Naruto The Wrath of a Namikaze

**Chapter 1 – Hiruzen's Decision & Akatsuki's First Strike!**

Sarutobi stared solemnly into his crystal ball, once again trying to peek in on Naruto. It had been one full week since he had last seen the boy, and he was starting to think it was a bad idea to actually tell the young ninja the truth about who he was and the greatness he could obtain. The meeting had not ended well and Naruto barely even spoke to him after learning the truth.

When the crystal ball glowed brightly for a moment, Hiruzen looked hopeful, at least until it calmed down and returned to normal seconds afterwards. Sighing, he slipped the ball away again and shook his head. _Naruto-kun. I hope that you will forgive me for lying to you all this time. I haven't even told the Council about this yet, though I should have held a meeting later that very night. What…am I supposed to do now?_

The Sandaime Hokage was broken from his thoughts as he heard felt a cool breeze waft through the room, gently knocking a few papers about on his desk. Smirking softly to himself, the elderly Hokage closed his eyes and nodded his head. "Good day Jiraiya-kun. I take it you have a lead on her whereabouts finally?"

Jiraiya slowly closed the window before taking a seat across from his old sensei. Closing his eyes, he crossed one of his legs over the other and frowned. "Before I get into that, I want to know why the hell Naruto's gone and secluded himself the way he has. What the hell did you say to him Old Man?"

Hiruzen groaned and lightly hit his forehead against his desk before digging around in his desk for his pipe. "After all the shit with Orochimaru, you want to tear into me already? I still say we were lucky to get through that. It's a miracle I'm even _alive_ Jiraiya-kun!" Glancing into his student's eyes, the old man sighed heavily and shook his head. "I'm too old for this shit. I…told Naruto-kun the truth. About _everything_ Jiraiya-kun. About his parents, about the Kyuubi and what we know, about…my laws…put in place to protect him, about his parents' wishes for him, about you and Tsunade-chan being his godparents…I told him **everything**. Since then, Naruto-kun has hidden himself away inside of his parents' compound and I haven't seen hide nor hair from him since. I was hoping perhaps he would have remained in contact with his friends, Kakashi-kun, or even you, but by all accounts I've heard, nobody has seen him since I told him the truth."

When Jiraiya looked about ready to erupt and yell at him, Hiruzen raised his hand and shook his head as he finally retrieved his pipe from his desk. Lighting it, the old man took a few puffs and narrowed his eyes at his student. "Don't say a word Jiraiya-kun until I am done. Hear me out, hear my _reasons_ behind what I did, and THEN you can speak your mind. Is that understood?" When Jiraiya simply nodded and narrowed his eyes in return, Hiruzen nodded, letting out another heavy sigh. "Good."

Rising from his chair, the Sandaime Hokage took a few steps towards the windows behind him and peered out over Konoha. Bringing his pipe up to his lips, the elderly man closed his eyes and chewed a moment on the tip before he took a few more puffs and shook his head, letting out his breath slowly. "I promoted Naruto to Chunin Jiraiya. He proved himself more than capable during the exams, especially when he took it upon himself to go above and beyond the call of duty to bring down the Ichibi Jinchuriki. Whether you knew it or not, I was left with specific instructions to tell Naruto the truth when one of two conditions was met."

Keeping his back to Jiraiya, Hiruzen smirked a bit and shook his head as he stared off in the direction of the Uzumaki-Namikaze grounds. "1) When Naruto turned the age of 16. Or option 2) When Naruto made the rank of Chunin. I had also decided that if I deemed Naruto mature enough that I would tell him then if neither of the other options applied. Why? Because unlike most people in this village, I have _faith_ in the boy. I have to call a Council meeting soon Jiraiya-kun to announce to people Naruto's heritage. It's not something that can be hidden forever. What worries me is how everyone will react."

Before he could speak on the matter any further, Jiraiya shot up from his chair and interrupted him. "You know damn well how they'll react Old Man! They'll call you a liar and they'll demand his death for NOTHING! Then that bastard Danzo…he'll want Naruto even more than before. He'll begin actively trying to recruit my godson into ROOT so he can truly turn him into a damn weapon. And what would you actually do about it? Nothing! The scars…my godson's been through so damn much and you didn't even lift a finger! What did you do? You declared a fucking law saying he wasn't to be adopted by anyone! You left him to suffer on his own when somebody could have truly taken care of him!"

When the Sandaime spun around on his heels, leveling a majority of his killer intent on his student, Jiraiya began to snarl and took a step closer, doing his best to ignore his sensei's misdirected anger. "He may not have any scars on his body thanks to his unnatural healing ability, but there are some scars that just don't leave a person Hokage-_sama_! The things he's been through…he hasn't confided everything in me just yet, but Kami damn it Old Man, you let him suffer so much throughout his childhood! You let the different branches of the Council and those three bastards push you around and decide everything you're allowed to do! There were plenty of people that could have raised him, _protected_ him! I understand if you were worried about those Hyuga or Uchiha bastards, but what about the others? The Nara clan could have taken him in and taught him so much. Those idiots at the academy purposely sabotaged him every chance they got all because you fucked up Old Man!"

By now, Jiraiya and the Sandaime were mere inches apart, the two of them practically snarling at one another. Still, Jiraiya wouldn't let his sensei get another word in until everything he wanted to say had been said. "The Yamanaka clan could have adopted him. The Inuzuka clan could have easily taken him in. The Akimichi's! There were enough people that could have easily taken him in and kept him safe, but because of your stupidity, my godson suffered and suffered and suffered and you didn't do shit to help him! If it wasn't for my spy network…"

Hiruzen took this moment to interrupt and waved his pipe in front of Jiraiya's face before forcing him back away from him. "Listen here Jiraiya, and listen well! I did what I did to keep that poor boy safe! It may not have been the best decision, but damn it I'm not perfect! And you! You sent the boy money so he could feed and clothe himself, but did you ever actually take the time to pay him a visit once or twice a month? Of course not! You're just as guilty of abandoning Naruto-kun as I am and don't you dare try to deny it! I've made mistakes! I've made plenty of mistakes Jiraiya-kun, but so have YOU! And then on top of that, Tsunade…"

Jiraiya reached out and gripped the Hokage's collar, hoisting him off the floor and shaking him for a moment before the Hokage's personal ANBU appeared around him with swords pointed at various vital points on his body. Grumbling, the Toad Sannin shook his head and set his sensei back on his feet before looking away. "You leave Tsunade-hime out of it Old Man. The shit she's been through…you can't honestly blame her. She…I doubt she even truly knows about him. If she knew…if Tsunade-hime knew about our godson, I'm sure she would've come back. I'm sure she would've…would've done everything in her power for him. But that's neither here, nor then. What matters is that we've failed Naruto-kun. All of us. And with him knowing the truth…I wouldn't blame him if he wanted to burn this whole village to the ground and us right along with it. We lied to him Old Man."

Hiruzen waved off his ANBU and sat in his chair again with Jiraiya taking a seat on the couch and staring blankly his way. "Yes, we have. I actually have an idea Jiraiya-kun, if you're willing to hear me out?" When his student nodded his head slowly after taking a few minutes to calm himself, the elderly Hokage nodded his head. "Good. I want you to take Naruto-kun and go in search of Tsunade-chan. Whatever it takes, I want you to bring her back here. I'm hoping you don't have to get physical with her…and I don't mean it in _that_ way, so don't even think about that in my office! Anyways…" Sighing heavily, Hiruzen set down his now empty pipe and closed his eyes as he folded his hands before his face, letting his chin rest atop the now intertwined fingers. "I want Tsunade-chan to take over as Godaime Hokage Jiraiya-kun. And I think if you take Naruto-kun along and allow him to meet her…I don't know how to explain it other than a feeling I have, but I think she might actually come back for him if nothing else. But more than that, it's important for the two of them to heal and return to normal. We can't let them continue on as they are."

Jiraiya nodded slowly and sighed. "I understand Old Man. I'll go see if I can't talk to the kid. Maybe if I tell him that he and I are going on a mission he'll actually come out and talk to me for a change?" Shrugging, the old pervert rose from where he sat and patted his legs. "Mind making this an official mission Old Man? I don't care if you call it a C-rank or an A-rank, just write something up and help me out here so I can get the kid out of the village. I already know where she's at and it won't take the two of us too long to get there. Perhaps I can even teach the gaki something along the way. I'm more concerned about the results of this Council meeting you're going to tonight. Be careful and don't let them pull any of their usual shit with you. Okay Old man?" When Hiruzen simply nodded with another heavy, long, drawn-out sigh, Jiraiya grinned and patted him on the shoulders. "Good. Now…"

_**Naruto – Uzumaki-Namikaze Compound – Master Bedroom – Fifteen Minutes Later**_

"_**Have you figured it out yet Naruto?**_" It was a gruff voice that echoed inside the young man's head that spoke to him. This voice belonged to the Kyuubi, the most powerful of all the nine Bijuu. When her container simply shook his head and scoffed, the Kyuubi sighed softly inside his head. "_Not yet. My tou-san's jutsu seems a bit more complicated than I had originally anticipated Kyuubi. The Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique) was one of Tou-san's trademark techniques from what I've heard and read thus far, but the damn thing is just so complicated! Still, if I can figure this out then maybe…_"

Naruto frowned and shook his head. "_**Naruto, I understand. I already agreed to help you, but you're going to need to recruit allies if you want to succeed. You can't do it all on your own, and you're not going to be able to find all the allies you need here in Konoha. If I was outside, I could help you, but there's only so much one can do when they're trapped inside a 'cell' such as mine.**_" The blonde-haired young man closed his eyes and began to roll up the scrolls he had laid out on his new bed. "_I already told you Kyuubi, I'm working on it. Just be patient while I figure something out._"

Yes, during the week, the young Uzumaki had chosen to contact the Kyuubi. The two of them have shared a mental link since then. Together, they worked on perfecting his new jutsu, among other things. Kyuubi had taken it upon herself to teach Naruto what she could, while instructing him to read through the various scrolls in his new home while he had his privacy for information on his parents, their jutsu, and their history. Aside from all that though, the two of them continued to make plans about where to go from here and what to do along the way.

So far, the two of them had decided that the Sandaime Hokage could no longer be trusted. Naruto had decided, with the Kyuubi's help, to wait until the Hokage announced to the village about who Naruto's parents were so he could gauge their reactions. Depending on what happened from there, it would help him to decide his next actions. All-in-all, the blonde Chunin had formulated several plans with Kyuubi's help and whatever he decided to do would be somewhat dependant on what the people of Konoha did with the information they would be receiving soon.

Both Naruto and Kyuubi suddenly froze when they sensed somebody trying to bypass the security seals he had set up earlier in the weak to keep people off his property. Groaning, the blonde-haired young man hurriedly put away his things, grabbed hold of a kunai, and moved out of the room. Within seconds he was outside, glaring daggers at the direction of his compound's gate. Upon noticing who it was, the Chunin sighed and shook his head, quickly putting away his kunai. _It's just 'him'. I guess I shouldn't be surprised._

As Naruto moved towards the gate to allow Jiraiya in, Kyuubi decided to voice her opinion on the man. "_**Naruto. Are you sure you can trust this man? You were with him for that full month and he didn't tell you a thing about your parents or who he really is to you. In fact, he barely taught you anything. And for that matter, why the hell hasn't he been around for you?!**_"

The young blonde sighed and shook his head, freezing in his tracks as he did. As he went to reply, Naruto noticed Jiraiya waving at him to let him in. Frowning, Naruto raised one of his hands and held a finger up. "One sec Ero-sennin, I'll be right with you." Quickly choosing to ignore Jiraiya's little rant about the nickname, Naruto tuned him out and spoke to Kyuubi. "_I've known this man for a month Kyuubi. I can't make a judgment call based on such a short amount of time spent with him. He helped me out a lot during the month, so he deserves at least the benefit of the doubt for now. I'll talk to him and give him a chance to explain himself. Depending on how he answers, I can either forgive him or condemn him like I did the old man._"

Kyuubi simply huffed, but conceded to the young man. Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto walked over and allowed Jiraiya inside his compound. "C'mon in Ero-sennin. I'll make some tea and you can tell me why you've come on by okay?" Jiraiya frowned, but nodded his head and followed his pupil inside his home.

Seating himself upon a couch in the living room, the 'perverted hermit' watched Naruto for a time before shaking his head and sighing softly. _Naruto, what must you think of me now that you've learned the truth? I lied to you. I wasn't there for you when I should have been. I can only imagine the kinds of thoughts running through your mind right now._

The elderly Toad Sage was snapped from his thoughts when Naruto returned and handed him his tea. "T-Thanks Naruto. Let me get right down to business." Crossing one leg over the other, Jiraiya blew on his tea softly for just a moment before taking a sip and grinning at his young student. "I spoke with the old man Naruto. He told me what happened and how he hasn't seen you in a week. But rather than get into that particular situation, I'd like to get to the main reason I popped on over today. It's…kind of important Naruto, so hear me out before you say anything okay?"

Seeing the young Uzumaki-Namikaze nod after taking his seat, Jiraiya chose to watch him for a time while the two of them sipped their tea. After being silent for a good two minutes, Jiraiya finally breathed out a sigh and nodded his head. "Naruto, I'm going to bring you with me on a mission. The two of us are going off in search of Tsunade, your godmother. The old man wants her to become the next Hokage, but I'm not so sure we're going to get that lucky with her. At best, we might be able to convince her to head the hospital and train new medics. Heck, our current medics could learn more than a thing or two from her. But…I'd also like for her to get to know her godson. I think she'd be real proud of you Naruto."

Naruto listened as his godfather explained the mission in further detail for a short while longer before he finally put his teacup down on the coffee table and nodded his head. "Before I actually agree to go with you, can you just answer something for me?" Seeing the white-haired man nod, Naruto looked at him and sighed heavily. "Why didn't you tell me who you _really_ were to me? And for that matter, why weren't you there for me? Insulted, harassed, beaten…I was never given a fucking chance growing up. Even now that I'm a shinobi they _still_ try things from time to time! I thought if I could prove myself to these people; show them that they were wrong about me…"

The blonde shook his head and groaned before punching his fist into the couch seat next to him. "Why weren't you there for me Ero-sennin? Was it so hard to just…come on by and see me from time to time? That would have been enough. Just to know that _somebody_ fucking cared about me. That I had some SEMBLANCE of family in the world! Do you even **care** about me Jiraiya?! Or am I just another fucking 'gaki' to you?!" By now, Naruto's eyes were flashing dangerously between their usual blue color to red with slit pupils.

Jiraiya, seeing how angry and hurt his godson was, frowned and brought a hand over his chest, clutching at the fabric covering it tightly. "Naruto. You're not just another gaki to me. You're my godson. On top of that, you're the child of my old pupil, Minato Namikaze. You are dear to me and I do care for you. I'm so, so sorry I wasn't there. I'm not going to try and make some big excuse to try and make you forgive me, but I'll tell you this. Besides having my spy network to run, things were dangerous on the road. I would have brought you with me if I could have. I should have visited you earlier, spent _some_ time with you…SOMETHING! But damn it, I just…I didn't! The old man and I already fought about this and I just…no matter what I think up, it just doesn't sound right. You deserved so, so much better Naruto."

The super pervert looked into his godson's eyes and clenched his teeth together. After a time, he lowered his head and closed his eyes, fighting back the tears. "The way those people have treated you! Your parents would be so ashamed of this village. Danzo wants to use you as a tool, a _weapon_, the old man's teammates are on his side, the civilian council wants you dead, half the damn people in this village have tried to kill you…I'm amazed you haven't run away or given up already. I'm amazed you're still as kind a person as you are. After all you've been through; anybody else would have lost their minds!"

Naruto closed his eyes again and shook his head. "Tell me Ero-sensei…what would you have done if you were in my place?" Jiraiya froze for a moment and looked in his godson's eyes again. Frowning, he scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "Honestly gaki? I don't really know what I would have done. I could've ended up swearing vengeance like your friend, Sasuke…I could have turned into another Orochimaru…or I could have killed myself. Any number of things could have happened. I don't really know for sure what I would have done Naruto."

Chuckling softly to himself, the blonde gaki shook his head and smiled. "Makes sense I suppose. Jiraiya-sensei…I'll give you a chance okay? Don't go running off on me without telling me first and giving me a damn good reason for it. I never got to experience what it's like to have a mom and dad like other kids do. So…I'd appreciate it if you'd at _least_ stick around and spend some time with me. Help me out with my training. Whatever you can do for me. And when we bring Tsunade back, I expect the same of her as well. What do you think?"

Jiraiya smirked and nodded his head before finishing the rest of his tea. "Sounds like a good idea Naruto. I didn't plan to go leaving you so soon anyways. But would you mind telling me something? What are your plans now that you know everything? I get the feeling you're pretty pissed at the old man."

The young Chunin sighed and nodded before helping his godfather off the couch. "Yeah…I'm pissed. It's hard to forgive him for…for what he did. He's the entire freaking reason I wasn't adopted! Coming up with a fucking law saying nobody could adopt me…what kind of bullshit is that?!" Realizing he was letting his anger get the better of him again, Naruto took a few deep, calming breaths and closed his eyes again. "You asked about my plans, right?"

Seeing his godfather nod again, the boy breathed out another breath and nodded. "To be perfectly honest with you…my plans depend on what the villagers and my 'friends' choose to do once they learn the truth about who I am. I won't say anymore than that just yet." Walking off with the now empty teacups, Naruto rinsed them out and set them aside before turning back to face Jiraiya.

"That's fair Naruto. Go on and get yourself ready. I'll wait for you at the main gate in ten minutes. I'd like to leave as soon as possible so we don't lose her. That and the council meeting is being held _tonight_. Sooner we get out of here, the better. We'll let them soak in the information while we're gone. When we come back, we'll have their _true_ reactions. Sound good?" Getting an affirmative nod from his godson, Jiraiya patted him on the head and smirked. "See you in a bit Gaki." And with that, Jiraiya was off while Naruto went off to pack his things.

_**Later that Night – Council Meeting Room**_

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his chair, his face in his hands as he listened to all the hubbub in the room. People were discussing what this particular meeting was actually about. From what everyone was saying, Hiruzen was fairly certain that he was the only one in the room with any knowledge of the true reasons behind this particular meeting. Raising his head, the Sandaime Hokage rubbed his tired eyes and shook his head before calling for everyone's attention.

"I've noticed that you are all wondering just what this particular meeting is about. There are…a few reasons. Firstly, I would like to inform you all about two rogue ninja that infiltrated the village earlier today. These two ninja were Kisame Hoshigaki, former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist…and Itachi Uchiha, the person responsible for the Uchiha Massacre." As the whole room went silent and gasped, Hiruzen nodded his head and closed his eyes, folding his hands before him and resting his chin atop his hands. "These two are now members of a group known as Akatsuki. They came to the village searching for Naruto Uzumaki."

Frowning, he shook his head and glanced over his shoulder towards Danzo and his old teammates before looking forward once again. "They seek the Kyuubi sealed away inside of him. Their organization's exact purpose is unknown to us at the moment, but Jiraiya and his spy network are going to continue observing them and relaying whatever information they can, when they can. Unfortunately, they didn't leave without incident."

Shooting a quick glare at the civilian council, hoping they got the message to stay quiet, Hiruzen quickly continued. "Jonins Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, Kakashi Hatake, and Might Guy confronted them when they arrived. However, Kakashi is currently in the hospital in a coma of some kind. He battled Itachi and unfortunately could not quite measure up. Shortly afterwards, the two criminals left the village and have not been seen since."

The Sandaime could not continue to speak as he was soon interrupted by a rather rude civilian council member. Rising up from his seat, the brown-haired, blue-eyed man was practically snarling at the Hokage. "Why didn't we just let those criminals take the demon brat?! We could have finally been rid of the little monster once and for all! Now, instead of being rid of the brat, one of our top Jonin is in a coma and you're still protecting that wretched demon! Explain yourself!"

Fuming by this point, Hiruzen waved his hand and sent a silent signal to one of his ANBU. Within an instant, the councilman's head was rolling along the floor while his body slumped to the ground where he once stood. "I shouldn't have to say this, but I will anyways because you council members seem to be going senile far faster than even _I_ am. Do _not_ talk about Naruto Uzumaki in that way! Keep it up and I'll personally destroy every one of you for everything you have _EVER DONE TO HIM! _You're fucking monsters and I will not have you treating the people of Konoha in such a way! Now sit down, shut up, and listen, all of you!" After that little outburst from the Hokage, **everyone** quickly shut up and sat staring at their Hokage with wide eyes.

After he finally calmed down, Hiruzen smirked and nodded his head. "Good. The next order of business actually ties in with this Akatsuki business. Not too long ago, Sasuke Uchiha left the village. It seems he overheard a conversation taking place in the hospital in reference to his brother and Kakashi's condition. It doesn't take a genius to know what's going through the boy's mind. I have already sent Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, and Asuma Sarutobi in search of the boy, so the Uchiha will be returned to us in short order. However, I would like to hear opinions on what should be done to punish the boy for his reckless behavior upon his return to Konoha. Any suggestions?"

As expected, the civilian council immediately blew up at this. The leader, one Kihari Haruno, Sakura Haruno's pudgy, green-eyed, yellow-haired aunt, rose from her seat and narrowed her eyes at the Hokage. "Why would you even suggest such a thing? Sasuke-kun is well within his rights to seek vengeance for his clan. The Civilian Council refuses to seek punishment against him for doing what he feels to be right."

Before anyone else could say anything, Danzo stepped forward and smirked. "The boy obviously lacks discipline Hokage-_sama_. You could always simply let me have him. I could very easily, ahem…'beat' him into shape…so to speak of course. He would learn respect very quickly then, I assure you." Homura and Koharu both nodded their heads in agreement to that, both clearly expecting the Civilian Council members to quickly side with them. However, what happened next shocked everyone in the room.

Kihari turned red and shook her head furiously from left to right. "Absolutely not! You will not touch that darling boy! If you want the…erm…well, if you want 'Naruto', you can take that little shit, but you will not touch Sasuke-kun!" Feeling a sudden pressure weighing down on her, Sakura's aunt turned slowly to stare into what she was certain was her doom should she even _consider_ speaking again. Quickly taking her seat, the yellow-haired woman went quiet and didn't speak another word.

Growling angrily at the audacity of these people, Hiruzen turned to his Shinobi council and waved for them to speak up. "What do you have to say? Forget these idiots, they clearly don't appreciate that Sasuke has left the village without orders and needs to be reprimanded for his actions. Actually, in fact, before you even speak…" The elderly Hokage turned to the Civilian Council and waved his hand towards the door. "You, Civilian Council, get the hell out of here! I won't have you polluting these meeting anymore with your bullshit! All you ever seem to talk about ever since Naruto had the Kyuubi sealed inside of him is: "Why do you protect him Hokage-sama? Naruto needs to die!" and so on and so on. From here on, don't even bother showing yourselves to these meetings! The Civilian Council is hereby disbanded! The shit you've pulled behind my back with _these three assholes behind me_ has been plenty enough to warrant this decision! So get lost and don't come back!"

When the civilians went to argue, the Hokage raised his killing intent and focused it on the group until they finally got the message and left the room. Turning, he glared back at his three 'friends' and smirked. "Anything you three want to say? Or can I get the Shinobi Council's opinion now since they're clearly the only ones who actually care to get anything _reasonable_ discussed and done around here?" When the three elders shook their heads no, Hiruzen smirked and turned to the Shinobi Council, signaling that they could speak finally.

Shikaku Nara was the first to speak up with his opinion. "Despite the arrogance he has continuously displayed, and the way he made everyone wait on him as if he is something truly special when it came time for his match in the Chunin Exams, I can't justifiably suggest we revoke his status as a ninja. I would very much like if that were to happen, but unfortunately, he hasn't done anything to truly warrant such a drastic action just yet. Therefore, confinement to the village for at least a month and perhaps some…'coaching' from someone such as Ibiki Morino would be in order. Sasuke certainly needs to learn respect and manners, and Ibiki could very well teach them to him. What does everyone here think?"

Hiruzen smirked as the rest of the Shinobi council quickly agreed, Tsume even offering to let her dogs 'tear Sasuke a new one' in the process. Nodding his head, Hiruzen smirked back at the elders once more before announcing that Sasuke would be receiving his punishment as soon as he was back in the village. After a time, the old man folded his hands again and rested his chin atop his intertwined fingers once more. "Now on to the final matter that needs discussing this night."

Sighing to himself, the elderly Hokage shook his head and looked up towards the ceiling. "It's time you learned of Naruto's heritage and why I chose to do what I did all those years ago. Now that he has made the rank of Chunin, I have informed him of who his parents are and bestowed upon him the gifts his parents left to him." Glancing around at everybody, he let out another deep sigh and closed his eyes. "Naruto's full name…is Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. This should easily tell you who his parents were."

Tsume picked up on it faster than even Shikaku did and quickly shot up from her seat and slammed her hands down upon the table before her. "Are you telling me the kid's Kushina & Yondaime-sama's son?! What the hell Sandaime-sama?! If that's the case, why didn't you let me adopt him all those years ago?! You refused me every fucking time, even knowing how dear she was to me!"

Hiruzen sighed and rubbed his forehead tiredly. "Like I said, I'll explain it all shortly. But yes, you have it right. Naruto's parents are Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage himself, and his wife Kushina Uzumaki. Naruto is truly the last of the Uzumaki clan as we know it, and he's the Yondaime's legacy in the flesh. I will announce this to the villagers in the morning, but for now I'd like opinions."

Inoichi took this moment to speak up. "If he truly is their son, and I'm not saying I don't believe you, don't get me wrong…then those who actually believe it might demand that he be put into the CRA Hokage-sama. They might try to _use_ the Yondaime's son for breeding purposes. It's wrong, I know that, but I can understand the reasoning behind why they might choose to argue in favor of such a thing."

The Hokage shook his head and narrowed his eyes as he looked at the table beneath his elbows. "I absolutely refuse to force Naruto-kun into such a thing against his will. He hasn't spoken to me in a week and he's got seals intact that prevent me from spying on him. My best guess is that Naruto is currently furious at me for keeping such secrets from him, and even more furious with me for the laws I put into place that prevented him from being adopted by those who actually wanted him. It's going to take some work to regain his trust and set things right, and the CRA would only make things worse. So I will refuse that adamantly."

For a good time, the remaining council members continued to speak about Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze and about what would be said in the morning. In the meantime, Danzo and the elders, Homura and Koharu, were currently trying to formulate their own plans for little Naruto. Whatever would benefit them in the end was exactly what they were going to try and pull off. Soon enough, Danzo disappeared, leaving everyone to their own devices. _This only gives me even more reason to get that sniveling little gaki on my side. Possessing Naruto would earn me such leeway! I could control everything!_

_**Meanwhile – Shukuba Town – Inn 2**__**nd**__** Floor**_

Jiraiya and Naruto chose to rest in a small town known as Shukuba Town for the night. They had been travelling all afternoon and evening, but they hadn't reached their target yet, a place called Tanzaku Quarters. That was the location where Tsunade was currently said to be, and with the festival taking place, the chances were that she would be there for some time yet before moving on. After moving out from Shukuba Town in the morning, the traveling duo should be able to reach the lively town by midday if there were no distractions.

Sadly, despite Jiraiya's promises to train him along the way, he had chosen to run off with some woman shortly after paying for their room for the night. So, deciding to let the old man have his fun, Naruto ventured to their room, locked the door, and sat upon the bed so he could resume looking through his scrolls.

"_**I really don't see why you even bothered giving him another chance. Look at what he's doing. You'll have to continuously use that horrendous **__Oiroke no Jutsu (Sexy Technique)__** on him if you **_**ever**_** want to learn ANYTHING. You realize that, don't you?**_" The Kyuubi criticized, clearly not happy with Jiraiya and his perverse antics. Naruto simply chuckled and shook his head in response as he unfurled a scroll and began to read.

"_Think about it Kyuubi. Since when does _any_ woman actually flirt with ero-sensei?_" Naruto questioned as he read through the instructions for another Suiton (Water Release) jutsu that he found in one of his mother's scrolls. As he did this, Kyuubi pondered over his question for a moment before replying. "_**Actually, now that you mention it, the old fool never could get any attention from the women you two saw during that month. He kept getting pummeled by them for being a disgusting old pervert. That and he's what? 50 years-old?**_"

Naruto chuckled and shook his head. "_Heck if I know Kyuubi. But you're starting to see my point. Unless that woman's a prostitute or something, there's no way she'd just approach us and start flirting with the old man like that. And judging from the way she was dressed and the rest of her appearance, she certainly doesn't look like a prostitute. So, based on that information, what conclusion can you draw Kyuubi?_"

The Kyuubi was silent for only a few moments before her voice rang out in his head again. "_**Something's going to happen. Somebody tried to lure him away…so they could get to you. That's the conclusion you've come to, isn't it Naruto?**_" Chuckling to himself as he began practicing the hand seals for the jutsu he was studying up on, the blonde nodded his head. "_Yep. And I just let it happen because I'm curious to see what someone could possibly want with little ol' me._"

Kyuubi was definitely not happy to hear that, but she understood. In truth, she was curious as well. At the same time however, they both had a bad feeling about their current situation and Naruto wanted to prepare himself for a conflict should it come down to that. Kyuubi came to the decision that if a fight broke out, she'd willingly feed her friend as much chakra as he needed, so long as it was within reasonable amounts. Too much, and without the proper training, and it could very well tear his body apart and that was something she just didn't want!

The two of them didn't have to wait long before they both felt a dark presence outside of their room. Quickly slipping away his scrolls once more, Naruto waited patiently. When he finally heard knocking on his door, the young Chunin quietly put his hands together in a familiar hand seal and summoned forth six shadow clones. Using the Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique), Naruto transformed into a small scroll that one of his shadow clones picked up and tossed to another one that hid itself in the corner nearest the door.

When the only visible shadow clone moved over and opened the door, Naruto and his clones listened carefully, waiting to hear what their possible opponent might want. When his clone didn't instantly recognize the duo standing outside the door, Naruto began to wrack his brain as to what strangers would want with him. It was then that he heard them speak, and what they said had him concerned. "_They want you Kyuubi! Who are these guys?!_"

Before Kyuubi could respond, the clone that opened the door left the room, making sure to leave the door open as he did, just in case. Smirking inwardly, Naruto sent a mental signal to the clone that was currently holding him. When the taller of the two enemies talked about chopping his clone's legs off, the clone holding the real Naruto formed a single hand seal and the shadow clone outside in the hall exploded, sending both opponents flying from the blast.

With another signal, all the shadow clones revealed themselves and leaped out of the room to check on the enemies. One clone stepped forward, pretending to be the real Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. "Itachi! Tell me why the hell you're after me! What the hell do you want with me and the Kyuubi?!"

Kisame Hoshigaki was the first of the two Akatsuki members to shake off the force of the explosion. Laughing, he looked at the clones and shook his head. "Damn brat! I thought you said the brat was a dumbshit Itachi? That little display was something else entirely! He was clearly expecting us, and he even knows a high level jutsu. Look, fucking Shadow Clones. Makes me wonder what else this little punk knows." Twirling Samehada around in his hand, the fish man smirked to himself as he looked each of the clones over.

Itachi simply brushed himself off as he stepped forward to stand beside his partner. "It would seem he's learned a few things since becoming a Genin, but it isn't enough to deter us. And I'm afraid even my Sharingan isn't enough to tell the real Naruto apart from his shadow clones. Seeing as he's choosing to be difficult, you should go ahead and let loose until the real one chooses to show himself. Just don't go drawing too much attention to yourself Kisame, we're trying to play it low key." Narrowing his eyes, the Uchiha looked between each of the clones and tried to figure out which of the clones was the real Naruto. When he still couldn't, he shook his head and sighed. "Go on. Make it quick."

Kisame smirked at this and took a step forward, holding Samehada out in front of him. "Sounds good to me Itachi-san. Now, which of you little punks wants to try me first?" When the clone holding the Naruto scroll stepped forward and began flashing through hand seals, Kisame quirked an eyebrow. _Interesting, what's the little gaki up to?_

When the clone finished its hand seals, it brought a hand up to its mouth and smirked. "Enjoy Fish Breath! **Futon: Bakuhatsutekina no Dangan (Wind Release: Explosive Air Bullets)**!" The clone quickly began to fire a series of tiny air bullets from its mouth straight at the Akatsuki members. Itachi, seeing this attack, quickly went through a series of hand seals and brought his hand up to his mouth as well. "**Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)**!"

A moment after Kisame hopped back behind his partner, the two techniques collided and the area around them literally exploded, taking most of the 2nd floor of the inn with it. When the smoke finally cleared, Itachi narrowed his eyes and glared across at the clones. "That was a dangerous maneuver Naruto-kun. Are you trying to kill the people staying here? That doesn't sound like you." When Naruto simply shrugged and smirked across at him, Itachi narrowed his eyes further and shook his head. "I must admit, I'm disappointed in you. But no matter, we are here to take you Naruto-kun, so stop resisting."

Before anyone could even say anything more, a voice rang out from the other end of the now destroyed hallway. Naruto, recognizing the voice, groaned inwardly and, if he could have, he would have been shaking his head in exasperation. "Itachi! I promised myself I'd kill you. You murdered everybody!" _Sasuke you idiot. Of course you wouldn't come here to help me; it's all about your stupid vengeance. Kami forbid you actually come to help a _friend_!_

Itachi turned away from the clones and waved his hand behind him. "Kisame, deal with Naruto-kun please. It seems my dear otouto has come to pay me a visit. Who am I deny him his wishes?" Kisame smirked and nodded, eager to have a little fun. "Sure Itachi-san. You deal with the flesh bag; I'll get the Kyuubi brat. I hope you make him scream. It's so much fun to hear them scream." The shark man chuckled to himself before he turned to face off against the clones once more. "Now, let's try this again. Eenie, meenie, miney, moe…hmmm…ah to hell with it." With that, Kisame charged forward, aiming to take out one clone at a time until he finally found the real one. It just wasn't his style to worry about picking out the true Naruto from the crowd of clones. It's way more fun to just kill 'em all!

**A/N: First off, I'd like to apologize for taking so darn long to update ANYTHING. Second, I do have a few new stories in the works, this one included. I'll be working on the first chapter of the second new story next. Afterwards, I'm planning to work on 2 - 3 chapters of Mercy of the Shinigami for everyone waiting on that story. There are going to be times where I'll be cranking out chapters like crazy, and times like recently where I'll end up slowing down a looot. Soooo, just be patient with me and try to enjoy the stories alright? Thank you and g'bye! lol**


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Naruto, Adventure, Romance