now what to do with you."
"What do you mean?"
"Well you did enter the village illegally. It would probably be for the best to report you to the Hokage."
"Do you have to?"
"It's probably be for the best."
Nana didn't like that one bit.
"I left to get away from my father," she thought. "Now I'm going straight back to another authority figure."
"That won't be necessary," an unknown voice called behind them.
They turned to see to tall broad shouldered men with fair skin. One of the men had dark hair while the other had blonde hair. They both wore black suits and black sunglasses. The two men were bored into the two teenagers.
"Who are you?", Sasuke asked.
"Doesn't matter. She is coming with us," one of the men said.
Sasuke stared at the two men and then at Nana. She looked worried at the interaction. She obviously new the two men but he didn't know the relation.
'I just met this girl and have no affiliation with her,' he thought. 'However, that dope would never let it down if he found out that I just let a defenseless girl go.'
"…No."
"What?", One of the men said.
"I said no," Sasuke said as he put himself between the two parties.
Entering the standard interceptor stance, Sasuke glared at the two bodyguards.
"I don't know the relation between you and Nana, but I won't let you pass."
"Hmph. Don't say we didn't warn you kid."
Both men charged the boy with the intent of incapacitating him. Smirking at the two, Sasuke sprints at them, ducking under one punch and slides between the two men, ending up behind the two. Before they could react, Sasuke kicks one in the head, bringing him down to the ground.
"Che. More durable than he looks," he thought.
Noticing his teammate's situation, the other attempts to grab the boy, but Sasuke ducks under him. Sasuke torques his body in front of the man before delivering a powerful high kick to the man's chin, knocking him out instantly. Sasuke unseals some ninja wire and ties the two.
Nana was stunned at events that unfold in front of her.
'He took down two of the best bodyguards in the Empire!', she thought.
After finishing tying up the two men, they heard a slow clap behind him.
"Impressive. You took down two of my subordinates in an instant," the newcomer said.
He was a tall man with broad shoulders and had grayish hair and blue eyes. He wore demonic-like metallic armor with a long purple cape. He seemed to have a large sword holstered at his side.
"Who are you?", Sasuke asked.
'This man is different,' he thought, clearly seeing the difference in strength and demeanor.
"My name is Zastin," he said. "What is your name my young warrior friend?"
"… Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke and we are not friends."
"Sasuke. Well would you please allow me to escort the princess out of your custody?"
'Hm… Uchiha?' Zastin thought. 'That's a name I haven't heard in a long time. Not since my short time student Itachi.'
"… No," Sasuke said.
"Oh… That's too bad. I guess we will have to duel for her," Zastin said. He wanted to test the boy's strength.
"It seems so."
"Sasuke," Nana whispered, but he either didn't hear her or ignored her.
There was a brief silence between before Sasuke charged at Zastin. Sasuke attempted multiple strikes on the man, but none of them landed, either being dodged or parried. Growing frustrated, Sasuke jumps back from the man, pulling out multiple kunai. Throwing them at the man at high speeds, Sasuke was surprised when Zastin caught the kunai out of the air.
"Hmph. You'll have to try harder than that."
Sasuke growled. He sped at the man, but wasn't expecting his kunai to be used against him. Zastin threw the kunai at the boy, causing him to duck and lose balance. Using the temporary distraction in his favor, Zastin performed multiple strikes on the boy, slipping through his guard. Earning Sasuke a few light cuts.
Sasuke was surprised. It was the first time someone slip through his guard since Itachi.
'Who is this man?', he thought. 'He doesn't seem to have chakra but he's beating me easily.'
Zastin finished his combo, causing Sasuke to flail into a tree.
"Down and out already?", Zastin asked. "Disappointing. I would have thought the famed Uchiha clan would have produced better shinobi than this?"
Sasuke growled at the comment.
"How dare-."
"Stop it Sasuke. He's goading you," a voice above him interrupted.
Sasuke looked up to see Naruto leaning on the tree above him.
"Naruto?"
"Hey… Teme."
Naruto jumped and landed next to the boy.
"He seems different," Sasuke thought.
"… You alright?"
"… Yeah."
"Good. Because if you can't beat this guy, then I surely can't."
"… Are you truly Naruto?"
Naruto deadpanned at the comment.
"Of course it's me teme. Do I have to remind you of the c-."
"You're Naruto."
"Good."
Naruto turned to see the pink haired girl wearing Sasuke's shirt. He smiled.
"You must be Nana."
"Huh?"
"Your sisters talk a lot about you. Especially Momo. I think she called you a Tsun-."
"Shut up!"
She attempts to punch the boy. Catching the fist with ease, surprising her.
"He caught my punch?!"
"… Dere."
"Gah!"
Laughing at her despair., Naruto turned to meet their opponent.
"Hey."
"Hello. Who are you?" Zastin asked.
"Uzumaki Naruto! Dattebayo!"
Zastin froze at the name.
That name,' he thought. 'That demeanor. That verbal tick!'
"It can't be. Are you related to a Kushina Uzumaki?"
"Yes. How do you know my mother?"
Sasuke spun his head toward Naruto, surprised at the revelation.
'Since when did the dope learn know his parents?', He thought. 'And why does the name sound familiar?'
"She was-."
"Naruto-kun!", two voices called out to him.
Two Naruto's land next to Nana with both Momo and Nana on their backs. Momo hands her sister some clothes for her to wear.
"Here. Or do you want to keep on brooding boy's shirt?", Momo flirtatiously asked.
Nana blushed. "S-shut up!"
Momo laughed at her sister's expense.
"Zastin! You leave Naruto-kun alone!", Lala said to the bodyguard.
"But Lala-sama."
"No buts. I don't want you hurting our fiancé."
"Fiancé?!", Zastin, Nana, and Sasuke said in unison.
"That hasn't been decided yet Lala," Naruto sighed.
"The only one that's indecisive is you Naruto-kun. Both Lala and I agree," Momo said.
"I know," Naruto admitted.
"It's been 3 weeks?!," Sasuke thought. "What happened in that time?!"
"It's a long story teme. Don't look at me like that," Naruto said, reading his thoughts.
"I'm going to have to report to Gid-sama," Zastin muttered.
He found the princesses but that seem to have come with a whole can of worms.
"That won't be necessary Zastin," a slightly distorted feminine voice said behind him.
"S-Sephie-sama!", Zastin said.
A small robot zoomed in front of the group, before producing a hologram screen, revealing the queen.
'Why is the queen here?' he thought.
"Hey mama!", Lala said.
"Hello sweetie," Sephie said.
"Why won't I tell the king my queen?", Zastin asked.
"Because I don't want Gid to know of Naruto-kun yet," she said. "We wouldn't want him murdered by an overprotective father now would we?"
"Of course my queen."
"Good."
"Wait a minute. Who are you pretty lady? And how do you know my name?", Naruto said, demanding answers.
"Oh. You're just like your mother when she was younger," Sephie said amusingly. "But if you must know. I am Sephie Michaela Deviluke. The queen of the Devilukean Empire and most importantly, both yours and Sasuke Uchiha mothers' best friend."
There was a brief pause before Sasuke did something very out of character for him.
He freaked out.
"What the hell is going on around here!", he screamed.
"Welcome to my world," Naruto said. "You'll get use to it… Eventually."
"I highly doubt that dobe!"
"Quit being a pansy teme."
"You!"
"Fufu… Just like your mothers. The resemblance is uncanny."
Both boys paused at the statement.
"Hey lady. You said you're our mothers' best friend right?", Naruto asked.
"Show some respect to the Queen!" Zastin said.
"It's alright Zastin," Sephie said. "It's quite refreshing to hear someone informal that's not your husband."
"Of course my lady."
"Fufu. To answer your question. Yes I am."
"… Then can you tell me about her." Naruto said softly.
"Of course."
"Thank you. Now if you excuse us, both me and the teme have to continue this little bout."
Naruto turned to Sasuke, who nodded in return.
"Oh? You still want to battle?", Zastin said. "Your friend didn't fair well the last time."
"Yeah, well he has back up this time." Naruto said. "And I don't intend on losing… Right Sasuke."
"Right… Naruto."
Both parties readied themselves before charing each other.
"… I feel like we have been forgotten," Momo said as she watched the boys fight.
"U-huh." Nana said.
"Yep!" Lala said.
"Fufu! Let them fight. We have much to discuss my daughters," Sephie said with a dreadful smile? Can you tell if it's a smile if she is behind a veil?
"Y-yes mama!"
Hiruzen watched the interaction with amused interest as his clones finished the rest of the paperwork for the day.
"Fufu. It seems things will become more lively from now on," he said.
He looked at the paperwork. 'Hmm… There are many hidden clauses and loops holes for people to exploit,' he thought. 'No wonder they were adding so much bloat to these bills.' His age was finally catching up to him and allowed much corruption to the village.
"… No more. Ryu. Shika. Bring me Shikaku and Ibiki immediately."
"Hai! Hokage-sama!"
Two shadows disappear from the office.
Taking a deep drag from his pipe, Hiruzen sighed as he thought of his plans for the village.
'It will take time but I will fix my mistakes,' he thought as Shikaku and Ibiki land behind him.
"You called for us Hokage-sama?" Shikaku asked with a sigh.
He was spending much need time with his son before he took his test.
"Yes. I was just about to crack a spy for the location of one of Orochimaru's bases," Ibiki said.
"Yes. This is of the upmost importance," Hiruzen said.
He snapped his fingers to activate the security seals, surprising both men.
"What I'm about to do is of the most upmost importance and we must move swiftly and silently."
"Hai. Hokage-sama," both men said in attention.
Nodding in satisfaction, Hiruzen took another drag of his pipe.
"We are going to root out the corruption in Konoha," he said. "For too long, people have walked over this old man, but no more. This is the beginning of my redemption to my predecessors' legacy."
He reaching into his drawer, he pulls out two folders. Giving it to both men, he started to brief them on the mission as he allowed them to look through the contents.
"First, the academy. Iruka, Mikado, and Inoichi are auditing the curriculum, the teachers, the students, and the funds for any irregularities. I doubt there would be any problem children, but we have to make sure they know the consequences of being a shinobi."
He took another drag of pipe.
"Too many die in the field on missions many of our contemporaries would not at that age."
Both men agreed with the statement. Too many kids today don't know risks of being a shinobi.
"Second, the laws. There are too many loop holes and corruption in the village and Hi No Kuni. I will start with my village and branch out to the rest of country. I will not have my successor bare all the burden of my mistakes. That's why I have called you here. Ibiki. Shikaku. Can I trust you to root out these people and help me deal with them properly?"
"Hai Hokage-sama!", Both men answer, understanding the problem perfectly.
"Third, the councils… The civilian council and elders have had too much power for too long and the shinobi council has become too lax over the years, especially after the Kyubi Attack."
It was partly his part, he let his teammates gain too much power, especially Danzo. That man has done many of shady dealings in the past and present and time he has finally took down his old rival. Both men hesitantly agreed with the man. The Shinobi Council had become too lax since the Kyubi Attack, causing many compromises to recover quickly.
'And in the long run, it made us weak,' Shikaku thought.
"… Lastly, Naruto and Sasuke. We've done their clans both a disservice," he said. "The Uchiha Clan's downfall was because of our prejudice towards them. The village kept them down for nearly 70 years, and that animosity only increased with the Kyubi Attack."
Both men were silent at this. They knew of Itachi's sacrifice, but never thought about the village's actions against them.
"For the Uzumaki Clan… They were there when the village was born. They were there when we waged our first war. They helped build our infrastructure, our defenses, and our sealing techniques. And what happened to them in their time of need? We watched them fall."
He took another drag.
"We took two their princesses and made them our jinchuriki. One by choice, the other inherited. And their last prince? We made him our jinchuriki, denied him his birthright, and our school's erased their history out of spite," The old man finished. His age showing towards the two men.
Both men stared at their Hokage for a moment in silence. Although he was their Hokage, they tend to forget how old he was. How much regret he may have had from years of war, loss, and destruction. His flame for a long time was flickering, but now it was burning brightly once more.
'If only for one last hurrah to make things right…' they thought.
"Now I ask you gentlemen. Will you help this old man right the wrongs of the past and help build a better world for the next generation?", Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, the God of Shinobi asked.
"Hokage-sama. We will follow you to what ever end. Just give me the order and I will follow," Ibiki said.
"Troublesome…" Shikaku said but nodded his head in agreement.
Hiruzen smiled at the two men.
"Thank you. Now let's begin."
End.
