Upload Date: March 22, 2020

Hey everyone. I hope you guys are staying safe and healthy with COVID-19 floatin' around. Wash your hands, stay sanitary and don't go swappin' body fluids with strangers. Don't think you need me to tell you that last one, but eh. You never know when someone suddenly has the thought, "I should go swap some SEED with someone right now."

You are welcome for the thoughts and images that came to your mind. I will take payment in the form of reviews.

Here's something that I will surprise everyone who reads this fanfic: I have never seen a full episode of Naruto. Never. Nor have I read the manga.

I will take your roastings of how I have no childhood in the reviews.

Review corner!

monkiepawn: Yea, shit gets explained a bit this chapter. Naruto's not just growing fast though, he's maturing faster. As for Naruto's inability to be more open with others, there is the issue of his time/dimension travelling: who will believe him? Two, he's still the same orphan who grew up with practically no one in his life. To him, the idea of sharing his troubles should be as foreign as the idea of proper romance. So yea, it'll be a little heartbreaking to see him continue smiling while suffering on the inside. As for Inoichi, maybe a later chapter. I could totally see Izumi holding that over his head as some sort of punishment.

Chrolloz: "Respect the Wahmen?" Nux Taku? Is that you?!
Honestly, I'm surprised Naruto hasn't beaten the shit out of more people using his Oiroke no Jutsu. I'm actually disappointed.

PraetorXyn: You don't understand how much I wanted to write a scene where Naruto uses Senjutsu-enhanced techniques on that dickhead Ryuk.

TheMarioGamer: Yea, Naruto is a big boi. Kind of explained in the chapter, but as to whether he'll stop growing early? WE SHALL SEE.
Request for a female Kiba, is a no go for this specific story. Don't get me wrong, I feel the same way about a tomboy "alpha" female roughing it with Naruto only to develop feelings later, but nah. Gotta have some dickhead males that are around Naruto's age.

TheRazgrizDragon: I'm so glad you agree with the traps thing. Like, you could clearly see some of it happen during the fight against Pein where he uses deception and smokescreens to his advantage, but not nearly enough!

Yorae Rasante: Yess! I don't understand why Naruto stopped using the cool pranks and stuff. He used it against Zabuzu by transforming into the windmill shuriken or demon shuriken, I forgot which one it is called, but yea! He used some tricks in the Pein fight too, like smokescreens, but there was so much potential for it. I agree with the Dragon Ball Z thing. It suddenly became about who was physically stronger, could throw more jutsus, instead of tricks and sleight of hand like in Naruto.

TheB: Yea, the height thing is touched upon here. As to where and how Naruto will physically develop, I guess you'll just have to read on...

OmegaRealism: Ugh... Here. This one isn't as boring! It's building up to some butt clenching action. Happy?

UknownHero: Mmm. Bringing salt and pepper to the Forest of Death... I wonder what snakes taste like?

Jarred Williams: Wow. High praise to say that this is the most interesting fic you've read in awhile. Well, I hope I can keep your interest!

JohnyXD: Manga logic. When in doubt, manga logic.
You don't understand. I actually imagined Neko hissing at them just like that when I wrote it, but goddamn I couldn't because she's still ANBU. But my word that would have been cute.

ShadowDeathSkull: UGHHH. I can't even tell you when Izumi and Satsuki will make a goddamn move AND I'M THE ONE WRITING THIS STORY. You don't understand how much I want them to kiss him already. BUT NO. Fucking "character development." I'm tempted to just write one-shots based off this story for moments between Naruto and the girls. From cute to lemons. Very tempted.

ragnarshadow: He'll keep growing, but at a slower rate.

BlackDragonShinigami: I wanna make Naruto clap Pein's cheeks with some pranks now. Fuck. I'm gonna have a hard time writing that just imagining what he'd do to the guy because I'd waste so much time laughing my ass off. "God" getting his cheeks clapped by paintballs and parlor tricks. I love it.

sd74: Bruh. Are you... trying to calculate when Naruto could have his ramen cheat day? I don't think Izumi would like you very much.
I love the idea of threatening Ryuk's junk. Should've written that. I had a brief thought of having Naruto slam him in the nuts, but my word that was painful just imagining. I don't think even Naruto would be that cruel. Fingers up the ass? Yes. Breaking a man's berries? A tentative no.

Mind : Honestly, thank you for say that. I don't think this story is anything special. I'm actually just writing because it's fun and it keeps the story alive and on paper rather than in my head, where no one could see it.

Anyway! Here's a 10k word chapter for you guys to enjoy under quarantine. Cheeks are starting to get clapped.

Read, react and review!

Chapter 9: Judgment

Puberty.

If there is one thing in the entire world Naruto didn't want to experience again, it is puberty. The awkward mornings, the voice cracks. The hormonal urges. Despite training with Jiraiya, the self-proclaimed Super Pervert, - he still didn't know how the man could proudly proclaim such a thing - Naruto was far more focused on getting stronger and keeping his promise to Sakura than the pleasures of the flesh.

That doesn't mean he didn't understand the appeal of a woman's body. He is, after all, the creator of the Oiroke no Jutsu (Sexy Technique). He understands and appreciates the appeal, the sensual curves and softness of the female form. He just isn't obsessed with it like his godfather/sensei. Damn old man spent more time peeping on women in hot springs than he did training his student.

Speaking of perverts, how come every sensei he's ever had has been a pervert? Kakashi, public porn reader. Ebisu, closet pervert. Jiraiya, Super Pervert. It's a miracle Naruto isn't a raging pervert.

But doesn't making the Oiroke no Jutsu (Sexy Technique) make him a pervert? Maybe?

Nah! That's only if he started groping himself for enjoyment. Then, he'd be a pervert.

Strangely, unlike his first life when he'd experienced puberty during the three year trip with Jiraiya, Naruto is experiencing puberty at the age… of ten. It shouldn't be happening! But then, he's been alive for a total of twenty seven years, looking like he's only in his teens. To that end, he could only come to one conclusion, one reason, for his rapid maturation: chakra.

For whatever reason, his potent, Yang-oriented chakra is forcing his body to mature at a far faster rate than natural. At the age of ten, Naruto is now standing a full head taller than his sensei, something that she was rather unhappy about.

"It's harder to touch your whiskers now," she'd pouted.

Damn all the jutsus in the world. Damn all the Sages and Senjus. If you need a weapon of mass devastation, just make one Izumi Uchiha pout. Wars would be ended in a heartbeat to make that pout disappear.

But then, that might just be his bias for the black haired beauty. Hey! He might not be the sharpest kunai in the bunch, but he could tell when someone is pretty. And his sensei is definitely a head turner.

"Natsumi-chan!" Naruto, dubbed as Natsumi amongst those who have seen his Oiroke no Jutsu (Sexy Technique), was pulled out of her thoughts about her latest thoughts. "You're staring again."

"Ah, gomen (sorry), Yū-chan."

Initially, Yūgao and the rest of their friends hadn't believed that Naruto could transform into a "golden-haired bitch," as Izumi so eloquently put it. So once again, she dragged the rest of her friends to Training Ground Six, where Naruto was practically fighting for his life against his sensei. Why?

Because Natsumi was more endowed than Izumi.

That took awhile to sink in with the rest of the group of friends. Izumi had never shown any sort of envy for her inordinately endowed friends before. Anko, Kurenai, Yūgao, Hana, all were incredibly endowed, both upstairs and downstairs.

Apparently, she drew the line at having her male student's alter ego be more endowed than her. Everyone had a breaking point, they supposed. Every now and then, they could catch the briefest glimpse of Izumi gazing at Natsumi's bust and hips in envy as they went about town, using the alter ego to alleviate the hatred drawn to Naruto by civilians. Of course, the hate-filled looks were replaced with either lust, envy, or adoration so it wasn't that much of an improvement.

Naruto, or Natsumi, was still no one, a ghost, in his own home village.

"Whatcha thinkin' about, blondie? Got jutsus on your mind or something a little more pleasurable?"

Leave it to Anko to make Naruto uncomfortable in either form. The first thing she'd done when she saw his female form was to grope him. It wasn't a cursory touch or squeeze either. Anko fucking pulled and played with her chest like she was testing a couple of melons to see if they were ripe!

"Anko!" Kurenai, of course, was the more reasonable one of the bunch.

"What? You can't tell me you're not a little bit curious about whether or not she's a natural blonde."

"PUH! I- I-" Any credibility the red eyed beauty had was lost as her cheeks flushed and her stammer came in full force.

"Exactly, Nai-chan! You need to live a little!" Much to Kurenai's chagrin, Anko groped her dark haired bestie's bust. Unrestrained laughter erupted from the purplette when the Genjutsu Mistress slapped away the offending hand.

Natsumi couldn't help but blush at the forward woman. Female form or not, Naruto was still a hot-blooded male who has been trained by the world's biggest pervert to appreciate the female body. If any more of that kept up, he was afraid he'd pop the Henge (Transformation) out of embarrassment.

"Anko! Some decorum. We are in public. I don't want to explain to Otō-sama why I was placed into jail for public indecency." Izumi really didn't want to have that sort of conversation with her father of all people. It had been bad enough when she brought up the subject of her menses with her mother. After that conversation, she wanted to use a Doton jutsu to bury herself. Permanently.

"Oh, don't be such a prude, little crow. It's not like I'm sucking face with Nai-chan. I'll leave that shit to Asuma."

Natsumi couldn't help but smile at that. Even in another dimension, the red eyed beauty and the rugged sensei of Team Ten still sought out one another. Two halves of a whole. She was the Yin to Asuma's Yang.

"Ugh. We aren't dating."

"Yet. Don't forget the important modifier!" Anko was nonplussed as Kurenai groaned and held her head in her hands, hiding the blush on her pale cheeks. "It's only a matter of time until you give in and start going out with him and poppin' out some little brats."

That's right… Kurenai was out of commission at the height of the war due to the birth of her and Asuma's child. Despite not being married to the chain smoking jōnin, the Sarutobi Clan had taken her in. Much like their highly coveted monkey summons, the clan understands the value of family. That was all he'd known of the former sensei, forced into the role of a single parent because of some misguided attempt towards peace.

Unwanted, Natusmi's mind came to a conclusion that made her throat tighten in discomfort. In some way, it was her fault. Had she been stronger, she would have been able to kill or seal away Hidan and Kakuzu. Maybe if she had, then that poor child wouldn't have been born without their father. Kurenai wouldn't have been left alone.

"Natsumi-chan? Are you alright?"

In spite of herself, she nearly snapped when a hand placed itself on her clenched fist. Idly, she noted the cuts left by her nails on her already healing skin.

"Yea! Yea. I'm… I'm fine." She knew lying to her sensei was meaningless, but she didn't want to worry her. "Nothing wrong with wanting to settle down to have some kids, Anko. Just because you won't do it doesn't mean other people shouldn't do it."

"Oh, I don't give a damn what other people do. Just keep that shit away from me." She waved her hand, as if shooing away the very idea of settling down and having a family. "What about you, princess? You want any kids?"

"Of course," Izumi replied.

"Good luck with that! If your brains and skills don't scare away all your suitors, then your old man will."

Everyone giggled as Izumi sighed. Her father, as well-meaning as he could be, is not exactly the most welcoming person, especially for any males who might come near his precious daughters. Even Naruto has been caught on the end of his overbearing parental protectiveness.

"Either that or Natsumi here will steal them away from you," Hana supplied.

"I still don't understand how you came up with that." Izumi frowned, crossing her arms and staring at the busty blonde seated next to her.

"We don't get it either. By the way, how… how accurate are you?" Yūgao tentatively asked.

"How… accurate?"

"How accurate is your meat pocket, gaki?" Anko is, once again, as subtle as a rampaging bijū.

"Uh… Very?" Natsumi wasn't sure if she should be mortified or fear for her life.

"And how do you know that?" Izumi's glare worsened.

"I… uh… you know what, I gotta go! Training waits for no one-ttebane!"

Poof!

Taking Natsumi's place was a Naruto clone, one who clearly knew he just got stabbed in the back by the original.

"What the fuck, boss?!"

The clone felt a surge of fear as he turned around, met with the frowning faces of Kurenai, Yūgao, Hana and Izumi, who had brought out her Sharingan.

"Ah… fuck you, boss-ttebayo."

"Oho. You naughty naughty boy, Naruto." Anko was the only one who seemed nonplussed about his knowledge on female anatomy. "Have you been spying on Izumi-chan?"

Clone or not, one learns to fear an angry Uchiha woman when her Sharingan starts to spin ominously.

"Uhh," one nervous gulp later, "no?"

"Is that a question?" hissed Izumi .

Knowing that if he didn't act soon, he, along with the original, will be in deep shit. When in doubt, fall back to the most basic shinobi skill: deception.

"It's Izumi-sensei's fault! She pushes me into my bed and forces me to sleep with her every week!"

She only forces him to sleep with her in the same bed as a way for him to rest, but they didn't know that. He'll leave them to draw their own conclusions.

The entire table went quiet at the clone's outburst. The attention of the girls focused on the now blushing Izumi, who had already caught onto the clone's plan, but knew she couldn't do anything about what was implied between them.

Poof!

"Ara ara, little crow! I didn't know you were so forward! Well, don't hold out on us! How is he?" Anko couldn't give a damn about the immoral nature of their relationship. She just wanted the details. "Stamina? Size? Techn-"

"WE DON'T DO ANYTHING!"

"'Don't do anything?' Naruto-kun said you basically rape him!" Yūgao was a lot angrier than she expected herself to be over such a revelation. "If there's one thing Naruto-kun can't do, it's lie. So tell us, Izumi, did you or did you not have non-consensual sex with Naruto, a minor?"

She might be ANBU black ops, but even she had standards. Finding out that one of her best friends is jumping their only mutual male friend, who is also a minor, crosses those standards!

"I didn't!"

"A likely story! Now spill the deets, princess!"

If Izumi wasn't caught up in the grilling of her friends over her supposed sex life, she would have been more proud of her student for how well he turned the situation around.

He's still getting punished later, but pride now. Punishment later.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"You know the Uchiha will get you for that later, correct?"

"Yea, but I'd rather deal with one angry woman rather than five."

"Hmm." The Kyūbi agreed. Better one than five. "Out of curiosity, how do you get your female form to be so accurate? And don't lie to me, human, or I will punish you alongside the Uchiha."

"It wouldn't make sense for you, Kyūbi-chan. Just accept it for what it is. But didn't peep or do anything perverted-ttebayo!"

"You are a teenager at the height of his hormonal imbalance and you are telling me you didn't do anything perverted?"

Good point. Even the dense, almost unforgivably oblivious Naruto has been sneaking glances at the females in his life.

Anko, even if she is a little too bloodthirsty for any sane male, is undeniably attractive. He just didn't want her drinking his blood anymore. Once is enough, thank you very much.

Hana, who has outgrown her tomboy phase, is now incredibly attractive. While her mode of dress isn't as revealing or as risqué as Anko's, her show of cleavage is still a point of interest for most guys. Combined with her caring, but competitive personality, she's a definite catch.

How does she get her chest to fit under that Chūnin vest? Has to be pretty uncomfortable under there.

Kurenai is gorgeous. Athletic, yet curvy, she'll turn heads fast enough to give people whiplash! Her exotic red eyes, voluminous black curls and lily-white skin make her a walking wet dream for most men and an idol for girls.

Not for the first time, Naruto felt his sense of respect for the chain smoking Sarutobi who captured her heart increase.

Then there was Yūgao. His friend, training partner and childhood guardian. He has caught himself admiring her, especially after a kenjutsu practice session. He remembered one vivid memory, one that has sparked many a wet dream, where he followed a bead of sweat from her temple all the way down the length of her neck, only to be lost in the contours of her chest.

The Kyūbi had never let him down after that, taunting him with images of him and the purple-haired sword user in some intimate and downright nosebleed inducing positions.

Last, but not least, there was Izumi Uchiha, his sensei and infrequent bed partner. After he'd given her those tessen a couple of years ago, she had been sneaking into his room a lot more, often dragging him - against his will, mind you! - to bed so he could "rest."

"I could rest when I'm dead!" He remembered telling her.

Ugh. Then she turned back and glared at him. Needless to say, he didn't sleep alone that night.

After awhile, he'd started to look forward to those days where she would drag his ass to bed, force him under the covers and drape herself across him like some human-shaped paper weight. Somehow, this actually allowed him to sleep without being haunted by the ghosts of his past. He'd actually spent quite a bit of their time together, both in and out of bed, admiring the beautiful woman that is his sensei.

Although she wasn't as endowed as the rest of her friends, that didn't make her any less beautiful. Her assets suited her lithe frame perfectly. Long, straight black hair framed a lily-white face adorned with features so breathtaking, he'd nearly lost his head a few times during the heat of a spar.

"Died by perving on his sensei" is not something he wants to see written on his grave marker, Sage damn it! Then again, if he was dead, he wouldn't see it being there, but the point still stands!

"Does it make me a pervert to be looking at them like this?"

"I'm a bijū. Do you honestly expect me to answer such a question?"

"I dunno! But you're still a woman!"

"Right, that means I have all the answers, obviously! Stupid human."

"Bitchy bijū."

Surprisingly to Naruto, the Kyūbi that he has come to know over the last five years is a lot more amicable than the Kurama of his past. He still missed the furball, but this Kyūbi isn't so bad. They'd fallen into a comfortable rhythm of trading insults and shared conversations.

When he'd asked her why she was so open to conversation with him, rather than being lost to her anger, she had given him an eye opening response.

"I am a bijū, the most powerful one at that. Why would I be concerned with the actions of a few hairless apes? Regardless of what you do now, you will die, while I will continue to exist as a part of this world. Why would I be angered by the way humans treat themselves and the world at large? Regardless of what happens, of whatever wrongs you may commit, to either yourselves or to the world, it does not concern me. After all, you would only be hurting yourselves. Your species is worth neither my anger, nor my pity." Her cocky smirk turned into an angry frown. "What does anger me is the Shodai's decision to subjugate my siblings and I, to strip away our freedom, and turning us into weapons for the amusement of your leaders."

Damn. Then who pissed in Kurama's ramen? Was it because… he's a guy? Alpha male issues? Was that why he was always comparing tails? His partner had an inferiority complex? Why was he always angry?

Ugh. That line of thought only made his head hurt.

"Focus! Something's happening."

Naruto's thoughts turn on a dime, forcing everything unnecessary out of his mind, tuning his senses to his surroundings and searching for whatever it was that drew the attention of his tenant. On the surface, using only his most basic senses, he could tell that something was wrong, though not what it was. The forest was simply too quiet, the evening atmosphere devoid of the animal cries that would normally fill the air.

It was his ability to sense natural energy that finally told him what was wrong: someone is there, near the training ground. Someone whose blip within the natural energy seems incredibly familiar.

"Shisui-nii!"

Naruto took off towards the signature of someone he considers to be family. The trip didn't take long, but he could tell that something was wrong: Shisui's signature was stationary. Doubling his pace, Naruto came upon a scene that made his stomach drop.

Shisui was bruised and battered, pressing himself up against a tree and flicking his head from side to side, reacting to every little noise that he heard. His clothes were torn in several places, clean, precise cuts that littered his pale frame. Both of his eyelids were closed shut, trails of blood running down his cheeks.

Someone had taken his eyes. Both of them.

"Nii-san!" Upon hearing his voice, Shisui's head jerked up, obviously relieved, before he frowned, hands shakily gripping a kunai as he threatened the person he couldn't see.

"Stay back! You can't trick me!"

"It's me, nii-san! We went training beyond the village walls a couple of months ago with Izumi-chan! You taught me tracking and Izumi-chan pranked both of us for pranking her the first time around, remember?" Just like that, his guard dropped once more.

"F-Fuck. It really is you, Naruto." His words were punctuated by several coughs, holding on to his sides as if it'd hurt him just to breathe. "D-Danzō Shimura did this to me. Him and those ANBU rejects."

"Shh. Doesn't matter right now. Let's take care of you first!" Upon closer inspection, Naruto could tell that his sensei had lost a lot of blood, staining his navy blue clothes a disgusting mix of dried, flaky and free flowing red blood.

Poof!

Three clones spawned, one instantly using the Henge to turn into a stretcher. Without knowing if there were any broken bones that were stabbing into any important bits, Naruto didn't want to carry him. Moving him on a stretcher, though not recommended, was the best way for him to take the injured teen to the hospital.

"What was that?!" Damn. In his injured state, Shisui was still wired to react to every sound, especially the sound of spawning clones.

"My clones. We made a stretcher for you. You've got to get to a hospital!" That's, quite possibly, the first time Naruto had ever said those words to someone.

Shisui complied, guided by the two clones onto the stretcher while the original searched around for anything Shisui didn't want left behind. Before his older boy could lose much more blood though, the trio of Narutos took off towards the village hospital. He hated the damn place, but he knew where it was as a necessity, something drilled into his brain by his sensei.

"You might not need it, Naruto-kun, but what if you came across someone who doesn't heal as fast as you do?"

Along the way to the hospital, he could see several patrols of the Uchiha Police Force following him from afar. They recognize him and Shisui-nii, based on the murmurs of worry and fear that they could feel. Some of it was directed at him, though most were concerned for the one he carried in his stretcher.

Naruto and his trio of clones burst into the emergency wing of the hospital, only to be sneered at.

"Get the hell out of here! You're not welcome here."

"It's not for me, you stupid idiot! It's for Shisui-nii!"

"I don't give a damn who it's for! Your kind is not welcome here!" Some fucking doctor.

"Listen here you fucking bitch! Unless you want the Hokage himself coming down here to ask you why his nephew is dead and Police Captain Kagami to personally torture the answer as to why his son is dead out of you, YOU'D BETTER START TREATING HIM!"

That worked, kicking their asses into gear as they begrudgingly hefted the injured male from Naruto's clone-made stretcher onto a medical stretcher before racing him into the emergency operating room.

Poof!

Several more clones spawned, following behind the stretcher and stationing themselves around the operating room, both inside and outside the hospital, covering every point of entry.

"Protect Shisui-nii, no matter the danger!"

"Ossu!"

Like that, Naruto was off once again, racing towards the Hokage Tower while another clone was sent towards the Uchiha District towards their home to talk to Mikoto-oba-chan while another raced towards the Uchiha Police Station.

SLAM!

"Hey! You can't just barge in here like that!"

"Fuck off! I need to see Hokage-sama now!"

Running straight up the stairs and into the Hokage's office, he slammed the doors open. Inside, standing opposite the Hokage were Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, his advisors, while the Sandaime is seated on the couch in the office, listening in and giving advice as needed.

"Fugaku-sama! Shisui-nii's in the hospital!"

"Shisui-kun?" The Sandaime was the first to respond.

The slight widening of the stoic Godaime's eyes were the only thing that gave away his worry. Many thought Fugaku was a cold-hearted bastard, but if there was one thing in the world that he loved, it was his family.

"How?" The tone was authoritative, yet held none of the concern he felt.

"Attacked, and according to Shisui-nii, by Danzō Shimura and his ANBU." Naruto practically growled out his answer, his anger barely contained.

"Preposterous! Danzō would ne-"

Whatever the old crone was going to say was cut off as Naruto glared at the advisors, eyes slitted and red as his anger allowed his control over the seal to slip.

"Are you calling me and Shisui-nii a liar? If you're done being a waste of space, get the hell out of here!"

"Look here, you-" Homura attempted to speak up, obviously incensed by the boy's dismissal.

"You. Are. Dismissed." This time, it was the Hokage who spoke up, his Sharingan swirling menacingly in the fading evening light.

It felt like an eternity and a half later before Fugaku turned to Naruto once the two fossils had left the office.

"His status?"

"Unknown. He was alive when I left him at the hospital, after they'd taken him into the operating room."

"Guards?"

"Forty clones, stationed at every entry and exit possible."

"Good. You've alerted my brother and Mikoto, correct?"

"Hai."

Just like that, Fugaku slumped in his seat, a rare display of weariness that only a few have ever seen before.

"Thank you, Naruto."

"Think nothing of it, Fugaku-sama. Anything for family." Naruto paused as the Hokage nodded. "He took Shisui's eyes."

As if the very air in the room was chilled by an Hyōton jutsu, Fugaku's eyes bore into Naruto's.

"What?"

"Danzō took his eyes. He wants his Mangekyō Sharingan prowess, the Kotoamatsukami."

"Kuso!"

"He has gone too far this time," Hiruzen frowned, obviously disappointed by his old friend and comrade.

Despite the calm facade of someone who has been like a father to him, Naruto knew he was greatly angered by the news. To steal the eyes of an Uchiha, alive or dead, is the equivalent of spitting on their family name. That was something Fugaku taught him the very first week he'd lived with the clan head's family.

Fugaku didn't dwell on the fact that Naruto knew of the Mangekyō Sharingan and Shisui's specific powers. The two were incredibly close despite the difference in age because of how close their views and personalities were.

"He needs to die, Fugaku-sama."

If Fugaku wasn't so worried about his nephew and what Danzō could be doing with the Kotoamatsukami, he would have gawked at the boy. For the last five years that Naruto had lived with them, Naruto had shown to have not a single mean bone in his body, yet here he was, calling for the death of a stranger. The same could be said for the old monkey, who was looking at his de facto grandson in a new light.

"That man has done too much already. He needs to pay for his crimes."

"It will not be that easy, Naruto." At that, Naruto scoffed.

"It is that easy. Give me an ANBU squad. I will personally hunt him down."

Normally, Naruto would be the first to speak up for the redemption of those who have committed wrongs in the past, but not this time. Danzō was the person who helped to start the Akatsuki, no matter how inadvertently. Because of him, thousands had died. The entire Uchiha Clan had died at his hands. The very first iteration of the Akatsuki lost the heart of their organization because of him. Nagato and Konan had become what they were because of him.

It was because of him that Itachi was forced to murder his own family.

All for the hat. All for the Great Tree of Konoha.

All for greed.

"No," Fugaku knew there was no way any squad of highly trained ANBU would follow Naruto's lead. "I will not be giving you a squad."

"But-"

"I know you want to get revenge for Shisui, but you have no field experience. ANBU will not listen to someone they do not respect."

"Then let me join a squad!" Naruto wasn't thinking straight. He knew it, Fugaku knew it, Hiruzen knew it. "I want to prove myself, but more than that, I want to protect my family! What's the point of all this training, of being Izumi's apprentice if I can't even use it to protect my family?"

"This is more than just about protecting our family! This is about a government official attacking a Konoha shinobi. This is about someone who stole a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan. This is someone who has survived the last three Shinobi World Wars!"

"Che. He might be a decent shinobi, but survival is more about luck than skill." And didn't he know it. "Danzō doesn't care about anything else. He just cares about himself and taking the stupid hat! He doesn't give a damn about Konoha! All he wants is to take back the hat that jiji 'stole' from him-ttebayo!"

"How do you know that?" This time, it was the Sandaime who spoke up. He knew of his teammate's obsession with the position. How does Naruto know?

"I'm an empath, jiji. That old bastard feels like nothing but greed. He may speak like a patriot, but he can't hide his true intentions from me." While true that he could be an empath while using some of his more powerful transformations, Naruto knew about the old bastard's ambition from Tsunade.

"Regardless of how you feel about him, or what you think about his skills, he is still a threat. With his subdivision of ANBU active, there isn't much that we could do without forcefully confronting him."

"Then let me join a squad! This will prove that he's a snake who only cares about himself!" Naruto was adamant. No matter what happens, he is going to personally hunt down that bastard. "If he fights back despite it being the Hokage's orders to have him killed, he's a rebel. You can put him in the Bingo book. If he doesn't fight back, he dies. With Shisui surviving their encounter, there's nothing that the bastard could do to wiggle out of this!"

"He and his ANBU attacked Shisui, put him in the hospital and stole his eyes, Naruto. What makes you think you could survive fighting against him?" The Sandaime was the voice of reason between the two stubborn men.

"Because I know who the enemy is! Shisui was probably jumped by the asshole and his goons!"

The two Hokages sit quietly, contemplating what they could do to deal with the Danzō, who has clearly gone rogue if he is going to openly attack a Konoha shinobi.

"Let him, Fugaku-kun."

"Hiruzen-sama. Are you sure?"

"Quite. Naruto has shown himself to be more than capable if what you told me about his fight against Ryuk is to be believed. Naruto fought a jōnin Uchiha who could use his Sharingan through tricks alone while able to keep up with him in taijutsu. This time," he added, "there will be no need to hold back."

Fugaku didn't show it, but he was apprehensive about sending Naruto to fight against Danzō and his forces. Izumi joining ANBU was something that he didn't have a say in. They needed someone on the inside to spy on the actions of Hiruzen and his advisors during the height of the shadow war the clan was preparing. Now, however, he had a choice to keep someone who had basically prevented the decimation of his clan had the clan and village government failed to reach a compromise.

"Send him in with Team Ro, Fugaku."

Team Ro: the Hokage's personal ANBU squad. Each agent hand picked by the Hokage himself to assert his will upon both his subjects and upon foreign nations. They were the best of the best, trained to seduce, infiltrate and kill in the name of the Hokage without any hesitation.

They would be Naruto's best chance of surviving the coming conflict.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Fugaku commanded. "Are you ready and willing to kill in the name of your Hokage?"

"Hai!"

BAM!

"Fugaku! Naruto! Sandaime-sama!" One frantic Kagami Uchiha slammed the doors to the Hokage's office.

Kagami Uchiha, named after the very Uchiha who had been a part of the Nidaime's Escort Unit, is Fugaku's younger brother and Captain of the Uchiha Police Force. He was a nearly perfect copy of the person whose names Unlike his predecessor, Kagami bears the prominent on either side of his nose of the clan head's paternal line. His hair, rather than being straight like Fugaku's, curled, a trait he'd inherited from their mother. Wearing the uniform of the Uchiha Police Force, the extended shoulder pauldrons of his black flak jacket denoted his position of Captain.

"Kagami. How is Shisui?"

"Still being operated on." The man turned towards Naruto and bowed. "My family and I owe you everything, Naruto. You saved Shisui with your actions."

"You don't have to bow to me, Kagami-oji-san (Uncle Kagami)!" If there was one thing Naruto didn't want people doing to him, it's bowing. "We're family!"

"Regardless, you have saved him." The older man straightened up, his smile now replaced by a frown. "Who did this to him?"

"Danzō Shimura," Fugaku hissed.

"Let me at him, Fugaku. That bastard has gone too far this time! He took my son's eyes."

"No. You will not be doing this, Kagami. Your place is with your son when he leaves the operating table." Fugaku then turned towards Naruto. "Gear up, Naruto."

"Hai, Hokage-sama!"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Codename: Inu had originally thought the day would be his day off, one of at least another four to seven days following a long mission. He, and the rest of Team Ro, had just finished a nearly two month long mission into Tsuchi no Kuni (Land of Earth). They had been sent to observe and mingle among the civilian population in villages across the country, doing their best to gather information on the movements of the Iwa shinobi.

While it may seem ineffective to spy on shinobi forces through the civilians who could neither understand nor are privy to the secret lives of the shinobi, all ninjas rely upon civilians for one reason or another. During their stint in Tsuchi no Kuni, they had used their skills in espionage to find civilian jobs, which is not all that hard. Inu himself had managed to find work among the foresters of Tsuchikata, who used specially designed tools and permits to provide lumber, to both civilians and shinobi alike, from Tsuchi no Kuni's border with Taki no Kuni (Land of Waterfalls).

Although the shinobi of Iwa mostly use their high Doton affinity to build, maintain and repair their structures, they still need lumber to furnish and make their structures habitable. And it's not like civilians could do the same.

Not everything could be made with stone. He certainly didn't want to sleep on a slab of rock every night. He might be ANBU but even that's a little too barbaric for him.

According to the work orders he'd managed to pilfer and the gossip he'd managed to pick up, the forester teams have been receiving more work orders as of late from Iwagakure, though there was no mention as to where that lumber was being transported. From what he personally saw, and with judicious use of deductive reasoning, he'd assumed that the transportation would be done using a third-party, one likely consisted of Iwa shinobi.

Iwa is establishing a base. But where? And why?

Ever since their defeat at the hands of sensei almost twelve years ago, they had been recouping their losses. So why now? What's changed?

With not nearly enough information to continue with such a line of thought, all he could do is report his findings to the Hokage. Perhaps he will see the bigger picture given the more abundant sources of information he has.

This secret base, or whatever it is, that Iwa is building isn't the most vexing of the intel that they had gathered. Hȳo (Leopard), Neko (Cat), Kaeru (Frog), and Karasu (Crow) had uncovered a subtle problem that practically every village they'd travelled to had reported cases of missing persons. At first, it didn't seem too out of the ordinary. In a world of assassins, slavers and bandits, a few missing children didn't really mean much.

That was… until he'd established a pattern: they're all children of shinobi descent.

Every reportedly missing child within every village had a name that is either close enough to pass for a member of a clan, be it minor, major or supposedly extinct clans. This had taken quite a bit of time to scrounge up and he'd practically come across this tidbit on accident.

Someone, somewhere, is kidnapping children of shinobi descent.

Inu suppressed a fearful shudder as unpleasant memories surfaced. The last time he had to deal with missing children, Konoha had earned herself a nukenin whose notoriety is only surpassed by Madara Uchiha.

He could only hope it wasn't what he thought it was.

Now, at dusk, Inu is standing at attention within the Hokage's office along with the eight other members of Team Ro.

"Hokage-sama. Sandaime-sama. Team Ro, fully assembled."

Fugaku Uchiha, the Godaime Hokage of Konoha. That wasn't a title that had ever even crossed Inu's mind, let alone be one he'd utter out loud. The first Uchiha Hokage didn't wear the hat like his predecessors. Instead, he wore a dark red hitai-ate bearing a metal band with the word "Fire (火)" etched onto its glossy surface. The black, open-front battle skirt he normally preferred is now white, bearing flames similar to those of those the Yondaime's haori.

The hat is only worn by the man during official proceedings, as is custom for all Kages, regardless of village affiliation.

However, his attention wasn't focused on the village's leader; he was focused completely on the tall blond that occupied the room alongside the two Hokages and Team Ro.

Dressed in the garb of Konoha's ANBU with a Kitsune mask on his belt, is a spiky haired blond that brought back far too many memories. Memories of happier times. Of a family lost.

"S-Sensei?"

It took him several seconds to realize that his initial impression of those familiar blue eyes and blond hair were incorrect. Along with his prominent whisker marks, the owner of said eyes was young, appearing to be in his mid teens, but knowing his sensei and his sensei's wife, he had to be only ten years old, born on the same day that they had died. Much like his late sensei, the boy's jawline is becoming much more defined as he matures. Without a doubt, he is his sensei and nee-san's son.

"Maybe it's the Uzumaki genes making him mature faster." He mulled over that thought for two seconds. "Nah. Nee-san was a lot of things, but the word 'mature' wasn't one of them."

"Good." He then went through a series of hand seals before placing his hand on the desk, activating a series of security and privacy seals that have been in place since the beginning of Konoha, designed by Mito Uzumaki, the wife of the Shodai Hokage. "Team Ro, masks off." Only when everyone had their masks attached to their belt through a small seal did the Hokage continue with the mission debriefing, his Sharingan scanning the room for any unwelcome guests.

"This is an S-ranked mission." That, they'd already assumed to be true, given the rather urgent nature of their summoning. "The objective is to eliminate a threat to Konoha, one who has been festering within the shadows for far too long." The Hokage then gestured towards the blond newcomer within the room.

"This is Naruto Uzumaki and he will be joining you in this mission."

As soon as the Hokage had finished speaking, there was an air of discontent among the Hokage's personal team. Accepting the incredibly young Izumi at the time of her joining Team Ro was one thing, but to work with an untested child on an S-ranked mission is another.

"Hokage-sama!"

Knowing their argument, the Hokage raised his hand, stopping any further shows of dissent amongst his troops.

"He was personally trained by Itachi. He will be more than capable of fighting alongside you." He looked into the eyes of every operative, most of whom had been hand picked by the Sandaime during his reign as Hokage. As a sign of good will, he kept on every member, only picking Neko (Cat) herself to join the squad when the last member, Shishi (Lion), had retired from the team.

"I do not wish to send him into such a mission untested either, but Sandaime-sama and I trust him. With his extensive sensor capabilities, he will be able to guide you through your mission and provide assistance on the frontline. He will not be a hindrance to you."

"What is the mission, Hokage-sama?" Inu asked with his usual drawl.

"Team Ro's mission is to eliminate one person and to bring down his entire organization: Danzō Shimura and his ROOT ANBU." Waiting for the information to sink in, the Hokage continued to brief Team Ro. "As of two hours ago, Danzō Shimura and his ANBU attacked a Konoha nin: Shisui Uchiha, stealing his Sharingan and leaving Shisui to bleed out in Training Ground Twelve. Naruto Uzumaki found Shisui and brought him to Konoha Medical Center. As of an hour ago, Shisui has been declared to be stable, yet unconscious. It is up to Team Ro to bring Danzō Shimura to justice, dead or alive." The Hokage's Sharingan swirled ominously in the gathering darkness. "Preferably dead."

"Exterminate Shimura. Kill any ROOT operatives who stand in your way. That is the will of your Hokage!"

"HAI, HOKAGE-SAMA!"

The man then turned to Naruto, his features softening ever so slightly.

"You had better come back home, Naruto. They will never forgive me if something were to happen to you." He didn't have to clarify who "they" referred to.

"I will come home, Hokage-sama. We all will. That's a promise-ttebayo."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," he lightly chastised. "You know what Shisui's eyes look like, correct?" Naruto nodded. "Find them, Naruto."

"I will."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Standing at the fence that cordons off Training Ground Forty Four, also known as the Forest of Death, were the Sandaime and Godaime Hokage, the Uchiha Police Force Captain, Naruto Uzumaki, geared and masked alongside Team Ro.

"Naruto, head count," commanded the Hokage. Naruto blinked for a second before answering the Godaime.

"About a hundred signatures, ten kilometers into the forest, a few hundred meters below the surface."

"Hm." Fugaku nodded. That corresponds with the information the Sandaime had given him regarding bases that the ROOT could hide within. "Be careful, Naruto. This will be unlike any battle you have fought before with Izumi or Ryuk."

"You're right about one thing, Godaime-sama: this won't be like any battle I've ever been in." Naruto's eyes turned from glacial chips of ice to crimson slits, staring into Fugaku's eyes without fear. "This will be an extermination."

With that declaration in tow, Naruto turned towards his comrades. Slitted eyes peered into the eyes of every masked operative, challenging.

"If anyone has a problem with me, you can walk away now. With or without you, Danzō dies tonight."

When no one moved, he smirked, allowing some of the caustic chakra to leak out of his seal. Turning his head towards the direction of the ROOT hideout, Naruto reared his head back and roared.

Tonight, death comes.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Danzō Shimura has never been a man easily swayed by his emotions. His beliefs, his ideals, are written in stone, protected from the rest of the world by a cloak of shadows and secrecy. To him, there were only three things of value to a shinobi: the mission, the ideals, and the village.

Nothing else mattered.

This could clearly be seen in the way he trains his ROOT, the officially defunct branch of ANBU operatives, established some time during the Second Shinobi World War to create dissent amongst Konoha's enemies without implicating The Great Tree.

They were to carry no emotions. They were to hold only the village and its ideals as the cornerstone of their existence. They live, breathe, and die for The Great Tree.

They are the shadows of black operations.

That is why he didn't panic upon hearing that dreaded roar. He was concerned, yes, but not panicked. It was something he'd only heard once before, nearly a decade ago. That day, The Great Tree had nearly fallen, faced with an enemy she had not seen since the days of the Shodai and Madara Uchiha.

The Kyūbi no Kitsune.

However, he did feel a sense of dread settle within the pit of his stomach when his most trusted subordinate, Hinoe, had informed him that the toxic chakra signature, one that could only belong to a jinchūriki, was headed straight for the hideout.

This… was not something he had planned for.

Of the information gathered on the boy by his operatives, he is powerful, far stronger than anyone else his age. There had been no indication that he had accessed the Kyūbi's chakra. So now, he has an angry jinchūriki headed for his base, seemingly with a purpose rather than simply lashing out in his rage.

The ten year old boy could access his bijū's chakra and remain conscious rather than losing his mind, giving into the power of the beast.

And he was headed straight for them.

"Hinoe, prepare the traps. Komachi, rally all available forces. Get the trainees into the tunnels, arm them to the teeth. The jinchū-"

Whatever the scarred war veteran had to say was cut off as the entire base shook as another roar, this one much closer, much louder, reverberated through the underground base.

Death has come.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Team Ro's frantic chase of the crimson bolt that raced through the dense understory of the Forest of Death ended almost as suddenly as it had begun.

The group of elite shinobi hovered behind the jinchūriki as he stood on the forest floor, disturbingly still for the briefest of moments. Then, he simply started walking deeper into the forest, a far cry from the wild chase that has brought them into the forest.

"Mah. Why are we walking, Naruto-san?" The lazy drawl of Team Ro's captain broke the silence.

"To let the teme prepare his little toys," Naruto responded, uncharacteristically angry. "This is for you, Shisui, Itachi, Yahiko, Konan, Nagato."

Before his rebirth, Naruto would have vehemently against the idea of killing someone. Every life was precious. Every person could be redeemed. Zabuza, Nagato, Obito. They had all redeemed themselves, giving their lives to protect the many.

Then, upon reading more and expanding his knowledge, he realized something: people are only redeemable if they want to be redeemed.

Zabuza had been a father to Haku, something that he wanted more than anything else. Even with his arms disabled by Kakashi, he charged headlong into Gatō's thugs with nothing but a kunai between his teeth. He wanted to redeem himself, so that in his final moments, he wouldn't be a monster, but a man, one worthy of the devotion Haku had shown him.

Nagato had given his life to resurrect those who had died during the Konoha Crush. He wanted peace. Upon realizing that the path of violence and subjugation would only lead to more suffering, he had given up his way of achieving peace, leaving the torch, the dream, of the Akatsuki to Naruto.

Obito wanted to redeem himself for Rin. 'Nough said.

People like Danzō, Gatō and Dotō - he could see a pattern beginning to form here - who only cared about attaining power and nothing else, couldn't give a damn about being redeemed. To them, people were pawns to be sacrificed for whatever ambition they have. To them, there was nothing to be redeemed.

"Gaki, this is going to be the hardest fight of our lives, yet you wish for the enemy to further entrench themselves?" Kame (Turtle), spoke up.

"Yea." Naruto looked back over his shoulder at the operative. "If you wanna run ahead, that's on you. I want the rat to squirm." He glanced at the rat-masked ANBU. "No offense."

Originally, Naruto wasn't like this. However, under Izumi's training, he learned of the young woman's penchant for mentally and spiritually breaking her opponents. This was something he'd picked up.

"An opponent who has no will to fight is easier to subdue," he recalled. He wanted the bastard to know that no matter what he did, no matter what pair of blessed eyes he got his hands on, there was nowhere for him to run, nowhere for him to hide.

Several times, he'd been caught in her Genjutsu: Sharingan and he'd almost given into the anger. Instead of losing himself to his anger and the animal instincts that came with it, he did his best to stem his anger. With his understanding and acceptance of his darker half, he could better handle the hatred that came with seeing things within the genjutsu. It didn't make the emotions that they dredged up any less potent.

Team Ro stopped as soon as Naruto did. Standing at the base of a cliff located within the Forest, the squad waited waiting for their plus one to move.

"They're done."

Before any of them could blink, Naruto cocked his fist back and slammed it against the cliff face. At first, they expected for him to pull his hand back in pain, the bones in his hand shattered and his knuckles bloodied. Instead, a sliding door made to resemble the smooth, gray stone of the cliff was blown inwards, causing numerous cracks to appear upon the stone frame that once held it.

"Is that… Tsunade-sama's enhanced strength technique?" Team Ro was clearly flabbergasted upon seeing the destruction caused by nothing but the boy's fist.

"Ikuzo (Let's go)."

It was rather unnecessary to say aloud as the team followed behind Naruto. This wasn't just a chance to remove Danzō from the village hierarchy, but also a chance to see what the blond enigma can do. One Neko masked member of Team Ro is especially curious. She had sparred many times against the tall blond, but she had never seen him use the Kyūbi's chakra nor had she ever seen him go all out.

Against the hundred or so ROOT ANBU hidden within the base, Naruto knew that he could take on all of them if they went up against him one at a time, but he was on a time limit. He didn't want to risk Danzō getting away and alerting any allies he may have.

"Traps," he called out for all to hear.

Before anyone could offer to disarm the traps, Naruto reared back his arm. His dense yellow chakra collected beneath the veneer of caustic bijū chakra. Unlike Tsunade's pinpoint chakra release technique, Naruto had found a bastardized version of it, capable of being used by anyone whose chakra is dense enough. It replaced the pinpoint timing and intense chakra control for overwhelming chakra volume and density.

"I don't have time for your games! Where is Danzō?!"

Naruto slammed his chakra covered arm into the ground, sending forward a shockwave of destruction, spreading out in a cone in front of him. Whatever traps had been laid out failed as the shockwave triggered or destroyed them. Hidden along the ceiling and walls in between those traps were several ROOT ANBU recruits, forced to abandon their camouflage cloaks and positions alike.

"Che. Hiding behind children." Naruto frowned beneath his mask. "How low will that bastard stoop?"

Giving Team Ro no time to act, he charged forward, leaving behind a trail of caustic chakra burns along the ground. The recruits, who have barely been trained and blooded, fell as Naruto used his fists to knock them out.

"Get out here, you one eyed freak!" Naruto roared down the hall, his guttural voice echoing against the stone walls. "I want you to see it coming you backstabbing old fuck!"

The wave of caustic chakra then dissipated, followed by a thick plume of smoke as Naruto's clones filled the chamber.

"Get every recruit out of here and to the top of the Hokage Monument, but don't dispel yourselves when you get there."

"Ossu!"

The ten clones fell behind, gathering the downed recruits, removing weapons and tying them up with ninja wire. Making use of the Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique), they went straight back out of the Forest and towards the top of the Hokage Monument, the only place with enough open area and clandestined enough to deal with the mass of incoming bodies.

Poof!

"Get Hokage-sama to the area behind the Monument."

"Ossu!"

Inu then walked up to the original, eyeing him warily. Someone who was ten years old, but could use Shadow Clones without so much as a hand seal nor exhaustion was not someone you wanted to cross.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)? Who taught it to you?"

"Itachi-sensei did." With the mask on, he referred to his sensei using her mask rather than her name, something she had drilled into his head. Repeatedly. With the pommel of her tantō.

That was all the chatter they'd managed to muster up as they broke through the entrance hall, opening up to the central room, a massive open chamber crisscrossed with numerous walkways and countless support beams.

The thing about exiting a corridor into a large open area filled with walkways: it makes for a perfect choke point.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique)!

"Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Style: Great Breakthrough)!"

Met with a barrage of Wind-infused Fire jutsus, the group could only scatter, hopping onto the walkways and meeting their enemies head on in a flurry of fists and blades. At first glance, it might appear as if Team Ro was at a disadvantage, a squad of only eight faced against dozens upon dozens of ROOT operatives.

Poof!

Until one Naruto Uzumaki decided to put the moniker his sensei had given him to the test: "The One Man Army."

"Banzai!"

Where members of Team Ro once stood alone against dozens of opponents, the tide of blond haired clones that flooded onto the scene shifted the numerical advantage.

Inu charged forward, his implanted Sharingan shining menacingly beneath the shadows of his mask. Every pair of eyes that made contact with his Sharingan were placed in a subtle genjutsu, making them believe he was moving slightly slower than his true speed.

Dual wielding kunai and channeling his Raiton affinity through the iron tips, the silver haired nin would have flowed through his opposition were it not for the limitations of the narrow walkway. Without the Sharingan, he was a formidable opponent for any competent nin. With his Sharingan, he became a monster in close quarters.

Wielding genjutsu and taijutsu in conjunction, Team Ro's Buntaichō easily held his own against a trio of ROOT ANBU. When Kitsune's clones fell in beside him and beneath him, running along underside the walkway, what was a daunting task of holding their own against Team Ro's leader became an impossible mission of staving off an accomplished Sharingan wielder and a squad of flanking clones.

The first clone to come to his aid came from below. Using chakra to stick his hands to the bottom of the walkway, the clone swung his body upwards, slamming both feet into the side of the nearest ROOT agent. Before his feet could even touch the ground, the clone was forcibly dispelled by a blade through his chest.

The wounded operative, whose rib cage had been cracked in several places, was replaced by another member. Yet, so was the clone. A pair of gloved hands broke through the stone of the walkway and latched onto the feet of the leading ROOT operative, holding him down while Kakashi held off against the two who pushed forward.

Just as the immobilized nin was about to stab into the clone's hands to dispel the annoyance, another clone swung up from beneath the walkway, smashing his shin right into the masked nin's head. What would have sent him flying instead left him knocked out.

Still, that was only one out of the many dozens of enemies, enemies who must be dealt with, one way or another.

The air was quickly filled with shuriken and kunai, thrown by the clones and ROOT operatives too far away from the front lines to provide adequate support. With too many allies in the melee, any area of effect jutsus would only cause unnecessary casualties to their own operatives. Only Izumi's rigorous training regime allowed Naruto and his clones to meet the flying blades of metal without fear. Rather than trying to track each individual flying star in hopes of catching them mid air, Izumi had taught him how to predict the flight path based on the movements of the arms and fingers of his opponents.

Countless hours of practice with clones later, Naruto could confidently meet any opponent's flying shuriken with his own.

Neko (Cat) fell in line with Risu (Squirrel), using their teamwork to hold the line against numerous enemies. While the pale blond man used his affinity for Yin-based genjutsu to disorient his enemies, Neko's proficiency with the blade allows her to wound the vulnerable operatives. Had it been the average shinobi that they were facing, such a deadly combination and efficient teamwork would have already reduced their opponents to bloodied chunks of flesh long before the enemy could break out of their genjutsu.

However, they were facing ROOT ANBU, trained by the best of the shadow organization to serve Danzō until the day they died. Those bastards weren't going down without a fight.

When one agent's chakra is disrupted by Risu's (Squirrel's) genjutsu, those next to him would flare their chakra, disrupting the genjutsu for their comrades. Neko's (Cat's) usage of kenjutsu, however, kept the enemy at bay, even wounding any who overextended. Her style's use of sweeping sword strikes make for a great crowd control asset while letting her flow with the tide of battle. In the dark lighting of the base, her blade became a silver mirage, gliding from one opponent's blade to another.

With their number's advantage and Risu's (Squirrel's) genjutsu specialty out of its depth, Naruto's clones came as a godsend. This time, they took the aerial route, dropping straight down into the action from above. Heavy fists came down upon their targets, aided with the pull of gravity, to deliver bone crunching strikes. Even with the element of surprise on their side, however, most of the masked nin managed to dodge or block against the clones' onslaught. With the decisive strike a failure, the battle for the highest walkways became a battle of attrition: which side can last the longest.

Hȳo (Leopard), Karasu (Crow) and Kamakiri (Mantis) fought together on the central platform. Hȳo stood back from the frontlines, using his Mokuton to either impale his opponents or to cover his allies, but the chakra intensive jutsu means he could only hold the line for so long against such overwhelming odds. Karasu (Crow) and Kamakiri (Mantis), held the main battleline, using their precise and efficient kenjutsu and taijutsu styles, respectively, to hold the line.

The flood of blond haired shinobi came as a welcome reprieve for the trio of shinobi. Their wakizashis became indistinct blurs as they rained down upon the enemy, forcing the operatives into a defensive formation or risk being overwhelmed through sheer numbers. Several of the nin broke off from the collective, jumping onto the walls and unoccupied walkways to put distance between themselves and the tide of blades.

Up above, fighting along the walls of the base, are Kaeru (Frog), Nezumi (Rat), and Kame (Turtle), separated from one another by a flanking maneuver from several ROOT and their Doton jutsus. Nezumi (Rat) and Kame (Turtle) have already been injured, glancing injuries, but injuries nonetheless. Nezumi (Rat) bore several cuts along her arms and shoulders. Although they are superficial, the stinging sensation is an annoyance, one that cannot be afforded during life-or-death situations. Kame (Turtle) sported a bruise along his right shoulder, centered around his ANBU tattoo, along with several scorch marks along his shin and forearm guards from several Katon jutsus. Kaeru (Frog), was faring better than his allies, but he was on the run, kept moving to dodge the shuriken, kunai, and tantōs aimed at his person.

When Naruto's clones spawned, two dozen clones headed straight for the isolated trio, providing the necessary backup for them to regroup and defend themselves as a team. Several clones drew their blades, clashing against the pursuing nin to buy time for the members of Team Ro to regroup. However, these clones were merely a distraction; the true threat came from the stone walls.

"Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu (Earth Style: Headhunter Technique)!"

Several pairs of hands lashed out from the stone walls, coordinated to give the enemy minimal response time, grabbing onto the legs of the enemy nin and pulling them straight into the walls. Like the name would suggest, the technique left them buried up to the neck within the stone walls.

"Where is Danzō?! Where is that one-eyed backstabber?!"

"Do not insult Danzō-sama!" Several of the masked shinobi hissed, angered by the insult directed at their leader.

"What the fuck is he gonna do about it? Steal my eyes?!"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Izumi hopped through the rooftops alongside her mother and Satsuki as they raced towards the hospital. Periodically, her head would turn towards the Forest of Death, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Extended family of Shisui Uchiha. We need his room number."

"Shisui Uchiha, recovery ward seventeen, east wing, on your right," the attending receptionist replied after pulling up the records.

A hastily murmured "thank you" left her lips as they ran towards their destination.

She didn't have to read the room numbers to know when they'd reached their destination; she only had to look for the shock of blond hair standing guard outside.

"Hey." The clone smiled and knocked against the door. "Nii-san, you decent?"

"I'm wearing my hospital gown if that's what you're asking," was the muffled reply.

"Eh. Good enough."

When the door opened, she didn't know what to expect. An image of Shisui, lying bruised, bloodied, and broken had briefly entered her mind before she banished it with fervor. Seeing her beloved cousin, laying down in bed, his bandaged face turned towards them, almost made her sigh in relief.

"Who's visiting me?"

"Mikoto-oba-chan and the sisters."

As soon as the trio entered the room, they realized they weren't alone with Shisui, as another clone was standing in the corner, peeling an apple for the bedridden boy.

"Ah. Oba-san! You didn't have to visit. I'm fine thanks to Naruto here."

"Nonsense," Mikoto chastised. "You're family." She turned towards the clone. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

"Mah mah~. Family has to stick together." He handed the apple slices he'd been cutting to Shisui.

"Are you alright, Nii-san?" Satsuki asked from the side of the bed.

Even without his eyes, Shisui's hand landed perfectly on her head.

"I'm fine, Little Moon. I'll be out of here in no time."

Mikoto had already commandeered the clone's job of peeling fruit in the scant seconds she'd been in the room. Izumi, upon seeing the only other male she was close to safe and recovering, turned towards the now jobless clone.

"Where is Naruto?"

As if a switch was flipped, the clone's eyes turned from annoyed to frigid animosity in a split second.

"Bringing the ones responsible to justice."

This was news for everyone, including Shisui, who looked up at the clone in spite of the bandages and his lack of sight.

"What?" He hissed out. "You went after Danzō?"

"Well, the boss didn't go alone." The clone clearly knew the original was in hot water when Mikoto glared at him. "He went with Team Ro."

"Naruto Uzumaki." Oh Kami, the boss was so fucked. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't put you under house arrest until you graduate from the Academy."

"The boss wanted to protect you guys," he managed to get out. "And he's bringing back Shisui's eyes."

"Protect us?" This time, Izumi was the one who spoke up. "You wanted to protect us by charging headfirst into danger?!"

"I'd rather put myself into danger than let you get hurt like this!" the clone pointed towards Shisui.

"You're a ten year old boy, Naruto! What made you think you could take on a shadow organization of ANBU and their leader with only nine people for backup?!" Izumi was upset, but she knew there was nothing she could do.

"I thought training with you did! I thought I was training so I could protect you! I thought I was training to protect the only people who gave a damn about me!"

She would have slapped him, she really would have, but it would have dispelled the clone.

"We can take care of ourselves."

"Doesn't mean I don't want to protect you!"

Sometimes, he made it really difficult to be upset at him. This was one of those times. She just hoped he'll be alive by dawn's light for her to slap. Then hug. She glanced at the moon's position.

Then drag off to bed.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The once stale, grungy and intact ROOT base had been turned inside out. Where dirt and dust had been the primary method of decoration, rubble, scorch marks, and crimson stains had taken over. Scores of blank masked operatives lay strewn across the ground like stringless puppets, abandoned by their puppeteer. In a way, it was an accurate metaphor.

Dozens more lay tied up by ninja wire, their chakra suppressed through tags or knocked out. However, none of it brought a smile to Naruto's lips; Danzō wasn't among the dead nor captured. The majority of the operatives have been defeated, one way or another. The recruits are taken care of by his clones, brought up to the area behind the Hokage Monument.

Fifty-eight recruits. Under the organization's graduation policy, that would make for twenty-nine potential ROOT members. Forced to grow up together with a brother-in-arms, only to kill them on the day of graduation, this almost guarantees the suppression of both memories and emotions within the fledgeling shinobi.

Closing his eyes once more, he spread out his senses, looking for the crippled warhawk. Danzō could not - will not - escape. That monster must pay for his crimes. What he found made his blood boil in anger and annoyance.

"He's running," Naruto called out to Team Ro. He'd left behind almost all of his troops as a distraction so he could escape. Despicable.

He would have spoken further when he sensed someone, some thing so toxic, so foul, that he physically recoiled.

Giving no warning, he took off, not heeding the call of "Wait!" from the rest of his team. That bastard wasn't getting away. Not on his watch.

The gray stone and metal of the underground base gave way to the muted greens and browns of the forest, made nearly pitch black in the darkness of night. He didn't notice any of it though, too focused on his prey to care about the scenery. Behind him, he could feel the natural energy ebb and flow around his team as they gave chase.

Tree hopping towards his target, Naruto realized where they were going: the northern border. To the north of Hi no Kuni lay Kaminari no Kuni (Land of Lightning), Yu no Kuni (Land of Hot Water), and Ta no Kuni (Land of Rice Paddies).

From the presence he could feel Danzō heading towards, if they didn't catch him tonight, there would be no telling when they'd ever cross him again.

The thought of letting Danzō escape, the man that ordered the execution of an entire clan, left a bitter taste in his mouth. He pushed onwards, even faster than before. Fueled by emotion and the need to complete their - no, his - mission, his chakra control slipped. Every leap he made left behind shattered branches and splintered bark as his chakra lashed out.

"DANZŌ!"

His scream echoed throughout the Forest. He knew he alerted his target, but he also knew there was nowhere for them to run.

Leaping straight from the canopy towards the target, Naruto slammed fist-first into the ground, annoyed that his target had dodged the attack. The resulting miss had, instead, cratered the ground, kicking up a mountain of dust and dirt.

One of Danzō's bodyguards tried to decapitate him, but was intercepted by Naruto's wakizashi. Before the blank masked individual could stall him, Team Ro arrived. Neko's blade, drawn and in motion, nearly bifurcated the nin, forcing him to jump away, back to the side of his master.

"Kukuku. So this is the one that's been pursuing you. You've lost your touch, warhawk."

The raspy voice that hissed across the forest floor sent a chill up the spines of everyone present. Team Ro took a moment to reevaluate their mission, mentally coming up with any plan they could to accomplish their mission without sacrificing their members.

Against the man that stood before them, nothing came to mind.

Patches of deathly pale skin shone under the moonlight. His slitted yellow eyes shone unnaturally bright in the shadows of the forest floor. His plain grey garb, ghostly pale skin and black pants gave him an ethereal appearance.

A ghost.

A phantom.

"Orochimaru."


DUN DUN DUN! Man, even when I'm writing about battles, all I can think about is all that cute shit that could happen between Naruto, Yūgao, Izumi and Satsuki. Need some ideas on development of their relationships. Satsuki will definitely be a cuter, more friend-driven relationship that will slowly blossom into romance, that is locked in there. Yūgao and Izumi, though, are more uncertain for me. Are they gonna take a chance and just risk it or are they gonna play it safe? In the life of shinobi, they'll probably take a chance and risk it, but they're still human, so I think they'll be a little more reserved about it.

I dunno. Tell me what you guys want and we'll see if I can make your wishes become reality. Anyways, you know the drill:

Smile and have a nice day!