I'm telling you before handed. This work is based on Hakkenden but it'll diverge from cannon. So hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

There was too much blood. Too much. So much that it was difficult to see. The blood. He was dead. So much blood.

Wait, it was not blood. Just a red haze in front of his eyes. Red, red, red just as blood. Fire? Had his chemical exploded? He had been so close to it too, but looked like this was the end.

Images flashed before his eyes. Was this hat happened when your life flashed before death? Hadn't he heard that people flashbacked their lives? But he had enough. He had seen enough. He did not want to see anymore. This was enough. He was not cut-out for this. He had seen his fair share of blood in his life and he was more than tired of it all. He wanted to die and end his suffering.

But fate seemed to have other plans for him.

He was struck in this never ending loop for watching people killed. People whose faces he did not know, by a person he had never seen before. Yet, they were dying. As a human it was his duty to save them. He had dedicated all his life to that. But his body would not even move. And even if he could he will not be able to help. Shock. His body was in shock but his mind was working at an alarming rate. He had heard of the situation from his acquaintance when he had been alive. The body going into a suspended state of awareness. He felt heavy. So this was shock. How peculiar.

More memories flashed and he wondered if he could get his brain to dwell deeper. Psychological studies had proved that every killer had a reason and a drive to make him do what he had and as he watched the man kill all the people he felt as if he could almost reached out to him and get him to sprout out his life history. For all the death the man had caused he was not a psychopath. All his kills were clean as if made by a seasonal killer who knew juts what to do. It had required planning and this was clearly not a one person work. He and seen too many crime dramas and it was obvious this was a well planned out massacre.

Brain was a network of neurons and he wondered if he could manipulate them to see more than he was shown. As for the people, he did not know them so there was nothing to feel at all.

But before he could attempt any further or dwell any further he felt it all slip. Was he coming out of shock? Or was this finally death as people say. All white light.

"Do you want to live even if as a monster?"

The voice was asking him but it was not like he could really answer him. His mind was somewhere else and he felt old. He had seen far too much and experienced far too much. He wanted it all to go away.

"No"

He wanted to rest. Thirty years of his life he had devoted to science and the last twenty to politics. Even his cells were tired and all he wanted was to sleep.

But it's never this easy is it?

"But you don't have a choice do you? You'll have to live if only for the sake of people around you"

He felt something ouch against him. It made his blood boil and at the same time his blood felt so cold. It pushed into him. Deeper, Deeper into him. Then came the memories rushing past him.

A blond boy who was a little younger than him, around 15 and a pink haired girl who was way too excited, jumping around. Naruto, Sakura. His family.

How were they? Were they O.K.? Were they...dead?

Had the fire claimed them?

"Good to see you awake and alive"

A black haired guy waved at him. He had never seen him before but he felt way too familiar. Everything felt familiar and in a burst of black feathers it all came back. The memories, Naruto, Sakura, his home. His current life. His past life.

"Naruto, Sakura? Are they alright?"

The black haired man, no boy who looked twenty had a frown on his face. He did not remember him but he felt so familiar and safe.

"They are alive and alright. But for now we have a lot to talk about. There's another presence inside you. Can you feel it? The blond is about to die but I can dave him. But he'llbecome a monster too. Are you going to condemn him to that fate? Of a monster?"

There was no doubt. Naruto had to live. If not for his sake then mine.

...

"I told you that I'm afraid of dying, but I think that being left alone in this world is much more painful than death."

-Shino Inuzuka

...

"Sasuke, would you like to taste this new tea I have brewed?"

The pink haired girl asked the boy who was trying to tip tow away. The boy looked to be thirteen with big black eyes and oddly shaped hair.

"I don't want to die today Sakura"

He replied to the girl who smiled sweetly at him but he was not fooled. Behind that smile was sinister person who would not hesitate to hit you.

"Ah, Naruto is here too. I'll get him to taste it too"

The door opened and walked inside the blond container of Kyuubi. Seeing the scenes he had stumbled on he wished if he could take a back turn.

"if I had to go through this then you have to too"

With that Sasuke dragged the blond behind him to the table where the pink haired gil served them the tea. They only took one sip before resisting the urge to spit it all out.

"Just what had you put in here Sakura?"

Naruto shouted. Sasuke just kept quite but even he was curious. He had never tasted something so disgusting before in his life and he lived with Sakura.

"Oh I don't know. Just some tomatoes, cabbage and liver cord oil. Not to forget fresh blood of a fox"

Naruto spat all the tea out. Sasuke himself resisted the reflex of spitting it all out. Fox blood? Where did she get it from?

"That reminds me Sasuke. Did you go into the forest when I told you not to?"

Naruto asked the black haired child who was not looking at him. True he looked like a child but he was older than the blond. He could go wherever he wanted. He might have looked like a thirteen years old child but he was much older.

He opened his mouth to voice his opinion but was stopped by an old adviser of the q they were living at.

"Sasuke-san, Naruto-san. The council had called for you. They are here for you"

The old informed. Sasuke frowned for it was not a good news. He did not like the old geezers at all and by the looks of it neither did Naruto. They had no intention of going to the capital. In the door of the Church stood five foxes wearing masks.

"They are not human. One of them is like us, a fox and the other is clearly not human at all. Still you have been called so we'll accompany you"

The foxes had a sleeve covering their nose as if their scent repelled them. One of the foxes moved to touch them but before he could make any more remarks he was slashed at by Naruto who had a claw instead of hand. The foxes fled in fright.

"Naruto, I wanted to question them. You should not have let them go"

Sasuke chided him just as a crow landed on his shoulder.

"let them go. Let them go"

The crow repeated and Naruto only glared at him. He mumbled something like should have captured them himself and teme. Really, Naruto was so childish at times it was amusing.

"What's done is done. Let's go back inside"

They all headed inside. The next day was uneventful except for the kidnapping of a child from village. Naruto could have easily handled it in his own but the forest was dangerous so Sasuke decided to accompany him.

That proved to be a mistake as when they returned they found Sakura had been kidnapped by the foxes.

"So what should we fo next?"

Naruto asked looking at his childish companion.

"Isn't it obvious? We go to the capital to get her"

And it was the start of a new adventure for them.

Really. Read and review.