A/N: It was a long time in the making, but it's finally here!
Before we begin, I'll take some time to answer some reviews.
Kurama: Thanks for the translation, I'll definitely keep it in mind.
JPMod: I can't thank you enough. Your review gave me much to consider. When I had wrote Chapter 3, the thought process hadn't been fully formed and so I had a lot to work out.
cooltony101neo: Hinata is just playing the part of the concerned friend. It's in her nature to worry about everything, and Naruto gave everyone a cause to worry. This will be one of the only times she follows him around.
bumike99: Naruto was pissed. When people get angry, they tend to lose focus and situational awareness. Naruto over looked her because he had too much going through his head at the time. Anko only sensed Hinata after Naruto left and she had a quick moment to calm down.
Fifth Rider of the Armageddon: Sorry, no Harem fic this time either. Naruto will date multiple girls, but not at the same time. In the end, he'll only end up with one girl.
delta16669: Yes Sasuke got the Sharingan. As in Canon, even after he got it, he was still outmatched by Haku. I king of grazed over the brand in the chapter as well, but it should come up in the next chapter.
No, Kimmimaro is loyal and will stay loyal to Orochimaru. The major fight pre-Time Skip, however, will NOT be Naruto vs Sasuke, but Naruto vs Kimmimaro. And that is about the only spoiler you're going to get out of me.
rasengan86: Yes, it is similar to the Caged Bird Seal, EXCEPT, it only causes pain, no physical damage. The control seals are merely the 'safety' on the Weapons. Orochimaru values his Weapons and doesn't want them to become vegetables.
As for the rest, you'll have to see. I have a few ideas in mind.
Now, for the rest of the story...
Chapter Four: Return to Konoha
Naruto stood rooted in place.
"What exactly does she know?" asked Naruto.
"The Kyuubi, Weapon-X, everything I could remember from that time..." said Anko. Hinata hesitantly nodded. "And a little about Orochimaru-sensei's kinjutsu."
"You don't remember everything yet, do you?" asked Naruto.
"Not yet, but it's slowly coming back..." said Anko. "It's all fragmented..."
"There's a lot more you haven't told her," said Naruto, "A lot more than I want anyone else to know."
"N-Naruto-kun...?" stuttered Hinata confusedly.
"Yeah, I didn't ask for Tou-san to seal the Kyuubi inside me, I was tricked by Orochimaru into leaving the village to become his experiment, hell... I had no control over the things they did to me. Tampering with the seal, merging me with the Kyuubi... The torture..." explained Naruto. "I wasn't one of the strongest weapons... I was THE strongest. I was one of his Mokushiroku no Yonkishu (Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse), we were the most powerful of all of Hebi-teme's subordinates, and our teamwork rivaled that of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu. Senken, Ekirei, Kikin, Shikyo (War, Pestilence, Famine, Death)... Each had our own specialty, our very specialized purpose. I was the Shikyo no Kishu (Horseman of Death). My specialty was assassination, and all that I did... Everyone I killed... Was of my own free will."
Hinata went to speak, but was cut off by Naruto.
"I'm not innocent, and one day I will have to atone for everything I've done," he said, "But I will leave a trail of bodies behind me when I go. It's the least I can do considering they've turned me into the demon those bastards in Konoha were so afraid I'd become."
"B-But... You're not... You're not a-a demon, N-Naruto-kun..." Hinata said softly, "Y-Yes, it is apart of you... B-But y-you said so y-yourself... Y-You are only p-partially merged... M-Meaning you and th-the K-Kyuubi are st-still s-separate... D-D-Deep down inside, y-you are still th-the same as y-you were before. Y-You only h-have to b-believe..."
"Why do you even care? You barely know me," said Naruto with a slight glare.
"B-Because... You a-are like m-me, and Haku-chan, and S-Sasuke-kun," explained Hinata, "I-I j-just wanted y-you t-to know, th-that you... You don't h-have to b-be a-alone anymore..."
"Maybe one day... But for now, I work alone," said Naruto, "I've survived these last few years by myself, with no one to rely on but myself and my own strength."
"Is that all you want otouto?" asked Anko, "To just function, to 'just survive'? That's insane... I-It's..."
"Inhuman?" asked Naruto, "I'm not exactly human anymore, and such attachments will only serve to weaken me and get in my way. If someone dies because of me, I would like to think it was because my claws are buried deep within their chest after I've slashed them up a bit, not because I became too attached."
"You are not the demon, Naru-chan," stated Anko flatly.
"Hn, I never said I was the demon, only that I wasn't human anymore," said Naruto, "I am a weapon of Orochimaru, Weapon-X, the finest one ever created. My purpose, my whole existence for being, is to only cause death, and I'm the best at what I do."
The silence between the group was uncomfortable and they had spoken very little since their short talk. Still, Naruto managed to get some new clothes- new shoes, a few pairs of blue jeans and plain white t-shirts, a pair of fingerless gloves and a new khaki trenchcoat to match Anko's.
Any further attempts at any real or significant conversation were futile between Hinata's innate shyness, Anko's trying to figure out how she could undo the damage done to Naruto by Orochimaru, and Naruto's cold, silent demeanor.
A short time after they went back to Tazuna's house Anko went out- to where, no one really knew, and Hinata joined Sasuke and Kiba for training. Naruto sat in the room designated as his and Anko's for the duration of their stay. Behind him, he heard the door open and someone nervously approach him. A small sniff told Naruto who it was.
"What do you want Gaki?" asked Naruto.
"I... I don't know... T-To talk, maybe..." said Inari who was nervous.
Naruto looked at him with a bored, puzzled expression. When the kid didn't speak again, Naruto reached into his trenchcoat and pulled out a square package and proceeded to pull out a cigar. He noticed the look Inari was giving him as he went to light it.
"Gomen..." he reached into the jacket again, "Want one?"
Inari looked scandalized. Naruto merely shrugged as he put the cancersticks back into his trenchcoat and lit the cigar in his mouth.
"What?"
"Why do you do that? It's disgusting..." said Inari with a disgusted look on his face.
"Go through what I have, Gaki, and see how well you cope," said Naruto, "Everyone does so in different ways when they go through situations they should have never been in. I smoke, Ichigan reads porn, Anko-nee-chan drinks, or she used to, who knows anymore..."
"Anko-san... She told us about wh-what happened to you..." said Inari hesitantly.
"Only enough to let me in the house," said Naruto, "Your mother has the right idea... I'm dangerous, but I took out Gatou and his thugs. So Gaki, what was up with you and the villagers showing up?"
"I-I grew up... I guess..." said Inari, "Kakashi-san and Anko-san both talked to me after you left. Gomen... For what happened a-and what I said..."
"Hn. No sweat it Gaki... I only keep grudges with people who truly deserve it," said Naruto, "As long as you remember that no matter what happens... No matter how bad things get... Someone always had it worse..."
"What about you, Naruto-san?" inquired Inari.
"I won't lie to you, I had one of the worst times, but at least one other had it worse than I did..." said Naruto, "Don't worry about it, gaki..."
"A-Arigato for h-helping us..." said Inari.
"What I did... I didn't do it for the people of Wave," said Naruto. "Either way, you shouldn't have had to see it..."
"Then... Why?" asked Inari puzzled.
"I'd rather not talk about it... Just leave it. Gatou said some things he shouldn't have..." said Naruto.
Inari nodded, then left. A few moments later, Tsunami entered the room.
"It's impolite to eavesdrop, you know," said Naruto bluntly.
"It's also impolite to smoke in someone's house without permission," scolded Tsunami. Naruto shrugged his shoulders as he smashed the burning end of the cigar into his hand, putting it out. Tsunami winced as the hot end of the cancerstick sizzled Naruto's skin.
He put it away and then looked at Tsunami, "Is there anything you needed?"
"Arigato." she said.
He raised an eyebrow at that because he knew she was listening in on him and Inari just moments before.
Seeing his quizzical expression, she clarified, "Not for the people of Wave, or for getting rid of Gatou, but for changing Inari."
"I didn't do anything," said Naruto.
"You forced him to grow up some and helped him move on..." she said, before Naruto could speak, "I know it wasn't your intention, but you did. I don't like how it all happened and I don't exactly trust you, nor do I think I'll be able to for a long while... But you did help Inari and that helped this family and the Country of Wave. That is why I thanked you and why I agreed to let you back in the house."
"You're welcome... I guess..." said Naruto not used to being thanked.
Tsunami turned and left, leaving Naruto to his thoughts.
Soon, it came time for Kakashi's Team 7 and Mitarashi Anko to leave the Country of Wave, to which the people insisted on having a proper send off. Not even the massacre the people of Wave had witnessed could damper their spirits due to the fact that the tyrant who had held their country within his suffocating grasp for so long was finally dead.
They all watched as Kakashi, his team and Anko left.
"So, Tazuna, what are we naming the bridge?" asked a villager.
"Yeah, you still haven't given us a name yet!"
As the villagers were pestering Tazuna, Inari thought back on a conversation he had with Naruto a few days prior...
"You know Gaki... Once the bridge is done, it's going to need a name..." said Naruto. "They will probablly name it after you."
Inari looked at him in disbelief. "Wha- Why!? I didn't do anything."
Naruto chuckled. "When we fought No Brow on the bridge, Ichigan told him 'The man you are trying to kill, Tazuna-san, is this countries courage, this bridge, their hope'. You, runt, became a symbol of the countries strength."
"I don't understand..." mumbled Inari.
"The bridge was a symbol of defiance against Gatou. It have everyone hope that they would be free of Gatou and his corrupt regime. Tazuna was the countries courage. Without him, the people would not have had the guts to defy Gatou by building the bridge," Naruto lectured him. Inari was listening intently. "I was watching, waiting to see if No-Brow and the Hyou Otome (Ice Maiden) would show up again. As the days went by, their courage began to weaken. The longer it took to complete the bridge, their hope began to falter. Their dreams of a better life looked to be untouchable and many began to give up, not having the strength of will to fight back. You, Gaki, gave that back to them when you rallied the villagers. You were their strength, you brought them their courage and gave them back their hope."
"B-But... You took out Gatou! You killed his thugs and saved me and Okaa-san!" argued Inari.
"I slaughtered them. I am nothing more than a murderer," said Naruto.
"B-But... I don't want to have the bridge named after me!" protested Inari.
"Then give them another symbol. Something or someone who gave the people hope, filled them with courage and was the core of their strength..."
"Hmm..." Tazuna contemplated. "How about the Super Awesome Tazuna Bridge!"
"Get real!" shouted a villager.
"Not a chance!" shouted another.
"I got it!" shouted Inari. They looked at him speculatively. "How about the Great Kaiza Bridge!"
Tazuna looked at Inari questioningly.
"Naruto-san told me that you, Ojii-sama, was the countries courage for building the bridge. That the bridge was a symbol of hope that one day we'd be rid of Gatou. He said I was the countries strength because I rallied the villagers to fight against Gatou even when I didn't need to," explained Inari, "But Tou-san... He gave his all to protect us. When he was alive, he was the symbol of hope, courage and strength. Without him, you'd have never built the bridge, without wanting to be brave and strong like he was, I wouldn't have rallied the villagers. Without him giving us a bit of hope, we'd have never have built the bridge in the first place."
'Inari has really grown up hasn't he...' thought Tazuna. Many of the villagers agreed with Inari's suggestion and the bridge became known as the Great Kaiza Bridge.
Team 7 and Anko had been a good distance away when they had been confronted by Zabuza and Haku. Their sudden appearance instantly put everyone on guard.
"I thought we had no further business with you, Zabuza?" said Kakashi, somewhat threateningly.
"I have none with you," he answered, "Blondie, on the other hand, I do."
"And what do you want with my otouto?" asked Anko threateningly.
"Relax, I told them to meet us here," said Naruto laying down on the branch of a nearby tree, "They are coming with us to Konoha."
"What!?" came three surprised shouts from Kakashi, Anko and Zabuza.
Naruto sighed and then sat up and jumped down to where everyone else is.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," said Naruto.
"What the hell do you mean by that?" demanded Zabuza.
"That we have a common enemy that neither of us is capable of taking down on our own," explained Naruto.
Zabuza looked at Naruto questioningly, as did the others, "You got a grudge against Kiri I don't know about?"
"No, YOU have a grudge against Orochimaru YOU don't know about," answered Naruto, Anko was now listening intently, as were the others.
"Other than the price Konoha set on his head, I have no reason to go after him," stated Zabuza.
"Otouto, quit being so damned cryptic and just explain what the hell you're taking about!" ordered Anko.
"I have to admit Naruto, you've piqued my curiosity as well," added Kakashi.
"One thing I've learned about Bingo Books, is that they never give the full story on the nin in their pages," said Naruto, "Take Momochi Zabuza. Kirigakure no Kijin. Kiri 'A'-Class nuke-nin. Former member of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu. Master of the Muon Satsujin Justu. Everything in his profile tells you that he is a cold hearted, blood thirsty killer, even the story of his becoming a Kiri Genin, and... He is. What you don't know, is that Zabuza has a soft spot for taking in unwanted orphans. He has a weird way of showing it, but he does care for Hyou Otome (Ice Maiden)."
Haku blushed slightly at his nickname for her.
"You got a point Gaki?" asked Zabuza irritably.
"Hn. I thought you'd like to know about your former apprentice. Was I wrong? After all, Suigetsu thought very highly of you," Naruto said casually, his expression turned serious as he stared Zabuza in the eye. "Who in the hell do you think trained me in the art of Muon Satsujin?"
Anko looked at Naruto sharply. "Weapon-III?"
Naruto nodded. "I didn't realize it earlier, but I've seen you both once before." he said to Zabuza and Haku. "It was just after Zabuza's defection, and you were forced to flee. Suigetsu was cut off and ambushed. Before he was killed, Nee-chan and I stepped in and killed his attackers. We then took him to Hebi-teme. Soon after that, another uprising was being planned. This ended just as badly as the last one, only one survivor..."
"Naru-kun, I have another mission for you. A solo one," said Orochimaru hissingly. "An interesting clan is about to make a move against the Mizukage tonight. I want you to find and recruit any interesting people."
"Hai, Orochimaru-sama," bowed Naruto.
"It didn't take me long to find their remote hiding place, they were loud enough," said Naruto, "They dispersed soon after I got there and I started tracking one of them. Despite all my training with Nee-chan, I was easily detected..."
Naruto jumped silently onto a tree branch when a sharp object embedded itself near his head.
"Identify yourself immediately, or I will kill you," demanded a white haired boy.
Naruto regarded the boy carefully. Naruto was dressed in a fishnet top and wore black baggy pants. He wore shin guards and a long trenchcoat. The other boy was dressed plainly in a blue shirt and white pants, was very pale and had two red dots on his forehead, and carried no weapons.
"If you think you can, try it," said Naruto dropping into the basic Hebiken stance.
"I was an idiot then," said Naruto, "My healing factor wasn't anywhere near as advanced as it is now, and my bones were very breakable. He beat me within a few minutes, and left. Once I was able to move again, I followed him. I watched as he passed the two of you and continued to trail him, when he ran into Hebi-teme, who pointed him off in the direction of Kirigakure."
"Ah, Naru-kun... The boy... Are his skills... Satisfactory...?" asked Orochimaru.
"Teme caught me off guard..." Naruto said through gritted teeth.
"Your training is far from complete, Naru-kun," said Orochimaru, "Though your skills are very considerable... If he was able to beat you... Then he is interesting..."
"What followed was a slaughter. The entire Kaguya clan was eradicated except for one," said Naruto.
"Kimmimaro," said Anko.
Naruto nodded. "The three of us and another guy became friends, and were each trained by Orochimaru and experimented on. Kimmimaro became Weapon-I and Suigetsu, Weapon-III."
"What happened to Suigetsu?" asked Kakashi.
Naruto frowned. "He was one of the first to rebel against Orochimaru and was locked in an old prison, but I have no idea where. His powers are probablly being suppressed or I'd have heard something about him by now..."
"If they can suppress your abilities, how did you escape?" asked Anko.
"I woke up in the middle of an experiment and forced my way out," said Naruto.
"Suigetsu... Is he like you?" asked Zabuza.
"Not really. He was experimented on differently. He wouldn't have survived half the things I went through. Most everyone else died," Naruto told them. "As much as I'd like to tell you more, there are spies everywhere. Even the trees have eyes and ears." His eyes darted to the left slightly.
"What do you mean Naruto?" asked Kakashi.
"Details for Sarutobi-ojii-san's ears and anyone else he decides to inform only," replied Naruto.
The Kiri nuke-nin, the Konoha-nin and the Weapon hastily made their way back to Konoha.
At his request, Kakashi placed a genjutsu over Naruto to hide his identity as they made their way to Sarutobi's office.
Naruto, who now sported black hair and eyes and no whisker marks couldn't help but comment, "It still hasn't changed much in all these years, has it?"
"Pretty nostalgic, huh, Naru-chan?" asked Anko, whose mood had been getting increasingly better since seeing Naruto again. She was less and less her psychotic self and more care free with each passing day.
Many people sent weary glances in their direction, but most of them were directed mostly at Zabuza, as Haku and the disguised Naruto were nearly complete unknowns. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the Hokage Tower and they were all lined up in front of Sarutobi.
"Jounin-sensei of Team 7, Hatake Kakashi, reports 'C' turned 'A'-Ranked mission, Protect the Bridge Builder a success," reported Kakashi. "We also have two qualified shinobi, Momchi Zabuza and his apprentice, Haku, who wish to become Konoha Shinobi."
"Tokubetsu Jounin, Mitarashi Anko, reports 'A'-Rank Assassination mission, Assassinate Gatou, also a success," reported Anko somewhat cheerfully.
"It's good to hear. Tell me, though. Why is Momochi Zabuza and his apprentice here with you? Weren't they your enemy? And who is the other kid under the genjutsu."
"I'm terribly hurt that you don't recognize me Ojii-san," said Naruto as Kakashi dispelled the Genjutsu revealing bright, blonde hair and whisker marks.
"N-Naruto... Where have you been all this time?" asked Sarutobi.
"Orochimaru," Anko hissed. Sarutobi got a weary look on his face.
"Don't worry about it, you've got bigger problems, especially with me being here," said Naruto. "Nine 'S'-Ranked ones."
"Akatsuki?" asked Sarutobi, at Naruto's shocked look, Sarutobi then spoke up again, "Team 7, you are dismissed and have the next three days off. Your sensei will deliver your payment to you."
The three genin all had questioning looks on their faces, but all promptly left.
"I'm surprised to see you after all this time Naruto, but I am more than a little disturbed that you have information on such a group," said Sarutobi. "And that you came here with Momochi Zabuza of all people."
"I guess the Gama-Sennin reported about them while trailing Hebi-teme," said Naruto ignoring the part about Zabuza, at Sarutobi's nod he continued. "Without Orochimaru, There are nine of them all after one thing. The nine bijuu."
"Naruto, if Orochimaru had you all this time, why not give you up to their cause?" asked Kakashi.
"Because Orochimaru's ambitions are bigger than Akatsuki's. He dreams of attaining absolute power and knowledge. Part of his plan to do this is to obtain the Sharingan. For a short time he managed to subdue Uchiha Itachi, but his jutsu failed because Itachi's will was too strong," explained Naruto, "Because of his actions, we ended up fighting some of Orochimaru's former allies... As powerful as we were... We were no match for them."
"Do you want the others to leave the room, Naruto?" asked Sarutobi.
"No... No Brow and Nee-chan need to hear this... Hyou Otome can stay if she wants... Ichigan and the ANBU you have hiding in here can hear this as well, since I can tell he has a bit in common with me." replied Naruto.
"Tenzou, you can come out," said Sarutobi, surprising all but Kakashi and Naruto.
"Hai, Hokage-sama," replied Tenzou.
"What did he do to you?" asked Naruto.
Instead of answering Tenzou channeled chakra into his hands. Naruto noticed however, that they were two different types of chakra.
"H-How?! You died!" he said in a shocked voice, "All of those experiments failed..."
"What are you talking about gaki?" asked Zabuza.
"As you can see, I am not dead, nor am I a failed experiment," replied Tenzou.
"You're kiddin' right?" asked Zabuza, "It seems like for every four people we meet in this town, we meet someone who was one of Orochimaru's puppets..."
"I'm curious Naruto, how did you detect him?" asked Kakashi, "I only did because I trained him, not even the most experienced shinobi, including various members of both the Hyuuga and Inuzuka clans have ever detected him."
"I wouldn't have either if my chakra didn't react to him," answered Naruto. "One of Orochimaru's prized experiments, before he left Konoha, was to re-create the Mokuton (Wood Release) Kekkei Genkai (Bloodline Inheritance Limit). Sarutobi-ojii-san, shut it down when Hebi-teme was getting close to completing his research. Hebi-teme lost his entire research on that project and had to start over again. The Mokuton Kekkei Genkai doesn't just give a person the ability to use Moku jutsu (Wood Techniques) but control over nature. Legend says the Shodaime Hokage grew the entire forest surrounding Konoha, and that he could even control the bijuu to a certain extent. And because Tsunade didn't inherit it, it's possible only males can actually use it, while the females are simply carriers."
"Very correct Naruto," confirmed Sarutobi. "So, I take it you know then, about the Kyuubi?"
"It's the only reason I'm alive. I know about my father too," said Naruto.
"Orochimaru was one of the few to know, as was Uchiha Itachi and Jiraiya," said Sarutobi sadly. "So tell me Naruto, how is it that you know so much about the Mokuton and Tenzou."
"With his healing factor," answered Anko instead. "Naruto could stand a lot more than the others. Orochimaru and a few others spent months accelerating it until even the most severe injuries would be healed in moments. During one of the experiments, they slightly fractured the seal, accelerating Naruto's abilities further. This also gave the Kyuubi a small amount of dominance in Naru-chan's mind. To counter this, they tried to fuse Naruto with the Shodaime's abilities with limited success."
"They nearly shattered the seal, which led to me being fused with the Kyuubi," added Naruto, "Because of the Shodaime's power, I have an easier time controlling it, but the Kyuubi isn't the strongest of all the bijuu for nothing. It takes so much to control, I can't use Mokuton jutsu. And because I have a strong Wind Affinity with slight affinities to Earth and Water added to the mix, I can't use Katon Jutsu at all."
"So am I to assume, Anko, that your memories have returned as well?" asked Sarutobi.
"Mostly. They are all there... But a lot of it is still jumbled..." replied Anko. Sarutobi nodded.
"I missed something here," said Zabuza, "What's this Kyuubi? That Kitsune that attacked this place way back?"
"The Kyuubi no Yokou," said Naruto, "Defeated by my father, the Yondaime Hokage, and sealed into me. It was because it that Orochimaru took me in and I became his new prized project."
"Why would he go to such great lengths to make you so powerful, Naruto-kun?" asked Sarutobi, "It isn't like Orochimaru to make one of his subordinates so strong so quickly."
"He finished that jutsu," answered Anko, "Also, with limited success as he has to wait a minimum of three years before using the jutsu. But he gains the abilities of each host and they transfer from body to body. The best time to go after Orochimaru would be the first few weeks after a transfer, as he is greatly weakened as his spirit has to adjust to the new body."
"So, Naruto's healing abilities...?"
"Made Naru-chan the prime candidate as it would have eliminated that two week period of adjustment. However, the Kyuubi made it impossible for Orochimaru to use Naru-chan in this fashion, so they attempted to re-create it in others."
"Were any of them successful, even in part?" asked Tenzou.
"One, Weapon-XIII," said Naruto, "Also unusable as a host..."
"Why?" asked Sarutobi.
"Orochimaru doesn't only get their strengths, but their weaknesses as well..." said Anko, "In Weapon-XIII's case, his is completely subservient only to a scientist named Ichigaki, and the treatments left him insane. He fears Naru-chan, and to an extent the other members of the Mokushiroku no Yonkishu (Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse), and will listen to them unless enraged. Not to mention he is so grotesque and deformed that he's barely passable as human anymore. Despite his superior healing factor, he was the least suitable of all of Orochimaru's prospective hosts. All of the ones Orochimaru referred to as 'Weapons' all had something that made him reluctant about using their body as a host."
"I've never heard of the Mokushiroku no Yonkishu," said Zabuza frowning.
"Nor have I," added Kakashi.
"You wouldn't unless you worked for Orochimaru," said Anko, "They were among the strongest of all of his subordinates, his hand that remained hidden from everything. They were Kaguya Kimmimaro, the Senken no Kishu (Horseman of War), Varentain Vinsento, the Ekirei no Kishu (Horseman of Pestilence), Hozuki Suigetsu, the Kikin no Kishu (Horseman of Famine), and Uzumaki Naruto, the Shikyo no Kishu (Horseman of Death).
"Naruto is here before us, but what happened to the others?" asked Sarutobi.
"I don't know..." replied Anko, who then turned to Naruto.
Naruto sighed, "Suigetsu rebelled after Orochimaru left Akatsuki and was locked up somewhere. Not even Karin could feel his presence, but I know he's not dead, Hebi-teme would have hung him from the walls as a trophy if he did. Vinsento betrayed us, when he attempted to kill a scientist named Hojo and vanished. He's managed to keep himself hidden, but he probablly went to find Suigetsu. I was locked up and turned into a guinea pig when I betrayed Orochimaru, because I was tired of all of his lies and manipulations."
"What about Kimmimaro?" asked Sarutobi.
"He's the leader of Hebi-teme's personal guard, the Otogo (Sound Five)," said Naruto, "We fought, and he won, because I wouldn't kill him, and that was how they captured me."
Kakashi, Tenzou, Anko and Sarutobi each exchanged different looks. "Orochimaru's guard... The Otogo... The name is too close to be mere coincidence..."
"What do you mean?" asked Naruto.
"A new village from Rice Country is entering into our Chuunin Exams this year," answered Anko, "Otogakure."
"Hebi-teme..." Naruto whispered in a low growl, his eyes turning slightly purple.
Knowing Orochimaru was a dangerous subject for those he who felt betrayed by his former student, Sarutobi decided to change the topic.
"So Naruto, you said that you actually fought the Akatsuki? All Jiraiya has been able to ascertain is that they are made up of nuke-nin who are, at minimum, 'A'-Class nin," said Sarutobi. "And that Uchiha Itachi is also among them.
"All of them are 'S'-Class," said Naruto, "Each of them are Kage level, Orochimaru was one of the weaker ones. Most of them travel in groups. The leader is from Amegakure and so is his partner. He's got weird eyes, but I don't know what they do. I only saw the pair once in person, all the other times it was a projection. Their names are Pein and Konan. Itachi is paired up with Hoshigaki Kisame of Kirigakure. Next, are Kakuzu of Takigakure and Hidan... His hitai-ite doesn't match any hidden village I'm familiar with, so I'm not sure where he's from. Then there's Zetsu from Kusagakure... He is the only one who works alone, but with good reason. He can get in and out of everywhere undetected. He looks and smells like he's part plant. He was there when we met up with Haku and Zabuza as we left Wave."
"So that's what you meant by the trees having ears," noted Kakashi.
"He's hard to detect and even harder to track, even Karin had troubles sensing him," said Naruto. "If the wind wasn't blowing just the right way, I wouldn't have detected him."
"Naruto... Who is this Karin you keep mentioning?" asked Sarutobi.
"Weapon-IV," answered Naruto, "She's probablly the sanest of us all, because she hasn't gone through all the experiments we have and it's damn near impossible to sneak up on her. Not only can she sense chakra for miles, but she can tell exactly how many people there are and what they are. And if she knows their signatures, who they are."
"A useful ability..." noted Kakashi.
"She's loyal to Hebi-teme," said Naruto, "She's not fanatical about it like Kimmimaro, but she is devoted."
"It was too much to hope for," said Sarutobi, "So what about the last two members of Akatsuki?"
"Akasuna no Sasori of Suna," said Naruto, "The man who killed the Sandaime Kazekage, and Deidara of Iwa. Sasori was Hebi-teme's partner until Orochimaru left, Deidara was new and didn't have a partner, so I wouldn't be surprised if they were paired together."
"It was always suspected Sasori had killed the Sandaime before he defected, but nothing was ever known for sure," muttered Sarutobi.
"Sasori makes puppets out of his fallen enemies' bodies," said Naruto, "He's perfected a jutsu that allows them to be not only make their own chakra, but use all their old techniques and abilities they had in life. The Sandaime and his ability to use the Iron Sand is Sasori's pride and joy."
"Gaki, you have some twisted enemies," said Zabuza chuckling.
"Hn. You have no idea..." Naruto replied.
"So then, on to other business..." said Sandaime Sarutobi, "Zabuza and Haku wish to become Konoha-nin, what about you Naruto?"
Naruto's gaze hardened. "Only on one condition."
Sarutobi sighed, "Within reason..."
"I want a permit to allow me to leave the village whenever I want," Naruto demanded.
"Otouto?" asked Anko.
"I don't belong here, nee-chan," said Naruto, "I'll help out and I'll visit, but I don't want to be here and the villagers won't want me here."
Anko sighed sadly, "You're not alone anymore Naru-chan..."
"Gomen, Nee-chan, but until both Hebi-teme and Akatsuki are dealt with I can't stay in one place for too long," said Naruto. "They already know I'm here, at least Akatsuki does."
"What about you two?" Sarutobi asked Zabuza and Haku.
Zabuza and Haku looked at each other for a few quick moments. "Nah, we don't really have anything better to do except dodge Oni-nin on a regular basis, so we'll stay. We'll renegotiate after we've found Suigetsu."
"His former apprentice," Naruto clarified.
Sarutobi raised an eyebrow at that. 'So that's why they came...' he thought.
"Just one more thing then," said Sarutobi, "Since you, Zabuza, are well known and your reputation proceeds you, I will award you the rank of Jounin, as anything less would be an insult of your skills. However, you have a ninety day probationary period where you will, under no circumstances, not be allowed outside the village unless directly given permission by me and me alone. Now then, what are Haku and Naruto's skill levels."
"I didn't see Haku fight too much, but Naru-chan defeated her when we first encountered both him and them," said Anko.
"She's not quite as fast as Sasuke under normal conditions, however, with the use of her Kekkei Genkai, which allows her to manipulate and create ice, she can form mirrors that she can travel through, making her speed rival some of our mid to low level Jounin," critiqued Kakashi, "Her taijutsu is in top form, but could use some work, and she seems to specialize in Senbon."
"She can put someone in a near death state from several yards away by piercing the pressure points in the neck," added Zabuza, "Which is what we had planned to do if you got the upper hand, before Blondie stepped in."
"Impressive," muttered Kakashi, "Even some of our best Oni-nin can't do that..."
"She also is very good at healing and would probablly be more suited as a med-nin," Zabuza informed them. "She had us both at one hundred percent in no time to face you guys again."
"Very well, Haku, you will be awarded the rank of Chuunin with eligibility for the Jounin Exams in two years time," said Sarutobi, "Now what of Naruto's skills?"
"As he told you early, he has a strong affinity for wind and can already manipulate it at will, channeling it through his claws like Asuma does his trench knives," said Kakashi.
"Claws?" asked Sarutobi.
Naruto held up his fists and out popped six claws, three per hand. Sarutobi jumped in surprise.
"He has strong Taijutsu skills, and is proficient in Orochimaru's Hebiken, Gai's Goken, the Uchiha Sekkendou and the Hyuuga Jyuuken," said Kakashi, "According to him, anyways. That I witnessed, he was more than proficient in both the Hebiken and the Jyuuken, so I don't he was lying about the other two."
"I only know the forms and some of the techniques of both the Uchiha and Hyuuga fighting styles," said Naruto, "I can't use them fully because I don't have either the Sharingan or the Byakugan."
"He has heightened reflexes and senses, and accelerated healing factor, a high tolerance for pain and is as good as me, if not better, in stealth and assassination," said Anko, "Since he was designed for assassination, one of Orochimaru's scientists by the name of Gero input memory enhancers directly into Naru-chan's brain, making it easier to learn an opponents strengths and weaknesses and to identify them. He's practically a living Bingo Book."
"It only gets better the more I draw on Kyuubi's Youki," said Naruto.
"Are there any limits to your healing factor, Naruto-san?" asked Tenzou.
"A couple. It heals most any damage that I would take in moments, but it will stop for a few hours if it gets overloaded," said Naruto, "I was killed by Itachi when we fled Akatsuki... Most of by body was badly burned or vaporized by a Uchiha Katon jutsu called Amaterasu. A few hours later my healing factor kicked in and healed me completely. I am immune to most poisons and the ones I'm not, they only slow me down until I get used to them. Sasori is the only one we have to worry about as far as that goes. A downside is I can't get drunk no matter how much I drink." Naruto and the others chuckled at that before Naruto became serious.
"There is one thing though that can do permanent damage..." said Naruto, "Hebi-teme has a few rare weapons, from who knows when, that could kill me. Even his own sword, the Tsurugi no Kusanagi, which is laced with a strong poison, can't do that sort of damage to me."
"You mentioned it before... What is it?" asked Anko.
"Adamantium. It slows down my healing factor almost completely. A small scratch with a kunai made out of it will take hours to heal," said Naruto, "The metal is indestructible and not even Amaterasu burns hot enough to damage the weapons. He has a katana, called Muramasa, a whip, two sets of shackles, a full set of throwing knives and a pair of sai made out of it."
"Is he able to produce more of this substance?" asked Sandaime.
"No, what he has, we found," Naruto assured him.
Sarutobi nodded and then said, "In light of that information, Naruto, you shall be awarded the rank of Tokubetsu Jounin, with eligibility for the Jounin Exams in one years time and a free pass to leave the village, as long as you inform myself or whomever is the current Hokage. Now, I want a full report on my desk about everything that happened in Wave, Anko, Kakashi, by tomorrow morning. And Haku, Naruto... I have your first mission, I need you two to help out with the Chuunin Exams."
"Don't you think it's a bit soon?" asked Anko.
"They won't be proctors, they'll be undercover Genin," said Sarutobi, "With Orochimaru having possible ties to Oto, I can't risk the chance of not taking the necessary precautions to make sure he doesn't interfere in the exam. So I want you two to report to training ground nineteen to Toriyama Akira and his student Funaki in about a week and a half. One of his students was gravely injured and the other went on a training trip for the next three months with his uncle because they didn't think the team would be able to participate in the exams."
"We shall do our best, Hokage-sama," said the silent Haku.
"Don't sweat it ojii-san," said Naruto, "Leave everything to us. I'm going to need a disguise and I'm going to have to see the dossiers of each participant of the exam."
"Done," said Sarutobi, "Now, I'll have Anko take Naruto and Haku to get outfitted with some weapons. Zabuza, you shall find an apartment for you and Haku to live, as I am sure Anko would wish Naruto to stay with her for the time being. Kakashi, you are to act as Zabuza's escort for the time being."
"I'll re-apply the genjutsu," said Anko. A once again, black haired, black eyed, whiskerless Naruto left the office with Haku and Anko to a nearby weapons shop.
Anko was over looking a new set of kunai, and Haku was idly examining some of the other wares in the shop as Naruto made his way through the store, until he came upon a familiar looking katana.
He lifted it off of the rack, and held it. He then twirled it around and slightly unsheathed it to examine it. 'I-Impossible...' thought Naruto to himself. The blade was incredibly light weight and frail looking to be used in combat, yet it wasn't decorated enough to be used for ceremonial purposes.
"Not too many people interested in that blade," said a voice from behind him. Naruto turned to face a girl slightly taller and older than himself with her hair in a double bun.
"How did you find a blade like this?" he asked.
She scoffed a bit, "It's too light and flimsy to be used in combat, and not really fancy enough to be used in most formal ceremonies, it's almost worthless."
"This is worth a lot to the right people," said Naruto.
"What do you mean Otouto?" asked Anko who had came over with Haku and a man Naruto assumed was the proprietor.
"Hand me a kunai," said Naruto. She tossed him one, "Now watch."
He then lifted up the sleeve of his jacket and made a deep incision in his own arm.
"What the hell are you doing!?" shouted the girl, the man's eyes widened in surprise though.
"Tenten, take a look," he said.
"Tou-san?" she asked, before she looked at Naruto's arm. It had completely healed, without a scar.
"If I'm right, I'm taking this blade," said Naruto to the man, with a stern glance. He unsheathed the blade and examined it. 'Masamune...' he read the inscription. He barely let the edge of the blade touch his arm, but the blade was sharp enough to slice it open. "As I thought..."
Anko's eyes widened when she saw the slight cut wasn't healing.
"Adamantium," he said to her, "Where did you get this blade?" he asked glaring at the man.
"Tou-san, what's going on?" Tenten asked.
"I only know of one other person with weapons made out of the same stuff this one is, bub," said Naruto threateningly, "And believe me, you do not want to be messin' around with him."
"Naru-chan... Kotarou is a loyal Konoha citizen," said Anko, "And has no dealings with... Him... I wouldn't take you just anywhere, he helped me when no others would. You can trust him."
Naruto seemed to visibly relax, though not entirely.
"We're takin' the sword with us," he said with no room to object otherwise.
"Gomen... Kotarou, some bad memories were stirred up for my otouto..." she apologized.
"Don't sweat it," said Kotarou, "Let him know he's still welcome back here anytime."
"Arigato," said Anko as she paid for the supplies Naruto and Haku had chosen.
"Tou-san, what was all that about?" asked Tenten.
"I'm not sure, but whoever that kid is, he can't be too bad. I've never seen Anko so open to anyone since she was a little girl, a Genin much like yourself," he said, "His past associations, however, are troubling."
"Tou-san?" she asked.
"That is not something I should tell you. It's not my place," he said returning to his work, leaving Tenten to ponder the mystery that was the ebony haired boy with the short temper and the amazingly fast healing rate.
A week later, Naruto had gone through most of the dossiers of the participants, starting with the Oto team, a particular Suna team who had a member who had never been injured, and what was considered to be Konoha's strongest team.
Of the Oto team, the only genin he recognized by face was Zaku, as he had been there when the boy had the tubes to force ultrasonic waves out of his body. However, Dosu, he recognized by his arm device. The boy's face was heavily damaged, and thus wrapped underneath a rather large amount of bandages. Naruto had been the cause of the boy's facial damage because the boy talked like he was superior to him. Kin was an unknown, but was listed as a genjutsu type. She was also cute, he noted.
Second, the Suna team. They were placed under Suna's number one Jounin, a guy named Baki who was said to be a master of wind and kept half of his face covered at all times. Another oddity about the team, Naruto noted, was the fact that all three of its members were children of the Yondaime Kazekage.
'Weird... He must not be too worried about his entire team dying all at once...' thought Naruto with a frown. 'Kankuro, a prodigy in using Kugutsu no Jutsu (Puppet Technique)... Not much of a threat to me, Sasori was at a level this kid will never reach. Temari... Wind manipulator, uses a battle fan, has the Itachi contract... Impressive, why is she still a Genin, she should have been a Chuunin a while ago... She looks as deadly as she is beautiful...'
He paused when he came to the last member of their team. 'Gaara... Psychotic, never sleeps, natural manipulation of Sand. Has only done 'B'-Ranked missions and one 'A'-Ranked and come back from every single one without a single scratch... Impossible. I can see the 'A'-Rank because there was only one, but that many 'B'-Ranks... There is just no way, what are you Sabaku no Gaara?'
Then he had come to the Konoha's strongest team, Team Gai consisting of Maito Gai, Hyuuga Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee. 'The weapons girl... Convenient to live at a weapons shop when you're a budding kunoichi. More plain looking than the Suna girl, but still quite a looker. Would probablly use weapon based jutsu. Neji, a Branch Family Hyuuga, expect basic forms of Jyuuken and some intermediate ones. Listed as a prodigy, hmm, maybe some advance ones too but doubtful. Raw talent only goes so far... Rock Lee... Are he and Gai father and son? And what are those...' Naruto shuddered, "There is no way those things aren't alive..."
Naruto went back to reading, 'Taijustu specialist, all the rest of his skills are pathetic, and with as much as his taijustu has come up since he's graduated, he's already pretty specialized. He'll be a great shinobi, but won't make it passed Tokubetsu Jounin.'
He then heard someone approaching, taking a quick glance over his shoulder he was Haku wearing a light blue kimono similar to the pink one she had worn when he met her. 'My life may have been hell up to this point, but at least Kami had the decency to make the view good.'
Haku blushed as Naruto looked her over. "So, what is it?"
"H-Hokage-sama wants u-us to report to his office so we can meet 'our sensei' and give you your new uniform for the exam," she told him, the blush still lightly coloring her face.
Making the hand seal Naruto shouted, "Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique)!" Once again he adopted his black haired, black eyed alter ego and the two made their way to the Sandaime's office.
"Ah, I was expecting you two," said Sarutobi. "I had this made for you, to you specifications."
"So it partially blocks out low and high frequency sound waves?" asked Naruto, Sarutobi nodded. Naruto opened the box, "W-What the hell!? You want me to wear this?"
He held up a maroon and dark yellow outfit. The boots were maroon and black and attached to the outfit was a mask that was dark yellow and black, with maroon gloves (1).
"Would you have preferred an orange jumpsuit?" asked Sandaime, who was going through some paperwork, only half paying attention.
Naruto and Haku exchanged a quick look, one that said Naruto had no problem with wearing an orange jumpsuit. Haku giggled and his unvoiced answer. (2)
"Anyway, your Jounin-sensei is going to be here in a few moments with your third teammate, so it's best if you changed Naruto," said Sarutobi.
"Alright," Naruto replied as he started to strip.
"Naruto..." said Sandaime.
"What?" he asked.
"I think it would be best if you changed in the other room," Sarutobi suggested, "For the sake of modesty."
Naruto then looked at Haku, whom Sarutobi had quickly glanced at. Naruto rolled his eyes, as Haku had turned around and was blushing furiously.
"Fine," said Naruto.
Naruto came back out a few moments later, wearing the maroon and yellow suit. His hitai-ite was secured around his waist, though Naruto had changed the design a bit. Through the leaf was an 'X'. He also wore the new trenchcoat he got in Wave over the whole ensemble so he wouldn't have to worry about covering up the brand given to him by Orochimaru and his followers, identifying him as a Weapon. He had also strapped the Masamune to his back.
"You know Ojii-san, this thing fits pretty good," he said walking out. He saw two other people in the room. One looked to be a little older than himself, probablly about Haku's age, with mid-length black hair and wore a blue sleeveless shirt, wrist bands and blue and white striped shorts. The other was significantly older and wore the typical Jounin attire, had short black hair and glasses.
"As you have just met Haku-chan," Sarutobi announced, "I'd like to introduce you to the fourth member of your team. "The Wolverine."
"Wolverine, I'd like to introduce you to your team. You know Haku, of course, but these two are Funaki and your Jounin-sensei, Toriyama Akira," Sarutobi introduced them.
"What kind of a name is 'Wolverine'?" asked Funaki.
"One that will be well known, bub," said Naruto. "What kind of parents name their kid 'Funaki'?"
"It's a better name than yours, and... What are you wearing?" asked Funaki in a disgusted tone.
Naruto snorted, "Like you're one to talk."
"Now, now gentlemen..." Akira intervened. "We have a lot of work to do to get ready for the Chuunin Exams. Now Hokage-sama assures me that individually, both of you are ready for the exams. As is Funaki. However, we have to build up team dynamic."
"Very true," agreed Sarutobi, "So I am going to give you a mission, and no, it will not be a 'D'-Ranked mission." When he said this, he looked directly over at Naruto, whom he'd known would object after finding out what they were from Anko half a week prior. "It's a very generic mission type. Bandits have been regularly raiding the nearby Mushiyori Village. 'C'-Ranked, though with all the missing nin out there, it is possible it may bump up to a 'B'-Rank, but we suspect nothing higher than that."
Naruto snorted, "Piece of cake. They won't know what hit 'em!"
A/N: That's it for Chapter 4. It was difficult writing, but I think I did a pretty good job. Let me know what you all think of it so far.
The Chapter was mostly a filler, and the Chuunin Exams will be getting underway in the next chapter.
(1) Think Wolverine's original outfit when he first debuted in Marvel Comics.
(2) I got the idea for Naruto liking his original manga/anime attire more than his current attire from X-Men: The Movie, where Wolverine asked Cyclops, "You actually go out in public in these things?" to which Cyclops replied, "Would you prefer yellow spandex?" The unvoiced answer was the look Jean and Wolverine shared as the jet took off.
At the end of every chapter from here on, there will be between 1 and 3 character profiles. One for each major Character in this fic. To start, we have Naruto, Haku and Anko.
Name: Uzumaki Naruto
Known Aliases: Weapon-X, Kyuubi Gaki, Naru-chan, Naru-kun, Wolverine, Shikyo no Kishu
Affiliations: Konohagakure, formerly Otogakure, Mokushiroku no Yonkishu
Rank: Undercover Genin, Tokubetsu Jounin
Special Abilities: Heightened Reflexes, Heightened Senses, Unbreakable Bones, Six claws (three per hand), Accelerated Healing Factor, Jinchuuriki, Living Bingo Book
Specialties: Assassination, Silent Killing, Tracking, Stealth, Taijutsu, Kenjutsu, Fuuton, Hebi and Doku jutsu.
Bijuu Status: Sealed, Partially Merged.
Elemental Affinities: Wind
Name: Haku
Aliases: Hyou Otome
Affiliations: Konohagakure, formerly Gatou Corporation
Rank: Undercover Genin, Chuunin
Special Abilities: Hyouton Kekkei Genkai
Specialties: Hyouton and Suiton Jutsu, Medical and poisonous Herbs and balms, Senbon Needles, Pressure Points
Elemental Affinities: Water, Wind, and Ice
Name: Mitarashi Anko
Aliases: Hebi-Bitch, Anko-nee-chan, Anko-chan
Affiliations: Konohagakure, Formerly Orochimaru
Rank: Tokubetsu Jounin
Special Abilities: Hebi Contract
Specialties: Assassination, Hebi and Doku Jutsu, Tracking, Stealth, Kunai
Elemental Affinities: Earth
