Storyid: 4991314 FanFiction.net
Name: Escape from the Hokage's Hat Author: anothvortex Chapter 1 to 25 ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### Chapter: 1
No I do not own Naruto; beleive me, if I did he would have at least gotten a hot parental figure earlier than thirteen.
Escape from the Hokage's Hat
Chapter 1: Luck and Fear Change the World One tiny little change.
It is often said, for the want of a nail, the battle could be lost.
While overly simplistic, this particular nugget of truth was surprisingly accurate. For example...
---"Chidori!" "Rasengan!"
We have all seen this battle once or one thousand times.
Naruto, hopped up on demonic chakra, faces an evil Sasuke with wings.
Naruto, not wanting to actually hurt the first one he saw as a brother, aims high, while the crazy Sharingan-user aims low seeking a death blow.
This perfect moment of understanding between two orphans. Brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it?
Now, watch what happens if Naruto's aim slips just a LITTLE bit...
---ARGHH!!!
The pain was incredible! Demonic chakra was tearing him apart, ripping his muscles and organs into shreds. But if he held back, even for an instant, Sasuke's strike would...
would kill him...
He couldn't die, he WOULDN'T die just yet!
Suddenly, Naruto's focus (which had been concentrated on the first perfect Rasengan he had ever formed fighting Sasuke's Black Chidori) seemed to EXPAND...
...causing him to notice the hand-like wings that Sasuke's curse mark had generated. Wings that, if hit, JUST SO, would...
"Sasuke!!!!" Naruto cried out! Aiming high, not for the forehead protector which would have disproved Sasuke's taunts earlier, but for that monstrous left wing.
The Rasengan, infused with demonic chakra and Naruto's willpower shredded the
offending appendage, sending the Uchiha rocketing downward with the force of a meteor. The Chidori, aimed for his center mass, instead nearly took out half the muscles in Naruto's right arm.
Crying out in pain, both Genin fell, their destiny's now left in the hands of fate... ...and a lazy Jonin who happened to be on time for once, if only barely.
---Seeing his two students, Kakashi nearly wept with joy. They were both still alive!
These two were among the first people he had started to care for in years! He couldn't lose them now!
Looking over their respective injuries, however, the dog-summoner winced.
The impact had badly dazed the Uchiha, who had a nasty burn festering on his back. To Kakashi's sorrow, the containment seal for the Cursed Mark was also badly damaged. But Naruto...
If it wasn't for his demonic healing, and Lady Tsunade, this sort of wound could end a ninja's career!
Half of the muscles in his bicep were clearly seared off, and the blood was beginning to pool badly...
Shaking his head in remorse, Kakashi formed a shadow clone and grabbed his two wayward students, starting back for Konoha.
---Phasing out of the ground, Zetsu smirked collectively. Isn't that interesting?
---Kakashi, running as quickly as possible through the trees, was coming upon an uncomfortable conclusion.
Naruto might not survive the trip back.
Clearly, the battle had drained all of his chakra, but the lack of demonic healing was even more worrisome.
The one-eyed ninja had even begun to believe that the kid MIGHT become immortal at his current rate of growth.
Unfortunately, the lowered blood-pressure and body temperature seemed to counteract such claims.
How could he look at himself in the mirror as a sensei if his personal technique ended the poor boys life?
Luckily for the brooding man, help had arrived.
"Jonin Kakashi! What is the status of Genin's Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke?"
---Sighing in contentment, Tsunade headed out to inform the interested parties about Choji's survival.
That Nara medicine book had been a godsend, saving her precious time and effort in re-stabilizing the poor boys metabolism and bio-system. Hopefully with a few weeks of recovery and three days of solid bed rest, he'd be fit as a fiddle for active duty.
Seeing the nervous Chunin chatting with the Suna Wind Mistress, a small smirk came to her lips.
Ah, young flirting...
Coming to attention, Shikamaru started to speak, only to be cut off by the Hokage. "Don't worry Shikamaru, Choji will be fine. Kiba and Akamaru are in recovery and I am waiting to hear from Shizune about Neji..."
"Lady Tsunade!"
Looking over at her brunette apprentice, the Hokage quirked an eyebrow, "Yes, Shizune?"
Smiling, the exhausted Medic Ninja gave a weary thumb up.
"Hyuga Neji is out of surgery. According to our examinations, the cellular graft is holding and he should make a full recovery!"
Smiling at the additional good news, the Blondie was about to ask for more information when one of the field medics that she had dispatched after the Suna ninja ran over, frantic.
"Hokage-sama, we need you now! A level three critical wound, with nearly one and a half hours of duration, is in need of treatment!"
Eyes widening, Tsunade ran after the man, followed by a weary Shizune. "Who managed to survive a wound that bad for over an hour!?!?"
Not even pausing, the man replied "Genin Uzumaki Naruto in the process of successfully apprehending Genin Uchiha Sasuke!"
The man was lucky to dodge out of the way as the two medics suddenly tripled in speed. Seeing the boy in Kakashi's arms, blood seeping out of a makeshift bandage and pooling beneath the man, Tsunade snapped out orders like a machine gun.
"Get him into OR Two! I want Team Theta and Team Quatros available for cellular regeneration surgery, stat! Shizune! You have just completed a level two regeneration surgery and are unfit for another so soon. Look after the Uchiha, patch him up if you can, and get that bastard Jiraiya down here! I am going to want this punk's Chakra sealed within the next two hours! Move it!!!"
Running to complete their duties, no one bothered to see the sorrow in Kakashi's lone eye.
Obito...I have truly failed you...
---Now one would think that this would be the beginning of a happy ending, ne? Not if the Council of Advisor's had anything to say about it.
Homura, Koharu and Danzou had been a part of the Konoha infrastructure for a long time, and as such, controlled numerous aspects of the military and civilian cultures within the village.
And with the Third Hokage gone, the one man who knew their methods and minds unlike anyone else, they had been able to gather an unprecedented amount of control.
Not that the Fifth had realized that just yet... Sighing, Homura palmed his face in frustration.
"This development could be cataclysmic for our village."
Nodding her head in agreement, Koharu patted her old friend on the back.
"We were hoping that the Uchiha clan would be removed completely, besides Itachi, and restarted as loyal to the village. Instead, that fool allowed his brother to escape, making the brat the symbol of the Uchiha image within Konoha. This defection will permanently tarnish the clan, and might bring Itachi's wrath upon our heads."
Danzou smirked, tapping his cane thoughtfully.
"But the truth is, the Container managed to defeat the Uchiha, showing that his potential as a weapon is there for the taking. If properly trained, he could be our ace against Itachi's vengeance."
Snorting, Koharu shook her head.
"That weakling beat Itachi? There is no way that such a looser of a ninja could possibly defeat the strongest Uchiha in decades, probably since Madara. Looking over his mission reports and general performance, the Kyubi chakra is the only thing pushing him forward. Something that the strongest of the Uchiha can counter, which we must assume Itachi qualifies as."
Homura looked uncertain.
"I am not so sure. There are indicators that his education was hindered by elements in the Academy. Perhaps with proper tutoring..."
Glaring at her old comrade, Koharu rebutted easily.
"That would take time that we do not have. No matter what he has suffered, Uzumaki Naruto became a necessary scapegoat and sacrifice to appease the masses of Konoha. Making him a scapegoat here might buy us some time..."
This time Danzou snorted,
"It won't be that easy. Inuzuka, Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Hyuga; all of these clans are beginning to show interest in the boy. Not to mention the last two loyal Sanin. If we simply try to make him the scapegoat of the Uchiha's injuries or some rubbish like that the clan heirs might bring him needed political, if not popular, support. That sort of division is not something that Konoha needs, especially after the attack from Orochimaru."
Koharu sighed, spreading her hands in defeat. "Then what would you suggest?" About to continue the debate, Danzou was interrupted by the appearance of a loyal
supporter. "What is it Sai?"
Face covered with a blank mask, the young ROOT member held forward a scroll to his master.
"The missive from the Capital, Danzou-sama."
Taking the scroll and dismissing the boy, Danzou reviewed its contents. Then smirked.
Looking at his compatriots, Danzou asked a question that would change the face of Konoha forever.
"That last report from Jiraiya said something about Akatsuki, did it not?"
---She waited in front of the exam room, eyes red from crying. Haruno Sakura was having a MAJOR internal struggle.
On one hand, she had loved Sasuke for YEARS. Giving up friendship, self-respect and, in some cases, human decency to express this.
Luckily, she had started calming down in recent months, from training with her crush and fighting difficult odds as a real Shinobi.
However, her love had disabled her and fled, betraying her and the village.
Sasuke had been her focus for so long that Sakura had also offered to betray everything that she had worked for and treasured just to go along with him.
On the other hand, she had Naruto.
No one had really liked the kid growing up. Parents had told their children or any child really, to avoid him since they were young. His constant fighting for her affection had stretched Sakura's last nerve, and made her loathe his existence.
And yet...
Naruto, for all his loud boasts and annoyance, always seemed to protect his friends, fighting for them with everything that he had.
Finding out that HE had defeated Gaara, instead of Sasuke, really shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did.
Naruto loved her, while Sasuke did not; but he was willing to fight with everything he had to insure the Uchiha's return.
Sakura had been 'lucky' enough to see Naruto and Sasuke being brought into the Hospital as she waited for information on the mission. She had seen the damage to Sasuke's back and had nearly screamed... until she saw Naruto.
Cut, bleeding Naruto who wanted to be Hokage with all of his heart, missing a chunk of his right arm.
It hurt to know that without his feelings for her, Naruto might not have fought as hard or as long.
He might not have defeated Sasuke at such a horrible price.
So Sakura sat and wept, waiting for word on her teammates. Wondering what she could say to Naruto to make his sacrifice worth some puppy love for a pathetic fan girl.
"Sakura?"
Looking up, she tried to stop her tears, but couldn't quite manage it. Giving up, Sakura smiled ironically.
"Hey Ino."
---"Are you sure of this?"
Danzou smirked at Homura, reveling in the feeling of power.
"Positive. When Jiraiya and the container returned with Tsunade and Shizune, only an idiot would have missed their feelings for the brat. I just took the precaution of planning ahead for this sort of eventuality. The Daimyo was kind enough to understand the situation, and will support our removal of a ninja from the ranks over Tsunade's protests for the good of Konoha as a whole. Once removed from the protection of the Military, we can have him killed without major consequence to the village. Seeing this, Tsunade will be left with no other recourse but to banish him."
Nodding her head in agreement, Koharu smiled lightly.
"Banishment CAN be released later, if we decide that his power is needed. However, one child wandering the countryside will make a much better target than Konoha proper. We KNOW that the Akatsuki won't need the Kyubi for another three years. But if Uzumaki leaves the village, that will force them to waste time and resources to find him. Resources that they, and more importantly Itachi, cannot use against us."
Homura sighed, although he also shared a small grin.
"It is too bad about the fact that even if he was accepted back, Uzumaki would remain simply a Genin of Konoha. Advancement in three years without any major training would be nearly impossible, and would put him in our power for a long time. It's not like the little fool could maintain a proper training program alone and on the run."
Shaking her head in amusement, Koharu sighed,
"As if the little idiot was ever actually going to become Hokage! Ha, what a simpleton!" Shrugging, Danzou visibly savored the feelings of control,
"We'll just wait until Tsunade finishes her surgery. By then, her exhaustion and lack of information will insure the maximum possibility of success. After all, what could she do with no warning, and no immediate major political allies? Even the clans will hesitate to reject the will of the Daimyo, and never for one little boy."
---Hyuga Hinata ran, concern filling her every step and worry her every thought. Three of the people closest to her had been hurt.
Kiba, Neji, and... Naruto had all gone on a major retrieval mission, but the reports that father had received worried her greatly.
The opposing forces, rumored to have been instrumental in the Third Hokage's death, were protecting the Uchiha from any attempt at recovery.
These were her friends out there, facing Ninja of much greater rank and experience! Hinata had to find out if they were ok!
Although the crying Sakura being comforted by Ino, was not filling her with confidence.
---Sighing, Tsunade savored her sake while letting her bones settle and relax after a harrowing afternoon.
That kid continued to surprise her.
The cellular regeneration surgery had been difficult. While in a more vital location, Neji's injury was significantly smaller and cleaner. Naruto's arm was comprised of fused flesh, burned away with lightning and bleeding from several major arteries. An extremely delicate operation, and almost impossible to complete.
Luckily, Naruto embodied impossible.
Once he recovered his power, Naruto's own naturally rapid regeneration should make up the difference. Apparently, healing one Chidori to the chest had maxed-out most of his reserves.
It was the secondary, follow-up scan that concerned her.
In several places, especially around the skull and neck, blockages appeared to have formed in a uniform pattern. When examined with a surface scan, nothing came up.
But a more intrusive deep tissue scan, common in post operation situations, had better results.
It seemed that the stomach was not the only place that Naruto had seals in place.
Someone or someone's had, over the course of YEARS it appeared, placed several seals to block the kids development. Jiraiya was STILL going over the construction of the matrix, but several different styles and patterns were in place. Some could easily be broken, others would break down naturally, more would require real effort, but in the end all would be removed.
Cataloging them was taking time, but the signatures seemed stable enough to trace. Especially the faint Hyuga-style emblem in the left bicep.
Or the one that seemed to have Sarutobi-sensei's signature in the right leg. Staring into the depths of her cup, the Hokage had to wonder.
How many people heard you boasting Naruto, and feared instead of laughed? "Hokage-sama?"
Looking up at the Chunin that was replacing Shizune for the afternoon, until her recovery was complete, Tsunade narrowed her eyes in irritation.
"Yes, what is it?"
Bowing quickly to break eye contact, the young man shifted nervously. "The Honorable Councilors are here to see you."
Sighing, Tsunade wondered again what she was high on when accepting this job.
---He was quiet.
Sakura, Hinata, and Ino shared that thought in eerie synch.
Naruto was recovering in the hospital bed, bandages wrapped around each limb and torso. His breathing was shallow, his heartbeat was slow, and his eyes were twitching rapidly.
The sneaky blonde had been silent and still longer than at any other time within their collective memories.
Something that scared the group more than they cared to admit. "Sasuke...Sasuke wasn't worth this..."
It seemed...wrong... to shout right now. "Sakura? What are you talking about?"
Shaking her head, the pinket fought off her tears once more.
"Sasuke...betrayed everyone...Konoha, Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, me... he wasn't worth Naruto getting hurt so badly!"
Holding her head between her hands in frustration, Sakura suddenly felt drained. "Even if I don't love him, Naruto deserves better than this... and if his promise to me resulted in any part of these injuries, how can I forgive myself for asking for his strength?!"
Looking at the girl in front of her, Hinata KNEW she should be furious.
The little, spoilt brat had BEGGED Naruto to bring back Sasuke back, and could be considered responsible for alot of his pain. She had hit him, yelled at him, and used him, but...
Hinata pulled her into a hug.
If she cried for Naruto, Sakura couldn't be all that bad.
---"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!!!"
Glaring down at the two old farts in front of her, Tsunade had to focus her temper carefully.
One false move and the Honorable Councilors would become blood stains on the floor. "We are giving you an option, Tsunade. Either banish Uzumaki Naruto or we will have him eliminated."
Eye twitching, Tsunade reminded herself to have the standards of mental health evaluations revised shortly. Clearly, these two had gone senile!
"On what charge?! And I SWEAR if you say injuring that little traitor..." Shaking her head at the impertinence, Koharu decided to cut to the chase. "Actually, this is for the good of Konoha."
Taking up where his partner had left off, Homura stared down the angry Sanin calmly, "With the successful retrieval of Uchiha Sasuke, we will continue to have resources tied up in countering Orochimaru's efforts to capture the boy. Although killing him would make our lives easier, Sasuke represents too much genetic potential to simply eliminate. Even stripped of his Shinobi status, the Sharingan MUST remain in Konoha."
Taking up the slack, Koharu braved Tsunade's climbing temper. "However, with the advent of Akatsuki, a second force that makes Orochimaru seem minor has come forth. They have already successfully infiltrated the village once, and we lack the resources to protect both elements. Clearly, we must take the path of least resistance."
Rubbing her head in irritation, Tsunade promised to make that revision SOON.
"And sending Naruto into the jaws of Akatsuki, fulfilling their objectives is BETTER for Konoha, HOW exactly?"
Shrugging, Koharu answered with ease.
"By dividing our enemies instead of unifying them. Orochimaru will obsess over the Uchiha, concentrating his attention here where we can deflect his efforts. However, Akatsuki will not need the Kyubi for nearly three years. Years that they will waste resources searching for one boy in the Elemental Countries.
Orochimaru shouldn't waste effort on Uzumaki due to fear of Akatsuki reprisal, so Naruto can wander freely, drawing their gaze from our walls."
Homura broke in, hoping to leave in one piece.
"Now we CAN release the banishment later, but with Uzumaki out of the village, we have time and energy to rebuild and regroup. It really is for the best..."
*SMASH*
Although stoic, it took their many years of training not to flinch at the atomized remnants of the Hokage's desk.
"So that's it? We just throw him away and destroy his career because it is convenient?! Is that how Konoha ninja treat their comrades?!"
Rolling her eyes at the dramatics, Koharu sighed,
"Except that Uzumaki is not just a ninja; he is a Jinchuriki and as such, he is Konoha's sacrifice. Maybe we can spare some minor assets to reimburse him later, but Konoha is worth more than the efforts and issues of one little boy."
Seeing that the blond was about ready to shatter them instead of the furniture, Homura decided to wrap things up.
"We have the support of the Daimyo. It is either banishment, or Naruto is cast out from the ninja program and delt with permanently. We will give you two days to consider. Of course, we are not without SOME mercy. Nothing can be done until the boy is somewhat healthier. Good day."
Leaving, both of the Councilors smiled inside. This power was somewhat...liberating...
Something to consider for the future.
---Author's Note's
Ah, it feels good to try this again. ---Possible State-side spoiler
alert!!!---The major point that I want to make is the difference between what the councilors are claiming their motivations are, and what they actually are.
They claim to be dividing the attention of their enemies by baiting both of them. Actually, their shit scared of Itachi who was under their orders to kill his clan. Sasuke dies, Itachi gets pissed, he takes it out on the council.
Itachi is their boogeyman, and keeping both of his interest's alive and seperate draws his attention from them.
In other words, their saving their own hides.
I have read several other entries in this challenge, and enjoyed many of them. I am just trying it out, keeping it as close to cannon as possible.
My theory is, in the original time line, the advisors weren't as worried about possible reprisal because it was clearly Sasuke's choice to leave. Also, a Jiraiya that was NOT busy sealing the Uchiha's chakra and checking over mysterious limiting seals on Naruto could have cleared the training journey more quickly, making their argument for removal moot.
And I would like to point out that Homura was correct; Naruto DOES end up as a Genin after the three year absence and DOES remain under their direct control because of that, even after realizing Kage-level battle potential.
Instead, Danzou could hold onto that bit of political power to prevent his removal at a later date (say, after leaking ANBU ID's to an S-Class enemy ninja).
Yes, I will maintain the rules as far as match-up's go, at least as far as Hinata is concerned.
Honestly, it's one of my favorite pairings in the genre.
I am unsure if this will be harem, but I am not really adverse to the idea.
HOWEVER, I do NOT think that Sakura is some unholy monster to be used and abused because she has a thing for the Uchiha. She's a twelve year old girl who thinks she's in love. How many twelve year olds really know what they want in a husband, anyway? Personally, I think she makes a better sister figure than anything.
Just to be clear, though, I am NOT a Kakashi fan. He cleans up his act in the later parts of the manga, but failed HORRIBLY when it mattered most. He won't be slammed per se, but don't expect him to become one of the saints of the story either.
Please review; because I am badly out of practice, and am hopeful that this can grow into a strong story with some constructive help.
Thank you for reading.
---Addition---Ok, after reviewing the contents of the chapter once more, I realized I need more sleep before posting -_-;;;
Mostly minor changes were made for this revision, centering on grammar tweaks and proper name spelling. Please let me know if I missed anything, and stay tuned.
Chapter two should be out within the next two days. :)
##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### #####
Chapter: 2
No I do not own Naruto. my Japanese is nowhere good enough for that -_-;;;
For those of you who didn't notice, Chapter One has been revised. Nothing major, but you might want to glance over it again before continuing.
Escape from the Hokage's Hat
Chapter 2: You want to play? Fine, we'll play!
Tsunade stared out upon Konoha, ignoring the remains of her desk, and the Chunin secretary's attempts at bringing in more paperwork.
What had happened to this place?
The Advisor's Council had opposed Sarutobi-sensei for YEARS in regards to Naruto. His notes and journals were very detailed in that respect.
Yet she has the freaking hat for less than a MONTH, and those two old farts manage to dictate terms to her.
Since when has Konoha become a Democracy? She was a military dictator, and was supposed to order her people and ninja forces. Not the other way around.
She didn't know how the Council had managed to gain the Daimyo's favor so quickly, but this move had been carefully made. Countering it directly could bring the village to its knees.
Pausing for a moment, Tsunade thought over that statement again, this time more closely. Bring the village to its knees.
She should care, why again?
Naruto was the one who had brought her back against all odds. He had protected these ungrateful fools for over a decade, only to be abused and disregarded as trash. Heck, he defeated the golden uchiha after being the 'dead last' of his graduating class, despite massive resistance.
Even if his dreams seemed ludicrous and unreal, the kid clearly had the potential to follow in his father's footsteps.
Although, Kushina would be proud at the disregard for personal safety he seemed to embody.
The Village had put block after block in his path to the tower, and he was slowly but surely knocking them down. Listening around town, it was clear that his reputation was growing, moving from fear and anger to respect and awe. The successful completion of this latest mission would only add to that impressive resume.
This latest barrier though... This was going too far.
Besides, if she let those old fossils get away with such moves now, they would turn her into a figurehead leader within a year. a statement HAD to be made; showing just why you didn't screw with the Hokage.
Now what would be dramatic enough? Hmmm, she might need help for this one. "You."
Looking around the fifth stack of paperwork that he had been balancing on the floor, the Chunin sweated at the look in his leader's eye.
"Yes Hokage-sama?"
Nodding in resolution, Tsunade gestured to the door in irritation,
to do, but both of those ninja must be here within the hour." "Yes Hokage-sama!!!"
---Rubbing his eyes in irritation, Jiraiya felt a major headache coming on. Why did he always hang around troublesome blonds?
The sealing matrix on Naruto was only partially translated, but he could guess the gist of the rest of it.
Already, he had a mind to smash some of the village to bits with 'Bunta.
The bulk of the seals near the head were suppression seals, clearly made to prevent chakra from reaching the brain. At least three of them were from a Yamanaka, and another two looked like advanced ANBU-style designs for prisoners. Overtly, they could be argued as buffers to prevent the Kyubi chakra from reaching the brain and possessing the boy. Of course, since the Kyubi chakra was normally purified before reaching the mind by the existing seal and the matrices were not calibrated to one another, most of the kids' mental development was consequently stunted.
No wonder he only seemed to have natural brilliance when fighting at full power; that was the only time his mind was receiving enough energy to function near normal capacity.
Of course, the fact that they had been in place for at least six to eight years each, and showed signs of slow degradation, was not helping at all.
Two more of the seals looked like Uchiha Genjutsu Suppressers. They could be seared with a simple touch, and often prevented any aptitude in genjustu from being utilized by prisoners. Normally, this was accomplished by screwing with natural chakra control and mental image recognition and retrieval. Someone was obviously worried about the Kyubi granting enhanced illusion abilities, just like the legends spoke of. These were old, but powerful, and might take at least an hour to fix, each.
Four seals on the torso seemed fairly amateurish, probably Chunin level, and were a variation of the seals used on chakra weights. They absorbed Naruto's natural chakra, and made movement seem limited, as if he was weighted down. However, the worst part of these seals seemed to be the lack of Kyubi chakra infusing them. That seriously
weakened the Fourth's protection against the Kyubi and Naruto's defense against the fox. This was wery bad news, indeed.
Most of the other seals were minor, designed to hinder coordination and movement in some way. Individually, they weren't more than nasty pranks really. But together, they could be hazardous to a person's health. If it wasn't for some really impressive muscle memory, he would be shocked that the kid could walk, let alone run and fight in any significant fashion.
But the last two...
Those were each a piece of work.
The Hyuga construct initially seemed like a minor avoidance seal. If Naruto was too close to a Hyuga of the Main House, it would probably generate some odd feelings or sensations. Obviously, the old men of the Family Council didn't want Naruto getting too close to any of the hyuga maidens, or dealing with the clan in general. Not horribly evil on the face of it...
If not for the fact that prolonged exposure to a Main House Hyuga could result in pain or death with the right hand seal.
It was like a valve; energy would build behind it the closer Naruto and the Hyuga
remained near one another. They stop hanging out and the energy bleeds within minutes. But if they stay too close, one motion and the energy bursts the valve; killing him
instantly. He was just lucky that the caged bird seal would ground out around something like that, or Neji could have ended Naruto in the Chunin exam.
The last one though...
That was nearly unforgivable for a ninja to carry.
The Third had placed a Seal Brand on the kid's leg, probably since he was three years old. It was a locator used sometimes on high risk prisoners, to make tracking their movements easier.
With the right knowledge and tools, these ninja could be tracked and observed at any time.
NO ninja with such a brand should be allowed on the front lines! The possibility of abuse, or worse, an enemy tracking the signal was too high. It was sheer luck the kids natural reserves blanked most of the traces at this point. That would be the first to go, if he had anything to say about it.
Jiraiya sighed as he headed towards the tower.
Tsunade's summons was a nice break from the moral question this whole fiasco inspired. If he had stayed in konoha to look after Naruto as his Godfather, could he have prevented this abuse?
Or would he have followed orders to place his own work in that mess.
---Shizune smiled at the tower in front of her.
Long and productive days always put her in a better mood.
For too many years, she had been forced to run, protecting the reputation and budget of her mistress as much as possible. Learning what medicine she could between drunken binges and gambling parties.
All in all, being proactive and effective in her efforts was a nice change of pace. Plus konoha was home; the place where her parents and uncle had lived and died for. What more could she ask for than protecting that special place?
Although...
Taking out some frustration on the bloody little Uchiha had made her day. A patch-up order was simple; keep the subject alive, no more, no less.
His back was going to be one massive scar, and a few ribs might have healed a little weak, but the kid would live. It was a shame about the strained hand ligaments damaging his potential to ever shape jutsu again though...
Not that such action would be possible after the chakra suppressor seals Jiraiya had placed all over his body.
Honestly, Sasuke would be lucky to ever see DAYlLIGHT after this was all settled. Normally, a traitor might have gotten a prison stay with potential reenlistment in the civilian ranks if there were mitigating circumstances.
For the last 'loyal' member of a bloodline to seek out an s-class ninja who was a sworn enemy of the village... He was lucky to be breathing and a sperm donor.
Smirking as she entered, Shizune wondered what sake she should pick up to celebrate this mission.
No one screwed with HER little brother figure!
---Blinking, Jiraiya twisted a finger in his left ear.
"Care to repeat that? I could have sworn I had something crazy in my ear."
Smiling slightly, Tsunade gestured to the two seats in front of the ruined desk. "That was mostly my reaction. Those old idiots are using him as bait to delay the Akatsuki; doing a piss poor job of it to boot. Their worried about something and I'm not sure what."
Sitting down, Shizune barely registered losing control of her legs in shock,
"But that's...that's ridiculous! we don't simply throw our ninja away like that! they don't have that kind of authority..."
Biting her lip, she looked in her masters eyes, terrified, "...do they?"
"On the face of it, no they do not. I'm the Hokage, and Naruto is a ninja under my command.
All in all, it's fairly straightforward. However, those jerks aren't dumb enough to bluff the authority of the Daimyo. Somehow, they are going to use that authority to override my control of the village.
We cannot allow this."
Snorting, Jiraiya rubbed his chin.
"Actually, i had an idea that might come in handy." Noting their focus was gained, the Toad Sage smirked.
"Before this whole fiasco started, I was planning on making the kid my apprentice. That could accomplish the same things that they claim banishment would. He'd be gone from the village, the Akatsuki would still be tracking him and avoiding Konoha, but he would be protected under my wing and retain his ninja status.
What do you think?"
Turning to the window, Tsunade's next question derailed his good mood.
"Have you finished mapping the secondary seals, their functions, and who placed them?" Deflating slightly, Jiraiya shifted in irritation.
"Yeah, there were at least five or six authors there. Primary purpose of each one was to limit him in some way. Suppressed intelligence, focus, chakra control, genjtsu ability; you name it, if it makes you a better ninja, they suppressed it. I've identified the Yamanaka, at least two, captain-level ANBU, one Chunin, the Hyuga, and old man Sarutobi."
Gasping, Shizune looked at Jiraiya in shock. "The Third Hokage sealed Naruto!?"
"Not a suppressor seal; that would be bad enough. No, he used a TRACKING seal on a ninja in service.
Not one of the smartest moves he ever made, that's for damn sure." Leaning back in her chair, Tsunade still refused to turn around.
"In your professional opinion, what would happen if these seals were released properly at this time?"
Looking out the window, Jiraiya felt slightly hollow.
"Well, he'd have a bunch more power. The Chunin badly limited his movement, the Yamanaka and ANBU limited his mind, and the Uchiha practically removed his genjutsu ability. Take off those limiters, and his physical and mental reserves, outside of the fox, would increase dramatically. However, he'd pretty much have to learn everything from scratch. All of his muscle memory was screwed up badly, and his control would be shot again. Frankly, even with the Shadow Clone Jutsu, we're talking years of effort to rebuild everything here. Gradual removal wouldn't help much either, because he'd be stuck at the
beginning with every lost seal.
Honestly, in my opinion the whole matrix is a major FUBAR."
Turning around, both Shizune and Jiraiya were shocked by the sad smile the blonde possessed.
"If it was anyone else, I would recommend they be removed from service. But if there is one thing that Naruto has shown, it's an ability to adapt."
Blinking, Shizune looked over at Jiraiya, "Wait, what did the Hyuga do?"
Hearing the description of that horrible seal, a plot began to form in Tsunade's mind. "Well, I have to say Jiraiya; your plan has serious merit. It accomplishes everything that is necessary, and might even be approved by those idiots. However..."
Smacking her palm and fist together, Tsunade GRINNED.
"I don't think the message is strong enough. If Homura and Koharu want to run out the reason I returned to this village, I think that they need to realize the consequences of their actions. Compromising this way puts them in a position of power, one that they really just don't have."
Shizune suddenly felt a new chill. This wasn't the first time such a reaction had occurred. They usually preceded a loss at the gambling parlor.
"I want a list of the people who had the authority and the position to accomplish those seals. I then want them in front of Torture and Interrogation within the next few hours. Well, anyone still alive at least. Ibiki is preferred, but i'll take Anko in a pinch. then, I want you to evaluate Naruto's physical recovery and remove said seals as defined by such. In the mean time,there is much to be done; Shizune!"
Jumping to her feet, the brunette hugged Tonton in fear, "Yes Tsunade-sama?!"
"I think it's time for another trip. But first, let's do some... shopping."
---Groaning, Naruto tried to grab his head in pain... Only to bite back a curse.
What the hell was wrong with his arm... Oh yeah, Sasuke.
Forcing his eyes open, the normally hyperactive blonde looked into the worried green eyes of his teammate.
"Sakura?"
Tearing up for the hundredth time that day, the pink-et grabbed his left hand, and sobbed. "Naruto, why, why did you have to get so hurt?!"
Wincing at the pressure, he tried to force a grin.
"Ne, ne Sakura-chan, I promised, didn't I? I brought him back, and that was a promise of a lifetime."
Smiling despite herself, Sakura nodded sharply.
Looking around, Naruto was surprised by the others in the room. "Ino? Hinata-chan? What are you two doing here?"
Laughing uncomfortably, Ino scratched the back of her head,
"Well, i heard that Choji and Shikamaru were here after the mission, and..." Eyes widening, Naruto tried without success to get up.
"Choji?! Shikamaru??! What happened to everyone?!" "Ano...-kun. Everyone's fine."
Looking over at Hinata, he pierced her with a sharp stare. "Are you sure, Hinata-chan?"
Feeling light headed from the attention, the Hyuga heiress nodded rapidly.
"Neji and Kiba were hurt, but they are recovering with no problems. Choji was in bad shape, but recovered thanks to Tsunade-sama."
Taking over, Ino flashed a bright smile,
"Shikamaru's just tired with a broken finger. Apparently, it was too troublesome to die out there.
Also, Lee is recovering nicely after not only his operation, but some sort of engagement out there.
Oh! and you're never going to believe what happened! The suna genin came and helped with the mission!"
Eyes widening, Naruto gaped at his fellow blonde. "Wait, Gaara's here?"
Shivering slightly, Sakura nodded.
"Apparently, Tsunade-sama was worried about the mission and requested the backup from Suna.
They volunteered to help for some reason." Shocking the group, Naruto smiled widely.
"Mah mah! I'm glad they came. They really aren't that bad once you get through to them." Shaking her head in exasperation, Sakura quirked an eye-brow,
"Naruto...what happened out there?"
"Not something that you need to worry about, Haruno."
Looking around, the room was shocked at the appearance of Jiraiya, larger than life and twice as imposing.
"Hey, ero-senin! What're you doing here?"
Glaring at the unwanted title, Jiraiya sighed, smirking slightly.
"Tsunade sent me. There are some things that she wants me to check over. You'll have to talk with your girlfriends later."
Seeing his lost of composure, Sakura couldn't help but laugh at Naruto's expression. God she had needed that.
"Don't worry Naruto. We'll see you after checking in with the others."
Leading the blushing Hinata and irritable Ino out of the room, Sakura left to check in on Lee.
If Naruto could still be that silly, maybe things would work out in the end.
---"Ummm, Tsunade-sama?"
Browsing through the jutsu-scroll section in the Hokage vault, the blonde quirked an eyebrow, unknowingly mimicking Sakura's earlier action,
"Yes Shizune?"
Shuffling under the piles of documents that her mistress seemed to be grabbing at random, the brunette winced. "About Naruto's 'injuries'..."
Picking up a black file, only to add it to the growing pile without looking, Tsunade nodded absently.
"What about them?"
"How do you think that the seals were imprinted so deeply?" That caused all movement to cease.
Increasingly nervous, Shizune started to babble, a habit she thought broken at twelve (after fighting off twenty mercenaries hired to retrieve a drunken and drugged Slug Sanin).
"I mean, for them to be below the level that a surface scan would notice, they'd have to be practically imprinted on his organs..."
"Shizune."
Seeing her superiors' cold eyes, she squeaked.
"I have my suspicions about how those particular injuries were acquired.
If I am right though, I will probably end up killing someone. So let's wait until T & I is finished, ok?"
Gulping, Shizune could practically feel the temperature drop. "Hai! Tsunade-sama!"
Smirking, she turned to the video depository.
"Now then, we have a few more files to review, but let's have a gander over here. I want to have a look at some special entertainment."
Pausing on her way to the video-filled shelves, Tsunade almost seemed to pick up a black cylinder as an afterthought.
Forming a couple of shadow clones to carry their research, Tsunade and Shizune began to head back to the office.
"Excuse me, Hokage-sama?"
Looking over at the bird-faced ANBU in front of the door, she impatiently cracked her neck.
"I'm in a bit of a hurry, Hawk."
"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama. but you still need to record your document retrieval before leaving. Security measures from the Third."
Sighing, Tsunade signed the log, adding a notation for one guest, and signed it with a bloody thumb print.
Looking over the order, you could feel Hawk's frown.
"I'm sorry Hokage-sama, but you didn't give a listing for...urk!" That by the way, is the sound of a male being choked with one hand. Looking at him through the eyes of the mask, Tsunade glared.
"I'm the Hokage, I'm in a rush, these documents are sensitive, and thus their exact existence mustn't be confirmed. Yet you want me to form a PAPER TRAIL with them? perhaps that mask has started to cut circulation to your brain."
Gulping, the ANBU proved his brilliance with the simple act of getting out of their way. Sauntering off, Tsunade gave him a smirk.
"Good boy."
---Hinata smiled happily, practically skipping on her trip home.
Everyone was ok! Naruto-kun had talked to her! Someone had said they might be dating! Surely that meant she could talk with him, without fainting?
Entering her family's estate, the heiress was shocked by the running branch members, gathering around the hallways. Everyone looked solemn and frightened, whispering harshly to one another.
Hyuga tended not to gossip lightly. Something bad must have happened.
Spotting a member of her old protection detail, Hinata headed over to find out what had happened.
"Ano, Kaori-san. what's going on?"
Looking down, a tall woman, with blue-black hair held up with a hiate noticed her old charge.
For once, the child's nervousness did not irritate her; the emotion was all over the house at the moment.
"Hinata-sama, where have you been? You were expected back nearly an hour ago." Blushing at the chiding tone, Hinata visibly stopped herself from tapping her fingers. That particular habit always irritated Kaori badly, for some reason.
"Ano...Neji's team was only cleared for visitors about two hours ago. Checking in with everyone took more time than I thought. There wasn't an event or dinner tonight was there?"
Smiling lightly at her attitude, kaori was thankful about the improved relations between the cousins.
When Hinata was sent to the branch house, it would simplify things greatly to have a family member near her own age to explain the situation and lifestyle she would adapt.
"No Hinata-sama, nothing like that. It's just that, about twenty minutes ago, five ANBU arrived demanding the presence of Shinji-sama. They gave no reason or explanation, but the action has sent the Council of Elders into a rage."
Paling, Hinata thanked Kaori and hurried (Hyuga DON'T run in their own house) to her room, bolting the door.
Hyuga Shinji was eighty-seven, one of the most bigoted members of the main house, her personal tormentor since the age of four, and one other important thing.
Shinji was the primary Seal Master of the Hyuga clan.
His hand had branded hyuga in the caged bird seal for nearly five decades.
Not one of his seals had ever been found to be flawed or imperfect, even by Hyuga standards.
His very life was considered a treasure of the whole clan.
If he had managed to cause trouble for the village significant enough to be imprisoned or even killed, it would take YEARS for another Seal Master of his quality to be trained. Years that no one would be forced to bear that accursed seal...
Hinata prepared to sleep, wondering if the kami would mind if she wished for his misfortune, if only just a little bit.
---The moon had long since risen in the sky before the quiet of the village was shattered by raucous laughter.
"Bwahahahahaha! I can't believe that little brat won the battle with a FART! Oh, that's too rich!"
Chuckling along with Tsunade, Shizune prepared to change the tape out for the next match, not noticing a blushing Hinata handing Naruto some special salve.
Tsunade did though, and her thoughts continued to bubble.
Everyone knew that the Chunin exams were a way of building relations between nations and showcasing strength.
What most people DIDN'T realize was the fact that all matches and interactions were carefully recorded and filed in the high security vault. These recordings were vital to the continued security and development of the new generations of ninja, and an odd piece of data, once analyzed, could result in significant understanding of a villages strengths and weaknesses.
The files that Tsunade had seemingly picked up at random were mostly a front to acquire the Black File. Compacted with special security and storage seals, it detailed operations that most of the continent was not even allowed to contemplate, let alone acknowledge. These were the dirtiest secrets documented by the Hokage's and ANBU captains.
The perfect place to find evidence of official sanction for the seals that Jiraiya had described.
The good news was that no official sanction was recorded; meaning that the orders didn't come from Sarutobi.
The bad news was that, either the ANBU were acting independently to a significant degree, or someone had a major thumb in the programs pie.
Neither was a particularly wonderful prospect.
The secondary stuff in the file... well... at least she had an idea as to who scared the advisor's council so bloody bad.
Plus the name of a third conspirtor... this was going to get messy. Luckily, she had a plan forming; she just needed some more bodies. However, Jiraiya was STILL unraveling the secondary seal matrix, so the main project couldn't start for a little bit.
That didn't mean that she wouldn't make certain arrangements on her own.
"Hokage-sama! Sarutobi Asuma, Yuuhi Kurenai and Maito Gai are here as ordered!" Sealing up the Black File, Tsunade had Shizune to turn off the tv.
The next few minutes were going to be awkward with a capital A. Motioning the three jonin in, she sighed deeply.
This was going against her sensei's wishes, but she really didn't have a choice.
"Good evening you three. Hopefully, this will not take too long, but I might be calling upon your services extensively in the near future. So for the moment, prepare for a long stretch of on-site village duty."
Nodding, the Jonin stayed calm and professional. Well, as calm as Gai got anyways.
Although, they had to admit, the nature of her request was odd; especially considering the current state of the Village.
"Now then, normally this would only require two Jonin-level ninja of good standing. However, I wanted to make sure that there is no mistake in this, so everyone in this room will bear witness."
Pulling out the black cylinder retrieved from the records vault, she ignored the shocked gazes of Asuma and Shizune. Gai and Kurenai looked clueless, however.
Making eye contact with each participant, Tsunade carefully placed the cylinder on the desk.
"This is a Security Capsule. They are only used in very extreme situations, when
containing documents that must never be lost. The security seals can only be undone by a Hokage and two, high level ninja. Normally, that would be assumed to be the Advisor's Council; however, they and I are having some issues at the moment, and cannot be trusted with something so delicate; especially a BLACK capsule."
Nodding in resignation, Asuma sighed out a line of smoke.
"Back capsules are exclusive to the security of advanced Hokage documents, especially concerning issues of personal lineage and private techniques, right? So, who set this one up?"
Taking out a pair of scalpels, Tsunade pinned him with a look until the cigarette was gone.
"The Fourth Hokage did. I believe, based upon the security stamp and location that this record capsule was set up on the night of the Kyubi attack. While I have theories, I want confirmation before mentioning them. Now, each of you must nick yourselves, and add some blood to the top symbol. I'll seal it with my stamp, and it should verify the
authority. Begin!"
With practiced ease, each Jonin added a few drops of blood to the cylinder.
Acting before the small puddle could dry, Tsunade sealed it with her stamp, activating the authorization.
The small cylinder opened, releasing the contents. Most were pictures, with some official documents clipped together. Most prominent, however, was the birth certificate on top of the pile;
Uzumaki Naruto's birth certificate, including his parents and an attached marriage certificate.
Suddenly, the village pariah had become the legitimate son of the Fourth Hokage. The air became rather heavy after that bit of news was confirmed.
A knock on the door shattered the atmosphere rather quickly.
Gathering the paperwork, the Hokage called out for the person to come in.
A grim Ibiki and irritated Anko were not a sight anyone was looking forward to facing. Putting down a set of folders, ibiki took a seat without waiting for an invitation.
---Sighing in relief, Jiraiya sat back in his chair, wiping the condensation from his forehead. Phew, that makes three down, eight to go.
Looking at the prone form of his Godson, he squared his shoulders. This was no time to take a break.
Popping a soldier pill, Jiraiya began unraveling the second weight seal, picking apart the strands, one by one.
Slowly, but surely, the small strokes of chakra-enhanced symbolism faded away, leaving a bloody but clear section of chest.
All in all, this project was exhausting.
Removing the tracking and Hyuga seals were relatively simple. Each was a foreign presence, designed to be rather unnoticeable and separate from his body. Sort of like a chocolate chip in some ice cream.
It's a part of the dish, but easily scooped from the whole. But when you get into the seals attached to his potential... It was closer to removing the vanilla bean flavoring.
These seals had been rooted in his chakra pathways for so long that untangling them felt along the lines of balancing an egg on a spoon; delicate, nerve wracking, and beyond dangerous to the egg.
Removing ONE of the bloody weight seals had already doubled the amount of power flowing through Naruto's chakra network. Another one made his wounds disappear to nothingness.
Jiraiya might not be a medical ninja, but even he knew it was nuts! How the heck was Naruto walking with this much strength sealed up? Sighing, the Toad Sage cracked his knuckles and began to work again. The sooner he finished here, the sooner he could research at the Hot Springs!
---The headache that Tsunade had been nursing all morning had been going down with each proactive effort.
The confirmation of Naruto's parentage was just icing on the cake.
"You are telling me that, as near as you can tell, these idiots DIDN'T coordinate their efforts?!"
Shaking his head, Ibiki had to wonder if Tsunade would be willing to yell at prisoners in her spare time.
It certainly was enough to scare him!
"Not exactly Hokage-sama. Most of the 'plans' appear to have been formed after a meeting during the Kyubi festival nine years ago. The principals were drunk, and complaining to one another about Uzumaki's ambitions of being Hokage. Of course, we have no Uchiha's left to interview who might have known what happened, but those seem unrelated to the ANBU and Yamanaka efforts."
Picking up a report, he skimmed the contents again to review the details.
"The principal figures from the Yamanaka were Kenshin and Jinzo. Kenshin was a Chunin at the time of the Kyubi attack, while Jinzo was Inoichi's pupil for about a year before joining Black Ops. Jinzo was killed in action against Sound, but Kenshin paints an interesting picture. A few months after the 'discussion', they were heading home from a bar when the sounds of a fight aroused their suspicions. Looking down an alley, Kenshin realized that a drunken civilian was beating up a child. Jinzo stopped his interference, saying it was the Kyubi brat, and that they should enjoy the show. They waited another ten minutes until the principal attacker left the scene, and made contact with Uzumaki. Seeing this as an opportunity, Kenshin knocked him out, and put a memory inhibitor on the back of his skull. Not to be outdone, Jinzo put a reaction inhibitor over the first seal. Apparently, they had an argument over what to do next when, thinking about Inoichi's daughter entering the academy with the boy, they put a libido seal on top of that. At this point, an ANBU patrol was seen incoming, and the two of them left quickly. They were never implicated until today."
Shaking her head, Anko sighed.
"Unfortunately, no viable candidates for the Chunin-style weight seals seem to stick out. The only major possibility was Mizuki, and he was killed months ago. However, the style is not distinct enough yet to determine an author. So, without interviewing the kid, we're pretty much out of luck on those."
Flipping through the next transcripts, Ibiki noticed Anko's deepening scowl. She had NOT appreciated the initiative of the former ANBU captains.
"The most likely culprit for the first ANBU style seal was the previous Boar. However, he also was killed in action against sound. His record was fairly clean, until he was put on a guard detail for Uzumaki five years ago. It was noticed that Boar was leading the kid into ambushes, so he was suspended for six months and reassigned to border duty. If there is any time span that the seal was placed, it would be then. The nature of the seal is something that Jiraiya is better qualified to explain."
Tapping a file with a red flag, he calmly continued.
"However, Lion was fairly easy to find as the second culprit. He was forced to retire nearly two years ago due to stress, but the event occurred while he was in the mask. There are not a lot of seal masters of his caliber in the forces, and this had his fingerprints all over it. All we could get out of him was the seal was needed to stop the demon. On the surface, it looked like one of our restraining seals, meant to help break prisoners.
However, the values are all off, making it twice as strong as is normally considered safe. He...won't be talking again for a while."
Rubbing her eyes in irritation, Tsunade really needed something stronger than sake right now.
"What did you find out from the Hyuga?"
This time, Anko stepped forward. Obviously, it was taking everything she had to stop from breaking things. or people.
"Oh, the little shit was a real piece of work. Seems like he noticed that Hinata chick checking out Uzumaki while training, and got this twisted little idea."
Starting to pace, Anko didn't quite notice how her voice was raised and her nostrils were flaring.
No one really wanted to call her on it.
"He caught Uzumaki a few nights later, and knocked him out with a Juken strike. Then, he inscribed the seal and runs, leaving the kid in the street. His first idea is to make Uzumaki associate the Hyuga with negative emotions, but his back up idea is the sick part. You see, he figured that if Hinata liked the kid, she might get close to him, and if that happened, she'd be in the perfect position to kill him."
The silence was deafening.
Cracking her neck, Tsunade pinched her nose in irritation. "How exactly was she supposed to accomplish this?"
Grinning hollowly, Anko met the Hokage's gaze, ignoring the worried looks from her fellow jonin.
"She'd get close, start seducing him, and then, when no one was looking, use the right hand sign to induce a heart attack. Shinji-kun thought that threatening her with the Caged Bird Seal early would be enough to gain her cooperation. Luckily, they never got close enough for him to initiate the plan."
Closing her eyes, Tsunade calmly said, "No, you don't get to kill him, Anko."
Noting the sudden pout, Tsunade let out a small grin. "We're going to do something MUCH worse."
Seeing that the reports were accepted, both Ibiki and Anko prepared to leave, only to be stopped by one final question.
"I notice that no one mentioned any sealing brushes and ink. Was there any particuar reason for that?"
Pausing briefly, Ibiki answered hoarsely,
"Brushes and ink were not mentioned because they made the seals in his own blood, within the wounds, Hokage-sama."
With that, the door shut with an air of finality. Slumping, the blond felt twice her apparent age, "This is why I hate being right."
Seeing the advent of rage in her apprentice's eyes, Tsunade decided to focus the emotions into something useful.
"Shizune, I want the accounts of the Hyuga, the Uchiha, the Yamanaka and both ANBU brought before me. It is my decision that financial restitution will have to be made at this time. Except for Shinji; he's getting something MUCH worse."
Nodding dully, the brunette left the room.
Looking around at the tired Jonin, it occurred to Tsunade that it had been a very long day, and several things still needed to be done tommorrow. but first...
"Kurenai, I saw your student present some medical cream to Naruto in the Chunin Exam recordings.
You wouldn't happen to have a sample, would you?"
Blinking at the sudden change of subject, the Genjustu Mistress reached into a pack and tossed a small bottle to the Hokage.
"I'm not sure what she uses, but Hinata is actually quite good at this sort of thing. We practically bathe in the stuff after training."
Testing a sample between her fingers, the blonde smiled at the quality.
The idea that had been forming in the back of Tsunade's mind erupted in full force. "I would like you to bring Hinata with you tomorrow at about eight. Try to nab the Haruno too, if you can.
I think I have a proposition for you."
Nodding, Kurenai led the subdued and reflective Asuma and Gai out for the evening. They all agreed; alcohol was needed if any sleep was going to be found.
all.
Taking a pen, she began to write a series of orders to be ratified the next day. I, Senju Tsunade the Fifth Hokage, do hereby decree that Uzumaki Naruto is made Chunin on my authority.
I, Senju Tsunade the Fifth Hokage, do hereby decree that Uzumaki Naruto is made my second apprentice on my authority.
I, Senju Tsunade the Fifth Hokage, do hereby decree that Uzumaki Naruto is to be granted in financial restitution, the sum of Two Million Ryo from the Uchiha account for blatant attacks of violence on his person and attempts to sabotage his career.
I, Senju Tsunade the Fifth Hokage, do hereby decree that Uzumaki Naruto is to be granted in financial restitution, the sum of One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Ryo from the account of one Yamanaka Kenshin for conspiracy to physically assault and inducing long term injury.
I, Senju Tsunade the Fifth Hokage, do hereby decree that Uzumaki Naruto is to be granted in financial restitution, the sum of One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Ryo from the estate of Yamanaka Jinzo for conspiracy to physically assault and inducing long term injury.
I, Senju Tsunade the Fifth Hokage, do hereby decree that Uzumaki Naruto is to be granted in financial restitution, the sum of Three Million Ryo from the account of Hyuga Shinji for conspiracy to commit assault and murder.
I, Senju Tsunade the Fifth Hokage, do hereby decree that, due to the abuse of authority that Hyuga Shinji has committed, he shall be remanded to the Konoha Mental Health care facility for the remainder of his natural life.
I, Senju Tsunade the Fifth Hokage, do hereby decree that, due to the abuse of authority that Hyuga Shinji has committed, a full review of the Caged Bird Seal be conducted, and a method developed to remove it from the ninja forces, in case this effort is repeated. I, Senju Tsunade the Fifth Hokage, do hereby decree that Uzumaki Naruto, due to health concerns, be released to the care of myself, and Jonin Shizune for medical treatment and rehabilitation. to insure maximum focus is given to the problem, both myself, Senju Tsunade and Jonin Shizune are to be released from all professional, legal, past, present and future obligations to konoha for the duration of the treatment, which will be ongoing. I, Senju Tsunade the Fifth Hokage, do hereby decree that Jiraiya of the sanin will be my replacement and temporary successor for the position of Hokage. He will not have the authority to issue A-rank or S-rank missions for the first six months of my absence. Nor will he be able to modify or establish treaties with foreign powers. If my absence goes
beyond six months, he is to be instated as the Sixth Hokage with the privileges and responsibilities that entails.
I, Senju Tsunade the Fifth Hokage, do hereby decree that the genin known as Uchiha Sasuke be permanently stripped of ninja rank and confined to the ANBU cell block, code named -The Underworld- for the duration of his natural life. Genetic samples may be taken and distributed to a maximum of six kunoichi candidates and six civilian
candidates. Samples will stop upon the completion of twenty one successful pregnancies. No sexual intercourse is to be granted to Uchiha Saskue for security reasons. Candidates will be reviewed by the acting Hokage and suitable clan heads.
There would be more tomorrow, and she'd have to be careful of the order of sealing, but now the opening volley was set.
"Ok you old idiots, you want a war? Well, you sure as hell have got one!"
---Author's notes
Aiya, that was a bit of a monster, wasn't it? 0_o;;;
I tried to push the story along a bit, but it is slow going. The two day limit that the Councilors gave Tsunade is adding a lot of urgency to the situation. Everything needs to be done five minutes ago, and there is a real lack of resources to tie the whole mess together.
Heck, Tsunade hasn't even told Jiraiya about the promotion yet!
Now, Tsunade is a fairly vengeful person, but this is more thought out than you might think.
The Advisor Council has made Konoha their domain, and Tsunade is faced with a situation with relatively little power. To get that power back, she needed to force the game to change, and that's more easily done outside of the village at the moment.
If you thought that I overdid it with the seal restrictions, let me reiterate. This initial part is mostly based upon the MANGA, not the anime. I will be using the anime for the next part, but until now, we have to assume that Naruto's behavior is mostly a mask for the village. He actually isn't stupid, just uninformed. Based upon his lineage, I think something else has to be contributing to these mental blocks.
Besides, it's fun to write.
Now the name of the game is undermining the Advisor's Council. As shown, they've gained a taste for power, and if that is not nipped in the butt, it WILL get out of control later on. With particularly nasty consequences, if I say so myself.
For those of you interested in seeing what happens when seals are abused, check out Lord of the Land of Fire. He has at least two stories that cover this subject, and Jiraiya's
monologue in this chapter is actually homage to his work on 'The True Monster.' Although his other story 'A Few Angry Words,' qualifies as well.
Oh, and thank you for your comments and reviews. The PM's, reviews and flagging notices have been most welcome, and inspire greater industry. A particular shout out to MegaB for his strict yet insightful comments, that led to the revisions of Chapter One. please continue! ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### Chapter: 3
No I do not own Naruto. My attempts at romance are traditionally worse than that. Chapter Three: Complex Confrontations and Difficult Decisions
Haruno Sakura really didn't think that the world should start so early today. Yet,
forgetting to turn off the alarm, she found herself eating some toast at the bloody hour of Six A.M.
After spending hours outside of operating rooms and being emotionally wrung like a sponge yesterday, she was actually looking forward to some rest and relaxation. Sleep in, visit Naruto and the others in the hospital, see if Ino wanted to get a bite...
Shuddering at the sudden chill, Sakura took a sip of tea.
...oh, and get up the guts to find out if Kakashi-sensei knew what was going to happen to Sasuke.
As much as she wanted to, Sakura couldn't really believe that the punishment would be light. Sasuke had broken some MAJOR laws, and the actions against the retrieval team wouldn't go over very well. Realistically the Uchiha was looking at anything from jail time to execution, something she couldn't decide how she felt about.
Snorting into her tea, Sakura took a moment to look at her motivations rather frankly. Heck, last week I probably would have clocked Naruto over the head for hurting poor Sasuke, CHA!
Despite her lack of original skills, she too saw herself as a Konoha Ninja, and Sasuke's actions were difficult to shrug off.
Traitors were one of the most vilified elements of the Konoha Academy's history lessons. The names of various traitors were hammered into their minds, along with the horrific deaths and chaos that ended their lives, to the point that it was one of the worse insults a person could use. Heck, the kids on the playground were never, ever cruel enough to use it casually as an insult. Not even against Naruto, and he was one of the most picked upon kids in the entire place. Of course, SUCCESSFUL traitors like orochimaru were not mentioned as much, for fear of inspiration and corruption.
What made it worse was the intensely personal nature of Sasuke's betrayal. He had hurt her, devalued her and spit upon the bonds that they had formed in Team Seven. Although she hadn't been thrilled about the team with Naruto there, Sakura had to admit they formed an interesting little pseudo-family. A group of comrades that had taken a very special place in each others' hearts, and a bond that tied them all together. Spitting upon the bond hurt more than anything else she could think off, outside of seeing Naruto wrapped up like a mummy. The whole situation made her heart ache, and head throb. However, you don't simply go from obsessing about someone for years to cursing their name. Sakura's feelings for the Uchiha were still there, tempered by recent events, but still central to her world view. Without Sasuke...she felt like nothing.
The sad truth of it was, Sakura had built her ninja career around her precious 'Sasuke-kun', and was now far behind both of her squad mates. Was it even worth it, after being let down like that? Would the trials in the Land of Waves, the Chunin Exam and the missions in between trully become that worthless to her?
A sudden flash of green caught her eyes, bringing Sakura's attention to the orange sun behind the trees outside. Suddenly, she thought of Lee and Naruto; two crazy losers who trained with everything they had to become strong. The image brought a smile to her lips. Focusing her resolve, Sakura was sure of one thing; she didn't want to quit anymore. What happened with Sasuke would happen, despite what she may or may not want, but she was a ninja and that would not change now.
Sighing at the odd sense of loss, Sakura thought about another pot of tea before hearing a light knock on the door. Blinking at the noise, she hurried over to find a slightly haggard Kurenai and Hinata waiting on her doorstep.
"Good moring Kurenai-sensei, Hinata-san. Was there something I could do for you?" Nodding at the greeting, the Genjutsu Mistress left no room for debate. "Good morning, Haruno-san. You've been summoned to the Hokage's office with us this morning. We need to leave within the next few minutes to get there on time."
