Hey there...I know you guys haven't heard from me in a while, but I've been busy with life. I am returning to school as of Jan. 9th, so my time will still be limited, but I will NOT abandon my fics unless something dire occurs. Even then, I will give a notice and will be open to adoption. Now...Please enjoy my newest brainchild...

LONE WOLF AND KIT...

KONOHA MAIN GATES

A tall man walked toward the village of Konoha, drawn there by the recently gained knowledge of another member of his lost and scattered family, having been with his younger brother for a long time. The man was, as I said, tall and muscular, but the muscle was lean and proportionate. He was in his mid-twenties with long blond hair pulled back into a skinny tail and crystal blue eyes. Further more, his wardrobe was more than a little strange considering where he was, consisting of a well worn pair of blue jeans, a red sleevless jacket with a white star on the back, a white tank top underneath and a red and white pair of hightopped sneakers, the whole ensemble topped off by a matching baseball cap with a metal plate on it and fingerless gloves, carrying a rucksack over his shoulder.

He kept up his steady pace until he reached the main gates of the village. It vaguely reminded him of the temple gates back where his younger brother Andy's fiancee, Mai Shiranui, was from. It was that same woman who provided him with the knowledge of this hidden continent, her clan hailing from this very village. His brother and a few close friends wished to go with him, but they were busy themselves however, they helped to provide him with ways make the long voyage. It took him nearly two months to find the village, one month of sea travel and another of wandering around, since details on its location were very vauge at best. That much was understandable since Mai's grandfather hadn't been there since he was a teenager, nearly 50 years ago.

"Halt. What business do you have here in Konoha?" The gate guard inquired of him. He lifted his head to reveal his face, making the guards back away slightly and mutter something.

"Yodaime-sama?" One of them whispered. Terry sighed and spoke up.

"Listen...I'm looking for some lost family and I was told that he could be found here. Who would know about someone named Minato Namikaze?" Terry asked the guard, who was stunned at the name he mentioned. He looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"You...Hokage-sama must know about you..." The lead guard said as he ordered his subordinate to inform their leader immeadiately. He then turned to Terry with a hostile look on his face.

"You will remain here until Hokage-sama arrives. We will then see what kind of ploy this is." He growled as he nudged Terry off to the side. Terry didn't want to start trouble, so he complied. After waiting there for a few moment his thoughts wandered off in various directions, namely to a certain predicament that involved waiting for someone of authority while sitting down.

'Man...just like High School...' He grimaced. He then heard a commotion a couple dozen yards away from himself and craned his neck to have a look. What he saw disgusted him to the bone.

"We caught that little freak!" One man bellowed, sneered down at a small blond boy, who looked no older than five years old. He had just beaten the boy over the head with something, knocking him out.

"Now, we can finally end that demon's existance." A second man snarled, his words dripping with malice as he raised a large butcher knife over head to kill the child.

Terry had seen enough and with speeds that even a ninja would have trouble following, he disarmed the man and snapped his wrist, placing himself between the boy at the small mob which was quickly growing. He soon noticed that some of the ninja were joining in on the madness, but a couple came to his aid. One was a tall, lanky ninja with gravity defying grey hair and his headband slid over one eye while the other was chewing on a senbon, his headband on backwards like a do rag. The last was a female dressed in a mesh bodysuit with a tan trenchcoat. All of them were able to intimidate the crowd into thinking twice about what they were about to do, but an enormous presense made itself known to them. Even Terry, who had fought and defeated the likes of Wolfgang Krauser and Geese Howard, had to admit that this new person was a force to be reckoned with. The crowd parted to reveal an old man wearing a conical hat with the kanji for Fire and tan colored robes walking toward them.

The old man glared at the mob with distaste as he addressed them.

"Why have you done this? And to an innocent child at that?" He demanded to know.

"But...Lord Hokage...We simply wished to protect our families from that...Demon." A random man tried to stammered out until he was struck dead, a ninja kunai impaled in his forehead. Terry looked to see where that came from to barely catch the old man's hand returning within the fold of his robes.

'Whoa...He's really dangerous. I bet Geese and Krauser would both have a hard time with this geezer.' Terry mused as the old man regarded them.

"Once again, thank you Kakashi-kun, Genma-kun and Anko-chan. You three seem to be some of the only sane shinobi were have here." He thanked the three shinobi, who saluted their leader as he turned to the stranger who came to the boy's aid.

"I don't believe that I've even seen you befo..." Sarutobi began to say until he saw the man's face. He was nearly identical to Minato!

"Dear Kami..." The old man muttered, trying to calm down.

"Hokage-sama? Are you alright?" Kakashi asked.

"We must get to my office. I have some questions for this man. Kakashi, Anko...Take Naruto-kun to the Hospital and stand watch over him. Make sure Rin is his physician. Genma, gather as many of these...People as you can and get them to Ibiki for questioning. Young man...Come here, please." He ordered as Kakashi and Anko picked up the boy and seemingly teleported away with Genma doing the same, making Terry gape.

"What the hell..." He muttered until the old man held his shoulder and everything seemed to shift around him.

HOKAGE'S OFFICE

It felt like falling and flying at the same time. When they stopped, they seemed to be in an office, the old man already moving behind his desk and sitting down.

"Now, young man...I am Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage. Before we can get on to any other topics you may want to discuss, I want to thank you for what you did." Sarutobi thanked him.

"For what? Standing up for the kid? It's nothing. I was an orphan, myself. My brother Andy and me." Terry shrugged as Sarutobi got back to business.

"Can you tell me what business brings you here to my village?" He asked in a calm voice. Terry had no reason to hide anything, not that he thought he'd be able to, anyway.

"Well...When my brother and myself were really young, we had an elder brother that took care of us in an orphanage. He disappeared one day and my brother Andy and I were adopted pretty soon after that. We have been trying to find him for a long time and now, we managed to track him down to this village and the name he was given here, Minato Namikaze." Terry related to the Hokage, who seemed to be filing through this newfound knowledge and coming up with questions of his own.

The two went back and forth, doing an impromptu Q & A session for the next 15 minutes, during which Terry was filled in on the life of his long lost sibling and the burden his nephew bore. Terry even provided an old photograph that was taken around the time he himself was only 5, Andy 4 and Minato 8. Sarutobi had to admit that the boy in the photo bore a startling resemblance to the Minato he knew. Minato Namikaze was found washed ashore in Wave Country when he was a small boy by a Konoha shinobi. That man was Shuzen Namikaze, who brought him home to be raised as his son with his wife, Maki Namikaze. The two made him into their son officially and after a few months, he asked to be enrolled in the Konoha Ninja Academy. Regrettably, they died soon afterwards. Right there, started the legend of the Yondaime, how he met his future wife, Kushina Uzumaki, was trained by the famous Jiraiya of the Sannin and so forth. No one really knew how he came to be washed ashore nor where he came from. Now, this young man, a few years younger than Minato and looked just like him, was filling in more of the missing gaps of their savior's past. He could tell that this young man was telling the truth and was indeed the blood relative of Minato, young Naruto's real uncle and he could care for the poor child. They discussed this at great length.

"But...Wha...I don't know anything about raising a kid!" He stammered. He had been told that the boy he rescued from the mob was indeed his nephew, Naruto. He'd also been told about what the boy had sealed within in and how his elder brother's dying wish had been ignored and he was understandibly upset by it. He was offered the opportunity to take the boy in and leave the Elemental Nations.

"I understand, young man...But you mentioned that you have a younger brother and he has a fiancee? What was her name again?" He inquired.

"Oh...Uh, Mai. Mai Shiranui." Terry answered.

"Shiranui? She wouldn't be the granddaughter of Hanzou Shiranui?" He asked. Now Terry wasn't really sure if he should answer that, thinking that he may have gotten his good friend in trouble. He'd heard of laws governing ninja that if they run away from their village, they would be hunted down and silenced to maintain secrecy. Sarutobi read his expression like a book and sought to put his fears to rest.

"Do not worry. I will keep the existance about the extended Shiranui a secret, since they can help train Naruto-kun as a ninja should you take him." Sarutobi told him.

"I can't imagine that they'd just let me walk out of here with him if he has that fox thingy in him. From what you told me, those old farts of that council would probably do everything they can to keep him from leaving." Terry replied.

"Yes...I know. But if we can get a blood sample from you, we can prove blood relation and in the eyes of the law and by the Fire Daimyo, you would have every right to claim him." Sarutobi assured. Terry thought it all out while they headed to the Hospital to both check on Naruto and to draw the blood at the lab.

KONOHA GENERAL HOSPITAL

The pair arrived at the hospital and requested Naruto's room. The duty nurse sneered at them, but their combined glare was enough to end any protest. They made their way up to the recovery ward, where Naruto practically had his own room due to hom many times he'd gotten hurt. Upon arriving at the door, Kakashi and Anko asked them to halt, lifting up the edge of his headband to reveal a wierd crimson eye, with which he seemed to be scanning them.

"Anko, they check out. Let them through." Kakashi said as he and the young woman stepped aside to let them into the room.

"What was that?" Terry asked.

"Kakashi has a special eye, you see..." Sarutobi went on to explain the Kekkei Genkai of their lands, which explained alot of what Terry saw in the village. Just as the explaination died down, Naruto woke up.

"Hey, jiji..." Naruto yawned.

"Are you okay, Naruto-kun?" Sarutobi asked.

"Yeah...I'm okay." He replied non-chalantly with a shrug, but noticed the new person in the room...Who seemed to look like him a bit.

"Hey old man...Who's this?" Naruto asked.

"Well, Naruto-kun...I'll let him tell you." Sarutobi said as Terry walked up nerviously. What could he possibly say to the child of his lost brother?

"Well, um...My name is Terry Bogard and I came from across the ocean to find my my lost elder brother, but found you instead." Terry told the boy.

"Whaddya mean by that, mister?" The boy with impossibly wide eyes asked.

"Your dad was my brother." Terry answered the boy's question.

"Whoa...So you're my uncle? Awesome! I really DO have family!" Naruto cheered, hopping out of bed and doing a sort of happy dance in the middle of the room, drawing a chuckle from his new uncle Terry as a new person entered the room. She was younger than Terry by a few years, had brown hair and eyes with strange strips on her cheeks, and wore a doctor's coat...And...

'Whoa...She's kinda cute...' Terry mused.

"So what's this I heard, Naru-chan?" She asked playfully as his eyes lit up upon seeing her.

"Rin-neechan! This guy here was my dad's younger brother!" Naruto cheered. Rin looked stunned with disbelief.

"Sensei...Had a brother?" She murmured as Sarutobi clarified it for her.

"That is the other reason why we are here. We want to do a blood test of this young man against Minato's to have concrete proof of a blood relation." Sarutobi informed her as she got ready to draw a blood sample. While she got ready and went though with the blood draw, she had some thoughts of her own.

'I didn't know Minato-sensei had any family...If this guys is telling the truth and the blood checks out, he can claim Naru-chan and he can finally have a real family. But...What if he takes Naru-chan away from here? I don't want him to leave...' Rin thought sadly. She was very fond of the blond ball of energy.

"The results will be ready in a few minutes." She told them as she left for the lab to process the samples.

"So kiddo...What's your favorite thing to eat?" Terry asked, trying to get to know his new nephew.

"RAMEN!" The boy cheered, startling Terry slightly. The boy then went into an excited ramble about his favorite flavors and about ramen in general for a full two minutes without stopping for breath. He finally got the chance to relay his favorites to the boy.

"Well...I like lots of stuff, mainly pizza and club sandwiches." Terry answered.

"What's pizza?" Naruto asked, making Terry grin.

"I'll have to show you all about pizza, like the deep dish, New York style, Stuffed Crust...heh heh..." Terry said, nearly drooling at the thought of a good, thick slice of pepperoni pizza once he returned to Southtown. He stopped drooling as he asked yet another question.

"What sport do you like?" He asked.

"I always liked Basketball..." Naruto said thoughtfully, making Terry grin even more.

"Really? That's my favorite, too. We gotta play sometime." Terry told the boy.

Sarutobi could already see that they had a correlation with each other over food and sports, along with somewhat similar personalities. The two even shared a meal, a bowl of steaming beef ramen apiece.

'I can see some of Minato in this young man already...' Sarutobi mused as Rin came back in with the results.

"Hokage-sama...The results came back positive. There is a complete DNA match between this man and Minato-sensei. He really is Naruto-kun's uncle." Rin stated, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"You hear that, kiddo? It's official." Terry chortled as he ruffled his hair. Naruto was happy enough as Rin put him unde a forced sleep jutsu to help him rest while they talked things over.

However, Terry was worried. He knew nothing about raising kids, although the future he envisioned with Lily McGuire included some. He couldn't help but wonder what Lily would do in this situation. Suddenly, something spoke to him in the back of his head.

"Terry...This boy was a orphan just like us and he is your long lost nephew...You really should take him in, protect him from the dangers of this world. I have faith that your friends and remaining family will help you. Besides...He's really cute." Lily's voice called out to him, then faded away.

He remembered that Lily loved children and if she were presented with this situation, she would have taken Naruto without a second thought. That little fact served to harden his resolve, to take the boy under his wing and back with him.

'Maybe Mai...Or even Mary can help me out with this...Joe'd probably get a kick out of this kid and Andy'd like to meet him.' He reasoned as he went down a list of friends that could help him raise the boy or give him some advice, like Kim Kaphwan, who was married and had two boys of his own getting into their teens.

'Speaking of which...I need to drop him a line and see if he's up for a sparring match. Haven't done that in a while.' Terry thought as he continued.

Even Takuma Sakazaki, even though his kids Yuri and Ryo were grown now, could give some advice.

'Wait a minute...Yuri's studying Child Psychology in college and she used to babysit their neighbor's kids from what Ryo told me. Maybe she could give me some pointers, too.'

His thinking and pondering was cut short when the door to the room burst open to reveal a trio of old people, the three elders.

"Hiruzen...I had gotten word of a new person in the village defending the...Child." The one in bandages drawled.

"Why would you keep such information from us, Hiruzen?" The old woman asked.

"This matter does not concern you." Hiruzen told them evenly, but there was still an edge to his voice.

"Oh? The matter of this child being taken away from the village is not our concern? I believe this concerns all of us, considering WHAT he is. We shall call a meeting with the council in one hour to decide the fate of the boy. " The old man with glasses retorted as the three of them walked off.

"Who were they? Those old council geezers?" Terry asked.

"Regrettably, yes. I'm afraid that you will have to challenge the council for thr right to claim your nephew, but the evidence that Rin-chan has provided will dispel any argument." Sarutobi assured him, Terry groaning.

"Great..." He muttered as they headed to the council chamber.

KONOHA COUNCIL CHAMBERS

Both sides of the council were convened as they usually do every week, but this was, as they were told, a special meeting. They were informed that a person claiming to have blood ties to the Yondaime's Legacy had come to claim the boy and take him away. Naturally, they wanted to see some proof, not wanting an enemy nation or power to gain the power that lay sleeping within him...At least that was how the Shinobi side saw things. They knew that if the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki indeed had a blood relative willing to claim him, they had no legal right to keep him. If they resisted, they ran the risk of incurring the Daimyo's mistrust, leading to a dramatic drop in the missions they were entrusted with. The Civilian side wanted this man to disappear, so they could keep their weapon in case of war. Even the haughty clans like the Uchiha and the Hyuuga agreed that if this man was indeed a blood relative, it would be for the best if the child went with him. Fugaku knew whose child he was and bore a deep respect for him, so he stayed neutral in all matters regarding the boy. Hiashi Hyuuga was the man's Genin teammate, and tried to help the boy along where ever he could, as did the other major clan heads.

Finally, the door opened to reveal Sarutobi and the man in question. Once they all got a good look at him, there was no denying the fact that this man bore a remarkable resemblance to their deceased Yondaime...And the boy. The only thing that was different was the eye shape and his personality, which the boy got form his mother, Kushina. The man looked to be very strong if his build told them everything and that he was a trained fighter due to how his eyes took in everything around him. He was oddly dressed, but that was a question htat would have to wait. Sarutobi called the meeting to order so they could continue.

"I trust you all know why you have all been called here. This is to decide the fate of one Naruto Uzumaki. This young man here has come to find his brother, who was lost long ago. That same boy that was found over twenty years ago turned out to be none other that Minato Namikaze, our Yondaime Hokage." Sarutobi informed them. Right after he said that, the room exploded into chaos, objections and demands for proof came flying in from everywhere. Sarutobi flared out his Ki to pacify the room. Even Terry was rattled by it.

'Whoa...That's a scary old man...' He thought.

"Now...If you would be so kind as to let me continue...I have already ordered blood testing to be done with his blood against both Naruto's and the Yondaime's. All three correlate to each other, showing direct blood relations. He really is the brother of the Yondaime and uncle to Naruto." Sarutobi concluded.

The council couldn't believe the bombshell that had just been dropped on them, ubt a few on the Shinobi council only smirked, as they had knew of Naruto's parentage. However, the fact that Minato had blood sliblings elsewhere was a new one on them. The Civilians, though, weren't ready to give in.

"Did you really think these tests would satisfy us, Hiruzen? On top of that, how would this, vagabond even be able to care for the boy? how do we know he will ot sell the boy off to Iwa or Kumo?" Homura challenged.

"I wouldn't do something like that to the poor kid. From what I've seen and heard, he's been through enough. Besides, my younger brother Andy and his new fiancee can help me look after the kid. On top of that, I've got a lot of friends back home that can help out." Terry countered.

"And where would this place of residence be?" Danzo half asked and demanded.

"Well...I came here by boat from the East and we were sailing for at LEAST a month. I live in Southtown, off of the Southeast coastline of the United States." He answered.

"Then...You came from beyond the veil..." Koharu murmured, causing the others to mutter amongst themselves. Visitors from the lands beyond theirs were extremely rare. However, Danzo wasn't about to let his intended pawn slip though his fingers. He fished for other reasons to keep the boy within his reach for once he left the veil, he would be impossible to track down.

"What of the boy's Godparents?" Danzou challenged.

"Jiraiya and Tsunade had both been absent in the boy's life since he was born and haven't even bothered to check on him. They have lost any claim to him." Hiashi Hyuuga countered.

"Surely...There must be a shinobi family willing to take him in." Homura retorted, on his last legs.

"None of us can take him in thanks to your law stating that no shinobi family can adopt him, in fear that they would use him to assert supremacy." Shikaku Nara shot back, blowing away the last of their arguments. Danzou had exhausted his reasons and went straight to demands.

"You cannot take the boy. He is our weapon, given to us by the Yondaime to use against our enemies." The scarred man demanded.

"On the contrary, Danzo...You forget that the Daimyo decreed that should a blood relative arrive to claim any orphan, that person will not be contested upon physical proof being presented. Terry-san here has that proof and will be taking the boy back with him." Fugaku called out.

"I have already requested that Naruto be trained in the shinobi arts by aquaintences of Mr. Bogard and that he be allowed to return here to formally become a Genin and possibly a Chuunin." Sarutobi added, further pacifying the Shinobi council and more of the Civilian council. Many were planning on having their daughters or female clan members around his age get to know the boy once he came back.

"Does...That mean I can take him home?" Terry asked, bewildered by all of the politcking.

"Yes. That means he can go with you under the conditions I just stated." Sarutobi replied with a grin as he turned to adress the rest of the council.

"This meeting is hereby adjurned. Any attempted to contermand this decision will be met with lethal force if nesscessary. I do not like to do so, but I WILL remind you that my power here is not purely political." Sarutobi warned the potential trouble makers as the meeting was officially ended.

"Well...It looks kinda late, so you mind if we set out in the morning?" Terry asked.

"Of course. I'll even take you to an Inn for the night. I will have Naruto ready to go in the morning." Sarutobi assured him as they set off.

Danzo wasn't ready to give in just yet. The only avenue left to him now was to emilinate this man if he wanted to keep the boy within reach. He silently ordered two of his most trusted operatives to carry out an assasination that night.

'Like hell I will let that boy go...He will be my puppet...My weapon...' The old warmonger swore.

THAT NIGHT...

Terry had just gotten settled at the Inn after a good, relaxing bath.

'Man...I forgot just how good a long bath feels...' He thought with a yawn and a stretch as he laid himself out on the bed, ready to close his eyes. Suddenly...He sat up and rummaged through his bag for something. After a moment of searching, he pulled out a picture. It was a picture of Lily from a few years ago, around the same time as the Geese Howard incident.

"Lily...I wonder what you would say about this? I know you'd like the kid. I do." Terry said to the picture as he began to close his eyes, allowing sleep to take over.

Just outside of the window, two Ne shinobi had gotten the opportunity they needed to kill their target and stealthly crept up to the window, opening it slowly and quietly. They then sneaked their way next to Terry's bed and slowly drew their weapons to kill him in his sleep. Without warning to them, Terry's eyes snapped open as he performed one of his special moves almost as if by reflex...

RISING TACKLE!

The technique caught the two of them completely off guard, knocking them out of the room and into the hall. The two were dazed, but hardly had time to recover from the powerful blow as the blond fighter came barreling through the hole they made and pressed his attack with a flurry of punches and kicks. Despite being high level shinobi, they were having a great deal of trouble fending him off until they mamaged to slip away to put some distance between them.

"What the hell is goin' on here?" Terry growled at them.

"The Kyuubi vessel must not leave our village. That means that you must die, outsider." One of them droned in a dead voice as they flipped through handseals for a jutsu.

FUUTON : KAZE YAIBA!

Normally, one from outside of the Elemental Nations would be caught flatfooted against something like this. Terry was a different story. He'd faced the likes of Mars, Krauser and several other deadly fighters, so this came as no surprize to him, chambering a move of his own. He gathered the energy into his fist, then lashed out with it.

POWER WAVE!

The energy blast was not only quick enough to catch them off guard, but it smashed its way through their combined attack and left them embedded in the far wall across the hall, leaving them stunned. Not wanted to waste the chance he was given, he decided to use one of his older techniques, revised of course.

DUAL BURNING KNUCKLE!

With a burst of power and speed, he crammed both of his power engulfed fists into the sternums of his attackers taking them down completely, not to mention putting a rather large hole in the wall where they plummeted down to the street. Terry didn't even get a change to catch his breath when two more ninja appeared, these shinobi wearing a different patch on their uniforms.

"Excuse me, but can you tell me what happened here?" One of them asked.

"Those two clowns in the masks just attacked me and I defended myself!" Terry explained. The vibe he got from these guys was that they were some kind of police force, if the notepad the other guy was scribbling in wasn't a big enough clue.

"Okay...Where did they land?" The other man asked.

"Right over...There?" Terry turned and pointed, but there was only an empty crater in the wall where the two ninja once were.

"Aw man! Those bastards got away!" He whined, ripping the ballcap off his head and throwing it to the ground. The two already knew he wasn't lying, since they felt the charka usage and the strange energy signature from a few moments ago, indicating a struggle. On top of that, they had been briefed that he was a guest of the Hokage.

"We will chase down the people who attacked you. Now, did they bear any markings?" The security officer asked.

"Yeah...It was wierd...They had on these plain, empty looking masks...The way they spoke was like they were dead or something. Creepy." Terry explained to them. It wierded him out how they seemed alive yet dead at the same time.

"Really? How interesting..." A familiar voice called out. All three of them turned to see the Hokage walking up, two of his personal ANBU walking with him.

"Were the masks like theirs?" Sarutobi asked Terry.

"No...Like I said, they were...I dunno...Blank." Terry replied. He couldn't WAIT to leave this place. The look on the old man's face spoke volumes about his attackers.

"I fear that there is a certain rouge element in the village that believes that they are the ones who deserve to run this village. I have a good hunch as to who the leader is, but I cannot unveil his operatives, nor his headquarters. A hunch alone cannot bring him down since he is too well entrenched in the politics of this village." Sarutobi explained to him.

Terry just didn't get politics and he didn't really feel like it, neither. It was just too confusing and in his friend Joe's words, "Stupid brain hurty things". Sarutobi led Terry to his residence to sleep in one of his kid's old rooms, Asuma's, for the night. There, he would be able to sleep without the threat of another attack.

From the rooftops, the one who gave the kill orders scowled in displeasure. His intentions were now known to his old rival since his operatives were beaten and the target still very much alive, having single handedly beaten two of his finest assassins. By now, he knew that Sarutobi had put extra security around Naruto to prevent anything further from happening between now and the time he departs the village. He had only one option left to him now.

'I will now have to wait until they leave. Mr. Bogard will meet with an...Unfortunate accident.' Danzou thought, his treacherous plan already forming as he retired to his chambers to set his plan into motion.

THE NEXT DAY - KONOHA MAIN GATE

Rin, Kakashi, Anko, and the others who were Naruto friendly turned up at the gates to see the boy off, with the added task of keeping an eye out for any troublemakers. After a few moments, Sarutobi showed up at the gates, Naruto in tow with him with a small travel pack. Rin wasted no time in bum rushing the boy, smothering him with affection. She really didn't want her little fox to leave her, but she knew that it was for the best. She was further relieved when she found out that he would be returning to take the Genin test and the Chuunin Exams, as well. Kakashi was eagerly awaiting the day the boy would return, so that he could teach his psuedo-father figure's son and pass on his teachings. The Ichiraku family had also come to see him off, sending him off with several packets of their own brand of instant ramen and Ayame with a solid kiss on the cheek.

"Ack! Ayame-onechan!" Naruto whined in embarrassment, much to his new uncle's amusement as he leaned to Kakashi.

"He's gonna be a little lady killer, won't he?" Terry asked.

"You have no idea...His father had fangirls even in enemy villages. Naruto-chan's mother, however, managed to scare them all away." Kakashi explained, chuckling at the memory of the frightening Kushina Uzumaki when she was angry. Terry remembered that old Sarutobi had told him about Naruto's parents and how his sister-in-law, while a very sweet young woman and very mothering on Kakashi and his teammates, was particularly nasty when enraged, even for a red head.

"Man...She would probably make Krauser wet himself. She sounds like Mai when she's mad..." Terry groused as they readied themselves to leave. Before they left, Sarutobi gave him a few scrolls for Naruto's ninja training.

"Just give them to the Shiranui clan. They will know what to do." Sarutobi assured him.

After more goodbyes, the pair set out again for the world beyond the veil. What they didn't see, however, was a small team of nameless shinobi following them through the treetops, disgused as an ANBU team.

TWO WEEKS LATER - PORTS IN WATER COUNTRY...

Two weeks had come and gone, seeing our two blonds entering a port town where they could catch the ship that brought Terry to these lands back to where he departed, a port in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was close to South Town, around a hour bus trip south to the Central area where his apartment was. The team that had been tailing them hadn't anticipated their port choice, which was in the middle of Mizukagure's partol routes and a frequented hub for their shinobi. Every time they were about to strike, they had to stay their hands due to the heavy forces in the area. On their final night, they met a small team of returning Jounin from Mizu and even agreed to share a room with them. Amongst them was a particularly attractive young kunoichi named Mei Terumi and a man named Zabuza Momochi, the former of which had taken a shine to Naruto.

"He's soooo cute!" The auburn haired woman gushed, mushing the blushing 5 year old into her bosom as she regarded his guardian.

"He's really your nephew?" She asked.

"Yep. Just claimed him and now I'm taking him back with me." Terry explained. They all talked into the night and turned in for the night. Mei insisted on having the boy share her bed and call her Mei-onechan, the latter Naruto had no problem with. She had all but turned him into her personal plushie as Terry roomed with the men on her team, splitting the cost.

Outside the window, the team of Ne shinobi had grown desperate since their targets would be boarding their boat that would take them out of reach early tomorrow morning. They all got into position, waited for them to sleep...Then they attacked. They came in through the windows and went after their targets at the same time. Thankfully, the Mizu shinobi were among the best their village could offer and Terry was a veteran fighter, all of which reacted in a split second.

"What do you want?" Mei yelled as she parried a blow meant for her head.

"The boy...Our lord desires the Kyuubi vessel and he shall have him." The nin replied, his voice dead and hollow, giving her a feeling of dread. However, what he called the boy struck a chord with the Mist nin.

"It can't be..." Zabuza murmured.

"This little boy...Is a Jinchuuriki?" Mei whispered as she looked at Naruto, who was clutching her leg in fear.

"Wait...I ran into these guys back in that Leaf village. They want the kid for some creep that wants to turn him into a weapon." Terry replied. Mei knew about Jinchuuriki since the Yondaime Mizukage was one himslef, but even if this boy was one, he was an still just an innocent little boy. She would protect this boy like any other. Without hesitating, Mei cast her special jutsu against them and melting one of the attacking nin. Zabuza followed suit and cleaved another cleanly in half while Terry broke the neck of another with another one of his moves.

CRACK SHOT!

With a burst of energy, Terry connected with a fatal heel drop on the area where the shoulder and neck connects, breaking the final nins neck like a twig and ending the fight. Zabuza turned to the blond man and his nephew.

"Konoha...You say the boy came from Konoha?" Zabuza asked.

"...Yes." Terry answered hesitantly, not knowing if they were going to turn on him now.

"So...This child really is the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki." Mei replied, her voice carrying a saddened tone. Naruto thought that this nice lady was going to hit or abandon him now based on past experience, but she scooped him up into a hug.

"That doesn't really matter. He's still sooo cute!" The powerful kunoichi gushed, making her team facepalm. Zabuza remembered that the child was from a rival village and sought to know where they were going. Terry didn't see any need to lie about it.

"I'm not sticking around here, that's for damn sure! My home is across the seas, almost a month's travel from here by boat." Terry told them, wisely deciding to leave out the fact that he would he returning when Naruto was 12. Sarutobi told them that if they were stopped by any foreign shinobi, even allied shinobi, to tell them that this was a one way trip. That way, they would most likely leave them alone. Since these people found out about Naruto's condition, though, he had to do something.

"Since you guys know about his, um...Little problem, could you guys kinda keep it on the down low? We don't want more people like these guys trying to come after him." Terry requested earnestly.

Mei looked to her teammate Zabuza, who merely shrugged. She took that as a sign that he accepted the request for silence, so she did the same. It wasn't like the boy had any say in what happened to him and his only living relative was taking him far away from their lands, beyond the veil where a completely different world existed. This would likely be the last they saw of them. With this understanding, the group all retired to bed, intending to get as much sleep as they could.

NEXT MORNING...

Morning came and saw the blond pair ready to board the boat that would take Naruto to start his new life beyond the village that scorned his very existance. Terry woke up in his bed slowly, since he wasn't really a morning person (Who is, honestly?), and slowly put his vest and trademark hat on, ambling over to the restroom to wash his face and wake up some more. He then left the room to see if his nephew had risen yet to find that Mei and Naruto weren't there. Fearing that he'd been taken from under his nose, he bolted downstairs to the front desk to ask around for them. No sooner than he bolted down there, he spotted them in the inn's restaurant, getting some breakfast. He let out a sigh of relief as he sat down at the table and placed an order for some rice and Miso, a taste he acquired thanks to hanging around Mai and Andy in Japan.

"Hey squirt." Terry yawned as his food came, beginning to eat.

"Morning, Terry-ojisan." Naruto replied brightly as he dug into his cereal that Mei had ordered for him, apparently.

"I'll pay you back for getting him breakfast." He whispered as he dug into his pocket for his wallet, but she shook her head.

"It's alright. He was a little sweetheart last night and such a little gentleman! He'll have girls falling head over heels for him in the future if he keeps this up!" Mei gushed as she beamed at the small boy, who blushed brightly and tried to busy himself with his meal. Terry chuckled at his new nephew's actions. Breakfast passed on peacefully, even when Zabuza came ambling downstairs, grumbling about one thing or another.

The time to leave had finally come and Mei dragged a protesting Zabuza over to the docks to see them off. After smothering the poor boy (?) with affection, she let them go.

"Do you think we will see them again?" Mei asked her partner.

"Dunno. Anything's possible. Now c'mon...I wanna get this mission over with and sleep in my own bed tonight." The browless swordsman complained as they marched off to Kirigakure.

OVER TWO WEEKS LATER...

KYOTO, JAPAN

HIDDEN DOCKING BERTH

After a rough 18 days at sea, their ship finally dropped anchor and made berth in a hidden dock just outside of Kyoto. Terry never really did well at sea and it seemed as though it ran in the family, since Naruto looked a little green at times, too. During their voyage, Terry was teaching him some English and how to read and write it. Once they got off the ship, the ship's captain asked them to keep this berth's existance a secret, since the Elemental Nations are not meant to interact with the outside world. The first place they went was for some food in downtown Kyoto...A ramen stand.

"Mmmhmmm! It's not Teuchi-jiji's ramen, but it's still pretty good!" Naruto cheered. It was his first bowl in a while and he wanted to savor it. Terry liked ramen just fine, but he was peculiar about it. He only really liked the real thing from these little mom and pop places, not the instant kind.

After re-fueling themselves, Terry took his nephew over to the train station so that they could get out to the Shiranui Compound, which was out in the country and taking a Taxi out there was out of the question financially. They would have to take a train to a station that was a little over a mile away from the compound and walk from there. Along the way, little Naruto was wowed by all of the things he'd never seen before, like cars and trains. The way people were dressed was different from what he was used to, but people kept on asking where Naruto got his sandals. He was also floored that he wasn't glared at everywhere he looked and that some of the old people were calling him cute. A group of girls who looked to be early teenagers all glomped him, even pecked him on the cheek for calling them pretty. The damnest thing, though, was that they followed by a boy around 10 years old, calling after her with other teenage girls calling for him.

"Negi-sensei!" One girl called out. Terry pulled himself and his nephew out of the way as he thought to himself.

'That Kakashi guy wasn't kidding...This kid is a chick magnet.'

Naruto's first train ride was a memorable one, since he clung to Terry's leg like a barnacle when train jerked to a start and he didn't have time to peel the boy off, so he simply walked off the train with him still attached. He finally coaxed him off with a crepe from a nearby vendor, getting his first crepe in the process.

"Mmm...That was good! Thanks, Terry-ojisan!" Naruto chirped as they walked out of the station and down the road.

SHIGA PREFECTURE, EAST OF KYOTO, JAPAN.

As they walked down the road, Terry was suprized and somewhat impressed that Naruto hadn't said that he was tired, still going strong.

'Man...That kid's got some endurance.'

Naruto was busy taking in the scenery of the surrounding forest, thinking of just how much this area looks just like home. That also got him to thinking about how old man Hokage was doing, along with Anko and the ANBU-niichan that always guarded him. Terry was busy thinking about how things were going to go once he finally got back to Southtown. He already knew that they would be spending some time at the compound so that they could unravel the scrolls the Hokage gave to them, but even he didn't know just how long that would take. His landlady might just toss his stuff into the streetso she could rent his apartment out. With all of the musing going on, they completely missed the fact that they were being followed the second they turned off of the main road and down the forest path to the Shiranui compound. Without warning, a kunoichi hopped down from the trees to intercept them.

"Halt! What are you doing here?" She asked, her companions leaping down behind and to the sides, surrounding them. Terry just sighed.

"Look...I'm here to see Mai and my brother Andy. I brought our nephew to see them." Terry explained to them. Realization dawned on them as they recognised who he was.

"Oh...Mr. Bogard! I'm sorry about this, but we have to be careful about who we allow near the compound." She explained, Terry understanding why. The woman then bent down to take a look at the small blond boy who had the widest blue eyes she had ever seen. The markings on his cheeks reminded her of a cute little fox kit as she glomped him, like all pretty girls seemed to be doing as of late...And he seemed to be getting quite used to it and liking it.

She led them to the main house, where old man Hanzou was currently meditating. The kunoichi, who was named Kaede, asked them to wait there while she found Mai and Andy. Terry and Naruto looked at each other, shrugged and sat down to wait. Terry quickly nodded off, since they had a rather long day. Naruto, being who he is, got curious and ventured over to the old man.

"Oi...Jii-san? Jii-san? Hey! Wake up, Jii-san!" Naruto called out, doing everything he could to wake the old man before him. Unknown to him, the two people that they had come to see were watching from a crack in the door. Mai was trying to hold back from busting a gut while Andy was on the verge of having an anyeurism from the way the boy was climbing all over his master like a blond spider monkey. Andy looked over the room and found his elder brother, snoring in the corner. He bolted over to his elder sibling and shook him awake.

"Terry! Wake up, you slacker!" Andy hissed. Terry woke up groggily.

"Mmnn...Mary? That you?" Terry yawned, pawing around half awake.

"No! It's me, Andy!" He replied.

"Oh...Hey there, little bro. Guess who I brought over?" The elder Bogard replied, gesturing over to the vacated pack by his side to see where Naruto had gotten off to. He was about to ask if he'd seen a little blond boy until he saw him...Molding Master Hanzou's face like play-doh. The boy say his uncle awake and bolted over to him like a blond lighting bolt.

"Uncle Terry! Uncle Terry! That old guy is dead!" The five year old wailed, pointing madly at the old man. Mai just couldn't take it anymore and burst into the room clutching her sides, hurting from laughing so hard.

"Oh...Oh my God...This kid is too much!" She laughed as she rolled on the floor. As soon as Terry understood what was going on, he joined in too, much to Naruto's confusion and frustration.

"What's wrong with you guys? That old geezer is dead!" Naruto exclaimed stomping over to the man and pointing.

"It's not very nice to think someone dead, my boy." A voice from behind him stated. Naruto turned around slowly to see the dead old man staring right at him, a dry expression on his face.

"GAAAAAAHHHH! ZOMBIE JII-CHAN!" Naruto screamed latching onto the ceiling of the dojo, much like a scared cat in a cartoon, babbling incoherently while pointing.

The old man sniggered, snorted, then finally burst out laughing, falling over while clutching his sides much like his granddaughter and Terry. He hadn't gotten to do that since Mai was a small child and she reacted the exact same way. Terry and Mai managed to coax him down from the ceiling after 5 full minutes of bargaining and the promise of a bowl of ramen.

"Terry? Who is this boy? I thought you went to find your lost brother? Why did he call you Uncle?" Mai asked.

"Our brother was already dead, has been for the past five years. But...I brought back his son. Our nephew. Mai, Andy...This is Naruto." Terry stated as he introduced the boy to them.

He told them about the life their brother led over in the Elemental Nations and that he was a Kage. That also led to telling them about Naruto's Jinchuuriki status, thanks to his father's efforts to save the village. Mai and Hanzou's faces darkened when they were told of how that affected the boy's life, being subjected ridicule and hate. Mai had been told about Jinchuuriki and the stigma they suffered under their whole lives. Hanzou knew of another Jinchuuriki of the very same beast the boy bore...The wife of the Shodaime Hokage, but the knowledge of her condition was kept secret and only a small handful of people knew.

"Oh yeah...The Sandaime Hokage asked me to give these to you..." Terry broke in for a moment, digging into his bag and taking out sevreal scrolls but one bore the seal of the Hokage himself, addressed to Hanzou. Hanzou checked it for traps but found none, opening the scroll with a burst of smoke.

Hanzou Shiranui...I know that you left this village long ago, leaving behind all that you knew to venture forth into a new world. I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I still am about your younger sister. I never meant for her to get hurt on that mission we were on. I just want you to know that I never added your name to the Missing nin list, nor will I send any nin after you or your family.

However, all that I ask is that you use the rest of these scrolls to help train Naruto in the ways of the shinobi, in chakra usage and in how to handle his bijuu as best you can. Naruto is the son of the Yondaime Hokage and the last of the Uzumaki from Uzushiogakure. His mother, Kushina Uzumaki, was also a jinchuuriki like Mito-sama before them, but something went horribly wrong the night he was born. A man claiming to be Madara Uchiha appeared and attemped to steal the Kyuubi from Kushina and succeeded in taking the beast under his thrall, but Minato, the Yodaime Hokage and Naruto-chan's father, and his mother both managed to subdue the beast and seal it inside of him...At the cost of their own lives and Minato's soul. I shouldn't have to remind you about the prejudice Jichuuriki suffer under and it was the reason why Mito's and Kushina's statuses were never made public, but something went wrong again that night.

Someone found out about the boy's condition and told the rest of the village. It spread like wildfire, many clamoring for the child's death and blaming him for the death of his own father. I have tried everything I could to keep him safe for the past five years, but my efforts were largely in vain. Once Terry came to us and agreed to take him, it was a relief beyond any experienced before. Many of the Shinobi clan heads supported the idea, again to my relief and allowed him to take the child with him under the condition that he return when it is time to take the Genin Exam and Chuunin Exam. Once he makes Chuunin, he will be free to do as he wishes. It is the least I can do for failing the boy and his parents so heinously. You have my permission to tell the boy about his parents, something I hadn't the heart nor the courage to do. Minato and Kushina had many enemies here and would have jumped at the chance to kill their son as a twisted form of revenge.

To add to that, the boy still has Godparents, but they have been absent his entire life. If you remember my students at all, two of them, Tsunade and Jiraiya are them. If they come looking for Naruto, show them this letter and hopefully they will understand.

Please honor the request of this foolish old man.

Sincerely,

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage.

Hanzou nearly dropped the letter in shock. He and his family are safe from being hunted down for his choices and it was his old friend Hiruzen who took up the mantle of Sandaime Hokage, still holding the office to this day. On top of that, Hiruzen told him the full story of what happened that night, on top of apologizing for what made him leave the village in the first place, the death of his younger sister.

"Jii-san? What's wrong?" Mai asked in concern for the look on her grandfather's face. She had been holding Naruto in her lap the whole time, curled up in a little ball and completely content. Hanzou handed her the note, which she read aloud and she looked at the boy, who had a hangdog look on his face after hearing the contents of the letter. He now knew who his real parents were, but felt a little betrayed that the old man couldn't tell him himself.

"Poor kid...He's such a little sweetheart, too." She whispered as she kissed his forehead.

"But don't you worry...Auntie Mai will help look after you!" She declaired in a much peppier tone.

"Wow...You're my Auntie? Cool!" Naruto cheered happily, giving her a big hug that made her burst out into a fit of squeals, crushing the child into her more than generous bust.

"Auntie? But you're not a Bogard, Mai." Andy replied.

"Not yet, you mean." Mai cooed, making him sigh in defeat.

"Give it up, little bro...She's got you fitted for a wedding ring and determined to get you to the altar, even if she has to drag you kicking and screaming." Terry chuckled.

"Oh yeah? What about you and Mary? Is she going to have to blackmail you into a wedding?" Andy retorted to his elder brother's teasing.

"Boys...Behave!" Mai chided the two lightly quarrling brothers, before adding her own quip.

"Besides, Terry's right." She added with a wink.

Hanzou was happy to see that his granddaughter was immune to the madness and stigma that surrounded the Jinchuuriki and that she had taken to him so quickly. He unsealed the rest of the scrolls to see that Hiruzen had included the complete curriculum from the Academy, along with a few bonuses. He felt that with Naruto's second chakra source, he would never be able to use the standard Bunshin so he included the Kage Bunshin, which could only be used by one with massive stores of chakra without dire consequences.

'Well, Hiruzen was always one to plan ahead.' Hanzou mused. He reckoned it wouldn't be too hard to teach the boy, since the basis of the Shiranui ninja was rooted in techniques from Konoha and this included chakra exercises and justu to a limited extent. Mai herself was on par with a high level Jounin, an A-Rank kunoichi. On top of that, she already became attached to him so she would gladly help teach him.

"Well, Naruto-chan...I would like to welcome you to the Shiranui School..." Hanzou greeted the boy like he was welcoming a great-grandson. Naruto was delighted to hear that he was going to learn to be a ninja like his mom and dad were.

"Well...I'd like to teach him a few things I learned from Master Tung once he's old enough. Besides, I'll be taking him back with me to Southtown." Terry added. Naruto remembered seeing his Uncle Terry use those really cool moves in the fight at the Inn.

"Whoa...Awesome, Uncle Terry!" Naruto exclaimed once again. Mai was immeadately concerned for the boy's safety.

"Terry...Is that such a good idea? I mean...Southtown is really dangerous." Mai inquired.

"Not the area where I live. Remember? I live near the Sakazaki dojo. No one's stupid enough to try anything there and it's a pretty good neighborhood. Things there have really calmed down since Geese and that Mr. Big guy got beat down." Terry explained. Mai seemed relieved after hearing that, but insisted that he begin his training here for the first few months to get the basics down.

*Sigh* 'My return home just got delayed. Oh well, at least it was for a good reason.' Terry rationalized. He could use this time to find out how to raise a kid. He had a few calls to make.

While Naruto was getting settled in with Mai, Terry used the phone and a little pocket book of contacts to make a call to Takuma Sakazaki for advice.

"This is the Sakazaki Dojo, Yuri speaking." The voice on the other end answered.

"Hey Yuri...It's me, Terry."

"Oh! Terry! It's been a few months! Where on earth have you been? We've been worried sick about you and Mary's wiped out over half of the gangs around here trying to find you! She even put that big jerk Jack in traction!" Yuri exclaimed.

Apparently Blue Mary hadn't taken his disappearance too well and went on a one sided rampage that seems to have decimated much of the criminal element in the city, making him feel even better about bringing Naruto home with him. Terry explained what he'd been up to for the past few months and she understood why he left. Terry was an orphan who'd been taken in by a good friend of her father's Jeff Bogard. It all made sense. She was even more surprized to hear that he'd be returning with his nephew in a couple of months.

"Aw! I can't wait to meet the little cutie!" Yuri gushed.

"Yeah...I hope that will be enough to keep Mary from skinning me alive." Terry replied.

"I dunno...Mary was pretty steamed..." Yuri replied.

"She's gonna kill me...I knew it." Terry whined until he remembered his apartment.

"Hey Yuri...Did my landlady come looking for me or outright evict me?" He asked her, dreading the news.

"Well...She was about to have you evicted, but Robert paid the back rent. I think he's going to have a request for you when you come back." Yuri warned, making him facepalm. Robert Garcia was a notorious rich party boy. He knew that whatever he wanted, it would likely be a pain in the ass. But at least he was a pain in the ass that paid well.

"Great..." Terry groaned.

"What did you need, anyway?" Yuri asked.

"I wanted to talk to your dad about how to raise a kid. I thought he'd have a good idea how." Terry answered. Yuri just went silent on the other end.

"Yuri? You there?" Terry asked.

"I'm going to PRETEND that I didn't hear that, Terry. C'mon...You can't be THAT dense. Remember that my dad disappeared for over 8 years?" Yuri reminded him, making him feel like a Grade-A jackass.

"Oh..." He muttered embarrassingly.

"If you want advice...Try Kim Kaphwan. At least HE stuck around his kids." Yuri suggested.

"That's true...Thanks Yuri. Before I go, would you be interested in babysitting every once in a while when I bring him back?" He asked. Yuri's squeal told him everything he needed to hear as they both hung up. Terry was about to dig out his book again to call Kim in Seoul, but Naruto and Mai came back out.

"Hey little man...Nice duds." Terry commented on Naruto's new clothes, which he wore with his sandals. They were a much smaller version of the Shiranui Ninja outfit, since he was to train with them for a couple of months.

"Thanks, Uncle Terry! Auntie Mai said that she'd help train me!" Naruto told him excitedly. He could certainly say that the boy had boundless energy, like a miniature ball of sunlight. He'd need it for the training that was to come.

A/N: There...My newest brainchild that was inspired by an unfinished fic, called Konoha's Lonely Wolf by DhampyrX2. I really liked it, but sought to change things around. One of the things I imagined that was humorous as Terry Bogard in a suit and tie for a job interview, along with raising a five year old Naruto. I know that canon wise, Mai's grandfather is dead, but for the sake of this fic, he's alive and well...As well as a former Konoha Jounin on par with Sarutobi. Anyway...Don't expect many of the Narutoverse denizens to pop up, nor any pairins for Naruto for the time being. I DO plan on having Mai literally drag Andy to the altar, along with Blue Mary hatching something of her own to snare a Lone Wolf. This is around KOF '95 timeframe, too.

Also...I might put in little cameo plugs here and there, like the Negima plug in Kyoto.

Lemme know how this went!