Naruto: Paradox

by coronaprimo

Naruto is the prince of a once great empire, who becomes aware of his lineage at an early age. Naruto will use the gifts left to him by his parents and his ancestors, to become stronger. To become a king. To be a Paradox. This is the story of his acension AU/ OOC Naruto/ OP Naruto Updating Weekly. First Story

7. Return

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any other works that I use for inspiration.

"Speaking"- Speech

"Thinking" - Thoughts

"Speaking" - Non-Mortal Speech

"Thinking" - Non-Mortal Thoughts

Please read the Author's notes at the end.

Chapter 7: Return

It had been 2 weeks since the battle on the bridge which resulted in the elimination of Gato's tyrannical reign over the land of Waves and its acquisition into the Uzumaki empire. Under Naruto's rule, the Wave had already begun to strengthen. With their ports under their control again, finishing and other trades could now be made, helping fuel the economy and adding many out of work to the workforce.

Reconstruction and remodeling could be seen all around the land, thanks to all the resources Naruto and co were able to move in the village, as well as its abundance of resources. Naruto supplied the Wave with all the capital it needed through the funds he secured through Gato's businesses and accounts. The empire had contractors, construction workers, equipment, and materials brought over from Soragakure to the Wave through Kami no mon(God's Gate). To make sure they weren't discovered, they wore civilian clothes similar to the Wave denizens. Even though the Wave was doing better than ever with the new assistance and resources, their king wanted them to hide that fact.

Naruto wanted the Wave to seem like it was no more than a trading port to the rest of the world. It was in the stages of reconstruction and strengthening and he would be damned if he would let anyone take advantage of his realm, regardless of its condition. For that reason, he held the construction of establishments like banks, the hospital, Military base, and barracks. They also halted the construction of the state-of-the-art academy, which will educate all ages in a variety of trades, shinobi included. They even had to wait to begin their government operations which they had been able to establish in the past 2 weeks. The first matter at hand was the need for a leader with Naruto suggesting Tsunami act as his emissary and the leader of the Wave, effectively making her daimyō of the Wave. At first, Tsunami was against the idea, arguing that she was a simple stay-at-home mother with a basic understanding of how the village worked and that there were several better for the position. Once word got to the citizens, they wholeheartedly agreed that she should take the position, even going as far as showing up to her home one morning in a huge crowd, asking her to act as their leader. She had inspired them to stand up for themselves in a time they had given up hope. They wanted to follow her, and Tsunami wanted what was best for her people, so she ended up agreeing to the position. They knew she would be the competent leader they needed and if their King believed the same, then there was no question. They then went on to set up departments of operations and went through selecting the administrators for them.

Naruto had also decided to tell those who will be the land's higher-ups his life's story. He understood that he had their trust, but he felt it necessary for them to know who he really was, and who they were trusting their lives to. This act earned him immense respect and the sympathy of the older members. Some knew of the once great land of Uzushiogakure and have heard of its fall during the second shinobi world war. To learn that Naruto was the last of the Uzumaki, the clan which inhabited said land gave clarity on his claim of Kingship. Before he was even born his path was difficult, yet here he was making his claim. It took a true ruler to accomplish what he had. Naruto was surprised by how unfazed they all seemed to be by the fact that he was a Jinchūriki. They told him that it was his actions that they were convinced by, not a beast sealed within. Plus, Naruto explained that Kurama wasn't some mindless beast, but an intelligent being that was forced to do someone else's bidding. They were even informed of the Uchiha massacre. Of how the leaders of Konoha used the most gifted child of the clan to slaughter the rest to prevent a suspected insurrection. This only caused the leaders to see them in a better light and shamed the Leaf for their treatment of Naruto and Sasuke. Tsunami was the most upset by all of this. These boys had arrived and saved her and her home from the tyranny of that bastard Gato, but before all that, they had protected her father, helped around her village, even assisted her with her son, who had been dealing with his grief by lashing out. She didn't know how anyone, let alone a whole village could call Naruto a demon. How could they disrespect the sacrifice of so many, so casually, for so long? She hated the fact that he and Sasuke had to return there once their mission was done, and assured them that they would have the finest of residence in the Wave if they decided to stay, but they assured her that it was all for the empire's future and they would be there for as long as it was needed.

There was one more new development in the Wave. The bridge that so many had worked so hard on had finally been completed. Tazuna and his fellow contractors worked immensely hard to make this bridge a beauty of the modern world, and the help they received from Naruto and the Empire reduced the build time by a considerable margin. Naruto had also blessed the bridge with several different seal matrices for durability, longevity and even one to keep the metallic parts of the bridge nice and shiny. For such a gift, the bridge builders unanimously agreed that the bridge should be named the Great Uzumaki Bridge to honor the empire and their emperor. This brought tears to Naruto's eyes. Back in his home village, he was treated differently for something he couldn't control, for the sake of the very people who treated him terribly. Yet he had shown these people who he was, he had helped them and they had known, he had given them the choice to accept him, and they did. All of their own volition. It meant a lot to him and they understood. No one would make fun of him, he was their king and if he couldn't be himself with them, then who?

Everything seemed to look up for the land of Waves, but this just caused a great deal of confusion and concern for Kakashi Hatake. It was great that they seemed to be doing better, but it was as if it happened overnight. Kakashi happened to come to the later that evening, but because of his injuries from his fight, he was bedridden for about a day or so. Once he was able to go out and survey the land, he noted several differences such as the widespread construction and the boosts in population and morale. Seeing the look on everyone's face, the overall feel in the land, one would have never known they had ever suffered at all. His gut told him that this had to do with the ordeal on the bridge and Kakashi suspected Naruto and Sasuke to be behind it all. But how? How could they be able to assist a land of this size to this degree? Kyuubi or no Kyuubi, the boys couldn't have access to resources outside the village, could they?

Kakashi had questioned Naruto up and down about everything that had happened. Where did Naruto get his weapon? How did he make ice? What happened after he was knocked out? Naruto was kind enough to inform him of the events after he defeated Zabuza, explaining how Gato arrived with his men but was swiftly dealt with. As for the question about his weapon and abilities, Naruto stated that they were "wishes'' that were answered. The Jonin had zero luck with his two other students, Sakura being indisposed the same as he and Sasuke arrived at the final moments and contributed nothing to the events on the bridge. So all the answers lied with Naruto, and Kakashi knew he wouldn't be able to get anything out of him. He thought that he might be able to get something out of the bridge builders or some of the other civilians that might have been there, but he seemed to reach another roadblock. The people of the Wave wouldn't tell Kakashi anything. When he asked about all that happened on the bridge, the people answered as if they all rehearsed. The story was always that Naruto seemed to beat up Zabuza, then proceeded to handle Gato and his thugs, no more no less. They were Naruto's people now, and they knew that their lord did not want outsiders to know anything of their operations, including the strengths of their king. Even the youngins kept tight-lipped about anything they knew.

Kakashi also thought back on his fight with the mysterious Kunoichi, or rather his defeat to her. He was supposed to be the elite of Konoha, yet he was soft on his opponent, and that could've gotten him killed. Her jutsu was powerful and almost indistinguishable from other mist jutsu he had witnessed, but when he made contact with it, it was like he was set on fire. Kakashi was also beating himself up for falling for a clone feint, one of the most basic techniques for shinobi, simply because he underestimated his opponent. Kakashi's burns and wounds healed completely but his pride would take time to mend.

Kakashi figured he was thinking too much into it. Sure the boys might be strong and might have mysterious abilities but they wouldn't be the first that Konoha produced. It was the birthing ground of some of the most iconic shinobi the world had ever known, he included. Kakashi would continue to keep an eye on them, but would also dedicate time to his and Sakura's training.

Speaking of Sakura, she was furious. Just when she believed that Naruto might be a nice guy, he goes and tricks her. At least she thought it was a trick or some kind of genjutsu, because after she looked at the puddle like Naruto's clone asked, everything went black. She told Kakashi when she woke up and they both confronted Naruto on it, but both Inari and Tazuna backed up Naruto's story that she suddenly collapsed, and was caught by the clone before hitting the ground face first. That last detail was thrown in to help paint him as the good samaritan. She didn't buy it though. Sakura was sick and tired of being treated as if she was so useless she wasn't even there. After confronting Naruto didn't work, she asked Kakashi to train her more on chakra control, especially how to break a genjutsu. It took Kakashi about half a week to heal with help of the little medical ninjutsu he knew, but once he was they began her training.

Kakashi included physical workouts to Sakura's training to strengthen her muscles and increase needed skills such as dexterity, flexibility, and reaction time. He expected her to give her a hard time about adding muscle to her feminine frame, but she seemed solely focused on improving. Kakashi knew it had to do with her teammates and supported her for it. She wanted the recognition of her peers and she was working towards it. Kakashi was glad to see he was wrong about her in their initial encounter. Her chakra control and reserves had improved quite well in Kakashi's opinion. Seeing how her teammates had some flashy moves of their own, Kakashi felt it fair to add more jutsu to her repertoire. To compete with the multiplying abilities Sasuke and Naruto had shown, Kakashi chose to teach her the Iwa Bunshin no Jutsu(Rock Clone Technique). She had a solid grasp of the technique, and by the end of the second week had the strength to make 2 clones. He also had Sakura learn Doton: Doryūdan(Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet) to add more to her attack potential. Finally, he went over strategy with the young kunoichi. Sakura wasn't the strongest or fastest combatant, but she had great control and intelligence to rely on in a pinch. She would need to be able to make what she knew work for her and Kakashi tried to make sure of that by having sparred with her with certain conditions and handicaps in place to increase the difficulty and give her the chance to think on her feet. They didn't have much time, but Kakashi was confident in what she could become. It had only been a couple of months, but she was on her way to making a fine shinobi, he even told her so.

If there was any development within team 7 besides Sakura's training, it would be the bond she and her sensei had developed. They had spent the majority of this trip together and they were always lumped together by Naruto and Sasuke as "the rest of their team" whenever he had the chance. She appreciated him helping her become stronger and he admired her new dedication to strengthen herself.

Now that the bridge was done, Team 7 would be leaving the Wave, and once they had left the wave would move on to the full implementation of its reconstruction plans. Team 7 was now at the Waves' end of the Great Bridge, saying their goodbyes before heading back to Konoha. Seeing them off was Tazuna, Tsunami, Inari, and a large group of townspeople. Kakashi and Sakura thought they were just grateful for them protecting Tazuna and Naruto's help with the bridge, but Naruto and Sasuke knew better. They were here to see their King and his knight. The denizens of his realm wanted to wish him safe travels on his journey to conquer the world. They would also see him off making the promise that he would come back to a new land, one worthy of being part of his empire.

"When will you be back Naruto-nii, Sasuke-nii?!" Inari was sad they were leaving, but was excited about the future he knew was in store for his home.

With the establishment of the academy, he could study to be a powerful and skilled combatant, one worthy of being one of Naruto's knights as well. He would be able to help and protect the people who were close to him like his dad did. Like his brother does.

"We'll be back before you know it. Until then, we are leaving the safety of this land in your hands. You have to become strong to protect and help out your mom and your grandfather. You know he's getting up there in age." Naruto answered.

"HEY, WATCH IT! I AIN'T THAT OLD!" Tazuna shouted, shaking his fist at the blonde.

"I'm sorry Sir Tazuna, I meant nothing by it. I was only giving Inari the right motivation to work hard."

"I understand Naruto-nii. I will work hard to become super powerful! Just make sure you come back to see how strong I get." Inari spoke with confidence, which filled both his mother and grandfather with happiness.

"We look forward to seeing it. Maybe you'll give Sasuke a run for his money." Naruto pointed towards his knight.

"I welcome the challenge. Grow strong, young one. You have the resolve." Sasuke said.

"Please be safe on your travels and know that you will always have a place here. We will never forget all that you have done for our land." Tsunami's words were genuine, but were also a reminder that this was supposed to be a send-off for the Konoha shinobi, and not for their King. The sooner they left, the sooner their king's will could be executed.

"Thank you Tsunami-san, we will be sure to remember that. Until we meet again everyone." Naruto and Sasuke turned and began walking past Kakashi and Sakura, who was standing a couple of steps further down the bridge.

"Should we say goodbye as well Kakashi-sensei?" Asked Sakura. The whole time here, she felt that she and her sensei were simply tolerated because they were with her other teammates. Though to be fair, it's not like she did much in the way of protecting the old man.

"I don't think that's necessary. From the looks of it, they don't even care that we're here." Kakashi pointed as everyone had turned around and started heading back into their village.

"*Sigh* Whatever, I just want to go home. Besides the training, I did absolutely nothing during this mission." Sakura sulked as the two began walking down the bridge.

"Don't beat yourself up for that. You were able to train and learn quite a lot in the time you had. It's not like you were given much choice. Besides, I didn't do much either. " Kakashi tried his best to make her feel better.

"I guess you're right, Kakashi-sensei. Next mission, I'll be more than ready to handle anything that comes my way. Then those two will have to look at me!" The two continued, eventually catching up with the rest of their team. A little after they had reached the other end of the bridge, Naruto stopped.

"Um...Is everything ok Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"Hehe...This is embarrassing. It seems that I don't have enough chakra to continue." Naruto said as he scratched the back of his head.

"What do you- You're a clone?" Kakashi began to worry as he already knew the answer.

"Yes sir, but not for too much longer."

"Where is the original Naruto?" Kakashi was frustrated. Naruto didn't care for his authority at all. He did whatever he wanted and seemed to have a flawless defense whenever anyone confronted him.

"That I'm not sure off, but there is no need to make a big deal about it. We will be at the village far before your arrival. You just have to be good shinobi and make it back yourselves." The clone sported an innocent smile, knowing it would further irate Hatake before dispelling.

"Wait, he said "we", right?" Sakura asked as she glanced at Sasuke. He responded with a glare before turning his head and dispersing in a cloud of smoke.

"Of course...They both replaced themselves with clones…" Kakashi honestly had no clue on how to handle this. These boys couldn't be controlled, at least not by him. This upset him to no end for he was their Jounin-sensei, yet they saw him as fodder. A nuisance. A hindrance.

"Kakashi-sensei...what should we do now?" Sakura asked. It was clear to her that this was a highly upsetting development for her sensei. He was responsible for all their safeties, and he couldn't do his job if his genin were off doing whatever, wherever.

"We are heading back to the village as planned. Sakura, I know this might be a lot to ask, but do your best to keep up with me. We are going to move pretty fast for a while. If it's too much for you though please let me know. We won't stop unless you need some rest."

"Yes, Sensei! This will just be another part of my training, right?" Sakura didn't want Kakashi to worry too much about her, especially when he had his mind on where Naruto and Sasuke were, and what they were up to.

"Exactly. This will help build up your stamina and hopefully your speed. Now, let's head out." The two took off towards Konoha in a burst of speed.

"Hokage-sama isn't going to like any of this…"

With Sasuke

Darkness. Utter darkness as far as the eye could see, or couldn't see.

"Excellent Sasuke-sama. Erase your presence. Leave no trace, make no sound." The voice said as Sasuke stood in a combat stance, remaining perfectly still. His eyes were also closed.

"You will hear them, but you must never let them hear you. Your strikes must be swift, precise, and lethal." The voice continued as Sasuke heard faint sounds in the distance.

The sound of whistling increased in volume ever so slightly, but it was enough for Sasuke to tell that something was headed his way.

"Don't let your moves be dictated. Move at your leisure." Sasuke waited until the last moment to dodge the projectile that was aimed at his head, by moving his head to the side slightly.

"Good. Your intuition is the one sense that can't be manipulated. A predator is a creature of instinct. Use your instincts to hunt your prey." Sasuke moved, yet there was no indication he had done so.

He could hear various sounds around him like footsteps and more whistling. Sasuke dodged more projectiles in a similar way as before, waiting for the last minute and moving slightly out of the way.

"Hunt." The voice was but a whisper in the room but to Sasuke, the whisper was right in his ear.

He moved to his first target, locating them by the sound of their footsteps and the direction from which one of the projectiles he dodged came from. Sasuke swung his blade in one fluid motion, successfully cutting through his target. The only sound that could be heard was something hitting the ground. Sasuke was on the move again. Dashing from target to target, dodging attacks and projectiles, and cutting down all in his way, without making a sound.

"You have come a long way my child. You were no more than an owlet when you first came to us with so much potential, but so much fear. Fear that you would fail your friend. Fear that you would never become strong enough to carve your own path." Sasuke continued one cutting down more and more of the assailants as he took in all the voice had to say.

"But you took my words to heart. Do you remember my words, young lord?" The voice asked, but received no answer.

"Very good. I am sure you remember it well." The voice said in a gleeful tone.

"Fear should not dictate your actions. When you protect someone, you don't let them die. When you make a decision, you follow through. And when you attack, you attack to kill." Sasuke thought the words the voice spoke.

"My talons were once dull, but I have worked hard to sharpen them to this degree. Every movement is with a purpose. Every strike is meant to be the last." Sasuke swiped his blade in a diagonal as he had it in a backhand grip. He knew that he had cut clean through his target.

"Whether it be your enemies, your obstacles, or your fears...You will be able to vanquish them all...In a silent way…" Sasuke ran and bisected his target with a horizontal slash. He stood and sheathed his sword, all without a single sound.

"Excellent! Simply excellent! You certainly are the greatest summoner we have ever been blessed with Sasuke-sama. One who truly embraced the aspect of the owl."

The room lit up to reveal Sasuke surrounded by dozens of white puppets adorned in high-collared white cloaks. These were training puppets with special seal matrices that would allow for certain combat maneuvers and capabilities depending on their type. These puppets were of the assassin classification and used quick movements and deadly projectiles such as poison-tipped kunai and senbon. Sasuke had been using them and this special sensory deprivation training room, to heighten his senses even further.

The source of the mysterious voice was also revealed to be a massive great-horned owl, flapping its enormous wingspan. It was adorned in feathers of white and various greys, had massive round yellow eyes and two dark grey feather tufts on its head resembling horns. Most notably, might have been its razor-sharp talons.

"Thank you for your kind words Kuīnsairento-sensei. The way of your clan has helped me to strengthen myself instead of relying on the power of my eyes. It's also helped with my personal growth. Even though I knew the truth, I was still letting it hinder me."

"You were just a boy. You couldn't have done anything but focus on your growth."

Sasuke thought back on his first meeting with the giant owl. Years ago when Naruto and Sasuke started their training, Kurama suggested that they sign a summoning contract. Since she couldn't teach the boys in person, she pointed out that the summonings would be able to physically interact and teach them arts exclusive to the summoning clan. They checked the archives of scrolls in the safe house and came across the summoning contract for the owls and Naruto's summoning contract. Sasuke had become a fan of the avian race due to his brother's fascination with crows, and even more so after his brother's departure. He envied their freedom, to be able to soar and go where they please, regardless of the conditions. This is what got him to sign the contract. Upon his first summoning, Kuīnsairento appeared before him and began her assessment of his value. As the leader of the owl clan, she was quite surprised to find a small boy had been the one to summon her. The owl clan was a summoning clan that specializes in espionage and assassination due to their sound-resistant feathers, allowing them to fly without making any noise. They had also developed an art that made the most of their enhanced sensory abilities and silent movements called the Sairentou~ei(Silent Way). The Muon no Ken(Silent fist) and Sairento Kiringu(Silent killing) were both derived from the Sairentou~ei, but the difference was the control. One had to not only keep a thin veil of chakra around themselves to minimize sound, they had to control their breathing, usually taking one large breath when allowed and using it to fuel a string of actions before the next one was needed. The last component of the Sairentou~ei is complete awareness. One had to constantly be aware of their surroundings, essentially becoming one with your environment and using it to your advantage.

Kuīnsairento decided to test Sasuke by dropping him into one end of the Chinmoku no Mori(Forest of silence), the home of the Owls, and have him make it to the other end, where the owls reside. The forest was home to many massive coniferous trees that nearly blocked out most natural light. The most terrifying aspect of the forest was the Kikazaru trees that grew there. The trees had a weird ability to suppress sounds in their surrounding making it difficult to hear anything happening with the forest. Predators and prey have adapted to this environment with certain sensory abilities, but the best tool for surviving in this land was instinct. Kuīnsairento had offered Sasuke only one piece of advice at the time, trust his instincts. He might have been young, but the Owl prided herself on her wisdom and instinct, and her instinct told her to take in the boy. He was like many young owls, roaming around the dark after first opening his eyes, but Kuīnsairento knew that she could turn him into a raptor. Sasuke could hardly see or hear and found his Sharingan was no good to him but had what he had learned so far with Naruto and his instincts as Kuīnsairento had told him. He fought his way through the forest, honing his senses and his instinct along the way. It was tough and took him nearly a week but he arrived in front of Kuīnsairento. Battered, bleeding, and bruised. It was then she knew she was right about Sasuke. He was a predator of great skill and intellect, wise enough to patiently wait for the best chance to strike. She took it upon herself to guide him, show him how to harness his potential. Now when she looked at him, she saw a predator rising to its apex.

"I have accepted that fact. I was stubborn-" Sasuke stopped as the owl tilted its head 90 degrees and stared at him.

"I was far more stubborn when we first met, but with your teachings, I have been able to move past the trauma and focus on the goals head. It is as you always say Kuīnsairento-sensei, "How far will one fly with weighted wings?"

"HOOT HOOT HOOT Sasuke my boy you are always such a hoot! The Sairentou~ei is meant to remove the noise not only from your movements, but from your mind. Using your heightened senses and your predator's instinct, you execute all you do with precession, control, and the utmost efficiency. You have taken to our teachings like an Owl to flight and now you soar the sky proudly along with us. Keep this up and we can move on to the next part of your training."

"Do you mean the sage teachings Kuīnsairento-sensei?" Sasuke had learned years ago how to keep his composure and emotions under control and hide any indications of them, but he was immensely excited. Kuīnsairento had informed him of the might of sage mode and the feats he would be able to pull off with it.

"Yes, my boy. Senjutsu utilizes the natural energies that have always existed in this world. You will learn to sense, absorb and balance natural energy with your own, but first, you will learn to be able to passively absorb that energy." Kuīnsairento told him.

"I understand Kuīnsairento-sensei. What will I ha-" Sasuke was interrupted as he received the memories of his dispelled clone.

"*Sigh* Unfortunately Sensei, it seems like I have to go."

"HOOT? Did something happen?" Kuīnsairento asked.

"Yes. Naruto-sama and I left clones with our team a couple of weeks ago, but I have been able to switch my clones every so often. It seems that the clone he sent out finally ran out of chakra, and dispelled in front of our Jounin-sensei. We have to get to Konoha before him to prevent any issues." Sasuke explained their dilemma to the Owl.

"So you have to go and find your friend?"

"I'm not too sure where he might be. Lady Tiamat took him away, so there is no telling where they might have ended up. All I can do is wait for him to receive the clone's memories, he should show up after."

"Very well. We will end the training for today, but you will have to soon find the time to begin your senjutsu training."

"Of course Kuīnsairento-sensei. Thank you for your help."

"It's my pleasure Sasuke-sama. Please continue to call on me." Kuīnsairento vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving Sasuke alone. He began for the exit of the training room as he thought.

"This is ridiculous! It's not like any of those fools could do anything against us, so why do we have to keep up this idiocracy? I trust Naruto-sama's judgment but….It's getting annoying trying to fly with these weighted wings…"

With Naruto

The ocean's depths contain many wonders from amazing mountain ranges, dormant and active volcanoes, incredibly deep trenches, and a plethora of strange creatures with even more mysterious lying deeper towards the ocean's floor. Those mysterious were concealed well by the lack of light, for its touch could not reach the deepest parts of its vast expanse. To most of this world's inhabitants, this was simply the ocean's floor, none would be able to explore it, none would know its spender, but some had seen it, and those who dwell below.

It all started in the depths, before the sage, before chakra, there were the depths. The first of all came from the very bottom of the ocean's depths, with more following suit. The ocean acts as a mother to all, the origin of life. None knew of the blessing she had bestowed upon the world, upon its inhabitants, for none would inhabit this world without her gift. She had existed for so long and seen all that had happened in the world around her and it saddened her to see the actions of what she helped create. Regardless of this, she still loved the inhabitants of the world, even if they knew not of her, of their mother. If there was anything that truly saddened her, it was how lonely she was. She had always been and figured she would always be, but it was still lonely. She wanted to experience what it was like to truly be a mother. She had created those to serve her, to keep her company, but that wasn't enough. She had so many that came from her, but she wanted a child she could call her own, one worthy of her kingdom and her love. It seemed like her wish would never be answered, until one day she felt the call.

She had released several parchments into the world, with special seal matrices that only someone she would deem worthy would be able to call upon her. The seals to unlock the secrets of the summoning were the first part of her test. Once one was able to decipher the seals, they were reverse summoned into a body of water. As frightening as this could be, this test was one to see if one was "of the water". Those who were would know they were in no danger, that she would save them if they gave themselves to it, but if they feared their water, believed that it would take their lives, then it would. She had lost track of how long it had been, lost hope that she would ever be the mother she wanted to be until he was before her.

She had observed the people of the world and all they had made. She decided to emulate it by forming a dwelling fit for someone of her importance. A palace of massiveness and majesty with a city surrounding was formed within the abyssal plain at the bottom of the sea. From the countless rumors she heard about a city existing at the bottom of the ocean, she chose to name her creation Atlantis. Inside she would wait for her child to come to her, creating more servants to fill the void and pass the time. In her throne room, sat the goddess of the sea, and before her, a gigantic floating orb of water. This acted as her final test, and if one could pass it, they would be reborn as her child, a child born from the waters. She had waited, watching the world and its people change, saddened by the cycle they seemed to have fallen in. Fight after fight, war after war, death after death, and it worried her that her child might have already been out there, among those who were lost to the ways of man.

Then one day, a young blonde boy appeared in the orb of water. She stared at him, observing his reaction. No one had ever appeared before her, yet here was a child, panicking in the water. He flailed wildly in the water, then began to try to swim to the top, but he made no progress. The boy stopped moving after some more failed attempts to escape, but he couldn't have drowned for she still sensed his essence. He simply floated in the water, his aura steadily encompassing him. He showed no fear, no concern, he looked like a child in his mother's embrace. She had seen it many times before observing the world of man. The smiles of countless mothers and children when they were together, the bliss they displayed. Once she was close enough, she could see the smile on his face. He wasn't fighting the water at all even though he could've drowned, but she knew he had nothing to fear, and it seemed he didn't either. She reached in the water, grabbing and pulling the boy out. Naruto coughed up some water before looking at the person holding him. She could only be described as a true beauty, with the softest skin and features. She had two-toned horns curving multiple times to form a unique look, but it was her eyes that truly drew him in. They were like his, deep, blue, and full of sadness. It was as if he was looking in the mirror. It had gotten better since he had become friends with Sasuke, but Naruto could see the loneliness in her eyes, for it could be found in his as well. Tears began to stream down the face of the woman, prompting Naruto to ask what was wrong. She responded that she was his Mother, which Naruto argued against admittedly. His mother was Kushina Uzumaki, and he would not disrespect her memory by replacing her. Tiamat decided it was best to introduce herself, her creations, and her desires to the boy, hoping he would understand.

Naruto was shocked by what he learned. Tiamat was a primordial being, an entity who came before the others. She was so old that none in his lifetime had ever even heard of her. She also informed him on how he was the first in centuries to be able to decipher her seal which Naruto responded by telling her it was the hardest seal he had ever come across. Naruto informed Tiamat that he was only able to solve the seal because of how many of the parts seemed to flow into others. The seal was like the sea itself, it might have looked simple on the surface, but it hid many mysteries underneath. She told him "only a child of the water could feel the flow of the seal", this only intrigued the boy more. She had told him of all that came before, the empires that had risen and fell. She told him about the foundation of the shinobi world as she was able to observe it. Most importantly, she told him of her test, of how the seal and the water were supposed to present her with a worthy candidate for her motherly love and guidance. She wanted an heir and before she was a prince, a child worthy of her and all she had to offer.

Naruto had an internal conversation with Kurama, asking her what she thought about everything they had learned. Kurama informed him that she couldn't sense any negative emotion or intent to lie coming from Tiamat. Tiamat snickered a bit as they had their conversation, interrupting by telling Naruto that the fox had nothing to worry about. She promised that she only wanted to give the boy all he could need and require as her child. Naruto decided to believe her, especially since his Kingusugādo hadn't attacked or even appeared. Tiamat only asked Naruto for a chance to show him all she had to offer him, she would help make any of his dreams a reality. Naruto knew her words to be true, just looking into her eyes told him that. She wanted to be a mother, and he had always wanted one. It wasn't meant to disrespect his mother, but if a being of this age and power wanted to offer him help, how could he say no? After all, she wanted what he had at a time, someone precious, someone to give love to and receive love from. It was then that Naruto agreed and was bestowed with a contract to summon Tiamat and her servants.

Now, years later Naruto found himself training yet again within the walls of the Atlantean palace under the tutelage of his "mother". Tiamat sat on her throne watching her child fight against her servants, the Atlanteans. They were beings with humanoid appearances, but with features that could be found among the denizens of the deep. Tiamat had never taken the time to name them so once Naruto became her adopted son, he took it upon himself to bestow each of them with a name of their own.

Naruto was standing in the center of the room shirtless, with only his hakama on. He was fighting against 3 combatants, the first appearing to be a feminine humanoid with green eyes, white hair, and green fin-like ears. She was wearing a sailor shirt that bares her midriff and black panties. She also had knee-high armored boots with her shin-down resembling swords and a white cape. Naurto named her Mekajiki.

The second was a petite little girl with short white-silver hair and glowing purple eyes. She wore a black hoodie complete with a muffler which is zippered down far enough to reveal her upper body and o-ring top, along with a small white backpack. Most notably was her eel-like tail, with a monstrous head on the end of it. The teeth of its maw were razor-sharp and the top of its head followed that theme. She was named Unagi.

The last was a humanoid who appeared as a small young child with white skin, two triangular horns, and long white hair with an ahoge that reached down to her waist, wearing a sleeveless white dress with a black square decoration. She wore black side-tie panties and white mittens. She was deemed Chīsana.

"It is here in the deep that I find myself…" Naruto had a dazed look on his face as the 3 Atlanteans circled him, waiting for an opening.

"That's right my child. Now shorten the range of your En to just an arm's length." Tiamat instructed him from the sidelines.

During one of their first training, Naruto explained the Uzumaki chakra application to Tiamat which she credited for how strong Naruto was. Seeing that his chakra seemed to grow stronger from its training, she began to teach him how to emit his aura to influence all that enters his range, even the water molecules in the air. Tiamat never felt the need, so when Naruto heard of her amazing technique, he took it upon himself to name it Abisaruātsu: Dīpusufia(Abyssal arts: Deep Sphere).

It was Unagi who jumped on the offensive first. Yellow sparks began to encompass her as she moved toward the right side of Naruto. She was quick and once she was in range, Unagi began a flurry of thrust with her tail.

"Without distraction, without noise, without pollution…" Chains quickly shot out from a bit shy of his elbow and wrapped down his arm, all the way down to his fingers. An onyx gauntlet with red accents took form on his arm, and with it, Naruto blocked and parried every single one of Unagi's attacks without moving from his spot.

Mekajiki was extremely fast, moving in to capitalize on Naruto fighting with her fellow Atlantean.

"My mind is free to dwell on those I cherish…" The same process happened with Naruto's left arm as an identical gauntlet formed. Mekajiki began her assault, using her blade-like legs as if she was dual-wielding swords. Naruto stood his ground and proceeded to handle Mekajiki's attacks similarly to Unagi.

"Amazing my prince! A clear mind directs your aura. Strong bones conduct your aura, strengthening the self. Feel all around you, the shape, the density, the very essence, and learn from it. Direct your aura to flow with the aura of all around you. Deflect all harm from you like a wave, using only what's necessary, concealing what lies under the surface until the time is right." Tiamat said as she stood from her throne to praise her prince.

Chīsana performed some quick dashes back and forth across the room as a couple of dark grey orbs formed around her. A closer look revealed that these orbs had mouths emitting some kind of reddish-orange gas or smoke. They also had no eyes, adding to the strangeness of their look.

"Barnacle bomb!"

"I feel my connections growing deeper…" Naruto spoke softly as he continued to deflect the attacks of the Atlanteans at his sides. Chīsana pointed at Naruto as two of the orbs flew towards him.

"Every movement of my body becomes a form of meditation...removing thoughts that were never mine…" Once the orbs entered Naruto's sphere of influence his arms moved.

It was as if everything was in slow motion. Naruto's arms shot forward and grabbed the orbs and used them to block incoming attacks from Unagi and Mekajiki. With amazing fluidity, Naruto grabbed Unagi's tail, which had one of the bombs lodged in the mouth at the end of her tail, and Mekajiki's leg which had one of the orbs stuck on her bladed leg. He performed a powerful spin and threw the two Atlanteans to each side of the throne room. It all happened so fast that it wasn't until the girls got close to the side walls before the orbs stuck to them exploded. Unagi and Mekajiki stood up after tanking Chīsana's explosions, revealing that they took minimal damage.

"Dammit! I would've had the prince if it wasn't for you guys! Stay out of my way Mekajiki!" Unagi shouted.

Unagi could be described as childish, mischievous, energetic, chaotic, and creepily gleeful. She connected with Naruto almost immediately because of what she felt from him. He was a monster like her, a being who might be able to hide it but found bliss in brutality and chaos. Some might call her a psycho, but she would have taken it as a compliment.

"You are one of her majesty's finest. Do not sully her name by blaming your shortcomings on others." Mekajiki said in a stern tone.

She was one of the more serious Atlanteans. Mekajiki prided herself on her speed and power and felt it was her job to protect her queen and their realm from all dangers, much like a fine knight. At first, she couldn't understand why Tiamat would have wasted her time with a mortal, but once she saw what Naruto was capable of, she was quick to change her opinion. She saw him as a worthy heir, once she would have to grow stronger to protect for the sake of him and her queen.

"You guys! You're gonna upset the queen and the prince...He's waiting..." Chīsana was quite shy, being among the youngest of the Atlanteans. Despite that she is very competent and skilled in combat, fitting the support/ranged role best.

Unagi and Mekajiki shot towards Naruto with breakneck speed appearing in front of him in no time.

"I find myself in the deep...for I am the sea...I am water, and water is me…I'm in control of my flow…" Naruto canceled his En while remaining still at the center. Both Atlanteansattacked but found their attacks deflected into each other. Naruto then hit both of them away with a backhand.

"Yes! You are the water itself! You dictate the flow, all within your reach moves as you wish. Feel the energy of all around you, and will it to do your bidding. That is the concept behind the abyssal arts. Once you've learned, you can adapt and once you do, you can control." Tiamat gazed on as Naruto's energy rose, his chakra dense enough for it to resemble water.

It was Naruto who was now on the attack, choosing to engage Unagi first. He appeared before her, grabbing her in a double collar tie and hitting her with a knee strike that knocked her into the air. Unagi momentarily locked eyes with Naruto, but she swore she was staring at her queen. The longer she stared, the darker they became. The darker the world became until she saw her reflection staring back at her. Naruto delivered a powerful spin kick while Unagi was still airborne, embedding her in a far wall.

Mekajiki began to attack his rear while Chīsana created and tossed more of her projectiles at Naruto. Naruto rotated to face Mekajiki, parrying a few of her attacks before catching one of Chīsana's bombs. He then performed a palm strike hitting the bomb he had caught into Mekajiki, pushing her away from him mere moments before she was engulfed in an explosion. He deflected all the other bombs directed towards him except for one, which he caught and threw at the young Atlantean, exploding on impact.

"That's enough my prince. You performed amazingly, as expected of my child." Tiamat walked up to Naruto to shower him with praise.

"Thank you Tiamat-Okaasan, but I still have a ways to go. I'm still not able to contend with you or the sirens." Though the three Naruto was fighting against weren't weak by any measure, they weren't the strongest amongst the Atlanteans. That title was reserved for the first three Tiamet created, which Naruto layered dubbed the Sirens.

"You have excelled in all that I have taught you thus far, but you are still young and there is still much for you to learn such as how to manipulate the energy of all around you. You have become the water and learned how to control yourself but now you must learn to control even the waters themselves."

"You're referring to senjutsu. My father and his teacher were practitioners in the art through the toad's teachings."

"They are merely children. What they believe to be a profound understanding of the world's energy is simply scratching the surface. There are many different forms of ambient energy within the atmosphere. Solar, natural, even the energies of life and death. With the proper tutelage, you will be able to manipulate the very molecules around you at will. Imagine the world around you as your Hatsu." Tiamat had a more in-depth understanding of this world's energies and how best to utilize them. She was going to instruct Naruto in something far more powerful than the sage arts of his predecessor.

"Really Tiamat-Okaasan!? Let's start right now! Just wait, I'll have this down in no time! HEY GUYS, HURRY AND GET UP!" Naruto's age showing through made Tiamat happy. She had learned much about the boy over the time she knew him and though he was a leader with many relying on him, he was still a teenager. He got excited when learning something new and still deemed things as "cool" and "awesome". This was one of the things she cherished the most about being able to spend time with Naruto.

"DID YOU NOT HEAR HIS MAJESTY'S ORDERS? HOW DARE YOU LIE THERE AND MAKE PRINCE NARUTO WAIT!" Shouting could be heard from the entrance of the throne room as a figure approached.

"Hey, Chū-san! You always have the best timing. Tiamat-Okaasan said she was going to teach me how to control everything around me!" The three other Atlanteans stood at attention once she entered the room.

The new Atlantean appeared as a thin and slender small-breasted young woman with white skin, red eyes, and very long black-and-white gradient hair, first going from black approximately near her shoulders to then go to a slightly bluish color below her waist, then a grey fade and finally, white. She wore what appeared to be a white coat patterned with two black lines coming down at the middle, short sleeves, and a flowy white dress that was attached to it, as well as a pair of open-toe black heels. One of her noticeable traits was the large, long white curved horns on her head.

Upon their introduction, Naruto bestowed her with the name of Chūjitsuna. Tiamat had assigned her to be the main summon in case Naruto needed any assistance and Naruto's charm worked its magic quickly on her. Naruto summoned her nearly every day when he first got the ability to train and get to know them better. He believed that a king should know the people under him.

Chūjitsuna, much like most of the Atlanteans, had a little personality on the surface before meeting Naruto, but after being around him and his companions, Chūjitsuna's nature became more apparent. She displayed obsessive tendencies, being overly protective of Naruto and quick to anger when anyone besides her queen would interrupt their time together; she had almost killed Sasuke a couple of times for it.

Naruto didn't mind her personality quirks, he felt it was what made her special, much to her delight. Kurama also liked the Atlantean. She didn't have much of an opinion other than how strong they were but seemed to enjoy Chūjitsuna's behavior around Naruto and knew she could trust his safety if need be. She was as devoted as they came. Naruto became rather close to Chūjitsuna, probably because he felt that she was the Atlantean who was most like himself, despite her other qualities. They might have appeared harmless on the surface, but that was a mask hiding a strategist that could take down nations. Beasts that could topple empires. Monsters that could slaughter masses.

"Of course my prince! I will always be there for you whenever you need me." Chūjitsuna said gleefully, a complete contrast from her entrance.

It was then that Naruto received the memories of his clone.

"Wow...Has it been three weeks already? Damn, and just when we were getting to the good part…" Naruto slumped his head down in disappointment. He knew it was time for him and Sasuke to return to Konoha, lest they invoke the annoying wrath of its leadership.

"And just when Chū-san arrived. *Sigh* It seems like I have to return. The clone I left ran out of chakra in front of our sensei and if Sasuke and I don't return before him, he'll have a field day. He's already got his suspicions about us, if he thinks we have been sneaking in and out of the village, things might become more difficult for us."

"Would it help if I killed him, my prince? I can do it right now if it is your wish!" Chūjitsuna clearly didn't want to have to separate from her prince. Naruto hadn't been able to stay with them or been summoned by him for a while, due to Naruto handling empire business, so these past three weeks had been a dream for her. If it could continue, what was one life?

"That won't be necessary Chū-san. Plus, as annoying he is, Kakashi hasn't done anything to warrant that kind of action. As long as he doesn't interfere with our plans, we can leave him be."

"But then you'll have to go back to that wretched place! I don't understand why you won't let me and the other Atlanteans lay waste to that village and all its inhabitants. I'm sure her majesty wouldn't mind." Chūjitsuna gestured towards Tiamat who nodded her head comically in agreement with her Atlantean. They dismissed Konoha for their mistreatment of their prince and were constantly trying to get Naruto to allow an attack on them.

"It really isn't that bad, especially since I haven't spent that much time in the village in years. Anyways I have to go to the surface, but I'm sure I'll be back in no time. I still want to learn how to use the ambient energies around me. With that, I'll be unstoppable!"

"Very well...Can I at least escort you to the surface, my prince?" Chūjitsuna would try to capitalize on every moment.

"Of course Chū-san. I'm sorry Tiamat-Okaasan, it seems I'll have to leave you once more. I'll be sure to send messages to you more, a good son shouldn't worry his mother."

"It is alright my prince. I know that you are doing what you must to achieve your aspirations. It fills me with much joy that you are thinking of your mother while you're out in the world." Tiamat kneeled and caressed his face.

Her smile had become like a safe space for him. When he thought of home, Naruto saw the sea. He saw the crystal blue crash against the shore and the various creatures of the deep in all their wonder. He saw her, and her smile, and with it, the sun seemed to shine just a bit brighter.

At first, this bothered Naruto deeply. He thought he was betraying the memory of his biological mother, who gave so much to ensure he lived a good life. Kurama explained to him that his parents loved him with everything they had, but they would want him to be happy and if there was someone in his life that made him happy, even as a mother they would be overjoyed. They were able to give their child a chance to be happy, isn't that what all parents want? Naruto thanked Kurama for her help yet again, thanking the cosmos that he was blessed with such great mothers like Kushina, Tiamat, Malice, and Kurama.

"Thank you Tiamat-Okaasan!" His smile matched hers, in more ways than he would ever know.

"Alright, it's time to head out. Hopefully, I'll be able to summon you guys more in the future. With a new base so close to the village, and developments in our transportation and traveling capabilities, I should be able to have you guys help with our missions. Your strength would be of great help." Naruto spoke to the Atlanteans as he got ready to leave.

"Of course your highness. We eagerly await your call." Mekajiki said stoically, showing her knightly nature.

"Yes Prince, call us whenever there's someone to devour." Unagi was anxious for a tear apart all those who would dare step in their prince's way. That, and she just wanted to raise hell in general.

"Y-yes your highness." Chīsana said shyly.

"Allow me to take you to take us topside, your highness." Chūjitsuna said as she reached his side.

"Yes, Chū-san. Let us go. I'm sure Sasuke is already waiting for me with that scowl on his face."

With Kakashi and Sakura

"It's just a bit further. I know you're tired but we will be there in just a few minutes." Kakashi tried to motivate Sakura to continue.

They had been moving at full speed mostly every day since leaving the Wave, turning what should have been a week and a half long trip, into a three-day sprint. Kakashi had to hand it to Sakura though. Yes, they had to slow down here and there, but she stuck in there.

"Right…..Kakashi-sensei…." She missed her bed. Sakura missed the bath and all the pleasures of home. She had been exerting herself more than she had ever done before. Yes, she wanted to see those jerks she called teammates get what's coming to them, but she was racing home to a hot bath. Sprinting to a warm bed.

After a bit more running, they were able to see the village gate in the distance, and hear loud laughing in its direction. What they saw next caused them to stop dead in their tracks.

"No...no fucking way…" Sakura said as she continued to observe the scene before her.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA THAT'S HILARIOUS! HOLY CRAP!" Izumo Kamizuki was a brown-haired dark-eyed man with his hair combed down, covering his right eye. He wore his forehead protector like a bandanna along with the standard Konoha shinobi outfit which goes all the way up to his chin, and a flak jacket. He was one of the chunin that made up the Konoha gate guards.

"DAMN KID I NEVER THOUGHT I'D HEAR ONE THAT FUNNY IN MY LIFETIME! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU GOTTA LET ME USE IT SOMETIME!" Kotetsu Hagane was the other chunin completing the gate guards. He had long, spiky, black hair and dark eyes. He sported a strip of bandage running across the bridge of his nose and a light-colored marking on his chin. He wore the standard shinobi attire complete with a forehead protector and flak jacket.

Both chunin looked as if they were trying to hold in their laughter, but the sheer memory of whatever joke they heard caused the giggles to rise to the surface. But what halted Kakashi and Sakura's advance, was the sight of the Blonde and Black haired boys they had put all their effort to beat here.

"They're not even tired...Where did they come from? They would have to have passed us at some point. Did they travel when we slept? Did they know when we slept?" Kakashi thought as he began to move towards the gate with Sakura stumbling after him.

"Ah Kakashi-sensei, Sakura. Nice of you guys to join us." Naruto was pleased to see the look on Kakashi's face.

He knew he was in his head, meaning he would be able to direct his moves. With one action he could have all of Kakashi's focus on one thing, allowing them to do whatever they wanted while he was distracted.

"Yea Kakashi what gives? We know about your tendency to be late, but even we got worried after an hour." Kotetsu wiped a tear away from his face, catching his breath to badger his senior. A rare chance he wasn't going to let slip by.

"Fellas it's not Kakashi's fault. We got separated in a mist. We tried to follow after him and Sakura, but their trail got cold. I guess it was easier for us to find our way out, but you guys look like you had a tough time." Naruto's answer for the rest of the team's lateness was accepted easily by the guards but Kakashi and even Sakura were able to understand the underlying meaning of his words.

Mock, mock, mock, that's all he's done since day one. There was only so much someone could take, and there lied the issue. What would they do? Kakashi would love to whip the boy around, but there were too many unknowns. If Naruto and or the Kyuubi Could be a threat to the village, Kakashi felt best to air on the side of caution and stifle his frustrations. But each time begged the question, how much more could he take?

"Sensei…" Sakura looked toward the Jounin for some sort of direction.

"It happens. It was hard to tell if what was in front of us was real or not, but once we saw through it, it was easy to deal with. Anyway, we have to go and report to the Hokage." His annoyance could be heard in Kakashi's as he continued through the gates, into the village. Sakura dragged herself behind Kakashi.

"Guess we should go too. You guys don't get in trouble telling that joke." The guards watched on as the boys entered the village after their teammates.

"Damn, I think you pissed off Kakashi…" Izumo said teasingly.

"Nah man, he knows I wasn't being serious...Right?"

Hokage's Office

Team 7 had just finished reporting back from their mission in the Wave. Hiruzen had Naruto and Sasuke report the mission details, looking at Kakashi to confirm the validity of what he was told. From the account he received, Naruto and Sasuke basically ran the mission as a two-man cell, while Kakashi focused on training Sakura. Both of the boys had engaged and defeated a high-ranking missing-nin, successfully defended their target, and even established a great rapport with the people by freeing them from a malicious tyrant.

Hiruzen couldn't help but be proud. This mission was no laughing matter in difficulty or importance. With a direct route to a seaport now established, the leaf could get a variety of different supplies it couldn't before at competitive prices. The bridge's construction would also bring about more business to the leaf in the form of escort and protection missions of merchants and the like. Little did he know that the Wave and all its affairs were already in Naruto's control.

"How did you manage to secure a victory against such a formidable opponent." As glad as he was over the success of the mission, it had another purpose. Hopefully, with the level of danger that was present, Kakashi was able to observe something of note.

"Zabuza was fatigued after using a large-scale water jutsu. After avoiding the technique, I saw the chance to strike and took it, finishing him off with my blade." Naruto and Sasuke answered at the same time, delivering the same answer.

After some more back and forth, the old man found it useless to continue with the boys. Their answers were vague, clearly trying to mask whatever the true story of the encounters was.

"Is there anything else you would like to report, team 7?" Hiruzen figured he would have to get the bulk of his answer's from Kakashi, so might as well send the kids on their way.

"Hokage-sama!"

"Hmm? Yes Sakura, is there something you would like to say?"

"They need to be punished! Disappearing, disobeying our sensei, not to mention whatever Naruto's clone did to me on the bridge!" She was able to voice her grievances before she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure she wanted to thank you for trusting her team with such an important mission, Sandaime-sama." Kakashi felt it best to stop Sakura from speaking. He didn't know if they would retaliate against her, so best not to risk it.

"Yes Hokage-Jiji, we are indeed grateful for trusting us with this mission. It was truly a worthwhile experience." It made Hiruzen feel somewhat ill.

"It was nice getting to see the world outside of the village." They were children of his village, stricken with unfortunate fates. Yet, he couldn't shake his suspicions. There was something amiss, so what was stopping him from seeing it?

"I see. Experience turns us from naive children to wise adults. It is best for you to try and collect as much experience as you can while you're young."

"Then we will be sure to get as much experience as possible, Hokage-Jiji. We'd hate to be the naive ones here. If that's all, we will be on our way so the adults can talk." Naruto and Sasuke swiftly exited the room, with Kakashi signaling Sakura to do the same.

"I figured you had your reasons for stopping Sakura from speaking Kakashi. So, out with it, what did you observe?"

"They're skill level is far above what we have on file. They're both proficient in the Kage Bunshin to the point where they can create clones using one hand, and with no smoke as a bi-product. They received some new equipment, origins unknown. Also, Naruto's weapon possesses the ability to change forms, but it seems it has more than one alternate form it can change to. In the Wave, he confronted Zabuza with a blue Nodachi." That weapon again. It was one of the changes to Naruto that intrigued Hiruzen the most.

"I've had some of our best minds look into a weapon of your description, but to no avail. There's nothing like it in any of our archives. Were you able to observe anything else?"

"Not really, Sandaime-sama. A wall of ice separated me and my opponent from Naruto and Zabuza. My opponent was an ice ninjutsu user but sir, I'm pretty sure that the ice wall that separated us was made by Naruto."

"You think he processes an ice-oriented Kekkei Genkai?" Hiruzen felt his temples pound.

"Anything could be possible with them. They both took on Zabuza in one-on-one combat, then Gato and the mercenaries he had to have brought with him."

"Wait, what do you mean? You don't know?"

"I was...knocked unconscious by my opponent. They caught me off guard with some sort of burning mist that crippled my movements." It had been a while since Kakashi had seen such a disappointed look on a leader's face.

"Once I came to, everything was already settled and the people of the Wave seemed to worship those boys, especially Naruto, referring to him as sama and king same as Sasuke."

"It seems he's much like his father. People seemed to gravitate towards Minato, even though he wasn't the type to like the spotlight." Kakashi hadn't put much thought into it before.

"You're right...He was also in control the whole time. It was always like that when Minato-sensei was around. And speaking of Minato-sensei, I believe Naruto may know of his parentage. There was something he said to me during our mission. "One must earn the respect of others, through their actions and character…", then he asked me if I was deserving of respect like sensei was."

Naruto was right, in time Kakashi found an answer to the boy's question. Minato never demanded respect from anyone, he earned it. Whether it was his kind nature, his sharp intellect, or his deadly skill, people always concluded to respect him.

"If he knows the truth, he may hold resentment for the village for everything he's been through. That boy has suffered hardships no child should ever have to. Add the fact that his parents gave their lives for the very source of his pain…"

"It'd be understandable..."

"Still, they haven't shown any behavior that would suggest any ill intent towards the village." That was the last fragment of solace his old soul had left in all this.

"Well...there is one more item of concern. On our way back, both the Naruto and Sasuke that were with us were clones. The Naruto clone said he didn't have enough chakra to continue, so I'm thinking that they had switched themselves out with clones a while beforehand."

"How were you able to locate the originals?"
"That's the thing, I wasn't. They assured me that It would be pointless to try to find them so I tried to beat them to the village, but they beat us here by at least an hour or so according to Kotetsu and Izumo."

"So we have even more questions now. Where were the originals? And how did they beat you back to the village? How did they avoid crossing paths with you but still make it back first?"

"I'm sorry...I have no answers, Sandaime-sama." He needed a pull from his pipe, badly. Something to calm his nerves. Some to help ease the pain of what he had to say next.

"We have no choice...With the Kyuubi being a potential threat, I feel it's best to increase the surveillance on them both. They have their reasons for hiding things from us, but they seem to be going through an awful lot of trouble to do so. We will just have to find out what, hopefully before it's too late…"

"Sandaime-sama, I don't mean to question your decision but I have a hard time believing that these kids would go against the village. I mean-"

"It's unfortunate, but we have had talented shinobi betray the village before. It would be foolish of me to ignore a potential threat to our home, to its people because of my bias. But before we go so far, let's just see if the anbu will be able to find something to help put this puzzle together. I'll also be sending for Tsunade and Jiraiya. They might be necessary for the worst-case scenario…" His village and people have been hurt before. To prevent them from going through any more, he would do all in his power.

"U-Understood, Sandaime-sama."

Uzumaki Hidden Bunker

"You're dismissed Kakashi. Keep an eye out for any more suspicious behavior and keep up with Sakura's training. From your assessment, she will make a fine Kunoichi...and another pair of eyes and ears if needed." The third's voice could be heard coming out of a receiver matrix.

"Fools….utter fools." Naruto couldn't help but laugh at his Knight's assessment.

"At least Kakashi found the answer to my question. I was starting to worry."

"It's going to be more difficult to get anything done with all these eyes on us."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. We can always go to Sora using a gate if needed, and with our forces on active duty, we won't need to be out of the village as much. I know you hate it, but we will have to bide our time for a while longer. Though if the sannin are returning, that moves up our timeline."

"You are right Naruto-sama. She is a crucial component of our plans. Plus it's been far too long since we've seen her."

Elsewhere

"ACHOO!" A sneeze came from a fair-skinned woman of average height and slender build with onyx eyes and jet-black hair. Her hair was straight and shoulder-length with bangs that covered her ears while framing her face. She wore a long black kimono with red trimmings, held closed by a red obi, and open-toed sandals with low heels.

"Bless you Shizune. Are you catching a cold or something?" The other woman was another fair-skinned woman with an ample bosom, brown eyes, and straight blonde hair that parted above her forehead. She sported shoulder-length bangs that framed her face, with the rest reaching her lower back. She wore a grass-green haori with the kanji for "gamble" (賭, kake) on the back, inside a red circle. Underneath she wore a grey, kimono-style blouse with no sleeves, held closed by a broad, dark bluish-grey obi that matched her pants. Her blouse was closed quite low, revealing her sizable cleavage. She wears open-toed, strappy black sandals with high heels, showing off her red nail polish on her toenails, which matched her fingernails, and finished her look with a touch of soft pink lipstick.

"No-no I'm fine Lady Tsunade. S-sorry about that Anbu-san." The now-identified Shizune frantically apologized.

The legendary sannin and her apprentice had been out of the village for years, traveling the elemental nations. Tsunade had a terrible habit of gambling and losing so she had developed the moniker of The Legendary Sucker, drinking and losing across the land. If it wasn't for Shizune acting as her caretaker in many cases, she would have ended up in a hole a long time ago. After all these years, they had been approached by a shinobi of their home. They had just left a small town for a meal, and when they reached the forest opening, they were approached by a clocked ANBU with a white cat mask.

"It's quite alright Lady Tsunade, Lady Shizune. I am here to deliver a message from Sandaime-sama. He wishes for you to return to the village as a precaution. I am not sure of the details, but you can find more information in this scroll." Shizune walked over to retrieve the scroll from the cat masked ANBU but was stopped.

"I'm sorry. My order was to deliver this scroll to Lady Tsunade, the information within is for her eyes only.

"IDIOT! Anything anyone has to say to me they can say to Shizune, even the old monkey!" The ANBU was glad she was wearing her mask. A trembling lip and a river of sweat running down one's face is not the look of an elite.

"Of-of course L-lady Tsunade. Here you are Shizune-san." Regardless of the mask, the two share a look, one yearning for this exchange to be over.

Shizune then opened the scroll and read its contents.

"Lady Tsunade...This is pretty serious…Sandaime has even called for Lord Jiraiya"

"Whatever it is, if he's got that pervert then he shouldn't need anything from me. Besides, what the hell could be so urgent?"

"It's better if you see for yourself…" Tsunade found the news startling indeed.

"Damn...I knew the kid was made the Kyuubi's Jinchūriki, but to think the old man would ever think he's a threat...Still, I don't know about this. Sensei and Jiraiya should be able to handle the brat."

"Before you say no, check what's written at the end." Shizune pointed at the bottom of the parchment. Hiruzen had offered to settle all the debt she had racked up in her time outside Konoha. If that wasn't enough, for any service she would provide, she would receive payment for a mission of A-rank or higher, guaranteed. That meant not only would she be allowed in all the big-time gambling halls she had been banned from, but she would also have more than enough capital to win big once this was handled and she and Shizune were back on the road.

"Lady Tsunade...You know we have to go."

"Alright Alright Fine! We'll go back to the village, but if this turns out to be some convoluted scheme to get me to stay I'll beat the crap out of all of you. Including the messenger." She was a Sannin for a reason. Her strength was the stuff of legend in their village, so a threat like that was closer to a death warrant.

"Lady Tsunade, stop that. Please don't mind her, Anbu-san. Please go forward and let the Hokage know of our return. It should take us no longer than a week to arrive at the village." Shizune did her best to quell the temper of her teacher. This had pretty much been her life for the past 15 years.

"Y-yes, very good. I'll be on my way to deliver my report. Until we meet again." The ANBU vanished as quickly as she could, leaving a slightly annoyed Tsunade and what seemed to be an oddly giddy Shizune.

"Hehehe, it looks like someone's happy. It's been a while since we've been in the village, but you still had friends back there. You've been keeping in touch with them and everything haven't you?" Tsunade at times felt bad for having to take Shizune away from her friends at such a long age, but after the losses she had suffered, she couldn't stay in the village nor could she leave Shizune alone.

"Yes, I have Lady Tsunade. It's been some years since I've seen them. I'm sure they have changed in many different ways over the years but so have I."

"Yeah, If I remember right, you saw them what, five years ago? They were on that mission for like a month or so and you got to visit."

"I'm surprised you remember that, Lady Tsunade."

"Of course I do, the village I stayed at waiting for you had one of the luckiest halls I've ever been to! I was on a roll for over a week!" Stars filled her eyes, remembering how the money and sake seemed to be endless that week.

Though it was short-lived once she caught a glance of the unamused look on Shizune's face. She thought it was funny but Shizune started making a face like that after she returned from her time away visiting her friends. Whenever she made that face, she thought it was just better to do what she said.

"Of course...Let's be on our way Lady Tsunade. No need for us to keep them waiting any longer."

Chapter 7 End

Author's Notes: Hello everyone thanks for reading the 7th Chapter of Naruto: Paradox!

This chapter took a bit longer to come out because I wanted to accomplish a couple of things with it and it ended up being harder than initially planned. That being said, I'm happy with how the chapter turned out and I hope you enjoyed it as well.

The owl summoning isn't something I have seen in anything that I have read and it has been shown in Naruto so I thought it would be something interesting to incorporate into the story.

The Atlanteans are based on the Abyssal Fleet from Kantai Collection for visual reference. These are the references for the following characters:

Unagi- Battleship Re-Class

Mekajiki-Ta-Class

Chīsana- Northern princess

Chūjitsuna- Anchorage Water Demon (Naruto's main summon)

If you enjoyed, Please follow and or favorite the story. Please leave a review if you'd like and until next time, have a Paradoxical day!