The Heir to Nazerick

Chapter 1

Ainz Ooal Gown cursed his own curiosity as he starred at the seal matrix that kept him confined within the bars that was now his prison, which unfortunately for him, looked like it was located in a sewer of some sort. The Elder Lich just had to be drawn to the commotion outside of the Great Tomb of Nazerick, which was now situated deep within a massive forest which was ironically located in the center of the massive village known as Konoha. His only company being that of the giant fox like creature that had been attacking the village only moments ago, which was now curled up in the far corner of their cell, drained of it's power temporarily as a result of the sealing.

Bemoaning the fact that he had arrogantly refused the aid of his loyal servants that had shown great desire in accompanying him, and had even left his treasured staff within the tomb, feeling he didn't need it. With great hubris, he had thought himself untouchable. However, he had learned that the power of a literal god could very well touch him. A lesson he had learned at a great price. Though, it was probably for the best. If any had joined him on his outing, they too, would have been sealed within the boy.

Letting out a small sigh, the lich continued studying the sealing array. While he was no master in the strange art of seals this world had, he was knowledgeable enough to understand it. Having spent the last few years looking in on the inhabitants of the village the forest his home resided in. Namely, the villages leader and his wife, combined with his own existing knowledge with the use of magic circles. Ironic that he would also view their last moments on the mortal plane, before finding himself sealed within their own child.

From what he could decipher from the sealing array, he knew there was little chance of escape. At least not anytime soon. Furthermore, it appeared as if the seal was designed to siphon the chakra from the beast behind him, as well as his own power, since he too was now a prisoner within the child. As such, at the rate his power was being drained from him, he calculated that he had nine to ten years before he was completely drained and then, well, it wasn't something the lich really wanted to think about right now.

"So, that is how it is then." He surmised with a sigh, turning away from the bars. 'Ironic that my own pride would be my downfall.'

Growing curious as to what was going on in the outside world, the skeletal mage waved his bony fingers in the air before him, summoning a large flat circle to appear before him. Focusing his magic, he viewed what appeared to be a large room filled with various individuals. On one sided, Ainz recognized the heads of the various clans that called the village home. Opposite of the Clan Heads were a punch of pathetic and weak looking individuals, which the Overlord of Nazerick had identified as the Civilian Council of the village. A bunch of ignorant fools that were only concerned with stuffing their own pockets.

Lastly, an elderly looking man of below average height with a gaunt face stood at the end of the large U-shaped table, flanked by three similarly elder looking individuals, two male and one female. Still dressed in his dark gray shinobi battle armor. His helmet sitting on the table, exposing his receding gray hairline and a similar gray goatee adorning his chin. Various wrinkles marring his aged face with some liver spots, showing the years he has seen throughout his life. In his arms, a blonde baby boy that was soundly asleep, despite the ruckus exploding around him.

Council Room

A multitude of voices echoed within the room as nearly the entire council on both sides attempted to talk over one another. Emotions still high from the Kyuubi attack that had transpired not even two hours ago. While the council members argued amongst one another, Hiruzen, with a heavy heart, pondered what to do. He knew he would have to reveal the deaths of both Minato and Kushina, as much as it pained him to do so. Though his biggest dilemma was how to approach the little boy he now held in his arms. The son of both Minato and Kushina, and the new Jinchuriki of the Kyubi.

In his dying breath, Minato had told the elder man that the villagers would see his son as a great hero for holding the Kyubi's wrath a bay. However, Hiruzen didn't share his predecessor's optimism. While he believed in the 'Will of Fire' within the village, he also wasn't so blinded by it that he believed the populace would ignore the deaths of loved ones. Knowing all to well how pain and grief can cloud ones visions.

Not to mention, revealing the boys burden also contradicted Minato's own instructions of not revealing his parentage until it was determined the boy was ready and capable of defending himself, due to both of his parents numerous enemies. This also meant that he couldn't even reveal the boys heritage to the council either. Meaning as far as anyone else was concerned, young Naruto would simply be an orphan from this evenings attack, as much as it broke his aging heart to do so.

Letting out a sigh, he turned to his former rival and gave a subtle nod, as the bandaged elder strikes the floor three times with his cane, catching all the occupants attention as they began to quiet down and settle into their seats, looking to the four elders at the end of the table expectantly.

"It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the passing of both Minato Namikaze, and his wife Kushina Uzumaki, as such, I reluctantly take up the mantle once more as Hokage." He announced in a somber tone, earning a series of gasps from various members of the council, namely the shinobi side that had greatly respected the two.

Numerous members of the civilian council silently cheered for the passing of the Yondaime, as the man was becoming a thorn in their side in the ways they had conducted their business, shrinking the power they had claimed as their own during the Sandaime's time. While some of the more vain female members of the civilian council felt a perverse sense of justice that the red haired whore had finally gotten what she deserved for stealing Minato away from them.

"Kushina died due to injuries she sustained while battling the Kyubi no Yoko." Hiruzen explained, merging fact with fiction, knowing it would be folly to reveal that the late Uzumaki woman was the previous container of the giant fox. "While Minato sacrificed himself to defend his village and his home, exemplifying what it means to carry the Will of Fire."

"And what of the Kyubi?" The mummified elder man inquired, his lone eye lingering on the sleeping infant in the former Hokages arms. "How was the Yondaime able to defeat the demon?"

Hiruzen mentally cursed Danzo as he looked around the room, seeing that the old war hawks words had caught everyone's curiosity, forcing the recently reinstated village leader to reveal the infants burden to these fools. Prompting him to narrow his aging eyes at the bandaged war hawk.

'What are you planning, Danzo?' He mentally pondered, before he let out a tired sigh as he braced himself for what he was about to do. He could only hope Minato, Kushina, and even young Naruto would forgive him someday.

"With no other option available, Minato was forced to seal the Kyubi into an infant child, born this night." The Third Hokage informed the council members with great reluctance. He had vainly hoped that he could keep the child's burden a secret from all, but Danzo had forced this revelation. "This is Naruto Uzumaki, chosen by Minato himself to keep the Kyubi at bay with a burden the boy never asked for."

As the elder man had expected, the room erupted into pandemonium as members of the civilian council began to demand that the child be killed, to finish what the Yondaime had started. On the other side of the table, many of the clan heads kept silent as they contemplated the revelation they had been given, with the exception of one particular clan head who now narrowed her eyes dangerously at the Sandaime Hokage.

"We should kill the demon child now while it is weak!" A far councilman from the civilian side shouted, earning a series of agreements from his fellow council members. Some of which even began to detail gruesome ways they could perform the child's execution, much to the disgust of the various clan heads. Especially Tsume Inuzuka, whom was a fierce mother first and clan head second.

"Enough! We will not execute an innocent child!" Hiruzen called out leaking out a considerable amount of killer intent, causing the entirety of the civilian council to sink into their seats while shivering in fear at the potent amount of blood lust emitting from the reinstated village leader.

"And I hereby decree right now!" The aging village leader continued, emitting even more killer intent then previously, causing even some of the more battle hardened shinobi in the room to sweat under it's pressure. "That any who speak openly of Naruto's burden shall immediately forfeit their lives, hence forth!"

"You can't do that!" Another member of the civilian side exclaimed. "We of the council do not approve of such a needless law."

"You forget councilman, I am the Hokage of this village!" Hiruzen rounded on the ignorant fool, focusing his killer intent on the man. "Know this, Councilman Sato, this is my village and you are merely an advisor to me, nothing more."

The now identified Sato dropped into his chair, gasping for air as he felt the full effects of the aging shinobi's killer intent focused on him. Either due to fear or intelligence, the man wisely kept his mouth shut.

"What shall we do with the boy then?" Inquired Hiashi in a stoic manner.

"You should give the Jinchuriki to me, Hiruzen." Danzo calmly stated before Hiruzen could reply to the Hyuga clan head, displaying little emotion in his voice. "I shall see to it personally that it receives the proper training and conditioning for the great good of Konoha."

"You mean so you can strip him of his emotions and turn him into a weapon loyal only to you, Danzo." The Sandaime accused his rival with narrowed eyes, prompting the war hawk to grip his cane in irritation.

Hiruzen was well aware of the fact that Danzo had ran a black ops ANBU unit known as ROOT that was used for more darker missions not for the feint of heart that were not on the official books. While officially, ROOT was allegedly disbanded under Minato's orders, Hiruzen wasn't entirely convinced that Danzo had completely did so. Mainly because the old war hawk and complied with the order far too easily when the Yondaime had issued it.

"The Inuzuka clan will take the pup and raise it as our own." Came the voice of Tsume Inuzuka.

"Absolutely not!" Exclaimed Fugaku, the clan head of the Uchiha clan. "The Uchiha clan will not stand idle and allow your clan of flea-ridden mutts to raise that….thing. I for one agree with the Civilian Council, the child must be neutralized before it becomes a threat."

Hearing this, Tsume along with her canine partner growled at the Uchiha member in a threatening manner whilst the various councilmen on the civilian side celebrated the fact that an influential member of the Shinobi Council had taken their side and had given weight to their words. Though there were quickly silenced by another dosage of killer intent.

"So what do you plan to do with the child, Hokage-sama?" Inquired Hiashi, head of the Hyuga clan. For the most part, the man was impartial to the child's burden as he had enough to contend with at home, with his wife being eight months pregnant with their first child. As such, his clan elders were already making plans for his heir, much to Hiashi's displeasure.

Hiruzen frowned slightly.

He desperately wanted to allow Tsume to raise the young boy, knowing that under the Inuzuka's banner, young Naruto would be well taken care of. However, Fugaku had already made it clear that the Uchiha clan would not allow it, and since their clan made up the entirety of the Konoha Police Force, it would spell non-stop trouble for him. While it was not openly stated, it was a position Fugaku could exploit if pushed. The last thing the elder village leader needed was a civil war breaking out within the village because of a single clan throwing a hissy fit.

"Young Naruto will be placed in an orphanage along with the other orphans from tonight." The Sandaime stated with a sigh, remembering all the lives lost this evening, before turning his attention back to the council members once more, hardening his gaze. "And I remind you all, any mention of Naruto's burden is punishable by death, regardless of station. This meeting is hereby, adjourned."

Slowly, one by one the council members departed the room. Some of the civilian council were shooting the reinstated Hokage a dirty glare for his decision to defend the demon child, while others were beginning to scheme various ways to circumvent the decree the Sandaime had just instated. Until, only Hiruzen, Tsume, and her partner remained in the room.

Slowly getting up from her seat, Tsume slowly stalked towards the elder village leader, Kuromaru just behind her. Her sharp and feral eyes locked in on the infant surprisingly still asleep in the elder mans arms.

"Something I can help you with, Tsume-san?" Hiruzen inquired as he sat down in his chair for the first time this evening, allowing the strain and weight of the evenings events to fall off his shoulders.

"That's Kushina's pup, isn't it." It was more of a statement then a question. "I can smell her on him, as well as Minato's scent."

"I….I can not say." The elder man fumblingly replied, avoiding the feral woman's eyes. Even though he knew the Inuzuka woman didn't believe him.

"Why?" She asked.

"Why what?"

"Why are you keeping his heritage a secret?" Tsume inquired, earning a tired sigh from the elder man.

"You know better then anyone else how many enemies both Minata and Kushina have made during the Third Great Shinobi War." Hiruzen explained. "Besides, Minato gave explicit instructions that Naruto-kuns heritage should remain hidden until certain conditions are met. Upon becoming a Chunin, he will be informed that Kushina is his mother, and given his inheritance from her. When the boy either turns eighteen, or becomes Jonin, his father will be revealed to him, along with his inheritance for the boy."

"Then why won't you let me adopt him?" The feral woman asked. "You know how close Kushina and I were."

"Because as heartless as it sounds, I can not risk the village falling into a civil war over a child." The Sandaime stated in a somber tone. "You saw how Fugaku reacted when you first offered, and with the Uchiha clan serving as the back bone of the villages police force, it puts the village as a whole in a very delicate position."

Silence hung between the two for a few seconds as Naruto stirred slightly in his sleep. Tsume could see where the elder village leader was coming from, having to think of the village as a whole instead of just the desires of a few.

"I can't allow you to adopt him, as much as I want to." Hiruzen said, looking to the feral woman. "But, at the same time, I can't stop you from looking out for him either."

Catching the elder mans implications, Tsume grinned a little before looking down at the sleeping infant.

"Can I hold him?"

Smiling, Hiruzen gently placed the slumbering infant into the feral woman's arms. A feeling of relief upon knowing that someone close to the boys parents would truly care about the boys welfare. The old war veteran was no fool, he knew that some way or another, the council would leak the boys status. Either through circumventing his law, or by using a sacrificial pawn. The only thing he could do was prepare for the inevitable and do his best to look out for the boy.

Mindscape

For the first time in a long time, the elder lich felt disgusted.

While the Overlord would proudly bare his sins before all to see, the one thing he could honestly claim is that he had never targeted a child, let alone an infant only hours old. Unlike the despicable sacks of filth that made up the Civilian Council, whom seemed to take great pleasure in detailing the various ways they could end the infant boys existence. Then there was the Uchiha clan head. From his time observing both Minato and Kushina, the lich had gained an immediate dislike for the man. His desire to take the mantle of Hokage from Minato, perferrably from the Yondaime's corpse, before claiming Kushina as his own was clear from the start. Even now, Ainz could see the hatred that still churned within Fugaku.

Turning his attention back to the scene before him, he watched as the Inuzuka woman cradled the boy he was now sealed within. A look of adornment prominent on her face as she held the boy. Prompting Ainz to feel a sense of appreciation for the woman. He knew very well that the feral woman held an almost sister like relationship with the boys mother. There were only two other women in the village that could rival the Inuzuka woman's friendship with the Uzumaki woman, and that was one Mikoto Uchiha, and Yugao Uzuki, Kushina's best friend with the latter being the woman's former kenjutsu apprentice.

'Ainz-sama.' A voice sounded in the lich's mind, a voice the Overlord knew quite well. 'Is everything alright? You've been gone for hours.'

"Everything is fine Sebas."Ainz replied after a few seconds of silence; surprised that his communication with Nazerick was still open, though he could feel it's magic weakening ever so slightly. Weighing his options as he continued to watch Tsume cradle his container. If he told them that he had gotten himself sealed inside a child, he knew his servants in Nazerick would raze what was left of the village and potentially kill the child in order to free him from his binds. Both Albedo and Shaltear surely would without any hesitation.

'I see.' Came the reply of the head butler of Nazerick. 'Will you be returning soon then?'

"No." The Overlord responded as he turned his attention to the sealing array on the bars. "Inform the Floor Guardians that I will be absent for the next few years."

'Ainz-sama?' Sebas questioned, clearly confused.

"Something has come up that requires my full attention." Ainz replied, though in a sense it was not a lie. "I entrust Nazerick to you."

'Very well, Ainz-sama. It will be done.'

With that, Ainz cut the communication, letting out a sigh as he did so. He trusted Sebas to carry out his final orders to perfection. He always has.

"You didn't tell them the truth." A deep voice rumbled from behind the lich, prompting the skeletal being to turn towards his cell mate.

"The only thing that would have accomplished would be getting the rest of this village destroyed along with the child we are sealed within." Ainz commented.

"So the kit dies, so what." The fox commented apathetically. "With his death, we gain our freedom and this village will be nothing more then a scorch in the history books."

"So you think. So will my Pleiades think." The Overlord stated before gesturing to the seal that confined them. "But the way that works, aside from the boy drawing on our power, it also binds our souls to his. Meaning if he dies, we die."

"And if one of us were to die in here?" The fox inquired in a threatening manner as it stood to it's full height.

"Then our power surges through the child." Ainz answered, unphased by the foxes intimidating size. "And should that kill the boy, then we die anyways."

Hearing this, the kyuubi merely scoffed before laying back down in it's selected corner. Curling up into a ball, using it's tails to cover it's face.

"Regardless of your bluster, I know you do not wish death upon the child." The Lich continued, calling the fox out on it's bluff. "You owe too much to Kushina to allow that to happen. Either way, the boy will need us, both of us, as he grows older."

Unknown to Ainz, a lone tear rolled down the giant foxes cheeks as it silently mourned the passing of it's best friend, by it's own hand. On the other side of the cell, the elder lich pondered what to do in the coming years.

Eight Years Later

It had been eight years since that fateful night, and as Hiruzen had expected, someone had leaked Naruto's status as being the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi almost immediately after the council meeting that night. Councilman Sato had been the sacrificial piece the various other council members had used and manipulated into revealing the boys status amongst the shinobi forces within the village, and true to his word, the Sandaime had the man executed in front of the entire council. Once again reiterating that such actions will be result in their execution, before reluctantly adding that the offending parties entire family would suffer the consequences as well. A move that even Hiruzen's former team mates were thrown off by.

With that action alone, the elder village leader was able to ward off any future slip ups of young Naruto's status, at least for the time being, though he knew the damage had already been done. Parents were already keeping the children away from the blonde boy, and some of the more ignorant civilians would form mobs on the boys birthday to hunt him down in what they loved to call a 'Fox Hunt'. Which had put the Sandaime in a precarious position. He couldn't execute all involved, otherwise it would cripple the villages economy with the sheer about of fools involved with each years Fox Hunt. So, he had settled for a personal compromise by executing the ring leaders of the mobs in front of all involved, before heavily fining those remaining and sentencing them for an extended time within the villages prison.

Fortunately, this seemed to help as over the last few years, the amount of people involved with these so called 'Fox Hunts' had reduced sharply, not to mention the fines levied against the other participants had created a massive financial cushion for the boy, ensuring that young Naruto would not have to worry about money for years to come. Though, did that really make up for the years of abuse the poor child already had to endure?

Letting out a sigh, the elder village leader pushed himself up off his chair and stretched his back. Having enough of the endless amount of paperwork that piled up on his desk. Moving away from his desk, Hiruzen peered out the window that over looked the village as the sun began to set below the horizon.

'It's that day again.' He thought grimly. 'A day that should bring a child cheer and joy, only brings Naruto-kun fear and pain.'

With another sigh, Hiruzen moved over to a pedestal that held a lone crystal sphere and channeled his chakra into the ball, focusing his mind on the lone individual he wished to check in on. Though as the image became clear, the elder mans heart sank once more as he watched a mob of civilians chase the eight year old boy through the streets.

"Neko!" He called out, immediately a cat masked ANBU with purple hair appeared behind him in a kneeling position. "Secure young Naruto-kun and dispose of the mob as you see fit."

"Understood, Hokage-sama." Neko stated before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

Once the purple haired ANBU departed, Hiruzen couldn't help but to feel a great swell of pity for the fools once she got there. The elder man knew how protective she was over the child, which was exactly as to why he had sent her. As it was, Neko was one of three of his ANBU he could reliably assign to watch over the boy without worry. The other two being Inu and Weasle, both of which were indisposed of at the moment, leaving only Neko.

Later, Mindscape

Naruto groaned as consciousness slowly came back to him.

Looking up as he regained his bearings, he realized he was in a sewer of sorts, filled with water about four to five inches deep. Letting out a sigh, the young boy pushed himself up out of the water and stood up, taking a moment to take in his surroundings. Noticing various pipes running along the walls, most of which were a dull gray color, though two stood out the most. A purplish/blue colored pipe and a fiery red colored pipe.

"Great, not only do they beat me up, now they are throwing me into sewers." The boy grumbled as he began to look for a way out.

"Come forward, boy." A voice echoed off the walls, startling the poor blonde.

"Wha-?"

"All paths lead to here, child." Came another voice.

With no other option, Naruto began to follow the voices instruction. Choosing a pathway, he followed it until he found himself in a massive room with a massive gate sealing off half of the room. Upon the bars, a large piece of paper with the kanji for 'seal' shown prominently on display.

"What is this place?" Naruto asked out loud to himself.

"This, is your mind child." Came his answer from behind the bars.

Turning to the voice, the blonde let out a yelp in fright as he saw the skeletal form of Ainz standing behind the bars.

"Who-who are you and what do you want?" Naruto shakily demanded, earning a small chuckle from the lich.

"I am Ainz Ooal Gown, soon to be former Overlord of the Great Tomb of Nazerick." The elder lich introduced himself.

"Nazerick….I know that name." The blonde mused, his eyes becoming unfocused for a moment as his mind seemed to recall memories that were not his own. "Albedo, Entoma, Lupusregina, Narberal, Shaltear, Shizu, Solution, and Yuri. I know their names and their faces, but I don't recall meeting them."

"That's because you are viewing my memories child." Ainz chuckled, as the boys reaction had just proven another theory he had about the seal that kept him and the fox confined. "It seems the seal that keeps my cellmate and myself confined is not only siphoning our power, but also our memories. Or mine at the very least."

"Wait, what do you mean your cellmate?" The blonde inquired, picking up on the fact that the skeletal person before him made it know that he was not alone in his prison.

"Stop hiding back there fur ball, and get up here." Ainz commented, looking over his shoulder into seemingly a random corner of the cell.

After a few seconds, movement could be heard in the darkness before a massive silhouette came into view, causing Naruto to stumble back before falling on his ass, splashing the water around. Before the boy stood the massive form of the fox that terrorized the village only eight years ago.

"You-you're the…."

"I am the Kyubi no Yoko." The fox boomed, before the giant beast hung it's head in shame. "And I am the reason you are hated, kit."

"So, the Yondaime didn't kill you like we were taught." Naruto mumbled slightly as his mind was reeling from this sudden revelation. "Instead, he…."

"It is impossible to kill a Biju, kit." The fox explained in a saddened tone. "At best, one can only hope to restrain us."

"But why me?" The blonde asked, clearly hurt. "Why did he have to chose me? Why not someone else?"

"Your father couldn't ask something of someone if he wasn't prepared to do the same himself." Ainz stated.

"What?" Naruto snapped his attention to the lich. "My father? But Ji-ji said he didn't know my parents….unless he was lying to me."

"Many secrets have been kept from you child, though none have been done so lightly." Ainz explained. "The Sandaime Hokage has kept your heritage from you as per instructions from your father for your own protection, I however, am under no obligation."

"Can you tell about my parents, Ainz-ji-ji." The blonde asked hopefully. "Did they love me?"

"Kit, your parents loved you more then life itself." The fox stated, chuckling lightly as it recalled how excited it's former container was when she learned that she was pregnant. "I swear, Kushina nearly drove me insane with how often she would talk about you. She had insisted that you were a boy from the start, Minato had made the mistake to suggest otherwise, and well, it did not end well for him."

"May as well get comfortable child, we have much to discuss to prepare you for the coming years." Ainz commented, catching the boys attention.

"What do you mean?"

"I am naming you, the Heir of Nazerick."