Disclaimer for all chapters: I don't own Naruto.

Prologue:

A malicious, wild, and untamed fury saturated the air. The shinobi locked in combat paused, for they had never felt such oppressive wrath. The feeling felt dirty and foul, but there was no escape to it. They could see the tangible chakra in the air, a red haze. They could feel the foreboding chakra that threatened to consume them if they hesitated. They could hear the sinister rumble of something they could not fully comprehend. Those moments felt like eternity, but almost as soon as the malevolent chakra appeared, it was gone.

Naruto's fist hovered in front of the now exposed Haku. The effeminate boy's head was turned in anticipation of his final moments, but when no strike came, he turned to look at the boy who had unleashed such unrestrained rage.

"Why do you hesitate?" The grave tone in Haku's voice depressed Naruto.

Tension still coursing through his body, he could still feel the dangerous chakra bubbling below his skin. He felt hot. "You're the boy from the forest..." He paused to collect his thoughts. His mind was fuzzy and his body retched at the use of the demonic chakra.

With renewed vigor, he berated the boy. "Why are you fighting for Zabuza, he... he doesn't care about you at all!"

The sudden outburst surprised Haku, but after a moment, a small smile graced his visage. "Zabuza is my precious person. My dreams are his and I will fight as his tool until I am no longer useful." The boy closed his eyes. "Please... kill me."

Naruto sputtered. "What! No..."

"I've failed Zabuza." Haku uttered the sentence as if it explained everything.

With a weary heart, Naruto retrieved a kunai. This is what he'd wanted. He would have killed Haku in his fury only moments before. He wanted to avenge Sasuke and kill Haku for taking away his friend, one of the only ones he had, but now, he didn't feel like killing Haku at all. Maybe he was too young to know what the world was supposed to be - but he knew that it wasn't supposed to be this. It couldn't be this.

He closed his eyes and pushed the kunai forward, but his weapon punctured nothing. The blood he'd expected to gush didn't and for a moment, he wondered if he'd missed at such close range.

When he opened his eyes he realized that Haku had escaped through a mirror. At the sound of chirping birds, he turned to the scene Haku had arrived at. Kakashi's hand was visible on the other side of Zabuza's chest. Naruto let out a sigh of relief. They could finally stop fighting.

As he shakily stood, Sakura shrieked. He whipped his head in her direction, fearing the worst, but she was fine. He frowned when he realized that she hadn't just shrieked, she had also screamed Kakashi-sensei's name. He turned towards his sensei, but as soon as he did, Kakashi fell.

A prolonged silence filled the air as Naruto stared, uncomprehending, at Kakashi's prone body.

Suddenly, and without warning, he let loose a nervous laugh. "Boy, Kakashi must be tired!" He looked to Sakura and then to Haku for confirmation, but the looks he received from the two young shinobi spoke otherwise. Haku's face spoke of anguish as he dropped to his knees and held his master's head in his lap. Haku's cry was sorrowful and full of torment. Naruto had never heard anything like it before.

Tears glistened on Sakura's face as she shook Kakashi's unmoving corpse.

Kakashi was too skilled to die. He was strong, wise, and beautifully composed. He was the picture of a shinobi. He was a man that Naruto revered. Kakashi was someone who had finally accepted him. He could not die. He meant too much to the blond haired boy.

He rushed to Kakashi's side. His sensei's hand was still sticking through the back of Zabuza. "Come on, Sensei, the fighting's over, it's time to go home." He shook Kakashi, but the man didn't budge. "Get up."

It was then that he noticed the signs he'd been avoiding. Three senbon protruded from his sensei's neck. Naruto ripped them out haphazardly, but Kakashi was still limp. He shook Kakashi again. "Get up, Get up, GET UP!" He finally shrieked through his tears.

He turned his rage on the boy who'd taken away his best friend and sensei. "Why did you have to kill him! There had to be a better option!" Tears raced down his cheeks.

"He's not-"

"First Sasuke, now Kakashi-sensei... THEY WERE ALL I HAD!" The young blond boy shook with anger and the red chakra reappeared, however, this time it seemed ten times heavier than before. Haku buckled under the pressure and he noticed that Naruto's pink haired teammate and their client had fallen to the ground. Thinking quickly, Haku created a mirror and hurled into it.

o0o0o0o

A cool, icy feeling trickled down her back. Sakura suddenly realized that it was very cold. The second thing she noticed is that it was also very dark. Feeling around she felt the ice at her back. She visibly tensed. This was the technique that Zabuza's apprentice used.

She felt the wet sands beneath her. Why was it so dark and when had they been brought to a beach? Channeling chakra to her eyes, she quickly realized where she was. Sakura was underwater, protected by a hastily made dome of ice.

This led her to an important question. Had they lost the fight? She didn't know the answer to that. The last thing she remembered was being dragged away by Zabuza's apprentice. The red chakra exuded from Naruto's body. He had proceeded to give the most pained scream Sakura had ever heard, but what surprised her the most was the shock wave that emitted from the shout. It ripped through the side of the bridge like nothing she'd ever seen. Slowly she became acutely aware to the noise penetrating the layers of ice and water. There was no doubt in her mind that Naruto was the one creating the disorder above her.

She didn't know how long she'd been here, only that they were deep underwater. Zabuza's apprentice saved them from... Naruto. The notion that they would have to hide from Naruto in a dome made of ice, deep under the water's surface, was asinine. It had never occurred to her that Naruto could even be dangerous.

The waters raged overhead and even through the depths, she could still hear the primal roars on land. It chilled her to the bone and all she could do was sit and cry, legs pressed tightly to her chest. She just wanted to go home and rest. This was too much for the first mission away from the village.

Sakura glanced at the other occupants of the underwater dome. Sasuke and Kakashi were dead. They were unmoving and cold. This was supposed to be a C-rank mission. Instead, they fought one of the toughest missing nin out there, Sasuke and Kakashi died, and Naruto was driven mad. Why was she the only one left in tact? She was the weakest on the team by far. Even Naruto had proven his worth on this mission.

How was she going to get out of here? It was so dark and she could feel the ice on her back. It was freezing in here. If she didn't get out soon, she might freeze. Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei would know what to do. Even Naruto would hatch a clever plan. For all her book smarts, she never could think quickly on her feet.

Sakura hiccupped in an attempt to force herself to stop crying. If she made it out of here alive, she would train harder than she'd ever trained before, both in mind and body. She would take her shinobi career seriously. She would be the most renowned kunoichi in the world even if she had to train twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Even if it meant that Sasuke didn't think she was pretty and even if Ino made fun of her.

This mission had been a wake up call to her. If she didn't train, she would be killed for sure. It was only a matter of time.

Out of the corner of her eye, someone stirred. She whipped her head in the direction of the movement to see that Zabuza's apprentice was waking up. He turned over on his back and for the first time, Sakura noticed how badly he was hurt. His face was badly bruised and cut. His left eye was severely swollen. It seemed that most of the damage on his body was on the left side. His left arm contained numerous lacerations, but it appeared that the bleeding had stopped. He'd risked his life to save them.

"E-excuse me?" She whispered.

He slowly turned his head to her. His right eye gazed through her.

"What's your name?" She asked hesitantly.

"Haku." He responded in an even tone.

"Thank you, Haku. For saving my life, that is." Sakura added hastily. She needed to know his name to thank him properly. She paused and looked at Kakashi and Sasuke. "Why did you save me?" Her voice was filled with guilt and anguish.

"I-I don't know." His voice was hoarse. "Your teammate..." He motioned to Sasuke.

"He was ready to die for Naruto." He closed his good eye tightly. "I never meant for it to end up like this. I just wanted to die, but Zabuza was in danger and I thought I could be of use one more time, but..." He stopped speaking to look toward the surface.

"But what?" Sakura asked, though she could give a good guess as to what he was thinking.

"Are you three really all he has?" The question shocked Sakura.

"Yes, I-I think. I don't really know Naruto that well." She was ashamed of the fact that she hadn't tried to get to know him better. It didn't seem to matter so much back then, but maybe she would have understood him a little better and that would have improved their teamwork. Then they wouldn't even be in this position. "We haven't been teammates that long, maybe a month or so." She added, though it did little to reduce the guilt she was feeling.

A bittersweet smile spread across Haku's visage. "We're more alike than I initially thought. No wonder this happened..." He remarked in a sorrowful manner.

"What?" Sakura frowned. She was unsure where Haku was going with a comment like that.

"Zabuza was all I had growing up. I know the loneliness Naruto feels. I know how it feels to have no one in my life to comfort me or be my friend. When your sensei was about to kill my master, I was enraged and scared at the same time, so I put your sensei in a death like state to protect Zabuza. I would do anything and slay anyone to protect my precious person."

"Wait, Kakashi-sensei isn't dead?" Her voice was filled with apprehension. "Then... is Sasuke..."

"They're both alive..." He looked to the raging waters overhead. "Which makes this so much more tragic."

Sakura blinked away tears as the realization of what was happening struck her. "It shouldn't have been like this..." She wiped her eyes.

Haku continued, "He cares about you three so much that he was enraged at the thought of losing you."

Sakura nodded, the tears returning. "I know..." She rubbed furiously at her eyes. She had made a promise to stop crying all the time, but she could barely hold back the hot tears when she thought of what Naruto's life was like and how she'd treated him. All he wanted was to be her friend. She wallowed in guilt over her previous actions. How had it escalated so quickly? What was going to happen to Naruto?

"What's happening to him? Does... Does he have a bloodline or something?" She asked hesitantly. In truth, she was afraid of the answer. She'd never felt such a vile, malicious chakra before. Even through the water and ice, she could feel its oppressive nature. What ever was happening to Naruto was detrimental.

"I'm not entirely sure. I've never seen red chakra like that before. I can't say that I have anything to compare it to." His eyes averted from Sakura's gaze. In her dazed state Sakura couldn't see that he was lying.

"I'm so confused... Is my team going to be okay? What's going to happen to Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari?" Her hands covered her face in sorrow as she struggled with her inner turmoil.

"I'm truly sorry for what I caused. I... I hate killing and I hate death, but it follows me wherever I go." Haku hung his head in shame. He should have given his life for Zabuza. He should have dived in front of that lightning technique their sensei had used. At least then he could die knowing that he had been useful to Zabuza. That's all he'd ever wanted anyway.

Neither adolescent spoke for a long while. Instead, they listened to the chaos that persisted above them. They had no idea what kind of destruction was transpiring as they sat in relative safety. As Haku had made his way to the safety of underwater, he'd caught a glimpse of red tails spurting from Naruto's form. There was little doubt in Haku's mind that whoever was outside, would die a painful death. Eventually, it became quieter, as if Naruto was moving away from their position.

"My chakra is running low." The sentence jolted Sakura awake. "When I can't hear Naruto anymore, I'll release this technique and we can escape to land."

Sakura nodded wearily. However, one question persisted in her mind. Was Naruto going to be okay?

o0o0o0o

The first thing he heard upon waking was the audible hum of an air conditioner. Instead of the muggy air of the Land of Waves, he felt cool clean air flow through his nostrils as he took a deep breath. The last thing he noticed was the soft pillow under his head and the warm blankets covering him. He could only come to one conclusion. This had to be heaven. The last thing he remembered before he died was being held in Naruto's arms. The idiot had been crying and he'd told Naruto to never give up on his dream or some sappy shit like that.

Cracking open one eye, he took in his surroundings. It seemed modest for heaven, but then again, maybe he hadn't died. In heaven, he certainly wouldn't be feeling so sore. He threw the blankets off and swung his feet over the side of the bed. Upon landing, he gave an embarrassing yelp. A jolt of pain shot through his leg. He could still stand and walk, but the pain in that one step had been almost unbearable. He felt terrible.

The door to the room flung open and Sakura and Kakashi made their way in.

"It's good to see you're awake, Sasuke." The man chirped, but Sasuke could hear the emotional pain in his voice. Kakashi did things like that often. He'd appear happy, but underneath his mask, he was sorrowful.

"W-what's going on?" He asked, rubbing his throbbing head.

"Sakura can explain better than I can." He nodded in the pink haired girl's direction.

Sakura looked physically tired, but she kept a strong visage. "Haku, the boy you were battling, he put you in a death like state. That made Naruto really angry and he managed to defeat Haku."

Sasuke couldn't keep the stunned look from his face. How Naruto had defeated such a tough opponent was beyond him.

"Naruto was about to finish him off, but Haku used a mirror and put Kakashi-sensei in a death like state too, to protect Zabuza. Haku was late and Sensei managed to kill Zabuza, but Naruto witnessed it all and thought that Haku had killed both you and Sensei, so he went berserk and red chakra started pouring off him."

"Red chakra?" Before he had fallen unconscious he remembered seeing red chakra as well. Did Naruto have a bloodline limit?

"When we get to Konoha, I'll get clearance to tell you the full story behind Naruto. As his teammates, you have a right to know." Kakashi interrupted.

"Why can't you tell us now?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "It's really not my place to say anything. It's Naruto's secret and I'm in no position to reveal it. Sakura, continue." He ordered.

Sakura nodded. "Haku saved us from Naruto by taking us underwater and creating a dome of ice. We waited there until Naruto was gone and then escaped to Zabuza's old hideout. It took you guys a while to wake up and in that time, Haku left."

"Did he say anything upon leaving?" Kakashi inquired.

"Well, he told me that he was going, so I asked why. He said that he was moving on and it probably wouldn't be safe for him to remain here any longer."

Sasuke made no reaction to the information. From what he'd heard, it was likely that the Land of Waves would be swamped with ANBU from Kiri and Konoha within days. Haku had made the right decision when he decided to leave.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Now that we're all awake, we need to locate Naruto and get back to Konoha as soon as possible. How long have we been out?" He directed the question towards Sakura.

"Um... about a week..." She guessed.

Kakashi nodded. "Unfortunately, it's longer than I would have liked. From here on out, we have to stick together and retrieve Naruto. Let's move."

o0o0o0o

Itachi gracefully stepped through fallen trees and vast amounts of overturned earth. "The destruction is just as I remember it."

"That's right, you were in Konoha when the Kyuubi attacked." A wicked grin spread across Kisame's face.

"I was young and could barely comprehend what was happening. One can hardly count that as experiencing the beast first hand." Itachi's voice was smooth and calm. Not once did he look to Kisame.

Kisame laughed loudly. "My, my, Itachi, you're quite talkative today. I would go as far to say that you're in a good mood." Kisame's eyes gleamed as he teased Itachi. Out of all the Akatsuki members, he'd come to trust and respect Itachi the most.

"It must be your imagination." The black haired teen intoned.

"I dare to say that you're happy to see your little brother. He's right over that ridge, you know." Kisame pointed into the distance. He'd felt the five chakra signatures over the ridge. It was easy to discern that the jinchuuriki's genin team accounted for four of the five chakra signatures. The fifth, however, was vastly more powerful than the other four, which made him very excited.

"I only wish to see how far he's progressed. Anything else would be waste of everyone's time."

They both knew who exactly was over that ridge, but declined to speak the obvious truth of the matter. With the arrival of the fifth chakra signature, capturing the jinchuuriki was highly improbable. Kisame liked the way that Itachi held himself, even in the face of a monstrously strong adversary. He laughed to himself. Itachi certainly was an interesting character.

o0o0o0o

"I've detected his chakra..." The deadly serious tone was still foreign to Sasuke and Sakura, but they nodded nonetheless.

"Be on alert for any incoming enemies."

The three Konoha shinobi dashed through the destroyed landscape. Kakashi's pace was almost unmatchable for his two genin. The only sign Sasuke struggled to keep up were the bursts of wasted chakra made in haste as he bolted through the rubble.

Questions raced through his mind. How in the world could Naruto create such destruction? The bodies that had been impaled, torn to pieces, and smashed had startled him. If he had eaten beforehand, he most certainly would have emptied his stomach. The sight and smell of the town had been enough to make him question if there were other forces at play here. One thing was for certain, he would never forget that smell.

What perturbed him the most, however, was the fact that these were not clean kills. There were literally no bodies left in tact. It was as if some sort of monster had passed through and killed everything in its sight. This was so different from the massacre of the Uchiha, but in a sense it was similar.

It brought him back to that terrible night, but it made a different imprint in his mind. He hadn't known these people. They didn't mean anything to him, but he still felt that eerie feeling of absolute silence. There was nothing alive within miles of their location. That is why this reminded him so much of the Uchiha massacre. It was the damn silence that ate away at you the longer you remained there.

He couldn't wait to find Naruto and get some answers. He was at such a loss at what to believe. The Naruto he knew would be hard pressed to kill anyone and he would only do it if he had to. He would make sure they didn't suffer. That's why he believed that Naruto hadn't done this.

If he knew one thing about Naruto it was that he had a moral code that he strictly followed. This broke every single one of his notions about Naruto. Naruto would never kill innocent people and he would never kill them so... brutally.

But Kakashi had claimed that Naruto had done this. He claimed that Naruto had a secret of such importance that he needed clearance from the Hokage to reveal it. He knew that it was related to this, there was no question about that. How it was related, he didn't know.

He put these thoughts out of his head when he noticed something on the horizon. Kakashi seemed to see it too and he burst forward at speeds that Sasuke could not match. It was then that Sasuke realized who Kakashi had seen. Itachi.

Rage surged through his body at the sight of his brother. Without hesitation, he burst forward with speed he didn't know he possessed. This was his best chance; Kakashi was locked in a death struggle with a blue skinned man, whose sword was equal in size, or even larger than Zabuza's. The two men hovered over Naruto's body. Kakashi pushed with all his might to keep the blue skinned man's sword from overpowering him, but it was clear he was having trouble.

He was within ten meters of his brother. He hadn't been this close in proximity to him since the massacre. It angered him how Itachi's eyes fixated on him, but his elder brother did not twitch. He didn't move a muscle to protect himself. Did he view Sasuke as someone who wasn't a threat? This only fueled the fire that was his hatred. He hated how Itachi reacted as if nothing surprised him, how for someone who was supposed to be insane, he seemed so level headed.

Before he could make another step, something wet and slimy grabbed his leg. He fell face first into the ground. Groaning loudly, he gripped his bleeding face and checked his leg to find that something, he wasn't exactly sure, had burst from the ground and wrapped firmly around his leg, severely restricting his movements.

And suddenly, from what seemed like nowhere, an old man had appeared. His mane of spiky, white hair extended to his mid back. He struck a ridiculous pose atop a red toad, at least two times his size. "It is I, Jiraiya, the great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku!"

"Oh? Jiraiya of the Sannin is here." Kisame remarked playfully. Despite the man's sudden appearance, the blue skinned man still felt that the advantage was in their favor. Itachi did not remark on the legendary man's appearance. Though it was clear he was serious when he removed his arm from its resting place within his cloak.

The black haired teen's visage put fear in those he was battling. It was amazing what Itachi's eyes could do. His appearance would not be considered intimidating to anyone, especially when compared to Kisame, who stood well above six feet. However, the intensity in Itachi's eyes gave him the most menacing appearance of all the shinobi present. He was not someone to take lightly.

Without wasting another second, Jiraiya burst forward in an attempt separate the two Akatsuki shinobi. While the man wasn't the biggest threat, he hovered dangerously close to Naruto. It was his job to safely escort Naruto back to Konoha, for better or worse.

Kakashi observed Jiraiya's display of speed and strength from the corner of his eye. It was immensely impressive to say the least, but his job was to keep Itachi from getting to Naruto. Itachi wasted no time in sending a massive ball of fire in his direction. Quickly checking Naruto's location, he confirmed that Itachi had positioned himself well. He couldn't dodge the attack, he would have to block it, or else Naruto would be severely injured.

Kakashi was hard pressed to summon a big enough wall of dirt and debris to cover his body. He grit his teeth as he felt the flames flicker past the wall. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead and he realized that Itachi was not relenting in the large fire attack. Thinking quickly, he sprung off the wall and this time instead of summoning another earth wall, he flew through a small set of hand seals to create a vortex of water. It was a draining technique, but necessary to douse the fire technique, if only momentarily. He bounded toward Naruto and with haste, scooped up the unconscious boy.

"Sasuke, Sakura. Take Naruto and run."

"We aren't running! We've done enough of that!" Sasuke bellowed.

Kakashi snapped. "Run NOW!" He bellowed with ferocity that he rarely showed. Sasuke was visibly stunned by the display, but without questioning his sensei further, he grabbed Sakura's arm and the two ran through the rubble towards the sea that separated the Land of Waves and the Land of Fire.

Kakashi turned around only to find Itachi was only steps away from his position. Thinking on his feet, he shifted his body weight and swung his fist at Itachi, but the younger man was ready for the attack and countered. When Kakashi was least expecting it, he locked eyes with the silver haired man. In that instant, the fight between Kakashi and Itachi was over.

o0o0o0o

"I- I've never seen Kakashi-sensei like that before." Sakura stammered. Kakashi had been frightening in his intensity. The situation had very quickly spiraled out of control. One moment, she was struggling to keep up and the next; Kakashi and Sasuke were far in the distance.

Sasuke clenched his teeth. He couldn't believe how far behind he still was. As much as he wanted to kill Itachi, he knew that Kakashi had explicitly ordered them to run. In all honesty, it didn't surprise him. He had processed Sakura's comment, but didn't respond because it was clear to him that she didn't understand the gravity of the situation. This wasn't some run of the mill missing nin, this was Itachi.

They continued on through the debris.

"Sasuke..." Sakura followed timidly. "Sasuke..."

She attempted again to no avail. Sasuke was blatantly ignoring her.

"Sasuke, will you talk to me already?" Tears welled up in Sakura's eyes, but she fiercely held them back. Frustration welled up within her. Why wouldn't he talk?

Finally, fed up with Sasuke, she gripped his arm as hard as she could. "Sasuke, stop!"

Sasuke whipped around to yell at her only to be startled by the ferocity on Sakura's face. "We're teammates!" She shrieked. "Why are you acting like this!"

Sasuke yanked his arm away. The action made Sakura stumble forward and on to the ground. "I'm acting like this because this is serious. Kakashi is probably going to die!" His voice carried venom and Sakura could feel the contempt Sasuke felt for her right now.

The ferocity on Sakura's face morphed into surprise and worry. From her position on the ground, she looked like nothing more than a hurt child. "W-what?" She managed to stammer. "Kakashi-sensei is too strong to just... die!" She struggled to even utter the word. It was so foreign to her. "Besides, Jiraiya of the Sannin is there. H-He's a legendary Konoha shinobi!"

A vicious scowl appeared across Sasuke's face. "Don't you understand? This isn't some game! Zabuza was nothing compared to Itachi! He'll wipe the floor with them!" Sasuke shouted at the frightened Sakura. This mission was more than any genin could handle. In the distance they heard a low rumble.

Sasuke turned. "We have to find somewhere to hide."

"Wait, Sasuke!" He stopped. "You're acting like you know one of them. Who is Itachi?"

Sasuke paused for a long while. With his back turned to his teammate he finally responded. "He's my brother."

The statement left Sakura speechless as Sasuke moved towards a mass of fallen trees and other debris.

o0o0o0o

The two genin sat side by side in the darkness. Because of the close quarters, Naruto was settled in their laps, still very unconscious. Sakura cried silently as she stroked Naruto's hair.

"Stop crying." Sasuke spoke with disdain.

"I can't." She snapped abruptly, though she took a moment to wipe her eyes.

Questions raced through Sakura's mind. The past week had been overwhelming, frightening, and traumatizing. She looked down at Naruto's peaceful, whiskered face and couldn't help but wonder, what next?

"What do you think's going to happen to Naruto?" She voiced her concerns to her teammate.

There was a lengthy silence before Sasuke finally spoke. "I don't know." His voice was tired and sorrowful. It was a vast contrast from the way he usually spoke. This was the voice of a boy who had been forced to grow up too soon. It was the voice of a boy whose childhood was taken away from him.

Sakura vigorously rubbed her eyes. "I don't believe that Naruto could have done something like... this." There were no words to describe what she'd seen while hunting for Naruto. Dismembered heads and missing limbs. She saw bodies that were viciously torn in half. She'd lost her lunch numerous times and it seemed that no matter how many times she saw this kind of destruction, she felt sick to her stomach.

She had cried when she'd found a dead child. The boy couldn't have been older than two years old, but his face and head had been brutalized. It had been practically torn from his shoulders. Flies and maggots filled the cavity in his head. Entire towns were destroyed. The results were unfathomable, but every sign pointed to Naruto.

She wondered if she could ever look at him the same way, but while holding his head in her lap, she knew that as teammates, they had to stick together. If there was one thing that Kakashi imparted on them, it was the value of teamwork. If she or Sasuke abandoned Naruto now, she knew that Kakashi would never forgive them. So, she put on a strong front for Naruto, one that would make him proud.

Sasuke peered down at Naruto's face. That wasn't the face of a killer. It wasn't even the face of a mean person. "It's hard to believe that Naruto did this. He's... my friend and one the nicest people I know." It was usually difficult for him to admit things like that, even in his head, but that had come out so smoothly.

"The only thing I'm certain of is that, whatever happened here, it had to do with the red chakra Kakashi was talking about."

"What do you think it was? Some kind of bloodline?" Sakura asked.

"I've never heard of any bloodline like that before though..." What kind of bloodline could cause this kind of destruction? It seemed more like a curse than a superior genetic trait. If it was a bloodline, how come he'd never heard of anyone in the world with such a power? Surely, anything that could scar the land to this extent would be documented.

Sakura twirled a piece of Naruto's hair as she looked down at him. "I'm beginning to think that this might be the reason people don't like Naruto."

Sasuke nodded. He knew that she was talking about the red chakra. Sakura had claimed that it was unnatural, vile, and disgusting. Sasuke noticed that Kakashi had refrained from commenting during her description of it. Instead, he looked away.

Before he had a chance to give his own opinion, the tree that blocked the entrance was moved. The two genin tensed and drew their weapons protectively.

"It's alright, you can come out now. I chased them off." Jiraiya carried an unconscious Kakashi on his back.

Sakura helped Sasuke drag Naruto out of the hiding place.

"It's good that you two are still alive. With all that's happened here, that's a miracle." Jiraiya commented.

It was then that Sasuke noticed that this man didn't have a scratch on him. He'd fought toe to toe with Itachi and had forced his brother to retreat. Sasuke was stunned. How was that even possible? This man had not only driven his brother off, but he'd done it without getting a scratch on him.

"Jiraiya-sama!" Sakura broke through his thoughts with her unnaturally loud voice. She had matured quite a bit, but she was still loud. "Is Kakashi-sensei alright? What's going to happen to Naruto? You can't keep us in the dark anymore! We need answers! What happened here?" Sakura was clearly distraught.

The older man's face morphed into a frown. "First and foremost, everything that you've seen here this last week is a matter of national security and is classified as S-ranked knowledge. Revealing this knowledge results in death. Understood?" He waited for their reply.

Both genin nodded, eager to hear exactly what happened. Jiraiya sighed and gently rested their unconscious teacher against the fallen tree. "I'll need you two to tell me all you know. Don't withhold anything."

Sasuke sat in silence as Sakura recounted the proceedings of the past week. Out of team Kakashi, she was the most aware of what occurred. Jiraiya listened in rapt silence. Finally, Sakura had finished her story.

Jiraiya nodded gravely. "It's just as I feared." He paused to collect his thoughts. "This isn't my secret to tell, but considering the circumstances, you need to know exactly what happened here and why. As his teammates, I believe it's important that you hear this from someone who supports Naruto and understands exactly what he is."

"What is he?" Sasuke asked reluctantly.

"I'm going to be blunt with you. Since before the founding of the shinobi villages, shinobi sealed bijuu into their people. These people are referred to as jinchuuriki, which literally means 'power of human sacrifice'. Naruto is the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi."

"W-what?" Sakura stammered.

Sasuke could barely comprehend what he'd just heard.

"From what you've told me, Naruto, believing that both Sasuke and Kakashi were dead, released copious amounts of demonic chakra in his rage. I suggest that you study the history of jinchuuriki. It will allow you to better understand what happened here and what Naruto has dealt with his whole life."

Jiraiya could see the startled looks on their faces. It all likelihood, they could not believe the vast contrast between Naruto and what lay within.

He continued. "The political situation in Konoha is a mess. People are calling for his death."

"No!" Sasuke all but roared. "They can't just... kill him! They weren't here, they don't know what happened!" They didn't know what Naruto meant to Sasuke.

"What you see here is only a fraction of the devastation on this island. One third of the island's population is dead. What little hope people had in Naruto before is completely gone. Anyone who openly supports Naruto is ridiculed and ostracized."

Sasuke grit his teeth in rage. Surprisingly enough, Sakura was livid as well.

"You have to make your decision now. Will you stand by Naruto?"

Without hesitation Sakura spoke. "Of course we'll support him, he's our teammate and we know him better than anyone!"

"If we abandoned him now, we'd be no better than scum." Sasuke spat the word 'scum' like it was the worst word that he knew.

Jiraiya nodded approvingly. "I see that Kakashi's taught you well. However, you should prepare yourself for hell when you get home. Konoha is practically in chaos over the news."

"How bad is it?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"Like I said, people are calling for his death. They no longer have faith in the Yondaime's sealing skill. That was one of the only buffers that Naruto had. Most people that do support him keep quiet about their views because of fear of persecution from friends and family. Almost the entirety of the elemental nations knows of Naruto's status as Konoha's jinchuuriki and it hasn't reflected well on Konoha."

"Why?"

"To put it simply, after hearing about this, other nations view Konoha as weak for being unable to control Naruto properly." Jiraiya stated.

"He isn't just some weapon to be controlled!" Sasuke argued vehemently.

Jiraiya held his hands up in a placating manner. "I'm fully aware of that fact. This is merely what my spy network is reporting." Jiraiya's respect for the young Uchiha was growing every second. Though, he was a little brash and hot headed, Jiraiya could see that he genuinely cared for his teammate, which is why he was getting so infuriated. The Toad Sage was surprised to see fire in Sakura's eyes. It was clear how both felt in regards to Naruto.

It would be hard to tell them what Naruto's future held. "After the tragedy here, the Land of Waves cut all diplomatic ties with the Land of Fire. Every other ally country has refused to allow Naruto to cross their borders. If this measure is not followed, Konoha may face economic depression or even war. Konoha has taken a major hit with this incident. In essence, Naruto's shinobi career is over."

"N-no..." Sakura managed to speak though her heart was beating through her chest and tears were welling up in her eyes. "B-but, what about his dream to become Hokage! What's going to happen to him?" She cried.

Sasuke remained in a shocked silence.

"If he isn't executed immediately upon his arrival in Konoha, he'll spend the rest of his life in prison."

Sakura tried to say something, but all that came out was a choked sob. It was clear she was trying her best to restrain her tears.

Sasuke could barely speak through his shock. How could this happen? Suddenly, he felt insurmountable rage. "We can still save him, can't we! It isn't too late for him." Sasuke fiercely snarled.

"Calm down, there's nothing you can do about this right now. It's unfortunate, yes, but take solace in the fact that he might have a chance to live. The Sandaime is fighting tooth and nail to preserve his life."

"He'd rather die than live in prison where he'll never fulfill his dream." Sasuke snarled. "I'll free him from prison no matter what it takes. I promise you this, I'll never, ever give up on Naruto."

An extensive silence filled the air as Jiraiya's eyes bored into the raging eyes of Sasuke. "Grab ahold of Naruto, it's time we head back to Konoha."

o0o0o0o

Author's Note:

As far as chapters are concerned, there will be multiple point of view characters for the story. Each character will get many chapters of about 3000+ words.

Did anyone catch the line from the Boondocks I put in the prologue? I thought it fit well there. Great series if you ever get the chance to watch it.

Soolal

Preview: Sakura finds out the consequences of the Wave mission.