AN: I wish to make this a little more light hearted, and as it is this chapter will focus on to the past. Making things more clear and so on. It also tells why Naruto is as he is. I wish to make Naruto rediscover "the Flames of Youth" so to speak and get more light hearted. But we'll see where I get this going. Remember to R&R :D
Chapter 3 Memories.
Paperwork - the number one enemy of every ruler on the planet. Naruto firmly believed that paperwork was something that was made only so that the rulers couldn't concentrate on the things that really mattered.
Even while in Konoha he had to deal with paperwork as he had left Preta Path in charge. Preta Path was a teenage boy, very much like he was himself and the people were used to seeing him around their Kage even thought officially they had thought him dead after a mission. Shiro Uzumaki had died in reality while on a mission and after everything Naruto had taken his body and used it as his own.
Naruto now as his alias Light had a headache. They had been given rooms in an old Ninja District near his old apartment building. It wasn't anything special but they were more than enough for Ninja that were used to living in wilderness for long periods of time.
For him and his bodyguard there was two bedroom flat with a sitting room and bathroom and a small kitchenette included. It was more than enough for a two month living in.
Usually Light himself stayed in the apartment, as he oriented quickly, he couldn't give up his bandages even while on their 'home' because he knew that ANBU were stationed everywhere where different delegations lived.
The Delegations from Suna and Oto were stationed in the same building as them after all. There was a large common room in the building that they could use, as well as a training area. They weren't required to make their own foods but most did because of the possibility of someone messing up or poisoning the food.
They all had their own floor. Suna was in the first floor, just above the common room floor. Oto was stationed between Suna and Uzu which gave Uzu the highest floor.
Naruto himself at this moment was meditating. He left the consciousness of his real body sleep. Animal Path was shopping food for them and Preta Path was doing paperwork at his office. His other Paths were doing various things. Two were sleeping and one was spying on a meeting of his council that they hadn't wanted him to a be a part of for some reason.
In Whirlpool - Kage's Office.
Mori came to his office and he continued doing paperwork.
"Yes, Mori - What can I do for you?" Preta Path - Shiro Uzumaki asked.
"Uzukage-sama, we have intel from Suna and Oto alliance."
"Continue."
At the same time in Konoha, Light woke from his meditation and quickly left for the Hokage tower at the same time directing his Animal Path to give him a hand to get there. Being blind on one angle was really very stupid indeed, but at the moment there was no other choice. He didn't want to reveal the fact that he had the fabled Rinnegan. It would do absolutely no good in his situation and so it was a guarded secret. The bandages also protected his identity from observing eyes and because he saw everything that his Path's saw it wasn't a problem.
They climbed to the Hokage tower and told the secretary that they had something that the Hokage absolutely needed to know.
At the same time in Uzu, Mori continued to give his report.
"Orochimaru is indeed the Kage of Oto. The invasion they have planned has very much to do with Sand. How they have gotten their alliance is yet to known, but it is clear that Sand is going to assist in this invasion if they can."
"Well that is interesting. Now I wonder, where is Orochimaru? He didn't come with the Sound/Oto delegation which makes me wonder. He must be close. I will plan something with the Hokage. Dismissed." Preta Path said and continued to fill the paperwork, occasionally massaging his temples as the headache threatened to overthrow his concentration.
At Konoha.
"Ah, Uzukage-dono, what can I do for you?" The Hokage asked.
"Hokage-sama, I have vital information that I just received from my spies. Orochimaru is indeed the Kage of the Hidden Village of Sound. He didn't however arrive with the delegation, so that makes me wonder how it is that he is here. Suna is allied with Oto for some reason that I cannot understand. Oto has nothing that Suna isn't already getting from Uzu, such as water or so on." Light said.
"Thank you for the information. We have sighted Orochimaru in the Forest of Death like told you already. He gave Uchiha Sasuke some sort of cursed seal. Later we found a Grass team without faces, which makes me think that Orochimaru stole their faces." The Hokage shared.
"Do you already have a plan in place for the invasion?" Light asked.
"I will have my ANBU guards with me and the stadium is filled with ninja. The main threats if Suna is indeed allied with Oto are Sabaku no Gaara and Orochimaru." The Hokage said.
"Do you have anyone capable of suppressing a tailed beast?" Light asked.
"I have maybe one person, but even then it could be very hard for them to defeat Gaara. I will dispatch a team to be ready about the matter. Can you do anything in regards of Suna?" Hokage asked.
"I can try but I can't say for sure. What about Orochimaru? Forgive me for saying but you aren't young anymore and this Village needs a good Hokage." Light said.
"If necessary I can take care of him. It is not a problem, I am willing to die for my village." The Hokage said.
"I will fight Orochimaru. It is not a problem to me and I am sure that I can make sure that he at least will be laying low for some time, I can also kill him without remorse unlike you Hokage-sama. I know that he is - was your most valued student and so with his actions has caused you too much pain. But love is still a hindrance in these kind of matters. I will protect you Hokage-sama." Light promised.
"But you are blind and quite young for a Kage. What can you do?" The Hokage asked. It was no surprise that the Hokage thought that Light couldn't fight. He needed directing to get from one place to another.
"I can fight just fine. People have chakra I can sense which is why I never bump into anyone. Matter doesn't have that chakra but for a moment when a human touches it which is why I can distinguish weapons from other matter." Light said.
"It's settled then." The Hokage said.
Naruto was remembering the past. He should have been sleeping, but lately it was harder and harder thing to do. When you have six bodies to take care of, plus your own and have to work with every one of those bodies things get messy very quickly.
Nowadays he didn't got much sleep. Usually at least one of his bodies was always awake, now he had three plus his own. It was taxing, but not so much as to require anything more than meditation. Meditation easily could replace sleep and helped if you were sleep deprived.
He thought of the past and how everything had changed so much, in so little time. He was now 15 years old. When he had left Konoha he had been 10 or so. Now he wondered, how his life had been if he had never left this place.
At times he hated Konoha. He hated the ignorant people of Konoha and how so few people in the whole Village actually were important to him. They couldn't keep anyone safe despite their fabled teamwork.
Now he thought if he had ever had any friends while in Konoha. No, he thought. There wasn't anyone there. Iruka was only a teacher and not even very good one at that. He just didn't have time for him. Not like his instructors had had in Whirlpool.
The Hokage was important to him. Very much so. Even though the council had tried everything to make the Hokage to back down in regards of him, the Hokage had still prevailed and helped as much as he could. It was not much, but it had been enough and it was the thought that mattered. Also the Hokage had always had time for him to discuss matter - everyday matters of a child - with him.
He didn't think he would have ever woken Rinnegan while in Konoha. It just wasn't possible. There wasn't enough peace and quiet for him to do that. He was always in turmoil and that wasn't how rinnegan was awakened. It was awakened when the owner had capability to calm down completely, to go so far in to his or her's inner thoughts that there were no thoughts. Sometimes it happened while people were dying. The rinnegan then fixed the damage and pop you had rinnegan. Usually people when dying, were calm and collected, finally defeated and calm in a way that was almost impossible to archive.
He thought of his classmates. They were still children. Even though they were contesting in the Chunin exams they were still children. They weren't like Naruto now Light who had their own Village and had been forced to grow up way too fast, start killing and murdering. It was hard at times, but Naruto had prevailed like always. Now he was calmer and more collected. Many even described him as a cold person. But he needed that calmness to control his bodies. It was essential. If there was too much emotion he could loose control and that was very bad indeed. If that would happen, he could die because of the influx of chakra.
Finally, the Finals were starting. The delegations from the different Villages were in the stands along with civilians and Ninjas alike. The Kage stand was far from crowded as only the Sand, Uzu and Konoha Kages were actually present.
The Hokage stood and walked to the balcony that overlooked the stadium.
"Welcome friends from far and wide to the Chunin exams. A little bit of history before we start. After the Great Wars it was decided that we should all conclude our.. mishaps in a more peaceful way. And so formed the Chunin exams as they are now. These exams are the way for the Village to show off and to gather missions for their Village. It is also a great way to stimulate war. Now all Chunin hopefuls remember that you are here to ensure your Village's future and prosperity. Begin!"
And so the exam's begun. The first match was between Neji Huyga and Rock Lee. It must have been some form of faith, Naruto mused as they watched the fight from above, with his bodyguard whispering to his ear occasionally.
Surprisingly it was Lee who won, though nearly but still. The match after that was between some Oto nin and Hitomi from Uzu. Hitomi was their medic nin in training and was one of the more brilliant candidates as of whole.
The matches came and went until it was time for the match that all had been waiting for. Uchiha Sasuke agains Sabaku no Gaara. It should have been easy but suddenly there were feathers everywhere and some sort of sleeping jutsu had been erected.
Sasuke and Gaara had moved away from the stadium to battle in the nearby forest while the Kages all stood for a moment before there was an explosion. Huge snakes had bursted trough the Village walls and ninja's were seen battling against them.
The Kage's situation was however quite different.
In the explosion Naruto had been separated from his bodyguard who was now actually battling against one Kimimaro Kaguya.
He himself was standing with the Hokage against Orochimaru, the Hokage keeping a hand in his shoulder so that he'd know where to go. Without his bodyguard he was completely blind.
"Hah, my old fool of a sensei and a blind cripple. This will be a very fast battle indeed." Orochimaru sneered at them while talking.
"I do not believe it to be so, Orochimaru." Light said. He quickly did a few handsymbols and said quietly:
"Nimpo: Sambon-me!" (Ninja Arts: Third Eye!)
A literal third eye opened to his forehead. It was electric violet in color and very ornamental looking having gold around the edges. No Rinnegan was visible but that was beside the point as far as he was concerned. He didn't particularly need the Rinnegan when using this technique as this gave him a very similar sight as the Hyuuga's had with their fabled Byakugan.
"So just because you can suddenly see you think that you can defeat me? You fool! I will raise the dead!" And so Orochimaru did. With his forbidden technique he had rosin the first, second and third Hokages.. This included Minato - Who fortunately didn't recognize Naruto.
The Hokage and Light watched on in horror as bodies were raised. Naruto leaned a bit towards the Hokage and in a very quiet voice said:
"This is not your battle.." With a firm nod of the head he sent the Hokage away. The Hokage protested only mildly before using sun'shin to get into a better place to watch the fight.
AN: This chapter was probably the hardest I have EVER done. I have not been writing too much lately as said in the A/N earlier and I hope that you survive with this for at least a month or so. I finished this in a hurry today and it has not been proof read, nor has any adjustments been made as it stands so do forgive my mistakes (I know there are more than a few.) Enjoy and remember to R&R!