[A/N] This is many years later than the start of the original Naruto series, so there are some technological advances, and Konoha is much more of a city now. Guns will be present in the story, but I try to keep their involvement to a minimum like a precious commodity rather than commonplace. Not only this, but it is an AU. Minato and Kushina are alive, as well as some other changes that greatly impact the world. Anyways, this will be a revenge story as signified by the title. Hopefully I can entertain with the things I do differently.
I would like to thank Isafish, Nyabi, Tomarrylover, and SithLordNilis for beta reading this chapter.

He stood on the crest of a large hill, flanked by two younger men. They were able to look out at the vast forest of trees and the large walls of the village in the distance. It sickened him to even look at the place, but he had something waiting for him.

"I've climbed the mountains in Kumo and hiked the deserts of Suna, but there's really no place like Konoha," the travelling companion to his right said.

He looked over at the younger man, once a boy he had saved. But the boy had a debt to pay, one he would collect.

"No, there really isn't, Inari," he said with a snarl. "You are young. You will learn though. You know of what they did to me, but still see the village as great. But it's not. There's a hole in the world, like a great black pit. The vermin of the world inhabit this place. They are not worth the pigs they tend. On top of the hole sits the privileged few, turning beauty into filth and greed. I too, have seen the world and seen its wonders. For the cruelty of men is wondrous."

Inari nodded. "That's why you came back, right? To fix the wrongs that were done to you?"

"Yes. However, the man that left this place is dead to the world for now. Grendel Ootsutsuki. That is the name I have taken. If you call me anything else while we are in Konoha, I will kill you." He turned to the man on his left. "That goes for you too. We can't take any chances. You each know the Genjutsu I thought you and why. Use it if you need it at any time. Now go. Find our friends and set the plan in motion. Start with Orochimaru."

Grendel walked through the cobbled streets of Konoha, his hooded cloak covering his head and partially hiding his face. His face was covered in tribal tattoos, but he refused to take any chances. He thought about Inari, who he had sent off, with a large sum of money, to buy them a home large enough to serve their needs for the time being. It would only be the start of what he had planned.

He brushed passed people, heading towards the heart of the village. He had people to see and so many things to do before the day was done. 'I wonder how little everything has really changed. Polished shit, but still the same old.' He was broken from his thoughts as he collided with someone rather than brushing by.

"Pardon me, I didn't see where I-" He stopped himself, looking at who he had bumped into. The past years showed, and it was clear that age had ravaged the man. Nearly thirty years had past, but he would never forget him.

"No, excuse me. I should have stepped aside," Minato said.

Hundreds of thoughts and plans ran through Grendel's head, but none of them were ready yet. It wasn't time, and patience was key. What was another month on thirty years? He gave a small bow. "No, Lord Hokage. Forgive me. While I had hoped to meet you, I had not thought it would be under these circumstances."

"Oh really? You actually seem somewhat familiar."

"I get that a lot. I've travelled quite a bit, but you and I have never met. I am actually intending to host a party here in Konoha as soon as I get settled. My travels have gained me quite a bit of wealth, and now I'm just ready to relax for a while."

"Well, I do hope to see your party. For now, I do have to go. Farewell for now…" Minato paused, looking at the man with a questioning expression.

"Grendel. My name is Grendel."

"Nice to meet you, Grendel," Minato said before continuing on his way.

Grendel just kept walking. Outside he was calm, but inside he was infuriated that he had to pass up such a prime opportunity. But he knew that taking that opening would ruin his plan. He smirked. "There's a hole in the world like a great black pit, and it's filled with people who are filled with shit!" he whispered venomously. "And the vermin of the world inhabit it. But not for long... They all deserve to die."

The sun was beginning to set as he walked towards where he and Inari had planned to meet up. He was ready to get to a quiet place to think, but stopped and stood next to a bakery. The smell filled his nostrils and made his stomach growl.

A bell on the door rang out as he entered and stepped up to the counter. There were several pastries encased in glass, but no one behind the counter. He waited, his face taking on a thoughtful expression. His fingers drummed on the case.

"Can I help you?" a woman asked as she came from the back room. Their appearance surprised him almost as much as who they were. Her hair was out of place, dishevelled, and the look on her face...

For a moment, he thought it was something like shame or embarrassment. He was ready to wave it off before another man walked out of the back and adjusted his clothes.

"I'll head back home to train with our children, Hinata," the man said.

He recognized the man, and, as he understood what the implications were, rage boiled and writhed within him. Hinata had been one of the few people that he had liked. One of the few who could garner his truest respect, even after everything that had happened. Yet, she was now with Sasuke Uchiha, one of the few he had always hated. But he suppressed it, concentrated and redirected it. His eyes followed Sasuke out of the bakery before they again locked on Hinata. Her face was red under his stare.

"I would like four of whatever three things you recommend," he said with a smile, ignoring what had happened, for the moment at least. "I'm Grendel, by the way."

Hinata nodded and began picking things for his order. It only took her a few minutes to get everything boxed, priced, and put on the counter. "Here you go, Grendel," she said with a sheepish smile.

Grendel opened the box and looked it over before smiling at her again. "Good choice," he said, passing her the money. "By the way, I must ask. The look on your face when you came from the back, it makes things so obvious. Why are you bending over for someone as insufferable as an Uchiha?"

Hinata's entire face went red. "I-He's-I'm his wife," she forced herself to say. She looked down, avoiding his gaze. "It was an arranged marriage," she said quietly.

Grendel leaned forward, brushing the bangs off of her forehead. She tried to stop him, but he had already seen what he had meant to. "Your eyes give away your heritage, and that seal betrays your fate."

Hinata brushed away his hands. "What would you know about it?" she asked, finally looking at him with rage in her eyes.

'Burning bright. Might there be hope? How strong is it really?' he thought to himself.

"You are pathetic," Grendel said, extinguishing that fire.

She was shocked by his words, her face draining and eyes becoming dull.

He laughed. "For such a brief moment you had fire in your eyes, a rage burning in an inferno. But, you let others dictate your life without argument, without complaint, or even thoughts of hatred for those that would control you. So easily did three little words snuff out even the faintest spark. I used to be like you. Pathetic. But now I dream of their screams. I wonder if, when the time comes, you are even capable of choosing your path. It's a shame." He grabbed her hair and leaned in close, pulling her ear to his lips.

He whispered something that stopped her breath, made her eyes go wide, and froze her. He continued to whisper for several seconds before letting her go. As he released her, she fell to her knees behind the counter. He looked over the counter down at her and laughed.

"Truly pathetic," he said. "How disappointing. Try to tell anyone, and the seal I put on you will kill you in one of twelve random and horrible ways," he said, sounding cheery.

He grabbed the box and left, knowing that she might very well be instrumental to what was planned. But even if she wouldn't be useful, the orchestra could still be played without her.

Darkness closed in on her, clouding everything. She fought against it, desperate to not be swallowed by it. Something moved around her, a figure she needed to find. She couldn't see it, though she could hear it taunting her.

Cruel laughter echoed through the darkness.

"I'll catch you eventually!" she shouted.

"Maybe," the figure teased. "But what are you going to do then? By then, I'll have had my hands on everything you love."

Kushina jolted awake, her vision coming into focus. Her arm tingled with numbness and her face was sore from having slept on her arm. She sighed in annoyance, fixing the papers on her desk.

It had been a long day at the academy, and now she was just ready go home and relax with Minato and their daughter. She hummed to herself as she stretched. Her mind wandered to the nightmare and the dark figure.

'It was so vivid. Stronger than usual.' She thought bout the malice it gave off, compared to the others she had. 'Pure hatred. I haven't felt it like that since-' She shook her head of the thought.

She had suffered these nightmares all her life, but they had gotten worse in recent years, and more so in the past months. 'I should probably make an appointment with the therapist again,' she thought to herself.

She stood up, her bones popping here and there as she locked up and left. It was already dark out and she was exhausted. She wiped remnants of sleep from her eyes and yawned. Her footsteps were fast, trying to get home quickly.

A board came down behind her and slammed into her head. She hit the ground with a thud before a man grabbed her legs and dragged her into the alley. He ripped off one of her sleeves and shoved it into her mouth before stabbing a blade into her ribs. Her reaction was immediate as her eyes flew open and she tried screaming.

He stabbed her again. Her vision blurred from the pain. She felt the blade cut into her once again before large hands grabbed her attacker and slammed him into a wall.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" the newcomer demanded.

"I'm hurting them, just like you said was the plan! This is a prime opportunity. She was tired, alone, and in the dark!" her attacker responded.

"It was a prime opportunity, but I told you patience was key! This is too soon! You think not of the consequences. They will all burn, my vengeance will make them suffer, but this is too soon."

There was a sigh. "Yes, master. I understand."

"Good. Now we have to deal with this."

Grendel formed two hand signs before placing his right hand to a wall. Darkness engulfed the bricks and metal panels before a shadow emerged with arms and legs of its own. As it bore down on Kushina, she again lost consciousness.

"You are rash and impatient, Inari. And I realize now that I have not stressed how important waiting for just the right moment is," Grendel said as he and Inari stood on top of a tall building, looking out across the village. "Vengeance against those who betrayed me will simply be a reward for my patience. You see? It's the slow knife, the knife that takes it's time, the knife that waits years without forgetting, that slips quietly between the bones. That's the knife," he said, holding up a detonator, "that cuts deepest."

He pressed the trigger, and the entire Hokage tower suddenly went up in flames and explosions. Grendel cackled as the structure came crashing down, engulfing the surrounding buildings and streets in smoke and dust.

"This took me several hours to do, moving silently and slowly. I could have easily used a jutsu to do this, could have done it quickly without being known, but by waiting, I have opened so many avenues! No chakra for them to see. An unknown enemy, a monster they have to deal with."

Inari looked at him for a moment before nodding. "I shall wait then, and follow your lead master."

"Do not wait too long when the time comes. Wait long enough and you will know the right time to strike. That is why you are here. I will need you to act on your own in the coming months, so you need to learn quickly. Come. It's time for trial by fire."

Minato paced back and forth on the other side of the door, waiting to hear from the doctor. None of them knew where Kushina had come from. In the chaos of the tower exploding, she had seemed to just appear. While most of the people who worked in the tower had gone home for the night, several deaths were reported. At the same time, they had no leads. It had been caused by explosives rather than jutsu, leaving being no chakra signature to be traced. Whoever had done it covered their tracks well, though he had his theories.

The doctor stepped through the door, walking over to him. "Lord Hokage, I've got good news and bad news," he said.

"Alright, what's the good news?"

"Well, we don't know who did this to your wife, punctured lung, multiple stab wounds to the ribs, it was bad. On the same token, they fixed her wounds before dropping her off here. The lung had been drained of fluid and sealed with some sort of resin to keep her alive. She'll live. However, the bad news is that she's in a coma. We don't know what's causing it. All of her scans are reading normal and there's nothing wrong with her as far as we can tell. Jiraiya is in there looking for seals that might be the cause of this. Personally, it looks to me like the resin itself could be the problem. But we can't remove it, we tried. It's not something we can identify, can't be cut through, and it lines the inside of her lung as well. Trying to remove it at this point would cause more harm than good. But for now, she's alive."

"Thank you," Minato said, moving over to a chair. He finally sat down and let his body loosen up. As he did so, memories hit him like a brick.

THIRTY YEARS AGO

"All debts will be paid in full!" the man shouted as he was dragged down a hallway.

When he disappeared, Minato stepped aside with the new Tsuchikage, the granddaughter of the last.

"Why did you give him such a light sentence?!" she demanded. "He should be executed! Whatever the worst sentence is, he deserves it! Or maybe you're just favoring your family!"

"Don't you dare accuse me of letting my family off easy. You and I both know that people in our position can't compromise like that. He's getting the worst. The prison he's being sent to has a rule about sentences over twenty years. If anyone can survive that long they are freed," Minato said. "The reason why is because no one ever survives that long. The few that have come out of that place come out changed and broken. He'll die there, trust me."

"What prison is he being sent to? And why even have that rule?"

"Your grandfather used it, though he hated doing so. Knowledge of it is restricted from the general public. It's worse than the Blood Prison. The hope of it keeps them from just killing themselves. The point of it is to break them and brutally end them. Trust me. He's getting the punishment he deserves."

PRESENT TIME

Minato jerked awake, the angered screams still echoing in his mind. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "This is no time to think about the past."

Grendel walked down the hallway with a sword in hand. Blood ran down the blade's duel edges, forming rivers in the fullers that ran down the central ridges of either side. He cut down anyone who got in his way, anyone who saw him. He seriously hoped Inari would have the timing down for this. Everything had to be perfect. He rounded a corner into a long hallway with three guards at the end. Their eyes darted to his bloody sword, transfixing on him.

They moved to defensive positions, one of them pulling an alarm just as the power went off throughout the entire building. He smirked that the timing had worked so well before moving in and decapitating the first guard. The second brought a war hammer down on his head.

Grendel brought up his sword, pushing the flat of it against the handle of the hammer directly under the head. He pushed the weapon aside, sending blood arcing through the air as he slammed the blade into the man's eye. In one fluid motion he pulled back, blocking a sword strike from the third. As the edges clashed, the guard's sword chipped against his.

"Drink, my lovely Shatter-Heart! Drink on and on!" he screamed with glee. His sword began to resonate, making the crack grow until the sword shattered. He lunged forward in a stabbing motion. He could feel himself lurch forward without moving a muscle.

'The Kawarimi?'

The third guard cut at him from behind. Everything paused as shadows in the hallway suddenly came to life. His bones cracked and blood spattered the walls as solid darkness ripped through and skewered the man, through his arms, legs, and neck, leaving him pinned in midair.

Grendel chuckled. "Close. You almost got me." He spun on his heals, eyeballing the suspended guard. "Bye-bye."

The guard was ripped apart, painting Grendel and everything around them in a wet crimson.

Without flinching at the blood, Grendel spun again, walking to the door they had been guarding. He kicked it in, ready to continue his slaughter.