Chapter 6

Senju's Heir

~~Several Years Later~~

~~Daimyō's Palace, Naruto's Room~~

"Did you finish packing everything you need?"

"Ojii. Really. I'll be fine."

"That's not what I asked..."

"It's what you want to know."

"..."

"We'll see each other again in Konoha after you return from your assignment, right? Same with Shizune-neechan!"

"Sigh... Promise you'll send me a messenger toad if anything comes up."

"What's with you? Obaa wouldn't be happy to hear you saying she can't protect me, y'know! She is coming with me, after all."

"It's not about that..."

"Then, what is it about?"

"..."

"What?"

"Don't let it get to your head, but you're kinda... famous. People will talk."

"I'm used to having people talking behind my back. I was famous in Konoha long before the rumors of my Senju lineage spread, remember? Which to this day I still don't know why... hm..."

"That's being infamous... There's a difference..."

"Yeah I know. Tenzo-sensei told me that when he left two years ago."

"Then you know what I want you to do."

"..."

"Can you?"

"... I'm not gonna keep myself out of the public's eye by saying I'm not a Senju. Besides, Obaa said that's pointless when I have the clan's freakin' crest on my back. Adding that she already forwarded the request to change my surname to Senju, FYI! She muttered something about not redoing her mistakes..."

"I still don't know how I feel about that..."

"She and Jiji may have proposed it, but it was my choice in the end. I can't become the heir to a clan I'm not registered to be a part of, after all."

"That's irrelevant, besides that's not what I meant."

"I'm not hiding my Mokuton. Me and Obaa agreed that it's best for the world to know just how much of a threat I am to discourage any attempts against me. At which point, she'll be there."

"You keep misinterpreting what I want from you, idiot!"

"Then spit it out, Ojii!"

Jiraiya grinned, "I want you to hold nothing back."

~~Konoha, Hokage's Office~~

A shinobi dealt with stress in a number of ways.

In the Anbu, they did it by destroying one or two training grounds - it was customary, and they never hurt anybody. Jōnins blew steam by partaking in specific hobbies, and when that didn't work, they would usually take it out on their Genin trainees by making them do excruciating drills; likewise, nobody important suffered.

Sarutobi was the kind of man that hurt more people than anyone when stressed; by smoking.

He was the village leader, its protector, and he was practically tying a noose around his own throat with every puff. Perhaps he was giving himself too much credit, but the problem still remained; he was stripping his home of its Hokage with each inhale.

These past few years had been anything but kind to him. Extortions, attempts to his life, espionage infiltrators, all of these came with the job, so he'd learned to deal with them. These problems were the regulars. No, his stress came from somewhere else entirely. Mostly, from every other shinobi village around the world.

It was amazing how fast rumors could spread, and even more amazing how easily they could be turned into complete inversions of the truth.

Apparently, half of the shinobi villages who had heard of Naruto, thought the lad had escaped from the pits of Anbu headquarters on his own in a mind-boggling exposure of powerful Mokuton. To be honest, he hadn't known if to laugh or feel insulted. How they could think a nine year old managed to pull that of, Sarutobi could not fathom.

As for the major players, they were much more discreet.

The Land of Earth had made subtle contact for the first time since the Third Shinobi World War. They sent words of awe, respect and appeals for a possible reconciliation. He even received a proposition from the very Tsuchikage to lift all embargo laws put into effect ever since the days of yore. He wished to resume trade between the two nations, apparently.

That time Sarutobi had felt insulted.

There was no way he would proceed with such a foolish act and open the borders for that old fool to send in flocks of spies in his little, 'innocent' caravans. He didn't know what to do with him as it is. He even had suspicions his agents were some of the assailants who had attempted against Naruto's life years ago.

The Land of Lightning had been much bolder, even sending diplomatic envoys yet again for the first time since the Hyūga incident. Pensions for an embassy had been requested, some of which were interestingly close -but not too close- to where the Senju's compound once rested.

Denied, he remembered stamping the form, absolutely denied.

The Land of Water had stubbornly requested a meeting with the unknown, young Senju. It wasn't everyday that Sarutobi received such humble -excited, even- messages from a fellow Kage. In simple terms, most of them were asses that 'demanded', not asked for favors. The Mizukage had been polite and to the point in her letters.

It had been very difficult for him to deny her, painfully so. It was unfair just how much of a nice person she seemed to be. After denying her, she had replied with yet another very understanding letter, one that made him cringe in guilt. Still, he had a feeling he hadn't heard the last of her.

The Land of Wind had remained majorly unresponsive, nearly sloppily so... He'd just sent Jiraiya to check that out.

All of this, in simple terms, had been a stressful ordeal to handle, each unique in its own way. It's not that he didn't wish for close diplomacy among nations, far from it; he was probably the biggest pacifist among the five Kage. But he could sense each individual nation had its own agenda and goals, and that goal -for the most of them- was to find out everything they could about Naruto.

He gave the exact same answer to every single one that asked about a Senju existing among their ranks; perhaps. He never denied it, but he never assured it either. He left them with the fleeting curiosity and the unbearable suspense. And as expected, he received what he and Jiraiya had aimed from the very beginning.

Attention.

In every backwater source around the globe, the same words were repeated: a male Senju possessing one of the strongest bloodlines in history lived; the Mokuton. The sheer mention of the Mokuton once again in Konoha's clutches had increased the demand of their shinobi by an impressive percentage.

Usually such a spike in the charts did not occur unless your Genins made quite a spectacle in the Chūnin Exams, and even then it was unprecedented.

The mere name Senju and Mokuton in the same sentence had changed the balance of power in the world, both politically and militarily. Part of him briefly wondered if this was fair to Naruto -to use his legacy like this-, but in the end he figured this outcome would be inevitable even if he hadn't interjected at all.

At least with his influence, he could keep it all in check.

Safety wasn't an issue, not when those rumors were eventually accompanied by the notion that the child was being protected by one of the world's most powerful tag-teams; the Sannins, Tsunade the Slug Princess, and Jiraiya the Toad Sage. Usually that was plenty for any government and S-class criminal to think twice before even trying, though he wouldn't get confident.

"Lord Third,"

Scratching his scraggly beard, Sarutobi looked up from his work. "Tsuki huh? What is it?"

Tsuki bowed out of custom with her hands folded before her. "They are here, Hokage-sama."

Hearing this, Sarutobi felt a decent twenty years younger. "Well well, are they now? Interesting. Our meeting was scheduled for a few days from now." He chuckled. "I guess he was more impatient to return to Konoha than I was. Very well, send them in."

Sarutobi was a brilliant man who could think dozens of steps ahead of anything, or so he liked to think. But just like Naruto's great grandfather -and Naruto's mother-, that brilliance which many hailed him to have had always been easily brushed aside by their unpredictable nature. Damn those Senju/Uzumakis. If only he had more of them.

Regardless, the new Genin teams wouldn't be solid until a week from now, so Sarutobi figured the only prudent option remaining would be to put Naruto in the Academy for the remainder of that week. He needed to get well-acquainted with those he would be fighting alongside with, after all.

"Jiji!"

Ah, that nostalgic, maturing tone of voice and that confidence oozing out of it...

"My, word..."

Sarutobi took in every detail of the boy.

The orange pants, the similarly colored zip-up, sleeveless jacket -with the Uzumaki crest where his heart should be-, the black sandals, the white tape around his forearms, and the similar material around his shins so no cloth intercepted his movements. He looked like a strictly Taijutsu shinobi, but he knew better.

If Tenzo's report was spot-on, Naruto was proficient in much more than just Taijutsu... He immediately knew this to be true when he saw the leaves scurrying around him like satellites in perfect orbit.

The addition to his attire that stood out above all else, however, was that dark scarf around his neck. It gave him a flair which was seldom seen in shinobi, one only felt in special cases. Physically-wise, what stood out the most were his cerulean-lilac eyes, and his slightly longer hair.

The Third found himself slowly standing up from his chair in sheer amazement at the change of the boy- no, he was no longer a boy. He could tell at first glance of his eyes. Those were not the eyes of a child.

"Naruto... I, almost didn't..."

Obivously, Tsunade'd had some influence on the teen's choice of clothing. Unfortunately, it looked like no man or god would be able to make him change his... interesting taste in color... Well, Naruto will be Naruto.

"Isn't he stunning?" Tsunade came from behind the blond and patted his head, though it was only now starting to dawn on her how she was having to do this higher than before. Kid was growing like a damn paulownia tree. "I tried to make him give the orange, but it was like trying to convince the moon to stop following us around. Still, I think it fits for some strange reason..."

"I think it's the greatest color in the world!" Naruto crowed, a pout on his lips. He crossed his arms behind his head, and clipped an "oh" of realization remembering something. "Look, Jiji!"

Once he turned to expose his back, Hiruzen's eyes went wide. There, in the pinnacle of Naruto's back, rested a symbol that represented both indestructible and irresistible force. It was the indistinguishable insignia of one of the most renown clans in history, one not seen since Hashirama, the founder of Konoha; the Senju clan's crest.

He would give Naruto credit for one specific detail. Smiling, he sat back down and interlocked his fingers.

"You carry that crest almost too naturally, Senju-kun..."

~~Academy~~

Landing before the Academy's gates, Naruto immediately noticed one thing.

"I could've sworn this gate was a lot bigger..."

Shrugging and sniggering at the same time, Naruto walked through the clump of steel and strolled across the empty playground. Nostalgia quickly came and greeted him seeing the bended masses all scarred with the effects of the Land of Fire's intense sun. His gaze traveled towards the slumps behind the classrooms, where he had often lounged undisturbed.

Stopping before the double doors that lead into the many classrooms, Naruto grunted. 'Jiji should really consider renovating this place...'

He could tell it was only a matter of time before the Academy's insignia would be falling on some unfortunate kid's head.

The bell rang, signaling the beginning of recess... Crap.

Welp, people were gonna find out about him eventually, it may as well be now. Closing his eyes, he relaxed his posture and felt his body light, like that of his many surrounding buddies. First he heard footsteps, many small, almost unnoticeable footsteps. After which came the shouts of excitement, and the cries of his name.

His insecurity attracted more leaves from the nearby vicinity, some of them already dry. However, they were immediately rejuvenated when they came in contact with his bubbly aura. He pleaded for their protection in the depths of his mind, and like its award-giving duty, they began to spin and take off in random directions.

Naruto reopened his eyes and found himself surrounded from all sides by children and teens his age. Of course, he had already known this to begin with, but seeing it for himself was much more impactful than sensing it. All around he listened to their mutterings and found himself grinning, both in embarrassment and happiness.

"Isn't he the Naruto people haven't shut up about for years now?!"

"Oi, look at the symbol on his back! Isn't that the Senju clan's crest?!"

"You're right! So he is a Senju!"

"I knew it! I just won a hundred Ryō!"

"Shite! I just lost forty!"

Oh cool, apparently there was a pot going around involving his lineage. That's nice.

"Yo, Naruto!"

"Hm?" Naruto lifted his head to see a sight for sore eyes. "Oh, Shikamaru! Kiba! Chōji!"

If his fellow 'deadlast' escapees couldn't bring an honest smile to his face, the blond didn't know what could.

He waved and smiled, his eyes sparkling with the aid of the sun's rays. "Hey, guys! If there's anything I've missed in Konoha, it's getting in trouble with you! How've you been?"

"Us?" Entering the center circle where Naruto stood, Shikamaru snickered. "Dude, you're the one who's been missing for years now. Where have you been? What's with all the commotion?"

"Oh, looks like people have finally realized that I really am a Senju." When they simply stared at him like a bunch of startled owls -Akamaru included-, Naruto lifted an amused eyebrow. "What? You're telling me you know others that can make seeds sprout with nothing but chakra? Come on guys, only an idiot in denial wouldn't admit that I'm a Senju after seeing that!"

"This guy!" Kiba tied an arm around Naruto's neck, his face split into a grin mutely similar to Naruto's. "So you're really a Senju, huh? I gotta be honest, I thought all those rumors were bull because of your constant failures!"

"You're not the only one," said Chōji, his mouth crammed with chips. "Practically everyone with a brain did. It's basically the reason why so many people doubted he was a Senju to begin with. I already knew he was because Shikamaru said so..."

Naruto warily watched the leaves' trajectory to Kiba's sudden approach. He wondered yet again if they could tell the difference between aggressive approaches and affectionate ones. Tsunade had once made the mistake of thinking he had absolute control.

Seeing them calm, he turned to Shikamaru. "So you knew all along, Shika?"

"Humph, 'course I did." The Nara heir shoved one hand in his pocket, and scratched the back of his head with the other. "Only a dimwit would doubt it, really. I saw the chakra being used, and it wasn't your standard hue. The flower blooming was just the icing on the cake... But really, that was nothing compared to the reaction that followed.

According to my old man, a four dimensional god wouldn't be able to fathom just how much of a drag that day had been. He said the Hokage had, literally, nearly drowned in a mountain of his own paperwork for the first year. He made sure to put emphasis on literally... Hmm, wonder what it'd be like to drown in paper..."

"Naruto."

Silence spread across the playground when another, more menacing voice froze the veins pumping warmth into the reunion. The crowd parted from before the stairs, and Uchiha Sasuke walked through, his hands stored in the pockets of his shorts.

"It's been years..." Sasuke's gaze could freeze lightning. "Fight me."

Naruto's eyes instantly shifted to Sasuke.

Whining and grunting, Akamaru jumped from Kiba's head and took shelter inside his jacket.

Kiba snarled at Sasuke, his lips pulling to portray his distaste. "Oi, keep your chakra in check! You're scaring Akamaru, asshole!" Hearing another of Akamaru's whimpers, Kiba's eyes shot towards Naruto. 'Wait... What do you mean it's not Sasuke...! You mean the one you're scared of is... seriously?!'

Seeing the pending explosion, Shikamaru stepped before Naruto, his bored eyes heading for Sasuke. "Sheesh, he just got here, Sasuke. How about asking how he is first before you try to kill him?"

"Don't bother, Nara," Sasuke warned, eyes fierce and calculative. Though deep in them, one with sharp eyes could easily detect the excitement within. "An outcome like this is as natural as time itself. It was inevitable. Right, Senju?"

'Senju, and Uchiha, huh...?' Naruto's adrenaline strengthened his body and enhanced his processing power. He lowered his natural defenses, and the leaves hovering inches from his body dropped. He doubted he'd need them, anyways. "Are you in that much of a hurry to embarrass yourself in front of this many people, Sasuke-chan?"

Sasuke's left cheekbone twitched at the suffix.

Livid, it'd be an understatement of how he felt. But he hid it perfectly, just like every emotion he'd ever experienced. Emotions made you hesitate, therefore they were weaknesses.

Sasuke made an effort to sound cruel, and he did it perfectly by saying, "Big talk coming from a loser who used to waste all of his time trying to catch up to my shadow."

Naruto admitted it. That one hurt.

"News flash, Sasuke." Cerulean-lilac eyes flashed in the definition of power. A wind passed by, and Naruto's hair flailed as strongly as his scarf did. "That kid you knew, the one you knew as a loser... he's long been gone from this earth... I got rid of him myself. Don't make the mistake of thinking I'm the same as back then."

"Tch, a weakling will always be a weakling..." Sasuke stood there, two feet away from his target, Shikamaru to his side and Kiba on the other. His nostrils involuntarily expanding, Sasuke arched his entire left arm as his fist went straight for Naruto's face. 'The dobe I know would never be able to dodge something of this caliber...'

A symphony of constant gasps came from all around.

In Naruto's left hand, Sasuke's trembling fist rested. His eyes dull and a smug sneer on his face, the blond's eyes were spilling tease. "Tell me, Sasuke... think I'm still a weakling?"

...

The moment she had heard shouts of Sasuke fighting in the courtyard, Sakura had, without thinking, instantly blasted out of the faculty office leaving smoke in her trail -with Ino and Hinata eating said smoke-.

Basking herself in the glorious view offered by standing atop the stairs, she swallowed what she hoped to be her nerves. "Is that... Naruto...?"

"Naruto what?" Ino too joined her pink colored friend. "Hmm?" She narrowed her eyes and pondered a little, her lips puckered. Finally, she swiped away Sakura's faulty outcome with one hand. "No way, no way. That golden, porcelain apparition of godliness can't possibly be our Naruto. He's way too