Chapter reposted and Beta by EvIlDemon 4/9/2024

Konoha's Retrieval Team

Chapter 4

Hinata

I don't own Naruto

Masashi Kishimoto does!

A couple of days passed, and Naruto went to see the Hokage once again since he offered to teach him fuinjutsu by practicing his calligraphy in his office with him for an hour or two. Afterward, Naruto helped the Hokage arrange his paperwork since he seemed to hate dealing with that problem if there were a jutsu who would take care of it. As he walked through the road, his attention fell on a stall selling animal porcelain masks, and the one that caught his attention was the kitsune mask. Even if it was all white, it didn't matter since he could design it. Naruto was in his [Henge jutsu] when he approached the stall owner and asked him how much the kitsune mask cost. It was easier when Naruto disguised himself so the villagers wouldn't recognize him.

"Excuse me, sir, how much are you selling that kitsune mask for?" Naruto asked the stall owner as he picked it up and examined it to see if he wanted to buy it.

"Are you sure you want to buy that mask, little boy? In Konoha, many people see the kitsune as a bad omen." The stall owner told Naruto to try to discourage him from buying it.

"I'm sure about it, and I'm just a kid. I don't care for omens right now since I don't get it," Naruto commented. He pulled out his gama purse to hand over the currency to show the man he was willing to buy it.

"Ah, don't mind me, little boy. I'm just talking gibberish, but I'll happily sell it at a lower price if you want it so bad." The stall owner told Naruto, making the young jinchuriki happy.

"Ah, thank you, sir. I appreciate it. So how much do you want for it?" Naruto asked, hoping to get a reasonable price for it.

"That would be fifty ryo." The man replied as he went to get a bag for the mask and handed it over to the little boy, who got excited and hopped around in joy.

Naruto gave the man fifty ryo before placing the new mask in his bag. He thanked the stall owner and continued to his destination. Like the other kids, he sometimes wonders what having his parents walk with him and buy him gifts would be like. At a young age, Naruto understood that life was unfair and you had to fight to survive even against all odds. He was just grateful that he had a few people who truly cared for him and wanted to see him excel and become a great man. On his way to the Hokage tower, he found an alley and dispelled the [Henge jutsu] back to his original form; as soon as he stepped out of the alley, he instantly felt all the glares staring at him. Already used to the glares, he ignored them and kept on his way to see the Hokage.

Hokage Tower

Behind closed doors in the Hokage office, all you heard were perverse giggles instead of someone having an appointment to see him or the sound of a stamp approving or rejecting documents. Most people hold Sandaime Hokage in high esteem, but a select few knew the real reason behind the giggles, while a few were appalled by his behavior. The Sandaime thought he would have some free time to catch up on essential reading this morning before starting his paperwork. An unexpected person kicked open his office door, surprising the old Hokage as he dropped his book on the floor. At that moment, someone kicked open the door, and the Anbu guards protecting the Hokage jumped out of their hidden place with their weapons drawn.

"Good morning, Hokage-jiji! I arrived early for my fuinjutsu lesson, as you had promised me the other day. I promise not to bother you either if I have a question, jiji, and once I finish, maybe I could help you arrange your paperwork if you like." Naruto commented, giving everyone in the room his foxy grin as he went to the couch and placed his new item there so it would be damaged.

The tension in the room became so high it could slice through butter with the abrupt entry of the young Uzumaki, who caught everyone off guard with his declaration. As the adults were still processing everything that happened just a moment ago, Naruto walked past them and saw the orange book lying on the floor. He picked it up and was about to read the book's title out loud.

"Icha Icha Paradise, so what is this story about jiji?" Naruto asked, giving the Sandaime a curious look on his chibi face as he opened the book to read the first page.

The Hokage looked horrified as he tried to stop Naruto from reading the book; the last thing he needed was a perverted jinchuriki. Suddenly, one of the Hokage Anbu appeared next to Naruto, taking the book out of his hand while she performed a fire jutsu, destroying the book in the process. The Hokage cried out in agony when he saw his prize book destroyed, and little Naruto couldn't understand why the female Anbu burned it. The Hokage received sympathetic looks from the male Anbu in the office, understanding that the village leader suffered a significant loss. The Anbu shed a few tears as he silently prayed to the most beautiful literature in the world while the mask covered up the evidence.

All the males felt how the room became cold when they felt the killer's intent come from the only female Anbu. All the males in the room sweat dropped what most men would consider female fury one of the most troublesome things to deal with. The young blond felt like his life was in danger, not knowing why he was having a strange feeling standing next to the masked female. Naruto, not knowing what was going on, passed out, catching the attention of everyone in the room. Despite her mistake, Rabbit picked up the little boy and laid him on the couch until he woke up.

"Boar, Tiger, and Crow go back to your places. Rabbit, you need to control your emotions; otherwise, you could hurt innocent bystanders. Do you understand?" The Sandaime Hokage said in a stern voice. She then performed a dogeza before she spoke.

"I apologize, Hokage-sama, for what I have done. My instincts kicked in to protect the child from seeing such perversion in front of me. I would gladly accept my punishment without complaint." The female Anbu replied to her village leader, knowing she had stepped out of line.

"I accept your apology but try not to let it happen again. And I will apologize to you as well. I never meant for that to happen, so whenever you are part of my protection details, I will be more considerate of you and any other female Anbu in the future with more by not pulling out my hobby." The Sandaime explained as he went to check on little Naruto to see if he was ok and waited for him to wake up to begin his lessons.

"Hai Hokage-sama!" Rabbit said before she vanished back to her hiding spot. She sighed in relief that she hadn't hurt the young blond.

The Hokage was able to regain his thoughts in order when he remembered that Naruto would need some materials so he would be able to learn his fuinjutsu. So, the Hokage began to list materials that the young Uzumaki would need to know the art of fuinjutsu. He devised another idea to help Naruto from being glared at and kicked out of the civilian establishment. Hokage wrote down more items he needed to struggle with the villagers. Once the Sandaime had finished writing the list, he called for Rabbit, who appeared before her village leader when he spoke.

"Rabbit, I have a mission for you. Please go and get everything on this list. If possible, please hurry since Naruto-kun can stay here waiting all day, but it is important. I want to ensure that Naruto has everything he needs for his education when he starts the ninja academy. But first, I will need you to get all the fuinjutsu supplies so I can begin teaching little Naruto in his family arts. And possibly, with the right guidance, he will be a proficient fuinjutsu master." The Sandaime explained this to his female Anbu, who nodded in understanding as she picked the scroll up and vanished in a swirl of leaves.

The Hokage stood up and made his tea since he couldn't read his book since it was burned second reason while Naruto was in his office. The Hokage hoped that Naruto wouldn't take long to wake up since he wanted the young Uzumaki to begin learning fuinjutsu. The Hokage then picks up a mission report, feeling another headache since his Anbu came from a top-secret mission. They accidentally stumbled into an unfortunate situation where they found a couple of civilian females trying to escape a battle. The outcome was a sad one since the mother died, which only left the daughter alone as an orphan. At this time, they placed the girl in a medically induced coma from the trauma. The Hokage quoted Nara as "troublesome," knowing very well that this would bring him a new set of trouble.

"Tora," The Hokage called when suddenly a male Anbu appeared with one knee bent and his right fist over his heart when he spoke.

"Hai Hokage-sama!" he replied, bowing his head toward his village leader as he waited for his following words.

Please go to an old forgotten clan estate, and I would like you to fix it up. It is that time of the year again, do you remember?" The Hokage asked his subordinate, who nodded once he remembered what the Sandaime was talking about.

"You may go and thank you." The village leader said as the male Anbu vanished in a puff of smoke.

The Sandaime heard a groan from the couch as the young Uzumaki began to stir awake after losing consciousness. Naruto slowly opened his eyes to see the Hokage observing him to see if anything was wrong with the boy. The Sandaime stopped what he was doing and waited for the blond to get off the couch and sit on the chair in front of him. Once Naruto realized he was lying on the Hokage's couch, he got up, walked to the chair, and sat down.

"Hokage-jiji, I came ready to learn the ninja art of fuinjutsu. What is the first lesson, sir?" Naruto asked his first question, wondering if it would be tough.

"Good Naruto, for your first lesson, I would like to have you practice writing calligraphy today. But during the night, you should read about an hour from this book called "Introduction to Fuinjutsu" to better understand what you will be learning in the future. You would be one step closer to learning this ninja art of fuinjutsu just like your idol, the Yondaime Hokage." The Sandaime explained to the young Uzumaki, who was excited to get started, as the Hokage asked Naruto to make himself comfortable in the corner, and he brought him a brush, paper, and ink.

For ten minutes, the Sandaime told Naruto that his grandson Konohamaru used the table work on his academy homework. Just before, he would attempt to assassinate him like a routine, as all his attempts have failed. Naruto laughed while listening to Hokage-jiji's stories, and the older man chuckled in amusement. He then explained the intricacies of calligraphy once he can grasp it and unconsciously draw under pressure. The Hokage even taught Naruto how to clean his brushes, ink, and paper and told him it was crucial for him so he would become a fuinjutsu master. The Hokage instructed him to start practicing with the examples he made for Naruto as he returned to work on his paperwork. Naruto spent the next couple of hours practicing his calligraphy strokes slowly and carefully, ensuring he would get used to them when the female Anbu finally returned with all the supplies on the list.

"Rabbit, were you able to get everything I wrote on the list, and did you have any problems getting the sizes of his clothes and ninja gear?" The Sandaime asked as he waited for an answer; he saw Naruto stop, clean up, put away his items, and wait to see if there was anything else the Hokage needed from him.

"Hai Hokage-sama, my apologies for taking so long to stop by Uzumaki-san's home to check what size clothes he wears. I got him some bigger clothes to fit him as he got older. As for everything else, I was able to get on the list just like you ordered, Hokage-sama." Rabbit replied in a monotone voice, placing a few scrolls on Sandaime's table before kneeling again.

"Thank you, Rabbit. You may go back to your position until I have further orders," the Hokage said as he stood up with his smoking pipe and walked over to the window to see the village.

"As you command Hokage-sama." Rabbit replied as she went back to her position guarding the Hokage.

"Naruto-kun, I know I haven't had the time to visit you enough, so I decided to make it up to you by buying everything you need for the academy. I'm sure you heard that my Anbu bought you clothes and a ninja outfit for the next few years till you grow out of them or decide to buy your own. Naruto, should you feel the instructors are sabotaging you, report it immediately to me. Do you understand? I won't allow my ninjas to undermine my authority?" The Sandaime told Naruto in a serious tone as he tried to make his point and get the young Uzumaki to nod in agreement.

"Yes, I understand, Jiji. I will report it if it happens, but to change the subject, I'm not going to lie, but practicing calligraphy is boring; I can't believe that anyone who learns fuinjutsu has to endure this torture," Naruto complained while pouting as he crossed his little arms in defiance.

"I understand it is hard for you to stay still since it requires patience to learn this ninja art. But this will help you become the strongest ninja in the future, and I will tell you a little secret that not many people know. All the past Hokages learned to use fuinjutsu to protect the village just like your idol, the Yondaime." The Sandaime said to the little blond Uzumaki, whose eyes went wide in disbelief from the revelation; then he looked at the Hokage with eyes full of determination before he spoke.

"Jiji, I promise to try my hardest to learn calligraphy and fuinjutsu. I won't let you down, old man. Also, thank you for everything you have done so far for me." Naruto approached the Hokage, standing by the window before hugging him.

The Sandaime felt a pang of guilt in his heart, knowing he hadn't done much for his predecessor's son. He was also disappointed with the villagers for not fulfilling Yondaime's last wish: to see his son as the hero, not as the Kyuubi. The Yondaime would have been disappointed with the village, and the Hokage didn't even want to imagine what Naruto's mother would have done if she were still alive. She would have killed the villagers for hurting her little boy without hesitation. The Hokage thought a shiver ran down his spine when he thought of seeing Kushina in the afterlife as she tortured him for eternity.

"Okay, jiji, it's time for me to get going. I can see you will be busy with all the paperwork for a while. I'll come and see you another time. I still have much to learn, and I must read the book you gave me. Till next time, jiji, I got go since I'm so hungry I need to find a place where they would let me eat." Naruto said, waving goodbye as he went out the door; the Hokage could only at his desk to face every Kage's worst enemy, the dreaded paperwork.

When Naruto left the Hokage tower, he immediately went to an ally where he performed the [Henge jutsu] and made his way in a hurry to a fish stand once again to get a quick bite to eat before going home. Naruto ran through the woods and took a shortcut to the playground. As he approached his destination, he heard jeers, laughing, and a little girl crying while apologizing. It looked like older kids were being bullies. He felt his anger rise without a second thought and sneakily made his way to the group without being seen. Naruto began to check his other bag, which he was carrying, trap-making items and easy-to-make weapons. He made a quick plan in his head on how to handle the situation he was seeing; the last thing he wanted to see was a pretty girl bullied by others. And he knew deep inside his heart that it was the right thing to do to help her from these bullies.

"Hey, Hyuga freak, I said to get on your knees, bow, and apologize." The older boy said with a sneer on his face as he placed a foot on the girl's head to humiliate her.

"I thought all Hyuga's members were supposed to be strong and stuck up, and it seems we found the runt of the clan. What a shame you shouldn't bother yourself being a ninja. You would be better if you just killed yourself. I'm sure no one will miss you." The older boy said with disdain as he heard his friends laugh at the scared little rabbit they surrounded.

Immediately after hearing what they intended to do to her, Naruto resolved to teach those pieces of trash a lesson. When he saw the group leader walking forward to try to grab her, having heard and seen enough, Naruto decided to jump out of his hiding place. He suddenly appeared in front of the girl in a defensive position in case anyone tried to attack him.

"Why don't you pick on someone who could stand up for themselves and not a nice, pretty, innocent girl? I can't allow trash like you to become a ninja in the future if this is the way you act." Naruto growled as he directed his anger toward the five older boys.

"Oh, look who it is! It's just the demon kid my parent always talk about. They tell me if I ever see him beat him up as much as we want. They told me that his mother was a whore and his father was a traitor to the village, and that was the reason he was an orphan." The group leader said in a sing-song voice as he got a laugh from the rest of his friends.

In return, he got a scowl from the little Uzumaki as he was verbally attacked by the bigger kid, making him even more angry at the fact the villagers were making assumptions about who his parents were. Naruto became determined to fight these pieces of trash for what they did to the girl and for mocking his existence. As for Hinata, she was surprised that someone came to help her, and in return, the same kids said horrible things about the yellow-haired whisker boy. She was speechless by what happened next as the whisker boy came like a storm and swept them away like debris. Also, in the process, Hinata heard stories from her mother when she was alive, as the hero shows up at the last minute to rescue the princess from being hurt. At that moment, she saw her hero from the stories that stole her heart away as he showed his determination to protect her.

"Fine, have it your way! It seems the only way you idiots will learn anything is until I beat it into you. But that is fine. I will get a chance to see where my ninja skills are right now. Be lucky you guys will be my guinea pig for this fight, so don't blame me if you get hurt too bad." Naruto proclaims as he places his fist in front as a vow.

"Is that so well guess I'm going to kick your ass you little shit!" The leader of the group yelled as he rushed forward to attack.

Naruto thought the leader was an idiot for underestimating him as he dodged the older boy's swing and jumped to the side to create space between them. He reached into his ninja bag and grabbed his chili powder balls; he held one in each hand before he crushed them and rushed this time to lead the bigger boy into a trap. The leader sees another opportunity to beat on the little blond demon and rushes forward once again to meet Naruto head-to-head. When Naruto got in range, he flung the chili powder into the older boy's eyes, causing them to burn and sting as he screamed in pain. Once the older boy stopped to try to clean the powder off his face, he received a substantial hit in the stomach and another to his nose, where he ended up breathing in chili pepper, making his drop to the floor and choke.

The rest of the bullies were snapped out of their thoughts when they saw their leader fall to the ground while choking. They were about to rush after the blond demon when they noticed he had a slingshot when he let the first shot loose, getting a direct hit to one of the boy's privates, making him crumble in agony. Naruto then placed another rock in his slingshot and let loose once again, hitting another boy in the forehead and knocking him out. The last two boys decided to spread themselves if the blond menace tried to pull another trick on them since they didn't feel like being his fourth victim. So both boys went wide on Naruto's flank, hoping to pincer him and giving the blond a thrashing for what he had done.

"Wow, they do suck at being ninjas huh. Well, it only has two pieces of trash left standing. Let's make it something to remember for the three of us." Naruto commented with a sneer, irritating the last two boys.

"You know what, you little demon? Once we catch you and beat you up, we are going to break your fingers, strip you naked, and humiliate you in front of the village. That will teach you to go against your betters since you are a parentless orphan of a street rat." A tall, skinny boy replied, hoping to anger the boy into making a mistake.

"You two, I'm done playing nice with you. Here I come," Naruto said, reaching behind him. He had two more chili pepper balls in his hands and rushed away from them, not wanting to be trapped by them.

When both boys saw that he was running away, they followed him, not wanting him to escape. Naruto noticed that the first part of his plan work ran toward a tree; knowing that he hadn't mastered the tree walking exercise, he wanted to see if he could do it under pressure. He felt the other two boys closing in on him as he sprinted faster and pulled away. When he reached the tree, he began to run up it. The two boys stopped when they saw the little demon run up a few steps. He ended up channeling too much chakra on his feet. Naruto somersaulted over the two bullies. At the same time, he flung the chili powder as they began to cry out in pain as they tried to wipe their eyes; while they were blind, one by one, Naruto gave a solid kick to the gut and a chop to the neck to both remaining bullies.

The whole situation only took a matter of a few minutes, and when everything was over, Naruto left the bullies with a knockout and groaning in pain. Naruto then made his way to the girl, who was still in the same spot, and she looked awed when he walked in front of her. Naruto tilted his head to the side as if figuring out what the girl was thinking. When he crotch in front of her, he placed both hands on her face to see if she was okay. Hinata froze at the touch as her cheeks turned pink from the contact with her hero, who saved her from getting hurt.

"Hey, Hey, Hey, are you okay? Did those bullies hurt you?" Naruto asked in a concerned voice as he looked deep into her eyes.

"Y-y-yes, I'm okay, thanks for asking. N-n-no, they didn't hurt me much; just my knees and the side of my face hurt. And my clothes have become dirty. I-I-I'm fine, but I might get punished by my father." Hinata stutters, unable to look at the boy who rescued her from some bad people.

"Why would your tou-san punish you for being attacked by other children? It sounds kind of dumb to me. From what I tell you, I am a timid but kind person. And you are as pretty cute as a princess from the fairy tale stories I have read." Naruto responded by making the girl blush from the kind words the boy had told her.

"In m-my f-family, they look d-down on w-weak clan members like m-myself who are k-kind to others by showing our e-emotions. B-but what I-I h-heard from many of m-my clan I act like my l-late mother did w-when she was younger. And the Hyuga elders can accept that from the heiress t-to be t-that way." Hinata explained her situation to the blond-haired boy, his face becoming a scowl at her family's mistreatment.

"So what is your name, if you don't mind me asking, Hyuga-san?" Naruto asked as he helped her up on her feet.

"I'm Hyuga Hinata, heiress of the Hyuga clan. It's nice to meet you," she replied in a shy, low whisper, her face red.

"Ahh, cool. I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Nice to meet you, too, Hinata-chan. So, are you here on your own? It would be best to be careful around people with altered motives. We can't have anything happen to you, princess," Naruto said as he looked around the wooded area where the five boys had brought her.

Hinata was still in shock from everything that had happened not long ago, and the fact that Naruto-kun protected her made her feel warm inside. She began to take a good look at the spike blond whisker boy with cerulean blue eyes and three whisker marks on each side of his cheeks. He single-handedly defeated all five bullies using tricks and weapons, even running up a tree with good agility. Hinata saw the boy. When he got older, he would become a mighty ninja; her cheeks started to heat up again as her imagination ran wild.

"O-oh, kami-sama, he-he thinks I'm pretty; no one has ever said that about me other than my kaa-san. Plus, Naruto-kun was worried about me, too. It feels good that someone cares for my well-being," Little Hinata thought as her mind drifted away until she finally felt someone poke her cheek.

"Epp!" Hinata was snapped out of her thought by the spikey blond boy.

"You know that's rude when someone is talking Hinata-chan? So, are you here with someone?" Naruto asked as he tried to fish some information from the shy Hyuga.

"S-s-sorry, it was not my intention to be rude. But since it is getting late, I am sure one of my clan's guards should be looking for me." Hinata replied as she began to stare at the ground while poking both index fingers.

"I see. It's good to know you would want your guards to attack me by mistake. Do you want me to guide you back to the playground?" Naruto asked as he waited for her reply since he didn't want to leave her alone in the forest.

"Naruto-kun, p-p-please I-I would appreciate that," Hinata responded, giving Naruto a slight bow of thanks.

"Okay, then, are you ready to go, Hinata-chan? Please leave it to me. I'll get you back safely," Naruto proclaims as he walks up to her, reaches out, grabs her hand, and guides her back to the playground.

That action made Hinata's face go red like a tomato, and she started to feel dizzy and was on the verge of fainting. It took a little while for them to reach the playground. When Naruto turned around, he saw her face flush and asked if she was sick. Before she could answer, Naruto rubbed her cheeks and forehead, causing Hinata to faint as she fell to the ground. Naruto was surprised at what happened to the pretty girl as he crotch and took a good look at her.

"Hinata-chan, Hinata-chan, are you okay? Dammit, I guess she was hurt, and I guess I was acting tough." Naruto thought as he looked at her face closely.

Meanwhile, Hyuga Ko scanned his surroundings near the playground, looking for the Hyuga heir. Lucky for him, he had a good idea of where to find her since there were a few places she would go. He then turned his Byakugan on. That is when he saw the Hyuga heiress faint, and when he saw who she was with, he quickly made his way to them. Unfortunately, Ko misunderstood the situation and thought of the worst-case scenario. He felt anger rise, thinking, what did the demon brat do? When he got there, he saw the demon child holding her while trying to wake her up by lightly smacking her face.

"What have you done to Hinata-sama, you demon brat? You're going to pay for what you have done." Ko said as he took an offensive stand, ready to discipline the little demon.

"Hold on a sec. I could explain what happened to Hinata-chan," Naruto replied, his face looking panicked as he saw the man get ready to attack.

Ko didn't hesitate to juken the demon brat, sending him flying back and crashing into a tree, making him fall unconscious. Ko walked toward the fainted heiress and checked her condition to see if she was injured, seeing that she had some bruises on her face and some scratches on her knees. He picked her up gently as he [Shunshin] returned to the Hyuga compound to get her looked at and healed. When he reached the compound, he took Hinata to her room, where he sent medic-nin to look after her injuries. Ko went afterward to the Hyuga clan's head office to explain his version of what happened to the Hinata and what he did to the Konoha's jinchuriki.

Naruto woke up an hour later, his little body hurt from the deliberate attack he received from the family member of Hinata as he misunderstood the situation. He found himself lying in some bushes next to a tree his body impacted into while his body felt a slight sense of pain. Naruto slowly got up and brushed himself off. He went to his apartment to shower quickly and change his clothes. On his way home, he went over the whole situation of fighting a group of bullies and having a pleasant conversation with the pretty girl he protected. He had to listen to the vicious words of the girl's family member before he outright attacked him for no reason.

When Naruto got to his apartment, he sneakily approached the roof and threw a rope over the edge. He repelled himself down the building to his kitchen window, where he entered. Naruto carefully checked his home to see if anyone had entered it, and he checked his barricaded door and windows to ensure no one had broken in. He slowly began to undo each trap he had lying in wait around home so he could move around safely again. It took Naruto some time since he had some that needed to be more tricky to undo for specific reasons.

Naruto decided to continue his calligraphy since he was determined to improve and use it in battle when he became a Genin. After a couple of hours, Naruto decided to take a break by making his instant ramen; when he finished eating, he lay on his couch. Naruto read a book on tactics just like his sensei told him to do, and then his fuinjutsu book, like his jiji told him to do. Even if he didn't like to study, his sensei made it clear that a great ninja is not only someone powerful but also intelligent. Naruto's goal to become the strongest ninja in the world was a plausible dream since he believed in himself and that he could accomplish anything if he put his mind to it. And that is how he spent the rest of his day, never stepping outside until the following day.

Konoha - Hokages office

The Hokage has been having headaches because of all the chaos in the village. It has been bad news; there is only so much an old man can handle after bad news. And it didn't look good from all the reports he has been receiving. He has been profoundly thinking about many troubling things that have disturbed him, and two names popped up in his mind: Uchiha Itachi and Shimura Danzo. With the Uchiha massacre losing almost ninety percent of their ninja forces, it put tremendous pressure on the elderly Hokage and the political ramifications it would have around the shinobi world. He hoped no other surprise would appear during their time of weakness; otherwise, they might find themselves in another [Shinobi War.] While the Hokage was still deep in thought, he was snapping out of it when he heard a knock on the door.

"Enter!" The Sandaime said as he stood looking out at the village smoke on his pipe.

"Hokage-sama, we just received a message scroll from Inu; it said urgent Hokage's eyes only." The Chunin explained, placing the scroll on the Hokage's desk.

"Thank you. You may leave now," The Sandaime told him as he began to rub his temples. He had a sinking suspicion that he was about to have more trouble than he had hoped.

The Chunin bowed as he left the office, leaving the Hokage to return to his post. The Hokage began to make some hand signs and placed his hand on the desk. He activated the privacy seal to ensure no one could see or hear inside the Hokage's office as the aged Hokage sipped his tea. He began to unseal the scroll to read the troubling news.

Hokage-sama,

Team Ro was returning from our mission near the borders of Kusa and Taki when we stumbled into a situation that piqued my curiosity. We began to watch a conflict between the two ninja villages as they started a battle near our border. On my whim, I told the team to stand by and gather any valuable information while watching the teams of Kusa and Taki battle it out.

In the confusion, we saw a civilian mother and daughter trying to escape the battle. Before, I was able to give orders. A kunai with a paper bomb went off near them. It sent mother and daughter flying into our borders. My team and I quickly rushed over to see if they survived the explosion. That was when I sent the first message scroll explaining our delay back to the village.

The mother was able to wrap her daughter and cover her before the explosion went off. When they hit the group, both let go of the impact. The little girl had some bumps and bruises but was okay. The mother, on the other hand, received fatal wounds since she was bisected but surprisingly held on to life so she could have last words with her daughter. Neko did some medical jutsu to keep her from dying, as they had their last moments together. Hokage-sama, the woman, told me that they were full-blooded Uzumaki. And that her daughter could better explain their situation until that point. We should be back in the village in a day or two.

Anbu code name: Inu

When the Hokage finished reading the scroll, he knew immediately that his troubles might have worsened. And he couldn't find it in his heart to turn away an Uzumaki only because he didn't want to let his adopted grandchild know part of his heritage because the Hokage felt he wasn't ready. Now, the Hokage found himself at a crossroads where he had no choice but to let Naruto know about her. However, this could be a new opportunity for him to connect with someone his age, and the deciding factor would be having a lost family member. The Hokage would have to explain to Naruto the history of the Uzumaki clan and Konohagakure and how they are connected.

The Sandaime saw this as a perfect chance to bring back the Uzumaki clan through Naruto and this newfound Uzumaki girl since keeping her a secret from the boy would be hard. The village would last need their jinchuriki to be a flight risk over the hate and distrust of the villagers. Having a new Uzumaki in Konoha with red hair would legitimize the claims' authenticity. And with their own local Uzumaki being an outcast and ostracized because they still have hateful feelings about the boy. The Hokage guessed there could be no harm in telling Naruto about his mother and the importance of keeping this a secret he deserves to know.

He would have to get Jiraiya to return to the village as soon as possible for the next council meeting since many important topics also concern him. The Sandaime would have to get all the documentation to prove Kushina is the mother of Uzumaki Naruto. And to have her [will] red in front of the council ninja and civilian and see who she appointed as his legal guardian other than Jiraiya. The Hokage realizes that running a village and trying to protect the village jinchuriki, who happens to be the Yondaime's son, is not easy when you have outside forces and inside forces challenging your every decision. The Sandaime was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard his door knock once again, with an unscheduled appointment,

"Enter!" The Sandaime loudly announced where he stood, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked over the village.

"Greetings, Hokage-sama. Did you wish to speak with me?" The Uchiha Matriarch said, giving the Hokage a slight bow of respect.

"Yes, please take a seat and make yourself comfortable. Would you like a cup of tea?" The Sandaime asked as he finally turned to face his new guest.

"Yes, please; thank you for the gesture, Hokage-sama," Mikoto replied as she sat and gave the elderly Hokage a sad smile.

"Mikoto-san, I want to give my condolences for the loss of your husband and your clan. If you need help from the village, please let me know, and I'll try to help as best as possible." The Sandaime told her as he gave her a sad look of sympathy, knowing that this was a significant loss to the village.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama; if the Uchiha clan needs any assistance, we won't hesitate to ask," Mikoto said, giving her thanks to the Sandaime.

"Mikoto, I must apologize but ask you about the night of the massacre." The Sandaime asked in hopes of gaining new information about the event.

"It's fine, Hokage-sama." The Uchiha Matriarch took a sip of her tea as she gathered her thoughts on explaining what had happened.

"Take your time. I won't rush you, Mikoto-san," The Sandaime said as he sat in silence, patiently waiting, drinking his tea and smoking his pipe.

"On that day, it was already evening, and I was finishing cooking dinner as I waited for my family to return home. That is when I began to hear the screaming and yelling and the sound of battle. Fugaku quickly came home, told me that the Uchiha clan was under attack by an unknown ninja, and asked if our youngest son had come home. I told him he stayed late to training at a training ground outside the Uchiha compound, and he sighed in relief. He made a [Kage Bunshin] and sent it out to gather the Uchiha police and information." Mikoto paused as she took another sip of her tea before she continued from her account

"He told me to go to the dojo and wait for him there because he had suspicions about who might be committing this crime. So I hurried to get to the family dojo when, all of a sudden, everything turned black. That's when I woke up at Konoha's Hospital, not knowing of my clan and family's fate." The Uchiha Matriarch finished explaining what happened that night from her point of view.

During her explanation, the Hokage listened carefully to see if she suspected anything from the council, which made him sigh in relief. But it seemed someone knew something was about to happen and prevented her from getting killed. They only knocked her out and placed her in an abandoned house away from the massacre that saved her life. And the same person saved a few children from going to the afterlife. Now the question remains: who knocked her out, and how did they know this would happen? The Sandaime thought about this carefully but knew that Danzo had something to do with the massacre; he knew that he had to put a stop to the Root program.

"Mikoto, I have good, bad, and horrible news. Which would you like to hear first?" The Sandaime asked, giving her a sad look in his eyes that made the woman's heart clench in despair.

"I would you like to hear about the horrible news first, Hokage-sama?" she asked, dreading what the village leader was about to hear.

"Eighty-one point seven percent of the Uchiha clan was decimated, leaving ten surviving members of the clan. But the worst part was the person who massacred your clan and killed Fugaku was your eldest son, Uchiha Itachi." The Sandaime said as he saw a horrified look on the Uchiha Matriarch's face, not wanting to believe the village leader's words.

"Did something happen to Sasuke? And where is he at? Mikoto asked with a shakey voice as she felt her world coming to an end.

"Sasuke-kun is right now at Konoha's hospital; he ended up receiving a genjutsu attack by Itachi, causing him to have psychological trauma. He is currently in an induced coma. It was a very severe genjutsu attack, so he will need someone to keep a close eye on him." The Sandaime explained to her the condition of her youngest son and how she would need to care for him for the foreseeable future.

"I see; thank you for looking after Sasuke while I was unconscious, Hokage-sama. I appreciated it. I'll give him the proper care by requesting the Yamanaka specialist to counsel him." The Uchiha Matriarch responded, hoping to reign in the hatred that would consume Sasuke in the future.

"Very well, I have confidence that he will be able to overcome this trauma with the help of his family and friends. Very good. I agree with you one hundred percent with your decision." The Sandaime stated that he was ready to give the Uchiha clan all the support the village could provide them.

"Hokage-sama, what is the good news you have for me?" Mikoto asked for a glimmer of hope from all the trouble news she had received.

"Now, for some surprising good news during the investigation, we discovered that one of the Uchiha men was married secretly to a non-clan member. They were fortunate not to be recognized as Uchiha because they lived outside the compound. He has two daughters; the oldest is Kato Rin. She is thirteen and a genin; he hasn't awakened the sharingan yet. Then we have the youngest daughter. Her name is Kato Aika. She is seven years old, and she is going to begin the academy this week. The man's wife told me that her husband wanted to keep it a secret from the clan since they both fell in love with one another and had kids." The Sandaime paused and sipped his tea before he continued speaking.

"To protect his family, he told his wife to give their daughters her family's name as a precaution in case anything were to happen. Do you understand why I asked to speak privately with you, Mikoto-san?" Sandaime said while eyeing the woman evenly to see if there was any reaction from her.

"I see," Mikoto replied as she nodded in understanding.

"I was hoping to keep this from all the council. The last thing I want is to complicate the Kato family's lives. I want to let them live as normally as possible, that is, if they awaken the Sharingan. We must keep this a secret for their protection, and I'll explain it to their mother while you fill in the details in private. If you want to change the traditions of the Uchiha clan, now would be the time to do it since all the children are still growing, leaving their education up to you, Mikoto-san." The Sandaime explained to her as she agreed with the village leader; she was also curious about the family of three and what the future would hold for them.

"I will put great thought into reforming the Uchiha clan once I go over all the clan laws, either adding or eliminating some of them. I will need some time to review them and have you and maybe Shikaku advise me on how to go over it." The Uchiha Matriarch responded, getting a nod of agreement from the Sandaime.

"Mikoto-san, I wanted to ask if you would let the small family move into the Uchiha compound. And since her husband was killed in the attack, she has no income to be able to support her daughters, only if the oldest takes care of them with her Genin wages. You will also need help raising six infants; having two experienced mothers take care of and raise them would benefit you both. And if you need help taking care of the compound with all the wealth the Uchiha have gotten over the years, paying to assign Genin teams to help work around the compound wouldn't be a bad thing either. You would even be helping your fellow Uchiha with some needed money for their expenses." The Sandaime suggested some options for the Uchiha Matriarch, who was pensive.

"I will think about many of the matters we discussed carefully, Hokage-sama. I will allow them to move to the Uchiha compound. It would be inconvenient for a civilian to travel from the village to the compound; they could stay at her husband's home. I will talk to Kato-san and see if the girl awakens their sharingan and if they are willing to change their family name to Uchiha. As for the rest, we will figure it out in time as long as we don't get other surprises for the foreseeable future." Mikoto explained to the Sandaime, who nodded his head in agreement.

"Ah I almost forgot that Uchiha Izumi also survived that night, only because her squad was sent out on a mission and disobeyed the clan heads order for all Uchiha to stay in the compound that night. I heard that her mother was the one that was killed and she is a half Uchiha like the Kato family with the only difference that she awaken the [sharingan.] She will also be a big help to you since you actually know who she is since she was one of Itachi's only female friends." The Sandaime said getting a nod of agreement from Mikoto.

"I'm glad that this meeting went so well; I was worried about the decision you were going to make. Otherwise, this would have become a problem in the future, something that would slow your clan's growth progress. And the last thing I need is to involve the village council. It seems they are always trying to get involved in the shinobi business," Sandaime said as he stood up and walked over to the window to look at the village again.

"You are right, Hokage-sama. Clan matters shouldn't be the concern of the civilian council. Do you know what will be brought up today in the council? If not, I'll take my leave, Hokage-sama. I have other matters to attend to." The Uchiha Matriarch told the Sandaime as she stood up, gave him a slight bow, and left the office.

"Kami, one appointment is finished, and there are still a few more to go. It is already becoming such a tiresome day. And my day is only getting started. Hopefully, I won't receive any more bad news. I need a vacation and to spend more time with my grandson Konohamaru. That would be a wonderful idea. Let's see if I can put that plan into motion." The Sandaime thought to himself, and he finished drinking his tea as he got started with his paperwork as soon as possible.

A/N: Hello, fellow writers and readers; the chapter was re-edited and Beta by EvIlDemon, who happens to be my son. I hope you have enjoyed the chapter cause I was finally satisfied with it after the fifth try. The good thing I have a full picture of where I want this story to go. I don't want to follow canon, and since this is fanfiction, we have to create our version of it, I think. If anyone has a question, PM. I would appreciate reviews to get a better feel of the story.

*EPYON*