A/N: Hey. This will, by far, be the longest A/N (author's note) I ever write…probably. The story will be AU for sure. For those who don't know what that means, AU stands for Alternate Universe. It's so confusing the first time you see all of these different abbreviations in fan-fiction. I still don't know what OOC means. But seriously, aren't all fan-fictions AU? I mean, if it isn't AU, doesn't that mean that the story is the same as it was in the manga or anime? Who wants to reread the same story they got to see before except without the pictures? Any changes an author makes to the plot, characters, or anything else means by definition that it will create an alternate reality within the story.

Anyways, I guess it will also follow canon (almost positive this means the original plot line). You know, going to wave country and the Chuunin exams and such. But before that, I'm changing Naruto's childhood, along with his abilities. The other characters will be pretty much the same. This story will be pretty long as well (I'll try not to drag it out though, 'cause that's just boring), since short stories just leave a bad taste in my mouth. You know, like feeling rushed or wondering what happens to the characters after the ending.

There will obviously be some OC's (original characters) since I'm creative. Also, the other characters in the series weren't willing to work overtime without extra pay (that was a joke, chillax --- crossbreed between chill and relax).The OC's will play some major parts in the story, but they won't take it over. This is primarily a Naruto-centered fan-fiction, 'cause we all love blue eyed, blonde haired little twerps, I mean demon vessals, err, children.

Hmm, what else can I say here... Oh, this isn't a Super-Naruto fic, although he will have some cool (dare I say, uber --- hehe, every time I drag out the 'u' in that word, I can't help but crack up) abilities. Let me just say that they do all have weaknesses, so he's not like, untouchable…most of the time.

I don't know how often I'll update, since I'm lazy. Creative, but very lazy. However, at the beginning of each chapter, I'll make sure to put a small summary of what happened in the previous chapter. So if you don't want to reread everything again just to know what's going on, you won't have too. Although at times, when I read fan-fiction, if I find that the story is written really well, I actually do bother to reread some of the previous chapters that just stuck out for me. That's the sign that a story is a good one.

I guess if anyone has any questions, suggestions, pairings they want to see (no yaoi --- guy on guy action, 'cause I'm just not into that, and no older women, cause that's too much like child molestation, and I'm not into that either), or the dreaded flames (If I find out who you are, I'll hunt you down…just kidding) leave a review. Also, if anyone wants to guess as to the meaning of the title of this story, feel free to do so. My only clue is that there is more than one way to interpret it.

By the way, here's the legend:

"Review my story" – indicates speech.

I hope they review my story – indicates thoughts.

That's pretty much it. I'll add more if I need to. Just ignore what was said in the captions, I just needed to fill the space with something. It's not as though I was trying to discreetly get you to review my story…no, nothing like that (This is called sarcasm. I may at times choose to incorporate this into my chapters. However, it is up to you to realize when that is, as I will not be putting little notes like this into the actual story).

Disclaimer: I've seen one of these in every fan-fiction I've read. Not too sure why the site requires it though. I mean it's not as though you're just gonna conveniently forget that Masashi Kishimoto wrote the series and say I did instead (I got the right author name, right?). Anyways, I'm not writing this for any kind of profit and I don't own any of the characters or plot scenarios that I have taken the liberty of borrowing from the original series. However, I do own any of the OC's I have created, and any deviations I have made from the original series. If you wanna borrow some of the ideas I used in this fan-fiction, feel free to do so, just make sure you give credit where it's due (I wouldn't mind if you made a little shrine at the bottom of the chapter with my author name in big bold letters with little decorations around it…nope, wouldn't mind that at all).

And with that done, let the story begin (yeah, yeah, it's finally starting)…


The setting sun illuminated the sky in all of its fiery magnificence. The clouds were a multitude of bright shades, ranging from yellow to purple, with a little bit of blue mixed in here and there. However, in stark contrast to the brilliant display above, the ground below was covered in a dull crimson, with patches of green and brown scattered about. It was an enormous battlefield, littered with hundreds, if not thousands, of bodies lying about for as far as the eye could see.

This was the scene which greeted the recently reinstated Sandaime Hokage of Konoha, Sarutobi. With a heavy heart and saddened eyes, he surveyed all that was around him, the aftermath of the battle against the greatest threat Konoha had ever encountered to date, the Nine Tailed Demon Fox, Kyuubi.

He didn't know why it had attacked the village, nor did he care at the moment. The battle against the Demon Fox was intense, and in the end, the Village Hidden in the Leaves paid a heavy price. More than half of the village was in shambles, as were its people. Many had died, both civilians and the brave Shinobi and Kunoichi that fought to protect them. As if that weren't bad enough, Sarutobi's successor, Arashi Kazama, the Yondaime Hokage, had forfeited his life in order to halt the Kyuubi's rampage.

This was indeed a time of great sorrow for the people of Konoha. Their homes destroyed, their families torn apart, and their leader dead, there was little hope left. But the people would carry on. They would rebuild their beloved village, and restore it to its former glory. They would prosper, all the while looking ahead to a brighter future.

Sarutobi stood, looking over the village, and couldn't stop a small smile from forming on his aging face. The people were already gathering in the streets, helping and supporting one another. Yes, the village would survive this terrible fate it was handed, rising from the ashes once again like a phoenix of legends.

The old man's musings were interrupted by an approaching Chuunin. "Hokage-sama, I bring terrible news! It concerns the child you left at the hospital. They need you to come as quickly as you can!" With that, the young Shinobi disappeared in a cloud of smoke, undoubtedly going elsewhere to provide assistance where it was required.

As he sped across the rooftops of the buildings that were still left standing, Sarutobi's face was grim. There was no doubt in his mind that the child the Chuunin had spoken of was Naruto Uzumaki. He couldn't help but let out an involuntary shudder as a feeling of dread washed over him. What if the Shishou Fuuin (Four Image Seal) the Yondaime used to seal the Demon Fox within the child is breaking? The village would never be able to defeat the Kyuubi if it were to escape its jail and resume its attack.


The Hokage made it to the hospital entrance in record time, a seemingly impossible task for a man of his age. He rushed through the door, and was met by a doctor waiting to escort him to Naruto's room. As they walked down the corridors at a fast pace, the doctor filled Sarutobi in on the child's condition. "Hokage-sama, we just can't understand it. The child is exhibiting signs of a massive chakra overdose. We have tried draining the chakra with a number of different methods, but it just continues to regenerate. At the moment, his body is producing nearly twice the amount of chakra it should be able to handle."

One thought came to Sarutobi's mind above all the others. Kyuubi. He continued walking as he pondered on the situation. Could it be trying to escape? No, that can't be it. The seal must be attempting to merge the Demon Fox and Naruto's chakra systems together. We knew the Kyuubi had extraordinary chakra regeneration and reserves, but I never imagined there could be such a side effect. It seems the merging chakra systems are using attributes from one another to form a singular system. Although unexpected, Naruto's current condition points to his chakra reserves remaining that of an ordinary child's while his chakra regeneration is the Demon Fox's. Of course, this merger will take a number of years, so his chakra regeneration, although mundane in comparison to the Kyuubi's at its maximum, is still proving to be too much for his small body to handle. Groaning silently to himself, the old man's conclusion took a page out of the Nara clan's view on any given situation. This could prove troublesome.

The two men walked into the room, the doctor heading over to the medic-nin overlooking the rest of the medical staff as they worked to reverse the boy's condition. Sarutobi looked on as Naruto was poked and prodded, several different machines of varying sizes surrounding the boy's bed. The doctor that had first met the Hokage returned to his side after inquiring about what had happened in his absence.

"Hokage-sama, it seems that the child's condition is steadily worsening. His chakra levels continue to rise at an alarming rate. We are doing all we can to drain the excess amounts, but it seems we cannot keep up with it. At the moment, we are just barely managing to keep his chakra levels below his body's maximum chakra capacity."

Sarutobi gave out a heavy sigh as he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stem off the inevitable approach of a headache. "I see, what do you suggest we do?" The doctor let out a sigh as well, as though it were contagious, and turned to look at the blonde boy as the medics continued to work along side his bed. "I don't know what to tell you. If he were an adult ninja, I would have him try to drain the chakra though the constant use of high level jutsu. But as it is now, he is just a child, less than a day old. The boy has no means of draining the chakra on his own, as most children cannot even reach their chakra stores until they begin at the ninja academy."

The Hokage listened as the doctor continued his observations. "This is however a truly peculiar case. His chakra capacity isn't even all that high, merely average for a child. What is strange is that his chakra regeneration is through the roof. He is producing much more chakra than his body can handle."

Sarutobi sighed once again. I guess I was right. He has a child's chakra capacity and the Kyuubi's chakra regeneration. I suppose this would seem like a peculiar case to anyone who didn't know about Naruto's tenant. It looks as though I was right in keeping the Kyuubi's sealing a secret from the village. If the people were to find out about it, Naruto's abnormal chakra regeneration would only work to persuade them that he was the Demon Fox. I'm sorry Arashi, but your final wish will have to go unanswered for the time being. However, I have faith in the boy. He will prove his worth to the village, and gain recognition as a hero on his own terms.

After pausing to let all the information sink in, the doctor went on with his explanation. "What's worse is that his chakra regeneration rate is unstable and continues to fluctuate. If we were somehow able to manipulate and then match the boy's chakra regeneration with our own chakra draining, we would be able to stabilize his condition."

At the doctor's last statement, Sarutobi's eyes snapped open. "That's it!" he yelled. The doctor jumped at the Hokage's outburst, barely managing to contain a small yelp from escaping his mouth. "What is it, Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi quickly signaled to one of the many Anbu that always followed him in the shadows. The Anbu member made his presence known with a poof of smoke right beside the Hokage and the doctor. However, this time, the doctor failed to keep from yelping in his surprise. He slouched against the wall directly behind him, a hand resting against his chest as he slowly breathed in and out. This day is sure filled with a lot of surprises. This can't be good for my health.

The Anbu addressed his superior in a formal tone with the utmost respect. "What is it you request of me, Hokage-sama?" Sarutobi turned to the Anbu. "This is a matter of great importance and is time sensitive. I need you to get a hold of the leader of the Akadou clan and bring him back here right away. Now go!" The Anbu member bowed, and with a cry of "Yes, Hokage-sama!" poofed away in a cloud of smoke.

Sarutobi turned to the now recovered doctor with hope in his eyes and a small smile adorning his face. "We may be able to stabilize the boy's chakra regeneration yet." The doctor faced the Hokage with a look of confusion on his face. Sarutobi noticed this, and answered the doctor's unspoken question. "You see, the Akadou clan has the unique ability to drain the chakra of anyone they come in contact with through the use of a technique called the Chakra Kyuuin no Jutsu (Chakra Absorption Skill). If I am correct, the clan leader will surely be able to help return Naruto's condition to normal." Understanding dawned on the doctor as he too let a small smile grace his lips.

Both men's small amount of happiness was shattered when they heard a low pitched beeping noise getting progressively quicker and louder. The doctor quickly ran over to one of the machines close to Naruto's bed, kneeling down to read the results. Sarutobi watched as the doctor ordered some of the medical staff to bring him some things and others to help him with the boy. The Hokage felt as though butterflies were madly flapping around inside of his stomach as he watched the young Naruto's face scrunch up into one of pain. Then came the child's wailing as tears streamed down its small cheeks. The doctor looked up at Sarutobi with panic clearly visible in his eyes. "Hokage-sama, the boy's chakra regeneration is rising to critical heights! His body won't be able to handle the stress from such a chakra overdose if we aren't able to drain it in time. He might die!"

Sarutobi felt his stomach drop and his throat clench up at the implications of the doctor's observation. Naruto and the Kyuubi's chakra systems couldn't have possibly had enough time to merge with one another to more than a small degree. If the boy dies, the Demon Fox will more than likely be released to once again bring destruction to the village, and the Yondaime's sacrifice will have been for nothing!

A set of loud poofs was heard at the entrance to Naruto's room as a young man dressed in traditional, solid blue robes walked inside along with an Anbu member. The Hokage looked at the two with a blank look, when realization finally set in. It was the leader of the Akadou clan and the Anbu member he had sent to get him. Finally! the Hokage thought in silent relief.

Sarutobi signaled that the Anbu member was allowed to leave as the Akadou clan leader stepped in front of him with an inquisitive look on his face. "Why have you requested my presence, Hokage-sama?" With the Anbu member's exit, Sarutobi called the doctor he was speaking to earlier over, and looked back to the clan leader. The man was almost a head taller than the Hokage, with shoulder-length brown hair and a slender yet muscular build. He wore dark ocular lenses over his eyes, the Akadou clan's trademark, as it were. "Ah, Akadou Taiki-san, I'm glad you could come on such short notice. We are faced with a grave problem that requires your assistance." Sarutobi then turned to the doctor. "Would you mind telling Taiki-san what it is he must do to help the boy's condition?"

The doctor looked to the Akadou clan leader and back to the Hokage again. "Not at all Hokage-sama." Turning once again to face Taiki, he began his explanation. "Quickly, I need you to put a drain on the boy's chakra equal to his chakra regeneration. It is unstable, and with its constant fluctuations, the boy's chakra overdose only continues to grow more severe. If you can do so for several minutes, we should be able to lower his chakra levels back to their original state while stabilizing his chakra regeneration at the same time."

Taiki Akadou walked over to the boy's bedside and spoke with a calm yet emotionless voice, "Chakra Kyuuin no Jutsu (Chakra Absorption Skill)." His hands began glowing with faint blue chakra as he leaned over the child's body and placed both hands on the boy's chest. The low pitched beeping noise coming from the chakra gauging machine that had flooded the room only moments ago slowed down considerably before coming to a stop altogether. All of the onlookers watched as the boy's features slowly but assuredly eased from ones of pain and suffering to a state of calm.

The doctor walked over to Naruto's side as he observed the readings coming off several of the machines. After several tense minutes, the doctor gave a sigh of relief, and turned back to the Hokage. "He seems to have stabilized. He should be alright for now." Sarutobi sighed in relief much like the doctor had only moments ago, with the others in the room following suit shortly after. It seems that the Kyuubi won't be escaping his prison anytime soon, and if I have anything to do with it, he'll never get the chance.

At the doctor's approval, the Akadou clan leader ended his chakra draining technique and made his way back to Sarutobi's side. "If that is all you needed, I will be on my way, Hokage-sama." Taiki bowed and was about to exit the room when the Hokage's next words stopped him. "Taiki-san, I appreciate your assistance. However, I can't help but worry that this is not the last of the boy's problems with his chakra. I would be greatly relieved if you were to consider adopting the boy into your clan, where you could further monitor his condition and act accordingly."

Taiki turned around and starred at the Hokage in utter shock. He wants me to adopt this child into the Akadou clan? He glanced at the child lying on the bed, asleep after his exhausting experience, and then back to Sarutobi once again. "Hokage-sama, with all due respect, you cannot seriously expect me to adopt this child, let alone allow him to live with the rest of the clan."

Sarutobi looked at Taiki with a look of confusion and amusement all rolled up into one. "And why not, Taiki-san? The boy has shown that he posses an incredible power of chakra regeneration beyond anything we have ever seen before. He will need to be drained of this chakra several times throughout the day to avoid chakra overdose. With such a 'chakra battery' at your disposal, how could you decline?"

Realization of just how useful the boy could be dawned on the Akadou clan leader, his eyes betraying his thoughts as they grew wide. Perhaps he will be of some use to the clan as an endless source of chakra. Taiki could only imagine the things his clan could accomplish with such a tool at their disposal. "I see your point Hokage-sama. I accept responsibility over the boy's wellbeing. I will adopt…"

The Hokage finished the sentence for the clan leader, realizing he had neglected to inform anyone of the boy's name as of yet. "Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto. I will need you to come with me to my office so that we can discuss some terms regarding this adoption, and so that I can make it official." The Akadou clan leader bowed before Sarutobi once again. "Of course, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi quickly turned back to the doctor in charge of Naruto's recovery. "I thank you and your medical staff for all that you've done. Please continue to monitor the boy's condition and inform me of any changes while I am away." The doctor bowed to Sarutobi as a show of respect before speaking. "It was our pleasure, Hokage-sama. We will inform you the moment anything happens." Sarutobi nodded his head in the doctor's direction, showing his acceptance, and with that, he and the Akadou clan leader headed off towards the Hokage's tower.


In the Hokage's office, Taiki Akadou stood in front of Sarutobi's seated form behind his desk. The two were currently discussing any conditions that would need to be addressed prior to Naruto's adoption into the Akadou clan.

The Hokage looked at the clan leader with an expressionless face, a sure sign that he was serious about the proceedings. He spoke with both hands folded in front of his mouth, the fingers interlaced with one another. "To start things off, I would like to be informed of Naruto's condition on a weekly bases. This not only pertains to his chakra regeneration, but to his overall development."

Taiki looked at Sarutobi with a similar expression adorning his visage. "That is not a problem, Hokage-sama. I would like to inquire as to whether or not the child should be raised as a shinobi."

Sarutobi answered without any hesitation present in his voice. "Yes, he will be a shinobi of the leaf. You may begin his training when you believe he is ready. In regards to Naruto's chakra regeneration, I would like the boy to learn how to expel any excess chakra from his body with the help of the Hyuuga clan as well as your own. He cannot continue to rely on others to drain his chakra, that will only create the weakness of dependency, and although teamwork is a highly important aspect of the shinobi world, he needs to learn how to take care of himself."

The Akadou clan leader thought about the Hokage's words for a moment. "Hokage-sama, I agree that the boy should learn how to rely on his own strength, but I do not believe the Hyuuga will be willing to expose their secrets to anyone outside of their clan."

Sarutobi paused for a moment, considering his next choice of words. "I will worry about that when the time comes. Aside from the Hyuugas' aid, a large portion of Naruto's training will be from the Akadou clan. It is up to you whether or not you are willing to entrust any of your clan's special techniques to the boy."

Taiki once again took a few moments to think over the Hokage's words. "Hm, even if I were willing to teach Naruto the Chakra Kyuuin no Jutsu (Chakra Absorption Skill), it just doesn't seem practical with his condition. He has more than enough chakra with his enormous chakra regeneration, and because of that, I can't see him being able to utilize the technique properly. Perhaps I will teach him the Chakra Koushin no Jutsu (Chakra Injection Skill) instead. Yes, that would most likely fit his condition nicely."

The Hokage thought about Taiki's suggestion for Naruto's training before responding in a lighter tone. "That is a splendid idea. I'm sure it will be a great skill for the boy to learn. Who knows, with such a technique under his belt, he may even prove to be a worthy medic-nin."

The two men pondered on that thought for several minutes before Taiki broke the silence. "Hokage-sama, I assume the boy will still enter the ninja academy when he comes of age, and until that time, is to be considered a ninja in training."

Sarutobi nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, he will be enrolled in the ninja academy when he turns nine. As for his status, although Naruto will be a ninja in training as you pointed out, I will allow him to do some D ranked missions within the village, and possibly some lower level C ranked missions once he comes of age, but only if he's accompanied by several of the other Akadou clan members, for safety purposes. We can't have him doing potentially dangerous missions by himself before he is even given the Genin rank."

The Akadou clan leader bowed to Sarutobi. "I understand, Hokage-sama. I agree to all of the terms you have stated."

Sarutobi rose from his seated position behind his desk and brought a scroll out, placing it onto the table. "Good. Now let me quickly record all of the conditions we have discussed and your adoption will be finalized." With that he wrote down everything they had spoken about in the office. Below that, he wrote the traditional statements which would legalize the adoption. Finally, he passed the sheet over to Taiki for inspection.

The Akadou clan leader looked over the scroll, and finding it to his satisfaction, signed his name at the bottom. He handed the scroll back to the Hokage, which in turn also signed his name at the bottom of the scroll. He then placed the Hokage's seal below the signatures, legalizing the document. Sarutobi rolled the scroll back up, and turned back to Taiki, speaking in a voice filled with pride. "I, as the Sandaime Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, hereby recognize you and your clan as the guardians of Naruto Uzumaki."

Taiki Akadou bowed low to his superior. "I thank you, Hokage-sama. My clan and I will take care of the young Naruto as though he were of our own blood." He rose from his position and the two men smiled lightly at one another.

Sarutobi thought for a moment before addressing the clan leader once again. "If there are no problems with the boy, you are free to pick him up from the hospital. As his guardian, you are now allowed to sign his release forms. Good luck, and I look forward to Naruto growing up into a fine young man under your clan's tutelage."

The clan leader bowed once again as a show of respect before heading for the door. "I will do that right now, and I thank you for your kind words, Hokage-sama."


Taiki made his way through the streets of Konoha, heading towards the village hospital. It was true that he had just adopted a child into the clan, but he was unsure of who would raise the boy. He was torn between taking the child under his wing and letting one of the other clan members raise him. It's true that if I were to raise Naruto, he would have an easier time fitting in. No one would dare question the clan head's decision. But with Asuka expecting our baby girl in less than a month, I don't know how we will be able to raise two newly born children. However, if I give Naruto over to another clan member, I can't be sure that he will be raised properly. Hm….

The Akadou clan leader walked into the hospital lobby and made his way over to the secretary at the desk. The lady behind the desk looked up with a cheerful smile adorning her face. "Hello, how can I help you?" Taiki looked at the women and smiled back. "I'm here to check-out Naruto Uzumaki." The secretary looked down at a clipboard with a list of patients and their conditions on it. "I see no problem with that. It seems that the boy's condition has stabilized and the doctor has permitted his discharge. You can find him on the second floor, room 206." Taiki nodded to the secretary, and with a quick "Thank you" made his way towards the room.

Taiki walked into the room, and was greeted with the child's sleeping form, lightly snoring away. Taiki held back a chuckle as he made his way over to the bed. He picked up a blanket that was resting on a table beside the bed, and wrapped the boy into a bundle, with only his little head sticking out. He looked around the room, checking for anything that may belong to the boy. He picked up a small bottle filled with milk off of the nightstand and left the room with Naruto in hand.

As the Akadou clan leader walked back to his clan's estate, he looked at the child wrapped in his arms. The boy had a small tuffet of blonde hair sticking out the top of his head, and although the boy's eyes were closed, Taiki knew they were a brilliant blue from his prior observation of the child. He quickly noticed that Naruto also had strange markings on his cheeks, almost resembling whisker marks, but Taiki decided that they only added to the boy's overall cuteness. After looking at the boy for several more minutes, he decided. Naruto will be a part of my family. He will make a fine older brother for our soon to be baby girl.



A/N: Well, that's the end of the first chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. I was basically laying down the foundation for the rest of the story, so there wasn't really any action.

For those of you who are wondering who the Akadou clan is, think back to the third round of the Chuunin exam. Now, remember that dude that fought Sasuke in the preliminary rounds after the forest of death, the one that sucked his chakra up forcing Sasuke to use his Lion Combo? That's the only known Akadou member in the original Naruto series, named Yoroi. I basically created an entire clan of chakra leeches, and Yoroi is just another member.

Although this chapter was pretty mellow, the next one will reflect on Naruto's childhood, his training, some cool abilities he learns from the Akadou and Hyuuga clans, and who could forget the mission that went wrong, drastically changing Naruto's attitude towards everything. Look forward to it.

Like I said in the above A/N, I don't know when I'll update, since I'm lazy, and I have finals coming up in the next few weeks at college. I give you permission to bug me and ask, yell, threaten (without following through of course --- that's called an 'empty' threat), or whatever else you want to do to get me to update faster.

On a side note, I'm not any good with Japanese names, so I used a website to come up with some that would fit the OC's nicely. Here are the meanings to the OC's names I have introduced so far, along with what role they play in my story.

Taiki (Large Radiance) – Leader of the Akadou clan.

Asuka (Fragrance of the Bright Day) – Taiki's wife and soon to be mother of a baby girl and Naruto.