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A Naruto/Exalted Crossover

A Shine of Gold in the Crimson Tide

By: Grounders10

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1. Red and Gold

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Kurama watched the glowing golden shard that was just barely visible beneath his fur. It stuck from his hide like some kind of blindingly bright tick. The urge to scratch at it was almost unbearable, but he knew it wouldn't help to do so; just like it failed to help with the dozens of other, much smaller, gold and silver shards that were concealed beneath his fur. He hissed as the Shard quivered and inched a little bit more out of his body.

He had thought the old man had been crazier than normal when he had spoken of this day. Like most things, it seemed he had been correct. The ancient curse upon the world was leaving him, escaping through his very skin in an agony that had been building for over a century. The golden shards burned as they wriggled, but nothing hurt like the glowing semi-circle that was twisting and jerking in the base of his neck.

It jerked again, the flesh around it writhing in agony that he echoed. The great red fox's screams reverberated through the dreary enclosure of its seal. The iron bars of his cell rattled with each scream and shook with every strike of his nine tails against the walls, ceiling, and floor. And all the while voices continued to echo down the long narrow hallway leading out into the soul of his jailer and the world beyond.

"HURRY UP AND DIE!" Metal whirled as a man screamed his battle cry. Feet hammered damp earth and the wet thunk of flesh slapping against flesh echoed down the hallway. The voice from before coughed. "You shouldn't have done that!" he snarled.

"Don't touch Iruka-sensei! OR I'LL KILL YOU!" As the voice of his Jailer blasted down the halls of his soul and reverberated in the chamber Kurama all but blacked out from the pain as the shard in his neck writhed and fought against him. His flesh ripped and tore, rivers of blood running from the wound and matting his fur.

He did blackout when the shard came free, a spray of blood following its path. A wordless howl of pain echoed off the walls as his power surged violently, smashing against the walls and bars as he writhed. Despite his state of agony, he caught the glimmer of light as the shard zipped swiftly towards the bars and he acted. Teeth closed about the shard. He would not fail his task.

For an instant, he thought he had succeeded. He could feel it writhing inside his mouth, cutting his tongue and cheeks. Yet it was stuck. Then golden light flared and blazed out from between his teeth before the shard smashed a path out through one of his canine teeth, the shards of chakra infused enamel splashed into the perpetual layer of water on the floor as he howled in pain once more.

The golden shard punched a hole through the iron bars of the seal just in time to avoid his second lunge. His snout got caught on the bars as his paws attempted to reach through the gaps for the golden shard that had stopped just out of reach in the chamber beyond. It spun there idly, floating in the center of the chamber with deceptively serene grace.

Kurama beat the bars with his tails as he bit and clawed at the seal like he hadn't since his first day in these squalid conditions. He couldn't fail. One duty. One. That was the burden the old man had given him. He couldn't fail it here.

And yet, despite the hole in the bars, the seal was as tight as ever. He lashed out with his chakra, reaching for the shard through the hole it had created. A pulse of golden light slapped aside his efforts contemptuously, blasting him back across the seal into the furthest wall. Small tidal waves of water slapped against the walls as he pulled himself to his feet again. He limped back over to the bars, ignoring the blood trickling down his neck as he stared at the shard in horror.

Golden power poured off the artifact in giant strands of woven light that threaded themselves into the ceiling and floor and walls. From each point of contact bleak stone turned to marble. Iron to gold. Water to dry floors with lavish carpets and marble tiles. It was infecting and twisting, warping his jailer with its power and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

The bars of his cell rang as he struck them again in frustration. "I failed," he growled, snarling at the shard. As if in response, as though to add insult to injury, a new thread of light spun off the artifact and struck the bar of the seal furthest from the hole it had made. Light rippled up and down the length of the bar turning it the same golden shade as the shard itself before light spread to the next bar in line. As the next bar turned gold a fine mesh of gold formed between them.

He stared, horrified, as the artifact reinforced his cage. "No!" He threw himself against the gate again, and again, and again. It was futile, of course, he had tested himself against it so many times now that the futility had been pounded into bruises across his body that had only added to his constant pain. It was trying to cut him off, put him away more thoroughly than even the power of the Shinigami itself could manage. It was trying to prevent him from communicating the evil of this shard to his host. Of trying to mitigate its evil.

He gave up on mauling the bars as yet more of them turned to gold. The shard would grant power, immense world-shattering potential to its host, and it would appear to do so without asking a cost of its wielder. There was always a cost to power though, and this thing demanded one of the soul. It would poison his soul and mind, just as the stories of the old man said. He couldn't let that happen. The boy had to be warned. That stupid human child was the only one who could possibly restrain himself now.

The gold swept over more bars, drawing ever closer to the gap in the gate. The gap that was his best chance to leave a warning, but how? It couldn't be words, the boy would never trust them. It had to be something permanent, lest he forget. Something he saw every day perhaps?

A thought occurred to the great beast and Kurama grinned widely. His previous jailer would have probably appreciated his idea, at least if his intended target was someone other than her son. His chakra rushed the gap in the gate even as the golden wave overran the seal covered lock. Bubbling red chakra rushed past the floating shard and washed down the hallways of the soul, overtaking the golden wave that surged across every surface enforcing change with every inch.

He had little time and so poured as much effort into this last act as he could. Enough chakra to reshape a continent was poured into the effort and once the golden light swept over the gap in the gate, cutting him off he could only grin as he fell to his side, breathing weakly from the effort. He laughed. His mark had been left. There was always a price to be paid for unwanted power and the boy would know it every time he looked into the mirror.

His laughter echoed through the halls of the soul for a long time afterwards.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Bright light stabbed at Naruto's eyes as he returned to consciousness. The familiar 'beep-beep-beep' of hospital equipment let him know where he was. He groaned. "Stupid hospital," he grumbled. His voice sounded off, higher-pitched like it had cracked again.

"Awake at last, Naruto?" the familiar wizened voice of the Hokage cut into his thoughts. He sat up and turned to the voice. Sarutobi Hiruzen was the Sandaime Hokage, the leader of their village, and despite a lack of blood relations, their relationship was more like grandson and grandfather than leader and subordinate. And now he was sitting by the large window of the hospital room at a folding table, his triangular white and red hat sitting in a chair at his side as the wrinkled old man sorted a small stack of paperwork. He was smiling.

"Hey Jiji," Naruto waved. There it was again, his voice was higher pitched than normal, he was sure of it. He rubbed his throat. Something felt off.

"You've been asleep for the last six hours," old man Sarutobi said as he tapped the stack of papers against the desk to line them up and set them aside.

He grimaced. That explained why his mouth was like chalk. "Can I get some water?" he asked, listening to his voice. Yeah, it was too high pitched and not like it had been cracking either. His throat was still a bit on the dry side.

The Hokage made a small gesture with his left hand that Naruto barely caught. He was probably signalling one of the ANBU that were always following the old man around. "Of course. I'm sure a nurse will be by shortly," he said, standing up with a small groan. "How are you feeling Naruto?" he asked.

"... fine, I guess?" Naruto responded after a moment. Beyond his voice and throat, he actually felt great. The bruises and chakra exhaustion from practicing the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu for hours on end had disappeared, though that wasn't so unusual for him. Training exhaustion tended to disappear after a couple of hours at most. No, what was different was a… He was having issues finding the words. Like things were finally right? That wasn't quite it but… Things were right. Somehow he felt oddly certain of that.

"Hrm, I see," The old man ran his hand through his beard. He walked around the small table and over to Naruto's side. "There is quite a bit you would like to ask me about last night, I imagine."

He shrugged. "The fox isn't that big a deal," he replied with a cheesy grin. One hand drifted over to rest on his stomach on the spot where it always got warm whenever he channelled chakra. His grin slipped a little. The last thing he could remember was Iruka-sensei giving him his hitai-ate, and then… Pain, red light, and everything suddenly turned gold before he blacked out.

"What happened last night?" he asked.

"Before we get into that, have you noticed anything odd about yourself Naruto?" the Hokage asked.

"Um…" Naruto reached for his throat again. As he did his arm brushed across his chest. A bit of it felt like it went 'squish'. He blinked and looked down. There were lumps on his chest. Two of them to be precise. "You mean like this?" he asked, pressing against his chest. It felt weird.

"Yes, like that," Sarutobi sighed, before reaching over to the bedside table and lifting a simple wood-backed hand mirror from it that Naruto hadn't noticed yet. "Take a look in this Naruto-chan."

With a wary glance at the resigned amusement radiating from the old man, and wondering why he had used the 'chan' suffix, he took the hand mirror and looked in it. The first thing that jumped out was the hair. Red hair, a brilliant crimson that easily caught the light despite its short length. It was hanging a bit limply on the head of the person in the mirror. The cute girl in the mirror, who had his whisker markings on her cheeks. He turned his head and watched out of the corner of his eye as the girl mimicked him. He stared.

"Wha-" he swallowed his words as the higher-pitch of his voice met the image in the mirror. He raised a hand to his throat again. The girl mirrored him. Feeling weirded out and almost disembodied he looked down his shirt, then let go of it like he'd been burned. His free hand twitched and the girl in the mirror-

She looked panicked. She was panicked. She was- Naruto was very familiar with the female form from all the time spent perfecting the sexy jutsu. "Why am I a girl?!" the abruptly female Uzumaki demanded in a high-pitched almost strangled voice.

He- she- oh god… The hand mirror fell from her hand as both hands grabbed her collar again and pulled out her shirt so she could look down. She looked up at the Hokage. "How?!"

Hiruzen smiled in the reassuring way he had often done after a particularly rough week for him. "We… I do not have any simple answers for you Naruto-chan. Only supposition," he said.

"Supp… what?" she frowned at the word. Shaking hands let go of her collar and one fell to her lap. A discreet press confirmed her worries. She was a girl. She shivered.

"Only ideas Naruto-chan. Please, look at me." Her head jerked up to the Hokage from where it had fallen to stare at the mirror in her lap. "Iruka-san said you know of the Kyuubi."

"Did-" she scowled as a thought occurred to her, "Did that stupid fox do this? I'll kill it!" Her hands twitched angrily. The Hokage placed a hand on her shoulder and sighed.

"I'm afraid it doesn't appear that way, Naruto," he said, "But it does seem to be related to the seal. According to Iruka, the Kyuubi's chakra surged once you put on the forehead protector. Almost immediately your body began to change and the Kyuubi's chakra was replaced by a golden light. Upon inspecting the seal, I can say that it has changed, significantly."

"Changed?" This wasn't answering her questions. She shook her head. "What does that mean?"

"To cut a long, complicated explanation short, Naruto-chan. It would appear that the Yondaime Hokage disguised the seal containing the Kyuubi with a masterful fake, and in the process concealed your true gender," There was something about the gentle, apologetic delivery that made his words worse to hear. She stared at the old man, gaping like an idiot.

"I- What?" She strangled out through her shock. Girl? Him? Her? Uuh… The idea seemed absurd.

Sarutobi patted her on the shoulder. "I've examined the seal several times, and while the Yondaime's skill was beyond me, I believe that his fake was intended to protect you until you became a shinobi. By putting on the Konoha leaf you proved capable of taking care of yourself. Thus, the seal broke… The Yondaime wanted you to be seen as a hero for holding back the Kyuubi, but it seems that he wasn't willing to take chances. A young boy is safer from certain… people, than a young girl."

Naruto knew enough about the world to understand what he was implying. She shivered at that thought. "I- I'm a girl? Me?" She looked down and patted her chest. It wasn't the chest of a boy… She frowned. Oh Sakura wasn't going to like this. She didn't like girls so her chances with the Pinkette had probably just dried up more than the desert of Suna. Great, so much for romance. She pouted.

"This sucks." She ignored the gentle pat on the shoulder and the old man's chuckle.

"How do you feel?" he asked after she had sat sulking for a few minutes.

"... Weird," she replied.

"Just weird?" he prodded.

"Just weird." There was more to it, but weird summed it up. She felt… conflicted about being a girl, but at the same time,she felt better than she ever had before. Lighter, almost airy in a way. Something had been lifted off her shoulders that she hadn't even realized was there before. Was that this seal that the old man was talking about? Had being a guy actually been weighing her down? She wrinkled her nose at that thought. She didn't want to believe it, but…

"That is better than my concerns at least, Naruto-chan," Sarutobi said with a smile as he straightened up. He ran a hand through his beard again. "Hrm… I think, in light of some of the revelations today that perhaps it is time I told you about your family."

Naruto blinked and looked up in shock. "Family…? You've always said that it wasn't time…" She frowned, "Why now?!" She practically shouted the demand, though the old man seemed unfazed.

"I was planning on waiting another couple of years, or if you made Chunin perhaps. My plans were never exact on the when. Either would have worked, but it seems that the Yondaime has more faith in you than I have had, and for that I am sorry child," he bowed to her, bringing her up short, an angry rant on her lips.

"I- it's fine Jiji…" she scowled at him, "So long as you tell me." She had begged him many times to explain about her family. She'd been refused so many times that she'd eventually given up over a year before and tried to focus on the academy. Not that that had really worked out, but she'd tried!

"The hospital is not the place for it. Once you are let out I'll have one of my ANBU bring you up to my office and we can talk in private," Sarutobi said, "I hope that is soon enough for you?" She nodded. She'd waited years, a few hours would be fine… assuming she got out today.

A sudden pressure in her bladder made her squirm. "Where's the bathroom?" she asked, tossing aside the covers. She hopped out of bed.

"Over there, but you shouldn't-" the old man began as she hopped out of bed. She took two steps and then promptly tripped. Wires popped out of the EKG machine, tugged along by her fall. Alarms blared as the door chose that moment to pop open.

A brunette Chunin in the distinctive flak jacket of Konoha strode into the room. Ruby triangle tattoos marked her cheeks and she had a distinctly feral feel about her despite the neat ponytail hanging down her back. A trio of dogs peered around the corners of the door. Naruto restrained a groan. It was Hana, Kiba's older sister.

She stared down at Naruto for a second before sighing and walking past her to the EKG machine. She flicked a few switches and it ceased screaming its alarm.

"Ah, perfect timing Inuzuka-san," Sarutobi said as he walked around the bed.

"Hokage-sama," the young woman bowed.

Naruto pushed herself up from the floor. "Ow," she groaned, rubbing her forehead. The floor hurt when you accidentally headbutted it.

"Naruto-chan," she looked up as the old man addressed her, "This is Inuzuka Hana-san. She will be in charge of explaining a few things you need to know."

"Eh?" Naruto stared at him uncomprehendingly until Hana reached down and picked her up. "Wha- Let me down!" She squirmed in the older woman's hand.

"Oh stop it. I swear you're worse than Kiba," Hana grumbled as she dumped Naruto on the bed.

"Naruto," Sarutobi sighed as she crossed her arms and glared at the older woman. She hated it when people manhandled her. Just because they were taller didn't give them the right to pick her up like a handbag. "Due to your upbringing, and through no fault of your own I should add, there are certain realities of being a Kunoichi and a girl in general that you are uneducated in. Hana will be responsible for teaching you over the next couple of days."

"Starting now I assume Hokage-sama?" Hana asked politely.

He chuckled. "I had intended you to begin immediately. Once you're done with your checkup and the basics, one of my ANBU will escort her to my office," he said, pausing to retrieve his hat and paperwork.

"But- Jiji!" Naruto protested as she realized what he was saying. She had the talk once, twice actually, she didn't want it a third time. But her protests fell on deaf ears as the old man waved over his shoulder and walked out of the room.

"Well then, let's begin lesson one. Walking apparently," Hana deadpanned. Naruto huffed, but held her tongue, barely. This was going to be unpleasant, and she still had to go to the washroom!

-0-0-0-0-0-

Being a Jonin meant many things. It meant the person was an Elite Shinobi who could be trusted with the most dangerous missions. It meant that they were skilled in the many shinobi arts. It meant, in theory, that they were punctual.

Whoever believed that had never met Hatake Kakashi.

He was perennially three hours late to seemingly everything, read adult literature in public, and seemingly spent an unhealthy amount of time doing nothing at all. It would, in fact, be a surprise to many that he was, apparently, capable of being on time when the occasion called for it. Like when the Hokage sent one of his ANBU agents to drag him in by his collar if necessary. With force if needed.

It had only taken a half dozen kunai, six death threats, and one complaint from the elderly woman who lived next door, but Kakashi found himself knocking on the door of the Hokage's office five minutes early.

"Enter." He checked the mask over his lower face and that his forehead protector was properly askew over his left eye, then entered.

"Good Morning Hokage-sama," he said, giving his best smile, difficult as it was to see behind his mask, to his superior. The older man gave him a look over and snorted.

"On time. How many complaints will there be this time?" The Hokage asked from behind his desk.

"..." Kakashi coughed into his fist discreetly.

The Sandaime Hokage gave him a judgemental look over before sighing and shaking his head. "Kakashi-kun… You are lucky I don't have much time today. I'm sure you heard of the chaos last night?"

Kakashi stiffened. "Yes, Hokage-sama. Is Naruto…?"

"... Fine. Though he is officially suffering from the effects of an unknown Jutsu," The old Hokage said, leaning back in his chair.

Kakashi walked up to the desk. "And unofficially, sir?"

The Sandaime looked up at him from his seat. He was frowning. "Unofficially a seal concealing the true gender of Uzumaki Naruto broke at five thirty-seven this morning," he said.

"True gender?" Kakashi stared at the old man, for once truly baffled by what he heard. True Gender? His sensei had a son. Tsunade had confirmed the pregnancy herself.

The Sandaime pulled out his pipe and began stuffing it. "It appears that the seal we have been examining for the last twelve years has been nothing more than a fake," he grumbled. A spark of chakra lit the pipe and the old man breathed it in before letting out an explosive sigh and a cloud of smoke.

"A fake? I looked it over, you looked it over- Jiraiya-Sama looked it over," Kakashi all but shouted as he ran a hand through his silver hair. Naruto, not a boy?

"And it would appear that we were all fooled, Kakashi-kun," the Sandaime replied, "The seal has changed. Whatever disguise was in place over it broke this morning when Naruto was presented a Forehead Protector by Iruka."

"This… Hokage-sama, am I correct to say that this changes things in regard to the recent graduates?" Kakashi asked.

The Hokage tapped his pipe against his armrest. "It does. As per your request, you will be allowed to test a team that includes both Uzumaki Naruto-chan and Uchiha Sasuke-kun. However, this does leave us with a dilemma. You know that traditionally the last place graduate is placed with the first place. This is not an issue with Sasuke and Naruto, however, it is also the tradition that there is one Kunoichi per squad."

"Is there a surplus of kunoichi this year?" He asked.

"... More a lack of shinobi who have been deemed likely to pass the second test," Sarutobi sighed, "This year has been abysmal for shinobi. All of the shinobi deemed likely to pass the second round are Clan-raised. I'm sure we'll see a few complaints of favouritism from the civilian population, but that's normal this time of year." He took another pull from his pipe and sighed out a cloud of smoke that washed over Kakashi. The Jounin wrinkled his nose at the acrid stench.

"Well, tradition also dictates that the top Kunoichi be placed with the dead last and the top graduate," Kakashi said, discreetly rubbing his nose at the smell. "I can handle having two kunoichis in my team."

"Teams with multiple kunoichis have proven to have a higher success rate under female Jounin-sensei," the Sandaime replied.

"Marginally." There had been some debate on the methodology of the study in question as well.

"Hrm…" The old Hokage sighed. Kakashi waited as the old man toyed with his pipe, a habit he had long learned was associated with deep thought. "You make a point Kakashi-kun. In the interest of not making more work for the Chunin, and ensuring the best chance of success for our most promising candidates I will allow the traditional format of Team Seven to stand."

"Thank you, Hokage-Sa-"

"However," He paused as the Sandaime continued, "since you will have two Kunoichi, one of whom is still in need of adjusting to being a Kunoichi, I will be assigning an assistant."

"Who?" He was more than capable of teaching his team his way.

"To be determined," Of course it was, "Secondly, Team Seven must pass."

"Hokage-sama, if they can't pass the test-" Kakashi began to protest.

"Kakashi, this is not negotiable," The old Hokage growled, leaning forward in his chair, "Team Seven must pass. Naruto must pass." He reached into his robes and withdrew a scroll. He unrolled it and laid it out on the table. "This mark appeared on Naruto-chan's forehead glowing gold."

On the scroll was a simple pictograph of a starburst. A simple empty circle surrounded by eight lines coming off it. "I feel like I know this," Kakashi said, leaning over the scroll. He had seen this before… But where?

"You saw it in Minato-kun's research," his superior replied tiredly, "I've spent the last few hours going over what I could find. This mark is important and has been important throughout history. And now, here, after Naruto's seal broke we see it again? Kakashi, Minato knew something. I am sure of it. Naruto must pass."

The Jounin stood back from the desk as the Sandaime rolled up the scroll. "... It is as you say, Hokage-sama," he said finally, "Naruto-kun will pass, but I will not go easy on them."

"Make it a learning experience," Hiruzen chuckled.

"Oh, it will be that." And a personal slice of hell if he had anything to say about it. He might not be allowed to fail them, but they wouldn't pass without some pain on their end. Okay, a lot of pain. Never let it be said that he wasn't petty. Besides, they were going to be Genin. They could handle it.

A soft knock on the door interrupted his plans.

"Yes?" the Hokage called.

"Naruto-san to see you, sir," called the Hokage's secretary.

"Already?" The Sandaime muttered before calling, "Send her in. Kakashi-kun, meet your new student."

He had seen Naruto more than a few times over the years. In a way, it was hard not to have seen him at least a time or two. The pranks he had pulled on the village were the stuff of legends and a few nightmares. Like when he had somehow managed to paint the Hokage monument in broad daylight without anyone noticing until he was almost finished. Then there were the times when he would stop and peer in on the boy at the academy or wherever their paths happened to cross, which wasn't too often. Though the year before this one had been… amusing. How no one had noticed what was happening was beyond him.

Naruto was a short blonde boy wearing far too much orange, blue, and white. A boy who kept shouting that he was going to be Hokage to anyone who would listen, willingly or not.

Naruto was not a tiny red-haired girl wearing an older style thigh-length sleeveless yellow yukata with a fishnet undershirt and shorts. Or she hadn't been anyway. The girl who was being escorted into the room by an ANBU agent, who promptly ducked back out and shut the door once she was inside, was looking at the Hokage with a frown that conveyed her irritation with the old man.

"I'll get you back for that Jiji," she grumbled loudly enough for Kakashi to pick up. Even her voice was cute.

The Sandaime chuckled. "It is all for your own good Naruto," he said, waving his pipe at her.

Naruto scowled and huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "You left me to have the talk again." Kakashi snorted, drawing the attention of the annoyed Genin. "Who's the scarecrow?" she demanded.

Scarecrow? That almost hurt. Ah well, she'd learn during training.

"This is Hatake Kakashi-san. A Jounin. We just finished our talks," Hiruzen said, "You're quite early." So the Hokage didn't want to fully introduce him yet. Fair enough. He'd have an opportunity next week.

"Yeah, I've heard most of it before so it wasn't that hard to pick up," Naruto grumbled, "But why did you have her stuff me in this old thing?" She plucked at the hem of her yukata.

"Well, you have lost six inches," Hiruzen said. Kakashi blinked. He thought she was shorter than before.

Naruto looked stunned and looked down at herself. Had she not noticed? "Now I'm shorter than everyone!" She wailed, stomping over to the seat in front of the Hokage's desk.

"Not everyone," the Sandaime chuckled, "And those clothes belonged to your Oka-sama. Since yours would no longer fit, I thought perhaps you would appreciate something of your mother's."

That made the redhead jerk her hand away from where it was tugging at a seam on the yukata. She carefully tugged at the material. "This was Ka-san's?" she repeated.

"It was," the Sandaime glanced over to Kakashi, "You can head out Jounin Hatake. We'll speak later on your partner for your project."

"As you wish, Hokage-sama," He said, bowing to the old man before leaving the room. He spared a glance back at Naruto who was examining her outfit with intense scrutiny. If her hair had been a foot or two longer she would have been a miniature clone of Kushina. Hopefully, she wasn't as boisterous… Oh who was he kidding, he knew exactly what kind of prankster she was.

-0-0-0-0-0-

The yellow yukata was Ka-san's. This outfit belonged to her mother. Something inside Naruto burbled happily at that thought. This was something that belonged to her family. She had, or had at least, a family. And this was proof.

She hugged herself and looked up at the Hokage. "This was my Ka-san's… Who was she?" She winced at the plaintive crack in her voice.

The Hokage leaned back in his chair and took a deep pull from his pipe. The cloud of smoke floated through the mostly empty office, streaks of light cutting through it from the blind-drawn windows. "Uzumaki Kushina was a beautiful woman with a wonderful heart," he said eventually. "She was the last of the Uzumaki's and so desperately wanted to have children. I'm sure if she had survived you would have had many siblings."

"The last… So I don't have any family left?" she asked. She had wondered. On one hand, it hurt that there was no one else, but at least they hadn't abandoned her. That would have hurt a lot more.

"None. The Uzumaki clan was wiped out in an attack by Iwa, Kumo, Kiri, and their associated allies at the start of the third war." Naruto's eyes grew wide as she heard the names of three of the five great villages.

"T-That's half the continent," she said, stunned.

"More than half," Sarutobi replied grimly. He chewed the end of his pipe for a moment. "The bulk of nearly seventy percent of the shinobi forces on the continent descended upon Uzu no Kuni. It was an island nation between Hi no Kuni and Kiri no Kuni, though it was closer to Hi no Kuni. Uzu was ruled by the Uzumaki's who were a close ally of Konoha, Naruto."

She bit her lip. Why did so many shinobi villages band together to attack one small nation? What could have made them do such a thing? She asked the Hokage.

"They were afraid. Terrified, truthfully," Sarutobi admitted, "The Uzumaki Clan, were the foremost experts in Fuinjutsu in Creation. Fuinjutsu was, and is, poorly understood by most. While the feats your family achieved with Fuinjutsu were unheard of by anyone else, it was the potential of what they might have managed to accomplish in the future that spurred the attack."

Fear. She shivered. More than half the continent had feared her family enough to dogpile them.

"It was a mistake they still haven't recovered from." She jerked up from staring at her feet.

"What?"

The old man chuckled grimly then sighed. "Despite their fear they managed to underestimate the Uzumaki Clan. Their assault on Uzushiogakure was a slaughter on both sides. None of their shinobi from minor villages returned home. And from the Major villages, unrecoverable losses approached ninety percent overall with the Iwa contingent entirely erased excluding the Iwakage and his personal bodyguards. Virtually overnight Konoha shot from the fourth place village to the first place, a position we've retained since. The three most powerful villages broke themselves in the first three months of what would become the largest war that has been fought in the last seven hundred years."

"All because they were afraid," she scowled and clenched her fists. "Well, they failed. They didn't get Ka-san." And they weren't going to get her if they wanted to come back and finish the job.

The Sandaime smiled. "They've had plenty of time to regret their actions Naruto, in fact only a handful of people involved in that attack are even still alive. Any known survivors were singled out by our forces during the war. These days only a few remain. Those wise enough to keep silent." He tapped out his pipe into the ashtray on his desk. "But your mother was much more than that tragedy. It happened when she was a girl. She had been brought to Konoha to perform a task that would take her entire life… Your task in fact."

Her- "She had the Kyuubi!" Naruto exclaimed as the pieces fell together in her head. "WHY?!"

"Correct, Naruto," the old man sighed. "The Kyuubi was first sealed at the battle of the Valley of the End a hundred years ago when the first Hokage duelled Uchiha Madara. Hashirama's wife, Uzumaki Mito, had sealed the beast into herself. Only an Uzumaki possesses a potent enough Chakra system to seal away the nine tails. As she was getting old she arranged for your mother to come and take her place. Your mother maintained the prison until the day of your birth. Childbirth weakens the seal you see… We had precautions in place. My own wife was to be her nursemaid and the Yondaime Hokage himself was on hand to keep the seal intact…"

The old man shook his head. "To this day we do not know what happened. Something went wrong, clearly, but the day of your birth was the day your Oka-san died. I'm sorry," he said.

She nodded, tears forming in her eyes. "S'kay," she mumbled before grinning through the tears. "She sounds like she was amazing."

"Oh she was. Every bit the equal of the Yondaime Hokage in battle and one of the most beautiful women in the village, inside and out," he shook his head, a fond smile growing as he restocked his pipe. "I wish you could have gotten to know her."

They sat there quietly for a few minutes.

"What… what about my Tou-san, old man?" She asked, wiping the tears away.

He grimaced and for a moment her heart sank. What kind of person had he been to get that reaction? Then he started talking and she found herself getting angry again.

"I want to tell you about your Otou-san, Naruto. I really do, but while the Uzumaki had many enemies they've mostly abandoned their vendettas against your family after the destruction of Uzu. Those who still live at least," he said, "Your father's enemies are far more numerous and have far more… personal reasons to hunt you down."

"But you said you'd tell me, finally!" She shouted, popping to her feet, hands clenching and unclenching angrily at her sides.

"... I did," he nodded after taking a drag from his pipe. He blew a thin ring of smoke that slowly drifted across the room. "But his enemies will try and kill you if they suspect a relationship. You are fortunate that your mother and he kept quiet about their relationship. If they had been more public then there would have been no way to conceal your existence for so long from them."

"And that means not letting me know?" She felt like she was going to cry again. She hated crying over things like this, but for some reason, it seemed to be harder to control than normal.

"..." The Hokage pulled the brim of his hat down as she growled at him. It was his way of trying to tune things out. And it always made her so mad.

She brought a fist down on the old man's desk, knocking a chip off the corner. "YOU PROMISED!"

He sighed. "I'm sorry Naruto-chan. I want to tell you. I have always wanted to tell you. For now, will you accept one last promise from an old man?" he asked gently, his voice sounding suddenly weary and old.

She hesitated. Jiji never sounded… old. He always sounded so confident and strong. "I- what is it?" she asked, letting her hand drop.

"I am trusting the Yondaime's judgement on your Uzumaki heritage," he said, "But your father's enemies still search for any method of revenge. Prove to me that you can rise to the challenge and I will tell you everything about him. Become a chunin or prove your skills some other way and I will tell you everything about your father and his family. Everything. You have my word. On Konoha's Will of Fire, and the position of Hokage I swear it."

She stared at him, then frowned, not realizing she had started to pout. Why did the old man have to be so damned reasonable? "On the position of Hokage. Fine Jiji. I'll make chunin then you're going to tell me everything you hear!" she shouted, pointing at him.

He smiled. "I looked forward to the day, Naruto-chan…" He looked up at the clock and nodded. "There are a few more things we need to talk about." He reached into his robes and pulled out a trio of scrolls and set them down on the desk. Naruto leaned forward in her seat as he unrolled the first scroll.

"Up until now, you have been housed in an apartment away from your Clan's holdings in an effort to further the deception. I see no point in continuing unless you have a particular attachment to your apartment?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nope," she said, popping the word. If anything she'd love to leave it. The place was good, don't get her wrong, but the issue was the neighbours. Tako-ojisan in the apartment next door always shouted at her whenever something went wrong. Mind you, he shouted at everyone. Which was also an issue. Then there was the guy beneath her. He never stopped smoking and whenever he was home she had to close her windows to keep it out because it always seemed to make its way into her apartment otherwise. A home of her own would be a blessing.

And if it had belonged to her family? All the better.

"Excellent," the Hokage smiled, "This is the key to your Family's Estate."

"Estate?" She'd been expecting a house at most.

"Yes." The old man pushed the scroll towards her, "The key. You were paying attention to the lectures on sealing scrolls I assume?"

Naruto sighed as she accepted the scroll. "I know how this works," she grumbled. It was the only part of the school that had actually been interesting, even if it had become too simple for her by the second go-round. She'd run out of books on the subject by the start of her third attempt. The academy only had intermediate level books in the school library. It was the only time she had actually used the library and having it run out had been… really annoying.

She rolled the scroll back up after confirming the seal on the scroll and then tried to figure out where to put it. Her outfit didn't have pockets or pouches. Her mother's or not, she really needed to fix that.

"Here. This was also your Oka-san's," Sarutobi reached behind his desk and passed over a brown messenger bag with the white swirl of her clan on its side. She traced the sign with a finger before nodding once and storing the scroll inside the pouch.

"Thanks, Jiji," she grinned.

"You're welcome, Naruto," he replied, "Now, two more items. This scroll has information on your family's accounts. I've taken the liberty of supplementing your monthly stipend from the village with an equal amount drawn from the account set aside for you. All transactions are recorded in there. I assume you remember my lessons in finance?"

"I remember," she sighed. That had been a painful four weeks. The old man had strictly limited her funds after she had been a bit too spendthrift one month a few years before. She'd had to rapidly learn how to spend better or starve. Nearly anyway. And it had had the nice effect of introducing her to Ichiraku's Ramen.

"Good. And lastly, this was entrusted to me by your mother, the night before she gave birth. It was a scroll that we all hoped I would simply hand back to her afterwards…" He tapped the last scroll against his palm. Twice as thick as the rest with ornate black and gold ends, it was marked with the Uzumaki swirl on orange paper. "I do not know what is in this. She simply said to give it to you when I thought you were ready… Today is that day it seems." He held it out to her and she took it careful-

"Ow," she hissed and dropped the scroll on the table as she stuffed a bleeding thumb into her mouth. The scroll rolled open as the swirl disappeared. "It bit me."

The Hokage leaned over it with a raised eyebrow. "Strange… It's empty," he mused, looking at it.

Naruto blinked. The length of the scroll that was visible was practically saturated in writing so small that the ink made up nearly all of the visible space. "No it's not," she said, carefully picking it up.

"Really? Interesting. Your family was quite capable with Fuinjutsu as I said, so this is not too surprising," Sarutobi mused.

She nodded before reading the first line to herself.

To the Heir(ess) of the Uzumaki Clan. If you are reading this, then the worst has come to pass and there remains no one to pass on our traditions and secrets.

There was a lot more, but… Naruto rolled the scroll up. This wasn't the sort of thing you read in front of others. She would get to it later. "Is there more?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not, Naruto," the Hokage replied. The old man smiled and chuckled at her huff. "I'm sure you will spend quite a bit of time going over what you have." He glanced up at the clock again. "Hrm, you know, since you were so early I believe I have time today to show you to your family's Estate now, rather than tomorrow. Would you like that Naruto-chan?" The knowing smile on the Hokage's face didn't stop her from jumping to her feet and shouting yes. Repeatedly and at high volume.

Once she had stopped bouncing in place the Hokage stood up and motioned for her to follow him. They left the tower and headed out into the streets after the Hokage stopped to ask his secretary to hold his meetings until he came back. "I shouldn't be gone longer than a couple of hours," he said, waving off her concerns.

The streets of Konoha were bustling, but people tended to step aside and let you through when you were walking with the Hokage. It was something Naruto had learned to take for granted whenever she was out and about with Jiji. Of course, whenever they took a walk she tended to either be ignored in favour of the Hokage, or receive the occasional harsh look and imperceptibly muttered comment. The first was normal. She'd seen plenty of others get the same treatment, or near to it, whenever they were around the Hokage. Things were a bit different this time.

From the moment she walked out of the tower with the Hokage eyes started following her and whispers trailed along with them. This was the first time she had gone out since the night before. The trip with the ANBU to the tower via shunshin did not count. She kept close to the Hokage and frowned at the people she caught staring at her.

"Jiji, what's with all the stares?" she asked after she caught another pair of older men staring at her from a cafe window. That seemed to be the pattern as well. Nearly everyone staring at her was older. A few people were her ages, but everyone else had to have been old enough to have lived through the Kyuubi attack and remember it.

The Sandaime sighed. "That is what I was worried about," he said, "Uzumaki's have very distinct hair colour. Anyone old enough to remember your Oka-san is probably wondering who you are." She tugged at her hair and frowned. It was too short to pull into view. Sure it was a striking crimson, but was it that distinctive?

She pondered that as they passed through the shopping district and entered the affluent residential areas near the tower. She couldn't remember the last time she saw someone with red hair. Any red hair, let alone the shade that was now atop her head. If it was, as the old man said, an Uzumaki trait, then no wonder everyone was staring. The rumour mill was probably running out of control behind them right then and there.

"Tell me, Naruto-chan," the Hokage said as they entered the more affluent, yet less developed, Clan lands along the base of the mountain, "Why were you so early? I had expected Chunin Inuzuka to take longer."

Naruto blushed. "Um… Well…" She wilted under the raised eyebrow the Hokage sent their way as they passed the Hyuuga clan's fortified compound.

"Naruto, did you complete your talk with her?" he asked.

"I did! It's just… I didn't really need it," she mumbled, crossing her arms with a huff. That eyebrow went higher as the old Hokage glanced her way.

"And why I wonder, did you not need what Chunin Inuzuka had to teach?" He asked pointedly.

"Because…" Oh this was so embarrassing. She'd done it because she was curious, and bored with her classes at the time. There went the old man's eyebrow again. She sighed. "Because I took the classes in the academy." She didn't imagine the slight stumble in his walk. Well, at least it surprised him. Whoo, sorta a prank then?

After he sorted out his surprise and relit his pipe the Hokage glanced down at her. "I think you realize this raises more questions, Naruto-chan? The how and why in particular."

"I used the Henge Jutsu and I did it because I was bored, and they taught cooking," and sewing, and flower arranging, and other stuff that was probably more useful than going over shinobi history. Again. Though that was probably why her marks had dipped so low during that session.

Sarutobi chuckled. "It would appear that an examination of the standards of our teachers is in order then," he said, shaking his head. "I was planning on asking Inuzuka Hana-san to continue your lessons, but if they aren't needed-"

"I want to continue them," Naruto interrupted. She had questions for Hana. The academy had covered a lot, but at the same time, it wasn't exactly trying to teach a girl how to girl. There were some things you didn't need a lecture on.

"Hmph," he chuckled, "As you wish."

Their walk continued in silence as they followed the road along a riverbank. Naruto recognized the Uchiha Clan Estates off to her left. Was the Uzumaki Estate further out than even the Uchiha? "Is it much further?" she asked.

"We're about to pass onto Uzumaki land now actually," he replied. The road turned, cutting up and over a small embankment and through a copse of trees. "And here we are, the border of the Uzumaki lands," he said, gesturing to a small pillar of stone with intricately carved spirals and trails of minuscule sealing script. "These mark the outer border of the Estate and are, to the best of my knowledge, tied into an early warning system for the Estate."

The Estate grounds were a mix of rolling grassland and small copses of cherry trees. It was beautiful, but there was just one thing she couldn't spot. "Where's the Estate? I don't see anything," she said.

"Oh we're still too far out for that," the old man replied. He pointed to a small hill topped with cherry trees a few hundred meters down the road. "We should have a good view from there."

Naruto stared. This was all her family's land? "And how far is it from there?"

She stumbled against the border marker in shock at the surprise. "Oh… At least another two kilometres."

"Two- That's got to be the largest Estate in Konoha," she practically shouted.

"Close, but both the Nara, and Inuzuka have more land," he replied, walking down the hill. She scrambled to follow. "The Uzumaki were gifted so much land for two reasons. The first is their status as Konoha's closest allies."

"And the second?"

"Fuinjutsu tend to explode during experimentation." Naruto winced at his deadpan tone. She knew quite well that experience. She had nearly burned down her apartment a half-dozen times while trying to work out storage seals. And succeeded in blowing out all of her windows twice while working on exploding seals.

"Yeah… that happens," she grumbled, ignoring the chuckle from the old man.

"I think it would amuse you to know that your Oka-san and Mito-dono have done far more damage than you have so far," he said, "The main building of the estate has been rebuilt six times to my knowledge. All due to Fuinjutsu accidents."

Well, at least she was in good company when it came to blowing herself up.

They crested the hill a few minutes later and came to stop as Naruto got her first look at her family's estates. They were traditionally designed, with wooden structures raised atop an artificial mountain of stone that stood out above the rolling grassland. Behind it rose the forested backside of the Hokage Mountain. The homes and other structures within the estate's walls looked to be in good condition from a distance.

Along the roadway were a few smaller buildings, houses at a guess, that were in much worse condition than the main estate. Dilapidated wooden fencing marked out what must have once been fields. Now they were overgrown with weeds, wildflowers, and tall grass.

"Ah, it looks to be in as good condition as the last time I was here. Excellent," the Hokage said. Placing a hand on her shoulder he pushed her gently down the road. "You have the key?" he asked.

"Yup," she nodded, fishing the scroll out of her mother's bag.

"Good. Have it ready, you'll need it soon."

Naruto gave the small farmsteads a look over as they passed them. It was unusual to see farms in Konoha. The village tended to import its needs from surrounding farming towns and more distant locales. Certainly, she had never heard of one of the clans setting aside land for agriculture before. Other than the Yamanaka, and they grew flowers.

She unrolled the scroll and confirmed the presence of a seal with the kanji for Key as they were walking up the stairs to the entrance. She went to draw a kunai, then winced as she realized she didn't have any on her. Grumbling under her breath she raised her thumb to her mouth and bit it hard enough to draw blood. She hated doing that. The blood tasted horrible and using her teeth always made it take longer to heal for some reason. She smeared the blood across the mark.

With a bamf and a cloud of smoke, an iron six-sided cylinder five inches long with a white painted Uzumaki Spiral as a hook on the end popped out of the scroll. She pocketed the scroll and turned the key over in her hands. That looked like small seals were inscribed along the cylinder. Everything that her family touched seemed to be covered in seals far more complex than any she had learned in the academy.

"Here we go." Naruto looked up as they stopped in front of the large gate of the complex. A complex pattern was set into the center of the gate with bronze around a circle of gold, there was a single six-sided hole in the middle of the gold circle. She reached out with the key and blinked as the Hokage caught her hand gently.

"One more thing before you do that," he said gently before raising a hand in a half seal. "Release." For an instant, the air all around the perimeter of the estate proper shimmered for a hundred feet into the air. Then, with the sound of a divine window breaking, the air shattered. Naruto flinched as small pieces rained down around them, only to blink as they faded from existence inches from the ground.

"I placed a seal on the estate when I made the decision to distance you from the clan," the Hokage explained, "Assuming it has worked as intended, you should find the interior exactly as it was when I left it all those years ago. Go ahead and open the door."

Naruto stepped forward and tried to slide the key into the hole. It got an inch before a force ejected it. "Ow," she said, rubbing her chest where the key had smacked her. "Are you sure this is the right key?" she asked, looking it over again.

"Perhaps you aren't using it right?"

She grumbled and tried again. Five tries later she had learned to stand to the side to avoid having the key chucked back into her chest. "Oh come on!" She scowled, ignoring the chuckling of the Hokage. She gave the key a closer look. It didn't have the teeth of a normal key, just the seals along each side…

Were those its 'teeth'? Which meant there was a right way and a wrong way to put it in. And she'd been doing it wrong. So which way was it supposed to go? She took a closer look at the door. Small marks were engraved into the door by each side of the hole. Seals perhaps? Or just markings to remind the user how the key was supposed to go? It seemed a bit insecure if that was the case, but it was worth a shot.

It took her a good thirty seconds to find the corresponding markings on the key. Once that was done it slid home with a click.

"Ow!" She pulled her hand away from the door, her fingers bleeding where they had been touching the key. Sealing script flowed out from the key and across the door. Something somewhere clunked and the key twisted by itself. A rapid-fire clicking emanated from the door before the key was ejected partway. She carefully pulled it out and stared as the door slid open to reveal a well-maintained stone pathway leading to the front door of a two-story house.

"And here is your home. I would join you to explore it, but I'm afraid business at the Tower can only wait so long," the Hokage sighed, "The single biggest trial of being a Hokage is paperwork Naruto."

"You keep saying that," she grumbled, taking a step inside the estate. Manicured lawns and flower gardens spread out to either side. The path split off to either side and "... So this is mine?"

"That it is."

It seemed like a bit much for one person. But it was her Clan's so… She smiled up at the Hokage, tears creeping into the corners of her eyes. "Thanks for showing me the way, Jiji!" she said, giving him a hug.

He bowed his head, hugging her back with one arm. "I am happy to finally see you here. Oh, on the post to the right is a seal. Apply chakra there to close the door," he said, gesturing to the right, "And if you want to open the door you shouldn't need the key anymore."

"Why not?" It was a key.

"I've been told the wards use the key to identify family members the first time only. You just need to use chakra from now on. Apply it to the center of the door or the seal on the right will open and close it."

"And if I'm leaving?" She leaned out and inspected the outer frame of the gate.

"Here," he pointed to a very faint handprint carved into the wood.

"Ah. Thanks, old man!" She said again grinning at him. He nodded.

"Shall I inform Chunin Inuzuka to come here, or to your apartment tomorrow?" he asked.

"Um…" She glanced back into the house. Was she going to move in right away? It would be nice to get out of the apartment, but there was probably a bunch of stuff she needed to do to get the house ready… She frowned. It was a bit of a jump in maintenance to be sure, but she had her clones. She could get them doing a bunch of the work, assuming it needed it. Oh,why not. It was her family's home and deserved to be used now that she knew it existed.

"I'll be here," she said, looking up at the Hokage, "It's been abandoned too long. I can't just leave it alone."

He chuckled. "I had suspected as much. Make sure to set your alarm then. She'll be here by ten tomorrow morning, enjoy the rest of your day Naruto-chan." With that he promptly disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving her standing alone in the gate of her family's estate.

She walked out to the edge of the stairway and leaned against the stone railing as she looked out over the abandoned farmland. In the distance, she could see the stone markers that denoted the property line. A few anyway. There was a quiet beauty to the area, this far out from the village center. It was just her, the wind, and the swaying grass. Lonely, but…

Her smile grew. This was hers. This place, every leaf, every blade of grass, and every inch, was hers.

She turned away from the sight and looked back through the gate. The doors of the house were shut, but they somehow felt more welcoming than the many like them throughout the village.

She entered the courtyard and tapped the seal the Hokage had pointed out. She jumped as the door closed with a shick of metal gliding passed metal. If she had been blinking she would have missed the scissor-like movement of the closing door. It was probably more than enough to cut a man in half.

"... I'd better not close that on me," she said to the empty air. Otherwise, she was going to be missing at least a limb, possibly more. "Right!" she clapped her hands together and turned to the house with a grin. "Time to explore!"

-0-0-0-0-0-

A/N: So this is a really old idea. About as old as my fascination with Exalted. Much like some of my other ideas from that era, it got set aside so I could focus on Tangled Fate. I never forgot it however, and I'm interested in seeing what people think of this take. Expect to see updates every two weeks for the next couple of months. After that we should get some With Grace and Elegance, a new chapter of TTP, and possibly some more TF.

I hope you enjoy it and if you want to talk about it with others feel free to click the discord link in my signature. Cheers~