Kiyoshi stood on the rooftop, looking into the room that Naruto was sharing with Ayame. The small boy was exhausted, if his deep sleeping was any indicator, and Ayame had her arms wrapped protectively around his small frame. A little too small, Kiyoshi thought with a light frown. It seems as if he'd been having trouble trying to get food, or at least food that's nutritious. Not so much that he's been starving, but enough to where it's been affecting his muscle mass and growth. I wonder how many times he's had to survive on ramen?

Ayame stirred a little, her eyes slowly opening, and, as if sensing Kiyoshi was there, turned her head to stare out the window straight at him. Kiyoshi raised an eyebrow. Impressive. I've only been here about five seconds, and she already sensed my presence? Either my skills have been declining as of late, or these Konoha ANBU are more powerful than I give them credit for. Wishing to belay any unneeded thoughts from the girl, Kiyoshi nodded his head to her in silent approval and turned away from the window, pulling out several documents from his coat pocket as he walked.

He examined the documents for a few minutes, going over every last detail that he had been able to glean from what he had found. The civilians, on the other hand, leave something to be desired with their security. Honestly, this is supposed to be a ninja village, and they expect to keep potential thieves away with a simple combination lock on a safe? Do these people really picture themselves as untouchable, despite all the evidence that could be used to get them executed under village law?

He perused the documents for a little longer before revealing a small seal on his wrist. A small, unnoticable light flashed, absorbing the documents, before Kiyoshi raised a hand to his chin in thought. First order of business is to do as Teuchi suggested and find a way to bring their underlings' activity to light without alerting them. I could just go after those three, but something tells me that the moment something goes awry with even one of them, the other two will go to ground and make this harder than it needs to be. They may even try to escape the village, and they'll probably get away with it as well.

He shook his head lightly. The only problem with the whole thing is that the moment I take any action against any of these people period, they'll start destroying evidence the moment I start to show up. I could try to take care of these places all at once, but Elemental bunshins would leave traces as well as not having my full abilities, and my clan bunshins would use too much energy for something as small as this, even if I can re-absorb them when I'm finished.

Kiyoshi looked around the village, his eyes settling on a few places of minor interest before final resting on Hokage Tower. His eyes widened a little in remembrance, before smacking his forehead in annoyance. Duh! The Forbidden Scroll of Seals could have something! Father even made a point to mention that to me before I left. Something about needing to see if it's been updated since the beginning of the Third's first reign. Idiot!

Mentally kicking himself (which, in reality, was no small feat since you needed the most absolute concentration to actually feel the blows in your own subconscious), Kiyoshi took off for the tower, hoping that Hokage had returned there. After all, there's no reason for the ANBU to be drawn away from their respective duties...

Kiyoshi had turned away from the window too quickly after nodding, or else he would have been subjected to a soft smile grace Ayame's features. She watched the place where the boy previously was for a few seconds more before resting her head back onto her pillow. She turned her gaze back onto Naruto's slumbering form, and she gently tightened her arms around him. He just continued snoring away, though his body responded by snuggling into her embrace. Her smiled widened a little more, though it also sported a rather sad twinge to it. Oh, Naruto. Are you really so alone? Do you just act loudly because you want someone to notice you? Because you want us to help you? I wish we could have done so much more for you, could have given you all that you really deserve for carrying this terrible burden for all these years.

She stroked his hair a little, and then she shifted her head a few times on her pillow before finally resting it, thinking as she closed her eyes again, But now, someone's here who can, and I've got a feeling that he'll burn the world to ash before he fails to get what he wants. And Kami help the poor soul stupid enough to get in his way.

For the rest of the night, that same smile never left Ayame's face.

Landing on the ledge outside the Hokage's office, Kiyoshi smiled a little when he saw the Hokage sitting at his desk while putting a few things away in it, obviously about ready to head home for the night. Good thing I didn't hesitate, or else I would have missed him.

He leaned forward a little and rapped his finger lightly on the window, alerting the Hokage to his presence. The elderly man turned around and, noticing who it was, opened the window wide enough to allow the slender boy into the room. After latching it shut, he then turned back to Kiyoshi, who was now seated on the other side of the desk. Sarutobi took this as a cue to be seated himself, and he pulled out his pipe and thumbed in a small amount of tobacco into it. As he was striking a match, he asked, "I trust your mission tonight went well, my boy?"

Kiyoshi nodded his head slightly and smirked. "Oh yes. It went well, indeed. Even the barest amounts of info I gathered tonight is more than enough to suit my needs for the moment. Best part is, I get the feeling there's tons more buried deeply, just waiting to be exposed."

Sarutobi smiled lightly (probably more out of relief, Kiyoshi guessed), and finally got the match to ignite. He held it to his pipe and puffed a little to catch the flames on the narcotic. After sighing in contentment, letting out the tobacco fumes from his mouth, he then said, "Good, good. May I ask what you've managed to find in such short notice?"

Kiyoshi moved his hand to the seal on his wrist, causing the documents to appear in his hand. As he laid them out and started to sort them out, he spoke, "First things first - Danzo Shimura. It seems as if Teuchi was right when he told me to be leery of him. His actions alone tonight proved to me that he's interested only in his own motivations."

Sarutobi frowned. "Really? Mind explaining?"

"Danzo did go to that bar tonight, and he and the barman had a very interesting conversation regarding some information about Orochimaru's whereabouts." Sarutobi's eyes widened slightly and opened his mouth to speak, only for Kiyoshi to momentarily raise his hand in a stopping motion. "Don't worry. We'll get to that shortly. What's interesting about this is that the barman has his own information network, as he had mentioned something about a contact of his being wounded – possibly critically – and is now under medical care."

Sarutobi nodded his head slightly. "I'll have some of the medical staff that I trust look through the records discreetly and see if they can turn up anything."

Kiyoshi nodded his head in return. "Good. If you find the man and he doesn't turn out to be a ninja from your own ranks, then see if he can be bought. It would be good to see if we can use this to best of our advantages."

"And if he is a Konoha ninja or cannot be bought?"

Kiyoshi waved his hand dismissively. "Then send him to your T&I department and wring him dry. Once you've squeezed out every bit of info, eliminate him. No point in setting loose a tool that someone else can use, especially one that withholds vital info from his rightful commanders." He then turned his attention back to the various papers. "Now, as for Danzo, what's so suspicious is that he, an Elder for this village, didn't promptly get up and bring this info to you once he paid for it. Instead, he just sat there and calmly sipped his sake for nearly twenty minutes. My guess is that he wants to keep this info to himself for the time being, possibly even use it to try to make contact with Orochimaru and strike a deal with him. My only question is, why? How is it he commands so much when he really should have no power at all?"

There was a small silence in the room, aside from Kiyoshi shuffling the last of his paperwork, before Sarutobi's eyes widened again as he whispered out, "No...he couldn't have..." His face then contorted to a snarl. "He was ordered to..." The Hokage finally slammed a hand onto his desk with a smack and nearly yelled, "Damn it!"

Kiyoshi was surprised enough from this that he actually stopped what he was doing and looked at Sarutobi with confusion. "Something up?"

Sarutobi puffed furiously into his pipe a little in contemplation before answering, "Danzo was once a commander in ANBU and was head of a program involving an elite squadron, simply referred to as the Foundation or, more commonly, the codename 'ROOT'. However, the difference between his ninja and the normal ANBU was that he used a program that involved suppressing the ROOT ninja's emotions completely and putting them through extensive physical, mental, and chakra conditioning. The end result of the project produced soldiers that were brutally efficient and extremely loyal to Danzo – and Danzo only."

Kiyoshi frowned slightly as he narrowed his eyes at Sarutobi. "He was...usurping the position of leader from the Hokage?"

Sarutobi nodded. "When he first started the program, it was during the beginning of the Third Shinobi War – a time when we needed good soldiers for the front lines that would follow their commander's orders. After the war, however, he was ordered by the Fourth Hokage to disband the group, as he had found the practices to be too barbaric and claimed that a shinobi needs his emotions at least at a basic level."

Seeing Kiyoshi nod slightly at this in agreement, he continued, "Danzo complied, though stubbornly, and officially disbanded ROOT. Unofficially, though..." Sarutobi sighed a little. "I was never able to find any proof, but I had always had suspicions of Danzo secretly keeping the group together. The actions of that one ninja who formed the first mob against Naruto today suggest this even more."

Kiyoshi crossed his arms and then raised a hand to his chin in thought. After a few seconds of silence, he then looked back at Sarutobi. "Has the body been examined yet?"

The older man shook his head. "No. For now, we're keeping it hidden in the morgue at T&I. Why?"

"I may wish to be present for the autopsy, but if I'm not, then you need to make sure that the coroners responsible look for everything and anything that seems odd. Did Danzo have any special traits that were common amongst his ninja aside from the unquestioning loyalty?"

Both males thought for a few minutes, hoping to come to some conclusion to this riddle. Sarutobi then muttered, "But just how does he gain their loyalty? It would take time to break a person's will to that degree, but somehow Danzo was able to produce them at a astounding rate. And I can't imagine Danzo willing to promise them anything in return for their service, so bribery is a definite out."

Kiyoshi then picked up on his train of thought. "There's only so many children you can legally take from orphanages, and kidnapping too many would arouse suspicion as well as bring formal charges that not even he can sweep under the rug, especially if the Daimyo gets involved. There's no amount of genjutsu that can produce those kinds of responses from an individual, and even if that was the case, those would wear off over time or could be broken by a genjutsu master."

Kiyoshi and Sarutobi then both widened their eyes in realization and looked at each other before exclaiming, "Seals!"

Sarutobi then continued in a low voice, "It makes sense! Danzo is a mid-level fuinjutsu master. It wouldn't be that hard to possibly create some version of a seal that would identify who his ninja are."

Kiyoshi nodded his head, looking quickly to the floor in thought. "Then that means somewhere on that body, there has to be some sort of seal, maybe even more than one, that helped Danzo train his ROOT and keep them loyal." He looked back to Sarutobi. "I want that corpse searched thoroughly. I don't care if you have to chop it to little bits, so long as you find something that proves this."

Sarutobi nodded his head rapidly and began writing on a few order slips. After finishing one for T&I, he set it off to the side and focused on the other. "I'm also recalling our resident seal master to help examine the seals. If what we think is true, then he's going to do more help here than anywhere else." He looked up and smirked at the young boy. "And if we managed to find out all the contacts that Danzo's been using..."

Kiyoshi returned the smirk. "...then we are able to further Konoha's own spy network. Knowing Danzo, he's probably got informants located in places that your own network has had trouble reaching."

As Sarutobi finished the order, Kiyoshi crossed his arms and raised a hand to his chin. Thinking deeply, he asked as Sarutobi sealed the order for delivery, "Your resident seal master...that is still currently Jiraiya, the Toad Sannin, correct?" Sarutobi silently nodded in affirmation. Kiyoshi hummed in thought before then asking, "Does he have a copy of the seals that the Fourth used to contain the Kyuubi?"

Sarutobi's head snapped up so quickly that Kiyoshi was curious for a second on whether or not to call a medic. The elderly man stared at the boy for a few seconds, his mouth wide open yet not a sound was able to leave it, before he raised his pipe up to his mouth and began puffing on it again at a rapid pace.

Kiyoshi had to refrain from rolling his eyes. Does this man breathe tobacco instead of oxygen? I understand that my presence is disconcerting enough, but his rather rapid consumption of tobacco starting from this morning is going to send him to the grave in a week if he doesn't cool it. Outwardly, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is there something bothering you, Lord Hokage?"

This seemed to snap the man's mind back to reality, and he said in a low voice, "It's just such a request is rather...odd to ask, even for one such as you. May I be so bold as to inquire just what you need to see such a seal for?"

Kiyoshi's eyes flashed dangerously with annoyance and a little anger, and Sarutobi realized that maybe this was better to not ask. After all, if the boy really thought it necessary to tell him, he would do so.

However, before Sarutobi could take back his words, the boy crossed his arms and said harshly, "Now, you see, at this moment, I have two conflicting emotions running through me right now, and I don't know which one of them I should listen to. One is curiosity and amusement, causing that part of me to wonder just why you feel the need to be so protective of the boy when your actions for the last six years of his life have only made him become a target for some of the more stupid people in this village."

The index finger on his right hand began tapping on his left forearm, which Sarutobi began to watch rather nervously and caused Kiyoshi no small amount of amusement of just how easy it was to get into the mind of the fabled "God of Shinobi". He then continued, "The other is annoyance and anger that you would dare question my motives, making me want to kill you and be rid of another shinobi insect that dares to think that they are more powerful than they truly are."

Kiyoshi walked towards the edge of Sarutobi's desk and leaned in towards the old man's face, causing the old man think, Is this kid really only nine? No kid at that age should be tall enough to even lean on my desk this way, let alone intimidate me! The boy just stared the older man, his eyes devoid of any emotion as they watched Sarutobi sweat buckets. "I truly do not care if you or the rest of this Gods-forsaken village die. The Emperor does, however, which is why I have tried my hardest to not simply smash in the skull if anyone who gets in my way. I do detest killing, believe it or not, but I'd rather kill everyone and save myself the trouble of finding any decent people in any of the shinobi villages if all I'm going to get is resistance from the people I'm trying to help."

He then backed away slightly from Sarutobi before the old man suffered a heart attack and continued, "I do sense that you are a good person, Hiruzen Sarutobi, as well as a good leader. I also have no doubt that there are many good people in this village, despite its more idiotic citizens. Make no mistake, however. I will eliminate anyone, including you, if I feel leaving you alive will cause problems for the Emperor, innocents be damned. Do I make myself clear to you?"

Sarutobi rapidly nodded his head, hoping to end this line of conversation. Thankfully, Kiyoshi took this as an opportunity to get back on track. "You'll find out why I need such a thing soon enough. Until then, I'll tell you this: if things had gone as my clan had wanted them to, then right now, I would be discussing matters with Minato Namikaze while you would be continuing to enjoy your deserved retirement."

Sarutobi looked at him confusedly and opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off again. "You'll find out what I mean later. In the mean time, I've copied and organized all the info I've gotten on the shopkeepers and their connection to the council. Please read it over, though I do ask that you refrain from taking action against these people for the time being."

Sarutobi nodded and took the stack of papers before looking back at the boy. "And as for you?"

A small devilish smile appeared on Kiyoshi's young face. "I need the Scroll of Seals. My clan needs to check and see what updates have been made to it. By the time you've read all the info I've given you, I should be done with it."

Raising his eyebrow a little, Sarutobi simply shrugged and moved to one of the bookcases on the side of the office. He looked over the shelves for a second before pulling out a book and, biting his thumb, wiping some of his blood onto a seal. As he closed the book, a giant scroll appeared in the middle of the room, causing Kiyoshi to smile. "Rather ingenious. No one would think to look inside a book, and I take it that the seal only reacts to the blood of the Hokage, making it so that even finding the seal is useless. Not bad at all."

Sarutobi smiled in return to the boy's words. "Well, just because I'm old doesn't mean that I've lost any of my cunning."

Kiyoshi laughed and slung the scroll over his shoulders. "Got a private room where I can look this over?"

The smile never leaving his face, Sarutobi simply walked over to his desk and wiped his still slightly-bleeding hand onto a seal under one of the drawers. In response, a door appeared on the wall opposite the bookcase.

Kiyoshi's smile never left either as he walked over to the door and opened it. "I have a feeling that now that we understand each other, we're going to get along just fine." The door then promptly closed and vanished from sight.

Sarutobi settled down back into his chair and sighed a little. Glancing at the papers, he picked them up and began to skim through them. His smile returned and took on a somewhat evil tint as he continued to read. Oh yes, my boy, we'll get along VERY nicely. Continue to help me get this info, and I follow you to the ends of the earth.

Sarutobi let out an evil laugh and said, "Oh, Danzo. I've been looking forward to this day."

Upon entering the door, Kiyoshi found himself standing in a white room that contained nothing and yet seemed to stretch for miles. The door closed and stood in the middle of this expanse, disconnected from any wall. Hmm. Seals that create a time/space expansion, giving the user a large enough area to practice any jutsu they need to without the unnecessary property damage. I wonder whose idea this was? One of the Hokage's? Or was it us?

Shrugging off the thought since in the end it wasn't really important, Kiyoshi pulled the giant scroll off of his back and, gripping the end of the closed flap, threw it away from him while tugging it open. The end of the scroll fell to the ground and rolled itself open, creating a length that continued growing for a few seconds before finally settling around ten feet away from him.

Setting the end onto the ground while tugging the scroll a little to flatten it, Kiyoshi then knelt down and began to look the scroll over. I remember studying a little of the copy that we made of the scroll before, so I'll just move down and start with the newer stuff. If it's expansive, then I'll probably just want to copy the entire scroll anyway. Gods only know that Grandmother would never let me hear the end of it if I miss something that had been added on to one of the earlier techniques.

Moving down the scroll, glancing at the occasional entry to confirm where he was, he finally came to rest at the area where the Third would have first begun to add his own entries. A few were interesting, though they weren't exactly that ground-breaking or useful for certain situations that may arise. One seal, however, caught Kiyoshi's eye, and he frowned as he read it. Impure Resurrection technique? Who was the fool that... His train of thought was stopped when he read the creator's name. Ah, the Snake traitor. That explains so much.

Deciding to keep that seal in mind, he continued down the scroll and finally reached the Fourth's contributions. The amount that the man put in was rather impressive, ranging from theories on how to create or improve certain jutsu and whether or not these attempts were successful to the jutsu themselves.

It was by perusing some of these theories that Kiyoshi came across an entry that was eerily similar to his own thoughts earlier. "In my few short years of being the Hokage, I have always wondered just why the bunshins we create via elemental techniques do not have the same abilities or knowledge that the original possesses. In my studies, I believe I have discovered at least a reason for this, if not the why. It seems as if the bunshins are restricted by the actual limits of the element they are created from, which therefore restricts the usefulness of each one. This, of course, would then explain the reason why an elemental bunshin is only able to use jutsu that is the same as their respective element. A fire cannot create water nor earth; it is only able create more fire. Still, the relations between the elements is still some thing to continue researching, as I feel we are only scratching the surface of what we can possibly attain.

There is also the obvious problem of residue when these bunshins complete their missions that were given and disperse. Fire bunshins burn the area around them in a quick flash; water bunshins leave a puddle of water; earth bunshins, a pile of rock and dirt; thunder bunshins let out a flash of electricity that may fry anything electronic in the area; and air bunshins let out a gust of wind that displaces anything light enough to moved by the gust's power.

Of course, this is rather irrelevant to anyone who cannot perform the elemental bunshins for whatever their reason, or do not wish to bother with the elementals. But I have come to the belief that the regular bunshin – the one that is merely an illusion – is outdated and a little useless. It serves no other purpose than to be a distraction, and that distraction can be nullified for those able to tell the difference and/or sense the creator's chakra. Granted, it is perfect for the ordinary genin to learn and sets the basis for future techniques, but it is useless for someone who is ranked high-chuunin or jounin as well as those who possess very high chakra levels, no matter what kind of chakra control they may have. Why this village insists that it is a necessary technique and considers it to be one of the techniques required to graduate is something not even I can comprehend. Yet the civilians will not have it; they demand to be more properly "represented" in the shinobi forces, which is simply them claiming that the ratio of civilian ninja to clan ninja needs to be ten to one. Of course, the only way that can be accomplished is by lowering the standards of the academy and demanding that only three D-rank techniques be the requirement to graduate.

In order to solve the problems of elemental bunshins and create the ultimate bunshin, I actually turned to the shadows. A shadow of a person will mimic that person's actions no matter what, and I looked to apply this concept towards my technique. Through this concept, I created the Kage Bunshin no jutsu. This bunshin knows all the creator's techniques and is able to perform them flawlessly. When they dispel, the most that is left behind is simply colorless, odorless smoke, and the more chakra control a person has, the less there is. In theory, a person with perfect chakra control levels for this technique should create bunshins that generate no smoke whatsoever. Even better, what the bunshin learns will be sent back to the original, making it perfect for learning new jutsu as well as chakra control, since chakra is part mental energy and its control is actually instinctive.

There is, unfortunately, a downside to this technique that I have been unable to perfect. The necessary chakra to perform this technique for the untrained user is more than half of the creator's chakra. For a genin or an academy student, this technique could be dangerously exhausting if not lethal. I know that there is something that I'm missing that could lower this requirement and make it so that only a small percentage of the original's chakra is used while making the clone's levels the same as the original. Unfortunately, I cannot find the time to do so, but as it stands for the moment, the technique is fine for now. I will teach it to some of the jounin that I trust in a controlled environment and see what the results may be."

Kiyoshi glanced at the directions for performing the jutsu and smirked before closing his dark blue eyes. Don't worry, Fourth. I'll finish what you started. In a low voice, Kiyoshi said, "Manadoraibu!"*

As he opened his eyes again, his irises showed a glowing sky-blue color, and he resumed reading the technique, the smirk only growing wider until it became a full-blown mischievous grin. Let's see...if I were to take the handseal and adjust the positioning of my fingers and hands in the technique...then I need to visualize that same position in my mind...and then finally apply a random low chakra amount...

Kiyoshi heard a soft step behind himself and then felt a hand touch his shoulder. The grin still on his face, he turned and looked behind himself to see that same grin mirrored on his own face on another him as well as on forty-nine others. The first bunshin then crossed his arms. "Well, boss, it looks like you've proven yourself smarter than a genius."

Fifty-one identical laughs resounded around the white room.

After reading the last of the pages Kiyoshi left him, Sarutobi leaned back into his chair and sighed, a smile still on his face. Looking over towards the clock, he realized that it was past eleven. It's that late already? I hope Kiyoshi isn't hurt or anything like that. After all, it's been nearly two hours. If he doesn't come out within the next half an hour, I'll head in there and check on him.

No sooner than he finished his train of thought did the door reappear and open, revealing Kiyoshi with a smirk on his face and his irises literally glowing. Sarutobi raised his eyebrows at the boy's new look and said, "Uh, Kiyoshi? Is there something wrong with your eyes?"

Kiyoshi stared at him with a confused look for a second before those same eyes widened in realization and then closed. They then opened a second later and revealed those same deep blue from earlier.

At the Third's questioning gaze, he simply said, "Bloodline."

Rather than question him, Sarutobi grinned and responded with, "Then you'd better be wary who you show that to. If anyone on the civilian council sees it, they'll do anything to ensure that this village receives it."

Kiyoshi just laughed. "Let's see them try." He then walked over to the desk and set the Scroll of Seals onto it. "When you get a chance, you may wish to check over a few of the jutsus. I felt it prudent to leave behind a few notes for future readers."

Sarutobi's eyes lit up a little, and he glanced at the scroll for a second before then smiling again at Kiyoshi. "I'll be sure to do so first thing in the morning."

"Get some sleep, old man. You're going to need it." With that, Kiyoshi then vanished via a shunshin.

Sarutobi stared at the giant scroll for a second, contemplating peeking inside to at least see what was added but then decided against it. Sleep is more important now. I'll do as I said and look at it in the morning. Resummoning the stand from its seal, he then placed the scroll on it and watched it vanish before locking everything up for the night. As he exited the door, he let out a quiet chuckle. Kiyoshi, my boy, if you continue to help this village like this, then it won't just be me who will follow you through the fire.

Kiyoshi reappeared at the Ichiraku residence for a second to make sure that everything was still peaceful before shunshining off again to a small clearing in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. A few predators nearby sensed his presence, but a quick burst of KI sent them all running. He then crossed his arms and stood there for a few minutes, quietly observing his surroundings for anything else he may have missed – though if there was anything still there that could pose a threat to him, it would have already made its move.

His musings were cut short when three figures shunshined into the clearing. They were wearing thick black cloaks that covered them from head to toe, and covering their faces were blank masks that Kiyoshi knew contained voice scramblers. Can't be too careful, after all. There may be someone hiding nearby that we haven't sensed. There were really no other identifiers to set them apart, though one was shorter than the other two.

He motioned for them to be at ease while saying, "Let's wait for the others to show up first before beginning the report." The figures quietly nodded in response.

Their patience was rewarded when two more figures, one taller than the other, appeared via shunshin. Again, there was nothing to identify them, but to the trained eye, one could see that these two were women, judging by their stances and the way they held themselves. The taller one then spoke in the garbled voice of the scrambler, "We apologize for being late, my lord. We had to make sure that no one knew where we were going."

Kiyoshi waved this off. "Be at ease. I know it's imperative that you keep your secrets and will do whatever is necessary to ensure this. At least now, we may begin the report. First off, where is the trainee?"

The shorter woman responded, "Sleeping, sir. We couldn't bring the trainee with us since it would look suspicious for someone so young to be up this late, especially in this location."

Kiyoshi nodded at this. "Good. Best to keep them under the radar for now. We don't know who may be listening right now. Have they at least began their mission on time?"

"Affirmative. They have infiltrated the establishment as ordered and have blended in with the rest of the group. For now, they are keeping a low profile and observing the others before making any sort of move."

"Keep it that way for now. I want no attention drawn to them for any reason. Have them wait for further orders later on."

The two women nodded, and Kiyoshi then turned to the three men, addressing the shorter one. "What has your scouting turned up?"

The shorter man, codenamed Sand, saluted and responded with, "Shockingly enough, quite a bit. Most of the Konoha patrols are routine and easy to slip through. The gate guards hardly pay attention or are easy to get past. A small invasion force could simply sneak its way into the village without any trouble. Inside the village, however, is another story. The ANBU that are not on missions can be regularly 'seen' incognito amongst the crowds as well as hidden in various places around the village. We nearly missed a few of them, they were hidden so well."

Kiyoshi crossed his arms in thought. "What about getting into the buildings?"

"Again, a little difficult while trying to avoid ANBU's gaze, but once inside, easy to move about. Mostly chuunin populate those places, making it easy to get past."

Kiyoshi snorted. "Let me guess. Civilian ninja?"

The men would have appeared a little startled if their masks were not in place. "Yes, lord. How did you find out?"

Kiyoshi chuckled a little before saying, "It seems that during his reign, the Fourth Hokage lamented the civilian ninja to clan ninja ratio. Something about their council wanting more of a presence in their forces. My guess is that these men and women do the barest amount of training to get by for their levels." Shaking his head in amusement, he then continued, "Alright, so in summary, the ANBU do a good job in watching out for threats, but that all means very little if the civies don't do their part and step up their game. I'll have to let Sarutobi know about intensifying the training programs for all ninja. If they're lucky, that may get rid of those who don't take this seriously and may even show us some people who can be taken in for info."

The men simply nodded in affirmation, though the man speaking looked as if there was more. Kiyoshi then said, "Is there more, Sand?"

Sand nodded his head. "Amongst the ANBU, we noticed a few odd things. Most of their behavior was normal and perhaps even commendable in their vigilance, but a few seemed to act a little too strangely for it to be small quirks."

Kiyoshi frowned a little. "Explain."

"Their movements, while smooth and fluid, almost seemed mechanical, and their voices almost sounded monotone when they spoke. When we knocked one out, we searched his pack and found a small scroll containing a blank ANBU mask with the word 'Ne' written in kanji on the forehead and a tipless tanto. When we then put the seal on him to modify his memory of the event, we noticed a small seal at the base of his neck on his spine, completely hidden under his armor. We applied the seal, but ensured that no trace of it could be found should the man be checked."

Kiyoshi's eyes widened as he then stared off into the distance, his mind racing. "ROOT..."

The women tensed at this word, though the men stared at him confusedly. The tallest one, codenamed Beast, asked, "Sir?"

Kiyoshi shook his head and turned his head back to them. "The Third told me of a rogue faction in Konoha called the Foundation, or simply ROOT. They're led by a man named Danzo Shimura, who used certain training methods that turned his division into effective killing machines with no emotion. Your description of their behavior fits the profile, and Sarutobi and I had figured that the man's probably using seals to train his soldiers, so the seal on the ANBU's neck fits as well. Do you remember the mask that the man was wearing?"

Beast thought for a moment before saying, "It was most definitely a monkey. I made sure to check before leaving."

Kiyoshi turned to the two women. "Scarlet, Violet, does this ring any bells?"

"It's impossible, sir," responded the shorter woman, codenamed Violet. "Monkey is the Third's mask, given to him in honor of his ascension to Hokage since he never served in the ANBU forces. ANBU regulations state that under no circumstances is there to be a second mask given out, meaning that no one can use said mask until the first owner dies or retires from active duty permanently."

Kiyoshi nodded in understanding. "Which means that so long as the Third is still alive, then that mask shouldn't have been copied." He turned to the three men. "The next time you sneak into the village, I want that man taken out. Kill him if you have to, but avoid damaging the skin too much. I need his body intact for an autopsy. Once you've killed him, seal his body into a scroll and then find a way to discreetly get it to me. I'll present it to the Third for his T&I department to examine. In the meantime, continue probing their defenses. Ensure that you've seen to every single possibility of someone sneaking in. Anything that's outright suspicious, report it to me as quickly as you can. I don't want to allow our opponents to be able to cover their tracks."

The three men nodded and then shunshined off. Kiyoshi then turned to the two women. "In the meantime, observe the shopkeepers and key civilians. If any of them are acting off or doing something that can lead us to the heart of this mess, then get me the info as best you can. Just make sure you don't compromise your cover."

With that, the women nodded and shunshined off themselves. Kiyoshi stood there for a few minutes, thinking over this info. Shit. If some of Danzo's men have infiltrated the ANBU, then that means he'll find out about me sooner than I'd hoped. The only miracle I could hope for is that the impostors haven't had the chance to report in yet. Sarutobi needs to be informed about this soon. Maybe I can-

Suddenly, a sharp pain began to shoot through Kiyoshi's left arm, soon traveling through his entire body. Letting out a small cry, he fell to the ground and shuddered as the pain coursed through him. Damn it, no! Not now. Please, not now!

Struggling to get body under control yet failing somewhat as the pain continued to travel through him, Kiyoshi gripped his arm tightly, waiting for it all to pass. In his grip, the sleeve of his hoodie began to rip away until the skin showed, revealing the number '384' tattooed on his forearm. The tattoo was glowing a bright red, and the skin was raised in puffy irritation, causing it to hurt even more.

Half delirious from the pain, a kunai flashed into Kiyoshi's hand, and he raised it into the air, pointing it at his stomach. Just as he was about to let it swing down, he then heard a melodic voice say quietly, "No, Kiyoshi."

Kiyoshi dropped the kunai in shock, and it flew out of his hand harmlessly. He then slowly turned his head toward the voice. His mind hazy, he saw a beautiful blue-eyed woman with golden hair flowing around her, some of it raised slightly into the air. She wore a white dress that had golden embroidery running down the front to her waist and then around it. The dress hugged her slender form and showed off her curves, and a somewhat transparent light gold shawl was wrapped around across her arms and behind her back. Atop her head sat a crown with a veil of the same material as the shawl attached to it. Finishing off the look were golden armbands on her upper arms and a bracelet on each wrist. An ephemeral white glow surrounded her as she gazed upon him with a sad look.

Kiyoshi, despite his delirium, managed to whisper out, "L-Lady Cosmos..." and get to his feet. He slowly began to walk towards her, his hand back to gripping his forearm, but another jolt of extreme pain shot through him, causing him to cry out again as his legs gave out on him. He began to fall back to the ground before feeling an arm snake around him and stop his descent. He then heard a deep voice say as he was set back to the ground, "Easy, boy. Lie still."

As he was set to the ground, Kiyoshi looked over his shoulder to see a tall demon standing there. Red horns came out of the sides of his head while two much smaller green ones came out of the front of his head. A red glow came out of the creature's eyes, and there was a row of clearly-visible sharp teeth. His skin was a mixture of brown, black and red, each color often fading into one of the others, and in the center of his heavily-muscled chest sat a red gem. Four arms came out of his shoulders, and on his back were two demonic wings. He had no clothing save for a loincloth with a dragon pattern on the front, and a long tail came out behind him. There were three demonic faces on him, two on his knees and one acting like a belt for his loincloth, but they were simply decoration.

Kiyoshi managed to let out a strangled, "Lord C-Chaos..." before he was set onto the ground. He felt Cosmos kneel at this head and reach out towards his arm. Her soft hand touched the red skin and let out a white light, and instantly Kiyoshi felt relief flow through his body. After a few seconds to get back his bearings, he raised his arm to see the numbers back to their normal black-colored state. Sighing in relief, he lowered his arm and closed his eyes for a minute, listening to the wind as it breezed by.

Kiyoshi then sat up and looked to the two beings, who were know standing side by side. Bowing his head in reverence, he rasped out, "My God, my Goddess, for what reason have you decided to honor me with your presence?"

Cosmos smiled a soft smile and said, "Oh, Kiyoshi. You know that you do not have to act this way. After all, this is not the first time that we have appeared to you. Be at ease, my young one."

Chaos snorted. "How ironic that of all the warriors we have between us, it is the one who is chosen to be both our champions that shows us any reverence." Cosmos directed a small scowl towards him, but the demon simply shrugged and crossed his arms. "In any case, boy, it was foolish of you not to return home. Your mission could have been on hold until this phase had passed. As it stands now, if you do not leave this place in time, you may become a danger to all those around you."

Kiyoshi shook his head and stood from the ground. "No, my Lord. It had to be now. I...feel something on the horizon that tells me that if I'm not here when the moment comes, there will be much that will be lost. We have all come too far to lose now."

Chaos raised a non-existant eyebrow. "A feeling? How interesting. Was this feeling given to you through that deal you had foolishly made when you were younger?"

Kiyoshi's hand reflexively went to the tattoo, but he scowled. "This feeling is the same as the one that caused me to make that deal."

"Which then makes me reiterate the point that you may cause more harm than good at this point. Let Sephiroth or Cloud handle this. You need to be secured for the next stage, or else your bloodline-"

Kiyoshi's eyes flashed, and he stared at the demonic god with eyes each possessing a symbol of the gods before him. He then growled out with an otherwordly voice, "Do not push me, God of Discord! I have been through hell and back to get to this level of power, and I WILL do what I feel is right! I will not burden my Father and Mother with the responsibilities that I RIGHTFULLY EARNED!"

The two males stared at each other for a few seconds, before Cosmos gently laid a hand on Chaos' arm, causing him to snap out of his rage and look at her. She then walked over to Kiyoshi and laid a hand on the boy's shoulder, snapping the boy out of his trance as well. Her voice drifted across the clearing. "Calm yourselves, the both of you. It does not matter what does or doesn't need to be done at this point." She looked at the demon. "Chaos, my love, you must calm down. What has been done is done, and there have been benefits to all events before this, even if you do not see them as such."

Chaos slowly nodded his head, acceding to Cosmos' words, and Cosmos then turned to Kiyoshi. "However, Kiyoshi, Chaos does speak the truth about your bloodline. If you do not take the proper precautions, you may in fact do more harm than good, despite all that you have accomplished. Please, you must be mindful of yourself. Even if you feel it to be a slight on your honor, you must call for your parents' help if you cannot control your power."

Kiyoshi lowered his gaze, his eyes returning to normal, and he said, "Yes, my Goddess. I will do as you both suggest and be leery of the time to come."

Cosmos smiled in return and gently pulled him into a hug before then releasing him and walking back over to Chaos. Resting a hand on his arm, she said, "Come, Chaos. Let us go back."

The demon nodded his head, and he disappeared in a flash of flame and darkness. Cosmos looked back to the young boy for a moment, and she then disappeared with a flash of white light.

Kiyoshi ran a hand over his forearm and sighed. I know it's close, but I can't abandon all that I have worked for just because my body decides it's time to reach the next level. Still, it's only the early stages of the symptoms. I should have plenty of time left to finish what I need to do here and get back to the compound.

With that thought, he turned back towards the village and, not trusting his abilities quite yet, jumped into the trees and sped away.

* Manadoraibu = Manadrive

A/N: I know that I keep on switching between English and Japanese translations for certain things, but the thing is that I at least wish to keep the names of the jutsus and bloodlines in their original forms. As for the other stuff, I'm just not confident enough to try using the Japanese suffixes, and it's a little frustrating to keep on trying to remember the ANBU animal names when you don't see them all that often.

As for the plot itself, yes, for those of you who have figured it out, this story is actually a Naruto/Dissidia crossover. The reason why it's in the Naruto section and not the other? Because to be honest:

1. Naruto will not be paired off with anyone from Dissidia or the Final Fantasies (and for that matter, neither will Kiyoshi)

2. The storyline is not really set in the Dissidia universe. The explanation for this will come in a future chapter soon.

3. I just don't think very many people really are interested in reading the crossovers, which is a shame because there are some good ones out there. To try and get more of a reader base, I felt it more prudent to put this in an area with high traffic.

As for the pairings, Sakura is no longer in last place now in the poll; Hinata is. I'm starting to lean towards a Kiyoshi/Sakura pairing with Naruto/Hinata/Ino, but the choice is still up to the readers. For now though, I'm going to put this story in the Naruto/Hinata section. Remember readers, the winner of the poll goes to KIYOSHI, not Naruto. I'm going to leave the poll up for one more chappie, and then I'm taking it off the list. After that, I'm going to start to solidifying the positions in the chapters. So remember to vote, and please review. I love hearing your thoughts about this.