All he could feel was pain. It was everywhere and threatening to drive him insane. He couldn't move or even breathe, each small gasp for air rapidly depleting his lungs. Everything around him was black, with splotches of red here and there. There was no sound; he couldn't even hear his own breaths. He knew he was still conscious somehow, or maybe he was already dead. He wasn't sure, everything had happened too quickly for him to register it all. He remembered trying to protect some civilians from the Kyuubi, and putting up a decent fight, but after that…nothing. He supposed he was dead, for that was only thing that could explain why a bright white light was starting to fill in the darkness.

The light filled the space he was in, illuminating his features. He blinked one onyx eye and wished he could push some bloody strings of his silver hair away from his face so he could see better. Suddenly, the pain began to fade and he found he could move again, his head turning from side to side slowly. All he could see was white, and still had no idea how it had gotten there. Was he at the hospital? No, he'd already told himself he was dead; he could affirm that much from the fact that he no longer needed to breathe anymore. Slowly, he started to rise up, being careful with his slightly numb body. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since he died if his body was this stiff. He forgot about that a few seconds later as he looked up, a look of astonishment on his masked face.

"Greetings, little one."

Kakashi just blinked, unable to comprehend the being that was in front of him. It was huge, almost fifteen feet tall and was decorated with various beads and rosaries, like ones he'd seen on a monk. He could see it was a woman from its bulging breasts, but it wasn't human because it skin was colored bright blue. It looked down at him with piercing eyes, seeming to bore into his very soul. Kakashi wasn't sure what to make of it, and just waited for it to speak again. It chuckled, the laugh reminding him of bells. One of its hands was brought down, and he stepped onto it, watching as the thing lifted him up to eye level.

"You seem confused."

"D-did I die? If so, then this must be where I get reincarnated, right?"

"Yes, but you will not be reincarnated."

Kakashi just stood there on its palm, his eyes closed in a thinking pose.

"Then…Either I'm in Nirvana or you have something special for me to do back on Earth."

"It is the latter. You were not supposed to die, Kakashi. It was too early for you to go. Buddha has decided for you to have a special role in the fate of the universe."

"A special role?"

"Yes, you will be reincarnated, but this time you are an observer; your job will be watching over an orphaned child. This child will have a big impact on the shinobi world. He will be the one to change the future for ninjas forever."

Kakashi just stared, shocked at what he had just heard. Amitabba didn't give him any time to think about it though, as he felt himself falling through air. Looking down, he saw that he was falling through clouds. He was speeding down faster and faster through the sky, the colors suddenly changing from golden like the sun to blood red, like it was before he died. She must be transporting me back to Konoha. The speed of his descent started slow down, then stopped completely as he reached the ground. He was at least a hundred feet below the village and could see the death and destruction the Kyuubi had brought. Various buildings were toppled over, debris littering the streets and alleys. Bodies of shinobi and other civilians littered the street, their corpses still spilling out blood and entrails. Kakashi was thankful he currently didn't have his sense of smell.

He felt a stinging pain in his back and turned around. He gasped as he saw a wing, made of white feathers and about four feet long, protrude from his left shoulder blade, blood dripping down the sides onto the ground. He winced as he felt another sharp pain, this time from his opposite shoulder, and saw the wing erupt almost instantaneously. What the hell? I'm a guardian angel now? Kakashi thought, his wings now flapping behind his back, trying to keep him afloat. It took him awhile to get used to his new appendages, testing them out in the air a few times before he was confident he could control his movements. Diving down into the chaos, he gasped as he saw his old body, most of it crushed and bloody beyond recognition. Staring at it reminded him of Obito, whom had died only a few years back. Two Jonin, Asuma and Gai were standing over it, lamenting on the loss of their comrade.

"Now we have lost the Hokage and Kakashi in one day…"

"Indeed, my youthful friend. It seems that fate does not smile on us this day."

Kakashi flew in front of the duo, to show them that he was still alive, but they didn't even notice him. Odd, am I invisible? He shoved his hand in front of Asuma's face, in order to get a reaction, and saw that the appendage only went hurried on, watching as the two carried his previous body away. He sighed, hoping to find someone whom he could communicate with. After flying around for a few minutes, he heard the soft warbles and coos of a baby. Speeding toward the sound, he saw a crying Naruto, the seal still burning brightly on his blood and gore covered body. A dead Kushina was lying to him, her face locked in a permanent smile. Kakashi resisted the urge to cry, the pain and sight of the scene before him making him feel sick. He floated over to the infant, hoping to calm the child's warbling down, but then remembered he was all but a ghost in this life.

Kakashi sighed, sitting down next to the child and folding his wings behind his back slightly. As he went to touch the boy, he felt Naruto's hand grab his index finger, the warmth of the child's touch surprising him. Naruto giggled as he wrapped his hand around Kakashi's, the dead shinobi's masked face twisted in an expression of shock and happiness. That only lasted a second though, as Naruto began to cry, shaking his hand back and forth.

"Hm? What is it, Naruto-kun? Oh boy…this is going to be difficult enough as it is!"

Kakashi mumbled, unsure of what he should do. If he carried out the child, certainly someone would see and freak out at the sight of a floating infant. It was bad enough the kid was considered the Jinchuriki by the villagers. He really didn't need more rumors of possession or something more sinister floating around the poor boy. But if he left Naruto alone it might take awhile for someone to find him. He sighed, letting go of the infant and flying out of the room. As he went, Kakashi almost tipped over one of the candle bras with his wing, the holster wobbling slightly. Kakashi swore, grabbing it and righting it before it did any damage. He then grinned as he thought of a way to help Naruto. Even if he couldn't be seen, the objects Kakashi interacted with would be. He just had to figure out a way to get someone to Naruto before the poor child cried itself to death.

Flying out of the corridor, he went outside into the reddened gloom, trying to think of a good way to attract someone's attention. Just then he saw a couple Anbu, each supporting the other, their porcelain animal masks still on their faces. He sped toward them, stopping just short of the pair. One had a broken leg and was struggling to walk without the other. His partner sighed, sitting down and setting his comrade on the ground next to him. Kakashi groaned, how in the world would he get help from those two? He began to fly away from the pair, nonchalantly floating through the Anbu's body. He felt a shock, like he was being pulled apart, and found himself looking through the Anbu's eyes; Kakashi realized he was in their body! Possession, huh? This little trick will be useful.

Turning to the man's partner, he mumbled something about checking the surrounding area. The shinobi nodded, Kakashi using the other Anbu's body to walk back to Naruto. He was in the corridor when he suddenly felt a tug on his soul, like he was being stretched. He found himself looking at the Anbu, who was staring around him in confusion. Damn! I guess I can't use it for too long. Maybe with practice… Kakashi thought, watching as the Anbu heard Naruto's cries and hurried toward the room harboring the child. He sighed contentedly as Naruto was in the Anbu's possession, following the two to make sure nothing would happen to the infant. As they walked, Kakashi noticed that the boy never took his bright blue eyes off of Kakashi, as if he could see the dead teen. I wonder…since I'm his caretaker, I'm not surprised if he can see me.

They went back to where the man's comrade was lying, and Kakashi noticed it was Yugao, her long purple haired bloodstained along with parts of her unmasked face. She gasped as she gazed upon the infant Jinchuriki, and took her partner's hand gently, not wanting him to drop the child. The quartet continued walking until they were able to make it to the remains of Konoha's hospital. The building was slightly dilapidated, rubble decorating parts of the hallway and reception area, the lights flickering and hanging from their holsters, but was otherwise intact. Kakashi just stared, looking around at the damage as they continued walking. Numerous patients were bedridden, most of them shinobi as well as some nurses and civilians, lying on bloodstained beds in darkened hospital rooms. Medical ninja and nurses rushed to and fro between each patient, the damages too much for the weakened hospital to treat right away, especially with the lack of staff on hand.

The Anbu turned suddenly, going into an empty room and setting the sleeping babe on the bed beside him, Yugao and Kakashi following. He wasn't surprised to see Tenzou, his black eyes somber as he helped Yugao sit on the bed, the child now in his arms. Kakashi flew in front of the pair, his wings flapping gently every now and again to keep him afloat. The two were just staring at the babe, unsure of what to do with it.

"What should we do with him? I don't think the hospital has enough staff to take care of the little thing."

Tenzou muttered, laying the infant Jinchuriki on the pillow. Taking hand of Yugao he led her out of the room, hoping to get her broken appendage treated before it could become something serious. That left Kakashi alone with the infant, who unfortunately decided to wake up and start crying. I swear I was cursed when I was born. Dammit man, you can't be serious. Why is he crying now of all times? Kakashi thought, sighing as he flew over near the infant.

Hearing a small rumble from its belly, he groaned. How in the world could he feed the thing like this? Or worse, what if he was caught? He didn't need rumors to spread about the 'demon child and his hell spawned caretaker' or some such out of the room, Kakashi looked for any empty formula bottles he could find. Sadly, there were none nearby and he was too worn out from possessing Tenzou to try doing it on one of the nurses anytime soon.

Luckily, he was able to steal one from a sleeping baby in the infantry. He didn't feel very bad about it, as it was more likely that baby would get a new bottle than Naruto. Bringing it over to the infant, Kakashi gently held the child with one hand and fed with the other, his wings keeping the pair aloft. He was halfway done with the bottle when he heard a scream, dropping the bottle to the floor and startling the infant, renewing his cries. Kakashi turned around to see a nurse, along with Tenzou and Yugao, their mouths wide open in complete shock. He just stood there, watching as the milk from the bottle split onto the concrete floor, unsure of what would happen next.

The nurse let out a piercing shriek, which sent all the nearby birds into a panic, her whole body trembling. The two Anbu were a little more discreet, both just gaping open mouthed at the floating infant before them.

"The Kyuubi child is floating! How can it do that?"

The nurse shouted, her small frame slowly backing away from the open doorframe. Kakashi groaned, shaking his head at the idiocy of these people. Didn't they understand that this boy saved their worthless lives? Without him, you would all be dead!

"Speak of the devil…" Kakashi muttered out, sure that no one would hear him.

Unfortunately, that did not prove to be one hundred percent true, as the two Anbu tensed. Tenzou took a step forward, his hand extended and chakra flowing through it.

"W-what was that? I heard some…kind of sound. Like a…gurgle, or possibly a different language?"

"Huh? What do you mean, Tenzou-san?" Yugao muttered, her eyes narrowing curiously. The poor nurse was long gone, walking through the hospital and trying to check on the other patients.

Tenzou shook his head; he wasn't sure if he'd imagined it or not. After all the things that had happened today; The Kyuubi attack, and the loss of the Hokage, he wasn't sure if his brain was working right from all the stress. Though he was certain that the Jinchuriki was floating in front of him, who, seconds before was being fed milk by an unknown entity.

"I see…The demon must have conjured up some servants in order to help take care of its vessel so it would not die. Surely, the Kyuubi must have contacted a spirit from his world to take care of the child!"

Kakashi moaned, surely things would and could not get any worse from here on out. Sadly, little did he know that their problems were just beginning for the unlikely father and child pair.

He sighed, shuffling around underneath the worn blankets on his wooden bed. He couldn't sleep, even more so than usual and got up from the small bed, his little feet pounding softly on the hardwood floor. Walking over to the small window the tiny six year old peered up at the midnight sky, watching the stars float lazily above him, illuminating his small whiskered face. The boy tried to suppress the tears that started to flow from his eyes, but failed, their liquid brilliance splashing silently on the window frame. For the third year in a row, ever since he knew that he lived in an orphanage, every day on his birthday the boy had wished to be adopted. So far it had never come true. He stared into the sky one last time, the small stars bringing him some measure of comfort and security with their soft white glow. The boy blinked as he saw one of the stars getting bigger and bigger, the thing seeming to grow in size and shape. Wiping the tears off of his eyes, he just watched the thing pulse and glow in the sky.

Kakashi gulped, wondering if he wasn't violating any sort of unspoken contract of angels. He figured that he ought to pay Naruto a visit like he did every year on the kid's birthday. Usually, Naruto would be asleep and Kakashi didn't have a problem watching the boy as long as he wasn't noticed. The villagers had started to label the child, calling him 'monster' and 'demon', and teaching their kids' to do the same. Kakashi had visited the boy at school and sadly watched him swing alone, a dejected look on his whiskered face. The other children didn't even approach him, all of them giving the boy grotesque looks and stares, whispering things behind his back when they were sure he wasn't paying attention. Another reason he had come down tonight, he was going to change that. He wasn't sure how much he could do, but as Naruto's guardian, Kakashi figured it was his job to make sure the boy's life was as happy as it could be. Sadly, as he watched the child break down in tears, he knew that this wasn't the case. He had no living family to take care of him, and the orphanage managers weren't as kind to him as the other children. Over time, the others kept getting adopted, leaving the small six year old blonde alone with no one but the staff as company.

Naruto just gaped at the star, watching as it began to take a more human shape, albeit though not totally normal. He was sure that regular people didn't have wings, after all. He also noticed that it seemed to be coming toward him! He stepped back from the window sill, afraid and curious at the same time. Covering his eyes as a white light enveloped the small room, the child gasped in amazement as he saw a person standing in front of him. He was very tall and wore the same gear as the Anbu working for the Hokage had done, albeit without the traditional animal mask covering his face. Naruto felt himself stare in amazement at the figure, which just stood there, a small smile plastered on his masked face.

"You've gotten big, haven't you?"

Naruto blinked as he felt a gloved hand rubbing his corn colored hair, the figure kneeling down next to him, his one good eye staring happily at the boy.

"W-what's goin' on?"

The boy asked, confusion dotting his whiskered and pale face. The silver haired ninja just gave a soft chuckle, putting both his hands on the child's shoulders. Kakashi gave a small exhale, not sure how he was going to explain this to the small Naruto in front of him. He grinned as he thought of a good way to explain this to the boy. It was close enough to the truth and easy enough so Naruto could understand.

"I'm your guardian angel, Naruto-kun. I've been watching over you all this time, making sure you're safe. Unfortunately, it seems you don't look very happy, do you?"

Kakashi frowned momentarily at the small child, taking one of his fingers and wiping off a tear from the boy's whiskered face. The small boy nodded, his face still wearing an expression of complete bewilderment.

"So...you're gonna take care of me from now on?"

The small boy asked, his azure eyes growing saucer-wide at the thought of leaving the orphanage. Kakashi blinked twice, uncertainty crossing his features as he thought about the idea. It wouldn't be such a bad idea, I guess. Though it might be difficult...I think we'll manage, but first to 'get permission' from the Hokage. Hmm... He snapped out of his thoughts, to see the small boy looking up at him with rapt astonishment. Grinning slightly, he told the boy,

"Yes, I'm going to be your new parent fr-"

"Really! Are you serious!"

"Yes, but first we have to get permission from the Hokage."

Kakashi answered to the amazed six year jumping up and down in front of him. Scooping up Naruto in one arm and jumping out of the window sill Kakashi lifted off, Naruto's blonde spikes flowing backwards as his wings flapped continuously. Kakashi grinned as he heard the little Naruto exclaim and shout with glee while they were airborne. They flew past various residential housings and even the ninja academy, where Naruto was currently attending school. A few moments later, they stopped right in front of the Hokage's official building, Kakashi touching down lightly while putting Naruto on the ground. Naruto gazed at the dead shinobi, his expression turning to one of shock as he felt his small hand being wrapped around a bigger one.

Kakashi walked with the child to the entrance, trying to ignore the urges to punch anybody who gave Naruto odd stares or comments. Luckily, not many other people were in the building late at night, besides the Hokage and his aides Kakashi knew. As they reached the door of the Hokage's office, Kakashi went to rap his knuckles against the door, but sighed when they went right through.

"Right...it takes spiritual energy for me to actually touch something. Sometimes I forget I'm dead..."

Turning to the boy, Naruto nodded as he went and knocked on the door three times. Kakashi didn't wait for response, and just barged in the door, Naruto's face shocked at the rashness of his new parental figure's actions. The Hokage was busy going over various ninja files, along with paperwork and new missions for tomorrow's genin squads. He looked up, his face showing a slightly worn smile as he saw the six year old boy, then his expression changing to complete shock as he saw Naruto's floating appendage. Naruto sheepishly grinned, unsure of how to tell the old man he was brought here by a ghost.

"Naruto...what in the world...?"

The old man said, getting up from his desk as fast as he could in his worn and tired state. He walked over to the boy, his weathered hand touching the appendage that was floating in front of him. Chakra flew through the old man's body, not harming him, but sending strange signals throughout his chakra network. He could tell something was wrong here, something supernatural was at work. He'd have to get Inoichi and possibly Hisashi to see what was the problem with Naruto. Sending a silent signal to his Anbu, who were already on the alert, they dashed away into the night. I just hope this doesn't mean any trouble for us, whatever has got its hold on Naruto-kun. We'll see soon enough.

Well, shit...I was not expecting this at all. Kakashi thought, staring worriedly at the Third Hokage and his summoned ninja. He had hoped Sarutobi wouldn't have sensed his chakra when he was holding onto Naruto, but he had underestimated the old man's spiritual energy; He wasn't called 'The Professor of Konoha' for nothing, after all! Hisashi had arrived first, using his Byakugan to track Kakashi and confirm to the Hokage that there was indeed something otherworldly watching the boy. Though even his Byakugan couldn't sense exactly what, he did know it was a ghost or apparition of some kind. Now if they were just able to find out its intent...

The Hokage turned to Inoichi, his stare quickly flashing to Naruto, who was too frightened to move. He had no idea what was going on; A six year old wouldn't be able understand the concepts of demons and denizens of the other planes. The three older shinobi thought that this thing attached to Naruto was some sort of guardian the Kyuubi had sent to watch out for its vessel, though they were not one-hundred percent sure. Inoichi was going to confirm this fact for them by latching onto the thing's mind and reading it thoughts and intent. Hisashi was standing by, the physical energy from his body latched onto the thing so Inoichi could target it precisely with his mind scanning ability. Kakashi swore at his predicament; He hadn't expected things to get so out of hand...but his spiritual energy was getting low from holding onto Naruto and flying to the office, so he could only watch as Inoichi began to make the infamous hand signs for his clan's jutsu.

Kakashi and Inoichi both groaned as the chakra pierced the place where the spirit was standing. If this had been a normal living being, it would have collapsed on the spot, unconscious. However, this was not the case, so Kakashi just shook his head and tried to block the intense pain that was bursting through his cranium as Inoichi began to scan his mind. The pain grew and concentrated on the center of his forehead, the main place where Inoichi began to scan for info. He winced involuntarily as waves of pain shot through his body, each coming more and more frequently. He could still hear things from outside his mind, the other two shinobi and Naruto watching intently as Inoichi did his thing.

"Hm?" Naruto mumbled, his face turning in confusion as he watched Kakashi's ghostly figure slowly fade away. The other two began to exhibit the same expression that then turned to one of shock and bewilderment. Inoichi blinked twice, then turned to face the three, holding his head from the sheer exhaustion of chakra that examining Kakashi had cost. Naruto quickly ran to the spot where Kakashi had been, tears starting to flood his eyes and anger on his pouting six year old face. The other three older shinobi just blinked in confusion, watching as Naruto went right inside the transparent ghost's body. Turning back to the three, the child pointed at the old man and squealed out

"Old man, what did you do! You made Tousan go away! Why?"

"Tousan...?" The three ninja mumbled, the Hokage walking next to the boy and patting him on the head, in a futile effort to calm him down.

"Your...Tousan is right here,Naruto-kun! We haven't done anything to him,see?"

Naruto was still pouting, his whiskered face scrunching up even more as he continued his tantrum.

"But...I can't see him! No more Tousan...and it's your fault,old man! He was gonna take care of me and everything! I wouldn't have to be alone any more and you...you..."

The six year old burst into tears then, his face turning a slight pinkish color from all the exertion. The other two shinobi just looked at each other and blinked, unsure what to do about the crying child. The Hokage sighed, knowing that this was starting to get really out of hand. I'm getting old for this job... Kakashi just watched the unfolding scene, his spiritual energy slowly starting to replenish itself. He wondered at this new piece of information, confused as to how in the world Naruto could see him one moment and the next nothing, while the other three could? I suppose it has to do with my spiritual energy level. Seeing as how Naruto's a Jinchuriki and all, with his concentration of spiritual energy from his chakra network as he's trying to suppress the Kyuubi. I must be attuned to that level, seeing as I was commanded to watch over him and such...so if it gets low, we must lose our ability to communicate. I wonder if it works in reverse as well...I'll have to watch out for that later.

"Well...I have found out something crucial about the identity of the spirit." Inoichi mumbled, unsure of how to proceed with his news. The Hokage and Hisashi waited for him to continue, the blonde jonin clearing his throat after a few moments.

"It seems...That Naruto's little helper is none other than...Hatake Kakashi, who died in the Kyuubi attack six years ago."

The Hokage and Hisashi just stared at the spot where Kakashi was beginning to materialize in front of them. Hiruzen knew the chakra has felt familiar, but he still was cautious, seeing as they were dealing with a spiritual entity of some sort. Now that he knew it was one of Minato's former students, he smirked slightly, wondering if the Fates had indeed planned this from the start. Kakashi just knelt there, waiting for one of the men to make a decision.

"This is interesting..." The Third mumbled, looking back and forth between the calming Naruto and ghostly apparition of the teenage Anbu member. Kakashi blinked, his placid expression turned to one of shock when he felt the Third lay a hand on his transparent shoulder. The other two shinobi just stood there, uncertain about what to do in this situation. Kakashi stood up and bowed to the Third like he would've if he was still alive, feeling more than a little odd for doing so. Naruto just watched, his eyes still red and puffy from his small tantrum.

"What is it you wanted to come here for, Kakashi-san? Naruto did mention something you...taking care of him, if I remember correctly." Sarutobi said, to which the little boy nodded furiously. The Third really couldn't see Kakashi as the fatherly type, but maybe spending time with his dead comrades had changed the boy. He certainly did look different than when he was alive; More vibrant and like a huge amount of doubt and grief had been lifted from him. Turning back to the deceased Anbu, Kakashi nodded, putting his hand behind his neck like he always did, though it was now transparent.

"I was wondering if...well, Naruto doesn't really seem happy in the orphanage. He hasn't made any good friends with the students or teachers at the academy either."

Sarutobi nodded; He'd watched the boy through the years and was saddened to see most, if not everyone still treating him like a pest, going against Minato's final wishes. He didn't seem to be doing so well in his studies either, and the Third was afraid he'd have to make the boy quit the academy at this rate.

"Anyway, I was wondering if you'd be so kind as to let me raise the boy alone, in a small apartment or something. It won't have to be too big, since I won't be "living" there, per say. I was hoping to help the boy in his studies, and now that you've found me out, it won't be a problem if I train him. Then there won't be too many questions if you see his level of skill rise somewhat exponentially in the next few years. Plus, he seems to have taken a liking to me as well...Never thought I'd be hearing myself called Tousan, at least."

The Third sighed; He really was getting too old for this job. Dealing with the undead and ghosts was certainly not part of the list of Hokage requirements.

"Well...I'm not sure about the idea myself, but it couldn't hurt anyone, could it? I'll try and make some negotiations with a landlord or two, but you'd still have to pay the rent even if we found a place. Somewhere secluded would be good, but it'd have to be within walking distance to the Academy...*sigh*"

Naruto's blue eyes nearly poked out his sockets at hearing the Hokage. Running up and squeezing the now visible Kakashi in a tight hug, he felt a light pat on his head, someone running their fingers through his hair. The masked Anbu smiled at the boy, but on the inside was worried. Could he really raise a six year old? He shook the thought out of his head, listening to Naruto ramble on about how he and his new "Tousan" were going to be living happily ever after from now on.

......

"Kukukuku..." He grinned, his yellow snakelike eyes lighting up with excitement as he heard Kabuto speak.

"Yes My Lord, Study on Uchiha Sasuke has been going well. He should be ready at least in six years, if we let him mature enough. Hopefully his Sharingan will have awakened by then." His glasses wearing medic replied, his face leaning upward to look at Orochimaru.

"Good work. Soon, the Sharingan will be min,. along with the Hidden Leaf Village! I just need to set the proper pillars in their place. Then Konoha will crumble beneath my feet. Kufufufu..."

"There is something else My Lord..." Kabuto mumbled, gulping slightly as he waited for the predictable outburst of anger.

"What now?" Orochimaru seethed, red veins popping out from underneath tired eyes. He had been experimenting with how to implant fake Sharingans into multiple patients, using some sparse Uchiha DNA he had found at the massacre. His results to reverse engineer the Sharingan's genetic code were failing horribly.

"It's about a boy, one that constantly picks fights with the Uchiha. He's the Kyuubi Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto..."

"What about him? Just leave him to the Akatsuki; I'm no longer a part of that ragtag group."

"Well...it seems he has an odd arua around him most of the time. It's different from a bijuu's chakra and more...powerful than the boy's regular chakra. I have tried to study it, but my results have concluded very little. The only thing I was able to find out is that it's not part of the material plane of existence. I thought you should be aware of it sir, in case he could be an interruption to our plans."

"Hmm...A being from another plane of existence,huh? I wonder if I can capture it and reanimate it. I've been trying to perfect the Second's Edo Tensei for a while now..."

"Whatever you wish sir. Would you like me to gather more data on it?" Kabuto said, pushing up the frames of the glasses that were sliding down his face.

"Yes, that would be appropriate for now; We have plenty of time to set our plans into motion..."

Six years later...

“Alright, now its time to start practicing the shuriken jutsu.” Iruka announced, leading the class of students out of the academy and near the side of the building. Three large wooden posts, obviously used as targets due to the many nicks and indentations of past students, were near the brown fence that separated the academy from the outside world of civilians. Iruka looked down at his clipboard, trying to see who would be a good guinea pig to test the new training out on.

“Uchiha Sasuke!” Sasuke stepped forward as his name was being called, ignoring the squeals of the girls behind him and Naruto's mumbling, taking out some shuriken from his pouch. Everyone gaped at which the speed of the shuriken was thrown, clapping when they saw that Sasuke had hit every mark perfectly. Naruto just scowled, his arms crossed over the other, and walked past the snobby Uchiha.

“Big deal! I can do better.”

Grinning, Naruto took out three shuriken and placed them in his hands, each in-between the folds of his fingers. He closed his eyes to focus, remember the training Kakashi had taught him. Visualize the target in your mind, keep it in the center of your thoughts and let the shuriken fly towards it. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Naruto threw the shuriken, his eyes still closed. Several of students chuckled and mumbled to themselves; How could anyone throw shuriken without using their sight? Their chuckles all turned to gasps as they saw that Naruto had gotten almost all of the target spots, sans one, a confident grin his whiskered face. Going to pick up the shuriken, Naruto looked up on the fence to see a pair of sandaled feet hanging in front of his face. Smirking, the twelve year old just stared at the face of his mentor and father, who gave a small grin in return. Kakashi had been watching the boy since after they moved in to the apartment, not wanting to leave the child's side. He wasn't sure if it was from worry or something else, but he had a feeling he should stay by Naruto in case something happened to him at the academy. So far nothing was amiss, besides Naruto's pranks on the teachers or outbursts against Uchiha Sasuke, which were soon becoming less and less frequent.

The kids no longer called Naruto “dead-last”, one of his old nicknames from when he was six years old. In fact, Naruto was in the top five of his class, only two ranks below Uchiha Sasuke, who was the best. The children were starting to show a little more respect for the whiskered boy now, although they still whispered behind his back every now and then. Seems the lies their parents told them were still keeping them cautious of the “demon fox” and his “otherworldly” companion. When Kakashi had confronted the boy about this, Naruto surprised him by saying he'd rather have an odd parent the kids made fun of than no one at all to help him. He watched Naruto go back to the spot he was previously at, the shurikens in his hands again. Just as he was about to throw them, Iruka sensei put a hand on his wrist, telling him it was time to go. The boy sighed; He was hoping he could one-up Sasuke today and be the cool kid for once. Kakashi waited once they were out of view, debating whether he should follow the group or not. A movement from the leaves of the tree to his upper right stole away his attention.

A small squirrel dashed down the tree, a pile of nuts in its mouth as it scurried across the courtyard. Kakashi sighed, thinking he was getting too overprotective of Naruto over the past few years they had been together. He momentarily wondered if his father had been that way after he was born, though he wasn't sure of it. Sakumo had always been on lengthy missions, not coming home until after the young Kakashi and his mother were already asleep. When his mother died, things remained mostly the same, though Kakashi was learning to strive on his own then. By the time his father committed seppuku, Kakashi could even prepare hot meals using the stove and tend to the gardens and fish pond outside the house. Naruto was already making his own breakfast in the morning and setting his own bath, so he wasn't too far off. Just a few more years and Naruto might even be ready to live on his own, but Kakashi knew he wouldn't let that happen. It seemed he had indeed grew quite fond of the boy over the last six years, and wouldn't let anything separate the two. Following after the group which had long since departed, he failed to notice the shine of glasses in the deep branches of the tree, a malicious smile poking out from underneath silver bangs.

Kabuto licked his dry lips, taking out a small water skin and drinking deeply for a few seconds, then going back to his notes. Uchiha Sasuke was becoming a fine shinobi, all they needed was for him to awaken the Sharingan and Orochimaru could steal his body. Naruto however, was a different matter. Unlike when he was six years old, his progress at the academy had started to grow slowly after a few years, surprising Kabuto. He was sure this no talent ninja would be at the bottom of the class; His info cards hadn't ranked Naruto as anything special besides being a Jinchuriki and his skills were decent, if a little lacking in the ninjutsu department. Watching the boy over the past few years, Kabuto had indeed begun to feel an aura around the boy, as if something was shielding or protecting him. It was almost like chakra, but without the manifestation of physical energy; It was entirely spiritual. He knew the energy felt familiar though, but he had no idea what or who it could be from? Maybe the Yoindaime, watching over his handiwork from the world beyond? No...That didn't seem right to Kabuto; People who used the Death God seal were trapped in a cycle of constant hatred and fighting for eternity. It had to be something else then. He sighed, pushing up his glasses as usual and using a camouflage jutsu to leap onto the roof of the building. He still had more info to gather, and it wasn't going to get done by pondering to himself. That could wait for later, when he had more time to think alone.

“Uhm, how should I start out? I'm no good at introductions really.” Naruto's new sensei stroked his black beard, his hazel eyes darting to and fro at his newest team members. Tch, all the people in the world and I get stuck with Sasuke and his fangirl Sakura. Guess it's not so bad; Sakura's here at least, but she'll probably ignore me for Sasuke. Naruto thought, yawning while waiting for their new teacher to introduce himself. He was supposed to their new instructor, but Naruto wasn't so sure about him. He seemed a little too laid back for a Jonin,

“Well...My name's Sarutobi Asuma. I like playing Shogi and having a drink or smoke with friends once in awhile. Hmm...now how about you three introduce yourselves?:”

Their new teacher mumble,d taking a smoke out of his pack and puffing on it. Naruto grinned as this reminded him of Sandaime, who also smoked often, but with a pipe. If this guy was anything like the Third, Naruto reasoned he could have good time with his new team, despite the fact that Sasuke was also a member. After everyone had finally finished introducing themselves, Asuma gave out slips of paper telling them that they had to prepare of a genin exam. Naruto and Sakura were distraught with this, but Sasuke didn't seem to mind much. Asuma sighed, answering to their dumbfounded stares

“This is a test to see if you really are ready to becoming genin. If you fail, you'll go back to the academy. It's eight o'clock tomorrow morning at the training field; Don't be late.”

With that, he poofed away in a cloud of smoke, leaving the three genin to their devices. Sakura naturally tried to ask out Sasuke, who obviously declined. Naruto ignored her antics, figuring if she was already into Sasuke she wouldn't want to spend any time with him, and started to run home, as he was excited since Kakashi was going to teach him a new technique for passing the academy. Panting and out of breath, Naruto reached for the key to his apartment lock just in time to see the door handle turn on its own, the green wood swinging inward with a soft clang as it landed against the hardwood wall. Naruto smiled enthusiastically as it could only mean one thing: Kakashi was home!

Walking inside Naruto saw that food had already been laid out for him, and it was his favorite: ramen, though it was laced with a few vegetables. Taking off his sandals and jacket, he began to chow into the meal, vegetable ramen or not. He grinned even further as he saw something else inside the soup: small portions of barbecue pork were floating in the thick miso broth. He was so busy that he nearly jumped out of his chair when he felt a familiar hand rub his hair. Looking up, noodles stuffing his whiskered cheeks, Naruto grinned. Swallowing the ramen and quickly gulping down the bowl, Naruto washed it as fast as he could, Kakashi sighed as he knew what was up.

“You just can't wait, huh?” He chuckled, causing Naruto to look his way with an expression of pure excitement. Sighing, Kakashi lazily floated over to Naruto, pulling a regular green scroll out of his transparent pocket. Handing it to Naruto, he said

“Since you graduated from the academy, though you just barely made it, I'm going to give you a helpful technique. It'll come in handy if I'm not around at the moment and you need serious help. That scroll is no ordinary scroll; It's a summoning contract. I'll show you how to use it....”

A/N: I think that's a good cut off point of now. Get ready for the next one. Though school has started for me, so it may be a while and I apologize ahead of time. XD ` KF727

“*sigh*....Where the hell could he be?” Sasuke mumbled, looking up at the sky, watching the sun rise up towards twelve o' clock. Sakura nodded, and Asuma just stood there, puffing away at his cigarette before putting it out. Checking the angle of the sun, the Jonin muttered

“It's almost twelve. How could Naruto end up four hours late? I was sure I told him the time yesterday...”

“He's just being Naruto...always annoying. Probably because he doesn't have parents to raise him right, ya know Sasuke?” Sakura questioned, Sasuke throwing her a stiff look and turning away from the pink haired genin. Just then, they heard the sound of footsteps, then a blonde head popped into view. Naruto grinned sheepish at the faces of his scowling teammates, Asuma sighing.

“Yo, what's up? Sorry I was late; There was a cat stuck in a tree and I had to get it down using only a coat hanger and a fish.”

Sasuke grunted at Naruto's obvious fib, while Sakura reprimanded the blonde by yelling at him, Asuma pulling her away and taking out another cigarette. Working with these three is going to be a lot more trouble than Father said... Asuma thought, while looking over his three new genin. Taking out a pair of bells, he said

“Alright, you guys have until 3:00 to get the bells from me. If you don't all of you will be sent back to the academy, got it?”

The three nodded, Sakura looking at the bells and thinking Wait, only two? But there are three of us. Is this some sort of trick, I wonder? Whatever! I'm not gonna be separated from Sasuke-kun! Telling the three to scatter, Asuma watched amused as shuriken soon attacked him from all sides, the Jonin dodging the blast with a basic substitution jutsu. Sasuke blinked from his position between the branches of a tree, ready to sprint out at any moment. He knew the Jonin would be difficult to catch, and he was readying himself for a tough fight. Scanning the battleground below, he was surprised that Naruto hadn't tried anything yet: Surely the blonde would have leaped into the fight already, as it was part of his demeanor to be reckless. Sasuke turned around, only to see the blond genin on the branch behind him, his nose up in air twitching.

“What the hell are you doing, idiot?” Sasuke mumbled, to which Naruto grinned.

“Smelling him out. Found him!” Naruto explained, grinning as his nose pinpointed a spot only a few more trees away. Sasuke blinked, curious as to how in the world Naruto had gained that kind of ability. He never showed that kind of skill in the academy. Guess he was saving it for the real dangers. The Uchiha thought, following Naruto to place farther away, where they would not be detected by their master. Asuma, still tailing the two through his manipulation of the wind, grinned as he watched Naruto lead the Uchiha away from their previous hiding place. I see...Looks like little Naruto is starting to show his real skills now. Heh, this'll be interesting. He sprinted away, wanting to find the last member of their cell of three.

Sakura sighed, looking around aimlessly for Sasuke. She had no idea where he could've went in the confusion when they split up, and wanted to find him as soon as possible. If we can both get the bells then me and Sasuke will be together forever without that useless Naruto! She snickered to herself at her cunning plan. Sadly, she didn't notice until it was too late that her sensei was standing behind her, a whiff of cigarette smoke wafting into her nose. She turned around just in time to feel a swift right handed hook across the face, the blow knocking her flat off of her feet and into the dirt. Cursing slightly, she charged at the Jonin, throwing her own assault of weak kicks and punches. They were easily dodged, Asuma whipping the girl across the rib with his chakra enhanced blade, causing a small amount of the blood to drip down her torso. She looked at the mess, and her eyes shone brightly with determination, and also a hint of anger. She came at him again, more ferocious this time, Asuma now making the effort to actually block her attacks, though he didn't really need to. Ending the short fight with a swift uppercut to the jaw Asuma sighed, throwing his now spent cigarette into the ground right next to the kunoichi. One down, only two more to go. Hopefully they'll be more challenging.

Kakashi sighed, watching Asuma's handiwork, his wings floating lazily above the pair. After finding out who Naruto's teammates were through a series of possessions and looking through files, he was surprised Asuma would be their teacher. He was a little too laid back for this rowdy trio, but its not like he could've taken the black bearded Jonin's place. Still, watching as Asuma started walking away from the fallen Sakura, he wondered if that was the best approach for taking out this particular student. He had read that she had a knack for genjutsu moreso than her other subjects, along with weak Taijutsu skills, so why would Asuma take the route he did? If it was him, he would've used a genjutsu, but it wasn't his place to teach anyways; Kakashi figured he'd go see how Naruto was currently doing and check back on her later.

“He's trailing us again...” Naruto mumbled, his nose twitching slightly as they moved through the trees. Sasuke swore, wondering what in the world they could do to get the annoying Jonin off of their backs in order to think up a strategy. Putting an arm on Naruto's shoulder, the raven haired Uchiha smirked slightly as he thought of a good diversion.

“Do you know the Clone Jutsu?”

Naruto gulped, nodding slowly. It wasn't his best of techniques sadly, and he'd had little time to practice it before he left for the exam today. Sasuke sighed, shaking his head.

“Well, whatever idiot. I'll just make two and transform one of them to look like you.”

“Well...what are we gonna do? Ambush him?” Naruto asked, the blonde's face screwed up in confusion.

“Hmm...No, he'd be expecting that. What we'll do is this; I'll make two clones and have them head out of the foliage. Sensei will spot them thinking its us, and when he goes to attack our “clones” THAT's when we'll pummel him!”

Naruto grinned, giving the Uchiha a complimentary pat on the shoulder, which made Sasuke flinch.

“Don't touch me, loser! Still...It's not perfect though...I'll still need your sense of smell to tell when he's close enough.”

The blonde nodded, focusing all of his concentration into keeping his eyes, or rather nose, on their master. Sasuke started to make hand signs, building up his chakra slowly and waiting until it reached a certain point. Holding it there, he looked toward the blonde who shook his head quickly. Keeping the stored up energy in his body, Sasuke waited until he got the signal from Naruto only ten minutes after. Making two perfect, if a little faded copies of himself and Naruto the four began switching back and forth in order to confuse Asuma if he was watching. Then the clones burst out of the trees, the real Naruto and Sasuke still dashing through the foliage. Asuma watched the duo's ploy with interest; He had no idea the two could become so in tandem with one another. Despite being enemies, they really did make the perfect team. Grinning, the Jonin threw some shuriken after the clones, which passed through the images, since they were no more than insubstantial illusions. Chuckling, Asuma sped after the two genin, hoping to give them a surprise of their own.

“Did you see that?” Naruto mumbled to his companion, who swore and nodded.

“It seems he figured out our plan...Guess we'll have to think of something better.” Sasuke answered, seeing as the Jonin was almost upon them. Hearing the whiz of kunai and shuriken, the two either dodged or deflected the projectiles using their own. Speeding through the leaves they caught sight of their sensei, one of his hands pulled back in an attempt to slice the two with his chakra blades. Naruto and Sasuke both stopped at a nearby tree, barely dodging the wave of energy the Jonin sent their way. Asuma had finally caught up with them, and there was no option left for the two but to fight.

They both grinned as their master came on, his fist charging into Naruto's back. Oddly enough, the Jonin watched his hand go through the boy's back and out the front. The two clones then disappeared, leaving Asuma with nothing but air. Suddenly, he turned around and got hit with a swift dropkick to the face, sending him tumbling off of the branch. He then saw red fire behind him and used a substitution jutsu just in time to avoid being engulfed by Sasuke's Katon. Wait, what? How did the-- Asuma thought, grinned as he figured out their ploy. They had made two sets of clones, the pair figuring Asuma would go after the ones still running away into the brush, figuring them to be the real decoys. His grin turned to a look of shock as he saw that the two small strings that were holding the bells had been burned off, Sasuke and Naruto smirking as they held a dangling silver ball.

“Well, sensei, how do you like us now?” Naruto chided, a wide grin on his whiskered face.

A/M: Didn't mean to bash Sakura in this chapter. Or Asuma for that matter; If any of you think I did anyways. Trying to keep them as in character as possible. Are they too clever for their own good? I don't want Godmodded characters, but I'm thinking too much into it. We'll see how the trio will do against Zabuza later on.

A/N: Fourth, or was it third, update in a week. Wow, but it seems chapters just come so easily for me for this fic. Probably until the Chunin exams at least. Still even though they are mainly canonical with small changes, hope you enjoy them as much as the originals!

“Well Naruto and Sasuke, you two managed to get both the bells within the three hour time limit. This means you, Sakura, have to go back to the academy.” Asuma announced to the trio, Naruto holding up his bell triumphantly. Sasuke just ignored the speech while Sakura wore a look of pure disbelief;

How could she fail and not Naruto!? I'll never get to be with Sasuke...We won't grow up or fall in love together... The bubble gum haired kunoichi thought, her eyes starting to well up with tears of frustration and sadness. Naruto noticed this, looking at the bell back in his hand and back to Sakura. Sighing, he dropped the silver glinting ball into the weeping girl's palm, replacing her look of distress with one of confusion.

“Naruto, are you sure you want to Sakura your bell? This means you'll have to go back to the academy instead...” Asuma warned, the blonde nodding steadily as his determination grew. He liked Sakura, and wanted to do anything to make her happy, even if it was at the cost of him going back to the academy. If she wanted to be with that snob Sasuke, he'd let her, so long as she was happy with the Uchiha. Sakura turned to the genin, a look of confusion on her tear stained face.

“You'd really...” She mumbled, looking down at the bell and at Sasuke, then back to Naruto. Grinning, Naruto nodded, his hands in the pockets of his orange jacket as he walked next to Asuma. His whiskered face broke into a bigger grin as he recited a familiar phrase to the Jonin, looking him straight in the eyes.

“Those who disobey the rules are scum; But those who don't treasure their friends are worse than scum–ttebayo!”

Asuma blinked, chuckling as he stared at the serious expression on Naruto's face. The blonde grew confused, and waited for the black bearded man to explain.

“I knew a guy who used to say that a lot, too. He was also bad with being punctual...You remind me a little of him. Anyways, you three all pass the exam! You showed compassion for your teammates, Naruto. That was the point of only having two bells instead of three.”

Sakura grinned, as she figured out the ploy their sensei had used.

“You were going to see which one of us was going to sacrifice personal desire for the sake of the team, weren't you?”

Asuma nodded, leaving the group alone in the training field, departing with one last message.

“Go to the academy tomorrow so we can get started on missions. We're done for today. I have...business I need to attend to.”

“It's unusual for you to visit...What brings you here?” Sarutobi mumbled, facing his one and only son, his spent pipe lying sideways on his desk. Asuma was silent; He really wasn't on the best of term with his old man. Not like they hated each other or anything, but they weren't best friends either. He sighed, taking out a cigarette and lightning it, wondering where to start.

“Team Ten has successfully passed their graduation exam. However...”

“However...?” Sarutobi mirrored, his wrinkled eyes looking straight at his son.

“One of the students seems to be acting very...different from their usual demeanor. He was late to the exam and gave an odd reason, much like a certain shinobi I used to know. That's not all. He seems to be at a higher skill level than when he was at the academy, and it's very odd.”

Surprisingly enough, Sarutobi chuckled, Asuma titling his head at the odd show of emotion. Sighing, the old man's expression became extremely grave, his eyes narrowing. Asuma waited, unsure of what was going to happen.

“You know of the Kyuubi attack thirteen years ago? I remember you took part in it along with some of your other fellow Jonin.”

Asuma nodded, the images from that day still burned in his memory.

“Kakashi died that day...You were the one who reported it. And Tenzou was the one who found the child Naruto, the Jinchuriki. Well, there was something odd about that I didn't find out till six years later. You must promise me this: You cannot tell anyone, not even Kurenai, what I am about to tell you. Understand?”

“Yes, but how do you know about Kur--” Sarutobi shushed him, his gaze telling the Jonin that whatever he was about to say was very important.

“Kakashi...was reincarnated, but as an angel. He now walks the spiritual plane of existence, and his job...is to raise and protect Naruto Uzumaki.”

A/N: Short; I know, shoot me. But I'm stuck right now, XD. I don't wanna keep relying on the canon as it'll get boring....

A/N: I know, its still in the canon, but I loved this arc. It's one of my favs. from Part 1. Honestly most of the changes in storyline will be Part 2...need I explain why?

Huh? What's with the puddle of water? It hasn't rained in the last few days... Naruto mumbled, his sandaled feet plodding behind Asuma-sensei. Sasuke glanced at the spot, fingering his kunai pouch. Sakura didn't pay to attention to it, talking to their newest member of Team Seven; An old man named Tazuna. It was their first C-rank mission; To escort him home to the Land of the Waves where he could build his bridge. So far things had been going well, though the old geezer seemed oddly nervous. Naruto was unsure why that would be, but he guessed Tazuna was worried about getting robbed or some such thing by brigands on the road. He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong...

Two black blurs shot out of the puddle, chains wrapped around their huge metal claws. Asuma quickly whipped out one of his signature chakra blades, but too late, as the chains tightened around him, binding his hands and legs. The blade dropped to the ground as their foes snickered with glee, each tugging on their respective restraints. Each of the four watched on in sheer horror as Asuma was eviscerated, blood sploching on Naruto's face. Sasuke's hand whipped out of its pouch, a kunai headed straight for one of the goons, who quickly sidestepped out of the way. The other shinobi headed straight for Naruto, the blonde still paralyzed with shock. That didn't stop him from recovering quick enough to duck under the claw swipe and deliver a low blow right to the ninja's groin.

Taking out a kunai, he was about to finish the job, then blinked as the ninja disappeared from view. Turning around, he saw Sasuke, now fighting both of the duo. The three were merely black and blue blurs on the forest canopy, then a flash of red as Sasuke unleashed a Katon jutsu. Naruto dashed into the fray, hoping to confuse the enemy. As he flew, Sasuke's eyes and his locked for single second, the two nodding quickly as they sped past each other. Small tanto at the ready, courtesy of Kakashi, Naruto met steel with metal claw, the screeching sound making Sakura and the old man cover their ears. She could only watch as the two duked it out with their opponents, her slightly shaking hands holding the kunai in front of her chest. Jumping back onto a branch, Naruto readied some handsigns for a fuuton ,but wasn't able to pull it off in time, shuriken whizzing at him as he was forming the last seal. Releasing the chakra, he rushed straight at the shuriken, his lithe body propelled by the air current. He stopped his flight as he saw something out of the corner of his eye, landing on a branch above the clawed ninja, shuriken thudding into the wood behind him.

Red fire streaked out from the shadows, the ball of flame getting bigger and faster as it absorbed the chakra infused air. The flame barley singed the shoulder of the ninja's cloak, dark brown now mixing with tinges of ash black. Sasuke appeared a few seconds later net to Naruto, sweat beading down his face.

“Where did the other one go? Did we...lose him?”

Naruto shrugged, closing his eyes and trying to focus on his sense of smell. A scream rent the air, piercing and feminine. The boys both swore as they knew what it meant; Sakura was in trouble! The two nodded, Naruto sprinting off into the trees toward the end of the small stretch of forest, Sasuke throwing some shuriken and kunai the other clawed ninja's way. By the time he reached the clearing with the puddles, he saw Sakura on the ground, her pink hair splayed on the dirt in front of her face. The Chunin level ninja was about to go for Tazuna, the old man looking like he was about to drop dead with fear, when he suddenly stopped straight in his tracks. Naruto grinned, watching as the ninja's face turned from one of glee to confusion. Sakura got up, grinning back at her comrade, giving a small thumbs up. Naruto jumped down from the branches, running over to the duo and the genjutsu'd shinobi.

Taking out a bail of rope, the two dragged their unconscious foe to the base of a tree and tied him up, making sure to secure the rope. Looking up, the two genin blinked as they saw branches and foliage being ripped up by air currents. Asuma reappeared right next to the youngsters, the other ninja bloody and unconscious in his arms. Tying him up and setting him next to his stirring comrade, he turned back to Tazuna, his face stern. Sasuke came jumping out of the trees a second later , wiping his face off with his hand, panting a little as he walked over to the four. Naruto suddenly felt his shoulders droop; The adrenaline from the battle over, he hadn't realized just how tired he had gotten. Sitting down on the ground, the three genin glanced at each other each sharing a silent “good job” with the other. Turning their attention back to Asuma, they listened as he started to chew Tazuna out.

“Well,well...I see you've been keeping busy, Naruto-kun. Not bad for your first fight against ninja, you three.”

Naruto bowed his head, their secret indication that he understood. Sasuke and Sakura still had on idea that he was being raised by a dead man, so they'd thought it best to keep it quiet when Kakashi contacted him. Asuma had no idea either, though he seemed to showing a telling wink or some such every now and then, making Naruto suspicious. Maybe the Hokage informed him? That would make sense, seeing as he was Naruto's master...Still, the blonde wasn't one hundred percent sure. He felt a light tap on his shoulder, then watched as Kakashi sat in a tree above the two Mist Chunin, winking at him. Naruto smirked slightly, causing Sasuke and Sakura to give him an odd stare. Sasuke could feel that something was next to Naruto, he wasn't sure what, but there was a presence nearby. Then oddly enough, it was gone. Was he going insane?

No, Sasuke was sure he had felt some sort of....energy next to Naruto a few moments ago. Sakura didn't seem to be able to sense it, which he expected. Her chakra was still quite weak compared to hers, her being a girl and all. Not that he was being sexist, but male ninjas usually had more chakra due to the larger mass of physical energy. Women made up for it with their spiritual energy, though it wasn't as powerful. That was another reason why most genjutsu users were female; It took high levels of spirit energy to get into your opponents mind and screw up their senses. Though there were some exceptions, like the Yamanaka and their techniques and his clan's Sharingan doujutsu. He brushed it off as nothing, he was probably just tired from his fight against the Mist ninja earlier. Though he'd make sure to watch for it if it appeared again.

Asuma sighed, shaking his head as Tazuna grinned cheekily. Taking out a cigarette and lightning it, he mumbled

“Guess we'll have to keep going on the mission guys. We're stuck with the worst client ever, huh?”

They won't send more Chunin next. It'll probably be Jonin....In that case...I wonder, Kakashi, what will you do? Asuma wondered, looking up into the spot where Kakashi was lazily floating., his wings flapping every now and again to keep him aloft. He hadn't made it known to the dead teen that was able to sense him, but Asuma figured that Kakashi already knew, being Kakashi and all. Blowing on his cigarette one more time, the Jonin took out two kunai, quickly flicking them at the Mist Chunins' necks; the soft thumps making the three genin shudder as they watched the two slowly die. Naruto walked over to the dead bodies, watching as the life in their eyes slowly faded. He felt a hand on his head, soft fingers rubbing through his blonde hair, not needing to look up to see who it was. Bending down to the Chunin's level, he touched one of the hands not covered by metal. It was cold, not freezing, but somewhat chilly.

Looking up, Naruto stared into the onyx eyes of his foster parent, and then back to the ninja in front of him. Kakashi sighed, already knowing what was going to come next. Kneeling down next to the twelve year old, Naruto turned to him, his blue eyes big and round; still full of the innocence of childhood.

“One day...We're going to have to kill, too aren't we? Assassinate innocent lives in order to fulfill our purpose, just like these guys were trying to do. Or we'll have to destroy a figure head, like the daimyo or something, and the people under him will suffer...All in order for our country, our ninja village, to live and prosper. I don't understand it. Couldn't we come to a peaceful dispute, not using warfare all the time? I understand that power is strength and no one will look up to you if you are weak, but does that mean we must sacrifice countless lives to get that power? In order to be strong, we must kill innocents and people who have lives and families. Isn't there a way to find power without doing these things?”

Kakashi sighed; That was not exactly the question he had been expecting. But he still gave it the same answer.

“I don't know Naruto-kun. My sensei and his sensei and even his sensei couldn't find the peaceful answer to things. Ninja are tools for killing, after all. That's what you and I were trained to do. Maybe not yet, but someday someone will be able to change the meaning of strength and what it means to be powerful. Maybe one day, power will mean being benevolent and kind and not being a killing machine, but I'm not sure. One thing is certain though, Naruto. We must make sacrifices in order to protect the things precious to us. I learned that the hard way. I never hope you have experience what I did.”

A/N: Long philosophical chapter, yeah. I enjoy that kind of stuff, but still hoping the characters aren't Goddmodded and you're all enjoying the story. Cause I know I still love writing it!

“This is the Wave Country huh?” Naruto mumbled, stepping off the flat wooden board of the pier into wet marshy terrain. Kakashi nodded, floating as silently as ever behind the young genin. Sasuke was ahead and to the right of the duo with Sakura and Tazuna to the left. Asuma brought up the front, counting on Sasuke and Naruto to take on any threats from behind. The old man only sighed, mumbling

“We're halfway there. Only a little more to go before we reach my small hometown. Hopefully no more ninja'll attack us before we get there, right?”

Naruto groaned inwardly, starting to feel annoyed with the old man. Ever since Tazuna had been found out to be targeted by Gato, the small genin team had been on the alert nonstop, watching for any other signs of attack by mercenary or the like. So far, nothing had come, but they still didn't want to be caught unawares. Enemies would strike when you thought you were close to the home stretch, and your guard was down. When dealing with ninja, that mistake was always often fatal. Naruto snapped out of his thoughts, his nose detecting a hint of something unfamiliar in the air. The only things he could see were small ponds of water, roots of trees deep in the muddy murk.

He knew something was off though. Kakashi must have sensed something as well, for he drew his own katana, warning Naruto to be wary. Blood lust. And intense too...Something I haven't felt in a long while, since the Black Ops days. This one's going to be big. Very big...They may need my help. If it does come to that, I've got a few good tricks up my sleeve,thankfully. Suddenly, a thick mist covered the area, sending chills down the team's spine. Naruto was pushed hard to the ground, something huge and black whizzing over his head to land into the branch of a nearby tree.

“Well, he doesn't waste any time,huh?” Kakashi muttered from atop Naruto, his hand slowly letting go of the back of Naruto's orange jumpsuit. A deep laugh, echoing due to the thick mist and the expanse of trees, mocked them. A figure shrouded in mist atop his giant blade looked down at them. Asuma walked slowly towards the man, pulling out one of his chakra blades.

“Stay back and protect the old man...He's too strong for you. This one's mine.”

The three genin nodded, quickly surrounding Tazuna, tanto and kunais at the ready. Kakashi floated behind Asuma, his Sharingan spinning wildly in its socket, making him wince a little in pain. What are you going to do Asuma? This will be interesting... The man on the tree finally turned his head out of the shadows of the leaves, showing piercing brown eyes with a face covered up by bandages. His eyes locked with the old man's, who stood frozen with fear. Asuma tensed, expecting something was coming.

“Bridge builder...Your life is up! I, the Demon of the Mist, Zabuza Momchi, will kill you today.”

With that startling proclamation, Zabuza disappeared from his place on the branch. Asuma, with his blades drawn and ready, watched for any signs of movement. The three genin and Tazuna were worried, and also a bit impressed at the same time.

“He's fast...” Sasuke muttered under his breath. Naruto nodded, his tanto shaking slightly in his sweaty hands. The three shrieked, startled, when Zabuza appeared in their midst, launching a sweeping roundhouse kick and sending them all flying. Asuma swore, rushing after the assassin with one of his blades crossed over his shoulders. Zabuza sidestepped the left hook, only to wince as a cut appeared on his cheek, blood dripping crimson onto the ground. What in the!? I was sure I dodged his attack... Asuma came on again, this time with another hook, which Zabuza ducked under, small particles of his spiky black hair floating in the wind. Wind? There are no breezes in the air, due to my mist...Unless...he must be a wind element user! That explains how I was cut. His wind chakra extended the blade, making it longer and sharper. I'll have to watch out for that later...

Zabuza used his intense speed to disappear again, Kakashi following with his Sharingan. Asuma blinked, ducking just in time to avoid one of the swipes of Zabuza's giant blade. Gripping the handle like a samurai would a katana, Zabuza hefted the heavy blade above his head, bringing it down atop Asuma. The Jonin rolled out of the way, but was not expecting the kick Zabuza sent him in the side, making him roll back a few feet. The genin and Tazuna were up by this time, each groaning in slight discomfort, but watching in horror as their sensei was sent flying to the side into some trees. A poof of smoke calmed their fears, as it was just a shadow clone, not their real master who had been hit. Sasuke looked on in awe at the intensity of the fight, the real Asuma and Zabuza dodging and exchanging blows with an almost animal-like ferocity.

This is what it's like to be a Jonin? I can feel their intense thirst for blood, almost palpable...I feel like I'm going to be sick. The ferocity of two warrior attempting to kill; Was that what Naruto and I were like earlier with the Mist Chunin? Naruto turned to his comrade, seeing Sasuke shake in discomfort, and walked over to him.

“You alright? You look pale?” Sasuke just grunted, his breathing unsteady and in gasps. Naruto looked quizzically at him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. Sasuke turned to the blonde, his face expressing discomfort, but his eyes showing gratitude.

“Don't touch me, you idiot.” Naruto frowned, playing along with the Uchiha's act, his short eyebrows furrowing together at the base of his forehead.

“Tch. Way to show thanks, you jerk!”

Huffing and turning his face away from Sasuke, hiding the grin that poked out of the corners of his mouth. That grin turned to fright as he saw the monstrous elite shinobi descend upon the trio, his great blade heaved over one shoulder. Naruto swung his tiny katana just as Zabuza's sword was about to come swinging down, sparks lightning from the clash of metal. He's powerful...What the hell happened to Asuma sensei? Did he get hurt or knocked out? The two blades pressed against each other, Naruto's knees shaking under the weight of the heavy blade atop him. He wasn't sure how long he could hold out, his arm already starting to slip downwards slightly. Naruto blinked as he felt Zabuza stiffen and the pressure on his arm lessened. Zabuza looked back, surprise etched across his masked face, as he felt he point of a katana go through his rib.

He had no idea where it was coming from, having sent the brats' sensei further into the expanse of trees, giving him a deep wound in the process. Now that he knew that their master was one of the Twelve Guardians from the olden days, he didn't want to go easy. Plus, that kind of a head would bring a huge bounty; Much more than Gato was paying them. Still, where in the world could the blade be coming from? He felt a surge of chakra and stiffened, readying for anything and turning around to face it. Nothing happened, much to his surprise, and Zabuza was startled when he felt a presence right next to him; though he couldn't see anything nearby.

“You don't touch the blonde boy, or I'll kill you dead and haunt your pathetic soul for eternity. You may be called a demon, but you've no idea what kind of hell I can take you to.”

Zabuza's eyes widened, the breath in his ear fading away like a wisp. He was sure no one was there, but he still felt something next to him, and the energy wasn't human as well. Was it a ghost? He figured it was just someone doing an invisibility jutsu, fooling him into thinking it was an otherworldly spirit. Taking the katana buried in his chest and snapping it in half, he threw it at the spot where he had last heard the voice in his ear. It sailed through air, landing on the marshy ground with a small thonking sound. Zabuza grunted, disgusted with himself for being afraid of nothing. Teleporting away, onto the water he focused his chakra, in the middle of making a water clone. Hearing a rippling wind to the side, the jumped back, Splashes on the water where he landed. Waves appeared where he was standing a moment later, rippling intensely and lapping at the shore. Asuma appeared on the waves, a cut across his vest and panting slightly, though he wore a grimly determined smile on his face.

“Now...it's time to get serious!”

“Seems like they're really going to finish it...” Haku remarked, watching the fight from a safe distance away. The young ninja monitored the whole thing since it began, and he had already calculated a good strategy for his master Zabuza on how to beat this “Guardian” ninja. Though the two seemed to be evenly matched, judging from the wounds on their bodies, the one with the beard seemed to be tiring quickly. Possibly because he could hold less stamina and chakra than Zabuza who had his immense and towering frame. Though the Leaf Jonin made up for that with speed and his style of attacking. His wind chakra was very effective in close combat, Haku noted. Seeing as how he was a Wind user himself, though Haku barely used it outside of his Kekkei Genkai, preferring Water based jutsu for his assaults.

He took note of how it was able to extend the blades' power and range, wondering if it would apply to weapon like his senbon as well. Those blades seemed to be especially designed for Wind style, their points longer and sharper than most kunai. Focusing some chakra of his own into a senbon, he quickly whipped it at a bird flying overhead. No one would notice, since he was so far away from the battlefield, and he'd clean the mess up later. It would probably make a good snack, he mused, watching the senbon go right past the flying creature. He saw a flash of red and grinned underneath his stolen Anbu mask, catching the bird in his hand as it fell. Frowning, he examined the cut on the bird's body, thankful it was too light and shallow to do any real damage to the animal. Taking out a small salve from his pouch, he quickly mended up the bird, watching it fly away on his finger, albeit a bit wobbly. Turning his attention back to the battle at hand, Haku sat and waited for a victor to emerge.

“Water Style: Multiple Water Bombs!”

“Wind style: Air Bullets!”

The two jutsu's clashed almost instantaneously, sending giant waves and ripples of water over the surface of the marshy lake. Asuma charged, quickly moving for the Mist Jonin who put a hand on his huge hilt. Blade met blade as soon as Asuma snapped back his fist, the metal screeching and sparking wildly. Zabuza pulled back, cursing as he viewed a small nick on his famed Guillotine sword. Quickly flipping through hand signs, he made two water clones, wanting to finish the fight. Suddenly, the water started to electrify, the two Jonin jumping off of the lake. Zabuza watched with curiosity as his two clones melted back into the lake. What the hell? He was sure that the Leaf ninja had no time to do anything, Zabuza so proficient with his one handed signing style that most regular Jonin couldn't read it in time. But, whoever did that electric attack could see through his moves, knew what he was going to do before he even thought of it. Zabuza thought back to the fight a while ago, when he had tried to attack the loud blonde genin with the horribly colored outfit.

Zabuza looked back, surprise etched across his masked face, as he felt the point of a katana go through his rib...He was sure no one was there, but he still felt something next to him, and the energy wasn't human as well.

“You don't touch the blonde boy, or I'll kill you dead and haunt your pathetic soul for eternity. You may be called a demon, but you've no idea what kind of hell I can take you to.”

Maybe his initial suspicion was correct, that there was indeed something otherworldly helping out the Leaf Jonin? He was sure the voice didn't belong to their master, as it was too young and oddly deeper in tone than the bearded man's. No matter, he'd get Haku to look into it later, after they finished off Tazuna. Asuma grinned slightly, guessing who sent the jutsu Zabuza's way. Kakashi was on the lake, his wings floating a few feet above the water, watching the simultaneous reactions of the two Jonin as they scurried out the attack's range. He sighed at his broken katana, the blade snapped in two. He'd repair it later, when he was alone or with Naruto...but for now, they had a job to do.

“I don't know what kind of trick that was, but it'll be the last one you pull off!”

Zabuza gritted his teeth, forcibly drawing out more chakra from his quickly tiring body. The Water clone jutsu cost him much chakra, even for two clones about 1/5 of his original strength. He wasn't sure he could hold out much longer; He'd need to finish this, and quickly. Disappearing into the mist, he went after the bearded Jonin, launching a hit straight for his left lung. Asuma coughed up blood, feeling the tip of the giant blade go straight through his chest and back out. Bending over, blood on his lips and crimson staining the light brown marshy ground in front of him, Asuma struggled to stand upright.

“Sensei!” The three genin shouted, each staring at their master with a look of utter horror in their eyes. Sasuke swore, pulling out a large shuriken from his backpack. Naruto began to make shadow clones, and Sakura was forming hand signs as fast as possible. The three wanted to do anything they could to delay Zabuza's next blow, as they figured it would be fatal. Clone after clone piled upon the behemoth shinobi, who merely brushed them off as if they were mere twigs. Asuma used that time to hide in the fog, waiting for an opportune time to strike and also for brief respite while the genin covered him. Though he knew he had only one shot at the Mist ninja; If he missed, it would cost Asuma his life.

Zabuza expertly caught the wind shuriken in one hand, its massive blades still twirling in his surprisingly dextrous fingers. He deftly tossed it back at the young Uchiha, who leaped backwards onto the hard ground, bringing himself and the old bridge builder down with him. Clutching his head Zabuza looked around for the source of the disturbance, though it was difficult since everything looked as though it was doubled. Sakura grinned, knowing that her simple yet effective illusion had bought their sensei time to attack and hopefully finish this long and draw out fight. Asuma did indeed use the time his students had bought him, his long blade digging deep into the Mist shinobi's ribcage. He was about to lead the blow with another, hopefully fatal, when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye.

Ducking out of the range of the attack, his eyes widened when he saw three senbon embedded in Zabuza's neck, right on the pressure points. An attack like that would kill someone instantly, though Asuma did indeed check to see if there were any signs of life. Finding none, he looked up to see the true identity of the attacker. It was not Kakashi, as he had initially suspected but a Mist Anbu, his jet black hair past his shoulders. Jumping down from the branch, to the amazement of all five of the spectators, he lifted Zabuza's body with ease, replying

“I'm sorry, but I must return this body back to the Hidden Mist. It has many secrets we cannot share. I bid you farewell.”

The boy, for Asuma could tell by the build and tone of his voice that he was at least fifteen years old, disappeared almost instantaneously taking Zabuza's corpse with him. Naruto just looked shocked, his face agape and his eyes wide. Even Sasuke looked reasonably impressed, or possibly agitated. Staring at the spot where the Mist Anbu had been, Naruto slowly walked over, Kakashi floating down beside him.

“That...Wh-What was that!?”

Kakashi stared at Naruto, not understanding the vague question. Naruto turned to him, the anger and frustration in his eyes clearly evident.

“He took Zabuza down just like that! One stupid throw to the neck...While all we did was flounder about like idiots just trying to stay alive against him. Look at sensei! He's..oh Hell! Sensei, hey!”

Asuma was out cold, face first in the ground, a small pool of blood forming around him. Naruto and Sasuke swore, Sakura just standing there with a look of worry on her face. The three turned their master over, taking off his vest and trying to at least examine how bad his condition was. He had a small cut across his chest, made by Zabuza's blade earlier in the fight when it first began. Other bruises and nicks marked his body, but that wasn't what made the three, worry the most. Across his left lung was a gaping hole that went straight through, about a couple inches in size. The small wounds they could try and take care of, due to their experience from the academy, but the big one was something else entirely. Naruto turned to the old man, a look of sheer hatred on his face.

“Look what you...your selfishness cost! Our master's gonna die, dammit! And all you can think about is saving your own ass.”

Tazuna sighed, pushing the tip of his straw hat over his eyes, shame making him hide his face. He didn't want to see this anymore, the pain, the looks of hurt on the little ones faces; and he was the one who had caused it all. If he hadn't lied, their master's life wouldn't be on the line right now. Naruto saw this, and softened his gaze a little, understanding that the old bridge builder knew he had done wrong. The others were busy helping patch Asuma sensei as best they could, Naruto walking up Tazuna and asking him

“How long 'til we get to your house, old man?”

“Not long, kiddo...Only fifteen minutes at the least.”

“Think he'll make it if you carry him?”

“I dunno...It's the least I can do, kid. I'm really sorry about all this...”

Naruto sighed, turning back to their master to try and help with the recovery efforts. Most of the wounds had been patched up and bandaged, but the hole was till a problem. If he didn't receive medical attention soon, Asuma might not make it. Kakashi flew over next to Naruto, his face furrowed and concentrating. Green shot out from his hand into the hole, the skin wrapping around it and re-forming, sweat beheading on the unconscious Jonin's forehead. All four of the onlookers watched intently, Sasuke most of all, sensing he flux of energy again. After the glow dissipated a few moments later, it was as if the hole wasn't even there, and the energy Sasuke felt had dropped sharply. Kakashi sighed, one transparent hand on his sweating forehead, Naruto staring at him in wonderment. Sakura grinned, announcing to the others that their master's condition had stabilized, though still a little shakily. The other three took her word for it, as girls were trained in medical arts longer than the boys, due to their intense level of spiritual energy. Tazuna slumped over, slinging their sensei over his shoulder, his own body slightly bowed with weight.

“Well, let's get going, shall we?”

The other four nodded in agreement, all too happy to oblige.

A/N: Kakashi can heal now too...and that ends this drawn out battle. I'll try to keep part two shorter. Long chapter and it's late (yawn)-- so feel free to say what you hated, liked etc. Still not Goddmodded I hope...I don't wanna go that route at all. And things were definitely derive from the canon, but not mainly until the chunin exams where you-know- who will show up. Oh damn, I just spoiled a little. But keep your fingers crossed, this'll get better I promise ~ KF727

“You're just a whiny crybaby! Heroes are real and I'm gonna be one of the best! You'll see, I'm gonna beat Gato and all his stinkin' men to a pulp and save the bridge, Dattebayo.”

Naruto shouted to Inari, who had already started to cry from the blonde's last outburst. The small black haired boy stuck out his tongue at Naruto, who nearly climbed over the table in anger trying to get at the boy. He was held back by Sasuke and Sakura, the latter giving him a swift smack to the head for being such a dolt. Inari just sniffled, tromping back to his room upstairs, leaving his empty dinner plate on the small wooden table. Naruto was still seething, his arms crossed one over another, and was no mood to apologize to the 'spoiled brat'. He walked out onto the deck of the house, his feet dangling over the water, the full moon's reflection bright on the small lake.

“Stupid little...I'll show him! I'll show all of you!”

Gritting his teeth, Naruto ran off of the deck, into the marshland where two days previously they had come out of. Going to the place where Asuma had taken them tree climbing earlier, he focused his chakra, dashing up to the top of the tree. Jumping down every branch, the blonde grunted as his feet landed on the soft grass. He went up a different tree, this one taller then the other, and sped down it as well. Kakashi watched the boy run up tree after tree, his broken blade in his hands. Taking a small salve from his pocket, he quickly affixed it to the part that Zabuza had torn off in their earlier fight. Attaching that to the remains of his blade, Kakashi slid it back in his sheath, about ready to fly down ad confront Naruto about his reckless behavior. He couldn't climbing trees all night; He'd catch pneumonia sleeping on the ground or something else Kakashi didn't need to worry about.

Even more so since they had found out Zabuza was alive and well, and well on his way to recovery by the looks of things. They had not yet been attacked when paroling the bridge, but the genin were still wary. Asuma had healed up quite nicely in the past two days, though he was still in no shape to be out fighting. Still, they had no idea when trouble would strike and Asuma had left them with a rigorous training regimen while he was busy recovering. Naruto, being the knucklehead that he was ,had decided to push himself further than necessary these past few days. He felt like he had to prove something to little Inari, and show him that heroes really do exist. Kakashi admired the boy's spirit and determination, but at the rate he was going,he'd likely get himself killed or at least overworked.

“Naruto, you really shouldn't push yourself like this!”

The boy turned to him looking up at the base of the tree he was preparing to climb, his whiskered face smiling even though beads of sweat were dripping down his forehead. Kakashi quickly touched down on the soft grass next to Naruto, leading him over to shade underneath the trees. Of course the blonde tried to protest, but the angelic Anbu would hear none of it. Scowling, Naruto didn't even face Kakashi, who was grinning slightly. He knew the boy would be stubborn after interrupting his training. He sighed, pulling out something from his pouch and giving it to the young boy. Naruto stared at it quizzically, wondering why in the world his foster parent would give him a book. He wasn't a very avid reader, though he honestly didn't mind burying his head in a book every now and then if it was good enough.

Curious, he flipped the first page and saw the title, The Legend of the Gusty Ninja. Smirking, he turned to Kakashi, who was as unreadable as ever. Guessing that this meant to keep reading, Naruto turned to the first page and started from there, his eyes widening as he saw the main character's name: Naruto, just like his own. The blonde genin grinned even wider, this was going to be an interesting read...

A few hours later...

Naruto's eyes opened slowly, to be obscured by something sliver. His nose tickled and he had to force himself to hold in a sneeze as strands of hair went into his nose. Getting up in a sitting position, trying not to disturb his sleeping companion, Naruto grinned at the content look on his tousan's face. Well, the parts of his face the boy could see anyways. He must have fallen asleep listening to me read out loud. How cute, and good blackmail too. If only I had a camera..Wait, can cameras take dead people's pictures? I forgot he was a ghost! Darn... Naruto blinked, sunlight streaming in through the trees branches and hitting him n the face.

Kakashi groaned on top of him, his eyes blearily opening to the sharp rays of sun. He let out a quiet curse, then turned over into Naruto's jacket, wrapping one of his arms around the boy's torso. Naruto ruffled the Anbu's hair, remembering how Kakashi did it to him when he was little. Another small moan and more shuffling ensued, the teen's one eye lazily staring upward at the smirking blonde.

“How long are you going to be sleeping on top of me? I can't feel my legs.”

“Sorry...I used more chakra than I thought using all those jutsu. Even though its been a few days, I still feel kinda tired. It takes me longer to recover chakra, not having any physical energy, you know.”

Naruto helped pull the half-asleep Anbu to a sitting position, the two watching dawn break through the gaps in the trees. Naruto sighed, prompting an odd look from his mentor/father figure.

“I just...have a feeling...what if we won't be able to spend time like this anymore? What if something happens to one of us? What will we do?”

Kakashi stared at Naruto, draping one hand over the boy's shoulder, his face grinning and yet serious at the same time.

“I'll make sure nothing like that happens. I'll protect you with my life, I swear it. Well, I'm not really...alive but you get what I mean! Not like I can die twice anyways. Trust me, everything'll be fine. You're worrying too much.”

“...Fine, but I'm gonna hold you to that!”

“Promise of a lifetime, Naruto-kun. Promise of a lifetime.”

A/N: Short and cute. Zabuza, Haku vs Team 7 and Kakashi will be next.

A/N: Am I going too fast or is the pace so far good? I kinda feel like I'm rushing which I don't want, as I want most of the major chapters to have an impact on the story and Naruto/Kakashi's development as a whole.

And I don't remember the smaller samurai's name, so forgive me in advance.

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Oi, what are you doing with my mother!?”

Inari shouted, watching as the two samurai dragged his mother out of the house, pedaling furiously after them on his short legs.

“Don't Inari!”

His mother was quickly shushed by one of the samurai, the bigger one named Waraji. She turned to the man, her eyes fierce with determination.

“If you touch my son, I'll bite my tongue and drown in my own blood. Then how will you get a hostage?”

The two samurai scoffed, the smaller one with the beanie on his head drawing his own katana, letting go of Inari's mother. Waraji locked Tsunami in his iron grip, making sure she couldn't do anything; It was difficult enough to even breathe under the crushing pressure of the steel arms on top of her. Inari looked on with fear, watching as the samurai stalked closer and closer. The small boy backpedaled in fear, tripping on the small indentation in the wooden floor of the pier. Both mother and child screamed as they watched the samurai's sword come down in a mighty arc.

Inari only blinked as he watched the sword move slowly toward him, not noticing the black shadow that hung over the beanie wearing samurai's head. The taller man crashed down, his sword falling onto the deck with a clang and splashed into the water. He couldn't focus on his blade though, as a giant bulldog was atop him busy trying to bite and scratch the man in vital areas. Then a second dog, this one silver with a scarred left eye, joined the fray, leaving the poor samurai completely off guard. His big companion had no incentive to help him, being pinned down by five other hounds himself. Inari blinked, his face screwed up in confusion. Who made the dogs attack? Most likely someone had set them upon the samurai. They weren't ordinary dogs either, wearing blue navy coats with kanji assembled like a smiling face on their backs. Did they belong to someone?

The boy found that out a moment later as Naruto appeared, wearing a grim look on his face as he surveyed the scene. After ordering the ninken to pin the men down; he didn't want to kill them after all, the blonde haired boy quickly went over to Tsunami, who had just managed to wiggle out of Waraji's grip before the ninken had attacked the man. Mother and son reunited in a tearful hug, Naruto grinning at seeing the two safe and sound. Inari turned to the genin, his eyes full of tears.

“I-i'm crying again. You're g-gonna call me a baby a-again, aren't you?”

Naruto wore a puzzled expression, walking closer to the boy and squatting down to his level.

“Nah, I won't. It's fine to cry if you're happy!”

Inari sniffled, looking up at Naruto, who grinned putting a hand on the boy's head. Gesturing to the samurai, who the ninken were busy attending to, Inari quickly fan to the house and found some rope to tie them up. After that was done, Naruto called his ninken to stand beside him, Kakashi secretly hiding a few feet away in the air.

“Inari, these ninja dogs were gifts from my foster father to me.”

He bent down to the boy's level again, putting his hand on the boy's head again.

“Just like Kaiza, your own foster father, gave you the gift to be strong no matter what happened to you or your village. Now...it's time to put that gift to use in order to protect the people and country you love from Gato. But don't do it alone; You'll get hurt that way.”

Inari slowly nodded, understanding beaming on his face. Tsunami looked to Naruto, surprise and astonishment etched on her face. How could a boy so young make such a powerful speech? We do have to protect our country using the strength that Kaiza gave us...but we've been to afraid because of Gato. But Father's busy doing something about it. He's making the bridge, even if he dies to accomplish his dream. We should do something too.

Breaking out of her reverie, Tsunami saw that Naruto had bid goodbye to Inari, his ninken disappearing in a could of smoke. The blonde boy went out into the forest near the marshlands, ready to go to the bridge. Naruto...Good luck, from both Inari and me. We know you can do it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Where's the bridge?”

“It's up ahead,Naruto-kun. We'll be there shortly. Urgh! You've gotten heavy in the last six years...”

Kakashi grumbled, hearing Naruto chuckle beneath his busily flapping wings. The two did encounter the bridge a few moments later, though something seemed off to the Anbu. It was shrouded in mist, thicker mist than Zabuza had used last time. That and there were small ice like mirrors along with puddles of water surrounding a part of the bridge. As they dropped lower, Naruto peeked over Kakashi's shoulder, his face scrunched up in concentration.

“Damn, this mist is thick! I can barely see.” The young genin complained.

“Of course, Zabuza's using it as camouflage. The thing that worries me most are those ice mirrors, it feels like it's a jutsu. But why can't I copy ti with my Sharingan?”

“Don't ask me! Hey, where's Sasuke--”

Naruto shuddered as he heard an ear piercing scream inside the mirrors, his anger boiling as he recognized the voice was Sasuke's. Kakashi stopped flying for a second, trying to see if he could peer inside the mirrors.

“It seems he's trapped inside, Naruto. We'll have to break him out.” Kakashi commented to Naruto's dismay.

“Great! Then I'll go on the inside and res--”

“No, you dolt! The only way those mirrors can be broken is by attacks from both the inside and outside. You'll have to hide in the mist yourself and use that as an advantage to break Sasuke out.”

“Uhm...Alright! Now...it's time for the hero to show up; meaning me!”

“*sigh* Are you serious, Naruto!? We're doing this together. And what part of 'hidden' didn't you get? C'mon, we're wasting time!”

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. School papers, mom making me look at colleges on the net and other stuff has preoccupied my time for a while. That, and I'm getting lazy and was thinking of ways to be less and less canonized for the later chapters. Chunin exams won't start right away after this arc, just so you know.

…. … …

“We're almost there; I'm going to disappear now, so be ready for a rough landing.”

“Right, Tousan! Now...to blend my chakra signature in with the mist...Hell, I've always sucked at this...”

Naruto grumbled, making a quick sign with his one free hand. Kakashi was diving at an angle towards the bridge; they could almost make out the shadowy figures on the mist encroached metal planks. Pelting full speed toward the railing, Naruto felt his stomach drop with the plunge, his concentration on the unfinished seal wavering slightly.

“Alright...one...two...three!”

Naruto leaped, using his chakra as buffer to mask the sounds of his feet slamming onto the metal railing. Looking around, he saw that Zabuza and Asuma were already in heated combat, shuriken and loud clangs were the first things he noticed. Peering further he saw Sakura, her form slightly blurred, next to an older figure whom he guessed was the old bridge builder. Staring straight ahead, ice walls about his own height were constructed in a dome shaped pattern. That's where Sasuke is...Time to break him loose! The boy thought, rushing forward, his movement hidden by the thick currents of mist surrounding the bridge. Taking out a kunai, Naruto quickly slammed against one of the mirrors with all his strength, only to groan as he bounced back, his right hand bruised slightly.

“Oww...Shit, that hurt!”

He mumbled under his breath, trying to think of what tactic he could try next. Sasuke blinked, having seen a small flash of movement that wasn't by the masked boy standing in front of him. His eyes were slowly and steadily understanding and following Haku's movements throughout the whole spar in the mirrors. Haku had of course noticed this, and wasn't pleased by the prospects. The more time I take to kill him, the more chakra I lose and the stronger his sight gets. I'll have to finish this sooner or later...What's with the disturbance outside? I can barely sense a third presence, but where? The masked boy phased through the mirror, only in time to watch a volley of small fireballs race towards him.

“W-what?”

Haku muttered, teleporting to a different mirror, his body still on the outside. There definitely is someone helping out the Uchiha boy on the outside...He swore quietly; he was in no position to fight two people at once. Taking out a senbon, he quickly threw it in the direction of the last fireball. Hearing a resounding clang and flash of sparks in the vicinity, the masked boy threw a couple more senbon that way. Naruto sighed, deftly dodging the projectiles and throwing a shuriken of his own. Sasuke knew that this was his chance; Making signs as fast as he could, the Uchiha unleashed a giant fireball on the mirror Haku was currently phased into.

Haku didn't notice the fireball until he felt something start to get hot on his back end. Quickly teleporting out of the way to see a fireball and shuriken clash at the mirror, Haku swore, watching as the ice broke into shards. He looked at Sasuke and turned to the invisible figure, staring at him as well.

“It seems you two have managed to figure out my little trick. I congratulate you...No one has ever beaten my Kekkei Genaki, the Ice Mirror Jutsu. But...This is where it gets seri--”

Haku stopped in mid-sentence, looking past Sasuke to where the two Jonin were fighting. He could smell the blood and sweat on their bodies, and knew that they had been at it for a while now. He turned to the two genin, his expression unreadable underneath his white porcelain mask.

“It seems our fight will have to wait. I'm sorry.”

The two blinked, watching as the boy sped off in the western direction. Naruto just watched, curious as to what the masked boy would do. Sasuke came to stand beside him, his body covered in small cuts and wounds. Naruto blinked, staring at the Uchiha who huffed and turned away.

“Sensei's over there...”

“I know, idiot. That's where he's heading! We'd better...”

Naruto nodded watching the fight between the two Jonin, or at least what he could make out. Asuma seemed to have the upper hand, deftly catching Zabuza in a genjutsu that left him immobilized. Good thing Kurenai taught me this little trick. Asuma thought, grinning as he watched Zabuza's form suddenly go limp. Haku swore, watching as the Leaf Jonin charge toward his master. Blades drawn behind his shoulders. Weaving some hand signs, the boy was able to get up a partially formed mirror in front of Zabuza. Asuma's chakra infused blade thrust straight through the ice, stopping at a shallow point near Zabuza's ribs. Asuma turned, watching as the masked boy jumped in front of his master,one hand on the man's chest busily pulling out the blade.

“So...you used your Kekkei Genkai to shield him from the full force of the blow; That's very clever of you. Sorry kid...but you won't get a second shot!”

Naruto stopped running, his feet skidding on the bridge as he saw Asuma Sensei's next move. Using his other blade the Jonin slashed across the younger child's chest, crimson dripping down the front of his yukata and the ground. Haku only stood there, his mouth spewing blood behind his porcelain mask; not able to move or make a sound. The attack had torn open his insides with wind chakra, the beginnings of his entrails starting to peek out from underneath his bloodied sash. The three genin and Tazuna could only stare, mouths agape, at what their master had done. H-he just killed him! Sensei killed in the kid in cold blood... Sasuke thought, similar ideas no doubt flickering through the others' minds. Naruto shook, rage building up inside of him.

Asuma sighed, his heart heavy and full of guilt; It was his job and the boy had gotten in the way. Haku was an enemy too, no matter how young he was. They still didn't understand...They were too naive. Zabuza's eyes snapped open, his senses back to normal. He mentally winced when he saw Haku; his stomach torn open, blood and entrails piling on the ground beneath his crimson red feet. Hefting his great sword over one shoulder, Zabuza sneered out

“Well,well...It seems that this child has severed me well after all. He spared my life and now he is giving me yours as well!”

Asuma swore, using his feet to backpedal away from the giant behemoth. Zabuza grinned; he knew that the Jonin was tiring after that attack, and his chakra was slowly but surely exhausted. If he kept up this pace, the Leaf idiot would be dead in no time. Kakashi could only watch as the scene unfolded, wincing at Asuma's uncharacteristic brutality. He knew it was for the best though; With those two as opponents, one could barely afford to show mercy. Watching Naruto, though, made the ex-Anbu start. His chakra was rising to dangerous levels; beyond anything he had witnessed during his years as the boy's protector. The only things Naruto could feel now was anger and blind rage; he was oblivious to anything else. He wanted to hurt, punish; He wanted to rip something to pieces! He felt a calling inside of him, something was telling him to let loose. Naruto obeyed; a savage growl rumbling out of his throat into the misty air. Everyone stopped to look at the boy; even the two Jonin, feeling the malice of the chakra.

“The Seal...Shit!”

Asuma cursed, unsure of what was happened. He knew that the Fourth had put a seal on the fox's chakra; but he feared it would break loose. After what the boy had witnessed lately after living in the sheltered Leaf Village for so long, it could damage his psyche; more so since he was so young and innocent. Naruto howled, red spirals of chakra surrounding him, his hands and feet turning clawed and feral.

Sasuke and Sakura took a step back, fear in their eyes: They had heard rumors of this as children, but had dismissed it as folly. Now they were wondering if it was true, if the boy really was a monster. Sasuke could definitely see that something was different about Naruto's chakra; It felt evil and full of malice, not to mention the red color. Naruto's regular chakra was blue and had a warm and cheery feeling to it. What is this? He's turning into...something almost dog-like. What the hell is up with him? The Uchiha thought, watching as Naruto started to sprout a red tail from his backside, his body covered in a red shroud of evil energies. Naruto grinned, his tongue wrapping over his pointed incisors and front teeth. His red eyed gaze darted first to Asuma, then to the dead boy, and finally to Zabuza. Bent on all fours, his eyes locked with the Mist Jonin's, chilling the older man to the bone.

“You fucking son of a bitch! I'm gonna tear you to shreds.”

… … … …

A/N: Naruto's gone Kyuubi! Laaame trigger I know, but enjoy. Next ch. will definitely be out faster.

“Rrrrrgh!”

Naruto growled, his tongue running over his sharp teeth. His back feet crouched, he sprang in-between the two Jonin, his one tail lapping Asuma in the chest as he turned. The leaf Jonin was pushed back by the demonic chakra, his vest scorched and sightly burnt. Zabuza swiftly blocked the swipe that came at his front with his blade, but blinked back surprise when he saw a red arm of chakra extend and uppercut him in the face.

Just what the hell is this kid?

He thought, doing a back flip in the air and landing on his feet a few meters away from the enraged boy. Naruto shoots out a clawed hand, watching as the chakra elongates and grabs Zabuza by the chest. Readying a fist, the blonde genin lashes out with a punch to the stomach, which sends the Mist Jonin tumbling along the ground. The onlookers just stare in shock. They don't know what to do; Naruto has completely transformed from what he was before. Sasuke watches the fight, his eyes slowly able to see the movements of the red chakra, though it's far from perfect. Sakura gasps, watching as Sasuke's onyx eyes change to red with one black pupil on the outside.

“The Sharingan?”

Sasuke looks at her, his face puzzled for a moment. Then he understands; the Uchiha must have been slowly gaining the power when he fought with Haku. Now it has manifested, at least partially. Not good enough to beat my brother, yet. Sasuke thinks, watching as the fight between his blonde comrade and Zabuza escalates. Kakashi, who has been flying above the bridge watching the developments, swears as he watches the boy rake Zabuza in the chest. He shudders as he feels the demonic chakra grow stronger with Naruto's every move. The boy is becoming unstable; at this rate, the seal could unravel. He floats down, the mist slowly clearing as he descends.

I don't think I can stop him...Unless...it might not work though.

Kakashi thinks, focusing his spiritual energy. His body straining, he pushes the amount of energy so much that he feels the ground beneath him shake. Kakashi dashed toward Naruto, his body in pain as it passes through the Kyuubi cloak and into the boy. The first thing he notices is that its wet. Oddly, he figures out that he has a corporeal form here, wherever here is. Kakashi surmises that it is Naruto's subconsciousness; though why it looks like a sewer he has no idea. As he walks toward the blackened part of the tunnel, he hears snippets of conversasion.

“Summoning Jutsu!...Eh?”

“You need to control your chakra flow better; you're not putting enough into it.”

Kakashi blinks, watching as images of a twelve year old Naruto and himself flash through his own consciousness. These are his memories? The teen realizes, his determination unwavering as the spiritual pressure starts rising. He knows Naruto is here somewhere, along with that dammed fox. Kakashi'd go to hell and back before he'd let the boy be hurt by that thing.

The blackness suddenly turns white, blinding Kakashi. He grunts as he feels intense spiritual pressure, forcing him to his knees. He figures he must be in the presence of the Kyuubi. Feeling a familiar chakra, he looks up to see Naruto, the boy's face contorted in obvious pain. His knees shaking as he stands up, Kakashi determinedly makes his way toward the boy. Naruto doesn't seem to notice him, red chakra constricting the boy and holding him in place above the sloshing waves. Only when he puts a hand on the boy's shoulder does Naruto react; his eyes squinting as he turns his head slightly.

“Tousan...?Wha-”

“You've got to stop this Naruto-kun... This is not the kind of power I was talking about.”

“Eh?”

Naruto looks slightly confused, his face puzzled. He then nods slowly, remembering their conversation a few weeks before.

“I don't know Naruto-kun. My sensei and his sensei and even his sensei couldn't find the peaceful answer to things. Ninja are tools for killing, after all. That's what you and I were trained to do. Maybe not yet, but someday someone will be able to change the meaning of strength and what it means to be powerful. Maybe one day, power will mean being benevolent and kind and not being a killing machine, but I'm not sure. One thing is certain though, Naruto. We must make sacrifices in order to protect the things precious to us. I learned that the hard way. I never hope you have experience what I did.”

“This isn't the way you should use this power to protect your precious people. Your real father wouldn't have given it to you otherwise.”

The two look up, facing the snarling fox demon in his cage. It's red eyes seem to bore into their souls, the spiritual pressure starting to give Kakashi a headache. Gotta finish it fast. I can't take the evil energy much longer... Kakashi thinks, slowly unsheathing his katana. Naruto looks at him, concern flashing across his whiskered face.

“You can't cut it! I've already tried to...”

Kakashi gives the boy a small smile, his face hard-set as he looks down at the red cords of chakra binding Naruto. His temples throbbing, he pours his own spiritual energy into the blade, its silver sheen turning white and transparent. Naruto looks on in awe, feeling the energy slowly start to wash over him. A quick vertical cut looses he bonds, Naruto's feet shakily standing in the murky water. The Kyuubi isn't pleased, deep growl emanating from it's large jowls.

“So...you're the first barrier for me to overcome? That clever Yondaime...”

“Hm?” Kakashi mumbles, his sword now sheathed. Beads of sweat are on his forehead, which is aching and starting to grow warm. Naruto looks from the demon to Kakashi, confused but with an angry light in his azure eyes. He takes out his own kunai, slowly standing in front of his foster parent.

“Like hell you're gonna kill him, you damned fox! As long as you're in my body, you gotta do what I say.”

“Heh heh heh...Cute. But I doubt you can keep that promise, inferior as your power is right now.”

“W-wait a min...minute. What did...you mean b-before...with the Yondaime?”

Kakashi weakly mutters, one hand shakily pressed against his forehead. I can't stand too much pressure; I think I'm going to be sick. His vision starting to double, he can barely make out Naruto's orange form in front of him.

“That's something you'll have to figure out for yourself, dead fool. Yeah, I know you're dead; your form is a great concentration of spiritual energy. Anyone with doujutsu could see it...”

“I figured Sasuke was going to catch on soon enough. So...he's gotten his Sharingan already?”

Kakashi mumbled, sighing. Naruto turned back to him, confused.

“I'll tell you more about it later. Now's...”

A sharp pain erupted in the Anbu's head, stopping him mid-sentence. Naruto quickly ran over to him, the boy's face peeking through his silver strands. His breathing heavy, he gripped the boy's arm for support, Naruto grunting slightly. Weakly getting to his feet, Naruto still clinging to him, Kakashi turned to face the demon one last time.

“This..isn't over...I'll teach h-him...how to control you...damned fox!”

The demon seemed intrigued by the prospect, its red eyes gleaming maliciously.

“Go ahead and try! But I warn you, if you think this pain is bad...”

Kakashi closed his eyes, releasing a sigh. Opening them again, he found he was back on the bridge, Naruto calmed and lying on his chest. Examining the boy, he saw burns and scorch marks on his body; his right hand seemed the most afflicted. His clothes were torn and dirtied from the fight with Haku and the demon chakra. The boy was, at least, sleeping peacefully with a contented look on his somewhat pale face. Kakashi felt his chest flare up in pain, and heaved, his head titling to the side so he wouldn't get any of it on Naruto. Luckily it was invisible, and no one but him and Naruto would notice the pale puddle. His body exhausted, the Anbu hugged his arms around the boy protectively, his consciousness drifting off.

… … …

“The hell?”

Sasuke mumbled, his Sharingan active again and watching the transformed Naruto. He had put up a ferocious fight, but now was stopped suddenly. The red chakra around him was bubbling and steaming, mixing with the heavy mist in the air. Sasuke began to grow worried, as he could sense the rising chakra levels from within Naruto. Is this his true power? How did he get so strong? Sasuke thinks, watching as Naruto clutches his head in apparent agony. Sakura, nearby with Tazuna, watches in fear and confusion, the look on her face betraying all of her emotions. The three blink and watch as the chakra around Naruto starts to dissipate, his body becoming more and more human-like in the minutes that followed.

The blonde toppled on the ground, his face pale and clearly exhausted. Sasuke and the other two were about to approach the boy when Sasuke felt another emanation of chakra. He peered forward in the mist with his Sharingan, though weak, was able to make out the energy of something below Naruto. It was almost like it was cradling him, protecting him...Sasuke realizes. This thing...it's like all the rumors said; he does have a servant from hell! Whatever it is, I'm sure it's the thing that has been following us since this mission, probably even longer... Feeling his chakra starting to get low, Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan, just in time to watch one of the planks rise up from the unfinished end of the bridge. A small man stepped out onto the bridge, flanked by quite a few samurai and bandits. Zabuza scoffed, his next words confirming their suspicions.

“Gato...you've come to kill us and avoid paying, eh? Always knew you were a two-faced bastard...Tch!”

The small man chuckled, his eyes glinting maliciously behind his pair of sun shades. The four shinobi swore; how were they to fight such an entourage with so little strength left? Naruto definitely wasn't up for any fight, as he had not stirred at all. Zabuza grinned, hefting up his own sword with his remaining hand as he slowly stalked the dirty businessman.

“W-what're you waiting for? Kill them!”

Gato shouted, his face blanching as he knew what Zabuza was going to do to him. The bandits and samurai proved to be quite difficult targets for the seasoned Mist Jounin, with most of his strength gone from the fight with Asuma and company. Doesn't matter if I die...I'll take him to hell with me. Zabuza thinks as he charges, ignoring the stinging pains of the samurai's blades plunging deeply into his flesh as he makes his way to Gato. With one swipe of his great blade, the corrupt businessman's head was flying over the bridge and landed in the water with a splash, turning it a murky crimson.

His strength gone, the Jounin collapsed, his great blade falling out of his hand. Sasuke and Sakura watched with amazement; Zabuza truly was a stubborn opponent! Asuma sighed, looking from the dead Haku to his slowly dying master. He had no strength left to contend with what remained of the bandits. Neither did Sasuke or Sakura going by the looks on their faces, the sweat dripping off of their bodies.

“Hmph! You stinkin' bandits think you can just come here and raid our homes?”

Sasuke turned around, surprise etched on his face as he saw all of the villagers, along with little Inari. They were holding weapons; some plows, pitchforks and even real bows, and looked determined to fight for their homes and families. His body exhausted, Sasuke sat down, his eyes slowly closing into blackness.

“It seems that Sasuke has acquired his Sharingan during their last mission.” Kabuto mumbled, his glasses gleaming red from the small flickers of candlelight in the room. Orochimaru grinned, his hand drumming along the curved edge of the chair he was sitting in. That grin quickly changed into a wheeze, and then into a cough, the Sannin's lips dripping blood. Kabuto's eyes grew wide, his hands quickly getting out the proper ingredients for the medicine. It seems that his body is starting to reject Soul Transfer. Maybe it's a good thing that Sasuke has gotten his Sharingan so quickly. But we need to wait for it to develop...as well as our plans to take over Konoha.

The snake-like Sannin sighed, his body now fully in control after the short spasm thanks to the medicine. He blinked as a cloud of smoke appeared in front of him; one of his trusted subjects was back to make another report. Tayuya kneeling on the cold stone, looked up at her master, her face full of devilish glee.

“The plan is successful. We managed to kill the two stupid advisers along with the Kazekage. No causalities were sustained for our side either. And the stupid bastards won't even know their lord is dead before the third phase of the Chunin exams...”

“Good...”

He watched as she disappeared, again leaving behind the telltale poof of smoke. Kabuto grinned, his face dark and unreadable. What could he be thinking? The Sanin thinks, watching as Kabuto takes out another scroll, this one blue.

“It seems we were correct in our suspicions that the aura following Naruto was indeed a shinobi...”

“Go on, Kabuto.”

“However the spirit is apparently beguine and poses no threat to the boy. It seems that the thing's identity is none other than Hatake Kakashi. The Anbu who was killed thirteen years ago in the Kyuubi attack on Konoha.”

“Interesting...I wonder how he can serve to be of any use to me in destroying Konoha...hehehe!”

… … …

Yawning, Sakura's head darted to and fro, waiting for their last team member to arrive. Sasuke was leaning against the red rails of the bridge, his face blank as always. She couldn't tell what he was thinking about; it was harder to tell since they had gotten back from the mission in Wave. Their teamwork had oddly improved since the mission in Wave, though she couldn't understand how it had come about. Sasuke slowly seemed to be less cold than he was before. Naruto, after he had gotten back to his original and somewhat peppy self, had started to annoy the two less; his thoughts seemed to be on something else most of the time that they were doing their tedious D-rank missions. She had started to get know Sasuke very well, and oddly enough, Naruto. However, his transformation at the bridge still scared her. Was he really human or just using that a disguise for his real form; the Kyuubi? She didn't know; she was too scared to go anywhere near Naruto the first few days after they got back from Wave; fearing he would explode and change like he did before. Seeing that that wasn't going to happen anytime soon, she had started to get to closer to him, inch by inch.

Sasuke, however, still has his own suspicions about the whiskered boy. That chakra was ten times as powerful as his regular chakra; and definitely felt more evil than the regular chakra Naruto usually let out. What Sasuke didn't understand was why Naruto didn't use that power in the Academy days; he could've been top of the class! The Uchiha figured it was because the boy had just awakened to his power, much like how he gained the Sharingan. Naruto, being somewhat dense, probably didn't understand how to control this new found power. That would explain the deep sleep the boy was in while they in Wave. Naruto had slept for a week and a half before even opening his eyes. Even then, his body was still weak and not even barely on its way to recovery, though a few of the burns had healed in his sleep. He was definitely different in the week that followed, his cheerful attitude gone and replaced by one of somber silence.

Though the Uchiha wouldn't blame him; after succumbing to an evil power like that, one you didn't even knew you had, who would want to talk about it? He knew it was Kyuubi's power; the feeling of the red chakra was something he remembered from when he small; before his family was dead. Naruto obviously had no idea of the event on the bridge, or just some basic recollection, for he was clueless when he awoke. That new power, if the boy couldn't control it properly, was going to be a huge danger to the team. If Sasuke couldn't survive on missions thanks to Naruto, how in the world could he survive long enough to beat his brother? This thought process slowly changed the cold heart of the Uchiha, and he began to start to get close to his teammates. First, it was more about finding out their weaknesses and strength in combat and how he could fill the gaps. Later on however, as the first few missions flew by and the days turned into weeks, the Uchiha felt an odd bond with the three he had learned to call his team, especially Naruto.

Now instead of being an avenger, the Uchiha felt a more powerful drive, having cast away the bonds of his brother and the clan. They still remained deep in his heart though, and would awaken the boy from his sleep often, his forehead pouring cold sweat. Images of his dead parents and clansmen; their dead and decaying bodies lying out on the streets of Uchiha district. Sasuke wouldn't be swayed so easily by the false promises of revenge, though. He was going to live a different life, one not clouded by hatred and anger. Though he was still indifferent and seemingly cold to his teammates, as he knew that was one facet of his personality that wouldn't change. He had always been somewhat of an introvert, preferring to be alone and have time to think. Sasuke slowly began to change, sometimes accepting Naruto's offers of going for ramen after missions, and even Sakura began to slowly notice the difference.

“Hey, you're late again!”

Sakura shouted, making the Uchiha snap out of his thoughts and turned toward the noise. Naruto was grinning sheepishly, his face upturned in one of his odd smiles.

“Sorry, I had to help an old lady cross the street.”

Sakura sighed, fed up with the odd and unbelievable excuses he came up with every day. Asuma turned to the three, his eyes sparkling and face beaming. The three were confused; what had gotten their sensei into such a good mood? They found out the answer soon enough, as their master gave each of them a slip of paper.

“The...Chunin Exams? What's that?”

“It's obviously a test to see if we can become Chunin, loser...”

Sasuke mumbled to the dense Naruto, who sighed and examined his paper. Asuma then went on about the meeting place to register for the exam. It was at the ninja academy in room 301 in one week. He had put the team off of all mission in order so they could think about their decisions individually and prepare for the exams. Sakura felt an odd pit in the middle of her stomach; her confidence level had been steadily rising, but she still wasn't sure about her skills as a ninja. She could do a few basic genjutsu along with some D and C rank Water style techniques, along with a couple Earth, though she was still worried. What if I'm not good enough? What if there'll be a lot of skilled ninja there? They have to be pretty skilled to make into the exam, right?

“Sakura!”

She turned around, lost in her thoughts, to see Sasuke calling out to her. Naruto was looking her way as well, as concerned look on his face.

“We can't do this exam without you. You're the only genjutsu master in our group, right Naruto?”

“Yeah! There's no way we can pass without you, Sakura-chan.”

Sakura blinked, her worried face slowly breaking into a smile.

Thanks you guys...

… … …

A/N: short chapter and it was mainly to set up the settings for the next couple chapters.

A/N: Sorry, with the holidays and all, I kinda forgot about this. That and I've been in a rut lately...can't seem to get past the writer's block for my other fics.

… … …

“The chakra really burns...but I'm starting to get a feel for it!”

Naruto mumbled out, his hands pressed together into the ram seal, his whiskered face contorted into an expression of slight pain. He let go of the fearsome demonic energy and sighed; the burning feeling coming from his hands disappearing almost entirely. The only trace was that the boy's hands were covered in red hot blisters, the skin charred and burnt on particular spots of his hands and fingers. Quickly, he dunked them in the bucket of ice cold water he had learned to prepare when Kakashi wasn't around, moaning with pleasure as the burns and blisters started to slowly ebb away.

“That's much better....ahh....”

After submerging them for some time, the blonde ninja dried off his hands with a towel laying on the chair next to the kitchen table. The two had both agreed at the start of Naruto's training with the demon's chakra that it would be too dangerous to practice outside the apartment. Others might get worried if they felt the demon's chakra again, especially those who had lost loved ones to the demon while fighting it twelve years ago. Also this was sure to be a major trump card for the boy, and to have it revealed out in the open while training would put him at a serious disadvantage against the other competitors.

Looking at his hands, Naruto quickly surmised that this was it for today's training; his hands were still as red as beets and it pained him to move his fingers around too much. However, in the last few days since he had tried accessing the Kyuubi's chakra, Naruto found that he had made some decent progress. Though he was still unable to draw out a significant amount: only about 30% of what he could usually draw using regular chakra, the power and feeling of this new red chakra was obviously different than his own yellow. With his own he could create a substantial number of shadow clones, around seventy at least, but with the demons chakra...

With the demon's chakra and only about 5% of the total 30% he could draw, the clones he could make were about twenty-five to thirty. However, the power far exceeded what he could have done with regular chakra, the clones being able to take at least two to three solid blows depending on the amount of his own chakra mixed in with the demon's. Though it did come with its own set of drawbacks; the tiredness Naruto felt after dispelling the demon infused clones increased, and he did not gain as much information from them as he usually would. If Naruto gained at least 45% of information from a regular clone, he would have to guess and say he only gained about 22% percent from a Kyuubi clone.

These so far had been the only major drawbacks he had found while experimenting with the shadow clone technique; besides the burning sensation on his hands and exhaustion he periodically faced after drawing out his limited 30% of chakra. Other than that, the technique was pretty powerful and definitely useful if he would have to go up against higher level ninja like Zabuza. He sincerely hoped this wouldn't be the case; He didn't really love fighting, just getting stronger and feeling his limits increase. Fighting to kill, however, was a totally different situation. He still remembered the queasiness he felt as his kunai dig into a bandit's abdomen, the blood gushing out of the hole and onto his hands. The feeling was not a pleasant one, and certainly one he didn't want to revisit.

If he had to however, Naruto would fight to protect his country. Even with the life lessons Kakashi had taught him; how the sanctity of others' lives should be respected and that every person had the right to do with his or her own life as they wished, Naruto still felt that his life was best used toward the safety and prosperity his country and home. He had a duty to protect the civilians living in the village, whether it was from enemy infiltration or just normal everyday hazards. He knew that he would die for any of them, just as he would die for any of his ninja comrades or in service to the Hokage. Naruto understands the difference between unwavering loyalty and blind devotion, though, and if his heart tells him not to follow something, he would not. He would rather die than go against the teachings and principles; some from the academy, others from Kakashi and Asuma-sensei, that he has lived his life by.

Speaking of Kakashi, Naruto wonders where the silver haired Anbu went. He was only on the Material Plane for a few days, only to teach him the basic technique of drawing out the Kyuubi's chakra and to help if the beast had gotten too out of control. So far, Naruto has felt the beast resisting less and less, though feelings of resentment and hatred are piling up inside that dark, demonic cage that it was trapped in. He is sure the next time he walks into the recesses of mind that it won't be easy to force the demon to give out more chakra. Sighing, he hears the call of his rumbling stomach and quickly gets out a container of instant ramen, putting it and the small bowl of frozen vegetables into the microwave.

… … …

“He's getting better...”

He remarked, watching the orange clad teen from his higher up vantage point on the Spiritual Plane. Shifting the goggles off of his head for a better view of the boy who was supposed to be his 'double', Obito turned his head to the side, only to see Kakashi staring intently at the child.

“Yeah, he's a lot more focused than you were.”

“Wha-? Hey! That's not funny, Kakashi!”

Obito shouts out, much to the chagrin of his masked companion. Rubbing his left ear, Kakashi gives the spiky haired Uchiha a glare, then turns back to Naruto once again. He can't hold his concentration for long however, the two of them breaking out into a fit of giggling.

“He really does look like you though. Except for the yellow hair and love of orange, at least...”

“True, you've got a point. What about his...”

“Team? They're definitely better off than we were, though they do get into small fights occasionally.”

Obito nodded, Kakashi's mismatched gaze still boring into his face. He blinked, unsure of what the Anbu was looking at. Then he figured out that Kakashi wasn't looking at him, but past him, and he turned his own head the Hatake's way. Both of their hearts lifted up when they heard the familiar call reach their ears.

“Heeey, guys!”

Rin yells out, her brown hair waving back and forth as she runs to join them. The two scoot apart, making room for her to sit down, her face beaming as she watches Naruto put his red hands into the bucket of ice water.

“So this is...”

“Yup!”

The two boys respond, Rin nodding in understanding. They watch silently for a few more moments, then she turns to face Obito, her face suddenly serious and mischievous at the same time. Obito blinks, his naivete confusing him. Kakashi sighs, as he knows what she's getting into.

“So...you really did like me, didn't you?”

The Uchiha gulps, sweat beading his face and his cheeks become flushed. He glares at Kakashi, who only sighs and nods quietly. The sliver haired boy stand up and walks away, leaving the two to their private conversation. He smiles behind his face mask, a small chuckle escaping his lips as his wings spread out behind him.

“Uh...Y-yeah, but I don't get...”

Rin stops him mid-sentence, her lips pressing against his. Obito's too shocked to respond, but begins kissing her back. The two stay locked like that for a while, each responding to their feeling for the other. Their small moment of passion over, the two turn back to where Kakashi was headed. Obito blinks, surprise etched on his face. Rin points and nods at the small speck heading towards the entrance to the Material Plane.

“He's already going back? It was shorter than his last visit,too!”

The Uchiha pouts, his face souring until Rin grabs him by the cheeks, her long lashes batting playfully.

“Don't change the subject, Obito.”

“Errr...this is the room where the Chunin exams are being held?”

Sakura mumbled sheepishly, her emerald eyes darting to and fro around the classroom filled with various countries' genin. The other rookie teams from Konoha were also quite overwhelmed; though some chose not show it. Naruto, grinning in his idiotic fashion, looked like he was ecstatic about the exam. At least, that was the show he put off on the outside. His stomach was starting to tighten up, the contents of his breakfast swirling like a whirlpool. Sakura looked over, her face full of worry and curiosity at the same time.

He's not taking this too well...Man, if even Naruto's flustered...

Taking a deep breath, the orange clad ninja managed to calm himself somewhat; He was also glad to have Kakashi floating behind him, an odd look on the ghost's masked visage. The boy was going to ask what was on the Anbu's mind, but decided against it; there were far too many people there to not make a scene. Instead he scanned the crowd, trying to figure out which ones of the huge gathering would be the most dangerous. The blonde had already spotted the creepy looking Sound trio, who seemed to be the only ones from their village to participate this year. Either Oto was very weak, or strict in its disciple to only allow one team of genin to be in the exam. Naruto figured the former, as it was one of the more recent villages to pop up in the Five Nations. The redhead from Suna was also troubling him; he could sense something was off about him from the fact that not even his own teammates seemed to be comfortable around him. They kept sneaking glances at the gourd-carrying shinobi, fear discreetly painted on their hardened features. To only be afraid of their own comrade, and not any of the other contestants! Naruto was definitely going to keep an eye on that team. He was curious about the previous rookie of the year Neji Hyuga, whom he gathered from Hinata that he was her cousin, but of the lower branch caste. Naruto smirked slightly, briefly entertaining the thought of a fight between Sasuke and the elder Hyuga: Which clan would prove to be the strongest?

Meanwhile, Kakashi was doing some searching of his own. While waiting outside the hallway he had mostly certainly felt a familiar chakra; very old and very evil. Since they were not close enough to see who it was earlier, he had no way of confirming his suspicion. Now, his wings flapping silently behind him, he had a direct bead on the source of that chakra; and he didn't like it one bit. They looked like one of the regular teams from Grass, headband and everything. But the chakra he felt from their leader was astounding; not to mention that his servants' chakra was high for mere genin level. They had to be masking it somehow, as none of the other contestants felt any kind of pressure from the spiritual force. Not even Naruto, whom he had trained in the ways of detecting chakra before they began training last week; Though the boy wasn't an expert and could only tell if not too many people were in the room. That meant they had to be concealing it using a jutsu that even the Jonin and Chunin level proctors couldn't detect. This is bad...

They all blinked, watching as one figure started making its way through the crowd. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he watched the stranger walk over to them; The boy definitely smelled partly of snake but mainly medicines and herbs. He wasn't sure what it meant, but he knew to be on the lookout if they met anyone else with the scent. The glasses wearing genin introduced himself as Yakushi Kabuto; One of the more informed participants of the exam. Naruto blinked again, though his visage was still calm; This guy was giving off more and more odd vibes by the minute. He wondered if they could really trust his information... Sighing, he watched intently as he pulled out a stack of seemingly blank cards. A grin on his face, the boy asked if anyone in the grouping would like info on any specific candidate.

“You have anything on Hyuga, Neji?”

The blonde genin asked, much to everyone's surprise. They obviously didn't think he would have cared much about the rookie from last year, seeing as how the great Uchiha was with him. Kabuto nodded, handing him a card with an estimation of the Hyuga's statistics; Everything was on it from his battle prowess to number of ranked missions completed. It even showed the names of his other two teammates and sensei. Naruto felt Kakashi shudder behind him when he was looking at the picture of their master; Did he happen to know the oddly dressed man? Most likely, and he probably didn't hold the man on too high of a tier for his looks. Naruto quickly dismissed the thoughts, watching as Kabuto pulled out a card of one of the Sound minions; the one with the bandages all around his face. He was stronger than Naruto thought he would be; Dosu certainly didn't look all that special. That odd thing on his left arm certainly looked like a weapon to look out for.

“Hey, you have anything on that guy, right there? He's kinda creeping me out...”

Naruto asked again, pointed to the oddly dressed trio of Grass genin. Kabuto shook his head, putting away his tack of cards.

“Nah, they're new. First time I've seen 'em. Anyways the first ex-”

He was interrupted as everyone felt the power level rise sharply. A huge cloud of smoke appeared in the room, the fifteen or so exam proctors materializing almost out of nowhere. Naruto gulped, his blue eyes staring straight at the scarred face of Morino Ibiki. The huge Chunin had his arms folded across his chest, the black trench coat almost dragging onto the floor. He surveyed everyone in the room, locking eyes just for a split second. Naruto heard a small yelp beside him; Sakura had started shaking, as well as Hinata. Ino looked frazzled, and so did Choji and Kiba.

“T-this guy's...serious.”

Kiba mumbled out, Akamaru retorting with a shrill yelp. The rookie group nodded, all of them filling out to take a number and a seat. Ibiki watched them all carefully, his eyes seeming to leave an imprint on their backs. They could feel him watching them, their hearts thudding in their throats. The scarred Jonin then announced the rules of the first part of the exam. Naruto's shoulders slumped; He still wasn't the smartest ninja in the world, even though he graduated in the top ten of his class. Naruto grinned suddenly, his eyes peering behind and to the left of him. Kakashi sighed, knowing that the blonde genin was going to use him to cheat out the answers. His own paper done in only a few minutes, the boy laid his head down and watched the others out of the corner of his eye.

Sasuke was busy copying someone in the row ahead of him. Sakura, was one of the few so smart that she didn't need to cheat. Heh, our team'll pass easy! I'd better watch for other cheaters though...Naruto thinks, his eyes darting suspiciously to and fro. He curses as he watches Sakura get taken over by Ino's mind possession jutsu. Sasuke seems to have finished copying down the answers as well; he was guarding his own sheet like it was very valuable. Eventually, the time limit was up, and the tenth question was asked. Unsure teams decided to leave, and the ranks kept thinning as time went on. All f the rookie's were present , as were the teams from Sound, Sand and Grass. Sasuke felt a chill up his spine, turning his head around slowly. No one had been looking at him; They were all focused on Ibiki's next answer. Or so he thought, at least.

Soon Sasuke...your abilities will be tested. Orochimaru thought, turning his disguised gaze back to the raven haired Uchiha.

A/N: Blah chapter, but the second part will make up for it.

A/N: Sorry for lack of updates. Mid-terms were a pain, but they're mostly over. Then updates will come sooner. That, and I was having trouble as where to place this ch. On another note, I know you people are there, and I'm glad that so many of you like my fic. I really didn't think it would go anywhere, since so far it's only been canon rehash with minor AU. Made this one longer, as an apology XD. Not gonna beg for revs. either, hate it when people do that...If you fic is good, people will review. If it's not...

… … …

“Did you two...see the headbands on those guys?”

Sasuke panted, the hand holding his kunai shaking a little. Sakura shook her head; she had been too busy helping Naruto fend off the two others that had come after them when Sasuke left. Naruto shook his head no as well, causing the Uchiha to grunt with anger. This isn't good...Those three already know our skills and weaknesses. Though, on the other hand so did we. The next time we face, it'll be an even match.

Sasuke thinks to himself, oblivious to the commotion Naruto and Sakura are causing a few feet away from him. Something hard tackles him to the ground, and he gapes in shock as he looks up through the layers of pink hair on top of him. Some kunai embedded in its underbelly, a gargantuan brown snake is rearing its head, fangs wide open. Sakura rolls off of him, some shuriken in hand, while he watches Naruto quickly make some clones. Where the hell di-- No time for that now!

Sasuke berates himself, hurriedly getting to his feet. Out of the corner of his eye, he watches some of Naruto's clones slash at the beast with kunai. Focusing his chakra, fear and anger building up inside of him, Sasuke can feel the fire in his stomach waiting to be released. Jumping up into to the air to catch onto a tree branch, he lets it go in small controlled bursts, each small flame hitting a different part of the snake's anatomy. The brown monster hisses in pain, rearing back as more shuriken hit in the face, one getting it in the eye. The three flash quick grins at one another, thinking the beast close to defeated. Sasuke quickly leaps off of the branch, just as the snake smashes into it with its large head. Wood splinters and cracks, the huge limb crashing into the ground to raise up a cloud of dust.

Naruto and Sakura cough, their eyes blinded and stinging by the dust surrounding them. Sasuke, his attention focused on the giant snake, grabs more kunai out of his holster. Flinging them at the beast, he grins as the projectiles nail another one of its eyes. Enraged and in tremendous pain the snake lunges forward in the air, Sasuke's momentum not enough to dodge. He blinks as he watches the snake stop moving suddenly, then gapes a second time as its head is torn off of its body, blue arcs of electricity whirling in the air. Landing on his feet, Sasuke is shaken as he feels something on his shoulder, almost like a hand.

“You owe me for that, Uchiha.”

Sasuke stutters, unable to understand what is going on. Then it clicks; Naruto's 'friend' has come to help. But how can it talk to me? I can feel him too...I don't understand... Sasuke thinks, watching as a pinprick of light that wasn't there before flutters over to Naruto. He notices that he is losing chakra drastically and realizes his Sharingan must have activated itself during his fight. He's still not good enough with it yet; definitely not like his brother Itachi. Deactivating his Sharingan, Sasuke watches as the light next to Naruto fades, along with everyone's chakra signatures.

“I see...Only doujutsu users and Naruto can see him.”

Sasuke mumbles to himself, casually walking over to the group. Sakura is gasping for breath, sweat beading down her forehead. She looks up at him for a brief second and then turns away, her face a slight pink. Sasuke blinks for a second, confused. Sighing, he sits down on the grass, taking out his water-skin and drinking from that. Naruto looks back at the dead snake, his gaze narrowing. Still standing, the blonde ninja cautiously walks over to the snake, bending over the point where the head and body were severed.

“Naruto, what are you doing?”

Sakura asks, wiping the sweat from her brow and mentally telling herself that it's over. She never was a big fan of reptiles, and she nearly screamed when she saw the big snake coming after Sasuke. Instead of scream though, she did something even weird for her. I helped save Sasuke...I fought the snake too... She is broken out of her reverie by a small scream from Naruto. The two jump to their feet immediately, running over to see what is wrong. Naruto is cursing and wiping green smile off of his sandals, which makes Sakura smile a little. Sasuke sighs, about to turn away from the two when he feels something odd again. This time, it certainly doesn't feel like Naruto's helper; It's something sinister. They all hear it first, the eerie voice echoing throughout the small part of the forest they are in.

“Hehehehehe...I certainly didn't expect you three to do so well. I am surprised though that the girl did anything really. According to my data, she doesn't have much talent, unlike Sasuke-kun here...”

“Hey! Whaddya mean 'no talent'? You son of a--”

“Shut up, Naruto! Now's not the time for this, though I'm peeved too.”

Sasuke interrupted, Naruto scowling at the last place they heard the voice. Sakura's eyebrow twitched, her eyes narrowing slightly. The trio turned as squelching sounds came from the snake, its dead body convulsing like it was in a seizure. They all jumped back, looks of disgust on their faces as they watched the skin of the snake part open. Eewww! Who the hell is this guy? Naruto and Sakura think, watching as a blood and goo covered body comes out of the snake to land in front of them. Through the gore, they see that this ninja comes from the Hidden Grass Village.

“Good, you realize that prey should be cautious when facing the predator...”

The three genin stare at each other, wondering if this opponent was out of his mind. Chuckling merrily, the odd Grass ninja slit his thumb with a kunai. Placing his bloodied appendage down the length of an oddly shaped tattoo, Sasuke began to watch as he made hand signs.

“He's summoning something! Get back, everybody.”

They all lept back, landing on a tree branch a few meters away from their opponent. Naruto's nose twitched slightly; he could tell something was definitely off about his adversary. He was giving off the same snake smell that Kabuto had been, albeit this one was much, much more potent. A quick glance at Kakashi's worried features made him confirm that this was no ordinary genin they were facing, if he was even really a genin at all. Taking a deep breath and starting to make hand signs, Naruto glanced at both his teammates, who faces were plastered with looks full of fear and curiosity. Feeling he had built up enough chakra, Naruto charged toward the weirdly garbed man, only to blown back as a huge gust of wind sent him flying backwards.

“N-Naruto! What are you doing? This is no time to play the damned hero--we've gotta get out of here.”

Sasuke shouted, watching as Naruto was righted in mid-air by the small pinprick of light. He blinked, watching as the tiny orb of light was slowly becoming bigger and more defined. Even with his one-tomoe Sharingan activated, he could still tell that it was person shaped, albeit white and fuzzy around the edges. Not wanting to waste chakra, Sasuke kept his Sharingan at the current level, thinking that he would still have trouble maintaining the two-tomoe for any long extended periods of time. He watched as Naruto was spun around in the air and then thrown straight at the snake like a human missile. He's insane...

“You're not going to hurt my friends, Dattebayo! I'll pummel that snake of yours into the ground if that's what it takes!”

Pulling his right arm back, Naruto let loose a powerful chakra infused punch. His concentration when using even his regular chakra still wasn't as perfect as he'd thought it was however, causing the snake to slide back a couple feet. He felt hands grab his armpits, preventing him from falling the last ten feet to the ground. Looking up, he was met with a stern and reproachful gaze, to which Naruto only stared back with the same intensity.

“That was stupid of you, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. But I'm not going to let Sasuke or Sakura get hurt by this guy, I swear it!”

Kakashi's only response to that was a soft sigh, his breath tickling Naruto's ear. The orange clad genin deftly swung onto the flying Anbu's back, causing a small grunt to escape from the silver haired teen's lips. Oddly enough, the snake had made no means to attack yet, the Grass Nin just watching Naruto intensely. So he's finally come out, hmmm? Now to play this to my advantage while Sasuke-kun can't get to him. I'll nab Naruto-kun's little friend here and now! If I'm lucky, Sasuke will fall into my lap as well...

The snake Sannin thought, his grotesque tongue extending out of his mouth to lick his feminine lips. That same tongue lashed out at the foster pair, forcing Kakashi to flap furiously in order to avoid the twisting appendage. Naruto bit back a cry of disgust and made two shadow clones, Kakashi dropping a couple feet in the air as they emerged. He quickly launched them at the Sannin who quickly dispersed them with a kunai and flick of his wrist. Panting and his wings beating slower than normal, Kakashi tried to focus on the battle. The Raikiri had cost him a lot of chakra, and flying with Naruto on top of him wasn't exactly the easiest thing; more so when the boy kept sending out clones in order to topple the giant snake.

So this time when the Sannin lashed out with his tongue, the masked Anbu wasn't flying his fastest, one of Naruto's legs getting wrapped around the tongue in the process. Having not let go of his hold on Kakashi, the pair was forcefully pulled to the Sannin's eye--or more specifically mouth--level. Reacting with the reflexes that earned him the title of 'snake', Orochimaru quickly made hand signs, his fingers glowing a deep dark blue. The two blinked in surprise, watching as the Sannin's hand lunged straight for the spiritual Anbu's abdomen. Letting out a sharp cry that was unusually high in pitch, Kakashi felt like his breath was being blast out of him, if he had still any, at least. How did he--? He groaned, watching as the spot where Orochimaru had struck now showing the characters for 'seal' engraved on it, like a tattoo. The three watched as the seal drew dark flames onto Kakashi's stomach, the burnt remains starting to form an odd pattern all around his belly.

Oddly enough, another seal appeared right on top of the silver haired Anbu's belly button. Orochimaru blinked, then grinned as he saw it was the exact reverse of Naruto's seal, with a few other symbols added onto it. So that's how Minato kept him attached to this world...What a loving father you have Naruto-kun ,kukukuku. Entranced, he watched as the blue flames from his jutsu went over that seal, and started burning in designs of their own. Kakashi moaned again, his face strained in obvious pain, Naruto still wiggling in the grip of the Sannin's odd tongue. He found that no matter how he willed his 'body' to move, all of his efforts were useless; The only thing Kakashi could do was roll his eyes and blink. The flames faded away, making the Sannin look up at his captured prey for the first time. He licked his lips once more, an almost hungry look coming into his eyes. Naruto spat at the Sannin, the glob landing right below his left eye. Chuckling, he wiped off the minor inconvenience, and began to make more seals. Touching Kakashi's prone form, Naruto winced as bright light stung his eyes. When he opened them back up, his foster father was gone, only a wisp of smoke in his place.

“What...did...you...do?”

Naruto asked as calmly as he could, his narrowing eyes changing from blue to a dark purple. He could feel the demon's influence starting to take over, and used his own willpower to push it back, his eyes shining bright blue again. Letting out a strangle grunt, Naruto aimed a kick at the Sannin, which was easily avoided. Orochimaru only laughed at the child's pathetic attempts, making the blonde ninja only even more frustrated. His chuckles stopped as soon as he felt something brushing his left arm. His body was slammed against a nearby tree, his tongue loosing its grip on Naruto, who quickly maneuvered in mid air in order to dodge a jet of flame headed his way. Sasuke grinned, his red eyes narrowing as he controlled the stream of fire. The snake and its owner screeched out in protest, their bodies incinerated by the the powerful jutsu.

“Sasuke...”

Naruto mumbled, watching his comrade keep the flame going for a few more minutes, on an adjacent tree. He sighed, never taking his eyes off of the charred form of the Sannin. He heard a couple of victorious cries from Sakura, and was about to join in, despite his sour mood. Naruto blinked, his feet trembling as he realized that she wasn't yelling out of happiness but pain. Leaping through trees and the sides of their branches, he nearly toppled off of his precarious position from what he saw.

Sasuke was on the ground, Sakura laying over him. But that wasn't what made Naruto queasy. As his eyes traveled downward, he saw that the charred body of the Grass Nin they had fought was gone, the snake's remains on the ground floor a few feet away. He saw he ninja bending over Sakura, his teeth gouging two small holes in her neck. She wriggled in pain, her frail body trembling over Sasuke, who was shocked himself. Turning back to Naruto, the Sannin smirked, his tongue tasting the air a couple times. The orange clad ninja was about to jump over and attack the fiend, but his instincts rallied against his anger. That definitely wouldn't help the situation they were in. He watched, his shaking hands curled into fists, as the Snake Sannin vanished, his laughing echoing in the trio's ears.

“Sooo close...I only was able to get Kakashi. No matter...The girl may be useful to me, if she lives, that is.”

“What do you mean!?”

Sasuke shouted, finally having gotten up from his position, Sakura weeping in pain next to him. He looked at her shaking form, and then at Naruto, where he could feel the anger and hatred etched on the boy's face. Gently holding the weeping Sakura, Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan, his face seething in rage.

“Heheheh...I was trying to get you, Sasuke-kun...She interfered and is now branded with a 'curse'...If she is strong enough, she'll live through it. If not...hehehehe”

“You...you bastard! What do you want with us and Naruto's...?”

Sasuke cut off abruptly, his eyes widening as Sakura clung to him, her screaming taking on a a new level of intensity. Naruto joined them in a flash, his azure eyes locked onto the pink konoichi's pained features. The voice chuckled again, seeming to come from everywhere at once due to the nature of the forest's terrain.

“My name...is Orochimaru. What I want, is your Sharingan, Sasuke-kun...and Naruto's...father will be a useful asset to me. I'll no doubt see you all again. Farewell...”

Naruto blinked, waiting for the voice to say more. When it was clear that that was its last message, he let out a string of curses, his eyes watering as he looked Sakura. She had started screaming again, her fingers scraping against Sasuke shirt, who seemed distanced. The Uchiha blinked a few times, his eyes seeming faraway from what was happening. She...did this for me...Orochimaru was...trying to get to me...Naruto...was trying to help me...his father is gone because of me...

“GOD DAMN IT ALL!!”

Sasuke cried out, a single tear shedding from his left eye. Naruto blinked, watching the composure of his stoic companion slowly melt away. He took a step towards the Uchiha, then backed away as he began shaking.

“What good is it to be part of a powerful clan!? What good is it to be an avenger if I can't even protect my teammates? How will I kill Itachi? At this rate...”

Sasuke shouted out to no one in particular, the free hand that wasn't coddling Sakura smashing into the bark of a nearby tree, splintering it. Taking a few deep breaths, Sasuke regained his composure, his eyes focused on Sakura. Curious, he pulled back part of her collar, where she had been bitten. A small mark was there, wavy and around the two bite marks. Each part looked like a triangle's line, though only partially connected to each other. Her hand quickly grabbed the mark, as she wept once more. Naruto also stared at the mark, his face showing genuine concern.

“Is that...the curse he was...talking about?”

“I...guess so...”

“W-what should we do, Sasuke..?”

“Um...uh...we need to find a place to make camp, I-i think.”

“Alright! I'll take...Sakura...if that's okay...with you?”

“Y-yeah...I'll go scouting...M-make sure she...”

The two fumbled around with words for a while. It was hard for the both of them to actually say anything to the other. Sasuke was guilt ridden, though he knew it wasn't really his fault. Naruto was still angry at the Sannin, his breath coming in short gasps. Sasuke gave on last nod, and jumped off into the forest, leaving Naruto alone with a pained Sakura.

A/N: Finally got an idea for the arc after the exams planned out, at least a little. Not sure if I should continue Jinchuriki Saga at this point. Suggestions?

… … …

They were relentless; Still bombarding her mind with doubts and worry. At first it had been easy to ignore them, but as time wore on, she found that her usually strong constitution was wavering. Maybe she wasn't really good enough to be a ninja on her own; Look at what had happened in Wave. It wasn't just there, either. She could feel her disappointment in herself growing, like her mind was telling her to give up. Even with Naruto and Sasuke's help, the extra training they had helped give her, she still felt it wasn't enough. A couple low to mid level genjutsu's and water style techniques in her repertoire weren't enough to go against the kind of dangers they would eventually be facing, she thinks. She knows that she has significantly improved from her fledgling days at the Academy, but is it enough?

“No...it's not, is it?”

Another voice, this one more powerful and enthralling than the others, invades her sub consciousness. Sakura turns around, and stares at her childhood friend Ino. There are two things that cause her to gasp out in surprise though; The fact that this Ino is the five year old one from her childhood memories, and that her eyes are a deep topaz gold, contrasting to the real Yamanaka's normally cerulean blue orbs. The fake grins devilishly, its aura giving off a strong sense of malevolence that even Naruto's transformed stated could only hope to match.

“W-what do you mean?”

Sakura asks, her gaze narrowed and steely. The Ino doppelganger licks its lips with an oddly long tongue, then moves closer to the kunoichi. Painful memories flash through Sakura's mind; The times when she was bullied by the other children for her big forehead. When she was ganged up on for liking Sasuke, and being on the same team as that loser Naruto. The most vivid is a memory from three years back, when she was only ten years old...

… … …

Flashback

“How the hell could someone like Sasuke end up with someone like you, giant forehead?”

A tall girl, spiky brown bangs covering her eyebrows, scoffed. Sakura backed away, even though she was almost as tall as the girl and in the same homeroom, because she was often in the sidelines because of her slightly shy demeanor. Even with Ino's help, she still found it hard to open up to other people, preferring to stay out of the action and on the sidelines when the other girls got into groups. She often saw Hinata somewhere nearby, shyly watching the other girls frolic and gossip. Often she had wanted to go approach the Hyuuga heiress, but Hinata, she realized had low self confidence due to a small stuttering problem she had developed during her childhood. She would often blurt out a small greeting, in order not to be rude, and then quietly edge away, preferring her lone spot watching the blonde Naruto.

Sakura backpedaled again, the other girl's eyes glaring into her like sharpened daggers. She really wasn't in the mood to confront someone right now, her stomach queasy with worry and anticipation at what the brown haired child would do next. Spitting at Sakura's feet, the brown banged girl turned and walked away, leaving with one last retort.

“Weakling. You're never gonna be a kunoichi if you're flaky like that. Almost as bad as the demon Uzumaki with his pet servant. Go away and leave us real ninjas alone!”

End Flashback

… … …

“I'm not weak anymore!”

Sakura weakly muttered out, to the fake Ino's amusement.

“Are you so sure of yourself?”

“Yeah, I am. I've got a loving family, two teammates and a great captain who'll support me on matter what!”

'Ino' snorted derisively, launching a quick kick to Sakura' mid-section. The pink haired kunoichi coughed up saliva, getting to her feet. This illusion won't beat me. She thinks, beginning to plan an attack strategy against the malevolent force that had invaded her mind. Making a set of regular clone, she flash steps behind the child Ino, attempting to land a swift roundhouse kick to its head. The doppelganger grins, now behind Sakura who is still in the middle of her kick. She groans, skidding a few feet to the floor, holding her now aching left kneecap. This pain..is almost real...but I won't back down... The determined kunoichi thinks, slowly rising on her one good leg.

… … …

“She's still asleep.”

Naruto mumbles, watching Sakura breathe heavily, her chest rising and falling slowly. Looking at the position of the sun, he realizes it's time for Sasuke shift. Slowly shuffling toward the Uchiha's bedroll, he quickly shakes the raven haired shinobi, who grunts. Onyx eyes slowly opening, Sasuke stirs quietly, watching as Naruto moves back to his own bedroll.

“She might need water soon, Sasuke. The fever's still kinda high.”

“Hn...”

Trying to stifle a yawn, Sasuke nods and crawls his way toward the prostrate Sakura, whose forehead is still beaded in sweat. Taking one of their water skins and a ripped piece of his extra shirts, Sasuke pours the water over the cloth until it is nice and damp, being careful not to waste any. Gently placing it on Sakura's forehead, he watches as she makes no signs of stirring. The curse mark is still seen plainly as day on her neck, the wavy triangle-like lines seemingly to pulse on her neck every few seconds. Sasuke stares at the mark, his dark eyes showing a small flash of compassion. It was partly my fault. He was after me...though if Naruto hadn't attacked him like that...No, I can't blame that idiot; Orochimaru still would've come after us anyways...I wonder what he wants with Naruto's father...And my Sharingan. Naruto says that's he's connected to that Kabuto bastard, too. Hmm...

“How long...do you think she'll be stuck like this?”

Sasuke nearly jumps, Naruto sitting a few ways away form him, staring at Sakura with a pained look on his face.

“I...dunno. Until she either beats it or...”

“...she dies.”

Naruto finishes the sentence for him, the Uchiha too shaken to respond. Looking around at their small makeshift camp, their supplies bundle in one corner and the entrance to the cave in another, Sasuke sighs. Naruto is busy looking down at his feet, trying to ignore Sakura's moans and small screams of pain. Turning to the Uchiha, Naruto's mouth moves slowly, but then stops in the middle of forming a word. Sasuke stares the blond ninja quizzically, waiting for him to get the courage to speak.

“You...want revenge, right? Because...of your brother...and what he did?”

“What's it to you, idiot?” Where did this come from?

“It's just...I think I understand how you feel now...a tiny bit, at least.”

“Hmph. Don't even try to put yourself in same situation as me. My family's dead and never coming back! It's all his fault for killing my clan!”

Sasuke shouted, his ire rising. How in the world did Naruto think he understood the pain he was feeling? It was incomparable to anything he suffered at wave; A growing ache that gnawed and gnawed at the very center of his heart, refusing to go away until he killed his brother. At least, he was pretty sure that's where the pain stemmed from. Naruto sighed, slowly moving away from the Uchiha, his features saddened slightly.

“It's just...if you need someone to talk to about it...”

Sasuke scoffed, carefully wetting another strip of cloth and putting on Sakura's forehead.

“I don't think I'll need your help, but thanks anyway. Loser...”

A small grin forming on his whiskered face, Naruto nodded.

“Still...do you ever feel...how do I put it? Well, do you ever feel that you wanna kill your brother no matter what? Like it's the only thing that keeps you going, right?”

Sasuke turned towards Naruto, an odd look on his face.

“Yeah. That's why I'm taking this exam. In order to judge my strength. If I can't beat strong opponents with you two by my side, how the hell am I going to kill my brother on my own one day?”

“Who says you're gonna be alone when you kill him?”

“What? Don't tell me you're thinking of-”

“Only if you help me kill that snake bastard first. He deserves it for putting Sakura and my...Tousan through this pain.” I wonder what that bastard is doing to him right now...Hope he's alright.

Sasuke chuckled at bit, a slight smirk crossing his cold features.

“I'll think about it, loser. Though, yeah...We're gonna bring that douche through hell and back for what he did.”

“Good. We should have a plan though in case we see him again...He could pop back up.”

“I doubt it, idiot...At least, I don't think he's planning on coming back until the finals. He saw that my Sharingan isn't developed enough so he wouldn't bother with me. Maybe after this portion of the test is over and my eyes are honed, then maybe he could come back...”

“Yeah. That's when his ass is going down, Dattebayo!”

"Eh? Something bad has happened to Sakura-san, you say?

The teen with the odd haircut asked, Naruto slowly nodding. He had only seen the odd boy a couple times before, one of them being while he was scouting for opponents during the Chunin exams first phase. Besides the weird haircut and fashion sense,  this Lee character seemed like a pretty cool guy. That, and there was his odd way of speaking, so downright polite and formal... Naruto sighed, gesturing to where Sakura was lying on a makeshift cot of leaves and twigs they had assembled a few hours before. It was getting close to night, the time when most teams would be sleeping, so they figured Sasuke or Naruto would be able to ambush a couple teams if they got lucky. Lee was busy looking out of other teams they could ambush, as well as supplies while they set up camp not too far away. At least, not too far away for Lee, what with his amazing speed. It was by a chance happening that he managed to sense a couple familiar chakra signatures, and so here he was, watching Sakura sleep somewhat peacefully though she shuddered every now and again.

"Yeah...she seems to be cursed or something. She's gotten an odd mark on her neck, breaks out in frequent fevers or bouts of cold chills, and we have no idea how long it will last..."

"How horrible! How long has this been going on for, Naruto-san?"

Watching Lee's shocked expression turn into one of pity for the girl, Naruto truly felt grateful for someone else being here with him. Sasuke had gone off later that day to find more food, as they had started to get low and a certain herb that could help with Sakura's fevers and cold sweats. He had not come back since, only sending out a well disguised clone as a forest animal in order to inform Naruto of his progress. That had been a few hours ago, and he was starting to feel worried for both of his teammates. If only Kakashi was here, he would be able to scout out the Uchiha in no time, but thanks to Orochimaru... Plus, Naruto was worried to send out his ninken, though he knew they were strong and loyal. He didn't want any of them to fall prey to the forest animals; As they were the only thing besides the book Kakashi had gotten him that still kept his bond with the Anbu intact, physically at least. He knew that the teen Anbu was probably thinking about him no matter where he was, Naruto didn't doubt that for a second. Still, his resolve slowly started to crumble as he watched Sakura's face sweat more profusely, her cheek clammy and cold to the touch.

Turning back to the green jumpsuit wearing genin, Naruto began to tell him about Sasuke and his so far fruitless endeavor, so that maybe Lee could try and help. He was stopped when he felt a familiar chakra outside of the cave, one that made his blood boil. Asking Lee to watch over Sakura, who gladly obliged, Naruto crawled out of the small space under the tree roots that had so far served as their camp. Wiping the dirt off of his chin and jacket sleeves, Naruto's gaze narrowed as he saw the face of an all too familiar and unwelcome silver haired 'Leaf' genin. Kabuto only walked forward, his eyes narrowing when he saw Naruto take out a kunai, getting into a battle stance.

"There's no way you're getting Sasuke or Sakura! You and your damn Sanin can kiss my ass!"

Kabuto chuckled, seeing that his first plan had failed. He had hoped to fool the dumb orange clad ninja with a display of friendship like during the first part of the exam. It seemed, however, that this was not to be the case. If Naruto knew about his connection to Orochimaru, his days as a spy in Konoha would surely be over. Not likely that anyone would believe the prankster shinobi, but it was better if Kabuto counted his chickens before they hatched, as the saying goes. Still showing a nonthreatening posture to the blonde boy, Kabuto chuckled, his face twisting into a small smirk.
"Aw, that's too bad, Naruto-kun. I thought we could catch up a little...See if Sasuke has gotten the Curse Mark..Tell you how your troublesome 'Tousan' is doing, as you so lovingly address him... But if you don't want to talk, then I guess that's too bad. For you, anyways hehehe...."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, the grip on his kunai making his knuckles turn white. Breathing heavily as to not let his temper get the best of him, he shouted to Lee to keep Sakura away from danger. Lee, being the chivalrous lad that he was, wanted to protest, but one look from Naruto's simmering eyes told him that it was not in best interests to refuse. Grabbing the prostrate Sakura, he promised Naruto that he would indeed inform Sasuke if their paths met up along the way, vanishing into the thick foliage. Thanks, Lee. Keep her safe woulda'? This guy...is gonna get it! I don't anyone else in the middle of this right now. It's part of my revenge... His stomach flaring up slightly like it was heartburn, Naruto wondering if this was how Sasuke felt every time his brother was mentioned, tried to his best to keep on a calm facade. Kabuto could see through it clearly however, and he showed it in how he taunted the blonde genin.

"I might tell you...if you can beat me. I might even give you a scroll or two... What do you say, Naruto-kun?"

"Bring it on four-eyes. I can take ya no problem!"

We'll see little Naruto...We shall see... Kabuto thought, his smirking turning into a full on grin as he watches Naruto predictably charge at him head on. He sidesteps the clumsy swipe easily, watching as Naruto's face contorts into a snarl of anger. The boy then tries to land a roundhouse kick to Kabuto's midsection, but it is easily dodged as well, adding to Naruto's ire. The glasses wearing traitor then decides to counter with a swift low kick of his own, bringing Naruto crashing onto the ground. Before he can follow with a successive stomp on the orange clad shinobi's torso, Naruto rolls away coming up in a fighting stance. Kabuto easily telegraphs all of Naruto next few hits; low kick to the right foot, upper swipe to the chin, ending with a swift cross to the jaw. This guy's fast! Naruto thinks, watching as Kabuto dodges his three hit combo. Deciding to step it up a notch, he removes a small dagger from its sheath inside his right pant leg. It's a replica of Kakashi's tanto, though without the handy ability to charge white chakra through the blade. Using his good old regular yellow chakra, Naruto watches as his blade is distended by a couple inches, grinning slightly as he thinks this will give him an edge.

The blonde's mouth gapes in shock as he watches Kabuto inject his own green medical chakra into his palms, his eyes starting to show veins around the edges. Wait, that's used only for healing, right? What's he think he's gonna due with that, eh? Naruto found out the answer a second later, choking on his own blood as he was slammed back into the air a few feet by a palm strike to the chest. The red stuff running down the side of his mouth and chin, Naruto shakily takes a few breaths, realizing that he can taste the iron in his blood as he inhales. Feeling the inside of his chain mesh shirt, he sees that more than a few ribs are broken, some of them pointing out of the side of his orange jacket. Gasping heavily, Naruto stares down the silver haired medic nin, pure rage on his whiskered features.

I'm so pissed at him...I-i can't take much more this, whatever the hell he's doing. That hit didn't even bruise my skin; it seemed to go through my internal organs. Just what kind of technique does this kid have?

"You're doing okay, Naruto-kun. I thought you'd already be dead by now, but then it wouldn't be as fun to toy with you, now would it?"

"Shut up, you douche! I'm gonna beat the shit out of you and force you to spill everything you know! I will avenge what you two did to my 'Tousan', starting with your four eyed mug!"

Kabuto only chuckles, pushing up his glasses since they are about to fall of off his pointed nose. Naruto pants a few more times, trying to ready himself for another charge. A sharp pain erupts in his stomach near his heart, and he begins to cough up blood. Bending over, Naruto watches as the puddle of blood on the floor gets bigger and bigger as each small droplet stains the grass crimson. Damn it...I'm too weak...I can't do this alone...I need help...Help! That's it!

Naruto grins, trying to gather up as much of the demon's chakra as he can. Kabuto senses the change in the air caused by the malice filled chakra and curses. Focusing his own chakra back into his own hands, he dashes toward Naruto, who has already bitten his thumb in preparation for summoning. Placing his bloodied appendage on the ground, Naruto groans as he feels something akin to an electrical current run through his right shoulder. He grins, however, as the summoning has completed on time, the telltale cloud of smoke forming onto the ground. Kabuto curses, wondering just what Naruto could have summoned with the demon's chakra. This isn't good...The two ninjas faces are exact opposites of the others as the smoke clears. Naruto's mouth is agape, his disappointment etched clearly on his face. Kabuto is laughing at the small white blob of fur on the ground, taking his attention off of Naruto for a second.

"Wow, I knew my Info cards provide accurate data, but I never figured they'd be this accurate. You really are an idiot after all, aren't you? I suppose Kakashi helped you cheat your way to the top in the academy somehow!"

"Huh? How do you know about me when I was in the academy?"

Naruto asks, dumbfounded. This means that he's been watching me for years! His plan to get Kakashi wasn't spontaneous, and the same with Sasuke. Thankfully Sakura put a small dent in his ambitions. Oh man, this is jacked up! Kabuto stops laughing, his face turning deadly serious as he steps toward the white blob on the ground. Naruto quickly manages to grab it with his one good arm, his azure eyes watching it shiver pitifully. Jumping away from the medic nin, Naruto places the odd white ball on his sleeping bag near the roots of the tree.
"Don't worry you're safe now, little guy."

Turning his attention back to Kabuto, Naruto blinks he watches Sasuke try and kick the glasses wearing punk in the face. Sasuke stares at him out of the corner of a red and black swirling eye, Naruto still staring confoundedly at the Uchiha. Next thing he knows, Naruto feels a presence behind him, and glances to see a face with long black hair and pale white eyes that remind him of Hinata. The older boy just stares at him, their eyes locking for a few seconds. A derisive snort comes out of the Hyuuga's mouth, his eyes narrowing in apparent anger.

"No wonder you got along with Lee. The two of you are both cheery, happy go lucky idiots who think all their problems can solved by effort. Let me tell you this, boy; Destiny cannot be changed. No matter how much effort you put into something, the outcome will always remain the same."

"Pfft! Yeah, right. Who the hell are you anyways? Obviously you're a Hyuuga and on Lee's team, but.."

"Neji Hyuuga."

"Naruto Uzumaki."

Neji nods, watching the fight between Sasuke and Kabuto. One of the Uchiha's kegs seems to be trailing behind the other, his face laced with small cuts and nicks. Naruto blinks as he watches a hail of ninja tools rain down on the pair, Kabuto dodging them even while fending off the Uchiha's attacks. Sasuke was not so lucky, a couple of the weapons pelting him in the face and some strands of his glossy raven hair falling to the ground. Neji makes a clicking noise with his tongue that Naruto understands is disapproval. What's with this guy? He needs to get off of his high horse. Though something probably made him like this in first place...

"Dammit Tenten...if I'd have wanted a haircut, I would've gone to a hairdresser!"

Sasuke shouts, smirking slightly as he watches one of his newly found companions grin back. Tenten's face turns back to the fight between the two, however, her eyes trying to look for any good openings where she could possibly nail the glasses wearing bastard. Kabuto's face darkens his onyx eyes seeming to become blood red as his blood boils. The veins around his eyes start to move more towards the center of his irises, every time one of them connects, his eyes slightly changing from jet black to an opaque ruby red. He chuckles manically, his face twisted in an expression of ecstasy as he continues to trade blow with the Uchiha.

"Yes...Heheheh...Thanks Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun...You two have just made me realize how much fun killing is again. My blood is boiling now, and I'm steaming myself! Let's finish this quick, ehehehe!"

A/N: Kinda angry that Kishi never elaborated on this in the manga.

Kakashi thought he could hear voices, his head turning slightly in order to hear better. Something shiny and sharp, he couldn't see what because of the sharp blinding light above his head, dug into his 'new flesh'. He felt blood drip down his side then stop suddenly, a cool hand wiping it off of his ribcage. His body still felt slightly numb; They said it would take awhile to adjust to all the seals it had been given. The silver haired ninja could feel the power of those seals radiating within him, giving him strength yet keeping him trapped in this new prison; No longer was he intangible and able to fly. His wings resembling those of an angel's were still part of his power, though he could not summon them while in his new human form.

Kakashi tried to fight against the bright light, his eyes watering and squiring, his hands unmoving on the table, his body stiff and frozen; Yet another aspect of those dammed seals. At least he couldn't feel much of the pain, that was one reason why he was glad it wasn't Orochimaru doing this; The slithery bastard would've probably relished in his groans and slight hiccups of pain. He couldn't help it; After thirteen years of never being able to physically feel anything, despite the headaches he'd sometimes get, it was hard to block the sensations out of his mind. Even though he was a prisoner here and even though he was probably going to be used for nefarious purposes, which he still couldn't figure out, Kakashi was kind of glad to have a body back. He missed the feeling of wind in his hair, the grumbling of his stomach and even the smell of sweat from all of their bodies being locked up in one place for too long.

“You seem pensive, shinobi-dono. Is something troubling you?”

The sudden sound of another voice, this one somewhat light and very formal sounding, caught him off his guard. He blinked, the tears unceremoniously falling down his masked face, in order to make his vision less blurred. Thanks to the bright glare of the white light overhead however, he still couldn't make out much besides a pair of thin fingered pale hands, each working quickly to sew up the hole in his sleeveless black shirt. Figuring to be polite, and hopefully make the sealing process go by faster, Kakashi decided to oblige the voice's owner.

“Besides being a little miffed about having been taken here against my will, and sealed into this faux-pas body to do who-knows-what? I guess so...”

“Ah...”

The voice chirped, almost sounding excited. Kakashi blinked again, unsure of what to make of the person performing his operation. It certainly didn't sound like Kabuto, and Orochimaru had just been in to check on the sealing's progress a few moments ago and then left after watching for a while, saying that he had a few more preparations to make. Again Kakashi had no idea what the Sannin was up to, though he wished he had some inkling of the snake's plans, if only so he could stir them around his mind awhile to help the hours pass. Only two and a half days stuck in this hideout, and he was about to go stir crazy. When he had woken up, he had found himself in a large holding cell, with a bunch of men and even a couple women, all huddled up and sharing gaunt, scared looks. The rest of his first half day was uneventful, though the others gave him odd stares and looks now and again, some whispering about him. He had heard terms like 'Demon helper' and 'Kyuubi's servant' passed around, so Kakashi wasn't surprised if some of the Leaf's own citizens, ninja or no, were locked up as well.

The other thing he had found out was along with their healthy respect-out-of-fear feelings for the Snake Sannin, most were pissed with him, moreso the newcomers who hadn't had their lessons implanted into their thick skulls enough times already. He had thought to use that point as weapon to get back at Orochimaru and escape, but as evening turned into night he was lead to a different cell by some very odd looking guards; Apparently the seal Orochimaru had put on him had made him physically able to be touched and seen by others, even though he couldn't feel it himself. Looking out through the bars, the silver haired Anbu was sure he could see other people in similar cells, though they were more packed like the one he was previously in. The one holding him now was very small, and there weren't many people held within it. Kakashi didn't pay much attention to his new surroundings, though he did watch a few of the prisoners in other cells pass back and forth, an odd feeling in his stomach. Curious, he stuck his head out through one of the bars, only to gasp at what he saw.

Human abominations; some with an odd reddish skin tone, a couple having more or less appendages than necessary, all of them confusing and disgusting the teen ghost child. Then as suddenly as a flash of lightning, he knew; These were the cells where people were operated on by Orochimaru and his cohorts. Fear filled him, his mind going through thousands of possibilities, each one more gruesome and messed up than the last. Turning around, he had seen that his expression was mirrored by the small group of prisoners. He knew there was nothing he could, summoning his spiritual energy was useless, as it felt clogged up and blocked by the seal. He was no longer able to fly through walls, or posses other people, though he did feel the seal weakening as time wore on. Another reason why he was kept in the cell; The seal had to be renewed every so often so he couldn't just phase out and escape. Wait, no. That would be too troublesome and a waste of chakra. Maybe...maybe they were going to use him some other way. Kakashi found that out the hard way a few hours later, when he was lead to a strange lab with glass jars and containers all around it. People, their bodies stuck in the fetal position, lay as still as death in green or blue bubbling liquids. Was this what was going to happen to him? He didn't find out, a swift pressure in the center of his forehead making him tumble to the ground. The last thing he saw before he passed out was a pair of sandaled feet slowly walking toward him... That was how Kakashi was here now laying on a simple cold metal operating table, having who knows what done to him, by someone he didn't know and didn't really care to know.

“Shinobi-dono...?”

The voice paused, as if waiting for him to answer something. Kakashi sighed, thinking he had better just go ahead or risk being stuck on the table all day, which was starting to feel cold to his slowly returning sense of touch.

“i...have a little boy I need to look after...It's my job, you could say...”

“I see...so you are the one.”

“'The one?'”

Kakashi paraphrased quizzically, to which the calm and quiet voice chuckled.

“The one Kami-sama and Shinigami-sama have been fighting about for ever so long. I hear about it all the time; Kami-sama wanted 'The ninja watching over the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to do this' but Shinigami-sama 'wanted you to do that' instead. It truly can be very tiring; They are almost like small children fighting over a toy. It was amusing at first, however...”

“You...can hear them...fighting over me?”

Both his eyes wide open in surprise, Kakashi waited for the odd stranger to finish their story.

“Of course I can. What kind of miko would I be if I could not communicate with the gods, after all? Shinobi-dono your questions are very odd. Are you not used to our culture? Are you a foreign ninja, perhaps?”

“No,no...It's just...What would Orochimaru want with a miko? It seems he is powerful enough to do these kinds of seals on his own, wouldn't you think?”

“Hmm...This question is a very intelligent one, shinobi-dono...I...am not sure. Though I have heard him talk about immortality quite often, along with the words 'Uchiha' and 'Sharingan'. I can only guess that he need one of the Uchiha bloodline for one of his schemes, no doubt. However, I was sure there were no more Uchiha after the horrible massacre in the Leaf about thirteen years ago, correct?”

“How do you know about....the Uchiha and Sharingan?”

Kakashi asked, now truly curious as to who this miko could be.

“All I know of it is that is a bloodline trait passed down by the Uchiha clan. I know nothing of what it does, how it works, and why in the world you would have one implanted in your left eye. As for my origins...I used to be a priestess in one of the various shrines across the Fire Country until...about three years ago. Orochimaru had passed his way through a while back, stealing me away in the process. We miko and such are not good fighters, unlike our cousin monks in the Guardian temple near the Leaf. It was quite easy for him to spirit me, so to speak. Now, can you please stop asking such, question, shinobi-dono? I am finding it very distracting to my work, and if I do not get you patched up quick enough...”

Her voice faded on the last sentence, and Kakashi was sure he could sense a bit of worry in her tone. His brows scrunched, watching her hands quickly and daintily take a small brush out of the ink and apply it to an odd looking strip of paper. She quickly made various lines and strokes with the implement, forming some type of seal. Taking her left hand, this one glowing a light red with energy, she pressed it on the strip, Kakashi's eyes blinking as he felt the spiritual energy flow through her hand onto the paper. How can she do that? He watched as she laid the paper onto part of his midsection, his teeth gritting as felt it merge with his own spiritual energy and become one with him. She repeated this process a few more time,s each one more painful to Kakashi than the last, all on different parts of his body.

“Please bear with me, shinobi-dono. I do not wish to inflict extra harm on you, but this is necessary if you wish to be free.”

Huh? Did she slip or something? She's not really going to help me get loose, right? I can't really trust her much anyways; I've only known her for a day. He decided to test her with a simple question.

“Why would you help me? Wouldn't Orochimaru be angry at you?”

She glared at him, her eyes narrowing and the arches of her brows coming together. Another small sigh and her hands stop moving, resting against the hem of her blood and ink stained white hamaka.

“It is the gods' wish...Also, I personally find people would raise the dead for their own purposes detestable. Laugh if you must, shinobi-dono, but I'm going to try and stop his plans by using you, if you don't mind. Desecration of a perfectly good soul such as yours will not be tolerated by the gods or me! It is my duty as a priestess too, you know. I would not act were it just for a reason so petty as vengeance.”

“Ah...uhm...thanks?”

He was at a loss for words; she had been so calm and reserved before and then had broken out into a tirade. Though seeing as she was a medium for the gods, he wondered if part of her wrath was actually Kami-sama and Shingami-sama themselves transmitting it through her.

“No, thank you shinobi-dono...I have figured out the best way to turns his plans against him; By using you. We are going to make Orochimaru wish he never trifled with the will of the gods!”

A/n: Yes...an OC! Bear with it for now, only a plot device for this fic.

“Hmm...”

She muttered, scanning over his four trigrams seal with a look of concern. Kakashi blinked, waiting for her to respond.

“It seems Orochimaru....sama's seal is weakening. This is not good...”

She said, a small frown crossing her pale features. Kakashi could only stare in confusion, unsure of what she was talking about.

“What do you mean?”

“This Temporal Planar Displacement seal is only temporary. Orochimaru is infusing your spiritual core with physical energy from the seal, making you temporarily solid. It won't last; already it's starting to weaken.”

“I see..so what can you do about it?”

She sighed, one hand rapping the table, her fingers drumming on it in a steady beat.

“Nothing...his expertise in seals is very high above my own. This does greatly impact my uses for you, shinobi-dono. At the rate the seal is going...”

“Uses? What are you going to do, exactly?”

Seems everyone wants me for their own plans. Tch... Kakashi thinks, his expression hardening slightly. He'd be damned if he was going to be used by both Orochimaru and this miko for both of their purposes, nefarious or not. He only watched as she applied more seals, crimson blood dripping down the sides of her white top.

“I am trying to figure out a way to override the mind control process used by Orochimaru's Edo seal. I've only seen him use the jutsu once before, so it's risky. I don't really know what I'm doing...”

“Override it for what? So you can use me instead?” Kakashi growled, his voice taking on a sharp tone.

She looked at him, her eyes staring at him in shock and disbelief. His gaze softened a bit, as he knew that she wasn't faking it; She really had no intention of using him for her own purpose. She was just trying to get him loose from the confines of Orochimaru's clutches. At least he hoped so.

“I apologize, shinobi-dono...The way I worded my previous statement was...unintentional. I do not mean for you to become my pet; I would like it if you could set things right in our world “

“Our World? What do you mean...our world?” Kakashi asks, his expression of anger replaced by one of confusion.

“You think that your Naruto-kun only has a responsibility to the Great Ninja Nations? I cannot tell you much, shinobi-dono, else I will be reprimanded...However, you and your charge will be instrumental in saving our entire planet from destruction. The first step is defeating Uchiha Madara and his 'Moon's Eye Plan'.”

“Madara? You mean, THE Madara?”

“Yes, the very one that helped found your Leaf. He is still alive...and let me say he is not happy with the way things are going. He wishes for eternal peace, by trapping everyone in a genjutsu using the moon, or so Shinigami-sama tells me.”

“The moon? Is he insane? No one can genjutsu the entire moon!”

The miko only shakes her head, staring at the prone form of the dead teen. Kakashi sighs; it seems this job really was more than he'd bargained for. Not that he regretted taking in Naruto, it was probably one of the few decisions he'd made that he was proud about. Saving the world and being a hero didn't seem like his cup of tea, though. He preferred to stay on the sidelines, away from the action unless he was really and absolutely needed. Kakashi was never one for fame and fortune, though Naruto on the other hand...

“I do not know how he plans to accomplish this. However, I have learned that he needs the bijuu for his plan, all nine of them. Thus he has made a group called 'Akatsuki' for his plans; Though he hides in the shadows, waiting and watching until the time is right to reveal himself.”

“They want the bijuu? So Naruto will be a target...” 'Dawn', eh?Cute name Madara...

Kakashi mutters, causing the miko to nod and stop her duties for a moment.

“Exactly. Which is why I am so intent on unbinding you. He cannot fight them all on his own; He will need your help. And that you cannot give if you are one of Orochimaru's pawns.”

The miko sighs, her hands shaking and forehead covered in sweat. Kakashi can tell she's had enough; the flow of her spiritual energy is weak; She used up most of it infusing it in the seals.

“That is enough for today, I think...I will see you tomorrow, shinobi-dono...”

… … …

Just when I thought things were going so smoothly... She thinks, waiting quietly as a figure steps out from the shadows. Her heart skips a beat when she realizes it was none other than the person she had been dreading. She was confident she would be able to lie to any of his flunkies, save the few that actually knew about seals, but dealing with him was an entirely different matter. Hearing the sound of footsteps, she turned her head towards the sound, her face hard-set and determined to face what was coming. The miko barely flinched when a tongue ran over her neck, stopping on a certain point near her collarbone. It was gone a second later, but she could still feel the pressure on her neck, like a senbon had been thrust through it.

“Interesting...”

An all too familiar voice quipped, his snake-like eyes narrowing to thin slits. On the inside, however, he was furious. This will set back my plans a little...but no matter. I'm going to deal with you now, traitor. It seems the seal I placed on you will not be enough. Orochimaru thinks, walking forward slowly and deliberately. Coming toward the miko, only a few feet away, he launches a quick jab to her midsection. She topples over a little, spittle flowing from her mouth. He follows that up with a swift roundhouse to the face, her bleeding head slamming onto the concrete ground with a sickening crack. Without feeling a pang of remorse, he scoops up the miko in one swift movement, throwing her limp body over his shoulder.

“Damn you...If only Kabuto was here. Sadly, I can't have him abandon his post in the exams just yet...”

He grins devilishly as he thinks of just what he could do to this particular 'subject'. Orochimaru doesn't want to kill her, as she is only one with the knowledge of the priestess' sealing techniques. Ninja seals and those used by monks or priestess' were different; more so in the seal techniques and applications than the formulas themselves. One could not learn both; special rules applied to the techniques learnt by those in temples and shrines. One had to have many different...virtues to master more of the advanced seals. And miko seals were something different entirely. Only someone raised at birth in the miko ways could learn those skills; a secret passed through most of the temples in the Five Great Nations and even beyond their borders... He'd need that knowledge to keep Kakashi in his grip. Until he finally completed the Edo Tensei, at least.

… … …

“Gentle Fist!” I'm sorry, Sakura-chan...

Hinata shouts, her fingers jabbing desperately for one of Sakura's chakra points. Trapped by some of Shino's chakra-draining bugs, Sakura coughed up blood as she took the two small hits, her chakra signature getting steadily weaker. Just as the pink haired kunoichi was about to counterattack, a sharp pain in her arm distracted her, Akamaru's sharp teeth digging into her right arm.

“Damn dog, get off of me...!”

Sakura curses, her maroon colored chakra flaring once more. The force is so strong that Shino's bugs scamper away in fear and Akamaru is blasted back a few feet, his owner coming protectively to his side. Kiba growls angrily, but he knows Sakura isn't the one doing this. It's that odd triangle shaped mark of rings across her right arm and face. Whatever those things are, it's affecting her chakra levels...She's stronger than she was before. Akamaru lets out a soft whimper, and shakily gets up on his four paws. Nodding to his canine companion, Kiba gleefully lets out a howl, his hands poised for a jutsu.

“Man-Beast Transformation!”

After the smoke clears, there are two snarling, vicious looking copies of Kiba in their midst. Hinata quickly jumps out of the way as one of the clones goes after Sakura, a clawed hand extended. She grins, quickly substituting the blow, looking up from her new position only to find a sandaled foot in her face. Hinata winces as she watches Sakura slam hard onto the ground, her pink hair all disheveled and face laden with grime and dirt.

“Sakura-chan, we d-don't want to hurt you. Please s-stop it.”

Hinata mutters, cautiously walking over towards their fallen friend. She steps back as Sakura rises up, a line of blood dripping from her mouth onto the ground. The look in her emerald eyes show no mercy as the triangle rings go across the other side of her face, covering it completely. Akamaru lets out a sharp bark.

“Watch out, guys! Her chakra's gotten stronger.”

Kiba translates, the other two nodding in understanding. Shino blinks under his sunglasses, grinning over his coat as the bugs he deployed earlier are taking action. Hinata notices it too, as some parts of Sakura's body are staring to lose more chakra than the others. The pink haired kunoichi lets out a small snort of derisiveness, her face wild with rage.

“Hah! So some of your bugs got me, big deal. I'm more powerful now than in the academy. I'm powerful to kick anyone's ass who makes fun of me! Ino-pig will be shocked speechless when she sees how powerful I've gotten now.”

“You've changed S-sakura-chan...”

Hinata mutters, her face starting to narrow slightly. She wasn't one to get angry quickly; in fact the feelings she felt now were more worry then anger. Sakura had to be stopped before that seal could run rampant and destroy what little part of the friend they had known since their academy days. Taking a deep breath and stepping into the Eight Trigrams stance, Hinata was about to try a move that she had never completed herself before; The Eight Trigrams 64 Palms. She had seen her Father, as well as some other members of the clan, along with her cousin Neji, perform the move. It looked so fluid and powerful, but she wasn't sure she could do it. That hadn't stopped her from trying however, and she began to learn the move in earnest, out of the way of the prying eyes of the other Main members of the household and her Father. She was getting good at it; she was able to do a few of the strikes correctly; but the Hyuuga heiress would often get distracted and slip up.

She knew her lack of self-confidence when it came to her ninja skills was definitely a big part of her not being able to complete the jutsu. Even though she had a kind sensei and understanding teammates, she still lacked the necessary self-ego in order to steady her nerves. Sometimes, she had heard more of her experienced clan members say, that the best times for practicing a technique would be in the heat of battle, adrenaline pumping and blood flowing. That was really when one's talent and hard work would shine through. Hinata knew that that time was now.

“Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!”

The Hyuuga heiress called out, her two teammates stunned and worried. They knew she had been trying to perfect the technique, in order to help improve her slef-image and for the good of her clan, but this was suicide. Focusing on Sakura's chakra points, and only those, Hinata reminded herself that she was not trying to kill Sakura, only stop her form hurting herself. Being a pacifist, she had hoped to use this technique only as a last resort. She didn't want any more damage to the pink haired ninja's psyche; already she was far from the ninja they last saw. Sakura blinked, reeling over, blood polling out of her mouth as the first two shots and then successive four hit her. Hinata moved back, her feet shuffling awkwardly in the small space she had as she prepped for the next flow of strikes.

“Eight!”

“Sixteen Palms!”

Each blow caused Sakura to stumble more and more, the flow of her chakra slowing down bit by bit. Hinata could see her chakra points keep closing and turning a unhealthy black color; kind of like blood vessels that didn't get any oxygen. That didn't stop the pink haired kunoichi from sending out a swift kick at the Hyuuga, who was sent flying to the ground, skidding a few feet away. Hinata shakily got up, her face calm and determined, despite the small string of blood that hung from her mouth. Kiba swore, Akamaru responding by sending out a series of loud barks. The two then charged the cursed kunoichi, who tried to dodged their assaults. She was only partially successful, still being dazed by the majority of hits from Hinata's last attack, and was sent spinning toward the bushes.

“Dammit...”

The pink haired kunoichi swore, feeling the power from the curse mark starting to recede. Her body wouldn't dare to keep up with the amount of chakra it was being fed; So many of her points had been sealed, and her enzymes weren't up to unsealing them in midst of such a heated battle. They would unblock later, after a few days of rest at the most. She felt woozy as the seal started to recede from her face, her chakra slowly changing from a dark maroon to its more peaceful pink. This is all the power I've got right now, huh? No matter...I'll get better with time, and training. Training with Orochimaru-sama...

… … …

“Hmph. I guess I'd better take my leave now. I feel my master is calling for me.”

Kabuto grins, the veins in his eyes still continuing to grow at a insane rate; the whole of his right eye looked like it was about to turn crimson red, almost like blood. Neji curses, trying to chase the traitor with a chakra infused dash, but even in his wounded state Kabuto is no slouch. The branch Hyuuga loses sight of him within a short time and comes back to find the rest of his posse near the tree where Naruto and Sasuke are sitting. Uchiha Sasuke...the new rookie. I'd like to fight you later...

Neji thinks, as he sits near Tenten and Naruto, only to notice a familiar green blur almost instantaneously appear right next to him.

“Lee. What are you doing back?”

“Sakura-san...the seal...I came--”

“We know, Big Brows. We all felt the chakra coming from the forest.”

Naruto answers, much to the relief of the slightly worn out Lee. This does not stop the enthusiastic boy from starting up again though, a look of worry on his face.

“Kiba-kun and his team are trying to help detain her. Hopefully they will be the best fit, since Hinata-san and Shino-san are there as well.”

Hearing the name of his cousin makes Neji stiff for bit. He didn't really hate her, even though she was a main member while he was branch. He was just angry that he was shafted while he had so much potential and she had little. So, of course Neji took it out on her; and all because one father was born quicker than the other...Fate was a cruel bitch that no one can escape from. He snapped out of his thoughts quick enough to hear what Sasuke had started to say

“-- the seal has calmed down. Maybe we should go see...”

The Uchiha was about to get up again, but was stopped by a rough push from Naruto. Sighing, Sasuke sat back down and patiently waited for team Neji to bring them the news. It felt like ages before the two of them saw a blur leading the way back, an unconscious Sakura in their arms. They blinked when they saw it was none other than Kiba, Shino and Hinata following close behind, along with Neji's team.

“She's a little banged up, but the seal's under control. For now, at least...”

Shino calmly explained to the startled members of team seven, Naruto looking like he was about to flip on the trio.

“Man, you have no idea how powerful she was...That seal is something!”

Kiba muttered, Akamaru, back in puppy form, barking in agreement. Naruto blinked as he watched Akamaru jump down from atop his owner's head and sniff around where the team seven trio was hiding. After a long while of doing nothing but waking in circles and sniffing the air, Akamaru decided to lift his leg and start going to the bathroom...right near Naruto's sleeping bag. Naruto, his mouth open in flabbergasted horror while the others merely watched, kept looking from Kiba, to the dog, to his poor sleeping bag. He gingerly picked it up on one of its dry edges, sniffing the bag and nearly ready to puke. Naruto cursed and began to prepare a fire style to burn it with, being careful not to set their little tree hideout on fire. After the deed was done, he stared at Kiba who only had a sheepish grin on his tattooed face.

“What the hell!? Why did he just piss on my bag?”

Naruto exclaimed so loudly that some birds nearly flew from their perches in some trees a few feet away. After getting over his initial outburst of laughter, Kiba quickly apologized to the blonde genin and produced another sleeping bag.

“Sorry, man. He's been really rattled today. After that Gaara kid and now Sakura's power...”

“What about Gaara?”

Sasuke asked, his face eager for any information he could find on the Sand genin. After recounting their almost-run in with the Sand ninja, with some help from Shino and Hinata. Kiba muttered

“He gave no concern for their lives at all. Even when one of them started to beg. He even tried to kill his own brother. That guy...is some kind of demon.”

Big deal...Not like he's got one inside him. Naruto thinks, watching as his own new little four legged companion comes to sit by him. It, as they hadn't identified its gender as of yet, started sniffing around the same areas where Akamaru had been. It was as if it was looking for something, oddly enough. Just as it was about to lift its leg, on the same spot where Akamaru had gone no less, Naruto quickly grabbed the pup and set it down near a new patch of grass, sighing with relief.

“So close...Whew!”

Kiba chuckled, much to everyone's amusement.

“Marking their territory, you know? It's a dog thing... though something does seem off about your little friend there. Can I see him for a second?”

Naruto nodded, waiting until the dog was done doing his business, and being careful not to get any urine on him as the orange clad ninja passed him to Kiba. It only took the Inuzuka a second or less before he gasped and quickly handed back the dog with an odd face.

“Where'd you get...this thing?”

“I summoned him. Why? What's wrong with him?”

Naruto asked, truly worried now. He knew some things about dogs by raising his ninken with Kakashi's help, but those were already grown up by the time he'd had them. Puppies were an entirely different matter entirely and this one looked quite young. So young you'd think it was nearly just born. Kiba gently put the dog back in Naruto's hands, and be it a trick of the light or not, Naruto thought he saw odd markings on the dog's white fur. They were red and covered its eyes and area in between his nose. His ribs ran with similar markings as well, like orange swirls of wind on his sides. Parts of his legs were covered in the same strange marks; Naruto at first thought it was blood or paint but there was no distinct smell coming from the marks. He figured they must be part of the dog's fur and if that was so, judging by Kiba's odd look, then this dog isn't a normal dog. The young pup also had sharp canines, sharper than Akamaru's and he was about couple years older than this one!

“He doesn't look too different from other dogs...Just the red marks and sharp teeth really. Doesn't Akamaru have spots on his ears and tail?”

“I don't see any red marks, Naruto...”

Kiba remarks, causing Naruto to blink twice as he turned from Kiba to the dog. He knew they were there; he could see them with his own eyes. Turning to Sasuke , who shook his head 'No' then activated his Sharingan. The Uchiha just stared at the dog for a long while then, his eyes wide and confused.

“Weird...there were no marks before...but when I use my doujutsu...”

Sasuke sighs, too tired and wasted from his fight to make any real sense of it all. Though what Kiba says next has everyone perk up their ears a bit at the proclamation.

“That thing...is some of kind of wolf,man. Seriously...I've never seen a dog like that and I've been with dogs, for like ever, you know.”

This guy...is fast. Way too fast for a genin. If I didn't have the Sharingan, there's no way I'd able to evade his attacks. Speaking of jutsu, I've never seen his before. Is it a Kekkei Genkai?

Sasuke thinks, barely back stepping in time to doge a swipe from Kabuto's right arm. The green chakra came off the traitor's arm in a wave like motion, spreading outwards to nearly touch the fabric of the Uchiha's blue shirt. Countering with a swift front kick, Sasuke watches as his attack is easily parried, then ducks over another one of the glasses wearing ninja's roundhouses.

What is this guy? He's definitely not a genin...but why take the exam? A spy? Maybe...

Sasuke's distraction costs him, his right shoulder throbbing in pain as Kabuto jabs at it with his glowing green appendage. Coughing up some blood, Sasuke barely dodges another one of the traitor's blows, Kabuto's hand stopping a few inches from his nose. The silver haired ninja cackles manically, his eyes still red and filled with blood lust.

“What's wrong, Sasuke? You don't seem to be as good as your big brother, Itachi...”

“Shut up!”

The Uchiha roars, his pride and blood boiling at the sound of his brother's name. True, he'd promised to protect his comrades, but Itachi was still his ultimate goal. If he couldn't beat this guy...

Panting, Sasuke tries to form hand signs, his hands working as fast as the wind. He blinks, as he watches a blur of black appear behind Kabuto, his jutsu casting almost complete. The silver haired ninja turns around to feel an intensely painful jab to the stomach, launching him straight into Sasuke's fireball. Sasuke frowns as he sees the burnt up log for a substitution jutsu slowly burn away on the ground. Neji now beside the Uchiha, is scanning the area with his white eyes, Byakugan activated. Sasuke stares at the Hyuuga's eyes for a moment, a small show of curiosity on his features. This is where the Sharingan came from, huh? Wonder if he knows anything about our doujutsu... Making a mental note of this, Sasuke prepares to take out a kunai, but his shoulder flares up in pain. He drops the blade to watch it fall on the ground through half lidded eyes, wincing slightly.

“He did something to a ligament in your shoulder...Don't move your arm or it will become worse. We'll have to bind it later.”

Neji plainly remarks, looking at the Uchiha with his Byakugan. Sasuke blinks, just wondering how much those eyes can actually see. He grudgingly leaves his right arm to hang limp, slowly trotting over to where Naruto is. Sasuke knows he's of no further use in this fight; He'll have to leave it up to Tenten and the Hyuuga. This thought does anger him, but he puts his pride aside for the moment, knowing that the battle here is more important. He couldn't afford to become a liability, not against someone like that.

Naruto, sensing his comrade's obvious distress, looks up from where he is stroking the small,shivering thing cradle in his legs. Sasuke carefully sits down next to the blonde, watching the white ball as it begins to move. Two small black eyes and a nose pop out at the Uchiha, who almost immediately recoils back in surprise. The thing looks up at Naruto, who grimaces as a small pink tongue lathers his whiskered face with drool.

“Ha hah, eww...You're so tiny...but cost so much chakra to summon.”

“Wait.”

Sasuke mumbles, turning to face the orange clad ninja, his face mask of indifferent disbelief.

“You were able to summon that...thing?”

“Yeah...Tousan taught me how to summon ninken. Why?”

“Nevermind...”

Sasuke looks down at the white furred puppy, which is watching him curiously, its head cocked sideways. Blinking, the raven haired ninja watches as Naruto just scratches its head, the small dog still staring at him. What's up with this thing? Stop looking at me! Sasuke thinks, his anger slowly calming down, as he watches the pup sniff the air. He wasn't really an animal person but something about this particular animal seemed to feel different. Naruto noticed it, too, since the blonde then stopped petting the small dog to stare at it.

“Something...feels off about you. I've summoned ninken before, but you're not a ninken.”

The dog makes a loud yip, which startles Naruto, who turns in its direction. Sasuke follows, his eyes widening as he watches Neji and Kabuto go at it. The long haired Hyuuga was actually able to keep up with Kabuto's blows. The silver haired ninja seemed to have some trouble using his chakra as well; did Neji get a hit in? The two genin did know about the chakra network and how Byakugan users could strike at chakra points to alter their opponents flow, but to do so in such a heated battle. Sasuke screamed inwardly; there were so many people out there stronger than him! He needed to figure out how they did it. Just training wasn't enough; he'd been doing that for years on end with no success. Watching as Neji delivered a quick blow to Kabuto's solar plexus, while a hail of kunai nearly skewered the traitor, Sasuke began to think. One person alone is weak...but working in tandem with others...he can become much stronger. In order to work well with your partner's you must know them better...their likes, beliefs, things like that. You need to understand them from the inside out. The Uchiha nods slowly, his determination growing stronger as he watches Neji and Tenten's teamwork to try and take down Kabuto. The medic ninja had a few cuts and was bleeding on one side of his mouth, but still looked fit. Neji and Tenten were slowing, the kunoichi's weapons getting less accurate and shot at a lesser rate of fire. Neji was being hit more often now, his left leg seeming to nearly fall under him. Despite that, he still manages to give out quick retorts to Kabuto's attacks, each chakra covered blast canceling out the other when they strike.

“This is...taking awhile.”

Naruto mumbles, his breathing now steadier than it was before. Even though he had taken a painful jab to the heart, some of the chakra cords still remained intact, meaning the Kyuubi still had enough power to heal him. He found that it was easier to move his right arm as well. A few of his ribs still ached, and he could taste some traces of iron in his system but Naruto knows he's relatively safe. Sasuke however, as Naruto turns to look at the battered Uchiha, is worse off. His right arm is hanging limply at his side, Sasuke's onyx eyes wincing with pain every few seconds as it sways. The small pup in his lap seems to sense Naruto's concern, for it looks at Sasuke and whines. Carefully climbing over the blonde's protective hold and padding on its four small legs to a space near the Uchiha, it barks at Sasuke, who regards it quizzically.

“What is it,you weird dog? Look, I'm not in the mood for--”

The raven haired ninja is interrupted by a feeling of intense malice coming from where the trio are still fighting. Turning their heads quickly, the three see that neither Kabuto nor Neji is the cause of this disturbance. Tenten looks at the two and scratches her head, following their gaze to a further distance in the forest. They can feel something powerful coming from that direction. A tremendous amount of energy is being released by whatever is in the forest. Naruto curses, causing Sasuke to look at him quizzically.

“That's where Lee took Sakura-chan! Damn...”

“You mean her curse mark...”

“Yeah...”

Naruto nods, his face serious. Sasuke swears, slamming his good hand onto the ground. Things couldn't get any worse right now, could they?

… … …

“Whew! I'm glad he didn't spot us...or else that'd be the end for us, eh Akamaru?”

Kiba remarks to his canine companion, who emits a soft woof in response. Hinata, nearby leaping from some branches, feels an odd chill in the air. Something's not right...I can feel it. Shino notices her worried gaze, and asks her about it.

“Something big is c-coming...”

The other three nod in agreement, Akamaru giving off a couple of warning barks.

“Yeah, I can feel it too, boy. It's chakra is pretty powerful, but not as bloodlusted as that Gaara kid's was. It seems to be only coming from one person. Maybe a rival team that got separated?”

A wolfish grin on his tatooed features, Kiba eagerly racs off ahead in the treetops, ignoring Hinata's pointed half-shout to be careful. Shino sighs, speeding up his own pace as well. Hinata following suit.

“He never learns, does he?”

Hinata stays silent, not wanting to offend anyone, and just focuses her Byakugan on the spot where Kiba dashed off. She can still him a few miles ahead, meaning that he has not gone too far. Scouting even further, she has finally located the owner of that terrible chakra. What? This doesn't make any sense...No person should have that kind of chakra. It's too different from her regular pinkish red anyways, too maroon and dark. I can't feel the care and concern...like it was washed away by malice and hatred. This is bad!

Hinata stops where she is on the tree branch, causing her two other companions to freeze in their tracks.

“What is it, Hinata? Have you found it?”

Shino asks, genuine concern in his question. She was a timid girl, but was confident in her teammates abilities. If Kiba and Shino combined couldn't take this one out...

“It's...it's...”

Hinata stutters shakily, her mind racing. Kiba waves his hand in front of her face, Akamaru whining pitifully.

“Oi, you still with us? Hinata? Man, this has her and Akamaru spooked...”

“...S-sakura-san...”

She mutters weakly, her mumbling unheard by her two teammates because of her soft voice. Kiba snaps his fingers in front of her face, trying to get her out of her momentary daze.

“Oi! You sure you're alright?”

“This chakra...is S-sakura-san's. B-but how...?”

“What!?”

“Are you sure?”

Her two teammates blurt out, unable to believe it at first. Hinata nods her head, her serious gaze pointed towards the feeling of malice she detected earlier. Kiba shakes his head, confusion dotting his and Akamaru's expressions'.

“No way...”

“This is unlike Haruno-san's regular chakra--too much. Something must be wrong with her.”

Shino points out, causing the three to look at him.

“Yeah, but what about Naruto and Sasuke? They're her teammates, right, so they should be able to do something ab--”

“Excuse me, Inuzuka-san! Have you seen either Naruto-kun or Sasuke-san?”

Kiba stops talking, jarred out of his speech by a speeding green blur that comes to land beside him. Lee, his face worried and covered with a couple bruises, quickly explains the situation.

“Something seems wrong with Sakura-san. I cannot locate either of her teammates; They must have moved to new location while fighting.”

“So...you need us to help you calm her down or something?”

Kiba asks, the four turning to look at Lee, who is nodding.

“At least until I find Sasuke-san or Naruto-kun! Please, it would be most nice of you to help.”

“So that chakra really is Sakura-san's..”

Shino mumbles to himself, quietly sending out a few of his chakra eating bugs out ahead of the group.

“W-well, we'd be happy to h-help, Lee-san, but...”

Hinata is cut short by Kiba's loud exclamation, Akamaru whimpering in protest.

“No way! Did you feel that chakra?”

“B-but Kiba-kun...Sakura-san might n-need our help.”

Kiba sighs, turning back towards their other companion, Shino, who expression is unreadable beneath his collar.

“I'm sure we can do it. It is one versus three, after all. No matter how powerful her chakra is, we should, by all means, be able to do it. Hinata's Jyuuken and my bugs can be of great assistance.”

“Alright, alright we'll go. But don't blame me if you guys get hurt.”

Kiba complains, turning to a grateful Rock Lee. The young green beast nearly choking the boy and his dog in a youthful hug, then sprints out west in the direction he last saw Naruto.

“I'm...gonna kill..you guys...if we get out..of this alive...”

Kiba moans, Akamaru growling in agreement.

… … …

A/N: Sorry, getting ready for college has been a pain. Enjoy!

A/N: Yes, the last ch. wasn't really a ch. However, character development IS important and sometimes I can't fit it all in one ch or it doesn't feel right mushed in with the rest. Hence, I have the shorter chs. with only a two or three characters like ch10. It will become more common, but I think it's essential. Just a head up.

… … …

“Mmmm...” Naruto grunted, his hands quickly parting a tree branch that was about to smack him in the face. It had a been awhile since he set out looking for food, and still even with his new companion's help, they hadn't been able to find anything edible. What should I name the little guy? I'll have to think of something eventually... Naruto thinks, the wind rushing through his blonde spiky locks. Catching the briefest scent of what might be fish, he quickly turns eastward, his nose leading the way. A small white head pops out of his collar, sniffing the air and barking excitedly. Naruto chuckles to himself, rubbing his hand through the small pup's white fur.

After going east for what seemed ten minutes or more, the pair eventually felt the winds shift more southward. This proves to be lucky for the duo, as a new scent carries itself on the current; the smell of possible enemies. Skidding to a stop on a nearby branch, the orange clad genin peers down from his perch, hoping to make out any signs or disturbances from below. The only things he could see were the grass and foliage a few feet below, along with some shadows hiding in the bushes. The small lump in his neck made a small threatening growl, which made the blonde look down at his furry friend. It was trying to wiggle its way out of his jacket, its two front paws swiping the air futilely as the pup stared down at the bushes with his onyx eyes.

“No way! You're not going to fight; you're too small.”

Naruto protests, to which the white dog lets out a small, barely imperceptible whine. Putting the dog down on the branch next to him, Naruto kneels down so he can see the strange dog eye to eye. This was what he had to do back when he was with Kakashi's ninken; before they started to accept him as their new master. Even with the help of Pakkun, who sometimes acted as mediator, Naruto still had to show that he was the new leader of the pack. Eventually, he got the ninken on his side, though only through a show of force and using his inner willpower to show that he was not to be taken lightly. Even though his new firend was small and not as tough looking as the ninken, though the red markings seemed to give him an odd alpha quality, Naruto knew he has to do the same thing.

After a few minutes of the odd staring contest, the small pup's pointed ears began to droop and his head lowered. Naruto was frowning; he really didn't like to injure the thing's pride, but he didn't want it to get hurt. The small dog let out a pitiful whine as Naruto jumped from the branch onto the ground, and the genin almost felt his heart break in two. Walking toward the foliage, he saw the bushes rustle a little, his nose picking up a familiar scent. Looking down, he hesitantly picked up a small thin object that was a creamy color, the object nearly breaking in two while it was in-between his fingers.

“Potato chips...?”

He mumbles, rubbing the small chip in between his thumb and forefinger. Sighing, and moving closer toward the bushes, he starts to catch snippets of conversation.

“Great! Look what you did, Ch-”

“Shh! We're gonna be found out!”

Parting the leaves, Naruto grins slightly as he stumbles upon three familiar shocked faces.

“Well,well...It's Naruto. What a surprise...and pain in the ass.”

Shikamaru mutters, lazily getting up and putting his hands in his pockets. Ino, giving out a similar but not as friendly greeting, also figured that it was best she come out of hiding.

“So...I take you guys were hiding?”

Naruto asked, to the affirmation of Shikamaru and Ino.

“Yeah...We were hoping to avoid being noticed by enemy teams but...”

Shikamaru started, while Ino quickly cut him off.

“Since you found us so easily I guess our hiding place isn't so great...Damn!”

Shikamaru looked around, his expression confused for a second. Then he sighed as he went back to their hideaway, pulling out a Choji who was busy munching on what was the last of his chips. The large ninja just gave a sheepish grin, replying

“Sorry, Naruto. I just wanted to protect my snacks...Still, what are you doing here?”

After the three gave out a collective sigh of despair, Naruto turned to the southeast, pointing his finger out that way.

“I was...looking for food for my team. We're running low on water,too...”

Choji quickly stopped munching on his thinning bag of chips, drawing his gaze to Naruto. The blonde just stared back, confusion evident on his whiskered face.

“You're not getting any of my chips. They're the last ones I have till the exam is over!”

The squinty eyed shinobi whined, earning a glare from Ino. Naruto chuckled, seems like Choji is still the same from the academy.

“Nah, I'm not gonna take your chips. Well...bye now!”

Naruto quickly jumped back to the tree he what come from, picking up his white and red furred dog and sprinting off into the foliage. This drew a relived sigh from Choji, who grabbed his bag of chips even more securely.

“My poor chips...you're still mine now....I won't let anyone take you...”

“Damn it!” Ino cried out, her right arm pumped into a fist.

“I should've asked how Sasuke-kun was doing!”

Shikamaru could only sigh as he tried to think of a new hiding place where they could be safe. Only a few more days....

… … …

Well, that was waste of time. Though it was nice to see those three;haven't chatted with them in a while. Glad to see nothing's really changed with those three, unlike my own team... Naruto thinks, speeding towards where he the source of the smell of fish is coming from. He knows he's getting closer ,though he has his guard up; people are most likely there, since the fish don't seem raw. Most likely he'll come across a campsite, with people there...Maybe he could get a Heaven scroll too... Wait, no. Working on his own would be dangerous.

Staring again into his jacket collar, he knows that they could use the dog as a hostage if the fight gets out of hand. Still, they are running out of time and with Sakura in her current state, there was no way she could recover in time for them to face another team, which might not even have the right scroll, and make it to the tower in one piece. But he had to try something...Anything...

“Damn it!”

Naruto grumbles, causing the lump in his coat to shift a little and poke its head out. Sighing, he jumps down to the ground, seeing that they are getting close and tries to find a good vantage point to watch from. He crouches in some bushes, his vision partly obscured by the leaves. Not wanting to move and draw any attention, Naruto just listens quietly for any sound or movement coming from the site. Peering through the leaves, he could just barely make out the something that looked like a pair of feet, though something seemed off about them. He couldn't say for sure what, thinking it a trick of the leaves and light reflected by the small stream next to the fire where the fish were busy cooking.

Almost as if on cue, the small dog in his jacket decides to wriggle out of his secure spot, his eyes narrowed and the fur on his back stood up. Naruto quickly put his hand on the dog's mouth, in order to quiet it if he decided to make noise, but nearly yelped out loud when he felt the dog bite him on the middle of his hand. What's gotten into him? Naruto thinks, trying to grab the obviously agitated dog before it reveals their position, the leaves rustling frantically in the bushes. The orange clad genin swears as he sees the pair of feet move slowly toward their position near the bushes, taking something that looked long and straight, most likely a katana or weapon of some sort. He quickly lets go of the dog and prepares to grab a kunai from his weapons pouch, but the small pup pushes his injured hand away before it can make it to his kunai. Naruto stares at the dog, then back at the pair of feet which kept coming closer every second. The small white pup had something almost akin to determination in its onyx eyes, and barked loudly as it saw the leaves part to reveal the figure.

Naruto could only gape as he looked at the shadowy thing, the sun in his face. Even though his vision was obscured, he could tell something definitely wasn't right about his opponent.

“What...the hell are you?”

… … …

“I...will not...yield!”

She muttered out, her voice defiant and sharp, echoing throughout the cold stone walls. Kabuto could only scoff, watching the pathetic woman try and take a few deep breaths. No matter what you do...It's useless... He thinks, once again taking up a kunai, the end bloodied and staining the gray floor crimson as he walked over to the prone form of the miko. She seemed to almost sense his approach, her head rising slightly so that her onyx eyes could meet his passionless stare. Kabuto's eyes narrowed devilishly, the kunai in his hand gleamed an almost orange color from the faint torchlight as he plunged it into her midsection.

“Now, be a good girl and think while that poison courses through your veins...It's not the worst concoction I can cook up, I assure you...”

“Nngh...Aaagh....Y-you...Aaah!”

The miko manages to weakly shout, her body convulsing as spasms wracked her chained form. The glasses wearing medic pays her no heed as he opens the cell door and steps nimbly through. Even after walking up to the next level of the complex, he could still hear her screams as they grew in length and intensity, the thought giving him a rush of pure elation. Unluckily for her, the poison is a slow acting agent, and will continue to spread and cause spasms for quite a while. This will teach you to defy our Lord! Kabuto thinks, chuckling to himself as he does so.

… … …

“Kabuto...what did you do?”

Kakashi mutters, trying his best to block out the scream he can hear coming form below his cell. He has been relocated, a tactic to possibly detach himself from the other prisoners and make sure that they cannot escape. The new cell is small, he has barely enough room to move around in. A normal human would not likely survive long in these kinds of conditions without losing their sanity; Unluckily for him, he was a spirit confined to a physical seal. One of the things Orochimaru made sure to do when he came back was to fix the Displacement Seal and put Kakashi in confinement. No light could be seen through the metal door that was the only entrance to his prison. Not even one of Orochimaru's grunts stayed for prolonged periods of time ,as he did not need to eat or sleep like the other occupants nearby.

He could still hear their moans through his cell door, their pleading and whining to be set free, and he did indeed feel a little sad for them. All the people he's hurt; This is inhumane! This is only one of his bases...I shudder to think what he rest of them are like. Kakashi thinks, his body curled into the fetal position, as it was the most comfortable way for him to lie in his cell so tiny the dimension were. Sighing, he inwardly winced when he heard the cries from below drift up again. It's my fault. I could have told her to stop somehow... He thinks, closing his eyes and turning his attention to a different person who might still need his help; Naruto.

“What a horrible foster parent I am...Leaving you stuck in the Forest of Death...”

Rage boils up inside him, Kakashi's visible eyes narrowing in the dark confines of his prison. His determination grows in intensity as he remembers the promise he made with Naruto the day before their fight with the Wave missing-nin.

“Right...Promise of a Lifetime...'Daddy' didn't forget...”

A small smirk crosses his masked features, remembering the days when Naruto was small, before he was at the Academy...

A/N: This is a flashback. (Just so you know, I did have a few readers who were confused when I did this before. It's for them.)

… … …

“”Oi, Tousaaaan!”

Naruto cried out, his small feet padding one-two on the hardwood floor of their small apartment. It had only been about a week and a half since the duo had moved in, seeing as Naruto didn't have much to bring with him, courtesy to the owners of the orphanage. They had never bought anything for the boy with his stipend during his stay there, not a toy nor anything that could even be considered proper bedsheets. Luckily, the Hokage had provided the pair with more than enough money to raise the child and live quite comfortably. Though Kakashi decided to use 'live comfortably' sparingly, seeing as he couldn’t really 'live' at all. He did his best, however, to put on a somewhat happy face for the child, still unused to showing his emotions around others after the intense Jonin and Anbu training he had received.

“Hm?” He's calling me 'Daddy' already? That was fast.

Kakashi grunted, almost instantaneously floating into sight before the small toddler. Naruto giggles, the expression on his face turning into a small smile. The ghostly Anbu quickly lights down onto the floor, his winged shadow making him seem all the more other-worldly. This didn't stop the small six year old from wrapping him in a tight hug before the Anbu had a chance to recover form the odd touch. Kakashi wasn't used to hugs, though he oft got them from his parents while they were all still alive. His shinobi conditioning almost made him lash out at the boy in self-defense, but he ignored his instincts and let the blonde arms crush his torso even further. This was something he was going to have to deal with and work with on his own, tedious and unnecessary though it seemed to him.

“Are you going to teach me somethin' new today?”

Naruto asked, letting go of Kakashi to face him directly, his azure eyes shining through his small lashes. He sighed in response, rubbing his head with his hand like always, wondering just where the boy's enthusiasm came from. Probably Kushina... Kakashi thinks, watching as the small child is practically bobbing up and down, waiting for him to say something.

“Yes, Naruto. I'm going to try and teach you how to throw shuriken and kunai today. Are you ready?”

“Oooohh!”

The exasperated Anbu sighs again, opening the front door of their apartment only to gaze at it curiously before anger sets in. The poor green door has obviously been the victim of vandalism; Graffiti, all of it messages such as “Leave demon!' or “Get lost!” painted across the door. Some just decided to be frank and put painted images of dead foxes or spiky haired children, being stabbed by stick people with pointed weapons. Luckily, Naruto couldn’t read, another 'benefit' of being under the orphanage's care, but he could definitely figure out what the pictures meant. Kakashi quickly ushered him past the vandalized door frame, not wanting the boy to see the horrid images, but moreso so he wouldn’t have to go out and hurt the ones that did this. Every second of looking at the door raised his ire, made him wonder how his master would feel if he knew how his son was being treated by the people Naruto inevitably saved.

Kakashi let his rage simmer down, leading the boy through the streets by the hand, and showing him the easiest and quickest path to the training ground that he knew of. No one was there, as it was early in the morning, and Kakashi felt safe enough to demonstrate to the blonde toddler how exactly the technique worked. Naruto just stood wide eyed in amazement, his mouth open as he watched the two shuriken go flying with deadly speed and hit the white bulls-eye head on in the center. After showing Naruto how to do it again, this time with kunai, Kakashi sat back against one of the three log near the memorial stone and watched.

Naruto carefully fingered the two shuriken in his hand, then flung them forward in a clumsy imitation of Kakashi's throw. His eyes narrowed when he saw that he hit a few feet to the side of the target, but he ran over to pick up the projectiles anyway. Determination burning his tiny blue eyes, the orange clad child tried again, this time nicking one right a the area where it's left ribcage would be. His third throw actually had Naruto hitting part of the inside of the target, though it was still a ways off. The boy grumbled to himself, picking up the shuriken again, and walking back to his starting point.

“This may take awhile...”

Kakashi mused, chuckling and yet inwardly groaning at the same time. Guess he gets his ninjutsu skills from Kushina took eh? Kakashi thinks, watching as the boy tried for the fifth time to strike a bulls-eye on the target to no avail. He calmly floats over toward the blonde boy, watching his sixth attempt. While it was closer than the others, now on the white in the middle of the first and third ring, it still wasn't on the eye. Naruto stomped his foot, the beginning of what Kakashi feared was a tantrum, then just sat down with his stubby arms crossed over the other, turning his back to the target. Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle, he really was acting like a little kid. He briefly wondered if he had ever acted like that in his childhood.

“Need help?”

The Anbu asked, to which Naruto shook his head 'no'.

“I'll get 'em eventually. It's just kinda hard...”

“Want me to teach you a trick?”

Naruto looks up at this, Kakashi floating lazily above him with a slight smirk on his masked face.

“What kinda trick?”

Kakashi gently grabs the hand which holds the shuriken. Taking them out of Naruto's hand, he uses his other free appendage to flick the boy's wrist back and forth, like it was a pendulum. Putting the projectiles back in the child's hand, Kakashi tells Naruto to throw. Fling his wrist back before he lets go of the shuriken, Naruto watches as the two make a loud 'thunk' right into the fourth and third rings near the bulls-eye. He squeals out at the top of his lungs, almost ecstatic and crushes the Anbu in killer hug before releasing him to grab his shuriken. Nearly running into one of the three logs, Naruto turns to his foster parent, a grin from ear to ear stretching across his whiskered face.

“I did it! Daddy, how did you learn that? It's sooo cool!”

“Something I picked up from my own father. Still, Naruto, you're not done yet; What about the kunai?”

The blonde nods, his gaze curious for just a second as he drops the shuriken and replaces them with their sharper counterpart. Holding them by the bandaged handle, Naruto looks and cockily grins his foster parent before turning back to his target.

“This'll be easy. Since you taught me that cool move, Daddy, dattebayo!”

One flick later, the two kunai are embedded almost perfectly in the two opposite sides of the fourth ring near the bulls-eye. While he didn't quite get it, Kakashi was still impressed by the child's accuracy, moreso since this was most likely his first time using ninja tools. A startled cry later brought him back to reality, as Naruto's eyes filled with tears,a small cut on his index finger, the blood pouring down his palm.

Note to self: Always use blunt kunai when training Naruto. Kakashi thinks, quickly taking the injured child's hand and examining it. It had already started to heal, despite Naruto's protests that it stung. The Kyuubi, eh? Kakashi breaks out of his train of thought to show Naruto the now-healed cut.

“But it still hurts, Daddy!”

Naruto protests, causing Kakashi to sigh inwardly. Who knew raising a child could be this difficult? Though he knew what he had gotten into ever since he posses Tenzo on the day of the Nine-Tails attack; He wasn't backing down now. Guiding the kid back by his uninjured appendage, Kakashi quickly filed through their medicine cabinet, that Naruto was too small get to on his own, and brought out a small tube of anti-bacterial cream. Rubbing it on the wound, despite Naruto's protests of 'It stings more now.', Kakashi staying by the toddler's side until he topped complaining.

“Small incident aside, you did great Naruto. You deserve a reward--Ichiraku's perhaps?”

Kakashi mutters, much to Naruto's happiness. For the third time that day, the young blonde wrapped the Anbu into a crushing hug, unable to contain his excitement at being treated to food.

“You're the best Daddy ever!”

Naruto shouts, his previously downcast face turning up into a huge whiskered grin. Kakashi sighs, rubbing the back of his head and wondering if he can actually live up to that title.

Naruto wasn't too bright when it came to animals besides his ninken, having never really been in close proximity to one during a period of time before now, but he knew the thing before him was no animal. It was hunched over, kind of similar to a monkey, but it stood on its legs like a human. The things it had for hands were clawed and oozed red with blood, most likely from a recent kill. He knew it wasn't human by just looking at it, the skin all green and rough, not smooth and delicate. The hell's with this thing? Naruto thinks, his eyes narrowed as he spots something in its left hand; a bamboo pole, maybe, judging by the material it was made with and the fact that it wasn’t pointed on any of its ends.

Without warning, the small red and white pup bounded on top of the creature, the thing squealing in a language that was definitely nothing spoken in the Five Great Nations. Snarling angrily, the creature swat away the dog with one swipe of its bamboo staff, sending the poor pup flying a couple feet away to the side. He let out a weak bark, struggling to get back on his feet. Naruto's brows narrowed; That thing, whatever it was, is going to pay. Brandishing a kunai, the blonde was about to charge forward, when a curious high pitched squeal met his ears.

“The hell...?”

Naruto mumbles, his body frozen to the spot. Using every ounce of his energy to turn his head towards the green humanoid shape, he sees it playing the bamboo pole like it was a flute, the eerie sound coming from that direction. A weak wail from his injured companion, now back on three of his four legs, shows that they are in the same situation. Whatever that thing is doing with the flute is causing this, Naruto realizes, though just a little too late. His body is frozen in place; he can barely turn his head to the side, noticing that more of the weird creatures are coming out of the nearby brush, about three or four more. As he examined them more intensely, Naruto saw that they looked somewhat familiar, almost like the bedtime stories the orphanage caretakers had told him about demons and monsters in order to scare him so he wouldn't go to sleep at night.

“I've never believed in demons and such...but these things are definitely real.”

Naruto chuckles to himself, watching warily as the monsters go towards his little pup. They seem to be almost ignoring him, making Naruto a little confused and frustrated., Gathering up all of his willpower, he manages to pick up a stone on the ground, and weakly toss it at one of the horned imp-like demons. It bounces off the tree green skull of one of the club brandishing fiends, who quickly turns around to show its face, covered by an odd white mask. Naruto realizes that the mask the imp is wearing is made of paper, recognizing the scent and sound of the flapping material on its face. Oddly enough, each one of the things had intricate designs painted on their faces, the flute carrying one having the most ornate out of the group. He's the leader or my name is Sasuke Uchiha, and it's not! Naruto thinks, grinning to himself as he tries to pick up another rock.

“Oi stupid! Stop playing that damn flute and come get me, or are you too scared even with all your cronies to back ya!?”

Naruto shouts, trying to gather his spiritual energy in order to break free of the demon's paralysis spell. Suddenly, he hears a small roar coming from the direction of his canine companion. Whirling his head around, Naruto spots his small furred pal on top of one of the demons, biting away at it with his small teeth and claws. Whoa, he's really going at it... Naruto thinks, dropping his concentration for a second. Feeling his spiritual energy level drop, the imps come on hurriedly, Naruto still not having the strength to fully beak out of the spell. He is met with a an overhead bash to face, his head feeling like it was split open. Letting out a small grunt as two other hits connect, one to his ribcage and another to his left shin, Naruto blinks as he sees a black blur out of the comer of his eye. The odd streak slashes across two of the imp's torsos, leaving a small gash near the abdomen, though not nearly anything fatal.

“Rrrggh...”

The small white pup growls, the sound emanating from deep within his tiny body. He rushes at one of the imps who had attacked Naruto, barreling into it and sending the two of them rolling away in a flurry of squeals and barks. It is finished off with a quick swipe across it's throat, the poor imp barley having any time left to respond before a pair of white claws tore out its jugular. Licking the blood off of its paws, the small dog heads for the other imp in a similar fashion, this time using his tail. Another black streak mysteriously appears on the imp's body, the rush of blood and spilling of entrails making Naruto wince. He watches his new buddy go after the leader, his tail leading the way again with a furious vertical swipe. Oddly, Naruto could feel some odd power in that tail, or rather the ink that was dripping from its end, he honestly could not tell.

The leader of the small tribe stepped backward in shock, his precious demon flute broken in two and now in halves on the ground, useless. The green creature bit back surprise when it felt like something was staring into it's back, only to turn around and find Naruto there, a kunai at it's throat. It let out a few feeble squeaks, the things that could be called its hands trembling and shaking in pure terror. Not so tough now, eh? Naruto thinks, waiting until the imp has calmed down so he can see if he can talk to it. This might not be the only group in the area; it would do no good for them to stumble on more of these things unprepared. He just hoped the thing could speak human... With prodding from his kunai and angry new furry friend, Naruto was finally able to confirm that it indeed know the human tongue, although its dialect was very odd.

“Please spare me! I'll tell ya everything I know.”

The pitiful thing whimpered, Naruto mentally sighing now that he knew the thing could speak proper human. Putting his blade just a few inches beneath the thing's jugular, or at least where he supposed it to be, Naruto began his interrogation. He found that there were no more in the immediate vicinity, though there were a few ambush groups closer to the tower. Their mission was to take any good looking human specimens, as long as they looked like prized fighters or physically able. The odd imp had no idea for what exactly, and no further prodding from either Naruto's kunai nor his dog's sharp teeth could stymie the damnable imp. Satisfied with this information, Naruto calmly took his kunai away form the green creature's throat. It looked around for a moment, it's emotions unreadable underneath its odd paper mask, and quickly hopped away into the bushes, but not before handing Naruto a small white scroll.

“The kids we killed had it. Here, take the stupid thing. Thanks!”

Naruto was about to reconsider his decision, even more so when his dog let out a stiff bark of anger, but he found that it was too late. The imp's scent had all but completely vanished. Did he use a jutsu? No, I couldn’t feel anything like chakra. It probably went home to whatever hellish plane of existence it lives on....maybe Naruto thinks, quickly scanning the small camp before he left the area. He did indeed find the original owners of the camp, their bodies all beaten and bloodied, nothing noticeable on their person at all. The blond ninja assumed that the imps had probably pilfered anything of value when they killed those people. And he just let one get away! He was sure that they weren't going to spare him when they had fought, so why... Naruto had no answer, besides thinking that the thing looked so frightened for a second he thought that it was almost human. Maybe not all demons are truly evil, though that is a rare case...Damn it! Why is everything so gray? Nothing is ever truly black or white. Even now, our world as it is, with the ninja systems...this is no time for philosophy!

“My kindness is going to get me in big trouble someday...”

Naruto reflects, seeing the pale dead faces of the three human bodies in front of him. Focusing his chakra, the orange clad ninja decides to burn them, along with the imps, in their camp. It would keep away animals, but at the same time be a huge beacon for anyone deciding to come here. Well, if the fight and smells of blood hadn't already clued them in. In the end, it didn't really matter. Turning to his companion, his white tails wagging furiously and eyes somewhat happy though there seemed to be an undercurrent of disappointment in them, Naruto dashes away from the now desolated and burning camp. Now's the time to meet up with Sasuke and Sakura, since they finally have two scrolls and can have access to the tower. He has a feeling deep in his gut though, that it won't be as easy as they think. Nothing so far in this whole exam has been easy.

… … …

“So...you still have some resistance left, it seems...Interesting...”

Orochimaru mumbles, his face turning upwards into a slight grin. Even after all of the poisons Kabuto has used, the lack of food and proper water, as well as regular exercise, the miko is still determined to oppose them. Her body thin and weak, malnourished arms and legs as thin as wooden sticks dangling form their chains. Her skin pale and the bags under her black eyes growing in intensity every day, her hair and clothes bloodied and covered in dirt and a horrid smelling stench from not bathing in weeks, she still continued to defy them.

“She is very difficult to control, Lord Orochimaru. Several genjutsu's have had hardly any effect...”

Kabuto comments, his gaze going back and forth between the pitiful prisoner and his master. Orochimaru just chuckles, turning his wry gaze unto his subordinate.

“Of course. You may be a medical specialist, and know some things about chakra and genjutsu, but you're still young. Women, and mostly those who are lucky enough to have much spiritual energy, are better a resisting genjutsu than most men. Being a priestess too, she probably has few mental techniques to steady and calm her mind. Plus, it seems her chakra network is rather weak, almost like a civilian's; it would be hard for anyone to get a hold of a signature, though this also means her jutsu are weak and low in number. Not like she could do much anyways. Even the smallest genin could beat her in a quick match...”

She seemed to perk up slightly at this statement, her head slowly rising to reveal a pallid face beneath waves of long dark unkempt hair. Her eyes still burned with an inner fire that would rival Naruto's, though the bags under her lids bellied otherwise. Her gaze unfocused, seeming to look at no one in particular, she muttered

“Hmph. You...fools will...not break me! I am of...the Fire Country...and will protect it.. till I die”

Kabuto snorted, his derision plainly evident on his face. So it seems that the Hokage wasn't the only one spreading this 'Will of Fire' brainwashing; the local temples and shrines have gotten into it too. What a bunch of idiots! He had heard enough about it during his years as a Konoha spy, which the glasses wearing medic doubted he would be much longer after his encounter with Naruto his ragtag bunch. That didn't mater to him, however, as long as he still had a purpose for his master.

“Well...if genjutsu won't work, how about a seal? I invented it just for you...and Kakashi-kun. You two troublesome brats should be delighted to be part of my experiment.”

Orochimaru cackled, his hands quickly forming seals. The miko only kept her eyes on him and watched, silent, unafraid of what he was going to do. The snake shinobi quickly cut one of his wrists with a kunai and took out a leaflet of paper. Using the blood, now mixed with the chakra, he began to write unfamiliar seals onto the paper, each one curving and swirling like a snake. When it was done, he quickly pressed his palm unto it, smoke rising from the feel of the molded chakra and blood incantation. Walking slowly towards her, the miko saw that it looked like a snake, its two heads each trying to eat the others tail. She squirmed as she felt it press into her skin; the pain like hot coal being branded onto her forehead, but would not cry out in pain. Even while it was busy clouding her mind and fogging her thoughts, she tried to hold onto what little bit of her sanity she had left to think one final thing before her mind was swallowed by the darkness of the seal.

Shinobi-dono, if I had time to ask you one more question....I wished I could have found out your name...

“Well, well...looks like that idiot is finally...”

Sasuke was about to comment, when he noticed the slight stench of blood and sweat in the air. Had Naruto gotten into a fight? Given the blonde's rash and somewhat thoughtless attitude, he wouldn't be surprised if the loser had gotten in some kind of scuffle on his way back. Said blonde entered his field of vision a moment later, holding what appeared to be a bloody and somewhat torn scroll.

“Where'd you get that?”

Sakura asked, something akin to curiosity and suspicion in her voice. He was able to find one on his own? No way...Well, he is strong, almost better than Sasuke...almost...but a whole team of genin? The pink haired kunoichi thinks, not noticing of the orange clad ninja's slowly widening grin. His face beaming, he walked over where the girl was and said

“Sakura-chan! I though you'd never wake up. How're you feeling?”

“Alright...I guess. Just kinda tired.”

Sakura replied, a hint of a exhaustion in her tone. She had only been up for a couple hours, but already she felt like it had been a few days. She wouldn't let her tiredness get in the way though; the end of the exam was almost upon them. They had to make it to the tower, no matter what. With the scroll Naruto had just obtained, this definitely helped their chances of making it to the last round. Repeating her last question to Naruto, he quickly answered, though she could tell something was odd.

“I found it...”

“Found it where?”

Sasuke scoffed, hardly believing that a precious and valuable scroll would be just lying about.

“You didn't let me finish, jerk! It was...near a pair of corpses...and they didn't really...need it so...well, I...I...”

Naruto stumbled over his sentence, his eyes downcast. Clearly this was something he didn't feel like talking about. The Uchiha was curious though, so he forced Naruto to press on.

“You took it, right? And then what?”

“Uh...I burned the camp so no one would find it...All the bodies and...everything...It'd be bad if animals...or other people found...”

Naruto muttered, his words barely audible. Death really was something the orange clad genin wasn't comfortable talking about. He seemed almost like he did back in Wave, when Asuma had killed the Mist Chunin brothers. Sasuke nodded, sensing the blonde discontent and sat down, his legs crossed one over the other. Naruto joined the two, unsure of what Sasuke was going to do next.

“Now we have both scrolls. We should be able to get into the tower. I doubt its going to be easy though...”

Sasuke commented, a sharp bark from Naruto's white pup breaking the Uchiha's sentence. Sasuke glared at the strange wolf, who only started back innocently, its black eyes seeming to synchronize with raven haired ninja's. Stupid dog, you're freaking me out. Sasuke thinks, clearing his throat and starting to speak again.

“As I was saying, it won't be easy. Other teams will probably try and ambush us, either to get our scroll or use one of us as a hostage. Unfortunately, Sakura, since right now you're the weakest on our team, no offense, they'll be more likely take you. That or Naruto's annoying pup, since it's so small and stupid looking.”

The Uchiha was met with glares from both Sakura and Naruto. The blonde let out a vocal protest, with Sakura following suit. Sasuke just sighed and told them to shut up before continuing.

“Look I know it sounds harsh, but that's how it is.”

“Shut up, you bastard! Just because you're the best in our class...”

Naruto grunted out, his bottled rage from seeing the imps carnage and now this letting itself loose. Really Sasuke's taunts weren't that much of a big deal; the things he saw those imps do to the people back at the camp, however, was. He was simply playing out his anger on the closest thing he could; Sasuke. Sakura only sighed, her head telling her not to get involved in wasting energy on something so trivial. Besides, she couldn't be too angry at Sasuke, since he was partially right. That didn't mean she wasn't mad at him though, and the pink haired girl was inwardly planning out her vengeance with the creative help of inner self. Sasuke just sighed, his eyes showing nothing at all.

“Naruto, shut up. I'm the only one with the brains to keep us alive and in one piece. You're too rash, and Sakura's...well Sakura. So it forces me make up for your weaknesses. And would you tell that mutt to shut up!? It's starting to give me a headache.”

The Uchiha muttered, his onyx eyes slowly turning Sharingan-red from the agitation. His tomoe swirled as he looked at Naruto's furry comrade, who began to take a defensive stance on his haunches. Sasuke snorted derisively, causing both Naruto and Sakura to look at their teammate.

“Oh, so now you're mad at him? He's a dog; barking is what he does!”

Naruto shouts accusingly at the Uchiha, who turns for a fraction of a second at the blonde. Naruto frowns, getting up from his position on the grassy floor. That's it! I'm sick of your arrogant attitude. You may have changed a little, but... Naruto thinks, walking over to his small pup, who is looking curiously at the scene unfolding before him. Sasuke smirks slightly, also standing up. Sakura sighs, she knew this would happen eventually. Keep two opposites together for too long, and their bound to erupt after so much stress and stimulation. And I thought we were getting along so well for right now...those two are a real pain... the kunoichi thinks, watching as the two exit the tree's hollow base into the darkness of the encroaching night.

“We really don't have time for this, you jerk! But if I have to show you who's top dog around here, I will.”

Naruto challenges, Sasuke's face contorting into an angry grimace, his fists clenched at his sides.

“Whatever. Just prepare to eat your words after I pummel you into the ground. You don't have your 'father' to help you out this time, do you?”

“Grr! This won't be like our early academy days, I promise you!”

Naruto shouts, his feet dashing full pelt toward Sasuke, who is waiting calmly. C'mon then, Naruto. Let's see if you are truly strong enough without your father. You need to be...cause you can't keep relying on your family forever... The Uchiha thinks, quickly switching into a kata, right arm extended and his feet planted apart.

… … …

“This is not good at all...So he has returned...”

The Sandaime muttered, the smoke on his pipe forming small little rings as he took another puff. The news Anko had delivered a few days ago was less comforting, but he was hoping it had been little more than her suspicions. Now though, with the great Sennin Jiraiya standing in all his glory here in his office, Sarutobi wasn't sure. The white haired sage nodded, letting out a small sigh as he did so.

“It was hard to believe at first, and the reasons why he would return so soon were skeptical at best...There’s no doubt now though...He's back. I can feel him somewhere, the slimy bastard.”

Jiraiya commented, his hands shuffling in the pockets of his red vest. So he's already after Sasuke...And Kakashi,too...But why him? I don't understand everything just yet... The sage thinks, he brow furrowing in concentration. Although they had been partners and comrades for more than twenty years, Orochimaru was ever the suspicious one. Even when they were kids, the snake-like shinobi had kept to himself mostly, though that's not what bothered Jiraiya. What bothered him was how obsessed the kid became with ninjutsu after the death of his parents in the Second Ninja War; He was almost constantly experimenting with hand signs and chakra, more isolated than ever; except for those few in the village would Orochimaru deem worthy enough to call his subordinates.

Even now, the Toad Sage had no idea where the others could be, possibly causing more trouble across the Five Great Nations. He mentally sighed; it wasn't prudent to be thinking about this right now. He could clean up the snake's mess after the traitorous bastard was dead. And all I wanted to do was relax and work on my book... Jiraiya lamented, shaking his head slowly.

It was just his luck that he was found by Sandaime's Anbu guards as he was entering into town. Of course, he should have known, and had indeed thought about using a henge of some sort beforehand, but an odd feeling in his stomach had stropped him. The Sennin wasn't one to take such premonitions lightly, and was indeed glad he had dropped by to visit his old sensei instead of heading off to 'research', as he called it. Now, with the news of Kakashi's disappearance and the attempt of Orochimaru to take the last Uchiha into his command, Jiraiya was sure his powers would be needed eventually. More so now that Naruto was somewhat capable of training the Kyuubi, thanks to Kakashi. Damn Minato, using his own student as a measure to keep the Kyuubi in check! I had thought you knew better, but all you wanted to do was save the village, so I can't blame you...Besides, the boy was half-dead when you found him, anyways... The great sage thinks, his face darkening as he remembered that dark day for the village. Though he wasn't personally involved; even with the toads transporting technique, he hadn't made it back in time to save Kushina nor Minato from the fatal aftereffects of the Reaper Seal... Then the Yondaime using the last bit of his chakra, as well as Kushina's, had helped seal Kakashi's dying soul into the boy, with the help of a kinjutsu Uzumaki seal whose name and secrets died with its last user.

“I'll need more time to figure out what he's doing...That damned snake...”

Jiraiya mumbled, Sandaime sighing and again blowing smoke rings out of his pipe. His reclining chair squeaked softly, as he twirled it around to face the window, which was darkening with the purples and dark blues of sunset.

“Do what you can, Jiraiya...We cannot let him have his way. Perhaps I should lengthen the waiting period for the final phase of the Chunin exams, then...Would four months give you enough time?”

The sage nodded, his face stone-set and resolute.

“Yeah...but I think I'll need at least a month in order to train Naruto...if he's anything like his mother when it comes to ninjutsu, I don't even want to think about it...”

AN: Had no time to write over vacation; Dad 'stole' my laptop to go and find estate sales we could go to. But I'm back now and will try and get more chs up. Still planning out the last phase of the exams in my head, almost done with ti. Had lots of promising ideas, let me tell you...Also look out sometime for a new Kakashi centric fic by me. Hopefully this one won't suck as much as my older entries.

… … …

He deftly caught the fist that was coming his way, turning his right wrist over as Naruto's knuckles collided with his outstretched palm, causing the blonde to tip over and flip over onto his back, Sasuke launching a roundhouse kick with his back foot. Naruto was sent flying, his body rolling into the grass, staining his orange and blue clothing with patches of grass and dirt. Spitting out blood, his stomach aching from the sharp pain, the blonde rose to his feet somewhat shakily, his blue azure eyes determined as ever. Sasuke grinned inwardly; He didn't think that such a wimpy punch would take out their spirited comrade. C'mon loser...show me how well you can fight when no one is here to save you. The Uchiha thinks, watching as Naruto quickly pulls out a kunai and a few shuriken.

Launching the projectile stars at his target, Naruto quickly rushes in, waiting to see where Sasuke would dodge. The raven haired ninja swiftly rolls sideways to his left, shuriken just barely missing where he was a few seconds before, only to be met with a whirling kunai aimed for his head. Thinking quickly, Sasuke uses a shuriken from the ground next to him and holds it by the inverse of the pointed edges, hoping to catch the kunai's tip in the small hole. Extending his right leg, he hooks Naruto's left ankle, bringing the genin crashing to the ground, kunai falling out of his hands. Sasuke barely catches a hint of a smirk on Naruto's whiskered face before the air is filled with a cloud of smoke, causing Sasuke to curse as he figures out the ploy.

How in the hell did he make a clone so fast!? Or maybe...that Naruto was a clone all along...Sasuke thinks, rising up from the ground and activating his one tomoe Sharingan. Even though its perception was hardly anything compared to the two tomoe, Sasuke knew it would be enough to figure out where the real Naruto was hiding. Besides, he didn't feel like wasting all of his chakra on a mock fight anyways. He back flipped a second later, the ground seeming to rise up beneath him, pieces of rubble and dust emerging from he'd just been. The blonde genin popped out a moment later, his body shooting out of the hole like a rocket, fist risen above his head for an uppercut. Not seeing the Uchiha thrashing in pain above him, Naruto blinked only to realize he wasn't hitting anything.

“Damn your Sharingan...I'm jealous. It can do all sorts of cool stuff...I only have clones...”

Naruto mumbled to himself, hopefully low enough so the Uchiha couldn't hear. Sasuke inwardly chuckled; he never knew Naruto would be jealous from the way he acted. It was true that the Sharingan had lots of interesting abilities, one of many reasons it was feared and coveted as a doujutsu. It also had a lot of drawbacks, one being that its more superior form caused blindness the more it was used. This was not even mentioning the price one had to pay to attain it; an Uchiha would have to kill their best friend, in cold blood, in exchange for the more evolved Sharingan. This was mostly rumor however, or so Sasuke had thought...as none of the other Uchiha had even speculated that such a level of Sharingan could be obtained, until Itachi killed his best friend Shisui. Even then, it was unsure whether the Mangekyou still existed; none of the Uchiha who knew Itachi, much less anyone in the village, had seen him with it active in order to know. None except Sasuke, that is...

… … …

Sakura sighed, her eyelids getting heavier and heavier with every passing minute the two of her comrades fought. It was so tedious; why couldn't she be on an all girls team? For that matter, did they even make teams with two or kunoichi? She didn't know, and figured that it was probably was not possible, given the high rate of male births in the village. Not that she would say that getting stuck with Sasuke was boring...but it would probably be more fun to have at least another girl on her team, someone she could talk to and train with, as both of the boys were far beyond her level, with their high levels of physical energy. Watching their fight now, her emerald eyes having trouble keeping track of who was where in the dim light, she knew she'd be hard pressed to put up that much of a fight against either of them. Well, maybe Naruto if she used her genjutsu, but Sasuke on the other hand, was a different story...

Gently touching the tips of her fingers to her neck, Sakura found that the odd triangle shaped mark was still there, though not burning in pain as it had before. All she could remember about the last few hours was fuzzy; though sensations of burning pain on her neck when she tried to use chakra and aches near her chakra points were definitely the more prominent of her recollections. Also, she felt some of...ecstasy when that power was active, a sort of thrill that she had never felt before. She had felt powerful, maybe enough to take down Sasuke even! Memories of a pale face, with gaunt cheekbones and long black hair, assaulted her mind, the figure's amber snake-like eyes seeming to peer into her soul. A sharp throng of pain in her neck made her let out a small whimper, her sudden shout of pain unheard by both of her teammates besides the white pup that was lying by her feet.

His black eyes blinked open, a small yawn erupting out of his tiny mouth. Looking around, the tiny wolf sensed something was wrong. He padded up to Sakura, watching her grab and claw at her neck in obvious agony. Naruto and Sasuke were both still concentrating intensely on their fight, Naruto making clone after clone while Sasuke dispelled each one with either a series of quick taijutsu strikes or ninjutsu attacks. He growled, the sound coming from out of his tiny throat, his anger rising as he watched the fight go on, Sakura still quietly writhing in pain. The fur on his back bristling, he ran over to where the two were locked in combat, being careful to avoid the projectiles being flung by both of the boys.The two genin were locked in a clash of weapons, Naruto with his small tanto and Sasuke with a kunai, sparks flowing from each of their blades as the sound of screeching metal rang out from the forest. The white wolf calmly trotted over to in between the two combatants, both of them too intent on the other to notice the dog's presence.

Letting out a sharp cry he howled into the night, startling the two boys and causing them to look down for a second, their blades slipping by a fraction of an inch. Growling fiercely, his jowls pulled back to reveal a set of sharp and glistening white teeth, he barked wildly, his fur standing on end. Naruto put away his blade, storing it back into his weapons pouch, bending to one knee and looking down to face the pup at eye level. He stopped barking almost immediately, letting out a small whine of displeasure and turning his head toward the tree where Sakura was still holding her seal in pain. Sasuke swore, grumbling to himself and berating the both of them for being so stupid, the three of them quickly rushing back to their comrade's aid.

“I see...her chakra network is trying to restore itself, but something with the seal is trying to interfere...”

Sasuke commented, staring at Sakura with his Sharingan, his hand on her shoulder. The paths that had been blocked by Hinata's gentle fist attack a few hours ago had started to open up again, only the seal had started to reactivate due to presence of working chakra. It was slowly feeding off of the chakra that was trying to re-integrate with her blocked points and start them back up again. It was impeding the process and making it more painful than it had to be for Sakura. Naruto just sat there, an expression of worry and concern dotting his fair face.

“Goddamit! We can't do anything...can we?”

Sasuke shook his head, turning slightly towards the blonde, who was cradling his dog into his orange jacket.

“No...We don't have the power to counter something of this size. Hell, out of all of us, only Sakura knows something about sealing jutsu anyways. We can't fight the likes of a forbidden jutsu the way we are now...Damn it all...”

Naruto growled at Sasuke's statement, his anger rising at the thought of Orochimaru. That bastard is going to pay! Little by little, he's destroying everything that I worked hard to get; My friends, family, and he's probably plotting something else too...I'm gonna kick his ass even if it means I die in the process!

The blonde thinks, his eyes narrowing as his determination grows. He can feel his anger slowly cooling down, his hand that was previously shaped into a fist unclenching as he breathes deeply. Sasuke looks over at Naruto, his face narrowed as well, then turns back to Sakura his brow starting to sweat with agitation.

“He'll pay....and Itachi too.”

The Uchiha mutters, his eyes slowly turning back into their dark onyx color, his chakra slowly draining his strength. He decides that he can't do much with his Sharingan; there's nothing more to examine. Sakura will just have to fight the pain on her own. Blinking, Sasuke looks up at the sky; his mind reeling as he sees that the sun is high up in the sky, where before it was just darkening with the deep blues and purples of the night. Naruto, obviously just noticing the strange phenomenon now, shouts out, his mouth agape and his eyes widened.

“What the hell!? This...Wha-?”

The blonde stutters out, mimicking the thoughts of his other human companion. Genjutsu!? Nah, we'd be able to feel their chakra if it was so...then what in the hell is it!? They both think, each turning to look at the other. Sakura has calmed by now, her breathing now becoming somewhat more regular, though it is still penetrated by a whimper or moan of pain, as if she’s having a nightmare. Carefully lifting her prone form onto his shoulders, Sasuke adjusts his weight accordingly so that her arms limply fall over his neck. Turning his head slightly to face Naruto, the blonde still shocked by the sudden appearance of the sun, he lets out a shrill whistle that causes the orange clad ninja to jump, his face looking agitated after he has calmed down.

“We don't have any time to waste. Let's get going, now!”

Sasuke comments, his face staring up at the sun which is already at its peak. Naruto nods, his face hard-set and narrowed; it's now or never for them to reach the tower, this is their last day. Sprinting through the trees, the two dash off into the inner parts of the forest, unsure of what they would find waiting for them when they finally got to the tower with the two scrolls in hand. That is, if they survived the trials ahead that would push them to their limits like never before.

… … …

Something doesn't seem right...This seal isn't normal at all...

He thinks, watching as the dark purple light of the chakra that was just infused into his forehead begin to turn black and take shape. His two mismatched eyes narrowed as he saw that it was formed into the shape of two snakes, each the same size of its mirrored twin. Each had a tail that was wrapped around the other's neck, seeming to signify something important which he couldn’t figure out, but Kakashi knew it wasn't a good omen. Well, it didn't bode anything good for him, at least, because the sneer Orochimaru had on his face after he had applied the seal a few minutes earlier told him it was a part of his mischievous plot. He felt the limited control he had over his body slowly going away, all he could do was sluggishly sink to the ground like a toy doll and watch through narrowed eyes as his silver bangs brushed his forehead, covering up most of the seal.

The dead Anbu would have liked to shiver, as he felt the snake shinobi's hand graze his bangs, but his movement was now out of his control. His whole body felt like it was locked up, his muscles so tight they felt like coiled springs, all except for his eyes which he was darting to and fro around his small box-like cell furiously, unsure of just what the hell was going on. Grinning his sickish vile smile, Orochimaru let his hand fall from the boy's face, Kabuto coming forward from somewhere in the darkness. Sneaky bastard...I swear he's harder to sense that that damned snake sometimes... Kakashi thinks, watching as the glasses wearing medic began to gather up his chakra. But Kakashi couldn’t feel it in the medic's hands or arms, in fact, he couldn't feel any chakra at all. They blocked my sensing ability too, eh?

He realizes, watching as the medic's hands begin to glow a bright yellow from the amount of chakra he was gathering. Standing over him with a smirk on hi face, Kabuto grabbed him by the collar of his gray vest, his other hand swiping across his torso where the seal was located. Kakashi could feel the blood run down his stomach, the droplets running down the floor of his stone cell, but he had no strength or power to even yell out in pain. Placing his bloodied hand on the ninja's seal, Kabuto quickly applied a bit of chakra over the part that Orochimaru had tampered with, causing Kakashi to feel slightly ill from the foreign chakra entering his system.

“Release!”

All of a sudden, he saw the medic's hand loosen and looked down to see that it was going through his now transparent throat. Eh? So they got rid of that Temporal Displacemtn Seal keeping me solid, but not before they bound my movements. Clever...but how will they control my consciou—Shit..

Kakashi thinks, just now figuring out why they had stopped using their only method of control on him. They had found a new one. Hearing footsteps slowly approaching his cell door, Kakashi took his eyes away from Kabuto only to see a familiar silhouette peering in the small slot in his cell door. The steps slowed then, the creaking of the door sounding ominous to the ghostly Anbu. His eyes wincing shut as the echoing clang of the door brought a finality to their meeting, Kakashi could only gape at what, or rather who, he saw in front of him.

He only caught a glimpse before she moved into the shadows beside his tormentors, but he knew that something was definitely wrong. Her face was pale where dried blood wasn't crusted to it, her clothes still torn and dirtied, parts of her emancipated torso showing her thinning ribs and bony legs. What frightened him most however, was the look in her eyes. She was completely changed from how she was originally, her black eyes now glowing a deep red in the darkness of his cell. They were narrowed as she stared him down, her head turning only slightly to look at Orochimaru.

“This is the one you wish me to seal, Lord Orochimaru?”

Her voice monotone and dead as waited for her master to give a confirming nod, she stared him in the face with emotionless eyes as she walked slowly toward him, gathering spiritual energy in her palms. He could only sit there, dumbfounded at how they had broken her spirit and willpower, which had seemed so invincible he knew only Naruto and possibly himself were stronger in that regard. Bending down to his level, her eyes still sowing no signs of emotion, their deep red contrasting with his onyx and Sharingan red, he could only watch as she put her hand on his forehead, right where the seal was located. Kakashi's eyes widened as he noticed that she had nearly the same seal as him; though some aspects of it were changed, the two snake's heads biting each other's tails instead of being strangled around them from the neck. I see...so you are using her to implement your mind control trick on me...Fucking bastards...Hopefully her plan will work, if the seals still hold...

Kakashi thinks, waiting for the intrusion of spiritual energy into his forehead. But she was only kneeling there, her left hand holding onto her forehead as if she was in pain. Her eyes briefly changed back to their original onyx color, her other hand moving away from his forehead to grip tightly onto his shoulder as the miko's head fell forward, her long black hair seeming to mesh with his own silver spikes. Even though they were only a few inches away from each other, every halting breath she took blowing aside his sideburns and tickling his right ear, her sentence was so broken and the words so halting that he didn't understand it at first.

I'm...sorry...If only...my will w-wwas...stronger...I have...failed...Please forgive m-me for....what I am a-about...to do...shinobi...d-dono...

She blinked, her eyes turning once more to their bright red hue. Orochimaru and Kabuto only narrowed their eyes at the intrusion of free will; she had slowly been succumbing more and more to the seal over time, they had thought her will completely overtaken by their own. It seems they were only partially right, however, as this little exercise had shown. No matter...it was only for a second...Now that her will is completely taken over, dominating Kakashi should be simple with her powers at my disposal... I look forward to seeing you again, Sarutobi-sensei and I bet you will be looking forward to meeting your old teachers again, from beyond the grave! Orochimaru thinks, his yellow snake-like eyes never taking their gaze off of the miko and Kakashi.

Kakashi felt his eyes cross as she forcefully pushed her left hand against his forehead again, the pain was nothing compared to the look of anger and despair she had given him before the mind control had taken over once again though. He fought to stay steady as her spiritual energy flowed into him, powering up the seal and making his consciousness fade. It felt like only a few seconds before almost everything was black, the Anbu feeling like a stranger inside his own body. He could only watch, his mind screaming frantically at his body to not move as he rose to his feet without realizing it. He felt his body be pulled forward by Orochimaru, the snake shinobi's pale hand resting on his shoulder, as he was led out of his dingy and horrid cell.

“Good, my loyal pet. Now...it's time to give you a body that fits your true capabilities...Kabuto, get my laboratory chamber ready.”

“Of course, my Lord.”

Kabuto nodded, his body quickly disappearing in a whirl of smoke. Orochimaru only grinned, his hand rubbing together as he thought of the new tests he could perform on his new subject.

AN: Man, it already been a year since I started writing this thing! Just wanted to give a quick thanks to everybody who have read and reviewed and stuck with it! Plus, Kakashi and the OC are not a pairing, though it may seem that way from the last chapter. That was not my intention when I wrote that scene, I wanted it to be dark and foreboding... Sorry for the late update as well

… … …

He briefly popped his head out of the small space where he was lodged in Naruto's jacket. Blinking a few times, his small onyx eyes darted to and fro to figure out just where they were. The small pup knew they had been traveling for at least a couple hours, the sun already starting to move downward on its arc through the sky. He watched Sasuke's form moving at a breakneck pace a few feet ahead of Naruto as the blonde stopped moving suddenly, a certain smell rising up to meet his nostrils. Sasuke, noticing that his teammate had stopped moving, turned around, Sakura still dangling helplessly from across his neck. The kunoichi was still trembling slightly now and then, exhaustion clear on her pale and worn out features. All three of them were pretty tired, the genin's clothes covered in a mixture of blood and dirt, shreds and tears showing off pieces of skin that were reddening over with scarring, only just starting to heal. Naruto's pup, however, was still energetic as ever, his nose darting to and fro like it's masters, trying to find the source of the odd scent.

“What is it? An ambush?”

Sasuke asked, his face showing an expression of worry. Taking one free hand and wiping it across his sweating brow, Sasuke gently put Sakura down next to him on the branch, one of her arms around his neck for support. Naruto peered toward the left for a few more seconds, his eyes narrowing as he supposedly found the trace of the scent that was worrying him, then turned back to his comrade giving a quick nod as a response.

“Yeah...but whatever they are, they're not human. Be on your guard.”

“Huh?”

Sasuke mumbles, unsure of what Naruto was getting at. How could animals attempt to ambush a squad of genin? Maybe they were summoned creatures, like Naruto's ninken, but Sasuke doubted that any other genin had the skills to summon something like whatever this was. If it had Naruto and his dog on the alert, it was definitely no ordinary type of animal. Turning his thoughts back to their current situation, Sasuke gave a short yell when he saw Naruto head towards the ambush, instead of away from it.

“Idiot! You wanna get us killed!?”

“No, but I think they already have someone caught in their trap. If it's a Leaf comrade, we could use their help in getting to the tower. If not, we can get rid of a part of the competition...Even though I kinda get a sick feeling in my gut from the idea...We're ninja, we gotta do it.”

Naruto explained calmly, his reasoning making sense to the Uchiha. Though it was odd for Naruto to say those types of things; Ever since he had come back from the Wave mission, Naruto seemed to slowly and surely getting a bit more mature. It really only showed itself in situations like these, however, where life and death was concerned. Sasuke wondered just how changed that mission had made his happy go lucky partner. Guess Asuma really made a mark on him, huh? Well, and his old man, too...but seeing all those deaths is sure to sober up a person. Like when Itachi-- No! Don't think about that now...Sasuke inwardly berates himself, quickly picking up Sakura's limp form and following his orange clad teammate.

They continued to dash through the foliage, Naruto's nose leading the way. It wasn't too long before they found the source of the scent, below their position in the trees, a small hole in the center where the trio saw a few dark clothed figures loitering. The white wolf near Naruto's feet began to growl, his fur standing on end. Naruto made a noise to quiet him, in case the people below would hear the sound, before taking out a kunai and getting into a battle-ready position. Sasuke turned to his companion, a look of worry on his face.

“There could be more, you know...”

“Big deal! I--no wait, I mean we—can take 'em. This little guy is amazing!”

Naruto exclaimed, his pup giving out a small bark in response. Sasuke nodded, placing his trust in his teammate and placing Sakura down on the branch before making a quick hand-sign and teleporting the two of them away to hide. Feeling the flare of chakra, the three dark clothed figures below turned their heads up to spot Naruto and his wolf. Sporting a devilish grin on his pudgy face, Naruto quickly made a hand sign, three shadow clones appearing within the branches of the trees above their targets. Jumping down from their precarious perches, the clones quickly landed in front of the oddly clothed figures. One of the fiends quickly lashed out at one of the clones, who was still recovering from the fall, and it quickly disappeared with a loud popping noise. Naruto blinked, his brain quickly digesting the information the clone had sent him over that small time span. His eyes narrowing as he discovered the true identity of their foes, he quickly grabbed the small white pup and vanished into the foliage like Sasuke had done before him. Memories of the previous encounter with these beasts flooded his brain, and something one of them had said struck out like a chord in the blonde's mind.

“I dunno why...but we were ordered to bring any good looking humans as captives. Ones who were physically fit, or showed some kind of promise in their talents. That's all I know, stupid human! Now, you promised; let me go dammed human!”

“That's right...They've probably been setting up traps like this all over the perimeter of the tower in order to find people. Tch! Well, they're not gonna get away with it as long as I'm here! I'm the hero of this tale, after all-ttebayo!”

Naruto mumbles to himself, his determination slowly bubbling up inside of him. Watching as another one of his clones is sent away with a loud pop, the blonde shinobi jumps down from the tree, his canine buddy huddled in the shoulder of his orange jacket. Setting the pup down on the ground, Naruto's face contorts with worry as the little wolf dashes off into the fray, the muscular green imps hissing and spitting at the duo. One of them is awkwardly clutching a kunai, it's grip shaken and unsteady. The tiny dog heads for that, it's sharp teeth plunging into the imp's right wrist. The odd thing screeches in pain, an inhuman wail, the others quickly taking out their own crude weapons. Blood covering his jaws, and matting his fur, the pup quickly let go of the imp's wrist, dark red blood dotting the grassy dirt ground and sliding down the crevice to fall down the side of the pitfall trap.

Unfortunately for the imp, it's comrade had chosen that time to strike out with its silver sword. The blade cut cleanly halfway through the arm of the green monster, the appendage rolling onto the ground near Naruto's wolf companion, the thing letting out an ungodly shriek of pain. Wincing from witnessing the grave scene, Naruto recovered just in time to dodge a swipe from the other creature's hand and a half short sword, the silver blade already partially marred with specks of blood and dirt. Countering with an agile roundhouse kick to the imp's ribcage, Naruto then followed up with a left hook to the monster's temple, laying it out sprawled on the ground next to it's recently de-limbed companion. Even with part of it's arm cut off, the green demon was still itching for a fight, quickly taking up its comrade's blade.

“Geez, these things don't give up,huh?”

Naruto muttered, quickly grabbing a kunai from his pouch and using it to parry the downward swipe from his attacker's blade. The resounding clash of metal rang out with a profound screech, the two combatants each pushing down on each other's weapon, sparks lighting the air around them. Aiming for the thing's calf, Naruto's wolf comrade quickly bit into the green flesh, breaking the imp's concentration and allowing Naruto to use his kunai to scrape a long line of dark red blood down it's arm, parts of the sickly looking skin flaying off of it's body unto the ground. Using this opportunity to his advantage, Naruto quickly stabbed the wailing and defenseless creature through the chest, his hand plunging through the thing's torso almost like it was a slab of meat. Naruto winced as he pulled his arm out of the imp's stomach, the resulting flecks of blood covering his face and the white parts of his orange jacket. He watched with a mixture of revulsion and guilt as the thing stumbled backwards into the pit, its wailing still prominent even through the imp had received a slightly punctured lung with his last attack.

Wincing as he heard the sound of bones breaking and the horrifying squish as flesh and muscle collided with the cold, hard dirt ground, Naruto did his best to remind himself not to throw up; He had killed the two demons for a reason, after all. Now that the dark deed was done, they could rescue whomever was in that pit, Naruto kept reminding himself mentally as he climbed down its slightly bloodied edge using his chakra. His thoughts kept going back to their mission in Wave, however, and to his sensei. Asuma had killed the two Mist Chunin in almost the exact same way, though with more dignity and mercy than Naruto. Would he have to kill people, not demons, in the exact same way later on in life if Naruto continued to be a ninja? Would his path to becoming Konoha's Hokage force him to make choices like this?

The orange clad genin tired to push those thoughts away as he neared the bottom, his wolf comrade still watching him from his precarious position near the edge of the pit. The wolf barks happily, as it pushes the other dead imp into the pit with its snout, Naruto watchign as it falls down to land on top of its companion. Naruto quickly confirmed the sound of a person sobbing, his ears telling him it was a girl. He found that he was right about a second later, finally reaching the bottom of the deep hole and carefully stepped around the broken and battered corpse of the green imps they had just felled. Unlike the canopy above in the forest, it was slightly darker here and Naruto found that his vision was slightly impaired, more specifically his ability to distinguish between colors due to the lack of light in the pit. Though the blonde genin could still tell it was a girl, her form small and slender, and her eyes wide with fear or possibly admiration as he slowly approached her.

“W-who are you?”

A small, feeble voice called out, her words slightly interrupted by a stutter. At first, the blonde thought it was Hinata, due to the quiet tone and slight speech impediment, but his impression changes as he sees that this girl wore glasses and had much longer hair than the Hyuga heiress. Plus, that hair and her eyes were a red color, like magenta or almost fluorescent pink. Trying his best to look nonthreatening, he slowly walks closer towards the girl, who shrinks back in fear, Naruto noticing this was because of her broken spectacles that hang haphazardly on her face.

“Don't worry; I'm not gonna do anything. Trust me!”

Naruto responds, his whiskered face breaking out into a smile to assure the girl that he isn't dangerous. She blinks slowly, her eyes magnified behind her black framed lenses, and starts to get up from her position on the ground.

“Alright...You don't feel like a bad guy after all; Your chakra is too warm and happy for that.,,”

“Eh? My chakra...?”

Naruto questions, causing the girl to sigh with an annoyed air.

“Yeah...I'm a sensor type ninja. I can feel the different natures of people chakra's. You seriously didn't know that?”

“Well, I kinda slept in class a lot, heh heh...”

Naruto answers to the girl's peevish rebuttal, mentally wondering if everyone he met was going to call him stupid because he didn't know everything there was to know about ninja. It's not like the academy and Kakashi had him taught everything; there were some things you had figure out on your own, like killing instinct and the like. That and he was pretty sure he had slept through some of the classes and lectures too...but only because he was not good at concentrating for long periods of time. Shaking his head, the blonde quickly asked where the girl's other teammates were, her reply being that they had been separated a while back.

“I dunno what happened after that...those...things came after me and we fought, or I tried to at least, though I'm not very good. I remember falling down this hole and—ow!”

The girl cried out suddenly, clutching one of her ankles. Bending over to see what was the matter, Naruto saw her right ankle was either sprained or broken; He didn't have the field experience with medical injuries to tell which. Offering the girl to ride on his shoulders, she stubbornly declined but finally relented after being reminded by a couple of shrills barks up above that those things could back.

“Thanks...”

“What? Nah, it's fine...I always help people in need.”

“Hence your warm chakra.”

“Again with that...What do you mean 'warm' ? Do you even have a name? Oh, I'm Naruto by the way. Uzumaki Naruto...”

He didn't hear anything for a while, his feet just busy plodding back up the side of the hole. After a brief sigh, he felt the girl's breath tickling his head as she began to talk.

“Name's Karin. I don't have a last name; Or maybe I should say I don't know what it is...As for the warm thing, we sensors can feel the nature of people's chakra, like I told you before. Some people can be cold and filled with evil intent, some are in the middle, and others are warm and fuzzy. There's a lot of other ranges mind you, but I'm simplifying it so you understand. Besides, I'm still not good at this stuff myself...”

“Hmm...Interesting. Thanks though.”

Naruto mumbles, finally making it out of the hole and back into the forest. Karin nods slightly, trying to gracefully slide off of his back, but fails, yelping as she puts too much weight on her broken ankle. Naruto winces, quickly going to find some sticks for her to use for a splint or crutch. Ripping off part of his black shirt underneath his jacket, the boy clumsily tries to tie Karin's broken ankle back together, ignoring her painful squeal as he resets the bone into the place.

“Now this is just basic stuff from the academy, but it should work so the leg won't grow crooked until we can get real help. Sorry...”

Naruto mumbles, frowning at his somewhat shoddy handiwork. Putting some more weigh on her leg and trying to stand, Karin finds that she can at least hobble a few paces, which is better than nothing.

“Looks like you've been making another friend, eh?”

The two look up, Sasuke's voice calling out above them from the treetops. He appears with an unconscious Sakura a moment later, staring oddly at Naruto's new 'friend'. Naruto grunts, his face glaring at the Uchiha, who is smirking slightly. Karin, surprised from the sudden appearance, tips over her new crutch and onto the grass, Naruto's wolf toddling over to lick her dirt covered face. She chuckles as the dog's wet tongue tickles her skin, causing the two Leaf genin to notice her once again.

“This is your new buddy, I assume?”

Sasuke asks jokingly, quickly shooing the dog away from the girl. Naruto nods, quickly picking up his wolf pup and letting him climb into the neck of his jacket. Blushing slightly, Karin composes herself and tells the raven haired ninja her name and story, who quickly nods as he digests it all. Looking at the sky, the trio notice that it is already past sunset, the sky deepening with hues of redish-blue, purple and navy hues. Cursing their bad luck inwardly, Sasuke sighs, his displeasure etched clearly on his face. Damned idiot...Getting us involved in this shit...Now we can't possibly make it to the tower now. The Uchiha thinks, ignoring Naruto and Karin as the blonde questions the mark on her headband.

“This?”

Karin asks, pointing to the slanted 'upside down 'W' like mark on her grime and dirt covered silver plate. Naruto nods, prompting her to continue.

“I'm from the Hidden Grass Village. Small place, really. A minor village and we only had a few other entrants besides my team....about maybe two other. I dunno about the others though, nor my own teammates. I hope they're alright...”

“I'm sure they're fine! Don't worry; We'll get you ba--”

Naruto starts, but is quickly interrupted by Sasuke who shushes him with a glare.

“Idiot! We don't have time to be helping people...The last day is almost over, dammit! We don't get to that tower now, we're all screwed from this exam.”

“Big deal...they have it more than once a year. We can just do it again.”

Naruto offers, to Sasuke's displeasure. Doesn't he see all the strong opponents here? And how else are we going to catch Orochimaru? Damn it, I can't lose my chance now! Not when I'm so close to getting stronger... Sasuke thinks, his right fist launching a swift hook at Naruto's cheek. The blow connects head on, the blonde sliding to the dirt, his mouth bloodied and cheek black and blue. His pup is protectively on top of him, growling at the Uchiha who is stubbornly moving closer.

“Shut up! I need those scrolls to pass this exam, darn it all!”

Sasuke shouts, laying Sakura down next to Karin, who can only watch in surprise as he lunges for the dog. Wow. Karin thinks, looking at the unconscious Sakura. She must go through a lot with these two; No wonder she's so tired....

“Ow! Son of a...”

Sasuke curses, quickly pulling back his bleeding hand and examining it. His glare now settled on the wolf, the Uchiha grabs him with his other hand, ignoring the pain as the dog bites into him again and flings him next to Sakura's prone form. I need to get stronger...That will only happen if I fight strong opponents, like Lee or even Gaara. Maybe even those Hyuga...That won't happen unless this loser stops trying to help every person we come across! I have to kill my brother someday...and if I'm not a Chunin I can't go on better missions...and I will be weak...I'm running out of time! These thoughts race through the Uchiha's mind as he quickly picks through Naruto's pouch and nabs both sets of scrolls.

“sorry, dumbass, but I need these more than you do.”

Sasuke taunts, Naruto still groggy from his sudden surprise attack. Jumping into the trees, the raven haired ninja quickly leaps off into the forest, his dark blue shirt blending in with the darkness. Naruto, getting up from his position on the ground, quickly runs towards Karin and Sakura, watching Sasuke's retreating figure speed off into the night.

“Sasuke! What the hell, man? I thought you had changed...”

Naruto mutters, sighing as he sits down near the girls. What in the world made him do that? He's panicking; the time to almost up for the second phase and he doesn't want to be left behind...still...How could he? Damn it, Sasuke! You bastard...don't we mean anything to you? Well, of course we do, he's just out of sorts. He'll calm down after I give him a good talking too...Naruto thinks, creating a couple shadow clones; one infused with demonic chakra just for an extra precaution, and sending them both after their runaway comrade. Turning to Karin, he had no idea what to say, his expression one of worry and confusion.

“Sorry. He's not himself...I mean, he is a little cold but after you get to know him...Sasuke...”

She nods, showing Naruto a quick smile to let him know she thought nothing of it.

“This exam is important to a lot of people; it can make many snap under the pressure...”

“Yeah...I guess so...”

Naruto replies, hoping that his plan will work out for the best.

Scrolls already safely tucked away in his pouch, Sasuke is quickly sprinting across trees in order to make it to the tower. The last day is almost over, and if they fail now, it'll ruin what he believes would be his best chance to get more powerful. In order to kill his big brother, he needs more power. And I can only get that power by fighting strong people...Not by helping and protecting those who can't manage themselves...but still...I did leave Naruto and Sakura to fend for themselves. They just would have slowed me down anyways... The Uchiha thinks, his black hair blowing in front of his eyes as he is jumping from branch to branch.

Looking at the sky, Sasuke sees that the moon is full and gleaming in the night, just like it was on that day...The day his brother slaughtered their clan. His mind full of thoughts and memories from that day, he only spurs himself onward more quickly, his onyx eyes narrowing.

“Itachi...I will kill you someday...No matter what...”

… … …

“Hmm...it seems the Chunin exams have started in the Leaf.”

Madara mutters, his hands resting on the ornate arms of a pristine, white chair. Sliding his one visible eye over to his left and behind him, he watches as their only female member, Konan, stares as him somewhat warily. You'd be wise to be afraid of me. After all I am stronger than even you precious 'Pain'... The elder Uchiha thinks, his fingers on his right arm rapping impatiently as he waits for the so called 'leader' of the Akatsuki to arrive. Hearing some slightly muffled footsteps come from where Konan is standing, it appears that he has finally decided to show his chosen 'face' for their meeting. This Nagato character was an odd one, never meeting him in person, only using his 'bodies' to do so. Puppets would be more appropriate, just they were controlled with black rods, not strings. One of the few things that was common to all of Nagato's 'faces' were that they all had piercings in multiple parts of their bodies, along with the stark orange hair and blue ringed eyes. Every time he looked at those eyes, Madara felt a mixture of something like pride and anger grow inside him.

It seems my experiment with the boy was a success; He did, in fact, gain the Rinnengan... How I wish I was there to see his awakening as the Second 'Sage'! Well, no matter...what's done is done. Once I have my bijuu, I can get those eyes anytime...

So lost in his thoughts was Madara that he failed to see Pain's new avatar, this one a male of about thirty years old, come out of his hiding place in the shadows. His long orange hair hanging over his black cloak and pale, dead face, the 'puppet' slowly moved to stand in front of the wizened Uchiha, his shadow casting over the sitting man.

“Long time no see, Leader...I assume you didn't drop by just to tell us of the Leaf's little competition with the other nations, did you?”

The avatar asked, his eyes locking onto the Uchiha's single Sharingan.

“Of course not. I know your spies would have already told you. What I'm here for, is to discuss the matter of a certain...Jinchuriki.”

Madara replied, his masked face turning to stare outside their little hideout. As always in the village nestled between the Lands of Fire and Wind, the Hidden Rain village was constantly cascaded by deluges and downpours, the sky usually grey and cloudy, strikes of lighting flashing every now and then. It didn't seem to be too awful today, judging by the fact that lighting had not yet struck, but from what he could tell from the actions of the small ant-like citizens, it was a torrential storm. Turning his gaze back to the orange haired shinobi, he wondered if it was true about his power to control the skies over the village. While he was here, rumors has started going around that Rain's 'Lord Pain' had control over the storms and their ferocity. The people of the city even went so far to take them as a representation of their 'Lord's' mood. The thought did make the elder Uchiha chuckle; humans could be so fickle and unpredictable sometimes...unlike demons, who knew their place and never stepped beyond their bounds, forgetting the occasional rabble-rouser who was quickly executed.

“Hm? You aren't talking about that one, are you?”

Pain asked, causing the old man to come out of his reverie. Madara nodded, his eyes narrowing as he recalled the new sum of information he had been given considering that particular target.

“Yes...it seems Orochimaru and his subordinates have taken a liking to the Nine-Tails. Probably because of Minato's secret sealing technique...”

Damn you, Lord Fourth! Still though, I did get the better of you and your two helpers even if you foiled my plans back then...I'm still alive, and not rotting in the Death God's stomach, kehehehe... The true leader of Akatsuki thinks, oblivious to Pain and Konan's exchanged glances. The blue haired woman nodded, quietly leaving through the curtain from whence she came. Pain cranes his neck to the side, more to see outside the village than crack his undead neck. He smirks slightly when he sees the small trails of paper floating in the wind above the village towers. Too high to be detected by any potential spies and not too many papers to make it look out of place while patrolling around the village. After all, many echelons of business and finance resided in some of the upper towers, civilians and even ninja considering them to be high class homes and residences among those in Rain. Though few would opt to buy one besides the most bold; fear of their Lord's anger prohibiting many from being sold, hence most were still vacant and empty. Or at least that used to be the case, the vacancies now filled with more bodies for Nagato's Six Paths technique. Looking back to the man sitting in the chair, Pain tilts his head to the side, as if to prompt a question.

“Secret sealing...You don't mean Uzumaki techniques, do you!?”

The elder man nods, causing Pain to appear distraught on the outside, but on the inside Nagato is planning already, his calm and calculated mind still running sharply despite the Gedo Mazou's influence on his physical body. After doing some extensive research, and with a few logical guesses, the red haired shinobi had found out that the Uzumaki were a tribe descended from an ancient civilization which would later evolve to become the modern Rain Village, later migrating to the Land of Whirlpools due to their being cast out by civil war due to fear of Kekkai Genkai, their mutated chakra network leading to more life giving and powerful chakras, much like the various clans in Mist and other smaller villages. There they grew more powerful and eventually became a clan and Hidden Village strong enough to influence that land's daimyo and economy, along with developing powerful sealing techniques that they later became famous for throughout the ninja nations. Sadly, they were all wiped out in the Second Shinobi World War, except for a few survivors, who scattered across the Five Nations and their surrounding neighbors, some even leaving the Nations altogether on boat. Little details were found on those who sailed on the seas, but there was some information about the ones who migrated throughout the Nations. Most did go to Konoha with Naruto's mother, Uzumaki Kushina, but a few decided to go back to their birthplace in Rain, hoping that the hatred and hostility from past times had calmed down.

This was how Nagato had traced back his family tree; He was one of the ninth generations of Uzumaki's from that civilization, his parents choosing to move back to their homeland after the destruction of the Hidden Whirlpool Village. Even though most of their techniques were no longer accessible to him, due to most of them being lost in the migration and scattered throughout the Nations with the last living people who knew them, Nagato was sure he would be able to unlock such techniques on his own with the Rinnengan. Although it may be more difficult than he anticipated; since even with the Rinnengan's ability for helping one learn jutsu, you still had to practice and gain the expertise on your own. Sealing jutsu's too, were in league of their own. They did not require hand sings, and relied mainly on knowledge of calligraphy and secret symbols only passed down to certain types of people. Plus, he wasn't sure if the type of sealing was a ninja technique or a priestess/miko/monk variation, as both required extreme training and fortitude to pull off, along with special conditions. If the latter was the case...well he could just send either Itachi and Kisame or Hidan and Kazuku to scout the area for any temples, since the shinobi were last reported near the Land of Fire and the surrounding countries. Following this line of thought, he turns back to the old man sitting in the chair, the other's fingers rapping against the arm while waiting for a response.

“That one will be tricky to capture. Itachi should be able to deal with him, since he has the Mangekyou...but I'll no send them to do it now. Not while the exams are taking place; they could attract much unneeded attention. We don't want that now. Maybe either after the exams or during the wait period for the Final stage, which I hear they are delaying extra long this year because of Orochimaru. At least, that's all the info I was able to gather...”

Madara nods once again, his hands now cupped in his lap as he replied swiftly to this suggestion.

“I would do it during the break while waiting for the Third phase, if I were you. Many people will be around, and I don't think the village will have enough manpower to focus on any possible kidnappings and the task of preparing for Orochimaru. What would happen if they miscounted one genin...or two?”

“Two? Ah, you mean Itachi's little whelp...What do you have planned for him? No, never mind. You know Itachi will never agree to that though; he loves the boy too much...”

Pain commented, causing the elder Uchiha to grin underneath his white and black flame patterned mask.

“Of course. That's why I will be the one to deliver the message to him. Personally.”

… … …

“Damn it...the sun is...”

Sasuke mumbles to himself, watching as the first rays of sunlight dappled across the edge of the canopy, bathing it in their red-orange pristine glow. Hearing a noise behind him and feeling the presence of a familiar chakra, Sasuke turns around only to feel the impact of a fist colliding with his nose, blood and cartilage blocking his vision and blinding him with momentary pain, his body teetering towards the edge.

“Found ya, Sasuke! You can't run forever.”

A familiar and annoying voice shouts out. Damn it Naruto...Not like it matters anyways. I lost; all our hard work was for nothing, we failed the second phase of the exam. Sasuke thinks, quickly righting himself on the branch, and pinching his nose together to stem the blood flow. Naruto, or rather his shadow clone, watches as the raven haired shinobi sighs, his eyes narrowed as he fumbles through his tool pouch. Surprisingly, he is about to hand over the scrolls to Naruto but before Sasuke can do, he feels a strange chakra emanating from both of the scrolls.

“What the....?”

The two mutter, Sasuke throwing the scrolls down below on the grass, and watching as the chakra only continues to grow and grow in intensity. A few minutes later, another Naruto shows up, this one packed with that familiar red chakra, though not enough to make his appearance any different, Sasuke notes.

“Well, it seems I'm not needed after all. What a waste of chakra...”

The demon-clone responds, and vanishes with a poof of smoke. Naruto, back at the tree with Karin and Sakura, blinks his eyes open furiously, having been deprived from his sleep. Meanwhile, Sasuke and the other clone are watching as the scrolls unravel themselves, the strange seals and symbols on them starting o glow. Both move out of the way, each swiftly leaping on an adjacent tree, while the scrolls glow a bright purple. A cloud of smoke appears, blocking their vision for a second, but when it clear,s they can both feel a very familiar chakra. The Naruto clone jumps down from his position while Sasuke prefers to stay sitting atop the tree branch.

“Asuma sensei! So the scrolls had a summoning jutsu inside of them?”

He asks, much to their teacher's surprise.

“yeah. When you guys made it to the tower, you were supposed to open the scrolls and go onto the preliminary battles; as there are too many of you to start the third round right away. Well, since you guys failed you don't have to worry about that part.”

Asuma responded, his expression becoming confused for a moment as he looks at his surroundings.

“Where's Sakura? She didn't...”

“No! She's back with the real me; this is just a clone to catch Sasuke!”

“Huh?”

Asuma asked, his gaze going over to Naruto and then the solemn Uchiha. After hearing the short version of what happened from Naruto, Asuma could only take a puff on his cigarette and shake his head.

“I see...Well, Sasuke you can lead me back ,can't you?”

“Yeah...”

By the time the duo arrived at Naruto's location, the energetic blonde was already up and fully awake, Karin and Sakura both still sleeping, as it was early in the morning. Naruto's little wolf pup glanced curiously at Asuma before paying him no heed and quickly clambering into the neck of Naruto's jacket. Their Jonin instructor looks curiously at the Grass ninja for a second before shaking his head and muttering

“Seems like she needs medical attention. I got this you two.”

Making a shadow clone, Asuma carefully picks up both Sakura and Karin, using a transportation technique to take them out of the forest and on one of the paths back to the Leaf. How did he do that so easily? He makes us look like utter idiots... Sasuke thinks, amazed at the speed of which their master assessed the situation and responded. Usually Asuma was lazy and did not do much when on their D-ranks and even a few C-ranks, but when there was someone in trouble he usually snapped out of it. Turning to Sasuke and Naruto, their master decided that they should also come for a check up, and to bring Naruto's pup along. That dog isn't normal; whatever it is. It seems like summon, but is not truly bound by this the same rules and regulations. Heck, it hasn't even gone back to its home plane and it clearly looks exhausted. Any regular summon would do so because of the negative effects of staying on our plane too long without a brief respite... Asuma thinks, watching as the dog casually licks Naruto's dirt stained whiskers and caked blood on his face, causing the blonde to chuckle.

Shrugging nonchalantly, Asuma decided to put those thought away for now; He can sort through those later after his team medical check up. Looking to his left, he sees Sasuke starring at him curiously.

“Don't you think her other teammates will get mad? Hell, or even her sensei for that matter? I mean ,we are kinda kidnapping, I guess...”

“Nah...Besides, if that was the case, her teammates would have showed up sooner or later. Same with the scroll summon. Besides, she'll be at the hospital for a while anyways due to her extensive injuries, so they can just get her there...”

Asuma replies, his eyes scanning ahead and trying to find the quickest route through the unusually crowded village to the Leaf hospital. Another reason why I hate the exams; Everything gets so crowded with tourists and shinobi...Ugh...I wonder what happened with Kurenai? Did her team pass? Well, she's a better teacher than I am, in some aspects at least... The bearded Jonin thinks, finally leading the trio to the hospital's main lobby. The poor receptionist seemed shocked when them; all covered in grime and blood, their clothes all torn and tattered. Yet at the same time, she was very efficient in her mannerisms, acting like nothing was wrong and quickly calling up two teams of medics to carry the kunoichi on stretchers and not even wincing as the smoke from Asuma's clone dispersed. Looking over the boys, and seeing they weren’t nearly as severely injured, she told them to go wait for their turn to be examined by the doctor, pointing to some chairs in the waiting room. After a brief glance at his teacher, Naruto quickly sits down on the chair near the entrance, the one the farthest from the receptionist’s desk. Something about her looks familiar and puts me on edge... I must really be stressed from this exam. I bet some D-ranks will do me some good! Naruto thinks, his blue eyes narrowing as he watches Sasuke sit only a few chairs away from him. The Uchiha snorts and turns his head swiftly away from the blonde, who huffs with irritation.

“It was your fault we didn't make it...Jerk.”

Naruto mutters, his eyes narrowing while a small smirk is plastered on his whiskered face. He loved getting under Sasuke's skin like this. Even if he was still a little less better than the Uchiha when it came to ninja skills, he still found pleasure in mentally tormenting the raven haired shinobi with his attitude. Sasuke quickly glanced toward his blonde companion, who only acted like he was busy staring at the analog clock on the white painted wall in front of them.

“Was not, idiot...Besides, we were already too far from the tower anyways...We couldn't have made it, more so with the excess baggage.”

Sasuke replied, his face now frowning as he watches Naruto sneak a glance his way. Snickering to himself, the blonde quickly thinks up a rebuttal.

“Like I keep telling you, Mr. Lone Wolf, comrades are a ninja's greatest asset!”

“Hmph...Whatever. Sometimes you are so immature, you know that?”

Sasuke replies, the anger starting to boil within him as he watches the blonde stick out his bright pink tongue at him. Honestly, he knew what the orange clad ninja was trying to do, but he really wasn't in the mood for it. Oftentimes he'd just ignored the blonde's little stunts, but after spending so much 'quality time' in the Forest of Death, Sasuke was starting to find he had low tolerance levels of anything he thought was immature. That being said, the raven haired ninja did think most of the pranks and stunts Naruto pulled around the village were very immature for a ninja, not counting his blatherings about camaraderie and about being the greatest Hokage ever. If only Naruto could find some way to put his pranking to good use... Sasuke was almost ready to bolt for the door when he heard his name called by the receptionist for his check up. By the time the doctor had given him the okay, it felt like he had been in that small stuffy hospital room of over a half hour.

“The last round of the exams is coming up. Wonder who made it to the finals...?”

He mutters to himself, utterly ignoring Naruto and his pup as they were being called by the receptionist. Stopping for a minute, he did however notice something odd. The tone and inflection of the girl's voice when she said Naruto's name was more than a little hostile. Shrugging his shoulders, Sasuke merely began to walk out the building when he heard an odd noise from the direction of the doctor's office. Naruto appeared almost suddenly out in the hallway, a very harsh and scolding noise that sounded like a shout following him along with the sound of the door slamming his face. Making a half-turn, Sasuke quickly flung a small ryou coin on the floor, quickly bending over like he was gong to search for it underneath the empty seats. With his left eye he was able to watch as the receptionist gave Naruto and his dog a harsh look, the boy responding by holding his head down and walking away closer to the Uchiha's position. Sasuke didn't get up; only kept moving his arms back and forth to make it look like he was still searching for the five cent coin he dropped. When the blonde had finally gotten to the exit of the hospital, he made a quick whistle that caused the receptionist to angrily turn his way for a second, her cold eyes contrasting sharply with his warm azure ones. The second their eyes locked, Naruto blew a raspberry with his tongue, catching the twenty something year old girl in part of the spray, causing to angrily get up form her chair and shake her fist at the blonde, who had already departed from the scene, the door swinging wide open in his dusty wake. Is everybody like that to him? Odd, I've honestly never noticed it before...Well, I honestly never paid enough attention to care before...Maybe it's time I did..

Sasuke thinks, quickly pocketing his tiny brown coin and walking out of the hospital, the receptionist’s angry fist shake quickly replaced by a kind wave and goodbye. He definitely felt that was odd; What was even weirder to him was that Naruto paid her almost no heed, like it had happened dozens of times before. Tch. I'm too tired to seek him out right now...I'll do it tomorrow maybe...

A/N: Finally started college by the time you read this. Hopefully this fic will be done by ch40 or so, but we’ll see how that goes. There will be a sequel, if I can get around to it, as I’m putting more emphasis on schoolwork, so updates and such will be slower sorry.

… … …

Hm? I was sure he’d be here…That blonde idiot has gone almost a week without ramen, after all. Sasuke thinks, his face not showing any signs of surprise. He’d been looking for Naruto for the last hour, as soon as he’d finished his daily morning routine of training his taijutsu and Sharingan, as he noticed those seemed to be where his main weaknesses lay. So far, the raven haired Uchiha hadn’t turned up any good clues as to Naruto’s location and was about to give up, when he had noticed a certain ponytail wearing brown haired Chunin enter the ramen stand. Knowing that Iruka and Naruto were on pretty good terms, as he had oftentimes seen them eating at this stand quite often, Sasuke had decided to take a quick peek.

“Oh, Sasuke! I didn’t know you came here to eat…” Iruka mumbles, his tanned face widening in surprise, the noodles that were in his chopsticks slipping unnoticed back into the bowl of soup. After sitting down, Sasuke turns to the Chunin, dismissing Ayame with a quick wave of his hand.

“I’m not here for food. Do you…know where Naruto is?”

Sasuke mumbles, Iruka barely able to hear the genin even though he is right next to him. A puzzled look comes over his scarred face, his eyebrows scrunching together as he is lost in thought.  Why does he want to know about Naruto? I thought Sasuke hated him… Iruka thinks, shaking his head sadly as he opens his brown eyes. Sasuke grunts, his hand flinging off of the counter, pushing him quickly off of the small red bar stool. Iruka again stares oddly at the blue shirted genin, wondering at his odd and out of character behavior.

“Sasuke…”

Iruka calls out, stopping the Uchiha in his tracks. Doing a quick half turn toward the seated Chunin, his face partly covered by the collar of his shirt, Sasuke stares intensely at the older man. Tch. This is getting annoying… He thinks, putting his hands into the pockets of his white shorts. He takes one step toward the ramen bar, but decides against it, swiftly turning around in the other direction and heading towards one of the dirt roads that lead back into the village proper.

“Maybe the Hokage will have an idea…He does have that crystal ball thing, anyways…”

Sasuke mutters, his feet slowly plodding towards the Hokage’s office. He wouldn’t be surprised if Naruto had gone to the old man himself, begging for another C or D rank mission. The blonde was always full of energy, and Sasuke had a feeling it wasn’t because of the Nine Tails. His mind wandering, he almost passed the entrance to the huge red building, causing him to sigh in frustration. What’s with me today? I can’t seem to keep my head on straight lately…The only reason I was looking for that idiot was to see if he wanted to train anyways. Not like I wanted to talk to him. Sasuke thinks, calmly waiting for the receptionist to let him proceed. After giving him the okay, the raven haired ninja nods and begins to climb up the long spiral flight of stairs leading to the main floor.  Approaching the door, he stops suddenly, the voices on the other side of the wall catching his attention. Even though he knew he shouldn’t be eavesdropping, considering it was the Hokage’s office, Sasuke hears something that might help him find Naruto. Pressing his ear against the wall, his eyes widen as he keeps listening to the conversation.

“So now what, Sarutobi-sama? Orochimaru intends to rally with Suna against us, and you are putting one of our most powerful shinobi in danger because of his reckless plan? Even if he is almost that man’s equal, no one person can take on Orochimaru! Furthermore, he has captured the Nine Tailed boy’s little friend, who happens to be one of our ninja with the only Sharingan other than Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha.”

This voice was deep and full of frustration, Sasuke wondering who it was. It had to be someone of power if he could talk to the Hokage like that, he knew. The man was probably on the Shinobi Council, one of the few systems put in place to make sure the Hokage could not abuse his power.  Also, he knew about Naruto’s foster father, which was very surprising to Sasuke. He supposed it was an S-rank secret, known only to a very select few, not counting himself. This meant that whoever the Hokage was arguing with he was a very special person.

It was developed in the time of the Second Hokage’s reign, an idea put forth by one of the Uchiha, but ultimately agreed upon by all Leaf ninja. It was more or less the same as its civilian counterpart, except that most of the rules were to be followed by ninja. Strict punishments, such as decrease in rank, exile from the Leaf, or even death, varied by the type of crime and history of the offender. Anbu were also used to carry out the more harsh punishments, such as the sealing of a ninja’s chakra system or capture of a missing nin. There were a few who managed to escape punishment, such as Orochimaru and Itachi, but those cases were far and few in between. Not many shinobi had that kind of power, after all. Snapping out of his thoughts, Sasuke nearly missed the Hokage’s sharp rebuttal. Obviously this was someone who could raise the old man’s ire, and not many people could be said to cause the Hokage to yell in such a manner. Who is this guy?

“As I have told you before, we are not unprepared.  I believe in my student and his proposition…Hm?”

The Hokage stopped talking suddenly, silently gesturing to one of his Anbu guards nearby. Feeling a chill down his spine, Sasuke turned around only to watch a white and silver blur grab him by the collar. It happened so fast Sasuke didn’t even have time to register he was teleporting to the Hokage’s office, a black gloved hand dangling his body a few feet above the floor.  Hearing a scoff, he turns his head to stare angrily at the perpetrator.  It wasn’t the Hokage, but the slightly younger man sitting across from him, half of his face covered by bandages. What is this guy? He feels almost as powerful as the Hokage… Sasuke thinks, watching the brown haired man narrow his uncovered eye. Turning back to the Hokage, Sasuke is met with an expression that is a mix of curiosity and disappointment. Feeling his face warm a bit, the Uchiha only narrows his eyes at the Anbu holding him, who promptly gives him a quick jab to his abdomen.

“That’s enough. Sasuke, you do know that it is against the rules to eavesdrop on the Hokage, correct?”

“Yes sir…”

 The man sitting next to the Hokage starts to get up from his seat, passing by the Anbu and Sasuke, to whom he gives a scowl. Sasuke blinks, feeling the waves of malice emanating from that one eyed stare. Hearing the door slam shit behind him, the blue shirted shinobi loosens up a bit, his nerves slightly shaken. I don’t think I want to make enemies with that guy…

“Sasuke, I presume you had a reason to listen in on our conversation, but there are some things that should be kept secret. How much did you hear?’

“Uhm…I only wanted to ask you a question, sir. It was about Naruto.”

“Hm?”

At the mention of the blonde’s name, the Hokage’s posture relaxed slightly, his hands folding over the other. With a quick motion of his hands, the Anbu dropped Sasuke the last couple feet to the ground, the Uchiha landing gracefully on his feet. Looking behind him, he saw that the Anbu was gone, already fading back into the shadows. Turning back to the Hokage, Sasuke was pensive for a moment, his hand resting on his chin.

“Well, I’ve been looking for him and haven’t come up with any leads or clues. Even Iruka-san didn’t know where that idiot was…So I’d figured you might know.”

The Hokage nodded, asking why Sasuke was after Naruto in the first place.

“I was sure you two despised each other. You’re not going to pick a fight or anything, are you?”

“No,no…Just…the other day, I saw something strange concerning the blonde and wanted to ask him about it…”

The Hokage sighed, figuring that Sasuke wanted to talk about the villagers’ treatment of Naruto. The nine tails was an S-rank secret, of course, and he had set up rules to make sure that the children hadn’t found out that Naruto was jinchuriki. Judging by the look of determination on Sasuke’s face, however, the Hokage knew he couldn’t lie to the boy.

“Strange? What kind of strange?”

Sasuke flushed, his face slightly pink at the cheeks, before returning to its normal pale hue.

“Well…I noticed that some people treat Naruto differently than they would me or Sakura. It’s mainly in the village, though I have seen it happen on the outskirts a few times. He would be ignored, yelled at for no good reason, or avoided like he had the plague…”

“And you wish to discuss this with him?”

“I…I’m not sure, really…”

Sasuke muttered, truly at a loss. His first thought had been to find Naruto and ask him about it, but thinking about it now, he realized that it probably wasn’t the best course of action. The blonde would most likely be evasive about that particular subject, and Sasuke knew it would only bring about more dissonance within their ranks. The three of them had seemed to get better after Wave, but he was unsure now, after all that had happened in the forest of death. Also, he was slightly ashamed of his actions and didn’t feel like being yelled at by the annoying orange clad ninja. Sighing, Sasuke only paused to wipe his bangs with his right hand, the hair getting in his eyes and obstructing his view of the Hokage.

“It’s hard for you to open up to others after what happened, isn’t it?”

The Hokage comments, taking Sasuke by surprise. He nods slowly, his onyx eyes staring at the ornate rug in the Hokage’s office.

“After Itachi…I just can’t…too hard…”

Sasuke mutters, most of his sentence getting lost in the collar of his blue shirt. His arm shaking, he turns away from the Hokage, who can only sadly watch as the boy punches the arm of the chair Danzou was sitting in earlier. Taking a deep breath, he turns back the old man, who is calmly waiting for the boy to regain his composure.

“Do you know where that loser went? Is he on a mission or something?”

“As a matter of fact, he is already out on a mission. It may take a while before he comes back though, at least a few weeks. I’m sorry Sasuke.”

“Damn it…Well, thanks anyway, Hokage-sama.”

The raven haired ninja replies, the Hokage nodding as he watches the boy walk toward the door.

“And Sasuke…”

“Yes?”

“If one of my Anbu catches you eavesdropping again, I’ll make you clean the academy from top to bottom. And I’ll want it completely spotless.”

“Got it…”

With that, he quietly shuts the door, sighing and walking down the hall to the stairwell. A couple weeks, huh? I wonder what kind of mission would take that long to complete… Maybe I’ll go check up on Sakura. The hospital isn’t too far from here, anyways. Sasuke thinks, taking a left turn as he heads out of the office building.  After a few minutes, the hospital looms in front of him, Sasuke quickly opening the door and heading inside. The same receptionist from yesterday is working the desk, giving the boy a kind smile and making Sasuke respond with a frown. Walking up to the counter, he stares at the girl’s puzzled expression while slamming one hand down on the counter, his angry glare intense and frightening.  The other patrons just watch and stare silently, unsure of what is going on.

“Don’t think I am an idiot because I’m a kid. You insulted one of my friends yesterday and I don’t take kindly to people who do. Apologize or else…”

Sasuke comments, pointing his finger right in the receptionist’s face. She blinks, surprised for a moment, then a scowl comes over her face that almost matches Sasuke’s in its intensity.

“For an Uchiha to hang out with someone like that is saddening. Where did your pride and integrity go?”

She scoffs, Sasuke’s eyes narrowing slightly at her comment.

“Whatever. Even though I’m called an Uchiha, I don’t feel like abiding by their strict rules anymore. Besides, we’re not as stuffy and snobby as the Hyuuga. ”

Sasuke replies, causing everyone to stare at him. Ignoring their gasps and fingers pointed at him, he lifts his right hand up as if he was wearing a watch, pretending to check the time.

“I’m still waiting for that apology…Unlike you, I have someone I need to visit.”

Sasuke mutters, causing the receptionist’s face to turn red slightly. Rapping his fingers on the desk, the Uchiha only mentally smiles as the woman stutters out a jumbled mess of words.

“Was that supposed to be Japanese you were speaking? I honestly couldn’t tell. Now do it again, and please be coherent this time.”

Sasukie commands, causing the brown haired girl to nearly fall out of her chair. In the end though, she relents and finally apologizes.

“Good. You’ll need the practice; Naruto will want to hear this after he comes back. Where’s Sakura Haruno’s room?”

Her face reddening even further, Sasuke can only smirk as she complacently tells him the room number. Sauntering out of the waiting room and into one of the brightly lit hallways, Sasuke can only sigh as he reads the numbers on each door. They sure put her in the farthest door they could find, huh? He thinks, taking a right turn at the crossroads. Seeing that this area was not familiar to him, and it was labeled the IC ward, Sasuke began to get a little worried.

“Her wounds can’t be that bad…Or maybe the Cursed Seal did that to her. Shit!”

He curses, hanging his head down and looking at the tiled floor below him, his blue sandaled feet moving forward slowly. At long last, he comes to the room number, confronted by an odd double door, a single Anbu guarding the opening. Sasuke blinks, surprised for a moment, and begins to take a step forward, wary of the masked ninja. He’d already had enough trouble with the cloaked shinobi already, and didn’t feel like scrubbing the academy from top to bottom. Oddly enough, the Anbu did nothing, though Sasuke could feel the ninja stare at him the whole time until he finally closed the door behind him. The sight in front of him made the raven haired ninja take a couple steps back in shock, slamming into the doorframe. Hearing the noise, the Anbu turns his head a fraction and sensing nothing is amiss, goes back to his guard duties.

After taking a few deep breaths, Sasuke slowly pushes his right hand off of the doorframe, his legs still somewhat wobbly. Walking forward, his footsteps sound ominous as he steps on the tiled floor, moving towards the only bed in the room. The sound of beeping monitors and life support drowned out the gasp that escaped the usually stoic Uchiha’s lips. A breathing mask over her unusually pale face, her eyes closed as if she was sleeping, Sakura lay there silently, not even aware of her childhood love’s presence. Looking at her face, his eyes traveled to where her curse seal was, the triangle shaped mark still there on her neck, though something was off about it. A smaller circle was wound around the mark, keeping the dangerous chakras at bay, Sasuke knew. The tiny letterings almost reminded him of the outward seals on Naruto and Kakashi’s abdomen. Hearing the door creak open, Sasuke half-turned toward the noise, watching an unfamiliar face enter the room.

“Odd. Didn’t think you’d be here. Now let’s see how the old man did with the sealing. Though I doubt it’s as good as he used to be, since he’s gettin’ on in years, it should do the job…”

The owner of that odd face commented, walking past Sasuke and peering over the side of the bed. Sasuke frowned, his hand already rising to push the offender away, who had one pebbled eye trained on him.

“What’s with the look, eh? I’m not gonna do anything; relax. I’m just making sure that this thing will be powerful enough to keep the seal in check.”

 Sasuke sighed, his fear assuaged by this odd white haired man. He wonders if the hair is fake; seeing as it goes almost to the man’s waist, a huge scroll underneath his ponytail. Staring at the man’s outfit, Sasuke wonders if this is the Sennin Jiraiya in front of him. He looks like the man, appearance wise at least. Still, shouldn’t a sage be more refined and worldly? I honestly don’t care. It seems he knows me though, how? Sasuke thinks, about to open his mouth to ask just that very question, though he is stopped short by an upraised hand from Jiraiya. Putting his right hand on the girl’s neck, the tips touching the seal, he focuses his chakra, trying to pour as much of his spiritual energy as he can before it molds completely.

Satisfied with the 70/30 concentration of spiritual to physical, the white haired sage runs his hand over the seal and offending mark several times, his beady eyes closed in concentration. Wiping his brow, Jiraiya turns to leave but a noise from Sasuke stops him. A puzzled look on his features, the sage stares at the Uchiha, waiting.

“You…you’re one of the Sannin, the three great ninja, right?”

“Yeah. What’s it to ya, kid? I’ve got business to take care of.”

“Could…could you teach me sealing jutsu?”

Sasuke mutters, his head turning to Sakura for a brief second. Jiraiya sees something in the boy’s expression as Sasuke looks at the girl, which is replaced by his usual blank façade when he turns back to the white haired man. I need to get stronger. If I can train with him and learn seals…Maybe. Just maybe…Sasuke thinks, waiting for an answer.

Jiraiya seems pensive, one hand resting on his chin. He’s changed from his academy days. I can still sense the drive in him to kill Itachi, but…Maybe this one won’t turn out like the rest; a black sheep, eh Obito?

“I told myself I would never train another genius, but as it seems Naruto is going to be absent from the picture for a while, I guess you’ll do for now.”

 

 

He knew something wasn’t right the moment he entered the room. Sensing the flux in the amounts of physical energy, he was on his guard instantly, muscles tensed and ready to spring into action. The light tapping sounds of his sandals echoed across the wooden floor, most likely giving away his presence to the other entity in the small room. The shinobi was confident that he hadn’t been spotted however, as the curtains were pulled down over the windows, bathing the tiny bedroom in a soft white light. His tall, lanky shadow looming over the bed, its occupant not even aware that he was there, the ninja began to stretch his arm out towards the small body. Keeping his palm against the figure’s forehead, he waited until he could find some signs of what he was looking for. The silver haired Anbu sighed, bringing his hot and sweaty hand away from the child’s face.

“I knew something felt odd when you didn’t get up right away for breakfast. For you to get sick now, of all the…”

Kakashi mutters, the look of frustration evident on his masked face. A pair of tired azure eyes looked up at him, their brilliance contrasting with Naruto’s pale, sweat covered face. A small, five fingered hand slowly gropes out at the older male’s right arm, the wiggling fingers clutching the black cotton fabric that Kakashi’s gauntlet’s were comprised of. The silver haired ninja crouches on one knee, his smaller mismatched orbs meeting the bright azure ones. He feels a slight tug on his arm, the boy pulling him closer until they were only a few inches away, the nine year olds breathing heavy and slow.

“Daddy…I feel hot. Am I on fire? It feels like I’m burning up from the inside…”

“No, Naruto, you’re not on fire. You just have a low grade fever. This is why Da—I--told you that training out in the rain until you pass out would do this to your body.”

Kakashi comments sternly, his expression angry, only to mentally groan as small teardrops began to form out of the corners of the blonde’s eyes. He gets so worked up sometimes…Did I do something wrong? I wasn’t too harsh, was I? Geez, how to fix this…? Kakashi thinks, his heart heavy as he watches the tears slide slowly down the child’s face.

Taking his hand and reaching out to brush the tears from Naruto’s whiskered cheeks, Kakashi wonders if he really should be the child’s guardian. It’s not like this happens often; Naruto only gets emotional when he’s sick or tired from not sleeping enough. Today seems like a combination of both, though Kakashi still feels guilty that he made the boy cry. Thinking back on it, he himself was mostly alone at this age, doing dangerous C rank missions and coming home to an empty house. Well, other than the few times Minato, Kushina and Jiraiya were around to see how he was doing, Kakashi was by himself.

Naruto, having grown up in a time of peace, wouldn’t have any idea how hard that was. Even with Kakashi’s help, however, the village still looked down on the child, though their hatred had finally burned out over the last few years. That didn’t stop the cold glares and comments from being lashed out at Naruto occasionally, the boy still not understanding why. Kakashi didn’t feel it was the right time to tell him about the Nine-Tails, not just yet. Maybe after the kid graduated the academy, though that would be a while from now, thanks to the boy inheriting Kushina’s awful penchant for ninjutsu. He suspected it was more from Naruto’s inability to control his chakra, seeing that it was mixed with the Nine-Tail’s in order for it to become more resistant to the bijuu’s taint.

At least most of the kids had stopped calling him ‘dead-last’, since he was getting better slowly but surely. He had risen from below Shikamaru to a level that put him at least with Ino or Sakura, maybe a little above those two. With a few more years of training, Kakashi was sure that Naruto could at least make top five in his year. Though that’s only if he doesn’t push himself too hard and get sick again. He has the enthusiasm, but his inability to think things through all the way could get him killed. Looks like we still have a long way to go… Kakashi ponders, one hand resting on his chin.

Shaking his head, the silver haired Anbu teleports to the bathroom in the blink of an eye, hurriedly swiping a washcloth and dousing it with ice cold water before rinsing it out slightly. Appearing by the child’s bedside in less than a second, he moved back Naruto’s bangs while gently placing the cold cloth on the blonde’s forehead.

“There, is that a little better?”

The boy’s foster father asked, to which the child slowly nodded, the tears starting to dry up on his plump, whiskered face.

“I’m hungry, Daddy…”

Naruto whines, much to Kakashi’s relief. Glad that the boy’s appetite returned, the ethereal Anbu literally flies downstairs to the kitchen, going through the floor of the boy’s room. After gathering a plate of Western style food, toast and eggs with orange juice to be more exact, he returns to the bedroom, this time using the stairs like a normal person would. Early on in his ghostly life, Kakashi had learned that it was impossible for him to pass through solid objects while holding material things. He had found it out the hard way when trying to pass through one of the hospital’s walls while bringing the infant Naruto a blanket. It was an odd phenomenon, as the Anbu had thought he’d pass right through the wall, just without the blanket. Instead, his right shoulder smashed hard into the wall as if he was alive, a small pain running down his arm, complete with a tiny bruise near his red tattoo.

“Here. Eat it slow; I don’t need you puking on top of things.”

Kakashi mutters, being careful to balance the plate and cup so they wouldn’t tip over their contents. Devouring the meal hungrily, Naruto lets out a big belch, a huge grin on his whiskered face. Putting the emptied dishes on the nightstand, Kakashi returns the grin, his one hand ruffling through the child’s blonde spiky locks. His expression turns to one of shock as the blonde wraps his smaller, pudgy arms around the older teen, crushing him in a hug. Ignoring the initial shock, Kakashi returns the hug, lifting the nine year old out of the bed completely, the blonde’s head resting peacefully on his shoulder like he was an infant again.

“I love you, Daddy…”

Naruto mutters, burying his head into the Anbu’s neck.
Running his fingers through the child’s hair, Kakashi looks at the blonde, who is staring at him, those azure eyes locked onto his mismatched onyx and red ones.

“I love you too, Naruto…”
… … …

He stares into the flames, feeling their warmth light up his slightly chilled body. While it was nearing the end of summer, it was as cold as if it was the middle of fall, the wind chill accentuating this fact. He didn’t mind it though, his faithful orange jacket protecting him from most of the cold. The sky was dark as black, the only light coming from the waning moon, illuminating some of the trees surrounding their small camp. Naruto sighs, his sandaled feet making small prints in the dirt around the fire pit. It was probably late, but the blonde just couldn’t get to sleep, deciding to sit by the fire and think for a while. So lost in his thoughts was he that the orange clad genin didn’t even notice the sounds of the footsteps as they came closer to his position.

“You’re still up, Naruto? We still have a ways to go
tomorrow, you know.”

A voice comments, startling the blonde and making him turn halfway around so he could see who it was. Their features drowned out by the shadows emanating from the firelight, he wasn’t sure who it could be, though he could hazard a pretty good guess. Most of their team was asleep, the other two bedrolls occupied and snoring away contentedly. That only left him and…

“Yeah, I know Tenten. I’ve just been having trouble sleeping.”

The kunoichi nodded, walking over and sitting cross-legged next to the shorter genin. Her large brown eyes were looking at him, a curious expression on her face.

“Why? Are you feeling alright?”

“It’s not anything like that…I…My head’s just been full of stuff to think about lately…”

Naruto mumbles, putting his hand on his chin in a thoughtful pose. He sighs, lying on his back and looking up at the moon, its half-eaten figure somewhat comforting.

“Well, your head probably isn’t used to thinking so much, is it?”

Tenten jokes, making the blonde shoot right up, his face scrunched up in mock anger.

“Hey! I do use my head sometimes…”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding…”

Tenten mutters, her face breaking out into a contagious smile that soon has Naruto infected as well. The two share a quiet chuckle, then the weapon wielding kunoichi turns serious, staring right at Naruto.

“Jokes aside, you seem different. Something really bothering you?”

“Nah, it’s nothing really. Trust me when I say I’m fine. If you want, I can take my shift early tonight.”

“Alright. If you say so…Thanks, Naruto.”

Tenten mumbles, yawing and standing up from her place by the fire. Listening to her footsteps retreat, Naruto quickly takes out a kunai and cuts a thin line from the top of his thumb, the blood running down his finger.

“Summoning jutsu!”

Almost instantaneously the pack of ninken appears, Pakkun yawning contentedly on top of the larger bulldog’s head. Sniffing around with his flattened nose, the pug spots something amiss, moving toward Naruto’s bedroll, the other dogs waiting for his command. Pulling back the covers of the genin’s sleeping bag, the tiny pug is shocked to find a small, white wolf laying there, it’s eyes half open as it had begun to doze off. The wolf’s eyes blink a few times, not understanding what had interrupted his nap, slowly getting up to a sitting position. Pakkun turns around quickly, looking at Naruto with a shocked expression on his squishy face.

“W-what is this? Where did he come from!?”

Pakkun half-shouts, half-barks, his round eyes narrowing at the blonde’s azure ones. The other dogs look at the blonde angrily, some of their teeth bared, obviously offended. Naruto steps back a few feet, his eyes widening in a combination of confusion and fear.

“L-let me explain first! I was fighting a really tough opponent and was trying to summon you guys to help me out. Thing is, I think I used too much c-chakra and this little guy popped out instead. He’s been here since; I don’t know why he w-won’t go home either!”

Naruto stutters out, trying to steady his uneven breathing. He was kind of surprised that no one had woken up from the commotion, but then again they were all pretty heavy sleepers. Feeling something by his foot, Naruto sighed when he saw the white pup near his foot, picking it up and putting it in his jacket. Pakkun waddled over to the blonde, his pink tongue licking Naruto’s foot.

“Sorry. We always get a little excited when new members are brought in. Still, why didn’t you tell us about him earlier? That’s what we’re kinda ticked about, kid.”

“There was no time. I’ve been pretty busy lately. Sorry, guys.”

Glad that the group had finally settled down somewhat, the slight feeling of killing intent gone, Naruto gently put the wolf on the ground next to Pakkun, the two taking some time to ‘get acquainted’ with one another. Turning around and barking once to signal the rest of the pack, Pakkun sits on his haunches and waits, watching as the others sniff the little wolf.

“How old is the little guy, anyways? He looks kinda small…”

Pakkun mutters, his wrinkly face looking up at Naruto. Thinking for a bit, Naruto shrugs helplessly, replying

“I dunno. At least a couple months, I guess…”

The rest of the ninken done getting used to their new member, Pakkun waddles over to the small pup, letting out a small bark. His coal black eyes shut as if he was thinking, the pup blinks them open and answers the leader with another bark of his own.

“He says he’s about eight, nine months old, give or take a few days.”

Pakkun comments to Naruto, who nods, sitting down with the rest of them. The fawn pug still feeling that something was amiss, turns to Naruto, sniffing around the blonde worriedly.

“That’s funny…I can’t really smell him anywhere. Where’s Kakashi?”

Naruto’s expression turns worried for a moment, signaling something to the pack, their ears flattening.

“Uh…he…it’s a long story Pakkun.”

“So you’re saying that he didn’t just go back to the spiritual plane to rest, right?”

Pakkun asks, to which Naruto nods slowly.

“Something was done to his spirit form to make it solid…and then Orochimaru spirited him away, that bastard…”

Naruto mutters, the expression on his face a mixture of anger and sadness. Seeing this, the whole pack moved closer to the boy, some of the dogs licking his finger and face, trying to make the blonde feel better. Pakkun growls, the fur on his back pointing straight up.

“Damn that Orochimaru...When we meet that jerk, he’ll feel my teeth in his ankle!”

“Not to mention my blade in his ink-black heart, Dattebayo!”

He could feel it, the presence foreign and intrusive. Steeling his willpower, he fought back against the overwhelming force that was trying to take over his consciousness. It was the only thing he had left now, his body having been taken over by the mind control technique. Now the jutsu was slowly trying to take his will as well, but he resisted, even though the mental anguish was great. He had to fight back, for if he succumbed there would be no hope left for him. He would never be able to truly see Naruto again, his soul and body a tool only for Orochimaru, this thought strengthening his soul. He didn’t really have a ‘consciousness’ because for that one needed a mind, and that required a body. His consciousness was the scraps of his soul that was left, his spiritual energy that was not under the jutsu’s control. Thinking about it now, he could say that he did have a consciousness, but it wasn’t his to use. Right now, even with this older, stronger body, he was still a tool, the only thing keeping him from totally ending up like the miko was the power of his soul. Even that, however, was still weak when compared to the power of this new seal.

Kakashi was sure that without the seals the miko had applied earlier on his soul, he would not have been able to resist now. Feeling a mix of guilt and gratitude for the priestess, the silver haired Anbu could only watch as he sees his right arm quickly block a plethora of shuriken, his blade gleaming orange from the candlelight. He is standing on what could be best described as a type of tatami mat, candles every so often permeating the darkness surrounding the stone room. He has watched his new body go through this sequence many times, this part of his new daily routine. It was called training, but the Anbu felt manslaughter would be a more appropriate name for this exercise.

Every day now, for the past week and a half, he was commanded to fight against either criminals or shinobi, as a way to test his new body’s strength. He had no say on the matter; all his soul could do was watch from the safety of his mind, only periodically being attacked by the mind control technique. Kakashi couldn’t ‘feel’ his arm swing, neither could he feel the wetness of the crimson blood rain down his face and neck, but he knew it was happening. He knew he had no choice but to do what the jutsu commanded of him; for now, at least. When the time was right, he would ‘use’ the seals the miko had put on him to try and break free, ending the mind control and giving him free reign over his body and mind once more. Kakashi only had to endure and wait for a time when the mind control would be at its weakest state, feeling when the flux of foreign spiritual energy going through his body was weak and counter with his own, powered up by the miko’s jutsu.

For now, he just had to play along, fending off the mental intrusions and wait for a time to strike. Kakashi made a mental note to thank the miko later, for without her help, he would have truly been a prisoner of Orochimaru’s. If I can find a way to free us both, it would be the least I can do…Though I’m not sure if I can on my own…This jutsu is pretty strong, and on top of that I think she is under Orochimaru’s or even Kabuto’s direct control. Well, I still have quite a while to figure out the details… Kakashi ponders, mentally wincing as he watches his opponent, a prisoner just like he had been, howl out in pain, holding onto a stub of what appeared to be the rest of their arm. He didn’t even give the poor man time to contemplate his death, quickly stabbing him through the heart with his silver katana, the blood on the blade shining brightly as he watches the metal shine in the candlelight. Killing people like this is inhumane…When I get free, Orochimaru, you are going to regret this. Kakashi thinks, watching as he wipes the blood off of his katana on the man’s shirt, putting the blade back into its sheath.

… … …

“What an interesting trio we have here…”

The voice mutters, its appendage raking the air in front of it, dissipating the image that it was previously watching. The owner of the voice raps the tips of its fingers across the arm of its chair, lost in thought for a while. Its coal black eyes survey its domain, the land that he has governed since the beginning of everything; the start of the world. This too was another plane of existence, like the Material and Spiritual planes, but somewhat different in its purpose. It was a Spiritual plane, one of the many across the universe, but unlike the Celestial plane of existence, this was not meant to house heroes of legend or anything even remotely virtuous. Barring himself and his few heirs designated to watch over the place, this was mainly were evil lurked and where creatures the stuff of nightmares and bedside tales made their home; The Abyss.

It was a dark place, filled with the screams and wails of the weak, mostly demons and other vile spirits. The sky was a mix of colors, dark blues, reds, browns and purples, almost giving it the look that it was about to erupt in a thunderous storm. There was no source of light, nothing like a sun, because it was unneeded here, this place of night terrors whose inhabitants could track you by sound and scent. Of course, he made sure that the guests entering his realms were adequately protected, if they had a good enough reason to be there in the first place. Some fools had tried before to take this place for their own, which he quickly rectified by sending some lower demons to greet them. The arrogant humans hadn’t lasted a second against the assault, their screams making his ‘face’ light up with a smile.

It honestly wasn’t as bad as the tales surrounding it made it out to be; they were mainly exaggeration and a way to keep the few idiotic creatures who could visit the Abyss out. He preferred peace and quiet, outside of the normal chaos of the place, and didn’t like when things were disrupted. Demons he could handle, being on par with most spiritual beings, and probably the strongest thing in the Abyss other than his heir who was growing steadily by the day. Outside of a few individuals, Kami-sama and her own heir among them, he was the strongest and would not be deterred by anything coming to interrupt his rule. Which was why when he was summoned thirteen years ago, he was surprised it was at the hands of a couple humans; ninjas, to be precise. He was amused at their strength since being able to hold the Nine-Tails was no small feat for a human, ninja or no, and had accepted their offer to save a dying boy by sealing him and half of the Nine-Tails chakra within their own child.

Of course, one could not summon such a being of great power such as himself without a price, and the two ninja had lost their souls to him, or what was left after sealing some of their chakra into the jinchuriki. Shortly after however, while back in the Abyss Kami had approached him and made a wager; If She won at a game of shougi he would give their souls up to her, and if He won he could send his heir to learn from one of her deities. Contrary to popular belief, he wasn’t really keen on taking souls; that was just an act to look menacing in front of the others. The soul hoarding thing also made the Abyss pretty crowded and noisy; which disrupted his work and in turn pissed him off. Of course, he did enjoy torture and the like but only when it had purpose. All in all, he wasn’t as simple an entity as the humans made him out to be. They had played the match for at least a few hours by human time, neither giving in to one another. Getting bored with the game, he had let her win, though of course her account would say she smartly and soundly defeated him.

Other than that small event, nothing truly exciting had happened in over the last few decades. Well, besides the occasional miko who could enter his domain, though none of them had dared try. He was slowly getting bored again until he had finally found that demon container child and his protector once more. Then things had decided to take a small turn for the better. However, that snake like Orochimaru was pissing him off, with all his plans of becoming immortal. No human should have that kind of power; even Rikudou had to die an ordinary death from pure old age. Plus, he had recreated and mastered the Edo-Tensei, a technique to bring back the souls of the dead and use them for his own ends.

The master of the Abyss could applaud the man’s craftiness, and revenge was something he understood, but to tamper with the dead was pushing it. That was why he had been watching over that snake shinobi and tracking him, more so with the little Jinchuriki’s protector in his grasp. Soon after he had seen the miko, and could tell this was one that only comes along so often in a few generations, the one that could honestly and truly talk to the Gods.

Sadly, she was still weak compared to most regular priestesses and monks, only being able to sense slight shifts in planar disturbances. For it was her job to see if demons and other creatures that could wreak havoc were on the Material Plane, but at her current level, she was almost incapable of doing even that. Even as powerful as he was, sometimes demons did get out before he could attend to them, his jurisdiction being limited mainly to the Abyss. Outside of his realm, his powers weakened considerably, due to the uneven shifts of spiritual and physical energy. Also, the traveling between planes was tough on his body, and he couldn’t do much in the way of interference when it came to mortal business anyway, besides sending a couple demons here and there.

Due to the loss of power, he had even had to use some of his power to send his thoughts along to the miko. He was giving her information that he felt should be shared with the protector the jinchuriki. Luckily, that went along without a hitch and Kakashi knew what he had to tell Naruto, if he ever got back to the boy, that is. She did make up for that small hindrance in the power of her sealing jutsu, the miko helping free Kakashi at least partially from the bonds of Orochimaru. Still, if that odd trio was to have any hope of surviving for long during the coming catastrophe, she had to be prepared. Something big was coming, he could feel it, and he did not mean Madara and his bunch of goons trying to revive the Juubi, though they did pose a problem.

“Well, I’ll just wait and see how they fare against that pitiful snake Sennin for now…”

He muttered, the tips of his fingers coming to rest on his lap, reclining in his chair.

… … …

“Haah…aah…ngh…”

He wheezes, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. Lifting his right hand off of the stone, the palm burning and feeling like he had held it against a hot pan, Sasuke could only stare at the seal on top of the wet cobbles. It symbols glowed dark purple for a second, his chakra flowing into it, which quickly turned back to its regular black; he could see no visible change and that frustrated him. What raised his ire more were the sounds of giggling women just a few meters away, their splashing and playful sounds irritating him almost as much as the perverted sage who was spying on them from the hole in the bathhouse wall. His footsteps angrily tapping on the cobbled ground, he snuck up behind the oblivious Jiraiya giving the pervert a slight tap on the shoulder. It did nothing to the sennin, making Sasuke even more furious.

“I can’t believe…Damn you, Itachi…”

The Uchiha swore, cursing his brother for sticking him in a situation such as this. Never in a million years would he have ever considered training with a guy like this, sage or not. Going back to the hospital, his mind swirling back to a few days ago, Sakura’s pale face etched in his mind; his determination was set. That was my fault. I’ve got to make sure nothing like that happens again; I’m the strongest on this team after all. Sasuke thinks, tugging hard at the still unresponsive sage’s white wig. Either because his hand was slightly weakened by the amount of chakra he put into it or Jiraiya was a master of ignoring interruptions to his research, Sasuke’s tug did nothing, only slung him back a few feet onto the wet cobbles.

“Rgh…There’s gotta be a way to get his attention. Wait…”

Sasuke mutters, his face pensive as he thinks up a new strategy, watching the sage giggling idiotically at the women naked in the bathhouse.

“He’s so occupied with the women in there he won’t pay attention to me. If I could find prettier women….wait, what am I saying? I don’t have time for this bull—Oh. Oh no. There’s no way in hell I’m doing that…Nuh-uh!”

His face turning slightly pink, the raven haired Uchiha turns back to the red and grey-green clothed sage, his fists clenching as he walks closer. Taking a couple deep breaths to steady himself, Sasuke makes a hand sign, focusing his chakra all throughout his body. After feeling the right amount pour into his bones and muscles, and getting the right image in his mind, he lets go, the energy exploding out of his body to form a cloud of smoke. I wonder what Sakura would think of this? She’d probably kill me just like she would Naruto…

… … …

Her bare feet plod along on the linoleum floor, making small slapping sounds as they try to keep up to the arm outstretched in front of her. Using the cold metal of the pole as a crutch, she slowly steps forward, her hand pale and ghostly looking in the fluorescent white light. Her left knee almost buckles, her palm slamming onto the hard tile to catch herself before she falls, the pain going down her whole arm to the shoulder. A pair of slender hands is there to help pull her up, the nurse’s slim face looking at her worried. Sakura’s thin eyebrows narrow, her face frowning as she looks down at her body which is clad in the hospital’s usual sky-blue nightgown.

“Seems I’m not up to walking yet…I don’t want to go back to my room, there’s not much to do.”

Sakura half-lies, slowly turning around, the nurse helping her with the metal stand that held the pink haired girl’s IV. Honestly, there wasn’t much to do in the hospital, and Sakura had wanted to explore after the first few days of lying in bed. It had been a week since then, or maybe more as she couldn’t tell; the days all seemed to be one long period of her repeating her daily schedule. Wake up, get cleaned up for the day, eat, do exercises, read books or watch TV and eat lunch. Sakura had her parents to talk to, who were at first worried about her condition, but the doctors and nurses assured them that it was normal enough for a ninja; chakra exhaustion was just part of the job and nothing a little rest and surveillance couldn’t handle. That had calmed them down considerably, though they still came by with treats and words of comfort when they could get free time off from work. When they weren’t there, she had had that other red head girl to talk to before named Karin, but she had left a while back. Of course she came to visit Sakura, and the two talked every now and then, mainly about clothes or the things she used to chat about with Ino when they were kids.

Her face scrunched up in thought as they walked down the hallway, she wondered what Ino was doing now, seeing as her team had passed the chunin exams. That was another thing that bothered Sakura; how in the world did they not pass? She had really guessed they could have done it if they tried hard enough. Maybe her team wasn’t as stable as she thought they were; from what she saw before the exams, the pink haired kunoichi believed they were getting along decently. Now however, she wasn’t too sure. She had thought things were okay, but they had probably gotten worse, part of it her fault. If only I had been able to fight better, maybe that Orochimaru guy would have ran away…I wouldn’t have gotten this thing and we’d all be happy. Sakura thinks, silently stepping into her room and climbing into her bed, being careful to watch if the IV in her arm came undone.

Of course, she was only trying to reassure herself; none of them, not even Naruto and Sasuke combined could have taken on one of the Sannin. They had done the best they could, and managed to survive. Looking at the odd mark on the base of her neck, however, made Sakura wonder if surviving was enough. Her pondering was disrupted for a moment, the nurse smiling and asking what she would like for lunch; Sakura answered quickly, her stomach starting to growl like clockwork. She had been eating well the last few days; however the sealing process had eaten most of her physical and spiritual energy away. This is why she is located in the IC ward that was reserved for serious patients, just in case something accidently goes wrong. She is treated like a normal patient, however, able to get up and explore the hospital at her leisure, as long as there is a nurse available.

Most of the staff is at her disposal, since nothing serious has been going on, even though they had to patch up a few others who had received wounds from the exams. Foreign shinobi or no, it was the job of the country hosting the exams to take proper measures to keep casualties to a minimum. Even though they had signed a waiver for their deaths during the second phase, Konoha was a more modern village when it came to policy; those who were found able to be treated were taken back to the village hospital, no matter the injury. This way the Leaf could be seen as a supporter of the new, more peaceful ways, at least on the outside. On the inside they secretly used the genin as hostages to bargain with the other villages, who were militarily weaker; they needed all the ninja they could just to try and match up with Konoha’s might. This small detail was unknown to most people, the higher ups such as the Hokage and his advisors did not want things like this to leak out for the public to know. As far as most people knew the genin were just resting at the hospital, waiting to recover so they could go and see the third phase or go back home to their own villages.

Which was why Sakura was surprised when Karin had not come around for a few days, since the red haired grass nin usually dropped by with snacks and books for Sakura to read from the library. Asking a nurse heeded no answers, since she was just as oblivious as most people when it came to the location of out of village genin. Sakura could only sigh, her face downcast, as she had been waiting for the slightly younger girl to show up. Her face showed that same expression today, her emerald eyes watching the clock silently, its hour hand already past two, and the ticks echoing in her mind and slowly lulling her into a quiet sleep. She did not want to sleep; it was the furthest thing from her mind. More so since she had gotten the seal, even though its power in the real world was limited now; the cursed mark had seemed to invade her mind and very thoughts, never giving the girl a moment’s respite. They were there; Ino, Naruto and Sasuke, that brown haired girl from her childhood who made her cry, all goading her and telling her how weak she was.

Physically attacking them was worthless; they were only apparitions created by mind and reinforced by the curse, after all, and would dissipate as soon as her dream self touched them. She had tried taunting them back, but that only goaded them further, making the pink haired ninja feel worse and even more insecure. In the end, all she could do was stay silent, mentally telling herself that they spouting lies and that she had gotten stronger, much stronger compared to her days in the academy. This did not stop her from waking up suddenly and finding out her pillow was drenched in her own tears, however. It was only a small consolation, a way of keeping her sanity when stuck in that place of horrors and half-truths. Of course she wasn’t as strong as the boys but she’d get there in time, she told herself. She was still young and had room to grow if she tried hard enough.

Maybe after she got out of the hospital she could find someone sensei to train with; as one of them surely would have more free time if their squads were out training on their own. At least that’s what Sakura hoped, she knew being a Jounin wasn’t an easy job and filled with all kinds of responsibilities that she couldn’t even dream of being able to handle right now. She had a hard time remembering to do simple civilian stuff back in the day, and wouldn’t even dream of being a squad commander. Sakura knew that she would never be able to protect three small genin’s lives like their own master did. She was still astounded he could fight that monster Zabuza back in Wave! That’s probably why most kunoichi didn’t rise up above Chunin, they just weren’t ready for it; with the notable exceptions being that red eyed woman she had seen with her sensei before she graduated from the academy and the one other that crazy proctor from the exam’s second phase. That purple haired lady reminded her of a female Naruto, so much spunk and energy, but she was also pretty strong just like Naruto. That and since she figured her master would like to spend time with that lady, as Sakura knew she would if she had any time to see Sasuke, made her to make a decision.

“As soon as I get out of here, I’ll find that purple haired Jounin and become her apprentice. That should be easy enough, I hope. If I can’t find that lady, I’ll just have to ask sensei’s friend.”

Little did Sakura know that her vow would lead her to one of the toughest and hardest challenges she’s faced since the Forest of Death.

… … …

A/N: I might draw Sasuke’s jutsu too. If I do, I’ll post a link to it on my DA. You don’t want to go there, let me tell you, some of my WIP stuff is not too good. Haven’t gotten new ideas either, so it may be a while before I update. Besides, there are some spoilers for some future ideas for this fic; you have been warned!

His eyes snap open slowly, the dim torchlight in the room making it difficult for him to see. Shapes floating in front of his vision, the darkness encroaches what little he has left. Growing accustomed to the lack of light, he places one hand in front of his angular face, as if to check that it was still there. His fingers are wavering in front of his very eyes, their tips and sides fuzzy as if he was looking at them through a haze of fog. He tries to blink it away, but the sensation does not change nor does it get any worse. Rising up from his previous sitting position, his six foot frame almost tall enough to bump heads with the stone ceiling, he exits the small room through its only doorway.

After surveying the long rectangular room and seeing that no one else was there, he decides his partner must have left already and takes a sharp right turn, the light informing him that he was heading outside. Wincing and covering both of his onyx eyes with his right hand, he gingerly steps outside the cave to the sound of a voice he has become more familiar with over the past four and a half years.

“I see you are finally awake. We should get going soon, right? We’re almost there, after all.”

The owner of that gruff yet oddly polite voice comments, turning his visage to the northeast, the site of their next target: Konoha. He nods, calmly pushing strands of his black hair out of his lined face; his footsteps slow and deliberate as he walks next to his companion. His eyes shift to the left slightly to regard his partner, the other’s distinct teeth set in an almost hungry looking grin and hand clenched around the hilt of the sword hanging on his shoulder sending off a very murderous vibe as he looks toward the Country of Fire.

Those eyes calmly turn back to the younger and shorter of the pair, betraying no thought, no hint of that hunger for bloodshed. This was something the smaller man had learned throughout his years working with his partner. The man truly was the definition of a shinobi, at least not when in combat; that was when his demeanor changed ever so slightly, something most people would not notice. He became intensely focused, homing in on his opponent until they were obliterated and only stopping to find another to hunt. This had intrigued the younger man, more so at their first meeting, when his so called partner let out an interesting little quip.

‘Shark babies eat each other inside the womb, you know? For them, everyone else is nothing but food. For us, ninja who have killed their comrades, I guess you could say the same. We may be partners Itachi-san, but I’d recommend you not let down your guard, lest we end up killing each other…’

The young Uchiha had only stared oddly at the blue skinned man in front of him, his medium length bangs covering his red Sharingan as he sighed aloud. Looking at his companion now, after three years of working together in their quest for hunting the tailed beasts, Itachi knows not to doubt the man’s prowess, odd though he may be. So far they had not actually captured any bijuu, as much money was needed for the plan their leader had proposed. For the past few years they had been completing odd jobs around some of the smaller nations, and a few of the lesser known larger ones, in order to acquiesce enough funds to actually build the weapon that housed the bijuu.

Something did not feel right however, and a few of their more boisterous members had voiced concerns at the plan during some of the meeting; what kind of weapon made by humans, ninja though they may be, could contain nine of the strongest demons in the Abyss itself? Itachi had questioned their leader’s plan back then as well, thinking that the reasoning proposed by the others was sound. As of now he was simply apathetic; he did not care about the fate of the group as long as his little brother was safe and happy. If everything goes as Itachi hopes it will, Sasuke and the Uchiha name would be redeemed. Of course, that was before their little interruption and disruption of their plans to go to Konoha.

… … …

“Hmm?”

Kisame muttered, a hand on the hilt of his gigantic blade as he half-turned toward the source of the intrusion in their chakra barrier. Feeling a familiar chakra source he calmed quickly, going back to watching the leaves on the trees lazily drift through the air. If the man had not called for him, he obviously was not needed, though that was not what had grabbed his attention. What had gotten his interest was that the man, the Mizukage, knew of Itachi Uchiha. He knew the boy too well to just be passing by like this; why was he interested in Itachi? The blue skinned man shrugged off the questions permeating in his mind; they were not important, as he was only a tool to the Mizukage even now and nothing more.

He watched his partner stiffen a few meters away from his own resting place, the man’s white pupils turning towards him, his own red eyes able to see the source of disturbance. That was one of the benefits of obtaining the Mangkyou; even when not active it allowed for even greater perception of chakra and movement than the three tomoe Sharingan. The intruder was a man, cloaked in a black garb darker than their own, almost as if he was a shadow. His ears quickly became aware to the sensation of metal scrapping against metal, slight though it was due to the man’s inhuman speed. The air around him wavered as if time and space itself had distorted, the vibrations keen to all five of his senses, then the intruder was standing there calmly as if he had been next to Itachi all along. His now onyx orbs shifted to the left to watch the man, who was staring back, though his porcelain black and white mask hid his face from Itachi’s view just as it had before. He stood up, wanting to talk with the man on an eye level, feeling that something important was going to happen.

“Itachi…it’s been a while.”

“Madara, what do you want now?”

The two spoke, almost in perfect sync with one another. Itachi’s expression hardened as he knew that there was only one reason the man had come to see him; which meant very bad things for his current mission, for his future plans. It meant he had failed completely…

… … ..

“Itachi? Let’s get going, we’ve wasted enough time already.”

His eyes blink open to the intrusion to his reverie, though his face is still calm and collected. Looking up he found that Kisame had already started on his way, the man’s hulking form still visible through the small copse of trees, and follows suit his cloak flapping behind him in the wind.

… … …

He stops moving, the white head sticking out of the front of his jacket glaring ahead ominously at the clearing where the expanse of trees ended. Pakkun snorts a few times, his round sleepy looking eyes narrowing as he picks up an unfamiliar scent. Naruto can sense the almost visible change in the air currents, the feeling chilling his body to the core and forcing him to make a signal for the trailing members of his party. The three stop, slightly worried expressions on their faces as they already know something is wrong; a couple of Naruto’s ninken had stayed behind to guard the rear and low, soft growls could be heard from that direction. The two dogs seem agitated, their fur bristling and teeth barred back to show their well kept pink gums.

“Find some cover everyone, this looks bad…”

Naruto commands, even though he is not officially the leader of the group. No one pays any heed to the specifics though and does as he asks, taking cover inside a large shrub a few meters away from their current positions. The view was decent, affording them a somewhat clear view of where Naruto was standing and the clearing ahead, though blocked by the branches and leaves so anything past that was shapeless and blurry.

“What about Naruto? He’s not hiding…”

Choji mutters, a worried expression on his plump and swirl-marked face. Tenten only shrugs slightly, being careful not to shake the branches of their hiding place, as she has no idea what the boy is up to. Shino, the final member of their group, can only guess what the blonde is going to do from his stance and the looks of his ninken who are right beside their master ready for battle. Be careful, you energetic prankster… The shade wearing shinobi thinks, quietly sending out a few of his scouting and combat bugs to assist Naruto, though he has a feeling the blonde won’t need them.

“Eh? These are…”

Naruto comments, his face scrunched up with a look of utter confusion, Pakkun having a similar expression on his wrinkled tan face. Coming out of the other trees ringing the copse directly opposite him and to the side were the same hulking forms that plagued the Forest of Death. He had thought the monsters were native only to that region, but it seems that was a miscalculation on his part. Peering out further, the perceptive blonde also notices other figures in the mix; surprisingly human looking ones. If he remembered the map they had went over at last night’s briefing, the small group of villages they were supposed to protect from bandits and rouges should be somewhere on the other side of those trees. Now he understands why this was a C-rank mission; these things were dangerous for humans to tangle with, as bandits were by far the easier to combat. The green imp-like creatures however, were foreign and possibly unknown to most of the population or so he guesses, though Naruto doubts he is correct. If this was the case and people were in trouble, he will need everyone’s help for this in order to prevent all the casualties he can.

His fists clench tightly as he remembers the devastation at the campsite in the forest. Dead bodies were everywhere, blood stains from both humans and imps splattered over the stone and dying the ground a deep crimson color. The stench had been awful, like meat that had been left out to dry in the sun, except it wasn’t meat but bodies. That had nearly made him puke as he had piled up all the corpses one by one as he was preparing to torch the place. I won’t let anything like that happen again! He thinks, his ninken looking at him as they sense their master’s determination and anger. A couple of the dogs respond with a hearty growl, the light tan one with the shades and the silver dog with the scarred eye that reminded him a little of Kakashi. He puts both of his hands on the dog’s heads to calm them down, then orders Pakkun to make three groups and hide in the expanse of trees to wait in ambush. Looking back at the shrub, he watches as Tenten and Chouji crawl out from underneath their hiding places, Shino quickly following suit as he releases the rest of his bugs into the air.

“We’re not letting you do this alone.”

“Yeah, what kind of a friend would I be if I let you get hurt?”

“You will need our help, Naruto-kun. Why? Because the odds are inevitable that you cannot save all those people even with your shadow clone technique.”

The trio calmly stands shoulder to shoulder with the blonde, who is waiting until their adversaries get a little closer before giving the signal to charge. Middle aged farmers with pitchforks are trying to fend off some of the imps, children holding onto the tails of their mother’s skirts running away into the clearing. Young men with blades of all shapes and sizes try and help the older folk, some going with the farmers and others protecting the children, women and the elderly. It seems that none of them can see the group on the other side, Naruto’s eyes narrowing as he watches the desperate scene. One young woman trips, skidding to the dirt with her once clean dress and arms stained with grass and dirt. Her foot twists in the fall with a sickening snap and she screams in fear as the monsters start to go for her, not noticing the ninja hiding in the trees only a few meters away. The blonde’s had all he can take, his command to charge becoming a shout as he himself leaps out into the din of battle, right beside the cornered woman.

“Don’t worry, we won’t let anything happen to any of you, I swear it!”

A/N: Crazy things have been going on with finals, essays ,the holidays, my upcoming b-day this weekend and getting my books for next semester that I had almost forgotten about this. That and I was planning out three different scenarios for this chapter and have finally figured out which would work the best with the world and plot I am trying to currently set up. Having figured that out, here's the long awaited chapter. Enjoy!

… … …

Flashback Begin

“As weak as her power is, combining it with the effects of the Mind Subversion seal and our own chakras should likely produce a greater input than is normally possible for her chakra network, if her body can handle the strain, that is.”

Orochimaru explains, his eyes slightly motioning to the woman standing in front of the nefarious pair. Kabuto lets out something like a snort, his tone obviously mocking and hollow to the elder man; He still wasn't fully assured. Crossing his arms over one another, the glasses wearing teen thinks over what his master has just explained. The Mind Subversion seal was a tool used only to dominate the most stubborn of their prisoners, letting their consciousness sink into a deep genjutsu-induced stupor from which there was little chance of recovery. The sealer could then use the empty shell of a person for whatever was necessary, infusing their own thoughts or commands into the person or using their own chakra to do the task that was required, if the person wasn't capable of it on their own. Still, too much foreign chakra into a person's system would cause them to get ill from chakra poisoning, a disease discovered in the middle of the Second Great Ninja War. People had often used genjutsu to get information out of prisoners of war, not realizing the consequences.

The quantities of chakra used on prisoners of war was moderate, though the foreign chakra coursing through their systems was enough to often produce dangerous side effects. It would slowly start to invade the organs which produced the person's chakra and fed it to the network, working its way through the chakra veins of an infected individual. Having both of the chakras mixed in the person's system would cause their body to start attacking the regular chakra, the antibodies and white blood cells becoming confused as to which was which and now seeing it as a virus or infection. Most people would start to get violently ill, thrashing around almost as if they had a seizure or coughing up blood as the cells which were supposed to protect the body started to destroy it. This would continue on for a few minutes, lasting only until the invader's chakra had circulated all throughout the body's systems and had finally corrupted the heart, killing the person who was infected within a matter of seconds. The heart's function of pulsing and pushing of blood was also powered by chakra, an effect of the inbreeding throughout the years between people with chakra networks and those without. Originally the chakra network was seen as a mutation of sorts, an unnecessary system that was not as widespread throughout the population as it is now. Back then, the chakra network and circulatory system were not connected to one another and could exist independently of one another. However, as the years passed and the population started to grow and migrate across the land, new abnormalities occurred in each successive generation. A few years before the birth of Rikudo's grandfather, the circulatory system and chakra network had finally co-developed to a level people today would call 'underdeveloped', as smaller quantities of chakra were being pushed through the bloodstream and flowing to the brain as would be considered normal.

This was why Kabuto was unsure of the miko's true power; her body was frail and she did not look like she would be able to transmit enough of either of their chakra's in order to complete the test without them having to input fatal amounts into her tiny body. After a stern glance from his master, the young assistant began to focus his own chakra into his palms, being careful to not radiate too much so that they only shone with a translucent light purple hue. He walked slowly over to the miko's prone body, her eyes glazed over and dull, awaiting a command from either of her masters. That command came in the form of Kabuto pouring his chakra into her body through her shoulder blades, a slight groan coming out of her mouth as the influx of foreign chakra momentarily disrupted the control of the seal.

Almost immediately the seal took control once again, the new chakra flowing through it forcing the miko's body to move according to the new directives. Taking her right thumb and biting off a fair amount of skin the pain unnoticeable to her in her current state, the miko began to move forward a few feet from her two masters, tracing seals on the orange torchlit ground. They were mostly undecipherable to both of the men, though the more experienced Orochimaru knew that some of them had definitely taken some of their patterns from ninja seals, and a mix of some other art. Finally finished with her handiwork, the miko paused for a few moments and then focused her own chakra into the center of the symbol. It began to glow a dark purple from the transfer of chakra, but as she kept feeding it the glow grew darker to almost black and spread around to fill the edges where she had made marks with her blood. Orochimaru grinned as he felt their combined power flow through her hand into the portal-- for that was what the device was—and could only wait with bated breath as the gate between dimensions started to open. Kabuto's face almost mirrored his master's, expect he was slightly more cautious of the power flowing through the gate--and rightly so. Many were the fools before them who had tried to access a gate to the Abyss and failed, letting loose a power they could not control. Orochimaru felt no such fear; he was prepared to deal with whatever came out of the gate be it a regular demon or one of the higher classes with a name, rank and followers.

This could be in part due to the fact that the man was no longer truly human himself, having absorbed the power of the white snake some time ago. The symbol of rebirth and immortality, the white snaked held all of the qualities that the snake Seninn wished to obtain. As impressive as the snake may sound, it was only an animal, and most of its properties could be replicated if one had the right knowledge of the various cells and processes that make up the body. For as intelligent and powerful as the human species was, it too was only a type of animal, made up of a similar chain link of amino acids, proteins, and various other components that helped the body survive and function in day to day life. Demons however, were an entirely different story. Some people, mainly priestesses and other holy men who actually dealt with the things, claimed that they were divine or otherworldly beings, things no mortal could understand. Others such as historians, scholars or researchers on the subject said they were some type of animal not yet able to classified into any category modern science had developed as of yet.

Whether the thing beginning to emerge in front of them was divine or simply another type of animal species was irrelevant to the mastermind of the trio. Orochimaru only wanted its power to harness for himself; whether it be in the form of an demonic army he could control himself, or the creature's direct cooperation. If that failed, he could always kill it and use its corpse to learn more. Besides, with the power of the priestess at his disposal, the sennin was confident he could summon any number of demons he needed into the Primary Material Prime. Or at least he had been, but that was before he felt the power and aura of the thing appearing out of the hole in the ground in front of him. It wasn't even halfway out of the portal and already its body began to slouch down to avoid being crushed by the oppressive ceiling, though the walls of this hideout were longer than sixteen feet in height. Sixteen blood colored eyes gleamed through the room, landing at last on the snake sage, their countenance full of hatred and menacing anger. Kabuto took a few stumbling steps back, trying to widen the gap of six meters that separated them, as the thing's presence was nearly suffocating him. Black pupils darting to and fro, it observed the movements of the only three humans in the room, trying to get used to the orange torch light that was composition-ally different from the red pale glow of the magic in the Abyss. After stretching out to its full fifteen meters, and causing a good portion of the room's ceiling to come crashing around the humans, it focused all of its black pupils on the white skinned man standing before it.

“...Interesting. I haven't been summoned to the human world in centuries! You three look like you'd do nicely for my next meal...Yes, I haven't had human meat for a long, long time. Such an exquisite taste, hmmm...”

The voice of the creature was gravely yet slightly delicate, a hint of haughtiness evident in its tone. Whatever the thing was, it had to be of some high standing order, one of the higher classed demons. The power radiating from it almost matched that of the tailed beasts, if not even more awful in countenance. Each breath it exhaled let out a foul odor, the air turning dark green and possibly poisonous. As all three had been exposed to various types of drugs, toxins and antidotes before, the poison was the least of their problems, the most worrying being the hungry and predatory look in all eight pairs of the creature's slitted eyes. Even in the dim torchlight, the demon's green scales shone with an unearthly light, making its yellow underside all the more poignant to the three. Faster than lightning, one of the eight heads shot out at Kabuto, giant fangs barred and mouth wide open in order to devour the weak human. He easily sidestepped the blow, only to try and drive a kunai into the monster's head, the metal bending from the force of the blow.

"Tch. Couldn't even feel that one. Try harder!"

Orochi the Eight-Headed taunted, his forked tongue running over his fangs as he sent one of his other heads to charge. This one was aimed for Orochimaru, who only grinned devilishly as the attack came on. Quicker than both onlookers could see, a flash of silver met the snake head's charge and a split second later the that had been charging at the sennin lay on the floor next to him, the rest of the appendage hanging limp in the air. Eight-Heads only grunted at the pain, seeing the loss of one of its heads not so major a deal, as they were easily regenerated like most of its impervious body. What it did find interesting was that a human could cut off one of its heads.

"So a damned human has finally found the Blade of Kusanagi, eh? The blade that was forged with my scales and the only thing to this day that could cut me, in the hands of one who has found the power of the immortal white snake and has a contract with my servant Manda...You are no ordinary human. Hurry up and state what you want, and make it quick!"

Orochimaru grinned; he had this planned out all from the beginning. Humans and demons never got along, usually requiring a contract of some sort to negotiate, somewhat similar to summoning animals. Unlike the animals who were one hundred percent under the wielder’s control, demons could turn any second if the human got too careless, or overconfident. Showing off his power to this demon seemed to be the right way to go about things, not to mention having a few contracts with lower ranked demons and his own animal Manda. Looking the Eight-Headed Snake directly into it's eyes, the snake-like shinobi began to speak.

"What I want is simple enough...Power! I don't care about how I get it and if you want sacrifices or some such thing, those are easily obtained...fufufufu."

Eight-Heads made something similar to a snort and only stared at the reckless human in front of him.

"I don't really care about you or your needs, but if I can get something out of this I don't care. My blood-lust has been rising ever since that Susano'o fellow sent me back to the Abyss...I'll lend you some fodder, we just need to find a way to keep the portal open long enough to do so."

Orochimaru chuckled, such a task was simple enough for him. Who else could have taught the Sound Five their barrier ninjutsu? Quickly tracing signs with his chakra the snake-like ninja carefully applied one of his strongest barrier formulas, usually used to house one granted with the level two curse mark, around the portal. The room shone with a ghastly black hue for a few moments as more chakra was being pumped into the bloodied markings, then turned back to its dark purple hue as the markings around it changed from blood-red to black. A grin formed on the sage's mouth, his eyes gleaming as he mockingly stated

"Anything else? I'm sure I can do more than such a simple task as that."

Flashback End

... ... ...

Easily dispatching three targets with kunai to the jugular, she turns around quickly and knocks out one with a quick strike to the throat with her elbow. Although weapons was her specialty, Tenten did find that having one of the Leaf's greatest experts in taijutsu did come in handy, seeing as she was too outnumbered to use any of the tools stored into her summoning scrolls for now. If she were alone these targets would go down easy, for there were only outnumbering her one to four, though the fact that she had to back up the villagers while trying not harm them made it impossible for her to use her bigger and stronger weapons. A few strikes with her spiked club or dual morning-stars would easily take out this impertinent bunch of green, fetid smelling imps, but not without casualties to the group of old and young farmers fighting around her. Unlike the shinobi, the villagers were poorly equipped with only simple pitchforks and hoes to defend themselves. Having no armor and the only protection being the clothing on their backs, they were quickly felled by the simplest of blows from the imps, the creatures' blows packed with power despite their spindly and weak looking frame.

Even though the villagers were outmatched, they fought with a spirit that was almost palpable, making up for anything they lacked in means of equipment or strength. All around the clearing screams could be heard, sometimes those of the unfortunate fighters but more often the undecipherable gargles of the imps as they were being drawn into the darkness of death. Luckily most of the women and children had made it to the safety of the forest, a couple of Naruto's shadow clones watching carefully over the group protectively. The blonde himself had already taken out quite a few opponents, his small dagger gleaming blood-red in the light of the sun, mixing with the chakra coating to enhance the length and giving off a dark orange hue. His tan whiskered face is starting to show signs of strain, sweat beading down his neck into his collar, though he shows no signs of letting up on the enemy. Swiftly parrying a attack from the right, he rolls his left hand over the club and twists it out of the opponent's grip, following that up with a side kick to the stomach.

Naruto ignores his fallen enemy and presses his attack on the one in front of him, this one shocked at how quickly its comrade had been taken out by a mere boy. Slashing across the wooden club, the blonde leaves a deep groove in the wood, about two inches thick. He lashes out with his pommel, splitting the imp's weapon in half with a satisfying crack and leaving it standing there, stunned. The thing has no more time to react as a black mist slowly sprays around its feet, going up its body until it is completely consumed. Naruto blinks slowly, then grins as he remembers Shino, who was fighting another group with him when they were separated. After yelling out a quick thanks to his comrade, the orange wearing ninja sees that some more villagers are in trouble, this one a band of mostly young men in their teens.

"Wind Style; Shredding Gust!"

Focusing his chakra, Naruto quickly guides the wind flowing past him towards the group, aiming for an imp who was pressing one of the smaller teens. He is aiming to cut of the thing's head and behead it, though his aim is off slightly due to his heightened emotions or nerves, and he only manages to nick part of its arm at the elbow a minor cut bleeding onto the ground. Cursing quietly to himself, the blonde joins the fray, his blade cutting a quick swath through the green imps, though not severely injuring any of them. All he means to do is put some distance between the villagers and the imps, using himself as the barricade, so they can flee. He notices that the group is comprised mostly of teens a little older than himself, though some of them are almost at the age of manhood, and is about ten strong. In contrast, the number of imps they are facing is about twice that if not a little more, their paper masks concealing any gleam of emotion that is not visible through their tense body language. Naruto turns his head slightly to the group of battered teens, telling them to run into the woodlands at their back. Some imps notice this and go to intercept the escape, but are quickly dispatched by Naruto's swordplay and a couple arrows to the face and torso by some of the older village boys.

Feeling the mix of squishy bloodstained grass under his sandaled feet, as well as the stench of various corpses, be they imp or human, has slightly repulsed Naruto. He wonders who started all this death and destruction, and how these stupids imps got all the way out here in the first place. He knew they were demons, but that didn't really mean too much to the blonde, seeing as they acted almost like animals. There had to be a leader, whether it was of this small group or all of them on the battlefield, and he understands that to take out the leader means decapitating the whole force. He had seen it with bandits on his missions, and this really was no different; the imps were organized in mostly the same way, some branching into groups of close ranged club fighters or long ranged bowmen. Going by that logic, there had to a leader imp, one that was distinct in appearance and countenance than the others. This was mainly a show of power and leadership among the ranks, to tell everyone who was in control.

Quickly turning his thoughts back to the battle at hand, Naruto began to focus his chakra and made some shadow clone scouts to help scour the battlefield. He'd be able to get things done much faster that way, at the expense of at least one quarter of his remaining chakra. Looking at the six imps before him, one holding onto it's bloodied arm from his earlier jutsu, the blonde doubted he'd really need all the chakra that was left in his system to deal with these remnants. They were already cowering slightly under the pressure of having seen three of their comrades torn down effortlessly by this group of humans they had thought were easy prey due to their young age and inexperience. Now that Naruto was helping them though, a ninja with much more power than any average villager, let alone most genin due to his high chakra capacity, the tide of the battle was going to most likely turn for the better. Having seen that the clones were dispersed amongst the villagers, Naruto began to charge recklessly toward the remaining imps, his charge slowed when a hail of arrows and kunai came flying from both directions. Chuckling to himself, the orange clad ninja peered through the hail of pierced imp corpses to see Tenten standing a few meters away, quickly flashing him a smile before turning her deadly barrage at a larger group Chouji was attending to.

Naruto is enthralled by their teamwork, not taking his eyes off the battle before him. Even though they were not in the same main squad and had only known each other for a sort while, despite being on a few missions together, they two well with each other, though not nearly as well as they did with their original squad-mates. Imps were quickly being swatted away by Chouji's enlarged hands, the force of the impact knocking them soundlessly to the grassy ground, while Tenten's kunai quickly finished them off so that they would not rise up again. Grabbing some of the imps and throwing them upward into the clouds, Chouji quickly focused his attention elsewhere while Tenten effortlessly slashes and cuts the falling imps, making the sky rain crimson with their blood. Sometimes Chouji was more brutal than he intended, smacking a couple imp's heads together with a sickening crunch, or pummeling a pair into the ground with his massive balled up fists, but he made sure none got out of his sight or range. Tenten, now able to use her more brutal weapons, was spinning like a cyclone or tornado, the field raining with the mutilated, crushed and maimed bodies of the imps who were too slow to escape her reign of terror and destruction. Naruto winces slightly at some of things he saw from both of the duo's displays; Things that looked like lumps of meat were scattered around the clearing, green colored limbs and appendages torn off at various sections. The blood oozing from them staining the grass brown and giving off a more fetid odor than the imps themselves when they were alive. Things that could be considered the creatures' faces were smashed into the ground , their paper masks having been torn off, burnt, or shred in the chaos. This did not help give Naruto any insight into what the things really were though, as what was left of the identifiable features were too gore ridden or disfigured to be made out at all. He did see that they had a similar shape to human faces, and like humans, had degrees of variety to each individual face. He is broken out of his trance by an intake of memories from a dispelled show clone; it was hit with an attack before it could disperse on its own, leaving the information somewhat muddled and fuzzy, but Naruto now understands who the leader is. The only problem is, how in the world could he defeat something that strong, even with the help of his teammates?

A/N: All the mythology and religious discussion in this ch, and further chs (including ch1) is very, very slightly based on real myths but mainly fabrications of mine and ideas I have. I want to make a mix of things from dif cultures and try to put them together in a harmonious way, though Naruto is a JPN manga, it is enjoyed by Americans and Europeans with varying culture bgs, and I think it would be cool if the Narutoverse employed a mix due to the popularity it has in these parts and Asia as well. The idea may fail horribly, and laugh if you want, but I aim to make it an interesting twist if I can.

… … …

“Interesting…It’s been a while since I’ve seen his ugly mug…”

The fox snorts, his face contorting into something in between a grimace and a smirk. He really was not sure how he should take this development; If he was free and unbound, Nine-Tails certainly would have strode over to the idiot and walloped him a couple of times. As it was, however, he could only wait and watch to see what was going to unfold. Sighing to himself, the Demon King of the Ninth Circle of the Abyss laid back on his haunches inside the tightly packed cage that his seal. If this was the Abyss, his original home and place of power, he’d be busy trying to figure out how to command all of his forces in order to steal territory. Not that demons needed anything like food or water; it just broke up the monotony of the place and was a show of power to the others above and below him in rank; if he succeeded that is. Seeing as he couldn’t contact any of his associates or minions because of this seal limiting his powers, he was truly bored out of his mind.

“RRRAaaghh!! How long do I have to be stuck here anyways, a tool for these fleshy meat bags who aren’t even a millennium old? It’s simply infuriating!!”

He half-shouts, half-whines, the roar causing the water all around the room to splash and churn from the force of his baritone complaint. No one was there to answer him, however, and he just sighs pitifully in his prison. Nine Tails did forget that there was one person who could hear him, and this person was slightly amused and curious at the fox’s tirade. Naruto appears almost instantaneously; he had gotten better at accessing his sub consciousness from his training before the second exam and was using it now, though for a somewhat stupid reason, he mentally chides himself. He knew that listening to the demon was usually a bad idea, and more of a headache than it was worth, but after seeing what he was up against… Sighing, the blonde walks casually over toward the cage holding the beast, stopping a few meters away to be careful, his expression full of curiosity as he stares up at the demon in front of him.

“You know that…that thing?”

Flicking his massive orbs to meet the child’s gaze, the demon growled angrily and let out a noise somewhat like a bark. That small bark was powerful enough to send the tiny ninja sprawling more than halfway across the room, his clothes getting soaked by the water as he tumbles and rolls until Naruto finally slows to a stop due to friction. That action causes the Nine Tails to stand on his two front paws, his tails extended all the way like an angry cat would be.

Naruto quickly gets up and straightens himself, his face wearing an expression of pure fear and terror; he was sent all the way across the room because the thing got angry and just barked at him. He knew the beast was powerful, but this was nothing like he could have imagined, and he thought he had finally gotten some semblance of control over the thing! Seeing that Nine Tails had calmed somewhat, the blonde carefully walked over to him, his feet making slow and soft steps like he was treading on glass.

“Damned humans…You capture us, enslave us to do your bidding and have no clue as to what we truly are? Surely you know of demons like Orochi the Eight Tailed or even of the nefarious imps who spirit away children who are foolish enough to play with them!? Seeing as how humans are a relatively young species, though, I wouldn’t be surprised if your knowledge is lacking…”

Nine Tails mutters, to which Naruto only blinks and stares like a deer caught in headlights, his whiskered face wearing an expression of extreme puzzlement. Taking this as a ‘no’ the demon king sighs, his furry face a mix of incredulousness and pity. He lets out a snort, the white hot breath bowling over Naruto and causing his eyes to water. He needs a breath mint, or mouthwash… Naruto thinks, slowly backing away from the fetid cloud of air as he struggles to catch his breath. Ignoring the teen’s display, the beast puts his hands together and stares at them intently, not sure where to begin. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Nine Tails takes a deep breath and stares intently at the blonde, who is looking at him with a curious expression.

“All right, since you’re such an idiot, I guess I have to explain about our kind and how we are categorized…”

As soon as Naruto heard the word ‘explain’ his features contort into a grimace; this really wasn’t the time for this. He expresses his concerns to the demon who only brushes them off with a simple statement.

“We’re in your head; time doesn’t work the same when you’re talking to me. It’s probably only been a couple minutes in the real world; Besides if anything were to happen to your body, you’d know it. That’s when the primal instincts kick in. Well, that or I use my power since I don’t feel like dying just yet. Never mind the small stuff and pay attention to what I’m going to say. And don’t say you can’t memorize all of this either; You can categorize your ramen by brand, packaging, flavor and instant or not, so there’s no way you can’t screw this up.”

The demon king looks back to Naruto, who slowly nods his assent, though his expression bellies he really wasn’t in the mood for a lecture in the middle of battle.

“Okay…Demons have been around since the dawn of the world or at least since Izanagi and Izanami were created. Though it was more due to the fact that Izanami died and went to Yomi, what you call the underworld. Since she was the goddess of life, and had been transformed after eating the food of the dead, it caused havoc with the stability of the newly formed world. For everything that was good that was made, several bad things replaced it, and the world was put into chaos shortly after being born. Shadows separated themselves from their godly counterparts, taking on material forms and turning into the first demons. These fed on negative energy, or emotions, as well as the faults of their ‘other’ selves. Plus, they were warped forms of their ‘lighter’ brethren or sometimes combinations of one or more deities; holding about as much power as the originals. Good and evil fight, like it has been through history, generation gives birth to generation, with no clear side being the winner. So it has been like this since you guys came along, Kami-sama and Shinigami-sama consorting to make humans come about; each putting some of their own traits to balance out the others’. You guys are basically our power source; your prayers of admiration, or even out of fear give us power and strengthen us. It’s not like we need it to live or anything, but it can help tip the scales if we are given enough praise. Anyway, demons have evolved greatly since that time, along with the other denizens of the light, which I’ll call ‘divine’ since it has a more ‘pure’ ring to it than spirit does.”

Naruto nods, his face concentrating hard on what he was hearing. It’s not like he was dumb or anything, it’s just a lot to take in at once and he did not want to forget it.

“Getting to the nitty-gritty, demons have hierarchies and classes that determine their power and abilities. I, for one, am a Demon King, which is slightly above the middle on the totem pole. The other bijuu are in the same class and hierarchy as me; since we all are comprised of the same material and have similar abilities. Though I’m the strongest, since I’ve got nine tails, or so I like to think. Basically we’re all equal; but our true power comes from bonding with a human. And no, I’m never getting along with you; I just don’t wanna die because of your ignorance. It’s not like you could help it, as humans are on the bottom of the food chain if we are talking about hierarchy. Anyways, those damn imps are more or less on the bottom, at least the green colored ones are. We usually use them for fodder when we attack, which is what I think the mastermind behind this whole thing is doing. As for classes, those are specific to each demon type and some are so special they are only given to one demon. The imps you’ve been fighting are a member of the ‘Haunt’ class, they’re nothing special. I’m a member of the ‘Elemental’ class, and my attributes are darkness, wind and fire. It’s probably because I’m made up of chakra and spiritual energy, kinda like your old man.”

Naruto winces slightly at the mention of his foster father; his eyes narrowing slightly as he waits for the nine Tails to take a deep breath before continuing.

“Simply put, all demons have the darkness attribute and all divine beings have the light attribute. This doesn’t mean that light is stronger than darkness or vice versa; they’re about the same. The real thing that determines power is how you use it. Class doesn’t mean too much in terms of the hierarchy of demons, though it is useful if you need to figure out your opponent’s abilities. Just like in this world of ninjas, information is key to winning battles; you’ll die without it.”

The demon king said nothing after that, his eyes locked onto Naruto’s smaller ones. The blonde waits for a few seconds, making sure that was the end of the Nine Tails speech before asking his question.

“So…what should we do about that guy? He definitely looks much stronger than what I’ve faced before. How can we beat him?”

“Hmmm…From what I remember he’s about middle rank, though this doesn’t mean anything. He could have gotten stronger, for all I know, and from what I saw in your clone it looks like he has. Plus, it doesn’t look good for us if he has that guy on his side, and he seems much stronger than before. I have a feeling that Orochimaru tampered with his body quite a bit to give it as much power as it has. I do have a plan though; I’m just not one hundred percent sure it will work the way I want it to…”

“Eh? What do you suggest we do then?”

“The shadow clone is your specialty jutsu, right? Make one of your clones, but infuse it with as much of my chakra as you can. Since I can’t help out a shadow clone as I’m restricted by this seal and the properties of the jutsu, it will have to do. You’re gonna have to send the clone against the demon, and then we’ll team up against his little partner. I’ll tell you what to do.”

Naruto nods slowly, showing that he understands what he must do. That doesn’t mean that he accepts the fox’s proposal fully, however. He knows it could be a trap to get the demon to take over his body again; and this time Kakashi isn’t here to help. Things could get messy if Naruto lets his guard down. Nine Tails did say he was looking out for the boy, although those weren’t his exact words. This did make him feel a little better, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Taking a couple deep breaths and looking the demon king right into its fiery red orbs, Naruto leaves his sub consciousness and snaps his eyes open. Meanwhile, the demon in the bars is mentally congratulating itself on a job well done. He got the boy to trust him, if only a little bit and coerced Naruto use his power…

“Hey! You alright, Naruto? You zoned out for a moment there.”

Feeling a strong and firm hand on his shoulder, Naruto turns his gaze slightly to the right to see Choji staring at him with a look of concern on his swirly face. Naruto nods, his face brightening into a small grin at the scene. He’s a really nice guy…All I thought he did was sit around and eat. Can’t judge a book by its cover, I guess. He hasn’t changed much since the academy though. Naruto thinks his face turning into a small frown which Tenten, who has just walked up behind the pair, notices.

“Did you find something with your clones?”

“Yeah…and it’s not good at all. I think I can take care of it though, so just leave it to me. Besides, aren’t you guys tired from expending all your chakra?”

Naruto mutters, his face turning slightly to the south to find the copse where his clone had disappeared to. His three companions give each other a glance, and then turn back to Naruto who is a couple meters in front of them. Shino clears his throat, an almost imperceptible gesture, and moves up beside the blonde.

“Whatever’s out there you should not face it alone. Why? Because we more than fit to fight, me especially since I can drain the chakra of my opponents. We would be horrible companions and even worse friends if we let you go out there alone…”

Naruto stops Shino in the middle of his speech with an upraised hand. He turns to the three, his face stern and golden eyebrows squelched together on his sweating forehead.

“It’s because of our friendship I can’t let you do this. I need to fight that thing alone; I’m the only one who can do it. You guys need to protect the people hidden in the forest. If I do need your help, I’ll signal for it. You remember the signs we learned in the academy?”

They all nod, each wearing a disapproving frown on their faces. Naruto truly wishes they could fight with him, but he doesn’t want them getting hurt. He has the higher chakra capacity of the group, and is better suited to fight the demon ahead anyways. Plus, he does not want the three to learn of the Nine Tails, as both the Third and Kakashi had told him to keep a secret for as long as he could. The time on the bridge was an accident, and his teammates would have figured it out sooner or later, Sasuke being an Uchiha and all. He had made the two promise not to tell anyone, telling them the Hokage had made it an explicit order. Of course they could not refute such an order, and kept silent. Naruto did not want such a mistake to repeat itself, more so since he had trained to try and control the demonic chakra. He feels that it would be an insult to the Hokage and Kakashi, and he really did not want to disappoint either of them. Turning to face the group one last time, Naruto smiles and says he can take care of it, before dashing across the field and into the copse of trees opposite from his teammates and the villagers.

“I don’t think things are going to go as well as Naruto hopes
they will…”

Tenten mutters, to which Choji and Shino only nod silently, all three looking to where their comrade has disappeared off to.

A/N: School's been keeping me busy, so I haven't had too much research time. Besides, I'm still thinking about implementing this idea or not, and seeing how well it will fit within the context of the story. It may, or may not.

… … …

“I have no doubt...this chakra signature is...”

He half-mutters half-speaks out loud to his partner, who nods as they quickly change their course due southeast. The chakra flare he felt a few moments ago was definitely the same one he felt on night of the Nine Tails attack, the attack which the Uchiha were later blamed for. His bangs weave in and out of his field of vision, the forest speeding past the two cloaked forms as they leap across the branches of its many trees. They continue to follow the trail of the chakra, the minutes slowly blending into one another, the journey quiet and uneventful. He really wasn't in the mood for any bantering with Kisame right now, his eyes narrowing as the blur from his sight loss deterred his progress; the hues of green and brown from the forest canopy blending together before him, making it difficult to tell which was the right branch to land on until it was only a few meters away. By that time he was usually in mid-jump, the trajectory unchangeable at the speed which they were traveling, inwardly cursing for his small error in judgment. With his Sharingan, the chances of making such errors were mitigated slightly, though they did occur every so often, and Itachi was sure his partner in crime noticed.

The younger man was unsure of how to react to the development; he was sure that they hadn't reached the point in their 'relationship' where one would actually take notice If the other was in pain or suffering. Itachi knows though, that Kisame has been keeping tabs on his health, even if the blue skinned shark did not admit it himself. The one thing that came to Itachi's mind was 'why'. It seemed likely that he would never get that information out of the man himself, partners though they may be, their situation was one more suited to 'predator' and 'prey' each never knowing if one would be attacked by the other. At least that's how it started out at first, but as the two men became more comfortable around each other, learning more and more as time went on, Itachi knows that he doesn’t have to fear anything like betrayal from the man only a few meters behind and to the left of him. Still something in Itachi knew that Kisame wasn't to be trusted fully, and having him learn about the damage to his sight could be detrimental to both the plans of the Akatsuki and his own agenda. He mentally shakes his head, scattering what was left of his thoughts; all they have to do is follow the nine Tails chakra, grab the jinchuriki and leave. Of course, Itachi had a little business he needs to settle with Sasuke in the Leaf, but that can wait until after their main mission is complete. He doubts that Kisame would mind, seeing that he loved finding a good fight against a strong opponent, and there would be quite a few of those in Leaf who would undoubtedly react to their presence, hidden or no...

… … …

“Interesting...Kid, what's with the little dog hiding in your jacket?”

“Hm? You mean the white one? He's new; just summoned him about a half month or so ago...Something seems off about him though.”

Naruto responds to the call of the Nine Tails in his mind, waiting for an answer. All is silent for a few moments, the only noise the wind rushing in the blond's ears as he jumps from branch to branch. He could feel the chakra of the demon getting closer and closer, along with a more familiar chakra that puzzled him greatly. He wasn't really sure what to think about this new development when the fox interrupted his train of thought to begin speaking anew.

“Odd is right, boy. Isn't this the one you summoned using my chakra? Then it makes sense that he's a little off; No human could do this with regular chakra, unless they were a priest or one of the few monks or disciples with ties to the spiritual plane.”

“What do you mean? So he's not a normal wolf-dog thingy?”

“Yes, that's what I mean idiot. Pay attention when I'm talking to you dammit! Anyways, this thing feels like a Divine, albeit a weak one. Probably because it is so small, just having been born into the world. Did anything seem wrong when you first summoned him?”

“Wrong? Well...He does have weird markings on his white fur that only Sasuke and I can see; They are an odd red-blood color, and cover most of his body, even his tiny face. I think he can sense demons too, or he knows more about them than I do. The first time we met those imp-like creatures, he started to growl and attack them, and he has an odd jutsu or something he used to kill them...”

Naruto comments, his jacket wiggling a little as the small pup pokes its head out of his white collar. The white wolf just looks at him oddly, its coal black eyes swiveling around to survey its surroundings after a few minutes. The orange clad ninja notices that its gaze is stuck on the northwest part of the forest, where the demon's chakra has gotten stronger. Stopping atop one of the branches lower to ground level, Naruto concentrating on gathering up as much of the Nine Tail's chakra as he could pull out. His focus wavers a little and he inwardly curses as some of the demon's chakra is lost, only about 10% of it going into his shadow clone. He quickly scans the duplicate over, noticing it looks the exact same as he does though the chakra stored within it was only that of the demon's and none of his own was present. That's kinda odd...Something like this has never happened before. I guess it's because I messed up? Naruto wonders as he nods to his clone, which quickly heads off towards the source of the demonic chakra, the real blonde chasing after it.

“What was that about it using a jutsu to kill demons? I highly doubt you remember it, as you humans have awful memories, but describe it to me if it's possible.”

“Hmmm...I don't really remember as the little guy hasn't fought too much, though I saw whatever connected with this...black line was cut in half. I'm not sure how he did it, the ability seemed innate, or maybe he learned it...I don't know.”

“Figures...Well, there's no helping it, I guess.”

The demon king mutters inside his cage, his expression contemplative as he studies the information he has just learned. A black line that cuts anything in half, eh? That definitely sounds like their power. I remember using it myself once...before it was taken back after I stole it some thousand years ago. Those were good times, good times to be a demon at least. The Nine-Tails thinks, his expression softening slightly as he remembers that time, the time when demons and divine both battled for supremacy over the human land. The world has become too soft, slowly losing what made it special in the first place. With all the advancements in technology and medicine, people lived too long and stayed alive with diseases they would normally die from; be it a disability like being born with one less limb or something contracted via parasite or bacteria. The people are losing the will to fight, that primal instinct which compels all beings to cling to survival. In response the world has become weaker, and will soon be unable to sustain the populations of the world for long. Most humans are oblivious to this of course, and are just trying to live out their lives day to day.

The hatred in people's souls, the most important aspect of all things living, is slowly helping the decay of the planet. Humans squabble over resources, killing others and drowning the Earth in their blood. Parents fight with their children or spouses, splitting up families and adding to the darkness inside people's hearts. It is situations like these that drive the world deeper and deeper into chaos, and if the balance shifts towards the darkness enough demons get more powerful due to the desires in people's hearts for death, destruction, greed and lust. Like the thing they were about to face now; the Nine Tails can sense that it's power has grown since the last few centuries they met, most likely due to the conflicts rampant across the land. Watching the boy, the demon notices he has stopped moving, one hand gripping the handle for the blade on his back.

“I think something's coming our way...”

Naruto comments, his eyes narrowing as he stares forward into the brush, his feet taut and bent at the knees. The leaves on the trees rustle in the wind, the only discerning sound in the forest; everything else, aside from the blonde's breathing, was deathly quiet. The small dog in Naruto's jacket growls slightly as it sniffs the air, sensing something approaching. The genin quickly notices the odd scent as well, though something seems familiar to the orange clothed shinobi. He quickly leaps forward, his legs springing into action just as soon as he notices the shadow hidden in the treetops. Naruto quickly takes out his blade, swinging it so it is angled perpendicular to the figure below him. The two connect before Naruto's body even registers the blow, metal screeching along metal, katana meeting dagger in a flash of sparks and light. Naruto cannot hold against the attack, having no footing since he is still in mid-air, and pushes off his opponent's blade. He flies through the air, the wind rushing harshly in his ears, his sandaled feet sticking vertically to one of the trees only a couple yards away from his opponent.

“This guy...He's pretty good. I won't lose though, not to someone who sided with a thing like that!”

Naruto shouts, his eyes still trained on the mysterious figure. Faster than he can notice, the shadowed assaulter lands a roundhouse kick to Naruto's face, sending the blonde flying through the air. He crashes to the ground unceremoniously, the force of the impact kicking up much dirt and causing the genin to spit out blood. Barely lifting his head, Naruto wipes the blood off of his face with his left arm, watching as his attacker drops from the tree trunk onto the soft grass. He's toying with me, I see that now. He could have easily killed me before I got up, but he didn't. Either he's very cocky and likes to enjoy playing with his opponent or something is forcing hm to hold back. Naruto thinks, watching as the person moves under the shadows of the forest towards him. He couldn't make out many details from his angle on the ground, aside from the fact that whomever this was had to be an adult due to their tall build; No child could grow to that height, it was impossible for one's body to grow that tall so quickly. Something else was off to the blonde, the fact that his opponent decides to still keep to the shadows even though his presence was already known.

The man, being an elite fighter, should have understood that sticking to the shadows was useless now; His advantage of surprise had already been taken from him when they clashed. Yet there he was, still sticking to the path nearest to the copse of trees, his katana out and extended towards Naruto. Using his free left hand, the blonde hurriedly stood up to face his opponent, holding out his dagger defensively. Almost as soon as he was ready, the man sped forward, his blade whipping forward in a flash of silver as the metal gleamed against the sunlight. Naruto stumbles under this assault, his legs buckling under him from the pressure of his opponent, who weighed much more than a twelve year old boy. The man, still cloaked in the shadows, pulls his blade back and slices again, this time a horizontal swipe meant to decapitate.

Naruto notices this, but knows he can do little considering the size of his opponent. He backs off instead, the blade just barely missing his forehead and leaving a deep gash near the left side of his face. He winces slightly, but ignores the pain and jumps away from his opponent, who surprisingly does not pursue. The man is just standing there, his body rigid and taut, his form obscured by the lack of light in the area. Instead of questioning his good fortune, Naruto quickly runs from the fight, hoping to lose the man in the thickness of the vast copse of trees. He hops from branch to branch, his speed increasing as his fear mounts. I would have died if I tried to block that hit; Our levels are waaay too different. Besides, how can a child hope to match up with a grown man. The difference in strength and abilities is too vast, he has more experience than I do. If I can lose him in the trees, maybe he'll give up. He didn't seem to eager to fight anyway; I was the one who initiated the attack. He most likely was acting out of self-defense.

Nodding to himself to assuage his suspicions, Naruto can only sigh to himself, looking behind his shoulder occasionally to check if the man is following him. He does not see or smell anything, but something in the back of his mind tells him to be wary. His white pup also is sniffing the air, hoping to catch if anything else is on their trail. Having found nothing, the little pup sticks his head back inside Naruto's jacket, his onyx eyes peeking out from there.

“You didn't find anything else either, huh? Maybe he has decided to leave us alone then...”

Naruto mutters, praying that his hunch is correct.

… … …

“This is more trouble than it's worth...”

Itachi mutters to himself, quickly launching some shuriken to counter against the projectiles sent by his opponent. Even with his degrading vision, the Sharingan helped immensely in times like these, and he flawlessly dodged all of the attacks that came his way. The two had thought it would have been easy to capture the jinchuriki by following his chakra signature, or at least the signature of the Nine Tails. What they did not expect was to encounter this on the way, blocking them from getting closer to their target. Well, it really didn't matter to Itachi, as he sensed that Naruto was coming closer and closer to their current location every passing minute. The Uchiha had never seen something like this before, and why it was opposing them he did not know. All he knew that it was in the way of their mission and so it must be killed. Even with Kisame's help, however, that task was proving more difficult than they had first anticipated.

Being an S-ranked criminal in every known ninja country's bingo book was no easy feat to be sure, and with that notoriety came a certain degree of awe and respect. One could only become a missing nin by being strong enough to evade Anbu, the best trackers and fighters in a ninja village, or in some cases killing Anbu members. Techniques of that level, whether they are martial arts or jutsu, usually take some skill to master that is far above the average shinobi. Most jutsu on the higher tiers of A or S rank could cause irreparable damage if used incorrectly, the least of which being chakra drainage to the point of death. The thing they were fighting now was far above any average Anbu member; It was probably at least twice as powerful as the two of them combined. Both Itachi and Kisame know they need to come up with a strategy to beat this thing and fast, with their target getting closer and closer into their reach.

Easier said than done, seeing as the beast they were fighting was about fifteen meters high in height, with a girth that could easily be around three hundred pounds. The fact that it was big did not mean it was slow, and the creature was easily able to keep up with the duo, though they were still slightly faster. It was white and brow in color with five legs; two located at each side of the monster with an extra in back. It stares out at them from shadowed blue eyes, eyes that are filled with a venomous rage and hatred. Its stance is almost crab-like, one giant stinger located in the of its brown flesh. The beast waves around two giant appendages, something with slight similarity to human hands in shape though the left hand is more similar to a drill used for mining. Both of them had traveled around the Five Ninja Nations for quite a while, yet neither of the two had encountered anything such as this. They highly doubted it was a new species either; something of this power was easily on the level of a Summoning Creature, as no mere human could make something like this appear; not even their leader Pain with his Rinnegan could summon a beat so monstrous and colossal without having much trouble keeping it in check. This meant one crucial thing; That whatever this creature was, it was not of the same plane as most other living beings or summons. Even knowing that much about it did little to help their situation.

“I don't mind a good fight every so often, but this is a little extreme, wouldn't you agree Itachi-san?”

Kisame half-jokingly comments, busy wrenching his giant blade out of the monster's torn flesh. Samehada writhes in pleasure as the blood of the thing envelops it, its master grinning slightly as he understands its joy. It seems that was only the outer skeleton, a white chakra armor hiding the real thing inside. Most interesting... The half-shark half-human looking shinobi thinks, bringing his blade swinging over his head down for another chop. The sword tears again through the white barrier protecting the creature, its brown skin now soaked a dark crimson with its own blood. He hurriedly ducks out of the way as a fireball streams past him, the orange blaze connecting with the brown skin of the monster in front of him. The beast lets out a piercing shriek, its body frothing about to and fro because of the pain, its appendages swiping madly to try and hit one of the ninja.

"This is one tough foe..."

Itachi asserts, his gaze narrowing as he notices the damage from his fireball was starting to heal already. Either this demon was slightly impervious to fire ninjutsu, or it had a regenerative ability similar to the Nine-Tails. Shuriken and kunai had little to no effect; they either bounced off, doing no damage, or the wounds inflicted by them were healed almost instantly. The only thing that seemed to work was Kisame's Shark Skin blade, it's property of absorbing chakra slowly but surely weakening the creature. I may have to leave this to Kisame, as I see no way to hurt the demon myself...Using the Mangekyou here would be a waste and my sight can little afford such a choice. It would be better for me to try and intercept Naruto. Itachi thinks, relaying his idea to his blue skinned companion. Kisame only lets out a feral grin, his white eyes shining devilishly.

"Fine, you're the most suited for capturing him with your genjutsu anyway. I'll stay here and deal with this thing on my own...!"

He comments, watching as his lithe partner dashes off into the forest. The sword wielding shinobi is caught by surprise however, as one of the monster's claws tears into his left shoulder. He grins, the adrenaline of the fight blocking out the pain, and swings his sword horizontally to counter. The powerful blow sends the creature's bottom leg flying, the thing screeching in pain as it registers the lack of a limb. Almost immediately, said left leg starts to regenerate, the white of its bone marrow gleaming against it's brown flesh.

"This will be a good challenge; I'm getting excited!"

A/N: Reading over my fic and noticing something, Orochi the Eight Tailed and Hachibi are NOT the same thing; Hachibi is a bijuu level monster and Orochi is something vastly different, though they have the same number of tails and share a bit of history they are two different types of demons. You'll see this later on when we can see Orochi in action, and I apologize for not putting this in the same chapter he was introduced. I personally forgot that they were based off the same creature/legend and assumed people would think they are different. That was my mistake and I do apologize.

... ... ...

"That kid...even though he holds the power of the Nine-Tails, is just as weak as any other human I've faced here. I do feel a remnant of its energy somewhere nearby though, so it means that he can access the power. Maybe this human isn't so stupid...if he can access the demon's power at such a young age...there may be hope for him yet. Now, let's see how he does against my master's pet, hmm?"

The figure mutters, hurriedly sheathing his katana while leaping into the trees after the blonde boy. He does not care about finishing the skirmish they had earlier; now that he has assessed the boy's potential, his true work can begin. He stills needs one more thing to make sure that this boy is the one however, and that is data from his fight against the demon up ahead. In order for his thesis to be correct, he must see how the boy uses the demonic power given to him, and whether the child can control it fully or not. Turning northwest from his current position, the shadowy man can only grin in satisfaction as he draws closer to the source of demonic energy; both that of the Nine-Tails and the test subject his master has laid out for the boy.

... ... ...

Naruto's eyes narrow slightly, as he senses the presence from before closing in on him. His thoughts stop altogether as he feels the chill from the man he fought earlier; fear assails his senses and he momentarily stops leaping from tree to tree. Panting, his body dirty and covered in sweat from the day's battles, Naruto wipes his forehead with the back of his hand. I don't think he's going after me, more likely he's gong to destroy the clone...Geez! The blonde thinks, taking a deep breath before setting off again at a faster pace than last time. He angled himself so that he was heading north-northwest into the forest; in between the path his clone is taking and the one where the demon is lying in wait. After about ten minutes, he slows a little, noticing yet another chakra following the same path. This one was south-southeast from his position, which meant that whomever this person was had to have tangled with the demon and survived. Naruto could tell by the size of the chakra that was being emitted that this person was powerful, but not so much as compared to the man he fought earlier. This didn't mean much though, as Naruto figures that the shadowy man he encountered is on a level above most other people, possibly rivaling that of Orochimaru.

He could tell from that one skirmish, that one exchange of blows, that whoever went up against this man would be killed quickly and harshly; the only reason he survived was because the person wished it to be so. The genin still had no idea why his life had been spared, and no idea why the man didn't feel like chasing after him. Maybe they felt like it was too much of a hassle to deal with a child, or maybe not, he wasn't sure. All Naruto knew that he did not want to face that man again, and that thought made him stop right there in his tracks. Why the hell am I rushing towards death!? If that guy is there and a person who was able to evade or fight off that demon, I really shouldn't involve myself in this...I could be killed; it would be better to wait and see what intel the clone can gather, since the three are likely to cross paths at one point. I'll make my decision then, when I know more. I feel so powerless right now; I really wanted to stop the bad guy who was causing all this, but I can't even with the Nine-Tails help. I want to be strong and help people, but I can't even punish the guy who is behind all this! Dammit, it makes me so mad sometimes...

Naruto can only sigh, his face downcast and his blue eyes looking down at his feet. Having thought about what he should do, the orange clad boy sits down on the tree limb, rummaging for something in his weapons pouch. His hand finally curls around the object which he is looking for, his face brightening as he reads the familiar title. He has read this book about a hundred times now and already knows how the story will play out, but that doesn't matter to him. What Naruto is remembering is not the story inside the book, but the story about the book and how much importance it holds to him. Even now, though it has been quite a few years since he learned to read, he still covets this small novel greatly. The only thing that would make this better if Dad was here...I miss him; I wonder if he's thinking about me at all. I have bigger problems to worry about right now though. The blonde thinks, quietly opening his book and starting from the beginning. All he can do now is wait until his clone disperses, either on its' own or from being attacked, and then Naruto can spring into action.

... ... ...

"The chakra reading is getting stronger. He is probably heading this way."

Itachi comments, his onyx eyes turning crimson as he activates his Sharingan. He stumbles on the tree branch, having landed on it awkwardly, and quickly rights himself, squinting at his hand. It was slightly blurry even a couple inches away from his face, the edges of his fingers overlaying on top of one another. It was disorienting, even for him who had to deal with it for a couple years now. ever since he used the eyes on Sasuke. That wasn't the first time he had activated them, but it seemed to the Uchiha that was when his eyesight had begun to deteriorate. I can waste no time thinking about this. I must find Naruto and subdue him. Itachi thinks, blinking a couple times to clear his head. He leaps from the branch, continuing to move towards the northwest, where the source of the demon's chakra signature was.

After about ten or so minutes, he stops moving, feeling another presence following Naruto. He realizes it isn't following the boy so much as moving in the same direction; for what purpose Itachi cannot tell. He reasons that whomever it is, they are trying to go after the creature he left Kisame with, it's energy signature powerful from even this far away. Measuring the distance from here to where the demon was located, Itachi does see some slight chance of their paths intercepting, though from the quality of the chakra he can tell that this person is not one of good virtue. Most high level ninja, about from the time they become special Jounin, are taught this ability. It is of a higher level than being able to scan chakra normally, having increased range and perception than it's lower level counterpart, which is taught to Genin by their Jounin instructor or some by their ninja parents. This level of chakra seeking is used to find hostile intent in a person's energies, which will manifest when they use chakra.

This will manifest in a person's chakra color, which is attuned to their personality. Each person has an individual color, though there are similarities here and there. This does not affect what jutsu they can learn, the types of jutsu they are able to use or their elemental affinity, those are traits one inherits from their parents or clan; if they have a big enough family that is. The Uchiha clan is one example of this, as is the Hyuuga. Uchiha were seen as ninjutsu specialists with an affinity for fire elemental techs; while the Hyuuga are proficient in mainly taijutsu with an affinity for water. This does not mean that one is always born with the affinity, as there are exceptions where a clan who is earth based gets a lighting or wind user. It mainly boils down to chance; you either have the gift or not, though having parents with the genes for one element do increase the chances of inheriting it. Most Jounin do end up being proficient in two or possibly three elements, though they cannot learn high ranked level jutsu that are the direct opposite of their inherent elemental affinity.

Itachi's red eyes narrow, seeing that the person has noticed him already and is heading toward where he is standing. Hiding some kunai in the left sleeve of his cloak, he waits patiently, unsure of this person's motives. I have a feeling he is in league with the demon; why would he bother coming after me if he thought I didn't kill it? This is really unnecessary...Itachi thinks, his Sharingan catching a glimpse of something moving through the trees only a dozen meters ahead. It was difficult to make out at so far away due to his low sight, but that was mitigated by the Sharingan enough so that he could tell it was a human figure. Judging by the way they moved through the trees, picking their route carefully and doing their best to avoid making noise, he guessed they hadn't realized he noticed them already. Itachi only watches as they close the distance between them, noticing the gleam of silver metal that pokes through the canopy due to the sunlight.

Acting on instinct, Itachi brings the kunai up in an arc in front of his face. Almost instantaneously, he hears tiny clink of metal on metal, the three kunai in his hand and the man's sword edging against each other. The sparks blind him momentarily, though his other senses are intact, leaving him able to block the leg that tries to kick him off the branch with his thigh. The man laughs, a sinister chuckle that would faze an ordinary person. Itachi ignores the taunt, his face blank as he presses harder with the kunai. He can see nothing of the man's face, as it is covered by a long tress of oily black hair, though he detects a hint of a smile on the man's expression.

"Interesting...You're one of the few foolish humans that actually knows how to put up a fight. I hope you won't die too soon, I haven't had this much fun in a while!"

His opponent comments, pushing his blade against the kunai so that more sparks are created. Itachi inwardly is confused by that statement, or at least the way it was worded. The way the man said 'humans' was almost callous and definitely mocking, as if he didn't consider himself to be one of them. He has no more time to register the shadow's statement, as the blur of black quickly withdraws his katana. Knowing what is coming, Itachi quickly parries the horizontal swipe coming in from the left, delivering a quick right hook with his free hand. His opponent dodges deftly, titling his head to the side to avoid the blow. This lets the Uchiha push back his blade with the kunai, trying to get in a quick jab with his weapons.

The black haired man dodges this too, sucking in his chest ever so slightly. He doesn't move an inch from his position on the tree branch from where he landed. This surprises Itachi, as how can someone so strong be so lithe and agile; even for ninja it was difficult to keep every aspect of their training symmetrical. More so even training in taijutsu, as some parts of the body would grow faster than others depending on the exercises one used. This made it difficult for some people to keep up, with their hands moving faster than their feet could react or vice-versa. That is why this man was so odd; All aspects of his body, from the way his hips moved to the way his arms flowed were completely in sync with one another, leaving no room for one to counterstrike unless they wanted to leave themselves open. No human, no matter how many years of training they underwent, could reach this level ninja or not. Itachi was able to keep up with the man, though it was slightly difficult due to his weakening vision, but he doubted anyone without some form of foresight could so without being beaten.

Seeing as this match could only end in a stalemate, or possibly worse, Itachi ups the severity of his attacks, coming on harder and faster. The man keeps dodging, barely moving his body except for the slightest twist or turn, making the battle seem more like a dance than a clash of blades. The Uchiha would thrust or slash, the man countering by blocking the attacks with the metal guards on his legs and arms. No matter how much damage they took, those metal bands did not scratch or show any sign of wear or tear. His blade, too, seemed almost otherwordly as it has shown no nicks under the force of Itachi's blows. Sensing that his opponent has grown desperate, the man cackles almost manically, his deep baritone-like voice the only other sound in the forest.

"Good, good! I want you to struggle a little more before I kill you...To think I'd fight someone with a similar eye ability to him, though it seems you have it in both your eyes..."

The odd man comments, his voice filled with glee, as if they weren't having a fight to the death. Both eyes? Is he talking about Kakashi-san? Wait, he's been captured by Orochimaru for a while now... The raven haired Uchiha thinks, his mouth very slightly turning into a frown on one side. Seeing he has his opponent distracted, the black haired man launches a quick roundhouse that the Uchiha could not dodge. Grunting in pain, Itachi flies off the tree branch to land on a lower one, where the sun is blocking out his view of his opponent's face. The man laughs again, a shaking, insane cackle that sounds almost inhuman. Wincing at the pain in his left side, Itachi notices that Naruto's chakra has gotten closer than before, much closer. He leaps off of the branch, quickly throwing the kunai in his hand as he does so. The man blocks them with a single swipe of his katana, making no move to go after the Uchiha, which he finds very odd. Already passing the man, Itachi looks back to see him still standing there in the same position, his blue kimono floating in the light, soundless breeze.

"I'm done with you now, boy. We had a good fight, but I have things I must do. I hope you'll stay alive until we meet again. You're one of the most engaging opponents I've had since I've been in these lands."

With that, the man leaves, his form speeding off again and blending into the shadows. Even if he wanted to go find that man again, Itahci wasn't sure he could do it; that kind of concealment wasn't like a genjutsu but something different altogether. Shaking the thoughts of the strange, katana wielding man out of his mind, the Uchiha keeps moving towards the Nine-Tails chakra signature. It isn't long before he finally spots his prey, seemingly oblivious and unaware of his presence. Something seems off about the boy though, and Itachi only needs to get a couple yards closer to see exactly what it was. He curses inwardly when he discovers it's only a Shadow Clone, the real Naruto hiding somewhere else. He quickly dispatches it with a small jab to the face, and is confused when it doesn't pop out of existence. The clone quickly counters with a kick to the stomach, which Itachi easily dodges, though at the expense of hurting his bruised rib. Though it's a minory injury to the former Anbu captain, it still hinders his ability to fight, distracting as the pain is.

Still, a small black and blue like this should pose no problem if he is up against a twelve year old child. He quickly forms hand signs faster than the clone can react to, and spews out a giant fireball, the thing's size engulfing the tree branch the clone is standing on. The smoke clears, and an impressed Itachi understands why the clone is still standing after a jutsu hit it head on. This clone isn't powered by Naruto's chakra; it's the Nine-Tails. No wonder the fire attack had hardly any effect, the fire jutsu was mitigated by the chakra's affinity for fire. The Nine-Tails is a very durable bijuu; a couple thousand weak jutsu wouldn't take it out so easily... Itachi thinks, gathering his chakra into the veins near his left eye. He inwardly curses for having to use this technique, but it's probably the only thing that could work against the Nine-Tails chakra. He'd just be wasting chakra using ordinary jutsu and this would be much more efficient, hopefully some of the residue going back into the original. His eye still closed as he centers the chakra in his retina, the Uchiha opens his eye and focuses his gaze on the clone.

... ... ...

"Eh? Aaargh, what the hell? Nnnghh...my head feels like it's going to burst! AAAaaaagh...dammit!"

Naruto screams out his hands clutching his temples, his Legend of the Gutsy Ninja falling out of his hands onto the grass, the expression on his face one of pure agony. Even though it was a clone that was hit, he can feels the effects strongly, his vision wavering in and out from colored to black, red and white. He can only watch as his teammates are killed right in front him; the members of Team Seven, the group that helped him in the Forest of Death in the Chunin Exams, and the three he has been working with today. Sometimes they are stabbed through the heart, lungs, or head and left to die instantly. It is worse when Itachi does not kill them outright; their bodies bloodied and broken in front of him, pleading for his help and when he does get closer those pleas turn into blame.

"It's your fault! If we weren't teamed up with a Jinchuriki, the Akatsuki would have left us alone!"

Screams keep coming out of the blonde's mouth; though he is no longer sane enough to recognize they are his. Awakened from it's short nap due to the loud noises, the white pup pops out of Naruto's collar to look at him quizzically. Sensing that something is definitely wrong, he wriggles his way out of Naruto's moving jacket and sits beside the boy, nuzzling him. No response is forthcoming from the blonde; his eyes are glazed over and his skin sweaty and pale, making the wolf pup's fur stick together. His expression is still one of pure terror, though his mouth is now closed, his body still trembling even though the effects of the jutsu are over. The only thing the white wolf can do is whine, his shrill cry echoing through the forest. He repeats this once more, his black pebble eyes showing defeat and hopelessness in his usually stoic gaze.

"That turned out better than I thought it would. Now that the brat's will is effectively neutralized, I can go out and have a bit of fun. Damned seal...I'd like to release my full power, but it's still too strong for me to break through yet. Plus, that silver haired brat is still in this realm...He and this seal need to be taken care of, but I'm a patient guy; Looks like the seal is starting to weaken ever since the bridge, and a few more years or so isn't long..."

The Nine-Tails mutters, its blood red eyes lighting up in excitement inside the dark depths of his barred prison. Staring at the mental manifestation of the blonde boy in front of it, the demon grins devilishly as it extends a tendril of its chakra. The red energy extends toward the boys shaken and disheveled form, his eyes blank and body shaking as he still has not recovered from Itachi's Tsukuyomi. Even as the red chakra curls around his ankles, Naruto only looks down and blinks, his face unreadable. After a few minutes, the chakra has completely covered him, the red aura slowly changing his features. The Nine-Tails grins, its will now almost completely dominating the boy, watching as the chakra covering the child turns more demonic in nature.

By now the whole room where the demon is contained is bathed in a soft red glow. Heat emanates from the chakra, the sloshing water slowly evaporating and turning into steam. The blonde is unfazed by the heat, his skin starting to peel off in layers and the blood dripping onto the floor. He screams out in pain, his body finally understanding what is happening to him, but he is helpless against the power of the demon's will. The seal is able to protect him to some extent, but it has weakened by both the demonic chakra and the fact that Kakashi is too far away to add his own power to the seal. The demon laughs in his cage, watching as the red aura around the boy begins mixing with his blood to make a chakra shell in its likeness. Naruto drops to all fours, his body now looking like a miniature Nine-Tails, filling up part of the room where it is housed.

The same changes are taking place outside of Naruto's subconsciousness as well; the aura of chakra driving away the frightened little wolf pup and burning the grass beneath the blonde's semi-conscious form. Now having taken reins of the boy's mind, the Nine Tails roars in triumph, its chakra blast destroying two of the trees in front of it. Hearing growling coming from behind, the Nine-Tails turns around to see the small pup, his teeth barred as he narrows his eyes. It lets out a snort of contempt at seeing the creature, for even though the creature is Divine in nature, his power is weak as he is small and inexperienced. There is no way such a tiny thing could be able to defeat the Nine-Tails, even though it is severely limited in power due to the constraints of the seal. Its wants to test out this new jinchuriki though, and see how much of its power Naruto can handle. Being an Uzumaki, with their powerful chakra and slightly longer than normal lifespan, he should be able to do a fair job of handling its power. Plus unlike the other two Uzumaki it has been sealed in, this one is a male and his quantity of physical energy is more suited to the types of attacks the Nine-Tails uses, unlike spiritual energy which is more suited for genjutsu and illusory attacks.

The small pup darts forward, his body like a tightly coiled spring, and launches himself at his former master. The Nine-Tails waits until the last minute, then swipes a claw in front of itself, the chakra wave that comes after catching the small pup in the midsection. He whines pitifully, the cut opening up and pooling blood onto the ground, but he shakily starts to get up. The Nine-Tails only watches, its colorless orbs locking onto its small and scrawny opponent. He only stands there in that same spot, knowing now that charging in would be a stupid maneuver, and gathers up his own energy. Letting it loose with a fierce growl, the small pup aims for one the demon's forelegs, a black streak cutting across the Nine-Tails right leg. Even though the chakra armor is too powerful to sustain any damage from the attack, the demon blinks in surprise; this is the same power that it had stolen almost a couple millennium ago, before the advent of humans on this planet, when both demons and divine vied for control of its resources.

I see...so it has finally reincarnated into a different form. Took you longer than it should have, but all the otherwordly powers are weaker than before since the humans have stopped worshiping us as frequently. No matter, I shall defeat you while you are weak and young, before you can blossom into a true divine able to match my powers. Then I will deal with that Uchiha, since he is the next big threat...Damned ocular jutsu wielders, always thinking you are so high and mighty with your powers. Bet you have no clue where that power comes from... It thinks, watching as the white wolf tries to attack again with another slash of ink. It ignores the hit and counters with a roar, the chakra shock wave sending the pup tumbling into the dirt, the bottoms of the trees slicing in two and toppling over to block him from confronting the demon. Satisfied that it has killed his weaker opponent by crushing it under the trees, and since it can no longer feel the wolf's spiritual energy anymore, it bounds off in the opposite direction to look for the Uchiha that had given it its freedom and pay him back.

... ... ...

"Oh dear...this isn't going the way I want it to."

It mutters, one hand cupped underneath its chin. In this particular moment of space-time, it had chosen to manifest its presence as a young man, one possibly in their early twenties. The last time he had bothered to check up on the mortal world and see how things were going was about a decade ago, and he had been a woman in her late fifties at the time. His pink lips were curved into a frown, the expression on his tanned face slightly downtrodden. Hearing footsteps, he turns his head slightly to the left, only to see a hand on his shoulder. He sees a hint of red, the hair brushing his face as the person peers down to watch the scene below unfold.

"Kami-sama, this looks like it could be trouble. Even though the child has a divine companion, he still cannot fight off the influence of that annoying bijuu. Should we not perhaps send a stronger spirit to lend him aid? The small pup can only do so much, being newly reincarnated into the world of men..."

The voice comments, causing him to sigh and drop his hand from his chin to rest at his side. He stands up, turning to face the person who had just spoken. Mito, her expression looks worried and is causing the lines around her mouth to deepen, but her emerald eyes are hard set as she looks down below the clouds. The ruler of the celestial plane can only nod, pacing back and forth a couple times before he suddenly thinks of something. Plucking some of the energy of the world, or ether as it is more commonly known, he quickly fashions a divine that can be used as a messenger and sends it off.

"I don't know what would be best...I would create another spirit or just send one of few I have that could fight the Nine-Tails, but I would like to consult with Shinigami-sama on this matter. Seeing as it is one of his own beings that he watches, he may know a bit more about it than I do, and can probably come up with a more effective strategy. If neither of us can think of something, then I can just send a volunteer down to handle it."

Mito nods, understanding the complexity of the situation. If Kami-sama did send out a divine to neutralize the Nine-Tails without consulting the ruler of the Abyss about it, he could end up hurting the boy jinchuriki even further. Besides, it was really out of his jurisdiction to deal with demons, even though this one is entrapped within a human, and he did not want to anger the Shinigami. Some days the Lord of the Abyss would have a volatile temper, though it varied every so often as his mood swings were random and could be set off at any time. He did not want to build such animosity with the Abyss ruler, and wanted to stay on somewhat friendly terms.

... ... ...

"I understand. So the Nine-Tails has decided to try and break free, hmm? This is going to be a pain in the ass; I have my hands full with Him again, starting up his conquest bullshit now, of all times..."

Shinigami-sama snorts, its thin fingers waving off the messenger spirit as soon as he heard what it had to say. It narrows its eyes, its long lashes falling onto its cheeks every so often as it blinks. The Shinigami has too much going on in the Abyss right now, as several of the demons under his rule have conspired against him, joining under one of the few demons on the higher scale of the hierarchy. While being powerful, more so than to take care of this on his own, it would weaken him if more of the demons decide to turn on him; and he was not ready to give up his position to his heir just yet. The 'child' was too young and inexperienced, there was no way it would be able to control this horde without being manipulated by one of the stronger demons.

For the time being, it had to preserve its strength and figure out a way to deal with the problems in his own realm. Now with this request by Kami, it seems that things are getting more and more complicated than they once were. Humans trying to dominate bijuus, ninjas and their system of exploiting and turning on one another, samurai and their growing lack of respect for the old ways, disease and poverty striking more of the poorer and less developed nations. This was only the tip of the iceberg; it would only get worse from here on in if the demons decided to join in on the fun; until Orochimaru had summoned Orochi from the Abyss, it only had to deal with that one demon who has always wanted to rule over the Abyss. Now that humans found it easier to summon demons into the mortal realm; thanks to the portals between the worlds slowly being cracked open due to the influx of demonic presence in the human world, all hell would literally break loose if this continued. Luckily, it had managed to stem the influence somewhat, but the demons it was unable to capture sometimes made it into the human realm.

It let out a groan of annoyance, then proceeds to pass on the information it knew about the Nine-Tails. Even if it couldn't send any of its own men, or go there itself due to this recent trouble. it could at least help out by exposing the thing's weakness. If they had that information, Kami could probably send the right type of spirit for the job. If only Kakashi wasn't under the influence of Orochimaru; he could probably do something...While it's true an Uchiha could suppress the Nine-Tails with the Sharingan, we really don't want Akatsuki or Itachi to get their hands on Naruto right now. Hopefully Kami will be smart enough to send someone who is strong enough to beat Itachi and subdue the Nine-Tails... It thinks, nodding as it sees that the information has been sent. Having done its job, the Shinigami rests its hands on its lap and sighs, focusing its attention on the one problem that has been plaguing it for a while.

"That bastard...sending one of its minions to the human world, his right hand man no less. I wouldn't expect anything else from him, he was always cunning. No doubt he wishes to enter the human realm and wreak havoc; but for him to do that, he needs a summoner and the barriers need to be broken enough to let demons of his level of influence into the human world. They have held up so far, but sooner or later the barriers will crack or even break completely. With the amount of demons pouring in at such a heavy rate and the fact that the human world has not seen many demons summoned like this, the barriers are getting weaker and weaker. It's not just the Five Ninja Nations this is affecting anymore either; various other countries have become susceptible to the demonic outbreak, or already were by the time the rift was opened by Orochimaru."

I only hope that nothing truly terrible will come of it...As long as the demons here and in the other continents stay apart from one another and do not find a way to unite against the human race, the people still have some kind of hope against defeating them. if their leader, the one I sealed away long ago, back when the humans were still nothing more than fur-less apes, does not manage to break out of his containment and escape the Abyss, the demons would have no true reason to unite. Well, it'd be more true to say that they would not hold up an alliance for too long, even with a higher ranking demon like the Juubi ruling over them. Only He can quell their chaotic nature enough for them to stop the in-fighting and become a powerful enough force to take on both the humans and the Divine combined.

... ... …

It only took about five minutes for him to get the message, his eyes narrowing as he digested the paragraph or two of information the Shinigami had sent him. Mito could only watch, her face curious as Kami held the translucent, colorless orb in his palm. He was the only one who could read messages sent by the Shinigami, or at least that's what Mito figured, being that both of them were deities of the same rank and of equal power. Besides, the orb was likely sealed so that only a high ranking divine or demon could have access to it in the extreme case that Kami was absent. Most dead humans would have trouble reading it, even those that were considered 'heroes' and seen as a step above the regular dead. Probably only Kami-sama's heir could read it, save for a few other divine. Even if he could read it, he was still pretty weak compared to his parent, and not experienced enough to understand the system that kept the worlds in balance.

"I've got it...Funny thing is, Shinigami-sama was also thinking of sending this one as well. Sometimes we are so alike in thought processes that I wonder if once we were the same being! Who am I kidding? We are much too different in personality and abilities to be any type of split parts from a larger deity...Hmm..."

He muses, having already dispersed the message from the Shinigami. Clearing his throat, he moves to get up off of his comfy chair, the glazed look his eyes had only seconds before replaced by one of stern determination. He knows who is the best for the job, but Kami-sama does not want to throw them into such danger, even if they are willing to 'die' a second time. They would not really die of course, seeing as he would only create a shell for them out of ether that could contain their soul, but he still does not want to cause the person extra pain by reincarnating them back into the human world. He was a compassionate fellow, but he could not let emotions get in the way. If the Nine-Tails was let out again, or if the Akatsuki managed to get their hands on it, the consequences would be dire for the world. Not to mention the Ninja Nations would be thrown into utter chaos, but that was just the tip of iceberg if the Juubi was allowed to be completed fully. Besides, the person who would inhabit his vessel would be mainly fine, seeing as he would create it with the purpose to be strong against the Nine Tails' element and impervious to its poisonous chakra armor. Still, even with that protection, their victory would not be guaranteed as Itachi was a strong opponent in his own right. In the worst case scenario, the sounds of the fighting could also attract Kisame, provided his was finished with the demon from before, and that would make things very difficult.

There's nothing else we can do; I'll have to send one of them down to take care of problem, and once its done the shell will decompose, and the spirit will come back to me. We can't have people who are supposed to be dead running around in the land of the living. Though I guess Kakashi is an exception, since he was only on the brink of death and Naruto's seal holds him there like it does the Nine Tails. Besides, even without the seal, those two made a deal with Shinigami-sama to keep the kid alive, so he'd still be around anyways, just not as a floating ghost. Kami thinks, his eyes scanning the spiritual plane to find the person he is looking for. Since he is not bound by human limitations, even though he is in a human form, Kami locates his chosen person with his superior eyesight. When found at the edge of the planar boundaries between here and the material plane, said person is looking at him like he already knew that he was going to be chosen, a determined gleam in the man's eyes. Kami-sama sighs and can only look at the man in front of him with an expression of guilt.

"This may hurt a bit; I don't know as I haven't tried it myself."

"That's fine. I can handle it."

Of course you can; that's why I chose you to do this job for me. Kami silently nods to himself as he gathers ether with his hands, shaping it and slowly making it into something tangible. The colorless particles of energy form into something that is similar to the outline of a human body, and he stabilizes said outline by forcefully shoving his victim's soul into the seemingly 'empty' space, watching as the two things mesh together. After a few seconds, the flash from the completion of the transformation done, Kami can only nod at his creation and quickly summarize the information he was given by the Shinigami. Taking a few seconds to get used to the feeling of having a 'body' again, said vessel nodded and looked down at the Material Plane, towards where Naruto was still struggling with the Nine Tails influence. He had grown five tails at this point, getting big enough to be seen over the treetops and no doubt by both the demons and the humans in the plains-like space beyond. Seeing that he had little time to waste, the vessel only looks back once and then leaps into the chasm separating the planes, Kami and Mito both hoping that they would succeed.

A/N: Figured this would be a good cliffhanger; Been on TVTropes too much lately, making me worried if I am 'troping' yet. So far have not seen my name or this fic on there yet, and I'm talking about the 'horrible fanfic' section. Go check it out as it hilarious, but NSFW (some of them) and just crazy insane in general.

I don't like this...

She thinks, able to feel the stifling oppressiveness of the darkness encroaching her small frame. This wasn't at all like the small but cozy hospital room she had been admitted to before. This was almost making her claustrophobic; she could feel the walls around her even if she couldn't see them, and the smell coming off of the other people in the room was terrible, though she probably smelled the same way to them. No one knew why they were put here; every so often they would something like a thump, and a door being closed, along with the confused muffled cries of a new voice. Every so often there was a slight creaking noise, and light would sear through their closed eyelids, followed by the sounds of footsteps and something being dragged. What disturbed Karin most was that there was no noise when the bodies were picked up, only when they were dropped off. For what reason were they crammed in this room together, packed like produce and left here to either possibly die or be taken away? She didn't know. They were tied up, almost like packages. It made her feel sick, her body shivering as much as it could in her bonds. Her wrists and ankles hurt. The rope was too tight, the people too close. It was like they were no longer human.

Nobody in the room could use their chakra, on account of strange devices placed on their abdomens which repressed and stopped the flow of energies needed to create chakra. Those who had tried to escape using their chakra were met with a bright light, a muffled scream of agony and the smell of burnt skin. The door would open every few days. People were carried in or out of the room, and everyone would be poked and prodded; the healthy enough ones given some kind of an IV shot that boosted their bodies. Karin supposed this was to help keep them alive longer. The others, the ones who had wounds drenched in blood but still able to breathe, or whose injuries that had become infected or worse, no such thing was given to them. They instead received a lethal injection, which killed them in a few minutes, then were dragged out to be sent somewhere else. The healthy ones weren't really in good shape, most moaning or shuffling against the hard ground in pain. Something in the medications must be affecting them somehow. She wouldn't be surprised if it was also a drug to stop them from using their chakra, too. Karin also felt pains from time to time. It wasn't anything too bad. Mostly cramps and a nauseating feeling, she'd had worse from poisoned food and blades.

She hopes the bodies were at least returned to their home village, but she isn't sure; they could be used to get the secrets of other villages, which was in part what the chunin exams was about. Stealing secrets and getting more information on your opponent while also showing your own power off was part of tradition, at least it was. Now with some of the villages trying to look more sophisticated in the daimyo's eyes, they had 'abandoned' that practice, at least on the surface. The trades were still going on, as getting the upper hand on your opponent was crucial to stay alive even in these times. Most of the genin who died in the chunin exams, no matter what country, were sent back to their villages; of course this was a ploy to fool everyone, as the more salvageable dead bodies with information on them were dissected and examined by top ANBU and medical shinobi.

They extracted what secrets from the body they could and then disposed of it in the cleanest way possible, so no evidence would ever get out. Clans like the Hyuuga and Uchiha were exempt from this practice, as it would obviously raise too much suspicion, but lower tier relatives that were distantly related would not be. This was the unspoken rule of the exams, the pact that all leaders and ninja had made when they agreed to participate and there was no going back from it. This exam was made years ago, around the time of the Second generation of Kage, who wanted a seemingly civil way to promote their villages power without having to go into all out war. It was a boasting contest for the Kages, a display of might is right, and showed power was required in order to keep the Five Great Nations in order. Of course this wasn't necessarily true, but people were simpler back then and had less knowledge than the current generations.

All the red haired kunoichi knew was that she did not want to be given the same fate. There was nothing they could do about it though, helpless as they were in that dark, crowded room. They could only wait. Every time footsteps echoed outside, everyone tensely waited for the door to open, to hear the familiar creaking sounds that preceded the bright light. Sometimes nothing came, the small group of genin that was left letting out breaths of air that they didn't even know they had held. The girl wonders about the few friends she made during the chunin exams. Naruto and Sakura. She had become quick friends with both of them, Sakura especially. Naruto had to leave for a mission after a few days. Sakura had not yet recovered enough to be placed in a regular hospital room, so Karin was left alone for a while. She mostly wondered about her teammates or her village, the small border town in between two of the Five Nations. Her parents would be worried about her. They probably thought she was dead. Maybe someone had told them something about the exams, she doesn't remember if she did it herself. All she could remember was training for that moment, learning jutsu and improving her strength so she would not be outclassed by her other teammates.

It felt like an eternity before the door opened again, the light's searing pain making the red head wince. She can only turn her head away from the light. The footsteps are muffled slightly, but the girl knows that there is more than one person coming in. A hand roughly grabs her by the hair, making her gasp slightly, along with several others in the room. She is hoisted to her feet, the cold steel of a blade cutting through the bonds on her ankles and a firm hand against her back pushing her towards the light. She is not the only one. Others are being freed from their ropes as well. The process is slow, and gives everyone time to get some feeling back in their legs. They don't dare trying anything, for fear of the consequences. Karin is scared out of her wits. What is going to happen to her? To all of them? Finally, they are all lead out of the room, the door closing with a loud bang. She can still hear more muffled groans coming from the inside, making her stomach drop, chills running down her spine.

Those poor people...I don't want to think about what will happen to them. Oh God..

She ponders, her feet mechanically walking even though she doesn't want to take another step. The glasses wearing teen has no desire to meet whomever is cruel enough to design such a system for selling off ninja from other countries. She has no choice. They are prodded along their destination, almost like cattle or pigs, having no say in their destination. Her feet ache and her ankles are swollen. It is hard to keep her balance, but the hand steadying her makes sure she does not fall. The girl understands that they are moving into a different area, as the sound of footsteps changes to match the now metal floor. She feels tired, but tries to stay awake as best she can. It was hard to sleep in the cold, dark room. The cries of pain, smell of defecation and aches of her own body kept her up most of the time. How long have they been in that room? Karin has no idea. Time is meaningless and irrelevant here. It startles her when she is told to stand still, confusion etching itself on her face. The blindfold covering her eyes is easily untied, and her eyes squint painfully to adjust to the light in the room. It was dim, but not total darkness.

She could at least make out the people to the sides of her, other small genin wearing confused looks like she was. Turning her head around to see who had lead them here was useless, the strong hand just grabbed the back of her neck. No words were spoken. They didn't need to be. She could tell though, that the people were wearing cloaks similar to those of ANBU. The elite assassination unit. Were they going to be executed or something? Why use ANBU on pathetic genin? No, that probably wasn't it. They were in a large room, blank metal walls and pipes lining the sides of the room and running across the ceiling. Steam occasionally poured out of the pipes, a small jet of white. It wasn't huge. It did make the room slightly uncomfortable to be in, however. Everyone turns their heads at the sound of footsteps, coming from the only other exit in the room. Karin squints, her glasses slightly cockeyed on her face, making the person blurry and difficult to see. The only thing that troubles her is what they say, making her blood run cold. The voice is deep and grave, holding no room for compromise. Not like they could refuse if they wanted to. The man knows this, and he seems pleased by it. Karin narrows her brows at the man, his old and wrinkled form making her shiver. He exudes an aura of power despite his age. The old man repeats his statement, making sure the finality of it is known to everyone.

“You were able to survive. That was only the beginning, however. The real testing will start now.”