A/N:Aaaaargh! I'm getting too much into Dbz as of late. This is my last fic for awhile now! Seriously! I need to update Five Days to Watch you Die and Artificial! Anywho, I'm not sure if anyone has tried this yet, but I thought it wise to give it a shot. So many possibilities! This chapter has quite the number of surprises in store for you, dear readers and its a long one, so be prepared! And now, a quote someone suggested I post, should a certain prince ever discover what has been granted to Naruto...

"Immortality...I am the only one worthy of such a prize! Me! Vegeta! Prince of all Saiyans! Not some half-blooded abomination!"

~Vegeta.

Heritage

Sarutobi Hiruzen was still struggling to come to terms with the near destruction of his village. Just last night, Konoha had come under attack by a creature that left his blood cold. A great ape. He knew at once, that this creature must be Naruto, that the boy must've looked at the full moon. What's more, it was not just any great ape, but rather a giant, red gorilla nearly twice the size of the hokage momument and easily three times as wide. Great gouts of fire and flame gushed from its maw; punching a thick swathe of destruction throughout the center of the village. Beams of destruction, carving entire craters through homes and streets alike.

They'd been able to drive him off somehow, but there was no telling what could happen now. Sarutobi steepled his fingers and offered a silent apology to Minato. He'd promised to take care of the boy, to keep him from the violent heritage to which he was entitled. Within good reason. Minato was the last 'Namikaze' for a reason for there had never been a Namikaze clan to begin with. Where one to look at earlier photos of their mighty Yondaime in his youth, they would've found it strange that a Namikaze had black hair, rather than blond.

For the upteenth time Sarutobi cursed the subtle intricacies of genjutsu. Naruto looked exactly like his father, beyond the illusion that'd been placed upon him. Tail and all. Minato had removed his long ago, but the foul legacy of his race lived on in that of his only son. Last night certainly made that much evident. And to make matters worse, said son was now nowhere to be found. The villagers were running amok, clamoring to blame someone, anyone for last night's horrific loss of life. That their beloved "demon-brat" happened to be conspicuously absent at the time, merely meant they thought he was somehow responsible for the calamity. Foolish imbeciles! They knew not what they tampered with! If the boy ever learned to control his transformation as his father had before him, they were doomed! Then again, he'd killed dozens. His former teammates, Homura and Koharu were also amongst the dead, so Sarutobi could understand their unmitigated rage.

But now was not the time for anger. Now was the time for caution. They'd no way of knowing Naruto's mental state after his first transformation, least of all his physical condition. All that suppressed energy, released in a single, cataclysmic burst...

What's more, he'd seen the dragon. Realized the horror of what had been done. His predecessor had entrusted the powerful artifacts to Hiruzen mere days before the fateful mission that would name him hokage. There had been a certain mystique about the seven spheres, an otherwordly power. The power to usurp reality itself. Where they'd come from he would not say. Only, that they held power over all things, and were only to be used in the most dire of times. It was not until nearly a decade later, that Hiruzen realized the enormity of what the Niidaime meant. They could grant wishes. He'd been given quite the fright when he'd first summoned the dragon and even then, he hadn't meant to call upon him at first.

He'd been sitting at his disk, idly contemplating the seven spheres. He'd wished for an end to the conflict, for an end to the war between the villages. For an end to the Third Great Shinobi War. And lo and behold, those balls exploded with light, and his wish had come true! The war ended that very day, only a few hours after the appearance of Shenron. Hiruzen promptly used his second wish to make everyone forget the appearance of the Eternal Dragon, save himself. Then, to his dismay, the seven spheres scattered, shootng off in different directions. Everything went horribly wrong after that starting with Orochimaru's defection the shattering of the sanin and attack of the Kyuubi, ending at last in the Uchiha Massacre.

The best and brightest minds of Konoha had done the impossible; they'd created a device by which to track the dragonballs. A radar if you will. And it worked! Functioned properly! It was a simple matter to have Inoichi pluck the memories from their minds afterwards, leaving them none the wiser. Sarutobi was the Sandaime after all. He couldn't very well condone murder now, could he?

He'd spent the rest of his career tracking the infernal things down, scouring the ends of the earth for what he eventually came to call the dragon balls. As he discovered they became inert for a year after their use, mere stones the time of their rediscovery, the Uchiha Massacre took place, ordered by Danzou himself. This time, Sarutobi had been a great deal more discreet in calling upon the dragon. He'd taken the dragonballs nearly all the way around the world just to summon Shenron in relative safety.

But when he attempted to summon the dragon, it refused to grant any of his wishes! It blatantly refused to restore the Uchiha clan, refused to bring Orochimaru back saying both were beyond its power! Unable to bring himself to destroy such a vital tool, he'd sealed them away instead. There they had lain, untouched for several decades, until Naruto stole the scroll of sealing and unleashed them. Fearing the worst, Hiruzen ordered all but his elite guard to retreive the scroll. He'd been staring at the night sky when he recognized the darkening of the skies, the thunder and the lightning. When the dragon was called upon. When the beast's eyes pulsed that familiar, baleful red, he knew everything had been for naught. Despite his every effort to make it otherwise, a wish was granted that night. But what manner of wish was it? He certainly hadn't wished to become an almighty hokage, Sarutobi knew that much. And he couldn't have brought Minato or Kushina back. That detracted from his lists of worries, even as it grew.

The boy could've wished for anything. Anything at all. And now, in the aftermate of his rampage, the scroll and dragonballs were nowhere to be found.

Where the devil was he?!


"Oi...

"..."

"Oi."

"..."

"OI!"

"..."

"I swear if you don't wake your ass up RIGHT NOW I'm going to smack you upside the head, you stupid monkey!"

"Whuzzat?"

Miles away from his ruined village, Uzumaki Naruto finally began to stir. Groaning, he rolled onto his back. He stared at it for a long moment. Strange. Had it always been red? He distinctly remembered it being a dark brown just the other night-SON OF A BITCH! To his dismay, the demi-saiyan finally recognized his distinct lack of clothing. He was naked, bare as the day he'd been born. Grass tickled at his skin as he rose. And a fire in his head immediately threatened to put him back down for good.

Ouch.

Spitting curses nearly venemous enough to imprint themselves into the earth, he sat up, tenderly touching a hand to his head. Where was he? The ground around him looked as though it'd been leveled; or at the very least, trampled by very large feet. The forest behind him was still smoldering; whispy trails of smoke stretching like skeletal fingers toward the cloudy sky above. Some instinct told him it was about to rain, and yet the thought of shelter was the furthest thing from his mind. Instead, he threw a concerned glance over his shoulder.

Eh?

The Scroll of Sealing was there, singed and tattered, yet still remarkably whole. And that wasn't all.

Oddly enough, the balls from before were there as well, laid out beside the scroll, strewn out across the grass in a small semicircle. Idly, Naruto contemplated them. There was something terribly important about those balls, something that he needed to remember, but what? What was it? Meh, if it was that important, he'd remember eventually, right? Picking himself up off the floor, he stood woodenly not taking enough care. Almost immediately thereafter he cringed as the smell of sour sweat and stale piss assaulted his nostrils. Yuck! His nose curled, even as he sucked in a relfexive breath. It was a mistake. His eyes watered a half heartbeat later tearing up beneath the foul odors of his own secretions.

God, I stink!

As luck would have it, there happened to be a stream nearby. Submerging himself in the cool water, Naruto quickly proceeded to wash all of his aches and pains away. It didn't take him long to notice the blood washing downstream beneath all the grime. Now that he took a closer look he realized he was covered in blood and yet he bore no wounds. Wierd. He felt calm. There was no sudden surge of panic as there certainly would have been had this happened yesterday. Instead, he felt an unsettling sense of calm-of satisfaction-as he cleaned himself.

Once he was finished, he finally returned his attention to the scroll of sealing. A cursory glance revealed that it was mostly intact. Portions of the text had been scorched beyond recognition, but a name stood out amidst the others. It was his name. Curious, he pressed a hand against it. One plume of smoke later and letter fluttered into his hand.

Below which was written:

To my precious son, Naruto.

There's so much I've wanted to say to you, and now, I fear I am out of time. If you're reading this, then you are now sixteen and the old fart, actually kept his word. If not...well, I suppose he was right to fear you. But know this. You, are not of this world. You are part of a proud race. A strong race. You are a saiyan. You are not weak, despite what others may say to you. I want you to remember that.

You are strong.

I fled to this planet to get away from all that, to escape from my asshole of brother, King Vegeta and the deal he made with Frieza. I can just see the look on your face now. Why would I leave a life of luxury behind for some backwater planet like this? I suppose you could say I was disillusioned at the time. I was also hopelessly in love with your mother. Ironic, isn't it? I came to this planet, with the intention to destroy it, and instead I end up falling for a hot-headed hanabero. I'm sorry, if you feel jilted because of that; if I stole away your chance at a better life. I hope you can forgive me for that someday, son. The people of this planet are stange; they can be so cruel, but they're capable of such kindness, like you mother. I don't know if they've treated you well, and on the off chance that they havent, I'm sure you must hate them. Please, don't give into hatred. You musn't give them the satisfaction of seeing your tears. They don't understand. You might think they deserve death, or worse. You might even hate me, your own father, for sealing the Kyuubi inside you. A saiyan, using ninjutsu! Whoever heard such a thing! My brother would kill me...if he could find me. But he can't; because he's already dead! Ha! Ah...going on a tangent again. Where was I? Ah, yes. Frieza.

Stay away from him, son. If you've found my space pod and you're anything like your mother you'll probably want to go and clobber him. Don't. Only a super saiyan stands any sort of chance against him. Which makes what I'm about to tell you all the more difficult. He destroyed our planet, son. All our people, gone. As far as I know of, you and the prince are the only ones left. But there may be others. Now, I'm going to write down my most important techniques and how to master them. First, there's the instant transmission. That is by far, the hardest to conquer. I learned it from the Yardrats before my pod crashed-landed here. All you have to do is focus on another's energy and imagine becoming light itself. Focus is the key. From there, its absolutley imperative that you-

Naruto continued to read, his fingers trembling. The rest of the page was smudged out, to his dismay, ruined in the flames. It only became legible towards the very end:

-not sure if other saiyans sought safety here before Planet Vegeta was destroyed. But if they have, you're bound to encounter their descendants sooner rather than later. Please for the love of all that's good and holy do not kill them. I've left you one of my old scouters, so you should be able to recognize them on sight, assuming they're tailless. I'm not asking you to bond with any of the girls, if there are any, let alone make them your mates... but hey, if you're anything like your old man, you probably won't be able to resist a girl with a tail. Don't tell your mother I said that! If you want to revive our race though go right ahead. Just...Just don't make those same mistakes we did, kid. And be sure to take care of my armor! Aaargh, now I'm getting sentimental...

Abruptly, the writing became loose and scrawled, laced with droplets of old, dried blood, seeped into the parchment.

Crap...looks like I really am out of time now. My hands already gone numb an I'm dripping blood everywhere. I'm sorry I couldn't give yo the life you deserved, Naruto. I'm sorry couldn't give you a proper saiyan name like I wanted to. I'm sorry your mother can't be here to see you, see how wonderful you're going to be. But...there are good people on this planet. She, taught me that. They deserve a chance to live, son. Please, don't fail them as I have.

P.S. If you do meet Prince Vegeta down the road...try and cut the kid some slack. He's probably had a hard life under Frieza, remember that. Unless he tries to kill you. Then kick his ass!

Love always,

Turlock.

A.k.a Minato Namikaze!

Naruto sat there, numbed.

This was too much. Too much. How could he possibly be expected to process so much at once? His soul threatened to snap and it felt as if the weight of the world were settling onto his shoulders. Not only was he not of this world, but the fourth hokage was his father! How could anyone accept that, right off the bat?! It was absurd! Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous! He shook his head, banishing the tears. I won't cry, he told himself. He was tired of bawling like a helpless babe.

All that was left was the scroll, with his name written upon it. The dragonballs could wait. This was his father's legacy. A small part of him wanted nothing more than to seal it away and pretend this had never happened in the first place. Everything was about to change. His human half wanted nothing more than to resume his normal life. His saiyan blood however, demanded that he honour his father's ultimate sacrifice. His human half remained convinced that this was a bad idea. A very bad idea. Surely their jiji had kept this information sealed for a reason...right?

Reasons be damned! Naruto's saiyan side shouted, manifesting upon his right shoulder as a scowling version of himself, clad in resplendent saiyan armor. He kept this from us! Our legacy! Our heritage! He left us weak, when we could've been strong. When we could've been so much more!

He was trying to protect us. whispered his humanity, bearing the form of a jumpsuit clad lad, sitting on his left shoulder. He always looked out for us, remember?

He wasn't there when we were beaten within an inch of our lives all those times! Saiyan-Naruto seethed. We only became stronger thanks to me!

We were strong because we never gave in, Shinobi-Naruto reminded him sagely. We could've lashed out in anger, but we didn't. Despite all that they did to us, we took the high road.

And were trampled upon!

Do the right thing, Naruto.

I am the right thing!

No, I am.

Are you really going to listen to that pansy?

Pansy?! I am not a pansy!

"Both of you, shut up!" Naruto clutched at his head, banishing them both. "Let me think!"

He contemplated the scroll a moment longer, struggling to come to terms with it all. This was a once in a lifetime chance. When the sandaime's men found him, and they would find him, the scroll would taken away and doubtlessy be placed under lock and key. He'd never have a chance to see read these words, to uncover this power, ever again. It stood to reason that his father wanted him to wait until he reached sixteen, before he'd unlock the powerful secrets within. He was only fourteen. He might not be able to handle it. Then again, Naruto never was one to listen to reason.

In the end, his saiyan blood prevailed.

Ha!

Awed, he pressed a palm against the seal. He didn't even have to channel chakra. With a small poof of smoke, a dark blue jumpsuit appeared, complete with white gloves, pointed boots and an armored vest that looked as though it'd just been polished. What's more, they came in his newfound size. As though they'd been meant for him, when he'd come of age. He reached out to touch them and his gaze alighted upon a strange simple looking contraption, designed to be worn over one's eye. He held it in his handa and marvelled at it, but at the same time, he was torn. He felt sick. Violated. He'd had this entire heritage at his fingertips, and all the old man had to do was show him this scroll. Granted, he'd opened it two years too early, but still...

"Father," Naruto nodded to himself. "I'll honor your legacy."

Reverently, he donned the armor and with great care, as though the act itself was sacred. And to him, it was. This was his father's armor. He'd worn this when he'd met mom, all those years ago. What had it been like, he wondered? What were her thoughts when she found him, when their eyes first met? He coud only begin to imagine. Remarkably, the suit and armor both stretched for him, fit his body like a glove. There was even a hole for his tail! Naruto found himself smiling as he pulled the vest down over his head, completing the ensemble. The shoulder pads only made him look all the more imposing, in his opinion.

Naruto picked up said strange device-the scouter?-and inherently knew to place it over his right eye, and lock it around his ear. It was strange seeing the world through a shade of sapphire with one eye whilst the other stayed entirely the same. He blinked a few times to adjust his vision, fumbling with the catch until he found a trigger on the right side.

Here goes nothing, he mused.

He pressed the button and data swept across the blue filter, bombarding him with information. He pressed it again. Blue eyes bulged as it rattled off a series of numbers, ending with a mirror image of his own. Himself, he realized, as a circle appeared, punctuated by a rapidly rising number. Scanning, came a synthesized voice. Subject, saiyan. Power level, the computer's voice gave a soft sounding chime; Ten thousand, five hundred.

Naruto's body bucked in surprise. 10,500?! He knew little of his race and power levels, but he couldn't deny the pride swelling within his chest. It felt good. Ten thousand was a high number he mused. Then again, he'd nothing to compare it to. Speaking of comparing...

Suddenly eager to see his own reflection, the demi-saiyan stepped toward the stream.

"Wow."

Naruto stretched, admiring his new self, in the water's reflection. Huh. Had he always been this tall? It looked as though he'd grown a foot overnight, his body re-proportioning his newfound mass, just so. The slightest hint of musculature could be seen, barely visible beneath his armored chest. There was a firmness to his limbs that hadn't been there before as well; as though he'd ingested an enormous amount of food last night and his body had converted it all to musculature. And then there was the matter of his hair. No longer was it blond, but rather, it flawlessly contrasted against the new color of his tail; black as night. Any traces of the spiky blond were utterly obliterated by the unruly locks framing his face. Ticking the nape of his neck like a feather's touch. He pushed a hand through his new hair in an effort to tamp it down, and succeeded only in musing it even further. Gah! Between his sudden growth spurt and his new hair-even his eyebrows were black now!-he hardly recognized himself! Were it not for those clear blue eyes and whiskered cheeks, he'd scarcely have distinguished this young man from the boy he'd been just last night.

Last night...

His tail twitched in rememberance.

"!"

Suddenly and without warning, his false peace was shattered. The events of the previous evening came crashing down around his ears like so much glass, leaving the would-be genin dizzied and numb. The balls. Iruka. Mizuki. The full moon. His world shrinking as he grew larger and then...nothingness. He remembered anger a great and mighty power, surging throughout his body like never before. Reaching for Mizuki the murderer of Iruka, he who'd dared call him demon brat. Pain, as he stabbed at him with a kunai, driving the sharp dagger into his massive fist. Fury as he raised him towards his upturned face and opened hiis mouth. The memories dissolved into a crimson haze from there, leaving him with the strangest aftertaste in his mouth, lingering against his tongue. It was a flinty, metallic taste, almost like...like...

...like blood.

"Oh...god...!"

Naruto vomitted, dry heaving when his stomach refused to forfeit the contents of his last meal. He fell to his knees, furtively clutching at his mouth and throat in a desperate attempt to extricate the remnants of his last meal, to no avail. He'd...He'd eaten him! He'd eaten Mizuki! Yuck! Gross! Disgusting! Unbidden, his body heaved again, spattering the grass with vomit.

"Figure that out yourself, did you?"

And with that, the last vestiges of his calmness were gone.

Naruto started in surprise. What? Noise in his head! He spun on the spot, quickly dropping the drgaonball off with the others, and brandished his hands in a defensive fashion. He had no manner of defending himself out here in the open, but he wouldn't go down without a fight! But a fight was not forthcoming.

"Nope. Not out there."

More noise! Was this an attack?

"Are you seriously this dense?"

It didn't sound like an attack… just more noise. More questioning than anything else. Naruto grunted and decided to ignore it till it went away.

"I'm inside your head, dumbass!"

"Well...stop talking inside my head!"

...seriously?"

Naruto shook his head to banished the blasted bastard. It didn't work.

"Shaking your head isn't going to make me go away." The voice snickered. Naruto wanted to scream. This was not happening. This was not happening. THIS. WAS. NOT. HAPPENING! This...this thing was not part of him! It was not inside of him! He wasn't hearing its voice! He wasn't listening! La la la! Not listening!

"You can't ignore your instincts." Kyuubi was snickering now. "Remember what happened the last time...

"Look, I know what you are, but I seriously don't wanna deal with this right now!" His eyes teared anew at the thought of his sensei. "Iruka...because of me... he...he...

"Oh stop your bawling!"

"I said stop talking!" Naruto snapped back.

"Wish him back, then!"

The demi-saiyan paused, a venemous retort frozen upon his lips. Wish Iruka back to life? That...was actually a good idea. A really good idea! If the dragonballs could grant him immortality, then they ought to be able to bring a person back to life. At least, in theory. Maybe it could even separate him from this damned fox! Wait...wouldn't that kill him? But he was immortal! Wait. The Kyuubi was sealed inside of him. Did the immortality therefore apply to the beast as well? He'd be letting loose an immortal monster! Aargh! Too confusing! He'd settle for reviving Iruka. He didn't know the limits of the dragons power, but he was willing to test it...even if it wasn't one of his brighter ideas.

"Not exactly known for those, are you?" the voice chided.

'SHUT UP!

"Alright!" He barked at the balls, demanding their compliance. "Dragon! I-

"Bloody hell!" Kyuubi barked in his mind seconds later. "Of all the times-

Before he could speak further, a subtle tremor shook the earth, sendig one of the balls rolling aside, effectively ending the summoning.

"Hmm?"

His hair blew across his face as something passed with impossible speed overhead. He glimpsed nothing more than a ripple in the air itself, the faintest whisp of steam or mist wadded into a ball like so much discarded parchment. Had he not been looking right at it, indeed, expecting something very much like it, he'd never have known it was there. It registered as little more than a blur in his eyes before it hurtled past, propelled by the eldtritch forces of gravity and momentum.

Naruto blinked.

"What the-

The world erupted. The murky floodwater was the blood of the earth, gushing from the wound inflicted by his attacker's invisible hammer. A ferocious tide slammed into him, threatening to knock him from his feet and for the first time he was actually grateful for the tight grip of the muck below his feet. Mud, bits of plant matter-even a smattering of dead frog and snake-rained across the bog, blinding Naruto to anything, everything else. His ears rang with a deafening crrrrack, follwed by a secondly enormous splash. Spray spattered his face, the surface of the swamp roiled against his legs, and even without sight Uzumaki Naruto knew something had happened. A second equally enormous aftershock rocked the earth, seconds later. Yup, definitely something.

Something big.

He jogged toward the smoke, wondering what it was that could've possibly caused such a cataclysmic quake. In the end, it was almost painfully obvious.

He peered over the lip of the crater, and the breath left his lungs. He was staring at a spaceship. An alien spaceship! A pod, round and circular in design, a singular, one man craft. A single tinted window lent a glimpse for the sole occupant within, but the red glass refracted all light and denied him the knowledge of their identity. And then the door opened, sliding back to reveal the rider, seated within.

It was a girl.

His heart skipped, pounded. Slowing its beating by force of will, he forced himself to observe her as she exited the craft. For she was emphatically female. Tall, slender, curves in all the right places her rust brown-black armor did nothing to obscure her figure. Slim, athletic, her skin flush with dust and blood. The darkness of her eyes contained no hint of mercy, no hint of anything. He guessed she was at least two years older than he, but she carried herself with assurance. Even that absurdly thick mane of ludicrously long, spiky hair lofting around armored shoulders did nothing to eclipse her confidence. Nor did it conceal the brown tail coiled around her waist, wrapped tight, like a piece of rope.

Naruto's eyes bucked in surprise.

A tail?!

Then this girl was...a saiyan?

Emerging from the confines of her craft, the warrior took a good long, hard look at her surroundings. She swooned, body swaying back and forth as she struggled to maintain her hold on the hull with one hand supporting herself with the other in a feeble effort to susatain her footing. In the light of day, he could clearly see her wounds, the ravaged state of her armor leaving precious little to the imagination. It looked as though she'd been beaten to oblivion and back again. Naruto's eyes flicked down at her waist, noticing that her legs were also blotched by bruises. Whoever had done this to her had made sure to leave her helpless before she'd escaped. And by the look of it, she wouldn't live much longer.

"D-Damnit." She cursed, gasping out each syllable. "Those...shitty...Kanassans! I won't...forgive them for this..." She took a tremelous step forward and nearly collapsed from the effort, catching herself only at the very last instant. Blood wept from her wounds as she clutched at them, staining her fingers crimson. "Damnit! Bastards!" She groaned anew and uttered an oath so foul it made Naruto blush.

"Damnit...

Some instinct told Naruto to check the scouter system. A soft beep answered him, followed: Power level: One thousand, two hundred. Naruto snorted. An unfamiliar derision welled up within him, dulled his fear for himself, smothered it in more immediate arrogance an emotion until now unknown to him. Weak. Whomever this girl was she was far weaker than he. She was no threat to him, this girl. And yet something stiirred within him at the sight of her. Pity, perhaps? Concern? Whatever it was, this feeling spurred him to action.

"Oi." The demi-saiyan was cursing himself even as he stood, even as the words left his lips. "Are...Are you alright, miss?" It was like flicking a switch. The saiyan girl jerked upright, and the next thing Naruto knew, his vision swelled with golden light. Acting solely on instinct, he flung up an arm and-to his delight!-the blast carromed harmlessly off his palm and into the woods. Well, that was- He winced as it obliterated a small section of forest behind him, leaving naught but a smoldering crater in its wake.

-stupid." the fox finished for him.

The boy glowered at the intrusion.

'I was going to say easy,' Naruto mused as he flung himself into the crater, 'But that works too.' His hand stung a bit when he used it to slow his descent, but otherwise he remained unharmed. Dust crumbled before his boots, dirtying themas he slid down the embankment towards her. She raised a hand once more, finger flickering with energy, only to slump backward in exhaustion. Whatever strange technique she'd used, it'd drained her already depleted reserves to nearly nothing. Naturally, Naruto was curious. Could any saiyan do that? Silently, he resolved to discover more at a later date. Assuming there was a later date beyond this.

"Who the hell're you?"She hissed at him eyes narrowing as she saw his armor, his scouter, his tail. She took him in at a single glance, appraising him. Assesing his potential worth. Naruto bristled. He was not a piece of meat to be gawped at! He was a person! A saiyan! And yet, the girl continued to stare, fascinated by his mere prescence. Minato's son began to twitch. For a moment, he forgot all about her injuries, that she was dying on her feet in front of him. She'd offended him, and his blood demanded retribution.

"I could ask you the same question!" he growled, tail twitching angrily. "You tried to kill me!"

She had nothing to say to that that.

...where am I?" she asked at last.

"Just outside of Konoha." Naruto stole a glance over his shoulder, grimacing at the memory. "Or what's left of it."

Oddly enough, his words sparked a reaction in the wounded warrior. She laughed, sinking back into the seat of her pod, as though the very effort of standing exhausted her. A knowing smile grew across her features as if she somehow knew what he was talking about. He half-expected her to offer an explanation. She did not offer an explanation. On the contrary she said nothing the bushy mane that was her hair pressed back into the cushioned seat as she rested her head against an open palm. For a moment he feared the door would close between them and she'd be gone again; one of the last members of his race. He couldn't stand the thought of it; of being alone again.

"You transformed, didn't you?"

But the door remained open and so too did she remain, eventually raising her gaze to meet his own. She chortled softly to herself, as though they'd just shared some sort of inside joke between the two of them. Naruto found it quite disturbing to be honest. Abruptly she straightened, pinnioning him on her gaze, raising a hand once more. This time, no energy blast was forthcoming. Instead, she depressed a button on her own scouter, the green filter flickering with information as it read his power. Naruto couldn't help but hold his breathe, despite knowing what it would say.

"Lets see here." She sighed.

Wait for it...

Her eyes bulged.

"Its...over nine thousand!"

Naruto blanched.

"Somehow that line doesn't seem right, coming from you...

Despite her wounds, the saiyaness sulked.

"Yeah, it always sounds better when Vegeta says it-THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" She lurched forward in her seat, glaring bloody red daggers at him. "You! Boy! You're obviously a saiyan, right?!" At Naruto's nod, she grew angrier still "Tell me then...why hasn't this planet been cleansed?!" She accused, surprising him with the strength of her words. Frail in body she may have been, but she was still a warrior underneath. She assumed he was a weakling, sent away to conquer the planet, he realized.

Naruto blinked. There hadn't been any mention of "cleansing" in his father's note.

"What're you talking about?"

"I-

A sudden coughing spasm seized her, choking off her words.

"Nevermind!"

She shook her head.

"What's your name, boy?" she asked suddenly, her words lacking their usual rancour. Naruto hesitated.

"You first."

"Raditz, daughter of Bardock and Fasha." The saiyan lass introduced herself. "And you?"

"Naruto," he replied warily, "Son of Mi-erm, I mean, son of Turlock. Somehow, it just felt appropriate to use his father's saiyan name. It felt right. It felt stupid, but he felt that it should be said. It was a mistake, and he would later curse himself for it, but he uttered it nonetheless. Radit'z's earlier reply paled in comparison to this one.

Beneath Raditz's battered and bruished skin, the slow flushing of her face was like a burning forest fire. Black eyes fluttered shut and open with rapidity of a hummingbird's wingspan. She looked him up and down, eyes shifting from his face, to his tail, back to his face again. She peered at him intently, as though searching for some sort of resemblance, faint though it may have been. When Raditz finally spoke, it was with the barest of whispers, scarcely even audible to the ears of the former blond.

"D-Did you say...Turlock?"

"Ah...yes?"

Naruto puffed out his chest a bit. Ah, he recognized this feeling. Pride. There was admiration in her words, and perhaps just a hint of longing. Whomever this woman was she held his father in high respect. Now that his blood had begun to awaken, he was feeling more and more akin to his own race because of that. Wait a second. Were those tears in her eyes? They were! Before he could ask why, the girl grabbed him by the collar, no mean feat considering her injuries, and rammed her lips against his.

THE FUCK?

Naruto jerked back as if he'd been burned.

"Oi oi oi OI!" He exclaimed aghast, gawping at the wounded warrior before him. "What the hell was that for, porcupine?!"

Raditz stared at him, incredulous.

"What did you just call me?"

"Porcupine!"

"That is not my name, you-" another coughing spasm seized her and shook her battered body like a rag doll. When it finally abated, her words were a great deal softer than before.

"I was promised to the firstborn son of Turlock by my father." she said softly. "Surely you were told this by your father?"

"My father's dead!" Naruto was incredulous. "And what the hell?! You don't marry someone just because your pops says so, ya know?!"

Raditz laughed; it was a harsh, hollow sound. Blood began to spill past her lips.

"I'm...an elite. We don't question orders...sire."

Naruto stiffened.

"Hey!" He exclaimed. "Are you...

Raditz'z only response was silence.

No.

Red flooded his vision.

Nononononono...

"Oooh no you don't! I've got more questions! You're not allowed to die on me, you hear!" Before she could react he bolted backwards, arcing over the lip of the crater in a single bound. Less than two beats later, and he was back again, impossibly balancing several-seven?-small balls in his arms. He laid all seven at her feet, and raised his hands to check for a pulse. Finding none, he despaired. No! It couldn't end like this! Just when he had found someone to answer all his questions-not to mention a girl with a tail!-she was about to die on him! No! No no no NO!

Yes! The fox cackled inside his head, delighting in his every moment of torment. Get angry! Use your rage! Make it your POWER!

For the first time since he'd become aware of the Kyuubi, Naruto succumbed, foolishly allowing the rage of tenant to become one with his own.

His eyes flared. For a moment, just a mere moment something snapped within him. Something changed. Blue irises flickered into green. The rage Naruto felt at potentially losing one of the last members of his race was indescripable. Incredible. Overwhelming. It throttled him, increased his power exponentially, pushed his soul to the brink and beyond. For the second tiime in less than twenty-four hours Naruto's soul went hurtling over the edge in the prescence of the dragonballs

He felt, rather than saw the transformation. Felt it, as his hair stood on end; the whites of his eyes threatening to blot out all else. Felt it, as every muscle bulged, newfound power coursing through his cells and into the untapped potential he held, deep within his heart. All the beatings he'd taken, all the harsh words, they were nothing compared to the pain he felt at losing one of his own. It hurt. Kami, it hurt so damned much! Muscle and veins throbbed as one as he screamed, his own scouter shattering as it sensed the awakening of his newfound power.

Black hair and dark brows melded into gold, brightening as one into as a resplendent aura of saffron and scarlet enveloped his form.

All the while his mind raged within his body, his blood boiling at a feverish pitch. The pain was so intense he thought he was going to go insane! But eventually, the pain subsided. When Naruto's mind finally became his own again, he stood several inches taller, and his hair gleamed brighter than ever before. He saw his own reflection in his mind's eye. A god in human fom. His tail had suffered change as well, during the transformation the blood red fur brightening into a soft shade of gold, but what held him were the eyes. Not black or blue, but the must furious shade of jade.

"That's more like it." The fox applauded.

Naruto was horrified.

What the hell have you done to me?!

You should be thanking me, whelp! I just helped you become the first super saiyan in nearly a thousand years! And you're only a half-breed! Be grateful!

'And what, pray tell, am I supposed to do with all this power?'

You mean besides kill the one responsible for the near EXTINCTION of your race?

Y-You stay out of my head, damnit!

Yeah, can't really do that. So you were thinking about boning that Raditz girl, hmm? Must be the tail-

"Aaaargh!"

Naruto turned his super saiyan wrath toward the dragonballs, infuriated by his tenants incessant taunts. He wanted to kill something. Anything.

It took all he had just to choke the words out.

"Get out here, dragon!" He demanded, eyes blazing. "You owe me another wish, you scaly bastard!" This time he stood strong as the winds picked up, as the sky darkened in recompense for is temerity. A bolt of might, of heavenly light, erupted from the balls and roared into the clouds coalescing into the shape of the eternal dragon once more. Its roar seized and shook the surface of the earth like a ragdoll, its breath tore through the stormy sky as though it were naught but paper. Seas parted. Columns of earth jutted toward the heavens. Miles away and on the coast, its roar sundered heaven and sea alike. Only a handful of miles to the north, that which had once been the proud village of Konoha erupted into chaos. Civilians itizens of Konoha saw the dragon once more and trembled in fear.

Sarutobi Hiruzen saw the dragon as well. Dread coiled like a thousand snakes in his stomach. He'd wanted to find Naruto and now they'd found him. Sending the Anbu to the dragon's location would've been pointless of itself; he didn't want anyone to learn of its potent wish granting powers. And what's more, he could feel the rage. The unmitigated, heart-stopping fury of the saiyan race, compresserd

"He's about to make his second wish...


'I'm hallucinating.' Raditz thought to herself, her vision swimming as she clung to life. That was close. She'd blacked out for a moment there! 'I must be. That thing can't possibly be...those can't possibly be...' But they were. Those were the dragon balls...and that...was most certainly the dragon! How did this planet have dragonballs?! It made absolutely no sense! And how had this boy become blond?! He couldn't possibly be the one the legend spoke of, could he? The legendary-

Her vision swam anew, forcing her to focus her efforts on sustaining her own life.

Shenron stifled a mighty yawn and gazed down at the one who had summoned him. Imagine his surprise when found it to be the same boy from before. Oh, his appearance had changed, sure enough, but his energy all though significantly stronger, remained the same. The boy failed to make his wish prior to being attacked, and Shenron had sensed it would be...interesting. He'd remained for that sole reason. He was pleased, to be able to hear it at last.

"So it is you again, young one." Shenron boomed, recognizing Naruto. "My congratulations on the awakening of your blood." He inclined his head reverently. "Now, what is your second wish?" Naruto took a long look at the dragon. Back to Raditz. Back to the dragon. He'd just come up with the most brilliant idea. But he had to word this just so. If he said it wrong, if the dragon took his words the wrong way...everything would turn come out ass backwards and he'd be right back where he started. But first...

"Dragon!" Naruto shouted up at him. "Before I tell you my wish, I have a question!"

Shenron glowered. He didn't like answering questions! He sensed the boy would not be moved, however.

"Speak."

"How many times can the dragonballs be used?"

"They may be used to grant two wishes every year."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is there a way to find them?" he pressed. "Like a...radar, or something?"

Shenron was mum on that point. At first.

"Answer me!" Naruto bellowed, his super saiyan rage flaring. "Or I'll kill you where you stand!" In hindsight, he didn't know if it was even possible to kill the eternal dragon, but with his newfound power and temper, he was more than willing to try. And Shenron knew it.

...yes." he aqueisced at last.

"And?!"

"The one known as Sarutobi holds it."

Naruto bucked in surprise. The old man had betrayed him once again. He was half tempted to ask for this so-called rader here and now but that'd be a waste of a wish, certainly. No, this wish was important. He wanted Raditz to live. Needed her to live. He still had questions for her, so many questions to ask! But what if something else should ever happen to one of his precious people? Granted, he had none, but what of the future? In an instant, his rage found itself smothered by fear. Iruka had been killed, taken from him when he'd least expected it. No. No, he didn't want to lose anyone else. Never again. Never again!

"Dragon...this is my wish!" Naruto drew a deep breath. Please let this work! "From this day forward and in the future...

...'all those whom I wish to protect or come to care for cannot die unless they wish for it! Healing wounds, regeneration, etcetera! Beginning with Raditz!"

There was a silence.

"That is...a very difficult wish to grant." Shenron rumbled, baring his teeth. "It strains the very limits placed upon me by my creator."

Naruto groaned.

"Damn."

"But it shall be granted, super saiyan."

Naruto watched the dragon's eyes pulsate brightly and waited for some glorious flash of light or something, as there had been with the first wish. When nothing happened, when there wasn't a solar eclipse or any other miraculous sign of divination, he found himself doubting the dragon's power.

"That's it?"

"That's it." The dragon deadpanned. "Why is it that saiyans always prefer enormous explosions or supreme flashes of light?"

"What's that supposed to mean, you-

"Your wishs have been granted!" Shenron thundered aloud, ascending ever higher into the sky. "Until we meet again, son of Turlock! Fare thee well!" Narutolooked on in silence as the dragon split into seven bars of light and become the dragonballs once more. As one, they blasted outward, splitting off in seven simultaneous directions. Dark skies brightened once more, and the winds abated. All was normal. Almost. Naruto heaved a heavy sigh of relief, his aura beginning to abate-

"Super...Saiyan?"

-only for it to flare up again.

Naruto whipped around at the sound of the voice, eyes bulging.

Radtiz looked at him in shock and awe, and the super saiyan he'd become reeled back in surprise. Her wounds were gone as if they'd never been. Were it not for the ruined state of her armor one would never've known just how close she'd been to awe and admiration in her eyes was unmistakeable. Undeniable. Any relief he might've felt upon realizing she lived yet was subsuquently quashed by the anger he felt. The sheer amount of hate he suddenly felt for her, for the trifle of passing out was not natural. Naruto reeled back in surprise. The power! So much power! He had to push it back down. Suppress it. All of it. All the anger and the energy lest he destroy both himself and the planet. Even then, the power persisted. His hair still stood on end, jagged and fierce and his eyes, oh merciful kami his eyes...

"That was amazing, sire!"

Raditz was all smiles as she levered herself up and out of the space pod. Her tail came uncoiled from her waist seemingly of its own accord. Despite knowing next to nothing about the females of his race, Naruto felt his face flush. Blast it, what was it about women and their tails that excited him so?! It certainly didn't helpt that she was so damned close. Every fiber of his being ached for her and yest at the same time both of his hands wanted nothing more than to tear her apart. He'd just as likely kill her before he could screw her, such was his rage.

"I've never seen such power before!" Apparently, she was in hero worship mode. "You made the very marrow in my bones quiver! I-

"Porcupine." Naruto hissed through clenched teeth.

Raditz paled.

"Yes?"

"Hush."

Raditz arched an eyebrow and opened her mouth to reply, but Naruto had already turned his thoughts inward.

Calm down. He soothed himself. You made the wish. Everything's fine now. Just. Calm. Down...

It was only with a supreme effort of will that he was able to calm himself. Force the energy back down. Naruto exhaled mightily and it was with a blessed relief that he felt his hair slump against his neck. This newfound power was slower to abate however, and his rage receded, if only reluctantly. He could feel it slumbering within him ready to awaken at moments notice whenever he needed it. It was frightening to know he'd had such strength sleeping within him all this time. It was also exhilerating. Tentatively, he pushed the ki beneath his feet. Such things came to him slowly, but within moments, he found himself capable of sustained flight, least of all to an extent. The rest could be learned later. But for now...now, there was someone he needed to see.

"C'mon." He sighed, knowing full well he was going to catch hell for this. "I'm going to pay the old man a visit." He tugged at her wrist.

"Sire?"

"You're coming with me, porcupine."

"My name is Raditz!"

"You're coming with me, Raditz." Naruto ammended, shooting off toward the village. His ascent was slow, ungainly, demonstrating his lack of ability. But even as she looked on, he seemed to gain some control over his flailing form. Strange. He made it seem as though he'd never flown before. Surely such a thing was impossible to believe. All saiyans knew how to fly! Why should he be any different?

"Are you coming or not, porcupine?!"

"MY NAME IS NOT PORCUPINE, DAMN YOU!"

Raditz skulked for a moment and followed, blissfully unaware that her scouter, though damaged, was still transmitting...

... every word to her partners, billions of leagues distant in another galaxy.

A/N: Aaaaand cut! Clarification! Naruto isn't the only demi-saiyan on this planet! There are others! Several to be exact, though how any number of saiyans landed on the planet and managed to NOT kill one another remains to be seen. Now, this is going to be a long Author's note, but you'll need to read this to understand several things, including the matter of why I made Naruto's tail red and gave him such a ridiculous power level right off the bat.

First:

Hope you loved the semi-crackish letter Minato left Naruto. Y'see...

I was watching Team Four Star's Dbz Abridged while I wrote that part so...yeah. XD Now, to explain some alterations that I have. Yes, I made Raditz a girl and Naruto being royalty, in a sense, is supposedly her betrothed. This serves a purpose. Throughout the story Naruto will often be at odds with himself, forced to choose beween his increasingly violent saiyan urges and his "people" if you will. Sort of a paragon/renegade in that regard

nd, just to clarify takes place a number of years BEFORE the events of Dbz Earth, leaving the creator of these dragonballs in question. He/She will be revealed in later chapters. As for the matter of the wish, after receiving a TON of reviews and Private Messages, I decided to go with LightningBlade49's idea: and I quote;

Here's a wish that would suit naruto to a tee 'all those who he wishes to protect then and in thefuture cannot die unless asking for it' so there immortal until they want to die or naruto no longer sees them as a precious person.

Congrats!

And just for clarification:

The wish is thus: Naruto's mate(s) bonded partner(s)to gain immortality as he meets them down the road provided he cares for them. He doesn't care? No immortality. He stops caring for them? No immortality.! Sorry to dissapoint those of you who thought otherwise! The dragonballs will appear and Naruto will be hunting them down(he'll also be having a very stern word with Sarutobi next chapter), though the balls won't be used to solve EVERY problem as Goku and his friends often used them on their planet.

Immortal though he may be, our hero won't be gallavanting off to the stars just yet.

Unfortunately for him and accidentally, thanks to Raditz the "stars" just might be coming to him in the form of Vegeta when/if he learns of cousin achieving immortality before him!

I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this ficlet as much as I did writing it! Anywho, I'm off to work as always, and as always, Im looking forward to your reviews so...in the immortal, eternal word of Atlas...

...REVIEW, WOULD YA KINDLY?

I'll even throw in a free preview of who one of the demi-saiyan girls is:

Sakura Haruno felt her own tail twitch in response, like an eager dog straining at its leash, but she brought it to heel. She'd worked so hard to keep it hidden all these years, ever since she was little. Naruto was always trying to get close to her. Always trying to be near her. Thus, she tried to distance herself from him. To lying about her affections for Sasuke, who'd probably call her a freak if he ever saw the furry pink appendage just above her backside. The irony was not lost on her. How would Naruto react if he saw her tail? Naruto. Dead last, loser, always so bright, always so eager, so energetic...

But today, he'd been different. He'd worn those strange clothes, and the way he'd looked at her, it was so...primal. Rumor had it the Hokage himself had granted him genin rank, despite the destruction he'd wrought a day earlier. From what she'd seen, he didn't give so much as two licks about it.

And yet, from what she'd just seen...

Sakura shook her head, dismissing her thoughts.

Naruto...he couldn't be like her...

...could he?

Enjoy!

R&R! =D