Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, or Monster. All characters belong to their original creators.
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a Monster rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns and upon his head the name of blasphemy (…) And they worshiped the Dragon which gave power unto the Monster: and they worshiped the Monster saying, "Who is like unto the Monster? Who is able to make war with him?" (Revelation 13, The Beast Out of the Sea).
The Monster Within Us All: Chapter One
It was a dreary and cloudy day. Throughout the village, there was an unspoken sadness that lingered about, through every place, person, and thing. Normally, a person walking through the village would be able to see children playing with one another. However, the normally bustling metropolis was more akin to a ghost town.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was situated in his office, having been forced to retake his position after the tragic death of his successor. However, while he enjoyed his retirement, having to retake his former position was not the reason for his sorrow.
When looking upon the two children sleeping in a crib in his office, the veteran Kage sighed. 'What am I to do with them?' he thought. He wished that he could give them a normal life, however, that was highly unlikely. The seal placed upon the belly of the younger female twin was proof enough of that.
In the midst of his thoughts, he heard a knocking on his office door. "Enter," he said.
Upon seeing the visitor enter his office he was overcome with a sense of annoyance that nearly was able to overpower his previous melancholy.
"To what do I owe this pleasure, Danzo?" he asked, in a voice that obviously lacked any sincerity.
Before speaking, Danzo slowly and methodically approached the desk of the Hokage and took a seat. "I have come to discuss a critical issue," he said, after having sat down. "An issue pertaining to the safety and prosperity of the village."
While Hiruzen could not refute Danzo's usefulness when it came to protecting Konoha from the shadows, it did not lessen the irritation he felt when being forced to converse with him. "What is it?" he asked with a little bit of trepidation. A small part of him already had a good idea as to why he was visiting.
"I have come to discuss the actions that should be taken in regards to the fate of these two infants," Danzo said while peering over towards the crib containing the two children. There was not a look of disdain or hatred on his face. Rather, it was more of a look of immense intrigue.
"If your wish is for them to be put into your Root program then you are wasting your time here." snapped the God of Shinobi. "Have you no respect for the wishes of my successor? He wished for them to live pleasant lives."
"Is living such a life possible in this world of ours?" Danzo asked. "This world is in an endless cycle of war and bloodshed. The moment Lord First distributed the Bijuu amongst the Five Villages he sparked an arms race that has persisted for decades after his passing."
Hiruzen had trouble refuting the statement of his old friend. However, it did not shake his stance on the subject in the slightest. He could not fail these children.
Upon seeing the two children for the first time he felt as though he was intruding upon perfection. The girl, who possessed flawless, almost porcelain like skin, would likely grow up to look very similar to her mother. When looking upon her, however, his eyes did not miss the Four Symbols Seal placed upon her abdomen.
However, shockingly, it was the boy who managed to keep his gaze the longest. His skin was slightly paler than his sisters, but in no way was it less beautiful. His blonde hair was a shade lighter than his father's, but it was rather obvious that he would grow up to look very similar to the Fourth Hokage. However, it was his eyes that fascinated him the most. They glowed like bright diamonds in the night sky and gave off a feeling of omniscience that should not belong to a child so young.
"Danzo," he sighed. "While your pessimistic view of the world may have some truth to it, I must keep the promise I made to their parents. The only way for this world to progress into an era of peace is for individuals such as ourselves to break the cycle of war. How can we expect to do such a thing when we are in the process of creating child soldiers?"
Danzo's expression did not change in the slightest, but his mind was working a mile a minute. While he has never been able to rival Sarutobi in terms of power, he was more than able to match or even surpass him intellectually. While he wouldn't consider himself vastly superior to Sarutobi in terms of intelligence, he is willing to do things that his rival isn't and that gives him an edge.
"Very well, Hiruzen," he said. "Eventually, you will see things my way." Danzo was a patient man, and it wouldn't be in his best interest to rile Hiruzen up. He would need to play his cards correctly while also making sure to keep them close to his chest. He would have what he wanted.
~Break~
(Six Years Later)
Mito found herself running through the village, her face a picture of glee. She always enjoyed peaceful and sunny days such as these. The matron of the orphanage would always allow the children to play in the village every Friday.
It was an especially beautiful day today. The streets were packed with people completing their daily tasks. As she was running several citizens gave her polite smiles and nodded to her. Her kind and excitable nature was infectious and allowed her to make friends easily.
Finally, she arrived at her destination. A playground teeming with children, all enjoying themselves and playing to their heart's content. She recognized many of the children there, including her two friends Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno playing in the sandbox.
While approaching the sandbox she halted in her tracks. She couldn't believe it, how could she have forgotten?
"Big brother!" she yelled in a panic. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten to make sure they didn't lose each other in the crowd. Her brother was her rock, he was always there to look out for her and frequently put her needs before that of his own. She was so reliant on his presence that it was almost always unpleasant for her to be separated from him.
She jolted upon hearing a familiar voice behind her, "I am here, Mito, there is no need to worry."
She turned around and saw the subject of her thoughts. Naruto was the same as ever, a perfect picture of calmness. She often wondered how he was so mature, it was almost as if he was smarter than most of the adults in the village. She was no slouch in the intellect department herself, but her brother always seemed to be a level above her in almost everything.
"Big bro, what do you want to play today?" she asked with excitement. However, she knew it was a silly question to ask. As she knew exactly what his response would be.
"I'd enjoy doing whatever you want to do." he answered with a polite smile.
She sighed in frustration. Her brother was often times selfless to a fault. She often felt guilty when they played together. Just for once, she'd like to do whatever he wanted to do. It was like he existed just to make her life easier and it made her feel useless in comparison. She could not recall an instance in which she was able to help her brother the way that he constantly helped her.
"You're always like this" she groaned. "Why is it that you never want to decide what we play?"
"I'm happy when you're happy," he said. "You always choose the best games anyway." Contrary to what his sister believed, Naruto was arguably more reliant on her than she was on him. He was not as skilled when it came to socializing with others, which is why his sister was his only friend.
"Fine!" she snapped. "I'll go play with Sakura and Ino then, would that make you happy?" She knew that she was being immature, but that was to be expected from someone so young.
"Of course," he responded politely, much to her indignation. In truth, she was hoping that her ultimatum would have resulted in him being forced to finally decide on what they did. However, she was too stubborn to turn back now, so she ran off to play with her two friends.
Naruto smiled while watching his sister run towards her friends. Once she left his sight, however, his smile vanished and left what could only be described as an emotionless expression. He wasn't sure why, but he had trouble expressing and understanding his emotions. Not that he couldn't feel them, it was just that he struggled understanding and expressing them correctly.
He had no idea why he was like this. Was he born this way, or had some horribly unspeakable event effected his psyche? He wouldn't be surprised if the latter was the case. He knew that much of the growing up period for a child was a blur. However, he felt like he was remembering less and less with every day that went by. It had gotten to the point where he couldn't even remember what he enjoyed to do. Had he perhaps once enjoyed playing outside with other children? He honestly felt like he'd never know.
~Break~
Danzo had been observing the two children for quite some time. While most would consider it odd for a man of his age to constantly watch over two six-year-olds, he cared little for their opinions. What he was doing was in his mind, for the betterment of the village.
The young boy, Naruto, as he was called, fascinated him more than he thought any person would be able to. The look in the boy's eyes was something special, something that even his most elite Root Anbu were unable to obtain, even through the most ruthless of training. Furthermore, he possessed an impressive level head, even at such a young age. He hadn't seen such an intelligent child since Itachi Uchiha, a young boy who has risen to become one of Konoha's most valuable assets.
He decided that today would be the day that he would approach the boy. His sister had just gone on to her own devices and he doubted he'd find a better opportunity. He slowly made his way towards the blonde who was silently observing the activities of the playground.
He brought himself to the boy's side and they stood in silence for what felt like minutes.
"Can I help you, sir?" Naruto eventually asked in his ever pleasant tone. Danzo noticed that the look that he admired so much had all but disappeared from the child's face. This only fascinated him even more. The child was seemingly able to change his expression at the drop of a hat, a valuable skill indeed.
"Do you care for her?" he asked the boy. The young child looked into Danzo's lone eye with an intensity that could hardly be described with words. He eventually turned his gaze towards his sister and nodded.
"You're aware that she is different?" Danzo continued. "In the future people will covet her. Much like the attempted kidnapping of the Hyuga heir earlier this year, they will come for her. What will you do if that happens?"
Naruto didn't respond to his question, but Danzo already knew what his answer would be. The boy would likely stop at nothing to keep her safe. If Danzo was able to extend that protectiveness and loyalty towards the village as well, the child would become an immeasurably valuable asset.
"I can give you the ability to protect her," he said. "However, the Hokage does not wish for you to become as powerful as you need to be."
The Hokage had always been an active presence in the twin's lives. Some may call it favoritism, but he was the Hokage so they held their tongues. Typically, someone of Naruto's obvious talent would have been entered into the academy by now, but Hiruzen wouldn't allow it. This frustrated Danzo to no end, but he had a plan that would soon take effect.
"We shall meet again soon," Danzo said before turning and leaving the area.
Naruto continued watching his sister without any notable change in his demeanor, minus the intense blue glowing of his eyes.
~Break~
Mito was in the process of helping Ino build a sandcastle. However, every few seconds she would look over her shoulder to see what her brother was doing. He was just standing there, being his perfectly socially awkward self.
She was rather perceptive for her age. If not for the obvious genius of her brother overshadowing her, she'd probably be regarded as one of those child prodigies. It was through this perceptiveness that she had been able to notice several things about her brother.
First, while she loved him to death, he was very strange at times. When they were even younger, the matron would tell him to go and play, and he would simply ask why. It was almost as if he didn't know how to enjoy himself.
Secondly, he treated her as if she was God's gift to this earth. If he was ever given a snack he wouldn't eat it until he had at least offered it to her first. It had gotten to the point that if she didn't refuse he'd likely starve. Not to say his caring treatment wasn't pleasant most of the time. No matter what happened throughout her day, she knew her brother would support her no matter what.
And finally, there was his bizarre trust issues. He didn't seem to trust anyone other than her, not even Old man Hokage! She was unsure why he was that way, but frankly, there were a lot of things she didn't know. Much of her early life had been a blur to her. Her psyche was an amalgamation of many strange memories, most of which she wasn't even able to recall.
"Mito! You aren't even paying attention. And look, you're messing up Castle Yamanaka," a voice next to her groaned.
She looked down towards the sand castle she had been making, and was surprised to see that her knee was pressing into the walls. Had she really lost focus during play time? That was so unlike her.
"Sorry, Ino," she said. "I just have a lot on my mind, I guess."
"Does it have anything to do with your cute brother?" Ino asked, using a voice that she reserved for irritating people. "You know, I wish you'd tell him about me."
"Shut it, Ino!" Mito snapped. "My big bro is off limits. Besides, he probably wouldn't even be able to tell that you had a crush on him." She felt like she had this conversation with Ino every time they'd meet.
"I-Ino, why don't you give Mito a break?" asked the pink haired girl sitting on the other side of the castle of sand.
"But Sakura I-" Ino began to say, but she was interrupted. She turned her head and saw the subject of their conversation standing just outside the confines of the sandbox.
"What is it that you are up to, Mito? Naruto asked, seemingly ignoring the other two girls entirely.
"Big bro!" Mito exclaimed. "I was helping Ino and Sakura build a sandcastle, but Ino was being annoying again!"
"Is that so?" Naruto asked. That wouldn't do. He glanced over at the other two young girls. Both were looking a little skittish, and were attempting to avoid his gaze.
That was also something he'd noticed. People seemed to be very uncomfortable making eye contact with him. He didn't consider himself an intimidating person, so why was it that even some adults wavered under his gaze?
However, that was a thought for another time. He bent down towards his sister and extended his hand, telling her that the matron was calling them home. The little redhead crossed her arms and pouted, clearly not wanting to leave. However, eventually she relented and they began walking back to the orphanage together.
Standing next to his sister gave him an overwhelming sense of clarity. So long as they were together, everything would be fine.
~Break~
In his private residence, Danzo was currently conversing with a seemingly normal middle aged couple. The male was of average height and build with curly brown hair and brown eyes. The woman was equally average with orange hair and green eyes.
"You have been chosen for an important mission," he said. "I have been told that the two of you hold a stellar reputation within the community. Is this true?"
"Yes, Danzo-sama," they simultaneously responded.
"I have been in conversation with several influential members of the Daimyo's court. They have convinced the him to pressure the Hokage to allow Mito and Naruto Uzumaki to be adopted into a family. In doing so, you will gain custody of the children and be able to make decisions on their behalf."
The couple didn't respond. However, they nodded their heads in understanding. The Leader of Root's plan was beginning to make sense to them. "You wish for us to gain custody of the children so we can allow them to be tutored in the Ninja Arts?" the man asked.
Danzo nodded, it wasn't a complicated plan, so he was not surprised that the man was able to figure it out. Danzo knew that Hiruzen would know that he was responsible for getting the Daimyo involved. However, there wasn't much the Hokage could do when a request was made to him by the Daimyo of Fire Country himself.
"Regardless, Hiruzen will never allow the boy to be entered into Root," Danzo said. "However, allowing them to be tutored is within the realm of possibility. You are dismissed, I expect you to have gained custody within the week."
The couple stood and bowed before being escorted from the home by two Root Anbu. Now that he was left to himself, he was able to think back on the means in which he made this possible.
He had done several favors for the members of the Daimyo's court. However, what really brought the nobles on board was when they were allowed to see the two children. Being very rich and superficial they were enamored with the beauty of the twins. Finally, when informed of the vast potential the two children possessed, they were sold. The possibility of perhaps having a future Hokage in their pocket was very appealing.
Danzo was disgusted by those of noble birth. Born into power and yet often times never doing anything of value with it. However, despite his disgust, he knew that he needed the support of such people in order to make progress.
That boy, Naruto Uzumaki, he knew better than to think the child would be a simple pawn. The boy was destined to be a leader of men, someone who would be able to do things that he and normal people could only dream of. The time for patience was ending and the moment for action had arrived.
~Break~
Naruto was walking adjacent to the Naka River. It was one of those rare moments in which he and his sister were not close to one another. She was currently asleep at the orphanage, so this was his only opportunity for private thoughts.
He often pondered things that children his age shouldn't even be capable of comprehending. Why was he so different from everyone else? He knew that he was a special child. The only person that he believed to be more special than himself was Mito.
He could sense the dormant power within her. But that wasn't what intrigued him. No, the source of his intrigue was the fact that she was the only person he felt a connection towards. It was difficult to explain, but she was the only person on this earth who's life held any value to him.
"Hello," a voice said, interrupting his thoughts.
He turned and saw a young man with onyx eyes under which were long, pronounced tear-troughs. He had jet-black hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail and his face was framed with centre-parted bangs that extended to his chin. It was obvious that he was an Uchiha.
Itachi was unsure why he had approached the child. Perhaps it was because he was able to notice the obvious similarities between the two of them. Or perhaps it was because he noticed the subtle differences.
"You are in Uchiha territory," he said. "It is uncommon for outsiders such as yourself to visit this place."
"Outsider?" Naruto asked, in a voice laced with curiosity. "Are we not all fellow citizens of Konoha?"
"Of course," Itachi responded. "I was not disputing your right to be here. I was merely acknowledging the rarity of such a visit." Itachi was getting a strange feeling from this child. He couldn't explain it, but he felt like he would need to choose his words wisely.
Upon further inspection of the river, Naruto was able to see an insect floating down on a small twig. He couldn't help but see himself in the helpless creature. Much like that bug he was adrift on a path, a path in which he had almost no control. Someone or something could easily help the insect and take it off the path that would surely lead to it's demise. However, a bird swooping from the sky and scooping it into it's beak, clearly with the goal of consumption, seemed more likely.
While watching the blonde child who was clearly lost in thought, Itachi recalled his younger days. Days in which he pondered the meaning of life, death, and what a shinobi was. Much like him, this child would eventually come to his own conclusions.
"I am aware of who you are. I am also aware of who your sister is" Itachi stated.
Itachi noticed that at the mentioning of his sister Naruto seemed much more focused on looking intensely into his eyes. Itachi felt the subconscious need to activate his Sharingan. He was unsure why, but he felt as though Naruto's gaze was dangerous and should be avoided if possible.
"I was hoping that my little brother would become friends with someone like your sister," Itachi said, attempting to ease the conversation into a more pleasant one. "He often focuses too much training and too little on enjoying himself."
"That is the burden of prodigies, is it not?" Naruto asked, finally looking away from Itachi's eyes.
"Yes," Itachi responded, a little surprised at how much he has spoken with this child. "I am sure that is something you can understand as well."
Naruto chuckled a little but didn't respond. Itachi was unaware if the laugh was real or fake, but it did not matter. His thoughts were returning to his original reason for coming here. Much like this child, he too had much on his mind.
The current tensions between the Uchiha Clan and the Village were reaching dangerous levels. He had recently joined the ANBU and his father had ordered him to be an information pipeline between the Uchiha and the Village. All in all, it made for a very stressful life.
Out of nowhere, he felt a presence approaching from the trees behind him. Naruto showed no signs of noticing but he had little doubt that the young boy was aware that they were being approached.
"Hey, Itachi!" a jubilant voice greeted. Upon hearing it, it was obvious that the voice belonged to his friend, Shisui. His relationship with Shisui was an odd one, to say the least. On one hand, Shisui was his only true friend. On the other, he was a sort of older brother figure that he had never had before. And finally, he was one of the people Itachi admired the most. Shisui was perhaps the only person in the clan who rivaled Itachi in sheer talent. However, he had little doubt that at the moment, Shisui was leagues above him in power.
"Who's this little guy?" Shisui asked while crouching down to get at eye level with the smaller blonde child. Naruto glanced at him in his peripheral vision and then continued looking out towards the lake.
"He is Naruto Uzumaki," Itachi answered. Naruto's sister, Mito, was very well known throughout the village. He was certain that had it been her here Shisui would have recognized her instantly. However, Naruto was a very odd child now that he thought about it. He could either be a person you'd never forget or a person you'd never remember. He wondered if Naruto chose which of these two effects he had on people, or if he did so subconsciously.
"Aww, look at the little guy," Shisui said. "It's like he's a little Itachi 2.0, is he as much of a nerd as you, Itachi?"
Itachi was unamused by Shisui's comments but did not take them too seriously. He knew Shisui was simply attempting to get under his skin.
"Are you Shisui the Teleporter?" Naruto asked, surprising the two Uchiha with his sudden question.
"Why yes I am," Shisui said, before turning to Itachi. "As you can see, Itachi, this is what it is like when you are a famous shinobi. It's better for you to learn how to deal with your fans now rather than later." Itachi was unaware as to whether or not Shisui was joking or being serious, but with him, you could never tell.
"Would you like an autograph, little guy?" Shisui asked with a charismatic smile on his face while turning towards the boy. His expression only turned to surprise when he noticed the young child walking in the other direction, likely heading home.
"Quite the loyal fan base you have there," quipped Itachi. For once, actually being the one to poke fun.
"Shut up," Shisui mumbled under his breath. It was obvious that he would be pouting for the next few minutes.
~Break~
Sasuke was within the Uchiha training grounds, even at such a late hour. To him, training was more important than anything. He wanted to surpass his brother more than anything in the world. While most would assume this goal stemmed from a desire to steal his brother's spotlight, it was actually much more innocent in its origin. He simply wanted to be able to stand next to his brother, rather than behind him.
He threw another handful of shuriken at the wooden training post. They all hit their mark, but the accuracy was slightly less than perfect. Sasuke furrowed his brows in frustration upon seeing this.
All he ever heard about was how much of a prodigy his brother was. He was certain when Itachi was his age his shurikenjutsu was much better than his was at the moment. The thought made him clench his teeth. Not to mention he had yet to even learn the Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu, which was considered a rite of passage within the clan.
Suddenly, he felt an unwelcome presence behind him and turned around instantly. Standing not too far behind him was a young blonde boy, who was likely the same age as him.
"You're quite good," the boy said with a polite smile on his face.
"Who are you?" Sasuke demanded. He would never consider himself to be an impolite person, but this boy had appeared unwelcome, and on private property no less!
"Why are you training so hard?" the boy asked, avoiding his question altogether. Though, there seemed to be genuine curiosity behind his inquiry.
"I'm training because I have a goal that I need to reach," Sasuke responded. He didn't feel comfortable explaining the details of his dream to someone that he had never met before in his life.
"What will you do if you find that your goal is unattainable?" Naruto asked. "What if you have been wasting your time with this training?"
"Who are you to ask that?" Sasuke asked, a little irritated. "You've never met me before and yet you feel as though you have the right to weigh in on the odds of my success?"
"I am not saying that you will fail," Naruto said in a placating tone. "However, is it not better to be prepared for the worst? If you are always prepared for the worst you'll never be disappointed and you can only every be pleasantly surprised."
Sasuke furrowed his brow upon hearing the blonde's statement. Who was this kid? Was he not aware of how strange his intrusion was?
Before he could respond the strange boy started speaking again. "I can feel it flowing off of you," he said. "The immense desire to succeed, and the equally immense fear of failure. Why exist to meet the standards of others? Why not exist simply for yourself?"
Sasuke made sure to respond before the blonde spoke again. "Because I have faith" he said. "I have faith that I will succeed and I have faith in my loved ones" Upon saying this he immediately thought of Itachi. He knew that no matter what, his big brother would always love him.
"Hmm, I see," Naruto said, with a serene smile. "Well, I hope that those people never disappoint you, because then what would you have, other than yourself and a bunch of empty dreams?" And before Sasuke could respond he turned around and left the training ground.
Sasuke was afraid. Not afraid of the boy, but afraid when weighing the validity of his words in his mind. 'Could he be right?' Sasuke nervously thought. However, once again his thoughts drifted towards his big brother and he was at ease.
~Break~
The next morning Naruto was woken up from his slumber by an excited Mito. "Big bro, big bro!" she shouted as she shook his arm.
"Yes?" he asked, slightly interested in what had made her so excited.
"A nice man and lady are here! They say that they want us to live with them!" she exclaimed. This was the most excited he had ever seen his sister before.
On the outside, he smiled softly at her happiness. However, his inner thoughts were a different story. Who were these people? And for what reason did they wish to adopt him and his sister? However, what bothered him most was that they were attempting to intrude upon their lives. To him, he'd prefer for he and Mito to live alone together for the remainder of their existence.
He was dragged by his sister into the lobby and saw the 'nice' couple standing there, speaking with the matron. She saw us and brought them over in order to make an introduction, but Naruto wasn't listening. These people felt very similar to that old man he'd met in the park. Were they his associates? And why did they wish to interfere with he and his sister's lives?
The rest of the day was a blur that ended with Naruto and Mito being escorted by their new 'family' to their home.
~Break~
(Four Years Later)
Naruto sat upon the head of the Fourth Hokage's stone face. Over the past four years, he has grown exponentially as a shinobi. Due to his natural talent and his private tutoring he has risen to the highest rank in his academy class. In stark contrast to himself, his sister was ranked closer to the bottom. However, this was due to the fact that she had trouble controlling her chakra properly. Regardless, the potential for her to become powerful was always there.
His two legal guardians had been model parents. However, he was able to see through their facade. Underneath their caring exterior, there was an obvious ulterior motive. The Hokage had seemed quite irritated when he and Mito were handed over to their new guardians. Whether this was because he truly cared for them or because he too had his own motives, he did not know. However, his instincts led him to believe that it was the latter of the two possibilities.
In the midst of his thoughts, he heard very light footsteps and the tapping of a cane approaching him.
"Ah, Danzo-san, what can I do for you?" he asked in a pleasant voice. Over the years he had occasionally been approached by the elderly man for what he considered to be very tedious conversation. The man foolishly thought that he could use his sister as leverage against him. If he were a normal person he would resent the man's feeble attempts, but he simply found them to be amusing.
"I see that you have once again skipped out of attending the academy," Danzo said, not once letting his stoic expression leave his face.
"Ah, it seems as though I've been caught," Naruto quipped with a charming smile. "Whatever will I do?"
"While your sarcasm is amusing, I have come to inform you of some tragic news," Danzo responded, in a voice that showed he hardly cared about the 'tragedy'. The boy was incredibly difficult to deal with at times. It was impossible to get a read on him, even with his many years of experience. Had he been a lesser man he would have been uncomfortable with approaching the child.
"It seems as though your guardians have been killed," he said. "They lost their lives during a mission at the border of Earth Country."
The boy's expression didn't change in the slightest. It was in stark contrast to how his sister had reacted to the news. She had almost immediately broken out into tears, having lost the first people who loved her like a daughter.
Danzo continued when the boy didn't respond, "You and your sister will have to return to the orphanage. However, I regret to inform you that you will be going to separate facilities."
He could see the boy looking at him from the corner of his eyes with his icy, yet, serene stare. He often wondered how the boy's eyes could glow so unnaturally, it gave him an almost supernatural vibe.
"You shall be put into the facility known as Orphanage 8, a place known for producing exceptional young men. You will also cease your attendance of the Academy and when you come of age you will be made a genin of this village," Danzo said, waiting to see what the boy's response would be. He was not used to being the one constantly on edge during a conversation. To think that a boy of ten would be able to control a conversation without uttering a single word.
"And what of Mito?" the boy asked, finally participating in the conversation.
"She will return to Konoha Orphanage and will continue to attend the academy," replied Danzo. He knew that separating the two could have negative consequences, however, this was necessary, as he felt the girl was holding the boy back.
Suddenly, two Root Anbu appeared at Naruto's sides and one placed their hand on his shoulder. "You will be escorted the facility immediately. Your possessions have already been collected and your teachers have been notified of the reason for you future absence," Danzo said in a stern voice.
~Break~
Naruto was immediately brought to the front of the facility in a shunshin. Frankly, it did not look nearly as nice as Danzo had implied, but he never made a habit of trusting the words of others, so it didn't surprise him.
Two men dressed in white lab coats and black shinobi pants and sandals were waiting for them in front of the building. One was in his forties with slicked back black hair and equally black eyes. The other, who was obviously the one in charge, appeared to be a gentle looking old man with a bald head and a white beard.
"Hello, young man," greeted the elderly gentleman. "I am head supervisor Zaki Takejiro, it is a pleasure to meet you, I'm sure we will be getting to know each other very well over the next few years."
Naruto ignored the introduction in favor of observing the imposing building before him. It looked like more like a psychiatric hospital than an orphanage. It was surrounded by woods and didn't have a place for children to play. It was clear to him that this was not a normal orphanage and he was amused upon realizing that this was another one of Danzo's ploys.
As he was brought into the building he noticed that it looked like something akin to a juvenile facility. The place was lacking in hospitality and as he walked throughout the halls he noticed that the glares of the other children followed him. 'Hmm,' he thought with amusement. 'It seems as though friends will be few and far between here.'
Over the past four years, he had come to realize that people were never truly what they seemed to be. He was special, as he was able to see a person's true nature. More often than not, he noticed a darkness within every person. The only exception to this was his sister, but she was different from everyone else in his eyes, so it was unsurprising.
His thoughts were interrupted when he was brought into a dark room with a single chair in the center. The chair had many straps attached to it, clearly for the purpose restraining the occupant. Next to the chair was an IV stand that was no doubt intended for him.
"While I know that this may not be the most pleasant introduction to my facility, I hope that you can understand the necessity of it," Supervisor Takejiro said in a polite voice. "This concoction will allow us to get some much needed honest answers from you. I've heard that can be quite the evasive conversationist."
Naruto was immediately placed in the chair and strapped in tightly. He looked over at the IV being stuck into his right arm with a calm curiosity. However, his attention was brought in front of him when Takejiro placed his hand on his shoulder.
"Now, let's see what secrets you hold," he said in a somewhat sinister tone. Immediately, Naruto began to feel strange as the truth serum began to take effect.
~Break~
Mito was sitting in class with an empty seat next to her that she had reserved for her brother. Today had easily been the worst day of her young life. Before class, she had been informed that her parents had been killed in action during a mission. Along with her brother, they were the first family she had ever had. Overall, it was agonizing to see them go.
However, what made it worse was that she had yet to see her brother all day. She had been given the opportunity to sit out of class today but she wanted to stay and wait for him. This whole situation was rather awkward, as none of her friends knew what to say to her. She was simply sitting in solitude praying that the events of this day were just some sick joke.
The only person who didn't seem to be treating her any differently was the last Uchiha. This was likely due to the fact that he had experienced her pain on a much larger scale when his entire clan was killed in a single evening. Now she could finally understand why he was such a downer.
As the class ended she watched as every student filed out of the room, with some occasionally muttering condolences to her as they did so. However, she soon meets the eyes of the lone Uchiha survivor. She nodded in his direction and he paused in his step and nodded back before leaving with the rest of the students. There was a new unspoken understanding between the two of them.
When she got up to leave she saw the Hokage waiting at the door for her. She immediately sprinted towards him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug and began bawling her eyes out. He wrapped his arms around her gently, with a somber expression on his face.
"I'm so sorry, Mito," he said. She was too distraught to respond but she tightened her hold on him immediately.
"Where is my brother?" she asked. "Where is Naruto!?"
Sarutobi closed his eyes and sighed in obvious frustration. "He has been placed in an orphanage near the outskirts of the village," he said. "I'm sorry, but due to reasons outside of my control you two will be separated for a short time."
For Mito, her entire world crashed before her eyes. Her brother, her rock, would be separated from her for the time being? That was impossible! She had never been separated from him before and this only served to make her more upset.
"Come, young one," Hiruzen said. "Let's get you home."
~Break~
As Sasuke was watching his classmates getting picked up by their parents he couldn't help but think back on the words the blonde haired boy had said all those years ago. He now knew the boy to be named Naruto Uzumaki, the brother of Mito. He was shocked to see him during their first ever academy class but the boy never seemed to acknowledge that they had conversed in the past, so Sasuke kept to himself.
Discovering that the boy was more talented than him in the ninja arts was a little disheartening. But, Sasuke was not a jealous person, and he chose to focus more on his own development, rather than that of his classmate's.
However, when thinking back on what Naruto had said all those years ago, he couldn't help but acknowledge how right he really was. A year after their conversation his brother had laid waste to their clan and sparked a hatred in him that still existed to this day.
Naruto was right, expecting the best from life and the people you met in it only ended in disappointment. His faith in Itachi was clearly misplaced, and look where it got him.
However, this was not to say that he liked the blonde Uzumaki. Quite the contrary, he despised his presence. He didn't actually hate the guy, but being near him only served to remind him about his tragic past, and how in the end, his opportunity to achieve his goal had been stolen from him.
What an unpleasant world he lived in.
~Break~
(Two weeks later)
Naruto was unaware of how long he had been in the facility up to this point. He was not informed of how many days had gone by and the many experiments were making everything a blur. Currently, he was in a long dimly lit room standing across from another young boy close to him in age.
The supervisors had told him that in order for the children of the facility to earn their meals they had to perform at a satisfactory level in their individual daily tasks. With the current task he was involved in being a battle to the death. They were each given a weapon of their choosing, the boy chose a katana and Naruto chose a chokuto.
The boy rushed towards him first, clearly being the more hotheaded of the two. His movements were slow and sluggish to Naruto's eyes, but for someone so young he supposed it was somewhat impressive. He immediately made a diagonal slash towards Naruto's neck. However, it missed as his target leaned back at the last moment.
Naruto proceeded to attempt a diagonal slash from the boys naval to his collar bone. However, the boy too dodged at the last second. They charged each other once more and their blades collided with a vicious clang of steel.
Naruto took this opportunity to look into the eyes of his opponent. He saw that underneath his aggressive exterior there was a terrified child simply looking to survive. He quickly jumped back while throwing his blade into the air. He followed up the maneuver with a series of hand signs, shocking the boy and the supervisors.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere," he said before releasing a series of air bullets towards his opponent.
The boy, having little experience in ninjutsu combat, was taken off guard and killed instantly as one of the bullets went directly through his skull and brain. His body was hardly recognizable as it was leaking blood from where he had been hit by the other air bullets, not one missed the intended target.
After the fights conclusion, a slow and methodical clapping could be heard from the observation balcony. "Excellent, excellent," Takejiro said, clearly very impressed. "I am surprised that you already posses such skill in ninjutsu. And your level of ruthlessness, excellent indeed." His voice lacked the usual faux politeness and was was dripping with obvious satisfaction. He now knew why Danzo was so interested in this boy.
During his interview with the child he was shocked to learn that even while under the influence of truth serum the boy was still an enigma. Answering every question in a way that was very difficult to understand. It was as if they were attempting to converse with an extraterrestrial being not used to human conversation. However, one thing was clear, the child was a piece of art. Such art couldn't even be made in his facility, only the hands of God could create such perfection.
"You have done well during your stay here," he said to the boy as he addressed him once more. "However, I hear that you are resisting your treatment. Is this true, young man?"
The treatment was one of the most crucial steps in the program. Through the influence of drugs and experimentation the children would lose all their memories, and by extension their sense of self. However, he was resistant, not wishing to forget his sister. Danzo was correct, the girl was clearly holding him back from reaching his potential.
The boy didn't respond to his inquiry, which caused the Head Supervisor to sigh in frustration. Danzo was also correct when he told him that the boy was not one for normal conversation.
Through several tests he was able to discover that the boy's chakra was unlike anything he had ever seen. He seemingly had affinities for all five nature transformations, which was unheard of for someone without the legendary Rinnegan. Which was why he checked the boy's eyes and made an astounding discovery. While the child did not posses the Rinnegan, or any of the other Legendary Dojutusu for that matter, he did have his own unique set of eyes.
He was able to discover that these eyes are what granted the child an affinity for all five chakra natures. Furthermore, the eyes seemed to be very resilient to ocular genjutsu. However, unlike the Sharingan, they were unable to cast them.
Finally, the most astounding thing about his eyes were the effect they had on his chakra. He could seemingly combine any and all of his chakra natures together with one another. The potential was limitless. He could perhaps one day use the Wood Release of the First Hokage, the Lava Release of the Yonbi, or maybe even the Dust Release of the Tsuchikage. And those were just the Nature Based Kekkai Genkai that he could think of off the top of his head!
He looked down towards the arena and saw that the boy was being escorted back towards his room. Yes, it seemed as though he had been gifted a truly rare gem indeed.
~Break~
(One year later)
Recently, a story had been circulating amongst the children in the facility. A story about a child who was always kept sedated using drugs and sleeping pills. The supervisors locked him underground because his words were evil and capable of destruction. The boy felt no fear, no hatred, no happiness, nothing. Eventually, he became immune to the sleeping pills, manipulated his jailers, and snuck back amongst the children. He hated of the facility and began to plot the demise of all those living inside. He would steal their memories, to the point that they would not even recall their own names. He would manipulate them and lead them to their own violent downfall. The children would be unaware that they were being controlled and it would lead to their destruction.
Nobody knew if the story was true or not, but it created a lot of tension between everyone in the facility. What had been forgotten in the confusion and fear was that Naruto was the one who spun the tale to a small group of children and it quickly spread throughout the facility. He did this in order to create enough disarray for him to be able to leave. The facility had become boring for him and he would be interested in seeing what his sister was up to.
There was already an intense level of hatred and tension amongst the children and staff members, even before he had arrived. He wasn't a god, he couldn't create something out of nothing. All he did was concentrate their hatred in a way that benefited him. However, his motivation wasn't strictly to see his sister again. That mattered to him, but there was much more to it.
He wanted to see what lengths people's hatred could take them. He knew that hatred only came into existence when human beings began interacting with one another, but he was still young. He didn't have much experience observing the outcome that such hatred had on a population. It was ironic that he would be performing his experiment on those who wished to experiment on him.
Speaking of which, in spite of their experiments he had still not forgotten his sister, but many of his memories were lost. He felt like a husk of a person, like he didn't even exist. He didn't enjoy anything. He has no connection to anything, and he could not feel love or have empathy. He had no pleasant memories, no sense of identity, no parental love, and no joy in general with anything or anyone.
Had he always been like this? Or was it something new? His lack of many memories made it impossible to answer either of those questions. But still, he often pondered that during his free time. However, he was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard several explosions ring throughout the facility. They were so powerful that his door was blown off of its hinges.
He calmly walked out to an interesting sight. People were killing one another in droves. To them it didn't matter who is was that they were killing, all they cared about was their own survival. The supervisors were being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of children. Naruto wondered if they were perhaps regretting teaching these children to be such efficient and ruthless killers? That would be humorous and rather fitting.
As he walked through the halls he avoided the occasional corpse and continued on his way. He made his way up the stairs in the main hall and then sat in a chair that was waiting for him right at the top of the steps.
He basked in his accomplishment. Many people were dying, simply because of a few words. 'This is what people truly are,' he thought to himself. 'All I needed to do was fan the already existing flames until they became a roaring bonfire.'
Ironically, the building was beginning to go up in flames, likely due to the explosions. He closed his eyes and felt the heat from the fire tickling his skin. He felt no fear. He wouldn't die here. What was capable of killing a nonexistent being?
~End~