Memoirs of an N7: The Odin Convergence

by Arte of Warfare

Divergent AU. A law of nature has been violated. The universe corrects. For Naruto Namikaze, the ripples put him on a collision course with a wider universe he didn't know existed, and with a greater destiny. The scales have tipped and the darkness is stronger than it has any right to be. The odds are not in his favor. ABANDONED. Pending rewrite. See new story.

1. Prologue: Beginnings and Endings

Author's Note: Hey everyone, I noticed some reviews were getting a little confused with the timing of both the era and the perspective jumps. Please note: some of this is intentional as this prologue is merely to give you a vingette-like look at the events leading up to Naruto's entrance into the world of Mass Effect. These vignette's are important to the plot; very important. Themes, characterizations, hints at the future are all wrapped up here. If anyone has a great definitive timeline of the history of Naruto, I would love to be told! I've based timing off of the events of the Third Shinobi War if that helps.

As for any other confusion...well, I've tried to clear it up here. Let me know if I've succeeded! :)

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Prologue: Ending and Beginnings

"There would be nothing I could do to you that would harm you more than what you're already doing to harm yourself...You are never going to amount to anything. You will always be the worthless muck people scrape from their shoes. You only get one life and you are wasting yours. That's a terrible shame. I doubt you will ever know what it is to be truly happy, to achieve anything of worth, to have genuine pride in yourself. You bring it all on yourself, and I could do no worse to you."

― Terry Goodkind, Faith of the Fallen

CE 1175, Present Day: Unknown Place

NARUTO NAMIKAZE

The Void pressed on him from all sides. There barely was a Him to even be pressed.

It smothered him, choked him, reached inside him and denied purchase on identity. Thought and memory was impossible under the weight of nonexistence and time. Time smashed him into a ball with its unceasing march and pressed against him unceasing. Any thought was difficult. Survival was an impulse rather than a thought. Madness lay in wait. But he strove to exist, despite the best efforts of time and isolation.

Nine burning lines of light made up the world in its entirety. No ground, no sky, no feeling, just burning radiance pushing back the horror of nothingness. Warmth on one side, aching, numbing cold on the other.

He'd have died without those burning lights.

Time advanced, unbeknownst to him. His world was artificial, he knew. He also knew that somehow, maybe, he'd had...something...a...name?

Yes.

A name, once. There was great power in a name...as if life snapped into place once you were explained in letters or symbols. He would continue to ponder on his name, he would continue trying to exist. If he could only remember his name…

Third Shinobi War; The Land of Ame, Site of the Battle of Ame

JIRAIYA

The Land of Ame was wet...and cold...and really just plain sucked.

Jiraiya admitted it to himself, Ame is just plain terrible. He rubbed his bleeding lip with a knuckle, gazing at the bright red liquid in thought. Hanzo the Salamander definitely represented this place well. He was named so because of his stupid salamanders. They weren't nearly as cool as toads, that was for damn sure.

Plus, he was kind of an asshole.

Honorable, yes. But nice? No. He was a dictator-for-life in every sense of the word; unyielding, highly skilled, and majorly paranoid. Of course, its not paranoia if they really were out to get you. And they were.

This happened to be, not that they knew it, the tail end of the Second Shinobi War. The Densetsu no Sannin hadn't been formed-until this battle. They fought, and fought, and fought-comrades died all around them but the three, Team Hiruzen, fought on. They pulled out all the stops against this beast of Ame.

It wasn't enough.

Mercy was not something they expected, but it was something they received. Breathing hard, Jiraiya released the chakra holding his Hari Jizo technique as Hanzo left them, his proclamation of their honorable defeat done. They'd lost, but were alive. He slumped. They had been fighting hard for a while now, his toads were back in their realm-huge furrows evident where their katanas cut into the ground. Oil was everywhere, accompanied by scorch marks from Fire techniques. Rain pelted the three of the newly-dubbed Densetsu no Sannin, mocking them with its unceasing, uncaring regularity. Tsunade and Orochimaru were in better shape than he was-figures. Tsunade's massive rack looked fantastic all wet like that though. The blonde noticed his stare, a vein pulsed in her forehead, "Get your eyes out my rack Jiraiya!"

Gah.

"But hime, now is the perfect time… you're exhausted and can't fight back! Besides, they are poking me in the eye, I can't help it! Its cold out here." He smiled and half-heartedly put on his nice-guy pose. It was a testament to how tired she was that she just settled with a sniff.

Orochimaru was pristine, of course. Ass.

He spoke in a sibilant voice, definitely tinged with something resembling fatigue, "We must report back, this...has not gone well. A pity we couldn't have captured him. " Jiraiya snorted. "Well, we're alive. That's something. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, right? My precious body is intact and that's all I care about." Tsunade rolled her eyes and Orochimaru gave him his usual deadpan look. But Jiraiya continued undaunted, "Dan and Nawaki will be happy to see you Tsunade-you know? And little Anko will be happy she still has her neechan there Mr. Snake-toes. Isn't that good enough for you guys?" Tsunade knuckled her back and followed Orochimaru as he walked towards a far Rice field and the road beyond it. Jiraiya scrambled to his feet and tagged along. Tsunade remarked, "I'm sure the Red Light district will shine brighter than ever for the triumphant return of their greatest patron…"

Orochimaru spoke over his shoulder at them, "Quiet you two. This war isn't over. We're still in hostile enemy territory and low on chakra. We have to make haste. So...I will flay alive the next person who speaks."

"Meh. Touchy-teme." Orochimaru shot Jiraiya a look so nasty it might've burnt a hole through something less sturdy than the Toad Sage. They popped soldier pills and took off across the plains as soon as they came a little further down the muddy, rain-choked roads that characterized almost all of Ame. They ran, sailing across open plains. Three hours later, Orochimaru held up a complex hand signal-standard ANBU code for halt; three chakra signatures were hiding just off the beaten path. It paid to be cautious.

KONAN

The three orphans and dog were feeling optimistic about their chances of avoiding conflict entirely...that is, until they heard the familiar sound of ninja traveling superhumanly fast. Ame was host to whole armies recently and it didn't take a genius to place the sound.

So they hid.

Konan was scared. She clutched the yellow lab, Chiba's, fur coat. Ninja's meant fighting and death and loud sounds, things she was hoping to avoid. She glanced at Nagato and Yahiko, their red and orange hair proving harder to hide then she had suspected it would be. She sighed and Yahiko glanced over at her, determination painted across his face, "Konan, don't be scared! Nagato and I will scare them off, we'll ambush them! They won't know what hit 'em!" The grin on his face was so self-assured she couldn't help but believe him a little, even though deep down she knew they had no chance against real ninja. Chiba walked his talk and sniffed. He seemed to concur with what she was saying. What she wouldn't give to be powerful like those Konoha-nins...like that beautiful kunoichi. Strong, feminine, intelligent, and deadly.

Nagato was quiet, he was always that way-quiet, always analyzing, trying to temper Yahiko's passions. She just backed them both up whenever she could. Nagato was different though, from her and Yahiko...he was more important somehow. Plus, he had power. She could feel it. Konan thought that maybe he had a Destiny with a capital D. Lately though, she'd thought that maybe she imagined it-that they weren't on the same path as before. Like something had changed...she wasn't sure but, she thought maybe big things were coming their way.

Sounds got louder-they were close! Then the sound stopped, just outside the copse of trees in which they took shelter.

Before she could react, Chiba barked and the four of them were grabbed by faceless attackers, dragged out into the rainy plains. They were on the border stretch, called No-Man's Land by some, between Konoha and Ame. She looked up and saw her three attackers, powerful looking ninja from Konoha, she recognized the headband. One ninja looked like a kabuki actor, he had geta on, and frankly looked ridiculous. A beautiful blonde kunoichi with a massive rack-she blushed-had her in her grasp, Nagato was being held by the Oil headband-wearing ninja, and Yahiko was struggling to escape the grasp of a very snake-like shinobi-he was terrifying. Pale white skin, large yellow eyes, and lank dark hair completed the look. The other two looked nice, but this one…

"Three useless children, hiding in the bushes. Fufufu. Must be orphans! How delightful..." The snakish shinobi spoke in a sibilant whisper, chilling in its delight. The kabuki shinobi looked askance at his comrade, then spoke-he was way too happy for a ninja in her opinion. "Don't be weird and creepy like that Orochimaru-people will think you like children… you know, that way. Heh." A tic appeared on the ninja named Orochimaru, but when he responded, his voice was ice, "Baka, we don't have time to be babysitting, we have to get back to Konoha and report. Even you, dumb as you are, know this!" Almost as soon as the snake was done speaking, the nice-looking ninja flapped his hands, waving it away. Yahiko spoke into the silence, "What the hell are you guys gonna do with us huh? Bring us back as enemy ninja? We'll fight you every step of the way!" His hands trembled. Nagato, quiet until now, spoke up-Konan and Yahiko looked at him in shock.

NAGATO UZUMAKI

"We won't slow you down! Please, won't you take us with you? We wish to become shinobi of Konoha...I need to be strong...strong enough to take revenge on those Mist thugs that killed my parents! Please!"

Nagato bowed low. Konan and Yahiko continued to gape. The blonde kunoichi rolled her eyes and the man the snakey ninja called Jiraiya smiled.

"It's your lucky day kids! I'm feeling generous! Whatdya say you come back with me to Konoha? We'll deal with the whole revenge shtick later."

Konan couldn't believe it!

Four Days After the End of the Third Shinobi War, back in Konohagakure

HIRUZEN SARUTOBI

When the newly dubbed Sannin stumbled through the gates of Konoha with three strange orphans in tow, Hiruzen Sarutobi simply didn't know what to make of it. He was proud as a sensei, yes-his students had survived a run-in with one of the most powerful S-class shinobi in the world and lived to tell the tale, fighting so valiantly and skillfully they impressed him. He granted them titles. That kind of crap just didn't happen in the Shinobi world that often. Needless to say, he was a happy about that part. But orphan-saving is a bit different...until he saw a myth shattered right in front of his eyes. The red-haired boy, definitely an Uzumaki, had the Rinnegan. That doujutsu, a blending of Senju and Uchiha DNA that hadn't been seen for two-hundred years at least! What did this mean?

The Sage of Six Paths had been the last known wielder and he was said to be immensely powerful-even by today's standards of shinobi. This could mean great things for the village...or mean terrible things were on the horizon.

Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't earned his nickname, 'God of Shinobi' for nothing and if there was anything he wasn't-it was foolhardy. He needed some help to piece what was going on together and nowhere was there a better man to see than Danzo Shimura...he could trust his old friend to understand the implications of this.

Yes. He'd go as soon as he could.

Three Years After the End War: Konoha Ninja Academy

KUSHINA UZUMAKI

Kushina hated the kids in her class. Strike. Picking on her for her beautiful, amazing, gorgeous red-hair was dumb. Strike. I mean, Tomato-chan? What kind of fucking name was that? Strike. What a bunch of bitches. Strike. Heh. She'd show them!

"Hiiyah!"

Chakra powered Kushina Uzumaki's fist through the training log she appropriated in the Academy grounds supposedly to practice her taijutsu. It really was just anger management though.

It exploded in a hurricane of splinters. She huffed and puffed. Taijutsu was her favorite-well besides Fuuinjutsu-cause she could beat up on people and her teachers called it, 'training.'

The only Uzumaki in Konoha was very much aware that she was alone-and anger helped her cope a little.

She could only beat on people for so long before she realized that it didn't solve any of her problems. But luckily, at the same time, she realized-albeit slowly-that the side effects of beating up on training posts and sitting and staring at tomes of ninjutsu was that she became-slowly-more powerful. People stopped picking on her as much for her hair...and started being nicer. She couldn't help but follow the logic to its end-Mito Uzumaki-Senju, the person who gifted her with the nasty fox, was powerful and respected and had a family. The Senju were prolific-and powerful. The Uchiha had family-and were powerful. It seemed to her that power led to respect...and in turn, family somehow factored in. And the most powerful person in Konoha? The Hokage!

Hmm.

She'd...she'd have to be really powerful to become the hokage. If she was the Hokage… people would want to be part of her new family! Then she'd have everything she would ever want. She could MAKE a new family!

She had to become the Hokage!

She noticed girly Namikaze watching her train. Stupid baka.

With his cute hair and cute blue eyes! Gah, what the hell was she saying?

She blushed. She scowled.

He gulped and turned around to continue attacking his log with a kunai in either hand. She noticed he was pretty fast. Kinda cute too… she blushed and scowled again, definitely a habit, and promptly broke another piece off the training log with a round-house kick. She'd need a partner to help her make a family right?

Stupid girly boys.

A short time later, she halted, dripping with sweat, as their academy teacher shouted in order to get their class was spread out across the Academy training grounds separated for individual taijutsu training. She stopped and turned to see what the stupid teacher wanted. He had three kids with him, kids she'd never seen before. They looked older than the kids in her class, though. One had red hair like her! She grinned and moved closer.

YAHIKO

Yahiko had never been amongst this many kids in his life. It was a little overwhelming. His life had mostly consisted of scrounging and Not Dying. Not Dying took a lot of cunning and effort. So playing was short on the list, as was education and learning-well, at least learning about stuff not related to Not Dying was. A lot of little eyes stared at them from across a kunai-littered playground. Well, ninja playground. The sensei introducing them was nice though. Konan seemed to be getting less gloomy by the second which was good. Nagato, kami knows what went on in his head. I mean, ever since they found him and Chiba, he seemed sad. He told them that some Mist shinobi killed his parents-but that he apparently killed them in return. Yahiko thought that maybe he could get used to it here, if only for Konan and Nagato's sake. I mean, Nagato started smiling again. That alone was enough to celebrate about. He could get used to it here. Maybe, just maybe...their suffering was at an end.

He grinned as the kids started asking them questions.

NAGATO UZUMAKI

Nagato couldn't be sure, but he thought that maybe the red-haired girl was familiar. The one by the training post. This was all so new to him! The Hokage of this village taught Jiraiya-sensei and he said that Nagato was an Uzumaki, he didn't know how they knew, but after they were cleared by Tsunade-dono at the hospital, she said that there was a couple other Uzumaki's in residence in Konoha...she explained things a little to him, that he had family.

Family.

He would do anything to meet them...I mean, Konan and Yahiko were great. His best friends definitely, but not family. Family was important. He had to meet her. But here he was and there she was and he didn't know what to say.

KONAN

Konan saw the indecision on Nagato's face. Sp, she made the decision for him. She marched over to the round-faced red-haired girl and tapped her on the shoulder. She introduced herself as the girl turned around.

"Hi, I'm Konan! We're new here. This here is Nagato and the orange lummox over there is Yahiko. Who're you?"

KUSHINA

Kushina blinked, the girl had blue hair. Blue hair. They were going to be best friends. She knew it. "'ttebayo! you have blue hair! That's so cool 'cause mines red and stuff! We're going to be best friends!" She knew it like she knew she was going to be Hokage! She smiled and launched a thousand questions at Konan. Konan smiled and responded to each and every one, Nagato quickly forgotten.

NAGATO UZUMAKI

Nagato knew this was probably a good thing, Konan bonding with his cousin, but I mean...couldn't she have done it later? He marched himself over to where the two girls were talking and smiling. He coughed. They turned to him, Konan smiled again-her mouth had to her from doing that, it was weird to see her smiling so much. The three of them had precious little to smile about before...before Konoha.

The blue-haired girl smacked herself in the forehead and wrenched Nagato forward, "Kushina, this is Nagato, one of my two best friends. Nagato, this is Kushina Uzumaki-she's got red hair, just like you!" The blinding smile on her face was disconcerting. Nagato's eyebrow twitched. He turned back from Konan to the person he now knew was his cousin, Kushina.

Family.

"I'm Nagato...Nagato Uzumaki. I think I'm your cousin."

KUSHINA UZUMAKI

Kushina smiled as she threw herself at Nagato. It looks like she didn't need as much help with family as she thought!

Four Years After the End of the War: Border between Takigakure and Konohagakure

HIRUZEN SARUTOBI

This particular snake had slithered far enough, Hiruzen thought. His legs churned as he ran, leaping from branch to branch effortlessly.

He knew this now. Monstrous experiments they uncovered too late to stop indicated at least that much. Sarutobi knew this was the pinnacle moment for him; he needed to kill his heart. He needed to cloak himself in dispassion. He knew his ANBU would be after him soon, if they hadn't already been alerted to his escape.

Hehe, I still got it! Well, this time it wasn't because of towering stacks of paperwork. Heh, they'd be so proud!

This was his fault. His mistake to fix. He knew that now.

He'd loved Orochimaru as his own son, just like he loved his other two knuckle-headed students; Jiraiya-kun and Tsunade-hime. He had taught them as he had been taught. And loved them like he had been loved. But love had blinded him to the truth about his erstwhile, ever-darkening student.

It was an infection that couldn't be allowed to fester, as his little Tsunade-hime would say.

Shimura, insufferable warmonger and perpetual curmudgeon and prude that he was, would no doubt be proud. Maybe for the first time ever. Tree's flashed by as the God of Shinobi flew towards his destination-and death, of one kind or another. The white silhouette of his student flashed and bobbed ahead, Kusanagi flashing to cut obstacles from his path and pushing for speed ahead of him.

Orochimaru knew his master was coming for him.

This frantic pace ensured that Orochimaru knew this was the last meeting the two of them would ever have. He couldn't lie awake one more night wondering about the horrors he was indirectly responsible for. No one else would die because of a monster he created. No one.

With Enma, the Monkey King, in staff form, Hiruzen made a half-seal in his other and a massive pinwheel of fire erupted outward blazing a path towards the white form of his student ahead.

His student flipped and they locked eyes as Orochimaru narrowly avoided-barely-being cooked to death.

There would be no escape from this, Orochimaru had to die. One way or another.

Eight Years After the End of the War: Konoha, Remembrance Stone

OBITO UCHIHA

The Events at Kannabi Bridge were more important than anybody in the Elemental Nations ever knew. The fact that the 'death' of Obito Uchiha didn't happen had major consequences-the course of Ninja history altered far beyond what anyone could have ever predicted. Nobody, least of all those in power, would ever know how this would fall out.

Prophecies, uttered by beings of power in various dimensions across the realm, meant absolutely nothing. Dimensionally-speaking, the Events on Kannabi Bridge (with a capital E) merely represented the straw that broke the camel's back. The Sage, millenium ago, had decreed there would always be a balancing force in the Elemental Countries. The choice would always be available to humanity; the power to choose their own fate. It was no coincidence that this small act by the most powerful being on the planet would have such far-reaching consequences. And it was no surprise that the Rinnegan would manifest twice more after he passed away. The cycle would be broken-but by which side? The Paragon, championing peace-or the Renegade, advocating destruction and subjugation? What form would it take? What was really going on behind the scenes?

Those previously mentioned beings of power, summoned and otherwise, waited on baited breath to see how events would unfold, where the lynchpins would rest.

One down...one to go.

But Obito didn't know any of this.

For him, that event with the Iwa-nin on the Bridge shattered his innocence, his life, his mind. His happiness. Kakashi had died. He died vainly trying to be the friend Obito had wanted all along; the kind that for Kakashi, was too much like his father. Never leave a comrade behind right? For him Rin, his one true love, had died. Died trying to save Kakashi from his chosen course of action. The selfish bastard.

His anger still boiled at Rin...she had chosen Kakashi-again-and for the last time. Everything that happened changed him-even beyond the awakening of his Mangekyo Sharingan and his meteoric rise in both rank and power, becoming the S-class Ghost of Konoha...very close to a flee-on-sight order like his sensei-he wasn't the same Obito anymore. No happy-go-lucky, goggles wearing moron. Oh no, he was Obito Uchiha, prodigy.

All of that meant jack to the Uchiha pariah. The jonin of Konoha was hated, feared, and looked up to all at the same time by his clan. Everyone, at least, acknowledged he wasn't the same fuck-up he was when he was younger. There were simply no excuses anymore. No veil of laziness, of sloth, of victimhood.

All of this, these ideals, he attempted to pass on to Itachi Uchiha-who he already knew would become very powerful and act as a balancing force in the Clan. Kami knew they needed it. Dumb baka's didn't know how good they had it in Konoha with Minato-sensei as Hokage and Shimura mysteriously found dead.

He knew he wasn't the only shinobi who secretly celebrated, knocking back a pint or five of saki in honor of the downed warhawk. A lot of people would rest easier knowing he was in his grave-that definitely included Obito.

But about Itachi, Obito was very afraid that it wouldn't matter much how much prestige he gained Konoha when a damn civil war was brewing right under their noses...and he was very sure that Itachi was caught up in it. But that was a problem for another day.

Today was about him, the awesome-fabulous news he received today. Obito knew exactly what kept him in Konoha, what brought a smile to his face and brought him back to the light when things went dim and dark-the bundles of joy and life his sensei and Kushina-hime were bringing into the world. Little Izuna and now...Naruto.

It was very simple. Obito or 'Tobi' to Izuna, loved playing Ninja with his sensei's kid. It brought him back to when Rin, Kakashi, and him began hanging out as part of Team Minato. It was the best time of his life. Beatings, insults, jutsu gone wrong...it was the best. He knew then that he had precious people. People who cared about him. Now, with them gone, life seemed so bleak. But Naruto and Izuna made life worth living again. He'd be the best damn Godfather ever!

Obito smiled as he exited the Hokage Tower and took to the rooftops in a chakra-powered leap, adjusting his headband and his goggles as he ran towards his apartment near the Nara compound. He vowed, right here and right now, that he'd never let anything happen to the two of them. Ever. He'd protect his precious people if it was the last thing he did!

Ten Years After the End of the War: Konoha Memorial Hospital

KUSHINA NAMIKAZE

Kushina Uzumaki, Red Hot-blooded Habanero and second jinchuuriki of the Nine-tailed Demon Fox let out a sound very like a little girl faced with a new, cute, fluffy animal. The sound echoed and disturbed the patients resting in the maternity ward. Tsunade let out a sigh as she nodded.

"Yes, I'm positive Kushina. It isn't, 'freakin' cancer' as you put it. Its a baby. Though it's pretty much the same thing." The last bit was waspishly whispered under her breath.

Dan had been getting insistent lately.

She liked the trying part of it all, but you know, she just...wasn't sure she'd make a great mother. Kushina got in her face, red hair obscuring her vision of the visiting station where her vacant gaze rested, and it pulled her back to the present. "Dattebayo, Minato will be so happy! We'd been trying to have another one...Izuna is too cute and I just wanted more of those little Minato-faced munchkins in the house. Besides Izuna needs a brother!"

The smile on Kushina's face threatened to bisect her entire face. "Nagato will be happy too-he already dotes on Izuna like a happy uncle. Hard to believe the Great Nagato, S-class terror, laughs and squeals and tickles baby Izuna's toes like any other silly idiot-it's great blackmail!"

Tsunade had a hard time reconciling the terrifying shinobi-version of Nagato with the fresh-faced little squirt they rescued on the battlefields of Ame so long ago. Jiraiya, her, and….him. She shook her head. It was done with and they needed to move on. Kushina sensed the somber shift in mood because she took a new direction.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you Tsunade! Uh. Could you maybe keep this a secret till I tell Minato?" The Big Purple Eyes no Jutsu went off without a hitch and Tsunade fell instantly. "Of course. Of course. Don't wait long okay? I have a big mouth. I don't know how long I can hold it in for." Tsunade smiled and winked. Kushina laughed and jumped off the examination table. She pulled her shirt down and shrugged on her flak jacket, adjusting her hair. "I'm gonna go tell Mr. girly-ass Hokage right now!"

The head of the Uzumaki clan in Konoha took to the rooftops as soon as she exited the hospital. It took her less than five minutes to make her way to the Hokage tower in the center of the village. She stopped in front of a dango stand in the middle of the crowded thoroughfare and looked up, shielding her eyes from the sun as she sought her object. She smiled and leapt straight upwards, casually climbing to the very top of the tower and bust in through the window. Koharu almost had a heart attack as the wife of the Hokage busted into the room in the middle of their strategy session. Nara Shikaku slumped in his chair muttering, no doubt about troublesome things, and the Ghost of Konoha, Obito Uchiha, slouched against the far bookshelf. Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha and S-Class shinobi with a universal flee-on-sight order had ramen dripping all over the front of his flak jacket and looked gobsmacked.

The foxy, smiling Kushina announced glowing, "Minato! I'm pregnant again-and its a boy!"

IZUNA NAMIKAZE

Back at the Namikaze clan compound, Izuna Namikaze was practicing diligently with his chakra chains. It wasn't something he was great at. Those who watched him thought he was so skilled and dedicated...'deep' as the fangirls called it, complicated.

'Why does the boy train so hard? He's a genius!' Giggle, giggle.

Izuna wasn't complicated or deep.

He was eight years old and he knew he was skilled. He knew what a prodigy was, and that everyone was saying that was what he was, but really all he knew was that things came very easily to him. So easy, in fact, that it made it hard to care about such accomplishments. His mother and father knew he excelled, knew and praised him for working so hard, and that made him want to try harder. But the simple fact was that he didn't need to try to achieve the things he wanted-even at two. His mother had come to talk to him earlier that day, saying that a few very important things were happening and that he had a very important role to play. A job.

A job that only he could do. She smiled when she said it, her hair falling around her shoulders close enough that he could play with it like he loved to do as a kid. She took his face in her hands and told him something that changed his life...well two somethings.

He was going to be the next jailor for moms burden. And he was going to have a brother.

Now both of these things are connected, he knew. He didn't feel adrift anymore, wondering what the point of his skill was, he knew now-he immediately put the two together in his mind. Mom told him that his brother would be coming very soon and that he'd need to be the best big brother he could be-protect his brother, train his brother, make him strong. Look out for little Naruto like mom and dad look out for him.

The fact of the matter was that as the next jailor for the big fox in his mom's belly, he'd be responsible for keeping the fox locked up...if it escaped, it'd hurt the people he loved. His mom. His dad.

His brother.

Izuna needed to be the best shinobi he could so he could protect everyone. So he would. His mom told him that only the most courageous shinobi are chosen to house the Nine-tailed Fox.

He wouldn't let them down.

Ten Years After the End of the War: Konohagakure; Valley of the End

MADARA UCHIHA

Madara Uchiha was not a man prone to rash actions.

He continued to kneel on the rough hewn ground as he considered this newest...development. Water dripped off a statue behind him and echoed. He coughed wetly. The damp air in the cave only worsened his condition, he knew. Though, it had been fifty years since his clash with that damn Senju and he finally acknowledged he was fading…fading, but not gone.

Not yet.

His dream-the end of the cycle of hatred-would happen. It would. The ninja of today knew nothing, fought like children over territory that meant nothing. Fought like honorless rabble and not as trained ninja! Ninja who operated in the darkness, who were the bogeyman to the civilian population...terrifying, powerful, and not sheep. If there was one thing Madara had learned in his isolation was that all those battles he fought were pointless-life was too precious to waste fighting. Death was meaningless when snuffed out, so young, so innocent. These young and innocent lives, those like his brothers, were led to their deaths by the will of those greater than themselves. Nobody had a choice.

Locked in a cycle, unable to see the wheel they were spinning inside. Led by those with more knowledge, more power, more wisdom, the cycle created more violence and hatred...which in turn fueled the fire. Hashirama knew this, he KNEW this. So, why had he elected to fight him on this point so many damn times? He never understood. Foolish Senju.

He knew what the problem was...Hashirama himself knew what the problem was...it was the power of choice! Free will. The power of one individual to enforce their will over another. The power to choose to freely throw your life away for a cause that didn't care about you.

Attached to the Demonic Statue though he was, and kept alive artificially as well, he knew he couldn't continue like this. He knew that well. His long dark hair trailed across the cloth covering his chest as he reached his hands out to brush the scroll that had been delivered to him by some means he was still puzzling over. It was a rarity for him to puzzle for long.

All his knowledge, his power, his skill...it wouldn't do any good whatsoever if he couldn't find a worthy successor in which to pass the torch.

Hmm, what a fitting metaphor.

Fire burned, devoured, offered no quarter and expected none. But fire also healed. He needed to find someone to help him burn out the infection in their world, burn away everyones free will like dry grass on the high plain. A fire was needed to cleanse the world. The ancient, armored Uchiha knew exactly what fire would do the trick. He glanced back at the scroll, reading the contents.

Madara Uchiha grew up listening the stories of the Sage of Six Paths, father of ninjutsu, father of the Bijuu-so powerful he could create things out of nothingness. So powerful. Powerful enough to enforce his will and dominate the whole world. The Sage possessed the legendary Samsara eye, or the Rinnegan as his parents explained to him. He remembered smiling and laughing and playing Sage with his older brother and the other Uchiha clan kids...he shook his head. Memories of long ago. Weakness. He chided himself-him, a warrior of the Uchiha clan getting senile. Imagine that! He laughed, the echo bouncing crazily in the jagged cave.

He continued to brood.

One thing he knew for sure, the only thing really, was that peace-real peace-could only be achieved through complete domination of every person and thing on the planet...he knew that now.

One will.

The scroll was the last piece of the puzzle. He sighed again and straightened out of sazen position. Madara Uchiha, wielder of the Rinnegan and chosen Bringer of Peace and Harmony to the world, would see it through to the end. He would end the cycle for good.

Rocks tumbled near the entrance and Madara didn't move. The shaggy-haired warrior presumed the masked messenger that put this interesting, very interesting, scroll into his once-strong hands was his visitor. Madara felt the chakra signature, oily, oddly doubled up on itself. Traitorous.

Ah, Root.

"What does Danzo Shimura's little Root want from an old man like me?" Madara cocked his head to the left, hair dangling like the teeth of some great beast. His teeth shone white in the light from the afternoon sun just managing to encroach on the cave entrance as his lips curved upwards. "Come now Mr. Yakushi...what can I do for you?" The newcomer, draped in a chunin flak-jacket and wearing a headband of Konoha, adjusted his glasses, light glinting strangely off of them, and smiled, seemingly not in the least disturbed to meeting a dead person.

"Madara Uchiha...it is an honor, sir. However, I don't think this is about what you can do for me… but more, what Root can do for you, wouldn't you agree?"

Ten Years and Nine Months After the End of the War: Konohagakure, Namikaze Compound

IZUNA NAMIKAZE

It had been close on nine months since Izuna had been told of his newest mission in life; to guard and protect the biggest fox in the history of the Elemental Nations. But when he finally met the Kyuubi, or Kurama as he came to found out, the guy wasn't half bad.

Oh, he was quite incensed about being imprisoned an d such, but overall, he was quite a good conversationalist-when he felt like contributing. Of which Izuna greatly appreciated this fact about his new partner, at least in light of the circumstances. Izuna was dedicated to the defense of the life and limb of those precious to him. Mostly Naruto and his parents-but he had a host of other people who mattered too. But it was very important to him that he excel. He had a promise to uphold.

So when the time for the ceremony came around, he cleaned his room, finished practicing his shape manipulation, and followed his father out to the back of the clan compound-luckily it was close to the Hyuuga and the Sarutobi's. Two clans well versed in the massive chakra sealing barriers that now graced his normally beautiful zen garden backyard. He pictured steel running through his three-year old veins. Mom looked beautiful but tired, bags under her normally unwrinkled skin. The pregnancy was close at hand so he knew she had to be straining with two enormous burdens.

He was glad he'd be taking one away from her after today.

His father smiled, his white cloak with flames bordering the edges flapping in the gentle autumn breeze. The hand on his back felt warm as they led him over to an altar he could have sworn he'd never seen before in his life. "How are you feeling son? You know you can back out of this whenever you want. Your mom and I talked about this, and we wanted this to truly be something you take on yourself." The concern on Dad's face was truly touching-but he was a big boy. Old enough to understand and acknowledge what he wanted. Izuna's parents watched his tiny face go hard with a fierceness not out of place on a mama tiger defending her cub. Kushina thought it adorable-secretly Minato agreed, but he didn't want to spoil it by laughing and pinching his cheeks. "I know I'm only three mother, father, but I want to help protect Konoha! I want to protect you and otouto-and well, everybody!"

The Namikaze parents looked at each other and Kushina nodded. She was almost four when she received Kurama and Izuna was far stronger than she had ever been at his age. More like their father; face, figure, attitude-everything. He could make this decision himself.

"Okay then Izuna-chan, let's get on with it shall we?" Minato directed Izuna to take his shirt off and lay on the altar. Kushina lay next to her son. As she sat, chains erupted from her skin and bound them together. She smiled at him as he lay there, arm pressed against hers. Minato nodded to Sarutobi and Jiraiya who attended them on the side, quiet during the family moment. Jiraiya made dumb faces at Izuna as he came closer, Izuna tried not to but he cracked a grin anyway. Sarutobi smiled at the byplay and tapped his pipe out as he spoke quietly to Minato, "Eight Trigrams Sealing Method correct? That's what we worked out from what I remember of Mito and Hashirama's plan for Kushina." Minato nodded, "Yes Sarutobi-sensei, I'm just worried that Kushina...and the labor. Well, Tsunade said it should be fine, but how many times has anybody ever transferred the greatest of the bijuu from host to host during pregnancy?" Sarutobi looked thoughtful, placing his pipe back in his mouth, smoke rising from a sealless fire-release. Minato rolled his eyes at the show-off. "Honestly, the Uzumaki genes, chakra chains, powerful life force, skill with sealing…Izuna is perfect. I would be very, very surprised my boy, with any complications whatsoever." He pointed his pipe towards ANBU ringing the building, visible through the haze of the barrier. "This is the most well-fortified place in the entire Elemental Nations right now, so I wouldn't worry so much." Minato nodded and stepped forward to start the ritual.

Izuna shivered as the ritual started and progressed. He heard his fathers voice pick up and his mom grit her teeth. Then, a malevolence fell over the clearing; a chakra, even at his age, he could tell was full of anger and hatred for everything. It felt like every mean kid who picked on him was yelling insults in his face over and over again. Like mom and dad telling you they didn't love you, like his future brother hating him. His mom grabbed his hand and squeezed. his trembling hands stilled and he remembered his part. The swirling red vortex coming out of his mother had chains around it-his moms powerful chains crisscrossing the powerful solid chakra. He added his six chains to the mix, pulling it towards his stomach.

It was over and done with before he even knew it. He heard his father's voice finish, "Eight Trigrams Sealing Technique!"

Blackness covered Izuna and before he knew it, he was in a massive dark library that opened, with no transition, into a beautiful valley. A red glow came from deep in the forest abutting the mountains in the distance. White paper stuck to a rock next to a path leading into the forest, kanji scrawled across it. Two massive eyes opened and narrowed at the intruder and raised itself up above the trees. Up and up and up…

Izuna woke up.

Ten Years, Nine Months, and some Change After the End of the War: Konohagakure Memorial Hospital, Room 3C

UNKNOWN

Rain like Konoha had never experienced before pounded the city when Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze was born. He was a healthy baby boy born on October 10th at Konoha Memorial Hospital five pounds, nine ounces. Red was the color of the day; between the water-logged blossoms all over the city and the crazy amount of blood-colored hair atop his crown. A definite contrast to his older brother Izuna's bright yellow messy mop-identical to the Hokage's. Everyone said hair the color of blood symbolized the burning Will of Fire definitely, most assuredly, already absolutely present in the Hokage's youngest son. The rain couldn't dampen such a momentous occasion either-the Hokage's second son was born healthy and whole...well mostly.

It was also said that the Hokage gave a considerable sum of money to Obito Uchiha in the form of winnings from what was presumably a bet regarding hair color.

Rain slashed at the windows of Konoha Memorial as Kushina smiled her trademark foxy-grin, happy but exhausted-much the same as her doctor, one Tsunade Senju. The happy cousins, Karin Uzumaki and Nagato Uzumaki, along with family friends Yahiko, Konan, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and many others came through and congratulated the glowing, happy husband and wife. Even Itachi, new clan head of the Uchiha clan, stopped by on his way to see his sister, Kira. Everyone agree it was very nice of him. Everyone agreed even more though, on the opinion of all involved that the deep purple eyes with concentric rings gazing intelligently out of little Naruto's face meant something very, very important.

Arguably the biggest shock was that nobody had ever seen Nagato quite that...cuddly with anyone, he cooed over Naruto. Attention came back to Naruto as he gurgled and burbled, making cute sounds that had everyone cooing, even his big brother. Of course, nobody paid much attention to anything else after that because that is when, as Yahiko always says, shit got weird.

Naruto waved his hands around as babies do and…

...from nothingness came multicolored soap bubbles which flew around, shifting to his whim.

Fourteen Years After the End of the War: Konohagakure, Streets near the Uchiha Clan Compound

ITACHI UCHIHA

Itachi Uchiha ran like his life was at stake.

And in some ways, it was.

The youngest Jonin in Uchiha history flew over the rooftops in a chakra-powered hurricane sprint towards the Uchiha clan compound. Tonight was the night. He breathed in and out, steadying himself; legs churning, dark cloak flapping. His father had made no effort to disguise his less than amiable coup d'etat attempts. The Fourth had dispatched him and the ANBU to suppress the attempt (as bloodlessly as possible he promised)-but he hoped he wasn't too late. It would be far from bloodless with the Uchiha involved.

He poured on the speed. Rooftops flashing by as his vision went a little hazy with the blueness of his chakra.

As he passed the halfway mark he mulled over the facts he had heard from the Hokage; his father had pushed his timetable up considerably-almost a year they said. Itachi's mind raced. He knew that Nagato, Obito, Konan, and Yahiko were all out of the picture on missions… many of their strongest Jonins were off dealing with Kumo's saber rattling. Dan and Nawaki were handling a diplomatic mission to Mist, the Mizukage Yagura was not an easy man to engage with, so that left the sannin. They were gone; Jiraiya was with Minato, Nagato, and the Third on a classified mission, and Tsunade on extended training exercises with the Hospital Iryu-nin Corp. And, of course, Orochimaru was dead as a traitor and a monster.

Who was there to stop Fugaku? No doubt the Hokage could be there in a flash, but other than him, who did that leave able to match Fugaku?

Itachi.

It was better this way, fitting. Shusui was drifting, consumed by his ninjutsu. His mother, Makoto, was pregnant with his soon-to-be sister...a sister that would be born in a world divided. His mother would never raise a hand against her husband. She never had before.

Itachi couldn't let this be the legacy of the Uchiha. Continuous hatred. No, he would defeat his father, take the reins of the clan, and return them to their former glory. Just like he eliminated the meddling of Danzo Shimura, he would eliminate his father and thereby make Konoha whole again. The eldest son of the clan head smiled and his Mangekyo Sharingan spun in the darkness.

He had promised.

Eight Years After Naruto's Birth: Namikaze Clan Compound

KUSHINA UZUMAKI

Kushina and her husband very, very happy-and why not?

Konoha was more prosperous than ever-with ever increasing contracts to the numerous incredible shinobi that resided within her walls, she fulfilled more and more expensive contracts than ever before. Prestige and money flowed right into the coffers of the government and, in turn, to Minato as the Hokage. The Merchant Guilds and the civilian representatives on the Council were happy-incredibly so. New clients emerged and for vastly different requests than ever before; earth users were contracted for construction, water users were contracted for irrigation ensuring a population explosion unseen since the Second Shinobi War. Contracts streamed in and Konoha grew fat on riches.

With the highest population of S-class ninja in the entirety of the Elemental Countries and thus the most powerful shinobi force...envy grew. Jealousy took root in many a leader, especially of the smaller countries, but Kushina knew none of this and suspected just as much.

All she knew was that her boys-Izuna, Naruto, and Minato-made her life worth living. Everyone in Konohagakure, that she knew at least, was happier than she could ever remember. Simply more evidence that power, used the right way, made life better for everyone. Something she tried to instill in her boys as much as she could.

As she bustled around the sprawling Uzumaki-Namikaze Manor towards the central training grounds for her normal training routine, she couldn't help but smile. Why, just today Naruto had turned five and was given his first shinobi tool kit; sealing kit, kunai, senbon, etc.

The purple in his eyes shined when he smiled and made her heart skip. She had to admit though...Naruto was different though. The little scholar had said that he saw things no one else did. Nagato assured her it was just the rinnegan, but...it was more than that. He was quiet, not like her at all, he was shy and skittish, he was bookish-always reading by lamplight. Kushina had to try some sneaky fuuinjutsu to make sure no light could shine in his bedroom or he'd be up at all hours. I mean, they weren't even adventure novels; theoretical texts on space and time? Physics? What kind of kid liked that kind of crap?

She snorted. Luckily she had other shinobi-moms to call on, Makoto Uchiha was still her best friend. But it sounded to Kushina like she had her own hands full. Itachi was a prodigy not unlike her Izuna and Naruto sounded pretty much the exact opposite of Kira, Itachi's sister. Her smile fell. Then again, the big difference now was that Makoto didn't have a husband to share the burden of raising two children. Her heart went out to her friend. It couldn't be easy to handle things now that-

Her head swiveled around the compound taking in the zen garden and the rest of the patio directly in front of her. Something ticked off her danger sense. The wooden slats ringed the center of the open compound and framed the massive rocks and gentle white sand that filled the garden, it fairly radiated peace and tranquility. A single, lonely Sakura tree squatted over the whole area. Blossoms, as usual, sat scattered all around. Everything was normal, so why did she feel like she was being watched?

For shinobi, that knee-jerk sensation of being watched wasn't the same thing as a civilians hair standing on end-it was often the product of their chakra interacting with their surroundings giving them a bit of almost precognition in regards to threats. Many shinobi were alive today because of that very advantage.

Which is why she was so concerned. That nagging sensation was screaming at her. She spun and jerked her body sideways.

It was the only reason she was still alive.

Flesh parted as a needle-like kunai slid through her spine at an angle, directly behind her heart. That jerk prevented the tip from penetrating her heart and killing her instantaneously. She gasped and twisted away from the second attack. The attacker's hand blurred towards her heart. Kushina's hand snaked out, a length of chain erupting from her right shoulder, and deflected the kunai's unerring strike-enough to leave a heavy furrow gouged in her side where rib clearly showed through. She tried to move but couldn't, her legs weren't responding properly. All she could do was fly around like a baka.

And die.

Damnit, she wouldn't go this way to some asshole no-name assassin!

She deflected the next deft attack, channeled chakra into a pinpoint strike-not unlike Tsunade's technique but much more crude-and slammed her geta sandals into the would-be assassin's bandage-wrapped knee.

Crack!

The assassin didn't even make a sound as his kneecap splinted and reversed inwards, no normal ninja could ever ignore such a wound. Sweat broke out on her forehead. Kushina scrambled backwards on on both hands, splinters digging into her palms from the wooden slats. She thought hard and fast-Minato's sigil was nearby, under all the benches (he was fucking paranoid, but turns out he was goddamn right) so all she needed to do was activate it and he'd come running. She smirked and moved. She channeled enough chakra for the equivalent of one-tail of Kurama's chakra (not that she had that to fall back on anymore). An explosion of long silvery chains crisscrossed her and leapt at the enemy, seeking blood. She tried to buy herself some time as she scooted even further, dragging her unresponsive legs. Her heart stopped as she heard her youngest son calling her name as he opened the door onto the veranda. He wasn't supposed to be here! The attacker disappeared into the ground and her chains retracted. A wave of weakness hit her and she lost feeling in her chest.

NARUTO NAMIKAZE

Naruto knew he was strange-even among ninja. He just couldn't help it!

Nobody understood, except Nagato, what he was seeing. Ever since he was a little kid he'd been able to see the wisps. Nobody else was able to see the wisps. Always swirling around peoples heads and bodies in different colors, he'd never been able to understand what it all meant. What was he seeing? Blues, reds, greens, every color he could name he'd seen floating around the various civilians and things got way weirder when he saw shinobi using techniques.

It was beautiful though, the way the wisps started surging and dancing inside the chakra. He couldn't help that he got distracted by the lights floating around him and the shapes! So many shapes. His dad's Rasengan technique was gorgeous; swirling neutral soft blue colors in a massive swirling sphere. He could see the individual wisps moving around people; he thought maybe some of them indicated emotions and ideas. But others? Others were inside techniques. He was fascinated! He maneuvered skillfully through the front room of his the Namikaze side of the compound, dodging futons and the dinner table while his eyes were glued to a text about gravitational forces. I mean, the idea that a field of energy was responsible for lashing us to the ground and making being not-float was...brilliant! As he made his way through, he snagged an apple from the bowl on the table and used his butt to open the door out into the courtyard. He swiveled and used his bony seven year old butt to close the door again-his mom hated it when he did this, moving on autopilot thing. Unfortunately he had to look up as he had reached the stairs down on to the sand.

Naruto's eyes flicked up, purple eyes flashing, and he stopped short. Sound intruded on his musings.

There was blood on the ground and someone was screaming at him-his mom!-to run. He stopped eating his apple but didn't have time to scream before the attacker was on him. Pale yellow wisps rose from the ground and sheathed the figure as he...he...He rose from the ground! Naruto scrambled backwards, throwing his book at the ninja...thing?

He got a good look at the assailant. Black cloak, red clouds, massive plant-thingy gripping a face with two colors...like the prayer stones at the Fire Temple…

The analytical part of his mind, a large part, thought it funny how time slowed when he was about to die. Naruto saw everything. There were no red wisps, just pale yellow and blue...he thought maybe that meant this man...thing was just on a mission. No anger. No hatred-colored wisps. His eye dropped to the approaching weapon. A regular kunai-a kunai not unlike the one he had been so excited to get when he became a ninja-came closer and closer to his left eye. He thought about a lot of things; his mommy bleeding on the ground, he thought about gravity (stupid!), why was no one there to protect him?, he thought about fear, the tightness in his small chest, and how he knew if Izuna was here he'd make it better...or maybe he'd be able to defeat the attack. Sadness. Maybe if he'd tried harder to do things other than lounge around and read, he'd have been able to save his mommy and himself.

The perfect thrust of a master assassin pushed slowly towards his eye and his head and his death.

And there was nothing he could do… right? He pictured his brother, always telling him he'd never let anything happen to him, his family-so powerful-jiji, a kage! His dad...people fled when they saw him… and...and…

None of them could save him and he couldn't save himself.

Naruto knew now, as imminent death stripped away his childish notions of heroics, of books and other worlds, and happy endings and happiness-he saw that he was just pretending to be a ninja...he was nothing like his brother or the other ninja-he was weak. Weak and a fool, a fool to think he could ever be like them. He couldn't even save himself. Fear consumed him and he screamed.

Time sped up and the kunai rammed into his eye. The metal scraped the bone of his eye socket on both sides as it went digging. The flesh of the eyeball pulped and milky fluid spilled down his face.

He screamed louder. His rinnegan flashed once. Everything went black for him and he could hear himself breathing as he fell backwards. There was almost nothing left of him as the blackness of oblivion ate at the edges of his consciousness.

Blood spread out in a fan behind his head as he felt himself dying.

KUSHINA UZUMAKI

Kushina swam back into consciousness. She coughed on the blood filling her lungs. It covered her, Bloody Habanero indeed. Her bloody, gloved questing hand sought frantically under the bench nearest her. She couldn't believe ANBU hadn't heard the disturbance by now. Her baby boy was going to die! Her breaths came fast and desperate.

Hulking, the plant-thing emerged from the ground right in front of Naruto and drew a kunai. She looked away from the attacker advancing on her baby boy. Her eyes grew heavy, drowsy again from blood loss. She forced them open, kept her eyes-drowsy as they were-aimed towards the bench and towards safety.

Ah!

With her blood already all over her, she finally just channeled chakra as she activated the raised elements of the Hiraishin marker. She heard a cry of mortal agony, her baby boy-her precious baby-and the world rang with sound.

Then nothing.

Aftermath of the Attack on Kushina and Naruto

MINATO NAMIKAZE, FOURTH HOKAGE OF KONOHAGAKURE

The Uzumaki-Namikaze Clan compound swarmed with ninja. Medical staff hauled away the corpses of the ANBU detailed to guard Kushina as the fire brigade put out tiny fires all over the place, centered around the garden. Large fists of crude earth stood poised out from where Naruto had lain bleeding. Water had frozen in spears of ice, punching otward in the same way as the earth. Fire had blackened the ground all around. Wind had created a bubble around Naruto that they had to pierce before they could grab him.

It was as if a bomb hit.

The most baffling part was the crystalline spears arcing out of the ground in a defensive ring. The hell was that? He shook his head and eyed the wreckage.

Minato felt his heart breaking a little more as he stared at the building that represented everything he ever wanted in his life. Or at least, what was left of the building. As an orphan, Minato had longed for a family. He had done everything he could to find out his natural parents, but no matter how much he searched it was like-like he had come out of nowhere. With him becoming a ninja, he had found comrades...Raido, Genma, the rest of the gang. He loved them like he loved Jiraiya or Kushina, or Izuna...Minato ran his hands through his hair. With Jiraiya he had felt like he came home. The father he never had...and then...Kushina. Well. She hated him at first, but he won her over. She proved to be the most amazing woman he had ever met. Tough, smart, deadly...she was hilarious. So spunky. He loved that. The kindest, gentlest woman in the world. Well, unless you pissed her off-and, Minato frowned, not one to let anyone get away with hurting her baby.

He knew she had fought. She fought with everything she had, but it was obvious this ninja was a stealth expert and managed to kill a squad of ANBU with nothing but a kunai. He most certainly got the drop on all of them. There was no shame in that.

Anger suffused him as he thought about what happened to his youngest. Naruto...was gifted with a doujutsu he had never seen before, but Sarutobi was convinced it was the Sage of Six Path's doujutsu-the Rinnegan. He was inclined to agree, Nagato had it-but it wasn't the same really. Nagato was a six-trick pony...but nobody lived long enough to see all of his tricks.

Naruto could do things with this Rinnegan that nobody had ever seen. Creating things out of nothing? It wasn't normal. But then again, who the hell was normal in the Uzumaki or Namikaze family? Yahiko was a turd, no about it. Goofy, serious, crazy-in love with Konan and showed it with outrageous displays of romantic affection. I mean, he was the sole reason they'd had to have the birds and bees talk this early in their parenthood. Tch. Karin and her need to sniff things...and too good at being a sensor. Like Byakugan-type invasion of privacy. Nagato...well Nagato was a nerd. Not that there was anything wrong with that… it was just, well, Izuna had taken a little too much after Nagato and himself; studious to a fault, focused, he had already mastered two-tails worth of bijuu chakra with the help of his chakra chains and Kushina. Well, he'd be a force to reckon with one day.

And Naruto? Naruto was...Naruto. Totally unexpected that he would be so much like Nagato of all people; bookish and frail. The boy was afraid of his own shadow. Kushina coddled him, taught him shinobi arts that didn't require much physicality. He had no fire in him, no fight. Not that Minato could see, anyway. It was even worse now...now that...

His mind shied away from thoughts of his son. Minato just thanked kami Izuna was with Obito when the attack happened.

Nagato said Naruto had lashed out with what he could only describe as pure chakra, shaping into various elements as needed-they'd felt the expenditure of energy like a sun rising in the middle of Konoha. Needless to say there was almost nothing left of the garden and compound.

He mentally reoriented. Minato knew he was just ignoring the simmering volcano of anger waiting just below his facade of calm. The horror of seeing his baby boy with just one eye...and his Kushina. Crippled. The baby blue of his eyes misted and he blinked them away as he looked to see if anyone saw. Kushina had almost died. Tsunade thankfully restored some functionality, but her chakra paths in her legs were almost severed. She could walk, but barely. She was crippled as a ninja. The Fourth counted himself lucky however; mercifully, Kushina had been sheltered behind the rock and barely escaped the blast of elements that most certainly would have killed her as it apparently had killed the mystery ninja.

Right now, though, was not a time for vengeance or grief as the killer was dead and both Naruto and Kushina needed him-his family needed him, not as the Hokage, but as Dad.

Minato turned and disappeared in a flash of yellow.

One Month After THE INCIDENT: Konoha, Hokage's Office

MINATO AND KUSHINA NAMIKAZE

The square room that housed the most powerful man in all of Konoha held a lot of books. Sheafs of scrolls cluttered the corner desk and definitely contributed to the overall picture of a less than organized Hokage. Kami knows that Iruka, assistant to the Hokage, tried his very best-but nobody knew better than Kushina how stubborn Minato could be. Kushina adjusted her legs as best she could in the chair off to the side, facing the right hand side of Minato's massive desk. Her legs killed. Tsunade had mentioned that there would be numbness from time to time, but she hadn't mentioned how annoying it would be when her legs finally woke up-or how painful. It irritated her, yes, but she couldn't help but be grateful even to be alive. The reminder was always there when she took every painful step.

Her baby boy could've died right there and there was nothing she could have done.

Sure, she accepted that shit happened in life, but she would never accept the death of her little boy. He was special; so special and the recent trip Minato, Jiraiya, Nagato, and the Third made to the home of the Great Toad Sage proved that. But the Great Sage warned that there were two paths those with the Rinnegan could take; that of the Destroyer and that of the Savior. She felt she knew what path Naruto was on now. In fact, that was exactly what she was here to talk to her husband about. She was worried about Naruto.

Very worried.

Ever since that day, when he had lost an eye and almost died. Where she suspected he came face to face with fear of a kind he had never witnessed or felt before. Her little boy almost died. There was simply no defense against that monstrous assassin-sure, Izuna might have lasted longer, but- Kushina checked her thoughts. She was comparing them again. She knew Izuna was a prodigy. Everyone loved Izuna and he was so capable that they'd admitted him into the Academy a few years back. He was set to graduate soon too. They were so proud of him… but it only underscored how wrong the situation with Naruto really was.

Naruto barely talked, he ate little, he never smiled. On top of all of that, he disappeared up into his room for hours on end. Thin before the Incident, he was worse after. Tsunade had him on a strict regimen of diet and exercise; but Kushina didn't see it helping...or maybe he just wasn't following it properly. Kushina tried her best to get him to open up by teaching him more advanced fuuinjutsu but that seemed to make him only hungrier for more. It was a spiral that would not end well. She knew that.

With bags under his eyes and an eye patch covering the ragged hole where his left eye would've been, he cut a somewhat frightening figure; the kids in his grade picked on him. But he didn't do anything-that they knew of. Reports had been coming back that mysteriously, those kids that picked on Naruto ended up having accidents-nothing deadly of course. Tripping where there was nothing to trip them, accidents happening to them that embarrassed them in class, harmless pranks like that.

Kushina knew without a doubt that it was Naruto. Izuna tried to talk to his brother, but seemed to only make Naruto withdraw inside himself further. He was pulling away and Kushina just didn't know what to do.

Minato opening the door to his office pulled her away from her melancholy thoughts. She struggled to her feet and moved fast, crashing into Minato and burying her head in his chest, breathing in his clean scent. She needed him right now, needed him to make this okay.

"Kushina, are you okay? Did something happen with the kids?" Those eyes, blue as the sky, stared back at her and she felt again how lucky she was to land someone as amazing as Minato. Kind, funny, strong...everything she ever wanted. She blushed, and handsome too! She did a mental fist-punch into the air for womankind. Dattebayo! She refocused.

"You honestly can't tell me you aren't worried for Naruto? Izuna is crazy worried, everyone in the clan is worried about him." She sighed and thought a second, "He stares at things that nobody can see-" Minato interrupted waving his hand, "Nagato says he is seeing chakra. It would make sense that he sees things nobody else can… because nobody else can see chakra like that!" He frowned, stepped out of her embrace, and looked down.

"I don't like people saying that my son is crazy, that he's broken, that he's another Orochimaru-I mean, yes, the boy likes to read and he's grown a little...dark, but he's my son and he is a good boy. Kushina, you know this!"

She read it in his face, he was as scared as she was. At least we're in this together then. "Minato, I'm worried about him-that is all. I know that he's a good boy-he's my baby for cryin' out loud! But I think we need to do something, because if we don't...then that happy little bookworm we raised will be gone." She stared intently into those beautiful eyes she loved.

"Minato he was scared out of his mind, I saw that much when the Incident happened! He probably hates himself, and thinks this is somehow his fault...blah, blah, and a bunch of self-recrimination." She rolled her eyes.

Resting against the desk, she looked out the office window at nothing. "That's exactly how we'd feel and he's our son. We have to do something." Minato stared at her back, slim, strong-able to carry so much and not break. He admired her for a lot of things, one of which was her insight and wisdom-in spite of her blunt personality. She tended to speak truth even when people didn't want to hear it. He walked around the desk and scooped her up in his arms. She was right and he knew it. Minato needed to help his son in the only way he knew how. To let his son pick himself up. Naruto needed to save himself and the only way Minato could do that was to give him space, time, and the skills to do it.

Only time would tell.

One Month After the Attack: Fire Temple Monastery in the Land of Fire

NARUTO NAMIKAZE

The last month had been almost a haze. Naruto had been operating on autopilot for his three-week stint in the hospital with it's white rooms, white clothed staff, white floors, white flowers, white white white everywhere.

He was sick of the color white. He'd take red, or purple, or blue any day of the week-something. All he kept thinking was that he should have died. His mom had lived thankfully, but he had no idea why he still walked this earth. A full squad of ANBU, the elite of the elite, had been all taken out with a single kunai strike each. The man-plant was a master of his trade and yet-and yet-Naruto and his mother both were still alive. Why?

The story he'd been given was that Naruto had done something unconsciously that left the house a complete wreck. He didn't remember at all what happened, just remembered feeling immense pain-beyond description-in his eye and lashing out like a wounded animal he'd once seen in the woods. Maybe that was it?

If it was Naruto who possessed such power, why had it never happened before? People kept telling him that he was special for some reason...yet his brother, the Jailor of the Nine-tailed Fox of all things, received pat and after pat on his head for being a once-in-a-lifetime genius. Yet Naruto hadn't even been able to defend himself in his first encounter-an encounter that almost claimed his life.

The red-haired boy knew he was being hard on himself; he was only eight, but damn it-his father was a prodigy and went to war at his age! Then there was his brother, uncle, and all of his cousins (pretty much) who were doing amazing things so much earlier than he was-and managed to stay alive doing them. I mean, Izuna managed to apprentice himself to an ex-Hokage! He needed to get stronger and he couldn't do that way out here in the middle of nowhere! Didn't his father understand that? Mom usually gave in but in this she was like iron. Unbending.

HE WAS FINE.

Naruto tried to keep the trembling in his hands and daily nightmares to himself, even going so far as to create a sound barrier with fuuinjutsu around his room. Disabled within seconds-but he was congratulated for being inventive at least.

So he took his small victory, there was precious little to celebrate anymore.

He was being sent away for some reason he couldn't fathom. It was bad enough that he couldn't see as well as he had before...the wisps were dominating what vision he did have left. Nagato said that eventually he'd be able to turn it on and off but he wasn't there yet. Not by a long shot. But to be sent away? On top of that, pain still lingered in the socket whenever he thought about the Incident. Fire erupted there and he had to stifle his tears and cries. His mom and dad noticed anyway, as much as Naruto tried to hide it. Izuna had made him a band he could pull down to cover his eye-it had a metal plate with their clan symbol on it. Everyone said it made him look dashing, and roguish; which, of course, was true. It made him feel a bit better. Aunt Tsunade said that the pain was all in his head and it would go away as he came to terms with what had happened.

Came to terms? He sneered to himself. He would never be okay with nearly dying, his mom nearly dying, and him not being able to do a damn thing. So he ignored that advice and concentrated on reading as much as he could to try to take his mind off his leaving Konoha for who knew how many years. But, the day came-as he hoped it would not-and here he was.

He didn't even know where they were going.

Nagato Uzumaki, his cousin and famous S-class shinobi of Konohagakure escorted him to his new destination, but wouldn't tell him where they were going-only that the Hokage had ordered it. The Hokage.

The day came. Packing his bags took no time at all. One of the only things he could honestly say he was far ahead of everyone was in sealing; he just...understood what combinations would create what effect. His mom didn't appreciate it when he'd had the novel idea to use himself as a sealing scroll. The arms were the first to get marked up, layers of the seals he knew, waiting to be activated. Some were just for fun, others were storage, yet others helped him speed up the regular techniques they all learned; the basic clone, the Replacement, and the Transformation techniques. If only he'd started doing this before...before…

Naruto wrenched himself out of the hole he had dug himself and looked at his cousin and his surroundings.

Three mountains framed a beautiful valley filled with what seemed the very epitome of nature. Massive tree as far across as his skeletally-thin four foot height. He was tall for his age-at least that's what his mother said, just like his dad. He'd had to smile at that. Sometimes he felt like there was very little in common with his parents-except they all loved ramen to death. Izuna, Kushina, Minato, and Naruto could demolish most of the inventory of Ichiraku Ramen in one sitting.

Speaking of his father, he decided that he would get an answer out of his cousin as to their destination even if it was the last thing he did. He opened his mouth and was promptly cut-off as they had apparently arrived to their destination.

The Fire Temple of the Land of Fire was renowned across the world as the headquarters of the Twelve Guardian Ninja. Legendary shinobi charged with the personal protection of the Fire Daimyo-the leader of the most powerful country on the continent. They were hand selected for their skill, bravery, and loyalty to the throne. It was an immense honor to be chosen-he remembered old man Sarutobi talking about his son being selected for their ranks. It was the talk of Konoha for quite a while.

Anger and outrage bubbled up pushing aside his attempts to control it-this was what was to become of him? Shunted off to become some hermit monk? Isolated. Alone.

Forgotten.

He had wondered if his family resented him for failing to win the day against a shinobi of at least jonin-caliber...it had seemed ridiculous. But maybe there was some truth to it. Maybe they blamed him for not being able to save his mom? Furiously, he swiped away tears that had come unbidden to his eyes. It's not my fault! He was weak. A traitorous voice whispered to him, but that is your fault isn't it? That you are weak? If only you were more like Izuna… Naruto noticed Nagato was stopped, watching him with eyes the same as his own. You only have one eye idiot.

"Naruto."

The quiet intensity of his name spoken grabbed his attention and held it as if by jutsu. "Listen very carefully to me, for these will be the last words you hear from me for quite some time. Will you do this?" Naruto was familiar with the way Nagato spoke; as if each conversation was of vast cosmic importance...but he had never sounded quite like this. He turned and nodded without speaking. His cousin looked at the imposing bronzed steel doors, flanked by states of Tengu and Yamabushi. The words came soft and slow.

"Pain was all I knew as a child-I was an orphan. My parents were killed right in front of me by a group of missing-nin from the Land of Mist." Naruto's eyes grew wide. His cousin had watched? Maybe Naruto had been luckier than he thought…

"Pain brings us together, it unites us, it forces us to endure and can be a true force of good. But you have a choice to make...you and I more than anyone." His voice was hypnotic-he'd never heard his cousin speak like this...he heard pain in his voice as he spoke. "Naruto, those blessed with the Rinnegan are chosen by Kami to do great things-or terrible things. We can be another Sage of the Six Paths and bring peace to this hate and violence place called life, or we can be terrible forces of evil and destruction-wrecking what we should love, turning all that is good into pain and suffering. You have a choice to make, and I suspect fairly soon, where you must decide which path you will follow." Nagato broke off and strode to the massive doors and slammed his fist once, a pure ringing sound echoing in the peaceful silence.

"I know you have suffered. You believe you are weak. That you've failed those around you. That perhaps there is no hope for you? I say this is false. But in order to become the person you want to be-to make your family proud-you need to choose the path you believe in." The two of them heard a soothing chant from over the massive walls. It stopped as Nagato struck a second blow on the door.

Naruto thought, can I be anything other than weak? I mean...look at me! His cousin's eyes showed him otherwise..he could be something great. Perhaps his parents sent him here to prove it to them; no, prove it to himself, that he could put in the work necessary to make them proud and become the man they believed him to be. Scenes of the incident flashed through his mind causing faint trembles in his hands, but he quieted his mind and shied away from the memories. He breathed in shakily as the doors to the Temple opened slowly. Naruto spoke quickly and quietly to the front-facing Nagato.

"It hurts so much though neechan, how can I ever let go?" Nagato stepped forward to greet the young monk in a loose kimono and a blue sash. Naruto stepped forward quickly to stand next to him. Over the monk's shoulder he took in the majestic temple; red stone walls expanded out with evenly-spaced pillars, made of the same red stone, placed to hold up the fancifully-carved roofing. The roof stretched up beyond even the majestic trees outside the walls. It felt peaceful, silent-save for rhythmic chanting-and had an aura of spiritual closeness. Naruto didn't really know how else to put it save that he felt somehow closer to the natural energy of the world. The wisps of energy, always present in his vision, seemed to flow easier-calmer.

"Greetings Chiriku, I was told you would be expecting our arrival?" The monk named Chiriku, barefoot of all things, seemed to be unruffled by Nagato's unsettling countenance and the presence of his Rinnegan. Huh. "Nagato-san, yes, Hokage-sama sent word via summon frog that I should be expecting you today-and that you would be bringing me a new student." His smile was irritatingly calm and peaceful-as were the wisps of energy escaping from his body. Naruto instantly disliked him. The monks eyes were the same as his smile as he switched from Nagato to Naruto. "One of the Hokage's own sons. We are honored he would entrust us with training you. I am the Head Monk here at the Fire Temple, my name is Chiriku-you are Naruto, are you not?" Naruto fidgeted and scratched at the covering on his eye. It itched something fierce. Nagato gave him a look.

He finally spoke after a bit, "I am...honored...to meet you Chiriku-dono. I am Namikaze Naruto. I only recently found out I was to be a monk-in-training-" Naruto's face twisted as if he bit a lemon, "-he neglected to inform me of the details." Chiriku simply smiled and beckoned them both with a hand.

Nagato immediately followed but Naruto waited a tick before reluctantly following, absently rubbing at his inked right arm. The main gate led straight as an arrow up to a massive set of steps that seemed to go on forever. Around the stone segments of the gate and to his right, a large open area-paved with stone-held a dozen younger monks practicing an exotic form of taijutsu. It flowed and twisted, graceful-powerful. Wisps of what Naruto now figured was the physical half of chakra energy flowed just as gracefully around the monks in time with their leaps and strikes.

He hurried forward to catch up with the two figures and slipped behind Nagato just in time to hear Chiriku answering a question whose answer he very much wanted to know. "Naruto-san will be with us for quite some time Nagato-san, to answer your question. Hokage-sama has stated that he believes Naruto up to the grueling training, both mental and physical, that all monks-in-training must pass through in order to become fully-fledged Ninja Monks." The

small group passed through the arched entranceway into a large hall, the floor inset with the leaf spiral symbol. Off to the side, Chiriku explained that the spartan dormitories of the monks led out into the dining hall and the training grounds. Everything, apparently, was connected. "To suffer is to be alive; and letting go of that suffering is to seek the Path. Here, at the Fire Temple, we study in order to unite our bodies and our minds towards the goal of true peace. As life is suffering, true peace is attained by coming to terms with pain. To that end, our training moves through all kinds of pain; both mental and physical." Nagato looked intrigued and thoughtful. Naruto noted that they were moving towards the dormitories. It was starting to hit him that he might be here for a great number of years. How often would he get to see his family? Izuna? Karin? He started to realize how out of it he'd been and how much he needed to make it up to them. Somehow.

"We will teach you many things Naruto, if you can follow the strict schedule. You will learn to control your body and your mind, you will learn more about chakra then you ever could anywhere else. You will be a warrior and a sage when you are done. Will you accept this offer? No matter that the Hokage asks this of us, we will not take you if you do not wish to be here." The two Uzumaki's and the head monk stopped, facing each other in a triangle outside of an open doorway into what looked to be the dormitory.

He thought about Chiriku's question. Did he even want to be here? He hadn't heard of many people being selected for this particular avenue...but those who had were legendary. His father and mother agreed on this; he could do it. They wanted this for him and they hadn't steered him wrong yet. Naruto closed his eyes.

I am not special, no matter what Nagato says-no matter what his parents said-he'd seen 'special' people before and it was obvious to him that they has something he most certainly didn't. But Nagato said he'd had a choice to make...and Chiriku believed enough in both embracing suffering and peace to dedicate his life to them. Did Naruto want peace? He did, but he wasn't sure they were talking about the same thing. Peace for him meant that he was able to forge his own destiny; a destiny that didn't include weakness, a destiny that let him protect the things that he cared about-his mom, his brother, his people. But right now... he couldn't even protect himself. So really, what choice did he have?

Stop whining!

No, he did have a choice. He could continue being weak and doing nothing but lamenting his misfortunes. Yes, he had his eye brutally destroyed by an enemy, but in a world that didn't recognize peace as an option, that was going to happen again and again until he grew strong enough to do something about it. To be strong enough to make changes. Nagato's warning rang true, he did have to make a choice-he was far from his goal, but he needed to take his first step.

And this was it.

Maybe he would finally figure out more about his mysterious doujutsu while he was out here. You know, in between tortuous training and stuff. "Yes, Chiriku-sama, I accept your offer. When do I begin?" Chiriku and Nagato smiled. Nagato was statue-still as Chiriku's whole form blurred and slammed his fist into Naruto's stomach. Naruto vomited as he rocketed into the Great Hall. Woozy, he raised his head and wiped his mouth as he saw Chiriku advance, still plastered with the calm smile Naruto was beginning to hate more than anything.

"Training begins now."

One Month After the Attack: Ancor Vantian, Land of Sky, Hangar

MADARA UCHIHA

He had not relished the idea of dying in that godforsaken cave. Floating in clouds in a city powered by an entity with chakra almost as evil as his own was definitely an improvement.

When Kabuto had come to him bearing secrets he simply could not have known, Madara was-for the first time in a long time-afraid. No kunai, tanto, or jutsu scared him quite so much as the idea of being so outmaneuvered as to be rendered helpless.

But he was in luck.

With a new and powerful body, revenge-driven ninja from the Land of Sky under his command (not counting his small gathering of S-class missing-nin), and a second-in-command who seemed to know as much about his plans as he did himself, Madara was finally in a position to execute his vision.

The most powerful Uchiha in history rested his gloved hands on the railing overlooking a massive darkened hangar in the bowels of his new subordinates flying headquarters. Madara's restored body fairly thrummed with energy-anxious and eager. He nodded and the lights turned on, one by one.

From the back row, light illuminated the thousands of identical pale grey soldiers standing in rows with military precision wearing a spiral faced mask. Madara smiled and turned to Kabuto who looked very pleased with his work.

"I didn't know how profitable this arrangement would truly be Kabuto-dono...but I am very, very pleased with the promises you've kept so far." Madara couldn't help but think Izuna would truly be proud of him-the Uchiha would conquer the world and end this pointless cycle of hatred. "...initiate the second phase of the plan Kabuto-dono. I think that...yes, Yagura will be the easiest to recover." Kabuto bowed and retreated into the shadows. Peace was at hand, at long last. Madara sighed with contentment.

Brother, I'll be with you soon.

Four Years After the Attack: Konohagakure no Sato, Hokage Tower, Office of the Hokage

MINATO NAMIKAZE

Minato had never seen the kind of agitation-bordering on panic-on his sensei, mentor, and pseudo-father until today. The self-professed Toad Sage almost resembled his name sake with the way his eyes were bulging out of their sockets.
It was deeply frightening.

"Ero-sensei, care to share what has you so frazzled?" The bulky sage stopped his pacing but continued to ignore the group of illustrious ninja gathered in the Hokage's Office. This meeting, called by Jiraiya himself, was entirely without warning. Him and Kushina had been in a compromising position when Gamaken decided to summon himself into their room-Izuna had been in the training grounds behind their house with his sensei, Obito and his teammates-when they heard the epic beating that came down on Gamaken by the red-haired fury of Konoha. Minato had laughed himself silly until he almost pissed his pants. Well, until she decided that he deserved a lesson, too. For something he couldn't remember…

He coughed and turned his attention back to the occupants of the room, thankfully nobody noticed his perverted blush. Thankfully, Kushina was out with Mikoto doing kami knows what. But in Mikoto's stead was Itachi Uchiha, arguably the next in line for the title of Hokage. Minato was proud to say the Uchiha was maybe the most loyal ninja in his shinobi forces. Beside him with his arms folded, Nagato Uzumaki stared off into the distance. He had been less active with taking missions ever since Tsunade had confirmed something that unsettled nearly everyone who knew (admittedly a small amount of people) and was part of the reason they were meeting today; Nagato's eyes were not his own, and DNA-wise, were a combination of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.

The question, though, was how Nagato received a doujutsu belonging to two dead men?

Jiraiya had mysteriously disappeared when he found out and they hadn't seen him in almost a year-he sent periodic reports via toad summon and each one was in yet another country, even going so far as the Land of Sky. The Land of Sky was not a place any Konoha-nin would ever go under any circumstance. Legend held that a tailed beast that was not a beast resided and scooped up any leaf-nin dumb enough to wander in...which now explained Jiraiya waltzing right in. Minato snorted.

Anyway, Nagato had been quiet and withdrawn, even from his friends Yahiko and Konan, ever since and with Yahiko and Konan getting married and expecting their first child...well...it was tough for the lonely Uzumaki. Kushina had been spending a lot time hanging out with him lately and it seemed to be doing some good, really for them both. His lovely habanero had been cooped up far too long.

The other members of the room included Jonin Commander Nara Shikaku and the Head of Konoha Memorial Hosptial and the Iryunin Corps, Tsunade Senju. She had just had her first child-far ahead of the age when most women would be able to have them… but she insisted. Nobody argued with the greatest medical ninja in the world and arguably the physical strongest to boot. Minato shuttered. Dan and Tsunade's child, he hoped, would get more of Dan's personality.

Since Dan was at home taking care of the baby boy, Tsunade attended the meeting in his place. Unfortunately, Hiruzen was with Biwako off in the Land of Hot Springs on a much-needed, long overdue vacation. Just his luck.

Jiraiya interrupted Minato's musings with a flatly-delivered one-liner. Tch. Dramatic.

"Madara is alive and well. That's the good news."

He swept the room with his gaze, pinning everyone. Everyone looked punched in the gut-which of course the information was. It absolutely answered every question they had been having. This group, these, "Dawnbringers," had been cropping up causing trouble in every single nation in the world-except the Land of Fire. It looked suspiciously to Minato that they were trying to generate ill-will towards Konoha and make it look like the, 'Dawnbringers' were Konoha-nin. It wasn't true of course.

Would Konoha-nin be using flying technology?

It pointed most certainly towards the Land of Sky being in collusion with someone. Someone powerful. Goddamnit.

Jiraiya had continued as Minato thought, "...Madara is the head of the Dawnbringers. They've allied with the Land of Sky somehow-and the plan is to capture the tailed beasts...problem? They've already captured all of them."

If everyone in the room looked punched before, it was worse now; Itachi was actually showing emotion. He was practically screaming (meaning his voice was a little higher than normal) as he stepped towards Jiraiya, "Jiraiya-sama, how have they capture Kumo's two jinchuuriki? The power it would take...the Eight-tails container is said to be stronger than his brother the Raikage. Its...impossible to capture him and the Two-tails at the same time!"

Jiraiya's face was bleak, shuttered. He shook his head and faced the library shelves across from Minato's desk. "Madara himself slaughtered his way through Kumo personally. Multiple spies confirm it. Kumo has been on lock-down ever since it happened-which, now that I think about it was about three days ago."

Minato knew now why their trade in ore and electronics had stopped arriving-the Merchants Guilds were in an uproar. Nobody knew anything about why trade just ceased.

Madara Uchiha could command the Nine-tails, fought Hashirama Senju to a standstill (they now knew), and was perhaps the oldest ninja alive-not counting the rumors of Kakuza the Bounty-hunter still being around. He had to unimaginably strong.

Minato looked at Nagato-he seemed unphased by any of this revelation. If anything it seemed to confirm something in his mind, his face was an open book to Minato. He redirected his focus.

The question now though; now that Madara had all eight...that left...Izuna.

"We'll need to triple the guard on Izuna. He won't like it, but he won't be able to do missions outside the village until we have confirmation of the elimination of this threat. I will not let him have my son nor the last of the Bijuu." Nara Shikaku nodded and left, speaking to the assistant outside his office. Minato rocked back in his seat and stared in turn at each face present in his office. He lingered on the last face, red-haired, grave, and knowing.

"Nagato, would you care to share your insight on this matter?"

His wife's cousin sighed, "I fear I know what Madara is attempting to do…" He folded his arms and his voice, when he spoke, was lecturing. "What does anyone know about the Sage of Six Paths and the origin of the Bijuu?"

Four Years After the Attack: Land of Fire, Three Mountains Valley, Temple of Fire

NARUTO NAMIKAZE

When Naruto opened his eye, he couldn't help but smile. Today was the day! The no longer lanky son of the hokage leapt out of bed and floated a bit before he hit the ground next to his bed in the dormitory of the Fire Temple. Naruto adjusted his robes, tightened the strings, and rotated his arms-stretching as he began his morning routine. As he walked, he recalled the long journey he took to reach the place he was at.

When he had first arrived at the Temple, the adjustment period was...brutal.

Everyone got up while it was still dark, maybe four in the morning, and began with a half hour of mediation. After that, they ate a simple meal of rice and vegetables and headed out to the Garden of Peace, splitting up and-depending on your level-proceeded to learn the exotic taijutsu he saw when he first arrived.

The style, The Heavenly Subjugation, was all about speed and the complete domination of yourself and your opponent. The idea was that, since everything is connected, complete mastery of your own self ensured you mastery of both your environment and opponent. By reaching for mastery of sheer speed, flexibility, and precision one could be where your opponent wasn't and always stay at least two steps ahead at all times.

It was exhausting.

Naruto had always been, not frail precisely, but not as physically robust as his brother or even his cousin Karin. But here? His flexibility and lean body lent him a unique speed advantage. In the four years he had been training, he had achieved-today at least-his first level of blackbelt. He knew he was far from perfect-not like Chiriku at least-but he was confident that, at least in Taijutsu, he could hold his own with anyone but a high-level Jonin. Plus he loved the one-handed weapon forms.

So, he had relished the feeling of power and strength that emerged when he finally knew he could take care of himself. He couldn't stop smiling. One eye be damned.

Truth be told, his nightmares had stopped after his first year, the trembles several months after that. In his letters to his mom, Izuna, and his dad he made sure he thanked them profusely. Naruto loved it here. The simple routine and training… I mean, he didn't love when they had them practicing chakra control under raging waterfalls, and balancing boulders, or standing for hours on end on top of poles reaching halfway to the sky, or being attacked en masse by his peers, or climbing mountains with a bunch of weight tied to his small body, or reciting basic philosophy while running down sheer cliff faces, or perhas almost killing himself learning to channel the various elements...yeah, none of that.

Luckily, Naruto healed quick.

The silent atmosphere was the best part of the whole package deal though. He was alone.

But he was okay with that.

Books on every subject he could imagine were his for the taking in the Temple Library. A place that took on mythic significance in his own mind. He could read...as much as he wanted! It was unthinkable. But he could only do that on his own time, which admittedly, wasn't much. Since everyone in the temple was much, much older than him they avoided him. Nobody really knew how to relate to him and on top of that he was the son of the Hokage. Downside being that they actually treated him more harshly than they would another...the Hokage had told them to, 'toughen' him up. So, double stair-runs, double the taijutsu sparring, double the bruises, double the intensity and ferocity when he was paired with someone a decade older than him and better in every way at everything they were learning.

Needless to say he learned fast.

Naruto took a turn towards the dining hall and kept walking. He knew these routes like the back of his hand now. Thankfully he wasn't whacking into pillars like when he first arrived...his peripheral vision was impaired-mostly because of his having only one eye. He saw the monks snickering, definitely not very monkish of them, but he just scowled and glared at them with his one eye. It was hard work to scowl successfully as his one eye had to work harder than other peoples two.

The other reason Naruto happened to be smiling today-besides it being his day of earning his next tattoo level-he had done something Nagato had said would happen when he progressed in his mastery of his doujutsu.

He turned off the wisps. Well, he turned off his doujutsu.

It was amazing. He couldn't see the energy swirling anymore! A small, barely noticeable drain on his massive, for a twelve year old, reserves stopped flowing. He checked the mirror when it happened and a big blue eye stared back at him, an exact copy of his fathers. Small tears of happiness had made their way onto his face when he switched his doujutsu on and off; he had confirmation that he wasn't some freak. His blue eyes were just like his dads. He knew he got his mom's hair, but… well, everyone always said Izuna looked like a spitting image of his father. Naruto had never had anything like that said to him. People compared him and his mom, but it wasn't the same because they were very, very different people. It was just nice to know that underneath it, he had something of his dad in him.

His dad was the strongest person he knew.

A noise in the dining hall drew him out of his musings. No, the sound was coming from… the entranceway? He hadn't noticed anything when he moved through it-but he was caught up in other things. Naruto quickly moved back the way he came, passing through the arches and past the open hall to the Garden of Peace and came to a stop. The Entrance Hall where he got his ass beat by Chiriku was filled with Monks. Chiriku was yelling.

A gong sounded.

Naruto activated his Rinnegan and immediately saw angry wisps of energy moving about the room; fear, anger, determination…

...hostile intent.

Chakra infused his body as he leapt forward to join the ground. He let go of the chakra as he came to a stop, shoving through the crowd, and tugged on Chiriku's sleeve. The head monk looked grave as he turned to Naruto.

"I'm glad you are here young Namikaze. We must get you to safety. I fear the two ninja at our gates are here for you." He looked up and two monks, Master Ninja Monk Kotetsuo and Weapon Master Hiruko-two of the most powerful monks in the temple-smiled at him and tried to lead him away. He shrugged off their hands and put on his most stubborn face, "Master Chiriku, we are in a valley with one exit, how do you propose I sneak away when they are directly in my way? We can stay here behind the powerful walls of the temple! I'll be safe here."

But a massive surge of hostile-feeling wisps surged and exploded and he felt the dropping of the chakra barrier as a physical blow. Whoever was out there was strong. Like Kage strong. He felt fear grip him and his hand trembled ever so slightly.

It seemed today would be a test of a different kind.

His stubbornness remained however. All of the monks around them had moved forward as one to stand single-file. It looked peaceful, calm-but he could tell by the wisps that there was a resignation to the the energy that meant only one thing.

Some of them wouldn't be leaving this place alive. Both of the energy signatures outside the walls were at least Kage-level and only Chiriku was a match for those wisps. Naruto knew he wasn't even close to that level yet, but he couldn't just stand here and watch his fellows die. Of all the things he'd learned while he was here, he believed the spiritual crap the least. Unfortunately, everyone single one of his fellows dedicated their lives to the principle that life was suffering and peace was acceptance of the reality of the situation. They were most definitely prepared to die to defend their temple.

But Naruto knew he couldn't run-he needed to see this through. He would make a stand with his brothers. Fate would ensure he got his wish. Chiriku turned back with Naruto just in time for all of them to see the smoking ruins of the twin guardian statues flanking the gates vaporized and a good portion of the long walkway turned to rubble. Lightning and fire sparked and danced in the massive smoke cloud that engulfed the vision of the monks. But smoke was no impediment to the Rinnegan-Naruto could see two large energy signatures moving towards the gathered monks. Chiriku stepped out in front of the line of monks. The line of monks tittered and fear wisps drifted like a cloud when the smoke cleared.

Red cloaks with black clouds…

Naruto's body rebelled against him. His pupils dilated and he felt all the memories he thought he was over flooding him-the trembles returned with a vengeance. These were colleagues of the man who killed crippled his mother and cost Naruto an eye.

Chiriku seemed not to understand or acknowledge the sudden storm of emotions in his youngest student, however, and he continued smoothly forward down the endless front steps to stand before the intruders. Naruto crouched behind a pillar to see better and to get himself under control. His breath came fast and hard.

"Oooh, we've got a virtuous-lookin' one! Jashin-sama will be very pleased with me. You cocksuckers are so easy to kill. A bunch of peace-lovin' pussies." Right there, as Naruto struggled through his meditations and centering exercises, he nicknamed the ninja with the short hair on the left, Foulmouth. Foulmouth was as different from his partner as night and day. Stitches, the ninja on the right, was a monster. Burning green eyes and a masked face ensured he would win no beauty-contests. Both shared an air of violence. Wisps of hate and violence permanently swirled around them. Naruto's chest tightened.

"Hidan, we are here for the brat. Remember that. I am pleased, though, that we can grab a little bounty on the side. Such as the 30 million ryo reward for the head of that young man facing us." Hidan-or Foulmouth-looked psychotic and delighted. But he frowned at his partner, "Kakuza, you can't friggin' kill a monk just for money-you'll go to hell for that!" Kakuza-Stitches-looked indifferent to Hidan's spiritual concerns. "Money is the key to all the doors in life, Hidan. Life is all I care about-I don't plan on ever dying."

Chiriku stood calmly-still as a pond-while listening to his attackers byplay. When he spoke, he drew the attention of both rogue ninja, "I have no idea what the two of you could want here...but please-leave quietly."

The ninja named Hidan threw back his head and laughed. Then cut off on a dime and growled angrily. Nobody could switch emotions like that-nobody. It was eerie.

"No meaningless slaughter allowed huh? Pity. But it doesn't matter-we've come for the brat. Hand him over and I might be convinced to kill only some of you." Kakuza was silent a moment before he spoke.

"Hidan...this is the a former member of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve-charged with guarding the Fire Daimyo. Don't get careless. You'll die."

Hidan just looked irritated. Instead of replying he charged forward in a mad dash, a three-bladed scythe kicking up dust as it bit into the ground trailing behind him. Chiriku looked calm-more calm than Naruto ever thought he'd feel in a fight facing two incredibly powerful shinobi. "Stay out of this Kakuza! This bitch is mine!" A mad cackle followed in the wake of the psycho with the scythe and that was when Naruto decided that, whatever happened, he owed it to Lord Chiriku to watch. So he stood up on shaky legs and took a step away from the pillar. Trembles coursed through his hands and he clenched them to get them to still. His mind was awash with memories from that afternoon-that afternoon when it all changed. The smell of sakura blossoms, the metallic scent of blood-coppery and thick-it all brought him back. He felt like he was eight all over again. Weak.

But it had been four years since that time and he'd done nothing but confront pain in every form. He knew he wasn't weak anymore and it was time to prove it-even if it was only to himself. His body stilled completely, training taking over. Naruto adopted the first Position of Heavenly Subjugation; Passionate Defense of the Mind and Heart. It stilled his fast beating heart and calmed his mind.

Lord Chiriku seemed to be holding his own, using the secret technique of the Ninja Monks. He'd only seen the Thousand-Armed Murder Technique once, when Asuma Sarutobi had visited the temple to check up on Naruto and report to Lord Chiriku. It was aptly named.

Naruto felt a hand on his shoulder and one of the monks who trained him in the swordart beckoned him away. It proved to be a mistake, as it drew the attention of the statue-like Kakuza. He saw the wisps of energy he associated with intent sharpen and swirl faster.

All hell broke loose.

Breathing heavy and fast, Naruto tried centering himself as he pushed away the rubble covering his legs. Dust fell off his shaggy red hair as he shook himself like a dog. His back ached from hitting one of the massive pillars holding up the ceiling of the entrance hall. He flipped to all fours and stood-just in time to receive a punch to the jaw that rattled his brain. Naruto needed to get his shit together and fast. He would not freeze like the last time.

This time, when the punch came at him blazing, he had enough of his wits about him to respond. Mind centered and breathing in line, blue wisps of energy blazed out of his pores and the world slowed; he saw the burning green eyes of Kakuza and the solid form of the punch that nearly took his head off last time.

It didn't connect.

Naruto, trailing wisps of blue energy, initiated the second Position of Heavenly Subjugation; body rotating to present a smaller target, the fist passed by his chest by less than an inch. His feet powered smoothly forward, taking him inside Kakuza's guard. Wind chakra whirled in a shapeless drill-like shape and covered his fist as his fingers curled and struck like a dagger-as if driving a blade deep into the center of the Dawnbringer ninja's chest. There was no way to avoid such a blow with him so close.

Kakuza's eyes widened as he missed with his second punch and took a fully-powered chakra punch to the stomach. His body folded like origami and he went sailing, taking out yet another pillar and ending up out in the courtyard next to the ongoing battle between Hidan and Lord Chiriku. Naruto straightened.

He'd done it.

Confidence suffused him and he grinned a wicked grin-anyone familiar with Konoha's Bloody Habanero would recognize the look. Still infused with chakra, he took the fifty feet between him and Kakuza with a flying leap. His opponent was just standing and wiping his chin of blood when Naruto came down in the fourth Position, an aerial form designed to take advantage of the angle and added force. Hands open and his body inverted in the air, Naruto grabbed Kakuza's neck from his aerial position in both hands and dragged his neck into a textbook over-the-shoulder hurl as he landed that sent Stitches cratering into the stone of the temple wall.

Naruto stood, taking in his opponent sticking out of the wall. He had to admit, if just to himself a little bit, that he was just a little bit badass. Take that Izuna! Naruto couldn't wait to spar with his older brother, just to show him how much he'd grown. Sounds around him faded, the constant sounds of clashing and combat slowed. He hadn't realized how quiet it had become. His opponent flickered and faded, like a mirage.

Flushed with victory, his mind ground to a halt and struggled to process. Genjutsu? No, bunshin!

The next punch came from his blindside and his last vision before he hit the ground was of his master's sightless eyes.

I've failed...again.

Four Years After the Attack: Dawnbringer Enclave in Ancor Vantian, Border between Takigakure and Konohagakure

MADARA UCHIHA

Kabuto, Madara, and Shinnou-leader of the Village Hidden in the Sky-gazed out over the Three Mountains Valley as the greatest Shinobi Temple, the Temple of Fire, went up in flames. The flames were visible even from the command and control center on the floating city. The mission was a success.

It was Kabuto who spoke.

"We have almost everything we need to initiate the Eye of the Moon Plan, Madara-sama. How will we lure the last piece of the puzzle?" While Madara didn't trust his second, he knew the man was capable-very capable. Shinnou, of course, was simply a pawn. He didn't believe for a second that the man truly cared about peace. So the eldest Uchiha kept his eye on him.

"My Dawnbringers have purified the Temple of Fire and secured a most precious asset. My spies have told me a great deal about all of the targets-family members, vices, and secrets aplenty. Leverage. But this Izuna Namikaze? Nobody could tell me much more about the child than I already knew."

The command and control center of the flying fortress of Ancor Vantian was a technical wonder. Monitors showed everything from energy output to altitude to velocity. He examined everything, including how much chakra energy was emitting from the One-tails, or the Reibi as he'd heard a sky ninja name it.

Interesting that...he'd heard a rumor, sometime in his youth, that a demon from another world had landed in the Land of Demons. Perhaps there were others out there? He was sure that the Sage had never sealed this particular entity and that it hadn't been part of the Ten-tailed Juubi. Hmm…

"Lord Madara, you yourself claim that you don't know much about this child-so then what are we to do?" Shinnou always seemed so full of himself, but he did observe the necessary deference-so he wouldn't kill him. Yet.

"Lord Shinnou, Kabuto-dono-this child reminds me of myself. It seems that his only care in this world is his brother. Can't you guess what the obvious, reckless move would be for a Namikaze when he learns of his brothers capture?" Kabuto smiled like a shark. Madara looked out into the beautiful, clear blue sky.

"Make preparations for the release. I want to use the partial beast as a distraction while I tie up loose ends. The Statue is in a cave next to the statue of Hashirama in the Valley of the End. Fitting, no Kabuto-san? Make this happen." Kabuto left the room. He turned to Shinnou.

"Lord Shinnou, the Land of Sky will have it's revenge very soon-depending on how quickly we get to Konoha and ready our forces. I trust you will see to this?"

Shinnou leapt to obey.

Now all they had to do would wait.

Two Days After the Destruction of the Fire Temple and Naruto's Capture: Konohagakure, The Hokage's Mansion

TENTEN

"God damnit you two. I'm sick and tired of the both of you. I hope you both choke and die on a riceball. So. Done." TenTen normally could handle her two teammates. She really could. But ever since Izuna, Kira, and her had been made chunin (and of course, Kira being younger than Izuna and Tenten both), the prodigies were at each other's throats!

Okay, well, it was really one-sided.

The real problem was that Izuna was a fucking saint. Really. He handed out food for fun in the poorer sections of Konoha. I mean, how could you pick on someone who did things like that for fun? Kira, she knew, was definitely attracted to the older Namikaze-so much so that the sparks that flew could set fire to dry grass. It made Tenten want to hurl-hurl objects that is… because it wasn't sexual tension that manifested itself as anything lovey-dovey, it manifested itself as a constant barrage of derision and insults. Insults that flowed off Izuna's back like water. The man smiled at Kira. SMILED. As if he was amused. But the best part? It drove Kira crazy. She literally couldn't be near her elder teammate for longer than a minute before shit got crazy and violent. It didn't help that the Namikaze had the same good looks as his father and you could tell it would only go up from there.

Tch.

Tenten had dragged the two of them here, to the Hokage's residence, to try to get them to see reason. But no, they just bickered. Again.

What a shock.

Tenten had decided to step out to clear her head. She had walked through the massive home with pictures of past Hokages, famous battles, and various knickknacks of the Uzumaki's and Namikaze's, and stepped out the front door. She sighed as she sat on the stoop and looked outwards towards the gates of the mansion.

Her eye, wandering aimlessly, finally dropped down to a scroll tied with Izuna's name in kanji on the front. She could've sworn it hadn't been there a second ago. She frowned and grabbed it. It fell open in her hands. But her trespassing was the farthest thing from her mind when she saw the contents.

Tenten had never moved so fast in her life.

Unbeknownst to Tenten, a white snake slithered away into the grass not two feet from where she sat. It vanished in a puff of smoke.

IZUNA NAMIKAZE

Izuna told himself that Kira was just jealous. But he wasn't sure how much longer he could convince himself that was what it was. He just didn't know what to do about this situation! Normally, being kind to people sufficed to get them to like you...but the nicer he was to Kira, the angrier she became.

It was maddening.

Tenten was well-meaning and he knew that this plan, if it had been about him and any other human being, it would have succeeded. The two would have talked out their problems and gone back to being a highly-successful Heavy Combat Squad like they had been until the aftermath of the Chunin exams in Kumogakure. Obito-sensei had taught them well and they, with the exception of Tenten, had won every single one-on-one match (Tenten had been knocked out by another weapons-user, so sad-and right at the end too) they'd faced. But now...well, the problem wasn't with their teamwork-they were practically telepathic-the problem really occurred whenever they were not in mortal danger.

Everything conversation, innocent or not, ended in a fight!

Kira and him had been arguing in the middle of his backyard for about twenty minutes now. Tenten had been gone for all of two minutes. The absence of their feisty weapon-loving teammate stemmed Kira's tirade for about all of a minute and a half. He really didn't know what she was going on about right now, but he was sure she'd been building to a crescendo.

He was truly at his wits end.

Which made kissing her seem a little more logical now that he thought about it… he'd kissed her full on the mouth to shut her up.

Surprise, surprise-it worked. Really well actually.

Kira had pounced on him after that like a tiger and it was only the return of their comrade that saved him from a savage...something. He'd been sure it would've been good, whatever it was. Strange, he felt a little irritated to see his bun-headed teammate… but all of his concerns; of Kira and everything else, flew away at the sight of his teammates white face. She held a scroll out with his name on it.

It took him scarcely a minute to read it and even less time to fly out of the compound at top-speed on his way to the Valley of the End.

KUSHINA NAMIKAZE

When Kushina Uzumaki returned from working with the sealmasters on the new barrier defenses at the walls and gates of Konoha, she couldn't have been happier; she'd had something to do and it was something she was damn good at. It made her feel useful, wanted, and happy-plus, with Izuna taking missions with his genin (now chunin) team and Naruto away for so long, she'd needed something to fill her time (apart from cornering Minato for some alone-time, that is). The problem was precisely that though, being deliriously happy was always the precursor to Bad Stuff.

So, thirty seconds into arriving at her house, and after seeing Izuna's teammates visibly distraught, she'd known exactly what the Bad Stuff was…

Madara Uchiha was going to have both her sons in a very short amount of time if she didn't do something about it.

Konohagakure no Sato, Hokage Tower, Office of the Hokage

MINATO NAMIKAZE

Minato had been having a bad day and it only got worse when his wife dropped in, totally unannounced, to inform him of the fact that not one, but both his sons were in danger from a legendary, supposed-to-be-freakin'-dead ninja. At this point, most sane ninja would have turned away from the danger and been very, very afraid. But Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash of Konoha, S-Class Ninja with Flee-on-Sight orders in every country, felt no fear.

He was downright pissed.

But right as mama-bear was about to exact vengeance upon his foe, worse news arrived in the form of his erstwhile sensei and self-proclaimed super pervert...though none of that was present now.

"We have a very, very big problem right now...actually two somethings; the Sky Ninja super-weapon, which is a friggin' floating city and what looks to be the Very Worst Case Scenario that Nagato had been talking about...the Juubi. What do we do Minato?"

The Fourth Fireshadow looked at his wife first-seeing the agony and pain-and then met his sensei's eyes. "We go to meet the threat…sensei, Madara has Izuna and Naruto. I need someone to go after them. Whoever goes will have to hold off Madara until we can defeat both the forces of Sky and the Juubi." The three of them knew there was almost no hope of escaping this intact-one at a time, the forces arrayed against them would be formidable...but Madara, the Ten-tails, AND some stupid superweapon flying city thing?

Impossible.

But, they also knew that this was Konohagakure-a land known for producing the most powerful and plain luckiest ninja on the planet. If they couldn't find a way to win, who would? It killed Minato, but he'd have to entrust the safety of his kids to someone else.

The Hokage had to lead this fight. He knew Kushina would be by his side.

"Get the word out; I need everyone here ASAP and get me my wayward protege and Itachi-I need them...they are the only ones with a chance against Madara." He scowled. "I'm needed here. Well? Go get them!" His sensei and wife stared at him.

"Now damnit!"

They scrambled.

Three Hours Later: Konohagakure; Valley of the End, Hidden Cave

IZUNA NAMIKAZE

Izuna never had a chance in hell against Madara. He'd gone safely Eight-tails against Madara and he'd been beaten-well it was a stalemate, for sure. If he hadn't had his mom training him as a Jinchuuriki he'd never have lasted this long. His brother was out cold on the ground near a demonic looking statue. Naruto looked slightly blue. Izuna knew he had no chance in hell of winning-he'd have to go Nine-tails.

Madara looked in no rush to capture him. Izuna knew if he lost here, many more people than just himself would die. All he knew was that this dark, empty statue felt like Bad News to Kurama and he'd always trusted Kurama's judgment.

He heard Kurama snarling at Madara behind the seal in his mind. Kurama and him had been buddies almost from the start of their partnership. According to Kurama, his mind was too much like the Sage's to hate him, even though he was far too squishy. Izuna had promised to free him and his brothers and sisters. It looked like he may not have gotten his wish though-they were too late.

Kurama could feel the evil of the incomplete Shinku-the Juubi, or Ten-tails-carving a swath of destruction towards his home...kira.

No. His brother needed him now.

Izuna dropped into his mind palace without any difficulty, showing up in the beautiful rolling landscapes marked with memorial stones with numeric symbols etched; one to nine in a ring around a massive mountain sized fox. Nine glowing orange tails wavered slowly in the breeze. Izuna had always found his tenant beautiful-powerful and majestic. Like admiring the beauty of a lightning storm, or more accurately, a spinning tornado like the ones in Taki or Suna. Terribly awe-inspiring...but best viewed from a distance.

"So, Izuna-you've come seeking to wield my full-power have you?" The smile from the otherworldly creature was terrifying; razor sharp fangs as tall as he was stared back at him. He could see himself in their whiteness. Why were they so white?

Izuna looked away. "You know my heart Kurama. We are united in this-family comes first. I know you understand this, otherwise you wouldn't be so upset about the Ten-tails. Or are you as truly self-serving as you try to make yourself out to be? You didn't need to save me back when we faced the Two-tails in the Exams." Izuna finally turned and smiled.

"You, the very creature made of Hate, love deeper than you let yourself realize. Quit this farce and join me-join me and help put an end to Madara once and for all."

The Nine-tailed fox crouched low and stuck it's face as close to the seal as possible-it looked...thoughtful. "I cannot help if you do not remove the seal." It looked away and curled it's tails around its feet.

"I will remove the seal if you make me a promise of a lifetime. I will have your word, Kurama of the Nine-tails."

The Kyuubi no Yoko finally turned its head back and the burning red eyes reflected light like a cat in the darkness as it spoke, "Name it."

Izuna stepped close and spoke in a whisper, resting his hand on the kanji for Gate Seal. Kurama smiled.

"I accept."

A flashing, burning tidal wave of energy exploded in a swirling vortex as the seal disappeared and Kurama/Izuna ceased to be two entities.

MADARA UCHIHA

Madara Uchiha, up to this point, was very, very confident of the eventual success of this particular endeavour. He laughed to himself-even six years ago he never could have imagined that they'd have reached this point of success. His opponent was definitely approaching jonin level...but Madara had been Kage-level longer than this upstart had been alive. The eldest Namikaze child was very much overmatched and it seemed as though he knew it.

That is, until Izuna Namikaze started blazing with fiery, blood-colored energy he knew well. The aura of hatred and anger became suffocating, even for him. It got worse when one, by one, nine molten tails emerged from his opponent. Hurricane Namikaze had made landfall.

Madara stopped laughing.

OBITO UCHIHA

Obito Uchiha and his younger cousin Itachi were polar opposites in some ways, but in a lot of ways, they were very, very similar. The two had become fast friends over the years due to the unenviable fact that the two of them very much outcasts in their clan.

Ever since Itachi had removed his father from power and imprisoned him, the clan had almost wanted nothing to do with him. But, as tradition dictated, Itachi assumed Fugaku's former position as head of the Uchiha Clan...and with that, enforced isolation.

Itachi couldn't really talk to anybody but his mother about his own self and so, after Obito saved Itachi from a risky mission (a mission he wasn't sure he really wanted to come back from) the two had struck up a fast friendship. Itachi, then, knew how much Obito cared about both Izuna and Naruto. In turn, Obito knew how much Itachi wanted to question Madara-question, then eliminate him from everyones lives altogether. Obito suspected Itachi believed that would end the cycle of hatred forever.

Obito believed that to be a naive idea at best.

But at least that asshole would be dead.

It didn't take long for the two S-class Uchiha's to tree-hop the hour and half journey to the Valley of the End, though it did take them a bit to avoid the colossal tree-tailed-beast-thing making it's very noisey way to Konoha. Konohagakure's full might was just engaging it when they'd left. Obito would hate to be that thing right now. Seeing Tsunade pissed off once was more than he'd ever signed up for as a ninja.

The two crested a ridge, actually Hashirama's head, and spotted the waterfall they were told would mark the entrance to a series of caverns. Chakra powered jumps took them the intervening space in seconds. The two had hardly taken a step when it seemed like gravity had increased a thousandfold and brought them to their knees. Itachi and Obito were both very familiar with the feel of the Kyuubi's killer intent...but those...those were a drop in the ocean compared to this. Through the haze of water sheeting down in front of the entrance, they could make out a red, roiling mass of chakra.

Izuna.

Obito was moving before he'd even registered the face of his sensei's son. Itachi followed on his heels, wrapping himself in a genjutsu.

MADARA UCHIHA

It was all the oldest Uchiha in history could do to keep himself from instantly dying. Every blow that came at him-and there was a veritable whirlwind-was fatal and precise. Eyes like the devil himself locked on his and never let his gaze go. Madara grinned. He'd hadn't felt this alive since his last battle with Hashirama!

The playfulness died when two of his wayward kinsmen joined the fray. It seemed as though he was going to have to play dirty to get what he wanted now.

A burst of speed put him up and away from his three assailants, and behind the littlest Namikaze who sat propped up and unconscious against the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Perfect.

NARUTO NAMIKAZE

Naruto was drifting. He vaguely felt his surroundings...his brother-no, he seemed like an angerwisp incarnate. The very embodiment of power and hate. Shouting echoed around him, a malevolence-a dark energy that sucked in the lightwisps-was right behind him...and gripped him. Naruto struggled to surge through the dark ocean of unconsciousness. His body screamed at him to do something, do something now or you'll die die die!

Naruto Namikaze surged into the light just in time to feel his lungs collapse and explode as they were pushed out of his chest and his innard became exposed to the world.

IZUNA NAMIKAZE

Izuna Namikaze felt his world collapse around him. The part of him that was Izuna at least. Kurama, the half of himself that was a millennia-old demon simply couldn't separate himself from the intensity of feelings-of love-that poured from his decade-old companion.

It hurt more than anything he'd ever experienced.

The look of shock and horror, then twisting agony on the little brother of his container twisted a knife in his mind. He felt Izuna's mind snap and rage take over.

MADARA UCHIHA

Madara had never been hit so hard in his life. He was beginning to think that damaging-maybe killing-the youngest Namikaze was the worst decision in his life. Fending off two S-class sharingan users as well as a berserk Nine-tailed container was never, ever part of the plan.

He dodged as best he could the follow-up swipes of massive burning claw appendages made from chakra-they were lightning fast and he couldn't-

-his arm fractured from the blow he blocked. A claw took out a chunk of flesh as he stopped and initiated his trump card.

KURAMA

Kurama hauled back on the conjoined reigns; he knew Naruto was dying. Izuna knew this. There was a way to save the child-it was part of the promise he'd made after all...and it wasn't a cage if he did it willingly right? He spoke to Izuna and made his offer.

There was a small chance the both of them would survive this-so they had to do it right.

OBITO UCHIHA

When Izuna spoke to Obito and Itachi, they had a second of bewilderment as the cave rattled and the technique of Madara started to take shape. A blue, ethereal Tengu...god damnit. Izuna had told them to destroy it somehow. So, Obito used his trump card and traversed Kamui to strike directly at Madara.

KURAMA

The Kyuubi no Yoko, Kurama to his friends, had never done an altruistic thing in his life...but he was suddenly feeling sentimental. Damn bleed-over. Izuna had promised that Naruto would achieve what he could not, and they'd help each other achieve the goal of saving the bijuu-just like Kurama's father had wanted. The irony of what he was about to accomplish was not lost on him.

The seal was gone so all he had to do was...jump.

NARUTO NAMIKAZE

Nothing could ever have prepared Naruto for the true feeling of dying. He used his training to keep himself conscious, but there was nothing in this world like attempting to hold your viscera inside your chest. The youngest Namikaze desperately tried to keep himself from flying into shock-something he knew would truly kill him. His curled up position against the statue seemed to him an omen...he felt like a sacrifice to some dark god. All of this time he'd been training, living his life, thinking that the biggest problem was simply gaining strength and avoiding weakness. But truly, life was filled with suffering of all kinds and you could never avoid it.

You dealt the hand you were given and made the best of terrible situations. The key, he'd found in this terrible, frozen second of time between life and death, was that it was the choices you'd made; how you dealt with things, that mattered the most. Had he done anything good and worthwhile? No.

He'd whined and complained that he was weak...but he hadn't done enough to make up for that. A chance-that was all he was asking for-a chance to prove he wasn't weak, a chance to change things, to make a difference, to know that when he passed through the Gate of Death that he went as a hero. Someone who'd made a real impact.

Who had left weakness behind for good.

The burning in his gut got worse. He knew sepsis would set in soon-his stomach and intestines were partially exposed and acid had started to eat away at his flesh. Rudimentary medical training (for combat purposes) unfortunately, let him know how close his death was…

His eyes slid closed. Naruto was too exhausted to care about the fighting around him or the quiet that had descended.

Until a new pain arrived that washed away even the pain of being disemboweled. Nine burning lights appeared in the darkness of his mind and everything in him lit up with what felt like swords repeatedly passing through every inch of his skin. Slicing, cutting, peeling his skin back and exposing him to the world.

He needed to get away! Somewhere he could die in peace!

Naruto's rinnegan flashed and blackness deeper than the void of death took him and he knew nothing more.

IZUNA NAMIKAZE

Izuna felt Kurama disappear from his body-ripping free. He sagged but knew he didn't have long to do what he'd promised. Izuna knew his brother would be okay-he wasn't worried. He saw Obito was frantic when he saw his sensei's son disappear.

But they couldn't worry for long, Madara was still alive.

Chakra blazed up around him, deep and pure blue, and he began to run at his opponent pinned by Obito and Itachi Uchiha. He unsealed a mask, demonic in nature, and placed it on his face as he ran-feeling an otherworldly presence darker and more powerful than even the Kyuubi come over him. He began a long chain of half-remembered hand seals. Cold hands, the reapers own, tightened on his soul.

The look on Madara Uchiha's face told him he felt the same-it was time to break the cycle of hatred.

OBITO UCHIHA

Obito only realized what was about to happen when he saw his little otouto pull out the most famous Uzumaki Noh mask in history. Where and why had he even gotten that?

"No! Izuna no!"

IZUNA NAMIKAZE

Izuna Namikaze didn't hear Obito's cries or Itachi's attempt to reach him.

His thoughts were on Kira...he'd miss her.

"Shiki Fuin: Hand of the Shinigami!"

And Izuna died.

The cave was quiet. Only the subtle glow of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path remained.

CE 1175, Present Day: Unknown Place

NARUTO NAMIKAZE

Darkness. Utter and complete. It had tried to unmake him, more than once now.

But he remembered his name now.

He was Naruto. Naruto Namikaze, Ninja Monk of the Temple of Fire, youngest son of the Fourth Fireshadow Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze, the Bloody Habanero of Konoha. He was… let's see twelve years old? The more he thought about it, the more he realized he was probably closer to thirteen because Izuna-

Izuna.

Oh god.

He had forgotten, amongst the battle to regain his self, that the events leading up to this...imprisonment...Izuna.

Izuna was dead.

Dead. Dead dead dead dead! No. It couldn't be true!

But it was. He'd seen it with his own eyes. Naruto couldn't even understand where Izuna had gotten the Noh Mask-from the Uzumaki shrine? Their mom had shown them all of what was left of their heritage; including the sacred connection to the shinigami the Uzumaki's seemed to have. He'd seen it himself; from his unnaturally strong life energy, to the chains of the Strangler (another aspect of the Shinigami himself) that seemed to inhabit the body of every Uzumaki, to the masks they were asked to guard millenia ago, and finally the weak grasp death seemed to have on the ninja in their clan; it was amazingly tough to kill an Uzumaki-and even tougher to keep them dead it seemed. But Izuna had brought the Aspect of the Shinigami directly into battle-he'd seen the frost, the skeletal hand of immense shadowy proportions taking the souls of both-what seemed to be-Madara Uchiha and his brother. But still...Death had a soft spot for the Uzumaki.

Perhaps, then, Izuna was alive? Could it be possible? He had to know.

He had to.

Burning light whirled in his mind, nine flaming lines...like tails. Oh god. Izuna didn't...how would that even be possible?

But it made a terrible sense. Naruto, regardless of how much Death liked them, he wouldn't fight against a mortal wound. The red-haired rinnegan-user had a hole nine-inches across through his body-death would only come slowly to him-but it would come. So then, how was he alive? He suspected that the molten orange lights that anchored his mind to the here and now had something to do with it.

Training in meditation and the Positions came to him and he used them to drop into his mindscape; a place that represented his innermost self.

The place he'd known ever since he could first come here was gone.

Where before, his mindscape had looked the bottom of a basement; dank, wet, pipes threading throughout carrying what seemed to be various wisps of energy to, he assumed, his tenketsu. Now though, it was a battlefield. Smoke billowed and explosions sounded off-lightning flashed in a darkness above-stars shone brightly in the sky. It seemed his mind was doing battle with the void above. Nine blood red pillars of flowing, shifting energy seemed to hold the void above at bay. Weapons of all types lay scattered like fallen snow. The Temple of Fire, the greatest of the Ninja Monk temples, stood-battered but upright-in the very middle of the pillars. It seemed very much larger than he remembered it being. Naruto took the direct route, straight up the beaten path and into the entrance hall...and stopped short.

He'd now knew exactly why he was still alive.

Colossal did not begin to describe the creature in front of him. A fox, as if you could call a mountain-sized fox still a fox, lay still in the center of the temple entrance hall. It's face was regal; a crown sat crooked across it's matte-red fur. Eyes the size of a human being looked out, too intelligent for a normal animal-even one of its size. Slits opened and stared at him without reacting.

Naruto sat down, folding his legs underneath him as it all hit him.

Izuna had intended to die; the Kyuubi no Yoko would never have been here, in him, without his brother's death. Heedless of the creature that kill him without even moving, he put his face into the hard marble floor and cried.

After what seemed like an eternity, he sat up and wiped his face with a bare forearm. Naruto stared into the distance, seeing the endless battle going on outside between the red energy and the void. He started and fell back when the massive fox spoke.

"So, you are the brother of my previous jailor...you weep for him I see. Do not. He is beyond this world. We must focus on the here and now. I have been battling the darkness and decay for a thousand years. Healing you took a long, long time-you locked us in the prison that held the Juubi for thousands of years-and so I could only do so much. The Samsara Eye you possess will let us exit this healing prison." Naruto focused his attention on the fox and something nagged at him about this situation. The fox continued speaking as he sat up and stretched like a cat, tails pointed straight out and somehow missing the pillars that held up the entire structure.

"Izuna promised me a release from the seal if I protected you to the best of my ability and that is what I will do. In turn, you will help me in my goals as I will help you-together we will figure out what has happened my siblings and your people. Do you agree to this mutual promise?"

Naruto finally hit on what had been bothering him; the seal.

There was none.

He scrambled backwards from the legendary creature, eyes widening. "He...he unsealed you? Where is the seal? Why are you in me if you are free?" The fox didn't make a move, so Naruto settled himself-it wouldn't kill him now right? After healing him?

The fox was silent. It looked like it felt...uncomfortable. Awkward. What could make the King of the Bijuu uncomfortable?

"I...promised your brother I would save you and look after you if he freed me. I was very...fond...of your brother. He reminded me a great deal of my creator." Naruto's chest tightened and something like panic welled up. His eyes burned and he had to look away as the fox continued. "True peace was always at the forefront of the Sage of Six Paths mind; he wanted to create a world in which people worked together in harmony and lived for each other. Izuna very much wanted the same thing. Our goals were very much in line." The fox looked away, settling himself on his front paws. "He was the first container of mine that I have ever formed a partnership with-" The Kyuubi looked condescending when he looked at Naruto, "-and very likely the last. But we shall see. After all, things are different now because you do not contain me. I am here of my own free will." Rumbles ran through the Temple and both occupants looked up and around-Kyuubi answered Naruto's next question. "Your mind cannot handle much more abuse it seems; weak meatbags that you are, you take very little punishment before your minds snap." He looked amused at the thought.

"We must leave here."

Naruto tried to recall what happened and how he was to get out. "Hang on; before that, I need to know your name! I can't just keep calling you fox or whatever. You do have a name don't you?" The gargantuan fox looked affronted, "Of course I have a name idiot!"

"Well, what is it?"

"I'm not telling you! I don't even know if I like you!"

"Well, my brother was a goody-two-shoes and you liked him! What's the big deal? Just tell me your damn name!"

"No! I'm not just going to let you call me by my first name like we're friends!"
Naruto let out an explosive sigh. The fox was more irritating than Karin!
"Fine. My name is Naruto Namikaze. It's nice to meet you." The fox looked skeptical before rolling his eyes and huffing.

"Izuna called me Kurama. It would be...acceptable if you called me that. And, well, you aren't totally irritating for a meatsack."

"Oh joy, I can tell this is gonna be fun."

The both of them just stared at each other.

Kurama spoke, "We still have to get out of here. Who knows how long we've been in here anyway?"

Naruto nodded, "As a monk-in-training, we focus all of our training on mastering ourselves. That means practicing conscious self-awareness...which includes every mind technique known to the Ninja Monks. I think that, if I focus on retreating out of this mindscape, my rinnegan will do the rest...I hope."

Kurama looked insultingly skeptical. So Naruto just plowed on and settled himself again about a foot away from Kurama's snout. "Just shut up and let me work."

Naruto focused, awakening his Rinnegan-concentric circles with three smaller circles opening up and spinning. Focusing and dilating. The blue of his eyes mixed with the purple-deepening to a deep color that stood out against his lightly tanned skin and vibrant red hair the color of blood. Kurama watched with bated breath; he hadn't seen his Creator's doujutsu in a very, very long time. Nostalgia hit him like a wave.

It looked...different somehow though, the more he looked.

Naruto stood up and took the final Position of the Heavenly Subjugation; Omniscient Life Gate. It allowed the practitioner to take their focus and command of their internal and external life to an almost superhuman level-and that was without the chakra component. With chakra, it allowed the practitioner a level of control on a sphere of influence around him that bordered on precognitive. Indeed, true precognition was not unheard of in this Position, though that was for ninth-level and above.

Naruto focused on waking up, and unsealing himself.

He let his chakra infuse him and flow into his eyes as Nagato-neechan had taught him. His rinnegan flashed once, twice then-

-he was on his knees right where his brother had died face to face with what looked like a dozen metal samurai with box-like weapons pointed right at him.