"I see your plan in getting the support of the villagers by inquiring how Honoka is tied to you as a distant cousin and if there are others like her out there. Through something like that, the council will have no choice but to heed to your request if they get enough pressure from the villagers wanting an explanation of the existence of another Uzumaki besides you Naruto," Hiruzen acknowledged.
"Exactly," Naruto said.
"Thank you for telling us the truth of what happened, Sandaime-sama. While we're saddened about what took place, that doesn't mean that in due time corrective changes can't and won't take place," Honoka said. Hiruzen gave a small nod to them before he made his way back his desk and sat back down.
"I'll work on getting your paperwork as a Konoha ninja and citizen together and a new place to accommodate you both. Until then, why don't you show Honoka around Konoha and help her get familiar with the village, Naruto? I'm sure there are some places and people you want her to meet, yes? Considering this plan you both are enacting," Hiruzen suggested. Naruto nodded and took Honoka's hand as he led her out of the office and ultimately, out of the building. Hiruzen, leaned back in his chair and sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. A moment later, a knock came at his front door.
"Enter," Hiruzen said granting access to Kakashi as he came back into the office. The Jounin placed his book away and faced the Hokage.
"You came back sooner than I expected. I'm assuming the matter you wish to discuss with me involves Naruto mostly if not entirely," Hiruzen deduced.
"It does. One of the things I left out in my report was when Naruto confronted me about my past with his father and why I wasn't there for him with he needed me. Despite my sincere apology, he didn't readily forgive me with open arms any more than he did with you. But you had already warned me in advance to expect that though I couldn't hide my guilt from him.
"Still, facets about his true character are alarming. So much so that Sakura and even Sasuke are wary of him, especially after Sakura saw that red chakra that poured out of the seal containing Kyuubi. They questioned me about it but I explained that under an S-ranked law I couldn't revealed that secret behind that chakra and that only you and Naruto can reveal that," Kakashi explained.
"No doubt they did ask him and he told them nothing," Hiruzen figured.
"Precisely. Also, he refuses to provide his teammates and me with explanations about his new skills and jutsu he somehow acquired neither through the training provided at the ninja academy nor through me. He somehow learned and trained in wind manipulation and created jutsu based on his elemental affinity and combined that with kenjutsu, another skill which he never learned at the ninja academy based on his records there. Seeing Zabuza marveling at Naruto's skills with the sword surprised me entirely.
"The question that's been on everyone's mind Sandaime-sama is: Who is Uzumaki Naruto?" Kakashi said.
Sandaime sat up straight and looked directly at Kakashi and spoke, "You're just as bothered with Naruto's records at the academy and his performances as a Genin under your charge. They don't add up. If you want the truth Kakashi, I've been suspicious and cautious of Naruto ever since the Academy Field Day four years ago after he "killed" me and all of the male ninja present, including the male student body," Hiruzen stated straightforwardly.
"During my test after their graduation almost three months ago, Naruto demonstrated that he could have killed me at any time while playing the role of the fool most convincingly. I've tried keeping an eye on him ever since but he clearly found ways of evading my watch on him," Kakashi said.
The Sandaime took out his pipe and placed some tobacco into it and then lit it. He took a puff and exhaled as he recalled a few past events. Looking back at the Jounin, Hiruzen enlightened, "What more did you expect from an escape artist who's able to prank and elude even my best group of ANBU? He vandalized an entire monument underneath everyone's nose in broad daylight and escaped the two Jounin who were in pursuit of him before he willfully allowed himself to get caught by Iruka. Later he infiltrated this building, stole the Forbidden Scroll, and hid from all of my ninja for three hours while still being within the village. From all this, should you really be surprised that he could come up with ways to elude even you?"
"I see your point quite clearly. And from my understanding with everything I've learned about the kid up to this point, my only conclusion is that Naruto chose to become his class's dead last so as to not drawn too much attention to himself as the actual Rookie of the Year while allowing Sasuke to occupy that spot for him. Truly an ingenious deception against everyone. Regardless, I won't expose that truth to anyone, as that would be a blow Naruto's cover, though I still wonder how Naruto reached a level that's clearly elite Jounin on his own," Kakashi commented.
"Don't underestimate the boy Kakashi. After all, you became a Jounin at thirteen and Itachi became an ANBU captain at thirteen. But did anyone question yours and Itachi's abilities?"
Kakashi saw Hiruzen's logic once again and simply accepted it. The Jounin commented, "Naruto shows tremendous promise and despite the petty arguments that occur between him and his teammates, they still work well together when the situation calls for it."
Hiruzen nodded in approval.
(Meanwhile)
Naruto and Honoka were walking through the village as he gave her the tour around Konoha. By this time people were already talking about her and her ties with Naruto; some of them were in curiosity, several were skeptic while others were in denial. Regardless, the two Uzumaki continued on their way around the village as Naruto decided to introduce her to Teuchi and his daughter Ayame. As the pair continued walking, they soon heard the sound of small footsteps and the scraping of cardboard behind them meaning. The pair stopped walking as they turned to the box behind them.
"Come out Konohamaru. I know you're in that box," Naruto stated as he placed his hands in his pants pocket waiting for the younger boy to come out of hiding. A second later, the square rock with eyeholes in it exploded, sending smoke everywhere. The sounds of multiple coughs were heard, causing the Naruto and Honoka to realize that Konohamaru wasn't the only one in the square box.
"I think we used too much gunpowder," said a young male voice from within the box that Naruto identified as not being Konohamaru. Naruto waited tolerantly for Konohamaru while Honoka stood next to the blond curiously, wondering what was going on next.
"Your ability of seeing through our disguise is incredible. I really admire and respect you, my rival," said Konohamaru as he leaped from the box. The smoke cleared to reveal goggle-wearing kids, two boys and one girl. They looked up at Naruto before going into a weird pose.
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