Naruto Shinden
Naruto Shinden
Prologue
“Mom, is hokage-sama going to coming out soon?”
The small palm of a hand gripped tightly to the hem of the skirt fluttering by
his face.
Quietly, the mother looks up to the shrine dedicated to the gods on the hill.
Among the modest crowd on the piled sandstone was a meeting happening between
Tons of people had gathered at the foot of the hill just to catch a glimpse of
The air around the slope of the hill gently sways, making the thin smoke of an
For the 4,000 years of recorded history, the flame at the top of the hill
continued to burn even through the rainy days. The indelible flame is regarded
as a blessing from the gods and a curse from the devil, since ancient times
Eventually, as the fourth shinobi world war ended with the five great
countries in agreement of social peace, and once the rumors of the mysterious
flame that burned in the corner of a small country reached the ear of Kakashi
reveal of a large deposit of natural gas that sat beneath the hill. Natural
gas erupted from underground while the geothermal heat ignited the flame.
The heat from the never-ending bonfire caused a gentle breeze, shaking the
The 7th hokage and daimyo of the Land of Stairs came out of the temple exactly
at their scheduled time. Seems like the meeting went off without a hitch.
“Hokage-sama!”
“Seventh! Over here!”
“Do a rasengan!!”
In response to seeing the cheering crowd, the 7th hokage lifted his arm to
form a rasengan just as from behind, his escort from Konoha rushed to push
Naruto Uzumaki.
The Village Hidden in the Leaves’ top shinobi, the protector of the Land of
Fire, the young leader holds the position of 7th hokage. His hair a bright
He’s reaching his mid-thirties, but from his juvenile innocence, you’d never
guess.
It’s no secret that he’s the jinchuriki to the nine-tailed fox, but his face
looks closer to that of a racoon than a fox. His big eyes, nose, mouth, in
addition all moved well, making his expressions rich. It wasn’t just his
expressions that were flashy, it was every slight move he made, catching the
eye of the people all around you. He’s your average “smooth talker” type of
leader that pulls you in, but in his case, the love he gives breaks through.
Naruto stopped his feet suddenly in the middle of the staircase, narrowing his
eyes as he threw his gaze far off in the distance. He was sure that he’d be
able to see visible skyscrapers that were lined in the distance behind the
clouds from his view. The dull field connected to the foot of the hill
Since the natural gas underground could be easily obtained in the area, it
became widely used as a source of fuel for in the five great nations for
large-scale transportation, causing the Land of Stairs to rapidly develop.
Their Gross Domestic Product increased seventeen times over a decade ago,
There is so much money. What’s missing is tradition, and the story of a hero.
Waiting at the bottom of the staircase for the 7th Hokage were interviewers,
be able to get a feel for the Land of Stairs development like this, I’m glad
I came.”
After the hokage gave his comment, a shrill voice rose with “please come
again!”
As the hokage answered softly laughing, applause erupted from all over the
crowd.
aspiration. In particular, they had great confidence in the hokage, the leader
of the hidden leaf village. Over 10 years ago, this country, whose livelihood
assistance by the Land of Fire’s daimyo Madoka Ikkyu and the sixth hokage.
After passing laws for refining the natural gas underground, the country’s
total production per capita grew three times bigger than that of the Land of
Fire, and aid was discontinued. Though they never forget the support they
The more people like you, and the greater influence you have, the more enemies
you’ll inevitably have. At this time, the person who’d been asked to
profile as he continued with the media correspondence, Aze Yanaru narrowed his
sharp eyes. He was an assassination specialist shinobi, changing his
they’re alone, Yanaru often picked places conspicuous and visible to the
makes this possible is the use of shadow clones enclosing in a four-man cell.
With his kekkei genkai, Yanaru can share his stored accumulated memories when
his clone disappears, not only with his original body but with the rest of his
assassination.
His shadow clones, A, B, and C, all 3 of them placed and already aiming at the
hokage’s life. On the other hand, only three escorts were guarding the
hokage.
The bounty presented was enormous. If one were to succeed in this job, you’d
Yanaru looked at the crowd gathered at the foothill, taking a deep breath to
release his nervousness. The life of the seventh hokage for money. Something
One of Yanaru’s clones, A, hid himself in the thick leaves, aiming at the
On the path the hokage walked, there was a luxurious rug, dyed a luxurious red
from sappanwood dye. The root was clear, there was almost no open space
anywhere or blind spots in the perimeter, so aiming from there was a good
location. No doubt that Shikamaru Nara, one of the hokage’s right hand men,
would complain, but he persisted on by the side of the stairs, since this hill
“A” gripped a small firearm in one hand, reciting and confirming his plan.
400,000-watt high power (maxima laser) to attack enemies from a distance. The
intense heat from the laser instantly transmits from cell to cell, even if it
were to hit the tip of your hair, your whole body will heat itself in a few
He raised his face again, readjusting his grip. The questions from the media
are pouring in with rapid succession and without hesitation towards the
seventh hokage.
“Does the Land of Fire import gas not only from us but also from the Land of
Wind? I know that the Land of Wind has been closely tied to the Land of Fire
for a long time, but what do you think about the rumors that both countries
are trying to exclude natural gas from the market by favoring each other?”
“eeeeeeh? Who says that? The kazekage is an old friend, but negotiations
“No, no. We do import a lot of your gas, but we wouldn’t suddenly switch
Laughter erupted from the reporters. Whether it was natural or calculated, the
“A” checked his watch. It was decided that there’d been enough time to
cover the area. Soon, the hokage was to walk on that carpet made just for him
Aim there.
Licking his dry lips, “A” clutched the photon gun even tighter.
*whoosh*
“huh?”
Byi-i-in!
As it shook the air, the shot pierced the body of a tree. “A” was stunned,
The hokage should’ve been safe from any distance but for some reason he was
under attack.
When and why did they find out about this place? Who shot the beam? Where was
he? His thoughts still confused, he rammed his hand in his pocket ready to
fight back.
The leaves overhead sway as they fall down. The gloved palm of “A” held his
“eh....”
A man looked up, eyes sleepy, like the gaze like a goat. The face of a man who
“Kakashi Hatake-”
A kunai sank into A’s throat before he could finish saying the name. The tip
of the blade cut through bone and flesh, blood splattered onto the fresh
A puff of smoke.
As “A” disappeared, the memory of what happened right before he died flowed
into Yanaru’s body and the body of the others, “B” & “C”.
Kakashi Hatake. The man with listless eyes, at first glance he seems
ambitionless and naiive, shinobi are still deceived by this appearance even
while part of the five great nations. His face, the former hokage, is well
known, too.
Being the man who first sent a research team for the natural gas, he was no
less popular than the seventh hokage in the Land of Stairs. Despite this, none
of the people in the crowd noticed him, a sign that Kakashi is completely out
of sight.
After retiring from the 6th hokage title, he spent his days reading the news
from the paper and enjoys visiting hot springs as his hobby. However true,
he’s still on the scene, participating in security for the 7th hokage.
himself. Intimidation was the purpose. Since the opponent had no chance of
the reason why he let his head fall, to show the difference in strength, that
there was no room for resistance. “B” pulled his sweaty hand out from his
sleeve.
Easy does it. Stop shaking and looking upset. He got rid of his disturbing
“―――!!”
It continued on, he put his hands up to his neck as he were being strangled,
tiny gasps leaking out. “B” instantly clutched at the wrist of the unknown
“B” tried to kick back his left foot to somehow escape, but he missed. His
toes kicked up and ended up in the air, causing him to lose his balance. His
hunched body held in a firm one-legged hold by the woman, finally stopping
faintly feel something soft touching his back. She was a woman, after all.
The female ninja with Kakashi Hatake who was guarding the 7th Hokage. She had
noticing, with little room for them to resist her powerful strength.
......Sakura Haruno。
He was convinced she was the one who had gotten him (B),but couldn’t confirm
if his guess was correct or not. Without even a glance at her face, she
For Kakashi Hatake, he didn’t know a person who didn’t know Sakura Haruno’s
of them being a part of the 7th hokage’s security. In a face to face fight
die.
Five seconds passed since “B” vanished. Even if he no longer had his
He takes a deep breath and waits for the hokage to step in front of him.
A little more......
While everyone’s eyes were all on the hokage, he only gave his attention to
the masses of people, rather than to the other heroes of the Land of Fire.
Sasuke Uchiha――
He shouted with the gun’s barrel to the woman’s temple as the crowd screamed
and scattered.
Sasuke stopped the hokage in his tracks, stepping in front of him in defense.
How convenient. The photon gun had the power to shoot through seven men lined
up in a row.
The man went to lift his arm and point the barrel to Sasuke’s chest.
A laser emitted from the barrel pressed against her head, shooting through
BANG!!
“huh?”
“C” fell to his knees as he suddenly became lethargic, unable to stand up.
Genjutsu.
eyelids.
――POOF!
Kakashi Hatake, Sakura Haruno, then Sasuke Uchiha. Guarding the 7th hokage
was too extravagant today. Considering the strength of the hokage himself,
anyway.
The 7th hokage was suffering from a serious illness, one that had weakened his
combat power levels to that of the general public... according to prior gossip.
Hearing a story like this, you’d take it with a grain of salt, but it was
Yanaru stood stopped in the middle of the carpet, looking back at the hokage
“Hmm”
Naruto Uzumaki stopped mid-step, turning his worry-free blue eyes towards
Yanaru. These three days Yanaru had followed him, he had no doubts about his
security.
spot. He had a kunai ready to plunge into the hokage’s chest within his
sleeve.
With its tip wet with dangerous poison, he went for the kill. Within a
“......What a drag ー”
“Good grief, how time consuming. Are you the last of the thugs?”
“Ha”, Yanaru took a breath. Naruto’s palm sank into the pit of his stomach.
His thoughts start to fade white and hazy. He fell forward, supported by
Naruto’s arm.
The two young escorts behind Naruto stepped forward, supporting Yanaru’s body
He wasn’t to tell them to let go, but his throat was stiff, he couldn’t
The only thing that worked properly were his ears. He could hear the cheers of
the people. Apparently, the crowd of citizens were oblivious to the battle
His unconscious body was slowly dragged along, Yanaru was handed over to the
The 7th hokage responded with dignity to the cheers before him as he proceeded
up onto the boat seaplane’s ramp. Looking back at the crowd as he entered the
ship made the cheers grow louder. The 7th hokage turned back to a small
When the boat seaplane took off, the hokage moved from the staff and into the
interior of the ship, heading for his cabin prepared in the back.
making sure no one was watching before slipping into the room.
As he entered the cabin room, there was Naruto Uzumaki, rolling around on
“Hn!”
Both of his hands and feet were tied up and he was carefully gagged.
Naruto’s mouth screamed as soon as he removed the gag wet with saliva.
POOF!
Shikamaru, who had transformed into the 7th hokage had gone to the meeting,
“ The meeting was mostly on his requests. Gas importing prices remain
unchanged but price increases. So ,I don’t know, but there were assassins
trying to shoot at you. After all of this, replacing myself with you was the
“......what?”
“I don’t want this to get out. Who do you think we were guarding?”
and his original body. The clones were handled by the security team. His
original body was captured by my shadow possession and handed over to the Land
of Stairs. I hope his employer can talk his way out of this one.”
In response to Naruto’s bad feeling, three figures come down from the ceiling
boards without a sound. Kakashi Hatake and Sakura and Sasuke Uchiha, today’s
As Naruto looked at all three of their faces, he dropped his head, looking
down.
Chapter 1
Part 1
This period was extremely hectic, new regulations going into effect overlapped with a meeting of all
five kage. Off and on for a few days now, my state of health had been declining. I felt absentminded
and
negligent with a slight fever, I thought it was due to my being sleep deprived since I hadn’t been
sleeping at all.
“Naruto, this is bad. Is it possible for you to put out another shadow clone?” Shikamaru entered the
hokage’s office late that night, past 2 am with horribly dark bags under his eyes.
” At the last moment, the intelligence institute’s chakra researched progressed. That in itself is
good news by the grace of god, but thanks to the change in figures for the conference, almost
everything
“oh――......”
The numbers on the spreadsheet software irritate his eyes. He leaned back into the back of his chair,
repeatedly blinking his eyes as he formed a seal (hand sign). The usual.
――In that moment, a severe pain, as if his body was tearing itself in two, penetrated through to the
「Ah-AH......!?」
「Naruto!?」
Naruto collapsed forward, hitting his head loudly on his desk while his knees fell to the floor.
The pain disappeared within a moment as it came in waves, leaving him with just a lingering
numbness.
What was that just now? It was a pain he had never experienced.
Once more and slowly this time, he tried crossing his fingers into the seal.
POOF!
“there......you’re out......”
The clone imitated Naruto while teasing that “it didn’t seem so painful”, all while slapping
Naruto’s shoulder.
“Do you have high blood pressure? ... All you eat is ramen”
“............”
The two of them quarreled, Shikamaru’s facial expression was cold as they motionlessly and fixedly
With this current administrative system, Shikamaru knew that the burden of currently being hokage
was
too great. Amendments were frequently being submitted to the daimyo, but their opposition to
anything
Despite this, it was painful not to say he needed a rest. For starters, being hokage meant being the
top
position in a “shinobi village”, which is responsible for the national defense for the Land of Fire.
As it should be, but as the era of war grew older over time, the whole country has grown dependent
on
shinobi, the power of the hokage growing proportionally as well, regardless of their intention. Yet so
the shinobi village was the head of the military, so to speak. They were their own administration. As
such, the hokage position is extremely delicate, it greatly relies on the discretion of the individual,
Shikamaru handed him over some kanpouyaku (Chinese herbal medicine) the medical team had
compounded.
He swallowed it, drinking an energy drink as it went down. He had forgotten the pain that ran
through
With his son Boruto, they were in the training grounds at dusk. The five kage conference was over,
he
was watching over his training. Filling in for his master who couldn’t come for a while.
Boruto threw shuriken four times in a row, flying cleanly while spinning as each one pierced the east,
It was shuriken and kunai training, which Boruto was not good at.
“Isn’t this more of Sarada’s thing in our team? It’d probably be better to leave shuriken to her,
you know”
“You too. When you become a shinobi, you won’t always get to team up with your same team.”
“I mean- I just don’t know how to get it to curve. Are there any tips or tricks to it? A trick?!”
Tricks......
“A little”
“......wh-what?”
It was like moving your hands and feet, an unconscious action. He couldn’t find the words to
verbalize
As Naruto grew happier, with all his heart he ruffled Boruto’s blonde hair which was standing on
end.
Boruto moved his body out from Naruto’s hand, shrugging his shoulders. Despite acting like he hated
“Alright, back to training. Dad’s going to make obstacles with earth style, so this time try to hit
“heh, heh”
Naruto clasped his hands together, his usual go to hand seal when building up chakra.
*heart thump*
Suddenly his heart has rapidly beating. The deep pain he remembered spread deep into the back of
his
chest.
“――――~~~Hh!!”
As not to scream out in pain, Naruto clenched his teeth.
He held his chest, trying deep breaths. Boruto who was turned away from Naruto was unaware of
anything
happening.
“Boruto......this is bad”
Naruto desperately concentrated his strength to his shaking throat, disguising himself as calm.
Before he could, Naruto kicked up at the ground. He leaves the place at such a high speed it looked
like
he just disappeared.
The training grounds were surrounded by forests meant for practice. Running through the trees,
Naruto
It wasn’t normal.
*heart thump*
A tremendous pain spread throughout his whole body, forcing Naruto to dramatically slam on the
ground.
He tried to pull himself together, digging his nails into the dirt, but he couldn’t find the strength
「Gu......h!」
Crawling, he managed to escape through an aviary in the forest. It was built a long time ago to raise
messenger hawks and was active up until the shinobi world wars, but it hasn’t been used for many
years
now. The walls that had been exposed to rain and winds were close to collapsing. Naruto had leaned
against the wire mesh for support when a screw fell loose. The chain-link buckling under him as it
sent
The inside of the shed was terrible. Old feathers stained by rainwater scattered throughout left a
strange odor. Naruto crawled his way through on the floor scatter with rotten sawdust and into the
It’d be unlikely that any one from the village would see him in such a figure. The miserable figure of
the 7th hokage who should be able to protect the village. He was almost certainly anxious.
“Guuh、ah、ah、Aah......h!”
A wave of severe pain rushes and spreads throughout his whole body.
Squeezing in through the pain little by little were never-ending spasms that welled up within his
body.
“Ku......u、......hu、hu ー u......”
He slumped has back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling where boards were missing as he let
out a deep breath. In the meantime, the pain went away. His face was a mess of sweat, tears, and
saliva.
He intended to just monologue, but there was a reply back in his head.
――If your vessel was yelling like that, you’d wake up too.
He could hear Kurama’s voice clearly now, even though he had a habit of waking up moody.
――Surely, I was thinking someone had attacked us... Naruto what the hell happened
Naruto stood up with his hand on the wall after wiping his face with his sleeve.
“just, every time I try to form a hand seal, my chest suddenly hurts......”
――......signing a seal?
“Yeah. It happened as soon as I tried to form a seal, both this time and the last time.”
――Naruto.
“investigate?”
Yes...
―― When the Sage of Six Paths stayed in the country of Redaku, he had the same symptoms. At the
time, it seemed to be cured somehow... Naruto, I don’t know if that’d be the case with you.