Third Person POV__

"Mom! Have you seen my new ninja sandals?" Naruto yelled as he walked around the temple with one ninja sandal in hand.

"Did you check the back porch? You were out there earlier today!" Mizuko yelled back as she dried off Hayami and struggled to get the small child dressed.

"I can't find it, and I can't be late. I have exams today." Naruto called out as he looked around the temple.

"Mama, do you know where I left my backpack?" Nanami asked as she walked into the room and Mizuko sighed deeply. "it's in the living room by the east hall. I picked it up after I noticed Yukio playing with your things." Mizuko stated and Nanami paled and ran to get her school backpack.

"There you go. All set, Yukio did you brush your teeth?" She glanced at Yukio who quietly nodded as he was playing with Hisashi.

"Alright, everyone hurry up! Or you'll be late for school!" Mizuko called out as she slipped a shirt on Hayami.

" Do we have to go, the only one who is really doing anything is Naruto-nii. He's taking the graduation exam." Kenta grunted as he stood by the doorway.

"Even if it's the last day of school, you are still required to go." Mizuko scolded as she picked up the towel, she had used to dry Hayami off.

"Hisashi, you have to go to school too so hurry up." She turned to the small red-haired boy who had been playing with Yukio

"Okay." He shrugged as he followed Mizuko led them out of the bedroom. "Your bento's are right here. Grab yours and meet your brother at the front door." Mizuko stated as she hurried out.

"Good luck on your test." Mizuko smiled as she noticed Naruto standing by the front door. He gave her a nervous smile.

"I think I'll pass. I've been studying like crazy." He smiles as she pats his head.

"Well, then you ace that test. When you come back, you'll be a full-fledged ninja." She grinned as she placed a hand on her hip.

"You know. sometimes I wonder when you got so big." She sighs as she quickly embraced him. Naruto could not help but flush. He was almost her height a few more inches and he would be taller than her.

"Now you go out there and ace that test." She smiles and Naruto nods eagerly.

"Don't worry mom, soon I'll be a ninja and keep an eye on big brother." Karin giggled as she walked past him.

Naruto laughed at his sister's comment. "Did you get your bento?" Mizuko asked Karin and the girl held up a bento box and nodded.

"Okay, well we will be waiting for you at the academy afterschool." Mizuko says as she turns back to Naruto.

Soon enough almost everyone had left the temple. Three years had passed since Mizuko had arrived in Konoha.

Almost all the kids had joined the academy by now, the only ones that had yet to be sent off were Yukio, Hayami and Kaida. As for the older kids, they were doing well in their studies, they were not top students, but all of their grades were pretty average and none of them were failing.

Fumiko had also quit the academy after a year of being there, she was too soft hearted to continue, so she switched to a civilian school. Not that Mizuko really minded since Fumiko would likely become her fulltime apprentice and help her with the temple.

Everyone else was excited about the prospect of being ninja. As for their businesses, the fruit stand was still opened and Mizuko had taken three paper making apprentices, they were all civilian, all of them lived outside of the compound except for one of them.

She had also hired a Gardener/Farmer to help pick all the fruits and branches from the fruit fields, he also took care of all the greenery on the Uzumaki estate grounds. His name was Koji Yano.

Having the extra hands to assist her in the paper making process and the gardens made it easier for Mizuko to handle the Uzumaki household.

After the first year of being in the village Mizuko had managed to create a steady income for the family. The fruit stand provided them with food for the kids and an income from the general population while helping the village be a bit more self-subsistent. With Mizuko's ability the gardens grew larger to the point the trees were abnormally big. The fruit stand was great for public relations and gave the 'Uzumaki Clan' a good name.

The seal shop was a shocking success, Mizuko could barely keep up with the production of the seals. She limited the amounts that were sold per Ninja. She even had to create rules and regulations on the amount clans purchased.

But because of the amount of seal orders that came through Mizuko did not have time to make the paper for the seals.

The Yamanaka had recommended a younger girl for her to take in as an apprentice, because of the close tie that she had with the Akimichi she ended up accepting the girl.

The girl started working for her when she was 13 years old and had recently turned 16, she was a polite young lady who got along fine with Umi. The girls name was Suba Makoto, she had long brown hair and large doe brown eyes. She was polite, hardworking, diligent and she was very meticulous with her work.

As for the other apprentices that she had recently taken in, Choza had brought up his cousin's daughter, Orimi Akimichi. After that she ended up taking a recommendation from the Hyuga over another apprentice Masa Miya. He was about 14 when he started working.

His grandmother had been a Hyuga but his parents had married outside of the clan, so he was a branch member far removed from the main family. Masa also seemed very content with the employment. Mizuko's reasoning for accepting him had more of a political move in efforts to help Hiashi silently rebel against the elders of the Hyuga clan.

Of course, in return Hiashi would owe her a favor in the future, and they become allies when voting on policies for the village.

Despite what Mizuko had previously thought, Hiashi was a very progressive person. But because he had the position of clan head, he had to appear neutral. He had even secretly commissioned a key for the Hyuga Curse seal.

Unlike the Curse Seal of Heaven that Anko had, the Hyuga Caged Bird Curse seal was created by a master sealer. The notes the Hiashi provided her with, were ancient and they dated back before the founding of Uzushio.

The tools used by the Hyuga to carve the seal on their clansmen, were what created the seal. The only issue is that it required Hyuga chakra to activate. But other than that, Mizuko made no progress with it.

Mizuko was slightly doubtful about helping Hiashi, that was until she really looked at the seal. She could not sit by while knowing that people had that horrible seal carved onto their foreheads.

As a consultation fee he offered to transfer one of his own privately owned teahouses that he had in the Flower Capital to the Uzumaki Clan. With that Mizuko quickly took interest, It was a way to secure a foothold in the capital city of the Land of Fire. But the Uzumaki assets could expanded outside of Konoha which was good overall, because that way if they ever needed money from outside of Konoha they could still get it.

Mizuko accepted the request but made no promises that she would be able to create a counter for the seal, but Hiashi simply insisted that he was grateful that she had accepted the request.

In the end the last three years had brought forth a lot of change. Even in Naruto's life.

Naruto found himself more animated.

His old life was like a foggy memory that seemed so long ago, having a family had changed him in more ways than he could count.

Having little siblings running around him taught him how to be more patient, because if he lost his temper, he found that he would have a crying younger sibling. And although he found it hard to deal with, at least he was finally able to ask someone else for help. If not his other siblings, then Mizuko was always there.

She gave him pretty good advice and always had his best interest at heart. As time went by, he realized he did not know a lot of things. Like that 'the reason you don't talk and eat is because people can see your food and it is gross.' he learned that by watching Kaida learn how to eat.

He quickly adapted and learned how to deal with his siblings, and they all looked up to him. Every time he had declared that he wanted to be Hokage, he might have made it seem like he wanted some grand acknowledgement, glory or Honor. But what he really wanted was for people to stop looking at him in distain.

He did not hate the village, but he was not sure he was happy with them. Before his family had completely settled into the village, civilians still gave them side glances, and whisper about how he had been adopted and about his mother's young age.

Of course, nobody whispered it loud enough for Mizuko to hear, but Naruto had always had good hearing and despite how low his grades were in the academy for academics, he was barely scraping by with his abnormally strong body, instincts, and reflexes.

But soon the sales in the Fruit stand started to go up due to shinobi purchases and then Mizuko opened the seal shop. Once their income started going up and they were recognized by the larger shinobi clans most rumors settled down. It was always Uzumaki-san this and Uzumaki-sama that. They were not kissing up on him too much, but he could see some people always try to get on his moms' good side and like always Mizuko completely disregarded them.

They only did it because Mizuko had forged ties to other large strong noble clans and because they had gained a large income overall. To most it is like the Uzumaki had returned and taken their place as a noble clan, effectively taking over the vacant seat that the senju had left.

Naruto felt a bit conflicted by the sudden change, but he was welcome to it. It was better than how he had been treated in the past and it was not like he wanted to be treated that way again.

____________

After taking the written and physical portion of the Genin exams, Naruto was waiting to take the Ninjutsu side of the test.

Jiraiya had been the one to help him refine his clone jutsu. Instead of using a normal clone like the other students he had to make a minimum of 30 copies for the clone jutsu to work.

He felt a bit impatient, but he knew that he would be one of the last students to be called in for the testing since they were doing it in alphabetical order.

It was not like he could technically fail. He had to take the test and take the results to Mizuko.

Jiraiya, Mizuko and the Hokage had gone over the curriculum and decided what would be considered passing. And although that seemed like a guarantee that he would pass, he knew that when it came to ninja techniques and the ninja lifestyle, Mizuko was no push over.

After what seemed like hours, Naruto was called to the testing room. He was slightly nervous, but he was sure that he would pass. He had practiced nonstop since he realized that he would have a harder time doing the clone jutsu.

As he walked in and he noticed Iruka and Mizuki sitting at a table with a few scrolls and folders in front of them. At Mizuki's right side there was a table with different models of Headbands. The leaf village symbol was carefully etched on the head plates.

"Alright, to pass this portion of the test you have to perform the three basic techniques and if you have any special jutsu you want to do as extra credit please go ahead and perform it. Please start off with a basic ninja introduction."

Naruto gave a firm nod and steeled himself for the test. " My name is Naruto Uzumaki, My Academy registration ID is 012607. I will start my jutsu's now." He says as he quickly started to go through the hand signs required to complete his jutsu.

He started off with the basic replacement technique. He became slightly nervous when he noticed that Iruka nor Mizuki were going to say anything, they were just going to observe. He glanced at them for approval but decided to go ahead with his next jutsu.

He then decided to go through with the transformation technique. He transformed into Iruka until he was told to release it.

He bit his bottom lip in frustration as he performed the clone technique. Having a whole bunch of siblings point out what is wrong with your jutsu was a great way to practice. Although Kenta and Nanami had not been that nice when they were picking at him.

It did not help that Karin's transformation was much better than his.

Taking a deep breath Naruto preformed the clone technique. Instantly the room was filled up with 30 identical clones.

Iruka nodded and wrote down the results. "Thank yo-" "I think you should change that."

Iruka turned to Mizuki and cocked a brow. "Huh? Change what?" He asked and Mizuki got close to him and pointed at something on the papers. 'Oh no! Kenta was right. They're probably deducting points because of the number of clones I had to make!' Naruto thought internally.

Naruto started to sweat bullets. How many times had Mizuko rejected his advancements for sealing jutsu's because of small minor mistakes? She was not overbearing because she could not keep up with everyone if she was.

But when it came to their education and their ninja training, she was strict. Jiji and Pervy sage had already talked to his mom about what could be considered passing.

Naruto could not hear exactly what the teachers were saying but it looked like Iruka-sensei had won the argument.

"Naruto, Hand this to your mother. You can go ahead and call in Ino for her test." Iruka stated with a smile and Naruto nodded.

'I could look, but can I risk getting caught?' he thought to himself as he held the scroll in his hand. He walked out of the testing room. Ino was the last student left and as soon as he walked in, she hurried to get to the testing room.

"Your turn Ino, good luck." Naruto smiled politely and Ino smirked and nodded confidently.

"Thanks Naruto." She said as she left the room.

As soon as he walked out of the classroom, he let out a shaky breath. "The suspension is killing me." He grumbled as held up the scroll.

___________

As soon as Ino had left the testing room Iruka turned to Mizuki. "Besides, it's not up to us if he passes." He stated in slight annoyance.

Naruto was not Iruka's favorite students. But the kid had gotten better in the recent years. Before he had been disruptive and a bit of an airhead, but at some point, he started trying and although he was not the smartest or the strongest. He kept up with the top students of the class.

Mizuki scoffed in annoyance. He had been hoping to use the kid to steal a specific scroll by bribing him, but he could not do that now. How was he supposed to know that the brat was not joining Konoha forces, but that he would be under the Uzushio ranks.

"I think it shows a lack of control. His chakra control must be bad if the minimum he could make was thirty." Mizuki tried to reason with him. Since he was just there as a proctor for the exam he was not aware all of the test scores.

But even if he could not use the brat that did not mean he could not inconvenience the kid. Lowering the Kyubii's test scores would have been easier with a different teacher, but Iruka was not budging.

" I guess it does seem that way. He lacks chakra control, yes, but he found a way to complete the jutsu. There might be a lot of clones, but the clones are pretty good and it doesn't really effect his reserves. That's why I do not think it's fair for me to deduct points." Iruka stated as he rearranged his clipboard and started to clean up.

Mizuki did not say anything, he just quietly packed his things and left. Was he going to file a complaint because of bias? Of course. He was not going to let the damn Kyubii's graduate without some trouble. The fact that the damn kid was not killed years ago was a damn shame.

Iruka on the other hand was a bit confused with his friend's reaction. Mizuki had been acting weird lately. He wondered if it had something to do with the suspension, he had gotten a few months back.

He was not sure what happened, but one of Mizuki's team members died and Mizuki was suspended from the force for a few weeks. A few rumors spread, but they were quite outrageous. Some even said that it was Mizuki that killed his teammate, but he doubted that. Mizuki could be an asshole but he was not a traitor.

____________ The walk home seemed longer than usual. Naruto knew that Mizuko would be waiting for him in her study. He knew he had to change to his clothes and then go and see her. But the scroll felt heavy in his pack.

He was worried that he had failed the history portion. Because no matter how hard he studied he could not remember all of the tactics used in all three shinobi wars. Sure, he could remember some of the most important dates, but the test was always so specific on times and dates and the responses were all open ended so it wasn't like he could use the process of elimination.

But the language arts and the shinobi rules were also his struggle points. The more he thought about it the more nervous he became.

"Gah! why must I have to wait this long!" He exclaimed as he slapped his cheeks and slightly shook his head. He let out a deep breath and started running. 'Might as well get it done now than continue to put it off! believe it!' he thought internally as he ran as fast as he could.

By now he had enough stamina to run up the temple stairs. So, it didn't take him long to arrive at the entrance. As always, he entered through the side door. He said his hellos took his sandals off and bowed at the shrine before walking in.

It was quiet. He walked through the hallway till he was in his bedroom. Mizuko had fixed the entire temple. She had helped Naruto create screen doors with beautiful Ukiyo-e artwork.

It took a lot of work, but they managed to paint Koi fish jumping over the dragon gate. He liked the story behind the drawing so that was what he decided on.

Besides she only agreed to let him have a custom Shoji door if the artwork fit the temples traditional style.

He unlocked the sliding door and quickly got changed. He felt a slight pulse on his tracking seal. "She definitely knows that I'm here." he mumbled.

Unlike his siblings Naruto had the key so he could tell when Mizuko checked for anyone. Since he would get the feedback as well. The same was the other way around. If he was looking for someone, she would also be able to feel the chakra pulse and the location of the person.

Once he was dressed, he hurried to his mother's study. He quickly sat down and gently knocked on the door.

"Come in." Mizuko called out. Since it was still before the end of the school day she was working on her seals.

"Naruto? I thought that you were going to be coming in later." She stated as she noticed him walk in.

"Some kids didn't show up, so the testing went by faster." He stated nervously as he closed the door behind him.

She gave a curt nod and gestured for him to sit down. He quickly took a seat and handed her the scroll. Mizuko set it aside and carefully served him a cup of tea.

Naruto tried to relax but he wanted to know the results now and his mom was taking her sweet time making tea. Internally he was groaning in frustration.

Mizuko set down the tea pot, it was a light green teacup. It almost looked like jade and had been gifted to Mizuko as a set from Umi, Orimi, Makato and Yano, for her birthday.

Naruto was so worried and lost in his thoughts that he did not notice when Mizuko picked up the scroll and started looking over the results.

Mizuko quietly reviewed everything. The academy usually passed a class if they managed to get at least 60% grade. Mizuko decided that she was only going to pass the tests that were above than 70%.

They could always repeat the year. Another year of training would not hurt them. Because after that they would either ask their Jonin sensei or if they entered the Genin Corps they would have to pay to get taught by their Senior colleges. She would not mind paying but why pay when you have free teachers then.

Compared to the grades he used to get the final grade of his exam was not that bad. Maybe having to help his younger siblings study helped him retain some of the information. He got a solid 82% on the academic's portion. In taijutsu he had gotten an 87% and for his ninjutsu an 85%.

Sure he didn't get rookie of the year, but he ended up above average. Mizuko smiled as she set down the scroll.

Carefully she set a metal headband on the table. That quickly got Naruto's attention. He smiled and looked up at her in awe. "You did remarkable, I'll let Hokage-sama know that he can proceed on setting up your Genin team." She smiles and Naruto let out a yell.

He was on his feet immediately, he was holding the headband in both hands. "I did it! I am a ninja now! " He squealed in glee and immediately turned red when he noticed Mizuko saw that. " In three days you will need to report to the academy to meet up with your team. Remember you are technically a Uzushio shinobi. The reason we have permission to participate in Konoha's missions is because we are sister villages." Mizuko stated as she sipped her tea.

Naruto immediately forgot his embarrassment. "I'll remember. What time do I have to be there?" He asked. "8:00 a.m. , and please go completely equipped. I'm not sure what ya'll will be doing at that time." She says and he nods. "We will wait until your siblings get home from school, then we are going out to celebrate. I gave everyone the afternoon off." She says.

He quickly nods and excuses himself. He ran out of the study with a large grin. He had been worried for nothing. Everything had worked out.

He was so going to rub it in Karin-chans face! She always teased him saying that she would graduate first. See how she likes being wrong. He could not help the giggle and grin on his face when he imagined her dumbstruck expression.

He giggled excitedly as he hurried to his bedroom.
__________________

"Wha- no, no way! Naruto-nii actually passed?!" Karin stammered out as she angrily fiddled with her glasses.

"Sheesh have more confidence in me." Naruto smirked as he was showing off his headband.

Tadashi and Nanami were begging to try it on, but Naruto was to busy showing off his headband. "I figured he'd pass. See this is why I told you not to bet a month worth of chores." Ryuu shook phis head and Karin turned a bright red.

"It was not a month, It's a week of chores. This is extorsion!" She yelled as she stomped her foot and was impatiently tapping it.

"I checked the signed scroll and it's a month." Kenta laughed and Karin huffed again. "Whatever. Congratulations." She huffed as she took her loss. Her cheeks turned red in embarrassment.

Karin was pretty prideful so she didn't like being wrong. "Mom's calling she says it's time to go." Hisashi walked into the room. "Let us go eat! Ramen!!" Yukio squealed loudly.

Everyone was leaving the room, Naruto felt a little bad about rubbing it in as much as he did. He knew how Karin got when she was embarrassed or was wrong about something. Although he was right about showing off because she was the one that started the teasing, he felt a bit guilty about seeing her so upset.

"Don't dwell on it to much, you still have time to catch up. Ya know." He stated as he ruffled her hair. "You said you wanted to be a better shinobi than me, right? Well being a Genin is the first step. We have a long way to go before we are top rank ninja." Naruto gave her a wide smile.

Karin paused for a moment and smiled. "Ya well I'll definitely be a jonin faster than you. Just you wait, nii-san." She smiled up at him.

"Pfft, get through the academy first ..k-i-d" He grinned mischievously as he ran off . Karin turned a bright red immediately. "You Asshole!" She yelled as he vanished into the hallway.

"Sometimes he's great but honestly!" She grunted as she walked out of the room with her arms crossed.

______________

They were at the ramen stand. It was a tight fit and the three smaller kids sat with their mom . Mizuko had let Teuchi know that they were coming in for Naruto's graduation celebration.

Thanks to the amount that the kids spent there Teuchi had added an additional sitting area that could accommodate the large family.

She had also notified him so that he could have enough in stock. With the kids appetites they could go through a dozen plates each.

Especially Naruto and Nanami, they went through ramen bowls like they were inhaling it.

Mizuko was drinking a bit of soju. Sure she was happy that Naruto graduated and that he had become a full-fledged Ninja.

But she also had a pressing concern. Mizuko had spoken with the Hokage. She had been studying Naruto's seal under the pretense of checking the tracking seal. The reason was to make sure that it was safe to let Naruto become a ninja.

The seal would loosen and let through some Kyubii's chakra if his emotions were to heighten. After lengthy discussions with Jiraiya and the Hokage. It was decided that once Naruto gained Genin rank he would be told.

At night they would go speak with the Hokage about the seal and about Kushina's job as a Jinchuriki that he had inherited.

'That's going to be a tough conversation.' She thought to herself as they ate ramen.

______

Mizuko left a massive tip to Teuchi and his daughter because of all the trouble they caused. They were slightly out of breath from serving so many ramen bowls. She was pretty sure that they had ordered the whole menu twice. The amount due ended up being 2,005 ryo.

After paying they went home with a full stomachs. They all got home and enjoyed some cake that Mizuko had purchased. The younger kids went out to play while the older ones relaxed on the patio of the inner courtyard.

Mizuko tried to enjoy the peaceful afternoon, but she could not help but worry. When it came to the Kyubii she was at a loss. She could not help Naruto in anyway, he was all on his own. A possible training trip with Jiraiya was something that seemed to be a possibility as well.

After being with his team he would probably leave for some training. Mizuko sighed, Where had the time gone?

At around 9 p.m., she asked Umi and Miya to keep an eye out. That she would be stepping out with Naruto and that they would not come back until later in the night. The two young girls nodded and set their futons in the main living room of the temple. That way they were nearby in case anything happened.

Naruto was somewhat confused at why they were seeing the Hokage so late into the night. He figured that maybe he wanted to congratulate him, but was busy all day due to the graduation.

A lot of places were still open and the streets were still slightly crowded. "Was jiji busy today?" Naruto asked nonchalantly.

"Actually, he was. All his appointments ran him late today. That is why we are coming to see him now. He managed to squeeze us into his schedule." Mizuko nodded as she walked alongside him.

"Wait, he's still working?!" Naruto stammered. "Well of course, the Hokage position is a 24/7 job ya know." Mizuko laughed as they walked down the street.

"So like he can't take a break. But I guess that makes sense." Naruto muttered as they finally made it to the tower.

They had to go through a few security checks, but soon enough they were in front of the Hokage office.

"Hey Jiji!" Naruto called out as he half knocked on the door and hurried inside as soon as he heard the Hokage reply.

Hiruzen's desk was cleared off and Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly. "Hello Naruto, Mizuko-san, I was just getting finished with some paperwork. The secretary was brewing some tea and it is just about done." Hiruzen smiled politely as he got up from his desk.

Naruto nodded and quickly sat down on the most comfortable chair. "I'll pour the tea." Mizuko smiled as she took a seat as well and set up the three cups.

"So, I was notified that you passed your exam. Correct?" Hiruzen asked and Naruto immediately smiled.

"Yeah, I did. What sensei are you going to give me?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"Hmm, Who am I assigning to be your teacher. It seems to have slipped my mind." He hummed and Mizuko tried to hide her chuckle at Naruto's expression

"Jiji, You're going senile!" he gasped out and the Hokage laughed. "You'll find out the day of." He says with a chuckle. Naruto pouted and crossed his arms. Mizuko was to nervous to really talk much.

Mentally she was wondering how the Hokage would approach the subject. She was hoping that he would take it well.

"Naruto, Now that you have finally reached the rank of Genin. I think you are mature enough to handle more information on your parents. And your role as a shinobi here in Konoha." Hiruzen stated as he puffed his long pipe.

"More about my parents?" Naruto muttered in shock, Mizuko reached over and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Naruto glanced over at her and smiled. He took in a deep breath and nodded. " Jiji, if you think I am ready then I'll definitely hear you out." Naruto nodded and the Hokage smiled.

"Good, Now it is about the seal on your stomach. To be precise it's on your belly button." He stated and Naruto's hand instinctively went to his stomach.

"I have a seal on my belly button?" he asked as he turned to glance at Mizuko to see if she was surprised. He bit his lip and thought about it for a moment.

'Mama must've found out at some point. That's why she is not surprised.' He thought to himself.

"You're mother was an ambassador from Uzushio. Since the foundation of the village, Uzumaki have come to our village and been the retainer of the Nine tailed beast. The term to describe the job is Jinchuriki." The hokage stated.

"The nine tails retainer?" Naruto stammered out. "Yes, on your body you have a seal that holds one of the Tailed Beast. You're mother was the previous host. She was giving birth to you when the seal weakened and escaped. You were the only survivor in the sealing site." Hiruzen stated and Naruto took a moment t process everything.

"What does that mean for me?" He asked and Mizuko placed the cup of tea in his hands.

The warm cup calmed Naruto's nerves slightly. He slowly sipped on the tea as the Hokage spoke up. "It doesn't change who you are. But it does require you to master your chakra. The seal is intended to let you use the nine tails chakra in the future."

"There are also other people like you as well. Nearly every large hidden village has a Jinchuriki amongst their ranks. But it's not something you should be telling people." Hiruzen added.

"Jiraiya, and I agreed to help you learn how to control it." Mizuko stated as she handed the Hokage his teacup. "There are more people like me?" He mumbled.

"Yes, but not all of them are sane or in control of their beast. Mainly because of their subpar sealing techniques. And because of the destruction that the beast themselves cause Jinchuriki are often isolated in their communities." Hiruzen stated and Naruto immediately clammed up.

His eyes were wide. "T-They knew?" He asked in a whisper. "There was an intelligence leak, the Councilor Danzo Shimura used a disbanded ninja division to spread the rumors around. He was executed recently for his many crimes." Hiruzen stated and Naruto looked down in frustration.

He finally found out who had caused him so much pain and hardship as a child and the old fart is dead. Of course, he did not forget the name of his brother's kidnapper, he knew who Shimura Danzo was.

"Why wasn't he stopped earlier?" Naruto asked and Hiruzen sighed. "We were aware that there was an information leak. But we had no direct clues on who was the perpetrator. It was not until after his execution and many weeks of investigation, that we found all the evidence of the things he did. For what he did to you, you have my deepest apologies. We silenced it as much as we could at the time. " Hiruzen apologized to Naruto.

Naruto was quietly wiping the tears off his face. He was frustrated and upset. It was not nice knowing some old dude was trying to ruin your life since you were a kid. Worst part that you met the scumbag once and he also nearly took your younger brother. He wished he had said something to the old geezer. At least have pranked him once or twice.

"It's okay Jiji. Nobody messes with me anymore. It's more like they try to kiss up to us now days" Naruto says as he wipes his tears away and shakes his head slightly.

The Hokage chuckled " That's true. The Uzumaki clan has quickly become popular. They say that no one wants to fall out of favor with your clan. In fear that their shinobi family members won't have access to your clans seals."

Mizuko slightly smirked at that. People did look up to them now that they had more wealth. It was a bit annoying, but it beat the back handed compliments and gossiping.

Naruto nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that was what I was thinking too." Naruto stated with a nod. "And things will continue to get better for us. " Mizuko reassured him.

"Now, the reason why we have to tell you about the Kyubii is because the seal reacts to your emotions. We will have you work on that." Hiruzen stated.

Mizuko stayed quiet for most of the conversation. She listened to the Hokage explain what the Tailed beast are and what other jinchuriki were currently alive.

The topic varied as Narutp made sure to ask plenty of questions, but soon enough it was past midnight. Mizuko and Naruto thanked the Hokage for his time and left his office.

"I'm sorry that I didn't give you a heads up." Mizuko apologized as they were walking back home. "I don't know what you could have said that could've been a heads up. It was a lot to take in." Naruto muttered as they walked the empty roads. Every now and then they caught glimpses of ninja passing by on the roof tops.

"Well, At least we all study seals and we can help you if anything goes wrong." Mizuko stated as she walked alongside him.

Naruto stayed silent for a moment as they walked down konoha's street. He slowed down slightly as he walked. "Thank you." He muttered and Mizuko came to a full stop.

"I know it sounds weird but thank you. " He muttered as he came to a stop. Mizuko was confused for a moment as she looked over at him.

"You didn't have to take me in, back then. Even if we are from the same clan.... You never treated me differently, and even when you found out things you never said anything. Mom, thank you for giving me a chance." Naruto spoke up.

All his life he had wanted a family. When he had first met them, he had been ecstatic, but he had also worried that he would not live up to his new mom's expectations. But as the years went by, he realized that he did not have to fit in some expectation, and the more he found out about himself, the more he had come to fear that they would leave him.

But they never did, and he was grateful for that, because despite having the Hokage explain what he was and the responsibilities of a Jinchuriki. He realized the kind of burden he was carrying. He could understand why people feared him and the more he found out about himself the more he understood the villagers.

Mizuko smiled slightly and she reached out to him and pulled him into an embrace. Mizuko "Don't be ridiculous, we are family. Of course, we wouldn't turn our backs towards you" Mizuko stated.

She hugged him tightly for a moment. Naruto was quiet for a moment, but Mizuko could feel his shoulders trembling as he silently cried. Mizuko took in a deep breath as her eyes slowly swelled with tears.

Of course, he was scared, the Kyubii that had nearly destroyed the village was living in his gut. The Hokage had explained the seal to Naruto, and he had seemed fine when he was in the office.

But what kind of twelve-year-old kid wanted to be told that he had an evil demon in his belly button that killed his parents? A beast that could kill everyone he around him if it somehow escaped.

Mizuko held onto him tightly, 'it might be his burden, but i'll help him as much as I can.' Mizuko thought to herself as she held him in her arms. It was the least she could do for him.

The three days before the team meeting, Mizuko let Naruto sleep in and laze around the house.

When Kenta and Nanami complained about how Naruto was skipping out on some of his usual chores Mizuko waved it off saying she was giving him some time to rest before he started his ninja duties.

Although, the main reason that she let him do that was because she understood the mental toll of what Naruto had learned the day he graduated.

But he wasn't down for long. By the third day he was back to his energetic self.

"Good luck!" Hayami squealed as she jumped on Naruto's futon.

Naruto was busy trying to wrap his kunai pouch on. "Yamyam, when did you get in here?" Naruto asked as he finished putting on his Kunai pouch on and slipped on his orange jacket.

Mizuko had bought him a few ninja outfits, he had wanted a bright orange tracksuit, but his mom had not been willing to purchase it because of the bright colors. So instead she helped him pick out some dark navy blue pants that he could easily wrap with bandages and blue colored shirt with a orange jacket. Unlike the jacket that came with the tracksuit that he had originally wanted, this jacket was two shades darker and the material was a bit thicker.

He zipped up his jacket and slipped his Uzushio headband on before picking up his sister. "Goodluck big brother!" She grinned as she looked up at him with her violet colored eyes. She hadn't responded to his question, but she was like 3 and had very selected hearing, when it came to being somewhere she was not suppose to be.

"Thank you, yamyam-chan. "He grinned at her as he picked her up from his futon.

She squealed as he placed her on his shoulders'. "Now come on. My room isn't a playground." He stated as he walked out of the room, while ignoring how messy his bed had gotten from her jumping on it.

"Big brother is going to save all of the princess! Right!" Hayami squealed as Naruto closed his bedroom door and put a lock on it.

"Mmhmm." He nodded as he went over everything he had. "I be a ninja too, I'll be Hokage!" She giggles and he huffs. "You sure about that? Cause I'm going to be Hokage." He grinned as he walked down the hallway to the living room.

"Nah uh, I Hokage!" Hayami squealed loudly as Naruto carefully grabbed her and set her down on the floor.

"You have a long way to go." He grinned as he pat her head. Haymai smiled and quickly ran off in a fit of giggles.

"Well, here's your lunch." Mizuko called out as she pointed to a bento box on the coffee table in the living room.

Naruto noticed his mom and smiled. "Thanks." He muttered as he grabbed it. It was early in the morning and the only ones up were Hayami, Kaida, Mizuko and Naruto. Everyone else was still sleeping and wouldn't wake up for a few more hours.

"Stay safe, Okay." Mizuko stated as she stood by the door. Naruto nodded as he put away his bento. "I should be back soon. I think they are just assigning teams today." Naruto stated and Mizuko nodded. " That's what I heard too. But you never know." She sighed.

With a firm nod Naruto said his goodbyes and headed out to the academy.

___

Soon enough Naruto was in class listening to a substitute teacher call out the teams, Iruka had apparently been sent off to a emergency mission so they had someone else fill in for him.

Naruto was nervous, with everything new that he had recently learned he was worried on who his teammates would be.

He was really hoping Sasuke was not on his team, sure Mizuko had set them straight on letting them know what healthy boundaries were. He had a gut feeling that Karin would take this as a sign for true love.

His ill tempered sister had a thing for romantics, and with the amount of romance novels she was starting to consume, he felt that his worries were justified. 

Just remembering how she ran around the temple screaming at the top of her lungs about how 'Princess Gale and her loyal Samurai were meant for each other, and that they were her One True Pairing.'

Personally he couldn't understand, and it wasn't like Karin was good at explaining it. But she was slowly getting his other sisters and Kenta into it.

"Naruto Uzumaki, You will be on a team with Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno." The male teacher spoke up and Naruto glanced over at his two new teammates.

He looked over at Sasuke with slight annoyance, but he could not help the slight blush on his cheeks when he heard Sakura's name.

_____

Hello Everyone. Sorry about the 4-5 month wait. I have been through a lot recently and I had SEVERE AUTHORS BLOCK. But i'm over that now. I wanted to write more but imma take a hit of my BONG and finna chill for the rest of the night and I feel like if I continue to try and write more, imma have another authors block.

As for the reviews! thank you for them. Sorry for lying and saying I would post within  business days and waiting 2 months instead. The story is NOT dropped. I lost the notebook where I wrote all of the details and have been trying to rewrite it and lost alot of inspo because of it.

Gracias por leer, Voy a hacer un update pronto.

Love yall and the pairing has BEEN PICKED :)