"She's a genius, sensei. There's no denying it. She's done something that should've been impossible."

"Spit it out, Jiraiya. We do not have time for you to sit and admire the seal." Hiruzen had very little patience on this Thursday morning. Part of the reason why he was so agitated was because of the spiky-haired man kneeling next to a sedated Naruto.

"She perfected the curse seal. The ones we saw on Anko and when we raided her labs look like botch jobs compared to this one. This is a masterpiece."

"Jiraiya. Stop admiring the damn seal and tell me what it does." Hiruzen barked out. His patience for his student had officially run out.

"It's very similar to the one discovered on Anko in terms of the amount of chakra contained within it and its ability to absorb more. Unlike hers, this seal doesn't seem to have any natural limiters put on it. As of right now, he has instant and unlimited access to the bastardized senjutsu the seal provides. It honestly should be impossible with the shinigami's seal present but somehow she managed it." Jiraiya couldn't help but add the last sentence as he stared at the seal. Behind him, Hiruzen sighed at his student's behavior before moving his attention onto the sleeping Naruto.

It had been several weeks since his ANBU had reported to him their failure in protecting Naruto. When he had learned of their failure, it had taken everything within him not to strike them down where they stood. If the urgency of the child's health wasn't calling for his attention, he would've probably done it too.

His urge to kill the ANBU grew even stronger when he first laid eyes on the cursed seal located on the boy's collarbone. His summons for Jiraiya had been immediate. The man's response was nowhere near as quick. Instead of an immediate solution, Hiruzen had been forced to stew in his agitation and anxiety for several weeks. When his perverted student had come casually strolling through the village gates, he had nearly beat the man to death for his tardiness.

Is there any way to remove it?" Hiruzen questioned after several moments of silence. Jiraiya gave a negative shake of his head, earning him another sigh from his sensei.

"Not that I know of," With a small grunt, the sannin rose up to his full height. "The best we can do is attempt to suppress it. Limit the seal's connection with its creator. It'll be painful but it's the best solution until I find a way to remove the thing."

"Get it done today. I want you to start preparing the sealing room immediately." He wasn't going to allow his student to sneak off once again. The man had already had enough time to play.

"I was going to do that anyway. Stop being such a prude." Jiraiya attempted to wave away his sensei's words. Instead, the older man sent him a glare that managed to seal his mouth shut. He gave a curt nod of his head before dashing out of the room, presumably to go prepare the sealing room. With his student gone, Hiruzen returned his attention to the unconscious boy with a prominent frown on his face.

"I only hope that we aren't too late."


It was one of those days where the sun seemed to hang in the sky for an eternity. Its shine wasn't too harsh where you had to shield your eyes but it was bright enough to bathe the village in its entirety glow.

"Kabuto!" The sound of his name being called managed to clear away the serenity of the day. No amount of emotion training could've stopped the sigh from leaving his mouth. With no small amount of reluctance, the white-haired boy rose from the ground and faced his guest with a wide smile.

"Naruto-kun! As always, the sight of you is such a pleasant gift." The words flowed out of his mouth with practiced ease. Greeting the child had become part of his daily routine. Each day he attempted to mix up the words of his greetings purely to keep the interaction somewhat entertaining for him.

Naruto's smile grew in size at Kabuto's words, forcing a twinge of emotion to travel through the teen's body. He quickly squashed the feeling before beginning his daily observation of the boy's condition.

The fact that he was running towards him was a good sign. The burnt orange shirt he wore clung comfortably to his body. The medic-nin was happy to see that the food that had been provided to him by his mistress was being put to good use. The pair of black shorts wrapped around the tight shorts were void of any holes or tear. The boy's cheeks were nice and full, still hosting the six whisker marks.

At the sight of the child's neck, Kabuto couldn't help but smirk. His mistress' seal stood out proudly against the child's tan skin. It's black marking almost seemed to shine in the light of the sun.

The entirety of the seal was surrounded by another seal. This one took the appearance of a spiked circle with its edges pointed inward towards his master's seal. Every few seconds, an almost unnoticeable pulse of blue would radiate from the seal, showing that the counter seal was working properly.

Just how Jiraiya had admired the genius of his master, Kabuto had to give credit to the sannin. Despite the facade of a buffoon that he wore so well, the man was knowledgeable about his subject. He had managed to suppress the seal but he could not completely get rid of his master's influence.

"My prince…" Naruto paused in his motion when the voice rang through his head. Even though Kabuto couldn't hear his mistress' voice, he could sense her presence through the blond's pause. The older male approached the frozen child while suppressing his grin before laying a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"You okay, Naruto?" Kabuto's touch and question served to snap the child out of his thoughts. He quickly shook his head free of his thought before flashing his caretaker a bright smile.

"I am, Kabuto-san. What are you going to teach me today?" The young blond asked his caretaker. At his words, Kabuto felt a chill travel up his spine. Because, at that very same moment, he could've sworn that the pale face of his master had overcome the boy's features. The carefree smile turned dangerous, blue eyes turned yellow and tanned skin turned pale. The image only lasted for a few seconds before fading away, revealing Naruto's still smiling face.

"Her influence grows more each day." Kabuto thought to himself after shaking his vision free of the mirage. Jiraiya's seal couldn't curb the full effects of the seal. With his guiding and her silent influence, the boy's perfection would be molded.

"Just some history, Naruto-kun." The groan that left the boy's lips showed that Orochimaru's influence still hadn't fully overcome the child.

"Just as she planned." The male thought while he pulled several scrolls into sight. Just like his master loved to proclaim, the child was perfect. She did not want to corrupt that perfection. She simply wanted to mold and guide it towards herself.

"We'll be continuing our study on the strongest ninja produced here in Konoha. Today's subject, the Sannin."


The Iburi clan. A clan that was known for two things. First, their tendency to live in seclusion in the caves littered across Fire country. Second, their member's innate ability to turn into smoke at will. While in their smoke form, any member of the Iburi clan turned exponentially deadlier as they still had the ability to interact physically with any object while gaining a level of invulnerability.

Orochimaru had developed an interest in the clan far before her prince had been brought into the world. Their ability to become intangible while still being able to cause physical harm had so much potential. If she had the ability to do just that, stealth and espionage would no longer be an issue for her. She would naturally radiate death.

But now, she found no need for their blood ability. She no longer needed it to achieve perfection. That state would come to her when she and her prince became united. For now, her prince's kingdom was in need of a strong base. And, she had a very strong inkling that she had discovered who would be the first to join.

"What … what do you want?" Their cowering brought her out her thoughts. As her eyes swept over their bodies, they flinched. This caused her to smirk. Their fear was good. Fear made for an amazing motivator.

"I wanted this to transpire peacefully." Orochimaru stated while walking towards the group of several dozen Iburi clan members. The sound of wetness filled the entirety of the cave as the sannin took her full, slow strides toward the group.

"You claim that but look at what you've done to our brothers and sisters!" A nameless clansman pushed his way to the front of the crowd and pointed an accusatory finger at the woman. Orochimaru stopped in her movement and raised a single eyebrow at his words before briefly looking over her shoulder. Dozens more of Iburi members were behind her, lying motionless against the cold stone of the cave.

"They attacked me without warrant. I came under the pretense of peace."

"Lies!" The same man yelled. The fire in his eyes seemed to almost set his body alight as his skin began to emit smoke.

"We know the things you've done. You have done despicable things to your fellow ninja! We want no part in what you want."

Orochimaru went still and silent at his words. The smoke rising from the man's skin began to gradually fade as her silence dragged on. The fire in his eyes still remained bright, however.

That light was quickly snuffed out when Orochimaru disappeared from her spot and reappear in front of him moments after. Before he could activate his clan's ability, the woman sent her sword piercing hilt-deep into his throat. The rest of the clan could only watch in horror as the sannin jerked the sword out of his neck, sending a stream of blood spraying over herself and the ground. The horrified look on the man's face remained plastered in place, even when he collapsed to the ground, still and motionless.

"Listen to me." Orochimaru's words brought the clan's attention back to her. Although her face had several streaks of blood sprayed across its pale surface, she didn't seem the least bit bothered as she talked.

"I am building a kingdom. A kingdom built for a King. A kingdom fitting enough for a god. And, kingdom needs its subjects. You lot will become the first of many." The woman finished with a frighteningly large smile plastered across her lips. The horrified forms of the people before her only seem to fuel her intentions as she steadily approached them.

"You will become the first of many to join. Or, you will become the first of many to die."

They made the smart decision.


AN: Another chapter done! Hope that you all enjoy it. I'm glad to see the positivity revolving around the fic. Please review or PM me with any questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, desires, etc. Have a wonderul rest of the day! Peace!