The Leaf's Hurricane

Chapter 1

What did being the hero entail? As a boulder fractured his arm, Naruto wondered if this was one of the tribulations. He had held out for eight minutes, if the others hadn't gotten the hell out of this country in that time, this would all be in vain.

'Now... what the hell do I do?'

The blonde worked his legs into overtime as earthen bombardments blotted the sky. Low on energy, low on hope and as he was struck in the head with a fist sized rock, low on luck. His coordination left him as he ran full speed into a tree. Before he could gather his senses, his pursuers had already caught up. Two Jonin landed in front of him whilst the majority ran straight past him, looking to hunt down his comrades.

The two that landed around the blonde ran through intricate hand signs at a practiced pace. Naruto was forced to take his attention away from the ninja pursuing his fellow shinobi.

'They need more time.'

A fierce wind surged outwards from his body, a bestial visage descending upon the world. The enemy shinobi fired a water and earth jutsu respectively in hopes of stopping anything before it started. The two jutsu closed in, colliding with an invisible wall that distorted the incoming techniques before dispersing them. A mist of dust and water arose from the dispersion of the jutsu, followed by a sonic boom that heralded the battle cry of a great creature.

"Wind style: Tiger's Roar."

Millions of wind blades thundered into life, unseen save for the destruction wrought. The two Jonin were eviscerated into a bloody mist, the ground surrounding them scraped clean. Even having seen the outcome many a time, Naruto couldn't help a slight grimace. The adrenaline surging through his veins dissipated as exhaustion made itself known. Waves of black assaulted his vision as his consciousness tried to wrestle free from his grasp. His grip on the reins remained shakey, but in control. He'd merely collected his breathing when figures in the distance entered his eye.

Reinforcements. They were not Leaf shinobi. They were enemies.

He was going to die. Not only him but his comrades who he'd fought tooth and nail for. He was the strongest, he was supposed to protect them. If these reinforcements were allowed to catch up with the shinobi ahead, his people would have no chance. He had to handle it. There was no other choice. The face of his brother briefly flitted through his mind. Funny he should recall a memory like that now, his elder brother had once been in a similar situation. He'd said the famous phrase 'do or die' had taken a different meaning.

Thirty ninja were in view, but a look of despair was nowhere to be seen. A cocky grin and a second wind were the weapons Naruto chose to wield.

"Do and die then. Wind style: Hurricane!"

Chakra saturated the air, the illusion of heat waves forming from the condensation. The ethereal energy danced in the air for but a second before being channeled through Naruto and exploding towards the incoming ninja. Trees were uprooted, ground was no longer grounded and the clouds in the sky parted. Naruto was unable to see any of this as his collapsed body let go the reins of consciousness. As his vision faded a bright light shone like the sun, he didn't know if this was his life flashing before his eyes or his mind playing tricks on him. If he had to describe it, he'd have said it looked like a yellow flash.

For the first time in many years, there was an air of hope in the Leaf village. 'The Leaf's Yellow Flash' had recently become inaugurated as the village leader, the Hokage. Many felt with such a strong ninja at the helm of the village, the warring between nations that had lasted near a decade would finally come to a close. The impressive show of strength that he had put on in Earth country with his brother; 'The Leaf's Hurricane', had served to calm international conflict from all sides. In fear of retaliation from the Leaf, all countries that had been pressuring the border of Fire country had withdrawn to their respective homelands. The end of war seemed nigh…

In the Leaf Village..

"Of course he's jealous, Hiruzen chose you for the title of Hokage over his own student." Naruto said "Just give him his space for now, Orochimaru may be a sannin but no doubt his pride is hurting."

Minato nodded absently at the advice, likely more interested in his ramen. A slurp accompanied the broth lessening.

"Well I suppose pride is the only emotion that Orochimaru knows." Minato said.

"Right." Naruto said with a snort.

"Teuchi, the ramen broth is delicious today, are you trying out new ingredients?" Minato asked the ramen stand owner. Teuchi gave a small grin and puffed out his chest.

"You're sharp as ever Minato, I've actually been charring the surface of the vegetables before cooking them down into the broth with the pork. Almost like a liquid yakiniku right?"

"Interesting, I wonder if adding black garlic oil would intensify the charred flavour." Minato said. A pensive gaze took over the Chef's face.

"You're still hungry right? I'll knock up a bowl now, on the house. I'll show you the best damn ramen you've ever eaten." Teuchi set ablaze his burner, vigour in his movement. Minato spared a glance in his brother's direction. A snicker was the response.

It was two days ago that Minato Namikaze had been named Hokage, the leader of the Leaf Village. The previous leader, Hiruzen Sarutobi, whilst still feared and a force in his own right, was getting older. Sooner rather than later, it would be questionable if he could contend with the other village leaders. The village was only as strong as it's leader, they needed someone dominant.

Minato had played a major role in annihilating a large portion of the Earth country's forces. It would have been said to be 'the only role' if not for his brother, Naruto, delaying the enemy forces in order for Leaf ninja to evacuate before his elder brothers' arrival. Upon seeing his brother severely injured Minato spared no means of power. The Earth forces were washed away in a sea of yellow.

What followed was another large scale battle in which Earth forces were again decimated forcing their troops out of fire country in order to consolidate their forces. They no longer had the man power to spread outside of their own country and a ceasefire followed shortly after. The only thing that was left to do was for delegates from the Leaf to meet with the Earth's leader the Tsuchikage and make the end of the war official. After years of war, all involved were grateful for some reprieve and hopeful for a term of peace.

The Hokage's Office..

"Who have you chosen?" Hiruzen asked.

"Kakashi and Naruto. Admittedly I have a personal interest in Kakashi's growth and this will be a good opportunity for him." Minato said.

"His need for development in social areas is of valid concern." Hiruzen said "He has taken to sparring with Naruto I hear."

"Yes, despite the age difference, Kakashi sees Naruto as something of a rival. You promoted them to Jonin around the same time after all."

"I'm sure he is grateful for the company. A young boy needs good role models at his age, especially when family is no longer around to fill the part. He holds a special place in his heart for you as his teacher." Hiruzen said "Now, as for Naruto… "

"He will benefit from the experience also. Tact isn't something he needs to worry about on the field so meeting with the other nations will be a good exercise. I need to see how he conducts himself, I wish to have him lead Jonin squads in the future." Hiruzen nodded in agreement.

"Go ahead and brief them, I'll notify Onoki of our date of arrival. We should receive confirmation within the next two days."

Kakashi and Naruto sat across from each other upon a grassy field. Although peaceful to the outside world, both were focused. The element of wind swirled unseen around Naruto's hands as he projected his chakra outward, coalescing the air into a current of his bidding. Opposite the blonde his fellow Jonin did much the same, but with lightning. The blue energy sparked in and out of existence around the boy's finger tips. A slip in concentration saw a streak of blue lash out at the conjurer, a small scorch mark the result. A huff of dissatisfaction later and the blue energy dissipated.

" That was about five minutes right? I think you set yourself a new personal best Kakashi."

Kakashi noted how even though Naruto's attention was now on him, his control over the wind did not falter. This served to deflate any sense of accomplishment the boy felt.

"When I'm given the nickname 'The Leaf's Lightning' I'll consider it an achievement. This level of control is pedestrian." Kakashi said.

"Oh you saw the latest bingo book? What do you think?" Naruto asked. Kakashi couldn't help the eyeroll.

"Naruto Namikaze; 'The Leaf's Hurricane', I think the A ranking is one, maybe two too high." Naruto laughed at the boy's clear disdain.

"Thanks, I appreciate the compliment." Naruto said "Give it a year or two, you're plenty strong for your age."

"I don't want to be strong for my age, I want to be strong."

A swirling pillar of leaves appeared in the middle of the field catching their attention. As gravity aided their descent, Minato was revealed to be at the centre of the technique.

"Naruto, Kakashi, "Minato acknowledged them with a small wave "training?"

"Kakashi's moving along nicely with his lightning manipulation, pretty soon he'll be 'The Leaf's Lightning'. He wants his name to be like mine, you know how he copies things." Naruto said. Kakashi didn't bother acknowledging the barb.

"It shouldn't be long before I can manipulate lightning freely." Kakashi said.

"That's great. You should notice a big jump in power and control in your lightning jutsu. You're really getting stronger everyday Kakashi." A blue half mask covered the smile that made its way onto Kakashi's face. Being classified as a B rank ninja at 14 years of age was impressive already, when his lightning techniques reached the next level, Kakashi would be a contender amongst the elite.

"Thank you, sensei."

"Speaking of, Naruto, have you planned some material for the academy students?" Minato asked

"I figured I'd give them a demonstration of practical jutsu in the field. Reading and seeing are two different things. I feel like having a live demonstration when I was in the academy would've helped a lot." Naruto said.

"Reading comprehension isn't everyone's strong suit." Minato nodded.

Ever since Naruto had made Jonin, Minato had been pushing for him to strengthen his leadership skills. This was but one of the many paths to that end goal.

"As for why I found you guys, I will be meeting with Earth Country diplomats and their Kage, Onoki, in one weeks' time. Joining me will be a small squad, care to guess who is in it?" Minato said. Kakashi's eyes widened, this was a great opportunity. Naruto offered a wry smile, understanding the obvious insinuation.

"Just us three?" Naruto asked. Minato didn't exactly need an entourage, if anything, bringing one along was merely showing face to Earth Country. Minato showing up alone to a war negotiation would draw the ire of those involved, no doubt believing him to be arrogant.

"We'll have another squad member for this mission. This may mark the end of the war, or at least a temporary cease fire. If we can get Earth Country to stand down, their allies will no longer be able to sustain their fronts. I won't stress the importance but I do expect your best behaviour. In any case use this as a chance to show some good faith to our enemies." Minato said. Naruto scoffed at the thought.

"The good faith they showed me was a boulder in my face, and you returned that. They aren't exactly going to be receptive, regardless of how I approach them." Naruto said.

"True, however a good impression now, when we hold the advantage, may matter some years in the future, even if it's only from a single person." Minato said.

"Let's just hope that person is his lordship, Tsuchikage Onoki." Naruto said.

A moment of silence passed as Minato's words sunk in. Kakashi seemed to be in contemplation over the something.

"I chose you two not because of our relationship, but because of your skill and potential. Think of it as getting your names out there, Onoki and his ninja will surely be taking note of you. You both are going to be role models for the future generations, this is merely a step along that path." Minato said.

Kakashi was aware Minato was trying to placate him, he was worried. This mission would be a moment recorded in history, regardless of the outcome, it was a lot to take in. He turned his head to see how Naruto was taking it, only to see the man looking at him with a light smile. The two brothers' confidence must have rubbed off on him as a small smile formed on his own face.

"I'll be in your care then, sensei." Kakashi said.

The next day

"Yo Yuna-Sensei." Naruto said. A pretty woman with black hair greeted Naruto back in kind, she was one of the many tutors at the Leaf's own ninja academy.

"I'm glad to see you're back in one piece, 'Mr Hurricane'." Yuna said.

"Everyone's really putting emphasis on that, I'm starting to think there may be some jealousy involved." Naruto said.

"Oh no, I really am glad to see you back." Naruto's eyes wore an amused light.

"Well then it's good to see you too. Class is a bit empty though, am I early?" Naruto asked.

"Their break will finish in ten minutes. Feel free to use the chalk board if you need to write anything up." Yuna said.

"It's fine, I'll take them outside. How's your brother?" Naruto asked.

"Restless but fine, he'll be walking soon. You should go visit him; he wants to thank you in person. Thank you, by the way. " Yuna lightly grasped Naruto's wrist to show her sincerity.

Yuna's brother, Yugo, had been one of the ninja in the regiment with Naruto when the Earth forces had ambushed them.

"Is he still locked up in hospital?" Naruto asked.

"He's at home, I'm the designated maid whilst he's recovering." Yuna said.

"A 30 year old bum who can't take care of himself." Naruto murmured.

"Pardon?"

"I said, I think I'll get ready outside, have your kids meet me in the training grounds when they come back." With a cheeky grin and a small application of chakra Naruto disappeared from view in a gust of wind.

That day, many young ninja gained a new idol in the form of the A ranked ninja 'Hurricane'.

The time for the mission into Earth Country had arrived. It was strange for Naruto, every time over the last few years that he'd travelled to Earth Country, a feeling of dread was one that stuck. It was replaced with anxiousness, and hope, that this war would finally be over. As he neared the village gates a raven-haired woman was waiting where the delegation squad was to meet. It was a member of the Uchiha clan, but not one he'd ever meet before. As their eyes met a half smile played across the woman's lips, it looked almost lazy.

"You are Namikaze. Naruto?" She said.

"That's me, and you are…?"

"Mikoto." Her eyes flickered as she crudely gave him a once over. "You are quite young for one with such a reputation. But you have the clan and my own thanks for saving many Uchiha. We are indebted."

"It's good to hear that I could help." Naruto had been on the end of countless praise and thanks recently; he was still getting used to it.

A silver mop of hair approached the two and offered a nod in greeting. A grin was on Naruto's face before a greeting was spoken.

"Morning."

The silver haired teen locked eyes onto Mikoto, holding back a grimace as he noted her lineage. Due to certain reasons, the Uchiha clan wasn't too fond of him, no doubt she'd heard of him.

"Kakashi Hatake." He said.

"Mikoto." However unlike with Naruto, she took barely a glance before turning her attention elsewhere. Naruto noticed the interaction but didn't comment, an awkward smile his form of alleviation.

The group waited in silence for a few minutes before Minato finally appeared. A white overcoat emblazoned with flames and the name sake of 'Fourth Hokage' fluttering on his person.

"Lord Hokage." They all spoke in unison, standing at the ready. Minato gave a chuckle; he would have to get used to that.

"I'm sure you have noted the lack of senior shinobi present." He gauged their reactions. "I'll be transparent, I want to show the other nations the strength that the future generations of the Leaf have. Naruto 'Leaf's Hurricane', Kakashi 'Copy Ninja' and Mikoto 'Blue Flame', you all have made names for yourselves on the battlefield. We are the ones offering peace, but we can take victory if negotiations fall through, and we will thrive either outcome. This is the message we will be sending, do you all understand?"

Nods were the acknowledgement. Hints of pride showing on their features. Whilst they were not 'senior' they were definitely battle hardened in their own right. They were elite ninja and some of the Leaf Villages' greatest prospects.

"Good, off to Earth Country."

The group set out to the land of Earth, in hopes of peace, but ready for a fight.

Chapter 1 End

Rough Ages:

Minato: 26

Naruto: 19

Kakashi: 15

Mikoto: 24

AU story, events and what not will obviously differ from canon stuff. Character who shouldn't be around in this time may also make an appearance.