The Encroaching Frost

A Rising upon the Frosted Heavens rewrite

By: Andoryu-sama

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Special Thanks to HolyKnight5 for all his support!

Chapter 5: Follow as I lead…


"Why?"

Slightly taken aback by the boy's bland response, Yukio answered with a question of his own. "Should there be a reason why I should want you to experience what most have not?"

Naruto looked down the stretch of hallway warily. "But…"

"If it worries you so much then I shall even accompany you to the site. You merely have to look at it."

Naruto frowned. He didn't see the point in having to come all the way down here to look at a stupid sword but he didn't want to decline the man's offer. So he did what he would do under not-so-normal circumstances and forced a smile for the man, accepting his offer and forcing himself down the path in a purposeful stride, narrowly avoiding a block of ice in his path as he followed Yukio's lead.

Half way up the path he begun to hear something and he looked around skeptically, cupping his ears to make the sound clearer. "Hey Ojisan, what's that noise?"

"I'm afraid I hear nothing Uzumaki-san?"

Cringing at the formality (but not wanting to correct him) Naruto elaborated. "It's like this super high ringing sound!" He begun to shout as the sound got louder. "Man, it's so annoying!" Add to the peculiar sound his insides were vibrating wildly as well.

Yukio listened intently and could hear nothing at first, but as he moved closer he could hear the low rattling sounds of what appeared to be the sword moving around in its sheath. In addition, he could also feel his chakra resonating with the sounds coming from the artifact, making him tense even further. Sensing danger he decided to tell the boy to return to the entrance, but it wasn't until he turned to face the boy that the middle-aged leader became witness to one of the strangest things he would come to see for some time.

The boy's skin and hair was beginning to lighten before his eyes, the sun in his hair burning out in some places to become white while his skin grew paler by the second.

Yukio had no idea what was going on but it was the first time he had ever felt intrigued and somewhat panicked at the same time, and he must say it felt find of…exhilarating.

But enough about that…

"Uzumaki-san, return to the entrance at once!"

"Wha—Nngh!" Naruto buckled, sinking to his knees as he clutched his burning stomach. The Kyuubi was beginning to act up inside him, burning his insides with an intense red. His skin began to burn and singe in some places as the poisonous yet regenerative chakra within him fought for dominance with the other foreign entity, destroying and regenerating the cells that the foreign chakra altered.

A war was being waged inside him, neither sides making ground as they destroyed the battlefield around them and the on with the only casualty being the grounds on which they fought.

Yukio was to his side in an instant in an attempt to remove the boy from the immediate vicinity of the raging artifact, but in another apparent show of anger it lashed out in a wave of chakra, and he barely managed to form one hand seal before being enveloped completely.


-Unknown Location-

"Why are you here?! Answer me!"

The giant, white wolf snarled again as its terrifyingpresencebore down on him, its growls reverberating throughout his body and rattling his bones to the core. The huge beast pawed the ground beside him impatiently with heavy thumps. Noxious gases from its maw filled his lungs completely as he hyperventilated in fear. Honestly, wetting himself wouldn't have totally been out of the question if he hadn't gone to the bathroom earlier.

He tried to move, to do anything to get him away from the frightening thing but could only wriggle in his cocoon of snow that was created from the wolf's grand entrance.

"WHY ARE YOU HERE!?"

"I-I don't know! I was with Jisan in the ice room and before I knew it, I was here!" Naruto cried, struggling inside his little makeshift coffin of snow. His response only seemed to anger it more as its paws pounded the floor beside him, freeing him gradually until he could move once more.

Suddenly it stopped and sniffed the air repeatedly, turning its head from left to right as if searching for a vantage point. The blonde wasted no time in making a break for it, running as fast as his legs could carry him.

The wolf didn't take too kindly to that gesture however…

"GYAH!" He didn't stand a chance as he was pinned under the weight of the giant paw, the wolf displaying surprising control over its immense size and weight when only several of his ribs and bones were crushed.

A huge black nose descended upon him and the feral animal inhaled deeply, the huge drafts of air forming threatening to swallow him up into its nasal cavity as he struggled against his captive. It lowered itself more, pressing its heavy face into his fragile body more as the wet nose investigated every inch of him.

The animal calmed down some, its breaths coming out gentler as it moved closer to his neck and exhaled, hot breaths tickling the hairs on his neck causing him to squirm painfully.

"S-Stop it…that tickles…"

"That scent…"

"Huh?"

Before Naruto could ask about what it meant, the wolf stopped abruptly, leaping off from the curious blonde to land a few feet away in one smooth motion and only then could he see the number of tails it possessed: a staggering number of seven. It didn't seem to want to kill him anymore and if he couldn't escape from it inside wherever it was they were then he saw no reason to run. So instead he focused on the large being as it begun to gather what appeared to be chakra, watching as large tendrils of white and the snow around them begun to meet together in a dance of white threads to swirl around the massive beast.

A deafening howl tore loose from its throat as it craned its neck to the sky and the snow encased it fully in a tight ball, increasing its rotational speed. The ball then shrunk suddenly, then again, and again, until it shrunk down to only a small fraction of what it was before dissipating fully. Naruto strained his eyes to see what was behind the veil of crystal ice but could only see a small shadow of a thin lady, with seven long things waving about behind her…

"That scent…so familiar…"

And very naked as far as he could tell as she slowly moved within his range of vision, not that he had a problem of course since it was the basis behind his Orioke no Jutsu. Her wild hair reminded him of his only much longer and white and sprouting up from beneath it were two small pointed ears at the top and sides of her head.

Wait…

"What the hell?!" Naruto shouted as he pointed at the female slowly advancing on his position. Why the hell was there even a woman there? "What happened to-OOF!" Air rushed from his lungs as he was tackled mercilessly by the naked female who wasted no time in straddling the boy's pelvis.

She clutched at his jacket, pulling at the fabric. "It is too faint…I have to make certain!"

"Wa?!"

She ripped his clothes leaving several large gashes in the boy's body before pausing in a brief moment of surprise as she gazed upon the small glowing jewel that rested on his chest.

"Where did you…"

Suddenly a slender red tail shot out from nowhere and stuck the wolf in its side, sending it sprawling off the severely injured blonde and into the snow several feet away. The huge canine rose onto all fours slowly, growling ferociously as it glared into the distance.

"This boy is my property and it would do you good to learn this well, WOLF!"

Large red eyes blazed from within the void and the wolf took a fearful step backward. "Y-You!"


"In the event that something should happen…"

It was the only thought that ran through his mind as he raced for the office of the most respected medic in the village. It was just an inkling of a feeling, jus a small sinking feeling deep down within the depths of his stomach, but he knew something of that manner was going to occur.

After all, nothing went right when it came to dealing with that accursed sword.

Each and every time the sword had been attempted to be moved or drawn it would always turn out to an unprecedented mistake. It hadn't even been more than a few years ago when the last incident occurred, where the massive administrative tower had been destroyed after being pierced through and through by numerous spires of jagged ice.

And now this again…would those people never tire from destroying that place?

He arrived at his destination, not even hesitating when he banged loudly on the door before entering with a loud "excuse me!", and not even batting an eyelash when he found the supposedly most respected Genjutsu practitioner in the village rummaging through the desk's drawers.

"Umm…I can explain this…"

"Have you seen Master Izumi!"

"I think she took off for the day." She answered before returning to her guilty conscience. "Don't you want to know what I was doing?"

"I don't care…" He replied flippantly in response, returning to the crisis at hand. Izumi's home was too far…he needed to think of something else…someone else… "If Master Izumi's not here, where's Azumi-sama?"

"Umm…she's under house arrest I think—wait!"

"I don't have any time to waste, Master Hatsue, so I suggest that you finish whatever it is that you're doing and leave before Master Izumi finds you. Oh, and have the tower evacuated immediately! Yukikage's orders!"

The Chuunin left the room in a hurry, darting through the halls, into the main lobby (where he left an urgent note for someone to fetch Izumi from her home just in case, also entailing Hatsue's escapades inside her office) and out the front door where he stood looking out at the crag wall. He would have gone for Izumi himself but she had been further away from his position and he would have to double back through the hospital and the administration building to get there. Azumi was much closer being in the sector directly before him, and seeing as she was medic directly under the master's tutelage he figured she was the next best thing. So as he bounded off towards the home of their leader, he only had one concern left that disturbed him.

If and when that ice explosion went off, he wanted it to go off before he entered or after he exited the castle…

Because if it happened while he was inside he was going to be seriously pissed off!


-Back inside the unknown domain-

"DO NOT INTERFERE, KITSUNE!!"

The now distraught, fully transformed wolf snarled ferociously as it returned fire in the form of its tails. The fox dodged the attack easily before clamping down on a few with her vice-like jaw, twisting its head and body viciously to hurl the wolf across the unknown plains. The large beast hit the ground with a resounding thud (the forgotten half-dead boy whimpering as he bounced painfully from the vibrations caused) before immediately dissolving into snow. Silence ensued for a brief moment before the Kitsune leapt back suddenly, large tendrils of snow following in hot pursuit as it dodged and weaved through them all. Then, with one swing of one of its tails the tendrils dissipated instantly, the fox's control over all elements making itself known superbly.

The Kyūbi smirked. "Even in this pathetic state of mine you still can not match my strength."

"Why are you even here?!" The wolf frowned in utter disgust as its form appeared slowly from behind the curtain of snow, looking from the fox to the boy and back. "Is that what I smelt from the boy, that disgusting stench of your foul odor?!" The connection finally pieced together for the wolf and it barked its snide reaction. "You got sealed! It served you right after all the atrocities you have committed in the past!"

The Kyūbi's smirk gradually faded until it conformed back into a horribly disfigured snarl, its anger at the words spoken rising like molten rock within a volcano. "Whatever sins I may have committed, pales in comparison TO THAT DAY YOU SOLD YOUR SOUL TO A HUMAN!!" The Kitsune erupted as it shot angrily for the wolf only to meet head first with a solid wall of ice. "LOWER THIS WALL SO THAT I MAY FEAST ON YOUR COWARDLY INNARDS!!"

Declining kindly, the wolf stalked closer to the now unconscious blonde. "With you sealed to a medium this is the extent of the chakra you are allowed to draw by your own will, and even though the same can be said for me, my medium happens to be an object and therefore I am able to draw much more. This leaves us pretty much even, making this wall more than enough to hold you for some time." The wolf stated calmly as the repeated sounds of the fox's head slamming against the wall reverberated throughout the domain. "Secondly, this innocent boy deserves not to be under your corrupt influence. I shall make it so that he can no longer be influenced solely by you."

Cracks appeared in the ice as the Kyūbi's pounding became frantic as the wolf moved closer, its screams promising of much pain never-ending as a cloud of smoke enveloped the wolf, transforming it back into a human form.

The wolf stalked ever closer…

The crack in the wall grew larger…

The wolf straddled the boy, holding his broken body up for better access to his nape…

The Kitsune reared back, yelping with an ear-shattering fury…

As the wolf leaned in with fangs bared to mark the boy and as the ice wall shattered with one final blow from the mighty Kitsune, a bright blue light enveloped them, rendering them all powerless with a bright pulse as both the Ookami and the Kyūbi (the Kyūbi surprisingly less agitated than the two) was forced back into their realms, allowing the boy to go free of the mental entrapment.


With one arm outstretched Yukio managed to shield himself and the boy settled at his side from the effects of the flash freeze, but as the time drew on in the elongated room he began to notice strange wounds surfacing on the body of the boy. He could hear the faint snaps and pops of bones in the body shifting silently before him, and not long after that pools of blood begun to soak his orange fabric, something that served to only intrigue him further despite the danger.

The door swung in suddenly and he turned, the drenched face of his daughter the first to appear as she made her way over to his position with the wary Chuunin not far behind. Although he specifically stated that he should procure the aid of Izumi should anything go wrong but he had to admit there would be no fault in his logic she not have been readily available.

Though he could not say he was entirely pleased with the decision, what with Azumi's troubled state of mind. The girl may ask more questions than necessary and it would only prove to slow the safe recovery of the lad lying before them.

Azumi spoke not a word as she moved however, carefully and efficiently removing his clothing in a way where she would not damage them and disturb his several large lacerations further, in order to engage in skin contact. With the help of a diagnostic technique she ran her mind through his body, scoping out the extent of his injuries before relaying them back almost subconsciously.

"Both clavicles and his left humerus: fractured, two broken ribs, and internal hemorrhaging caused by a ruptured capillary." There was a long pause before she spoke again. "I…am afraid I have no explanation for the rapid deterioration and recreation of his cells however."

"Then may I be of assistance?" Izumi voiced from the doorway, bringing all eyes to her (some faster than others) and the Chuunin by her side.

Yukio casted his wary gaze in his daughter's direction as the head medic moved purposely yet gracefully down the expanse of iced over floor to take over the position as attending. He had seen the miniscule widening of the girl's eyes before she concluded in hesitation. It mattered little however seeing as Izumi would give him the answers he needed. Of course, it could simply be that she knew not the answer to the orange riddle lying before her, but cast in the shadows of naivety he was not and he would not be so easy to deceive.

He was beginning to doubt he had made the right decision in assigning her to the boy's care.

"Yukio-sama…"

Izumi's call brought his attention back to the present.

"This is…quite a peculiar case you have here, but before I explain further there is something I think you should know before hand. This boy has chakra denoting that of Shiraiyuki lineage…"

They all paused at the news, Yukio's eyes widening slightly as Azumi's averted from scene, but all comments were held as the woman had more news to speak of.

"…but he also possesses one other source of chakra, one of a poisonous nature that maybe the cause to all of his unexplained symptoms. I am not entirely sure, but seeing as the sword possesses the capability of producing chakra that bears a resemblance to your own, its close proximity to the child may have caused the chakra within him to perform an awakening of sorts. I don't know why but the other chakra is destroying the cells being altered by the Shiraiyuki chakra, but it is not destroying them randomly. It is destroying the newly transitioned cells, indicating intelligence on some form."

"Intelligence?" Yukio turned to look at the pulsing sword. "Would you say that it would be on the same level the sword shows?"

"Maybe; it is true that they both show some form of independence from the actions or state of their hosts, but…"

"I see…" It was all Yukio needed to hear. Chakra was a never-changing force that flowed constantly in one given direction along a given channel. It never changes state or direction unless it is influenced by an outside force of some kind. The boy, who was clearly unconscious for that matter, possessed an independent entity inside his body that was able to manipulate another source of chakra also independent to that of his own. The sword, a non-living, inanimate object by itself did not possess the will to manipulate (or even contain chakra) on its own. For a non-living object to possess and retain chakra a seal would be needed, but for something like the ability to manipulate said chakra he could not understand what would be necessary for that to occur.

What was clear to him, however, was the fact that the boy and the sword shared a common trait of sorts, and if he would not be able to ascertain this information from the boy, then the only logical choice would be to seek answers from the other. There had to be records of some form pertaining to the sword's unique personality; they had simply not looked hard enough in the past.

Also, he needed to know exactly just who it was that the child hailed from, if it is indeed an indication that their blood could be elsewhere.

"We must act quickly Yukio; the boy is on the verge of passing." Izumi informed him, breaking him from his muse and he nodded. He would not lose the boy that day, there were too many questions, surfacing after the boy's arrival that would not be left unanswered.

"Move him." He ordered and watched as the two Chuunin present went about the arduous task of trying to move him without agitating his condition. But before the boy could be carried off, a bright flash of blue originating from the boy's back halted their procession and he ordered him to be put down so that he may assess its origin. Raising the back of the boy's jacket he found the array of another seal. It was much smaller than the one on the boy's abdomen but it was one that he could at least recognize.

"The 'false livelihood' seal…it explains at least one of my queries." He thought as he watched the rapidly deteriorating seal. Like all other seals, with proper application it was undetectable by normal means but this seal allowed the bearer to assume an identity different from that of their own by altering the bearer's appearance without the use of a Henge. It meant simply that if the seal was unknown then the truth would be unknown.

The downside to the seal, however, was that the bearer would have to live with a vastly reduced chakra capacity due to the large amount of chakra the seal tended to siphon to keep up appearances.

"So the boy's identity was hidden from those he was amongst…there is a fairly good chance that there is no one else like us elsewhere then." He guessed as the boy's features began to melt away into that of someone holding more resemblance to him and with that, more good news began to flood in.

"Yukio-sama, it seems as if the boy's change halted his self destruction. His body is miraculously beginning to repair the damage done to it." Izumi informed him and he acknowledged her.

"Good, let us take this opportunity to move the boy away from the influence of the sword, which seems to have calmed significantly as well." Yukio ordered once more before turning to their village's chief of medicine. "Izumi, while the boy lies unconscious, withdraw some of his blood and find out for me who he succeeds. I must know immediately."

"Azumi can take care of that matter seeing as I have duties elsewhere." She declined respectfully, taking a glance at Izumi who seemed to have perked-up a smidgen at the suggestion.

"No…" He disagreed, glancing briefly in his offspring's direction. "The day is not over as yet and so she must return home."

"I'm afraid he is correct Izumi-shishou, I should not even be here at this moment. I was not even of any assistance to you or to Uzumaki-san."

Izumi smiled gratefully. "No it's fine, you did your best."

"Thank you." Azumi said graciously, bowing deeply before righting herself a turning for the door. "Well, if you will please excuse me."

The two remaining righted themselves after her departure, the lady speaking while watching her apprentices back shrink with the ever growing distance between them. "Yukio-sama, I was wondering if I may be able to resume my training with Azumi-kun. It has been quite lonely in my office for some time now."

"No…" He stated quite levelly as he watched his daughter disappear through the open door. "I think I shall be…extending her punishment. I shall be expecting those results later, Izumi."


-Somewhere in the Snowy Village-

The walk home for Azumi was filled with nothing but trepidation at what was to come as she ran the events of earlier through her mind continuously.

She had known what it was that was happening with Naruto's body of course; she was a Jōnin level medic and therefore most skills was already well within her level of execution, but she was quite sure that bright red chakra was the source of her charge's fear the moment she laid eyes on it. For once she laid her hands on his body she immediately felt it, the unmistakable feeling of malice and anger as the chakra made its way through his body from the large, black spiral on his abdomen. There had to be something else controlling that malicious force – the boy possessed not the personality to produce something so heinous she reckoned – but although she felt no obvious presences inside him, she knew something had to be there.

However, she could not possibly fathom the kind of existence that could be hidden within him…

In the past though, she had heard and read medical accounts about persons with recognized split personalities being subjected to experimental sealing procedures to repress the secondary personalities, a successful sealing occurring only after a few failed attempts.

But in all those cases the seals had been located higher up, closer towards the brain stem, and had been definitively smaller and less complex. She could not rule it out entirely however. The size and complexity of the seal could indicate the amount of influence the secondary personality could have on the primary and the additional effort needed to restrain the individual entity, and just because there had been no documented accounts describing the correlation between the distance of the seal and the brain stem, it did not mean that there was an actual relationship. The case may be that like any other seal of any kind, it could be placed at any location and achieve the desired results as long as there was enough chakra being siphoned to the seal to overcome the distance from the intended area to be affected. In fact, it could…

"…" Azumi stopped and pinched the bridge of her nose…she was getting way too distracted.

So…if he did possess something akin to a hidden persona, was it the one behind the malevolent chakra? It could be, but then again she had never heard of the body (or any body for that matter) possessing two completely different sources of chakra. A body possessed only one source; given at birth it was the culmination of both of the parents' chakra, and it was that that sustained the body throughout its entire life. The additional source would then have had to come from outside the body, but then that would mean that the persona within him stemmed from somewhere beyond the depths of his consciousness.

Was that the purpose of the seal, to contain not only the insurmountable mass of chakra but the deviant behind its malevolence?

Whatever it was though, she thought as she dismissed the befuddling thoughts, it was that and the fact that the boy possessed genes resembling their own that would give her father even more of an incentive to keep him under lock and key, making it harder for her to move with him.

Yes, she had not given up on leaving the village with him in tow.

After all, even if he was mistaken about whom he had come across on their mission to their country, even if he somehow did turn out to be of relation to them, he still deserved to go free regardless. He belonged elsewhere and he was a Shinobi of a major influential power to make matters worse. It would be infinitely times more beneficial for them to release one Shinobi than to bring the wrath of an entire country's militia onto their shores.

Breaking from her inner tirade to hold of a visual grasp of her surroundings, she looked around to find herself in an unfamiliar place or at least place that was unfamiliar at first glance. Exiting from the front of the administration building, she found that she had wandered around the boundary of the massive hole and over to the front of the hospital (A/N: the admin building and the hospital backed each other) while immersed in her thoughts. She thought nothing of it however as she continue onward towards the reception hall, flipping a hood over her head to cast a shadow over her features. She knew not why her body chose to defy her father's orders yet again she found herself not caring at all.

Ever since that boy…no…Naruto's arrival to their desolate village Azumi found herself being consumed by more and more of her emotions each day. Never before would she have thrown away her family's teaching and blatant warning to forego logic in favor of impractical emotions.

But, she had never been able to think so clearly before now either, and because she questioned the things happening about her, she was able to realize things she never had before.

However, there was a consequence to her new found enlightenment and she had no doubt her father was now wary of her. Her absence from the home this night would no doubt result in her receiving an even harsher punishment once he caught wind of it.

Her thoughts of punishments brought to mind her mentor, Izumi.

Azumi had no doubts in her mind that Izumi had been able to figure out the gist of what the seal was designed for (seeing as Azumi had come to realize it herself) but what she did not know was why Izumi decided to withhold the information from her father as well.

The woman was a Master though, a highly respected member of the Shinobi art and so she probably was at no risk of being badgered by Yukio.

Or at least not for a long time, she thought.

Even if there was a punishment awaiting Azumi, though, she would not be found so easily, as there was one place in the entire village where even he would not dare venture unprepared.

And it was in that very hospital, where she was headed at that very moment.

"Room 301…" She thought, apprehension filling her as she opened the door slowly. There, on the bed resting peacefully was a very slender woman of deep voilet hair and fair complexion. Upon awakening to her footsteps, eyelids parted to reveal eyes of greenish-yellow as the person turned to greet their unexpected visitor.

"Azumi…chan?" The woman murmured groggily, stark surprise on her exhausted features before it dimmed to a pleasant, yet tired smile. "I cannot say I'm not thankful that you came to see me, but it has been so long since your last visit that it makes me think you've only come here to escape from your father's whims."

Azumi resisted the urge sweat-drop. "I'm sorry but my duties—"

"Yea, yea…you and your 'duties'…" She waved her hand dismissively, patting the empty space on her bed to beckon Azumi onward as she sat up, more of her shapely form being revealed as the covers drew downward, a saggy, shapeless sleeve where her left arm was supposed to be. "You were never happy when faced with responsibility. You were always a free spirit Azumi, a trait I'm sure Yukio despises to this day."

"Am I…unhappy even now?" Azumi glanced downwards, unsure of her own feelings towards the question. She was not even sure if she knew what it meant to be happy. Sure she experienced the feeling before, but it had been so long before and other events leading up to that day long overshadowed the feeling.

"But I see you have a purpose now; you don't seem as listless as before and I'm happy for that." The woman smiled as she continued, sensing the girl's distress. "Now come…tell Kaasan all about it."


-Emergency Medical Treatment Facility, OR 1-

"Set him down gently…" Izumi told the two Chūnin grudgingly, arms folded as she watched them do their jobs before leaving.

Blood recognition tests…she was not in the mood to conduct blood tests at the moment at all after having been dragged from her home during her night off. For one they were way too time-consuming because of the numerous processes that made up the procedure, but there was definitely an easier and way more efficient way of determining lineage, and that was by way of using chakra.

She sighed as she moved towards the files she brought with her, leaving the five medics she brought with her to tend to the boy's wounds. Because every person possessed a unique signature and it was available from birth, chakra from every newborn is collected and stored within blocks of wood containing chakra inductors called chakra generators, which allowed the chakra taken from a body to keep in continuous motion and replicate itself as if it were in the keirakukei (A/N: The network of energy lines through which chakra flows) of a living being. The chakra could then be used continuously without fear of depletion as long as it was never over taxed.

So before accompanying the two Chūnin to the room, she had to stop for a brief moment in the chakra archive to retrieve samples from all those on record that descended directly from the Shiraiyuki line, which wasn't as arduous as she initially thought considering that there were only a few that would be viable for the test.

Izumi spread the seven slips of paper out on the table equidistantly before taking out the sample she retrieved directly from Naruto. "If the boy is of any relation to these people then there should be a reaction when I pass over one." She thought as she moved Naruto's piece over the spread laid out before her. There were miniscule reactions with all of them where some shifted while others turned, suggesting there was a relation of sorts but there was one that stood out amongst the rest, glowing dimly as she passed over it.

Honestly, she was not surprised one bit by the results and she was sure Yukio wouldn't be either.

"Now I only have to record it and…" She trailed off suddenly, narrowing her eyes as her ears picked up something unusual.

It sounded like heavy breathing she surmised, recognizing the ins and outs of the open mouth and she turned her curious gaze to the only unconscious occupant in the room, watching as his chest rose and fell deeply with every breath.

And with every exhalation she could feel the temperature in the room rise ever slightly…

"Is his body…trying to expel heat?" She wondered aloud offhandedly, a question that was soon answered as she witnessed his breath's slow transformation into white puffs of vapor as time drew on. She supposed it made sense though seeing the type of chakra that body was to be designed for but she still was no expert on the subject as there were never any cases of Shiraiyuki going through such a process – another reason why it would have been better for her apprentice to be in his presence instead. However, with Yukio involved there was no helping the matter and so they would have to make due with simple monitoring. Who knows, maybe she would be able to gain vital information pertaining to the ever mysterious Shiraiyuki.

Completing the task given to her she tore the chakra-containing papers and stalked towards the door. "I shall entrust his recovery to you five as I retire for the evening."

"Izumi-master, it's a good thing I found you before you left. You see, the masters have—"

The messenger dropped to his knees and onto his side faster than he could finish his message, leaving Izumi to stroll out the room without a backwards glance.


-Kyūbi's Keep-

"Cold… It's so…cold…"

Naruto breathed exhaustedly as he drifted slowly backwards through his dark world. His body still bruised and broken from his earlier altercation with the wolf he could neither move nor find the will to speak, but in the realm of his mind it mattered not he found as his thoughts rang louder than any uttered words.

Like before he could see nothing but the ceiling over his head, but unlike that time he could feel a light, chilly breeze blowing in from the direction he came and with it, he could see small specks of white floating languidly above his head. One of the specks landed on his forehead and he shivered in response, wrinkling his brow as he tried to remove the puddle formed.

What kinda worried him, however, was the fact that he could hear the fox behind him throwing a hissy fit inside its cage…the very cage he was floating towards uncontrollably.

"Stupid fox…" The Kyūbi's bloodshot eyes centered on his immediately and he swallowed nervously. "Umm…hi?"

It was definitely not one of the smartest things he'd done during his lifetime.

It hardly showed any signs of annoyance though as the fox's merely narrowed its eyes before closing them completely, his presence disappearing from the cage entirely. Before he had a chance to question the fox's disappearance however the water around him began to heat up spontaneously as bubbles of red began to surface about him. The room became alit in a bright crimson as the bubbles congregated and merged into a giant mass where the semblance of a fox's head and front paws became recognizable only after a few minutes.

Placing two paws on either side of Naruto's prone body the fox head raised its height to look down upon the now extremely fearful boy.

"Why do you cower?" The Kyūbi questioned slyly as it pressed ever closer to the quivering pile of flesh beneath it. "It is…amazing how quickly your bravado melts like the passing winter, but as much as this amuses me, we have more…important matters to attend to."

The fox enveloped the boy in a globule of chakra eliciting screams of panic from its captor and raised him from the water level into the air, righting his body so that he could see down the waterway. "Be silent and take a gander, human, at the extent of your folly."

Stopping mid scream Naruto did as the otherworldly blob said and gazed down the channel. A long ways down there was a sort of hole in the ceiling and through it a bright light shown through, bringing with it the snowflake laden breeze he was feeling. Directly below the hole snow had piled up over the frozen 'water' which had already started creeping down the tunnel.

But wait a minute…

"I didn't cause this…I don't even know how this happened!"

"It occurred because you so foolishly followed that human into that wolf's den."

"Den…?" Naruto's brow furrowed in confusion before he realized what it was the fox was referring to. "But how was I supposed to know that was going to happen?!"

"You didn't, but the fact remains that you acted like a mere pitiful stray, straggling behind a hand that offered you meat!"

The stray comment really hit home in Naruto, unearthing long buried memories of his childhood and resurfacing them with a vengeance. "Hey…"

The Kyūbi thought nothing of the quiet response but quirked an eyebrow when it felt its chakra being pulled.

"Don't ever call me a stray…"

"Feh…" The fox snorted, putting a rein on his chakra seeing as it wasn't quite finished with it yet. "It's what you are, orphan. You will never have a place to belong because of what you are, so learn to live with it."

"Like hell I will! I'm not a stray, I live in Konoha…I have parents…!"

"Who are most likely dead by my own devices, and those people in that wretched village? They will never accept you." The Kyūbi finished for him, which only served to send Naruto over the top, causing him to find strength in his moment of weakness to try to lash out wildly with his left hand and feet at the giant fox head. It was to no avail though as the fox held him just out of reach and he sagged in defeat, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. The Kyūbi set him down none too gently on the water where he stood on his own.

"What the hell do you want from me?!" Naruto cried out in exasperation.

"Soon from now this place will be frozen entirely, signifying the end to your little 'changes' but that is hardly the problem. Now that you possess what the wolf wants it will pursue you without qualm. You must resist its advances at all costs!"

"The hell…" Naruto grumbled as he wiped his eyes. "It would probably be better if I listened to that stupid wolf instead of you anyway…"

The Kitsune bristled. "Say what you will, boy, but an alliance with that wolf does not go without consequence!"

"Shit, why do you hate the wolf so much anywa—" Was all he got out before the Kitsune's anger peaked immediately, its massive paw coming down in the cage with unprecedented force.

"IT WAS BECAUSE OF THAT ACCURSED WOLF THAT I AM WHERE I AM THIS DAY!!"

A frightening wave of chakra blasted off the fox like a gale, pushing Naruto off his feet and into the iron bar behind him.

"To expect that a being such as I to be subservient to one as insignificant as the dirt beneath toes…the mere thought of such a thing makes my blood curdle!!"

Naruto sweat-dropped; the fox had an ego bigger than the whole of Fire Country. "Whatever, I still won't help you!"

"Very well then…" The Kyūbi yielded, but only momentarily as its chakra form dissipated into nothingness. "You have yet to realize the extent to which my presence has on your wellbeing and when you do you will return, groveling before my keep as I look done upon your existence with contempt. Until then you may suffer, just like the lowly human stray you are."

He was expelled from the Kyūbi's domain faster than he could let loose his stream of obscenities, but rather than being thrown out face first into the waking world, he would find that his subconscious experience was far from over.


-The Next Day (early morning), Village's Administration Building-

Yukio strode into the room calm and collected (despite spending the night in the office), looking up into the faces of those seated on the higher semi-circular platform who bore the esteemed title of 'Master'. Had he been anyone else he might have found the sight rather imposing on several different levels, but he was their leader, and they knew their place.

There were five Masters in all, each representing a different aspect of the Shinobi arts they possessed unmatched skill in.

The first one, Akiyama Taizo was a Master in the art of Taijutsu whose dojo was founded by a wanderer from the mainland who settled in their village.

The second Master belonged to his own clan, Shiraiyuki Genkei, who sought out to perfect his own unique style of Kenjutsu, and in so doing, became a Master. Genkei was sitting to Taizo's left, placing him in the center of the five present.

The final three Masters before him, however, represented much more than just people who possessed insurmountable skill within a particular area of expertise. They were the leaders who represented large groups of several families who followed in a similar art. A tradition dating back to the founding of the village, it was brought about by the founder who, after infusing different families with his special ice-natured chakra, suggested that those who possessed talents similar to that of others should group themselves together and help each other bring about enlightenment to the new bloodlines. The groups became permanent overtime and were developed into factions, taking the name of the family who possessed the strongest line. These factions were:

The Motou's, who was represented by the current Ninjutsu Master, Motou Sen, and was sitting on Genkei's left;

The Wakahisa's, who was represented by the current Genjutsu Master, Wakahisa Hatsue, sitting on the far right next to Sen;

And the Yukihiro's, the faction comprising solely of medics, whose representative, Yukihiro Izumi, seemed to be absent. He brought the fact to the other's attention. "Izumi-Master, why is she not present?"

Taizo shrugged. "Apparently the messenger we sent to her was found unconscious in the halls of her wards so it's hardly likely that she received the notice. We're just waiting to see if any more bodies are going to turn up."

"You have been moving without us Yukio." Genkei stated with slightly narrowed eyes, getting straight to the point. "And this has not been the first time either. Your blatant disrespect towards this council is—"

"Woah, woah, woah, calm down there Genkei." Taizo intervened worriedly, waving his hands about nervously. "He's here right? Therefore, there's no need to fight you guys!"

Genkei took a sip from the glass laid in front of him before responding. "So we must merely be content because he showed his face before us? How could I, when I know he only came here to fill my ears with senseless drivel?"

"I tell you only what must be told and nothing more, since, after all…" Yukio said calmly as he moved forward to the podium. "…as leader, you merely have to follow as I lead, is that not true?"

The glass cracked slightly under Genkei's grip as the words resonated throughout the relatively empty room, but angry he was not. In fact, he was already accustomed to the man's irresponsible words. However, it seems as if his annoyance was interpreted incorrectly as he felt the pressure a placating hand being placed on his shoulder by the man on his left.

"Calm down, Genkei-san." Sen whispered before turning a steely gaze on his so called leader. "You are sadly mistaken, Yukio, if you think that we were placed in this position to follow you like lost, little children. Hurry and give your report before…" The man's words trailed off as he gazed into the glowing ice blues of the man standing below him.

"You may be Masters of your respective arts but know your places." Yukio warned as he filled the room with a heavy atmosphere. "Even should you combine your efforts, I am afraid the outcome would merely be the same…every time."

Sweat formed on the brow of all those present as the threat was left hanging heavily like a drenched rug, but as quickly as the tension came, it went, the clearly established alpha amongst them returning to his former calm. "Now, let us begin shall we? Of course you all know our newest addition to our village, Uzumaki Naruto."

"Yes, but what we wish to know is why the hell were the doors leading to the Hyouden opened to him?!" Sen seethed as he slammed his hands down on the semi-circular desk impatiently. "Was it not agreed that only those gracing this room presently would be allowed access?! Furthermore, the child is not even native to our country much less our village!"

Yukio folded his arms. "It was a simple measure of gaining his trust by showing him something of true value to our village."

"True value…?!" Sen questioned incredulously, "What would you have done in the instance that the Hyouden decided to unleash it vengeance upon us once more?! That accursed sword is nothing but a hindrance!"

"That opinion belongs only to those who understands nothing about the sword nor of the potential it holds; it goes doubly so for those who have been afflicted severely by its power. In any case, I am thankful it came not to that, but because of their meeting, I have—"

"Look Yukio-Sama," Taizo interjected civilly, "you have been conducting this 'project Snow Queen' for some time and although most would question the ethics behind it, I must admit that it is superb for keeping fresh blood within the village." The aged Genkei interrupted from his position at the center of the semi-circle. "However, this new catch of yours seems to be more trouble than he is obviously worth."

"'If you knew anything of his true value then you would not be making such a statement.' Was that what you were going to say, Yukio-dono?"

"Yes, something to that effect…" Yukio answered as he closed his eyes before addressing the new arrival. "Master Izumi, you are late."

"Forgive me, but the fault also lies with the late delivery of my invitation." She said innocently, taking her place beside Sen before turning an equally innocent smile in Hatsue's direction. "Good morning Hatsue, did you find what it was you were looking for in my office?"

The woman in question averted her eyes, bringing her palm to her face in an attempt to hide herself. "I-I have no idea of what you're talking about…"

Getting back on topic, Genkei raised a query. "What do you mean by his "true value"? Is there something else about the boy that you have also kept hidden from us?"

"I have only recently discovered this with the assistance of master Izumi so I shall duly ignore your accusations." Yukio said simply as he ignored the glare he was receiving. "However, in light of recent events, I have decided to forego telling you."

Sen grounded his teeth together. "What?!"

"You seem to enjoy questioning my every word so much so I have decided to simply let you assess his value for yourselves. Is this not a more satisfactory arrangement for you, master Genkei?" Yukio asked matter-of-factly as he packed up his files. "I shall let you know of his awakening, council."

Genkei said nothing as Yukio dismissed himself, his eyes simply following the man's movements as he slowly walked away unperturbed. From the very first moment Genkei had been able to fully comprehend the world about him his opinion of Yukio had never changed. For like the very locomotives their country once proudly gave birth to, Yukio mind always ran on one track, never slowing nor changing until it reached its desired destination, and within its cabins the entire village sat silently and unquestioningly as they were merely whisked off. It was the entire purpose for establishing the council of Masters; amongst their duties were the tasks of presiding over the districts to which they were allocated, leaving the military matters solely to the leader. However, that proved to be…

"A complete waste of time, that was." Hatsue, who had been silent thus far, muttered, leaning back in her chair. "Honestly, if he was going to do that from the beginning he should have just said so instead of calling us all the way out here—"

"It was we who called this meeting…" Genkei interrupted, a feeling of distaste surfacing in his mouth. "Once again that man's folly has gotten the better of this council. He is truly a troublesome leader."

Taizo folded his arms, leaning back in his chair. "I do not doubt his skills though; he is one of a kind."

"Indeed," Genkei agreed, "he is the strongest since our village's founding, the epitome of Shiraiyuki strength."

"It still doesn't excuse his brashness. I mean, playing around with that accursed Hyouden, even after knowing what it has done?"

"He is correct in that instance, Sen. You must let go of your hatred for that sword in order to see the true value it possesses. As a Kenjutsu specialist, such a weapon would be irreplaceable at my side."

"Whatever…" Sen grounded out through clenched teeth.

"In any case, I shall let you know of anything concerning this boy and we shall convene this meeting at a later date."

The looming wooden doors flew open with a bang, a large gust of wind ushering the disappearance of all the esteemed leaders except for one. He sat silently, eyes staring straight ahead as he watched motionlessly with his chin resting on interlaced fingers as snow filed into the room unrestrainedly, his hair coming to life behind him in the wailing breeze.

He was immersed in his element once more, and it was beginning to unknowingly soothe his stressed mind. The moment was short-lived, however, as an unexpected (but not fully unwelcomed) voice spoke up from below.

"You needn't worry so much, Genkei."

He closed his eyes as if reveling in the feeling of the cold. "I was not aware that I was experiencing such a feeling, Master Izumi."

"You Shiraiyuki are seldom aware of anything concerning yourselves." She responded in teasing manner as she closed the doors, eliciting a minute quirk of the eyebrows from Genkei.

His hair returned to his back as the winds died down and he turned his passive gaze upon the woman standing below him. "What is it that you need of me, master Izumi?"

Izumi smiled innocently. "Why to spoil the surprise, of course."


-Unknown location-

Hours…no, days maybe…

Naruto had no idea how long he had been suspended in the darkness of his mind as reels of past memories floated on by in no particular order of when they were taken. They were just thrown at him over, and over again with no remorse, and they weren't just any old memories either.

No…they were the crème de la crème, the cream of the crop, the ones he had tucked away way deep inside himself for safekeeping…

The ones that made him regret ever having been born…

And he could not close his eyes to shield himself from them either. In fact, it only served to intensify the memory as he would come to view the memory through his own eyes as if he was reliving the event.

Even worse than that was that he could feel everything he felt at the moment the memory was taken.

Every tear that was shed…he felt it; it made him want to cry again.

Every instance of loneliness…he felt it; it made him want to curl up in a corner somewhere.

To top it all off he knew it had to be all the fox's doing. It had to be, there was no other explanation. And every time the thought crossed his mind a burst of anger would flow through his veins and he would scream, yelling with all his might into the pitch-black void.

"Why is that bastard fox doing this?!"

"What was the bloody point in dong all this?!"

Questions gone unanswered for a long time now and after a while of no responses, he just gave up, too hurt and too tired to shelve out anymore feelings of frustration.

Then, there was that…the one memory of his that cared nothing for monotony and he was starting to regret that he had done it so many times. It showed up every other two memories or something like that, and it didn't matter when it was taken…

They all hurt the damn same…

And as if he had signaled it with his contempt the reel sent the memory hurdling towards him and he cringed in anticipation.

He knew the routine like the back of his eyelids already…

With the backward-forward movement of the swing he would first look up at the sky, watching the fallen leaves drift with the air currents above before his head ducked down and his hands clutching tightly at the chain links and lap came into view. From there his ears would pick up the congratulations and the cries of joy being made a few feet away and his heart would ache, his eyes glancing only briefly at the hugs being shared by the students and their guardians and the brand new forehead protectors adorning the adorning the newly branded Genin.

Finally, his ears would pick up the conversation of people who had noticed him there and he would listen as most commented on the "demon's failure" with glee, never sparing him a second's glance as they moved off with their families. However, because this was the third time around, he got the pleasure of listening particularly to the two women gossiping, his eyes trailing upward to focus intently on their lips as their words left their mouths without pause.

"…Who knows what would happen if that demon became a ninja?"

After that, his gaze would return painfully to his lap where the memory would fade and he would be given some time to himself.

He hated those memories for one reason: it reminded him of two things he thought he would never be able to get. The first was recognition and respect; he had no forehead protector and could not become a ninja much less the greatest one of them all and therefore, he would never gain recognition from the villagers.

The second…was the love and warmth of a family as he watched the families converge and greet each other as they shared their successes and even failures together.

The first one he knew for sure was definitely attainable now, especially after the events at the Chūnin exams where the people started to look at him differently but the second…he always knew that it could never happen, but when he thought hard about the relationships he had with certain people (like Iruka, who he envisioned would be like a father to him and Jiraiya, who would be like a crazy uncle), he liked to imagine that they were like his real family.

However, after witnessing those memories over and over, he was beginning to think otherwise. Being physically, mentally and emotionally drained for so long sapped him of all reason, and he could no longer prevent thoughts of him being returned back to those days where there was not one person behind him from penetrating his thoughts…

The days where he would always be considered as a failure and a demon…

And so he succumbed, mostly because he no longer wanted to live through the pain of his memories.

"Kyūbi's right…maybe I am a…" He began to conclude despairingly but the thought would never be completed though as the slides about him all collapsed and shattered into many pieces before falling downwards into the endless void.

He could hear nothing now and it was still hopelessly dark all around him, but he see blotches of a dark red scattered all about, he could feel the slight tingle of light breeze brushing the hairs on his arm, and the warmth of a weak heat source bearing down on his face.

He was awake now, his mind finally released and returned to the world of the living, but despite how relieved he thought he would be at his escape from the mental realm, he could not find it in himself to celebrate.

Never before had he ever openly admitted defeat before anything, not even as a fleeting thought, but just within a few hours, with that little session with the fox, had him completely and utterly terrified.

He was terrified of being abandoned there in Snow…of being a coward for the rest of his life…

…Of becoming a stray with nowhere to return to…

But even though he was afraid he would not lose hope; Kakashi and the others would return for him definitely and he would be able to go home where he rightfully belonged, where he grew up and became a Genin in, the place where all his goals for the future resided. He had to be careful now…he could not afford to do anything that would jeopardize his going back to Fire Country.

As long as nothing changed he should be fine…

After calming himself for a few moments he opened his eyes where he finally got a good look of his surroundings. The entire room had been coated with a thick layer of ice, something he had not been unaccustomed to given where he was at the moment but he would think that with all that ice he would be feeling cold. Instead, however, he was surprisingly comfortable in the supposedly low temperatures, even within the thin hospital gown and tightly wound bandages around his entire torso.

And with him noticing the bandages he acknowledged the injuries, which he had honestly thought wouldn't be real. Both his shoulders were messed up he found, and his left arm was in a sling and hurt whenever it moved so he could already guess what was wrong with it. Also, the bandages were wound up so tightly around his body that he could hardly bend forward.

"I would not recommend moving just yet, Naruto-san."

Stopping mid bend Naruto turned his head to his right side where his visitor was approaching from and put on his best pout, his spirits rising fairly well with a familiar face. "I told you to stop with the '-san' part didn't I, Azumi-Neechan?"

Azumi averted her gaze, fidgeting slightly under his disappointed one. "Y-Yes, you did, but I'm still finding it difficult to do so. I have never shared such closeness with anyone besides Koyuki-hime." She said truthfully, leaving Naruto a little confused.

"Wait…you didn't have any friends?" He asked suddenly, perturbed by the sudden enlightenment. "Not even when you were small?"

"I'm afraid not. I was too…"serious", as they put it, to be considered worthy of friendship and I was…"

He reached out for her hand and touched it gently, startling her out of her sentence. Her eyes met his and he gave her a look that told her he understood well what it was he thought she went through. She pulled away soon after though, feeling highly uncomfortable with the unaccustomed touch and she changed the subject.

"I-I see you are adjusting well to the changes to your body." She said, averting her eyes and covering the hand he touched with her other one. "Honestly, I had no idea what was going to happen seeing as we had never had one such similar occurrence in the past, but…"

"Umm…what changes?"

Azumi stared at him for a few moments where she realized he truly had no idea of what had happened to him. She fished for the appropriate words. "Well, last night, when you were down in the basement, your proximity to the sword triggered a reaction that was totally unexpected. I have no idea who your parents are but it is clear that you are without a doubt a Shiraiyuki. Your body changed in order to become a better support to your newly found chakra and…"

"How much did I change, Azumi-Neechan?" He asked plainly and so she summarized as best as she could.

"Your hair, your eyes and your skin, Naruto…they've all changed to look like my family's."

Naruto ducked his head and a shadow shrouded the upper part of his face as he spoke in a low voice. "Show me…"

"Naruto, I think you should calm down first…" Azumi glanced warily about the room, noticing the minute shifting of the ice about them.

"Show me…" Naruto was starting to become agitated.

"Naruto, wait…"

"No! Show me, now!" Naruto closed his eyes tightly and screamed, the ice all around them jutting up suddenly in spires all around them.

"Ok!" She shouted, extending her arms swiftly to halt the ice's dangerous procession and return it to its former position. Azumi then inhaled slowly and exhaled lengthily, small shards of ice formed from her breath accumulating before her into a reflective surface to form a small mirror which she then moved closer to the nerve-wrecked teen. "Take a look, Naruto."

When Naruto peered into the mirror before him and caught sight of the person staring him in the face, all form of logic left his mind as he laughed lifelessly in denial at the image shown to him.

"No…"


-Village Leader's Home-

Now arriving to his home in the cliffs Yukio removed his cloak, handing them to the head housekeeper as he moved bedroom-bound. Before he headed in however, there was something to be confirmed.

"Has Azumi returned home?"

As if startled by the question the housekeeper shuffled the article of clothing in arms nervously before inching closer. "I-I'm sorry Yukio-Sama, but I have yet to hear from Azumi for the morning. Maybe she is still in bed?"

Looking back at the hunched over man briefly Yukio changed directions and headed towards his daughter's room. Knocking twice, he opened the door part way to come upon the figure of someone immersed fully under the bed covers, the only parts of the body to be seen being the full head of white hair protruding from the top. After seeking out her signature and feeling satisfied he would have left it at that…

But the anxious behavior of the housekeeper standing a few feet behind him led him to believe otherwise.

Yukio strode lightly but purposefully into the room, moving without detour straight towards the mattress where he drew the sheets backwards forcefully.

Staring back at him with a tearful expression was the face of one of his maids, a paper talisman clutched within her grip filled with Azumi's chakra to be used to the transformation and to fool his senses. He turned away from the sight…

He would not punish her, nor would he punish the others for caring so deeply for their master. No…they needed not be punished for something that was not of their doing. "Relay this message to the guard outside." He began, the housekeeper outside the bedroom door nodding in compliance as he listened carefully for the message. "All active Shinobi on duty are to be vigilant for Shiraiyuki Azumi. She is to be captured on sight and taken to the level 5 ANBU detention center to be kept for an indefinite period of time. I am then to be informed of her capture afterwards."

Gasps were abound as all eyes centered on the regal leader and the now official bearer-of-the-message could only shake in trepidation as he bowed and turned to go deliver the message with haste. Before he could move far however, Yukio had a change of heart.

"Hold on…"

The trembling man halted immediately. "Sir?"

"You may hold off on relaying the message till later this evening…" Yukio informed him, sparing one last look at the still transformed maid lying between the sheets of his daughter's bed before exiting the room. "…seeing as these may be her final moments of freedom after all."


-Elsewhere, En Route to Fire Country-

A horn sounded loudly in the darkness signifying their arrival after a long journey, the passenger all rushing onto the deck to take in the vision of the approaching lights with anticipation.

This went double for three of the passengers in particular.

"Finally…" Sasuke murmured from his spot against the wall in the entryway to the living quarters, 2 haversacks on the ground beside him.

"We're home…" Sakura finished for him as she pulled up beside the stoic Uchiha with her own backpack.

"Not yet." Leaning against the wall in a manner similar to his charge Kakashi closed his book, tucked it away in his pouch and stepped forward, picking up one of the packs beside Sasuke. "Let's move. We should be able to make it back to Konoha within a few hours."

The three ran out onto the deck and over the side of the ship to get a jump start on making it to the checkpoint before the crowd.

There was no time to be wasted…


A/N: Hmmm…nothing to say this time really.

Like always, I want to thank you all for taking the time out to read. I look forward to receiving your reviews.

Andoryu-sama