A/N: Reading over my fic and noticing something, Orochi the Eight Tailed and Hachibi are NOT the same thing; Hachibi is a bijuu level monster and Orochi is something vastly different, though they have the same number of tails and share a bit of history they are two different types of demons. You'll see this later on when we can see Orochi in action, and I apologize for not putting this in the same chapter he was introduced. I personally forgot that they were based off the same creature/legend and assumed people would think they are different. That was my mistake and I do apologize.

... ... ...

"That kid...even though he holds the power of the Nine-Tails, is just as weak as any other human I've faced here. I do feel a remnant of its energy somewhere nearby though, so it means that he can access the power. Maybe this human isn't so stupid...if he can access the demon's power at such a young age...there may be hope for him yet. Now, let's see how he does against my master's pet, hmm?"

The figure mutters, hurriedly sheathing his katana while leaping into the trees after the blonde boy. He does not care about finishing the skirmish they had earlier; now that he has assessed the boy's potential, his true work can begin. He stills needs one more thing to make sure that this boy is the one however, and that is data from his fight against the demon up ahead. In order for his thesis to be correct, he must see how the boy uses the demonic power given to him, and whether the child can control it fully or not. Turning northwest from his current position, the shadowy man can only grin in satisfaction as he draws closer to the source of demonic energy; both that of the Nine-Tails and the test subject his master has laid out for the boy.

... ... ...

Naruto's eyes narrow slightly, as he senses the presence from before closing in on him. His thoughts stop altogether as he feels the chill from the man he fought earlier; fear assails his senses and he momentarily stops leaping from tree to tree. Panting, his body dirty and covered in sweat from the day's battles, Naruto wipes his forehead with the back of his hand. I don't think he's going after me, more likely he's gong to destroy the clone...Geez! The blonde thinks, taking a deep breath before setting off again at a faster pace than last time. He angled himself so that he was heading north-northwest into the forest; in between the path his clone is taking and the one where the demon is lying in wait. After about ten minutes, he slows a little, noticing yet another chakrafollowing the same path. This one was south-southeast from his position, which meant that whomever this person was had to have tangled with the demon and survived. Naruto could tell by the size of the chakra that was being emitted that this person was powerful, but not so much as compared to the man he fought earlier. This didn't mean much though, as Naruto figures that the shadowy man he encountered is on a level above most other people, possibly rivaling that of Orochimaru.

He could tell from that one skirmish, that one exchange of blows, that whoever went up against this man would be killed quickly and harshly; the only reason he survived was because the person wished it to be so. The genin still had no idea why his life had been spared, and no idea why the man didn't feel like chasing after him. Maybe they felt like it was too much of a hassle to deal with a child, or maybe not, he wasn't sure. All Naruto knew that he did not want to face that man again, and that thought made him stop right there in his tracks. Why the hell am I rushing towards death! If that guy is there and a person who was able to evade or fight off that demon, I really shouldn't involve myself in this...I could be killed; it would be better to wait and see what intel the clone can gather, since the three are likely to cross paths at one point. I'll make my decision then, when I know more. I feel so powerless right now; I really wanted to stop the bad guy who was causing all this, but I can't even with the Nine-Tails help. I want to be strong and help people, but I can't even punish the guy who is behind all this! Dammit, it makes me so mad sometimes...

Naruto can only sigh, his face downcast and his blue eyes looking down at his feet. Having thought about what he should do, the orange clad boy sits down on the tree limb, rummaging for something in his weapons pouch. His hand finally curls around the object which he is looking for, his face brightening as he reads the familiar title. He has read this book about a hundred times now and already knows how the story will play out, but that doesn't matter to him. What Naruto is remembering is not the story inside the book, but the story about the book and how much importance it holds to him. Even now, though it has been quite a few years since he learned to read, he still covets this small novel greatly. The only thing that would make this better if Dad was here...I miss him; I wonder if he's thinking about me at all. I have bigger problems to worry about right now though. The blonde thinks, quietly opening his book and starting from the beginning. All he can do now is wait until his clone disperses, either on its' own or from being attacked, and then Naruto can spring into action.

... ... ...

"The chakra reading is getting stronger. He is probably heading this way."

Itachi comments, his onyx eyes turning crimson as he activates his Sharingan. He stumbles on the tree branch, having landed on it awkwardly, and quickly rights himself, squinting at his hand. It was slightly blurry even a couple inches away from his face, the edges of his fingers overlaying on top of one another. It was disorienting, even for him who had to deal with it for a couple years now. ever since he used the eyes on Sasuke. That wasn't the first time he had activated them, but it seemed to the Uchiha that was when his eyesight had begun to deteriorate. I can waste no time thinking about this. I must find Naruto and subdue him. Itachi thinks, blinking a couple times to clear his head. He leaps from the branch, continuing to move towards the northwest, where the source of the demon's chakra signature was.

After about ten or so minutes, he stops moving, feeling another presence following Naruto. He realizes it isn't following the boy so much as moving in the same direction; for what purpose Itachi cannot tell. He reasons that whomever it is, they are trying to go after the creature he left Kisame with, it's energy signature powerful from even this far away. Measuring the distance from here to where the demon was located, Itachi does see some slight chance of their paths intercepting, though from the quality of the chakra he can tell that this person is not one of good virtue. Most high level ninja, about from the time they become special Jounin, are taught this ability. It is of a higher level than being able to scan chakra normally, having increased range and perception than it's lower level counterpart, which is taught to Genin by their Jounin instructor or some by their ninja parents. This level of chakra seeking is used to find hostile intent in a person's energies, which will manifest when they use chakra.

This will manifest in a person's chakra color, which is attuned to their personality. Each person has an individual color, though there are similarities here and there. This does not affect what jutsu they can learn, the types of jutsu they are able to use or their elemental affinity, those are traits one inherits from their parents or clan; if they have a big enough family that is. The Uchiha clan is one example of this, as is the Hyuuga. Uchiha were seen as ninjutsu specialists with an affinity for fire elemental techs; while the Hyuuga are proficient in mainly taijutsu with an affinity for water. This does not mean that one is always born with the affinity, as there are exceptions where a clan who is earth based gets a lighting or wind user. It mainly boils down to chance; you either have the gift or not, though having parents with the genes for one element do increase the chances of inheriting it. Most Jounin do end up being proficient in two or possibly three elements, though they cannot learn high ranked level jutsu that are the direct opposite of their inherent elemental affinity.

Itachi's red eyes narrow, seeing that the person has noticed him already and is heading toward where he is standing. Hiding some kunai in the left sleeve of his cloak, he waits patiently, unsure of this person's motives. I have a feeling he is in league with the demon; why would he bother coming after me if he thought I didn't kill it? This is really unnecessary...Itachi thinks, his Sharingan catching a glimpse of something moving through the trees only a dozen meters ahead. It was difficult to make out at so far away due to his low sight, but that was mitigated by the Sharingan enough so that he could tell it was a human figure. Judging by the way they moved through the trees, picking their route carefully and doing their best to avoid making noise, he guessed they hadn't realized he noticed them already. Itachi only watches as they close the distance between them, noticing the gleam of silver metal that pokes through the canopy due to the sunlight.

Acting on instinct, Itachi brings the kunai up in an arc in front of his face. Almost instantaneously, he hears tiny clink of metal on metal, the three kunai in his hand and the man's sword edging against each other. The sparks blind him momentarily, though his other senses are intact, leaving him able to block the leg that tries to kick him off the branch with his thigh. The man laughs, a sinister chuckle that would faze an ordinary person. Itachi ignores the taunt, his face blank as he presses harder with the kunai. He can see nothing of the man's face, as it is covered by a long tress of oily black hair, though he detects a hint of a smile on the man's expression.

"Interesting...You're one of the few foolish humans that actually knows how to put up a fight. I hope you won't die too soon, I haven't had this much fun in a while!"

His opponent comments, pushing his blade against the kunai so that more sparks are created. Itachi inwardly is confused by that statement, or at least the way it was worded. The way the man said 'humans' was almost callous and definitely mocking, as if he didn't consider himself to be one of them. He has no more time to register the shadow's statement, as the blur of black quickly withdraws his katana. Knowing what is coming, Itachi quickly parries the horizontal swipe coming in from the left, delivering a quick right hook with his free hand. His opponent dodges deftly, titling his head to the side to avoid the blow. This lets the Uchiha push back his blade with the kunai, trying to get in a quick jab with his weapons.

The black haired man dodges this too, sucking in his chest ever so slightly. He doesn't move an inch from his position on the tree branch from where he landed. This surprises Itachi, as how can someone so strong be so lithe and agile; even for ninja it was difficult to keep every aspect of their training symmetrical. More so even training in taijutsu, as some parts of the body would grow faster than others depending on the exercises one used. This made it difficult for some people to keep up, with their hands moving faster than their feet could react or vice-versa. That is why this man was so odd; All aspects of his body, from the way his hips moved to the way his arms flowed were completely in sync with one another, leaving no room for one to counterstrike unless they wanted to leave themselves open. No human, no matter how many years of training they underwent, could reach this level ninja or not. Itachi was able to keep up with the man, though it was slightly difficult due to his weakening vision, but he doubted anyone without some form of foresight could so without being beaten.

Seeing as this match could only end in a stalemate, or possibly worse, Itachi ups the severity of his attacks, coming on harder and faster. The man keeps dodging, barely moving his body except for the slightest twist or turn, making the battle seem more like a dance than a clash of blades. The Uchiha would thrust or slash, the man countering by blocking the attacks with the metal guards on his legs and arms. No matter how much damage they took, those metal bands did not scratch or show any sign of wear or tear. His blade, too, seemed almost otherwordly as it has shown no nicks under the force of Itachi's blows. Sensing that his opponent has grown desperate, the man cackles almost manically, his deep baritone-like voice the only other sound in the forest.

"Good, good! I want you to struggle a little more before I kill you...To think I'd fight someone with a similar eye ability to him, though it seems you have it in both your eyes..."

The odd man comments, his voice filled with glee, as if they weren't having a fight to the death. Both eyes? Is he talking about Kakashi-san? Wait, he's been captured by Orochimaru for a while now... The raven haired Uchiha thinks, his mouth very slightly turning into a frown on one side. Seeing he has his opponent distracted, the black haired man launches a quick roundhouse that the Uchiha could not dodge. Grunting in pain, Itachi flies off the tree branch to land on a lower one, where the sun is blocking out his view of his opponent's face. The man laughs again, a shaking, insane cackle that sounds almost inhuman. Wincing at the pain in his left side, Itachi notices that Naruto's chakra has gotten closer than before, much closer. He leaps off of the branch, quickly throwing the kunai in his hand as he does so. The man blocks them with a single swipe of his katana, making no move to go after the Uchiha, which he finds very odd. Already passing the man, Itachi looks back to see him still standing there in the same position, his blue kimono floating in the light, soundless breeze.

"I'm done with you now, boy. We had a good fight, but I have things I must do. I hope you'll stay alive until we meet again. You're one of the most engaging opponents I've had since I've been in these lands."

With that, the man leaves, his form speeding off again and blending into the shadows. Even if he wanted to go find that man again, Itahci wasn't sure he could do it; that kind of concealment wasn't like a genjutsu but something different altogether. Shaking the thoughts of the strange, katana wielding man out of his mind, the Uchiha keeps moving towards the Nine-Tails chakra signature. It isn't long before he finally spots his prey, seemingly oblivious and unaware of his presence. Something seems off about the boy though, and Itachi only needs to get a couple yards closer to see exactly what it was. He curses inwardly when he discovers it's only a Shadow Clone, the real Naruto hiding somewhere else. He quickly dispatches it with a small jab to the face, and is confused when it doesn't pop out of existence. The clone quickly counters with a kick to the stomach, which Itachi easily dodges, though at the expense of hurting his bruised rib. Though it's a minory injury to the former Anbu captain, it still hinders his ability to fight, distracting as the pain is.

Still, a small black and blue like this should pose no problem if he is up against a twelve year old child. He quickly forms hand signs faster than the clone can react to, and spews out a giant fireball, the thing's size engulfing the tree branch the clone is standing on. The smoke clears, and an impressed Itachi understands why the clone is still standing after a jutsu hit it head on. This clone isn't powered by Naruto's chakra; it's the Nine-Tails. No wonder the fire attack had hardly any effect, the fire jutsu was mitigated by the chakra's affinity for fire. The Nine-Tails is a very durable bijuu; a couple thousand weak jutsu wouldn't take it out so easily... Itachi thinks, gathering his chakra into the veins near his left eye. He inwardly curses for having to use this technique, but it's probably the only thing that could work against the Nine-Tails chakra. He'd just be wasting chakra using ordinary jutsu and this would be much more efficient, hopefully some of the residue going back into the original. His eye still closed as he centers the chakra in his retina, the Uchiha opens his eye and focuses his gaze on the clone.

... ... ...

"Eh? Aaargh, what the hell? Nnnghh...my head feels like it's going to burst! AAAaaaagh...dammit!"

Naruto screams out his hands clutching his temples, his Legend of the Gutsy Ninja falling out of his hands onto the grass, the expression on his face one of pure agony. Even though it was a clone that was hit, he can feels the effects strongly, his vision wavering in and out from colored to black, red and white. He can only watch as his teammates are killed right in front him; the members of Team Seven, the group that helped him in the Forest of Death in the Chunin Exams, and the three he has been working with today. Sometimes they are stabbed through the heart, lungs, or head and left to die instantly. It is worse when Itachi does not kill them outright; their bodies bloodied and broken in front of him, pleading for his help and when he does get closer those pleas turn into blame.

"It's your fault! If we weren't teamed up with a Jinchuriki, the Akatsuki would have left us alone!"

Screams keep coming out of the blonde's mouth; though he is no longer sane enough to recognize they are his. Awakened from it's short nap due to the loud noises, the white pup pops out of Naruto's collar to look at him quizzically. Sensing that something is definitely wrong, he wriggles his way out of Naruto's moving jacket and sits beside the boy, nuzzling him. No response is forthcoming from the blonde; his eyes are glazed over and his skin sweaty and pale, making the wolf pup's fur stick together. His expression is still one of pure terror, though his mouth is now closed, his body still trembling even though the effects of the jutsu are over. The only thing the white wolf can do is whine, his shrill cry echoing through the forest. He repeats this once more, his black pebble eyes showing defeat and hopelessness in his usually stoic gaze.