Inside a hidden shack outside of the village Konoha, a blonde teen dressed in an orange jumpsuit sat in silence and tranquility. He felt at home here in this tiny shack, away from the village and the scornful and simple-minded villagers. In truth, the blonde pitied the villagers for their naïveté in concerns to shinobi affairs and village "secrets".

He scoffed at the last thought. Secrets... It was no secret that he was despised by the adult villagers and that they were doing everything they could to make the younger generation hate him as well. Years ago, the Sandaime Hokage – a wise, but at the same time foolish man – placed a law in regards to the blonde's...condition. The law stated that mentioning his condition was punishable by death.

Of course, like all laws, the people found ways around it. Deciding to abuse him mentally and physically, he began why they hurt him and why hate him. They only say he was monster, enjoying his torturous suffering of a 4 year old child who has no clue why the village hates. They didn't speak of his condition, but that didn't stop them from hinting at it or lying about the blonde to keep the hatred for him strong. And the children of these hateful adults listened to their parents without question...like sheep trusting their shepherd without a second thought.

He sighed tiredly at his life so far. At this point, the people who treated him like a person was only a handful at best; the Sandaime, the father-daughter chef duo, two or three Jonin, and possibly a couple of Genin. At most, the total was around ten. At least, it was around four or five. He was begging to start to doubt the Sandaime, every time he asked why the people hurt him and only tells they are just grieving, it is the same excuse. Just with the little people that cares for him.

Hardly anything in a village totaling in the thousands, if not hundred thousands...

The teen shook his head to prevent his mind from going down that depressing road once again. But there's one person who actually bring him happiness his adoptive mother, well not officially adopted because the damn council, but she raise him and gave him a love of a mother he never knew he always wanted. Anko Mitarashi the snake mistress of konoha and former student of the traitor Orochimaru. She the only person that loves him and cared for him, she raise him as he was her own son. She was the only human being to save him from become something worst of a monster.

He continue walked down it far too many times to even care anymore and had finally decided to ignore those who scorn him. He also made a point to visit this shack every day; his home away from home. No one knew of it, or at least he believed no one else did.

In truth, the shack was actually a shrine for a lost clan; his clan. The clan was once a village that was allied with Konoha before it was destroyed by a joint assault from two of the five main villages.

How did he know this? He read it in a journal; but not just any journal. No, this journal was written and owned by a member of the clan that was alive long after the passing of the Shodaime Hokage. The journal he had in his hand once belonged to Uzumaki Mito, his ancestor and wife of the late Shodaime.

For nearly two years, he had spent an hour or so a day reading and rereading the journal so that he could see what life in Konoha was like for the famous Uzumaki. He was currently on his fourth reread of the journal to date.

"It's been so long since Hashirama-kun passed. I've lost track of how long years ago and spend most of my days in our home watching the village grow and mature from the sapling that my husband planted into the budding tree it has become today.

Yet, I can't help but feel with each passing day that I am becoming more and more unwelcome here. The villagers who once looked to me with respect and kindness now look at me with veiled fear and distrust.

It escaped me for the first few years as to why this change had occurred. But I know the truth now. The Kyuubi I keep at bay is what they fear. Since the passing of Hashirama-kun, I have felt the negativity in the village grow with each passing week. They fear that I will let the fox free now that the 'only' person who could control it is gone.

I cannot help but pity them for letting fear cloud their better instincts and judgment. I was capable of sealing the fox within me without any kind of drawback, but they don't care. Hashirama-kun was capable of controlling all of the Bijuu with his infamous Mokuton, and the villagers are afraid that their 'last defense' against the fox being freed is gone.

I am counting down the days until I believe their fear will turn more hostile."

The blonde sighed as he finished reading the passage. He carefully closed the aged journal and placed it neatly back in the shelf he found it on in the shrine. With a resigned expression, he made his way out of the shrine and back to the village. His team had their first C-Rank Mission today and he had to be ready.

Putting up his mask of naïveté and innocence, he made his way back to the village while mentally promising to return to the shrine as soon as he came back.

Two weeks later.

the blonde walked into the shrine with a somber expression on his face. The events of the recent mission weighed heavily on him. From the very beginning, things had gone from bad to worse, starting with the ambush targeting their client and the revelation that the man had lied to them about the true nature of their assignment. What followed was a downward spiral, but what hurt Naruto the most wasn't the betrayal or the fighting—it was the girl he'd met.

She had seen herself as nothing more than a tool, a weapon for a man who didn't care for her until it was too late. Watching her throw away her life so casually, with no regard for her own value, had shaken him to his core. Her sacrifice had been in vain, as the man she saved had been killed shortly after while recklessly trying to avenge her.

Naruto had buried them both on a hill overlooking the port village, the weight of failure pressing down on him as he dug their graves. Over and over, he couldn't stop thinking about how things could have been different. He could have helped them seek asylum in Konoha. He could have tried harder to convince the girl that she was more than a mere tool. He could have done so much more—but he didn't.

He had failed them.

With a deep sigh, Naruto brought his sleeve upward, revealing a seal inked onto the skin of his wrist. It was a storage seal, and with a puff of smoke, the Kubikiribōchō appeared in his hand.

Zabuza's final words echoed in his mind: "I would be honored if the Kubikiribōchō was wielded by the last Uzumaki."

Naruto stared at the massive blade in silence. It was a weapon stained with blood, but in Zabuza's hands, it had been more than just a tool of death. Naruto had seen the man for who he truly was—not a monster, but a broken man hiding behind the mask of one. Zabuza had lost so much in life, and yet, at the end, he had fought for something he truly cared about: Haku.

I hope you've found peace, Zabuza... Naruto thought as he set the blade aside with care. And Haku... I hope you're together on the other side.

Suddenly, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind. Turning his head, he was greeted by a petite, tan-skinned kunoichi with short, layered mint-green hair, accented by an orange clip that matched her striking orange eyes. She wore a sleeveless white midriff shirt with fishnet armor beneath, along with matching fishnet shorts partially hidden by a short white apron skirt. Her Takigakure forehead protector was tied securely around her right arm.

This was none other than Fū, the Nanabi jinchūriki of Takigakure—lucky number seven, as she liked to call herself.

Naruto smiled faintly at the sight of her. He had met her during the mission, and though their initial interaction had been brief, they had shared a bond over their unique circumstances. Both of them were jinchūriki, scorned and isolated by their respective villages. Fū, with her boundless energy and optimism, had quickly become a bright spot in the darkness of that mission.

After the chaos of the battle, she had stayed behind to help the people of the Land of Waves alongside Naruto. The two had spent countless hours together, talking about their lives and sharing their pain. When she smiled, Naruto couldn't help but feel his spirits lift—but when she broke down in tears, confessing how much hatred and loneliness she had endured, Naruto had held her tightly, comforting her in a way only someone who shared her pain could.

"Thank you," she had whispered to him through her tears.

Naruto had learned that Fū's teammates were no better than the villagers who hated her. They treated her with disdain, viewing her as nothing more than a liability. But with Naruto, she felt free—happy, even. And Naruto found himself smiling whenever he saw her joy.

Now, after their time in the Land of Waves, Fū had decided to join them on their return to Konoha for the upcoming Chūnin Exams. Naruto didn't mind her presence at all—in fact, he welcomed it.

"We're a duo now," Fū had declared with a wide grin during their journey back. "Two jinchūriki against the world!"

Naruto chuckled at the memory. He was glad to have someone who truly understood him, someone who shared his struggles and could stand by his side.

As Fū hugged him tightly from behind, Naruto leaned into her embrace with a small smile. He didn't know what challenges the future would bring, but for the first time in a long time, he didn't feel alone.

He to told her about his clan and the book, he grabbed Mito's journal from the shelf. When he opened the book, his mind finally stopped thinking over the mission in favor of rereading Mito's thoughts.

"Kushina visited me again today. Such a sweet and spirited girl... She reminds me of how I used to be at her age. It pains my heart every time I think of how she may lose that free spiritedness when the fox is transferred from my body to hers. My time is nearing an end while hers is barely beginning.

A large part of me is very tempted to just let the fox reside in me as I pass on, but I know Hashirama-kun sacrificed so much for the fox to remain in Konoha. It seems petty and far too prideful in favor of the village to let this continue, but I can't help but want to honor my husband's sacrifice. He was a good man and he always had the intentions of the people over his own. A good man; a good husband...

I have asked my friends to watch over Kushina and help her retain some aspect of love. It is something that I have noticed over the years I held the fox; love counters its hate and so long as the container has love, the hatred will stay locked away.

Celestia and Luna were more than happy to take upon my request, but they need Kushina to summon the contract in order for them to aid her.

I still can't help but slap myself at the fact that I have forgotten where the contract resides. The one thing I believed I could do to help Kushina, and I don't even have the necessities to do so. Kami-sama, have mercy on this foolish woman for her mistake and watch over Kushina-chan...

Heaven knows that she will need it for the life she will soon live."

The blonde closed the journal with a sad sigh. When he first read that passage, he tried to look up information regarding Kushina, Celestia, or Luna. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful in finding anything about them. After weeks of searching, he finally figured that they were some kind of secret that only certain people were privy to know.

Even now, he still wonders who those three were. He knows that Kushina couldn't be alive since the Kyuubi now resides in his body, but that didn't mean that Celestia or Luna were dead yet.

He looked out the shrine window and frowned at the darkening sky. It was late and he couldn't sleep here since the Hokage could have a need to contact him. So, he placed the book back and made his way back to his apartment where an empty room full of loneliness awaited him. Fu went to back to hotel to her assholes team mates.

When Naruto arrived at his apartment, he was greeted by an unexpected sight.

"Welcome, Naruto-kun," came a cheerful voice.

Naruto froze mid-step, turning toward the source. Fu was sitting cross-legged on his couch, her bright smile greeting him like sunlight.

"Fu?" he said flatly, his deadpan expression betraying his confusion. "What are you doing here... in my apartment?"

Fu grinned, unfazed by his tone. "I decided to have a sleepover!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

She tilted her head playfully. "Because I can."

Naruto groaned. He didn't mind Fu's company—truthfully, he enjoyed it—but the idea of anyone seeing her here made him uneasy. Rumors about him were bad enough. Adding a foreign kunoichi into the mix, let alone another jinchūriki, would only fuel the villagers' hostility.

Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Fine, but keep it quiet. I don't want anyone finding out you're here."

Fu's smile widened, but there was a trace of sadness in her voice. "Don't worry. My team wouldn't care if I was gone."

Naruto winced at her words. He could hear the pain buried beneath her cheerful facade. She had no one, just like him. He hesitated for a moment before nodding toward his bed. "You can take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch."

Fu's face lit up as she thanked him, but Naruto couldn't shake the ache in his chest. As much as she hid behind her smile, he could tell how much loneliness weighed on her.

The next morning, sunlight poured through the window, and Naruto stirred. He blinked groggily, realizing he wasn't on the couch anymore.

He looked down, lifting the blanket cautiously, and froze.

Fu was curled up against him, her arms wrapped around his waist, her face buried against his chest. She looked peaceful, a small smile on her face as she nuzzled closer.

Naruto's face turned scarlet. He didn't know whether to wake her or stay still. He settled for staring at the ceiling, his heart pounding in his chest.

Why does this feel... nice?

Eventually, he sighed and closed his eyes, letting himself relax. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this kind of warmth.

[Two Days Later]

The blonde was seen leaning against a wall with the journal he was rereading on its last passage.

"My time has almost reached its end. I can feel the fox trying desperately to escape my weakening body. The transfer is set to happen this evening and I know that Kushina-chan is still afraid.

I had explained to her exactly what was going to happen the week before and she took it precisely as I predicted she would; fearful and panicked. Why wouldn't she be? A cataclysmic creature is being placed into her and she is the only thing holding it back from escaping and causing mass mayhem. Of course she'd be afraid.

I worry for her... The other Uzumaki have left the village, leaving just me and Kushina-chan within its walls. She'll be alone with no family to call upon and a burden fit for a village full of Jonin within her. Such a life I would not wish upon even my greatest enemy.

I tried finding that blasted scroll again, but I was once again unsuccessful. Even my friends – the ones I see as family – will be unable to assist her. My heart is breaking as I keep thinking of how her life will be in the village as the Kyuubi Jinchuriki and last remaining Uzumaki.

My time is nearly spent... I have but one last thing to write to whoever has found this. Remember that your family is everything. A village will always betray you eventually, but family stays loyal no matter what.

If you, my dear reader, are of my clan, then this lesson is our Clan's Creed; family over pride, family over glory, family over all.

Never forget..."

The blonde had a hollow smile on his face as he closed the journal. If his Clan's Creed was all about family loyalty, then where was his family? Why were he and this Kushina woman alone in the village without any of the family there to help them?

He sighed sadly as he made to return the book, but tripped on a loose floorboard. Fu look at him sadly knowing what is like not have a family and missing them. In her experience she only have glimpse small memory of her mother when the day she was born and died giving birth and still remember when her father abandon her and even called her demon spawn she was still toddler when he left her in the orphanage. She her father was in the village, but never knew how he look like, she gave up the idea to find knowing he will just reject.

Naruto fell towards the bookshelf and reached out to one of the many shelves to steady himself, but his hand grasped a scroll instead and he braced for the impact with the floor. Fu quickly how to help him.

However, the blond met resistance...as if he was grasping a door or wall. He looked to his arm and saw it pulling on the scroll from the shelf. His head tilted in curiosity before he heard a loud and echoing click from behind the shelf.

Before his eyes, the shelf and the wall it leaned against spun around and revealed a hidden tunnel way that was lit by old torches. He slowly stood back to his feet and headed inside, noticing that the torches had seals on them that were most likely keeping them lit.

During his many visits to this shrine, he didn't just read the journal. No, he also read and studied the many scrolls that went over lessons on fuinjutsu and was instantly amazed at how useful and diverse the art was. After two years of visiting the shrine, he believed that he was at an adept level, but he needed an experienced fuinjutsu user to examine his skill level. Fu with eyes sparkle of excitment. "Secret tunnel" she whisper.

They made his way down the tunnel, he noticed that the air had gone from ancient and tranquil to inviting and warm. His curiosity was growing at the feeling as he finally entered a small rounded room with a single pedestal in the center that had a scroll and piece of paper on it. He approached the pedestal and read the paper that rested on the scroll.

"To the reader:

This scroll is a prized possession of the people that hail from the islands with swirling tides. If you are of this swirling clan, then open the scroll and claim what is yours by right. If you are not, then turn back or risk being lost to this world forever."

"Islands with swirling tides..." murmured the blonde before the answer came to him. "The Uzumaki..."

Setting the paper aside, he grabbed the scroll and observed the design. The scroll itself was a dull yellow with the edges splashed with vibrant red in a wave-like design. He sat on the ground and opened the scroll, looking to the many Uzumaki who signed it; the most recent being Uzumaki Mito.

"This must be that scroll she tried to find," he muttered to no one as he bit his thumb and began to sign the scroll.

After reading about Mito having a Summoning Scroll, the teen had asked the Sandaime about them. The aged Kage was happy to tell the boy the mechanics behind Summoning Contracts, Scrolls, and Animals. He told of how the scroll works, how each contract had a different sequence of seals, and how each summoning animal clan had different rules or guidelines for their summoners to follow.

Using the knowledge he was given, the blonde signed his name in his own blood before he placed a bloody handprint of his right palm underneath it. Fu watches it, seeing the first time she sees a summoning contract, tilting her head like cute curious puppy.

Just as he finished, he felt a pull on his form before he disappeared in a plume of smoke.

Summon Realm (moments before)

In the throne room of a castle that rested on clouds, two creatures with having a calm discussion about the worrying news concerning their summoning race as of late.

The first had the appearance of a large white horse. However, it also had a pair of white wings and a horn on its head. The mane and tail of the horse was also strange; they were blue, green, purple, and pink and had a flowing motion even as it stood in place. On its flank was a mark in the design of the sun while it wore noble jewelry around its neck and on its head. Its bright purple eyes contained much wisdom, kindness, and authority.

The second creature was the same as the first but had many differences. For starters, the color of its coat, wings, and horn were a very dark, almost midnight, blue. The mane and tail had the colors of a clear night sky, complete with sparkles to represent the stars, and was translucent enough to see through it at some points. The mark on its flank was in the design of a white crescent moon and the jewelry it wore was near black in color with the one around the neck bearing the mark on its flank. Liken the first, its dark blue eyes showed wisdom and authority, but the kindness seemed to be more regretful than anything.

These two were Celestia and Luna, the Head Summons of the Uzumaki Clan's Summoning Contract. They were known as alicorns; horses with the wings of pegasi and the horns of unicorns.

"We are running out of time, my sister," Luna stated in a sorrowful tone. "After Mito's passing, we have lost all contact with the Elemntal nation. Soon our contract will vanish."

Celestia nodded with a slight frown. "Indeed... This is a most troubling time. If an Uzumaki doesn't find our contract soon, we will no longer be considered summoning creatures and will be forced to lose connection bridge to the Elemental nation."

Luna gazed out the window of their castle with a sense of fading hope. "What should we tell our people?"

The white alicorn sighed and was about to speak before the two felt a tug on their minds and turned their heads to the scroll on the wall next to them so quick that they could've suffered whiplash. On the scroll, underneath Mito's name, they saw a name start to slowly appear.

"Uzumaki..." Luna began.

"...Naruto," Celestia finished in slight shock as the name was then accompanied by a handprint. As soon as it was there, Celestia turned to her sister and they both nodded before they focused their power on the scroll.

"Onmyōton: Gyaku Kuchiyose (Yin-Yang Release: Reverse Summon)!" they cried out together as the newest name on the scroll lit up and a plume of smoke appeared in the center of the room.

When it cleared, the two alicorns gazed at the human they had brought to their realm. He stood at a height of 5'8", had hair as gold as sunlight, had stranger whisker-like markings on his cheeks, and blue eyes as bright as sapphire. He wore blue shinobi sandals, an orange jumpsuit with some blue and white thrown in, and a blue headband with the symbol of Konoha on it. And along with

He was coughing and waving his arm around to clear the smoke before he focused on his surroundings. The room he was in seemed fit for royalty and he couldn't help but silently marvel at the decorations that brought out the nobility of the room.

A clearing of the throat was heard and he turned to see the two alicorns gazing at him; one in shock and the other with a kind smile. Both Shinobi stood still and Fu was the one broke the silence.

Fu: (eye dot expression) Yo.

To be continued...