Truly by now he should have been over it. The scent of blood, his own chest pierced by his own brother in all but blood. 'My dream lies in the past.' Sasuke had said to him. His young mind could not comprehend. How did Sasuke turn out like this? Where had everything gone wrong?

Of course the answer was glaring back at him like the sun in a clear blue sky. But hindsight is 20/20 especially when you have an entire week to ponder while laying on a hospital bed. The hygienic smell that permitted his room, the dull white walls that allowed the still barely audible hustle and bustle of the doctors and patients outside. 'It all started when that snake came about' he had already realized this, and try as he might he couldn't help but fault Sasuke for the current turn of events. Sasuke had truly lived in the past. Obsessing over a goal that was dark and uncertain. How could he not take the chance? Training by a legendary Sannin.

Naruto Uzumaki had undeniably a bad week. The scarce visits of Tsunade and Sakura briefly eased him a bit. But then he would stay all alone again, -like he always had. The company of one self was tiring, more so when it is all the company you have most of the time. A self-appointed dream that he held more precious than his own life. To become Hokage; was the end game and everything in between was but a hurdle he had to overcome. Hinata's melodic and stuttering voice rang briefly inside his head for the umpteenth time: 'You are a proud failure' she had said back before the chuunin exams.

After the small confidence boost back then he had never thought about it. The longer he thought about it now it made more and more sense. Where Sasuke excelled in everything. He failed every time. But when met with a struggle, he would be the one that would shatter the barriers and chains that held him back and strive onward like a raging bull; while Sasuke would think about some roundabout way. No matter who he hurt in the process.

Naruto was taken out of his musings when the door slid open. Tsunade walked in and he couldn't help but feel relieved for the fact. Thinking was never his strong suit and having someone distract him was welcomed immediately.

"Ahh, Baachan when can I get the hell out of here!?" he asked with a whiny voice that greatly irked the legendary medic. Tsunade rolled her eyes and walked over to the window.

"Shut up brat! I told you that you are not fine yet! You were pierced with a freaking chidori so you need some rest." She yelled at him. It made sense that she would react like that. Although Naruto couldn't possibly know that, when Tsunade saw his broken form she almost reverted to whatever she had been before meeting him.

A wreck.

How could she not? It was one thing to save him from that freak's attack back during her confrontation with Orochimaru. But now after growing fond of the brat. The child that seemed to be a hybrid of all her fears and stored away memories, had come to an inch of his life. She wouldn't have handled that. Vocally she swore to protect Konoha back at her inauguration. But Konoha was still a hash of thrown away memories and emotions.

Naruto was Konoha.

She swore to protect him; yet she let some power hungry brat come this close to bring it all down to ruble and ashes.

"Ow, come on granny. You know I heal really quickly!" he said cheerfully but his cheerfulness didn't reach his eyes. The busty blonde ignored him in favor of sliding the curtains away, letting the early morning sunshine peer through the until now dark room.

Naruto squinted his eyes and muttered a string of unintelligible curses. "What the hell? You old bat!" he yelled only to be met with a fist on his head.

"How many times do I have to tell you to show some respect you shitty brat!?" she huffed indignantly and crossed her arms under her impressive chest.

"Well, I will respect you when you finally give up on hiding your age." He huffed and turned his head to her opposite direction. He didn't see it but Tsunade smiled motherly at him. 'Is this what it would have felt like if I had a child?' she thought wistfully.

She sat next to him on the bed and patted his blonde spiky hair affectionately. "How are you holding up, Naruto?"

He was briefly shocked but easily accepted her gesture by sliding his head so that her entire palm could rest on it. Glancing sideways and grabbing the bed sheets he sighed sadly. "Why is it that I always fail when it matters the most?" he asked, and didn't dare look her in the eyes; 'what if she saw the tears?'

Although slightly taken aback she didn't speak out.

"Do you remember when I told you about my first mission? Way back when we were going back to Konoha?" he asked but didn't really expect a retort. Tsunade hummed positively.

"I met a boy there. He was a bit older than me and his name was Haku. You know Haku believed that people only grow strong when they have something to protect. "he said with a smile but didn't stop. "You see Haku was taken in by Zabuza the Demon of the Mist!" here he waved his arms excitedly to show her how Zabuza was a big bad badass "but Zabuza only regarded him as a tool. A tool to achieve his ambitions. Later on during our fight he asked me to kill him because he lost! Can you believe that? Why would someone do that right? I couldn't understand back then… I couldn't understand anything. I jumped into the fight like some clown and almost got Sasuke killed because of that.

When Sasuke lay there; to me seemingly dead. I couldn't help myself. There was this huuge cage and behind them those hate filled red eyes. More hateful than the villagers. More hateful than the whole entire world together. And as the Kyuubi raged inside. As I let the monster flail and twist and turn I realized something. "he paused to look at Tsunade's widened eyes. All his worries and concerns, he somehow wanted to share them, Tsunade he only knew for a couple of weeks but already she was the mother he never had. He didn't let her respond and went on.

"Of course I didn't realize it until I ended up bedridden here. But can you imagine this? When I stared into Sasuke's eyes back in the valley of the end I couldn't help but shudder Granny. They were more hateful than Kyuubi's! Although no expert on these matters I can't help but think… What made him hate so much? Why can't he will himself to love? To care? And then… Then I realized that by now it's not that he can't will himself to do so. He just doesn't want to. He said that I couldn't understand him because I never had a family of my own. It is true that I can't understand but now I can almost feel it. Jiraya is like a father even if I only know him for three or four months. Sarutobi-jiji was like a granddad, always fretting about me and making time to see me and talk to me. And then you came and I keep wondering if this is how it feels to have a mother. And Sasuke, he is like the older brother that keeps staying right a few inches ahead of me, a hurdle to surpass but cherish at the same time."

Tears were flowing freely and Tsunade held him in a tight hug, trying to comfort him; if even a little bit. "I don't know what I should do Granny!" he pleaded through his tears. It was heart wrenching to see him like that. The bright ball of sunshine that illuminated her day and motivated her aspirations.

She let some moments pass in silence so he could gather his thoughts. An old memory of a drunk Jiraya in a bar near Hi no Kuni's border, he had said something along the same lines back then. When he failed to capture Orochimaru.

"Then get stronger." She said the image of Jiraya overlapping the blonde. Naruto looked at her with wide eyes. His sadness and sorrow whisked away by three tiny words that came like a whisper from the blonde Hokage. "So that when the brother you always tried to overcome acknowledges you." Her eyes were a bit red from the tears and she couldn't look at him. The way he spoke and described his own emotions was so much more charismatic than ever his own father. 'Truly Naruto will make a great leader one day.' She thought. But that day drew closer and closer even if she didn't know it.

-Segment-

In a dank cave underneath Konoha, where the corrupted and forgotten dwelled, a lone eye cracked open to regard the new arrival. Danzo's old friend and comrade stared back at him in the dimly lit room. "So you finally learned about him, huh? I guess it was a tall order to keep that secret locket away"

The white haired man chuckled throatily.

"Well. The news of a certain Uzumaki defeating the long advertised Hyuuga prodigy along with defeating a fully formed bijuu moments later while riding a huge toad; certainly travel quite fast during these boring times in the Elemental nations, Danzo." He said evenly.

"Hmm, yes I guess they would, wouldn't they? Truth be told I had high hopes for the child, but during the academy he was all but useless. And even now that his potential glaringly looks me in the eye I can't help but think that he will prove to be troublesome later down the line." Danzo remarked tiredly. The Uzumaki had plagued his recent thoughts. Psychological conditioning only worked to a certain degree and the child surrounded himself with people that even he didn't want to meddle with. After Sarutobi's death he had hoped to break him, but not only Jiraya popped alongside him even Tsunade grew fond of the child. He didn't hold any illusions that the child would break now. He was charismatic that much Danzo could tell. And if anything charismatic people were troublesome.

"So we have an agreement then?" said the old man.

"Yes. I can certainly work something out. The question is: What can you give me in return?" said Danzo, absentmindedly gazing at the wizened shinobi infront of him.

The guest looked around him as if he was rating the place and rested his eyes on the crippled war hawk. "Well, I hear Konoha's barriers and forbidden seals have been reduced in quality lately wouldn't you say old friend? Never mind those crude little things you have placed on your motley crew down stairs."

Danzo's eyes glimmered through the scarce lighting of the room. He chuckled dryly and rested his face on his crossed fingers. "I guess we have a deal then don't we, Jinichi?" [1]

-Segment-

A few weeks had passed since Naruto poured his soul out to Tsunade. It was weird in sense to pass on his worries and concerns to others. He had never done that before, opting to keep his own miseries inside. After all, if he ever told anyone it would be admitting; and admitting would be Them winning.

'Them' regarded the glaring citizens and patronizing store owners who ever so often came his way. His childish stubbornness had kept him sane back then; and it did so now. Another punch coupled with a right cross and a jump back. The old pervert had left him with some taijutsu katas to train with. It wasn't his usual 'run in and raise hell' but it sure looked fancy. The dummy had no chance to retaliate and became the perfect outlet for Naruto's anger.

"How long are you going to keep at this Naruto?" the pineapple haired Nara sighed wistfully. It was such a beautiful day too. Why spend it all training when there were perfectly nice clouds to gaze at?

"You are so lazy Shika, you know that?" Naruto asked kind of annoyed that the boy disturbed his ever so precious training.

The young Nara looked bored at the moment but didn't miss a beat. "And you need to stop beating yourself up about what happened." He said dryly.

"Tsk. What do you know?" he asked, put off at the other's attitude.

The Nara looked briefly hurt, but ended up looking at the sky again. "I know that you are going to burn out if you keep going like that. "he finished and stood up lazily. "I may be lazy Ruto but I know that you are blaming yourself. If anything I am at fault because I led the mission didn't I?"

Naruto was speechless as the lazy boy walked off towards training ground 14. It was a glorified grass filled hill that was mostly use for target practice. The young Nara was already near the training ground's exit when Naruto found his words again. "So what huh?!" he yelled. "Should I blame someone else because I failed?! Huh Shika?" his yells were met with silence. Shikamaru was never one to say more than what was needed to be said. Always so mature and logical when it came to hard situations.

-Segment-

Izumi Uzumaki [2] was considered by most of her family and friends a doll. Her porcelain skin and ladylike posture along with, - for the Uzumaki unusual sable black hair she reminded people of regal dolls that were often found in the rooms of spoiled noble daughters and princesses. Along with her sublime deep purple kimono she resembled a royal. But she was anything but.

She walked through the busy streets of Konoha's market. Men and women stopped to glance at her and regard her appearance. If anything she should be closer to the Hyuuga's part of the village than here. With a quick nod of appreciation, they kept walking.

The village was bursting with life and the people seemed unaffected after only a couple months after an invasion. It seemed odd that people would forget this quickly. She even walked right through the front door so to speak. Two sleepy looking chuunin guarded the entrance and they both almost lost it when they saw her. How strange.

It was when she entered the village center however that she finally saw Konoha. It was like a city more than a village. Entire districts, tall buildings and the Hokage monument gave a fragrance of grandeur that she had never experience before. Certainly not when she had lived her entire, sixteen-year-old life in Kusa. Alongside that dopey looking sister, who found it more prudent to run off and experiment on people than rebuild her own clan. 'Tsk. I should stay focused.' She reprimanded herself inwardly walked towards the easily tallest tower around. The kanji for fire made her destination easier to find.

With a quick but elegant stride she arrived infront of the Hokage's tower. Although big, it wasn't the epitome of architectural achievement. A large staircase that connected the circular floors. After several management offices and storage rooms she arrived at the top. The circular floor was unique among the others in that it was separated in half. Infront the Hokage's office lay a desk on one side and a comfortable looking couch that could easily fit a shinobi team, sat on the other side.

A woman with short onyx hair sat on the desk, frantically stamping paperwork like there was no tommorow. Izumi waited a moment trying to see if the secretary would sense her arrival but nothing of the sort happened.

"Ehem"

Shizune was stupefied when she raised her head to meet a regal looking young lady infront of her desk.

'How didn't I sense her?' she mentally berated herself.

"Hello there. How can I help you?" she asked politely.

"Hello, I am Izumi Uzumaki. I seek an audience with lady Hokage." Said Izumi with a polite bow.

There was a potent silence as Shizune tried not to freak out; something she had failed to do right about when she heard the woman's last name. Shizune nodded her head mechanically and with stiff movements walked up to the door that connected to her boss. She opened the door carefully only to find Tsunade gazing outside the window with a sake cup in her hand.

A tick mark formed on her face when Tsunade stiffly turned around to face the person that haunted her dreams lately. "Shizune this isn't what it looks like!" she said defensively while at the same time throwing the cup outside the opened window. A brief yell of pain and a string of curses could be heard from outside, but Shizune ignored that in favor of her good-for-nothing master. "Tsunade-sama! How many times must I tell you that you cannot drink during work!" she reprimanded sternly.

Tsunade found her back bone at her apprentice's irritating yammering. "Ah, lay off Shizune. This is the first time since Tuesday! You know that I need my juice once in a while!"

With a face palm Shizune closed the door behind her and walked right infront of Tsunade. "There is a woman outside seeking audience with you?" she said in an all hush-hush manner that greatly irked Tsunade for some reason. With a raised eyebrow she sat on her desk again and shooed Shizune outside. "Ah, tell her I'm busy or something."

"Miss Izumi Uzumaki is seeking audience with you Tsunade-sama!" she was trying to whisper in a harsh tone trying to imitate a scream.

"Uzumaki!?" she said disbelievingly.

With a nod Shizune confirmed. "Uzumaki."

Tsunade turned around to look at her "Well. Fuck".

Izumi couldn't help but be amused the weird Kage and secretary duo. She hadn't seen many Kage in her life. In fact, this one was her first one. Somehow she had imagined something different. There was no over the top security in the building and she had seen no shinobi thus far. Were all ninja villages so lax or was it only Konoha?

A thought for another time.

The door opened and Shizune walked outside, visibly calmer than when she walked inside. "Godaime-sama will see you now." She said with a polite bow trying to usher the beauty inside.

"Of course. Thank you, secretary-san" she said politely and strode calmly inside the office.

The first thing Izumi noted was the uneasiness in her stomach. The Hokage sat behind her desk, fingers intertwined with one another and those brown orbs stared back at her. 'So this is why there is no security' she mused idly. She was being suffocated just by staying in the office. Izumi had met many dangerous people, and she liked to think that she was dangerous herself. But this woman. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Like a boulder weighing down on her shoulders. Just like that the pressure went away and her knees shook a bit but not enough to fall down.

"Take a seat young lady" the Hokage said in a sickening sweet tone. With all the courage she could muster, Izumi nodded and sat on the chair.

"You have some nerve to walk into my village, seeking to talk to me while at the same time claiming to carry the name of my grandmother. How can I help you Uzumaki-san "?

The legendary sannin's voice was polite and calm but the words were anything but. She had been warned for this. From a young age she had been trained to never fear. To never waver in her convictions. But this woman, she was like a coiled snake ready to strike at the tiniest misstep.

"I come here before you Godaime-sama..." she said as strongly as she could. "… to request that you look through the files I have brought with me. We are trying to rebuild Uzushiogakure, and one of your shinobi can help us do just that. "Izumi unsealed a manila folder from a seal that was sawn into her kimono and with shaking hands passed it onto Tsunade.

With a raised eyebrow Tsunade took the folder and skimmed through the contents within. Izumi noted that the Hokage's brows would twitch every so often. After what seemed like an eternity the Hokage closed the folder and focused on Izumi.

"I will have to take your request with the council. This isn't a decision that I can make lightly nor individually." She said seriously.

"Of course Hokage-sama." Nodded Izumi and stood up to make herself scarce.

As she stepped near the door, Tsunade talked again. "I will make myself clear; should this request by some off-chance go forward, and I find that you by any means manipulated him or used him. I will come down to Uzushio myself." Izumi swallowed thickly and grabbed the nob. The sannin went on however. "And believe me, there will be no Uzumaki to talk about after I am done with you and your people. Don't talk I don't need to hear anything, tell what I told you to that war hawk you call a master. Now leave."

Izumi didn't waste any time to scurry off as elegantly as she could. This oppressive feeling was not something she would soon forget.

-Segment-

Naruto sat behind the Ichiraku ramen stall, casually slurping his broth and noodles faster than a ninja can throw his kunai. It became a ritual of sorts ever since he returned from his team mate's retrieval mission. Training followed by ramen, followed by more training. Jiraya had suggested that he works on his basics including the theoretical stuff. A task that Sakura had taken on herself to enforce.

It had been quite daunting at first, going through the academy curriculum; and the math! Oh kami he wanted to self-destruct every time Sakura asked for the amount of chakra required to power the snake seal under influence of elemental chakra according to Tobi-what's-his-name theory of chakra relativity. Did all gennin learn this stuff or did Sakura seek to torment him? Never mind that… How the hell did he pass the academy without learning all this? 'Right, on field promotion! You are the best Naruto' he mentally patted himself on the back. Who else was as awesome as he? No one!

His internal self-gloating came to a quick halt when an ANBU appeared right next to him. "Naruto Uzumaki. You have been requested at the council hall, immediately." without waiting for a response the ANBU member quickly disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What the hell was that?" he muttered to himself not paying attention to the bewildered civilians that had almost never seen an ANBU before. With a sigh he slurped down his last bowl and threw more than enough Ryo on the table to cover his expense. He put his orange jacket on his shoulders not bothering to actually wear it. The wind blew comfortably over his lithe body and allowed him to cool down briefly after eating several bawls of steamy noodle.

It didn't take long to arrive at the kage tower. If was getting dark outside and people were scarce on the streets. He briefly wondered what it was that the council would want from him at this hour of the day. Even the theory that they would be angry at him for harming the Uchiha or something. But that didn't make any sense so he decided to just take it all in stride.

When he entered the council room he was greeted by the gazes of all clan heads. Those old bats Koharu and Komura were still alive it seems, he thought fondly back on his pranks. A bandaged man sat between them and beside the council room head where the Hokage usually sat, stood a beautiful teenage girl.

His carefree posture stiffened slightly at the sight of everyone and he looked at Tsunade pointedly trying to make heads and tails of things. "You asked for me Tsunade-sama?" he asked, and Tsunade's eyes almost bulged out at the respectful words. She had prepared herself from the fall out of him calling her granny. "Gennin Uzumaki Naruto…" she started, "… You have been called here today for multiple reasons; one of which is the situation of your ancestry?" she said as professionally as she could. He told her once that he always wanted to know who his parents were and this was the moment he would find out.

Naruto wanted to cheer and yell of the top of his lungs but the people in this room would not let him live this down if he did so. Jiraya stressed how important it was to adapt to situations. "I thought no one knew of my parents?" he asked rhetorically in a curious tone that startled Tsunade a bit. 'What's wrong with him?' she thought.

"Your parentage was concealed as an S-Rank secret, it was of utmost importance to not reveal these secrets to you until you were of the right age and maturity…" she paused to gauge the reaction of the council room that seemed as equally curious as Naruto. "… Your father was Namikaze Minato, Yondaime Hokage of Konoha …" gasps from the lesser clan heads were echoed in the council room, but the main clans did not seem too surprised from this predicament. "… as for your mother she was Kushina Uzumaki and the previous host of the Kyuubi." She finished solemnly.

In the meanwhile, Naruto stood there, mouth hanging and eyes wide open in surprise. His first thought was anger. His mother was the previous container? Did this mean he was some breeding stock only born to contain the fox? No this couldn't be it. How did it escape then? Then the realization hit that the man that he looked up to all his life. He had burned through most of his sorrows on top of the Yondaime's head trying to make heads or tails through most of his life.

"Why did they leave me? Did they hate me? Did they give me up and left?

And now. Now it all made sense. He would have done the same thing if he was in his father's shoes? 'Wait father?' how could he so easily accept those words? How could he believe in them?

Finally, after a potent silence, Naruto spoke up again. "Why tell me now?" he asked, voice cracking as the mental stress and fatigue started getting to him.

Tsunade sighed, "this young lady here…" she pointed at Izumi. "… has come to you with a request." She finished.

"A request? What would some snobby looking woman want from me?" he asked confused. Some snickers resounded around the council room and even Shikaku grinned lightly. He didn't all that enjoy the woman's attitude.

The 'snobby woman' didn't seem affected in the slightest as the snickering went on. "SILENCE" Tsunade bellowed threating at the misbehaving members.

"Hello Uzumaki-sama. As ambassador of Uzushio and Uzushiogakure I came here to deliver a request. That you as the rightful owner of all of Uzushiogakure's possessions return with me to be prepared for the position of Daimyo of Uzushiogakure." She finished off with a bow, that reached far lower than needed.

Naruto looked at her as if she grew a second head. "You want me to come with you to some Uzu-what's-it's-name to rule?" he asked, raising a confused eyebrow. Shikaku couldn't help himself and burst out laughing.

The onyx haired girl looked at him quizzically, but nodded non the less.

"No. I will be the Hokage one day, can't help you I'm sorry, go away, Sayonara." He left not interested in the slightest about the laughter and gasping that went around in the chambers. Tsunade couldn't help but have a satisfied smirk on her face when the blonde walked out of the room. 'What am I doing worried about that brat' she shook her head.

Izumi was gaping like a fish at the astonishing way the teen blew her off. "Hey wait a second!" she yelled and run off after her soon to be lord.

-Segment-

"Can you believe this?"

Silence.

"No of course you can't believe this because you are a rock!" he muttered under his breath. "How come this is both the happiest and most disappointing point in my life, huh dad!"

Silence.

"Of course I know that you did the right thing! But why did you and mom had to die huh? Is this how Sasuke felt? What do you think? Do you think he would come back if I went up to him: 'Hey Teme! I feel you now! So let's go home'" he finished off in mockery of his own voice.

"But what do you know. You are just a rock face on top of a mountain! I should have painted your face too back at the gennin exams!" he yelled on top of his lungs, his tantrum lost in the wind. He was so happy. He finally knew. He hadn't been alone. As weird as it sounds; he didn't come from thin air. There was a woman that lovingly carried him for nine whole months. And his father was probably excited too. Of everything and anything that was to come.

Then the fox appeared.

But how was it the fox's fault? He'd probably rage too if he had spent decades behind those awful looking bars for no crime other than existing. The deranged fox sprang back into his memory.

The hate. The rage. The sadness.

Then who was to blame? Could he take revenge like Sasuke somehow? How did the raven haired Uchiha do it? So casually setting targets for elimination?

Silent footsteps resounded behind him, the girl that was back in the chamber with her ridiculous request stood there. "It must have been a lot to take in?" she asked casually as she lifted her Kimono up to her knees to sit next to him. He briefly noted that the moonlight suited her.

"You can say that. "he answered noncommittally.

"Back in Uzu "she started. "there are twenty-three Uzumaki. Fifteen of the Iga [3] clan. Ten of the Koga [3] clan. Three hundred non clan ninja of various skills and ages and seven hundred and twenty-six civilians. We need money and someone to unite us. Your mother was the daughter of the previous Daimyo. Akitsuki the third. So the Daimyo's of Hi no Kuni would only ever release the money to a rightful owner. There will be no power struggles. And Uzu can flourish again. All we need is someone to take the sit. With the legitimate background of course. The Iga and Koga clans are kind of the Uchiha and the Senju in small scale and they constantly try to outdo one another. The only Uzumaki strong enough to lead is a war hawk. And the only one that can rightfully call the sit his is a thirteen-year-old boy that would rather whine to himself than move forward. "

Naruto didn't say anything as she stood up. Preferring to think about what he heard. She silently moved away but stopped just at the end of his hearing range. "I will be leaving tommorow at noon. If you change your mind meet me at the north gate."

-Segment-

The sun rose up again through the thick forest line of Konoha. She stood there stoically until noon but no sight of the blonde. With a downtrodden sigh she turned around to leave for her home land. The mission was a failure.

"Wait up!" a familiar voice resounded as she looked behind her to find the blonde soon-to-be Daimyo running behind her in a quick pace. Two chuunin level ninja, - marked by their vests were quickly closing in on him. Behind them the Hokage monument stood in all its glory. Only there were a few additions on it. Namely Uzumaki swirls on their cheeks and funny googly eyes. On the fourth's forehead stood "NARUTO" written funnily with squiggles on the kanji. She couldn't help but laugh and she started running alongside him when he reached her.

"Did you really have to run away from the village? You could have informed them!" she asked amused at the antiques. It was the two bored chuunin that guarded the gate back when she came in that were hunting them, and by the looks of it they were gasping for air. Soon they stopped and panted while the unlikely duo continued running at a brisk pace.

"Nah. Where would be the fun in that?" he asked, mischievousness covering his features that resembled a fox due to the boy's whiskered face.

"Let's hope you behave in Uzushio, Daimyo-sama" she added playfully.

-Segment-

"Are we there yet?"

"…"

"Aaare. We. There. Yet?"

"…"

"Izumi."

"What?"

"Are we there yet?"

"NO!"

"I'm hungry."

It was a long journey this far. Three days since they left Konoha and their grandiose escape (more like a brisk walk out of range) and Izumi was about to strangle her future leader. After a long winded talk about Uzushiogakure and its history, Naruto sta...

"Izumi"

"Yes, Daimyo-sama "

"Do you think they'll let me create a national ramen day?" he asked dryly. The walk wasn't tiring by

Any means but it was damn boring. Getting under Izumi's skin was fun so here he was.

Underskinning.

"No"

"ooh. You're no fun!" he whined while slightly pouting at her demeanor.

"Why are you doing this Daimyo-sama?" she asked with exasperation.

"Well… Consider this as punishment for making me throw away my outfit." He said off handedly.

A.N Inspired by Prince Naruto? By Solvdrage.

[1] Jinichi comes from Jinichi Kawakami who was apparently the 'last ninja'. Kawakami has decided not to teach any apprentices the ancient ninja skills, however. He notes wistfully that even if modern people learn ninjutsu, they cannot practice much of that knowledge: "We can't try out murder or poisons." Thus, he has chosen not to pass the information on to a new generation. - .

[2] Princess Izumi (泉皇女 Izumi no himemiko?) (died 734) was a person in Japan during the Asuka Period and the Nara Period. She was a daughter of Emperor Tenji. Her mother was Lady Shikobuko, whose father was Oshimi no Miyakko Otatsu. She had an elder brother, Prince Kawashima, and an elder sister, Princess Ōe. wiki/Princess_Izumi

[3] Iga and Kōga clans

The plains of Iga, nested in secluded mountains, gave rise to villages specialized in the training of ninja.

The Iga and Kōga clans have come to describe families living in the province of Iga (modern Mie Prefecture) and the adjacent region of Kōka (later written as Kōga), named after a village in what is now Shiga Prefecture. From these regions, villages devoted to the training of ninja first remoteness and inaccessibility of the surrounding mountains may have had a role in the ninja's secretive development. Historical documents regarding the ninja's origins in these mountainous regions are considered generally correct. The chronicle Go Kagami Furoku writes, of the two clans' origins:

There was a retainer of the family of Kawai Aki-no-kami of Iga, of pre-eminent skill in shinobi, and consequently for generations the name of people from Iga became established. Another tradition grew in Kōga.

Likewise, a supplement to the Nochi Kagami, a record of the Ashikaga shogunate, confirms the same Iga origin:

Inside the camp at Magari of the Shogun [Ashikaga] Yoshihisa there were shinobi whose names were famous throughout the land. When Yoshihisa attacked Rokkaku Takayori, the family of Kawai Aki-no-kami of Iga, who served him at Magari, earned considerable merit as shinobi in front of the great army of the Shogun. Since then successive generations of Iga men have been admired. This is the origin of the fame of the men of Iga. - wiki/Ninja#Iga_and_K.C5.8Dga_clans