Inochi sat in his office, his gaze unfocused as he thought of his last session. He shuddered to think of that look on his daughter's face. He sighed and started to write the report on Uzumaki's mental evaluation, as he replayed the conversation using an audio capturing seal.

"Tell me about what went wrong Naruto." Inochi asked the blond shinobi who looked at the bottle of the oak desk.

"I guess it all started three days after we met Huun."

FLASHBACK

Naruto, Sai, and Sakura were gathered around the kitchen table looking over a map of the area.

"That makes no sense Naruto. The villagers wouldn't let anyone stay anywhere near the houses." Sakura repeated herself for seemingly the hundredth time.

"Why wouldn't they Sakura? Think about it. They are around the houses, they have line of sight on the victims, they are able to hid amongst the villagers who aren't active in the rebellion, and they may have access to water. This is an island Sakura, we don't have an issue with water thanks to Sai, but we also don't know where the nearest spring is…"

"It is fourteen clicks north." The painter of the group pointed at a heavily forested portion of the map.

"Why couldn't they be around there then?" Sakura circled the area with a finger.

"Because my genin, that is much too far for anyone other than a shinobi to cover in less than 2 hours. Which is the amount of time between attacks." Kakashi appeared with Tazuna who had just finished his building day.

"Exactly, they have to be around the houses. Or at least in the woods around town." Naruto repeated.

"Wrong again. You are assuming that it isn't a shinobi who is kidnapping the thugs and now, villagers." Kakashi calmly interjected.

"Who was kidnapped sensei?" Sai asked.

"A buddy o' mine. Jamie's his name. A large bucko too. It wouldn'a been easy I'll say." Tazuna answered the question between sips from a bottle of sake.

"Before you ask, we already looked at the area where Jamie was last seen. Two sets of tracks, no scents, and two tracks leading away from the clearing. They disappear four feet into the woods." Kakashi cut in before his team could demand to see the area.

"Genjutsu then?" Sakura asked the team.

"It may be. Does that match Huun's known methods though sensei?" Sai asked always the most cautious of the three.

"Does it matter if it matches what is known? Huun is a shinobi, a good one at that, he could know S-Rank Genjustu and never tell anyone, or use it enough for it to be documented. Or he could have just as easily killed him, sealed him, put a clone there, and had the clone walk with him until they both could shunshin away. At least, that was what happened during the Skirmish at Bridie. " Naruto spoke.

Sakura looked at him with a gapping mouth, and Sai cocked his head. Kakashi narrowed his eye before asking, "Naruto, how do you know about that?"

"Know what sensei?" Naruto was confused by the looks he was getting.

"You just mentioned a lesser known cause for a battle of the first shinobi world war Naruto. I only know it due to ANBU looking at that mission as an example of assassination." Kakashi asked. 'I didn't even think of that possibility. It doesn't match Huun's methods but it does match Kumo's. They were the ones that did it first anyway.'

"Did I? That… makes no sense. I don't know history sensei." Naruto cocked his head before shaking it. "Anyway, I still think that the kidnappings are being done by Gato."

"Agreed, however I suspect its Huun actually doing the work. From now on, Tsunami and Inari aren't allowed anywhere out of the bunker, without an escort of either two of you, or myself." Kakashi ordered his team. "Now, get some rest, dinner will be soon, and then night shifts and training."

"Yes sensei!"

FLASHBACK END

"You say that Kakashi suspected that Huun was kidnapping villagers and thugs?" Inochi questioned.
"Yea, sensei said that I said something that made him wonder later." Naruto replied automatically. His eyes still locked with the bottom of the desk.

"Do you know what you said?" Inochi asked.

"No. I don't remember speaking anything other than my idea of where the kidnappers were hiding."

"Okay Naruto. What happened next?" Inochi prodded.

"We started to train to combat Huun. We trained to avoid knives that Kakashi-sensei would attack us with."

FLASHBACK

"Again. Naruto you cannot take the hit! I don't care if you heal quickly, that is still too much time in which you are nearly helpless! Sai! I want more force with the water attacks! You aren't splashing a kid, you are trying to kill an enemy. Sakura, if I have to take less than two swipes to get through your defenses, I will force you to bathe in kibble and run from my pack of dogs!" Kakashi yelled at his genin who stood panting, cut and bruised against the massive fortification that surrounded Tazuna's home.

"Huun will not let you live, especially if you end up wounding him!" Kakashi was panting as well. He held two scratches, each on his arms, and was tired.

"Sensei, it's been four hours! We can't keep going. Especially since Tsunami needs to go to the market tomorrow." Sakura said before she collapsed onto her backside.

"Fine, everyone, we are done for the night. Naruto, first watch, Sai, second. I'll take final. Sakura, full night of rest."

FLASHBACK END

"Did you do nothing but train for the following week?" Inochi asked.

"Basically. Sai and Sakura went with Tsunami to the market the next day, and sensei escorted Tazuna as usual. I stayed at the bunker, and slept. The next four days were training, and training, and waiting."

"Was the waiting terrible?"

"It was the worst. We knew something was going to happen. We could all feel it. The kidnappings quickly got worse. First there was one villager taken, then four, then a whole household disappeared. By the end of the week, the count was at twenty-three villagers gone, and they were all a part of the rebellion movement. "

"You said that you did nothing but train. Why didn't you interfere with the kidnappings?"

"Sensei said it wasn't our mission. That we couldn't stretch ourselves like that. If we interfered and one of us got injured, the mission was done. Tazuna and his family would die, the country would fall, and we may not make it home."

"I see. How did that make you feel?"

"Frustrated. Those people needed us. And Sensei wouldn't allow us to do a thing to help them."

"What happened next?"

"The bridge was nearly finished. And that's when it happened."

FLASHBACK

Naruto woke up to a scream. He darted up the stairs from the Bunker in the basement. He blasted through the doorway, a kunai ready. He froze as he saw Tsunami and Inari being held by Huun.

"Ah, hello little Leaf. I was surprised that you weren't upstairs. Is it not your duty to protect these two?" Huun asked as he cocked his head.

"Naruto, please, please save Inari. Please." Tsunami locked eyes with the blonde as tears started to fall.

"Let them go Huun. You said you didn't want to take her to Gato."

"I did say that didn't I little leaf. Rule number 18-" Huun darted backwards as he kicked his foot up knocking a chair into the path of a kunai that was headed straight for his left shoulder. With a wooden thunk the kunai sank into the wood, before it exploded into splinters from the explosive tag on the handle.

"Oh nice little leaf, you just sprayed deadly shrapnel at a shinobi who is wearing armor, holding two unprotected hostages. Very smart." Huun mocked as he looked around swiftly. Finally, he heard it, a single step, behind, fourteen degrees.

Naruto grunted as he was blasted back by a fierce back kick. Acting solely on instinct he plunged a hand into his pouch and grabbed the first weapon he had. He brought it up as swiftly as he could and groaned as his swipe was dodged.

"So you are gonna use my brother's knife little leaf? Fine. Let us see what you got." Huun locked eyes with Naruto as he threw the two unconscious hostages to the side. He slowly pulled out a single knife.

FLASHBACK END

"You crossed knives with Swordbreaker Huun?" Inochi asked amazed.

"Yes. Though he played with me…"

FLASHBACK

Naruto tried to block each attack as it came, and sometimes he succeeded. Most of the time however he didn't.

"Come little leaf, you can do better than this! I know you can. You knew where I was earlier, yet this is the best you got? May be I should just kill you, and those two." Huun nimbly moved to the left and plunged his knife into the forearm of Naruto. He retracted as Naruto tried to pull him closer. He watched fascinated by the steam that quickly healed the wound. "Ohhh you are one of them… things just got much more interesting."

"You will not hurt them. Leave. Now." Naruto growled as he turned the knife into a reverse grip.

"You can't touch me li-" Huun cut his sentence short as he ducked a swipe, blocked a straight kick, and slashed the knee of the leg that launched the kick.

As Naruto fell, Huun punched him to the ground, cracking the floor from the impact. Huun swiftly slammed his knife into Naruto's right shoulder, kicked the other knife of his hand, and crouched over the genin.

"You aren't bad little leaf. That is why you will live. One day, you will be great. Today however, isn't that day. So little leaf, how do you feel?" Huun mocked the gennin as he held the knife that was deep in Naruto's shoulder.

"You bastard. You think that this is going to stop me?! Ill kill you! Just you wait!" Naruto screamed at the masked man.

"Such a foul mouth. I should teach you a lesson!" Huun flexed his arm, and twisted the knife.

Naruto's screaming woke up Inari.

FLASHBACK END

"He tortured you?" Inochi asked.

"No. it was only the once. After I stopped screaming, he had Inari…"

FLASHBACK

Naruto's vision slowly cleared from the haze of pain. He gasped as he registered what he saw. "Inari."

Huun had a kitchen knife in his right shoulder, and Inari was being held by the throat by the masked man. "Well kid, you got guts. Real big balls. So little leaf? Should I snap his neck? Hmm?" Huun looked at the pinned shinobi. The same shinobi who stared bug eyed at the little boy, slowly turning blue from lack of essential oxygen. "Well little leaf? Does the boy die today?"

"Leave him alone!" Tsunami rushed forward, reaching for her child, when Huun backhanded her. Tsunami landed on the floor and Huun walked toward her still holding Inari up by the throat. He placed his foot on Tsunami's face gingerly.

"Well little leaf… You seem to be all out of helpers. The rest of your team is at the bridge, and you are here alone… with a choice. I snap the boy's neck, or I crush the woman's skull. Which is it little leaf?"

Naruto stared unbelieving. How did this happen? It was supposed to be a standard mission… protection detail. Yet now… we are all going to die…

Not yet Naruto-kun…hehe

Huun's eyes widened as he was hit with a blast of malicious intent. "Finally. We get to have some fun."

FLASHBACK END

"Let me explain what Kakashi stated in his report of around the same time Naruto. Okay?" Inochi interrupted as he saw Naruto start to tremble.

"Okay."

"At around 1000 hours, the majority of my team and myself felt a massive malicious chakra appear from the direction of the Mark's home. We quickly rushed to intercept. As we travelled, we were pressed against, what Genin Haruno stated as, blastwaves of increasingly evil chakra.' Do you remember any of that?" Inochi asked.

"Yes. I remember everything from the battle." Came the monotone reply.

"Okay then. Continue."

FLASHBACK

Huun watched as literal waves of black foul chakra erupted from the boy. The waves crashed against the sides of the house, and within moments, through them. As the home crumbled around him, Huun slashed debris and shrapnel, keeping them from touching him or his hostages.

When the house finally settled, the boy was surrounded by black pulsating chakra.

What are you doing?! Stop! I don't need you to interfere!
Stupid Naruto-kun… I don't need your approval to stretch my legs a little. I'll save the pesky little humans from the big bad shinobi…
Stop trying to get free! I don't need you!
Boy, shut up and watch the show. Or do you want to fight for domination now? Hmm? Hehe I find both scenarios acceptable…
I… I…

The black chakra shroud cracked, then shattered into millions of fragments, that slowly were pulled inward. Huun swallowed, and grabbed the woman on the ground, shifted the boy and shunshined them to the tree line before returning to the wall around the former home. "Astounding. The charka output of that is intense. And it seems he is ready…"

Naruto stood the wound on his shoulder slowly bleeding as it steamed and healed, his blonde hair flickering between maroon and sun-kissed yellow. A knife slammed into his right arm, nearly severing it at the elbow, and the flickering of his hair stopped, and an insane giggle escaped his lips.

"Hehehe… come little human… " The arm swiftly healed, in a pulse of black chakra.

Huun's eyes met the former blonds, and he froze. The mad blood red gaze that held him paralyzed was not the gaze of a jinchuriki. Jinchuriki were not monsters like this. It was only decades of experience that allowed him to duck the punch that the thing launched.

"Hehe! Viscrag hasn't had a chance to play with anyone ever! You should be honored!" The possessed blonde swung left and right nearly lazily, as the shinobi in front of him dodged each attack.

Huun knocked a punch to the side and slammed his fist into the monstrosity's face. It flew backward before flipping in the air and landing on its feet. With those mad eyes it looked up and smiled, as a small trickle of blood ran down from is split lip.

Huun scowled as he pulled out two more knives. "Im going to put you down little leaf. This monstrosity will not be allowed to live." The silver knives flashed before Huun disappeared.

Viscrag smiled as he rolled forward, grabbed the blood covered knife that just a moment before was pinned in his vessel's shoulder and blocked an upward slash from Huun. "I can feel you little human… so much fun!" He swung a swift punch, and watched amazed as it was dodged by a hair's breath.

"You can dodge me! WONDERFUL! It will be such fun to bathe in your life's blood!"

"I can do more than that!" Huun flashed away, and a searing line of pain erupted from Viscrag's back. Another line rapidly appeared on his chest before he was kicked solidly back by a blur.

Huun stared at the body that laid several feet away. Then he began to back up.

"Hehehehe… you are fun" The thing sat up. And locked eyes with Huun.

"NARUTO! TAKE CONTROL NOW!" A voice erupted from the wall beside the two combatants.

"Copy-cat! Either stay out of it, or help me kill it. Cuz it will die here. Even if I have to rip through all of you leaves to do it." Huun called as he pushed chakra into his knives. They began to hum with small bolts of electricity jumping from them.

Before Huun could move however the thing sank to a knee. "What are you doing!? Stop that!" The thing held its head as red chakra began to bubble around it. "Stupid fox! Stop interfering! Damn brat! Let me play!" The thing's hair began to flash between red and yellow as the wisps of red chakra drug the arms to each side, and forced the entity to its knees. "Huun… I am sorry. I lost control… and this came out instead of my other tenant.""Stop talking you annoying brat… let me go fox! You aren't involved!" Two voices spoke from the young shinobi's mouth.

"Little leaf. You must learn better control… or you will be cut down." Huun spoke as he eyed Kakashi.

"Naruto, gain control. Please…" The cyclopoid shinobi softly asked his genin.

As the black chakra waves decreased, and the red chakra slowly reined the thing back in, Naruto looked at Huun. "Please, don't…"

"You never made your choice Little leaf… so I'll make it for you. See you in two days." Huun disappeared in a shunshin.

It was only Naruto's extremely sharp ears that picked up the wet crunch and snap from the woods.

AUTHOR NOTES!

Hey yall… I decided to update this little chapter here. This seems like the perfect spot to end it for the week, and well…Ill be honest, the next chapter is already 8000 words… so yea. In case you are wondering, the whole wave fiasco is already written.

For those who are still reading my story, thank you. For those of you who left reviews, thank you even more. For those of you who have added me to the favorites list, thank you. My finals week ends on December 10th. So, with that said… Christmas may come early for those who like my story.

From the deepest recesses of my mind,
Zero