Chapter 2: The Ultimate Truth and Shattered Masks

"Excuse me?" Tsunade said.

Daichi continued to look at them.

"Do take me for some sort of fool?" Tsunade asked, voice getting louder.

"I have no idea what you are talking about" Daichi said plainly.

"Jigokukage? Jigokugakure? Stop lying to me! I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PLACE AND I HAVE BEEN ALIVE A HELL OF A LOT LONGER THAN YOU HAVE" Tsunade bellowed as she rushed forward and tried to punch Daichi into oblivion.

However her punch never reached as Jiraiya grabbed onto her from behind and held onto her fist.

"Calm yourself, Tsunade-hime, he speaks the truth" Jiraiya said.

"WHAT!" Tsunade barked.

"There is a place called Jigokugakure, one of my larger fan bases reside there" Jiraiya said.

"Fan bases?" Daichi asked with a raised eyebrow.

Jiraiya let go of Tsunade before taking a book out of his robes and tossing it at Daichi.

"Maybe you've heard of it?" Jiraiya asked with a smirk.

Daichi raised an eyebrow then looked at the book. Jiraiya saw Daichi's eyes show intrigue followed by surprise and finally a mixture of disgust and anger before book was thrown back at him.

"You write this shit?" Daichi yelled.

"Hey! I'll have you know I provide a much needed service for the masses" Jiraiya said defensively.

"OH PLEASE! It's because of you that my Head of Agriculture and my Head of Research and Development never get any work done unless I threaten to burn those wrenched books or their assistants shove their feet up their asses" Daichi yelled then proceeded to wipe his hand on his shirt, "God I feel tainted"

Jiraiya had a look of horror on his face while Tsunade snorted in laughter.

"I think we're getting a little off track here" Shizune said.

"I apologise" Daichi said then took a deep breath and calmed himself, "Where were we?"

"We just confirmed the existence of Jigokugakure" Kakashi said.

"Ah, yes" Daichi said.

"But you don't seem like a resident of Jigokugakure" Jiraiya said, "Last I heard Jigokugakure was a lawless black-market city where every possible horror of human society existed"

"Correction, Free-trade zone" Daichi said with a slightly offended tone, "Jigokugakure hasn't been a black-market city since the fall of Tengokugakure thirty-five years ago"

"There's a Tengokugakure?" Tsunade asked with a raised eyebrow and folded arms.

"Was" Daichi corrected, "Ever since a shipment of some unknown substance was exposed to the air in Tengoku, the city was deemed a Bio-hazard and sealed, left to rot for all eternity. Those few survivors that remained unaffected were given refuge in Jigoku and all of Tengoku's assets were transferred introducing stability and prosperity on a scale neither city had come close to achieving"

"How were we not aware of this?" Kakashi asked.

"Very little news reaches us regarding this part of the world and even less about us makes its way here. That and we are very, very good at keeping secrets" Daichi said.

"Ok, but what's this thing about the Juubi? There are only nine Biju how can there be more?" Jiraiya asked.

"Ah~. Now that is a question I have been waiting to hear, however we will need privacy" Daichi said.

"The Privacy Jutsus went into place the moment Jiraiya entered this room, nothing we have spoken of so far has left these walls" Tsunade said.

"Of course, how could I have been so foolish" Daichi said with feigned ignorance, "Now before I can get to the matter of the Juubi, I must tell you a bit of this planet's history. So please sit, this will take time"

Gathering chairs, Kakashi, Jiraiya, Tsunade and Shizune took a seat and waited for Daichi to speak.

"Many, many eons ago a great catastrophe befell this world. Simply put, it began dying, seas began to dry, volcanoes erupted with reckless abandon, the earth tore itself asunder and life began to wither. During those dark times, the denizens of Paradisio and Inferno-"

"What?" Tsunade asked.

"Heaven and Hell" Daichi said plainly.

"You're telling us that Heaven and Hell actually exist" Kakashi said.

"Yes, but not in the way you perceive" Daichi said, "Now where was I?... Ah yes, when the world began to die, the inhabitants of Paradisio and Inferno congregated to discuss how to save Mortalis, our world. Now, yes I realise many of you would question the reason as to why Heaven and Hell would work together to save the Mortal Plane, but you must realise that other than nurturing Life, Earth serves a far greater purpose, keeping the planes of Paradisio and Inferno apart. If Mortalis were to fall, Paradisio and Inferno would come in contact with each other and in the end EVERYTHING would cease to exist"

"What does this have to do with the Juubi?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm getting to that" Daichi said with mild annoyance then took a deep breath and calmed down, "At the end of the congregation a solution was found that saved Mortalis, but left a very bitter taste in mouths of both realms. Eight entities, four form each side, sacrifices themselves to heal and restore Mortalis. By combining their essences together and infusing it into Mortalis they were able to reverse the damage and fortify the plane making it even stronger than before, but there was an unforeseen side effect"

Everyone sat forward in their seats in anticipation.

"The remnants of their combined essences split into four and were reborn as four unique entities that were tasked with the duty of guarding Mortalis by Paradisio and Inferno. These four entities later came to be known as Byakko, Suzaku, Genbu and Seiryu the Juuniibi no Dai Shi Hogo" Daichi said.

"Wait, you're saying that there are four entities that guard this planet and each of them have twelve tails? Forgive me if I seem a little reluctant to believe you" Tsunade said with a sceptical look on her face.

"Yes I realise this is a lot to take in, but everything has a time, a place and an order. The only reason I am telling you any of this is because I can see that you all care deeply for Naruto and before you ask how he is involved in all this, everything will be explained in due course, now please stop interrupting me and listen to what I have to say" Daichi said with an annoyed and tired look on his face that made him look far older.

"Forgive me...please carry on" Tsunade said with a sigh.

"Thank you" Daichi said then removed a scroll from his side pouch, unsealed a bottle of water and took several deep gulps.

Letting out a deep sigh Daichi placed the bottle on a side table and said, "Please excuse me, all this talking had left me rather parched. If you'd like there are more sealed within" then tossed the scroll to Jiraiya who examined the storage seals.

"These seals show excellent craftsmanship, the work of a true master" Jiraiya commented.

"Why thank you, I was inspired by the best" Daichi said.

"Who?" Jiraiya asked.

"His face is on you mountain" Daichi said and smirked at Jiraiya's raised eyebrow.

"Hey does that thing have any hard liquor, I'm going to need to be extremely drunk if I'm going to believe anything you have said" Tsunade said with a huff.

Daichi started laughing, "Third sealing set onwards, though if I might make a few recommendations?"

Tsunade looked expectantly.

"You, Hokage-sama, seem like a woman of grace, elegance with a hint of playfulness. For you I would recommend Bailey's. For Shizune-san, Tequila would be more to your liking. Jiraiya-san, you seem like a man who has seen the world, despite your more perverse nature, so Scotch would be your ideal poison. As for Kakashi-san, Vodka all the way" Daichi said and chuckled at their attempts to obtain liquid comfort.

As they each took swigs from their respective bottles Daichi couldn't help but chuckle when they each breathed gasps of relief as Tsunade said, "God this stuff's amazing, where did you get it from?"

"I have them imported from the western nations across the seas. If you would like, I can have trade routes setup between Jigoku and Konoha once this whole mess has been dealt with" Daichi said.

"You are a Godsend, if you weren't currently saving Naruto's life, I'd jump you right now" Tsunade said.

"Yes well as appealing as that sounds, I'm afraid I must decline" Daichi said with an amused smile.

"It could have been grand" Tsunade said in a seductive tone.

"Oh, you have no idea" Daichi replied.

The ensuing reactions were priceless, Tsunade grew a horrendous blush then looked away, Shizune was horrified, Kakashi was thoroughly taken aback and bright red behind his mask and Jiraiya had a massive nosebleed while scribbling furiously in his note book, exclaiming 'Eureka' every now and then.

Once everyone was calm, Daichi decided to continue, "As the millennia went on, the near demise of Mortalis was forgotten and life continued. As the guardians watched over all, they bore witness to the birth of a race so fragile, many thought they would cease to exist after a few centuries; however that race persevered and gained dominance over the planet, a race that later came to be known as Humans. The guardians were impressed and decided to nurture this race to help them realise their potential and so a decision was made, using fragments of their own essence they tried to create an emissary that would guide these humans from the shadows. During the creation process, the combined essence was too much resulting in three beings being born, the first was the Juuichibi no Arashi Sasori known as Ekirai. Next came the Juubi no Kage Shimo Okami who went by the name of Fubuki and finally a second Juubi. I am afraid I cannot tell you what the name or nature of the Juubi was since I was not told and speaking of its true nature is forbidden. I shall come to the reason why shortly" Daichi held a hand up to cut any interruptions.

"Over the following centuries all was well, the human race thrived with the hidden aid from the Juuichibi and both Juubi. However that did not last, at some point in time, the Juubi turned violent and started attacking the humans, thus making apparent that it had to be stopped. Ekirai and Fubuki did battle with the Juubi and in the end Ekirai was slain. The Juubi and Fubuki continued to do battle, but the Juubi proved to be too powerful. Just as the Juubi was set to deal a finishing blow, a human with ringed eyes interfered and sealed the Juubi within himself and essentially became the first Jinchuriki. That human came to be known as the Rikudo Sennin-Do not interrupt. Yes, the Rikudo Sennin was a real person. Yes, he did seal the Juubi within himself. No, the Rinnegan is not a genetic mutation; it was simply lost to the sands of time. I said do not interrupt" Daichi said with the last four statements being addressed to Tsunade, Shizune, Jiraiya and finally Kakashi.

None of them spoke a word causing Daichi to smirk, "You learn well. Now where was I? Yes, so after the Juubi was sealed, Byakko, Suzaku, Genbu, Seiryu and Fubuki approached the Rikudo Sennin with a request. They asked him to seal each of them within a human so that the tragedy would not repeat itself. The Sennin complied and sealed each of them within a human and gave the knowledge of the sealing process to two villages far in the west. The two villages were told of the Planet's history and accepted the responsibility with pride and honour and welcomed the new Jinchuriki into their home. Whenever a Jinchuriki died, a new host was selected and the Biju sealed within, a duty that was considered a great honour. Centuries later the two villages eventually came to be known as Jigokugakure and Tengokugakure in honour of the eight denizens of Paradisio and Inferno that gave their lives to save Mortalis"

Daichi sighed then took a swig of his water bottle.

"How does any of this relate to Naruto?" Shizune asked.

Daichi smirked behind his water bottle before placing it back on the table, "Finally a proper question at the proper time. The answer to that is simple, during the waning years of the Rikudo Sennin it was realised that upon his death the seal holding the Juubi would fail and the beast set free. So in his final moments he was able to separate the Juubi from its chakra and sealed its body within the Moon while dividing its chakra into nine fragments and scattered them across the globe. These nine fragments retained a form of sentience and eventually became the infamous Nine Biju, one of which happens to reside within Naruto, but of course you already knew that little tid bit of information"

"Wow" Kakashi said after a few moments silence.

"That about sums it up" Shizune said.

"I know it seems farfetched, but it is the truth" Daichi said, "And as for the question of how Naruto fits in all this is simple. Several years after the Juubi was sealed, it was discovered that the Juubi's chakra had been tainted leading to its violent rampage and that taint was passed on to the nine Biju. Recently we have found a method by which to purify the Biju turning them into more benevolent creatures, without killing the host but we have yet to test it out"

Daichi sat up straight and cleared his throat, "Hokage-sama I have a request to make of you"

Tsunade looked at the man with her full attention despite being quite drunk.

"I, Sanzai Daichi, Nanadaime Jigokukage of Jigokugakure no Sato formally ask you to place Uzumaki Naruto in my care. After he has recovered from his injuries, I shall take him with me to Jigokugakure where we shall purify his Biju and train Naruto to make full use of the Kyuubi's abilities a process that should take about three years. Should the purification fail, we shall extract the Kyuubi and kill it then return Naruto to you unharmed" Daichi said with all the authority he could muster, "What say you, Hokage-sama?"

"All this is a lot to take, but I have to ask why now, why after all this time did you choose to approach us with this and all of a sudden for that matter?" Tsunade asked.

"Because before there was no need to rush. As I said we have recently made the breakthrough with the purification method and never before has there been a threat of the Juubi being resurrected as there is now" Daichi explained.

Tsunade was about to ask for a further explanation but was cut off when Jiraiya said one word that answered so much, "Akatsuki"

"Exactly" Daichi said with a look of worry.

"You think the Akatsuki are trying to resurrect the Juubi?" Kakashi asked.

"No, I'm saying that I know they are trying to resurrect the Juubi. The rumour mill has it that the Akatsuki are collecting the nine Biju to create some sort of weapon that they will use to control the world. I say the only possible out come from having the unsealed chakra of the Biju in one place is the resurrection of the Juubi and that is something that cannot be allowed to happen. If the Juubi is set free upon the world once again then the Dai Shi Hogo will be forced to intervene, when that happens Mortalis will fall and that will spell the end of everything. All in all, if the Juubi is allowed to return then a true blue Apocalypse will be upon us" Daichi said with a grim tone.

"This is...something none of us could have possibly imagined" Jiraiya said, "If what you are saying is true, then this whole mess can be cleaned up before it even starts"

"Indeed" Daichi said.

"Can I have some time to think about this?" Tsunade asked.

"Of course, I will remain in Konoha for as long as Naruto requires treatment which I shall place at about three weeks, give or take a few days" Daichi said.

"You know your estimation will be thrown out the window, Naruto is a very fast healer" Tsunade said with a smirk.

"Very well" Daichi said as he returned the smirk, "Take you time to this about this, it is a lot of information after all, but do bear in mind that there is no obligation what so ever to send Naruto to Jigokugakure. That and I would prefer you keep this information amongst yourselves, the less people who know about this the better"

"We understand, but what do you mean by no obligation?" Shizune asked.

"As long as at least one Biju is purified, then Akatsuki fails. A purified Biju is a separate being in its own right, even if all the Biju are purified, captured and extracted, they will not meld to form the Juubi's chakra"

"Thank you" Tsunade said as she stood up followed by the remaining three, "I shall try to get back to you with an informed decision as soon as possible"

"Take your time and if there is anything you need help with, please don't hesitate to ask" Daichi said.

"Actually there is something you can do" Tsunade said.

"Go on" Daichi said.

"The fact of the matter is that, Naruto is hated by majority of the village especially by the Civilian Council, while the Uchiha is practically worshiped. I feel that when news of Sasuke's injuries reaches the masses, there will be a witch hunt and Naruto will be the sole target. These people are so swept up in their petty grievances that they blind themselves to the truth and remain fixated in the past. Instead of seeing a sweet thirteen year old boy with high hopes, they see a demon. It saddens me to think that no matter how hard I try, I will never be able to completely shield Naruto from the villagers hate"

"I understand" Daichi said as he gave a single nod of the head and a warm smile, "If you can provide me with a copy of Konoha's legal charter, both past and present, I will try to find ways to reduce if not eliminate any form of punishment the council may try to place on him. Also if you will allow me to complete the medical reports for both surgeries as well as dictate treatment, I can falsify minor details that will make some of the Uchiha's more severe injuries occur post-retrieval and make it seem like that strange curse seal was the culprit"

"Thank you. I will personally deliver the legal charters when I come to check on Naruto sometime tomorrow" Tsunade and proceeded to open the door, "Tough I would like to supervise the completion of the medical reports, if that is alright"

"Not at all, it would probably make things a whole lot easier" Daichi said.

"Good night" Tsunade said as she opened the door, thus ending the privacy Jutsus.

"Good night" Daichi replied and watched them leave.

Once the door closed Daichi looked at Naruto with a soft smile while stroking the boy's clasped hand with his thumb and said, "You my friend are an oddity, to garner the love and adoration of such powerful people at such a young age is a testament in itself"

"Mmm, mmm, Ramen" Naruto mumbled causing Daichi to snort in amusement before unsealing a book on advanced onmyodo and a pair of glasses and began reading into the night.

It was five days later that Naruto finally began to stir. Opening his eyes and squinting at the light, Naruto shielded his eyes with his arm while he ascertained his bearing then said, "I guess I'm in the hospital, huh?"

Not expecting anyone else to be in the room, Naruto was thoroughly startled when a voice actually replied to his question, "Indeed you are, I would say, 'Welcome back to the land of the living', but I find that statement to be horribly clichéd"

"WHOA!" Naruto yelped and tried to jerk away before pain gripped his body and was forced to lie back.

"Easy there hot stuff, you need to be careful. You just went through major surgery; I will not have my handiwork undone just because you decided to get a little jumpy" Daichi said.

"Who are you?" Naruto said through hisses of pain as Daichi helped him sit up then noticed the man was holding his hand blushed slightly, "And why are you holding my hand?"

"My name is Sanzai Daichi" Daichi said as he unsealed a bottle of water and offered it to the boy, "And as for why I'm holding you hand, it's to prevent any complications from popping up later on in life as a result of your surgery"

"How and what's with those marking on your arm, not to mention mine?"

"These 'markings' are seals that let me monitor your body functions such as heart rate and brain activity. By holding you hand I can regulate you chakra and help you recover faster and better" Daichi explained.

"Okay...I really don't know what all that meant, but could you let go, its kinda embarrassing" Naruto said as his blush darkened and scratched his cheek.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Naruto" Daichi said in a more solemn tone, "While you were being treated, your heart suddenly started to break down. We tried to heal it, but nothing worked and we were forced to replace it. Right now the only thing keeping your body from rejecting your new heart is me regulating your chakra, until your body adjusts to the heart I cannot let go of your hand"

Naruto started to sniff as tears began to pool in his eyes, but stopped when the door was shoved open and Tsunade walked in.

"Welcome back Gaki" Tsunade said, "I see you met Daichi-kun"

"Kun?" Daichi said with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey you saved the brats life, as far as I'm concerned you're practically family" Tsunade said.

"Oh, well I appreciate the gesture, I'll be sure to have my name changed when I return back home" Daichi said causing Tsunade to burst out laughing.

"Kid, you're alright" Tsunade said.

"I try" Daichi retorted.

"So brat, how you feeling?" Tsunade said to Naruto.

"A little sore, but otherwise okay" Naruto said.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow then made her way to Naruto's side and placed her hand on his forehead for a few seconds then shifted it to his left cheek before removing it and furrowing her brow.

"You sure you feeling alright, you never tell me how you're feeling" Tsunade said.

"Maybe he's had a...change of heart" Daichi said with a smirk.

Tsunade and Naruto looked at Daichi through half lidded eyes and sweat dropped heavily.

"That was awful" Naruto said.

"That was so bad I think you gave me cancer" Tsunade said.

Daichi burst out laughing until he was holding his sides in pain, "Oh God that was brilliant, I'm sorry I just couldn't resist"

"Speaking of which, you have told him right?"Tsunade asked as she sat on the edge of the bed and took Naruto's vitals.

"He called my joke lame, of course he knows" Daichi said.

"Good" Tsunade said then turned to Naruto, "How do you feel about having a new heart?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I mean it's different, but I guess it hasn't really sunk in yet" Naruto said.

"Well it is understandable; it's not every day you wake up with a new heart" Tsunade said.

"I guess, but can I ask you a question?" Naruto asked in a much softer tone of voice.

"Sure" Daichi said and subconsciously gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

Naruto hesitated for a few moments trying to gather the courage before finally speaking, "Whose heart was it?"

"You haven't told him yet have you?" Tsunade asked Daichi.

"No I haven't, I was hoping to wait until after he had gotten used to it" Daichi said.

"Speaking of which, how long do you think it will take?" Tsunade asked.

"Actually even though I said it would take three weeks, it turns out his body is adjusting rather well so I'd say another week or so and this kid will be hopping off walls with reckless abandon" Daichi said with a warm smile the ruffled Naruto's hair.

"You hear that Gaki? You are going to be stuck here for a week, so no escape attempts I mean it. If you let go of Daichi's hand before he says so, you will drop dead. It's him regulating your chakra that's stopping your body from coughing that heart out, you hear me" Tsunade said.

"Yeah I understand, so don't worry I won't try to leave" Naruto said.

Tsunade frowned, "Ok seriously, what the hell is wrong with you? You have never been this obedient, ever!" Tsunade took out a small torch and began examining his pupils, "Who are you and what have you done to my Gaki?"

"Baa-chan I'm fine. Stop fussing over me" Naruto said as he pushed Tsunade's arm away.

"That still doesn't explain your Persona-180" Tsunade said.

"If you really want to know it's because I want to stay in Konoha longer" Naruto said as he hung his head low.

"What the hell are you talking about kid?" Tsunade said loudly while Daichi frowned.

"OH COME ON, BAA-CHAN! YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. I FAILED THAT MISSION AND LET THE TEME PRANCE OFF TO THAT BASTARD SNAKE. AS SOON AS THE COUNCIL GETS WIND OF IT, THEY'LL PROBABLY TRY TO BANISH ME OR SOMETHING. I MAY ACT LIKE AN IDIOT, BUT THAT DOESNT MEAN I ACTUALLY AM ONE" Naruto yelled before forcing himself to stop when pain gripped his chest causing Daichi to place a glowing, green and blue palm on top of the blonde's heart in order to calm it down.

"Calm down Naruto, just because you are adjusting well to the heart doesn't mean it's ready for heavy duty action. Take deep breaths, calm yourself and then talk" Daichi said.

After ten seconds of deep breathing, Naruto had calmed himself and continued to talk, "Besides its ok, Baa-chan. I already got everything figured out. As soon as I'm banished, I'll just head over to Nami no Kuni and ask Tazuna-san if I can stay with them. Who knows, if I'm lucky I'll get a job as a carpenter and if I'm really lucky I could start my own ninja village" and finished off with a grin.

Of course Daichi's ability to read even the faintest of expressions told him that although the boy was projecting a happy demeanour, his body was screaming in anguish. It also helped knowing that while Naruto revealed his plans for the future, his grip on Daichi's hand became tighter and tighter.

"Actually I have a better idea" Daichi said catching the blond boy's attention, "I never did properly introduce myself. My name is Sanzai Daichi, Nanadaime Jigokukage of Jigokugakure no Sato"

Naruto's jaw dropped.

"And in the highly unlikely event that you are banished from Konoha, I will open my gates to you and give you a new home in Jigokugakure no Sato" Daichi said and noticed the feeling of surprise, happiness as well as immense amounts of hope and confusion flash through the boy's eyes and made him wonder just what kind of life the boy had, had if a simple gesture of kindness confused him to this extent.

Naruto was speechless for several moments before he hung his head low and mumbled a soft "Thank you"

"Well Gaki, if those council dipshits want to banish you, they will have to think of a damn good reason because you did not fail you mission" Tsunade said.

Naruto's head snapped up so quickly you would think it broke, "Huh?"

"You brought him back kid, he's in the next room under heavy security and intensive care" Tsunade said.

"But I thought he defeated me?" Naruto said, "I felt his Chidori go through me"

Tsunade and Daichi frowned.

"What is this Chidori?" Daichi asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"It's a high ranking Raiton Jutsu that's normally used for assassinations" Tsunade said.

"I see" Daichi said as he mulled it over, "That would explain the electrical burn trauma"

"So how did I defeat him?" Naruto asked, interrupting the conversation.

"After your final attacks, he tried to run away, but passed out from chakra exhaustion. I was there from the very beginning so I saw everything" Daichi said, he knew it was a lie, but he needed as many people as possible to believe it if Naruto was to avoid any false discrimination. Only Tsunade and Jiraiya would know the truth, "After I reached the two of you, I picked both of you up and rushed to Konoha as fast as possible"

Naruto smiled for a few moments then his brows furrowed in confusion, "Wait what were you doing at the Valley of the End?"

"Being a tourist" Daichi said as he shrugged.

"Why?" Naruto said.

"Just felt like seeing the place, I was on my way to Kumo and decided to see what the place looked like. My father mentioned it when we visited Konoha fifteen years ago and the history behind it. I tell you that was the most boring hour of my life" Daichi said.

"Tell me about it. Every time Iruka-sensei taught us history, God, forget about staying awake, I had to struggle to stay out of a coma" Naruto said causing Daichi to laugh.

"Yes, history teachers are quite boring. I remember one time when my teacher went on and on about some bloody battle that happened so long ago the place now sits at the bottom of the sea. I started getting scared that my classmates would start dying from boredom. At the time I could have sworn a kid was complaining about his left arm hurting" Daichi said.

"Why the left arm?" Naruto asked while Tsunade was holding her sides in laughter.

"It's your body's way of telling you your heart's going to stop" Daichi said.

Naruto paled, "I'll keep that in mind"

Daichi chuckled, "Sorry I didn't mean to spook you"

By then Tsunade had managed to calm down, "Oh God I needed that. Well Gaki, seeing as your awake, I'll have someone send up something to eat. I'm sure the two of you must be very hungry" then tossed Daichi a scroll, "Here're the books you wanted"

"Thank you" Daichi said and pocketed the scroll.

"Aww Baa-chan, why'd you have to be so mean?" Naruto said in a dejected tone, "Hospital food tastes like cardboard. Gimme ramen"

"NO RAMEN!" Tsunade shouted then slammed the door shut.

"Why does everyone always pick on ramen?" Naruto said with a half arm cross, since the other was a little preoccupied.

"Dunno" Daichi said then removed two scrolls and unrolled one of them and unsealed it to reveal several wrapped up sandwiches.

"What're those?" Naruto asked.

"Sandwiches" Daichi said and watched as Naruto tilted his head to the side as if asking 'why'.

"You actually think I'm going to let the two of us eat hospital food?" Daichi said as he quirked an eyebrow and handed a sandwich over to Naruto.

"You are awesome" Naruto said as he took the offered meal.

"I try" Daichi said and watched in masked amusement as Naruto looked from the sandwich to his left hand then back to the sandwich then to his left hand and finally at Daichi who was smirking.

"A little help" Naruto said.

Daichi chuckled, "I was wondering how long it would take you to realise that" then reached forward and helped unwrap the sandwich before taking a slice for himself.

"This is really good" Naruto said between bites.

"Why thank you, I've been told I was a good cook" Daichi said as he took another bite of his.

Naruto chuckled happily and Daichi noticed that this was a true smile.

"You know you never did answer my question" Naruto said after they had finished eating, a nurse with food came a few minutes earlier and Daichi sent her off saying Naruto had a stomach ache.

Daichi quirked his eyebrows as if asking the boy to go on since he was currently drink from a bottle of water.

"Where did my new heart come from?" Naruto asked in a more solemn tone.

Daichi placed the bottle on the table that hung over the bed and sighed, "You promise you won't freak out?"

"I'll try" Naruto said softly, a small amount of fear collecting within him.

Daichi sighed then unbuttoned his shirt slightly in order to reveal the still red scar from having cut his chest open.

Naruto's eyes stood transfixed on the cut and opened his mouth several times but no words came out.

"I gave you my heart, in the literal sense not the figurative as most people tend to take it in" Daichi said in an attempt to cheer the boy up. For some reason, seeing Naruto pained and confused over this hurt Daichi as well.

After a few moments of painful silence, Daichi was about to speak when Naruto beat him to it, "Why?" was all he said.

"Why what?" Daichi asked with mild confusion.

"Why...why did you give me your heart?" Naruto asked then realised the more pressing question, "Why aren't you dead?"

"Heh, heh, I heal very, very, very fast so I was able to regenerate the heart after I cut it out" Daichi said and watched as Naruto turned a little green at the revelation, "And as to why, it was the right thing to do"

"Ok" Naruto said, but it was obvious he wasn't convinced.

"Well enough of this doom and gloom. Since we are stuck together for the next week or so, why don't we get to know each other? I'll ask a question, you answer and I'll answer back ok?" Daichi asked.

"Sure" Naruto said in a happier and excited tone, no one had ever tried to get to know him. So he was eager to share and get to know about this man who had given his own heart to keep him alive.

"So, Name?" Daichi asked.

"Uzumaki Naruto" Naruto replied.

"Sanzai Daichi, but you already knew that" Daichi said with a smirk, "Age?"

"Thirteen"

"Ha! I'm 21"

"Really!"

"Yup. Date of birth?"

"October 10th"

"Hey, I'm October 15th, Yay!" Daichi said as he high-fived the boy causing Naruto to laugh, "Let's see... favourite colour?"

"Orange"

"I thought so, mine's black as you can plainly see" Daichi said indicating to his black shirt and trousers, "Favourite food?"

"RAMEN!"

"Hahahaha! Figures you did mumble something about ramen once or twice before you woke up" Daichi said causing Naruto to blush, "I like steaks. There's nothing like a good thick piece of meat to bite into. Hmm, goodness this is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Special Technique?"

"Kage Bunshin" Naruto said, forgetting the need for secrecy due to too much excitement.

"Impressive especially for someone as young as you, but I got one better. Kage Shimo Bunshin" Daichi said.

"I've never heard of something like that" Naruto said.

"Watch" Daichi said then took a small slip of paper with an intricate seal written on it and charged it with chakra then flung it further into the room, "I used a seal to make it because if I were to mould my chakra, it might disrupt the chakra being used to heal you"

Naruto watched as dark frost began to gather as soon as the slip of paper touched the floor. The frost continued to creep upwards until it took the shape of a man and faded into the figure of Daichi.

"That was awesome" Naruto said with sparkling eyes.

"Quite" Daichi said then addressed the clone and tossed the scroll Tsunade had given him earlier, "Well seeing as there is no point in wasting a good Bunshin, why don't you go gather that information I planned on getting earlier. All of it"

"Ha!" the clone said with a salute before disappearing in a swirl of frosty mist.

"Where did he go?" Naruto asked.

"Oh I just had him go find some bits of information about the village. I was thinking of setting up some trade routes between here and Jigokugakure and wanted to know what Konoha has to offer and what we can provide. That and the Hokage gave me some books on Konoha law. If I'm going to set up trade routes, I will need to know what I can and cannot trade" Daichi said.

"Wow, you take your job as a Kage pretty seriously" Naruto said.

"A Kage is more than just being the strongest. They must know what is best for their people and make decisions accordingly. Even if it means you must forego your own morals" Daichi said.

"Wow, I guess I have a lot to learn if I want to become Hokage" Naruto said.

"You want to become Hokage?" Daichi asked with a surprised look on his face.

"Umm, yeah" Naruto said shrinking away slightly thinking he was going to be berated.

"That is a wonderful dream" Daichi said, Naruto's face light up in happiness and surprise, "I'm sure you will achieve it"

"You mean it?"

"Of course" Daichi said with a warm smile and a chuckle, "Now where were we? Ah yes, Tell me something unique about yourself"

Naruto thought about it for a few moments before Daichi interrupted his thoughts and said, "You know what, let me go first. Did you know that I have two different types of chakra?"

"What?" Naruto replied.

"It's true, watch" Daichi said as he charged his right hand with chakra until it took on a blue glow. Naruto watched in awe as the blue glow suddenly turned black. This charka seemed thicker, denser more powerful, heck it even sounded different.

"H-How?" was all Naruto could stutter out.

"Same reason you have two different types of chakra" Daichi said as he dispelled the chakra and saw Naruto tense slightly, "I too am a Jinchuriki"

"R-really?" Naruto asked, unsure of himself.

"Yes I am" Daichi said then closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them, instead of the normal brown, they were a dark, deep, blue with slit pupils, "This proof enough" then grinned to show his canines had extended into fangs.

Naruto nodded slowly.

Once Daichi's changes reverted, Naruto asked the obvious question, "Which one do you have?"

"The Juubi no Kage Shimo Okami also known as Fubuki"

Naruto nodded his head in understanding then furrowed his brows, "Wait, Juubi? I thought there were only Nine Biju"

"Naruto, if there is an Ichibi all the way up to the Kyuubi, why can't there be a Juubi?" Daichi asked.

"You have a point" Naruto said, since you couldn't refute that level of logic, well at least Naruto couldn't.

The rest of the day was spent in a similar fashion where they would ask question and the other would answer. Sometime later, Iruka came to visit and nearly crushed Naruto in a death hug. He wasn't pleased about an unknown male holding the boy's hand, but after a proper explanation he was willing to compromise.

Iruka stayed for dinner, which was another round of sandwiches, and chatted happily with Daichi until it was time to leave. Bidding the boy goodbye, Iruka closed the door behind him and left the two occupants to their devices.

"He seemed nice" Daichi commented.

"Yeah, Iruka-sensei's awesome. He would treat me sometimes when we went for ramen" Naruto said.

"Well he definitely cares about you" Daichi said.

"Yeah, though I wish there were other people who came to visit" Naruto said in a dejected tone.

"If you are talking about your Genin friends and your sensei, they'll probably come tomorrow" Daichi said reassuringly.

"How do you know?" Naruto said, still dejected.

"Because I told the Hokage that after you woke up, your friends should be notified the next day, that way you would be able to have a day to adjust to the knowledge of having a new heart" Daichi explained.

"Oh, ok" Naruto said with a much livelier tone.

Daichi smiled, "Well seeing as we have spent the entire day talking, I would suggest you try and get some rest. When you are asleep you chakra is easier to regulate and thus your body adjusts faster"

"Ok" Naruto said and settled in for the night.

Daichi turned a knob on the wall to dim the lights so that Naruto could sleep and Daichi could read.

Once Naruto was settled, Daichi gave the blond a warm smile and said, "Good night Naruto"

Never having experienced someone wishing him good night, Naruto was thoroughly surprised, but Daichi never saw it since his face was facing away from him.

"Good night" Naruto said and went to sleep with a smile on his face for the first time in many years.

Once the monitor seals alerted Daichi to the fact that Naruto was truly asleep, the black haired man snapped his fingers and a clone Shunshined into the room.

"How goes the progress on the legislature?" Daichi asked with a serious tone

"I have assigned sets of one hundred clones dedicated to each book, we are currently at 80% completion" the clone said.

"Excellent" Daichi said, "By the time mid-night arrives, I wish to be able to quote syllables if necessary. What about the economic tasks?"

"I had several clones disguised as merchants go around the financial district gathering information. It seems a high quality ninja supply shop would prove most effective" the clone reported.

"Perfect, I shall speak to the Hokage tomorrow about getting a permit to setup temporary shop. We might as well make some money while we're here" Daichi said, "Dismissed"

"Ha!" the clone said then Shunshined out of the room.

Once left to his own thoughts, Daichi let out a deep sigh then turned his attention to peaceful visage of a sleeping blond, "If the memories that are seeping into my mind are anything to go by, you have led a life no child should ever face. I feel regretful for having led such a blessed life while you have suffered unimaginably. I just hope I can free you from any additional burden and get you to Jigoku, legally, in order to free you from your pained past. My only concern now is that if everything falls through, I do not try and bury this village until it is incinerated by the Earth's core"

Naruto sighed in his sleep and shifted slightly causing Daichi to smile warmly before leaning forward and brushing away some stray hairs from the boy's face.

"He is kinda cute" Daichi thought before leaning back into his chair and drifting off into peaceful slumber.

The next day proved to be more...entertaining. After breakfast, Naruto's room was suddenly flooded by his Genin comrades bearing gifts and 'Get Well' cards, even Ino and the Suna Siblings visited, which was a real surprise, and of course the obvious question after how he was feeling was why was Daichi holding his hand? Resulting in the obvious answer of, "I'm regulating his chakra to keep his body from rejecting his heart until it can get used to it"

"Hey guys, if you don't mind me asking, where's Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.

Everyone's faces turned to looks of disapproval or disgust, or in Gaara's case, nothing.

"Tch, you should forget about her, man" Kiba said, "As soon as we entered this hallway, that woman rushed straight past your door and tried to get past the ANBU so she could see her precious traitor"

"I can't believe her" Ino said, which earned her a few surprising looks, "I mean, sure I was going to visit Sasuke-kun too, but at least I had the decency to visit you first. You are the one who brought him back, after all"

Naruto's face flashed sadness for a second, before he closed his eyes and popped a wide toothy grin and said, "Don't worry guys, she does love him. I'm sure she'll come visit me later"

Daichi felt sickened, that smile had no emotion, no feeling, it was just...empty, but that look of sadness. Daichi made a note to question the boy later and he hopped to get an honest answer.

Suddenly the door was slammed open and a very enraged pinkette stormed in.

"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled.

"Oh, hey Sakura-cha-" Naruto was unable to finish his sentence when Sakura's shrill voice filled their ears.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO SASUKE-KUN?" Sakura shrieked, "THEY WON'T EVEN LET ME SEE HIM!"

"I don't know what you are talking about, Sakura-cha-" Naruto started but was cut off again.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! THEY TOLD ME THAT IF I ENTERED SASUKE-KUN'S ROOM HE'LL DIE. I'LL-I'LL KILL YOU!" Sakura roared as she drew a kunai and charged at the bedridden blond.

Naruto closed his eyes and flinched at the sound of tearing flesh, but felt no pain. Opening his eyes, he was shocked to see Daichi gripping Sakura's fist with the kunai protruding out the back of his hand.

"Young Miss, I cannot possibly fathom why you would want to hurt, what I can assume to be a fellow comrade, but if you do not calm yourself in the next ten seconds. I. Will. Make you" Daichi said while releasing a miniscule but potent amount of killing intent, while tightening his grip on the girl's fist, threatening to crush it.

The force of the KI was enough to break the girl out of her rage causing her to whimper and collapse to the ground, backing away in fear.

"Now get out of here before I decide to charge you with disrupting the peace, this is a hospital dammit" Daichi said before the pink haired girl ran out of the room in tears.

Once the door closed, Daichi gripped the ring hole of the kunai with his teeth and ripped the bladed weapon out then spat it out, embedding it into the wall while his rapid healing factor sealed the wound.

After a few moments of silence, Daichi let out a sigh and said, "Well that was fun" causing many to break out into laughter.

"Did you have to scare her like that?" Ino asked.

"I have very sensitive hearing, unless raised voices are warranted, I tend to get a little miffed at any source" Daichi said.

"Ugh, I swear" Kiba said, "They should mark that voice as a Kinjutsu"

Another round of laughter ensued.

"Well, seeing as Naruto has had quite enough excitement for one day, would you all be so kind, as to let him rest. You can all visit him tomorrow, but could you do so in smaller groups? It will put less strain on his body, and help him recover all the faster" Daichi said.

Everyone agreed and bid Naruto further 'Get Well' wishes as well as promises of future visits before leaving the room and closing the door.

After several moments of silence, Daichi spoke, "How you feeling?"

"Ok, I guess" Naruto replied.

"That's good, but can I ask you a question? I would appreciate it if you would give me an honest answer" Daichi asked in a softer tone.

"Umm, ok. I'll try" Naruto said.

Daichi took a deep breath then let it out, "Why did you feign sadness when you were told about the pink haired girl?"

Naruto's eyes widened, "W-w-w-what are y-y-you t-talking about?"

"Naruto, I am an expert at reading the human body. The slightest gesture or lack there off will tell me exactly what you are feeling. So tell me why did you feel nothing at the news that this girl, who I can assume is your teammate, chose to visit the other boy over you?" Daichi asked.

"H-how did you..." Naruto trailed off.

"You didn't squeeze my hand" Daichi said causing Naruto to tilt his head to the side and furrow his brows in confusion.

"Normally a shinobi can train themselves to show very little emotion on the outside, but it is impossible to kill off you own natural instincts. With me holding your hand, your mind perceives it as an invasion of personal space. Unable to cope, your mind goes into a mild state of panic causing your emotional guard to drop slightly. With that, your emotions are able to seep their way to the surface where I can read them. If you had felt true sadness, your body would have reached out for the closest thing in your vicinity for comfort...me. Contrary to popular belief, emotion cannot simply be discarded when one finds it convenient or deem them unnecessary. Emotions are hard wired into our being from the moment of our conception and have been so from the moment our species became capable of independent thought" Daichi said.

Naruto couldn't get any words to leave his mouth.

"While I cannot possibly comprehend the life you have lived, having so many falsified emotions layered on top of each other cannot help but make me think that seeing so many emotional barriers on a child is wrong in every sense of the word" Daichi said in a comforting tone, "While, for whatever reason, you cannot open up to others, I would like it if you could try and open up to me. Even though it may confuse you, I really do want to be your friend and it pains me greatly to see you in such distress"

"I...I..." Naruto said before his face began to flush, his breathing became broken and laboured, tears dripped down his face and he began to cry. It was slow at first, but continued to increase in intensity until Daichi crawled onto the bed and pulled Naruto into a comforting hug. It was that simple gesture that finally burst the dam. With a pain filled cry of anguish, Naruto burst into tears as years upon year of pent up emotion flooded out of the poor boy in a massive deluge. Daichi felt a few tears drip down his face as he continued to gently rock this grief stricken boy for hours until he finally cried himself to sleep. A sleep, Daichi realised, was the most peaceful he had ever seen on the blond Jinchuriki.


Author's Notes

Yay! Chapter 2 is done. First off I want to thank all who have reviewed/marked my story in favs and/or alerts, you really gave me confidence to continue with this idea. So once again Thank You.

Now on to more important matters. This chapter finally gives the history for the entire planet, Jigokugakure and its late sister city Tengokugakure, the existence of Fubuki while still keeping the canon Juubi as well as how Naruto fits into it all. Now you can pass the judgement I asked you to withhold on in chapter one. Whether you like it or not, I would appreciate it if you would tell me and if you don't like it, I would like to know why and without hurtful remarks. I have yet to receive a flame and I don't want to start now.

Secondly, I realise some of you may feel that Naruto's emotional walls were broken down too quickly, frankly I feel the same, but after rereading the chapter, I have found two excuses that may validate this. Firstly the chakra link between the two has allowed Daichi to subconsciously tap into Naruto's memories, thus allowing him to experience portions of Naruto's life as such he has a better understanding of the boy. Secondly it goes to show how ignorant and/or uncaring the village is. Here is a boy that has spent so many years practically screaming in pain, yet it took a complete stranger who has known Naruto for less than a week to see that pain and offer comfort. Its a crappy excuse I know, I don't like it either, but it was the best I could come up with and I was really tired when I wrote this chapter.

OO and a cookie for anyone who can name where I got Paradisio and Inferno from.

Jutsu-Jutsu no Jutsu

Juuniibi no Dai Shi Hogo - Four Great Twelve-Tailed Guardians

Juuichibi no Arashi Sasori - Eleven-Tailed Storm Scorpion

Ekirai - Liquid Lightning

Rikudo Sennin - Sage of the Six Paths

Rinnegan - Samsara Eye

Enjoy.