Path of the Gutsy Shinobi

by Nerdy Geekdom

Naruto finds a letter from his parents and a book about a gutsy ninja. Taking the letter and his namesake to heart, Naruto leaves Konoha to find the path to true peace where he finds himself being trained by Samurai. But what happens when he eventually encounters a group known as the Akatsuki who claim to want the same thing? Will he join them or will they be an obstacle? ON HIATUS

1. His Parent's Last Words

Author's Notes (Caution: Minor Spoilers): After years of abuse and hate, Naruto leaves Konoha to avoid further abuse and to follow his namesakes path in the search for true peace. Naruto first sets his sights on freeing Kiri from the prejudice against Kekkei Genkai users. Once the war is over, Naruto continues his quest for peace when he is recruited by an organization dedicated to that very cause. Naruto joins the Akatsuki, but will he stay to change how they find peace or will he be forced to leave?

Naruto's strength will be based on the assumption that he progresses near the same rate as Jiraiya, Itachi, or Kakashi who became Genin at 6 and Chunin by 10, but bear in mind the growth increase once he starts using Kage Bunshin. Because of his Kage Bunshin and his constant training, he will gather quite a few jutsu before he reaches the Chunin Exam and will be on par with Itachi for their respective ages. Normally I don't like giving spoilers, but come on … everyone has to know that he would make it to the Chunin Exams somehow.

Throughout this story, some names may sound familiar to you. Reason being, I hate coming up with names and I suck at it, so I am going to use the names of characters from other stories or shows. While a name may sound familiar, I am going to make them my own character with their own abilities.

I consider myself to be fairly good with grammar and I am doing several edits as a write so there should be only minimal errors; however, I will warn you that I am very bad at knowing when to use the correct apostrophe, so please bear with me in that regard.

Disclaimer: That said, I do not own Naruto or any of the other inspired characters in this no matter how much I wish otherwise.

########## The Path of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi ##########

Naruto was waking up in an unfamiliar room with white walls on an unfamiliar bed. Realizing he was in the hospital, he tried to think back to the last thing he can remember. He was looking at the villagers celebrating the Kyubi Festival. On October 10th, the Yondaime Hokage saved the village by "killing" (A/N: *wink*) the Kyubi at the cost of his own life. While trying to see what everyone was doing, Naruto was noticed by some villagers and while they always looked at him with hate and called him demon, he had never been attacked before and never expected that reaction from the shinobi. He couldn't understand why everyone always looked at him with so much hate or treated him like he was a stain on the earth. The only people that treated him like the 5 year old boy that he was were the Sandaime Hokage, better known as Jiji, and the Ichiraku Ramen stand owners, Teuchi and his daughter, Ayame.

He was deep in thought when the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, known throughout the Elemental Nations as the Professor and the God of Shinobi, walked into his room with that kind smile he always wore when he saw Naruto. Naruto likewise couldn't keep the smile from his face when his Jiji walked in, "Hiya Jiji!" Naruto cried with an enthusiastic wave that drew a chuckle from the old man considering he was only a few feet away and that Naruto was still recovering in a hospital bed. Not that he should be surprised that either of those things stopped the young blonde from being so exuberant. It was one of Sarutobis favorite things about the young boy.

"Good morning Naruto. You seem to be doing a little bit better than when I left you last night." Sarutobi saw confusion cross his face before the sudden realization that it was now the next day. Naruto started nodding his head but soon regretted the action because of the headache that followed.

"Yes jiji. I was actually hoping to ask you a question about that." Waiting for the Sandaime to nod his head, he continued, "Why do the villagers hate me so much? When I was at the orphanage, none of the adults even acknowledged that I existed and would often forget to feed me, let alone suddenly kicking me out altogether last year. And the way everyone else in the village looks at me really scares me because it looks like they are one step away from killing me. Even the kids that I try to play with at the park, they are all told by their parents never to play with me again. If I stay at one park too long, then no one ever shows up, but when I go to another park everyone always leaves and if I keep going there then kids stop going there. Is there something wrong with me, Jiji?" looking down at his hands gripping the sheets the entire time, Naruto finally looked up to see sadness in the Hokage's eyes.

He looked like he was about to say something before taking a deep breath saying, "There is nothing wrong with you, my boy. You are perhaps the most caring boy I know, even if you are one of the loudest and most energetic." Saying lightheartedly trying to get the young boy to smile. But he just continued to stare at the old man with that almost dead look in his eyes before replying, "then why does everyone in the village hate me? Were my parents traitors to Konoha or something?"

Seeing the pain in his eyes, Sarutobi quickly replied, "Absolutely not! Your parents were heroes who gave their lives protecting the village. Don't ever believe different, understand?" seeing the boy nodding his head he hoped that boy wouldn't see the mistake in what he said, but fate was not on his side when they boy asked, "Who were my parents then? I don't know anything about them?"

Seeing the glimmer of hope in his eyes, after everything the boy had endured, he couldn't take it all away again so decided on giving him a half-truth, "Your mother was a very talented and beautiful kunoichi by the name of Kushina Uzumaki."

Sarutobi didn't have any regrets about telling the boy after seeing life return to his eyes and that big, goofy smile don his face before the boy started asking questions faster than Sarutobi could understand, convincing the boy to speak a little slower he heard him ask, "Can you tell me about her? Was she a really powerful shinobi? Is my name really my mom's name? Do you have a picture of her? Can I see it?"

"Hahaha! Slow down my boy. Yes, you really do have your mom's real name. She was indeed a very powerful shinobi, one of the best. And while I don't have a picture of her, I will see if I can scrounge one up for you. But for now, you need some more rest alright? I will stop by later and we can talk then." As he was getting up to leave the room, he heard a whispered "jiji" before he got to the door. Knowing what the boy was going to ask, he heard, "What about my dad? Do you know who my dad is?"

Knowing this could come back to bite him, he nods his head before saying, "We will take more after you have had some rest."

Once more though, before he could turn around, he heard one more thing from the young blonde, "You still never answered my original question." Sarutobi secretly proud at the boy for being so smart and annoyed at him for not being distracted by the other conversations, just waited for Naruto to finish, "Why do the villagers hate me?"

"That too is a conversation for another time. Let's just say that some people are afraid and they act on that fear in a very shameful way. Now, no more questions. I don't like seeing you in the hospital and if you don't rest then how will you ever get well enough to leave here so I can treat you to some Ichiraku Ramen?"

Once more, the glint in the boy's eyes returned before he started shaking his head excitedly shouting, "You got it jiji! I'll get all better, that way you can treat me to some Ramen! I'll be all better come lunch time. Dattebayo!" and with his big wide grin, Sarutobi watched the boy quickly place his head on the pillow to try to sleep his worries away.

########## Sarutobi ##########

Making his way back to his office, he signaled for his ANBU when one appeared in front of him before asking, "Has there been any report who may have attacked Naruto last night?"

Fearing the hard edge to the usually kind man's voice, the ANBU with a raccoon mask on replied, "There has not Hokage-sama. Dog sent in a preliminary report that there were no promising leads and that there were too many scents for him to pick out possible perpetrators from innocent bystanders. He mentioned investigating those celebrating in the area with the scents but he isn't hopeful that he will turn out anything concrete."

Knowing that was the best that he would get given the circumstances, he nodded his head, "Thank you Raccoon." With that, the ANBU disappeared again before Sarutobi started pulling out a scroll from inside his desk. Looking at it, he was wondering if it was really time to give it to the boy. He was supposed to give it to him as soon as he was able to read, but he felt that he should wait longer. No. Kushina gave her life for the village and if he would honor her wishes even if he felt otherwise. She deserved that much. Set on what he was going to do, he put the scroll back in his desk before turning to the mountain of paperwork left on his desk. Groaning he set to work looking over reports of the most boring nature ever conceived, civilian complaints about the village shinobi.

########## Naruto ##########

It was just past noon and Sarutobi and Naruto were walking down the street on their way to Ichiraku Ramen, just like Sarutobi said he would. The Sandaime was wearing his traditional Hokage outfit of a red kimono with a white sash and a white Haori, never without the Hokage hat with the Kanji for 'fire' on it. Naruto was in his ever bright orange jumpsuit that no self-respecting ninja would be caught dead wearing. As they made their way to the ramen stand, some villagers were foolish enough to try glaring at the boy but they were all met with a hard glare from Sarutobi, causing them all to quickly turn away.

Making their way through the curtain, Naruto ever the loud, energetic child, shouts "Hiya Teuchi-jiji! Miso ramen please, but get a pork one going. I just got out of the hospital so I need to get my strength back up to make sure I don't have to visit again. And nothing better for that than Ichiraku's!" Naruto finished with a big smile on his but soon regretted his words when Ayame came from the back with a concerned look on her face.

"Hospital?! What were you doing there? Are you alright?" Ayame said quickly coming around the counter to check the young boy to make sure he is alright. Seeing Naruto's discomfort over the attention, Sarutobi had to stifle a chuckle as did Teuchi before coming to the boy's rescue.

"Now Ayame, it's going to be awfully hard for the boy to eat the world's best ramen if you are too busy hugging him to make it for him." Teuche chimed in, causing Ayame to let go with a slight blush before quickly getting to work on his order while Teuchi got Sarutboi his order of pork ramen. Seeing the blush on Naruto's face after Ayame let go, Sarutobi decided to poke fun at the boy a little, "Well now Naruto. If that is the reaction you get after getting out of the hospital, I'm surprised you aren't in there more often." Tossing a wink to Teuchi as the 2 old men started chuckling to each other, watching Naruto and Ayame blush a little and quickly look down.

"Oi! Teuchi-jiji, Ayame-chan! Guess what! My mother's name was Kushina Uzumaki and she was a really powerful kunoichi! Can you believe it?" Naruto burst out, much to Sarutobi's surprise.

"Naruto, are you sure you don't want to wait until we get back to my office to discuss this?" Sarutobi chimed in quietly while Teuchi and Ayame were getting over their shock.

"Nah. The only thing I don't talk to Teuchi-jiji and Ayame-chan about were my hospital visits, but after the last time Ayame convinced me that I shouldn't keep that news from them. So I trust them with anything you trust me with." Naruto finished with a big grin, not noticing the looks of compassion Naruto was getting at the trust he has for the ramen stand owners.

"Well that's the best news we've heard in a long time! To celebrate, I think the first bowl of ramen is on the house. Eat up shrimp." Teuchi said affectionately as their ramen was set in front of them. Which quickly turned Naruto's frown at the shrimp comment into one of glee at finally getting his favorite ramen ever.

Before Sarutobi could even get through half his bowl, Naruto loudly proclaims, "Alright old man, bring on the pork ramen!" While Naruto was waiting for his next bowl, he turned to Sarutobi to ask, "Hey jiji? Did you get a chance to find a picture of my mom by any chance? I would really like to know what she looks like."

Giving the boy a small smile, he replies, "As a matter of fact, I was able to find one. But I do not have it on me. It is in my office. But you can have it as soon as we leave here." As soon as he finished speaking, Ayame brought over his pork ramen before watching him endearingly.

"Boy Ayame! You are getting better and better every day. I think you may already be just as good as the old man." Naruto proclaimed which caused the girl to blush and Teuchi to turn his attention to Naruto. With a raised eyebrow he replied, "Oh really Naruto? Is that so? You think my 10 year old daughter is already as good at cooking as me huh?"

Naruto deciding that perhaps he hadn't said the smartest thing elected to stuff his face with ramen before mumbling something utterly unintelligible while shrugging his shoulders, hoping to placate the man. She that this did nothing to change his attitude, Naruto quickly turned to Ayame imploring for help. Taking pity on their favorite customer she comes to his rescue, "That's enough dad. You're just jealous that I'm catching up to you already and you are worried that I will get better than you soon." Which did the trick of turning Teuchi's gaze off Naruto and onto Ayame which got a chuckle out of Sarutobi at the "family drama" unfolding before him.

Teuchi however looked at Ayame proudly and responded, "I know you are almost as good as me. And I can't wait for the day that you surpass me. You are so gifted Ayame." Causing the girl to blush before rushing up to her father and hugging him.

Warming his heart, Sarutobi chimed in, "Ah, but that is one of the joys of life. Watching the next generation grow and become stronger than the last. One of the greatest joys of age." Getting a nod of agreement from Teuchi, they both moved off to continue their work in helping the other patrons.

After they both finished their bowls (A/N: Naruto is only 5 right now, so yes he is only eating 2 adult sized bowls of ramen), they said goodbye and made their way to the Hokage tower. Walking up to the his assistant, Sarutobi asked not to be disturbed for a bit which confused Naruto a little since he had never done that before but was not going to complain at the privacy.

Once inside the Hokage's office, Sarutobi made his way to his desk which was facing the doors they just walked through and a panel of windows behind the desk. Sitting in his chair, Sarutobi pulled out a scroll from his desk and set it down on his desk directly in front of Naruto before saying, "You asked about your mother and as per her wishes I will tell you everything about her that I can safely do. But first there are some things that you need to be aware of. Your mother was very excited about being pregnant and she loved you very much. Unfortunately, your birth was not an easy one and Kushina was afraid she would not be around to raise you."

Pausing a moment, at the tears that started to well up in the corner of the small boys eyes, Sarutobi continued, "Because of those fears she wanted to leave you with something of her to remember her by. She wrote this scroll shortly before she passed away and I think it is time that I carry on her wishes and present it to you. No one has been able to open because it has a blood seal on it and she wanted you to know without a doubt that you are her son. Bear in mind that she wrote this not knowing that your father would soon die because of the Kyubi."

Nodding his head slowly, Naruto stared at the scroll for a moment trying to compose himself and to slow his rapidly beating heart. Slowly reaching out the scroll, Naruto picked it up before looking at Sarutobi to ask, "How do I open it if it has a blood seal? I don't know what a blood seal is."

Sarutobi gave Naruto a small smile before explaining, "A blood seal is a seal that requires a small amount of the intended person's blood and chakra to open. Your mother sealed this scroll with her blood so that only members of her family would be able to open. Not even your father, were he still alive, would have been able to open it. You have been taught how to mold chakra, so simply prick your finger and channel chakra to your hand that has the blood. Then you must channel your chakra into the seal while your blood is on the seal for the seal to be removed. Once you have done so, the seal will be removed and anyone can then read the contents of the scroll. Do you understand?"

Unable to speak, Naruto numbly nodded his head before doing as Sarutobi said. Slowly opening the scroll he noticed that everything was hazy and he couldn't read anything. Realizing it was because of the tears that started to form, he rubbed the tears away and began reading his mother's last words to him.

My Dearest Naruto,

I am writing this to you because of one simple fact. I'm your Mother. And if you are reading this then that means I didn't survive your birth. Hopefully your father is taking good care of you but tell him that if he isn't that he'll have me to worry about when I see him next. I wanted to write this just in case the worst should happen so that you will at least know a little bit about me and our clan.

I grew up in Uzushiogakure in the Land of Whirlpools. The Uzumaki's were a renowned clan for several reasons: we had many powerful Wind and Water users, skilled swordsmen, and most importantly, our powerful fuinjutsu. I came to Konoha when I was a little girl and though I was scared at first, I made a fierce reputation for myself and eventually became a strong kunoichi that hopefully embodied everything our clan was known for, though your father did surpass me in fuinjutsu I must admit. While I wish I could tell you that you had family back in Uzu, I cannot. Shortly after I left, the village was destroyed by several different nations who feared our involvement in the war but there is nothing I can tell you that you cannot find on your own. No matter what happens, you are an Uzumaki and I hope that you will find as much enjoyment in your birthright as I did, but I want you to be your own man. I want you to discover who you want to be as a shinobi and not just follow after anyone blindly. Find your own way and chase after it with all your heart.

In the seal below, is the book where you got your namesake. The book was written by your father's sensei, Jiraiya the Toad Sannin. We named you in the hopes that you would one day grow up to be just as strong as your namesake. I hope that this book will help to be a sort of guide while I am gone. There is also a scroll for Kage Bunshin. If you have chakra reserves like mine, then you won't be able to make Bunshin. This technique is dangerous and I don't want you to learn it without help but it was one of my favorite techniques. Your father might be a little hesitant, but I believe in you and I trust you. Lastly, I am giving you the hitai-ate given to me by my grandfather when I left Uzushiogakure. It is the hitai-ate that all Uzumaki earn when they became genin. Keep it so that you will always remember where we came from.

Now Naruto, don't be a fussy eater, eat a lot and grow up to be strong. Make sure to bathe every day and stay warm. Don't stay up late at night, you'll need your sleep. MAKE FRIENDS. It doesn't matter how many, just make sure they're real friends, people you can trust. Even a few is enough. Study your ninjutsu. I was never very good at studying, maybe you will be. Everyone has things they're good at and things they're not. Don't feel bad if you can't do it all. Make sure you listen to the teachers at the Academy. Avoid the three vices of shinobi. Don't borrow money if you can help it. Save what you earn from missions. No drinking until you're 20, and don't overdo it or you'll ruin your body. As for women… you'll want a girlfriend someday. Just try not to pick a weird one, try to find someone like your mother. The fourth warning, watch out for Jiraiya-sensei. Naruto, you're going to experience a lot of pain and suffering. Remember who you are. Find a goal, a dream, and don't stop trying until it comes true. I wish I had more time! I want to stay with you… I love you!

With All My Love,

Your Mother,

Uzumaki Kushina

It took Naruto a while to read the whole thing because of the tears that kept blurring his vision. Sarutobi sat there quietly smoking on his pipe while Naruto read over the letter. Sarutobi continued to sit there quietly, watching as Naruto finished the letter for what he assumed was the third time before he set the scroll down, channeled some chakra onto the scroll and a puff of smoke revealed a scroll and a hitai-ate on top of a familiar looking book.

Naruto set the scroll and hitai-ate to the side for a moment so he could inspect the book titled "The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi." After reading the back and finding out that it is a story about a shinobi that travels the nations searching an end to hate and despite all his trials and obstacles, never gives up. Promising to give it a thorough reading later, Naruto then opened the scroll while Sarutobi silently watched. Once Naruto rolled to scroll open on the desk, Sarutobi nearly dropped his pipe is surprise, not quite believing what he was seeing.

"Naruto, what are you doing with that?" Sarutobi nearly yelled.

Confused, Naruto looked up at the old man with his head tilted to one side before saying, "What do you mean Jiji? You saw me pull this out of the storage seal. Kaa-chan said that if my chakra reserves were anything like hers then I wouldn't be able to perform…" glancing down to find the names of the jutsu, Naruto continued, "Bunshin, so she left me this jutsu to learn instead. But she said it's dangerous and doesn't want me to learn it without help. Will you help me Jiji?"

Closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, Sarutobi was silently cursing Kushina for this. I mean, sure she had no way of knowing at the time that Minato wouldn't be around, but that doesn't make any of this any easier. Taking a collective breath, Sarutobi replied, "I'm sorry Naruto, but you won't be able to learn that for quite some time. While it is a very useful and versatile jutsu, it is extremely dangerous and can easily kill you if misused. You will have to wait a few years I'm afraid." But Sarutobi almost immediately regretted it seeing the look of horror, pain, and near betrayal in his eyes.

"PLEASE JIJI? I can count on one hand the number of people that don't want me dead. I don't have a family or any friends near my age. I'm all alone outside of my precious moments with you and Ichiraku. I finally have a connection to my Kaa-chan and I will do anything. Please Jiji, I need your help!" Naruto nearly in tears at the end, waited for Sarutobi to reply.

Closing his eyes, fearing that if he were to look at the boy that he would lose his resolve, but he must be strong for the boy's best interests, "I'm sorry Naruto. It's not a matter of your dedication or your connection. This jutsu requires a lot of chakra! If you do not have enough chakra, then it will kill you. And neither you, me, nor Kushina want that. That is why Kushina told you not to attempt this jutsu without help."

"Well then how do we find out if I have enough chakra for this? How close am I? And what can I do to get more chakra to learn it?" Naruto implored.

"Alright Naruto. Let's see where your chakra reserves are at right now and then I will give you some advice on how to increase your reserve. I will check your progress every month, and once you reach a level I am comfortable with, I will teach you the Kage Bunshin." Seeing the switch flip inside Naruto, he immediately started grinning from ear to ear. "Alright, now Naruto, I need you to channel your chakra and hold it. Depending on how much chakra you can hold will give me an idea on your chakra reserve."

Seeing the look of concentration on Naruto's face, Sarutobi waited patiently. A few seconds later, Sarutobi was utterly shocked at what he was sensing. Now that he was focusing on the boy's chakra it was absolutely astounding. This 5 year old boy already has mid to high chunin level chakra reserves. If he had chunin level chakra control, he could perform the jutsu right now. I wonder if this is the product of being their son or if it is the Kyubi.

"So, how did I do Jiji? Did I pass?" Naruto looked at the old man smiling, with hope brimming in his eyes.

"While you did wonderfully, I'm afraid that you aren't quite where you need to be yet. You have close to the chakra reserve that you need, you won't have anywhere near the chakra control required." Seeing the light leave Naruto's eyes and his head drooping, he continued, "However, with a lot of hard work and dedication, I don't see any reason you can reach where you need to be in just a few short months. I'll write out a few exercises and some tips on chakra control. Focusing on chakra control will give you the control necessary to perform any ninjutsu and will also increase your chakra reserve. I will try to have it for you tomorrow so you can start right away. I believe I also told you that I had a picture of your mother for you. Here you go Naruto. She is the woman with red hair."

After Sarutobi grabbed the picture out of his desk, Naruto gingerly took it, almost afraid that any sudden movements and it might burst into flame. Looking at the picture, Naruto saw 2 beautiful women. One very pregnant woman with black hair and a pregnant woman with red hair. Without taking his eyes away from his mother, he asked so quietly Sarutobi almost missed it, "Who is this other person in the picture? And what was my mother like? Her note mentioned not being particularly good at studying."

Sarutobi chuckled a little at that last bit before responding, "Your mother is standing next to her best friend and childhood rival, Mikoto Uchiha. Those two were always competing in the Academy and even after, over who was stronger. As to your last question, your mother became a very powerful kunoichi. One of the best and strongest in the village. But her strengths did not lie in book smarts at the Academy. Her strength lay in her determination and a more hands on type of learning. Eventually she became one of Konoha's best shinobi, especially in kenjutsu and fuinjutsu but also in ninjutsu because, like you, she had massive chakra reserves."

Taking a minute to digest everything that was said, he couldn't look away from the mother he will never know. At that thought, a few more tears slowly slid down his face. Moving the picture away from his body quickly so his tears wouldn't damage the picture, he did his best to dry his tears to ask his next question, "Who is Jiraiya-sensei?"

Caught off-guard by the question, he replied, "Jiraiya is one of Konoha's best and strongest shinobi. He was actually one of my students a long time ago. Him and his 2 teammates earned the title of Legendary Sanin during the Second Shinobi War. He in turn was the one who trained your hero, Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage."

Seeing Naruto's head snap up with eyes wide, he was unprepared for his next question, "My father was the Yondaime?"

Unable to keep the shock from his face, he tried to compose himself, but he could see that it was too late, "Why do you ask me that Naruto? How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Well because, Kaa-chan mentioned that dad's sensei was Jiraiya who wrote this book she gave me and you just said that Jiraiya taught the Yondaime. Besides, you had this really shocked look on your face and your first question was how I guessed that not to tell me I'm wrong."

Chuckling, Sarutobi shook his head in wonder, "What kind of kid has that kind of deductive reasoning? You must be part Nara to have thought all of that out. But since it's too late to say anything else, I will tell you but you must be aware that the identity of your father is an S-class secret. You see Naruto, your father killed a lot of people in the last war and because of that, he also made a lot of enemies. Many people throughout he nations hate and fear him for his abilities. Because you are his son, many would seek retribution against him by torturing and killing you. You must never reveal who your father is until you have at least reached the rank of Jonin. That is the reason I have not told you until now. I wanted to keep you safe and I feared you may accidentally let it slip who your father is and put yourself in danger. Be very careful of everything you say and do in regards to the Yondaime. Understand?"

Seeing how serious Sarutobi was being, Naruto shook his head before saying that he understood. It was all so much to take in. I mean, last week he was nothing but a worthless orphan with no real home, no friends, and nothing to his name. Now he had Kaa-chan, he had a clan and he had some semblance of who he is, not to mention that he was the son of his hero, the Yondaime. Looking back at the letter and everything his Kaa-chan said to him, he asked, "Jiji, what else can you tell me about my parents?"

Sarutobi spent the next hour telling Naruto about both of his parents. Kushina, who came to Konoha from Uzushiogakure with the dream of being the first kunoichi Hokage. She was frequently made fun of and picked on for her red hair but when she started to fight back against those bullies, her nickname quickly turned from tomato to Red Hot-Blooded Habanero because she would beat up anyone who pissed her off which caused both men to give a slight shudder at the thought. Kushina grew in prominence because of her rivalry with Mikoto and her abilities in kenjutsu, fuinjutsu, ninjutsu, and of course her taijutsu. While she preferred kenjutsu, she was exceptional at ninjutsu because of her chakra reserve but also because of her clan technique of Adamantine Sealing Chains. A technique unique to the Uzumaki because of their large chakra reserve as well as the quality of their chakra. Kushina was a very spirited kunoichi who was dedicated to training and protecting her village and loved ones. She also had a fiery temper that could leave even the Yondaime a bloody mess when she was done with him if he really upset her. She was still one of the most loving and caring people you could ever meet even if a bit hard headed at times.

Minato was hailed as a prodigy and it showed in his jutsu. Minato was able to take the Nidaime's prized Flying Raijin and make it even better. His skill with fuinjutsu was unrivaled and he was hailed as the fastest shinobi of his time. There was very little that Minato did not excel at and he would likely have gone on to be the greatest Hokage Konoha has seen had he not sacrificed himself saving the village from the Kyubi. Minato was very excited to be a father but was also a nervous wreck. He always had a reason for everything he did and was very calculating but very caring. He loved Kushina and loved teaching because he saw it as his way of passing on the Will of Fire to make Konoha even stronger.

After being told everything, Jiji taught Naruto how to seal the book, hitai-ate, and the scroll back into his letter. The scroll was only sealed in the letter with the promise from Naruto that he will not show anyone that scroll and will not attempt to learn it without himself present. When Naruto agreed, he left the office with a lot on his mind. With so much to think on, there was only one place to go and that was his favorite spot… atop the Hokage Mountain, specifically the Yondaime's head. He always went up there when he wanted some time to think. It was peaceful, he could look out at the whole village and he always felt that by being there he was somehow closer to the Hokage he dreamed of surpassing. It was only now that he realized how ironic it was that he always sat on his Father's head.

Naruto spent the next several hours reading the letter over and over. While he was really interested in the book, he decided to start reading it tomorrow until Jiji got him those chakra exercises he was talking about. So he spent his time looking through the Shadow Clone scroll that his Kaa-chan wanted him to learn. He was getting even more excited the more he read about it. His Kaa-chan didn't just put how to perform the technique but how the technique works and all of its nuances. Apparently, the Shadow Clone Jutsu not only created solid copies of the user but those copies retain all the knowledge and experience that they accumulate making them perfect for scouting and intelligence gathering for those that have the mental fortitude. It turns out that the influx of new knowledge and experiences gained through clones is extremely taxing both mentally and chakra wise and can lead to chakra exhaustion and even death if the user is not careful. But it stands to reason that he could learn jutsu with his clones while he does something completely different, or his clones could read scrolls on jutsu or something while he does something else while still getting all that knowledge. The possibilities with this jutsu were limitless and he couldn't wait to try it out. Naruto was really interested to find out that the jutsu was initially created by the Nidaime to act in intelligence gathering and kamikaze attacks though the scroll didn't explain how to do that last part.

I wonder if I can gain any physical strength or stamina through a clone though. I wouldn't think so because the clones are chakra constructs and don't exactly have muscles. Even so, Shadow Clones could very well be the thing that makes him the best ninja ever and with this jutsu, it's only a matter of time before he surpasses the Yondaime, his father. Now that he thought about it, he also didn't know anything about fuinjutsu other than it was about seals. He should have asked Jiji about any inheritance his parents left him so he could buy some fuinjutsu books, but that can wait. He would rather focus on learning Kage Bunshin first anyway, then he can use them to learn everything he wants.

With that he realized how hungry he was and didn't see any reason to torture his tummy any longer so felt that there was no better way to celebrate his newfound knowledge than with the only other people that cared about him and a delicious bowl of ramen. After making his way through the curtain at Ichiraku he couldn't hold it in anymore and yelled out, "Hey Jiji, Nee-chan guess what? My Kaa-chan left me a letter before she passed!" Sitting down and seeing that he had both of their attentions he continued, "Turns out that my Kaa-chan loved me and feared she was going to die so she left me a letter to tell me that she loves me and she wishes she could have been around. Isn't that great?" Seeing the big wide grin on the boy's face, the two couldn't be happier for the boy who never had any family.

"That's wonderful Naruto! This calls for some celebratory miso ramen, on the house. Wait right there." Teuchi said with a grin almost as big as the boys. While Teuchi started on his ramen, Ayame made her way around the stand so she could hug the young boy to tell him how happy she was for him. With a blush, Naruto waited for his ramen before digging in with renewed vigor at having another free meal of Ichiraku's in one day. This day was probably the best day of his life, nothing could bring him down.

########## Naruto (20 minutes and 3 bowls of ramen later) ##########

After finishing his meal, Naruto decided that he would walk around the village a little. There was a big parade or something yesterday over some sort of alliance so people were in high spirits and the few on the streets this late paid him little mind. It was refreshing being able to walk around without all the hateful glares. Naruto made a turn and decided that he would walk through the clan districts. He tried to avoid it because it usually made him sad, but after hearing about the Uzumaki clan from Jiji, he wanted to walk by wondering what it would have been like to grow up in a clan like them with family and friends and acceptance. Walking by the Hyuga estate, Naruto didn't get far in his thoughts when he noticed a man jump over the wall of the compound with a young girl about his age tied and gagged under her arm. The man was dressed in all black with a black mask over his head so the only thing you could see were his eyes and the bridge of his nose. The rest of the his body was covered in black cloth without even a hitai-ate anywhere visible. The girl was what really drew his eyes. While he wasn't particularly interested in girls yet, there was no denying that this girl was really cute. She had short dark blue hair that looked more black in the night but with really cute bangs hanging from either side of her face. What really caught him though were her featureless white eyes with tinges of lavender filled with anxiety, fear, a tinge of hope, but then despair.

Naruto yelled, "Hey! Who the hell are you? And what do you think you doing with that girl?"

"Mind your own business you little brat before I decide you don't deserve to breath. Now leave before I choose to kill you after all."

Getting into what he hoped was a ready taijutsu stance, he glared at the man before smirking, "I think you are forgetting something very crucial here. We are still right next to the Hyuga compound, and I don't think one of the strongest clans in Konoha will be happy when they get here." Taking a breath to yell as loud as he can to alert others to the situation, the man's eyes slightly widen in fear. "HEL—gh" was all that Naruto was able to get out before the man was suddenly standing in front of him.

Confused, Naruto looked down to the sudden cold spot on his chest to see a widening blood stain surrounding a kunai where his heart usually is. Looking to the girl hanging from his arm to see horror in her eyes and tears streaking her face, he tried to smile at how caring she seemed, but it turned into a couch that caused blood to spill down his front and onto his attackers still present hand holding the kunai. Looking back up at the man, he looked at the boy with emotionless eyes before twisting the kunai, causing a jolt of pain to run through Naruto's body, before pulling it out and watching the boy fall to his knees where he was promptly kneed in the face to fall onto his back.

Naruto felt cold all over. He could feel what seemed like darkness closing in on him from all around until all he could see was the man standing above him. Unable to hear his last words, his eyes turned to the girl that was being taken from right in front of his eyes. The cute young girl that was being taken from her family and everyone she knows and loves for some unknown land with people who would likely hate her. That last thought reverberated through his mind like a boulder splashing onto previously calm waters. Not willing to give in until he is able to save this girl from the loneliness that he feels every day he instinctually reaches for a pool of power from somewhere inside himself.

The man was standing over the boy before quietly saying, "I told you, you should have left while you could still breathe. Stupid gaki." And with that the man waited a moment to extend his sense for anyone that may have heard the boys initial yelp. Luckily it didn't seem like it but he wasn't about to stick around and wait for the cavalry to show up. Before he could take off though, he sensed the largest concentration of chakra ever before in his life. What really scared him though was the feel of the chakra. It felt so evil that you could taste the hate in the air and he couldn't stop a drop of fear from spreading in him. Feeling the girl in his arms shaking, he wouldn't be surprised if this made her pass out, but to his surprise she didn't. Trying to focus on where it was coming from was near impossible. The chakra was so strong and everywhere that it might as well be coming from the girl. Looking back at the girl to see if it was her, he saw her staring with wide eyes at the boy he had just killed.

Looking down at the boy, he was shocked to see that the wound his kunai had made seconds ago was closed and the boy's face now had dark slashes on his cheeks that looked like whiskers and a couple pointy canines hanging from his lips. What was most startlingly though was the red chakra that was slowly enveloping the boy's entire body before his eyes opened and settled onto him. He had never before felt such raw hate that he couldn't help but feel a small drop of fear.

Before he could do anything else, he watched the boy launch himself at him. Too surprised to react, the girl was pulled from his arms while the boy's shoulder sent him flying into the wall of the compound behind him. Not strong enough that the wall broke down, but enough that the wall cracked and left a small indent. While he was a little shocked at the power his seemingly 5 year old boy had, that attack was enough to wake him up since it still didn't do much damage other than a few bruised ribs. Nothing he couldn't handle.

The girl was shocked at what she was seeing. She could have sworn that the young boy attempting to save her was killed. It crushed her when she thought he had been killed trying to save her. But now she was sitting on the ground by the copse of trees across the road from the wall of her compound. Confused about how she got here, she felt the rope binding her loosen only to see the previously dead boy's fingernail cut the rope. Once he had down that, he carefully removed the gag in her mouth before looking at her.

She couldn't help but look at him confused. What she saw and what she felt were so at odds, she may as well have been feeling hot and cold at the same time. The chakra that was surrounding them felt so evil and full of hate she wanted to pass out, but the boy's eyes a moment ago were so full of life and caring that she felt as safe as if she were in her mother's arms. The boy looked at her with concern before she heard him say, "Don't worry hime, I won't let him take you away from your family. I will fight until my very last breath, I won't give up. I promise, dattebayo!" Starting to smile at his words, a sharp spike of fear ran through her to suddenly see the hate in his eyes when he turned his head to view the man attempting to kidnap her make his way to his feet.

"Hahahaha! That was quite surprising gaki. I don't know how you are still alive of what kind of chakra this is, but you are still just a gaki. You shouldn't go making promises you can't keep. You will still die and she is still leaving her family to come with me." The man stated simply before he attacked.

Before Naruto could move, the man sent a kick to his head that he didn't have any time to block. He was sent through the wall of the compound, not more than 20 feet away from the indent the boy had just hit the man into. Pushing off some of the rubble from the wall, he slowly stood up as the pain receded from his rapidly healing body. He looked up in time to see the man pick up the girl again, intent on taking off before others could arrive and investigate which would likely be any second. Eyes widening in fear that he would get away, he moved as fast as he could, intending to punch the man square in the face as hard as he could. Before he started moving, he witnessed the girl's eyes harden and veins suddenly appear around her eyes when she hit the man in the stomach with an open palm. It didn't look like a strong hit but the man recoiled all the same. Not having stopped throughout that entire time, it was the perfect opening for him to strike the man.

Luckily, the man also dropped the girl when she struck him. While she hit the ground with a small "oompf" Naruto was able to bring his fist full force into the man's face, sending him into the tree a few feet behind him. Though he didn't go through the tree, he left a big enough impression that the tree toppled over away from them as the man's feet hit the ground again. Seeing the man cough up blood was only a small victory when they saw him snarl at them looking really pissed off and still ready for more. Just as Naruto took a defensive stance in front of the girl, the man moved and before Naruto could register what happened, he felt a familiar coldness seeping through his body. While his body attempted to heal the wound, the man removed the kunai to stab him in his side only to hit his ribs and once again burying the kunai in his stomach. Naruto was slowly starting to feel the depth of the cold again as his knees started to buckle and the red chakra surrounding him slowly started fading. When the man made a move to grab the girl again, Naruto interposed himself between them again and grabbed the man's extending arm with all of his remaining strength and he had a vague smile on his face when he felt it crack beneath his grip before he passed out.

Seeing the boy smirk gave the girl a small glimmer of hope before despair clutched her heart and she watched him collapse to the ground with blood coating his shirt and a small smirk still on his lips. She took a step back, fear clutching he heart before something caused her body to freeze. Looking at the boy again she thought back to everything that happened within the last 60 seconds. This boy, no older than herself confronted what was likely a Jonin even though he likely knew he would die and she thought he had. But he got back, and was able to free her while hurting the man only to be stabbed again and when she once again thought he was dead, he didn't give up but crushed the man's arm before slumping to the ground.

He promised that he wouldn't let me be taken from my family while he still breathed. And he didn't lie. He died, trying to save her. Feeling the emotions roaring to fear, hope, sorrow, admiration, pain, and ultimately despair, she lunged at the man intending to strike him down for killing this boy that so quickly wormed his way into her heart. Before she could strike however, he jumped back as a tall figure appeared in front of her.

"Hinata, are you hurt?"

Hearing the sound of her father's voice brought her the first real breath of relief all night before she responded, "I-I'm alright, F-father. B-but this b-boy who saved me, h-h-he's dead." And with that, she fell to the ground on top of the boy letting her tears flow freely.

Before he could respond, the man attempted to leave and while he was mid-air, a perfect replica of her father struck the man so that he fell back to where he was previously, unable to mold chakra. More ninja appeared, all with the same featureless white eyes that were the trademark of the Hyuga. The man who struck down the assailant watched impassively as his comrades restrained him before turning to his twin brother.

"Hiashi, I apologize for taking so long. A team has been sent to take head count of all Hyuga that are supposed to be in the village right now while another has been sent to conduct a sweep for any other possible offenders." The man looked the exact same as the man in front of him other than the hitai strapped across his brow.

"Thank you Hizashi. This boy saved Hinata, and while I may question myself later, I can't in good conscience allow him to die here if it can be helped. Please bring medics her promptly."

Turning he yelled at the nearest ninja to return here with medics immediately before he left in a swirl of leaves. Hearing what her father said, Hinata lifted her head to her father before asking, "H-h-he's not dead?"

Turning to his daughter, he replied, "Why don't you check for yourself?"

Hiashi was unprepared to see Hinata unconsciously using her Byakugan to observe the young boy and didn't know how to feel when he saw the unbridled joy on her face when she realized that he was alive and the gasp signifying the depths of the despair that flashed a moment later when she witnessed just how bad his condition was. Before Hinata could say anything else, a medic appeared next to Hiashi who then looked down at the boy.

"Is there anyone else inured? Or is this 'thing' truly the emergency I am here for? Because I refuse to be a part of saving that demon!" the medic said with more disdain in his voice than she could have ever imagined. Getting furious at the treatment towards the boy who just saved her life, Hinata was about to start yelling when she heard a voice behind her.

"You will treat that boy IMMEDIATELY! And if he dies tonight, then you can expect to be Ibiki's new chew toy for the foreseeable future. He has several new methods of torture that he has been eager to try out with no new victims to test them on."

"Hai, Hokage-sama! Right away!"

Turning to the Hokage, she didn't realize that she still had her hand running through the boy's hair until she saw the Hokage glance down at her with a small smile on her face. Realizing what she was doing, she quickly retracted her hand and brought it to her hand as she continued to kneel there next to the boy praying that he will be alright. Hinata was only vaguely aware of her father talking to the Hokage when her father's sharp voice broke through her revelry.

"Hinata!" Causing her to look at her father abashedly. "Can you please explain to the Hokage and myself exactly what happened?"

Hinata then began to relate everything that happened from the boy's appearance, to his attempt to cry for help, his supposed death, the red chakra, his freeing her, the fight, and his last seconds before he collapsed. Neither face betrayed any of the emotions or thoughts that were swirling away. The medic was less composed and at the mention of red chakra, the medic stopped for a split second before some killing intent released from Sarutobi reminded the medic exactly what would happen if he failed before returning to his task of healing the boy.

Shortly after Hinata finished recapping what happened, Hizashi reappeared and reported that no one else was missing and there were no indications of any additional adversaries than the one captured.

Hearing everything he needed, Sarutobi instructed that the kidnapper be sent straight to T&I (Torture & Investigation) without any medical treatment.

"Maybe Ibiki will be able to try out some of his new ideas after all." Sarutobi said with a sinister smirk which sent a shiver down the spine of everyone but the kidnapper. Oddly that reaction was not comforting and the kidnapper felt himself growing fearful once again.

"Now, is he stable enough to move to the hospital?" Sarutobi asked the medic who looks like he had just finished.

"Hai, Hokage-sama. There is nothing more I can do for him here and he is in a stable enough condition to move. Though I don't anticipate him waking up for 3-4 days, he should make a full recovery." Though the medic said the last bit with a bit of sorrow, Sarutobi let it pass with nothing more than a raised eyebrow.

"Alright. Good. Let's get him to the hospital then. I need to go inform the rest of the council. Dog!" At this, an ANBU with a dog mask appeared in front of Sarutobi, "Please go assemble the council members for me." Turning to Hiashi he continued, "Take care of your daughter, and once you have done so, I will see you with the rest of the council."

"Hokage-sama?" Turning to the quiet and hesitant voice of the girl that was watching over the boy, he smiled down at her before replying, "Yes?"

"D-do you know who t-this boy is? I-I never got a chance to learn in his name with e-everything that was h-happening."

Smiling at the girl because he could see how much she already cared about the boy, he answered her honestly, "His name is Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki, dattebayo."

########## Naruto's Mindscape ##########

Naruto woke up in what felt like a puddle, but what was even weirder was the lack of water that clung to his body when he sat up. Confused, Naruto looked around and found himself in a dark, flooded hallway. There was a red pipe following the hallway and other red pipes leading from the main pipe to each door. There were numerous rooms on either side of the hallway in both directions, as far as he could see. Standing up, Naruto looked both directions while trying to come up with any ideas about where he was or how he got here. During his contemplation, he heard a deep rumble. Not having any idea which way to go, he decided to follow the noise to see what it was.

Heading the direction his feet were facing when he woke up, he walked slowly listening for any sound. He noticed that while he did not get wet from the water at his feet, it still sounded exactly like walking through water. Hearing the deep rumble again, but closer he approached the only open door he had come across which also seemed to be where the rumble was coming from. As that thought crossed his mind, another rumble reverberated through the hallway, confirming that he found the right door.

Opening the door slowly so he could peer inside, he found what looked like a normal square room with the same red pipes lining the ceiling. Going from one side of the room to the other were thick red pillars with a door that had a tag on it that said 'Sealing'. Looking around the room as he walked up to the gate, he didn't see anything else. Looking past the pillars, Naruto was getting a feeling he was looking at a cage considering how much hate seemed to be radiating from behind the pillars.

Once he got a little closer, he could see a massive red fox laying down just staring at him with hate filled eyes. Naruto was shocked when he saw how many tails the fox had. 9! 9 tails meant that this had to be the Kyubi no Kitsune, the biju that he was told the Yondaime killed years ago. Does that mean he is dead?

"No, you aren't dead you simpleton. You were lied to about my demise. I am a mass of chakra that has been around since the beginning of chakra, and you cannot kill a biju, especially not me!"

"Well, if you weren't killed, then what happened to you? And why am I here? How did I get here?"

"We are currently inside your head, or your mindscape. I was sealed inside you by your precious Yondaime, and you are here because I want to yell at you FOR ALMOST GETTING US KILLED, YOU COMPLETE BUMBLING FOOL!" Wincing at the words and how loud they were, Naruto couldn't help but be a little terrified.

"I'm sorry, but why do you care if I die? I would think that you wouldn't care about me or anyone else."

"You're right. I don't care about you or anyone else, but if you die, then I go with you. Granted, I will come back, but it will take years and it is extremely uncomfortable so it is something I would like to avoid if at all possible. Which means that you can't just go around doing whatever you want! There are limits to what my chakra can heal, especially considering how pathetic your puny body is. I am the Kyubi no Kitsune, I will not allow you to be seen as weak, so you better get stronger, fast, before I decide you don't deserve to be my Jinchuriki. You may have noticed that you are a good bit smarter than most humans, especially those around your age. I have used my chakra to accelerate your mental growth. You're welcome. Once you start eating healthy food instead of that disgusting slop you call ramen, I can do the same for your physical growth. Now get to work getting stronger or I may change my mind about allowing you to live and I will just kill you myself. Do you understand?"

Naruto slowly nodded his head before realizing what the Kyubi just said, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY CALLING RAMEN SLOP? Ramen was given to us by Kami himself and is a treat to be treasured above all others. But, um … what's a jinchuriki?"

Glaring at Naruto for his outburst about ramen, "Jinchuriki is the term given to the humans that have been selected to hold a biju. Humans thought it was a wonderful idea to attack us and trap us inside you useless sacks of meat because they fear our power. Humans have tried to use us to make themselves stronger, not that you filthy creatures care about anyone but yourselves, selfish little peons. I was just lucky enough to get stuck with you for a Jinchuriki."

Looking at the ground, Naruto slowly nodded his head trying to absorb everything he was hearing when they Kyubi decided to speak again, interrupting his thoughts.

"Now before you leave, there are two things you need to do. This sewer is disgusting and I refuse to live in it. You WILL begin meditating every night before you go to bed so that you can change what my cage looks like. In exchange, I will help to increase your chakra coils to allow for a much larger chakra reserve." Not that he could stop that from happening, the seal forced a small amount of his chakra to mold with the boy's chakra and he couldn't stop the process, not that the kid needs to know that.

"Second, you will allow me access to your senses so I can better observe the events taking place outside this disgusting sewer. Now before you start getting all paranoid, this is nothing sinister. The seal the Yondaime used currently has me stuck in your mind with nothing but your horrid memories to pass the time. Allowing me access to your senses will grant you increased sight, smell, and hearing because you will be sharing them with my own enhanced senses. It will also allow me to communicate with you whenever so I can tell you when you are being stupid. All you have to do is concentrate and will me to be able to have a connection to you through the seal. You don't even have to loosen the seal for this." Seeing the young boy concentrate with a frown on his face before smiling up at him, the Kyubi grumbled at how the boy was obviously misunderstanding something.

"Sure thing partner. I think I did it. At least it feels like there is something there now that wasn't there before."

"THIS IS NOT A PARTNERSHIP! You are going to do what I said because it is in your best interests. Do not let it get to your head, you are only here because I ALLOWED IT. I may be sealed, but I am still infinitely smarter and stronger than you. I am a being you can never hope to match, so get this through your tiny, thick skull … WE. ARE NOT. PARTNERS! You will do what I say, or I will kill you. Is there any confusion about what I just said? No? Good. Now leave! And don't forget what I said about changing this putrid sewer!"

Feeling himself being pushed from his mindscape, Naruto tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids were just so heavy. Unable to open his eyes, he tries listening but can't hear anything other than the soft footsteps of people outside his room though this confused Naruto because he could never hear this well before.

I guess that means I wasn't dreaming and I really do have the Kyubi's enhanced senses.

"Figure that out all on your own have you? I must not have done a good job making you smarter if you are still this dumb. Can you even imagine how stupid you would be if I hadn't stimulated your cognitive facilities? Kami, let no one have to put up with you like that."

Hearing that deep rumbling voice from inside his head shocked him enough that he reflexively opened his eyes and attempted to sit up. That was the exact wrong thing to do. Between the bright light now stinging his eyes and his still sore injuries, sitting up was painful.

"And case in point. How did I ever get stuck with a half-wit like you? Maybe I really would be better off just eating you."

"Hey! There is no need for all of that. It was just a reaction. And once I learn my Kaa-chan's Kage Bunshin, I will become the best swordsmen, seal master, and ninja ever, dattebayo!"

"Don't talk out loud, it makes you sound even more stupid than normal and I won't allow that. I won't have people thinking the Kyubi jinchuriki is insane, you are not the Ichibi Jinchuriki so don't act like it. I am the most cunning biju, known for my intelligence and power, so I won't have you sully my name with insanity. You can communicate with me by thinking."

"Ichibi? Does that mean there are more Jinchuriki out there than just me?" Thinking he wasn't alone, Naruto started to get excited.

"Yes. There are 9 biju and they are all identified by their number of tails. I have the most tails because I am the strongest, no matter what the others may tell you. The Ichibi however tends to leave its Jinchuriki with a psychotic personality that matches the biju within. I bet the Ichibi wasn't stuck with some half-wit shrimp for a Jinchuriki like I am."

"Ok, so I understand you all were imprisoned out of fear and so people could use your power for themselves, but do you have to be so hateful in everything you say? Getting angry over everything isn't going to change anything. It's just making you angrier with no purpose but to make you miserable." This caused the Kyubi to mentally blink a few times at the surprisingly wise words from this kid, not that Naruto was aware of the Kyubi's reaction.

"Well what do you know? Looks like there might be a few nuggets of intelligence in there after all. I really am a miracle worker. You're welcome for that."

Rolling his eyes at the response and before Naruto could respond, a medic walked in to presumably check on him or run some tests because when he saw that Naruto was awake, he dashed back to the doorway and yelled for a doctor. A moment later, another man came into the room and they both began checking him out while asking him questions unaware of the swirl of leaves that were left by his door next to a man with a black robe and porcelain mask.