Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. It's owned by Masashi Kishimoto. This story is an adoption from devilzxknight86's Namikaze of Cloud.

Please note: this story is heavily modified that only a few ideas are from the original. No bashing. The Konoha Civilian Council is one of the original ideas and a mistake here, but it would be remedied in a future chapter.

Summary: A ripple impacted and changed the future in this manga universe when Hiruzen Sarutobi accidentally revealed Naruto's lineage to the public. This changed the canon story course we know about. A second ripple further changed the canon story course when Hinata and Naruto were both kidnapped by Kumo.

Would this turn out better or worse?

Beta: AnarionRising27

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Book One – Namikaze of Cloud

Konoha October Tenth, Hokage Office

The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi was sitting on his desk wearily reading the damage reports caused by the Kyuubi no Kitsune that happened a few hours ago. Konoha had lost the young Forth Hokage Minato Namikaze and many of the fine and brave ninjas. It would take years for the Leaf village to fully recover.

There were too many questions and little answers surrounding the Kyuubi's Attack. What really happened during Kushina Uzumaki's labour and what caused the fox to be released when the ANBU security detail, his wife Biwako and Taji were all murdered? Kushina's labour was classified, and only a select few people knew it. The entire information he had available didn't add up, and certainly a critical piece of information was missing. Sadly no one there in the first place was alive and could tell the tale.

Hiruzen wished Minato could have told him what really happened before he dropped Gamabunta on the Kyuubi to stop another deadly Tailed Beast Ball and left and performed the Eight Trigram Seal to seal the Kyuubi on his son before he died with his wife Kushina.

Thinking about the couple's son, the Third Hokage immediately shifted his attention, casted this question aside and stood up to look at the cradle next to his desk, he would think about the incident later.

The baby was sleeping peacefully in his cradle. The Third Hokage witnessed and would never forget the dying moments of Minato and Kushina, and their parting words to their son. Despite being the most powerful shinobi with the moniker The God of Shinobi, he picked up the baby in the cradle looked at him with sad eyes.

"I'm very sorry Naruto, you just lost your parents and you were born hardly an hour and have to bear this terrible burden, I truly am… but I swore to your mother I will protect you."

There was a knock on his office door, it was his secretary. "Hokage-sama, the council is assembled. They are waiting for you."

The Third let out an exasperated sigh. He already knew the tiresome civilian councillors would be there, courtesy to Danzo Shimura, and he already knew what they wanted to talk about. After calling ANBU Dog to look after the baby, Hiruzen started to walk to the council chamber.

"Let's get this over with."

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Konoha Council Chamber

"The demon must be killed now!" Jiro Matsumaru, a civilian merchant-councillor, who lost much of his properties and businesses, shouted to the approval of the civilian council. "We must finish what the Fourth starts!"

Fugaku Uchiha remained silent watching the exchanged shouts and heated arguments between the civilian councillors, just as most of his fellow ninja councillors watched the whole comedy. The Uchiha clan was ordered not to engage the Kyuubi by the village leadership. Some population, however, had begun to think the mighty Uchihas was cowering in fear during the Kyuubi's attack. The Uchiha clan head later learned the idea was from Danzo- that old war fuck.

He would have a talk with the Hokage about this, not now, lest the council degraded any further, but the Uchiha could not stop glaring at the old cripple during the meeting. That war hawk neither noticed it nor cared about it.

Fugaku had been a good friend with Minato, and his wife Mikoto was also one of Kushina's two best friends, they also knew about Kushina was going to labour. Upon learning Kushina's death, Mikoto grieved for a while, but she had pulled herself together for their two sons' sake.

Hiashi was Minato's good friend too, and his twin brother Hizashi was the Fourth Hokage's best friend. The Hyuuga clan head also knew about Kushina's secret and her royal lineage. His wife Hitomi was Kushina's another best friend, but the Uzumaki had slightly better relationship with the Hyuuga matriarch due to the Hyuuga clan's political connection, because Kushina was the secret princess of the Land of Whirlpool.

The Land of Whirlpool was later integrated with Fire Country as a province when Whirlpool Country fell in the Second Ninja World War. Kushina had tremendous political power in Fire politics as the Whirlpool's rich resources contributed the Fire Country's tremendously, not to mention the Whirlpool province was a strategic trade and transport hub.

Hiashi could not help but felt saddened that Minato and Kushina had sealed the Kyuubi and died saving their son. This made their son- Naruto the third Uzumaki to have the beast sealed within him. Hitomi was devastated when she learned of her Uzumaki friend's death. The Hyuuga husband had to comfort her for their unborn daughter before coming to this council meeting.

The council chamber room opened, everyone stood up to greet their village and military leader. Hiruzen sat in his seat looked around the council and began to address the councillors.

"We suffered enough today. As you have already known that Minato died sealing the beast into a child-"

"NO! That baby is a weakened version of the Kyuubi no Kitsune!" The whole civilian side and some minor clan heads erupted before the Hokage hadn't finished his sentence yet, they refused to believe the baby was the jailor. "Otherwise how come he has those whisker marks!?"

"SILENCE!" The Hokage roared. "Don't you interrupt your Hokage again, or I will summon Enma to personally bat you over the village wall. Minato sealed the Kyuubi into the boy and it was his last request that the boy is viewed a hero for holding the Kyuubi."

The civilian side erupted in anger thinking there was no way the Yondaime would actually want the child alive, more ridiculously viewed as a hero.

Jiro was more furious, and he even slammed his fists on the table. "Kill the beast before it finishes its job!"

Sakiri Haruno on the civilian council agreed with him. "Yes! THAT THING took Minato-kun away from us!"

The female councillor was angry and upset, because secretly she had a big crush on the Yondaime since he started to get the moniker Konoha Yellow Flash knowing that he would be great and she was right: Minato eventually led Konoha to victory in the bloody Third Shinobi World War and was hailed as the greatest war hero and later became the Fourth Hokage. But secretly she just wanted to have a big piece of his glory and to ride on his success and status, never worked a good thing herself to earn, as she believed she was entitled to live. Now her chance was taken by the damned Kyuubi.

The shouts and arguments abruptly stopped when a bandaged man raised his hand. "I have a better idea… Let me have the boy. I'll personally train him to be Konoha's best weapon to ensure this village's supremacy over the world."

The destructive battle between Hashirama Senju with his Mokuton and Madara Uchiha with the Kyuubi which created the Valley of the End could not truly gauge the Kyuubi's power, but the sheer destruction on the village by the Kyuubi alone tonight had demonstrated how magnificently powerful the beast was. It was definitely stronger than the Hachibi many had witnessed in the last war. The Kyuubi was indeed the most powerful superweapon and this was too great to pass it up.

"Danzo…" Hiruzen angrily narrowed his eyes looking and suspecting the war hawk's true intention. Before he spoke to the Darkness of the Shinobi and calmed down the civilian councillors, someone interrupted him again.

"What? Are you insane? Kill the monster before its power fully returns!"

To the horror of the Hokage and the major clan heads, these civilian councillors were now screaming for the baby's public execution to appease the whole Konoha population. This madness was getting out of control, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up from his seat and hammer-fisted his table.

"ENOUGH! FOR KAMI'S SAKE! IF MINATO AND KUSHINA'S SON DIES THEN THE KYUUBI WILL BE RELEASED!" He flared a huge amount of killing intent to silence the council. To this, the chamber became so deadly quiet that even a pin could be heard dropping.

The major clan heads remained quiet the whole time, the Hokage's outburst confirmed their suspicion: the jinchuuriki was indeed Minato Namikaze's son. It all made sense, sadly. How could Minato ask any parent to offer their child if he couldn't do the same? He was a Hokage, after all. A great leader earned respects by leading with examples. On the other hand, most of the clan heads had their baby children born this year. They shivered on the thought what if Minato came to order them their child to become a human sacrifice.

The civilians never thought about the parents of this "demon boy." Up until now the thought of where the boy came from was not their concern, and he should die for all their care. Many paled just thinking about the betrayal they would be doing to the Yondaime Hokage by executing his son, but others shuddered thinking about the beast being released.

'Shit, shit, SHIT! What have I done!?' Hiruzen couldn't believe his slip of tongue. There would be severe ramifications as what other hidden villages would do when they learnt Naruto's lineage, particularly Iwa, Minato had many powerful enemies there.

'Now I can't put Naruto in an orphanage that will expose him to his parents' enemies…' The Third Hokage certainly would not trust Danzo or the civilian councillors, after seeing how much trouble they had caused him out of ignorance and greed. The Professor knew fools and greedy thieves when he saw ones, and he looked at the councillors and immediately knew many of them wanted to use the boy to take advantage of his revealed status and inheritance.

"Yes, it's true, Kushina Uzumaki was pregnant with Minato's child. After the war they married and went to Snow Country for their honeymoon with Hiashi and Hitomi." The Sandaime acknowledged with a sigh.

Hiashi Hyuuga stood up and spoke. "Indeed, they and Hitomi and I went to Snow Country together for our honeymoon. Minato thought it would be fun to have company."

The Hyuuga clan head chuckled fondly remembering Minato and Kushina jokingly warned him not to use his Byakugan to look into their room. The civilian councillors were shocked to hear the war hero of Konoha who single-handedly decimated an Iwa army in a matter of seconds and got married right after Leaf emerged victorious.

"NOO! That can't be true!" Sakiri was in complete denial. She slammed her hands on the table while remembering the redhead tomboy. "The Tomato? Of all girls WHY her?"

Everyone knew she hated the Red Habanero for some reason, but no one knew why.

"Lord Hiashi, how do you know this piece of information?" A civilian councillor asked.

"The Fourth Hokage asked me about a wedding ring for Kushina. I am his friend and I know the best jewellers after all. Now what I see here is that the civilian councillors do not understand fuinjutsu, but they think themselves better than the Yondaime, who was a renowned seal master. Not to mention they take Naruto as a Kyuubi in human form or scapegoat for this tragedy, which I find completely ridiculous."

Hiruzen sighed heavily and again rubbed his temples. "Well, I can't place Naruto-kun in the orphanage. Jiraiya was appointed Naruto's godfather but he can't perform this duty now because his spy network is urgently needed right now. I need him to do counterintelligence around the world that Konoha is still strong after the Kyuubi's Attack. The last thing we want now is showing our weakened state and invite an attack from another hidden village."

Everyone nodded- the Toad Sannin's spy network was invaluable during these circumstances. It kept them one step ahead of their enemies for Konoha's defence.

"Now I have to choose which clan Naruto Namikaze will live in for his protection and well-being," the Hokage announced a guardian candidate for the son of the Yellow Flash and the Red Death.

"Wait! Why a clan? Why not a civilian foster family?" Sakiri asked. The ambitious civilian councillor still had a chance for power, status and wealth despite her Yondaime Hokage was now gone. Minato's boy was at the same age with her niece Sakura, and she could manipulate the two to get together. 'The fortune, the power, and the prestige…. It will be mine and he will be great with my niece once I teach her how to control him...'

Shikuka Nara just sighed in annoyance. "Troublesome, you think a civilian can handle any decent chunin-level threat? Besides, you were calling for his death not fifteen minutes ago and refused to accept the Yondaime's wish so why should we trust you?"

Danzo raised his hand again. "Then put the boy into my care. I can train him to protect himself against his father's enemies."

Hiruzen shot him a glare. "How can I trust you when you invited the civilians into this ninja matter?"

Hiashi stood up again. "Hokage-sama, please let me adopt Naruto. Minato was my friend, and Hitomi and Kushina were best friends as well. I don't have a son, but I promise to treat him like a son."

Fugaku stood up too. "Hokage-sama, please let me take care of Naruto. My two sons will accept Naruto as a brother."

"Hmm…" Hiruzen was in deep thought while rubbing his chin. It took him a few seconds to make the decision.

"I have no doubt Fugaku-san and Hiashi-san will take care and love Naruto-kun, but I think in the long term and politically the Hyuuga clan is more suitable to take care of Naruto due to Kushina's royalty status. She was the princess and the ruler of the Land of Whirlpool. Now Naruto-kun is the heir of the Uzumaki and Namikaze clans and of the Land of Whirlpool. Hence, I would like Hiashi-san to teach the boy etiquette and politics when he grows up. He will need them when he dons these mantles and takes his parents' inheritance when he reaches 17 or chunin, whichever comes first."

Fugaku frowned, his wife would be very happy to look after her best friend's son, but the Sandaime's reasons were logical, and he couldn't argue against this. Although the Uchiha clan was a clan of elite ninjas, he had to admit those Hyuuga bastards were better in the fields of politics and manners.

A civilian councillor raised his hand. "What is this Uzumaki clan? I never heard of this clan until now."

"Me neither." Another civilian councillor said.

Hiruzen realized the civilian councillors didn't know about the red-haired clan. He decided to teach them about Kushina's clan. "The Uzumaki clan is the cousin clan to the Senju clan, and also the ruling clan of the destroyed hidden Whirlpool village and the Land of Whirlpool. They helped the Senju and the Uchiha clans to establish Konoha with precious resources, fund and their powerful fuinjutsu, through the Shodaime's wife who was the Uzumaki heiress at that time. Hence the Uzumaki clan is the unofficial third found clan of the village, so they share the equal status and prestige with the Senju and the Uchiha clans."

"Wow," many civilian councillors were amazed at this revelation.

Out of the five shinobi superpower villages, only Konoha was the best in the seal arts after the Uzumaki clan's village, Uzushio, was destroyed by the combined attacks from Kiri, Kumo, and Iwa and some minor hidden villages due to the fear of their powerful fuinjutsu. The hidden Whirlpool village was outnumbered ten to one, but her ninjas were still able to inflict large enemy casualty and unbelievable kill ratio. Only a few enemy ninjas survived to tell the tales. The spiral mark on the back of the Konoha flak jacket was the Uzumaki clan crest: a remembrance of Konoha's friendship with Uzushio.

'WOW! Heir of a state, heir of two powerful clans, Forth Hokage's heir and also a Konoha heir. This boy will certainly become very powerful in everything!' This made Sakiri more determined in her quest for power and wealth. 'Those wealth, power and prestige, I WILL have it.'

The Hokage looked at the Hyuuga clan head. "Hiashi-san, please make sure Naruto-kun being treated well. I will make an announcement about him tomorrow, and if your people attempt anything…."

"I will show them no mercy." Hiashi stated in a serious tone. "Minato and Kushina were our friends. I will do my best to ensure their son has a happy life."

"Good," the Hokage smiled at the Hyuuga clan head's promise, he stood up from his chair and everyone followed suit. "This meeting is over, good night everyone. Hiashi-san, please come with me."

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Hokage Office

After watching the Hyuuga clan head left with baby Naruto in his arms escorted by his Branch house bodyguards from a window, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up at the frames of the four Hokages on the wall.

'Sensei, I hope the slip of tongue would be a blessing of disguise in favour for your last descendant...' He thought wearily before grabbing some sake from his drawer. He would have a good amount of it and rest for a while before resuming this tiresome paperwork duty.

Just as the Sandaime took some sips from his cup, there was a knock at his office door, and he bristled. He already knew who it was and what they wanted to talk about privately, despite the meeting was already over.

"Enter!"

The door opened and revealed the expected three village elders- Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.

"The meeting is already over, what else you want to talk about?" The Sandaime asked sharply.

"Hiruzen, you really need to reconsider about the boy for the good of Kono-" Danzo pleaded.

"Do all of you forget what Mito-sama told us about being a jinchuuriki to the Kyuubi no Kitsune?" Hiruzen looked at them with critical eyes.

"You really DO, don't you? To counter the Kyuubi's hatred and to prevent the seal from breaking, the jinchuurikis need to fill themselves with love. Your 'special training' will one day backfire horribly! And my decision is FINAL!" The God of Shinobi smashed his sake cup on his table. The three elders couldn't retort, and they left the office without a word.

Danzo scowled, his rival won this round. However, the Konoha's Darkness secretly swore one day he will get his weapon, the Kyuubi.

'This is not over.'

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Uchiha Clan Head's House

Mikoto was pleased that Itachi helped to look after Sasuke during the Kyuubi's Attack, and now she was watching the two boys sleeping while waiting for her husband to arrive home. There was a soft sound came from the house door.

"I'm home."

Mikoto knew whose voice it was and quickly walked toward the source. "How was the meeting, darling?"

"Same as always: tiresome, and love to quote from that lazy bastard: troublesome." Fugaku answered in a joking manner and Mikoto giggled. "By the way, Kushina's son Naruto is now at Hiashi's custody."

The news made the Uchiha matriarch's eyes widened.

Fugaku looked dejected. "I had tried to adopt him, but the Sandaime gave the custody to Hiashi due to Kushina's royal lineage. I am sorry, Mikoto, I know you would love to look after your best friend's son..."

"It's all right," Mikoto placated her husband by hugging him. "As long as Naruto-kun has a happy life and we can always visit him. Don't stress yourself too much, darling. How about we visit Naruto-kun in Hiashi's house tomorrow?"

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Hyuuga Clan Head's House

Hitomi, Hizashi, and his wife Hannah holding their baby son Neji were sitting in their house waiting for Hiashi's return from the council meeting, but they were surprised Hiashi returned home with a blond baby.

"Brother, who is this baby?" Hizashi asked curiously.

"He is Naruto- son of Minato and Kushina."

Hizashi's eyes widened, this baby was his best friend's son.

"He is so cute, just like Neji-kun when he was born!" Hitomi squealed. Hizashi and Hannah smiled appreciating their sister-in-law's remarks.

"Honey, let me hold him," Hitomi held out her hands out waiting her husband to give her Kushina's son.

The Hyuuga matriarch held Naruto lovingly as if he was her child. The pregnant Hyuuga smiled with sadness and shed a tear. The baby's face reminded her of her best friend Kushina and her passing. Much to everyone's surprise Baby Naruto's hands reached out towards her swollen tummy and gripped her maternity clothes tightly. Hitomi gently patted the baby's back and her tummy and smiled looking at her husband.

"It seems Naruto-kun knows our daughter is very pretty and cannot wait for her to come to this world," Hitomi giggled again. "I wish they can be good friends."

All four Hyuuga adults smiled.

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Next Day

A funeral was held for those who perished in the Kyuubi's Attack, including the beloved Yondaime, Kushina, and Biwako. The Konoha villagers grieved for their beloved Fourth Hokage's ultimate sacrifice.

"But there is a hope! Our Fourth Hokage left us his legacy- his son Naruto! Minato used his son to stop the Kyuubi from destroying our village and Naruto should be considered a hero!" Hiruzen told the public.

"WHAT!?" The revelations shocked many but could understand and they would honour the Fourth Hokage's wish. Being the son of a Hokage was pretty much like a prince in Konoha. Everyone rejoiced to hear that the Yellow Flash and the Red Death had a perfect son.

"Naruto Namikaze will continue his parents' legacy and can bring a bright future for the village!" A villager said and everyone nodded and cheered.

Hiashi also made an announcement to his clan with the Hokage present in the clan meeting. The Hyuuga clan would be honoured to raise a powerful heir of a state, clans, and to a Hokage and Konoha, and the benefits it would bring to the Hyuuga clan, to appease those elders.

However not all of them accepted this, a few days after the announcement there was an attempt on Naruto's life. A Hyuuga Main house elder activated a Branch house nanny's seal and was going to juken-strike the baby's heart. Fortunately, Hiashi had stopped it in time when he heard the nanny's scream and killed the elder.

The attempt was not out of blind hatred, the elder didn't lose any of his family members in the Kyuubi's Attack. The Hyuuga clan head suspected if it was greed and glory for killing the "demon" along with the political power inside the Hyuuga clan and the village.

This incident incurred the Hokage's wrath, who was seriously considering transferring Naruto's custody to another clan. Hiashi, fearful of the repercussions in many ways, begged the Hokage for a second chance. He promised to have a Main house member he fully trusted to look after Naruto when Hitomi was unavailable.

The Sandaime gave the Hyuuga clan one more chance before again criticizing the Hyuuga's Caged Bird Seal practice harshly.

Later in his office, Hiashi Hyuuga was thinking about the wise Sandaime's and the intelligent Yondaime's negative views on the curse seal. He thought about his branded twin brother Hizashi, who was put into the Branch house, and the sibling bond with him was destroyed.

He pondered about this traditional Caged Bird Seal. 'Is this juin-fuinjusu truly for the good of the Hyuuga clan?'

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December Twenty Seventh

This month was rough for Hiashi and his wife Hitomi. The Hyuuga matriarch gave birth to a healthy girl whom they named Hinata.

Baby Naruto was right two months ago: Baby Hinata was pretty. When Hinata was put in her crib, the baby boy in Hiashi's arms looked at the baby girl and started to chuckle in a baby voice.

"You like her, don't you?" Hiashi joked and patted Naruto's back lovingly. The clan head put little Naruto into Hinata's crib to see what the boy would do. All the Hyuuga adults watched in awe. The two babies smiled to each other and were trying to hold each other's hand.

In the next morning, the Hyuuga adults were surprised when they looked at Hinata's crib. Naruto and Hinata were sleeping peacefully, but Naruto's red baby wristband, left by Kushina, was now held by the two babies' hands.