Yeah, I'm back. For how long remains to be seen… Anyway, this story is a bit of and experiment. I've tried similar things before but they failed to work out. This is my legitimate attempt. It won't be as cliche as Cursed Eyes, I don't think.

I: First Impressions

The whip cracked against my back once more. Let me make one thing clear before I continue: I am no badass. Far from it, in fact. Every time that barbed rope struck me, I squealed in pain and begged for mercy, for another chance to comply with his wishes. But my first disobedience was apparently the final straw. I was too proud, mature, too aware in his eyes. It wasn't far from the truth. This body I inhabited was not my first. Senju Ayama was not my first life. I was older than he perceived me to be, and with that age came individuality. He could not mold me into one of his dolls. Lord knows he could try, and even with this body it would scar me. I simply refused to conform to him.

He knew this. He could tell from the look in my eye that my begging was nothing more than soothesay. He knew that mental constitution was a fickle thing, a vulnerable thing that could be worn down just like any other facet of a body, shinobi or otherwise. What my breaking point was remained to be seen.

"I'm sorry, Danzo-sama! I'm sorry! I'll cooperate, so just stop!" I sobbed as I was stuck once more. I held no illusions that I would be rescued any time soon. Not by my mother, certainly not by my father. I would be searched for, as the last prince of the Senju. When they could not find me I would be mourned. But I certainly would not be found if this man was the culprit.

In response to my pitiful cries, Danzo attacked me with renewed vigor. It seemed as if there was no getting past this stage until he felt I'd learned a lesson of concrete value; whatever that entailed in his diseased mind. I acknowledged that I would get nowhere by inspiring pity. Likewise, it was the only thing I was capable of. Some small part of it kept me from breaking down completely.

I do not know how long this lasted. I was barely on the edge of consciousness after around the third stroke. But eventually it came to pass that I could recover. Danzo did not wait long after he'd stopped, however.

"You may be wondering why I was so violent with you, Ayama-kun," he began while I was still on the heavier side of my breaths. "It should be of your knowledge that you know of the secrets your body holds and will hold in the future."

"You mean… why they call me Pr-Prince." I had to play dumb. My mother had told me precious little of the Senju clan. My past life knew more than she did, but it would be a horrible idea for me to reveal what I knew on the subject. Hell, there was even a chance that I would be forced to reveal everything, and there was no way that anyone would believe my origins no matter how detailed my memories were. The longer I spend in this body, the less real it all seemed even to myself.

"The Senju Ichizoku is well-known for producing the world's strongest shinobi. Your great-grandfather, Senju Hashirama. His brother Tobirama. Your mother. Along with the abnormally strong physical constitution and life force granted to the Senju, you also have the benefit of having an Uzumaki as an ancestor. It is these two things combined that will allow me to make you more like Hashirama than I'd previously thought possible."

That wasn't a good sign at all. The only way this could possibly go involved one man I'd dreaded meeting since the moment I was abducted. "How can I be anymore like him than I am already? I'm his blood descendant."

Danzo frowned. "And yet not one of his descendants developed his nigh-invincible kekkei genkai, Wood Release. It matters not. You will develop it once you have received the proper alterations." He looked me over once more. "Even greater than Hashirama, however, would be your father. Under my thumb you will not yet have access to his techniques but surely you will inherit much of his skill. The Yondaime is known as the strongest Kage in history for a reason, and you share blood with three of them."

What he implied was true. I was the bastard child of Namikaze Minato and Senju Tsunade. There was more to that story than I had access to, so it would do me no good to ponder it. "What would you have me do?"

Danzo unsheathed his sword with his single good arm. "For now? Survive."

Things could get no worse. Right?

It was my firm belief that Danzo wanted an army comprised entirely of children. Maybe because no one expected them to be trained, lethal killers of the caliber that he could train them. Maybe it was simply a matter of control. Either way, it was apparent that he favored younger soldiers over older and more experienced ones, a notion that I could not wrap my mind around.

Why were these thoughts coursing through my brain as I engaged my fellow ROOT operative? Because while my body was young, I was no child. Above all I was a Senju and Namikaze. This child could not hope to combat me evenly what with all that Danzo had done to me.

The first punch was far from sloppy, near-perfect in form and execution. It couldn't stay this pristine in a serious battle for long, however. I caught the punch within my fist and launched my own into his stomach area. This was perceived and thus I was forced to duck under a blow from his free hand, continuing my assault by going for a leg sweep. This was a feint, and not as obvious to such a fresh fighter. He hopped off of his feet, forgetting that I'd ensnared his other hand. I yanked him towards me and slammed my fist into his jaw as hard as I could. His shoulder was pulled out of socket as I hadn't let go once I struck. His jaw was also pushed far back on his left side, and a broken, bloodied tooth sailed out of his mouth.

I looked over at Danzo for his assessment. He sat upon his throne as if he were a celebrated god. I resented him for it. Not even totally because of what he'd done to my body. I could live with having Wood Release. I could deal with not needing to eat in order to survive. I could deal with the monstrous chakra reserves. The real problem would be the obedience seals I had upon my person. On the underside of my tongue, between my fingers and toes, inside my eyelids. Every single one was excruciatingly painful to receive. I would one day have his head for this treatment.

Danzo hummed lightly. "You seem to favor taijutsu in battle. Your Wood Release is close to the potency of Hashirama's, even if your chakra isn't as powerful as his. Still, you refuse to use ninjutsu unless strictly ordered to. Why?"

"You do plan on sending me to war," I answered softly. "Learning to conserve chakra in prolonged battles is an important skill. I sincerely doubt it will be simple to restrain all the jinchurkki we have against us in this war, even with my kekkei genkai. Do you object to this line of thinking?"

"Certainly not, if you were to actually practice with it. The chances of you passing it along naturally are slim, and I doubt your children will survive the brunt of the bonding process."

"Then it isn't a kekkei genkai and you should not bother trying to utilize it. It's in my body and I will not neglect it. There's just something… complacent about e using it against a child. It would promote convenience, and that by turns promotes reliance."

"You do not seem to fear my obedience seals. Why?" He asked calmly. He didn't even bother to activate them this time.

"Because pain is nothing to me and you will not kill me, therefore I can speak to you however I wish. Of course I still have to obey your orders; I simply refuse to hold my tongue." I didn't bother glaring or showing any other defiance. He got the message.

"Then you are ready to reintegrate."

I blinked lowly. "You mean, you aren't going to keep me at your heel as if I were a jinchurikki? They'll question this, you know. Neither of us are safe if they start asking me questions. I'll die, and you'll be exposed."

"You are aware of my Sharingan. With it, no one will be the wiser. It would cause problems if you were spotted in the field wielding Wood Release considering how much you favor Minato. Despite that, your brother is the current jinchurikki of the Nine-Tails and I would question his loyalty without you guiding him. Do not reveal my secrets. Your Wood Release will be chalked up to hereditary. You will join the Academy and graduate, eliminating all threats to our nation along your way."

"Who will I communicate with?" I asked. There was no way I was letting this opportunity pass me. Eventually I would free myself of his control.

"Uchiha Shisui. Be warned that he is dangerous and not fully under my thumb. Furthermore he possesses the Mangekyou, and one of the most powerful I've ever seen at that. Kotoamatsukami, the ultimate illusion." Danzo took a hit from a pipe.

"You told me that the Creation Duo were the strongest illusions."

"Izanagi and Izanami have steep prices. Kotoamatsukami has the same price as any other Mangekyou Sharingan. And it could ensnare anyone, including myself. Luckily I managed to subjugate him to the best of my ability, but sooner or later I will have to remove his eyes for my own use. With them behind me we will no longer need to hide in the shadows. In fact, with you I could take over the entire continent. But that isn't the current agenda. When you wake up, you will be home. Things will be different, but nothing you cannot handle."

I gave him a smirk. It took effort to move the muscles of my face into such a look, being that any and all amusement had left me some time ago. "Goodnight then, Danzo-sama."

"...Aya…. Ayama! Wake up!"

My eyes shot awake instantly, and I launched my fist up towards the man staring down at me. He caught it, but I was already flipping onto his back, sticking my other fist into his spine. The next thing I knew, I felt multiple blades pointed at my vital spots. I stopped struggling; I was in the Hokage's office.

The man I was straddling was Jiraiya.

"...What?" I said dumbly. The last thing I remembered was Danzo… oh. "How long was I out?" Jiraiya gave the ANBU on duty a look and they all disappeared. He went through a long string of hand signs and placed a finger on the wall. You know, S-Rank Secret stuff.

JIraiya glared at me. "That punch hurt you little creep. Where the Hell have you been the past five years?"

Danzo said they wouldn't question me… "Your despicable teammate did something to me. I don't remember much. Where did you find me?"

"You were all the way in the Land of Tea! Orochimaru must have wanted your body, and I guess he trained you a bit too well?" Jiraiya sighed. "Doesn't matter. YOu have a brother now, and, well… he's on your father's side. He doesn't know about it though, so we'll have to change your name to Uzumaki or not claim him as your brother."

"Tou-san? — Why is Sandaime-sama in office again?" I feigned ignorance. "...He doesn't know who Tou-san is… Tou-san is dead?" It was hard to act as if I were devastated since I couldn't put a value to any human life other than how they impacted the village's security. And I was being updated on the state of the village either way. "...Jiraiya, where is my brother?"

Jiraiya cocked an eyebrow. "You don't seem to care that Minato's dead—"

"Jiraiya-kun, please stop grilling the boy. If he wants to grieve privately then allow it. Ayama… are you an Uzumaki or a Senju?" Hiruzen finally spoke.

"...Is my brother an Uzumaki or is that name honorary? What's his name?" I said, unintentionally dodging the question.

"He's half-Uzumaki and also the curent jinchurikki. Both of his parents are dead, so you're his only living relative. His name's Naruto." Jiraiya smiled fondly after uttering the name. "Make a decision. We'll have to have a council meeting, as well… this is so infuriating…"

I wonder how Danzo will spin this? If he doesn't look eager enough then they'll connect me to him. "Uzumaki. Is he allowed to know any of this?"

"Don't breathe a word. You have training, right? If anyone says anything around him, kill them." Jiraiya looked outright pissed, so I guessed that in some instane there had been threats to his well-being." Still…

"Why would you not tell a jinchurikki that he's a jinchurikki? Or who his parents are? Don't you think he deserves to know?"

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed at me. "You can't tell him. He's only four. He'll be glad enough to know you, so let's keep it simple, ne? I;m leaving the village for a few years, but when I come back, I'll teach you both some ninjutsu. Until then Sensei'll take care of you. I'll see what I can dig up about Orochimaru and how he connects to you, and you keep everything of import to yourself." His eyes softened. "I know the last thing you want right now is conflict, since I'm effectively your godfather, but you have to understand. Something isn't right about everything that's been going on around here, and I don't just mean you. I don't like what's to come in the next few years."

"That just means I'll have to get as strong as my dad," I said lamely. Jiraiya cocked an eyebrow, and I knew that I'd let my 'mask' slip unconsciously.

"I think Minato's death hit you harder than you're showing. If you need to talk to someone, tell me before I leave. Your mom's not in the village either, but I'll send her back once I find her. Do you need anything else?"

"I think I'm fine. I'll process everything later. Right now's business time." Jiraiya smirked at me.

"Oh, you're your mother's kid, alright. I'm sure you'll do just fine in the Academy. Anyways, I'm taking off for now, Sensei. Take care, Ayama." He hopped out the window, and that was that. I turned to Hiruzen.

"I'll get you situated with your brother after the council meeting, Ayama-kun," Hiruzen assured, standing up. He pressed a red button on his desk, "Follow me to the chambers."

I let my eyes roam over the forms of all of the clan heads as well as the Elders. I did not make eye contact with Danzo, but I knew that he was watching me subtly. "This council is now in session," Hiruzen drawled in a tired and rehearsed manner.

"Who is the boy?" Utatane Koharu nearly spat, certainly annoyed that a last-minute meeting was called over such a lowly child. -This is sarcasm, I'm worth far more as a hostage than everyone in the room combined. That includes Fugaku and Hiashi.

"This is Uzumaki Naruto's brother, Uzumaki Ayama," Hiruzen spoke. "He also houses an incomplete version of the Nine-Tails' chakra." As the cries from the civilians rang out, my eyes panned over Hiruzen. Was he serious? I certainly held no portion of the beast's chakra and him saying otherwise helped me in no conceivable way. Sure, it took some heat off of Naruto and made me a target, which wasn't a problem for me since I was trained. It just didn't help me in anyway and therefore did not help my cause.

"Is this one actually allowed to be trained as a weapon?" Danzo spoke roughly. "He seems to have more constitution than his brother."

Hiruzen practically snarled at Danzo. "Neither of the boys are weapons, Danzo. They will grow up to become regular shinobi of the Hokage's jurisdiction, or even under their specialized commander in the event of such advancement."

"Why is this one allowed to know that it is a demon?" one civilian spoke. Instantly Hiruzen's killer intent washed over the room. It did not faze me as I was incapable of feeling fear of any kind.

"Ayama-kun is not a demon. He was born before the Nine-Tails' chakra was sealed into his stomach. It didn't turn him into a monster."

"Look at his eyes, Hokage-sama," one civilian choked out. "No human can hold such a gaze!"

"I'm emotionally damaged, sir," I helpfully supplied, certain that I still looked quite bored. It wasn't that I was bored. It just wasn't possible to get any kind of reaction out of me through these means. "Either way the law is still in place and I can kill you for breaking it."

Silence greeted me. Then Inuzuka Tsume guffawed. "Where'd you find this pup, Hokage-sama? Can I keep him?"

"I'm not certain—" I cut Hiruzen off.

"I would like to be 'kept' by myself, thank you. Hokage-sama, why not have them address me personally?" Why was I doing this? I needed them to know that I wasn't a pawn in their game. No, I was Danzo's pawn and no one else's. Hell, I wouldn't even be his forever.

"This amuses you, boy?" Hiashi asked.

"No. But I resent being called a demon and thus will make all responsible and connected parties feel resentment by turns." I didn't bother smiling or anything. I just waited for the next idiot to take the bait.

"Aren't you, like, ten or something? Bothersome," Shikaku muttered. "Someone taught you how to politic for some reason. Is the Uzumaki clan coming back?"

"Hey, if it's apart of this 'Uzumaki Ichizoku,' then shouldn't it be possible to pull its blood records?" a civilian snorted.

"I do not wish for my lineage to become known to you all." I could spot quite a few grit teeth after that. "I am within my rights as a clan member."

"The boy speaks too loosely, Hiruzen. Giving him to me would fix that," Danzo offered.

"I'm quite certain that I don't want to be owned by creepy old men," I said. Danzo said nothing, but a few clan heads let loose with laughter. Even Hiashi and Fugaku couldn't help their chuckles. "Hokage-sama, why would you make my status known to them? They can do nothing with this information except exploit it against the policies of your will."

"That is borderline treason, child," Homura hissed. "We of the council of advisors must know all S-Ranked secrets in order to commit to our duties."

"With all due respect, Oji-sama, having the title advisor does not garner any respect from me. Hokage-sama, I 'advise' that I be allowed to spin in a circle one time."

"...Granted."

I spun.

"See? Anyone can advise the Hokage and you aren't important simply because you can do what anyone alive can do. Or do I have your job description pegged incorrectly?"

"That is enough, you wretch!" Koharu bellowed. "You come into our chambers, spout this heretical libel, and dare to look us in the eye with that nonverbal challenge? Arrogance! Defiance! I will not stand it!"

"Please stop yelling at me, Koharu-sama. You're scaring me."

Chouza's face became red.

"It physically hurts," Tsume coughed out, "exactly how much I'm laughing right now. If this is one of our jinchurikki then I can't say that they're a bad bunch. And he's absolutely adorable at that!"

In another life I would have blushed.

"You flatter me, Inuzuka-sama. You have a feral 'kawaii' level yourself."

"Ooh, and he's a smooth-talker? I'm sold. The Inuzuka clan backs the Uzumaki in their clan standing."

"As do the Akimichi."

"Bothersome as it is, so do the Nara."

"As well as the Yamanaka."

"The Aburame as well."

"That was the point of this meeting? Well, it's fine if this is how it ends. Hokage-sama, what would be my clan status?" I inquired.

"By law it would make you Clan Head, but council seats are reserved for legal adults, so as soon as you are a Genin…" Hiruzen left it open to interpretation.

"Ah, I certainly had not expected that…"

"Too much to handle, boy?" Fugaku asked arrogantly.

"This is coming from the man with cancerous tumors in his eyes," I countered listlessly. "If that is all, Hokage-sama, I will take my leave."

Hiruzen smirked at me. "That's fine, Ayama-kun. Meet me in my office to hash the details further." I stepped out of the chmabers.