A/N: Nothing much to say here. Sorry for the long delay but IRL just likes to get in my way, same as anyone else. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

Confirmed Harem (So far.): Anko, Kushina, Yugao, Fem. Kyuubi.

Chapter four: Origins of the Evil Uzumaki.

In the Hokage office, Kushina had just gotten a report that Neko and her squad had just made contact with Tsunade and her apprentice Shizune and were already on the way back to Konoha with all haste. Now the Evil Uzumaki was preparing her official inauguration speech so that she may finally announce herself as the new Hokage of Konoha. Granted she should have done that sooner, but there was so much work to be done. Not to mention there was also that prick Kizashi, scuttling around like a cockroach and no doubt kissing up to the Daimyo to depose her.

Fortunately she'd already taken some steps in making sure that she'd be able to crush that pink-haired degenerate underfoot. The Godaime's musing was broken when she heard her new slave approaching nervously, carrying a tray of tea and snacks for the Hokage. Sakura carefully placed them onto the desk and then began pouring the tea into a cup for her new mistress, making Kushina smirk a bit. "Glad you caught onto be a slave so quickly. Saves me a lot of time in having to train you. Finish up by tossing the Hokage portraits in the trash, then you can go home to see your mom." The crimson haired woman requested, earning a nod from the pinkette.

"T-thank you Kushina-sama... Erm... can I ask you a question? Or two?" Sakura asked as she proceeded to take down the portraits for disposal. The pinkette had quickly found out that the best way to avoid being painfully punished was to keep her head down and do whatever her new mistress commanded, she knew of her intentions to keep her as a possible concubine for her son Naruto... and the thought of being used as a pleasure slave made her a little ill... but Naruto wasn't a bad person, so it shouldn't be all bad. That aside... she admittedly knew absolutely nothing about her new mistress as a person, save that people are terrified of her.

"Ask away. I've nothing to hide... unlike some people I know... or knew." The crimson haired woman replied bluntly, and also hinting towards the now deceased Danzo who was deeply connected to the dark underbelly of Konoha, and should have been killed years ago.

"Why does my dad hate you so much? Why are you called 'The Evil' Uzumaki? And why are people so scared of you?" Sakura asked plainly, wanting to know more about this mysterious woman who had seemingly popped up out of nowhere and began terrifying people... almost as though she were some kind of ghost.

With a smirk, the crimson haired woman set down her pen to take a break from writing out her speech and replied in a tone of amusement "Now those are pretty good questions. Aren't they? Well... my story starts off something like this..."

Years earlier.

"She won't quit giving me that stink eye." Muttered a Kumo Jonin as he glanced back at a bound Kushina who was heatedly glaring at him in defiance. If she had the power, she would have definitely set him ablaze by now with just her gaze.

"Just ignore her. We're almost at the border." spoke a second Kumo nin as he shoved the girl forward, not seeing her slowly dropping strands of her crimson hair to leave as a breadcrumb trail.

"Why's this little bitch so special anyway? She doesn't look that important." the first one asked, getting more and more irritated by Kushina's constant staring.

"What are you? Stupid? Look at her hair! She's from the Uzumaki clan, not many of them left anymore. Plus, she's gotta be the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, only Uzumaki's can contain that kind of power." The second Jonin answered with a proud grin, once they brought her to Kumo they would be very richly rewarded for this contribution to Kumo's already impressive military might.

A small scoff came from Kushina as she finally spoke for the first time "Must feel really proud of yourselves huh? A bunch of punkass adults ganging up and kidnapping a kid, bringing her to a village where rape has been legalized. I hope you all burn in hell."

"Hell is exactly where you're going kid. We're gonna strap you down and have fun fucking that sweet little pussy of yours to help make future Jinchuuriki. In this world we live in, there's only Victors and Victims. And a little helpless thing like you was born to be a victim." Spoke a third Jonin as he cupped her chin in his hand... only for her to pull back and bite down hard on his hand. The Jonin yelled out in pain as he pulled his hand away and then threw a punch towards the girl's face.

"You fucking bitch! I'll teach you not to mess with a Kumo Jonin!" he shouted and began to unbuckle his belt and proceeded to lower his pants, pinning the girl to the ground as he tried to tear off her clothes. The Uzumaki kicked and wriggled, putting up as much fight as she could while the other Jonin looked on and laughed at her pathetic struggles. Kushina grit her teeth as red began to fill her vision, her fight-or-flight instincts taking over as she screeched and then lunged forward, slamming her forehead into the nose of her would-be rapist. The sounds of cartilage crunching as the Jonin screamed out, clutching his broken nose.

The ropes binding her hands behind her back snapped apart as she threw herself onto the Jonin, her teeth sinking into the flesh of his neck. Blood began to fill her mouth as her teeth cut into his throat, and then she yanked her head back, tearing out a large chunk of flesh, blood sprayed out dousing her in the crimson liquid. Spitting out the chunk of human flesh, she stared coldly at the other Jonin who could only stare in horror. Then... she pounced and nothing but the sounds of flesh tearing and blood curdling screams filled the woods.

Minutes later.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Were the sounds that could be heard in the dead of night as the girl stood quietly amongst a group of corpses. Blood pooling around her mouth and crimson droplets falling from her knuckles, her fists shaking as she stared at the ground, her violet colored eyes locked onto a crimson pool that reflected the light of the moon. The girl, known as Kushina Uzumaki continued to stare off into space until she spoke to herself "There are only Victors... and Victims in this world."

One would think that a little girl like her would be sobbing, crying, or quivering in horror at the gruesome scene. But instead, the young Kushina's face was nothing but a blank canvas. Her musing was broken when she heard movement as a Kumo nin began to crawl away, desperately trying to escape. The young girl picked up a large rock and stalked towards the injured ninja, raising the stone into the air, preparing to crush the man's head.

He looked up with some tears in his eyes, a hand raised in surrender as he began to plead for his life "No! Please! Just let me go! I have a wife! A child! I just want to see them again!" he then reached into his clothes and pulled out a photograph of himself, standing with a woman holding a baby in her arms. However, his pleas fell on deaf ears as Kushina quickly brought the rock down, smashing his head and splitting it open. Then she raised it up and brought it down again, again, and again, and again until his head was nothing but a pool of blood, crimson mush and bits of bone.

"If you cherished them, you would have stayed in Kumo instead of kidnapping girls." Kushina coldly muttered as she tossed the rock aside and then grabbed the deceased man's Ninja tool pouch. She then sighed and thought back on the events that led up to this moment. She had to do it... in this world. It is kill or be killed. They would have raped her over and over again, forcing her to be bred like a prize pig or some other kind of cattle. Then when she became barren, and useless to them, would have been thrown away like trash.

Something inside of the Young Kushina snapped as she looked down at her bloodied hands, her lips twitching upwards into a cruel and twisted smile. Looking back on it... she now realized why Uzu had fallen, relying on the help of a Village that never came to aid them. Sure they held their own against a large coalition of enemies... but to rely on others... was nothing short of weakness. No one came to save Uzu, and no one came to save little Kushina. She saved herself. The only one she could rely on was herself. She would never let herself become a victim, she would become strong. Stronger than anyone. No one would dare mess with her.

Even if she needed to throw aside her humanity and become something less-than-human, she would gladly do it. For only Victors and Victims exist in this world. With a chuckle, Kushina began to loot the corpses for anything that might be of use and naturally found some Shuriken, Kunai, Ninja Wire and such things on hand. Getting an idea, she decided to send Kumo a warning. While humming a tune, she began to scalp the deceased Ninjas one by one, gripping their hair and then cutting at the hair-line with a saw-like motion until she ripped off their scalps with one good tug. With that done, she hanged the bodies from the trees using the ninja wire, leaving the corpses to limply dangle in the air.

Another thing she had found on the bodies were some scraps of paper and a pen, and then wrote a clear message for anyone who so happened to find the bodies. Satisfied with her handiwork, she departed back to Konoha, eager to train as no one had ever trained before in the Forest of Death.

Some time later, a Kumo border patrol found the bodies of their fellow ninjas being picked apart by the crows, the sight of their missing scalps causing some to lose their breakfast. And amongst the bodies, the letter was clearly put on display, with the letters being a mixture of blood and ink that read 'I was almost a victim of the legalized Rape made by Kumo. I have decided to counteract this evil, with evil. Anyone that dares cross me or my friends and family, shall pay in blood. And I will collect that debt with extreme and unforgiving prejudice. Signed, Kushina Uzumaki.'

After the incident, Kumo made no further attempts to kidnap the now dubbed 'Evil Uzumaki.' Back in Konoha many hailed Kushina as a hero for escaping her captors and making it back alive, though the crimson haired girl didn't much feel like a hero. She just did what she had to do to save herself. Though unknown to many... they had no idea just what kind of monster they now had amongst them.

Some years later.

"I hate this fucking country. It always rains here." Muttered a now older Kushina who was now a Jonin in her early twenties, grumbling each time she took a step as she felt the water-logged mud squish between her toes. She really hated this Ame country, but orders were orders, and she had a job to do. After stomping through some more mud, she approached a gate with a small door built into it. She knocked on the door and waited for a moment until a tiny window slid open, allowing the guard on the other side to peer through at her.

"Password?" The guard asked in a gruff voice, making Kushina's eyes twitch a bit in annoyance.

"How about you take your password and shove it straight up your asshole? Now let me the fuck in Tsume." Kushina answered in a mixture of amusement and mock annoyance. The window snaped shut and some sounds of locks being undone were heard as the door opened, revealing Tsume and her partner Kuromaru who was still but a small pup.

"Now there's the Kushina I know and love. How'd you know it was me?" The Canine Kunoichi asked as she ushered in her friend and then gave her a hug, to which the crimson haired Kunoichi returned in kind. Feeling grateful that a friend was here in this godforsaken country.

"Wet dog smell. And you didn't do a good job of disguising your voice." Kushina teased making her friend smack her shoulder. The Uzumaki's eyes narrowed as she looked over Tsume's shoulders and saw that this place was a prison meant to keep Prisoners of War. Many of which seemed to be from either Kumo or Iwa, plus a few from Kiri here and their, judging from the headbands. From the looks of it, they hadn't yet noticed her presence, otherwise they'd be pissing themselves or cowering in fear.

Tsume seperated the hug and spoke "Welcome to Ame. The ass end of nowhere, with rain, mud, and lots of war orphans. Definitely the most depressing country in the Elemental Nations. I'm surprised you got sent all the way out here to the sticks, instead of fighting on the front lines. Word is, you traded blows with the Sandaime Raikage and then punted him across the battlefield like a football."

"That story spread around already? Well, that's not too far off from the truth. I actually blasted him away with a Rasengan. Bastard was fast and strong, like some kind of monster, and tough too. I can see why he managed to fight the Hachibi to a standstill. Too bad I'm a monster in my own right, and I'm much meaner and nastier." Kushina replied with a chuckle, finding it amusing how her exploits would often become famous, making her perhaps one of the most infamous Kunoichi in Konoha.

"No shit. So what brings you all the way out to our humble little prison?" The Canine Kunoichi asked with a small smile, though she could only guess that it was for business purposes.

"While Minato covers the front lines, Sandaime-sama wants me to... take care of some problems in our prisons. It seems that our inmates are getting a little uppity, and not taking their Konoha captors seriously. I'm here to make sure that things run smoothly until this goddamn war is over. Now, be a good girl and direct me to whoever is in charge of this place. I don't want to be here any longer than I need to, not when there is killing and murder to be done." Kushina explained, earning a nod from the brown haired Kunoichi since this was undoubtedly a job best left to her since Minato didn't have the needed mindset or air of authority to take control of a prison.

(A/N: Play 'God's gonna cut you down.' By Johnny Cash.)

With a grin, Tsume motioned for her crimson haired friend to follow her, with Kuromaru yapping excitedly as he followed his partner. The Evil Uzumaki trained behind her long time friend, passing by the rows of inmates who finally took notice of her presence. The prisoners began to immediately back away to give her as wide a berth as possible, knowing her reputation for muder, maiming, and torture.

As she passed them by, she would look at them coldly, as though they were all nothing but annoying bugs for her to squash. It was almost like she didn't even view them as 'people'. And they all knew it too, since many of them had either lost a friend or a member of family to her. Stories of Kushina's cruelty were well known throughout the Nations, and they all knew that if the Evil Uzumaki was here... someone is going to die.

(End music.)

The crimson haired Kunoichi entered the tent of the Shinobi currently in charge of the prison and inwardly groaned to find one Kizashi Haruno inside with his feet propped up onto the desk. "Kushina to see you... sir." Tsume almost choked out the last part, always finding it difficult to address a creep like the pink-haired man with respect. But the bastard was in charge... for now.

"Ah. Thank you Tsume-chan. You may go now. Me and Kushina-chan have some things to talk about." The Haruno replied, causing both women to cringe in disgust at being called 'Chan' by the pink-haired man, as though they were long time friends when they really weren't. With an exhausted sigh, the Inuzuka quickly retreated out of the tent, though decided to keep within earshot in case her friend Kushina needed her... although... it was unlikely she'd ever need backup.

With Tsume gone, Kizashi clapped his hands and spoke "Thanks for coming on such short notice Kushina-chan. Sorry that you were called out here, but everything is under control." The Uzumaki bit her lip as she fingered her katana, finding the overly friendly behavior of the Haruno to be nothing but an annoyance.

"Under control, you say? That's not what the reports say. Ten escape attempts have been confirmed at this prison camp. Sandaime-sama thinks you aren't able to control the prisoners... so I'm to do your job for you and set an example." The crimson haired woman replied in a dry tone, not in the mood to play games with the Haruno. If you asked her, he'd be better off as a lawyer or political official given how crooked he is.

"That won't be necessary Kushina-chan. Those reports were all greatly exaggerated. No inmates have escaped under my careful watch." The Haruno responded cooly as he laced his fingers together.

"Not yet at least. And your performance isn't inspiring confidence. You have files of inmates in here?" She asked him as she approached a file cabinet, earning a nod of confirmation from the Haruno since he kept the names, ranks, and photos of captured inmates on file to better keep track of them. Kushina opened a cabinet and quickly scanned through some of the files, finding it comforting that the files were kept organized. At least that was one thing that pink-haired Shinobi was good for.

After reading over some names, Kushina closed the cabinet and began to exit the tent, prompting the Haruno to ask "Hey! Where are you going?" His question remained unanswered since she didn't bother giving any kind of response forcing the pink-haired man to get up from his seat and follow her back outside where he found her standing in front of the prison yard, with every single prisoner and Konoha ninja looking in her direction.

"Inmates! Assemble!" Kushina barked out, prompting the inmates to line up and stand at attention, their Shinobi background enabling them to quickly assemble with their military training. Once they had finished, the crimson haired woman called out "When I call your name... step out to the front and line up in a row." With that, Kushina began to call out names one by one. The numerous inmates all wondering what she wanted these people for.

After calling out the names of ten prisoners, who had all lined up in front of the Uzumaki, she gave them a nod of thanks. "Appreciate the cooperation. Makes my job easier." She spoke... and then without warning, she drew her rust covered katana and lopped off the heads of the ten prisoners in one smooth motion before sheating her blade again. The bodies fell to the ground like puppets with their strings severed, with at least two heads rolling to the feet of the other prisoners who all stared with horror in their eyes.

"In recent weeks, there has been at least ten confirmed escape attempts. I do not know who is involved, and I don't have the patience to conduct a thorough investigation. My being here, is a major inconvenience for me. So, I decided to choose ten random inmates to murder, who may or may not have been a part of the past escape attempts. If there is another, I will take twenty inmates. And if another happens, I shall take forty. And so on. So ask yourselves for a brief moment 'Will I be next?'" Kushina announced to the prisoners with full authority.

They all knew in an instant, that if they tried to escape yet again... they could be next. Kushina didn't just kill because it was her job... but because she wanted to. If she felt like it, she could easily murder each and every one of them just for annoying her. "Somebody clean this shit up before it starts to stink." The red haired woman spoke and gestured towards the bodies as blood mixed with the mud and rain water.

"Point... well made, Kushina-chan." Kizashi spoke begrudgingly, feeling that Kushina had taken things a bit too far.

"It's war. I'm a Kunoichi. Murder is pretty much in the official job description." The Uzumaki replied bluntly, wanting to leave Ame as quickly as possible, feeling that things should quiet down now that the inmates no longer seemed willing to gamble with their lives due to her warning and demonstration. "If you don't mind, I'm going to find someplace relatively dry to sleep and head out in the morning. I fucking hate all this rain." Kushina continued to speak and then began to walk away... only to stop when she heard a scream belonging to a young girl.

Turning around, she saw a girl with blue hair being dragged through the mud by a pair of Konoha ninja, bringing her towards Kizashi. "Enemy spy caught sir. We found her sneaking around outside." One of the Ninjas announced, while the pink haired man licked his lips in a malicious manner causing Kushina to quirk up an eyebrow.

"I'm not a spy! Please just let me go! I only wanted some food!" The girl cried out in terror as she struggled a bit in the grip of her captors. The Haruno knelt down and cupped her cheek, looking at her face intently as though he were inspecting her.

With a satisfied nod, he released the girl and spoke "Take her for interrogation. I'll question this little spy myself." The Uzumaki immediately sensed his intentions and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing tightly until the sounds of bone cracking could be heard, making the Haruno yelp out in pain. His eyes were the same as the many Kumo nin that Kushina had murdered, most specifically like the ones she had first killed. They had that same... lust and hunger in them. She knew what he was, and she wouldn't let him do it to a young girl, spy or not.

"No. I will question the girl. You touch her again, and I will kill you. Consequences be damned." Kushina warned the Haruno making him gulp a bit but he nodded in compliance all the same. She then released his shoulder and followed the two ninjas to the interrogation cell who were now cuffing the girl to the table. Even as she cried and sobbed and begged them to let her go, but they ignored her pleas.

Kushina then gestured for them to leave, allowing for her and the girl to be alone. The poor thing still quivering like a leaf in the wind while crying in fear. "Do you know who I am?" Kushina asked in a dispassionate tone, if this girl was a spy... she would find out one way or another.

The girl looked up to the crimson haired woman and shook her head 'No' to the question. Making the Uzumaki smirk a bit as she asked "Does the name 'The Evil Uzumaki' ring a bell or two?" at her second question, the girl had a look of realization as she tensed up. Her face turning a pure white color like a certain Sannin.

"You're... you're her... aren't you? I've heard stories. They say you carve up your enemies and turn them into meat, then you cook their flesh over an open fire and eat them. Are... are you going to eat me?" The girl asked with a fresh stream of tears spilling down her face.

Kushina inwardly sweat-dropped, unsure of how such wild stories got started... though she made no attempts to stop them since they made people, most specifically her enemies all the more terrified, and thus added to her legend. "Haven't decided yet. So, try to change my mind. What's your name girl?" The red haired woman asked in a sickly sweet tone, making the girl shiver a bit.

"Konan. My name is Konan. Please... just let me go. I only wanted a little food." The girl pleaded with a doe eyed look that would make most women, and even men melt from the pure cuteness. Fortunately for Kushina... she being a 'trained sociopath' was able to turn off any and all emotions. Instead, she grabbed the Konan girl's hands and began to inspect them.

"No callouses or blisters. No scarring from Shinobi training. Some paper-cuts, either you are an avid reader or practice Origami. Skin pigment typical of an Ame resident due to lack of sunlight leading to paleness. You have any brothers?" Kushina asked at the end, making the girl tense up and avert her eyes a bit.

"N-No... it's just me. I'm alone." Konan replied, causing the crimson haired woman to frown a bit and release the girls hands. Kushina knew she couldn't have been alone, since there were some orange hair strands in the shoulder area of her clothes, and they didn't seem to be from an animal.

"Now Konan... I don't like it when people lie to me... you ever play five finger filet?" The Uzumaki asked as she pulled out a Kunai, placing the tip between the girls fingers. The bluenette looked ready to yank her hand back, but a dirty look from the redhead warned her not to.

"You'd better hope I don't lose my concentration. Of course, if you were to tell me about your brother or brothers... I could stop." The redhead offered, but was only met with the amber eyed stare of the girl. With a smirk, she lifted up the Kunai and began to slowly bring down the tip between the girl's fingers making a tapping noise. After a few moments Kushina sped up, jabbing the Kunai in the space between Konan's digits causing her to dryly swallow as she watched the tip chip at the wood of the table, while silently praying she wouldn't lose her fingers.

And then, Kushina sped up again until the Kunai became a blur as she wildly stabbed between Konan's fingers. Terrified, the girl clenched her eyes shut, waiting for the torture to end but still... she couldn't put Yahiko and Nagato in any danger. Especially if it meant selling them out to this crazy woman. "I have nothing to say to you!" Konan squeaked out, and then a loud slam was heard, making her jump in her seat. But she felt no pain in her hand and fingers.

Carefully opening one eye... she saw that the spaces between her fingers had been worn down and chipped apart, but her fingers were left unscathed. The Kunai imbedded between her pinkie and ring fingers. "I like you Konan. You didn't sell out your faimly. Not even under threat against well... me. If there were more people like you, that would protect their family as you just did... the world might be better off. Guards!" The Crimson haired woman barked out, promting a pair of Shinobi to burst in, ready for her orders.

"Release the girl. Give her a weeks worth of rations and send her on her way. As for Kizashi... tell him he's relieved of duty." She spoke, causing one guard to immediately begin unlocking the cuffs on the girl.

"On what charge for Kizashi-san?" The second guard asked with a raised eyebrow, prompting the red haired woman to slam her knee into his groin, his eyes nearly bugging out from the pain now in his loins.

"Any charge I fucking feel like." Was all Kushina answered as she shoved the Shinobi away as he clutched his groin. It wasn't long before Konan walked out with a duffel bag full of rations, giving a bow of thanks to the red haired woman.

"Thank you... I owe you a lot Kushina-sama. Someday... I hope to repay your kindness." The bluenette spoke with a wide smile since she now had some food to bring back to Yahiko and Nagato. The red haired woman then smirked and ruffled the girls hair.

"Take care kid. And remember... there are only Victors and Victims in this world. Never let yourself become a Victim." Kushina warned the girl, who nodded and left as quickly as possible. The Uzumaki sighed deeply with a small smile gracing her lips, she definitely wasn't a saint. She would freely admit she was a coldblooded murderer, but it sometimes felt nice to do a good deed. Though Kushina couldn't help but wonder... if she had damned that girl to more pain and suffering.

After all... life itself, was cruel and unforgiving. To live is to suffer. Every single day an up hill battle for survival. But... still... she hoped to end this stupid war and make the world a little brighter for when she would birth her first child. She wanted her first child to be raised in a time of peace, free of want and desire. To aid in her quest of rebuilding their clan to its former glory if her child is a boy. But for now... that dreamed seemed so far off. She could only wish, her child wouldn't need to suffer as she had over the years.

To become a 'trained sociopath', to become a killer, Kushina had to give up much of herself. Sacrificing her morals, her innocence, until she learned how to turn off her emotions like flipping a light switch. To kill without feeling was both a blessing, and a curse. She didn't feel guilty for the people she had murdered, but at the same time... she had found it to be easy. Too easy. She didn't see any end in sight for her, to hang up her Katana and live a life of peace.

But still, she would continue to her Evil ways. Even if she had to murder a thousand, or a million people. Even if she had to tear down nations, or be hailed as pure Evil, it would all be worth it for the sake of her clan's future. And nothing would get in her way.

End Flashback. Present time.

"So... my dad... was a creepy sexual predator?" Sakura asked with a gulp, feeling bad for that poor Konan girl who could have been a potential victim if her mistress hadn't stepped in.

"Yeah. Turns out he was leveraging sexual favors from some female prisoners for better living conditions and food. Sometimes he'd take advantage of passing refugees looking for food and shelter. Bastard knew who to keep close, and to keep away from his escapades. He was stripped of his headband and kicked out of the Shinobi force. Made a killing as a Loan shark and then pretty much bought his way into the Shinobi council. He's been a perpetual thorn in my side ever since and has constantly hated me. Never came around to killing him, though I probably should have. I thought I castrated him by crushing his testicles, which didn't seem to work since he somehow made you. Guess I enjoyed tormenting him too much for my own good." Kushina explained with a lazy yawn as she continued to write out her speech.

"What happened to that Konan girl? You ever see her again?" Sakura asked as she finished putting the Hokage portraits into the trash to finish up her duties, hoping to see her mother soon.

"Konan? She and two other boys trained under Jiraiya for a bit till they learned to take care of themselves. Me and the old bastard kept tabs on them for a while. They led a rebellion against Hanzo the Salamander, one of the boys, kid called Yahiko died. The others kinda dropped off the radar. Far as I know, I think they're still out there somewhere. I never assume someone is dead unless I see a corpse for myself or it is irrefutable that they're really dead." The red haired Hokage explained with a tired sigh.

"Anyways. Go on. Get out of here already. Say 'Hi' to your mom for me, I haven't maimed you, stuff like that." The Godaime spoke while making a shooing motion with her hand.

The pinkette bowed in thanks and then spoke "You know... you might be a bully... but... I don't think you're a bad person."

"Wrong, Pinkie Pie. I'm rotten to the core. I'm the 'Evil' Uzumaki for a reason. I only told you a bit about my past. I've got war stories up the wazoo that'll make you piss yourself and turn that bubble gum pink hair if yours into pure silver. Trust me, if I told you about some of the nastier stuff... you'd be having nightmares for years to come. And... have you seriously forgotten how I broke your fingers? Now you're trying to be all buddy-buddy with me? What the fuck are you? An anime character?" Kushina retorted, refusing Sakura's compliment and questioning the girl's sanity. Without a word further, the pinkette bowed and left to go see her mother for the rest of the day. Upon leaving, the Uzumaki woman sighed deeply as she sank into her seat.

Feeling that in some ways... she had failed her son. For her... it wasn't that long ago that he was in her belly and she had given birth to him. Now he was a teenager who grew up with no influence of a parent. "Oh, Naruto-kun... I'd sacrifice anything to turn back the clock and give you the childhood you deserved. But I can't... best I can do is make up for lost time now." She muttered to herself as she resumed her work.

Unknown to her, for the brief moment... word of her return was spreading across the Nations.

Meanwhile. Iwa.

In the office of the Tsuchikage, Ohnoki sighed as he finished the last of his paperwork for the day and was eager to read about the latest article of the newspaper. As he fliped open the paper and began reading the front page, his eyes bugged out of his head. A sickening crack was heard followed by a yowl of pain. "GAAAAAAH! MY BACK!" Ohnoki yelled out as he collapsed to the floor, a foamy substance coming out of his mouth as he passed out while blue in the face.

The Sandaime Tsuchikage was later found unconscious with an expression of pure horror on his face. And immediately called that it was time to head to Konoha.

Kumo.

The Raikage A was busy with his daily workout routine, lifting a set of dumbbells after finishing out the duties of paperwork. Although he wished he knew a jutsu to finish it faster so he could train longer. He was interrupted when the doors to his office burst open, revealing the form of his brother Killer Bee who was babbling some kind of nonsense, with Mabui and Team Bee following close behind.

"Our apologies A-sama. But... Sensei seems to have gotten worked up over something." Samui spoke apollogetically while trying to make some sense of what was happening as her sensei continued to speak in some inane gibberish.

"What the hell are you trying to say Bee? Is that jargon supposed to be some kind of new rapping style of yours? Speak! I command you to speak!" A demanded as he tossed aside the large dumbbell and approached his brother who thrust a newspaper into his chest. Growing curious, the Yondaime Raikage looked at the front page which seemed to have been crumpled in his brother's grip... and then A let out a war cry as he ripped the newspaper in half.

"BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES! ASSEMBLE THE ENTIRE SHINOBI CORPS OF KUMO! Prepare for an S-rank emergency! Impose martial law, stat!" The Raikage bellowed, as he slammed his fists together.

"Wha? Raikage-dono? Are we under some kind of attack?" Mabui asked as she jotted down his orders, wondering what was causing the two brothers to behave like this.

"We might be. Brother! Mabui. Team Bee! We are making an emergency visit to Konoha. Tell Darui that's he's in charge until I return. If SHE has returned... we need to make peace and fast. Somebody find Yugito! We may need her too!" The Raikage shouted with multiple tic-marks appearing on his head that looked ready to burst at any moment.

Kiri.

"Congratulations on your new appointment Mei-sama." Spoke the form of Ao to the newly minted Godaime Mizukage, Mei Terumi who was a central figure in the Kiri rebels who had finally deposed her predecessor, Yagura after a long and brutal Civil War that had cost the lives of many people. Civilian, Shinobi and otherwise.

"Mm-hmm." Mei muttered as she stared at the newspaper in her hands while sipping at some coffee.

"Rebuilding won't be easy. And Kiri doesn't have a positive reputation amongst the villages. It will be difficult gaining any sort of humanitarian aid." Ao continued to speak with a tired sigh, knowing that the restoration of Kiri was going to be a long and arduous road.

"Mm-hmm." Mei responded again, obviously distracted by whatever article she was reading in the papers.

Ao narrowed his visible eye a bit and decided to test and see if she was actually paying attention "Perhaps a political marriage is in order? I hear that the Daimyo of Kiri is very eager to meet..." His sentence was cut off as he felt a dark and sinister aura come from the Mizukage that gave him a chilling smile.

"Ao? If you don't stop pestering me... I'll kill you. I was just in the middle of reading something interesting. It would seem that a certain person has become the new Godaime Hokage. Come. We must go to Konoha, immediately." Mei spoke as she set aside her newspaper.

"Konoha? That may not be wise... out of all the Villages, our relations with Konoha may be the worst of them all." Ao lamented, wondering what was going through the Lava users head.

"Have a little bit of faith Ao. You may be pleasantly surprised." Was all Mei said as she gave a haughty laugh.

Oto.

"So... Kushina lives then. I knew that woman was too stubborn to die. Word was, she died after the Kyuubi attack, I can only suspect that old warhawk Danzo had something to do with her disappearance. Out of all the people that could have become Hokage... she is the worst." Orochimaru spoke in annoyance as he tossed aside his newspaper, if word had reached the international newspapers, it wouldn't be long before Kushina herself realizes that people are now aware of her presence... unless she had been counting on that.

"What do you mean by that? Just what kind of Kunoichi are we talking about? I have only heard wild tales and stories about her exploits. Like how she butchered a platoon of Kumo nin, painted the field crimson with their entrails and then fed their bodies to some pigs to be shipped to Kumo." Kabuto spoke, finding such a story ridiculous... only to notice a glare from his master.

"Trust me... those stories? Whether they be totally outlandish or embellished, always hold some truth to them. Kushina was amongst the most violent Kunoichi to ever live. Some say she is actually a monster, wearing the skin of a human female. Regardless of whatever form of fiction exists... the cold hard truth is that she is a woman unafraid to do whatever she needs to do, in order to get what she wants. Although violence seems to be her go-to solution. Towards the end of the Shinobi war, she had the entirety of the nations in stranglehold of fear. No one could even utter her name without shuddering if terror.

Even the Kages knew better than to cross her, for fear of her tearing down their villages out of petty vengeance. She was larger than life Kabuto, and unlike many tyrants and self-proclaimed villains in history... she is fully capable of destroying the Nations as we know it. I can only imagine that the other nations witll be clamoring to gain her favor and to get in her good graces before she has the chance to think about destroying them." Orochimaru explained grimly, knowing he wasn't a match for the Uzumaki even with his full might.

"Then... how are we to destroy her? Surely she's not invincible." The spectacled ninja spoke with a small chuckle.

"Hard to say... but I do have one potential weapon that could give us the edge we need to defeat her. Hopefully we aren't too late. Because if she sets her sights on us... there will be nothing we can do to stop her. Best to strike while we still have the element of surprise." The Sannin replied as he turned towards a series of coffins.

Suna.

"Ghyahahahaah! I know that crazy bitch! She's a monster! You don't wanna go messing around with her!" Spoke a voice inside of Gaara's mind, the Jinchuuriki now clasping his head in pain as he heard Shukaku cackling inside of his mind.

"Mother? What are you talking about? You've been screaming nonsense since you saw that newspaper through my eyes." Gaara muttered, wondering what may have caused his 'mother' to start acting up like this.

After a few moments of silence, the one tailed Bijuu replied "To answer your question with another question... what do you think's gonna happen now that a true monster has returned? It's going to happen soon you know." Shukaku answered with a chuckle, the tone of which the Bijuu spoke sounded like it was... waiting for something to happen.

"Is there anyone at the top now? Who's ruling these lands now? The Daimyos? The Kages of the Nations? Or is it Jinchuuriki like yourself, scratching out an existence as living weapons now? Some strong people are rising up and appearing throughout the world, and that crazy lady is one of them, just waiting to throw the world upside-down! 'That Clan' has been hiding in the shadows of history, and its new Resurgent has finally appeared! The natural enemies of the gods has returned! Soon... the ultimate battle for supremacy shall begin! That accursed bloodline will soon be dragged down through the mud and cast into darkness!

The number of Shinobi throughout this world has been expanding steadily over the years... The Shodaime Hokage didn't end the wars... he just made them more organized. He didn't hold onto power, he gave it away! My brothers and sisters all knew this day would come! Gaara! THE THRONE WARS ARE ON THE HORIZON!" Shukaku screamed out with fiendish glee making the red haired Suna nin clutch his head in pain. Not even hearing his siblings calling out that they were to head for Konoha.

All the while, Gaara couldn't help but wonder... what his 'mother' was talking about.

Konoha.

"Thanks Tenten! Its perfect!" Naruto spoke as he gave a few practice swings of his new scythe that had a skeletal appearance. The bun haired girl could only nod in satisfaction of her handiwork.

"No problem. Took me a while to get it to your specifications. Did you get the design from a certain manga starring a certain demonic butler?" She asked with a snarky expression, earning a sheepish grin from the whiskered teen. Before he could reply, he tensed up and looked out the window towards the sky... feeling like something on the winds had changed. Whisperings of a nameless fear being carried through the empty air.

And from within his seal, Kurama stirred and spoke "It has begun. The Throne wars."

"Naruto? Is something wrong?" Tenten asked worriedly since the blonde seemed distracted for some reason.

"Dunno. I just got a funny feeling. Like something really bad is going to happen. And there's not going to be any stopping it." Naruto replied with his eyes narrowed a bit... what was it that the Kyuubi meant by 'Throne Wars'? What throne? What war? Why? Regardless... he couldn't shake a gut feeling that something was about to happen. He would need to pay his mother a visit and begin training, quickly.

End chapter four.

A/N: A bit shorter than I wanted, but I kinda had to rush this chapter due to certain IRL reasons that I won't disclose. For those it may concern, everything is fine, but I'll likely be busy with some stuff that may prevent me from writing for a while. Please leave lots of reviews, feedback and constructive criticism is always important!