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Shy Fox Chronicles
Chapter 6: Cacophony of New Friends
"So how was your meeting, mama?" Naruto asked, concerned about the somewhat exhausted look on his mother's face. The two walked slowly beyond the gates of the Hyūga estate, the guards bowing to them out of respect.
"It went well, son. I'm just tired from it." She explained to the boy.
This confused the blonde boy greatly. "But, if it went well, then why are you tired?" Naruto asked confusedly.
"Because talking to stubborn old people about important things can be exhausting." Kushina explained.
"But Hinata and Enten's parents aren't old…" Naruto said confusedly, and it was clear the boy just did not have his head on the right way about the topic.
"No, but the elders of their clan are…" Kushina tiredly elaborated for her son.
"Oh, the old farts with the stern looks at me playing with Hinata and Enten?" Naruto asked with a giggle.
"Naruto! Watch your language!" Kushina said, looking at her son in shock.
"But you just said…" Naruto tried to defend himself but was cut off.
"Do as I say, not as I do." Kushina replied nonchalantly.
"You got that right." Naruto grumbled under his breath.
"What was that, young man?" Kushina asked with a sickly-sweet smile, her hair slowly splitting into nine tail-like segments.
"I love you, mama." Naruto sheepishly said, his knees beginning to chatter with dread.
"Mama loves you too, Naruto. Now let's get you home and have some dinner." Kushina replied, offering her hand to her little boy.
"Yay, ramen!" Naruto squealed happily, throwing his arms out in the air.
"No ramen tonight. You need something healthy." Kushina sternly told him.
Naruto thought for a second before speaking. "Veggie ramen!" Naruto cried out in the same enthusiastic tone.
"... Clever boy. You are definitely my son." Kushina replied with a giggle and a smile.
As the two walked along, Naruto's enthusiasm was through the roof. It was to the point where he was practically pulling her along, like a big dog would its owner on a walk. However, he was, for once, blissfully ignorant of the many foul and venomous looks others gave. Kushina, however, was far more observant on that front. When the villagers realized she had noticed, they instantly stopped and clammed up. In the first few years of her reign as Hokage, her legendary temper was already well known. To calm herself, Kushina decided to spark up more conversation with her boy.
"How was your little playdate with the Hyūga twins, Naruto? Did it go well?" Kushina asked her boy with a smile.
"It went great! Enten had like a bunch of games all lined up. Hinata made sure snacks were there. I even got to meet their cousin. It was Weji or Neji. I kinda forgot…" Naruto said, ending with a sheepish tone. "He was really cranky for some reason."
Kushina shook her head. "Neji has… been through a lot, Naruto. Try not to be too tough on him, okay?" She asked her son.
"Like what?" Naruto asked genuinely.
"It's… not my place to say. You should ask him yourself if he feels comfortable with telling you." Kushina told the blonde Uzumaki.
"He said he'd only tell me over his dead body…" Naruto nervously and glumly said.
"Well, don't give up. If anyone can get through that hard shell of his to get to the soft side underneath, it's you." Kushina told him.
"But… what if I'm not good enough…" Naruto said before getting cut off.
"You're more than good enough, Naruto. Just do your best, okay?" Kushina told her son with a smile.
"Okay, mama…" Naruto said, the encouragement not fully setting in.
Kushina smiled and gently picked Naruto up. "Come on. Let's get you home so I can make you some homemade veggie ramen." She told him.
Naruto's eyes lit up at that. "Really? You're not gonna have servants make it?" Naruto asked joyfully.
Kushina shook her head. "That's only when mama's too busy to do it herself, Naruto. Now let's get you home and make that veggie ramen." She told him with a grin.
"Onward!" Naruto yelled, pointing in the general direction of the Uzumaki estates as Kushina giggled and took him home.
"Do you wanna help mama make it? It'll help you have a way with the ladies. Well, more of one." Kushina said with a teasing grin.
Naruto blushed a bit at that, knowing who she was referring to. However, he gave her a sheepish nod, which was all Kushina needed. In the blink of an eye, the two were gone.
A Few Months Later: Hokage Mansion's Meeting Hall
"Rea! I thought you got this place presentable by now! They'll be here any minute!" Kushina yelled at her cousin, working with the servants to liven the place up.
"Take it easy, cous! I'm almost done! Hey, I see a speck of dust on that table!" He replied, pointing towards a small speck of dust on the mostly clean table.
"Oh, you think you're cute?" She said while putting her hands on her hips.
"Cuz, I'm adorable." Rea said with a smirk.
"Have you seen Naruto? I need him to keep the heirs to the clans busy." Kushina said, looking around the chaotic room.
"The squirt? He said something about 'going to greet them for mama' or something." Rea said with a shrug.
Kushina sighed deeply at that. "How the hell can't I trust any of you?" Kushina groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Oh, come on. I'm almost done here, then I'll go meet with the kid to help greet them." Rea pointed out as the last of the cleaning was finished.
"Milady! Young Lord Naruto is in the courtyard with the clan delegations!" A Uzumaki member called from the top window.
Immediately realizing she was out of time, Kushina made a hand seal and used the Body Flicker technique to disappear in a burst of speed.
Meanwhile: With Naruto and the Delegations
The three delegations were swiftly let through the gate, the Uzumaki guards bowing alongside the Hokage guard. As the three clans, historically close and powerful allies, entered the courtyard, they soon stopped. Before them was the odd sight of Naruto, all by himself, there to meet them. Dressed in as formal of robes as his mother could get him in… and survive this long.
"Hello. My name is Uzumaki Naruto, the son of the Fifth Hokage. It is very nice for me to meet you, your greatnesses." Naruto awkwardly told them, bowing like he was taught.
The great and massive Chōza let out a hearty belly laugh. "A little awkward, my boy, but thank you. I like you, young man." The lord of the Akimichi said, patting Naruto's head gently with his great oni-sized hand.
The laid back and lazy Nara Shikaku blinked for a moment before turning to look at the lord of the Yamanaka, Yamanaka Inoichi. "... Are we sure he's an Uzumaki? He's acting more like Minato did in the academy right now." The lord of the Nara asked his longtime friend.
The blonde Intelligence officer gave his friend a look. "Be polite. It takes a great deal of bravery to do such a thing unattended." Inoichi said sternly.
Naruto immediately perked up at Shikaku's words, rushing up to him excitedly. "You knew papa? What was he like!? Was he as cool as people say he was!? Did he really invent an A-Rank jutsu in just three years!?" The boy asked, firing off questions like a repeating crossbow firing bolts.
Shikaku chuckled at that. "Okay, now I see it. You're definitely an Uzumaki." he said, ruffling the blonde's spiky hair.
"Was there ever a doubt?" Inoichi asked in confusion.
"Daddy, who's he?" A girl's voice asked from behind Inoichi.
"Come now, Ino. Don't be nervous. I don't need to read his mind to know he's harmless." Inoichi said, reaching behind to pet a child's head.
From behind came a girl somewhat taller than him, with shoulder length platinum blonde hair. Teal blue eyes locked on the boy, as if trying to understand everything about him. This made Naruto nervous, making his eyes look down, noticing her luxurious floral patterned purple kimono. However, the girl's gaze did not let up.
"Quit staring so much, Ino. You're scaring him." A lazy little boy's voice drolled out from behind Shikaku.
From the crowd of the Nara clan came a boy with black spiky hair pulled up into a knot and dark colored eyes. Blue flowing robes followed him as his expression was one of seemingly eternal boredom. All of which confused Naruto.
Ino glared at the boy who had just come out of the Nara clan's crowd. "Shut up, Shikamaru! I'm just trying to get a good feel for him!" She told the boy, now identified as Shikamaru.
"Please don't fight, you two…" Came a gentle voice from the towering forest of giant Akimichi members.
From the great crowd of titanic shinobi came a boy with brown spiky hair. He stood taller than the other two kids, almost the size of an academy student. While not as rotund as his clansmen, it was clear to Naruto he was already packing on the pounds through his red robes. His chubby cheeks with swirling symbols on them jiggled a bit as he walked.
Ino looked a bit sheepish at that. "Sorry, Chōji." She replied, seeing that she was freaking the large boy and the blonde before them out a bit.
"It's fine, but I don't think I'm the one you should be apologizing to." The rotund boy, now identified as Chōji, replied.
"Don't make me." Ino said.
"Ino, come on. Just do it and get it over with before you scare him off." Shikamaru told her.
"I'm sorry for scaring you, Naruto-san." Ino said, bowing her head politely.
"J-Just Naruto is fine. You don't have to be formal with me." Naruto replied, a bit nervously, not used to a pretty girl being so polite to him outside of Hinata.
Ino gave a smile at that. Naruto blushed a bit and then turned to Chōji to avoid the idea of talking to a pretty girl for now.
"S-so… y-you three seem to know each other pretty well…" Naruto nervously noted, motioning towards the three clan heirs his age.
"It comes with having very close clan ties. It's troublesome." Shikamaru said with a shrug.
"What's so troublesome about being friends with a pretty girl like me, Shikamaru?" Ino asked proudly, flipping her hair a bit.
"Less hair on my robes for one." Shikamaru snarky said.
"What was that, Cloud Brain!?" Ino asked sharply, glaring at him.
"E-Easy now. We shouldn't fight. We're gonna probably be in the academy together, so we should all try to get along." Naruto told the two.
"Finally, someone who agrees with me." Chōji said in slight exasperation.
"Question… why are you fat?" Naruto asked a bit too bluntly.
Ino and Shikamaru paled as Chōji immediately snapped in rage. "I'M NOT FAT! I'M JUST A LITTLE CHUBBY!" The rotund Akimichi boy yelled at the blonde boy.
Naruto flinched but looked confused. "Isn't that just another word for…?" He started, only for his mother to appear in a burst of speed behind him.
"No, no. Go on, Naruto. Don't let me stop you." Kushina sternly said to her son, with enough hidden wrath to frighten the shinobi before her.
"... No. I feel like I've made some kind of mistake…." Naruto replied, terrified at that moment.
"Good. Thank you, everyone, for being so punctual. I'm glad to see you met my dearest boy Naruto." Kushina said, scooping him up into her arms to prevent him causing more trouble.
"He's as cute as Hinata and Enten said he'd be, Kushina-sama." Ino told the older woman with a smile.
Kushina let out a small smile as Naruto blushed and hid his face on Kushina's shoulder. "Thank you dear. Inoichi, you have quite the polite and well-mannered daughter." Kushina said to the intelligence officer.
"You should see her at home…" Inoichi muttered in exasperation.
"I know the feeling. Now then, if you will all follow me in, we can get the meeting underway. Don't worry, my cousin Rea will watch over the children and ensure nothing bad happens to them." Kushina explained as Shikaku raised his eyebrow.
"Isn't your cousin, and I quote you, 'barking mad'?" Shikaku asked.
"Being barking mad doesn't mean being unreliable." Kushina noted.
With that, the lords of the clans saw no further reason to argue as the contingents followed their leader inside. Soon dropping the kids off with Rea and giving their goodbyes. As the massive crowd of elites walked off, that left the kids to figure out what to do.
"What now, oh great and glorious leader?" Shikamaru dryly said, turning to look at Ino.
"I don't know. What's there to do around here?" Ino replied before turning to Naruto.
Naruto thought for a moment before smiling. "We could play hide-and-seek. I tried playing with Hinata and Enten, but they kept cheating. Stupid Byakugan and it letting you see through stuff…" He replied, pouting at the memory.
"That sounds like fun." Chōji said with a smile.
"Who's gonna be it?" Ino asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You're it!" Shikamaru said before running off.
"No fair! Why me!?" Ino asked, pouting.
"'Cause it's not fair if I'm it 'cause I'm here every day." Naruto said cheekily.
Ino grumbled and nodded. "Okay, I'll be it. Go hide while I start counting." She told the two remaining boys.
"No peeking, Ino." Chōji told his friend.
"Oh, one time!" Ino replied before turning around, covering her eyes with her hands, and starting to count. "One… two… three…"
With that, Chōji and Naruto rushed off to go hide as Ino continued to count down. Inside Naruto's mind, he knew he was going to have some real fun today.
Meanwhile: In the Meeting Hall
As the laborious processions of the clans and their elders sat down in their proper spots and got comfortable, Kushina's mind began to wander. She did not show it, but such meetings were the worst part of her job for her. She would rather do paperwork than this, as at least, with that, she could sit in her comfortable Hokage chair. All of this got interrupted by a voice coming from her inner mindscape.
"Don't you think you're being a bit hard on the boy, Kushina? I know for a fact you were much more of a troublemaker at his age." The voice asked from within her.
'Quiet, fox! I will raise my child my way!' Kushina snapped inside her head, not wanting this kind of talk now.
"I would still advise caution. Be too harsh and you'll push him away. Coddle him too much and he won't be prepared for the shinobi life you apes seem so intent on having your children be a part of." The voice of the Yin half of the Nine Tails told her.
'I don't coddle him. And I am far from harsh.' Kushina said sternly back before stopping to think. 'Do I…?'
This caused the Hokage to shake her head. No. She needed to focus on the meeting. Not focusing on what that fox somehow knew about parenting. It did not even have junk, what did it know about being a parent? Hardening herself internally, she then looked over the meeting hall to see everyone ready.
"Alright, we're here. So why did you call us to this meeting, Lady Hokage?" Shikaku asked, getting right to the point. He already knew that Kushina would not have called them to a private meeting if it was not important.
"You're not in the habit of calling several clans for a social call." Chōza said, trying to break the ice.
"Which tells us that this is a matter of great importance and seriousness." Inoichi said gravely, which got a nod out of the Hokage.
Kushina sighed and took a deep breath. "I believe you have all been made aware of the purpose the Kamishini have served in our world? Long before they joined this village and, hell, even long before the time of the legendary Sage of the Six Paths?" She asked, aware that this was likely the case.
The rest of the clan heads at that, understanding that. Though the elders were less than confused.
"Their purpose was to protect the lands from things that we were unaware of and to keep those things merely as legends. At least for a long time." Inoichi said, explaining for the elders' sake.
"What are you getting at, Lady Kushina?" Chōza asked, already getting a bad feeling about this.
Shikaku's normally relaxed face however turned very grave indeed. "The seals to the other realms are weakening. Aren't they, Hokage-sama?" Shikaku asked with worry oozing from his voice with the elders of the clans and other three lords looking equally as worried.
Kushina sighed and nodded. "As observant as ever, Shikaku. Yes, the seals are weakening. And the Kamishini only have the resources and skills to slow the process down rather than fix them. If something is not done, the seals will all break in less than eight years." She explained to the present delegates.
"Then what can be done?" An elder of the Nara clan asked, looking around the room.
"Only one thing can be done. A journey must be made to the Mountain of Death on the border to reawaken those who can. To dig up a past that this world has long since forgotten." Kushina told them grimly.
This, however, had a very animated effect on the clans, including their heads. As one elder of the Akimichi made that noticeably clear.
"Milady! That is suicide! Entire armies have attempted to scale that peak, and none have returned!" The elder protested in horror.
"I am well aware of that, honored Akimichi elder. However, we have no other options. It is either that or allow the seals to be broken and untold ancient horrors and nightmares to flood our world. Ones that we are far from prepared to face as a species." Kushina told the present delegates, causing them to see the gravity of the situation.
"Is there any way to potentially get into the mountain without costing untold amounts of lives? And does it have anything to do with why you have, based on what I have heard, already spoken with the Uchiha and Hyūga?" Shikaku asked, his planning and strategy face on.
"Astute again, Shikaku. Yes, it does. Only a Kamishini, Hyūga, Uchiha, and either an Uzumaki or Senju together can get past the traps to get inside the mountain. And, to awaken the thing we need the most from within the mountain, we will need those who can pass tests of loyalty, compassion, and ambition." Kushina explained to the delegations, much to their confusion about the specific requirements.
"Lady Hokage. What is inside that mountain that you would risk so much death that would be of help to us?" Inoichi asked.
"A people who are also descendants of the People Closest to the Gods like the Kamishini. A kingdom whose name has long been lost to history, known as Seaheart…. As well as one of the potential Fated Four of the Prophecy of the Four Warriors." Kushina told them.
"Those four? As in the four champions of humanity that will lead us to the future or destruction?" An elder of the Nara clan asked.
Kushina nodded. "Exactly. The Kamishini have long suspected that Seaheart had managed to find one of them and was keeping that certain individual in a vault beneath the Mountain of Death. Finding him and training him to use his abilities will be the key to ensuring humanity's survival in a coming war. A war to end all wars. One that will be waged to decide the fate of all of creation…" She continued explaining.
"Milady, forgive me for my concern but… how do we know that this Kingdom of Seaheart will help us? For all we know, the Kamishini misremembered their past." Inoichi asked, a rare look of worry across his face.
"Because they are just as much a part of this world as we are. If they do not aid us and our world is destroyed, they will be destroyed along with it. Just like us." Kushina told them gravely.
Chōza then stood up from this tatami mat sternly. "Milady, you have my clan's assistance in this matter. Even if we must batter the mountain down to reach that vault, we will at your command." The towering Akimichi said with stern deference in his voice.
Shikaku stood up as well. "The Nara clan will lend our support as well. Our shadows and strategic minds are yours to command." The lord of the Nara clan spoke up.
Inoichi stood up to match his friends and teammates. "No plan or secret of our foes shall remain hidden, milady. You have our unwavering support in this operation." Inoichi said sternly.
Kushina nodded and smiled in relief. "Thank you all. Now we simply need to rally the remaining Lee, Sarutobi, and Shimura clans to aid us." She explained.
As the elders and the clan heads began to talk strategy, Shikaku had a worried look. And it was not long before he was vocal again.
"Milady… something doesn't add up from what the Kamishini have told you." Shikaku said, which caused everyone to look at him.
Kushina raised an eyebrow. "Please speak freely, Shikaku-san." She told him.
"How much more powerful and capable did the Kamishini describe these Seaheartian's to you?" Shikaku asked inquisitively.
"When it comes to matters of magic, trade, and sealing off entire realms? Much more so than them. From what they told me; the enemies of humanity would have been foolish to try to attack them without entire armies at hand." Kushina explained, a grave look dawning on her face as she realized where the Nara lord was going with this.
"Then it leaves me with a single question on my mind. Why are the Kamishini the ones up and walking about in this world to tell us this if Seaheart was so much their superior?" Shikaku asked, which left a near deafening silence to hang over the room. For no one had an answer, and they all dreaded what said answer could be.
To Be Continued…