[Edit: 14/10/2014:- Following the changes of the previous chapter. Also, I will not have Danzo dying so soon in this story this time; he needs to interfere with Hiruzen and Naruko a little longer before he's dealt with. However, the council will still be guilty of arranging the mobs and the like. (Yeah, it's fanon but I've seen it done a lot of times before and decided to follow suit. That and I like to see Naruko get her revenge.) Like how I wanted, Mikoto will still survive the event and support Sasuke as he grows up and Itachi will not be the one responsible for the Uchiha Massacre.]

[All in all, this will be the previous Chapters Two and Three combined into one longer chapter.]

I'm back with another chapter for you all! Just like to say that the first chapter was a hit for a lot of people and I'm glad to see so many people taking the time to read this! I know there's loads of Video-Game plot-lines going on but I'm hoping I can bring something fresh to the table. Many of you have reviewed the story and I'm glad you did! A majority of you went along the lines of, 'Awesome, keep it up!' and 'Really enjoying it!'. There are a few of you who have mentioned about the 'Kekkei Kreator' and about making her too powerful.

Ah, almost forgot! Props to Akai Uzu for being the beta for the first two chapters! Also, if anyone would like to help with the beta'ing, then I'd be more than thrilled! :)

"Normal Speech"

'Inner Thoughts/Flashback'

"Inward Speaking/Whispering"

"Entities/Biju Speaking"

"Entities Inward Speaking/Loud and Multiple Voices"

'Entities/Biju Thoughts'

"Jutsu!"

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Chapter Two: Kyuubi and House Cleaning
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Chapter Soundtracks: Tired of the Rain - Black Stone Cherry

(Time Skip: Six Years)

There was a solemn and tiring atmosphere lofting above the village of Konohagakure as the downpour of rain had closed all the shops and businesses for the day, despite being around six in the evening. Everyone had retreated to their homes and spend some time with their loved ones. During the past six years since the assault of the Kyuubi no Yoko, and what the people began calling the 'Kamiryu', many things have changed within the village of Konoha since the attack. Thankfully, the Yondaime's efforts had reduced the damage intake that could've been caused and it wasn't long before the villagers pitched together with the shinobi forces to rebuild their home. Businesses and trades picked up once again around four years ago since none of the traders would visit, due to the nature of the attack. Despite that, everyone was beginning to finally moving on with their lives and trying their best to let what happened, go.

Well... not quite. The past six years have been especially cruel to Naruko; the people still held their prejudice towards her for being the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi and made her life a living hell. Since the news spread that Naruko was the jinchuriki to the Kyuubi that attacked their village, everyone immediately associated themselves to the thought process that she was the fox reincarnated. To this end, she was publicly scorned and treated worse than human. She was constantly hunted after, beaten, sabotaged, betrayed and ignored any base rights of living. They blamed her for the deaths of friends, family and lovers and they wanted to enact their revenge by killing her and ending the terror for good.

She didn't understand why everyone hated her and didn't know why they were so adamant about making her life a living hell; half of them were only kids at the time and only the older generation could fully remember the event. She wasn't the kind of person to hold grudges... much. The first four years of her life proved somewhat better as she had a roof over her head, even if the people she lived with avoided her. However, all that changed a little over a year ago when she was forcefully kicked out of the orphanage to the streets.

Her hair was messy, unclean and full of dirt that darkened the natural blonde in her hair, covering her shadowed blue eyes. The rain seemed the only source of water that would willingly wash the dirt that was on this innocent little girl as she watched, in fascination and sadness, the rain clear her blonde hair and body from the grime that collected together over the past year or so. The only piece of clothing she wore was a cloth she found on one of her 'scavenges', long enough to protect her lower decency, leaving the rest of her body exposed to the world.

'Why does everyone hate me so much?' she thought to herself, curling her knees up to her chest and clenched her eyes shut when she heard footsteps closing in on her. Whenever she heard footsteps, she knew she would always get beaten afterwards so she defended herself by making herself as invisible as she could. After a few minutes, Naruko found the courage to look up, only to find a familiar figure standing in front of the girl. It was the only person she had met who didn't treat her like the rest of the villagers did and treated her like the little girl she is.

"Naruko-chan? What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Kicked out." Naruko shyly replied. She knew she could trust the elderly figure in front of her but she couldn't kick the natural instincts that would kick in when she was around people. Over the years, her personality became somewhat introverted as she wouldn't speak to many people and wouldn't say much to anyone, even those who looked out for her (the very rare occasions). Even then, it was rare to hear full sentences from her mouth. She looked up to just catch the scowl that was just on his face.

"Naruko, how long have you been living like this?" he asked, keeping the anger out of his voice so he didn't scare her.

"... year or so." she replied after a short pause. The elder Sarutobi's heart turned cold when she gave her response as he didn't know she was living in a terrible state for so long without him knowing.

'I can't believe it! What has the orphanage been doing with the money all this time? I think I'll need to make a few stops to sort this problem out but for now, she looks severely malnourished...' Hiruzen thought to himself, trying desperately to not let his anger appear on his face. "Naruko-chan, please come with me." he offered, holding out his hand for her to take. A gentle smile crossed her face, grabbing his hand to lift her up into his arms as he carried the little girl.

The two of them were talking to one another whilst he made his way to a place her parents often frequented. Well, he tried to converse with her but she wouldn't speak much to him. He scowled at how introverted she had become thanks to the villager's treatment towards her. Along the way, Hiruzen asked her about how she was living and what she has done for the past year since leaving the orphanage. In return, she asked him about the 'Will of Fire' she heard from some of the kinder people. Hiruzen couldn't help but smile at the request as he explained his sensei's teaching.

The two figures approached the stand and made their way to the counter, taking their seats. Despite her small stature and her weak frame, Naruko was able to pull herself up on the stool beside the elderly Sarutobi, earning a chuckle from her actions. She turned her head to see another elderly figure walk out from the back room. This new figure wore a chef's hat, accompanied by a short-sleeved, white button shirt and black bottoms.

"Hello! Welcome to Ichi... Hokage-sama? It's a pleasure to have you here!" the man replied, politely bowing to the elderly figure.

"There's no need for formalities here, Teuchi-san, I'm simply here for a delicious bowl of ramen." Hiruzen chuckled, giving the ramen owner a dismissive wave.

"Oh? And who's this lovely young woman with you, Hiruzen? Actually, she doesn't look too good... what happened to her?" Teuchi asked, serious expression on his face. Before Hiruzen could answer, Naruko quietly spoke in her defence.

"Kicked out. No food in over a week." Naruko bowed her head, clutching her eyes closed to prevent tears escaping; the expression was still hard-hitting to her as she couldn't soften the feeling of loneliness that affected her. Teuchi and Hiruzen both turned their attention to one another.

"Is this true, Sarutobi-san? Are people really that stupid and cruel to leave a defenceless girl fend for herself, knowing that she needs to survive?" Teuchi asked, with venom in his tone for thinking about how cruel the villagers were to her. Hiruzen shook his head in response to the question.

"I didn't know about the latter but yes, this is true. I found her in an alleyway, curled up into herself with no protection from the rain. As you can see, she's also partly indecent." Hiruzen explained.

"I see." Teuchi nodded before looking at her with soft eyes. "Naruko-chan, I want you to eat as much as you can, okay? I know you've not had much to eat and I want you to know that you are always welcome here, okay?" he spoke to her, holding a fierce determination in his eyes to protect the child and do as much for her as he could. Naruko's tears fell down her cheeks but these tears were tears of happiness as she knew that there was another person who wouldn't harm her or shun her away from having food from the place.

"Hai." she sniffed, wiping her tears away with the back of her hands. Teuchi quickly left the two of them alone to prepare the feast he was about to cook.

"Naruko-chan, I want to ask you a question and be honest with me."

"H-Hai, jiji." she replied, making the Hokage smile softly at her affectionate nickname for him.

"If you could choose, would you rather return to the orphanage or would you like to have a place of your own to live in?" he asked her softly. He waited patiently for her to reply as she hugged herself harder into her knees. She took a shuddering breath both from the need to speak more and the clod winds on her bare back.

"A-A place of my own, jiji. I don't trust anyone and I want to hide away from them all. I... (sob) I don't want feel hurt anymore!" she sobbed, letting the tears flow freely down her face once again. Hiruzen turned to the girl and held her in his arms, letting her freely cry into his chest. Right now, he was her lifeline. She continued to cry into his shoulders, not recognizing the female figure standing behind him, or paying attention.

"Neko-san, I want you to stay with Naru-chan and I here." Hiruzen ordered in a soft voice, not wanting to upset the girl in his lap.

"Gomen, Hokage-sama... I don't understand." 'Neko' replied with confusion in her voice.

"I mean, I want you to stand down. I am relieving you of duty to join us for something to eat." the elder replied, earning a puzzled look from the masked figure. None the less, the figure took her mask off and clipped it to her belt. It was at this point that Naruko stopped crying, paying attention to the new figure. She had long, shoulder-length, purple hair, complete with softened brown eyes, once she landed her gaze on the blonde.

"Hokage-sama, is this Naruko?" she politely asked. Receiving a nod in return, she let out a sigh before turning to her once more with a smile gracing her face. "Hello, Naruko-chan, I'm Yugao." She offered her hand to the girl, who instinctively flinched and hid herself into his robes.

She snarled as she looked to Hiruzen with a look asking 'What did they do to her?'. Hiruzen sighed as he coded her to speak later in private. Yugao slowly reached out her hand as she placed her hand on her bare back and slowly rubbed her hand in a circular motion, comforting her. After a few minutes, the young blonde turned to peek at her out of the corner of her eye when the ANBU offered her hand once again. This time, she shyly accepted the gesture and shook hands with her.

"Hi." Naruko nodded, still holding on to Sarutobi for support.

"I'm sorry, Naru-chan is a little shy around others." Hiruzen apologized on her behalf. She dismissed her boss with a wave, tell him it was alright.

"It's alright, I can understand. Hokage-sama, why hasn't she covered herself?" Yugao asked, earning a slightly soured look from the elder.

"If she hadn't taken the chance to scavenge what she has on now, she would be completely naked. While we wait, I want you to head over to Higarashi's shop and pick out something for her to wear. Tell him the situation and he'll understand. He's like Teuchi-san." he cryptically replied. Yugao nodded before fading out of sight, just as Teuchi returned with bowls of hot ramen.

"Here you go! Have a bite and tell me what you think of it!" Teuchi smiled. Naruko nodded as she took the chopsticks and slowly took her first bite. Taking the first bite, she savored the noodle-based meal and slowly let the taste sink into her tongue.

"... pepper." She replied with a ghost of a smile on her face, picking up the pace and began eating the ramen till bursting point. Hiruzen and Teuchi both sat/stood there as they only just managed to force out a monosyllabic response of 'huh?'. She allowed herself to giggle softly for the first time in years before she continued. "Spice the broth." she finished, happily munching away.

"Well, I never would have guessed that Naruko has dabbled in cuisine, eh Teuchi?" Hiruzen chuckled heartily, teasing the little girl a bit as he watched her eat in contentment. Teuchi immediately saw two figures standing behind her which made his eyes widen to shocking proportions. He turned to Hiruzen with the same look in his eyes as the Sandaime simply smiled and nodded.

"Funnily enough, I was thinking along the same lines. I'm thankful Naruko-chan voiced out and I can tell she'll be just like her parents if their ramen addiction is anything to go by. Enjoy it anyways!" Teuchi smiled as he exited the room once more to restock on bowls. Naruko looked up momentarily as her eyes sparkled with a grateful, yet surprised, gleam as she didn't expect him to catch on about who her parents were.

'Heh, so kaa-san and tou-san were regulars here and it seems I picked their ramen addiction from the both of them. Well, there could be worse things I've picked up from them, 'ttebane.' she smiled inwardly as she took this haven and eat her food in comfort.

-N:LR-

(Time Skip: Hokage's Office)

"Hokage-sama, the council has requested a meeting with you." a blonde female announced as she slipped her head through the office door. She had her hair tied up in a long pony-tail that reached between her shoulder blades, past the navy fabric of her two-piece suit. Her top revealed a white shirt underneath which remained unbuttoned to show off a bit of cleavage. To finish the ensemble was a pair of black short-heeled shinobi sandals.

"Yet again? This is the fourth time this week, Kasuko!" Hiruzen snapped, wondering why on earth the council would need so many damn meetings so close together.

"I-I... forgive me, Hokage-sama, I am simply following orders." the secretary apologetically bowed. She then immediately remembered that she worked for the Hokage only, not the civilian council. "Forgive me, Hokage-sama, I just remembered that I only answer to you." she trembled.

"It's a simple mistake that is easily made, Kasuko-chan. Tell the other council members that I will be there now." Hiruzen sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he smoked his pipe. 'If it's not one thing, it's the other! Always pinning something bad happening because of that 'demon'. Minato... I honestly think you would have been better off condemning this village to ashes; they don't deserve your sacrifice.'

-N:LR-

(Location Change: Village)

"Get back here, demon-whore!" a villager cried out.

"We'll finish what the Yondaime started and kill you once and for all!" another added.

Naruko found herself being chased by another mob of villagers, trying to kill her for hosting the Kyuubi within her. Having just left the office, she began to walk to her new apartment when she found herself running away from the angry mob. She recently had new clothes given to her, courtesy of Yugao and Hiruzen but it seemed that she was in for another long and painful night of feebly running away before a group of shinobi would trap her and punish her. The rain still didn't ease up, letting it fall heavily upon the village, making her lose her footing on more than one occasion but still able to outpace the rest of them. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side today as they pinned the frightened girl against the wall. Dead end. She whimpered in the hope that someone would hear her and step in before things got out of hand; trembling in fear as tears formed on the corners of her eyes. "P-Please! W-What did I do?" The supposed leader grabbed the girl by the collar of her t-shirt and slammed the jinchuriki against the wall, armed with a kunai in his other hand.

"What did you do? You are the reason we've lost our loved ones and you are the reason the Yondaime Hokage is dead! There is nothing good expected from you and you only taint the village with every breath you continue to take but that ends today," the villager snorted as he takes the kunai and slashed at the girl as she whimpered in pain. To add more insult to injury, he slashed repeatedly at the blonde before chucking her into the muddy ground in front of the mob. Thankfully she had passed out at this point so she didn't feel any of the various stomps, burns and punches to her fragile body. Ten minutes had passed before the mob felt justified enough to leave the bloody and naked corpse in the middle of the alleyway.

"Now die like the demon you are," another civilian spat as they walked away. It was as if the heavens cried for the girl as the rain continued to fall, leaving a beam of moonlight on her body. Out of nowhere, an ANBU appeared on the scene and stared at the body, examining the damage she had suffered. Once she finished her self-analysis, she carefully picked the girl in her arms before making a dash towards the office.

-N:LR-

(Location Change: Council Chambers)

"Hokage-sama! I found Naruko!" Yugao, having placed her mask back on, shouted as she burst through the double oak doors, not caring about interrupting the meeting. Hiruzen and the clan heads all stared in horror at the sight of the girl that she held in her arms, none more so than the elder Sarutobi himself.

"The demon is dead! We've fulfilled the Yond-" a council member shouted before he found himself choking on his own blood, struggling to breathe. Moments of struggling passed before the man collapsed on the floor dead, drowned in his own blood.

"Anyone, and I mean anyone, speaks about Naruko like that again, I will personally execute you. ANBU!" Hiruzen shouted, re-sheathing his kunai into his sleeve. In an instant, two ANBU guards appeared before him. "Fetch me these people: Nanaki-san, Rin-san and Kimon-san. Tell them to meet me in my office immediately!" Hiruzen ordered.

"Meeting dismissed!" he shouted before following Yugao back to his office. Everyone left the chambers except for the six remaining clan heads, excluding Fugaku. (A/N: This is not the same Rin that was on Kakashi's team. I edited that mistake.)

"Is it me, or is something off?" Shikaku spoke up as his mind was beginning to run into overtime about something that just occurred to him. Having just been called from his family home, he had foregone his jonin vest, leaving him in his two-piece charcoal black mesh shirt and trousers with his signature green jacket over the top of it. His black hair held up into a spiky bang, similar to a pineapple.

"What do you mean?" Inoichi replied, curious about what the Nara Clan Head was thinking. Like Shikaku, he had left his vest as home. He was currently sporting a black trenchcoat over his black short-sleeved mesh shirt and trousers. His blond hair tied back into a long pony-tail, leaving his spiky blond hair flop over his headband.

"We get called to a meeting, this being the fourth time, about the same accusations towards Naruko. Now, we find her beaten up, struggling to stay alive. Not to mention the reactions we saw from the civilian council. I also noticed a small smirk appear on Homura and Koharu. I think that they planned this from the start." Shikaku yawned. The reaction was instantaneous as everyone's eyes widened (in Shibi's case, lifted eyebrows) in response to the accusation.

"Y-You don't think that the council were the ones to plan this, surely?" Choza asked, fuming at the possibility. He was another Clan head that took attention to the welfare of the young child who just appeared before them beaten and unconscious. He was larger than most shinobi, due to his clan's techniques, and he just managed to squeeze himself in a black long-sleeved shirt, covered by his clans' signature breastplate, and tracksuits that was held in place by a rope belt. His wild red hair reached down to the base of his neck which contrasted with his gentle and caring nature.

"If they did, I would rip them apart and feed them to my dogs!" Tsume growled protectively. Kuromaru also nodded at the gesture but remained silent as he continued to recall some of the things that the other dogs at the compound had informed him of.

"It is possible but we cannot pin the attempt on them without any evidence, you realize." Hiashi calmly spoke, slightly irked at the fact. He wore a simple, yet expensive navy blue kimono that wrapped around his frame nicely. The most evident features to him was his long untied black hair and his pale eyes, the Byakugan. It was taking everything to stay stoic as normal as he wanted to lash out at the villagers for their stupidity for their abuse towards his best friend's daughter.

"You're right. This is really troublesome..." Shikaku responded, rising to his feet before leaving the room. The rest soon followed with one thought in their collective minds: 'Naruko...'

-N:LR-

(Unknown Location)

Naruko opens her eyes to find herself laying on the floor in a dull and dark setting. The dark grey walls lined with low lights, leaking pipes that sprawl into the darkness. 'W-where am I? What is this place?' she thought to herself as she continued to scan her surroundings. She noticed there were several pipes that ran along the corners of the rooms with different coloured lights running through them. Slowly, she picks her petite frame up and willed herself to navigate through her mind. She continued to lose herself in the recesses of her mind as she found herself at another dead-end with a door that remained locked shut. Deciding to file it for a later date, she almost missed the feeling of fear she felt from looking down one of the corridors. She felt that there was someone... something there. Wanting to fill her curiosity, she decided to push forward and take the route that would lead to the source of this... power.

It was almost a sense of déjà vu when Naruko found herself standing in front of a set of iron bars that was holding something back from her. Looking closer upon inspection, a sheet of paper placed over the lock of the bars with the kanji for 'Seal' written on it. Taking small steps forward, Naruko made her way up towards the bars and stare into the darkness beyond. It was while she was staring into the back that she heard very faint whimpering of someone crying.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Naruko shouts out, only to hear a gasp from within the endless darkness. A few moments passed before she hears footsteps splashing against the water as they close in on her. Naruko slowly walks through the steel bars and further into the darkness, guarding herself for any sudden movements but before she could register what happened, she found herself tackled to the floor, staring up into the black space above. A sob broke her out of her reprieve when she looks down at the figure that was resting on top of her body. She could see the long, silky maroon-red hair that flowed elegantly past her shoulders, tied in a ponytail with a white ribbon.

"E-Excuse me?" Naruko asks while the figure broke away from her and positioned herself in seiza. Now having a better look at the woman in front of her, she couldn't help but gaze at her figure. She wore a beautiful black kimono with red hemming, the insignia of nine tails spiraling into one (A/N: think of the Uzumaki crest). Her figure was something that personified beauty to the nth degree: an incredible D-size bust which snuggled into her kimono, small waistline and balanced hips. She had an hourglass figure that men and women would kill for. Yet her most distinguishable features was her crimson eyes and the whisker marks on her cheeks. Not to mention nine fox tails which flowed behind her effortlessly. "Why are you crying?"

"I-It's all my fault!"she choked on a sob, her luscious lips quivering in fear and hope. "It's because of me that you've been treated like a rabid animal and I'm the one to blame for everything!"she cried bitterly as the sobs wrecked her body. Naruko felt uncomfortable watching her cry so badly so she move up to her and hugged her small arms around her neck.

"It's not your fault! It was that masked man with the red-eye and the orange mask!" she blurted out, much to the shock of the woman in her arms as she looked back at the blonde with disbelief in her eyes.

"H-H-How do you know about that?" she asked, trying to sound serious despite the wavering in her voice.

"I-I..." she trailed off, "I can't explain it but I saw everything that happened that night. I knew about you fighting with that dragon that appeared and I know you found yourself manipulated by that man with the red eyes like those Um... Usi..." she trailed off, finding the right name.

"The Uchiha, you mean? Those red eyes are the doujutsu that belongs to the clan, the Sharingan."the redhead explained, getting a snap of the fingers from Naruko.

"That's it. The man took you from my mother and ordered you to attack Konoha and destroy it. However, my mother and father both decided to seal the two of you away in me because you both were making more damage together. Tou-san fought that bad man while kaa-san drew something around the altar I was on. Next thing I saw, the two of you disappeared in a bright flash that surrounded me but my parents disappeared as well. I then heard some white-haired man saying that there was a fault in the sealing and that my parents accidentally sealed themselves inside of me as well." she finished explaining, earning total silence from the Kyuubi.

"I know what sealing they accidentally used."she whispered in shock from the story she just had retold to her by her container, who shouldn't have known about it if she was just born. "It's a long-forgotten sealing that summons Kami-sama and ask her to seal everything in a certain area away into the object of interest and binds them to servitude to the person they sealed into. The Shinsei Fuin is the only sealing method that rumoured a myth but... for your parents to have stumbled across it and seal themselves into you means that you'll soon have access to each of our chakras." she concluded. Naruko remained silent, stunned to find out the technique name and the fact that it summoned Kami herself to perform the sealing.

"That's incredibly lucky and stupid at the same time." the blonde dead-panned, getting a small chuckle from the redhead. "So I'm guessing from the lush red hair and those beautiful crimson eyes that you are the Kyuubi no Kitsune, right?" she finished, winning a small blush from her at the compliment.

"H-Hai, I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune. However, Kyuubi is merely a title and not my proper name. You're more than welcome to call me Ayumi, Naru-chan."she smiled tenderly as she stood to her feet and bowed before her.

"Please don't bow to me, I hate formalities and I don't deserve it." Naruko quietly whispered as she wrapped herself in her arms. Ayumi looked at her with a sad smile as she knelt back down and hugged the small girl in her arms. "Can I ask how I can change this place? It's so lifeless." she wondered.

"I'm not sure. This is your mindscape's representation of your emotions and only you can change how... it..."she trailed off as she noticed the determined face the blonde had as the scene finally begins to warp and change into the new mindscape. Naruko took inspiration from when she found herself on the back of the Hokage Monument and the little clearing of tranquil beauty she came across. She decided that she would use that as a base before imagining a well-built two-story house just across from the base of the waterfall.

"Well, I don't know if you like it but how about checking the house over there?" Naruko hinted as she takes Kyuubi's hand and pulls her to her feet. The two quickly made their way to the small building before the two stepped inside.

The moment the two stepped past the threshold, the redhead couldn't hold back a gasp as she stared at the minimalist view of the front room. The floor was all mahogany wood which blended nicely with the soft cream that graced the walls. It was sparse of furniture except for the marshal crimson three-piece sofas (two normal and one 'L'-shaped) that snuggled with the mahogany coffee table as they all sat in front of the roaring fireplace in front of them. They both decided to move into one of the branching rooms, revealing the kitchen.

It was spacious and well equipped with cooking utensils and a large black marble range-oven that took up half of the far northern wall (four ovens, eight rings and hot-plate holder with an air-vent system installed directly above the oven). In the middle of the room was a black-marbled seating area that accompanied several black-cushioned stools. Dotted around the kitchen were cabinets that held everything from food to plates to bottles of alcohol. On top of the sides were several cooking utensils, including a black eight-slot toaster, kettle, waffle maker, double-width fridge-freezer and other matching items as well. Having enough of marveling at how sleek the room looked and how well stock it was, the two women began making their way upstairs to the bedrooms.

They made their way through the four bedrooms and noticed they were all decorated the same; large king-sized, black leather bed that was comfy enough to fall asleep on just by lying down on it, fitted with swan-feathered quilts and pillows that scattered around the plain white bedding. Next to the bed was a small bedside table with a touch-sensitive lamp set on top. The south-western corner of the room held a wardrobe with a built-in mirror, also matching the black theme going on for the moment. Next to that was a set of drawers that finished the room off.

"It's not much but I think you're pretty much sorted for now, right? Right?" Naruko asked as she turned to face the female standing beside her, only to find her on her knees crying. Quickly reacting, Naruko held her in her arms, consoling the redhead as she sobbed into her shirt. "There, there. It's okay, you're safe here. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise, 'ttebane."

"W-Why?"she sobbed uncontrollably as her grip tightened on the young blonde in front of her. "Why? Why do all this for me?" she asked, hoping this wasn't a dream. "Forgive me for everything you've (hic) suffered these past six years, Naru-chan. I never would've placed (sob) you in this life if it wasn't for losing control and letting myself be controlled by that cursed Sharingan."she apologized whole-heartedly as she buried her face in the crook of the blonde's neck. "If there's anything I can do for you, please let me know and I will do everything I can to help you." she offered getting a soft smile from the girl she was holding.

"I don't blame you for what happened, I never had. You are as innocent in all this as I am and I won't let anyone harm you, Ayumi-chan. You're one of the few people who have (sob) ever been nice to me and (hic) I don't want you to leave me..." she sobbed uncontrollably as she felt vulnerable with her emotions. Ayumi's heart reached out for the girl as she held the child in her arms in a motherly embrace, whispering sweet words of comfort in her ears as the two women continued to cry emotionally in each other's arms.

"You're not alone anymore, my sweet Naru-chan. I will always be with you and I will never let anyone harm you anymore. Tell me, would you like to follow your parents' footsteps and become a kunoichi more famous than your mother?"she softly asked, feeling the nodding girl in her bosom. She allowed herself a small giggle as she strummed her fingers through the young child's hair. "I thought you might. I will begin training you the day after tomorrow and I will make sure you can defend yourself from the rest of the villagers. I'll turn you into a prodigy of your generation by the time I'm done with you."she gently whispered as she felt her falling asleep in her bosom. Taking care not to disturb her, she moved quietly to the king-sized bed and softly collapsed backwards to give Naruko a safe place to sleep without worrying about anything.

As she laid there with the sleeping child in her arms, she couldn't help the smile that graced her beautiful face as she ran her fingers through her long blonde hair as she slept. She already knew that she would hold a dear part of her heart and she would keep on her promise to Naruko that she will be the best kunoichi since her parents. The fact that she had so easily forgiven her for the hell she inadvertently put her through, she knew she would do anything for her.

'Naruko-chan, you are, undoubtedly, the best container I could ever ask for. Thank you for giving me a second chance.'she thought before sleep claimed her.

-N:LR-

(Location Change: Hokage's Office)

Slowly coming around, Naruko's eyes fluttered themselves open, only to find that she was lying on the couch in her jiji's office. She turned her head to find the man in question sitting on a chair next to her. "Jiji...?" Hiruzen looked at the blonde before he let out a soft but hearty chuckle as a release mechanism for the stress he was feeling.

"Naruko-chan, I'm just sorry that I couldn't get to you to save you from the villagers. The council held another meeting today and I had to call it off because of Yugao finding you beaten. She burst through the doors with you in her arms, telling me what happened. I managed to get some doctors to heal you the best they could. Don't worry, they're rather fond of you and did everything they could to make sure you were alright." Hiruzen explained. Naruko nodded as a small smile appeared on her face.

"Can you thank Neko-chan and the nurses when you see them next, please?" she asked, getting a soft smile and nod from the Hokage. "Have you had meetings for the past four days, jiji?" Naruko asked, Hiruzen helping her sit up to speak. He softly nodded in the affirmative. "I thought so. Got chased and I couldn't get away this time." she admitted.

"Why are you telling me this... now...? ANBU, fetch me Shikaku Nara immediately!" Hiruzen yelled as he caught on slowly to what she was insinuating. In a blur of speed, two masked ANBU members appeared in a kneeling position before they nodded.

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" Two ANBU guards replied before disappearing once more.

"Now, would you mind telling me why you've asked such a question?" Sarutobi asked, all familiarity dropped from his face.

"Jiji, I do not trust anyone except for you, Neko-chan and Ayumi-chan." Naruko replied, also dropping familiarity from her face. For Hiruzen, it was slightly unnerving to see such a girl act so serious. He briefly wondered who this Ayumi person was but he would dismiss it for now as he gave a wave of his hand, dismissing the other guards that stood in the room, leaving only the two of them. It took a total of three minutes before the door knocked a couple of times.

"Now, I believe that Shikaku is waiting for us. Is there anything you want to add before this meeting?" he asked her, trying not to scare her. Naruko had tried her best not to flinch when she heard a familiar voice in her head, soothing her nerves.

"Naru-chan, it's me. Don't say anything about meeting me yet because I'm sensing three strange chakra signatures in here. I want them gone before I want to ask you to allow me to speak with your Hokage. One is underneath the top drawer, another is in the far top-right corner of the room and the last one is hidden behind the portrait of the Sandaime."Ayumi requested mentally. Naruko scratched the back of her head as a sign of confirmation as she turned to jiji to relay the message.

"Jiji, there's three weird ch-ak-ra... chakra signatures in this room. I don't want to say anything until they're gone." she whispered, earning a shocked looked from Hiruzen. A discerning look appeared in his eyes as he motioned to her silently where they were. Naruko moved around the table and pulled the top drawer out and turned it upside down, revealing a dark blue seal that Hiruzen quickly destroyed. She then pointed to the remaining two places, leaving Hiruzen growling slightly.

'Looks like you've disregarded protocol, Danzo... I'm looking forward to officially reprimanding you for this.' he inwardly smirked as he did something weird to the last two seals before running through hand seals as a light blue light appeared and faded just as fast.

"How did you know about where the seals were?" he replied, curious to find out if she had a sensory ability at such a young age. Before she could reply, she nodded to herself as she closed her eyes for a moment. Hiruzen felt a pulse of chakra he hadn't felt since that day six years ago... only to have it confirmed when he stared into the crimson eyes he knew belong to only one being...

"Kyuubi." he coldly greeted.

"Hokage-sama, I want to start by saying that Naru-chan is completely unharmed. I asked her if she would let me speak to you and explain what happened that night years ago."she began, not wanting to start on the wrong foot. Receiving a nod to continue, she took a deep breath before she retold everything she experienced and everything Naruko had discussed with her not so long ago. By the end of the explanation, Hiruzen's pipe fell from his mouth as he took all the information in.

"I thank you for telling me all that, Kyuubi-san. I'm also grateful to you for looking after Naruko-chan here and wanting to train her. I believe that you'd like to ask me to enroll her into the Academy, correct?" he smiled warmly, accepting the Kyuubi's tale.

"I do, Hokage-sama. You know as much as I do that she will need to learn how to interact with others and gain potential friends and allies. I will teach her everything she needs to know about being a kunoichi in the field while the Academy will teach her the basic skills like history and such. Is that alright with you?" she asked respectfully. Hiruzen smiled that she always took into account his opinion as his views of her began to rapidly change.

"That will be fine. I can see that Naruko-chan will have a lot to face in the future and she will need all the help and company she can get. I'll settle the paperwork for her and I'll sort her out a place to stay. You have my sincere thanks, Kyuubi-san." he smiled.

"Please, call me Ayumi like Naru-chan does. However, I'll let her return to you. Till next time, Hokage-sama."she smiled before the crimson gave way to their original sapphire blue.

"Did you talk with Ayumi-chan?" the blonde asked.

"I did and she explained everything to me. She also asked me that you wanted to become a kunoichi like your parents, I see?" he asked, getting a determined nod from her. "That's good because I've decided to let you join the Academy. As a present for you enrolling, I want you to have a jutsu I think you'll find incredibly useful..." he finished as he fished inside is robe for a small scroll which he soon handed to the young girl. Like a child getting a christmas present, she opened the scroll and made out the name of the technique from her limited reading skills.

"K-Kage B-Bunshin? What does this do, jiji?" she asked. He motioned her to continue reading before she looked sullen and disappointed as she couldn't read half the words that were on there. She began crying as Hiruzen snarled even more ferociously for sabotaging her from even the basic skills. Ayumi wasn't in a better shape as she made a note to teach her how to read and write before anything.

"Naru-chan, would you let me take over your eyes for a second? I can read much faster and I can remember everything on the scroll thanks to my eidetic memory. It means I can remember everything I read and see." she asked and explained, getting a nod from Naruko as her eyes changed to a vibrant purple as she read the scroll. With a nod, her eyes turned back to their normal blue. "This is an incredible technique and you should thank your 'jiji' for giving you this. You split your chakra to make clones of yourself and whatever the clone learns, you learn. This will be perfect for studying, jutsu training, muscle memory and chakra control!"

"What do you mean, Ayumi-chan?"

"Let's say you trained for ten hours. You'd only get ten hours worth of training. If you did the same amount of training the following day with nine clones besides you, you can get a hundred hours worth of training in one session! With your normal chakra reserves, you can easily reach a hundred clones a day now, so by the time you graduate from the Academy, you'll easily be on the same level as several Jonin. It's the perfect tool to quickly develop you into a powerful kunoichi!"she beamed at her container as sapphire eyes widened at the implications.

"Jiji, you're awesome!" she beamed with a genuine smile as she ran over and hugged Hiruzen for such an amazing gift. "I promise I won't let you down." she smiled shyly once more as he ruffled her hair. That was the moment where the office doors opened to reveal the ANBU with the Nara Clan head.

"Hokage-sama, Shikaku Nara is here for you, as requested." the two ANBU responded. They moved to the side, allowing the Nara elder to walk into the office. He had black hair, tied into a pineapple-tail, black eyes, twin scars on the right side of his face and a black goatee. Wearing his jonin vest over his black two-piece combat gear, he stood in front of the desk as the ANBU returned to their previous actions. Naruko ran to the door and closed it before Sarutobi reactivated the silencing seals.

"You called, Hokage-sama?" the Nara asked.

"Indeed. Pray tell, have you noticed something... odd about the council members about Naruko here?" Hiruzen asked. Shikaku raised an eyebrow about how he had the same idea as him.

"I have. I know that we've been called to meetings every day this week, so far, but it's now we found Naruko in such a bad state. Why do you ask, Hokage-sama?"

I'm asking because Naruko-chan just informed me that four times this week she had to run away from angry mobs. I can't believe how blinded by hatred they all are if they so much think that a young girl is the reason for the Kyuubi's attack!" Hiruzen growled protectively.

"It seems we are all on the same wavelength here. Naruko, can you remember what times they've chased you for? It's a big ask and I know if you can't-" Shikaku began before the blonde interrupted.

"First day: 6:45pm - 8:15pm. Same hour and half I was running from the first mob. Day two: 9:00pm - 9:30pm. Considerably shorter, which meant you had a shorter meeting on the second day, correct?" Naruko asked, receiving stupefied nods in response as they continue to listen. "Day three: 7:37pm - 9:19pm. Easily the longest amount of time I had to run for. I could have hidden but it was then I had my suspicions that this wasn't a random act of violence but rather... planned. They gathered chunin sensors who kept pointing out where I was hiding and I had to hide in the sewers to get away. Today, as you know, I got caught and you were in the meeting." Naruko finished off, where the Nara quickly followed off.

"While we were in the meeting, Nidare-san burst out about the 'demon' being killed and executed in response. I noticed that the looks on the clan heads were the same as mine; shocked and horrified. However, I also noticed that the civilian council members, Fugaku Uchiha, Homura and Koharu slipped a sly smile in news of the event. I was lucky to have caught it, myself. I am not the only one who suspects foul play here, Hokage-sama, the other Clan Heads agree with me. We also noticed that Danzo has not appeared for the past week's worth of meetings. Something is definitely souring the council, Hokage-sama. This is just too troublesome..." Nara sighed, pinching his nose in response.

"I'll want you to remain here with me while I wait for Neko-san to retrieve the records for the meetings over the past week before we sort through them and confirm the times with Naruko's statements. Now, is that everything you've told me?" Hiruzen politely responded.

"H-Hai, jiji." she nodded before a stifled yawn escaped her lips. "A-Ano... could I go to sleep here? I'm still tired from earlier." she asked politely.

"Of course. Do you want one of the nurses to watch over you as well?" Hiruzen asked, smiling.

"Rin-chan. I know she always came to see me when I was in the hospital." she softly replied. Hiruzen nodded softly, sending word for said person. "I'm off to sleep. Sorry, Nara-san!" Naruko giggled.

"Troublesome blondes..." he sighed in response, making the Uzumaki giggle even harder.

-N:LR-

It was well into the night when Hiruzen and Shikaku eventually went through the documents of the past week's meetings, both noting that the blonde jinchuriki still sleeping soundly on the sofa near the door. The Hokage couldn't resist a smile as one of the ANBU guards, who was sitting on the sofa originally, was busy combing her hand through the girl's hair, despite how dirty it was. The ANBU force pitied the girl as they knew the difference between a 'kunai and a scroll'.

"So damn troublesome!" the Nara head fumed after cross-examining the times from Naruko's account, eye-witnesses from the ANBU on patrol and the recorded times of the meetings from the Cryptanalysis Department. "It sickens me to see Naruko treated so badly for something that was out of her control." he raged.

"I understand your thoughts exactly, Shikaku-san." Hiruzen nodded gravely. "Maybe I should explain the seal functions properly and tell them that they're actually weakening the seal from their actions." he mused before he shook his head. "Inu, Itachi, I want you to call the council for an emergency meeting. We will resolve this matter once and for all." he ordered as two figures stood before him.

The male on the right wore a white porcelain mask with the symbols representing a dog's face, only having his right eye visible through the eye pocket. Gravity-defying white hair stuck out from behind the mask. He stood at a height of five-nine, weighing sixty-five kilos, dressed in a complete black uniform; black sleeveless mesh-shirt, black mesh trousers and grey breast-padding over his chest. To the left was another male with long black hair that, tied into a ponytail which contrasted nicely with the weasel designs on his mask. Standing at five-seven and fifty-five kilos, he was wearing a similar outfit to the ANBU standing next to him. The difference was the crimson eyes burning through the eye pockets in his mask, revealing the Uchiha's fabled Sharingan.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." they replied before the two left the office in a silent shunshin. Hiruzen began picking out the documents they would need for this meeting and was proud that he would finally stepped up and show the council how far they had stepped over their boundaries.

Yes... the 'Kami no Shinobi' was back!

-N:LR-

Inside the Hokage's office, Naruko was sitting patiently, albeit nervously, about the upcoming meeting and the topic of discussion. Se hated dealing with the council but there was something in the back of her mind that told her that something would happen in her favor. She had just woken up when Hiruzen asked her to stay put as she needed to attend this meeting. She immediately flinched hearing about dealing with the council and Hiruzen promised her that she would be protected by three of his best ANBU to make sure nothing happened to her. Hearing how serious her 'jiji' was about this, she knew the seriousness of the meeting. Also, with the three ANBU protecting her, she would be well guarded should something happen to her during the meeting. She looked over to the purple-haired Neko before she gave a slow nod. Neko could see the distress in her eyes and decided to comfort her a little before her squad would arrive.

"How're you feeling, Naru-chan?" Yugao asked as she removed her mask, allowing the blonde to look at her violet eyes. Naruko immediately calmed down a little but still remained on guard.

"A little nervous. I hate the council." she bluntly replied, getting a small giggle from the ANBU.

"I can attest to that, Naru-chan." she smiled as she absently ran her fingers through her hair. "Don't worry, we'll take good care of you, okay?" she reassured as the two male figures appeared in front of the two of them. "Inu-san, Itachi-taicho." she respectfully greeted.

"Good to see you, Neko." Inu replied with an eye-smile. "So you're Naruko, ne? It's a pleasure to meet you in person." he smiled behind his mask. He had a feeling she could sense him as a small smile appeared on her face as well.

"Likewise, Naruko. I've heard a lot of good things about you from Hokage-sama. You really do mean a lot to him, you know." Itachi continued as he revealed his face from underneath the mask. Naruko gasped as she stared into those red eyes as she tilted her head cutely.

"A-Ano, Itachi-nii, are they the Sh... Shur... Sharingan?" she tried speaking before finally getting the word out. Itachi's eyes widened slightly before a smile appeared on his face.

"Yes, these are the eyes of the Uchiha Clan. I am Itachi Uchiha and I'm glad you think of me so familiarly." he replied with amusement in his voice, nudging the silver-haired ANBU to reveal his face as well. Underneath the Inu mask was a face with a face mask covering up and over his nose area with a cloth wrapped around his left eye.

"I'm Kakashi Hatake. I understand you know of your parents, correct?" he asked, getting a nod from the girl. "Then I should tell you that I trained under your father. He was my jonin sensei when I graduated from genin to jonin. He was an incredible person and a noble man and I can clearly see his look in your eyes. I know you'll become great someday." he eye-smiled, bringing Naruko to happy tears as she sniffled. Yugao had to resist squealing 'Kawaii' and snuggle her into her bosom.

"Naru-chan? You ready to go?" Yugao asked as the three ANBU slipped their masks back on their faces. "Also, please refer to our codenames while we're on duty, okay?" she requested, getting a nod from Naruko as the four of them made their way towards the meeting chambers.

-N:LR-

(Moments Prior: Council Chambers)

Hiruzen couldn't resist a small chuckle as he watched the disheveled states of the council members as most of them decided to arrive in their nightwear. Most of the guys had to avert their eyes from Tsume Inuzuka as she was wearing a black tube-top with the kanji for 'Bite Me' written across her barely restrained bust.

Shikaku was one of the ones who was wearing his uniform out of the council members as he didn't leave the office while helping him with the paperwork. Hiashi Hyuuga was wearing a black-trimmed white nightgown with cushioned geta shoes, Choza Akimichi resorted to a white t-shirt with the kanji for 'food' written across it with a pair of black shorts, Shibi Aburame arrived in his traditional grey overcoat, Inoichi Yamanaka arrived from an interrogation so he was still in his work clothes. Fugaku Uchiha was wearing his usual get-up and the civilian council members were wearing items ranging from expensive gowns to simple nightwear.

"Thank you all for arriving on such short notice. Now, I assume that you are curious about why I have called this meeting?" Hiruzen asked, taking up a straighter posture than normal, which did not go amiss by the Clan heads, Koharu or Homura (the latter two having decided on wearing their normal robes).

"Indeed, Hokage-sama. I am, as you say, curious." Hiashi calmly replied.

"Troublesome. Troublesome indeed..." Shikaku sighed, knowing full-well the matter at hand.

"Before I say, I would like to mention that I have requested one more person to sit in on this meeting as it concerns her as well. ANBU?" Hiruzen ordered. With a motion, the double oak doors slowly parted to reveal the four figures as they all made their way before the council.

"Hokage-sama! What is the Demon doing here?" one of the civilian members yelled as he stood up to his feet, pointing angrily at the young blonde jinchuriki that made her way shyly into the room. She flinched, grabbing the back of Yugao's black trousers for comfort, making the three ANBU glare at the council member for their treatment of her. Before the Hokage could reprimand him, the man was already clenching his open-cut neck as he struggled for breath. Moments later, he collapsed on the floor having drowned on his own blood.

"Any more?" 'Itachi' subtly asked, Sharingan slowly spinning as the offender slowly died before the rest of the people present. Silence fell over the room as he slowly withdrew the arm he used to throw the kunai that dealt the fatal blow. "Do not forget that Hokage-sama's law is still in effect about Naruko-chan." he warned icily.

"Now that's been dealt with, I will proceed. It had come to my attention that, as of late, there have been several members of this council who has overstepped their bounds. I will tell you now," Hiruzen sharpened his tone along with his gaze, making several members gulp in response, "that this problem ends tonight. Now, I wish to ask a simple question; is anyone here suffering from an ear-related injury?" Hiruzen softly asked, contrasting his current mindset. Slowly, several people raised their hands. Taking a glance around the room, the elder Sarutobi noticed the raised hands of his two councilors. "Very well. May I ask how? I know there's a particular bug that's going around the village which is affecting people's hearing."

"I, ummm, just got an ear ache!" one member shouted. The other members soon followed trait and copied the answer from the first council member, trying their best to use whatever excuse they could think of. Hiruzen couldn't help as he chose between feeling ashamed or happy that he was 'cleaning house' for Naruko's sake. 'You've suffered for far too long. Time for me to step up and take things back into control.'

"Koharu? Homura? You too?" Hiruzen asked, wearily watching his ex team-mates as they both glanced at each other with a nod.

"Yes, we have this... bug." Koharu replied on their behalf. He slowly nodded with a sinister smile on his face, stunning the entire room in different reactions: the clan heads didn't know to why their Hokage was smiling like that, while the rest of the council really didn't like that look. Hiruzen's eyes snapped up, showing a darkness he hadn't shown since the Third Great War against Iwa.

They. Were. Fucked.

"That's... pleasant to know." he sarcastically replied, sending several members sweating from his remark. "Now to business: first and foremost, I have decided to invoke a law made by the Shodaime and Nidame for when they created the governing body that would represent the council of Konohagakure; as of this moment, I have the governing vote to change the body of the council depending on how I see fit. To this end, I have decided to restrict the number of civilian members down to three members." he began explaining, taking a sadistic delight in the paling faces of the civilian council, as the shinobi council had to do a double-take at their leader.

"I will personally nominate the three members to deal with the affairs regarding the civilian portion of the village: Saki Haruno, Koga Higurashi and Kamina Tasogare. I honestly believe these three will be neutral to the affairs of the civilian affairs." he subtly insulted as the shinobi heads suppressed snickers at the jab.

"Hiruzen-san, this idea is preposterous! Do you honestly believe that three people would be capable of standing for the welfare of the villagers?" Horuma piped up, not liking how these turns of events were proceeding. He had a bad feeling in his gut and he instinctively knew things would drastically change tonight.

"I do. I have seen the disadvantages of having a large governing body representing the civilians of Konoha; the first and foremost is the greed of the numerous members as I have spent the past seven hours cross-examining documents, concerning the total budget spend on maintenance and funding and the total amount received by the receiving bodies. Do you want to know how much money we lost count of over the past four years alone?" he rhetorically asked as the civilian members wanted to do nothing but escape from their crimes. Before they could blink, each member guilty of the charges were held fast in place by ANBU guards. "We have lost a grand total of three-hundred and forty-eight million, six-hundred thousand ryo."(1)

"To finish this meeting, all those who have raised their hands and confessed to experiencing ear problems... you are all under arrest. ANBU!" Hiruzen ordered, summoning a large group of ANBU to surround the chosen people, binding them with handcuffs and chakra seals. Even his ex-advisors couldn't believe their ears about the sudden change of events as they began thrashing about.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Homura shouted, soon followed by outcries of the other council members.

"That, Homura, is for insubordination, breach of confidentiality, leaking of confidential matters, intended sabotage to citizenship, fraud, embezzlement of village funds, attempted child-slaughter, child neglect, falsified evidence, premeditated murder and finally... breaking my law about Naruko's status as the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune." he finished coldly. The silence was deafening as Saki Haruno, the village treasurer, slipped into a faint and the Clan heads turned towards the shivering civilian council members as they began struggling to escape the grips of the ANBU. They soon stopped when they felt the KI of the one thing they never thought they would experience again... They turned their head to find the young blonde girl glaring at them with her eyes turned a crimson red, reminding them of the Kyuubi which she held.

"You..." she whispered, trembling in rage. "You... YOU BASTARDS!" Naruko fumed as she found herself shrouded in a red cloak of chakra. "You mean to tell me that you all purposely went to such extreme lengths to destroy my existence physically, mentally and emotionally? You know, I doubt the Kyuubi would've gone to such lengths against her worse enemy... it proves that you're the real demons."she finished strongly in a whisper. Hiruzen knew that there was nothing more to say as he gave the signal to the ANBU to carry out the immediate mass-execution. It was over in a matter of seconds as bodies slumped to the floor, dead. The shinobi council did something completely out of their character as they all cheered happily that the corruption in the village will stop once and for all. They also turned to Naruko, whose shroud had retreated at this point, before Tsume ran over and pulled the blonde into a comforting hug.

"It's gonna get better from now on, Naru-chan. We promise you." she smiled as she buried her face in her hair. Naruko was too overwhelmed at how much they all cared for her well-being as she simply released the built-up emotions she bottled for the past six years and cried until she couldn't physically cry anymore. All the clan heads converged around the blonde as a sign of comfort and support, except for the Uchiha Chan Head. Fugaku Uchiha dismissed himself as he glared at his eldest son. Itachi narrowed his eyes as he returned the glare, standing closer towards the converging crowd in the middle of the room, not budging against his dominating father. With a snort, Fugaku left the room, leaving the party to fuss and dote over the girl who would have a second chance in life.

-N:LR-

After the council meeting had finished in such a bloody manner, Hiruzen Sarutobi had personally seen to it to escort young Naruko home to her new apartment. He had sent a Kage Bunshin of his own to speak with the owner of the block of apartments he had tenancy over and discuss the details of living arrangements with the young jinchuriki. Thankfully, the owner held no prejudice towards her as she only came to Konoha two years ago as a property developer. She heard about the news about the young girl but she held no foul intentions towards her as she could look past the history and see her as they six-year old girl she was. Handing over the keys to the apartment and agreeing to deal with the documentation the following morning, she bade him goodnight and retired to her slumber.

It's been half-hour since the meeting finished and ten minutes since Hiruzen had wished her goodnight and left her on her own to discover her new apartment. Sure, it wasn't big but for a six year old orphan, it was all she needed. The walls were painted in a sky blue colour with a plain navy and white border separating the walls into two halves. The floor was a polished wooden finish which Naruko spent a whole of five minutes sliding along before deciding to take note of the rest of the place. The hallway was narrow in size with the cream-coloured bathroom trailing off on the left-hand side; having all the necessities she needed (bath/shower combo, sink, mirror, toilet, showering set, etc.)

At the end of the hallway was a large space that functioned as a living room, dining room and kitchen all-in-one. The kitchen appliances were all bunched up in the far right corner of the room (cooker/oven, sink, microwave, kettle, utensils, saucepans, plates, dishes, cups, so-on,) leaving the rest of the room for social purposes.

'Yeah right...' she thought to herself cynically.

The room continued with the blue-navy-white theme with a white three-person sofa having settled near the wall separating this room from the next one. She made a note to herself that she'll need to speak with Saru-jiji about everything she's missing furniture-wise and ask his opinion and presence when she goes shopping. Finally moving onto the last room, another sense of deja vu occurred as she found herself standing in the same room as when she began customizing her avatar and stats. She giggled as she noticed the same poster resting above her head and the pot-plant over in the corner. The bed was slightly bigger than a single but it stayed underneath the window like it did back then.

Finally sitting down on her bed, she allowed herself a few moments to sigh as the day finally caught up with her. She fought with herself on whether to take her clothes off to sleep or keep them on in case anyone wanted to break in in the middle of the night.

"Don't worry, Naru-chan, I'll keep myself alert and wake you up if that happens."Ayumi helpfully interrupted. With a mental nod and smile, she took off her clothes before making her way into her comfy bed. However, before she fell asleep, new words began forming in front of her eyes;

BONUS MISSIONS COMPLETED!

'Forgiven' - Forgiven Ayumi: +5000 XP
'Purged!' - Cleaned out the corruption within the Council: +5000 XP
'Home' - Acquired an apartment: +5000 XP

Saved Precious People:

Sasuke: +1000 XP
Mikoto: +2500 XP
Itachi: +2500 XP

Total XP gained: 21000 XP

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
LEVEL UP!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Congratulations!

You have reached Level Seven!

Strength +56
Speed +56
Intelligence +56
Defence +56
Charm +56
Luck +56

Current Stats:

Strength: 99
Speed: 114
Intelligence: 109
Defence: 94
Charm: 154
Luck: 164

"Go away... too tired to do this now..." Naruko yawned, waving the words away with disinterest before finally turning over to sleep. She growled when she found a soft light shining on her face, only to find an Uzumaki Emblem floating in front of her. Her eyes drooped as she clicked on the icon, bringing up three save slots; the first being used when she saved the creation part of her story. Clicking on it, it prompted her for permission to overwrite. Clicking 'Yes', she saved her game before closing the save menu and returning to her well-needed sleep...

Not knowing that tomorrow will be the foundation of her legacy as Ayumi began concocting training plans for the sleeping blonde...

That's Chapter Two! Originally, this was split into two chapters but I've decided to combine it into one large chapter to save confusion and end the story at an appropriate point. The next few chapters will involve some more of the important events; the beginning of Naruko's training, Uchiha Massacre and Naruko's impromptu mission outside the village to experience her first kill. After that, well... you'll have to wait and see, ne? ;)

Hope you enjoy the edited second chapter! Ja matta ne! ;)

(1) = Spent twenty minutes working out the formula needed to accurately convert the currency from Ryo to Dollar to Pound (being Welsh and all.) Turns out that one pound is the equivalent (working off the currency exchange accurate at 27/8/14 and theredcourage. wordpress 2012/04/28/ naruto- ryo- the- canon- currency) to 139.44 Ryo. The total figure is equivalent to approximately £2.5 million. Call it extortionate but it doesn't sound that far-fetched if (using the conversion rate) if a D-Rank mission equals £35-36 ($60 approx.)

... don't worry, just remember that being a shinobi is a well-paid job. :D