Author's Note: Wow, thank you all! It hasn't even been a full month since I started posting this story and at the time of this chapter being posted there's 172 Followers and 110 Favorites. I was hoping Naruto Daiyoukai Namikaze would be well-received and this result fills me with confidence.

Also, I forgot to type in the ranks for the 2 homemade Jutsu used in Chapter 5. Those were both B-Rank Jutsu, their descriptions at the end of the chapter have been updated.

Disclaimer: Naruto and Inuyasha belong to their respective owners.

Dialogue Legend:

"Unforgivable" – Normal dialogue

'Unforgivable' – character's thoughts/speaking to Inner Demon

"Unforgivable" – Jutsu name

'Unforgivable' – Inner Demon speaking

Review Corner:

book lover reader: Thank you, again, for giving me some context regarding Ino's personality. Based on what you've said and looking at the Naruto wiki, Ino won't need the same overhaul that Sakura's personality will be getting.

Serpensreality: For sure, that was probably one of the main reasons the Uzumaki Clan was wiped out aside from most villages fearing their god-tier Fuinjutsu. No comment on Sasuke's teacher(s), but I will say he'll be self-taught to a certain degree; after all, Naruto's not the only one with a Clan Vault. Your recommendations for Hinata were already planned, and will start happening sooner than you think. That idea regarding Ibiki is perfect for something I have planned later on, so it's going in!

Yes, which sword indeed?

God of Wind 200: Excellent questions! Regarding Sasuke's honorifics, yes Hinata should have addressed him with "-san" instead of "-kun" as she's known for excessive politeness (i.e. always using the correct honorifics when talking to people) and she is not friendly enough with Sasuke at this point to address him with "-kun". Sasuke helping Hinata during the Bell Test was the start of their friendship, so as the story goes on their relationship will progress to the point where she feels comfortable addressing him with "-kun". Chapter 5 has been corrected. Thank you.

As for Naruto, by Chapter 5 their relationship has progressed enough that she no longer feels the need to address him with honorifics. In Chapter 4, she addressed Naruto with "-kun" while apologizing to him and that conversation ended with Naruto acknowledging and returning Hinata's feelings for him. Addressing someone without honorifics implies that you either have little/no respect for whomever you're speaking to or that you're very close friends/romantically involved with them. I agree that it's still slightly OOC for Hinata to address Naruto with no honorifics (again, due to excessive politeness being one of her character traits) but given their relationship it's socially acceptable for her not to do it and her not using honorifics with Naruto is my way of allowing Hinata to let her hair down; with Naruto she doesn't have to worry about embarrassing herself and knows he prefers more casual conversation, so she speaks more casually while addressing him.

I thought about changing most Jutsu names to English while writing Chapter 5 and you brought up the main reason I decided not to: consistency. For this story, I want to convey the impression that the characters are speaking Japanese at all times. Having them call out Jutsu names in plain English breaks that impression IMO. Even if I didn't feel that way, like you said some Jutsu sound much more impressive with their Japanese names than the English translations of those names. "Rasengan" is much more aesthetically pleasing than "Spiralling Sphere". At this point, I don't know how many Jutsu I'll be creating from scratch to spice up fight scenes or advance the plot. Keeping all the Jutsu names in Japanese means I don't have to worry about verbal aesthetics. I found a much better translation site for translating Jutsu names into Japanese (romajidesu) so I'll be using that going forward. Luckily, according to that site, Google Translate didn't screw me over regarding the names for the 2 homemade Jutsu in Chapter 5.

demonboy121986: Thanks for all your comments!

Chapter 6 – Proposals and Revelations

8:15 AM, Day of the Bell Test - Konoha Council Chamber

"Hiruzen-dono, what is the meaning of this?!" Koharu, one of the three most prominent civilians on Konoha's council, was shocked by what she had just learned.

"The report before you summarizes my investigation of our esteemed Academy instructors' conduct, including the results and conclusion of said investigation; the intent behind its contents should be self-evident. If any council member present wishes to view the full report, I will have copies made per individual request." Hiruzen replied curtly.

"This is preposterous; you arrested nearly every teacher in our village's Academy on rumors and hearsay!" Homura, another of the top three civilians on the council yelled. "The Kyuubi brat's – "

"His name is Naruto Uzumaki, and, from this moment forward, anyone who addresses him by less than his name shall be ejected from this council!" Hiruzen spoke softly, but the steel in his voice was heard by all in the room.

"That those elevated to the highest position within Konoha a civilian can reach would disparage a child whose very existence spared our village from complete annihilation twelve years ago, speaks volumes as to the current state of our citizens. Naruto has always been only the prison, never the prisoner. Every soul here knows this, and every soul here – myself, most of all – has done Naruto a horrendous disservice by allowing those beneath us, or affiliated with us, to treat him in a manner even remotely similar to what is inscribed in the report. I, for one, have no intention of allowing such behavior to continue, and my council has no room for those who would – by action or inaction – perpetuate Naruto's misfortune!"

The civilians on the Council glared at Hiruzen, while the Shinobi faction either allowed half-smiles to appear on their faces or remained expressionless, depending on their opinions of Naruto. Regardless of their stance regarding the boy, none of the Shinobi begrudged their Hokage for asserting his dominance over the civilian faction. On the contrary, many were reminded of Hiruzen's younger days, when he was feared as the God of Shinobi, and welcomed what they viewed as a return to form for their aging master.

"To address your concern, Homura-dono, the accused have not been arrested; they have been sentenced." Hiruzen continued. "Their punishment has already been meted out, and they are free to resume their duties, assuming that they survived."

"Survived? Precisely what punishment did you deliver, Hiruzen?" Danzo, the de facto leader of the Council's civilian faction, asked the question on everyone's lips.

"To clarify, Danzo, the punishment administered to the guilty parties was requested by Naruto Uzumaki himself. I'll confess to a certain degree of shock when I heard his proposal for those who wronged him, though the poetic justice of it was, truly, inspired." The Sandaime allowed a peaceful smile to adorn his face.

"As Naruto was routinely beaten by his instructors, he believed it fitting that – if found guilty – their right hands should all be severed. The gruesome deed was done at a location of Naruto's choosing, by the victim himself; as the young man has no training in such procedures, Anko-san was dispatched to instruct Naruto and ensure matters proceeded as efficiently as possible. Regrettably, Naruto's preferred venue was far removed from any hospital or clinic; between that and the swift nature of this investigation, only the most rudimentary of medical supplies could be arranged beforehand. The amputations were, regrettably, performed with no disinfectants or analgesics on sight."

"Monstrous!"

"Barbaric!"

"How could you allow this?!"

As the civilian faction voiced their outrage, the Shinobi faction grew worrisome, both from the sadism exhibited by the abused Jinchuriki, and the ease with which he was able to conceal his loathing for those responsible for his plight. All present knew of Naruto's propensity for pranks but had believed it was merely his way of lashing out against his fate.

"Troublesome, to think Konoha's most infamous prankster has such a twisted mind." Shikaku said.

"Fine crops cannot grow in barren soil, Shikaku" Choza responded. "The village has abused Naruto for years; we've all seen it. If his Academy years were as bad as the investigation summary suggests, then we can hardly blame him for seeking retribution. Hell, we should be grateful that he didn't demand their heads."

"Speaking of which, with Hokage-sama's permission, I believe I know where this brutal act occurred."

The words of Inoichi, head of the Yamanaka Clan and leader of Konoha's Intelligence Division, silenced the entire room as all eyes turned to Hiruzen. The Sandaime nodded in consent, a grave look on his face.

"Within the swaths of territory jointly owned by the Nara, Akimichi and Yamanaka clans, pockets of land claimed by the Uzumaki Clan exist. One of these locations contains an execution ground meant specifically for traitors of Konoha. My clan's territory encircles that area, and I received word last night of several one-handed men and women begging the Yamanaka they encountered for aid."

"Ah, then these most savagely treated instructors are now in your clan's care?" Danzo asked.

"Indeed, Danzo-dono. However, the likelihood that any will survive – let alone be fit to resume their duties – is nearly nonexistent." Inoichi answered. "The execution ground lies deep within one of Konoha's many forests and has not been used since the Third Shinobi World War. As such, the surrounding woods are fraught with predators; not even those of my clan assigned to guard our holdings in the region dare move far from their posts. By the time the instructors were rescued, they bore horrific injuries. Some died in the arms of their saviors, and those that remain among the living are in critical condition. Naturally, the outpost that rescued them is equipped to treat injuries typically received from animal attacks, but it is manned entirely by Shinobi. As such, there is a presumption that the injured party will be able to flee their assailant without suffering tremendous harm."

"Are you saying that the near-entirety of our Academy's faculty is facing death with minimal medical resources?" Koharu shrieked.

"I am afraid so, Koharu-dono. They cannot be moved without compromising their already precarious states. Before coming to this meeting, I dispatched an urgent request to the hospitals closest to the outpost, begging any Medical Ninja available to render aid at once. Unfortunately, said hospitals could not act upon my request due to many of their Medical Ninja being preoccupied with mandatory recertification exams and procedures. Once begun, these recertification processes cannot be interrupted without risking heavy censure and fines, or even imprisonment, for practicing medicine without an active license."

"Madness! The instructors are barred from aid because their saviors are busy taking glorified school tests?!" Homura yelled.

"Respectfully, Homura-dono, the policies concerning medical recertifications were recommended by – and approved by – the civilian members of this very council to ensure that Konoha's Medical Ninja would constantly be aware of technological and anatomical advances in their field. The strict consequences for failure to adhere to these policies were also approved by this council, again largely at your fellow civilian's behest. If you and your peers are dissatisfied by the current events, then you've only your past selves to blame." Inoichi allowed the slightest hint of delight to enter his voice.

Koharu and Homura could only glare at Inoichi as the cold truth sank in. Their silence spread to the other civilians on the Council as they also realized the futility of protesting the matter further.

"The method invoked to punish these wayward instructors is irrelevant." Hiashi, head of the Hyuuga Clan, stated. "Far more pressing, at this juncture, is the fact that our Academy is now woefully understaffed; to resolve this issue, I move to pass an edict compelling any Shinobi currently retired or unable to serve on the front lines to become Academy instructors, until such a time that teachers with great compassion for all of their students can be cultivated and installed as replacements. Substantial compensation shall, of course, be provided for this inconvenience."

"Foolishness! Many of our retired Shinobi are registered as reserve forces! I reject this, and any other proposal, that would compromise our military assets!" Danzo swore.

"Have you bothered to read this investigation summary, Danzo-dono? The names of the guilty parties are listed on the last pages; the overwhelming majority of those sentenced were civilian instructors. I second Hiashi-sama's motion" Shikaku countered.

"As do I, the relative lack of Shinobi found guilty in this investigation clearly demonstrates that the Shinobi of the village are far more capable of unbiased instruction than their civilian peers." Choza endorsed.

"Let us put the matter to a vote." Hiruzen declared. A soft rustling filled the council chamber as all present prepared the three small flags – colored green for affirmation, red for rejection, and blue for abstention – used for votes. Once all was in readiness, Hiruzen proceeded.

"Let the record state that Hiashi Hyuuga has proposed an emergency measure in response to an unavoidable, near-instantaneous, and unprecedented loss of nearly seventy percent of the faculty in Konoha's Academy."

Many members of the civilian faction bristled at this statement but could do nothing; Hiruzen's official description of the current crisis was, technically, correct.

"Said emergency measure entails the enlistment of retired and/or disabled Shinobi to teaching positions within the Academy for an indefinite amount of time, with appropriate compensation. These Shinobi may only be relieved of this duty if another, willing, denizen of Konoha applies – and is approved – to replace them. The approval process will be discussed at a later time. Furthermore, as the potential implementation of this emergency measure has dire ramifications for the future of Konoha, the voices of all council members present must be heard; there will be no abstentions."

Upon hearing this, many Shinobi in the room silently cheered their beloved Hokage, while several among the civilian faction suppressed the impulse to shriek in rage. A line in the sand had been drawn, and Hiruzen would soon know upon which side each councilor stood. Konoha, like any other Shinobi nation, was a military state. No military could effectively function by committee; the Konoha Council was a mechanism meant to ensure peaceful relations between all of the village's citizens, but the democracy utilized within it was – at best – an illusion. One that Hiruzen clearly intended to shatter if this vote did not yield the desired result.

"All present who agree to implement Hiashi Hyuuga's proposal, raise your flags!" Hiruzen raised his own green flag, and a sea of green materialized to meet it. The Shinobi faction had unanimously voted to approve the proposal, and many among the civilian faction also voted in affirmation. Whether they genuinely agreed with the logic and merits of the proposal, or were swayed by Hiruzen's unspoken threat, was known only to them.

Once all flags were raised, they remained so for several minutes while their number was independently tallied by three randomly determined members of the Council. Only once all three tallies were compared to each other, and confirmation that the results were perfect matches was obtained, did the flag bearers lower their arms.

"All who oppose Hiashi Hyuuga's proposal, raise your flags." Hiruzen continued. The number of red flags raised in response was only counted and verified for the sake of propriety; the outcome was already known.

"Let the record state that Konoha's ruling council has voted, by an overwhelming majority, to implement the emergency measures proposed by Hiashi Hyuuga. As the proposal was his, Hiashi-dono bears all rights and responsibilities regarding the enactment of this edict. Should he require assistance in this matter, he is permitted to request the aid of any Shinobi he deems suitable for the task."

"Hiruzen-dono, I move to create a subcommittee jointly staffed by civilians and Shinobi; its purpose will be to provide logistical support to Hiashi-dono's efforts to reestablish the Academy's faculty." Koharu demanded.

"Motion denied! Though the lax nature of all Shinobi present in this room contributed to the crisis regarding the Academy's staffing issue, the root cause of the problem almost exclusively originated from Konoha's civilians; their interference in this disaster's resolution shall not be tolerated!"

For nearly a minute, silence reigned supreme as everyone digested Hiruzen's words.

"Hiruzen, if there is nothing more of major note to discuss, I shall take my leave at this time." Danzo nearly spat as he began to rise from his seat but before he could fully stand, three Anbu guards surrounded him and forced him to sit back down.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"

"You overstep yourself, Danzo. This council meeting has not been adjourned, and I have not granted you permission to leave prematurely. If you will not remain seated of your own volition, then you will be chained to that chair until today's proceedings are concluded." Hiruzen did not bother to conceal his disgust for the man responsible for manipulating Itachi Uchiha into slaughtering his own clan. The war hawk had been granted years to fly about as he wished, and he'd chosen to sink his talons in places that should have remained pristine; it was long past time to clip his wings. Danzo grunted as he relaxed in his seat. The Anbu that restrained him moments before retreated only two steps behind him, clearly prepared to deal with future escape attempts.

"The next order of business directly concerns you. Years ago, you created a subsidiary branch of our Anbu corps, codenamed Root. I tolerated its existence at first, but eventually demanded its dissolution after the Uchiha Massacre, correct?" The current God of Shinobi inquired.

"Indeed." Danzo answered, having a suspicion as to where Hiruzen was going with this and hoping he was wrong.

"Perhaps my memory is failing me, but I recall that my orders on the matter expressly stated that all equipment and memorabilia created specifically for Root operatives were to be completely destroyed. Is my recollection accurate?"

"It is as you say."

"Then explain to this council why a Hyuuga guard discovered this while patrolling the perimeter of Hiashi-dono's manor!" Hiruzen reached into his robe and produced a headband, throwing it into the center of the chamber for all to see. Instead of the leaf symbol typically seen adorning a Konoha headband, the kanji for "root" was defiantly engraved instead.

"Inoichi-san, when Root was disbanded, you confiscated many headbands identical to this one, did you not?" Hiruzen asked.

"I most certainly did, Hokage-sama, and my Intelligence Division was quite thorough in their search. It is most unlikely that any such headbands existing at the time of our purge escaped our notice." The Yamanaka Clan Head suppressed the urge to violate Danzo's mind then and there.

"In that case, Root must currently still exist in an unofficial capacity. Danzo, you'd best speak your defense now; I'm running out of reasons to resist strangling you with my shadows." Shikaku's shadow flexed towards Danzo, a wolf chomping at the bit.

"Very well," Danzo growled. "Root was officially disbanded shortly after the Uchiha Massacre per Hiruzen's instructions. However, a critical component of a Root operative's training was to condition them to serve me alone. This conditioning proved exceedingly difficult – if not impossible – to reverse, so I converted many of my former Root agents into private bodyguards. Some of them expressed a desire to wear their Root headbands again as a display of their respect towards me, so I discreetly manufactured a small number of them to be dispersed upon request. As Root is no longer recruiting new members, I saw no harm in appeasing the desires of my most loyal bodyguards."

"In other words, you created a private army, allegedly just for your protection, and this Root headband serves as a badge of honor for the greatest among them." Choza scoffed. "I don't believe it; you're a warmonger masquerading as a helpless civilian and I won't stand for your bullshit anymore!" Choza invoked his clan's unique Jutsu and swelled to nearly twice his normal height.

"Hiruzen-dono, we must have order in these proceedings!" Homura pleaded.

"Agreed, both of you stand down." Shikaku and Choza both dispelled their Jutsu but their eyes remained fastened to Danzo like spiders imploring a fly to collide with their webs.

"Danzo, this headband was collected from the corpse of a man seen trespassing on a building very close to my estate." Hiashi said. "Specifically, the corpse was discovered on the roof of the Namikaze mansion." A puff of smoke emanated from the storage scroll Hiashi threw to the ground; as it cleared, an emaciated corpse was made visible to all. The man's body was so thoroughly drained of nutrients that it had begun to decay minutes after his death; only the near-absolute time suspension of a storage seal could preserve the corpse for evidence in this impromptu trial.

'Fascinating! The Namikaze estate is among the most ancient buildings in Konoha; during construction anti-intrusion seals must have been incorporated into its structure. Such seals typically incapacitate any not invited to enter. Naturally, fatal versions exist, but have only seen use in times of war to protect areas of strategic importance. I must confess I've never encountered one used for private security.' Inoichi mentally applauded the fortifications protecting Naruto's new home.

"Danzo-dono, you have no business at the Namikaze estate, so your 'bodyguards' have even less business there." Shikaku growled.

"Shikaku-san, if one of my off-duty guards happened to see something amiss upon the grounds of Yondaime-dono's estate, he would have investigated the matter. While the current iteration of my guards is – first and foremost – dedicated to protecting my person, they are, ultimately, still Shinobi of Konoha. As such, they are obligated to enforce law and order within the village."

"That seems reasonable, Danzo, but your hypothesis presumes that there was something worth investigating." Inoichi countered. "If such was not the case, then your Root operative had no legitimate reason to trespass on Minato-sama's mansion. Per your words, Root members are loyal to you first and the village second. Hiashi-sama, did anyone of your clan detect something occurring within the Namikaze grounds that may corroborate Danzo's supposition?"

"Perhaps, Inoichi-dono; two nights ago, a substantial quantity of Chakra was observed emanating from the Namikaze mansion. If this Root member had Chakra-sensing abilities, he may have detected this Chakra and investigated the matter, only to, regrettably, be ensnared by the estate's defenses."

"Ah, I'm afraid the Chakra manifestation was my doing" Hiruzen offered. "Two nights ago, I and two of my maids were at the Namikaze estate to ensure that no rodents or insects had made homes in Minato-sama's mansion, per his Last Will and Testament. The interior of the mansion is illuminated mostly by Chakra lamps; due to the building's size, a substantial quantity of Chakra is required to activate them all."

"Indeed, such a visit is far from unprecedented. Hokage-sama's Chakra signature is known to all of my guards, and they have noticed it several times throughout the years at the Namikaze estate as he performed his aforementioned duty there." Hiashi clarified.

"Then this matter of my Root bodyguard is concluded." Danzo grunted. "While I regret his loss, and his associates within Root will mourn him, he cannot be faulted for performing his duty and getting killed by an unknown trap."

"So it would seem, Danzo. However, if any of your 'off-duty' Root bodyguards detect something amiss in the future, they are not to intervene; they must report their suspicions directly to me." Hiruzen ordered. "They are no longer active Shinobi, nor are they members of the Konoha Police Force, and I shall not tolerate vigilantism in my village!"

"As you command, Hiruzen." Danzo forced neutrality into his voice, but inwardly he was seething. The continued existence of his Root operatives had been discovered at the worst possible time; he had intended to use the current staffing crisis to plant several of his agents into the Academy's new faculty. While they would not be able to openly preach Danzo's philosophies, their teaching positions would have been perfect for scouting new recruits. That was all but impossible now; the ex-Shinobi selected for the task would be carefully screened to ensure that treatment of the Kyuubi brat would not be repeated, and the intensity of said screening would be – at the very least – redoubled now that Hiruzen was aware of Danzo's private army. Inoichi was extremely competent, and the small chance of any Root agent evading his scrutiny was not worth the risk to Danzo's plans.

"I have no further orders of business to discuss; does any other member of this council have issues that must be addressed at this time?" Silence was Hiruzen's only answer.

"Then I declare this meeting of Konoha's Council adjourned. You are all dismissed."

The three leaders of the civilian faction left the council chamber immediately, followed soon by the rest of their faction. Most of the Shinobi faction, including Hiruzen, left as well. Within two minutes, only four men remained in the room.

"We are alone. The only Chakra presences detected by my Byakugan within several dozen yards are the other councilors, and they are all leaving the area." Hiashi stated.

"Excellent, then I'd love to ask, what the fuck just happened?" Choza confessed.

Shikaku and Hiashi informed Choza of Naruto and Kakashi's recent endeavors, with Inoichi providing context when needed.

"So, after the Professor heard how Iruka-san was treated he thought our hospitals all needed to be taught a lesson? Awesome!" Choza exclaimed.

"Yes, but we have a much more troublesome issue now. Naruto Uzumaki, Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune and son of our dear friend Minato-sama, has twelve years' worth of ample reason to despise the village we all love. Additionally, he's wily enough to conceal the true extent of his rage for as long as anyone's thought to keep track of him, and he now has access to his family's greatest secrets." Shikaku grumbled.

"Hiashi-sama, you were Minato-sama's closest friend. Is there anything you can share with us regarding the legacy Naruto now stands to inherit?" Inoichi asked.

"Regrettably not, Inoichi-dono." The Hyuuga lord responded. "All here know of Minato-sama's many talents, but anything pertaining to his clan's history he either took with him on his journey to the afterlife or left to Naruto-kun. All clans have their secrets, and I had no desire to compromise my greatest friendship by asking Minato-sama to reveal anything he did not wish to. However, there is hope for us yet; my daughter has been placed on the same team as Naruto-kun. Despite her sincerest efforts to conceal it, her infatuation with our village's Jinchuriki is no great secret. I know not if Naruto-kun reciprocates Hinata's feelings, and I would never ask my daughter to choose between her heart and her sense of duty, so we can only pray that Hinata's relationship with Naruto-kun is positive enough to prevent him from turning against the entire village."

"That's not much to bet on, but we must play with the pieces we have on the board." Shikaku sighed. "Speaking of which, I'd like to deprive Danzo of his pieces as soon as possible. Inoichi-dono, can you dig up the old list of known Root operatives from when Hokage-sama first ordered them disbanded? It's been years, and there's no way Danzo hasn't been recruiting since then, but those agents can provide invaluable insight into Root's current structure and combat capability. Even if they've been brainwashed, or have a Jutsu cast on them that prevents them from betraying Danzo, killing them will still reduce the threat posed by Root substantially."

"This is why I love working for you, old friend; you're one of the few who can read my mind! I'll have that list for you within the half-hour, and we can begin arresting the Root agents known to us later today!"

"I will lend you several Jonin-ranked members of my clan; their Byakugan will be invaluable to your search." Hiashi stated.

"I'll send a bunch of my clan's Jonin as well; you never know when you'll need some heavy hitters!" Choza added.

"We have our objectives, and we know the consequences of failure; nothing more needs to be said. Mission start!" Hiashi declared.

10:15 AM, Ichiraku Ramen

Here's your orders, Naruto, Hinata-hime, and Sasuke-kun; enjoy!" Teuchi, proprietor and head chef of Ichiraku Ramen, placed an extra-large miso-ramen bowl in front of Naruto and two medium-sized bowls of the same in front of Hinata and Sasuke, before walking back to the kitchen to start making the second of the five bowls Naruto had requested.

"Naruto, I'll pay for this meal," Hinata offered after a few minutes.

"What? Hinata, no; this was my idea, so it's my treat!"

"Quiet, both of you!" Teuchi yelled as he returned from the kitchen with Naruto's second bowl. "This one's on the house!"

"You can't be serious!" Sasuke gawked at the ramen stand owner.

"Never been more serious in my life, kiddo. Naruto brought you all here to celebrate becoming proper Genin, and this is hardly the first time I've treated Naruto to a free meal! The stand's been doing quite well recently, due in no small part to Naruto's continued business. It's only natural to reward my best customer!"

"Actually, Sasuke-kun, Naruto's holding back this time; he normally orders at least ten bowls of ramen." Ayame, Teuchi's daughter and primary waitress, chimed in.

"T-ten bowls? Naruto, I know this food is delicious, but you must see better to your nutritional needs!" Hinata decreed.

"Have no fear for your boyfriend's diet, Hinata-hime. I'm letting him off easy today since it's a special occasion, but, for years now, I've been slipping vegetables into every bowl Naruto orders. As a young kid, he loathed all food colored green, but telling him I'd never give him a discount again if he kept turning his nose up at vegetables shut that down real quick!" Teuchi bragged.

"He's right, getting me over my hatred of vegetables is the crowning achievement of this stubborn chef's career!" Naruto confirmed.

The meal proceeded to its conclusion in near-silence, the only sounds being the clattering of chopsticks and the slurping of ramen noodles.

"Hinata, are your feet okay? You ran out to grab the bells right after our inferno cleared; the ground must have been insanely hot." Naruto glanced at Hinata's damaged sandals.

"I'm fine; Sasuke-san gave me several sealing tags that absorb fire. I wrapped them around my limbs to avoid exposure to the heat." Hinata answered.

"Guess when your whole clan specializes in breathing fire, it makes sense to have fire-sealing tags on hand." Naruto realized.

"Damn right, plus, it wouldn't do for your girlfriend to have roasted feet." Sasuke grunted.

Hinata flushed with pride. Naruto was hers, and she was his; soon, the whole village would know.

"Any plans on what to do now, dobe? We've got at least three days to ourselves." The last Uchiha figured some training was in order, but Naruto had proven himself to be the most capable Genin on their team. If the "dobe" had a better way to spend their unexpected vacation, Sasuke was willing to hear him out.

"About that, I'd like you and Hinata to come over to my house." The Jinchuriki answered. "No way you don't have questions about all the crazy shit I pulled during the Bell Test. Can't talk about it here, way too risky, but since you're my teammates now, you deserve to know. Kakashi-sensei already does."

"I'm sorry, Naruto, but my father requested that I report to him immediately after our exam was finished. I've delayed long enough already by eating that meal." Hinata apologized.

"Your father will have to wait a bit longer; there's never going to be a better time to tell you about this than right now, and it's something you really need to know, especially since you intend to become my wife." Naruto insisted.

"W-wife?! Please don't tease me, Naruto; it's at least six years too soon for that kind of talk!" Hinata's face turned crimson.

"Normally, you'd be right; most Konoha citizens can't get married until they're legally considered an adult at age eighteen, but the reason that won't apply to us is one of the things we need to talk about. Besides, I moved to a new place a couple of days ago. My new home is almost right next to the Hyuuga compound. If Hiashi-sama sends out a search party for you, it won't take them long to see where you are." Naruto explained.

"All right, let's get going then!" Hinata's voice gained some steel as she resolved to place her heart above any of her father's demands.

10:30 AM, Hokage Tower

Kakashi had just finished giving his report to Hiruzen and was descending the tower steps to go to the very hospital where he'd first met Naruto when he encountered none other than Shikaku Nara, Jonin Commander of Konoha.

"Kakashi-dono, what happened? You look like shit!"

"Naruto-kun happened; turns out he's got one hell of a Kekkei Genkai." The Copy-Ninja didn't bother keeping the exhaustion out of his voice.

"Kekkei Genkai?" Shikaku's eyes widened. "You mean – "

"No, not that. As far as I can tell, it's still completely locked up" Kakashi clarified. "Naruto's lineage has another secret. Sorry, but I can't tell anyone without his permission, not even you. All I can say on the subject is Minato-sama left a second Last Will and Testament, one only accessible by Naruto, and both Lord Hokage and I were present when he discovered it."

"Troublesome, there's an emergency mission concerning the well-being of Konoha that I really could have used you for, but there's no way I'm putting you in the field in your current state." Shikaku sighed.

"You sure I can't contribute at all? I'm currently capable of fighting at about half strength, and that's not counting my Sharingan." Kakashi knew he needed to recover, but he didn't want to appear unwilling to aid a superior officer.

"Not good enough; if this was an official mission, it would be at least A-Rank, most likely S-Rank." Shikaku called Kakashi's bluff. "It'll last several days, so we'll likely need your help very soon. Get fully healed ASAP, Kakashi-san, that's an order!"

"Yes, sir!"

1:30 PM, Namikaze Estate

"Mother of all horseshit!" Sasuke swore. "I thought I had it bad, but at least I got to know my clan and parents before Itachi ruined everything. You never even had that, and everyone who knew you were the Yondaime's son kept it from you because he had a ton of enemies? Fuck that! They should have treated you like a warrior-king, made you train your ass off until you were so strong no one could touch you. Good thing you damn-near did that yourself while no one was watching, and having Kurama sealed inside you was enough to turn everyone against you? Unbelievable!"

"To think that everyone in the village hates you for something completely outside of your control, it's pathetic!" Hinata added. "Minato-sama must have believed that if people found out then they would praise you as a hero for keeping Kurama at bay; he must be weeping in his grave since the village's reaction ran so contrary to what it should have been."

Naruto had held nothing back while discussing his past and what he had learned of the origins of the Namikaze, and of the demonic power that had awakened within him. Now, there were but two things he wished to discuss.

"Hinata, you now know that I'm rightfully the Clan Head of both the Uzumaki and the Namikaze. A Clan Head can marry as young as fifteen, and I intend to claim what is rightfully mine as soon as Hiruzen and Hiashi-sama think I have enough support to do it. As I said when we were introducing ourselves to Kakashi-sensei, my goal is to resurrect my clan. However, I have two clans to resurrect; you know what that means right?"

Hinata didn't want to answer, especially after learning yesterday that Naruto loved her back, but Sasuke's lecture about trust came to the forefront of her mind and erased her doubts.

"With two clans to revive, you will need – at the very least – two wives. Part of me wants to refuse, to keep you all to myself. If I say no, you would either have to choose which clan to resurrect, or our children would all have to be raised differently depending on which clan you intend them to be part of. I don't want that, not for our children, and – especially – not for you. However, for me to allow this, I must insist on being the primary wife!"

"That goes without saying; you'll always be my number one." Naruto reassured her.

"Good, no, perfect! Regarding the other members of your harem: how many members did you have in mind? Also, is there anyone you have your eye on right now?"

"I was thinking of at least two for each clan; as for who they'll be, I don't have anyone in mind at the moment. A small, very hopeful part of Naruto wanted Anko to be in his harem, but such a thing - if it was even possible - was nowhere near plausible enough to bring it up to Hinata right now.

"Two per clan won't be enough but at the same time, we don't want your harem to be too large. Otherwise, all your wives will feel neglected. For now, I think a maximum of three wives per clan is best. We can consider changing that number eventually, but I really don't like the idea of adding more women than that."

"Translation: if you try to force the issue, dobe, there will be hell to pay. Too bad, looks like six is your limit!" Sasuke chuckled.

"Thank you for your insight, Sasuke-san" Hinata's lavender eyes glared frigid daggers at the last Uchiha. "I hope you also realize that, if not for Hokage-sama's benevolence, you would have already been politely asked to mate with any number of your fangirls. You are more than old enough to produce semen and, from a military perspective, you are far more valuable as breeding stock than as an active Shinobi." Sasuke flinched in terror; he had not considered that possibility.

"Thank you so much for being willing to do this, Hinata." Naruto's overwhelming sincerity was evident in his voice. "Being able to restore my clans is the most fulfilling thing I can think to do in my life. If I gain the respect of Konoha along the way and end up being Hokage, that would be great, but I'm not going to hold my breath! Now, before we decide how we'll be spending the rest of our unexpected time off, there's something I want to show you all. I'll be right back; don't try to follow me. Right now, I have no idea how to deactivate the seals and barriers protecting my clan vault. Your keys won't protect you.

Naruto stood up and left the dining room sofa they'd been sitting on for the past few hours. Upon entering his clan vault, he needed only moments to find his prize. It was located near the vault's entrance on a bookshelf dedicated to Fuinjutsu. Grabbing it gently, he returned to the dining room.

"This is the Chakra message box left by my mother, Kushina Uzumaki. I've told you both everything else I've learned recently; it's only right that you get to listen to this with me."

"Naruto Namikaze Uzumaki, as the last Uchiha, I am deeply honored by the trust you have placed in me this day. Should you need anything of me, or my clan, in the future, you need only ask." Sasuke bowed deeply, not to his teammate, but as one future Clan Head to another.

"I, Hinata Hyuuga, am also greatly honored by this act of trust. Though I am not authorized to speak for my Clan's Head – Hiashi Hyuuga – it is well known that he and Minato-sama were the closest of friends. I firmly believe that if he were here in my place, he would swear the same vow of allegiance that Sasuke Uchiha just swore. Therefore, as the first daughter of the Hyuuga Clan Head and by the powers vested in me by the laws of Konoha, I swear to aid you with all the strength I can muster within Hyuuga on my father's behalf!" Hinata also bowed to Naruto.

"As Clan Head of both the Namikaze and the Uzumaki, I accept your offers of unconditional allegiance. Should the Uchiha or Hyuuga ever require my assistance, ask and I shall gladly provide." Naruto bowed to each of his teammates in turn.

"Now, let's see what my mother had to say about all this!" Naruto channeled Chakra into the message box, and a projection of a beautiful woman with long, red hair and violet eyes emerged.

"Good morning, evening, or afternoon, my beautiful boy!" The recording began. "As your mother, there's so much I want to say, but I don't know where to start since I have no idea how old you'll be when you see this. You could be as old as eighteen since that's the maximum age we set for you before you could be told about the family mansion, but if you turned out to be a prodigy like your father or awakened to the Namikaze legacy in your youth, then there's no telling how old you are right now. Have you managed to make good friends? Do you have a girlfriend or even a wife? Have you been eating your vegetables and brushing your teeth every day? I'll never know, but you need to know about Kurama. Depending on how old you are and what's gone on in your life, she may have awakened within you already. If so, then she's also listening to this, and I just have one thing to say to her: thank you for everything you've done for my clan!"

At this, the three young Shinobi were shocked. They knew from Minato's message that Kurama wasn't entirely evil, but that she was benevolent enough to warrant thanks from Kushina was incredible!

"I'm getting ahead of myself; let me start over from the beginning. Kurama – the Kyuubi no Kitsune – and her eight siblings have existed since long before the time of Hagoromo Otsutsuki. For nearly their entire existence, they have sought nothing from humans, choosing to isolate themselves to avoid conflict. Unfortunately, humans constantly seek power, and the Tailed Beasts are power incarnate. For ages, they have been hunted, sealed within humans so that their power could be weaponized. Thank the Sage that the mightiest among them never desired to destroy humanity for its greed and hubris.

Eventually, Kurama approached the Senju and Uzumaki clans with a proposition. She would allow herself to be sealed within a newborn of the Uzumaki clan and instruct us on various Chakra techniques she believed were too useful to be lost to time. In exchange, Kurama demanded only two things. First: that her Jinchuriki would only use her power in defense of either themselves or those they deeply cared about. Second: that whenever the next child determined to be her Jinchuriki was conceived, she would be freed from her current Jinchuriki to travel the world and return to be sealed again once her next Jinchuriki was born."

The trio once again had to suppress their surprise. Kurama's near selfless offer spoke volumes to her commitment to not harm humans.

"Right now, you're likely asking yourself why Kurama attacked Konoha if she was willing to be sealed almost all the time. Well, here's where things go to shit. I was Kurama's Jinchuriki before you; as such, when you were conceived, I dispelled the seal keeping Kurama trapped within me. Per our agreement, she spent the next nine months traveling the world, visiting the other Tailed Beasts and conversing with any number of gods, demons, or other spirits she considered friends. As promised, she returned to Konoha on the day you were born to be sealed within you. Unbeknownst to all of us, however, he was waiting. I never got a good look at him, but Minato said he was an Uchiha wearing a yellow mask and suspected that he was Madara Uchiha."

All three gasped. Madara Uchiha: the greatest Shinobi to ever descend from the mighty clan; at different times in his life, he was either Hashirama Senju's greatest ally or his most formidable enemy. The history books all say that he was killed by Hashirama at the end of the Warring States Era, but winners write their own histories, and if anyone could survive an all-out duel with the first man to be known as the God of Shinobi and still be alive, generations later, it would be Madara Uchiha.

"Immediately after you were born, he fatally wounded me and used the Sharingan's unique Genjutsu to enslave Kurama, ordering her to destroy Konoha. He would have killed you, too, but Minato teleported him far away from our home. Minato was eventually able to defeat his opponent, forcing him to retreat and even breaking his control over Kurama, but was critically injured in the process. Minato returned to my side, to your side, as did Kurama once her mind was her own again. Before I died, Kurama helped me transfer my most recent memories and will to the Chakra box you're listening to now, overwriting my original message so I could warn you of 'Madara's' existence.

Minato, likewise at Death's door, used the last of his Chakra to seal Kurama within you. If Hiruzen was not killed during Kurama's attack, we had advised him to erect a secondary seal to suppress Kurama's consciousness if anything went wrong during her transition from one Jinchuriki to the next. Our hope was that whoever sought Kurama's power would have great difficulty detecting her presence within you if she was forced into a dormant state. However, the seal suppressing her consciousness could not be applied at its full power without compromising her imprisonment seal. Furthermore, once it is broken, any attempt to reapply it carries an exponential risk of destabilizing the imprisonment seal.

When Kurama awakens within you, she will have access to all of your memories, and anything you experience will be instantly known to her. Her power will be yours to command, though it may prove difficult to use efficiently at first; Kurama's Chakra is orders of magnitude more potent than that of any human. What she has taught the Uzumaki is contained within the books in the family vault. As the last Uzumaki, it falls to you to honor our agreement with Kurama. Please, protect her from those who would abuse her power!"

With that final plea, Kushina's recording ended and her message box burst into flames. The fire lasted only moments but was so intense that not even ashes remained of Kushina's Last Will and Testament. Fortunately for the table the box laid upon, the blaze was self-contained, consuming only its intended target. Hinata moved to comfort her fiancé but Sasuke stopped her with a soft grip on her hand and a firm look.

"Mom, I'm twelve years old right now. In fact, I just officially became a Genin earlier today." Naruto spoke in a tightly controlled voice as a single tear fell from his face.

"There's not many of them, but I've made some good friends." Another tear fell, this time from the opposite side of Naruto's face.

"I have a girlfriend, and she just agreed to become my wife. She's also allowing me to have a harem, so I can reestablish both your clan and my dad's clan." More tears fell, from both sides of Naruto's face, creating a small puddle on the floor.

"I don't like doing it, but I eat my vegetables as often as I can. Most of Konoha hates me right now, so I can't always get a good meal. Likewise, I brush my teeth every day." The tears fell faster; the puddle grew immensely.

"Kurama hasn't woken up yet. Even though you said she'd learn everything I know right away, I'll still tell her what you said about helping our clan; she should hear someone say it instead of just learning about it from my memories. She deserves that and much more, right?" Naruto's control over his voice began to break as his tears formed miniature waterfalls; the puddle expanded exponentially.

"I swear on all my ancestors, both Uzumaki and Namikaze, to uphold the agreement with Kurama and protect her from anyone that wants her power! So please, Mother, rest easy knowing your son's got things un-under co-con-control!" His eulogy complete, Naruto surrendered to his grief and began sobbing uncontrollably. Sasuke and Hinata cried with him, sharing his pain the only way they knew how.

Chapter End

This has been the longest chapter so far. I didn't want the council session and the viewing of Kushina's message to be their own chapters so I combined them here.

I know Konoha/the other villages aren't actually nations according to canon, but the villages have enough military/economic power to be considered city-states at the very least, if not small countries in their own right. I can't remember a canon instance of a Daimyo overruling the decision of a Kage; the closest to that the series ever got IIRC was when the Wind Daimyo outsourced a bunch of missions to Konoha, causing Suna to hate him. Hell, A was able to call a Kage Summit that resulted in the formation of the Allied Shinobi Forces. No Daimyo was involved with that decision.

Hiruzen putting Danzo/the civilian faction in their place, with some help from Hiashi and the senior generation of Ino-Shika-Cho, was a joy to write. Conversely, I teared up while writing Naruto's eulogy at the end. Beneath his disgust for most of Konoha and his borderline prodigy-level of combat prowess (for a Genin, anyway), Naruto is a 12-year-old boy that just learned his mother was killed for no reason (since Kurama was already unsealed, "Madara" didn't need to kill Kushina and only did so to enrage Minato). He's still human (mostly); even if he weren't, in the immortal words of DMC 3: "even a devil may cry when he loses a loved one."

I haven't decided for sure yet if Madara Uchiha will be the final villain for this story, though there's a very good chance he will be. Suffice to say, he'll have some competition. Either way, Kaguya/Black Zetsu won't be stealing the show like they did in canon.

Thank you for reading!