Chapter 2 "The Light, The Shadow, The Fire Shadow"
—Hokage Office—
"It has been a week since the attack of the tailed beast. I'm tired, meetings, paperwork, overseeing. I want to rest. I used my shadow clones to divide my workload, cutting my work in spades. Why does it never seem to end for me? Not only is the village recovering from the attack of the Ninetails, it's still recovering from the 3rd Great Shinobi World War. I'm stressed, I'm tired. The repairs, reparation for the lives lost and the funds needed, where do I take them? The budget procured by Hashirama-sensei isn't nearly enough. Problems, one after another. Minato, I should've been the one to take the scythe for you. The elders have been pestering me to release the status of young Naruto to the public to ease tensions but I fail to see the good that it would bring. The loss the people have suffered, I fear may grow towards hate."
These thoughts run down the mind of Hiruzen. It has been a week after the kyubi attack and the village is still recovering from the damages caused by the beast. Although Hiruzen has been trying his best to lead the village through this dark time, it doesn't seem to stop the power hungry council members from seeking to bolster their influence.
"Why can't those power hungry scum just be content with what they have? For heaven's sakes, the village has just gone through a disaster yet all they could think about was growing their power. The civilian council, those merciless bastards have used this time of need to blackmail me into allowing them to grow their decision making influence in the village. Threatening to leave the village entirely… Goddamnit, even my former comrades seem to only care about growing their influence. Where is their goddamn will of fire?"
As Hiruzen sorts through his thoughts, his secretary walks into his office, fear and worry evident in his face.
"My Lord, a woman who claims to be Tsunade Senju wishes to meet you at this moment." Says the man fear evident from his voice.
Hiruzen hearing this seemed to perk up slightly. His worries seemingly lessen significantly, and indeed it was. For the past week, the elders of the civilian council took advantage of the weakness of the village to increase their power by threatening to leave the village, an idea they got from Danzo. The elders being merchants and employers. Hiruzen seeing that their departure would leave the village in economical ruin, decided to try his best to relent as little political power as he could while at the same time keep the elders satisfied. The elders' growing powers were used in an effort to either try to kill Naruto, or give him to Danzo.
"Let her in." Commanded Hiruzen.
In mere moments, a beautiful woman with fair skin, pale blonde hair and a body that most women would envy, walks through the doors of his office. Distaste and anger displayed on her face. As they heard the door close shut, the woman in an instant rushed to the old man and threw a punch that could level the entire building they are situated in. Although the woman was fast, Hiruzen was a battle hardened man, who although not in his prime, is still regarded as the strongest Kage in the entire world. Hiruzen weaved to the outside and knees the woman in the stomach. He grabbed the outstretched arm and began to pin her to the ground subduing her in all her strength.
"You goddamn old man. Do you think you get to jerk around the name of my grand uncle and get away with it? I swear to god if I get free from th—" screamed Tsunade.
Hiruzen, who was already tired and stressed from all the work he had to do, screamed out in anger, "Who do you think you are? I am the goddamn Hokage and your sensei calm yourself this instant!" His aura filling the entire room.
Hearing her sensei reprimand her, a feeling she hasn't felt in a long time, made her cool her head almost instantly. Like a child who was just scolded, she apologized to her master and dropped her hostility.
"I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Said Tsunade.
"I understand your anger, Tsunade. However that doesn't excuse your actions!" Said Hiruzen continuing to reprimand his student.
Hiruzen then waved for his anbu to leave the room, and activated the privacy seals. Hiruzen then took a folder out of his drawer and haded it to Tsunade.
"Although I wanted you to comeback Tsunade, I am not petty enough to just throw the name of my master loosely. All the information you need is in that folder right there. If you doubt me, then test it yourself, but not an data or even a rumour must go out of it."
Tsunade opened the folder and read through the contents within. She is a ninja who has been through 2 world wars, but never was she ever shocked by anything like she was with all that she read.
"You can't be serious?Are you sure about this? Who did the tests? Is this even real…" Tsunade fired off questions, one after another.
"The information you read is true, my wife did the tests herself." Answered Hiruzen satisfaction clear from his voice. "Hence why I decided to leave their son's care to you."
"Y-You can't be serious right now…" said the confuse woman. Still processing all that she found out about the boy and his lineage.
"Tsunade! I need you to do this right now. Let me have this, at least right now." Said Hiruzen tiredness and exhaustion clear from his voice. "If I could, I would've raised him myself. However the imbalance and chaos it would cause would just drive this village further into chaos."
The sadness and exhaustion Tsunade heard from the voice of her master left the woman speechless. She had heard about the death of Biwako, the woman who taught her medical ninjutsu, and knew that her master didn't even get the chance to mourn her death. Although reluctantly, she nodded her head in agreement.
"Alright sensei. But first, get out of this office. I'll handle your paperwork for the day." Says Tsunade pity for her master brimming out of her eyes.
Although Tsunade still feels resentment towards her master for the death of Both her Lover Dan Kito, and brother Nawaki Senju; she knows full well the pain of losing someone you love.
Hearing his student's words, Hiruzen finally let out the tears he had been holding for weeks. Tears he withheld all for the sake of being the pillar of strength for the village.
The Next Day…
"Tsunade, I think it's about time for you to meet your nephew. Come with me." Hiruzen led his student to the nursery of the Hospital.
Inside the crib was a healthy baby with blond hair, blue eyes with whisker marks on both cheeks. Tsunade couldn't help but think of her late brother Nawaki who died in battle during the war. Tears began forming in her eyes. Seeing the reaction of his student, Hiruzen rubbed the back of Tsunade and in a fatherly way comforted her.
"I know you resent me for Nawaki, I resent my self as well." With a sad smile he looked at his student and went to hug her. "let it all out child…"
Tsunade began to sob, finally truly confronting her past. For the final time she mourned those whom she loved and lost. It was after a few hours did she finally walk towards the crib to pick up the sleeping Naruto into her arms. Vowing to herself to finally protect this one.
Hiiruzen decided to break the silence, "I have also contacted Jiraiya with regards to Minato's death. Minato Made him the Godfather for the child. I will also ask him to help you raise the child."
"I don't need his help, I have Shizune to help me already." Says Tsunade.
Hiruzen sighs and says "It's not that I don't trust you, Tsunade. But I need him to be as strong as possible."
Tsunade irritated by the words blurted out "I will not let him become a weapon for the leaf."
"Do not make me like those elders, I do not plan to make him a weapon. It is for his own sake. Says Hiruzen worry can be clearly heard from his statement.
"What do you mean sensei?" Asked Tsunade.
"On the night of his birth, a man attacked Minato claiming to be Madara."
Tsunade was left shocked hearing the name of her grandfather's rival. One of the founders of Konoha.
"And you think he will attack again don't you?" Tsunade asks with a seriousness that will leave a circus in deafening silence.
Hiruzen hearing his student's query nods in agreement. "I have called Jiraiya to ask him to not only raise him, but train him as well. However, according to his response he will not be here till 3 weeks from now. So go back Tsuna and get settled, I will finalize his papers so he can officially be part of the senju clan, I will send the papers to you by morning." After his words the master used his body flicker technique to go back to his office to resume his duties.
Tsunade picked up the sleeping baby, and retreated back to her old home, the Senju estate along the way the met up with Tsunade's apprentice and travel companion Shizune. A young woman with black hair and fair skin. They began to clean the estate and ready it for settling in to begin their new lives.
Somewhere within the village…
"How dare he… after all that I've done for this village. I've dirtied my hand and did all that he wouldn't do all for the sake of the people." Yelled the infuriated Danzo. He hurled all that he could reach and let his fury out onto his base.
"Orochimaru succeeded in project Kinoe all I have to do is kill Hiruzen. I will become Hokage. I will prove through my actions that I deserve that seat more than you Hiruzen. Just a few more years." thought Danzo to himself. It was then he disbanded the root on paper keeping all his operations off the records.
Unbeknownst to Hiruzen they have been too late to discover all of the evil that Orochimaru did. 60 children have already fallen victim to his experiments. All but one, have died.
In the following week Jiraiya would arrive in the village. Rushing tirelessly throughout the the different nations to get back to Konohagakure. He then met up with Hiruzen, his teacher, hearing about Minato's death and recent revelations regarding his family tree.
"You can't be serious old man? That kid is the grandson of the 2nd?" Asked the dumbfounded Toad sage.
"All is within that file, and can be trusted." Hiruzen nods in agreement.
"Are you going to reveal this fact to the village?" Jiraiya says with a stern look on his face. Despite his lecherous character, he is serious with regards to those who are dear to him.
"Absolutely not! Being Minato's son has already painted a large target on his back to the elders, if this fact is revealed, how much more would those greedy bastards fight for him?" Hiruzen was completely angered by the thought of all the council elders who would want to raise the baby to be a weapon for their own personal gain.
Hiruzen took out his pipe, the only thing that helps him cope with the stress of once again running the village, and took a drag. He then said to his student, "Because of this fact that I want you to raise young Naruto."
"You can't be serious? Not only am I no good for the brat, I am also busy running my spy organization. I don't have time. The fate of the village lies on every information that I gather." Jiraiya says vehemently.
"Then run your organization here in Konoha! I know you. The only reason you refuse to stay here was because of all the guilt you feel from all the wars you've been through. You refuse to stay because you feel like this village would taint your soul again." Hiruzen says, practically screaming his lungs out.
"That's not it Ol—" tried to reazon the white haired sage before he was once again interrupted.
"And you ask what good would you be for the boy? What good would it be for a boy to not grow up with a father figure? You can't expect Tsunade to bear all that burden do you? And for heaven's sakes you are the godfather of the kid Jiraiya!" Continued the old man.
A long silence enveloped the room almost immediately after the period of screaming. Had a pin dropped in the room, both men would have heard it. Hiruzen then broke the silence and said,
"Jiraiya, I understand your want to stay outside of Konoha after how much blood you had to spill. But this is ot for the village but for the boy. Raise him, for Minato.
Hearing the almost pleading voice of the old man, Jiraiya decided to stay in the village. He stayed at the Senju compound with Tsunade who knows the situation full well. Although Jiraiya had to double the needed manpower for his spy network a much grander responsibility has been given upon him by the heavens. Neither he nor Tsunade knows what was in store for them.