Pre-Chapter A/N: Please do check out the first chapter of the novel I'm working on up on Patreon(https://www.patreon.com/c/Oghenevwogaga)- it's completely free to access. What can I say except you're welcome? Here we go. Lovely to have you all here, and I hope you enjoy this one. If you do, feel free to head over to Patreon(https://www.patreon.com/c/Oghenevwogaga) and read the next three chapters- I update there on a daily basis, so there's always something for you to read.
It had been my first test as would-be Clan Head, and I could tell that even if they were keen on choosing me, they would change their minds if I showed myself incompetent. It also ended up being the first test of my bond with Kurama. The houses had been built in a matter of weeks, but I had done my part in days. Turning the ground into mud, forcing it to rise, and then shaping that mud according to Uncle Renjiro's precise plans had been a test of my concentration as well. Good training. With the frames settled, it was a simple matter for me and the Clan Elders to come to an agreement where I loaned the required funds from my personal accounts. S-ranked missions paid well, quite well, and after I'd been essentially passed over for Clan Head, Tsunade had the dignity to hand over my personal contributions to the clan purse. To my personal account— more like Grandmother Mito had nagged her until she did it and with a healthy interest rate as well.
But that was beside the point. The Clan compound had been built— albeit on the village outskirts. We occupied the end that would have one day become the Uchiha's new clan compound in another life. And here I was being sworn in.
"Now rise as the 46th Clan Head of the Uzumaki Clan" Uncle Kaito said. He had overseen the festivities and swearing in-ceremony. Thankfully, I didn't need to be naked for this one. The heavy, ostentatious robes I wore were only a little bit better, but at least I wouldn't have to worry about flashing the kids running around.
I stood up, and then had to stop myself from dodging the backhand he sent right at my face. I felt my rage rise— another effect of bonding with Kurama that I hadn't foreseen-
"You're going to blame me for everything, aren't you?" His deep voice rumbled in my head, but I ignored him for the time being.
"Let that be the last blow you receive unanswered. You are the sword of the Uzumaki Clan, her flag, and her shield. Congratulations Shorirama Senju" He said before pulling me into a hug. The rest of the hall erupted into applause. I was able to negotiate keeping my last name, even as I knew that some of them were less than pleased, but I had promised that all my children would bear the Clan name and be named accordingly. I knew the saw me as a temporary stopgap to help them settle in Konoha until I had appropriate children who would take my place. They had already been parading their daughters even before the ceremony, and I didn't expect that to slow down. I would have to choose a wife, I realised with a shudder. There was fear there, and there was dread as well.
"Let this be your first embrace from one of your family. You are the best and worst of us. Lead us well, and we will love you forever" He whispered in my ears. I hugged him back and the applause returned. When I let go, I was pulled into another hug. Contrary to what I had expected, having the Nine-tails extracted from her hadn't affected Mito so strongly. I remembered her being bedridden after the procedure in canon, maybe it was because dozens of Uzumaki had worked to perfect the process, but she was strong as ever. Sure, her hair had lost the light tinge of red it still managed to sport, becoming a thick grey, and she relied on her cane for more than appearances, but those were things that could be managed. I would not survive seeing her confined to a bed.
"You are going to be great" She whispered to me, and I nodded. Today also marked something else. We would be moving out of the Senju Clan Compound. Mito lived in the Clan Head's house, and that position had passed twice from her husband, so it was more than time for her to move elsewhere. I wasn't going back to my mother's place even on pain of death, and it would be better if I lived with the clan I was now going to be head of. Add that to the fact that it was probably better for Kushina to live with us regardless of what that bastard Hiruzen or his minion Danzo thought, and the three of us would be moving as a package deal.
When she let go of me, the tides swarmed in, cousins, uncles, aunties, swooping in from all directions to say hi.
—
"Test Three hundred and ninety-one" I called out to my clones. One clone was taking notes. Grandmother Mito and I were watching the whole thing with careful eyes, tweaking the methodology with each attempt, and another clone was prepared for the metaphorical chopping block.
He weaved the line of twenty-seven seals with exaggerated slowness and then triggered the jutsu. There was a flash of purple light, and he appeared at the other end of the clearing, next to the seal tag planted on the tree. Or at least most of him did. His internal organs were left at the other end of the clearing, but thankfully he dispelled before we were gifted to the sight of lungs, kidneys, and a liver dropping unceremoniously to the floor.
"So that didn't work" I said glibly.
"Better than before, at least"
"Not like that's a high bar to clear" I said with a sigh.
"You need the clones to have an even better bearing of their bodies. They must not summon themselves without ensuring that they take everything along" She said. I knew that. Of course, I know that. But it was easier said than done, and that as the problem. I made another clone, taking note of what the previous clone had tried and forming a new strategy.
—
"Test Five Hundred and Seventy Three" I called out, already beginning to be done with the whole thing, but I had a good feeling about this one. Grandmother Mito had already transitioned to sitting on a throne of mud I'd made her while the sun had crested and begun to set. The clone I had taking notes watched the entire process with his byakugan.
The sacrificial lamb weaved the twenty-seven seals with the ease of long practice and in a flash, he was gone. He appeared at the seal set aside next to the tree. I waited for him to pop, for something to go wrong, and nothing did.
"Yatta" The clone said, jumping in the air and pumping his fist. Instead of cringing like any sane person would have, I smiled, brightly and strongly. I'd done it. Finally.
"Again", Grandmother Mito said, pointing to the next seal, significantly dampening our shared enthusiasm. He weaved the seals even faster this time, and was gone again. Except that he dispelled as soon as he appeared at the next seal, having left his arms behind. I compartmentalized the disappointment and pain that the clone passed to me with his memories, instead focusing on the initial success. Grandmother tapped my shin with her cane, making me curse in exaggerated pain.
I formed another clone, and it went forward with more pep in its step than I felt.
"Test Five Hundred and Seventy Four" I called out.
—
"Hey Kushina, come here" I said, calling over the girl I'd begun to see as a younger sister. There was no chance of me having younger siblings in this life. For one, my father was dead. And even if he wasn't, there was the fact that my mother was basically insane. She wouldn't be remarrying anytime soon— ever.
"Yes, Shori-niisan" She said, walking over to me as Grandmother Mito packed her bag for the academy. It had become a ritual at some point when I'd been gone between the two ladies. Considering we'd already been forced to reject two recommendations for accelerated graduation for Kushina, she was ready to be a genin on her own, but it was a ritual that Mito would not let go of.
"Turn around", I said to her as I went down to one knee.
I reached over to her shirt and lifted it to reveal her back. I closed my eyes to concentrate and mould chakra before I placed a single finger between her shoulder blades. The chakra flowed easily, forming into my hiriashin seal in a matter of seconds.
"Ohhhh that tickles" Kushina squirmed, before I dropped her shirt back down. I'd marked Mito already, and marked several areas of the house already. I hadn't gotten the flying thunder god jutsu down to Minato's level, but I was at least as good at it has my Granduncle had been, and that meant I could now use it to keep those I cared about safe.
"Now we can go to school, kid" I said, standing back up and walking over to pick up her school pack from Mito, and passing it over to her. Even with all the offers that Mito had refused, Kushina was still scheduled to graduate this year at the ripe old age of 9. Older than I was when I'd left the academy, but younger than either Mito or I would prefer. Traditionally, Konoha had a policy of never sending their Jinchuriki out to the front lines, but that policy had only been tested in one war as of present, and that Jinchuriki had been the wife of the First Hokage. It would be political suicide to get her killed— even in a Ninja village. But. That had changed. Konoha had two jinchuriki now, and one of them had no direct blood relation to the Village's founder.
Of course, I had already decided that I would be shipped out if Konoha ever needed a Jinchuriki on the front lines, regardless of what Hiruzen said. I was no longer a random jounin, but now the Head of a clan that was quickly becoming integral to the village's operations. I walked Kushina down to the academy while I took the opportunity to look through the village searching for things and inefficiencies that could be improved upon. Souta's work with the barriers, and my work on creating the Prisoner Capture Seal were good first steps, but we needed more and better integration if we wanted the kind of influence that the Senju and Uchiha enjoyed by virtue of their history. I paused for a second and almost laughed. I just thought of myself as an Uzumaki, not a Senju. I felt Kushina pulling at my sleeves and returned my attention to her.
__
"A seat on Konoha's Council?" Grandmother Mito asked with a chuckle.
"Indeed. He phrases it like he is doing us a favor and extending us a privilege. Every Major clan, and even more than a few Minor ones have seats. We are only second to the Uchiha in numbers, and we're doubling their output" I said with a grimace. Hiruzen was a smart politician, but still an annoying one.
"Then we will take the gift in the spirit that it is given, and accept it with grace" She said. I nodded, as I flexed my chakra and an orange tail moved to drag the cart with the next set of documents over to me. Being a clan head was just as stressful as I'd imagined. There were hundreds of contractors to hire and pay, and a million other things to do. The Uzumaki clan, beyond enrolling their young in the village had basically been frozen in time since their exodus from Uzushio. Now, I had to handle things like which members to enlist in active service, and which to leave behind. I had to create a general bank account for the clan as a whole, as well as many subsidiary bank accounts for various parts of the clan to draw upon as they needed. And I had to do all that while training to become as strong as possible. That was why I had dozens of clones arranged outside. One half were sitting still trying to follow Kurama's mostly nonsensical-
"Hey", The fur-ball interrupted but I ignored him
— Instructions for accessing sage mode, while the other set trained in the Flying Raijin, trying to perfect the jutsu. This body, the original trained in the thing only I could train with. Regulating and using Kurama's chakra.
Grandmother Mito shivered as the tail retracted and went right back into my body.
"I will never understand how you manage to work with that thing" She said, and there was actual hate in her voice.
"The Kyuubi and I understand each other well" I said, an understatement. We had come to an agreement of what we could and could not do with each other, and it was an agreement that we both could stand on and accept, I thought back to that first meeting after we had bumped fists.
XXXXXX
"Shorirama Senju, or should I say xxxxxxxx?" The fur ball growled out when he finally opened his eyes.
"Shori is fine. I'll be calling you Kurama if you don't mind."
"As long as you tell it to no others. Names are powerful things" He said. I nodded.
I took a seat on the floor, falling into the lotus position. He mirrored me, taking a seat as well.
"So we understand each other well. That means you know what I want, and I know what you want." I started.
"I desire my freedom, and you desire the power to protect those you love and to take revenge on those you hate."
"Is that something you have a problem with? Hatred? Revenge?"
"My father would have, but I myself have my own share of hate and desire for revenge. Your memories tell me that Madara Uchiha is alive. I thirst for his death".
"Well, it's not like we can go looking for him. He could be anywhere in the world right now." I said hesitantly.
"He will die of old age either way. This version is a mere shadow. He has some plan for returning to life. When he returns, you will deliver him into my hands" He said.
"That's something we can agree on easily enough. Now on to the things that might be harder to reconcile. I want your power, and you want your freedom".
"You have seen through my eyes. Your lifespan, a century or more, is nothing but a blimp. I will require a promise made in blood that you will see my freedom before your death. You will make sure that none seek to make me a slave again" He said.
"Deal" I said easily. It was something I could do. Free Kurama and make an edict banning all from Konoha from trying to subjugate him.
"I might be able to stop Konoha, but the other villages would be harder" I said.
"I managed my freedom well enough before Madara. Once I kill him for good, the rest of the world can come" He said.
"So we have a complete deal then?" I asked.
"The makings of one." He agreed.
And then the debates began.
"Okay, I think I have everything now. In exchange for allowing you access to my senses at every moment except when I am showering and slash or having sex,—"
"Nothing there I haven't seen before", He interrupted before I cast a withering glare in his direction.
"— guaranteeing you the right to kill Madara with your own claws and guaranteeing your freedom at the end of my natural life, you will allow me full use of your chakra, but not the capacity to transform into your complete bijuu form by any means" I said.
"That works."
"And you won't let up on the bijuu form thing?"
"Will you let me have full control over our body upon such transformations?"
"We'll stick to the deal we've already got then" I said with a sigh.
"Now remove this troublesome seal" He groused.
"Hold on, hold on." I said.
—
My outfit had changed in the weeks since I'd returned from the war effort and been forced to acclimatize to life in Konoha again. For one, spending most of my day at a desk meant I was much less comfortable in armour or anything of the like, so I'd shed my outfit that was a copy of my Grandfather's. I'd shed my older outfit with the Jonin flak jacket as well. Now, I wore a kimono that reached down to my legs and was made of the most comfortable silk I could find. Seals made my robes comfortable even in the blistering heat that marked a Land of Fire summer, and would be equally comfortable when winter eventually came.
Why was I talking about this? Because seated opposite him, I was just beginning to see just how much I looked like my Uncle Hiroshi, the Hyuga Clan Head. He had been the only one to give me a smile as I walked in to the Council room. The rest were satisfied with ignoring my presence entirely, and I didn't particularly mind that. I took a seat opposite him as we waited for the Hokage to walk in.
When he finally did, I rose and bowed with the rest, even if it grated at me to do so. I would respect the hat, if not the man who wore it. At least until he would be forced to put it down. To my great displeasure, he walked in with Danzo at his right-hand side, and the fact that no one was shocked meant this was a regular occurrence.
"Distinguished Clan Heads, I will be brief— we are losing this war" He said with a grave tone. No one around the room was shocked. Everyone had their means of getting information on the state of the effort.
"We had a victory over Suna, but that remains the only success we have enjoyed. Our thrust into Ame has been halted by constant rains, guerrilla attacks from the warring tribes that call that cesspit home, and now reports reach us of a man named Hanzo who held off both of Iwa's Jinchuriki at the same time being on a collision course with our effort. In Frost, we face an even worse situation. Our army has been pushed back into the Land of Hot Springs and been forced to split into cells and harass the Kumo offensive with ambushes because any direct conflict with the Raikage is a non-starter. Kiri, who had previously claimed neutrality, is raiding and burning our coastal allies and settlements. Iwa, has launched separate offensives into Taki and Kusa. Our allies in Taki have sent several letters pleading for our help. We must do something" He said, laying out the problems so thoroughly that it was almost unthinkable to come up with a solution.
"The Uchiha have a force of seventeen jounin and twenty-four chunin that remain battle ready. I can lead such a force along with other reinforcements to Taki to halt Iwa's push" Uchiha Satoru, Uzume's father was the first to offer help.
"I can also lead my own forces— twenty-two Jounin and thirty-five chunin to join Uchiha-san at Taki" Of course, the Hyuga would never be far behind. From there, the floodgates were opened. All the clans made offers of their forces. It was admirable, but something in the way Satoru looked at Hiruzen made me hesitant to believe that his support had just been offered out of the blue. I, of course, remained silent. The Uzumaki clan boasted large numbers, but most of us weren't frontline fighters, and the Senju clan had nearly killed itself off in fighting Konoha's wars. I wouldn't make the same mistake.
"Thank you very much, Distinguished Clan heads. Your support is the trunk that keeps our great tree steady in any wind. I have made my decision. I will personally move to Yu no Kuni to support Sakumo and his forces, along with two thirds the force of Jounin that you have all pledged. Hopefully, the two of us will be enough to make the Raikage see the error of his ways. The reports say that Iwa's push into Taki is led by both their Jinchuriki. Konoha's own Jinchuriki, Shorirama Senju, will be sent along with half the force of Chunin to put that push to a stop with help from Taki's own forces. The rest of your promised forces will reinforce my students in Ame. Iwa can gorge themselves on Kusa for the time being" He said.
A/N: And so Shori doesn't get to spend as much time home as he expected to. The deal with Ninshu as applied in this story is that when two people use it together like that, it's basically like being subject to a Yamanaka deep scan with no protections. Shorirama understands Kurama as if he himself was Kurama in a lot of ways, and so their negotiation couldn't have been any simpler. They knew exactly what the other party wanted. It also makes sense from a canonical angle, if you remember that the Sage thought something like Ninshu could solve world peace. As always, the next three chapters are up on Patreon(https://www.patreon.com/c/Oghenevwogaga). If you just want to read complete chapters and not my work in real-time, then feel free to purchase this story as a collection on my patreon(https://www.patreon.com/c/Oghenevwogaga) page so you get to read each chapter after I finish it and not necessarily the daily updates available with a regular patreon(https://www.patreon.com/c/Oghenevwogaga) membership- nice way to support this story and me while you're at it. Enjoy!