Kuroi is Back! (BMF) Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy! Oh, and if anyone wants anything translated then let me know!!

Alright, I am pretty sure this is more or less the same, but I am not really too sure. Most of these were revamped quite a while ago so…..-.-'…..yeah…hehe. Enjoy though! Thanks so much!


Naruto returned to the shabby apartment he called home, entering through the window like any good shinobi. Why use a perfectly good door when a rusted window would do? Anyway, he landed soundlessly on the floor, removed his long, trench coat and set it on the back of a worn out couch, one of the few items of furniture visible. Across from the couch was a chair, and a table, wobbly with papers piling up on top, sat between them. Naruto figured getting good furniture would be a waste of money since the villagers had habit of plundering his house every other week or so. One of the reasons his paintings weren't out there. They were too valuable to leave in the open.

Heading down the hallway, towards a seemingly blank wall, Naruto paused at the end, raising his hands and forming the necessary signs. The wall wavered and a door appeared. Naruto opened it swiftly and replaced the genjutsu before anyone else had an inkling of what it could possibly be. He turned and looked upon his masterpieces.

There were, on average, about fifty paintings in this room alone, many of dark visions, foreboding messages and rather gruesome scenes. A few were calm and gentle, or as gentle as a whirlwind, cloud mass, and lightning storm get. They were among the largest, alongside a picture of a blazing fire and a fissure in the earth. A forest took up the largest space, and Naruto stepped up to that one, peering up at the rather detailed piece of art. Greens, oranges, yellows and browns were mixed expertly, creating illusions of shadows and a picturesque forest. A single path, nearly invisible, wound through the forest. Naruto stood in front of it, staring fondly at the picture.

Kyu-kun, you remember when I made these? He whispered in his mind, awakening the demon. Kyuubi grumbled.

Of course, kit, I'll always remember when you made these little worlds of yours. Rather ingenious, if I say so myself. His deep voice filled the cavernous space in which he resided. Naruto smiled softly.

Yeah, I know. With a sudden seriousness, he flashed through a long series of seals, then, with a flash of gold, the white-blond haired boy placed a hand on the painting of the forest and morphed into it, into his own world of his own creation. He stepped into an alternate dimension, one that no one else could create and his best invention to date.

The world itself was complete forest. All trees hundreds of feet tall in some places. It was the perfect place to relax and meditate, or train and perfect his taijutsu and kenjutsu. Where he didn't have to hide behind masks and dampen his abilities. He could be himself, with no holds barred. He smiled widely, spinning in a full circle as he marveled in the elegance of his world, something he never tired of, ever. The beauty of something that he created, something that took on a life of its own and grew of its own accord was something to behold in awe.

Naruto himself looked at home. His short, choppy white-blonde hair, pale, gold-dusted skin, the turquoise cat eyes, the small frame well built with muscles, the curiously shaped ears and the extra kitten ears on top of his head, small, thin mouth, the pointed chin, all gave him the look of one who belonged in that world. He still wore the tight black shirt, loose black pants and black boots, his holster tied to the small of his back. Two sword sheaths crisscrossed the holster, a third right down the center, nearly reaching his knees. The hilts were within easy reach of his seemingly delicate hands. His tail was hard to distinguish from the fabric around his waist but it was there, wrapped tightly so as not to get in the way. Naruto gratefully undid the appendage and it swayed, happy.

With a small twirl, he flung his hands outward and smiled widely, truly, relaxing. He dropped like a stone and landed on the soft, green grass, laughing softly. He was happy, truly happy in the only place he would, he could. He lay there a moment, just looking up at the canopy and staring. The faint light from places unknown filtered through the leaves, casting a halo around Naruto. The boy, no more than twelve, closed his eyes briefly, running through a series of mental seals. They were the only ones that worked for this particular jutsu, one that would create a temporary, corporeal body for Kyuubi, one he could use to train Naruto, fight with him and teach him the points of being shinobi. His concentration was wholly required for this jutsu, as well as part of his chakra reserves.

Gold light flitted around him as he focused intensely on one form, the form of Kyuubi, the human form. A swirl of light, bright gold, formed a vortex in mid air, solidifying in the shape of a man, then flashing to color. Kyuubi grinned and stretched his muscles, glad to be free of his confinement, even if it was only temporary.

One would think that such a fierce demon would be much more frightening, tall and imposing with a shock of red hair that was the same color as his fur. On would not be expecting the form the

Kyuubi did inhabit. He was short, probably only a few years older than Naruto himself. His hair was not red, as was thought, but a sandy brown with streaks the color of fading leaves. His eyes were not blood red, as they had been when he was in demon form, but a lively gold, and his skin was a dark tan. Three whiskers, like Naruto's, marred each cheek and enhanced the childishness that he was inherent of. His height just barely topped his containers. Not the look you would have expected from a demon. He was centuries old and looked like a child. Even Naruto snorted.

"I still can't believe how much you look like a child Kyu-kun." Kyuubi glared.

"Hmph, say whatever you like. Remember, I've taught you all you know, kit. Deal."

"You still look like a kid. How old did you say you were? Fourteen?"

"I am four hundred and fifteen, thank you very much!" Kyuubi huffed, turning away from Naruto and facing a far tree in the clearing. Naruto smirked, taking to his feet and crossing to Kyuubi.

"You act like you're a teenager. Couldn't really tell the difference," he teased. Kyuubi glared at him with piercing gold eyes bleeding to red. Naruto held up his hands in surrender. "Kidding kidding, jeez. Can't you take a joke?"

"I am not a child," he spat distastefully. Naruto snickered softly.

"Sure, not with the way you're acting. You are so not a child." Naruto rolled his eyes. Kyuubi glared at him.

"Let's just get down to the training. Swords first, Naru-chan." Naruto glowered but pulled the longest sword from its sheath and held it lightly in one hand, falling into a comfortable stance. He brandished his sword, bright silver with a dark, blue strip running down the edge, at the demon-boy, who carried a long, black sword, almost as dark as the night Kyuubi represented with ferocity. The white-blond boy smiled sarcastically at his friend and, with a small nod, vanished like the wind. Kyuubi raised an eyebrow then lazily lifted the sword above his head, blocking the predictable first attack. Naruto once again vanished, Kyuubi following him. The only signs of fighting were the sounds of swords clashing, bark falling, leaves suddenly ending up in half, and branches landing on the ground after meeting an early end at the hands of the two sword-masters.

"KYUUBI! THAT'S CHEATING!" Naruto screamed, hitting the ground on his butt, glaring up at the demon who sat on a branch out of easy reach. Kyuubi, who looked rather self-satisfied, smirked down.

"You're a ninja in training. Of course someone's going to cheat. Not everyone plays fair," he uttered. Naruto resumed his glare-of-death that would put any self-righteous Uchiha to shame. Kyuubi merely snickered.

"That was a cheap shot and you know it. Any hit below the belt is ALWAYS a cheap shot. Cheater," Naruto muttered. He stood up and dusted his hands off on his newly ripped pants, sporting a long gash down the inner thigh, stretching towards the groin. A line of blood ran down his leg, staining his clothes as Naruto sent another glare towards Kyuubi. "No more mister nice guy," he said, smiling sadistically. His katana went back into its sheath and his hands gripped the hilts of the two smaller swords. They slid effortlessly out of the sheaths and were held lightly in his grasp. He grinned again and sprung upwards with inhuman grace and strength towards Kyuubi. He swung downwards with one sword and was blocked by Kyuubi. He twisted his body sideways and shifted grips. One sword went towards Kyuubi's head, the other his legs. The demon jumped, slicing sideways and flipping to avoid Naruto's sword. The boy cursed and fell, landing on his feet. His eyes flashed to Kyuubi's, then he leapt again.

His swords were a blur as he leaped, swinging them horizontally cross-body. Kyuubi cursed and jumped sideways, narrowly avoiding being sliced in half. He twisted and took a chance at Naruto's back, and was surprised when Naruto avoided the swing and flipped over the blade, landing behind him and scoring down his side before he moved. Kyuubi grimaced and jumped to a different branch. Naruto smiled.

"Wanna call this a tie and move on before we manage to cut each other into pieces?" Naruto asked. Kyuubi smiled and pointed at Naruto's neck.

"No, I won." Naruto swiped a finger across his skin, looked at it and stifled a particularly nasty curse. A long gash, neither deep nor life-threatening but definitely bleeding, marred his neck.

"Damn it! I never win against you!! How can I beat up high class nins and still not win against you?" His ears and tail twitched, annoyed. Kyuubi smirked.

"Those high class nins of yours don't have over four-hundred years of experience. I do. Moot point." Kyuubi shrugged, unconcerned. Naruto growled but reluctantly put his swords away. He shook his head, the choppy white-blonde hair now out of his eyes. The cat-like eyes stared around, eyeing the surrounding trees before taking the sheaths off his back and laying them on the ground. Kyuubi joined him and they sat in silence, the pair of teens looking right at home.

Kyuubi was silent for a time before he spoke. "So, what are you going to do about tomorrow? The genin exams are tomorrow and Hokage-sama ordered you to pass them." Naruto closed his eyes and leaned back, hands holding his head up.

"I have no idea, though I do have to pass them now. Nothing to do but pass them anyway. If he hadn't ordered me to, I would have this time around. I'm getting sick and tired of the academy. And this kid who might defect sounds interesting. Something new to do, I guess. The only thing I'm gonna hate is the D-ranked missions. That cat will get payback this time around," Naruto huffed. Kyuubi smiled in whole-hearted agreement. He hated that cat with a passion.

"I think I remember that cat when I came to Konoha. Left a pretty little scratch right across my nose." Kyuubi rubbed the appendage with a slender hand, frowning. Naruto gave him a bland stare.

"How did that abomination get close enough to scratch a ninety story demon's nose and still escape with its life?" Kyuubi grimaced.

"That thing has been around since the first time I visited this wretched village nearly three hundred years ago. I think the hokage cursed the beast." Naruto wouldn't put it past the old man, any of them, using some ancient jutsu to give the horrid thing immortality just to torture genin. Silence reigned and it was several minutes before either one spoke. "So, Naruto, ready for the genin exam?"

Naruto snorted. "As if I wouldn't be. The genin in Konoha are too weak to do anything of importance. If they don't understand the principle of live or die than they do not deserve to live. If my group is too weak then I will remedy that as soon as possible. I will not be assigned to a group unable to hold their own in a battle, and if they are unable to do as I ask of them, then they will be killed." Kyuubi shrugged.

"Whatever floats your rather screwed up boat kid. Actually, I think your boat's sinking so whatever bails the water faster out of your boat." Naruto sent him another half-hearted glare before climbing to his feet and stretching.

"Kyuubi, you can stay in the painting for the night if you wish. I need to get up earlier than normal to go to class so I can take the exams. I hate early mornings unless I'm going to bed then. Oyasumi Kyuubi," he said as he morphed out of the painting and leaving the fox demon behind to resign himself to his nightly ritual. Grasping the edges of Naruto's mind again and pulling it in tighter. The kid had little left but tatters and fragile pieces that cannot withstand another betrayal like the one he suffered at the hands of the hokage. He acted tough, was physically extraordinary, but if he was forsaken for some ungodly reason or something happened that he had not expected, his powers would lash out, destroying everything in a two mile radius of his person. Kyuubi had the job of a lifetime, holding his container together instead of tearing him apart. How utterly different.

NEXT DAY

Naruto woke up early, dressed normally, and placed his henge over himself. It helped that the horrid orange suit was part of the henge. He didn't have to actually buy it. Saved him the terror of opening his closet to see it and have a heart attack. He took a moment to check and see if Kyuubi had returned to his prison, and was satisfied when he found the demon curled up in the bed Naruto had so graciously provided him with when he had been confined to Hirogenshi's lair. A small smirk, a few one handed seals only he knew and Naruto vanished off the radar, reappearing around the corner from the academy, five minutes before it began. The advantages of having a huge chakra and vast knowledge to draw on was that he could sleep in and not worry about missing anything vitally important or being late.

"Sorry Iruka-sensei," Naruto said as he walked into class just as the chunnin stood up to start announcing the line-up for the exams. Iruka sent the boy a glare but sighed, unable to actually discipline him. Naruto was not, technically, late.

"Naruto, go sit in the back please, and try not to be late next time," he muttered resignedly. Naruto took his seat without a word, earning a few curious glances. Naruto was rarely ever silent. Naruto was usually not even there most of the time. He was being sent out on missions and had a solid bushin made from pure chakra (not his chakra, of course, but a bushin that takes chakra from others to sustain itself. A curious and lethal bushin that could, if sustained long enough, drain an opponent's life force away. That, however, required a huge amount of concentration and a good portion of his own chakra to manipulate the bushin and was usually not as worth it as shoving some weapon in an obscene place or slicing their throat, in Naruto's opinion. No one, however, usually took note of the psychotic jinchurriki's opinion unless they wanted to become kitty food for Naruto's fetish, which just happened to be the color of drying blood.) Iruka sent him another worried glance before announcing the rules of the genin exam.

"Alright, there will be three parts to the genin exam. Round one is target drills using both Shuriken and Kunai. Second is a demonstration of taijutsu, either the academy's or your own. Remember that if it is your own it must be above the requirements. Third is the ninjutsu test, bushin and henge. Everyone follow?" The entire class resounded with a chorus of "Hai Sensei!"

"Now, when I call your name, go in through that door and follow our instructions. Aburame Shino, you are first." The bug weilder stood up silently and walked into the room. Ten minutes later, he walked back out with a headband and sat back down.

Ever so slowly, the class went in and came out, many with hitai-ate and some without. Naruto observed each one, noting which had potential and which did not. He had two in his sights so far. Uchiha Sasuke and Nara Shikamaru. Both were highly gifted, though the Uchiha was dark and Shikamaru was beyond lazy. Soon after Sasuke came out, Naruto was called. Calmly and ineffably silent he descended the stairs and walked into the room, not saying a word. Many whispered amongst themselves and wondered where the Naruto they had come to pick on went. Naruto didn't deign to correct them on their slight mistake; they hadn't picked on him, they had picked on a bushin that drained their chakra to stay in their presence. He thought it was a fair trade.

The room was lit by the single window and Naruto stood in the center, waiting for his orders. It was what he knew, orders. He might be sarcastic and cynical but if anyone he respected as his superior (including Iruka, the only one to show him genuine kindness) gave him an order, he would follow without hesitating, unless it was to make some snide remark. Mizuki and Iruka both sat behind the desk, a row or worn but usable Kunai and Shuriken on the table in front.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you are to attempt to aim the standard shinobi weapons at the far side of the room going for the three inch diameter circle on the wall. Any targets that are within close proximity, meaning less than two centimeters away, will be awarded full points. Anymore than that and half marks are credited till the weapons are not even within range. Begin," Iruka stated formally. Naruto quickly took the weapons, stood at an angle, and took a quick glance. Night vision, which he received from the cat DNA merged with his, was a blessing. He needed nothing more and threw the shuriken and kunai at once, all of them landing on their appropriate marks, none outside the circle. He scoffed inwardly at the simplistic nature of the test. The chunnin stared. No one had made complete perfect on this test. It was a qualification for jounin to hit all targets with every single weapon, but genin were lucky if they hit three, much less all ten.

"Are you two going to gape or am I going to complete my exam sometime soon?" Naruto asked softly. Iruka gave him a wide eyed stare, then gestured Mizuki out into the dirt covered floor.

"Er, eto….well, now we would like to see how well you can use taijutsu. All you must do is land a single punch and a kick on Miuku-sensei to receive full marks. Three minute time limit. Begin." Naruto took this as a challenge and slowed to half his speed and doubled the chakra weights he(read Kyuubi) had attached to himself. Still, it wasn't as much of a challenge. Sure, it was harder to move and He barely landed the hits but he still managed it. Kyuubi snickered softly then redoubled the weights. It was all Naruto could do to stay standing as Mizuki attempted the same thing. "Ok…." Iruka stared. It had been barely a minute and a half and Mizuki was already out of commission. Even Sasuke had taken longer than that, and Mizuki had been going somewhat easy on the Uchiha, since killing the genin wasn't something that was smiled upon. "Now, could you show us three bushin and a henge please Naruto," Iruka said when he had regained the ability to speak. Naruto held up two fingers, whispered something, and three well constructed bushin were at his side. With a sudden poof, all were someone different. Naruto dismissed the jutsu and Iruka wordlessly gave him the hitai-ate. Naruto now had two. He would only need his old, chakra reinforced one though. Took too much time to try and do the same to a brand new one now. Naruto bowed and left, aware he had probably shown more than he had needed too.

The whole class stared at him, amazed he had passed. Naruto seemed to ignore the looks and returned to his seat in the back of the classroom. One girl with pale irises stared at him, blushing slightly.

"N-n-naruto-kun," she whispered. More eyes followed him as he sat down and continued staring out the window through henged eyes. This class always bored him and left him with nothing but a flush of human emotions that he had locked away so long ago. Locked away so deep that he couldn't find them again if he dug for days. It was a requirement, something expected of him as a trained assassin. All that had been left was the horribly empty shell inhabited by a cynical, sarcastic soul who was much too loyal to a hokage that had betrayed him and far more unforgiving than he should be at such a young age. He was twelve and had far surpassed many of the previously set records. However, whenever he went to search for some part of him, some part that was missing, all he found was a cold, dark emptiness that filled him with dread. He knew his mind was falling apart, even as he put the next mission he had been ordered to research together. In some part of his mind, he understood he was broken and only god-knows-how he was going to fix it.

Kit, you're wandering, Kyuubi warned him. Thatman, Iruka, is saying something important. Pay attention. Remember, you aren't supposed to be giving away your identity so soon.Naruto flicked his eyes back and tuned in his ears to the voice of Iruka, wondering if the chunin was even aware of the kind of lives he held and trained so poorly in his grasp.

Yeah, yeah, I know. This class is always so pointless. I think that all he's referring to is the genin team selections tomorrow. They moved it up a week because the hokage needed me on a certain mission and if I was gone for the team selection it would not be a fortuitous start to my long term mission. Naruto sighed and laid his head down on the desk, absently catching an eraser sent flying in his direction. Iruka growled at him but did not feel inclined to yell at the blonde child today.

"Alright. Tomorrow show up at the academy at seven for team selections I don't want to find any of you late, Naruto," he said, sending a warning glare up at the boy, who waved a hand lazily in response. "If you are late, you will be demoted. You are dismissed." The children all got up, chatting excitedly and filing out the door. When Iruka turned to speak to Naruto, the boy was gone, vanished. Iruka sighed again and returned to his desk. Naruto was becoming more of a mystery than he had already been.

Sandaime sighed as he got the results from the genin exams. Naruto had passed with flying colors and was now ranked somewhere around the middle of his class. He considered who else to pair him with. The Haruno girl was a consideration but in retrospect, her adoration for the Uchiha would drive Naruto up the wall. He needed someone who could be a calm influence on the two boys. Sasuke and Naruto on the same team would be hectic for Kakashi, and putting Haruno on his team would be suicide. So he turned to the other genin. Out of the twenty-seven that had passed, nine could be picked out to actually become the rookie nine. He focused on them. Kiba would do no good. Too loud for Naruto to deal with. Shino would do okay, though he was almost too quiet, too passive. No dice. Hinata Hyuuga's affection for Naruto….Sandaime considered this for a moment.

This might be a good thing for the boy. Her affection could show him the other side of humanity. Ah, but…his aversion to such treatment could result in her destruction…Naruto would hurt her if she tried to get to close to him. He hates affection. Shoot. Not Hinata. Sandaime sighed again. Ino was a definite no, being a Sasuke fan-girl. She'd be dead. Chouji was another no. He was much to singular minded and too much trouble for Naruto to handle. I hate doing it this way. I usually put them in squads based around how well their own individual characteristics would balance each other out. Now I'm stuck building it around Naruto, who would kill anyone who was not strong enough to cope with him, or offended him in some way. This is a pain. The only one left is Shikamaru. He stared at the boy's information again. Ah, perfect. According to Iruka, the boy is smart, if incredibly lazy. His skills could be improved and Naruto would shove him into training whether he liked it or not. Easy going, smart and with a doujutsu. Control over shadows. Just up Naruto's alley.

He looked back at the teams. Alright. Asuma with Ino, Chouji and Sakura. Kurenai with Hinata, Shino and Kiba. Kakashi with Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru. I'd rather have had the Ino-Shika-Cho team but this works out ok. With a sigh of relief, he filed the teams and put them into folders just as Naruto arrived. He looked up at the boy, who was out of his henge and stood, propped up against the wall.

"Hello Naruto." Naruto nodded.

"I assume you have finished building teams for the genin?" Sandaime nodded. "So, I am on the team with the Uchiha, who you are afraid will defect when he is offered power to kill his older brother, and Shikamaru, who I assume is there to keep the peace?" The hokage nodded, not all too surprised that Naruto figured it out.

"Yes. Hatake Kakashi is to be your Jounin sensei." Naruto snarled.

"If that pervert is late it is not my fault as to what happens to him. Got it? I would recommend to him that he either come up with some really convincing excuses or be on time every time. Would you relay that to him?" Sandaime nodded gravely. He didn't doubt Naruto. Some of the jutsu in his little arsenal would be frightening to encounter when the wielder was pissed. More specifically, it would be frightening to encounter anytime, just a hell of a lot scarier when Naruto was mad.

"Alright Naruto. You do know that I want you to do something for me later this week, right?" Naruto's black ears twitched and his tail swayed slightly.

"Hai, wagatta," was the short reply. Turquoise eyes flicked to him and back to the window.

"Do you have a back up plan in mind for your team?"

"Hai." Sandaime sighed.

"Alright Naruto. You're dismissed. Don't be late for the genin assignments tomorrow. I don't want to have to explain to Iruka why you weren't there." Naruto bowed.

"You will is my command, Hokage-sama," he said softly, mockingly, then vanished in a swirl of nothingness. The hokage wondered for the umpteenth time if he had done the right thing. If Naruto as the perfect weapon was such a good thing. And he considered the possibility of it not being so good. In fact, he knew it was probably a mistake, but nothing could be done about it now but to try and retrieve the boy's lost sanity. He was so cold, merciless, and unemotional when he carried out missions that he frightened many of the most seasoned ANBU. His cold nature did not end at missions. Anyone who dared speak to him was bound to receive a sharp, sarcastic reply, or be brushed off like lint.


Alright, I think I ended it earlier than before cause I wasn't too sure on where I was before so, yeah, that is probably different. Anyway, I know reviews for me are sorta scarce, but I love them anyway, so please??

Kuroi here! (A.K.A. BMF) I do have a reasonably good excuse for Naruto's emotions. Remember, his mind is fractured. He is unstable thus the emotionlessness. However, when with Kyuubi, who is his only friend, part of his mind shifts to where he can accept such concepts. Mainly 'cause Kyuubi holds his mind together but….

Here's a thank you to all reviewers!

stringer13: Thanx, and I do agree. He would need someone stronger…just wait and see what happens to Naruto soon enough. I feel for him…

shino/Shinn/ddd: (who all said the same thing….) Thanks for the reviews! Your votes are counted!

x-EliteAssassin-x Thanks for the new person. If you could, potentially, send me something about her, since my knowledge is barely acceptable, then I might be able to write he better! SANKYUU!!

Yeoman: Your vote has been counted

lordtorg22: Arigato!! She is under consideration!

Spotted Cow: (bows down) you are, officially, my favorite reviewer! Loved it! Your ideas are great and I liked this sentence especially. Hit it right close to home. And just wait and see what happens in the future! Heehee!!

(If I were him.. with his current skill set the entire Wave arc would be an annoyance... swift late night assassinations anyone? Precious people make you strong? How about a kunai through the throat)

Thanks for the words of encouragement! You have no idea how much they mean! (bows again) Shika is under my strong consideration. He plays a rather huge roll, as you will soon see!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING!! (any guesses on Owari Kubaru? It does mean something!! (snicker and smile)

-I'll be nice. Here's a list of people he may, potentially, be with.

Itachi 5

Shikamaru 1

Sasuke (I'm debating on him...he's just so cliche…)

Haku (male or female, if I even decide on putting Haku in the story) 1(fem)

Gaara (Also under debate)

Tayuya 1

Pick one on your own, though off limits characters include: Sakura, Ino, Hinata (WAY too overdone.), Kiba, Chouji, Kakashi (he is NOT a pedophile) Iruka (grimace) Tsunade (I would say WTF if I hadn't already seen these)

-Wave Arc.

Yes or no??

Now, would you please be a dear are review? (AND VOTE!) You still have time to get your vote in before I decide on my own! Leave your name at the door and I'll be glad to get back to you too!! Arigato!

Oh, and a challenge to you! Whoever can find the meaning to Owari Kubaru and the implied pun gets a sneak peek at the next chapter and a box of pocky and an internet plushie of your choice! Open until someone gets it!!