I'm Still getting used to this whole writing thing so don't be too hard on me.

Forgot to say this before: Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Naruto. (cries in a corner.)

Thanks a ton to those who read and review, I'll never get tired of those.

Innocence

Sarutobi was battling one of his most fierce enemies, Paperwork. Piles and piles of it were surrounding him on and off his desk. The aging man could barely complete a stack before another was brought in. Cursing under his breath, the Sandaime watched through glowering eyes as one of his assistants brought in another pile.

Hearing a commotion outside his door, Sarutobi leaped at the chance to flee from the battle field. Quickly, he donned his hat and straightened his shoulders before marching regally out of the room. The sight that met him made his brows furrow. A rather angry student of his was arguing loudly with his Anbu guards, yelling about something important that the Hokage had to be told of.

The Anbu countered with "Hokage-sama is in an important briefing and he cannot be disturbed." Sarutobi barely held back a snort and intervened before Jiraiya could become violent. "What is all his commotion?" His sentence brought the attention of both arguing parties.

"Sensei, I have a bone to pick with you!" Jiraiya growled, glaring dangerously at him. "What is that Jiraiya?" Sandaime's tone was light-hearted, and carefree, he had just gotten away from a lifetime of paperwork, if only for a few minute.

"I just found a child being beaten, raped, and near death because of a mob of villagers attacking her." Blood drained from Sarutobi's face; he knew exactly who it was.

"Take me to her!"

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Inside a small white room, Narue was lying on a white bed surrounded by doctors and a surgeon who was neatly doing his job.

The Hokage and a Sannin were viewing the operation through a window, and were shocked at how much blood came from the small girl.

"Sensei, she can't stay here. I am not going to allow her to live in a village where she is beaten every day. I'm taking her with me for training; nothing you can say will change that." Jiraiya spoke in a low undertone. Sarutobi breathed a deep, tired sigh. "I suspected as much. You would want to care for your student's child, but can you handle taking care of a girl?"

Jiraiya stayed silent for a moment before replying, "I'll look for Tsunade, I'm sure she'll help." Sarutobi simply nodded and resumed watching one of his most precious people hanging onto her life by a thread.

It was some hours later that the surgeon walked out of the room with a tired sigh, pulling off his mask and undoing his chakra scalpels. He slumped over to Sarutobi, running a hand through his hair.

"Hokage-sama, I have a lot of news, would you like the full report or the most important parts?" Sandaime nodded to the latter, and the man started speaking.

"Well, when she was first brought in, it looks like a normal beating, plus rape. Once we got the diagnosis finished however, it spoke of a lot else. There were multiple knife wounds and slices all across her body, burns and scabs imply Katon Jutsus. There is a large amount of anal wreckage but that will heal in time. All four limbs have broken bones and fractures. Her face was only covered in bruises and cuts not much else. There seems no scalp damages from what we can tell, and I have just surgically removed many different objects from her flesh, including broken glass, metal, ETC. What worries me most however is that she was objected to a direct Jutsu that affected her brain. From what I can tell, her brain activity is now that of a 5 year old's, barely able to comprehend most things. I doubt that she will ever recover from this, but she will have to relearn such things as talking, writing, and etcetera. She should not be taken out of critical care for about 3 months without risking further injury."

The man took a deep breath after his long winded explanation, and sat down in a chair near them, obviously exhausted from his over-night operation.

"You are relieved, go get some sleep." Sarutobi told him softly, the man smiled in appreciation and left sensei and student alone.

It was silent as both men thought on this new event. "Will you keep me updated on her training?" Sarutobi sadly said. "Of course, I would have anyway. I'm going to take her the minute she's out of the hospital."

Sandaime nodded before straightening, stepping out of the room Sarutobi braced himself for the next obstacle to go through, the council. Gesturing for an Anbu to follow him, Sarutobi gave strict and short orders for said Anbu to assemble the entire council.

Once back in his office, Sarutobi donned his most ceremonial robes and hat with a grim face.

It was time the council was brought up for their actions; after all, he was the Hokage.

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The council room was buzzing; such a gathering had not been called since after the Kyuubi attack. Several of the clan heads sat stiffly, back straight head high and talking to nobody. Other heads were enjoying themselves by talking to old friends, Such as the elder Ino-Shika-Cho group.

The door banged open and in marched a scowling Sandaime, effectively extinguishing any sound. Most of the members gulped at the angry face of their leader, slightly apprehensive of what was to come.

Sarutobi stood at his pedestal watching them for a second before he started speaking in a quiet controlled voice that filled the room. "Can anyone tell me why it is alright to allow the brutal beatings on a young girl every day in this village?" the council room was silent; most there were wondering why the Hokage had asked such a morbid question.

"I believe that is a crime worthy of punishment, do you agree?" Some members gave hesitant nods that only incurred the wrath of a full blown Hokage glare.

Sarutobi stopped controlling his voice and allowed the anger he was feeling to seep into it. "Then tell me WHY it happens to Uzumaki Narue every single day?" Several people flinched when he raised his voice, and shivered when he lowered it to a deathly level.

Sarutobi continued, growing louder, "On this day, Narue was simply walking to my summons when she was chased and cornered by a mob of KONOHA citizens and SHINOBI who know better. She was brutally beaten and raped within an INCH of her life in the space of only 2 hours. It was only the timely intervention of my student Jiraiya,"

The raging man gestured to the back of the room, they all followed his direction and out stepped Jiraiya, his face twisted in a furious scowl, "that saved her life." Sarutobi launched himself in a tirade, describing the poor girl's injuries and how she came by them. Many civilian council members turned a bit green at the gory remarks, the shinobi clan heads took disgusted expressions at the thought of this being done to a 6 year old child.

"This event contributed greatly to my next decision regarding young Uzumaki Narue," the Sandaime's voice had lost most of his anger and now was riddled with a commanding finalism, "At the time she can leave the Konoha hospital, Narue will be leaving on a 6 year training trip accompanied by the Sannin Jiraiya, and eventually, the Sannin Tsunade. My decision is final. You are dismissed."

The Hokage swept out of the room in strong, assertive steps, each footfall a reminder to the council, that they had been thoroughly lectured by the Hokage of Konoha, not the crotchety old man they had begun to think he was.

Once back in his office, Sarutobi was relieved to see the paperwork removed from it and a teapot hot and ready on his desk. Collapsing into his desk, he sighed heavily. "Didn't think you had it in ya old-man." Jiraiya's call came from the window, which he had just crawled through.

"Yes, but now it's time to discuss Narue's training. Sake or tea?"