Buenos noches y felíz navidad señores y senoritas! Saying hello and welcome every chapter was getting a little redundant so I thought I would use my limited knowledge of the Spanish language to spice up my author's note intro. I think this is the most work I have put into a chapter thus far, as for introducing new characters, trying to develop them quickly, and continue with the plot of the story. As always, please leave a review or comment on what you thought of the chapter.

Edit: It came to my attention that fanfiction didn't send out notifications when I updated the chapter originally. I deleted the updated post and posted this chapter again. Hopefully it works this time.

I don't own Naruto.

Chapter X

Naruto's eyes scanned his surroundings. Memorizing every little detail on his way to the new building. Everything was imprinted in Naruto's mind as he transversed from the recreation building to what he assumed was the subject of his mission.

The new building that Naruto was being led to looked like a warehouse. It was inconspicuous and blended in with the other depressing grey structures inside the prison's walls. The location of said building wasn't far from Naruto's jail cell. It was practically across the courtyard. Examining the building even further, Naruto tried to point out what made this building more special than the rest. Was it more structurally sound? Did it provide specific utilities for this project? The questions continued to pile up in Naruto's mind as they approached the metal doors.

Naruto came to an immediate halt when the prisoner leading the way stopped at the door. The man raised his left hand, forming a fist with his hand, he proceeded to knock in a complicated pattern. Naruto started to speculate that he was using morse code to speak with the person on the other side of the door.

Testing out his hypothesis Naruto tried translating the knocks and pauses. From the little morse code he was taught in his general ANBU training Naruto could decipher several key phrases hidden within the metallic dings. The one phrase that stood out the most was "mail man." Naruto could easily infer that the inmate in front of him was using the code to refer to himself and signaling to the warehouse's inhabitants that he had arrived.

After a longer than normal pause the metal door creaked open. The high-pitched creak was almost cringe worthy. Only when the door extended to reach its farthest point did the man signal for Naruto to follow him inside.

The room Naruto ventured into was nothing special, if anything it was as bland as the building. The room was lined with concrete walls. The walls directly across from the entrance was the only unique slab of concrete as there was another metal door hung towards the left side of the room and plastered in the middle of the wall was a window protected with iron bars.

Naruto immediately started questioning who opened the door. He peered around the room trying to find another presence located in the vicinity but found none. He never voiced this question though. Curiosity killed the cat and Naruto didn't want to end up like a curious cat.

Peeking behind the door, Naruto noticed a motorized mechanism towards the top of the piece of metal. That motor had to be turned on by someone or it had to be triggered to open the door. Now, he just had to find the person that triggered the mechanism.

After he finished his peek, Naruto looked up to see the inmate approaching the window in the wall. The window appeared to be to a dark abyss. The only thing on the other side of the window was darkness. Not a single spec of light. That was, until a single overhead light was turned on. A single light bulb illuminated the figure on the other side.

With the light raining down on the figure he almost looked imposing. Almost. In truth he was almost as small as the inmate in front of him and was far less developed physically. He had to be a desk worker. His pitch-black hair contrasted his porcelain skin greatly. Another attribute that contrasted greatly were his two eyes, one eye was a light blue while the other was a dark brown borderline black. His heterochromia iridium aside, the man didn't look like anything special. Naruto's observatory thoughts were interrupted when the man started talking.

"Hello N-N-Nishiki, you're late f-f-for the meeting." The voice released from the man behind the bars was meek and nerve wrecking. He stumbled over his words like a child learning to speak. It certainly matched his small figure.

Naruto did learn one new piece of information though. The dark-skinned man that brought him here is named Nishiki. Naruto could have probably asked for that information himself but he didn't want to sound too interested. Part of this ploy was Naruto playing a self-centered inmate who just wanted his freedom.

"Shut up Kaneki. I'm here and that's all that matters. Just open the fucking door." From the tone those words were spoken Naruto could tell that the two didn't get along. He didn't care though. Naruto would let them fight all the want. He just needed a way in, those two were expendable in his eyes. That isn't to say Naruto is ruthless with his comrades, but he recognized when someone could be a detriment to his mission and wasn't afraid to act against them.

After a few more words and phrases exchanged between the pair Naruto saw the metal door adjacent to the barred off window open in a similar manner to the previous door.

The second door led them to another room of similar size and shape. The only difference was the occupants inside of the room. There were five people currently inside of the second room. Immediately to his left Naruto saw Kaneki, seated on a stool next to the barred off window. Turning his head in a clockwise format Naruto observed the rooms other four occupants.

The first occupant was a man in his twenties. He appeared to be of similar height to Naruto, a little over six feet tall. His hair stood out though as it was a snow white that reflected the little light in the room. His slightly tan skin almost made his light brown eyes blend in as if they were apart of his epithelial tissue. His skin tone didn't hide his features though as his slight plump cheeks and second chin gave away that the man was slightly on the heavier side of the weight spectrum.

The second occupant was on the other side of the weight spectrum. He was thinner with a little athletic build to him. His brown hair was a wild mess on top, like he just rolled out of bed. He looked slightly older than the previous inmate. Compared to the other inmate he was several inches shorter. One of the things that stood out against his Caucasian skin was a firm scowl. The man had a resting bitch face that was rivalled by no other. Naruto was surprised that the wrinkles weren't permanently imprinted on his face.

After finishing his assessment of the second occupant, Naruto moved on to the third person in the room. The final person was by far the oldest person in the room. He appeared to be middle aged, possibly in his fifties. His greying hairs only added to Naruto's suspicion. Along with his old appearance he had a small smile on his face. It was kind and welcoming, that only made him more dangerous.

When Naruto finally started assessing the last person in the room, his blood froze. The maniacal smirk and crazed glazed over eyes gave away the person's identity immediately. It was Mui.

"Welcome Naruto, Nishiki…" Mui drawled out the last vowel in Nishiki's name eerily, intimidating everyone in the room.

"Now that everyone is here, we can get down to business. All of you have been recruited for having some special attributes that I need for this project. This project revolves around an object within the prison. Should you help me with said object I can promise you certain privileges that other inmates won't have." Mui finished his statement by looking over all the people in the room. Mui's eyes were immediately grabbed when the first occupant started talking in the most obnoxious voice Naruto has ever heard.

"What are these privileges? I'm not going to waste my time on something that I don't know the outcome of. If I'm not going to get any compensation for my work then why should I help you? I was promised a shorter prison sentence or an independent cell. I expect to be given what I was promised."

Naruto understood who the man was from his little entitled rant. He was a noble. His heavier body type seemed to confirm that. Naruto never knew why but almost every noble he ever met was overweight. He was probably caught embezzling money or bribery. Typical crimes that are committed on a daily basis by the upper class.

Mui's eyes turned a darker shade then they already were. He definitely did not take kindly to the man's words. "Akio... I never promised you any of those things, that was Nishiki. I never told him any of those things. I told him that the help would gain certain privileges. Nishiki's bright imagination took my sentence and twisted it to his liking. Would you like to leave?"

The now identified Akio wore a puzzled expression on his face. He looked up to face Mui and froze. Mui was sending him the most chilling glare. The glare could turn Medusa into a statue. Wisely, in Naruto's opinion, Akio simply shook his head side to side, wordlessly signaling no.

"Good, now we can continue. Hopefully, uninterrupted." The last two words were coated with venom and aimed dangerously at Akio. The man nervously took two steps back. He looked beyond scared.

"Behind this door is the faciality at which you will all remain for the remainder of the project. Past this door is several rooms, a small lunch area, bathroom facilities, and everything you will need to survive. Obviously, you will still be under guard supervision and for a good portion, my supervision. So, in the event that any of you get creative ideas about escaping, I still remember how to use the half ram seal." Forming the half ram seal with his left hand, the seal on Akio's body immediately activated.

A scream of pain escaped Akio's lips. His body collapsed, hitting the ground with a thud. The horrifying scream got the message across to everyone in the room. Trying to escape would result in gruesome pain.

Shortly after Akio recovered, the group moved on to the next room. The next room was a massive open area. In the middle of the area was the objective of Naruto's mission. The Box of Enlightenment sat there, as if it was the centerpiece of the room. Looking around the rest of the room Naruto noted that there were two doors along the side wall to his left and that was it. The left side of room was bare, until he looked up. The room had a second story and on the second story were numerous cells that were close to replicas of the solitary confinement cells. A small bed with the bare necessities.

Turning his body, Naruto's eyes took in the right side of the room. Almost all of the facilities were located on that side of the room. The kitchen, the study tables, and a sitting area. There appeared to be one are two other sections but Naruto couldn't really discern what their purpose was from his viewpoint.

Naruto turned his full attention to Mui as the man approached the Box. The man carefully touched the Box like it was his child. After Mui finished caressing the room's centerpiece, he rotated to face all of the room's occupants.

"This object in the middle of the room here is what your project will be revolving around. Several of you have knowledge in sealing and others have sharp minds with excellent problem-solving skills. Each of you will use your individual skill set to solve the riddle of this Box. Now that all of the introductory work is done, I will leave you to select your rooms and get ready to start your work." Not even a second later, Mui walked towards the door from which they came.

Naruto watched the man exit and then his focus returned to the Box in the middle of the room. The Box itself was a large rectangle. It appeared to be a dark obsidian in color. The dark color helped hide the detailed seals that wove around the edges.

Walking up to the box, Naruto observed it more closely. It was fairly large. At least eight feet tall and three feet wide. It looked like it held a monster inside. Naruto really hoped that it didn't. Telling himself he would come back later, Naruto left the Box in the middle of the room and made his way to the steps leading to the second floor. The other inmates raced to the kitchen to feast on what food was held in the cupboards, it would be smart to take the best room and bed while the others were distracted.

Silently, Naruto ascended the metal stairs. He didn't need to alert the others of what he was doing right now. After climbing up the final step, Naruto stood in front of four separate cells. Each cell was a carbon copy of the next, concrete walls, a crappy bed, and a partially rusted toilet. Naruto had already decided what room he wanted though when he made it up the flight of stairs.

Naruto made nary a sound as he transversed from the top of the stairs to the end of the walkway. He reached his destination unnoticed and Naruto saw the cell that would be his for his little stay within the warehouse.

The one thing that this cell was solitude. It was in the very corner. It was the last to be checked. It almost guaranteed Naruto a little privacy. Using this little privacy Naruto would be able to clearly think out his next move. Now that he had contacted the Box, he needed to finish his mission by sealing it, which seemed unlikely, or destroy it.

Naruto walked over to the edge of his concrete slab bed and sat on the edge. The mattress replicated the comfort of his last. It would probably be even colder too knowing he wouldn't be sleeping cuddled next to Ryuuzetsu.

That's also problem that will have to be solved. How is he going to send messages to Ryuuzetsu when he will be locked in this building for the foreseeable future? These questions will have to be answered tonight. Now that he has claimed a bunk, he can sleep on a couple of these ideas. One thing Naruto doesn't need is to leave his bunk and have someone take it.

Naruto broke out of his musings as he saw one of the few guards on duty approach his new cell. "Prisoner! Is this the cell you have chosen to sleep in for the project?" The man's stern voice showed how serious he took his job.

Answering him Naruto simply said, "Yes sir."

The guard nodded and then grabbed a clipboard off the wall. While writing on the clipboard he muttered under his breath, "Prisoner Naruto Uzumaki will be staying in cell Ten-Two-Five."

Naruto quickly realized he was just verbalizing what he was writing on the clipboard. Forgetting about the guard, Naruto laid down on the bed. He stared at the ceiling like the answers to his problems were embedded in the concrete above him. Maybe he should nap on it? He didn't have anything else to do right now and he doubted that the others were eager to get to work. They were to busy stuffing their faces with foods of different varieties.

Deciding to give in to his tired desires, Naruto closed his eyes.

-Several Hours Later-

Naruto's sixth sense shook him like an earthquake. His eyes flew open to assess the danger. He saw a hand making a grabbing motion towards his body and he reacted immediately. Naruto grabbed the offender's arm, pulling them into a nasty snap kick.

By time the offender hit the ground Naruto was standing next to his bed, ready to identify the stranger. The plump body physique gave away the person immediately. It was Akio.

"Is that how you greet people?! You assault them?!" Akio's angry, annoyed tone didn't really affect Naruto. He should have known better than to try and wake a sleeping ninja.

"I simply reacted. I didn't know who was trying to touch me. Its better to overreact than to not react at all." Naruto's calm response seemed to draw out even more ire from the former noble.

"I don't know who you think you are but I'm going to tell the guard. I hope you enjoy sitting in solitary confinement, you scoundrel!" With that last word the man raced out of the open cell door and in the direction of the staircase.

Naruto should've been sweating profusely right now. He did just assault a fellow prisoner. One thing that the fat man didn't notice was the guard standing at the end of the walkway, watching the entire scene play out. Naruto was hopeful that the guard would just let it slide. Naruto's raging thoughts were quelled when the guard started to speak.

"Listen kid, I should have you in shackles right now after what you just did. But that plump bastard has been a pain in my ass ever since I got here and I definitely enjoyed seeing that. Between the two of us, he tripped and hit his face on the side of your bed. Just know that this is where my kindness ends. Another incident like this and I'm sending you to solitary confinement. Understand?"

"Yes sir." Naruto doesn't know if he ever responded faster in his entire life.

As the guard walked away Naruto released a deep breath. That was too close. His reaction almost cost him. That incident could've destroyed his entire mission. Sleeping with the door open was a stupid mistake. He should've known that one of the other occupants would've made their way to the second floor at some point. Naruto knew he needed to be smarter about his actions.

His recollecting was cut short by a low rumble coming from his abdomen. Naruto supposed it was around dinner time now. The lack of natural light and windows in the building made it hard to tell the time.

Naruto walked out of his cell, across the walkway and down the staircase to the first floor. After completing his descension to the floor below his eyes found his supposed coworkers for the project. The lot of them were all sitting around the table in the kitchen area all talking loudly about topic Naruto had yet to decipher. Walking towards the table Naruto's ears were able to pick out a few choice words, "freedom" and "hell hole" being two of them.

Approaching the small table in the kitchen area, Naruto made his was to the last open chair at the rectangular wooden table. The shoddy wooden chairs matched it well. Pulling out the bent plywood seat, Naruto sat himself down.

"So, the sleeping assailant has decided to join us…" The words were spoken with a distinct distaste. Naruto didn't even need to look up to know that it was Akio who was talking. He must still be sour from the facial reconstruction Naruto gave him.

Naruto didn't respond at first to the taunt. He just stared down the man with a deadpan look across the table. Rhetorically he responded, "Yes, because waking up a sleeping ninja is exactly the same as waking up a sleeping child…"

The two other men at the table chuckled at Naruto's remark. They obviously spoke sarcasm and understood his statement. The man to Naruto's left decided to speak next. "Unlike our eccentric friend here, I would like to start off on better footing. My name is Yoshi."

Naruto appraised the older man again. His soft voice and kind features were just as dangerous as when he first saw him. Naruto disregarded is feelings for now and extended his hand to shake Yoshi's. Naruto needed a seldom ally in this building if he was to survive. Hopefully, Yoshi would be that one.

With a firm shake of hands, Naruto started his own introduction. Turning to face all three of the other inmates at the table Naruto began, "My name is Naruto, from my previous encounter with the man sitting across from me-," Naruto was abruptly cut off by the noble screaming his name, "My name is Akio!" "-you know I am a former ninja."

Turning to his right, Naruto faced the last unintroduced person in the room. "And what is your name?"

The scowling man responded to Naruto's question, "My name is Eiji."

He didn't appear to be in a good mood. If anything, he looked frustrated with the entire situation. The nobleman probably drove him crazy while Naruto slept. That's was Naruto's best guess at the moment. Before Naruto could continue to think he was interrupted by Yoshi, "Now that we have all become acquainted with ourselves, I believe it's imperative that we create a plan of action. I believe if we're organized this small project will move along very smoothly."

Naruto couldn't agree more with his statement, "Do you have an idea of how to organize this project Yoshi? Would you like to assign each person a side of the box or do you have another idea in mind?"

Yoshi brought his hand to his chin in a thinking pose. After several seconds, he broke his pose and started speaking his mind, "I believe the best way to approach to this box is for all of us to try and work together. Four sets of eyes and four minds will solve the problem four times as fast."

The sarcastic frustrated voice of Eiji continued after Yoshi spoke his idea, "Yes because an entitled egotistical noble, a narcissistic pessimist, a calm optimistic idealist, and a cold-blooded killer will be able to work together with no issues what so ever…."

Naruto just deadpanned and stared back at Eiji with an unimpressed look. He may be a killer but he wasn't cold-blooded. But before Naruto could refute the assumption Eiji made about him, Akio spoke up, "Who do you think you are to make assumptions about me? I'm not an idealist! I'm the most realistic person in this entire room!"

The slap of Naruto face palming himself permeated the walls and resounded throughout the entire building. Apparently Eiji forgot to include stupid as part of his description of Akio. "Ignoring the assumptions made by Eiji, I for one agree with Yoshi's plan. I think it will work well. If we're all working on the same part of the box one person may see something that everyone else misses."

Yoshi nodded his head along to Naruto's words and then added, "Yes and in the event that we're all stumped we can compare notes and create a solution together."

Naruto cracked a small smile. At least there was someone he could work with in this place. Naruto just hoped that all of his smiles weren't misplaced. Yoshi did something bad did get into this prison, nobody in here was innocent.

Naruto stood up from the table and trekked towards the refrigerator. He was still hungry after all and food was the real reason he came down from his cell. Opening the refrigerator door, Naruto cringed. The metal hinges squeaked at an uncomfortable high pitch. It definitely needed to be oiled. Getting past the horrid noise, Naruto saw bento boxes stacked high and deep into the large fridge. Their food for the next week was all packed and stacked neatly. There were four rows and columns in the metal box. One row and column for each person.

Naruto reached in and took a bento of the top of the far-left column. Opening the container, Naruto saw nothing fancy. If anything, it looked like they were eating on a strict budget. A couple rice balls, a small tuna filet, and a small pile of vegetables laid inside the pre-packed box. A scowl found its way onto Naruto's face. This was half of what he usually eats. Then again, he usually eats two to three times the normal caloric intake. This could very well be a normal portion but he was far from normal. The fox in his gut is a constant reminder of that.

Naruto took the bento box back to his cell, he didn't feel like eating in the company of the three other inmates. It would be a lie if Naruto said Akio didn't get on his nerves and he was suspicious of Yoshi. It didn't take long for Naruto to finish his bento box, maybe ten minutes if anyone was counting.

As he stood up to discard the box, Naruto saw the guard from before approaching his cell door. "I know you can't tell time in here but it's time to lock up for the night. Just leave your bento on the ground outside the door and then return to the middle of your cell."

Naruto obeyed. He placed the box just outside his cell before walking back to the middle of his cell. He finally found the object of his mission, it would be stupid to blow it because he wouldn't listen to a lowly guard.

Laying down on his bed, Naruto continued to think about his next course of action. With the box almost in his possession he just needed to seal it or destroy it. Sealing it shut seemed like the easiest option. Using his blood, he could override the matrices lining the box and prevent anyone from accessing the seal or the box itself.

His thought process was inhabited for a moment though. There were four cells comprising the second floor and there were five inmates that walked into the building. What had become of Nishiki in the short time frame of him arriving to the building and Naruto taking a nap? It could've only been a few hours at most?

Naruto pushed the concern over Nishiki aside. His mission was much more important than the whereabouts of a random inmate. With his mind made up Naruto's brain returned to the objective at hand.

The harder and best option would be to destroy the box. The threat would be eliminated, despite his sealing abilities, Naruto knew there were other masters in the Elemental Nations that would be able to break his seal. The destruction of the artifact would also put a massive target on his back. Mui could very well kill him in retribution.

The destruction of the box could prove to be the distraction he needs to escape the building and leave through the Cloud Village's construction zone. If he was fast enough, he could probably escape during the confusion. That still left another problem. The seal on his body. Mui had control over everyone in the prison. This was quickly becoming one giant dumpster fire.

Feverishly, Naruto rubbed his eyes. His frustration was starting to twist his mind. He couldn't think clearly at the moment. The anxiety of all the factors that could go wrong was getting to him. Taking a deep breath, Naruto sat up on his bed and moved his body into meditative pose. Letting nature chakra seep in and out of his body always calmed him down. It always made him feel at peace.

The peace didn't last long as another presence made itself known. Quickly turning to his right Naruto saw a familiar face sitting on his bed. "I have a message from Jiraiya directed to you, Naruto."

The voice was stern and serious. It belonged to the fastest messenger toad in Mount Myōboku, Kōsuke. Kōsuke was a red toad a little bigger than Naruto's fist. He had blue marking over his eyes and a miniature pair of green goggles dangling around his neck. If anyone ever saw Kōsuke's back they would see the kanji for 'Gold'.

Naruto was happy to see a familiar face for the first time in a while. "Thank you Kōsuke. What did Jiraiya want to tell me?"

The toad didn't hesitate to pass on the message, "Jiraiya wished to know how you were progressing on your mission. Tsunade would also like an update as well. In the event that you needed it, Jiraiya offered to extract you from the prison."

Naruto grinned happily. It was always nice to know that people cared. Thinking carefully of his response, Naruto asked if the toad could wait a minute. Jiraiya could be his way out of this crazy prison. The destruction plan seemed to be a little more realistic at the moment. They had a way out, through the construction zone, and that could also work as Jiraiya's way in. His seal expertise also vastly outranked Naruto's. He could probably help him remove this painful seal before they escape the island.

Naruto now realized how much he was relying on Jiraiya. Maybe this is why they sent the messenger toad. Tsunade and Jiraiya both reviewed the mission and realized that assistance may be needed.

If Jiraiya arrived then Naruto could have the chance to escape but it would only feel like a half success. Ryuuzetsu would be left to rot in the prison until her village could extract her. That sketchy man Maroi would also be left to rot in this place. Naruto's morally right side was starting to make him feel guilty. As much as he wanted to take them on his escape this is the ninja business. A stab in the back is just another day in the office for them.

Deciding on his plan of action, Naruto quickly asked Kōsuke if he had a scroll, brush, and ink on his person. The toad responded with a nod before opening his mouth and passing Naruto a scroll with his tongue. Taking the saliva covered scroll, Naruto unrolled it and then took the ink and brush also offered by way of Kōsuke's tongue. Naruto quickly drew a basic map of the prison, he scribbled cardinal directions on the sides, and then added his location along with the location of the construction site.

Double checking his work, Naruto rolled the scroll back up and then communicated his idea to Kōsuke, "Please tell Tsunade and Jiraiya that I have found the box and contacted it. In two days', I will need Jiraiya to extract me from the prison. I will have destroyed the box and need assistance escaping. Return tomorrow night at this exact time so I can work out the extraction time. I have included a map of my location along with a weak point that Jiraiya can enter through to reach me."

Kōsuke just nodded his head along to Naruto's words. He soaked it all up like a sponge. After Naruto had finished his message, Kōsuke swallowed the map, put on his goggles, and left Naruto's cell in a poof of smoke.

Laying back down on the uncomfortable bed Naruto realized the downfall with his sporadic plan. He just gave himself two days to destroy this box and to get ready to leave. He needed to not only find a way to decimate the box but to find an escape route out of the building. This plan required him to act fast. Hopefully, when Kōsuke returned tomorrow Naruto will be able to plan an extraction time, destroy the box, and be sleeping in his own bed within the next couple of days.

-The Next Day-

Waking up to the incandescent light inside the building was something that Naruto definitely didn't enjoy. He didn't know if it was a result of his sage training but over the past couple of years, he has grown fond of natural light and the sun being his alarm clock.

Sitting up on the edge of the concrete slab they call a bed, Naruto twisted his upper body left and right. A distinct set of cracks was heard in succession after each twist. Each crack signified that much more relief felt by the blond.

Looking over towards his cell door, Naruto noted that it was still shut. The guards still haven't arrived for the day. Today was going to be the big day. Naruto had to create the explosive seal that would detonate the box, find a weak point in the building to escape, and plan his escape.

While thinking over what he had to accomplish today, the guards arrived at the building. Naruto was broken from his thoughts by the jingling of keys and the sound of the metal door sliding open.

The guard didn't even exchange pleasantries, he just opened the door and went about his business. The open door just meant one thing to Naruto. It signaled the beginning of the end, the end of his stay in Blood Prison.

-Until Next Time-

Thank you as always for reading. Let me know what you think. Was it better that I wrote the two chapters as one or should I have separated them?