Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Interesting playground though.

Chapter 1: Marriage Plans

Beta'd by sergeantassassin

I'm sad to report Dragon seems to have gone MIA and so I have another beta going over the work again. Please welcome Sergeantassassin. You may notice he has a different style of editing but I like it. Might take a bit to get through the backlog but please bear with us. o7

"Evil isn't the real threat to the world. Stupid is just as destructive as Evil, maybe more so, and it's a hell of a lot more common. What we really need is a crusade against Stupid. That might actually make a difference."
― Jim Butcher, Vignette

As the meeting of Sunagakure's Advisory Council dragged on, Baki found himself growing increasingly frustrated. This was mostly due to the complete and utter lack of progress, as no one could agree on a correct course of action. 'Politicians unable to compromise? Perish the thought.' he mentally snarked. He was currently tuning out his fellow councilors, choosing instead to skim Temari's field report of her brother's defeat.

'Incredible,' he thought bitterly. 'We have a situation that requires decisive leadership and none of these old fools can agree on anything.' Fortunately, the Sand Ninja had managed to eke out a ceasefire with the Leaf, but if their scout reports were to be believed, they'd need much more than that. Convincing Konohagakure of their sincerity in drawing up a new treaty was paramount, especially considering the latest fiasco that they currently found themselves in.

The reports on the table in front of him showed Baki that Sunagakure was in a desperate position. The failed invasion of Konohagakure had cost Sunagakure a significant chunk of it's best chunin and jonin, not even taking into account the finances they practically flushed down the toilet. Already weakened by the fiscal neglect of the Wind Daimyo, Sunagakure now stood as the weakest of the Big Five by an uncomfortable amount.

Again referring to the reports from scout teams, Baki cringed: Iwagakure was currently probing along the Wind/Earth border. Not a promising sign, given the bloody history between the two powers. Historically, Iwagakure was the reason Sunagakure had allied with Konohagakure in the first place. A thought struck him as he glanced over the scout report once more. His eyes narrowed in thought. Perhaps Sunagakure's position wasn't as hopeless as he thought.

No matter the current political relationship, Konohagakure simply could not allow Iwa to get a foothold into Suna territory, because this would eliminate Suna as a barrier to Iwa. If Iwa were to conquer Suna, then they would be practically at Konoha's doorstep, and given the history between those two countries, it made the Suna/Iwa relationship look like an arranged playdate between children.

Still, the probing of Iwa ninja was concerning. 'It's a pity the Yondaime Hokage didn't survive the Kyuubi attack. If he were alive, Iwagakure would never be moving this aggressively.'

With this thought still in mind, he took a sip of coffee as he flipped to the last page of Temari's report...and almost spit it right back out in shock. Clipped to the page was a picture of the Konohagakure genin that managed to subdue and defeat Gaara. Baki's mind immediately ground to a halt, one word permeating throughout his shocked core. 'N-namikaze?!'

Startled by the sudden movement next to him, Yura glanced at Baki curiously. With only a year of service to the council, Yura was a young buck, but a rising star for his industriousness and loyalty. Still, given his lack of seniority, he had only made a handful of statements during the current council session.

Gently nudging his neighbor, he leaned over and whispered, "Something wrong Baki? You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

Baki examined his fellow council member, and decided to share his newest insights.

"You wouldn't be far off the mark, Yura. It's possible I may have come up with a way for Sunagakure to recover, but I'm unsure just how well it will play out."

Yura rolled his eyes.

"Come on, it can't possibly be worse than Otokaze's 'brilliant' plan to bribe Tanigakure into betraying Konohagakure and allying with us. Something tells me that they're not interested at all in being our buffer against Konoha."

Baki snorted with disgust. It had taken some effort on his part, but he'd managed to scrap that little disaster before it gained ground.

"No, I plan on trying to regain our alliance with Konohagakure. We've shared with them how the Kazekage died, as well as Orochimaru's betrayal, and while that stayed their hand, we need a military alliance, not just a truce."

"Really?" Yura whispered back confused. "Given how our last alliance ended, what could we possibly offer that they would agree to? Our track record isn't the best when it comes to holding up our end of the bargain, much as I'm loathe to admit."

"I may as well explain my plan to the council instead of doing it piece by piece." Standing, Baki addressed his peers. "Honorable members of the Council, some new facts have come to my attention, and I believe I have a partial solution to our current issues."

Seeing as he now had the undivided attention of everyone in the room, Baki braced himself and clasped his hands behind his back. 'One step at a time, old man.'

"The only realistic solution to our current trouble with Iwagakure is to somehow reestablish our alliance with Konohagakure. It is only through this that we can buy the time we desperately need to recover our resources and recoup our losses, and everyone knows this. The question facing us is simple: How do we prove that we won't betray Konohagakure again." Baki ignored the winces from several of the council members as he reminded them that Sunagakure had indeed betrayed Konohagakure, despite Orochimaru's manipulations.

Ignoring the rising back chatter and retorts, Baki considered how to phrase what he needed to say. 'Perhaps a small Konohagakure history lesson?' Raising his hands for silence, Baki waited until the room quieted once more.

"In the past, Konohagakure had an ally it trusted with everything. The alliance between Uzushiogakure and Konohagakure was sealed by a marriage between the Shodaime Hokage and a woman named Uzumaki Mito. That alliance lasted for decades, until Uzushiogakure was destroyed by Kumogakure and Iwagakure in the Second Great Ninja War. I believe we can use that tradition ourselves to tie Konohagakure back to our interests."

Otokaze, Baki's self-proclaimed "rival" on the council, quite fairly exploded at this.

"You couldn't POSSIBLY be serious! We need EVERY shinobi we have! Why would we offer one to Konohagakure, and WHY would they accept even if we did? What POSSIBLE motive or incentive could we offer?!"

Turning, Baki faced the man directly. Speaking in a calm, controlled manner, almost as if speaking to a child, Baki presented his case.

"Konohagakure will accept because they cannot afford the strategic threat of Iwagakure conquering us. They know that facing Iwagakure on two fronts would be a recipe for disaster and as angry with us as they are, I believe Iwagakure is a far greater concern for Konohagakure."

Satetsu, another council member, spoke up in a manner that showed his irritation.

"Baki, that's all well and good, but you still haven't told us the rest of it. Please stop stalling."

Baki picked up his copy of Temari's report and waved it at the council.

"I would suggest you all fully read Temari's report on Gaara's defeat, but I will briefly summarize, since we're short on time. She states that Gaara was defeated by a single genin, even after he'd fully manifested his Biju." Ignoring the gasps of shock this produce, he pressed on. "She states that this genin, Uzumaki Naruto, and I do stress the surname, produced more Kage Bunshin then she could count. This forced Gaara to assume Shukaku's full form. Uzumaki then summoned a toad Temari describes as "nearly the size of a mountain." She also reports that the toad was wearing a blue gambler's jacket, smoking a large pipe, and had a giant tanto which it used against Gaara in his full bijuu form. I can only think of one toad that matches that description."

Yura glanced up after going over the info in Temari's report, "So, what do we actually know about this Uzumaki boy? Our pre-invasion intelligence described him as a non-entity."

"I firmly believe that there is more to this boy than Konohagakure is showing the world." Baki stated with certainty. "The records showed he graduated last in his class, but I have personally seen the boy use a Jonin-level technique, a Kinjutsu at that, with ease. Summoning toads indicates he is apprenticed to Jiraiya of the Sannin, and I believe you are all aware of that man's last apprentice? Speaking of the Yondaime Hokage, you may be interested in the photo attached to the file in question."

Yura glanced at the photo, then at the rest of the council, before coming back to Baki with a questioning look.

"I'm afraid I'm not seeing it Baki, and I don't think anyone else is either."

Baki sighed. For the love of- "Alright, I want you to look at the young man in the photo and consider the following: He has spiky blond hair and sharp blue eyes, not common in Konohagakure, save the Yamanaka Clan. He is apprenticed to the Legendary Sannin Jiraiya, and is apparently very powerful, given that he defeated Gaara. He also has, judging by the scope and level of his techniques, a ridiculously high amount of chakra for one so young. Put all of those things together, and who does he remind you of?"

It took a moment, each member focusing intently on the picture. Then, without warning-

"Sweet Kami!" an elderly member blurted. "He looks just like a younger Yellow Flash!"

"Precisely." Baki said with a smirk. "Earlier, I told you that the Shodaime Hokage married a woman named Uzumaki Mito. The only Uzumaki I remember from Konohagakure was Kushina, the "Red Hot-Blooded Habanero" and she died 13 years ago during the Kyuubi attack. Now consider this: We have Uzumaki Naruto, age 13 who bears a strong resemblance to the late Namikaze Minato, ALSO slain in the Kyuubi attack. The boy was listed as an orphan, but was enrolled in the shinobi academy, sponsored by the Sandaime Hokage.

FURTHERMORE, the boy is now apparently apprenticed to Jiraiya, the man who trained the Yellow Flash. Take all of this into account, and there are far too many coincidences to be ignored. There's only one logical conclusion: this boy is most certainly the son of the Yondaime Hokage and Uzumaki Kushina."

"Very well, I can follow your logic," Otokaze said, after a full minute of mulling over Baki's latest revalation. "However, I am unsure where you are going with this. What does the supposed heir of the Yondaime have...to...do..."

Baki grinned as his "rival" trailed off, his eyes widening as the implication hit him. "It's fairly simple, really: We offer Temari in marriage to the Uzumaki boy as a gesture of good faith on our part."

"Why Temari? She is the daughter of our late Kazekage and is quite skilled. Couldn't we offer someone who wouldn't be missed?"

"No. We offer Temari to prove our commitment. Her skill and ancestry will make for an irresistible incentive for Konohagakure's leaders to accept our agreement. Any children from the union are likely to be very powerful, and we will insert a clause in the agreement stating that the first male child produced from their union must be married back to Sunagakure."

The Council members sat back and pondered the proposal. The marriage would seal the Sand/Leaf alliance and offered the chance to gain powerful shinobi for the village in the future. The potential benefits were quite large, with minimal risks to boot. All said, it was a win for all sides involved: The Leaf once more had an ally in the Sand Village, as well as having a powerful shinobi in their fold, and the exact same could be said for Suna.

Seeing everyone in agreement, the decision was made official that evening and an offer was sent, proposing a marriage contract to the Konohagakure council.

Several days later, the Konohagakure council was gathered to discuss the surprising offer received from Sunagakure. With no Hokage, the council was limited on its' options: It could not implement policy or assign missions higher than B-rank, but it was the de-facto power in the village. The council consisted of the heads of the various shinobi clans, with the Sandiame's old teammates, Homura and Koharu, as honored elders. Also present was Shimura Danzo, an old rival of the late Sandaime and a skilled warrior and tactician. Currently, Koharu was reading the scroll received from Sunagakure.

"This is certainly interesting," she said, quietly lowering the scroll. "It seems our esteemed colleagues in Sunagakure wish to make amends for their foolishness."

Her former teammate, Homura, snorted in disgust.

"Of course they do. If they don't, Iwagakure will crush them. It would serve them right for their treachery. It's a pity that we can't afford to let Iwagakure gain a strategic advantage like that."

It surprised everyone when Danzo, the old war-hawk himself, spoke up.

"Agreed, we cannot let Iwagakure gain such an advantage. It would be in our best interests to accept." As the rest of the council turned to him in mild shock, he continued bitterly. "As you are all undoubtedly aware, I would prefer to simply crush them outright for their betrayal, but circumstances argue against it. Since we cannot punish them without drawing attention from other countries, as well as removing a barrier nation between us and Iwa, I see no harm in accepting a deal that will benefit Konohagakure far more than Sunagakure."

"Logically, you are correct, Danzo-san," Aburame Shibi droned in the usual Aburame monotone. "This offer does seem to be to our advantage, but I find your stance puzzling. You have always petitioned for Uzumaki to be trained by you as a weapon. Accepting this offer would seem to directly counter the position you've held for nearly a decade and a half."

Danzo tapped his cane as he considered his response.

"It is true that I want him trained as a weapon. I was, however, over-ruled, and as such, I must consider other ways he may be of use to Konohagakure. Sunagakure is now offering the daughter of their late Kazekage - by all reports a powerful kunoichi - if she marries Uzumaki." He smiled grimly, "I suspect that Sunagakure may have discovered the boy's heritage."

"Troublesome," muttered Nara Shikaku. "If they haven't discovered Uzumaki's heritage, this deal is completely in our favor. I remember this Temari girl from the exam and she seemed quite skilled. On top of it, she's a wind user as well, very rare here in Konohagakure. Even if Sunagakure has discovered the boy's heritage, the deal, while more even, still favors us. Marrying the children of two Kage is likely to produce very powerful children in turn. I suspect that is the reason they want a male child married back to Sunagakure. A male child would be able to start a clan, another point in favor of Sunagakure having guessed who Uzumaki is."

Everyone sat back to consider the Nara's words and examine the offer for other hidden agendas.

Having only recently taken his seat as head of Clan Sarutobi, Asuma was somewhat confused. 'I thought the boy was just an orphan, unfortunately chosen to have the Kyuubi sealed inside him. Everyone here seems to know something about him...wait, he said son of a Kage? It couldn't be...Yondaime? He sealed the Kyuubi no Yoko in his own SON?!"

In his newfound confusion and anger, Asuma blurted out, "Are you telling me that Uzumaki is the Yondaime's son?" To his shock, most of the council simply nodded in his direction, seemingly unfazed by this revelation. "The Yondaime had a son?! Why was this hidden?"

"It should be obvious, Asuma. The Yondaime made many enemies during the Third Great Shinobi War," came the reply from Hyuuga Hiashi. "The boy would have been in grave danger had word gotten out about who his father was."

Danzo surprised the council once more by being the next to speak. It was if the old warhawk had suddenly developed an interest in council affairs.

"At this point, I don't see any option but to accept this offer. It is slanted too far in our favor to decline without tipping our hand regarding the boy's heritage. If we chose to decline by announcing that heritage, I have no doubt Kumogakure, and ESPECIALLY Iwagakure, would react unfavorably. We also need the boy to produce more Uzumaki, as possible future containers for the Kyuubi, if not outright shinobi for our future ranks. Unless there are generous volunteers here that are willing to offer up their progeny to such a fate?" Seeing the members of the council refuse to meet his lone eye, he nodded. "Very well, since we are in agreement, let us send our response."

"WHAT?"

The yell from the council chamber echoed through the building, down the street, and throughout the village. Kankuro found himself in the odd position of hiding from his sister. While this wasn't too uncommon, his choice of hiding spot - behind his brother – was a new one. Not something he would have dreamed of even a month beforehand, but Gaara had been different ever since his loss to the blond-haired runt during the invasion.

The redhead was still stoic in the face of his sister's rage. This part of Gaara hadn't changed. Kankuro was positive Gaara really didn't understand feelings, or at the very least, had a feeble grasp of their concept, but he wasn't radiating continuous bloodlust anymore, so this was a plus in his book. As far as he knew, other than some bandits on the way back from Konohagakure, Gaara hadn't killed anyone since the invasion. Hence the reason he was hiding behind Gaara as his sister raged. It wasn't cowardice, he told himself firmly. No, of course not. It was a strategic retreat, damnit!

Meanwhile, Temari, fuming in the center of the room, was NOT in the best of moods.

Giving her sensei a look that belied the hidden rage, the unbridled fury that lay beneath, she smiled up at him, eyes closed and teeth bared. "Care to repeat your last statement, Baki-sensei? Because I could have sworn I misheard you. Why, I swear you just said I was sold off as marriage material to the Leaf Village~"

Baki sighed, both inwardly and outwardly. 'Well, I shouldn't be surprised this is her reaction. In reality, I'd probably be more worried if she didn't react this way. The only good thing so far is that Gaara seems to be...well, not Gaara. And by that, I mean not outright murdering my ass. I'm going to take that as a win even if Temari ends up doing it herself...famous last words, Baki.'

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Baki held his hands out. "Temari, this is an order from the council. To cement our alliance with the Leaf, we need a strong symbol of commitment. I am truly sorry, but as the daughter of a Kage, you always knew a political marriage was a potential future for you."

Temari ground her teeth as she snarled back, not willing to back down just yet.

"Yes, I knew that I could possibly have a political marriage. However, I was under the impression that it would be HERE in Sunagakure! Not married out as a sacrifice to another village!"

To his credit, Baki did feel sorry for his soon-to-be former charge. Temari had no way of knowing that, though, even if he did continuously apologize.

"We need this alliance badly, Temari. If there was any other choice...but there isn't." Shaking his head sadly, he continued. "We were tricked, fooled by Orochimaru into doing his bidding. However, we still attacked an ally, despite the alliance between us. If we don't regain Konohagakure as an ally, Sunagakure will face Iwagakure moving against us alone. With the losses in the invasion, we wouldn't be able to stop them. We need time, Temari. Your sacrifice will buy us that time."

Temari gripped her fan hard, small grooves appearing in the metal. She clamped her jaw shut against the urge to rage against the world that seemed turned against her. Reminding herself that she was a kunoichi of Suna, she forced herself to calm down. 'I suppose it IS a shinobi's duty to sacrifice for the village,' she told herself grimly, 'but damnit, why ME?! Why not Kankuro?!' She glanced in his direction, and got a whimper from behind Gaara's back, while the redhead merely stared at her, almost as if he was confused.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head to meet Baki's forlorn gaze.

"I understand my duty, Baki-sensei, but I still don't like this. Has...has my future husband been decided?"

Baki debated telling her, but with Gaara standing there, decided not to push his luck. He felt he'd dodged enough kunai today, and didn't want to add sand shuriken to that list.

"No," he calmly lied. "We have yet to hear back from Konohagakure." He didn't want to be near Temari when she found out who her future husband would be, and he definitely didn't want to be anywhere near Gaara. Not that that was unusual, but with his sister's future on the line?

Let's just say silence was golden in this matter.

"I would recommend that you study Leaf customs while we wait. Once again, for what it's worth...I am sorry, Temari." Having said that, he turned and walked out the door, closing it behind him and leaving the three siblings alone.

Closing her eyes to stop the tears, Temari bit her lower lip. She was startled when she felt a hand gently clasp her shoulder. Looking down, she was amazed to see it was Gaara's, and even more surprised when it seemed he was trying his best to comfort her.

'I don't think he really understands' she thought, seeing the confusion still prominent in her brother's eyes, 'but he IS trying.' Forcing a small smile, she covered his hand with her own. "Thank you, Gaara."

Gaara wasn't sure what his sister was feeling, but he recognized tears as a symbol of the same feelings he used to have as a child. Something he now knew as pain. They were feelings in need of comfort. '...Perhaps this is what Uzumaki meant when he talked about protecting those precious to him?' Taking his hand off her shoulder, Gaara tried to voice what he was feeling. "Temari...if he hurts you...I will kill him."

To her own surprise, as well as Gaara's, Temari pulled him into a hug. Gaara had threatened to kill her many times when she was younger, but he had never threatened to kill for her.

"Thank you, Gaara."

Eying the towering gates in the distance, Jiraiya glanced at his traveling companions.

Hot, big busted ex-teammate? Check!

Ex-teammate's hot apprentice? Check again.

Calm, collected apprentice? Che-

He paused, sensing something was seriously wrong. Since when was Naruto ever calm?

"Hey Gaki, shouldn't you be...I don't know, bouncing around or something? You're never this quiet."

Crossing his arms, Naruto glared at him.

"Ero-Sennin, I died on this trip. Literally. I'm tired of pretending I'm always happy especially if I'm not. I'm done with it. As soon as we get back and get Baa-Chan settled, I'm gonna go get rid of the jumpsuits."

Shizune spoke up.

"But Naruto-kun, I thought you like orange?"

"Oh, I do. Orange is completely awesome." Glancing at Jiraiya and Tsunade, he narrowed his eyes and added, "It's a mix of red and yellow. How could it not be awesome? Still, I think I can find something a bit more subdued, I don't need the attention anymore."

A short glance passed between the two Sannin as they picked up the deeper meaning to the words.

'Guess that saves me the trouble of telling him who his parents were.' Jiraiya stifled a laugh as they passed through the gates. The kid might have dropped his "Happy-Go Apeshit" mask, but he was still filled with enough energy to bounce around like a pachinko ball. Watching Naruto leap up to walk on the wall next to them, Jiraiya had a thought. 'He may have decided not to pretend to be happy all the time, but I doubt it changed who he is inside.'

"Alright Gaki, while I get Hime here settled at the Hokage Tower, how about you go home and do that whole jumpsuit-burning thing you were talking about?'

"Sounds like a plan, Ero-Sennin!" Naruto called as he bounced off.

"You know," Tsunade said as they walked along, watching Naruto's retreating form. "He looks so much like his father, but Kami, he acts like his mother."

"Yes and no, Hime," Jiraiya replied seriously. "He may have some of her traits, but Kushina wouldn't have mastered the Rasengan in less then a week. The kid has tons of potential, and if he gets serious with his training, his skill level is gong to skyrocket." Finding himself facing the door to the Hokage's office, he gave Tsunade a small bow with a smirk. "After you, Hokage-sama~"

Resisting the urge to smash him through said door, Tsunade entered to find herself facing her old sensei's desk. It hit her then; for the first time, she really felt the grief of the Old Man's death. Crossing her arms, she hugged herself as a few tears escaped. Taking some deep breaths, she calmed herself, brushed them away, and turned to face her old teammate.

"It's hard to believe the Old Monkey is gone," she said softly. "I could almost see him when we walked in." Sliding behind the desk, she realized that she still wanted to make the Old Man proud. She also realized something else: "Wonder if he still had that 'Emergency Sake' stashed in his desk?" Opening the bottom drawer, she pulled back a secret compartment, then flashed Jiraiya a smile as she pulled out a jug. "Nice, Mount Myoboku. I take it you gave this to him?"

Before he could answer, there was a knock at the door, followed by the door opening and Koharu and Homura entering the office. Tsunade eyed them, remembering that they were the elder advisers on the council, as well as two of her least-favorite people. 'Fan-fucking-tastic,' she thought, putting the jug away and slamming the drawer. 'If I want to get anything done, I have to play nice and not just tell them off. They're not so senile that they've forgotten how to throw a wrench or two into things.' Forcing a smile to the surface, she welcomed them in with a nod of her head. Jiraiya, however, had no qualms about frowning in their direction. It didn't matter, as he was ignored entirely.

"Welcome back, Tsunade-sama," they said in unison with short bows. Homura continued, "We are pleased to see you return to take up your family's mantle, but we're a bit pressed for time. There's been a recent development that requires immediate attention on your part." Producing a scroll and handing it over, he waited for her to scan the contents. "Sunagakure has made a rather...interesting offer, and the council has decided to accept it. We merely need your approval, now."

Tsunade finished reading the scroll after several minutes, and steepled her fingers in front of her face. "The full council agreed to this?"

"Hai, it was a unanimous decision, Hokage-sama."

"...Then I'm to understand that the council also believes Sunagakure is aware of Naruto's heritage?"

Both elders nodded. "Hai."

Tapping her fingers together, Tsunade leaned back to consider her options. She couldn't override the council for two reasons: One, knowing the elders, they'd already sent an agreement letter to Suna. If she reneged on the offer, it would look bad on Konoha's part, and not put her tenure as Hokage off to a great start. because the offer had already been accepted. Second, even if they hadn't, which was entirely possible, the entire council had unanimously agreed on it, and should she veto it, the council could push it through anyway, simply because the entire council backed it. Checks and balances, mind you.

However, a small grin came to her face. How much did the council really know about Naruto's heritage. Based on what she'd gleaned from Jiraiya, and her own musings on the subject, she reckoned they didn't know what they were getting into entirely.

Time to put that to the test.

"Has the council considered the consequences of Naruto's marriage domestically?" she asked with a smile, one that had Jiraiya, who KNEW what that smile meant, look off to the side with one part glee, one part worry. Worry because he knew how Tsunade could get in these situations, and if push came to shove...

He was headed for the window.

A look of confusion passed between the two elders, before Koharu spoke.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure what you are referring to, Tsunade-sama."

With a grin a predator might have envied, Tsunade clarified.

"When Naruto marries, he will officially become head of both Clan Uzumaki and Clan Namikaze. As such, he will inherit everything from both of those clans, since he's the sole survivor of each. This will be including funds from both clans AND the Namikaze council seat, as well as any property and land still in those clans' possession. Surely you didn't forget something like that when you approved this marriage?"

As Tsunade spoke, Jiraiya had been fighting the giggles the entire time. Watching the faces of the two elders fall further and further, until they outright dropped in dismay, Jiraiya roared in laughter as both elders assumed expressions of shock. It was painfully obvious that they had not considered the Clan Inheritance laws would apply to Naruto.

Those eligible to become clan heads did so under two circumstances: when they reached Jonin rank, or when they married. Short of canceling the proposed engagement and embarrassing themselves, as well as Konoha, there was nothing they could do to stop Naruto from becoming head of Clan Namikaze and Clan Uzumaki.

Jiraiya's only concern, however, was that once the cat was out of the bag, there'd be no way to keep the matter quiet any longer. With that thought in mind, soon Minato's former enemies would have a new target in mind. If they couldn't get to the Yondaime, he reasoned, they'd go for the next best thing:

His son.

AN:First Fanfic. Decided on a Naruto/Temari fic cause A: Temari is awesome and B: She hardly ever gets front billing, usually stuck in a harem.

Words to live by: "Build a man a fire, he stays warm for a day. Set a man on fire, he stays warm for the rest of his life." Harry Dresden. Cold Days.