Age: 22

Gender: Male

Current Location: Stockholm, Sweden

In an effort to get some ideas for a Dark Naruto story i started to write a huge rant about the original Naruto series and most Naruto stories on this website. And this is what i've written so far:

Not many people really look at what Naruto's parents and the older generation have done to Naruto do they? In the manga and in the majority of the stories i've read on this website Naruto always forgives his parents and everyone who wrongs him. What the fuck people! You seriously need to remember that Naruto is a human too, he's not Jesus! He has many flaws like all people have.

I understand that Kishimoto tries to convey the meaning of turning the other cheek and to appreciate bonds but it gets old after awhile. Just give Naruto a pair of balls...

I can also understand that good guys in a story are by definition supposed to be good, I get that but in real life if a person got put through half the crap he went through they would snap. Not to mention nearly every other character in the series that are badass didn't even went through half the shit Naruto went through and still became awesome and badass.

Take Sasori for example he was sweet and adorable as a child and was in a way his grandmothers light in her life, the complete opposite of his later personality. He had a perfect and loving family, and a positive and bright outlook on life. That is until Kakashi's father kills his parents. I felt sad for Sasori when Chiyo just collapsed when she's told that her son and daughter in law are dead. It's sad to read the manga, but when you see the anime flashback and hear how his soft and hopeful voice asks his grandmother if his parents have come home is just so wrong. But what's really heart wrenching is when Chiyo lies to Sasori, and tells him that his parents left on another mission, just to spare him the pain for one more night before he must face reality.

Because of his parents death Sasori grew up in a sad and lonely environment due to mentioned absence of parental love. When Chiyo tried to ease his pain by introducing him to the art of puppetry, he grew a little happier. And as everybody knows he eventually created puppets in the likeness of his parents, but when he realised that the puppets couldn't give him the actual love that he desired, he became cold and aloof. This led to him maintaining little regard for human life.

Later on at the tender age of fifteen Sasori secretly kidnapped and killed the Third Kazekage then left the village.
At that time because of a decline in national power, the reign of the Five Great Countries was crumbling. Along their borders, skirmishes with smaller nations broke out all the time. The prolonged war gradually spread its fires far and wide, until at last it developed into the Third Shinobi World War. Sasori's act made tensions boil over and started a world war. The war gave Sasori the perfect cover and opportunity to focus on developing the world's greatest spy network and build his puppet collection.

Why did i write about Sasori, the answer is so simple: It's to remind all readers and authors on this website of basic human nature. In the words of Ernest Hemingway "All things truly wicked start from an innocence." (From A Moveable Feast)

Another thing that really grinds my gears is the people who usually say that Obito/Tobi is the pinnacle of all evil. But is he really that evil, i can understand people saying that Orochimaru is a representation of the devil, meaning he is purely evil who is solely out to get more power. But Obito, child please. Like all Naruto super villains (Nagato and Madara) he wants world peace and is willing to kill and sacrifice anyone to reach that goal, a very admirable goal all things considered.

So isn't he very similar to the Yondaime Hokage Namikaze Minato. I think so yeah they are similar in that regard. But with one huge difference. Obito kills and sacrifice other people for peace and justice for everyone, while Minato fights exclusively for the people of the land of fire, especially the people from Konoha. But Minato also fights for Konoha's right to continue to oppress and murder other people.

Another similarity they share is that they have both committed small genocides; Obito's used the Kyūbi on Konoha to kill countless shinobi and civilians, not mention his role in the bloodline purge in Kirigakure. While Minato used his teleportation technique during the Third Shinobi World War to seemingly appear to be in several places at once and wipe out entire squadrons one by one in moments before they could even react. Minato must've killed lots of Iwa shinobi because Konoha was losing the war until he invented the technique and used it to make Konoha come out victorious in their war against Iwagakure.

Then of course the sealing of the Kyūbi. I can't for the love of God understand why people still say that Minato and Kushina didn't have a choice but to seal the beast into Naruto, when everyone now knows everything that happened that night.

According to Narutopedia (yes i get that anyone can post there but it's updated regulary and it's extremly well maintained) Kushina dies because she used her diminished chakra to restrain the Kyūbi. Despite knowing that the trauma would kill her in her current state, Kushina then volunteered to have the Kyūbi sealed back into her body so that it would die with her.

Minato then suggest that they use the dead demon consuming seal on the Kyūbi to weaken it then seal the rest in Naruto. And what does that idealistic fucker Minato say when she demanded to know why he had to use that technique and why he had to die. When she just basically killed herself by erecting a barrier so she could reseal the beast inside her and take it with her to the afterlife.

He goes on and on about how her death wouldn't change the fact that the Kyūbi would resurrect itself, and without a jinchūriki to contain the beast it would inevitably cause harm to Konoha and the Fire Country. And by using the dead demon consuming seal she would be able to meet Naruto in the future. Minato was also convinced that Naruto was the "Child of the Prophecy" Jiraiya had once told him about, and that he couldn't take her place as a parent or some shit.

This entire explanation pisses me off in so many ways i don't even know how to describe it. I mean both Minato and Kushina were masters in fūinjutsu so why didn't they use another seal on the Kyūbi if they really wanted Naruto to contain it. No jinchūriki has a similar seal, the various hidden villages uses different seals, so there must be dozens of seals that can be used to create a jinchūriki. And what was wrong with the seal Mito and Kushina used?

And the whole "Child of the Prophecy" shit pisses me off too. Since the prophecy states that: In time Jiraiya will have a disciple and that disciple will become become a ninja who will bring about a great change to the ninja world. Either great stability or great destruction, the likes of which the world has never seen before. And Jiraiya's actions would determine if this revolution would be for the world's salvation or the world's destruction. Basically one can say that the people around the child's actions will affect if the world is doomed or saved.

And Minato and Kushina both agree that Naruto could be that child and what do those dumb fucks do: They decide to seal a monster, that just annihilated half of their home village along with countless of its inhabitants, inside their son and leave him all alone. In a village full of trained killers that just lost family members, friends, wives, children, comrades, neighbours and not to mention all the homes and businesses that were destroyed that night. Yeah that sounds like a good idea...

Given all the facts and Minato's own explanation for his decision one can only assume he didn't want to leave Konoha without such a valuable war deterrent, So Minato decided seal the beast within his son using the eight trigrams seal and the dead demon consuming seal. And he used those seals because Konoha's former jinchūrikis couldn't use the Kyūbi and their only function was to make sure that the beast was in Konoha's possession. So it was rather smart of him as a leader to create a weapon/opportunity for Konoha given the fact that they suffered heavy casualties in the attack.

But wouldn't it make sense for Minato to just raise and train his son if he wanted him to become powerful enough to have a chance at beating Obito/Tobi. Especially since Minato thinks that Obito is Madara, so he must know that Naruto doesn't really stand a snowbolls chance in hell against one of history's strongest shinobi. Especially because Madara/Obito can control the Kyūbi with just their fucking eyes!

So in my opinion Minato acted as the leader of Konoha during the sealing and not as the father of his newborn son. This is best shown when he emotionally manipulates Kushina using her desire to see Naruto as an adult to make her stop opposing him. And thus he doesn't have a right to call himself the child's father.

But Kushina really takes the fucking cake when she actually agrees with Minato that leaving Naruto all alone was the best course of action. I mean she fucking knows how jinchūrikis are treated (not personally though since hers and Mito's status as jinchūrikis were secret to everyone except the Hokage and the elders), and they both know that after an attack of that magnitude that the chances of keeping the jinchūriki a secret was practically zero. People would want to know how they were saved, and the older generation of the shinobi force should know that the only way to stop a tailed beast would be to seal it.

So they had to choose between their child's wellbeing and Konoha's standing in the shinobi world. But they wanted a jinchūriki who could use the power of its tailed beast inside Konoha more than they cared about Naruto's wellbeing. That action destroyed Naruto's life. To put it simply it wasn't the sealing but the sealing method that destroyed his life. And because of that Kushina have just as much a right to call herself Naruto's mother as Minato has at calling himself Naruto's father, that would be no right whatsoever!

I don't believe i have seen anyone calling the Yondaime Kazekage a hero or a great father for sealing Shukaku inside his youngest son either. I find it funny that people think that he was a cold hearted bastard but don't think that Minato was. It may not have been under the same circumstances but they both did it for the same reason; to get more power for their village.

The Yondaime Kazekage loved his wife and children dearly but was also torn between his duties as the village leader and those as a father. This conflict was seen when Gaara was deemed a failure by the council, he was visibly disappointed and ultimately decided to give his son one last chance before deciding whether or not to eliminate him. To this end, he was willing to set an elaborate and potentially heartbreaking lie to see his son's determination. Seeing the failure, he chose the village's safety over his son.

His decision was no different than Minato's and they both did it for the wellbeing and safety of their respective village.

I felt the need to write all of this when i read The Darkness That Binds Him by XxKageTenshixX. Because i started to think about all those fuckers who knew who Naruto's parents were yet didn't do shit to help their son, ungrateful fucks. XxKageTenshixX also brought up something i didn't think about before and that was who many knew that Naruto was Minato and Kushina's son. Both Minato and Kushina were very well liked in Konoha, so it's safe to assume that they had lots of friends and comrades who knew them personally. I know two names for starters Uchiha Mikoto and Hatake Kakashi.

Mikoto was one of the last people to ever see Kushina alive and they were best friends. And i hope it goes without saying that she knew that Kushina was pregnant since they talk about Kushina's unborn son's name and their hopes that their sons to become friends and what not. This brings the question were the fuck were Mikoto when Naruto needed someone? At home dealing with her own shit most likely, but what's her excuse for letting her best friend's son be abused.

The clan heads are in the same age group as Minato and Kushina right? So it's safe to assume that they were friends with Naruto's parents right? Even if they didn't know that he was their son it shouldn't have been so fucking hard figure it out right? If the current Raikage can see the similarities then surely the people Naruto's parents called their friends should too!!

Then there's Kakashi and Jiraiya. I am not even going to go in on them because those traitors only excuses are that they were busy with their own grief, musturbation issues, and some twisted sense of duty to have time to take care of Naruto. At least they could've sent a giftcard or something since it would make a huge difference to Naruto, just knowing that someone cares about him. Seriously can someone tell me why no one helped the poor boy? I am honestly starting to believe that what happened is what people would call the bystander effect, everyone thought that someone else would be nice to the kid so they didn't try to help him assuming it was under control. But it's just too depressing to think that the answer would be that simple.

That thought reminds me of a quote from Edmund Burke "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

Why wasn't Naruto officially recognized as Minato's son? That have been on my mind for a while. And the whole "It was done to keep him safe from his father's enemies" excuse feels hollow somehow. Like that's what they tell themselves so they can sleep every night.

Every time i think of it i must look at the aftermath of the Kyūbi attack. And more importantly i analyse what the Sandaime Hokage did and why he did it.

Because of Minato's untimely death, and having no suitable candidates at hand at the moment, Hiruzen was forced to come out of retirement to retake his position as the current Hokage, despite his age. Konoha had suffered heavy casualties from the attack. So in order to appear strong the Sandaime ordered that the Genins would take missions usually done by the Chūnins, and the Chūnins in turn had to take missions usually performed by the Jōnins.

That's just the wave mission all over again, so there is no telling how many shinobi who died because they were forced to take harder missions before they were ready for them. Then add to the fact that all the other shinobi villages that had grudges against Konoha were probably sending spies and whatnot to investigate. Then on top of that Minato made his only child the container of the very thing responsible for all that chaos.

There was a reason that the old monkey retired so for him to come back, at his age, and take the reins once more when Konoha just had its greatest tragedy speaks highly of his abilities. Konoha was at an all-time low, so not only did they have to recover from a world war they now had to recover from the damages done by the Kyūbi. I mean the old dude must've been under so much pressure from all sides. There must've been opposition to his rise to power, Danzō and his allies for example.

They were in a fucked up situation, and the only reason they weren't invaded was beause of the disinformation spread by Jiraiya and the fact that every other shinobi village had to recover from the last world war too. And thus weren't in any shape for another full scale war.

But what does this have to do with Naruto. The answer; EVERYTHING. Think about it, they repeatedly say it was done to protect him from Iwa and Minato's other enemies. But the answer is just there, you just have to look underneath the underneath or whatever. They didn't want Minato's enemies to find out, not because they believed it might hurt Naruto but because it would hurt Konoha. If Naruto was recognized as the Yondaime's son they would've been forced to declare war against whatever village who sent assassins after the poor boy.

And what would happen when the assassins realise that the guards that are supposed to guard a Kage's son is nowhere near the level of skill they should've been. They would of course realise that Konoha lost so many shinobi that they had to use their village's top shinobi on missions and what not, and thus left the protection of the "insignificant" heir of the Yondaime Hokage in the hands of some low ranked or inexperienced shinobi.

But as the years go and they recover the strength they've lost why do they still refuse to tell everyone of Naruto's lineage. Was it just convenient to have an outlet for their grief, a punching bag of sorts. Or didn't they want everyone to know that they had cursed and abused the son of their saviour? Despite an understanding that they did what needed to be done, it doesn't change the fact that Naruto was treated as shit and he deserved more, not because of his parents status but because he wasn't given a fucking choice!

So is the senile monkey fuck also known as Sarutobi Hiruzen responsible for Naruto's bad childhood; in my opinion yes and no. He did have a lot on his plate after all. And it would be hard for him to earn the respect of the shinobi population given the fact that despite his reputation and shinobi prowess, he's still an old man.

He had to manage a shinobi village day to day operations, control the various clans in his village (the Uchiha clan comes to my mind) via a difficult game of politics and intimidation tactics, listen to his power hungry advisors, manage his own clan's affairs and protect its interests and have personal time for his immediate family. Then on top of that he has to make time for Naruto, i understand that he's hard pressed to do so, for God's sake he's like 70 years old.

But on the other hand he is the only one in a village of several thousands or so to take care of the boy, and he knows it! And it's his fault that Naruto has a shitty life do begin with. By telling everyone that Naruto has a monster sealed in his stomach and then the old monkey excludes a lot of other truths to "protect" Naruto. And he has the balls to say that he considers Naruto as his surrogate grandson, that sneaky and manipulating motherfucker!

Then there's the whole Naruto couldn't pass the genin exams the first two times because he couldn't do the Academy standard clone technique...What the fuck! Naruto's seal is designed so that he constantly gets chakra from the Kyūbi. Hiruzen and the higher ups of the village should know that, since they most likely checked the seal numerous times in order to understand it, so it wouldn't suddenly break and free the monster.

Naruto's training regimen could've been that he only masturbates every day as a physical exercise and he would still have more chakra than the average shinobi because of the seal's design. So Sarutobi Hiruzen and anyone else that wanted Naruto to succeed should have given him more advanced chakra control exercises earlier. But in the series it seems like it comes as a shock to everyone that he can't do that simple clone technique...

And Hiruzen's decision to not tell the village of the fact that Naruto is not the first jinchūriki of the Kyūbi is one of his biggest fuck ups. Don't you guys think that people would've had more faith in Naruto's seal and humanity if they knew that the Kyūbi had been in Konoha's possession for nearly a century...

Take Killer Bee and Gaara for example their situations are similar but oh so different because it's common knowledge in their villages that either one or two jinchūrikis have lived among them. So they're not hated by the majority of the population but rather feared, especially Gaara since he started to kill people.

But Killer Bee was only hated by the people who lost someone when his cousin (The former jinchūriki) lost control over his tailed beast. He's feared and despised by everyone in his village though. Even his best friend tried to kill him when he found out that he was the new jinchūriki, because his father was one of the people whom Killer Bee's cousin killed in his rampage.

Then there's another thing about the villagers of Konoha that irritates me: They're not only chronic turncoats they're also blasphemous scum. Think about it everyone in Konoha say that they have great respect for the Yondaime Hokage... Obviously they're not respecting his prowess as a shinobi and a seal master enough if they doubt his ability to seal the Kyūbi.

But to make it worse they doubt the strongest seal ever used to create a jinchūriki, Minato summoned the Death God to seal the monster in Naruto... So not only do the people of Konoha doubt the man who single handedly turned the tides in a world war, they also doubt the abilities and divinity of a fucking GOD. This isn't the real world it's a world where people use magic/chakra everyday. They summon animals tall as houses and don't blink. So the fact that Minato actually summoned a God isn't farfetched...

Then there's the whole; was Naruto physically abused as a child or not? In my honest opinion i would say YES!! And to further prove this point to everyone who might read this i'll explain more thoroughly.

For those who doesn't understand Naruto so well i have to mention that the boy Naruto lives in a hidden village (Shinobi village) that offers their clients a large number of services. To name a few; assassination, sabotage, information gathering, protection services and anything else that the village personnel is trained to do.

A Shinobi is a highly trained mercenary: Trained killer, murderer, torturer and generally speaking someone who makes a living out of other peoples misery. Sometimes they're hired to do "good things" like overthrowing dictators and rescue princesses or arrest criminals. But that doesn't change the obvious fact that they are violent people who are trained to peform certain tasks that requires such tendencies.

As i've already mentioned in this rant Naruto had a monster sealed inside of him at birth, that monster destroyed a good portion of his home village along with countless of its inhabitants. So it's understandable that they don't like Naruto since he has the thing that killed their friends and family members sealed in his stomach. And what does people in such situations usually want; REVENGE.

Their only problem is that the Sandaime Hokage has passed a law that prevents the general population to talk about the monster, and he has even taking it upon himself to "protect" Naruto.

To make it easier for people to understand my theory regarding Naruto's abuse i'll ask you to remember both Haku and Killer Bee. Haku's own father assembled an angry mob to murder his own wife and son when he found out about their bloodlines. Then there's Killer Bee whose best friend tried to murder him. Remember that Motoi first hated the eight tails but then started to hate Killer Bee himself, because he thought Killer Bee didn't care that his father died because Killer Bee acted so carefree.

Now look at Naruto's situation, can you see the huge difference. To put it out there: It's a difference in scope. In Killer bee's case a limited number of people actually hates him. Not to mention the fact that he's the brother of the Raikage and was a ninja when they sealed the eight tails in him. In Naruto's case the entire village with all its inhabitants were affected by the Kyūbi attack.

It's also imortant to remember that the incident happened just a couple of years after the end of a world war. Meaning that Konoha didn't have the time to replenish their losses before another disaster struck. Then a few years after that an entire clan with an extremely useful and powerful bloodline is massacred. This means that despite all those blows to Konoha's military power they still refuse to use Naruto to his full potential. Seriously that is one of the things that seriously pisses me off.

This doesn't mean that entire mobs of people would try to murder Naruto every single day but he should have been a victim of frequent casual violence. Meaning spontaneous beatings by teenagers and young adults, bullying gone too far etc. In a normal situation any nearby bystander would help out, but with Naruto...i don't think so.

The people of Konoha frequently calls him an 'it' or 'that thing' even thirteen years after the attack so it's safe to assume that they consider Naruto to be at best subhuman. And if people know their history they should know that people can commit all kinds of atrocities if they don't even consider their victims as humans...

Another thing people should remember is that Obito and Naruto are extremely similar. In fact Obito is the perfect example of how Naruto would have turned out, if he gave in to the darkness in his heart. It's even mentioned/implied in the series. So if people want to write good dark Naruto fics they should look at Obito and his past. But it's important to know the difference in how they did/could turn evil. Obito turns evil when Rin dies and because of her death he starts to listen to Madara. And eventually he agrees with Madara's plan because he doesn't want to live in a world where Rin doesn't exist.

It's also important to remember that despite of their similarities Naruto and Obito have different uppbringings and perspectives. For instance despite the fact that they're both immature (among other things, they share alot of personality traits, seriously they are basically carbon copies of each other when they're young) Naruto simply doesn't understand emotions and human interactions in the beginning because of his social isolation. Where as Obito does. For example; Naruto has a crush on Sakura, that he thinks is love. But Obito is actually in love with Rin.

Another thing people need to remember is that Naruto's world wouldn't collapse if Sakura or anyone of his precious people died. That's because he validates his existance by having people acknowledge him. To put it in simpler terms: As long as he still has people acknowledging him he won't break. The Third Hokage's death is the best example of this. Obito on the other hand had his entire world destroyed when Rin died. Anyone who wants to make a believable and good dark Naruto fic must remember this and find a way to work with this in mind.

I don't usually like the anime but certain filler arcs are actually worth watching, take Naruto Shippuden episode 176 "Rookie Instructor Iruka". It's about how Iruka saw past the Kyūbi and there's this scene that's stuck in my head.

After Naruto fails to do a clone everyone starts laughing and some of the children starts taunting him. Naruto turns to one of the laughing boys to fight him, but Iruka stops him and says.

"Everyone! Stop making fun of Naruto!"

Naruto looks at his new teacher totally surprised that he stood up for him only for Iruka to glare at him and say. "Don't even bother...with this kid."

Personally i think that the 4th Great Shinobi War Arc is a mixed bag, mostly disappointing in my opinion. I'm disappointed with Naruto's relationships, I'm disappointed with the stretched out running friendship theme, the hypocritical theme of cycle “revenge is bad” *cough*(Shikamaru)*cough* and I absolutely loathe the glaring plot-holes that are popping up as of late.

It makes me want to punch someone in the face when people calls Naruto reckless but supports Team 10's decision to hunt down the zombie brothers... How does that make sense people??

I really don't mind the prolonged series but it's same lame idea over and over again. “Don't abandon your friends” yadda, yadda, yadda. It’s a good message but it’s not presented nearly as tastefully as it was earlier in the series. I mean…ten years later and we’re still on the friendship and rescuing Sasuke theme.

Sasuke has accomplished his goals and makes new ones while Naruto is nearly stuck in limbo. It’s true Naruto has matured lately but he hasn’t accomplish anything except one thing, gain shallow acknowledgement. He still isn’t Hokage and he hasn’t rescued Sasuke which is extremely lame for a ten year running series and Naruto has made no realistic new goals except making stupid ones like world peace (yeah… good luck with that kid). His persistence used to awe-inspiring but now it’s only annoying and bending on the point of obsession and denial.

But what's breaking my heart as a Naruto fan is the fact that they had to try and scrape together what they had left into a new sloppy storyline based solely around Sasuke. Just so that they could keep reeling in the profits... At least put in something fresh like a new villain or something and not another annoying upgrade to the Sharingan...

You guys know what i'm talking about. The whole i can not only control reality with my eyes but apparently fate as well...

I might have a few facts wrong but i don't know. I usually over think a lot of stuff so i might get some information wrong because i focus too much on something else. So feel free to illuminate me with your thoughts.

The 48 Laws of Power

by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers

Law 1

Never Outshine the Master

Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please or impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite – inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power.

Law 2

Never put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn how to use Enemies

Be wary of friends-they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.

Law 3

Conceal your Intentions

Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense. Guide them far enough down the wrong path, envelope them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late.

Law 4

Always Say Less than Necessary

When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

Law 5

So Much Depends on Reputation – Guard it with your Life

Reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once you slip, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them.

Law 6

Court Attention at all Cost

Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, more mysterious, than the bland and timid masses.

Law 7

Get others to do the Work for you, but Always Take the Credit

Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what others can do for you.

Law 8

Make other People come to you – use Bait if Necessary

When you force the other person to act, you are the one in control. It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process. Lure him with fabulous gains – then attack. You hold the cards.

Law 9

Win through your Actions, Never through Argument

Any momentary triumph you think gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory: The resentment and ill will you stir up is stronger and lasts longer than any momentary change of opinion. It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate.

Law 10

Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky

You can die from someone else’s misery – emotional states are as infectious as disease. You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating your own disaster. The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves; they will also draw it on you. Associate with the happy and fortunate instead.

Law 11

Learn to Keep People Dependent on You

To maintain your independence you must always be needed and wanted. The more you are relied on, the more freedom you have. Make people depend on you for their happiness and prosperity and you have nothing to fear. Never teach them enough so that they can do without you.

Law 12

Use Selective Honesty and Generosity to Disarm your Victim

One sincere and honest move will cover over dozens of dishonest ones. Open-hearted gestures of honesty and generosity bring down the guard of even the most suspicious people. Once your selective honesty opens a hole in their armor, you can deceive and manipulate them at will. A timely gift – a Trojan horse – will serve the same purpose.

Law 13

When Asking for Help, Appeal to People’s Self-Interest,

Never to their Mercy or Gratitude

If you need to turn to an ally for help, do not bother to remind him of your past assistance and good deeds. He will find a way to ignore you. Instead, uncover something in your request, or in your alliance with him, that will benefit him, and emphasize it out of all proportion. He will respond enthusiastically when he sees something to be gained for himself.

Law 14

Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy

Knowing about your rival is critical. Use spies to gather valuable information that will keep you a step ahead. Better still: Play the spy yourself. In polite social encounters, learn to probe. Ask indirect questions to get people to reveal their weaknesses and intentions. There is no occasion that is not an opportunity for artful spying.

Law 15

Crush your Enemy Totally

All great leaders since Moses have known that a feared enemy must be crushed completely. (Sometimes they have learned this the hard way.) If one ember is left alight, no matter how dimly it smolders, a fire will eventually break out. More is lost through stopping halfway than through total annihilation: The enemy will recover, and will seek revenge. Crush him, not only in body but in spirit.

Law 16

Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor

Too much circulation makes the price go down: The more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear. If you are already established in a group, temporary withdrawal from it will make you more talked about, even more admired. You must learn when to leave. Create value through scarcity.

Law 17

Keep Others in Suspended Terror: Cultivate an Air of Unpredictability

Humans are creatures of habit with an insatiable need to see familiarity in other people’s actions. Your predictability gives them a sense of control. Turn the tables: Be deliberately unpredictable. Behavior that seems to have no consistency or purpose will keep them off-balance, and they will wear themselves out trying to explain your moves. Taken to an extreme, this strategy can intimidate and terrorize.

Law 18

Do Not Build Fortresses to Protect Yourself – Isolation is Dangerous

The world is dangerous and enemies are everywhere – everyone has to protect themselves. A fortress seems the safest. But isolation exposes you to more dangers than it protects you from – it cuts you off from valuable information, it makes you conspicuous and an easy target. Better to circulate among people find allies, mingle. You are shielded from your enemies by the crowd.

Law 19

Know Who You’re Dealing with – Do Not Offend the Wrong Person

There are many different kinds of people in the world, and you can never assume that everyone will react to your strategies in the same way. Deceive or outmaneuver some people and they will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge. They are wolves in lambs’ clothing. Choose your victims and opponents carefully, then – never offend or deceive the wrong person.

Law 20

Do Not Commit to Anyone

It is the fool who always rushes to take sides. Do not commit to any side or cause but yourself. By maintaining your independence, you become the master of others – playing people against one another, making them pursue you.

Law 21

Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker – Seem Dumber than your Mark

No one likes feeling stupider than the next persons. The trick, is to make your victims feel smart – and not just smart, but smarter than you are. Once convinced of this, they will never suspect that you may have ulterior motives.

Law 22

Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power

When you are weaker, never fight for honor’s sake; choose surrender instead. Surrender gives you time to recover, time to torment and irritate your conqueror, time to wait for his power to wane. Do not give him the satisfaction of fighting and defeating you – surrender first. By turning the other check you infuriate and unsettle him. Make surrender a tool of power.

Law 23

Concentrate Your Forces

Conserve your forces and energies by keeping them concentrated at their strongest point. You gain more by finding a rich mine and mining it deeper, than by flitting from one shallow mine to another – intensity defeats extensity every time. When looking for sources of power to elevate you, find the one key patron, the fat cow who will give you milk for a long time to come.

Law 24

Play the Perfect Courtier

The perfect courtier thrives in a world where everything revolves around power and political dexterity. He has mastered the art of indirection; he flatters, yields to superiors, and asserts power over others in the mot oblique and graceful manner. Learn and apply the laws of courtiership and there will be no limit to how far you can rise in the court.

Law 25

Re-Create Yourself

Do not accept the roles that society foists on you. Re-create yourself by forging a new identity, one that commands attention and never bores the audience. Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define if for you. Incorporate dramatic devices into your public gestures and actions – your power will be enhanced and your character will seem larger than life.

Law 26

Keep Your Hands Clean

You must seem a paragon of civility and efficiency: Your hands are never soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds. Maintain such a spotless appearance by using others as scapegoats and cat’s-paws to disguise your involvement.

Law 27

Play on People’s Need to Believe to Create a Cultlike Following

People have an overwhelming desire to believe in something. Become the focal point of such desire by offering them a cause, a new faith to follow. Keep your words vague but full of promise; emphasize enthusiasm over rationality and clear thinking. Give your new disciples rituals to perform, ask them to make sacrifices on your behalf. In the absence of organized religion and grand causes, your new belief system will bring you untold power.

Law 28

Enter Action with Boldness

If you are unsure of a course of action, do not attempt it. Your doubts and hesitations will infect your execution. Timidity is dangerous: Better to enter with boldness. Any mistakes you commit through audacity are easily corrected with more audacity. Everyone admires the bold; no one honors the timid.

Law 29

Plan All the Way to the End

The ending is everything. Plan all the way to it, taking into account all the possible consequences, obstacles, and twists of fortune that might reverse your hard work and give the glory to others. By planning to the end you will not be overwhelmed by circumstances and you will know when to stop. Gently guide fortune and help determine the future by thinking far ahead.

Law 30

Make your Accomplishments Seem Effortless

Your actions must seem natural and executed with ease. All the toil and practice that go into them, and also all the clever tricks, must be concealed. When you act, act effortlessly, as if you could do much more. Avoid the temptation of revealing how hard you work – it only raises questions. Teach no one your tricks or they will be used against you.

Law 31

Control the Options: Get Others to Play with the Cards you Deal

The best deceptions are the ones that seem to give the other person a choice: Your victims feel they are in control, but are actually your puppets. Give people options that come out in your favor whichever one they choose. Force them to make choices between the lesser of two evils, both of which serve your purpose. Put them on the horns of a dilemma: They are gored wherever they turn.

Law 32

Play to People’s Fantasies

The truth is often avoided because it is ugly and unpleasant. Never appeal to truth and reality unless you are prepared for the anger that comes for disenchantment. Life is so harsh and distressing that people who can manufacture romance or conjure up fantasy are like oases in the desert: Everyone flocks to them. There is great power in tapping into the fantasies of the masses.

Law 33

Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew

Everyone has a weakness, a gap in the castle wall. That weakness is usual y an insecurity, an uncontrollable emotion or need; it can also be a small secret pleasure. Either way, once found, it is a thumbscrew you can turn to your advantage.

Law 34

Be Royal in your Own Fashion: Act like a King to be treated like one

The way you carry yourself will often determine how you are treated; In the long run, appearing vulgar or common will make people disrespect you. For a king respects himself and inspires the same sentiment in others. By acting regally and confident of your powers, you make yourself seem destined to wear a crown.

Law 35

Master the Art of Timing

Never seem to be in a hurry – hurrying betrays a lack of control over yourself, and over time. Always seem patient, as if you know that everything will come to you eventually. Become a detective of the right moment; sniff out the spirit of the times, the trends that will carry you to power. Learn to stand back when the time is not yet ripe, and to strike fiercely when it has reached fruition.

Law 36

Disdain Things you cannot have: Ignoring them is the best Revenge

By acknowledging a petty problem you give it existence and credibility. The more attention you pay an enemy, the stronger you make him; and a small mistake is often made worse and more visible when you try to fix it. It is sometimes best to leave things alone. If there is something you want but cannot have, show contempt for it. The less interest you reveal, the more superior you seem.

Law 37

Create Compelling Spectacles

Striking imagery and grand symbolic gestures create the aura of power – everyone responds to them. Stage spectacles for those around you, then full of arresting visuals and radiant symbols that heighten your presence. Dazzled by appearances, no one will notice what you are really doing.

Law 38

Think as you like but Behave like others

If you make a show of going against the times, flaunting your unconventional ideas and unorthodox ways, people will think that you only want attention and that you look down upon them. They will find a way to punish you for making them feel inferior. It is far safer to blend in and nurture the common touch. Share your originality only with tolerant friends and those who are sure to appreciate your uniqueness.

Law 39

Stir up Waters to Catch Fish

Anger and emotion are strategically counterproductive. You must always stay calm and objective. But if you can make your enemies angry while staying calm yourself, you gain a decided advantage. Put your enemies off-balance: Find the chink in their vanity through which you can rattle them and you hold the strings.

Law 40

Despise the Free Lunch

What is offered for free is dangerous – it usually involves either a trick or a hidden obligation. What has worth is worth paying for. By paying your own way you stay clear of gratitude, guilt, and deceit. It is also often wise to pay the full price – there is no cutting corners with excellence. Be lavish with your money and keep it circulating, for generosity is a sign and a magnet for power.

Law 41

Avoid Stepping into a Great Man’s Shoes

What happens first always appears better and more original than what comes after. If you succeed a great man or have a famous parent, you will have to accomplish double their achievements to outshine them. Do not get lost in their shadow, or stuck in a past not of your own making: Establish your own name and identity by changing course. Slay the overbearing father, disparage his legacy, and gain power by shining in your own way.

Law 42

Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep will Scatter

Trouble can often be traced to a single strong individual – the stirrer, the arrogant underling, the poisoned of goodwill. If you allow such people room to operate, others will succumb to their influence. Do not wait for the troubles they cause to multiply, do not try to negotiate with them – they are irredeemable. Neutralize their influence by isolating or banishing them. Strike at the source of the trouble and the sheep will scatter.

Law 43

Work on the Hearts and Minds of Others

Coercion creates a reaction that will eventually work against you. You must seduce others into wanting to move in your direction. A person you have seduced becomes your loyal pawn. And the way to seduce others is to operate on their individual psychologies and weaknesses. Soften up the resistant by working on their emotions, playing on what they hold dear and what they fear. Ignore the hearts and minds of others and they will grow to hate you.

Law 44

Disarm and Infuriate with the Mirror Effect

The mirror reflects reality, but it is also the perfect tool for deception: When you mirror your enemies, doing exactly as they do, they cannot figure out your strategy. The Mirror Effect mocks and humiliates them, making them overreact. By holding up a mirror to their psyches, you seduce them with the illusion that you share their values; by holding up a mirror to their actions, you teach them a lesson. Few can resist the power of Mirror Effect.

Law 45

Preach the Need for Change, but Never Reform too much at Once

Everyone understands the need for change in the abstract, but on the day-to-day level people are creatures of habit Too much innovation is traumatic, and will lead to revolt. If you are new to a position of power, or an outsider trying to build a power base, make a show of respecting the old way of doing things. If change is necessary, make it feel like a gentle improvement on the past.

Law 46

Never appear too Perfect

Appearing better than others is always dangerous, but most dangerous of all is to appear to have no faults or weaknesses. Envy creates silent enemies. It is smart to occasionally display defects, and admit to harmless vices, in order to deflect envy and appear more human and approachable. Only gods and the dead can seem perfect with impunity.

Law 47

Do not go Past the Mark you Aimed for; In Victory, Learn when to Stop

The moment of victory is often the moment of greatest peril. In the heat of victory, arrogance and overconfidence can push you past the goal you had aimed for, and by going too far, you make more enemies than you defeat. Do not allow success to go to your head. There is no substitute for strategy and careful planning. Set a goal, and when you reach it, stop.

Law 48

Assume Formlessness

By taking a shape, by having a visible plan, you open yourself to attack. Instead of taking a form for your enemy to grasp, keep yourself adaptable and on the move. Accept the fact that nothing is certain and no law is fixed. The best way to protect yourself is to be as fluid and formless as water; never bet on stability or lasting order. Everything changes.