Blood of the Broken, Scars of the Spiral (there are whirlpools in our veins)

Chapter Four

Propaganda is a soft weapon; hold it in your hands too long, and it will move about like a snake and strike the other way.

-Jean Anouilh

//

"Don't be unreasonable, Hiruzen," Danzo said, "His use of the Kyuubi's chakra at such a young age is unprecedented. Not taking advantage of such a thing would be nothing but wasteful."

Hiruzen sighed, a familiar feeling of aching tiredness gnawing at his throbbing temples.

The entire day had been a mess.

First, he'd had to deal with the matron of Konoha's orphanage screaming at him because Kakashi had murdered one of her charges and threatened another two dozen of them and now he'd spent the last hour arguing with Danzo about the fact Naruto had clearly used the Kyuubi's chakra in front of far too many witnesses for him to to 'quiet things down so to speak, and his old friend was practically foaming at the mouth to have the little boy enlisted into his shadow ANBU– or at the very least, have him start training.

"Enough," he interrupted before Danzo could continue, placing on his mask of authority. "I will not be changing my mind about this– and don't think you can make him disappear," he warned, voice threatening. "I will not overlook his disappearance, Danzo, and you will not like my response."

Danzo's mouth curled into a frown, symbolizing his displeasure. "You're making a mistake." He said. "You're allowing your sentiment to get in the way of making our village strong."

'You're getting weak,' the words hang in the air, unspoken but there.

In response, Hiruzen smiled the all too plastic smile that he had been wearing quite often these past few years, "In this past month alone I've had six children killed for their attempts to murder Naruto," his smile thinned, "My sentiment for our village's youth does not stop me from doing what has to be done. But I know better than to try and force a child who is too young into training."

They weren't at war and Naruto had more than enough suffering ahead, what was the harm in letting him enjoy his childhood a bit longer?

"Very well," Danzo's eyes narrowed as he dipped his head. "But you can't coddle him forever, Hiruzen. He's not a child, he's a weapon."

"Yes, he is a weapon," Hiruzen agreed, though doing so made him sick to his stomach, "But he is still a child."

Naruto was of Uzumaki blood much like the Kyuubi jinchuuriki before him, but he was different.

Naruto would be the first jinchuriki that was truly a child of the leaf.

Naruto would be the first jinchuriki that belonged to them.

"He is both," Hiruzen corrected. "Which is why he requires extremely careful handling."

The corner of Danzo's mouth curled up in the ghost of a small, satisfied smile.

"As you say, Hokage-sama," he nodded, and Hiruzen's smile became more genuine, knowing that Danzo would be agreeing with him for now.

"If you are still looking for a project, however," he said, "Kakashi is becoming something of an... inconvenience of sorts."

Danzo raised an eyebrow, face settled into an expression of amusement, "We'll have Inu taken care of."

Hiruzen smiled, "Thank you, my old friend."

//

Hiruzen was wrong, he would not realize until much later but Uzumaki Naruto was never a child of the leaf.

He is a hurricane, a whirlwind of chaos, wind, and deep waters. For a hurricane leaves destruction in its wake, and tears down all that try to cage it.

For walls crumble and tree roots blacken but oceans.... oceans endure.

Let them know there is power in a name and that Naruto's name means 'maelstrom spiral.'

He is a maelstrom, a maelstrom is a whirlpool, and a whirlpool is always constant, always raging, always moving, always dangerous, always alluring.

Let them hear, that this is a child of prophecy and promise. With blue, blue eyes like the sea of his ancestors, and that he would be bright, bright, bright.

He would show mercy to the innocent and thwart hell upon those who harmed the people he loved.

Let them fear his name, a name older than the Elemental Nations themselves, a name that carved terror into the hearts of their enemies and placed family above all.

Let them remember their failures and their mistakes. Recall the dying children and starving mothers, recall their pained cries.

Let them be worried when they realize he is as selfish and possessive as the sea. As angry and protective as the oceans that call him home.

Naruto is his mother's son, always has been, and will always be a child of Uzushiogakure.

Humanity is a fickle thing, but the ocean remembers, and she will call her prince home.

A/N

Hi! This is a relatively short chapter, but it sets up the story. It doesn't really fit with any chapters I have planned but I wanted to give y'all a quick look at Konoha politically.

We're not quite at the Uzushio content yet but we're getting there I promise.

And oooooh I have plans, so buckle up we're going for a ride.

If you couldn't tell I don't like Sarutobi Hiruzen. He made a lot of bad decisions politically and I hate hate hate how he let D*nzo get away with everything.

This story isn't going to be very Konoha friendly and if that makes you uncomfortable then I'm sorry(?)

But anyway how was your day, did anything interesting happen.

Remember that you are loved and appreciated and have a nice day/night :)

Disclaimer

I do NOT own the Naruto series (I can only dream), it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I own only my original characters and the plot.