Author's Note: Warning - As the story is rated M it will contain very mature themes including strong language, very graphic violence, and adult situations. I do not own Naruto or its characters in any way, shape, or form.

The Blood of My Enemies

Someone was screaming.

Well, there was a lot of shouting going on, but this was disturbingly different. It was coming through much clearer than the other faint, muffled voices he was also hearing.

It sounds really close…god and it's so annoying.

Whoever it was, it sounded as if they were pleading for something, or to someone.

Well I don't feel great about it either. I just want it to stop.

And then it became quiet. It wasn't completely silent, the other voices still sounded distraught about something, but they were still distant, and barely audible.

The sudden calm caught his attention.

Well that was relatively easy...

…easy?

This thought bothered him, so much that he felt the need to take in the situation.

The scene slowly came into focus. His vision was still blurry, but he could make out his surroundings…a forest, and a familiar one. As a cool breeze rustled nearby trees, he realized his location to be the woods just on the outskirts of Konoha village.

Konoha… it's been such a long time.

Still a bit hazy, his other senses started coming back to him. The other voices he had heard earlier were now hushed, but what was really getting to him was the smell. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was beginning to make him feel ill. Something else didn't quite feel right. He felt like he was wet. Drenched might have been a better description as he thought about it.

The sudden feeling of someone's hand on his shoulder caused him to turn his head upwards towards the individual.

The white hair and eye-patch was a dead giveaway.

Kakashi…sensei

As he looked around, he took note of the condition that the surrounding woods were in. He now realized that many of the trees had been blown completely over, and it looked as if most were charred.

What the hell is going on here?

"Naruto, its ok…you can stop now. I'm here, and Jiraiya is on his way," Kakashi said reassuringly.

Confusion lead quickly to panic, as he realized he still had no idea what was going on, and something was beginning to feel terribly wrong. Although he was still dazed, the rush of adrenaline made him aware that he had been on his knees the whole time. The look on Kakashi's face was one of empathy, as his gaze slowly shifted to the ground in front of him.

Slowly, he turned his head downwards and brought his attention to the scene below him.

Oh my god.

He was kneeling down in the mutilated remains of what used to be a Sound Nin. This was only apparent due to the symbol on the forehead protector…not that it was really strapped to much of a head anymore. Some of the limbs were gone, save for a left leg and right arm that were barely hanging onto the torso. The chest cavity had been torn into, exposing vital organs which didn't look to be in very good shape themselves. A large amount of blood was pooled around the remains.

Blood that he was kneeling in… blood that he was covered with.

His eyes went wide, as he rose and tried to back away, only to find that he was struggling to maintain stability.

Kakashi quickly stepped in to give support to Naruto, encircling one of Naruto's arms around his shoulder to help him stand.

Recollections of what had occurred began racing through Naruto's head.

"Was going to…bring in…spying….I…" He was rambling, and his voice was cracking.

His head still felt like it was spinning when he came to an upsetting realization.

It happened again.

There was no other explanation.

I did something…was this what I did? Was this…all I did? How could I let this happen…

The thought was too much for him to take. His body went limp and his head dipped down as his vision began to fade. The sound of Kakashi shouting his name grew fainter, and the darkness finally enveloped him.

Jiraiya was leaning against the wall in Tsunade's office, staring out the window with his arms folded.

Tsunade was sitting at her desk.

She was not happy.

"Why weren't you there with him? You could have prevented that from happening."

Jiraiya sighed, "We happened onto the group on our way back. There were only three, but they went separate ways, so we split up."

Before Tsunade could reply Jiraiya turned to her.

"And what of the two that I brought in?"

Tsunade paused. "They're being questioned as we speak."

Jiraiya nodded, and sat down in a chair across from the desk.

"Its been awhile since we've had to deal with trouble from the Sound Village; I can't believe that this is just could just be a coincidence."

Tsunade furrowed her brow, "Are you implying that Orochimaru is interested in Naruto?"

Jiraiya turned his head towards the window again. "It's hard to say. If Naruto was the point of interest, then this is something I would anticipate from the Akatsuki, but I don't know what Orochimaru's intentions would be towards him.

Tsunade smirked, "Regardless, we'll have our information soon enough, it's just a matter of interrogation. However, I'm left wondering how well Naruto's training could have gone considering this incident…you certainly didn't mention anything like this in your letters. I don't think there was anybody in the village that didn't feel the tremor."

Jiraiya chuckled, "That kid, if there's one thing that I'll never be able to teach him its finesse. While that wasn't an intention of the training, make no mistake, he's grown strong…stronger than I foresaw with this little venture. If needed, he'll be plenty capable of taking care of himself."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "What I'm afraid of, is that he's capable of a lot more than he can handle."

The smile fell from Jiraiya's lips as he turned his head back to Tsunade. "Contrary to what you probably think, that kid has gained a much better handle on his emotions. He doesn't fly off the handle over little things anymore, and it takes a good bit of instigation to really rile him up. But you have to understand; the Kyuubi knows exactly how to push the right buttons to send Naruto over the edge. It's only when he gives in, and loses himself to the Kyuubi, that it can get dangerous. Moreover, every time this happens…"

"…the seal weakens." Tsunade finished.

Jiraiya nodded. "And the weaker it gets, the more Naruto will start to merge with the Kyuubi. I suspect you've already been looking into this problem?"

"It's been fruitless," Tsunade sighed. "Seals like the one Yondaime used are about as complicated as they come, especially when attempting to reinforce them. I'm just going to need more time."

"You've got time. As of right now, the seal is a problem, but not an immediate one. Hell this has only happened one other time…"

Jiraiya was cut short as he and Tsunade turned to see Kakashi walk into the room.

"How is he?" Jiraiya questioned.

Kakashi shrugged. "He's awake, but still in bed. I just slipped in to give him his clothes back…I'm sure he's grateful that they were washed for him. But as far as his mental condition goes…I'm not so sure. He was pretty shaken up from what I saw earlier."

"It wasn't the corpse that bothered Naruto; he's seen just as worse during our travels," Jiraiya replied. "I suppose it would be quite a shock, wouldn't you say, to suddently realize that you had done something potentially out of character without knowing it?"

Tsunade nodded. "We'll discuss what to do about Naruto's status later. For now, we'll have him stay at the hospital until tomorrow; he's going to need his rest. A long time has passed, and I'm sure he'll be just as energetic as he used to be when he sees his teammates again."

"The Kyuubi that you contain is your ace in the hole. The ability to control your massive source of Kyuubi chakra is going to be the focus of your training…if you learn how to use that, then you'll be one hell of a powerhouse."

In retrospect, Jiraiya's proposition didn't seem as appealing as it had originally sounded.

Naruto was back in a very familiar hospital room, standing in front of a mirror across from the bed.

Nope, this definitely wasn't what I signed on for…

Three years was a long time, and it had actually been awhile since he'd taken a good look at himself. If anything, his height was the most noticeable difference. He had shot up to almost 6 feet tall. His hair, still a mess of golden blond spikes, had grown out more. The greater length had caused some locks to hang down along each side of his face; in front of and behind his ears. Also, the years of intense training had gained him a very lean, toned muscular figure. All this growing had required him to alter his attire. He now wore a traditional fishnet shirt underneath a black protective vest; similar to the ones that Anbu members equipped themselves with. While he still had kept his bright orange cargo pants, he opted for a predominantly black jacket; save for the symbol of the Leaf Village on the back which had been stitched in a matching orange thread.

But none of this was a huge surprise to Naruto. What was catching his attention was his eye color. Instead of the normal light blue he was used to seeing, he was now staring into a pair of dark red eyes.

Naruto sighed and spoke to himself, "Not what I had in mind."

Upon making this statement though, Naruto caught a glimpse of another peculiar physical characteristic.

He placed a large grin on his face, confirming what he had seen. His canines definitely appeared to be abnormally longer.

Naruto grit his teeth in frustration.

You must think this is really fucking funny.

No response.

How surprising, you usually come out to poke and prod me anyways.

After a few minutes, Naruto finally broke away from his image and walked over to the window. It was late…or early…he wasn't sure, but it was pretty dark out.

If I know Tsunade she'll be keeping me cooped up in here for at least another few days.

Naruto opened the window.

Forget that.

Though his return had already proved more eventful than he had hoped it would be, he's was feeling anxious, and he wanted to at least take a walk around the village.

If anyone asks, I'll just tell them that the red eyes are a byproduct of a brand new top secret S-rank jutsu that only the best ninjas in the world are capable of maintaining…yeah, that should do the trick.

Naruto took a quick look back towards the mirror before he left.

If I start growing ears and a tail, me and Ero-senin are going to have a long talk…