Hello this is my first fanfic and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

I don't own any of the characters except the OC (there are going to be a lot) ones and I don't own Naruto.

human thought

demonic thought

demomic, boss summon, angry Zanichi/Tsunada speech

Book One: Iron Spiral ch1

A distant roar of frustration is heard echoing throughout the night. The shinobi mustered outside the main gate to their village shiver in fear of it. One wearing a dog mask leans over to the Sandaime

"Should we go help him?"

"No, he knows what he is doing we will just be in the way."

Another roar sounds out in the dark. The battle between the Kyuubi no Kitsune and the Yondaime rages on far away from the destroyed village. Then nothing just silence. The collected shinobi wait holding there breath for the silence to end but it doesn't. After several minutes the Sandaime comes to a decision.

"Stay here all of you."

He commands as he turns and leaps into the trees, running in the direction of his successor's battle. He arrives to a crushing sight. The bodies of the Yondaime and his wife, dead, pierced though the abdomen. Before them is a new born sleeping soundlessly in a alter. The Sandaime walks over and closes the eyes of the dead on their last sight, their son. He picks up the baby and walks back to the village swearing to honor his fallen friend.

Six Years Later

A young man walks the streets of Konoha, watching the villagers prepare for the annual festival celebrating the defeat of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. The man stops outside a small restaurant deciding to get lunch. But as he reaches for the door it slides open and an orange blur flies out closely followed by a meat cleaver. Just before the cleaver makes contact with the young boy the man snatches it out of the air. The blonde haired youth looks up at him and smiles before dashing off. 'How strange' thought the man, as he walks into the restaurant. He hears the cook behind the bar mumble about a demon brat and quiet agreements from the patrons already seated. The man scowls, the tone and atmosphere of the restaurant is all wrong. Not one filled with excitement for the upcoming festival that night. He walks quietly up to the bar unnoticed by anyone. Then after hearing the cook describe the boy he just saved from major injury as demon scum he slams the cleaver, which was still in his hand into the bar, where it remained embedded into the wood.

"What was the about?" he asked with a tone of someone used to being answered when he demanded an one.

The cook turned around about to berate whoever had just spoken to him like an underling, but stopped in his tracks when he looks at the young man. Standing there was a samurai easily six feet tall with light armor meant for fast travel. A steel plate covering his abdomen on top of a tight sleeveless shirt that fit snuggly as if it was formed to him with bandages wrapped around his forearms from his elbows to the first knuckle on his fingers, an ornate piece of plate armor on his left shoulder resembling a wolf with spirals in the eyes. Under his left arm was a large coat that he had opted to take off on the warm autumn day. Almost hidden under the coat was a full katana strapped to his hip. Then the cook looked up at the man's face and noticed the large scar that started under his left eye and disappeared under his shirt. His eyes, rimmed with dark blue and filled with white until the abyss like pupils, which froze you where you stood. And a head of hair, crimson red in color with a strange haircut, spiky on top, buzzed on the sides and pulled into a short spiky ponytail in the back. The cook finally recovers from his surprise and calms down noticeable. The appearance of the samurai cools his head not wanting to anger the large man.

"I have the right to refuse anyone my business."

The samurai eyes the cook who scrums under the look of a seasoned veteran; it rivaled the older shinobi who the cook had met. Finally the samurai cocks an eyebrow.

"So you throw a meat cleaver at a child who at worse could run out on his bill and get a free meal, instead of telling him to simply leave."

"That child," the cook hissed, "is nothing more then demon scum and should be run out of the village."

The reply that the samurai received was met by many 'here, here' by the other patrons and a smug look on the cook's face.

"And here I thought that Konoha held children as precious, the Will of Fire and all that. Guess not." He says with some venom as he turns and leaves having lost his appetite.

The samurai continued walking looking for the boy but after a few hours his stomach started growling, demanding attention. Coincidentally he again found himself again outside a small food stand. He ducks under the curtain and greeted by the heavenly scent of ramen, his absolute favorite food that he rarely got in the Land of Iron. As he sits at the counter he is greeted by an older man who handed him a menu.

"Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen, please enjoy." He returns the greeting and asks what the house special is.

The older man, who introduces himself as Teuchi, shows the samurai the specials part of the menu. He thanks Teuchi and introduces himself. Then returns to the menu to choose what he wants for dinner. After a few minutes of looking he decides on a miso pork ramen. He puts the menu down and is about to order when he notices a flash of blonde in the corner of his eye and looks.

"You," he exclaimed, "I found you."

The blonde jumps and looks at the source of the loud noise half way out the entrance as he does, but doesn't get the chance to run. The samurai quickly garbs him by the shoulder and puts him the seat next to him.

"I have been looking for you everywhere kid."

Now the boy was really scared, whenever an adult is looking for him it was never good.

"Are you ok?" asked the samurai, throwing the child off balance, no adult other then the Hokage and Teuchi-ojii asked him that.

All he could do was nod, which was enough for the samurai reassuring him.

"Good, good that asshole back at that restaurant. I almost hit him but I don't want to cause anymore trouble then necessary. Treating a kid like you like that. Dick." He said, mostly to himself.

Who honestly seemed annoyed by the actions of the cook and the villagers at the restaurant, earlier.

"So what was that about you owe that guy money or something?" The samurai asked.

The boy had calmed down and wasn't at risk of running off again so the samurai let him go. The boy looked up at the samurai and shrugged.

"Um, thanks for earlier, and I don't know why the villagers always treat me like that, especially on my birthday. Only a few minutes after you saved me a lynch mob started chasing me but two ANBU stopped them and I could get away."

"Your welcome, and if it's your birthday you should spend it with your family not dodging cleavers and mobs, or a stranger at a ramen stand. Even if its great ramen which it must be by the way it smells."

He jokes, but the boy just hangs his head a little saddened. The samurai quickly sobers up.

"Orphan." More of a statement then question. The boy nods quietly.

"Well in that case, happy birthday, um"

"Naruto" says not believing what he is hearing; no one wished him a happy birthday. The samurai smiles back.

"Happy Birthday, Naruto. Have as much ramen as you like on me." He says, startling Naruto.

"Really?" he asks with a look of wonder.

"Yup, it's the best present I can give you on such short notice. You didn't give me much time to prepare did you." He teased, and placed his own order. Naruto just sat there a little stunned.

"What are you waiting for order something. I don't want to eat alone, its depressing."

Naruto quickly placed his order. The pair waited in silence until Teuchi placed their orders in front of them.

"Naruto what do you say to someone that gives you something." Teuchi said reminding the boy.

"Sorry Teuchi-ojii, thanks for the ramen, um"

"Zanichi" says the samurai as he snaps his chopsticks apart.

"Thanks Zanichi." He nods in acknowledgement as he digs into the ramen, which did taste as good as it smelled.

After that the conversation and ramen flowed. Naruto asking Zanichi about what was it like as a samurai and Zanichi telling him stories about his training and adventures. And in turn Zanichi asked Naruto about the village and about himself. They enjoy each others stories, at one point Zanichi blows noodles out his nose when Naruto tells him about the Hokage's reaction to his infamous Sexy no Jutsu. And Naruto sits, wide eyed as Zanichi tells him the story of how he got his scar. They would fall silent when there orders arrived, but it was content silence not an awkward one, as they enjoyed their ramen. Naruto found great joy in having someone to share stories with and was having a great time. And although Naruto liked Zanichi's stories, Zanichi found listening to Naruto's a little painful and some, particularly about how the villagers treated him, infuriated Zanichi. Here was a boy who just turned six having suffered greater than some full grown adults that he know, but despite that he was still able to smile and was filled with such optimism, dreaming to become the Hokage like his hero the Yondaime. Zanichi found himself respecting the boy greatly. Ayame, the daughter of Teuchi, and works as a waitress at night, brings them their next order, placing Naruto's in front of him.

"Here you go Uzumaki-kun."

"Thanks Ayame-nee"

"And here is yours Sir." But Zanichi doesn't respond. He looks at Naruto then at Ayame.

"Did you just call him, Uzumaki?" She nods a little unsure of what is going on. Zanichi looks back at Naruto.

"Your name is Uzumaki Naruto?" Naruto looks at him noodles hanging out of his mouth.

He slurps up the noodles, and cocks his head side ways his eyes squinting, at Zanichi's weird look.

"Ya, Uzumaki Naruto that's my name didn't I tell you that."

But before Zanichi can respond a man rushes into Ichiraku and grabs Naruto. Ayame screams in surprise and after the conversation Zanichi had with Naruto all evening that was all the justification he needed. With speed painfully gained though years of practice draws his sword filling the ramen stand with the chilling hiss of steel and cuts off the arms of the man who grabbed Naruto in one fluid movement like his name describes, one cut. Then with the same fluid grace kicks the man in the chest sending him flying back out into the dark street. Zanichi sensing the malevolence emanating from outside, turns to face it. He stabs the ground and throws his coat over his shoulders and thrusts his arms into the sleeves. Naruto stares at the symbol on Zanichi's back, a white spiral that was almost glowing against the black leather of the coat. Zanichi pulls his sword from the wooden floor and strides out of the stand, followed closely by Naruto. They are greeted by a large mob of villagers; the smell of alcohol was palatable. Many where armed with kitchen knives, other makeshift weapons and torches. They throw curses at him for what he did to their maimed compatriot. Zanichi silently assesses the situation. 'Mmhmm roughly 200, maybe a few shinobi thrown in too, to think that this is what the kid has faced every year.' He thought to himself filled with pride that Naruto could survive against such odds. Then silence, Naruto had been hiding behind Zanichi but stepped out to look at the crowd that had gathered to hunt him down. That the sight of him the gathered villagers' growl like some kind of large animal.

"Give us the demon, we will finish what Yondaime-sama started" yelled a faceless voice in the crowd.

Prompting many in the crowd to take up the call, yelling insults at Naruto. Demanding that Zanichi turn over the demon scum to them. Naruto starts to shake, doubt creeps into his mind, 'Zanichi protected me twice but this is too much. He can't handle so many, he will not risk himself for me, I'm nobody.' But his thoughts are stopped when Zanichi places his free hand on the boy's shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze, and pushes him protectively behind him again. He then turns his focus on the crowd. Remembering everything that Naruto told him. Letting the anger and disgust he felt for the villagers flow to the surface. Zanichi casts a killing intent out on the mob so great the older members have flash backs to the night the Kyuubi no Kitsune attacked, and collapse in terror induced convulsions.

"MY NAME IS UZUMAKI ZANICHI, VICE-CAPTAIN OF THE SECOND DIVISION OF THE IRON GUARD," he roared, "ANY WHO WISH HARM TO MY COUSIN STEP FOREWARD AND FACE YOUR DEATH."

Then to demonstrate his threat he swings his sword cutting a gash in the street, effectively dividing it in half. With Naruto and himself on one side separated from the mob, the promise of death to anyone who crossed it. The few shinobi in the crowd quickly sobered under the wave of killing intent and massive chakra spike from his demonstration. Most realized that they where no match for the monster that stood before them and ran for it, leaving the crowd to fend for themselves, but five of them felt differently and stepped forward to take Zanichi's challenge. The stood together on the line that had been drawn, across from Naruto and Zanichi, many in the crowd cheering them on, all of them had faced samurai from other nations before and none of them took this one any more seriously them they did the others. The first one charged Zanichi but before he or Zanichi could do anything an ANBU landed in front of him taking him to the ground, pinning him there. The pinned shinobi started to struggle and was struck on the back of the neck and stopped moving. The others all fell into taijustu stances. But before they could act a second ANBU landed next to the first.

"Don't even think about it. Leave before I get physical." He snarls.

Then lightning shot out of his hand, starting to crackle with power adding his own killing intent to the samurai and fellow ANBU. After a few moments the shinobi thought about their opinions decided that it was best to take up the dog masked ANBU on his offer. One thinks better of fighting and leaves his fellows to face the ANBU and samurai.

"That offer is about to expire and I don't think the samurai will wait much longer." Said the weasel masked ANBU a faint red glow coming from the eye slits in his mask, after he finished restraining the unconscious shinobi.

The shinobi knew what that glow was and fled, leaving the villagers alone to face two ANBU and a really anger samurai. To emphasize the 'samurai losing his patience', Zanichi sends out a fresh wave of killer intent even larger then the first, enraged that someone thought so little of him that they could defeat him in a drunken stupor. Causing most of the villagers to turn and run for the hills. Leaving only the most stubborn villagers, and those who had already fallen victim to the first wave of killing intent earlier on the ground. At last even they finally turned, retrieved their unconscious comrades and left, grumbling about demon lovers and the Hokage playing favorites. After the last of the villagers left Zanichi sheathed his sword and turned to Naruto. He went to a knee in front of Naruto.

"Naruto are you ok?"

He doesn't respond, the fear of having another mob nearly kill him on his birthday, again but to only be saved by a complete stranger who turns out to be his cousin. 'It's too good to be true he couldn't be my real cousin, it not possible that after so long my wish just comes true on my birthday like some fairytale.' But he is disturbed from his thoughts by Zanichi shaking him trying to get his attention.

"Naruto, Naruto can you hear me? Are you ok?"

Naruto's eye refocused and he looks at Zanichi.

"You're my cousin?" He asked hesitantly.

Zanichi sighs in relief. 'He's ok.'

"That's right Naruto my mother is the older sister of the only Uzumaki in Konoha until she died, Uzumaki Kushina and you must be her son; you have the same eyes as her. This makes me, your cousin."

Zanichi can see that Naruto is still hesitate so he reaches into is coat and pulls out a small scroll. It had the Uzumaki clan crest on it. Zanichi unrolls the scroll reviling a list of names on it.

"This is the Uzumaki family tree. See this is me."

He points to his name and traces it back to his mother and father, then at the name next to his mother's, Uzumaki Kushina.

"Put some of your blood here. In the circle"

Naruto instinctively knowing what the seals on the scroll would do, he does as he is asked. He bites his thumb and places the bloody digit into the circle Zanichi indicated. At first nothing happens and Naruto is chest fallen, but then the blood he put on the scroll disappears and his name is added under Uzumaki Kushina. The boy's eyes go big as he looks at the scroll. Zanichi smiles and rolls the scroll up, puts it away and looks at Naruto.

"Welcome to the family Naruto."

"Zanichi-nii." Naruto cries out and hugs his new cousin, happiness over takes him for his greatest wish had come true he had a family at last.

The ANBU look at each other and then at the little reunion a little uncomfortable about what to do, then the one with the dog mask coughs.

"Umm not to butt in or anything but this is not really the place to sit and talk. Those shinobi might get friends and come back and although I doubt that they will attack us I would really not want to have to try and stop you if they threatened your nephew again."

Zanichi nods and picks up Naruto who at first tense bit then relaxes, putting his arms around Zanichi's neck. Snuggling his head against Zanichi's neck and squeezing tightly trying to get closer. Zanichi smiles at his little cousin's attempts at closeness, and then saddens thinking about someone so young being so desperate for physical contact.

"Fine, take me to the Hokage, if he is anything like Mifune-sama he will still be up doing paperwork, despite the late hour. I wish to discuss the treatment of my cousin, among other things."

The samurai's tone was commanding and the ANBU snapped to attention at hearing it. Even if he wasn't from the village, he was obviously someone of high rank and they where trained to well to challenge a superior, partially an anger one. The both nod and take positions on either side of Naruto and Zanichi as they walked to meet the Hokage.