Hey, it's me. Man, it has been so long since I've posted something on here. I know , I know, some of you returning readers have been wating patiently for me to post a new chapter for A Sheikah's Tale, and I am working on it. It's just I find it so hard to focus at times. Still, with the story in my head trying to come out lately, I'm thinking I may be posting some time around the New Year. If I'm feeling really inspirational, it may be before, so keep your fingers crossed and pray that my muse goes into overdrive. For now though, I'm posting this. It's been on my computer for a while, and I just now finished the first chapter, so I figured what the hell. I might as well post it and see what initial reactions I get. Who knows? If the reviews are decent enough, I may just try to juggle both of them. So, any way, I hope you enjoy it.

It was another sunny evening in Konoha, just like any other. The people were going about finishing their business, doing the various chores that needed to be done to keep their livelihoods alive. It had been six years since the Yondaime Hokage had defeated the Kyuubi no Kitsune before suffering his demise. Everything was as ordinary as could be on this beautiful day.

Hagane Kotetsu yawned loudly as he sat at his post at the front gate. Monitoring traffic was rather boring to do when there weren't many travelers that were all that special entering the village. His friend, Kamizuki Izumo, was leaning back in his chair slightly, the boredom evident on his face as he watched the area in front of the post. He then turned his head to Kotetsu. "Hey, Kotetsu. Do you want to go have some drinks later when we're done here?"

Kotetsu sighed. "Sure, but remember to bring your own money tonight. It looks like we won't get any free drinks tonight from our stories." He then snorted. "If anyone were willing to pay for drinks for this, they're either already drunk out of their minds or they're just pitying us for having to put up with this boredom."

Izumo grinned devilishly and then laughed out loud. "Well, when you put it that way, maybe we should wait until much later tonight. Then we can run into those drunks and see if they're feeling jolly."

Kotetsu then grinned along with his friend. "Not a bad idea. Still, just in case, bring your cash." Izumo just replied by waving his hand side to side, as if silently saying "Sure, sure."

The two men then heard some footfalls approaching from outside the gate. They were a little too soft for even a Genin, and they faintly heard something being dragged on the ground. Wondering if someone was injured, they looked to the front of the post as a young boy walked in through the gates.

He was about nine years-old, with spiky golden blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He was wearing a gray sleeveless shirt underneath a black zip-up hoodie, black pants, a pair of black ninja sandals, and a black belt around his waist.

Who is this kid? The Shinigami's son? Shouldn't kids his age be a little more, I dunno, bright and sunny? Both men thought at the same time.

If the boy's attire wasn't odd enough, what really took the cake was that the boy was dragging behind him a body that was completely tied up! The man appeared to be about twenty-five or so and was currently unconscious it seemed. On the man's forehead was a Konoha hiate that was slashed across the middle, meaning the man was a missing nin. There's no way that this kid took down this guy! The man's got to be about three times his age! Plus the kid doesn't even have a kunai holster or any ninja gear or anything! There's no way he could have taken this guy down with simply his bare hands!

The movement of the two seemed to have attracted the kid's attention, and he turned his head to look at them. He then grinned widely and said, "Hello! Do you mind giving me the directions to the Hokage's office, please? I've been dragging this guy for a while now, and I just wanna get my bounty redeemed." The only response he got was two very surprised stares from the Chuunin. The kid then rolled his eyes and tapped his foot impatiently. "Come on. I kinda would like those directions sometime soon, please. I'm also hungry as hell."

Kotetsu composed himself a little and smiled at the kid. "Uh, sure, kid. The Hokage Tower is located near the center of the village. It's the large building with the kanji for "fire" written on the front. But hey, listen, kid. If you want, we could take the prisoner for you and arrange to have the money delivered to you while you go eat." Izumo looked at Kotetsu questionably, to who Kotetsu simply made hand signals for Take body from kid to Hokage Tower. Receive reward as well as credit. Take out small part and give majority to kid. Kid gets paid his money, we get free drinks. Izumo merely smirked and nodded.

The kid closed his eyes and shook his head while grinning. His eyes then opened to slits, and the boy muttered, "If you even think about coming between me and my bounty..." A small katana flashed into the boy's hands and was raised towards the two men. "...I'll kill you."

Both men gulped and looked at each other. They then looked back to the boy, who had started to walk off towards the tower. Izumo then stood and called out "Hey! Wait! You need to sign the entry log before entering the village!"

Without even looking back, the boy yelled, "I already did!"

Both men looked down at the red ledger book and, sure enough, there was another name added to the list. Izumo looked to Kotetsu and asked, "When did he have time to sign the ledger? Just how fast is that kid?"

Kotetsu just kept on staring at the ledger and then said, " I'm just wondering where he got the sword. I didn't see him take out a sealing scroll and summon anything. That katana just flashed right into his hand." The two men looked back down the street that the kid had gone and then look back at each other. Kotetsu smirked and said, "You now what this means, don't you?"

Izumo returned the smirk with one of his own. "Oh yeah."

They high-fived each other and cried out, "FREE DRINKS TONIGHT!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen, otherwise known throughout the world as the Sandaime Hokage as well as the Professor, was sitting inside of the missions hall, going through the various jobs that were needed to be done. It looked to be an overall boring day for the most part; the missions consisted of mostly D-ranks, a couple of C-Ranks, and one B-rank that had already been assigned. And completed for that matter.

The other person inside the room, aside from the various staff members doing the paperwork assigned to them, was a black-haired, black-eyed boy roughly about the age of thirteen years-old. What made this boy so special though was that he was dressed in an ANBU captain's uniform and had a mask bearing a weasel's face in his hand. Yes, standing before the Sandaime Hokage was none other than Itachi Uchiha, the heir of the Uchiha clan and one of the top prodigies that the village had ever seen.

The boy stood at attention while the Hokage went through his mission report for the completed B-rank. Everything seemed to be in order, and the mission was completed without a hitch. Tracking down a band of missing nin might have presented a problem for a group of chunin or even a group of jonin, but for Itachi, it was almost too easy, and he had managed to bring back the traitors without any harm to himself.

Sarutobi looked up from the mission report to the young man still standing there. "Well, Itachi-san, everything seems to be in order. Your payment has been transferred to your accounts, and I again apologize for sending you out on such a low-ranked mission. I'm sure you would have liked something more challenging for your abilities."

Itachi saluted the man and merely replied, "Not at all, Hokage-sama. It is rather nice to do something easier for a change." He then smirked. "So do not not worry. My father will never hear of me doing a B-ranked mission, since all it will accomplish is more paperwork for your desk."

Sarutobi laughed, though a shiver passed through his old bones at the thought of having to face his most dreaded enemy – paperwork. "Well then. I thank you for your secrecy on the matter."

It was at this moment that a large commotion was heard right outside the room. All eyes turned towards the door and watched to see who was causing such a racket. Sarutobi inwardly sighed. Naruto, if that's you, please don't be doing anything that will give the villagers a reason to form a mob.

The noise kept drawing closer and closer towards the room until it reached right outside the door. It then suddenly turned quiet, and everyone wondered if maybe the person was an intruder or something. This thought was then rudely interrupted when the door to the room blew off the frame and into the room. Itachi quickly pulled out his katana and sliced the incoming door into two before bringing it back up to the ready, waiting to see if what move the person would make.

The person responsible then casually strode into the room, dragging his quarry behind him. He turned his gaze to Sarutobi, and a smile spread across his face. "So, you're the old man Hokage?"

Sarutobi harrumphed and raised an eyebrow at this new intruder. "Yes, though I am curious to know just who you are, seeing as how you now owe me a new door."

The child blinked and looked back to the entrance to the room. He then looked back at Sarutobi, sweat-dropping while rubbing the back of his head and laughing nervously. "Sorry about that. I was only intending on knocking, but a bunch of uppity jonin all decided to get in my way coming here, so I forgot to control myself after I had dealt with them. They were giving me some bullshit, so I had to knock them all out."

Eyes widened all around the room at the mention of jonin being knocked out by a child that was also dragging what seemed to be the body of an unconscious nin right behind him. The boy just continued chuckling nervously. "Hopefully this won't cut into my pay all that much. Anyway, here ya go. One A-rank missing nin delivered, with minimal damage to the merchandise might I add."

By now, it was impossible for the eyes of the other present in the room to grow any wider, but the Sandaime decided to go one better and felt one of them twitch slightly. He nodded to the ANBU named Cat that was standing to the side of the room, causing said woman to go over to the missing nin and check his headband. Pulling out her copy of the bingo book, she began going through the various procedures to verify the man's identity, such as checking the serial number on the back of the headband, dispelling any possible genjutsus that fake his identity – basically the standard verifying procedures. However, she had only just begun when her arms jolted back slightly in surprise, nearly dropping the book. Quickly going through the dispel handsign, she whispered, "Kai!" Evidently nothing happened, so she stood up and faced the Hokage, the surprise evident in her words.

"I-It's Aoi Rokusho, former instructor of Konoha who went rogue to Ame a few years back after stealing a secret jutsu scroll as well as the Sword of the Thunder God. T-The child's correct; there's barely any sort of injury on him aside from some bruising."

A few of the female employees crumpled to the ground, having fainted dead away, while the rest of the occupants were starting to look a little pale. Even Itachi was standing there with his mouth slightly hanging open, as even he, with all his skills and abilities as one of the greatest child prodigies, would still have a great deal of trouble taking down Aoi, not without great injury to himself and Aoi's dead body in a sealing scroll. After all, Aoi was considered a high-level A-rank criminal due to his weaponry and the skills that he'd no doubt absorbed over the years.

The silence stretched for a few minutes before Sarutobi spoke up again. "You're absolutely positive that it's him?" Cat merely nodded her answer before looking at the child in question, who decided to pass the time by twirling a kunai that had appeared out of thin air around his fingers while whistling and looking out the window. The Hokage harrumphed, causing the boy to throw the kunai at the space directly to the top of Aoi's blue-haired head, practically shaving off a part of the head down to the skin.

This action caused Aoi to jolt awake, and he looked around himself with his grey eyes as much as his bonds would allow. He caught sight of the boy, and his face started to tun purple with rage. "YOU DAMN BRAT! DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM? I AM AOI-"

The boy looked down at his bounty and made a closed-eyed smile. "Oh good, the princess has awoken from her slumber." Without even opening his eyes, he then kicked the enraged man in the temple, effectively knocking him out. His left eye peered open slightly. "Now go back to sleep, you pompous idiot."

He turned back to the Hokage. "Now then, enough gawking please. I have brought in this man, regardless of my age and supposed skills, and I'm demanding the bounty on him. If not, then Suna will be happy to take him off of my hands, and you can try to negotiate to get him back for a higher price. Make your choice, because I'm hungry and have the slight tendency to get irritated when in such a state."

Sarutobi simply harrumphed again and pulled out a voucher slip. After writing an amount and stamping the Hokage's seal on it, he handed the slip to the child. "Take this voucher to the treasury, and present it to the manager there. He'll give you the amount that is due, minus the cost you owe me for the door."

Taking the slip, the boy grinned and waved it a little, saying, "Thanks. Before I leave, do you mind telling me where I can find some food?" Putting a finger to his chin, he wondered aloud, "Hm, what sounds delectable right now? Yakisoba? Chow mein? Ramen?"

The Hokage smirked a little and answered, "Well, if it's noodles you want, then look for Ichiraku's ramen stand. It's not too far from here."

Snapping his fingers, the boy pointed to the older man. "Excellent. I'll do just that." He turned to leave but then paused before taking a second step. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Rummaging in an inside pocket in his coat, he pulled out a scroll and tossed it behind himself straight into the Hokage's hands. The scroll was green with a red trim and had the writing "For the Hokage's eyes only" on the side. The seal of the Fire Daimyo was on the scroll, holding the flap closed, and a blood seal that only responded to the Hokage.

Sarutobi looked at the scroll curiously before glancing back at the boy, who merely shrugged in disinterest. "I was told to deliver it to you." Waving offhandedly in everyone's direction, he walked out of the room. "Later, dudes."

"Wait!"

The boy stopped in his tracks shortly and slowly turned his head to the person who called out to him. Itachi crossed his arms and said, "It is common courtesy to give your name when doing business with someone, and I believe you have not told the Hokage yours."

Smirking slightly, the boy answered, "Kyoshi Tenshi. Want me to spell it for you, captain...?"

"My name is Itachi Uchiha."

Nodding his head, Kiyoshi's smirk became a grin. "I'll remember it." With that, he walked down the hall and disappeared out of sight.

Everyone in the room watched the boy go, still unsure of exactly what just happened. The Hokage sighed a little before chuckling. "Well, at least he made an otherwise rather boring day into something of interest. Still, he's now left us with some business to attend to. Cat, you and Bear take Aoi to Ibiki for interrogation. I bet the man's just dying to get his hands on him."

The said ANBU saluted and gather up the man before disappearing in a puff of smoke. The Hokage then turned to Itachi. "Meanwhile, Itachi, you will stay here for the moment on standby while I figure out what the Daimyo wants."

Itachi made a salute. "As you wish, sir, though if it's a request to retrieve his wife's cat, you'll have to forgive me if I jump out the window before you get a chance to assign me this particular mission."

Chuckling at the boy's humor, the Hokage made his way to a private room in the back of the meeting hall and locked the door behind himself. Going through the various seals to ensure his privacy as well as double-checking the room for anyone hidden, he then broke the seal on the scroll and unraveled it, praying to Kami that this wouldn't result in more paperwork for him.

Ten minutes later...

The door suddenly flew open, and Sarutobi, looking as if a ghost had appeared before him, locked his gaze onto Itachi. "Itachi! Summon all ANBU here, and then go after that boy and keep an eye on him! Make sure that he is in no way harmed! And no matter what you hear or see, DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO INTERFERE AGAINST HIM, NO MATTER WHAT HE DOES! QUICKLY, GO NOW!"

Startled a little, Itachi nonetheless saluted and pulled on his weasel mask before shunshining away. The rest of the people were looking at the old Hokage, and one random chunin walked up to him. "Um, Hokage-sama, are you okay?"

Absentmindedly pulling out his pipe and quickly lighting aflame with a simple fire jutsu, Sarutobi took a long drag and slowly blew it out his mouth, muttering, "I'm getting way too old for this shit."

Kiyoshi strolled down the street, keeping his eyes out for that ramen stand the old man had told him about. He had already withdrew the money from the treasury for the bounty, and the money was now stored in a very safe place on him. Exactly where, he would never tell.

Chuckling slightly, he continued walking, humming silently to himself, until he heard a cry off in the near distance. Frowning that it may be a possible attack or something, he ran off towards the sound, kunai in hand. He jumped off the walls of the buildings, avoiding the growing crowd that seemed to be centering on a single spot. He then landed on a nearby rooftop and looked at what seemed to have everyone's attention.

A small blonde-haired boy in a white shirt with a red spiral and some blue shorts was standing in the middle of the area. A few feet of empty space between him and the crowd surrounded him, though the villagers looked ready to kill. The boy was looking all around himself, clearly frightened but unable to get away, tears streaming down his cheeks.

The boy then asked, "W-What are you doing? I haven't done anything wrong!"

A villager sneered and yelled back, "You know exactly why this is happening, you filthy demon brat!"

Another then called out, "You murdered our families and took away our Yondaime!"

Followed by another, "You don't deserve to live, demon spawn!"

Kiyoshi narrowed his eyes at the scene. Demon brat? Do they mean a hanyou? No, not likely. He doesn't have the normal traits. At least none that can be sensed. But then what else could th- No!

He didn't have much time to ponder this abnormality, as one villager decided to get a little brave and throw a large rock at the boy's head.

The stone sailed through the air, and the young boy cowered and clamped his eyes shut as it drew closer towards him. He stood that way for a few seconds until he realized that the stone hadn't reached him yet. Risking a peek, he looked up to see, to his surprise as well as the rest of the villagers', Kiyoshi standing right in front of him, the stone firmly clenched in his right hand and a scowl on his face.

The pitiful killing intent of the villagers was suddenly blown away by the one coming from this boy, and everyone in the crowd trembled in fear as the boy asked in a tone close to a growl, "Do I dare ask why a mob with the intent to kill is surrounding a young child who seems to have done nothing wrong?"

Most of the villagers were too frightened to even make a coherent sound, but the man who had thrown the rock stood forward and, though his legs were trembling a little, said confidently, "Stay out of this, kid. We've got no problem with you. Now stand aside and let us deal with this demon. It's high time the village was rid of him."

Kiyoshi laughed darkly and lifted his hooded head to stare directly into the man's eyes, causing the man to nearly lose control of his bowels. "I don't know what's going on, but I think that any person who condones the abuse of a child who is plainly innocent of any crime should killed in a horrific manner. So I'm going to say this once to all of you: anyone who takes even one step forward will die painfully by my hand."

The man seemed to regain some more of his confidence, as he then sneered and started walking again towards the two. He opened his mouth to say something but was abruptly interrupted as the stone that was in Kiyoshi's hand suddenly hit the man in the head hard, nearly causing him to black out. He stumbled back a little and barely saw a black blur shoot forward towards him, revealing it to be Kiyoshi with a kunai in hand.

With one quick horizontal motion, Kiyoshi sliced the kunai across the man's stomach, causing said man's intestines to suddenly drop out of his body and dangle there. The man then screamed in agony and terror, falling onto his back and laying there, dying rather fast from the extreme loss of blood.

Kiyoshi then turned to the rest of the crowd and smiled evilly. "Who's next?" This, of course, sent the entire crowd into a panic, and they all ran away from the two boys screaming for their lives about a "true demon ninja." Soon the entire street was emptied, all in a matter of mere seconds, leaving the two boys and the disemboweled corpse there alone.

Kiyoshi snorted a little and muttered "Cowards," under his breath before turning his attention to the corpse. He began to search through its clothes' pockets, looking for some form of ID, until he came across some items that sparked his interest: a Konoha ninja headband, several hundred thousand ryo, and a note reading, "The target is the demon brat. Incite a crowd to form a mob and chase after him. Beat him badly but make sure he is not killed."

Someone really wanted this guy to attack the kid, if the cash is anything to go by. But why? And why was this ninja only in civilian clothing in his own village? It's common procedure for ninja to display their headbands on their person when within their own village no matter what their clothing is. So why hide?

Kiyoshi's attention was diverted when the kid began to edge closer to him. Pocketing the items before the kid saw them – swearing all the while to bring this before the old man - he turned to him. "You okay, kid? They didn't get you, did they?"

The boy was now starting to shy away from Kiyoshi, no doubt afraid that the older boy may turn his more violent attentions toward him, but he stuttered out, "Y-You k-k-killed him..."

Kiyoshi sighed. "Kid, it was either I kill him before he got too cocky, or the mob regain their confidence, making me kill all of them. One man or fifty? Better for the man who seemed to be the leader to be killed. Without him, the rest of them scattered like leaves on the wind."

The boy simply looked to the body and shuddered, though it didn't seem as violent as most children would normally react. Judging by this, Kiyoshi surmised that this wasn't the first time that the kid had seen a person die in front of him - something that Kiyoshi was determined to find out.

His thoughts were interrupted by several ANBU who had jumped down around him. They all had kunai in their hands, though they refrained from charging at him. No doubt they were watching my speed, making them hesitant to go against me directly. Since I tried at first refraining from bloodshed, they probably realize I'm not some berserker.

An ANBU with a Dog mask stepped forward. "Shinobi, you have murdered a civilian of this town. Due to circumstances preceding the death, you will be escorted to the Hokage Tower rather than thrown out of the village. Please come with us."

Dog took another step forward, reaching for both boys, before they all heard, "Dog! Back down!" Everyone turned to see an ANBU with a Weasel mask shunshin into the area, causing Kiyoshi to smirk. Weasel stood from the ground and said, "All ANBU are to report to the Hokage for a quick debriefing. No one is to be absent – or late – to this under penalty of immediate removal from the shinobi ranks. Leave the boys alone. Hokage's orders state the foreigner isn't to be impeded in any way, no matter what he may do to us – ninja or citizen alike."

The ANBU began whispering slightly amongst themselves, and Dog glanced at the boys again quickly before nodding his head and replying, "Alright. The boy should be fine in that foreigner's hands." He then turned to the rest of the ANBU. "Team, hurry to Hokage Tower. Let's get this over with."

One by one, the ANBU began to shunshin away, leaving the two boys and Weasel alone. As Weasel began to turn away, Kiyoshi called out, "Yo, Weasel! I need you to deliver a message for me." He stopped and looked back to the young boy.

Kiyoshi then continued. "Tell your Hokage that I need to talk to him and that he can find me at Ichiraku's tonight. It's urgent." When Weasel nodded, he then grinned. "Also, see if you can find Captain Itachi Uchiha. As a head of ANBU, he needs to hear some of this too."

A little shocked that the boy knew this info, Weasel let out a dry, "I'll see if he's available," and then shunshined away.

Kiyoshi chuckled to himself and turned to the boy. "Hey, kid. What's your name?"

The boy just stared at him for a second with his cerulean eyes before allowing a happy smile onto his face. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki! I'm six years-old, and one day, I'm gonna be a powerful ninja, dattebayo!"

Kiyoshi's eyes widened for a split second before letting a grin form onto his face. He clapped the boy on the shoulder and said, "Well then, come on, Naruto. Let's go get some ramen."

Naruto's eyes widened as a little drool seeped out of his mouth at the mention of the word. He then yelled out, "YAY, RAMEN!" before grabbing Kiyoshi by the hand and dragging him towards the stand.

The Hokage puffed his pipe a few more times as he watched for the last of Special Forces enter the room. He sighed a little and said, "You all are wondering why you are here, no doubt?" Most of the ANBU just nodded their heads or murmured a quick assent. Sarutobi continued, "As of right now, there is a guest within this village who must be protected at all times. But that is not the whole matter." He took another quick puff from his pipe, collecting his words so that he could convey the seriousness of the situation. He then spoke up again, "This guest – a nine year-old boy named Kiyoshi Tenshi – is regarded as part of an Omega-class secret amongst all Kages and Daimyos."

The room filled with nervous whispers. All secrets of the Hidden Villages were ranked based upon their seriousness. First were the Delta-class, or D-rank, secrets that really held no importance if they were lost, though it was still procedure to retrieve them if possible. Next were the Theta class, or C-rank, secrets – still not as bad to lose, but more of a priority than simple D-ranks. Above that were the Beta class, or B-rank, secrets, where things started to become more dangerous for the Hidden Village involved should they be revealed. Next were the Alpha class, or A-rank, secrets – very dangerous territory for all involved in its knowledge. And finally were the Sigma class, or S-rank, secrets, which were closely guarded by all ninja. It was even worse if those ranks reached double or triple S, and by that point, if the secret was stolen or revealed to the general public, then all those involved could very well kiss their hides goodbye before all hell rained down on them. But, no. This kid was Omega class, which meant that this situation was more than just serious; it was a bomb ready blow at the smallest of reasons.

One shinobi finally found his voice to say, "A-A-A-An O-rank, Lord Hokage? But how-"

Sarutobi cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Believe me when I say that this situation has become even more complicated than you realize, even now. Kiyoshi is not just a mere person of importance – he's a delegate from the courts of the Jade Emperor himself."

Another ninja found his voice, and it was now laced in disbelief. "The Jade Emperor? Lord Hokage, forgive my rudeness but that is nothing more than a fairy tale told to children. There's no way that such a man exists."

The Sandaime, feeling his age more than ever, smiled mirthlessly. "Oh, but that is were you are wrong. As I said, this secret is kept amongst all the major, and some minor, nations. The existence of the Emperor is no myth; he is very much real. Every Kage and Daimyo who ever takes office is made aware of this man, either peacefully or painfully. When told this information, the informed then has two choices: either accept his reign and do as he says no matter how frivelous or gruesome the order may be..." Sarutobi took another moment to puff his pipe and exhale the smoke slowly.

"Or disobey him and have your village be destroyed."

By now, some of the ANBU were shaking – yes, shaking – at the thought at the power that this mere child delegate could possess. If they so much as blinked wrong, this kid would inform the Emperor, and it's goodbye Konoha.

Bear stepped forward and asked the Hokage, "Surely we could arrange something with this child? You know, escort him around, show him some paperwork, and then send him on his way?"

Sarutobi let out another mirthless chuckle. "You really think that the Emperor would send some ignorant moron to represent him? No, this boy has more power than you think. He's been raised on court politics probably since he first drank his mother's milk, so he knows what to look for, where to look, and what questions to ask. And as for overpowering him and threatening him? Oh yes, I know some of you more arrogant shinobi are considering it. Well, guess what? Not only do I have no doubt that he has protectors hidden somewhere inside as well as outside the village walls, Kiyoshi himself has been trained by the Emperor's best, whether they be ninja, samurai, monk, or whatever else you can think of. You choose to fight him, you die. It's that simple."

An ANBU with a Tiger mask then shouted out, "Well then, what the hell are we supposed to? If we can't defend ourselves from someone like this, then how do we fight?"

Sarutobi banged his fist down and shot up from his seat, yelling out, "DON'T YOU GET IT? WE DON'T! This isn't some small annoyance that we either try to push to the side or get rid of! We may be one of the most powerful shinobi nations, but our power is loaned to us! If the Emperor had wanted it, we would already be dead! You hear me? DEAD!"

There was a stunned silence in the room, and Sarutobi took this moment to calm himself and sit back into his chair. A few minutes later, Dog finally spoke up, "Lord Hokage, if all this is true, then why hasn't the Emperor revealed himself to the rest of the world? Why is it such a closely guarded secret amongst the leaders of the nations?"

Sarutobi sighed. "Simple, because he is protecting himself through the ignorance of the people of the Elemental Nations. None of the people in this village know about him, and yet most of their taxes go to the Fire Daimyo who then takes out a very hefty share and gives it to him as tribute. As long as he is a secret, then he is safe from those who would try to harm him."

"But Lord Hokage, how is that possible?"

"How can you kill a man who does not exist? If most ninja are unaware of him, then they won't try to find him. There's simply just no temptation. And so long as the leaders obey whatever decrees he makes, he's content to keep it that way."

A woman in a Viper mask then, to surprise of those there, meekly said, "And, if he isn't?"

Sarutobi barked out a laugh. "Then you'd better pray the Shinigami takes your soul before his forces arrive at our doorstep."

He then stood up and motioned to all present. "That is the reason why, no matter what he does or says, Kiyoshi Tenshi must never be impeded. If he chooses to kill a civilian, you ask if you can help. If he kidnaps a child, you prevent the parents from finding out. If he rapes a woman, you surround the room and prevent her from escaping. I don't care what questions he asks, what actions he performs, or where he chooses to go; you just keep him safe. And if you choose to do otherwise or try to attack him, then you're already dead to me and I wash my hands of you. Do I make myself clear?"

The room resounded with a loud "HAI!" before Weasel shunshined into the room. He walked up to the Hokage and whispered Kiyoshi's earlier message into the old man's ear. Sarutobi nodded and turned back to the rest of the room. "A formal meeting between me, the councils, and all ninja ranked chunin and above will be arranged tomorrow. In the meantime, return to your posts."

All ANBU shunshined away in response, and Sarutobi turned back to Weasel. "Now then, Itachi. It's time we went and found out what Kiyoshi wishes to speak to us about."

Itachi removed his mask and put it into his pouch. "Hai, Lord Hokage."

Well? What do you all think? Yes, both Kiyoshi and Naruto will be paired off with somebody, but I've really been hung up on who to pair with who. The first idea was to pair Naruto off with Sakura (who will not predominately be a bitch in this story except when the situation calls for it, I assure you, and that will only depend on the ending I choose) and Kiyoshi with Ino and Hinata. The other pairings were for Naruto to get Ino and Hinata while Kiyoshi gets Sakura. Then the last pairings were for Naruto and Hinata while Kiyoshi gets Ino and Sakura. I have a poll up on my profile for who you think Kiyoshi will get paired up with, and that answer will determine Naruto's as well. So leave a vote on the poll, and I'll see about when I can post this. Until then, take care and please read and review!