Naruto---The Namikaze Clan Ch2

CHAPTER 2------The Decision

It was late in the day, and after the thing with Sakura, naruto just wanted to be left alone.  So he did something he wasn't prone to doing all that often, which is why no one expected it.  He snuck out, making sure that no one would be able to follow or find him.  He didn't know where he was headed, he really didn't have a plan of where he was going.  All he wanted was some time to think, as much as he wanted to restore his father's clan he didn't want to do it when the women that he was going to marry didn't truly love him.

He ran through trees, over fields, jumped over rivers and slowly but surely he began to recognize his surroundings.  He laughed a bit as he came to the edge of a cliff overlooking two giant figures that were facing each other on either side of the waterfall and the lake that was behind them.  Quickly he fell down to the where the feet of the mighty stone figures of the 1st hokage and Uchiha Madera stood, remembering everything that happened that day, the day that he lost his best friend, the day he made his promise of a life time.  

He looked over the damage that they had caused, truly seeing it for the first time since the battle and was amazed at all they had did.  Even back then they were powerful but they had always wanted more for their own reasons.  Smiling a bit he kicked the hole where he had been thrown in his one tail release and jumped up to the top of the 1st hokage's head.

"Hope you don't mind if I sit up here old man.  But I got some problems and I need to think." He said to no one and everyone at the same time.

Naruto sat and thought about the things that had happened in his life, his rise to fame because of his determination to never lose.  The fact that he had at least some form of respect from everyone in his village made him feel good, but he could still tell that quite a few didn't acknowledge him beyond his achievements.

'Never thought I would see the day where you took the time to think things out.'  Came the voice he both hated and revered the most.  The kyuubi gave him power, he didn't deny that, but it still liked to taunt him at every passing chance. 'You are actually thinking of going through with the multiple marriages?'

'What else can I do, it's an order from the Hokage.'  Naruto threw back in his defense.

'Well if you look at it from an interesting angle, if the wives you choose don't get along well, you will have front row seats to a fairly interesting catfight.'  He whispered with a laugh.

'Great, just great, not only do I have to find women that sort of care for me at least… no… now I get this crap about making sure they don't hate the other ones.' Naruto said as he looked up at the giant cage.  'You really are an ass you damn furball!'

'What good would it do me to be an ass at a time like this.  You forget how long I have lived, if there is one thing even I don't wanna fight, it's a woman that is angry for a good reason.  Why do you think I was usually sealed inside a woman to begin with?'

'Lack of options?'

'Think kit.  I can speak to you in your mind, I can also fight you for control if the seal ever breaks… but the fight will happen in your mind.  I don't know about you but I've seen quite a few female minds in my day.  And yours, while interestingly empty save for thoughts of ramen, is a paradise compared to the crap I've gone through'

'So… what? You're trying to help me now?'

'You've learned to more or less control my powers as well as me.  It wouldn't do me any good if I were to not give my advice where necessary now.'

'Yeah, all the while you sit back and laugh at my pain and irritation.'

'I never said I wouldn't enjoy it.' The kyuubi said smiling behind the bars in a way that surprised Naruto.

Opening his eyes he stared out over the horizon thinking about what Kyuubi said.  "Friendly wives eh?  I guess that solves the problem of whether or not I should really go through with this."

----Hokage's office----

Shizune stepped out of the research room holding a stack of papers for Tsunade to sign trying to make sure that the jobs got done.  However even though she was doing her job, her mind was elsewhere.  She was thinking about the fact that her name was actually on that list, and what all the other prospective kunoichi in the village were thinking as they had been notified that their names were there also.  She blushed a bit at the fact imagining the name she would have if she were chosen by naruto.

'Shizune Namikaze… or would it be Shizune Uzumaki?  Has he even decided if he would use the Namikaze name yet?'  She was brought from her thoughts when Tsunade coughed rather loudly with a wide grin on her face.

"Catching flies? Or are you thinking of something you shouldn't be?" Tsunade asked in a joking manner only to see Shizune blush wildly at the mention of what she had just imagined.  "I see, having your name on that list has bothered you a bit has it?"

"A bit, but Tsunade sama, do you think it was wise to put this much pressure on Naruto?  I mean he did save the village after all, why are we throwing him to a bunch of hormonally driven wolves?"  Shizune asked as she set the papers down and went over to grab a cup of tea for her master.

"I assume that the hormonally driven wolves includes yourself as well?  Honestly?  It got him out of my hair, it gave him something to do, and if it teaches him anything about what life is really like, then my job will be done."  Tsunade said with a laugh, she hadn't had this much peace in years.  Before Shizune could reply there was a knock on the door, so she stepped back against the wall in her usual position to go get something if Tsunade needed it.  "COME!"

The people that walked in surprised both Tsunade and shizune, it was Hiashi, Neji , and a still unconscious Hinata being held in Neji's arms.  They looked like they were there to read a declaration of war, however that's how Hiashi always looked, as for Neji his look was more out of concern for his cousin.

"What can I do for you…Hiashi Hyuuga."  Tsunade said with a slightly less than pleased tone as she set her chin on her folded hands.  Carefully weighing everything that could happen, Tsunade decided to hear him out before breaking his bones.

"I wish to speak to the dem…To Naruto Namikaze."  Hiashi had stuttered trying to refrain from calling him the name he was so accustomed to using.  Even in Hiashi's eyes Naruto had earned some respect for what he did when pain attacked.

Sitting back and holding her forehead Tsunade sighed.  "Why can't he ever stay out of trouble.  Whatever he did to Hinata I assure you it will be dealt with, depending on the severity ill draw up some suitable punishments and you can choose which he has to do."

"I apologize for the misunderstanding but that is not why we are here Lady Tsunade." Hiashi said with a straight face catching the full attention of the two women who were conscious.  "I am here to request approval to start negotiations with him for Hinata to be his first wife, as the Hyuuga heir to the clan."

"So she's not unconscious because of something Naruto did?"  Shizune asked holding a hand out over the raven haired girls forehead sending a green chakra though her head allowing her to rest easier.

"Quite the contrary, I believe it was something I said when I mentioned her marrying him." Hiashi said with a slightly less than enthused look.

Tsunade couldn't help but start laughing out loud at the admission that she had just heard, her own father had caused her to faint without fully understanding how much that girl cared for the boy she was going to have to marry.  To top it off her fear of her father should he ever find out.  This was all great news for Tsunade, as she loved playing match maker and had been doing so for a few years with Shizune before naruto and Jiraiya came along.

"So why come to me?"  She asked finally.  "I mean, why not just negotiate with Naruto?"

"It is customary for the parents of the two parties in a marriage such as this to negotiate the terms of the marriage.  And seeing as how you are the closest thing the boy has ever had to a parent…" Hiashi didn't finish the sentence for fear of stepping on some kind of wound that might have been there.

"I'll have Naruto brought here right now, we can talk about this together.  This was a mission I assigned him anyway, he has the final say in everything, I hope you can abide by this and come to an agreement?"

Hiashi only nodded as the three of them went over to the chairs next to the wall and sat down, waiting for the man how would be marrying his daughter.  After a few minutes went by Hiashi became anxious thinking that the brat had grown arrogant and was holding up somewhere.  But when he saw Tsunades concerned looks he became all the more worried.  If she had a face of concern that meant that something wasn't right.

'Where is that stupid kid, I'm putting myself out on a limb here for him.'  She thought as she looked down at the newspapers and saw the winning lottery numbers on the page.   For a moment she froze, the numbers were only off by one, but that still meant something strange would be happening.  

A few seconds later an Anbu came in through the window out of breath while Tsunade stood up.  "Well? Where is he?"

The Anbu took a few more breaths and finally spoke.  "He's gone ma'm, no one outside the compound even noticed he left, we've searched the entire village already, his most frequented spots, even asking around.  He isn't in the village anymore."

"Damn him, I'm gonna make him go through Gai's training for a month for this!!" Tsunade yelled  as the Anbu set something on her desk.  Anger still controlling her voice she turned her gaze back to the now cringing Anbu.  "What the hell is this?!"

"It's addressed to you ma'm, in naruto's handwriting."  The anbu said watching Tsunade snatch the scroll up the instant the boy's name was mentioned.

Opening it she nearly fell out of her chair as his childish handwriting and badly drawn self image glared her in the face.  The message read, 'Don't look for me, and don't send the Anbu after me.  I'll be back later today I just needed a quiet place to think.'

"Hiashi I apologize, I will send for you when naruto returns from his urgent business." Tsunade said covering for him yet again.

"What business might that be?  Is he not supposed to be restoring his clan first and foremost?"

"Don't know, he didn't explain in the letter."  Tsunade replied while leaning back in her chair.  "He did say he should be back by nightfall though.  So I will send for your then."

Hiashi didn't say a word as he stood and bowed to Tsunade and then left leaving Neji and Hinata there to fend for themselves seeing as the negotiations weren't going to take place just yet.  Neji was at a loss as to what to do with Lady Hinata as he stood up.  Looking over at Tsunade she just pointed to a door that wasn't the way out.  Carrying Hinata through the doorway he found that there was a bed inside and figured that Lady Tsunade was telling him to leave her there while she recovered from the shock of being told she would marry Naruto.  Which was exactly what he did.

-----Namikaze compound-----

Temari had snuck in to the compound fairly easily, it wasn't really inhabited yet so there weren't many guards around to make sure no one got in.  She looked around amazed that the Namikaze clan had had such a beautiful place.  It was dusty to be sure, but she could see the potential of what could be done and her eyes glittered a bit as she imagined the roads bustling with people from the clan outside during a sunny day, children running about practicing jutsus or reading.  For the first time in her life, she felt like she was truly missing something, something she should desperately try to grab hold of before anything else happened.

She even dared to think that she might be allowed happiness in having a family, something that was being denied her back at Suna because of her relationship to the Kazekage.  People still feared him even though he had lost Shukaku, therefore that fear trickled down to the two siblings, Temari and Kankuro.  It wasn't Gaaras fault, just the prejudice that had yet to be forgotten for one reason or another.

Smiling to herself, Temari found the one house that looked like it was being used and went in to find some of naruto's belongings strewn everywhere.   Scrolls were opened and unraveled, kunai and throwing stars just laying places, clothes in a pile over in the corner, and a few instant ramen noodle packs just sitting on the counter.

"Gah…How does he live like this?" Temari asked no one, taken aback by the unkempt manor of the room.  Sighing to herself she rolled up her sleeves and tied them up so they wouldn't get in the way.  "Not even his wife and already I'm cleaning up after him."

Walking over to the wall she laughed a bit evilly.  "He better not make this a habit, or none of the prospective girls he wishes to marry will come near him."


After the comment she went about tidying up the room, finding that it was actually the only one that wasn't in order when she opened up a few other rooms to set things in.  It seemed to her upon further inspection that even though he did have some garbage laying about, he wasn't a messy person.  He was just caught in the middle of unpacking everything he had.  Smiling to herself she thought one thing while she continued cleaning.  'He can be cute after all.'