Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Naruto: Pride and Prejudice ❯ United We Stand ( Chapter 3 )

NARUTO: PRIDE & PREJUDICE

AUTHOR: Zpan Sven

E-MAIL: Zpan(underscore)Sven(at)hotmail(dot)com

DISCLAIMER: I sadly do not own Naruto. The wonderful man whose name I can not pronounce does. I do own the few random OCs that do pop up though.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is an AU of the Naruto-verse and my first ever Naruto fanfic, so if anyone who is well versed in the Naruto-verse and would like to Beta, I'd love it. I have only a few Original Characters that will pop up, mostly baddies from missing-nin, bandits, and asshole villagers. One OC is a `good' character and I'll try to keep her from being a Mary Sue—which is the essence of all evil. Her main role is a teacher/big sibling/listener character, and if the readers like her enough, she might get a boyfriend from one of the shinobi she interacts with. The fic will mostly be `General' but if the fans have some ideas for pairings, I'd love to hear them, as well as any suggestions for improving the story. As the name of Konohamaru's parents have never been revealed, I'm just going to give them names for now; if anyone else out there knows the names/appearances, please PM me, okay?

“Speech.”

`Thought.'

_Flashback._

::Telepathy::

.Sign Language..

SUMMARY: It's the Naruto-verse with a twist, answering several questions of how things might have turned out if small things had been changed. Kyuubi was much younger then believed? Naruto was born female but forced to hide her true gender? How different would the adventure be? How powerful will the kunoichi become under the tutelage of the Queen of all Kistune? Will Naruto be forced to sacrifice her humanity for power?

CHAPTER SUMMARY: The Sandaime and Kyuubi have joined forces in order to keep Naruto and the village safe. Now they must work together against the council to secure `Uzumaki Kyuu' as a Jounin among the ranks of Konoha's ninja and as the undisputed mother of the vessel.

TIMELINE: Prologue occurs during Kyuubi's attack and the rest of the story follows pre-manga until a few chapters in, where it follows the manga.

RATING: PG-13/R

WARNINGS: LVS

ARCHIVE: fanfiction.net, mediaminer.org, ficwad.com, Zpan Sven's Works

JAPANESE-ENGLISH DICTIONARY:

Hai - yes

Iie - no

Sensei -- teacher

Sempai - upper-classman, someone in your ranking of an older age

Onna - woman, rude form of address

Hime - Princess

Gakki - brat

Temee - bastard

Hebi -- snake

Miko - priestess

Kisama - bitch/bastard

Wakizashi - a smaller version of a katana, usually the backup weapon

Bo Shuriken - dagger-like shuriken

Kunai - the knife used by ninja

Hira Shuriken - normal Star-shaped shuriken, ranging from three points to six or more

Bo Shuriken - straight blade shuriken, similar to kunai only without hilts

Tekko - hand covers/wrist guards

Kyahan - shin guards

Tabi - split toe socks worn with the traditional sandals. Modern versions of tabi have a hard rubber sole, making them into footwear on their own, generally favored by ninja.

Shinobi - another word for Ninja. Assassin.

Kunoichi - female ninja

Kistune -- fox

Hitai-ate - forehead protector wore by nin

Shinigami - God of Death

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CHAPTER THREE: UNITED WE STAND

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The Sandaime's return to Konoha was done with little fanfare; the elderly nin wanted to use the time it would take for the Council to reconvene to get the newest Jounin of Konoha cleaned up and get the paperwork to register the Kistune woman as a Konoha citizen started. He took the woman and child to his personal residence, where his worried wife waited for his return. The regal, white-haired woman was pulled aside by her husband, who wrapped a comforting arm around her still trim waist as he explained the situation to her.

 

The retired Jounin looked over at the Kistune while her husband finished his hurried explanation. With a sigh, she looked up at her beloved husband, her sharp mind working on ways to help him. “I'm certain I have a yukuta or kimono that will fit her and there are plenty of Asuma and Kiyko's baby clothes up in the attic.”

 

“Thank you, love,” the grateful old nin murmured with a soft kiss to his petite wife.

 

The Kistune held her kit closely as she investigated the Sandaime's `den'. A peek through one of the partially opened sliding doors revealed the large house's den and its dozing occupant; a tiny female child was curled up on a floor cushion, with a tea set of now cold tea resting on the low table. Silently the crimson-haired woman withdrew, letting the child continue to sleep in peace. Carefully she held the sleeping infant in her arms as she turned to face the wife of the Sandaime Hokage.

 

The old woman eyed the youthful looking young woman standing before her; as a retired Jounin, the old woman knew how deceptive appearances could be and her instincts were telling her this `woman' was dangerous - but only if provoked and the old woman had no intentions of provoking her. After all, they both had something very important in common - they were mothers and mothers protected their offspring no matter the cost. As though understanding that she had found an ally, the Kistune woman gave the eldery human woman a grateful smile.

 

“I thank you,” the kistune woman murmured softly so not to wake the baby, inclining her head respectfully towards her `hostess' whom held the folded clothes she'd had stored away in her wrinkled hands.

 

“You…are welcome, Uzumaki-san,” the elderly woman replied, watching the involuntary twitch the crimson-haired woman developed at the new form of address that she would have to swiftly acclimate herself to. “Please, come with me. There is no time for a proper bath, but we can get you cleaned up a bit while the council members scurry about.”

 

With genuine gratitude and respect, the kistune woman followed the human woman; the small furo she was led to more then suited their needs and she was relieved that the old woman was more then happy to give the golden-haired infant a sponge bath while she handled her own grooming; despite her status as Queen of Kistune, she never grew comfortable with the idea of bath attendants and people helping her dress when she was in her `human' or hybrid forms. With the elderly woman's aid in tending to the infant's needs, they were both deemed presentable to appear before the Council in their borrowed garments…

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The Council shifted and stumbled into the poorly lit meeting room, several still mostly asleep. They had adjourned after being reassured that the matter of tracking the missing vessel was taken care of; honestly many assumed to hear of the child's death in the morning, not to be reconvened mere hours after leaving for their warm beds. The council room was suddenly flooded with light as the Hokage entered, a red-haired woman following him cradling the month-old vessel the tiny form wrapped a pale peach and blue blanket; her white and green kimono was neatly pressed, the white obi trailing behind her.

 

The Sandaime Hokage's yes were expressionless as he scanned the expressions of the members of the Council; several of the clan heads, along with his former teammates and rival, were visibly less then pleased to see the tiny infant still lived. His posture was stiff as he waited for their murmurs to go silent.

 

“Earlier, when we convened before, it was believed that a hostile force from outside Konoha had taken the Uzumaki baby. We have been proven to be wrong. The only hostile force was an internal one, the Nurse charged with the child's welfare, Kuno Akane, whom tried to assassinate the infant by suffocation with a pillow. She was killed by Uzumaki Kyuu, whom was presumed dead in the battle to protect Konoha one month ago,” the elderly nin informed them, inclining his head to the red-haired woman beside him; in the room's light, the whisker-like marks on her cheeks were stark against her pale skin and her eyes hidden away by a pair of sunglasses.

 

As the Sandaime had expected, there was outrage from the child's adversaries; demands were made for an inquest concerning Nurse Kuno's death and charges to be bought up against the child's mother. Beside the Hokage, the afore mentioned mother felt a crimson brow beginning to twitch as she fought to repress her annoyance at the humans before her; if not for the honor-pact between herself and the elderly nin, she'd kill the idiots before her that dared look at her kit with such contempt.

 

“That woman tried to kill my kit. And for that, she died,” the red-haired `Kunoichi' snarled, killer intent leaking despite her tight reign on her temper. “I had just woken from a healing trance and had dragged myself back into this village I had fallen protecting to find that woman trying to smother my kit. Not knowing if assassins lingered incase she failed, I took my kit, heading for safety until I could contact Sandaime-sama. He met me before I had gotten far, worried that it had been hostile forces from outside Konoha at work; he had believed me to have been dead this entire time.”

 

“And did Sandaime-sama tell you what had occurred after your apparent demise?” asked one of the clan heads, identified as Uchiha Fugaku from his pale complexion, spiky black hair and the crimson and white fan-emblem visible on his dark blue haori; his face and voice was bland and often the Sandaime wondered just where he stood in support of the Uzumaki child.

 

“Yes, actually,” the crimson-haired `Kunoichi' replied, her full lips seeming to curve smugly, defiantly. “My kit is the Yondaime's legacy, a hero!”