Hidden Strength

Chapter 4

"Kakashi?" Said man paused, raising a single visible eyebrow; clearly questioning the young jinchuuriki's motives. Naruto nearly smirked as the barely noticeable crease of confusion formed above the cyclopean eyed jonin. "Did anything of note happen while I was stuck setting up camp?" The blond haired male crossed his arms as an uncharacteristic look of worry crossed his features.

"Hmm, you were saying?" At this point in time most people would have face faulted at the silver haired, perverted jonin's feign of ignorance.

Naruto held firm, schooling his features. A crimson flash, darting through his sky blue orbs. "Don't play with me Hatake."

Kakashi closed his precious orange book with a slight frown. Placing it in his back pocket, a grimace on his lips as he faced his charge. "Then why do you ask questions you know the answer to?"

Naruto never relinquished the hold his eyes had over his superior. "It was very reckless of you to have gone off by yourself. Especially since the demon brothers' appearance earlier."

Naruto spoke calmly as Kakashi's eyes narrowed infinitesimally. "Are you lecturing me?"

Naruto's eyes widened, arms falling to his sides. "No. I was just worried, because you aren't just Kakashi-sensei to me." You're like a brother to me. And Iruka-nii would probably castrate me if something happened to you.

Judging by the smirk forming Naruto had a fairly good idea Kashi knew exactly what he was thinking. "Oh my little imouto was worried about me." Kakashi spoke high pitched, right hand over his heart, left knuckle clearing a lone tear from his visible cheek. Naruto sweat-dropped at his elders' childishness. As said man grinned in triumph. "Can't wait to tell Ruka. It won't be long now will it Naruto. You know the mask of utter cheerfulness, it's flawed. And it won't hold for long."

Naruto grunted in annoyance, turning away from him and facing the green scenery. "I think we should go to the Tazuna household, I sent a few clones out earlier." He paused with a slight tilt of his head, grimacing at the remembered state of Wave. Children and adults alike scrounging for food in waste bins, passed out in streets and alleys. The thought alone made him cringe with empathy, himself having been through similar experiences and worse. He shook of those thoughts with vigor, not willing to drop his mask. "This place doesn't look good. I'm going to go into town right now. Do a little personal scouting. Meet me at the client's house."

"So you want to continue with the mission." He raised a single eyebrow. "You know the client lied to us...we don't have to continue." I know how you act against people who lie to you. Naruto stared at him sharply as the rest went unsaid. Kakashi just continued speaking, brushing off the look. With a non-chalance only he could muster. "We're getting paid for a C-rank when this is easily an A- rank mission, especially with the appearance of Zabuza Momochi."

Naruto walked past Kakashi. Smacking the back of his head. "Cyclopean baka, what Iruka-nii sees' in you. I will never know." Naruto shook his head lightly from side to side. "I'm not scared of the 'Demon of the Mist'. But he should be scared of the 'Demon of the Fire Nation'." Naruto smirked as he began his trek away from his outoto.

Kakashi smirked. Trying to hide his smile of pride. "I thought you hated that name."

Kakashi watched as Naruto walked into the woods, pulling out his book. When a lone voice carried through the wind forcing the Jonin to cringe. "It has its uses." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. As he forced down a shiver at the tint of demonic chakra that laced those words.

-Itachi-

He opened the door and nearly coughed at the dust accumulated. Well I guess that's what happens when you've been gone as long as I have. He thought wryly. His hands stretched out and began to clear off his desk before mentally sighing in annoyance. The only sound that escaped his lips was one particularly frustrated. "Hn."

"You're back." The dark haired, dark eyed Anbu captain turned away from his desk to face the assembled mass of Anbu. His mouth tightened into a grimace behind his weasel mask. All thirty Anbu beneath his command bowed at the waist with a chorused acknowledgement of… "Taicho!"

"Hn." He replied with a slight incline of his head. "You know Akuma, have I ever told you for every cigarette you light, you l-" He continued.

"Yeah, yeah. Shortens your life by five seconds." Said man pulled the cigarette from his lips with his left hand and waved his right hand dismissively. "I missed you. It's been down-right boring without you." You could almost feel his grin through the lazy drawl.

Itachi grimaced. "Well, it's not going to be boring for long." He looked into the crowd and pointed to four people, Akuma included. "Follow me." He walked into his office and closed the door. Pacing around the room, his fingers moving swiftly through hand sign's. "Take off your masks; I need to make sure I got the right people." They took them off without hesitation. "Good. Yugao, Hayate, Anko, and Asuma." He sighed running his fingers through his hair. Motioning with his hands, gesturing for them to sit down. "What I'm about to tell you is SSS-class information. And I don't think I need to warn you that repetition of what I'm about to tell you will result in immediate death."

Asuma fidgeted instinctively reaching for his cigarettes. Anko visibly bristled. The other two remained stoic, even when Hayate began to cough, causing Yugao to look at him. With worry clearly visible. Itachi couldn't really blame him for coughing now due to the dust but honestly that cough made him stand out in his profession as much as Hatake's gravity defying hair.

"What do you know of the Jinchuuriki and the Echizen, Namikaze and Uzumaki clans?"

All four paused wondering what all four could possibly have to do with the other. But it was Hayate who spoke first. "I believe the Echizens were an all samurai family, specializing in Kenjutsu. The last three members left after the Kyuubi attack."

Itachi grimaced as Yugao continued after him. "As for the Namikaze clan, the only known Namikaze was our Hokage, who defeated the nine-tailed demon."

Anko then continued. "By sealing it within Naruto Uzumaki, the orphaned child. We don't know much about him…"

Her voice trailed off while Asuma finished. "...Other than him being a Jinchuuriki."

Itachi leaned back in his chair. "Damn, well there's no easy way to say this." He placed his hands together beneath his chin. "Thirteen years ago, Minato Namikaze, our Hokage was heavily guarded by a single clan of specialized samurai...The Echizens. They ensured the safety of our Hokage. Mainly due to their relationship. Clan head Nanjiroh Echizen married Rinko Takeuchi, alias Rinko Uzumaki. Sister to Minato Namikaze's wife Kushina Uzumaki. As you may have noticed, I've said Uzumaki, as in-"

"Naruto. H-" Itachi held up a hand to stop Yugao.

"Let me finish. That secret alone makes this information S-ranked. The Uzumaki clans specialized in seals; it was how our Hokage became so adept so quickly. Kushina Uzumaki was the Uzukage of Whirlpool, before it was destroyed that is. She was also the Jinchuuriki of the nine-tailed fox. On the night of the foxes release. Kushina's body was under heavy stress due to labor. The plan was for the sisters to reseal the Kyuubi. However both women found themselves giving birth. And minutes apart from each other, two children were born. Ryoma Echizen and Naruto Uzumaki. The thing is Uzumaki children have naturally larger chakra pathways and longer life vitality. Therefore they are the best at sealing away a tailed beast. Kushina never made it past labor. She died giving birth to Naruto. Rinko was weak and would have died as well, but she was determined to reseal the Kyuubi. Regardless, she didn't have the strength. They were also going to seal the Kyuubi within only Naruto, until they realized just how powerful the Kyuubi was. Minato sealed half of the fox's chakra within his son while Rinko sealed the other half within her son, resulting in their deaths. And two Kyuubi jinchuuriki's."

"Damn well now I see why it's triple S-rank." Asuma spoke as he lit a cigarette.

"That's not why it was triple S-ranked." He paused letting the weight of that single sentence settle. "Twelve years ago Nanjiroh Echizen discovered their wives were poisoned by Root Anbu." He swallowed, mentally preparing himself for the next words about to leave his mouth. "In order to release the fox. He deduced Danzo was responsible, and also realized an organization existed with the sole purpose of capturing Jinchuuriki. And you were correct Hayate, they do specialize in Kenjutsu. However, Nanjiroh feared for the life of his son and the life of his nephew. He needed a way to protect them. The fear and need to protect his family unlocked a Kekkei Genkai. Turning their eyes golden, allowing them the ability to learn and know everything. Nanjiroh spent the next four years perfecting everything. With the help of my father, their family perfected genjutsu, theirs put ours to shame."

Itachi paused allowing the information to be absorbed, his eyes glancing over each of the faces present. It was so silent that a single breathe was deafening. "Well what the hell are we waiting for?! Let's bring in the traitor and gut him like a fish!" Anko exclaimed, jumping from her seat as a kunai appeared in her hand. She turned on her heal heading toward the door. Hell bent on murdering the man who made his imouto the way he is. Her mind was in tunnel vision and all she wanted was the man's blood running down her weapon.

Asuma was the first to break out of his stupor, his right hand clenched around Anko's wrist not allowing her to move. He tugged on her harshly and she fell onto his lap. His lungs contracted as he took a painfully long drag from the cancer stick. His eyes dilated slightly. He at least now understood more of why his father was so protective of Naruto, but Kami, how he wished he had done more for the boy. "Why hasn't the Hokage apprehended the traitor?" Itachi smirked almost sadly. Happy that the man caught on that quickly but sad; knowing just what he would have to say to him.

He leaned forward in his seat as Anko sat back down, and Asuma's fingers unclenched her wrist and moved to her hand. He gripped it tightly as she gripped his. "The Uzumaki or should I say Namikaze clan, Echizen clan and Uchiha clan are connected, or will be…by marriage."

"Nani!" The women uncharacteristically or not leapt from their chairs while the men paled. "Our parents were all close friends and believed our families could gain a lot in our union-"

"But aren't the last remaining survivors' men?" Hayate gasped as he seemed to turn a little green.

Itachi waved his hand dismissively. "Something easily rectified by three seal masters and a master of genjutsu being Rinko, Kushina, Minato, and my father. The pairings are to be myself and the eldest of the Echizen household, Ryoga. The first born Namikaze was Naruto and the second born Uchiha, my brother Sasuke. Are meant to be wed. It was created in a binding blood pact between all of our parents. Technically they are already wed. But there's more when Nanjiroh discovered the reasoning for Kushina's death. He had also realized that Rinko never should've made it past labor as well. They were trying to kill off the only seal masters in Konoha, allowing the Kyuubi free. When he discovered root Anbu were responsible, he realized something didn't add up. Why did the Kyuubi rampage? When it was usually such a benevolent creature? Never in our history has the Kyuubi been mindless."

"Except for the fight between Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara." Yugao interrupted.

"Exactly, because only an Uchiha could control the Kyuubi. Now I know you won't remember this far back but a week before October 10 an Anbu went missing, this Anbu was an Uchiha."

"Shisui." Anko gasped.

"My cousin and best friend." Itachi sighed. His thumb and forefinger pinched the bridge of his nose."It was later discovered his eyes were stolen from him. Nanjiroh was the only one that connected the dots."

"Someone used Shisui's eyes to control the Kyuubi, but there have been no reported Sharingan transfers and I think everyone would notice Sharingan eyes." Asuma spoke solemnly as he rubbed his chin in thought.

Itachi nodded. "True but Nanjiroh figured that out too. Root Anbu poisoned them and Root only works for Shimura Danzo. Now what man do we know that has half of his body crippled as well as his left eye? Conveniently after the Kyuubi attack."

*Cough cough* "Are you telling me he has a Sharingan eye under those bandages?"

"Yes. Now when he discovered Danzo had the power to control the Kyuubi. He feared for Naruto's safety. No one knew of the existence of the second Kyuubi and the Sandiame plans on keeping it that way for as long as possible. And with his newly unlocked Kekkei Genkai he decided it would be best to leave the village for a while. He wanted to teach his sons how to control it and as Naruto was the last Namikaze he was honor bound to protect him. But the village council ignorant of Naruto's heritage wouldn't allow him to be taken from the village. Nanjiroh would've kidnapped him and gladly become missing-nin to protect him had my father not interceded. We were to be given custody of Naruto, my father promised he would protect Naruto with his life. And with that, Nanjiroh left…to the west. He tore a hole in the veil between our world and theirs with his Kekkei Genkai, one only visible to Sharingan wielders who know where to look."

"Shit." All four seemed to sink lower into their seats as Itachi grimaced.

"Not done. Danzo wanted to have Naruto inducted into Root to become a weapon and nobody wanted my father to have Naruto and technically he had no claim to him. For two years we fought for custody and finally when we were about to claim Naruto as an Uchiha…my family was massacred by Orochimaru. Who then took our doujutsu. So later on I was resigned temporarily from Anbu duty, due to mental instability over the death of my clan. A farce created by the Hokage so I could be given free rein to find Nanjiroh. And I did, Nanjiroh is coming back to testify to this information, he will come back to give Naruto his birthright as well as reclaim his post as his protector, in one months' time. And Naruto already knows all of this." Itachi stared at the dumbfounded looks with a certain amount of trepidation. "What?"

Thump

Thump

Thump

Thump

All four just escaped into the wonderful bliss of their minds. Itachi just stared, and let out a huff of breath. "Hn."

-Naruto-

He walked down the street as his mask crumpled. The sight was terrible. Even in his time during Anbu he had never seen a thing like this. There was not a single healthy person in sight; the children were all but emaciated. Each person held a frightening frailty.

Every noise stuck out like a pin dropping, every whimper of pain, every pang of hunger. Every noise made the empathetic teen flinch for their pain. He hated this. This was what Gato had done. He had reduced this town to beggars. He had left them to starve, to die the worst way possible.

This had been him.

His fists clenched while his heart squeezed at the sights before him. He killed everyone that opposed him. Men like Gato were disgusting filth that didn't deserve to live. But these people. They deserved life, they deserved to live. He jumped atop a building and waited for nightfall. He would help them. Or his name wasn't Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto. He grinned in determination.

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SORRY! DON'T BE MAD. MY SISTERS FINALLY BACK and she nearly threw everything (aside from the kitchen sink) at me to get me to post this. I wanted to add more but she said I had to post something because I wasn't being fair to my readers. I had wanted to post something of epic length but she was very angry. And an angry Sarah is very, very, very, very, scary.