ST: I'm surprised you are able to write despite your suffering from the last time.
You were already prepared for so many scenarios! One where I wouldn't be defended, one where only few people will defend me, one where many would do the same...
ST: (scoff) Well, you should've expected that if you know me as well as you claim to do so.
I... knew that...
ST: But of course! I doubt you will be able to repeat that stunt of yours again.
As long as there are chapters involving you, I will do that!
NN: (sweat-drop) Are you having a death wish?
Perhaps. But the one with a death wish would be your father if he doesn't take care of his wife333474.
NN: And how is that?
Seeing who's son-in-law he is...
NN: (cracking knuckles) Are you having a death wish?
What?!
NN: Watch your words when you speak of my family.
ST: And start the chapter, Aho.
A month had passed and we find the un-dead albino and the blonde lounging near a remote hot spring with two of the former Hokage's summons- Snow Leopards.
Somewhere along the training, Tobirama deemed it would be 'fun' to spend some time of growing up with his Summon Leopards. He introduced them to Naruto who found them fascinating. Some were stoic, some were cocky, some were playful. But all of them had formal vocabulary of speech- figures out where the esteemed Hokage gets his formal etiquette from.
Though he was half-Hatake- his mother being the daughter of the then clan head of the Hatake Clan, Tobirama did not have any contract with either wolves, or the dogs.
Speaking of the Hatake- Tobirama was the only one of his brothers to have inherited mostly from his mother. Hashirama and Kawarama were completely Senju, the former taking more after their father in many ways...
Itama had been half Hatake, half Senju. Literally.
Moreover, Tobira was an albino, which explained his paler hair, almost white skin, and red eyes.
Back to where the chapter began. (Ahem)
Tobirama asked, "Ever heard of the Raijin no Ken?" Naruto looked at him. "It's your sword, isn't it?" He hummed in affirmation. "I had made the sword by myself when I was in my teens. I had help from a blacksmith who was also a mercenary from a country that had been decimated even before Konoha had been created. He was the last of his clan and I met him during a mission for my clan and he returned a favour by helping me forge a sword that reacts solely to my chakra, and perhaps a descendant. However, the sword has been destroyed in my last battle."
Then he met her eyes. "I would like to help you in a similar way. Do forge your own Raijin no Ken." Naruto deadpanned at him. "Ojii-sama, I am your granddaughter, not a stranger. Just be carefree as you are blunt. I have told you this many times, haven't I?"
Tobirama smirked. "Well, it's a habit. You have inherited this habit of mine, so you have no say in this exactly, do you?" Naruto gave him an unimpressed stare. He chuckled. "What can I say? I have always been the opposite of Anija in expressions. Old habits die hard." They chuckled.
"My mother certainly didn't get her attitude from you, perhaps her glare." He smiled fondly when she said that. "Naoko was like Anija in expressing herself, but was also quite different. Anija got angry only a couple of times, but your grandmother was a fiery kunoichi, like Mito Anee-sama. I believe your attitude could be something between your father's and mine. Anyway, what do you say about the sword?"
Naruto smiled. "I would be honoured." Tobirama deadpanned. "Now who is formal?" Naruto smirked. "I am your granddaughter. Moreover, you have been my idol since ever. Always studying your works, analyzing your words, reading between the lines and trying to deduce your thoughts with each sentence you wrote." She ended with an adoring smile before blushing.
"Kami-sama! I feel like a stalker of some sort. To my Ojii-sama nonetheless!" Tobirama chuckled simply and kissed her temples. Just like Tsunade had did. It must be a Senju-thing. "I am honoured and flattered to have you as my granddaughter." He said
"Now for the sword. It requires some of the user's chakra and some seals. A special metal available in the Land of Iron. It isn't simply some metal forging. It is a ritual. The sword becomes your partner in battle. The handle isn't mere wood or metal substitute. The trees from where you would be getting the hilt would be found in the Land of Iron, and they are grown in small numbers there."
Naruto said as she thought, "The Land of Iron does specialize in metal and weapons. Kiri might be famed for the seven swords, though one doesn't seem of metal origin at all." She felt a creepy shiver on remembering Kisame's shark-like Samehada.
The sword took two weeks to be made, with finishing touches and additional features. She had named it the Sword of the Thunder God or Raijin no Ken in honour of Tobirama's sword, but she also called it Arashi no Ken or Sword of Storm- He went a tad bit sentimental and jokingly called her Arashi no Shihaisha (Ruler of Storms) once. Naruto did point out that Tobirama deserved that title more than her.
Another week was spent in mastering- shadow clones were helpful in reducing time required to complete training. The duo had extended their vacation by two weeks to compensate for time spent in making the sword.
They played around. But soon, the vacation was up as they returned to Uzushiogakure. Tobirama confronted her, "Naruto, it's time." Naruto froze on hearing that and didn't relax even after a minute. "Dear child, both of us knew this day would come."
She slumped before shaking her head. "I've been selfish alright. I don't want Nagato to lose his trust in me. I am happy to have family for so long. For shinobi, it is a luxury, at least in these turbulent times. I probably shouldn't even be keeping you so long with me. I will make your dream, our dream of peace come true."
It was more of her convincing herself than the reanimated soul before her. She performed the hand seals to release the jutsu that had him bound to this world and to her. "Edo Tensei no Jutsu- Kai!" She said, her voice barely above a whisper.
They embraced each other. Naruto was close to breakdown, when she felt the soothing chakra of her grandfather that was like cascading waterfall. She began chuckling remembering all the good and bad times she had spent with her Ojii-sama. He joined her as they laughed together.
"I'll make you proud Ojii-sama. Make sure you watch over me. Even Obaa-sama, Hashirama-sama, Mito-sama, Tou-san, Kaa-san, Nagato-Ani." Tobirama's soul flew up as he looked down at her. "I will, Magomusume (granddaughter). Kurama, you better take care of her. Stay strong and beautiful, Senju Namikaze Naruto."
Once the soul disappeared and the clone that has hosted it dispelled, the surroundings seemed gloomier than usual. Kurama made Naruto spill out her sadness so that she would never have to cry again. He told her that every time she remembers the water-boy, she should smile at the fun-time they had and not cry like a weakling. She was special to all her friends and family and should not upset the by constantly mourning.
Naruto stood up firm and prepared to return to Konoha as the strong Kunoichi she had set out to be.
Naruto's female attire, when she wasn't wearing ANBU attire or the standard Jounin attire (she would only wear a jacket when she rarely does), was thus.
Long blonde hair that reached her knees, earlier had preferred to be tied up in a high ponytail during missions and battles. Now, though, (Or since sometime during Tobirama's company) there is an intricate braid with tiny glinting jewels.
(Tobirama had initially braided her hair as he remembered that of his mother. They were Hatake braids, modified slightly to suit the Senju Clan Head's wife. He later taught her his mother's modified braids and also the various original braids of the Hatake Clan- from battle to ceremonial to Alpha-assertion (Clan-head or relation to one).
However, he preferred to braid Naruto's hair himself for whatever little time they had. He himself had to cut his hair for the sake of his father and stuck to it even after his death, and thus, tried to get as many advantages and pleasures as possible out of these small gestures.)
(She doubted Kakashi would ever recognize them. Though he might've never seen one, his blood might hint it somewhere.)
Skin slightly paler than tan like Minato. Facial features oh-so-similar to the Yondaime Hokage with slight smoothness and curves from the former and the first female ANBU Commander. Sharp eyes, dainty nose, small smile occupying full lips.
She was quite tall, taller than any Kunoichi- slightly above six feet. The height of most adult Kunoichi varied from 5'4" to 5'8", some even crossing 5'9" like Senju-Uzumaki Mito and Uzumaki Kushina (Or Senju Uzumaki Kushina ;) ) Senju Touka, cousin of Senju Tobirama, was an exception and reached six feet.
Minato was a typical strong male of height 6'2". Naruto's extensive training and mastering of Kurama's chakra had helped increase her height. It was useful for her disguise as a male shinobi. Adult males were generally taller than six feet, though there were rare cases males as short as 5'10".
[Karatachi Yagura was an exception. He was as tall as a 14 year old despite being an adult. Remember Isobu pitying him when he told about his vessel to Naruto?]
Her dress, a blue battle kimono with yellow obi, with small intricate designs of orange and black on the kimono, many of which are disguised seals. Black pants similar to the ones worn in ANBU below the kimono. A blue armour that was a simple but strong blend of the ANBU armour and the one Tobirama had worn in the warring eras. The armour was worn in dire situations. The kimono had long sleeves and reached well below the knees. Naruto liked to be decent, unlike the short skirts Sakura and Ino had worn the last time she saw them.
The whisker marks on the cheeks had disappeared completely and she now had three red stripes, one each on her cheeks and chin- similar to the Nidaime Hokage. The man had explained that they were, in fact, seals that helped control sensing. With those markings and some of her mother's features, anyone who knew the Blue Hokage well could the similarities between him and the blonde. The Byakugou diamond on her forehead only added to her charm.
Naruto could imitate the glares of the Nidaime and the Yondaime Hokages and had a glare of her own. She had practiced them just for fun, and Tobirama, who simply shook his head at her antics, had inwardly cheered proudly at this. All in all, Naruto looked like a war goddess with her Raijin no Ken strapped firmly to her back.
The male Naruto was different.
He had the hairstyle similar to the Yondaime Hokage, the spiky hair long enough to cover his diamond seal. Whisker marks were thinner than what they used to be when he as a kid, but present nonetheless. Facial features resembling Kushina more than Minato and Tobirama. Chakra signature showing only wind release and fire release- due to Kurama.
Seals covering the feminine parts and showing the doujutsu users that he was a male- not that he would strip before others. Ever. He wore ANBU outfit below baggy clothing. It was a black and orange jumpsuit [Similar to the one Naruto had worn in Shippuden]. Well, males weren't exactly expected to have a feminine figure and the clothing had hidden it well. The Konoha hitai Ate was strapped to his left arm rather, just like the female alter-ego.
Some of you might pout and ask why didn't he hide the Byakugou seal with the Hitai-Ate. Okay he did, when he went on missions, because you can't trust the wind to not sway your hair when sprinting at a fast pace.
A long, white cloak had been worn over all this. The cloak had reached his ankles and had a high collar and hood. The collar had a button, yet the cloak was also held together at the chest by a thin rope, similar to how Namikaze Minato had his cloak held together (though this didn't have a button at collar). The back of the cloak had the intricate and complete symbol of the Uzumaki clan- Uzushiogakure.
The symbol which the jounin and chunin vests had on their backs were a shortened version- a simple red swirl with black outline. It was a gesture of friendship between the villages Konoha and Uzushio.
Naruto, in her male form, approached the gates of Konoha, with her collar and hood up. It was quite early in the morning and the Sun hadn't risen yet. The eternal guards Izumo and Kotetsu were dozing off on their desks. She chuckled at them as she slipped in her entry form amont the papers under Kotetsu's arm. She placed a souvenir she had bought specifically for each of them before their sleeping forms along with a note thanking them for their hard-work with her name signed at the end.
The village was still undergoing repairs. The destruction was more than that from the invasion by Otogakure and almost reached the level of the one caused by Kurama around 19 years ago. Thus, the few people who had been awake at the ungodly hour were busy in the construction of destroyed buildings. The Ichiraku Ramen seemed to be open almost 24/7- now more than ever, trying to help people by providing food in the time of crisis. Naruto decided to greet the old man Teuchi and his daughter Ayame.
She simply ordered her regular order- a large Miso Ramen with Naruto (fishcake) topping- and they gave it, not suspecting a thing. As she finished her bowl, Teuchi had commented on her almost inhumane speed, remembering one regular and popular customer of theirs. He was, however, flabbergasted when she pulled her hood. "Keep your voice low, but it's me."
Teuchi and Ayame were wide-eyed before Ayame shouted "Naruto!" and hugged her. "Oji-san (Uncle), Nee-san, it's been a long time." "It has been, kiddo. How have you been?" Teuchi asked. "In my best health! You guys seem quite busy and popular." Naruto commented. "Of course! Ever since you saved the village!" "Yeah..." Naruto gave an embarrassed laugh, rubbing the back of her head.
"Well, as much as I would like to stay and chat for hours, I need to report to the Hokage. I arrived here as soon as I entered the village. But I'll see you soon." They greeted before Naruto flashed away.
"He's grown quite handsome, hasn't he?" Teuchi asked. Ayame nodded, grinning at the place which had been previously occupied by her little brother.
Many more happy returns of the day to the mother who continuously protected even after death...
✨🎉🎁🎂!!Happy Birthday Karura!!🎂🎁🎉✨
(November 11th)