New Leaf

9

Naruto felt the pull of his ancestors one morning when he was meditating. "Follow the pull, the Uzumaki Clan has always been on the spiritual side, they had special bonds with any descendants," Kurama murmured, he had felt it too. Naruto walked to the tip of the boat and he could see it, the jagged rocks of the Land of Whirlpool. Neji woke up soon after to see the incoming island, he turned to Naruto who seemed to be in a conflicted amount of information.

Suddenly the brown-haired male was taken aback by Naruto shedding tears. "What's wrong Naruto?" He turned the blonde's face to him but Naruto was now looking through him. 

"I can hear it," The blonde croaked. "I can hear the downfall of my people." 

Neji's eyes widened as Naruto turned back to the island. He knew this was Naruto's walk to take so he didn't interrupt him, choosing to hold his hand in quiet support as Naruto endured whatever his ancestors chose for him to hear. The boat settled on shore and it was immediately that they had a lot of work to do. The ruins were preserved, even Neji could feel it, the seals still in place after so many years of holding up and waiting out for a descendant to take over. Naruto stepped on the island and the seals shattered. 

"Blessings to the royal heir!" Was the resounding chant as the island became alive with spirits. They appeared as blue-tinted people, peeking out from the corners to gaze at the descendant that came back. 

An old woman's spirit walked forward, she vaguely resembled someone Naruto knew he had seen somewhere in his life. 

"That's your mother's mother, your grandmother," Kurama filled in the blanks, and Naruto couldn't believe his eyes. The old woman smiled at him. 

"I sense you carry the Tailed Beast my daughter once carried." 

"I'm your daughter's son," Naruto's voice trembled. He had always wanted a family, it was partly why he was hell-bent on finding his way to the Whirlpools. He found his family in Neji but his ancestral ties were important to him as well. Staring into the face of his grandmother, the sight of the ruins he truly understood what he had missed out on due to a disaster of the other nations. 

The rage consumed him. He wanted revenge. 

"Kushina certainly had that gaze you now wear," The woman commented. "We all feel your anger dear but please know we aren't angry anymore. We aren't sad. Our people, our culture, our pride, and our joy have been wiped from this world. But we are still out there, we are still connected despite our motherland being in such a state." 

A tall man approached. "Uzumaki-sama find our divided people, and carry them under your arms." 

Slowly all of them gathered. 

"Only those of the royal bloodline can have intact spirits for so long, one by one all the others hanging on, waiting for someone to come and hear our message dissolved overnight," It was coming from a child's mouth but she had obviously developed mentally as the years passed on the ruined society. 

"We know it's quite rude to be so forward-" 

Naruto held up his hand. "You don't have to apologize for being rude. I understand your desire to get everything out as soon as possible but I have a wife who has needs. I'm currently heading to the Hidden Mist to get rid of a cursed seal. I know I will have to brute force my way in to get information but if you all can tell me what to do to get rid of it I will carry on this legacy." 

Neji hid behind Naruto as eyes turned to him but Naruto pulled him from behind and took off the band covering his seal. The royal family peered at the seal for a moment before nodding after a non-verbal conversation with each other. "Call me Rukia for now dear," The old woman spoke. 

"I'm Naruto and this is my wife Neji," Naruto was quick to introduce and soon the other members of the royal family allowed their names to be uttered from their mouths. "Can you help us?" 

"We can help you but how great is your wife's pain tolerance?" Nori, the little girl was quick to answer but before Naruto could answer Neji stepped up. 

"I can handle anything so long as you get rid of it." 

He wouldn't let this all be in vain just because it was going to hurt. Neji knew better than anyone else that Naruto would fight to find a painless situation. He turned to his husband who looked displeased. "I will be fine Naruto, we can't come this far and stop because pain is an obstacle. We want this off before I have to head back." 

"In all honesty I rather you be here with the spirits than back at the Leaf," Naruto mumbled but he wasn't going to object, he would heed his wife's calling. He turned back to his ancestors. "Please tell me how to set it up and lend me your wisdom." 

Rukia and Nori were the ones to guide him through setting up the seal while Akuma and Todoro the two tallest men in the royal family talked to Neji about what he should expect to feel. Off to the side, the others of the royal family who had not stood out observed the descendent keenly.

"He shows great promise," Nalu remarked, her eyes filled with calculations as she gauged how far Naruto will most likely go. 

"Far enough to fulfill our final wish?" Nabari commented as she held her kimono sleeve to her mouth in an effort to hide her expression. 

"Even as a dead woman, you're still so skeptical, how typical," Primrose scoffed. "He will be sufficient in his endeavors. With our wisdom backing him he's bound to conquer." 

The Uzumaki family was one of matriarchy as evidenced by the pure royal blood members being all female. If Kushina had stayed then she would have given birth to a pure Uzumaki but that wasn't to say Naruto was disadvantaged. Naruto's father was probably the best match Kushina could find in a foreign land and should it ever become a hindrance they had ways to deal with that bump in the road. 

Nori came from behind and sighed. "For the time being please refrain from your comments, he can hear you." 

Naruto didn't turn to them but they could see his ears perked in their conversation. 

"We have nothing to hide, if you hadn't noticed we're dead, the best he can do is leave the island," Nabari shrugged. "I'm so tired already, such a drag."