It had been only four days before the festival celebrating the defeat of the Kyuubi and the sacrifice made by those who had fought the great demon. Uzumaki Naruto had somehow snuck out of the orphanage without the elderly matron catching him. When it was discovered that he was missing the Hokage had immediately ordered a village wide search by the ANBU. The black ops unit had found the boy in a small out of the way clearing in the forest, but the scene that the Hokage arrived at was anything but pleasant.
Naruto had been savagely beaten. The boy's blood was everywhere and there was so much of it one would have thought the boy would have been bled dry. His clothes were torn and charred looking, barely covering the young body. Having the shirt almost completely ripped open allowed the gathered ninja to see how the skin had been almost peeled from the torso and showed the pieces of rib broken through the muscle.
His head and face had been bashed repeatedly, probably with one of the bloody bricks nearby. The beating had been so bad that both eyes were swollen shut and the surrounding bruises had grown to the point of nearly bursting. Around his mouth were small flecks of white that if Sarutobi and the ANBU had not been the combat tested shinobi that they were they would have not recognized as pieces of Naruto's small teeth. His right ear looked as if it had been partially pulled off while the left appeared as nothing more than charred flesh.
Naruto's right leg was twisted completely around below the knee and his left leg had a compound facture with the femur sticking out through the side of the small child's thigh. His right hand had been mashed until it resembled something akin to raw meat. The right arm was slashed wide open to the point where the muscles had begun to peel back and the bone had become visible. Of course that bone was also broken in several places so it was difficult to tell where the greatest damage was done on the arm. When Sarutobi shifted his gaze to Naruto's left side he was aghast that the part of Naruto's left arm from the elbow down was simply gone.
Taking in the scene the old Hokage had felt a mixture of sorrow, anger, and shame boil up within him to the point where he felt sick. At least that is what he would later convince himself had made him feel ill and not the remains he saw before him that day.
Feeling tears begin to well up in his eyes the Sandaime had started to give orders. His first was to find the ones who had done this. He was especially clear that if the parties involved resisted than the ANBU operatives were to exercise the part of their training and charter that allowed them to execute a resisting criminal without trial. He had been happy to note that two of the ANBU captains present, one wearing the mask of a dog and the other that of a weasel, were quick to carry out the order and seemed to share little qualm in avenging the child who had been the vessel of the demon kitsune.
His second order was to the medical ninja and the seal specialists that had accompanied him. They would assist him in preserving the body and making sure the seal had taken affect so that the Kyuubi followed poor Naruto into the next world. After that the body would need to be prepared for cremation and burial. However, when the medic-nins had moved forward to place a preservation jutsu on the body so that it could be attended to one of the greatest surprises of Sarutobi's life, if not all of the lives of the individuals present, happened.
Naruto suddenly convulsed as air seemed to be forcefully taken into his lungs. Quickly the medics had rushed forward in attempt to save the boy who was miraculously not dead, as they had all assumed from the condition he was found in. When the medics then started to apply healing chakra and jutsus to the boy's mangled body the next greatest surprise to all those present occurred.
The medic-nins were blown backwards head-over-heals as a torrent of blood red demonic chakra exploded forth from Naruto.
The ANBU had immediately taken up positions to attack and defend depending on what occurred and even the Sandaime felt himself fall into a rough battle stance in preparation for the potential return of the Kyuubi no Yoko. However, all present were even more startled by what began to occur before their eyes.
The chakra seemed to wrap Naruto in a protective shell, even going so far as to make a faux limb where the rest of his left arm should be. The red chakra had then begun to bubble and hiss as Naruto's wounds began to heal themselves.
His ribs made sickening pops as they were forced back into place and fused together as if new. The skin on his torso then began to look as if it were melting as it restructured itself to lose the cells that were already dead and merge with the new cells that were rapidly forming whole new layers of skin to cover the areas that had been ripped away.
His legs and right arm made horrible cracking noises as bone was pushed, pulled, and twisted back to its original position. A slight fizzing sound seemed to occur as the skin reformed and began to seal together without assistance. Naruto's right hand seemed to spasm as the shards of bone within it reconstituted themselves into the many intricate working joints and the muscle wrapped itself around them to make the hand function again.
Several ANBU lost there control and had to remove their mask as they vomited at the sight occurring before them. Sarutobi felt for them as he was barely holding down his own gag reflex and the small lunch that he had consumed. His focus was diverted for a second as he heard one of the medic-nin loudly and rapidly praying to whatever god or gods may be listening and quickly turned his gaze upon where the man was looking.
By this time Naruto's head had reared back as the flesh was pulled taught and the blood that had filled the swollen bruises about his eyes drained down his cheeks and onto the ground as his ears were reformed. As the flesh repaired itself Naruto's mouth opened wide as if in a silent scream only to reveal to those present the new teeth that were being pushed through rapidly healing gums. But that was not what had drawn the attention of the medic-nin pleading for some form of divine salvation; no that was reserved to what was occurring where the faux limb had been created on Naruto's absent left limb.
Where there had been nothing below the elbow before a sight both wondrous and horrifying was happening. Bone seemed to grow from nothing and was elongating down and splitting to form the needed forearm, wrist joint, and hand with a sound much akin to that of a bizarre mix of squirming maggots, bending wood, and squishing sludge. This sound intensified as brand new muscles, tendons, and ligaments began to form on the new bone as if the bone was secreting them. Finally, the sound was replaced by the low fizzing sound that seemed to accompany the growth of new skin.
With all of the wounds that had been seen upon arrival gone the demonic chakra seemed to pulse once before seeming to fade back into Naruto's little body. This left the almost five year old boy looking as if he was simply sleeping and nothing untoward had occurred, albeit the boy was now completely naked as the remains of his clothing had seemed to disappear under the chakra's influence in what could only be called an eerie mix of evaporation and incineration.
The Sandaime Hokage upon seeing that nothing else was occurring and that the crimson chakra of the Kyuubi could no longer be sensed outright began to move forward only to be stopped by an outstretched arm belonging to one of the ANBU captains that had remained to oversee the scene.
"I am sorry Hokage-sama, but the danger may not have passed," the man began. "We can't know if the boy is still himself or if the fox is now in control. I don't think it is wise to…."
Her protest was cutoff as the aging Hokage gently pushed her arm down and began forward while motioning to the senior medic that had accompanied him earlier.
Kneeling down next to Naruto with the middle-aged medic he started, "I want you to check to make sure everything is where it should be and what Naruto's current health is while I check the seal for damage."
Nodding silently in agreement the two men soon set about their tasks with diagnostic jutsus flaring and scanning every inch of the young vessel's body. Upon completion the two men rose and the Hokage signaled for one of the ANBU to get something to wrap the boy in.
Looking to the medic-nin as well as the others present, Sarutobi decided to break the silence with his findings, "The seal is still present and appears to be undamaged. Apparently the fox sees Naruto as an investment and doesn't yet wish to see what death is like."
This statement caused a few nervous chuckles from the gathered ninja as they were still wary of what had just occurred. Sarutobi could hardly blame them as it is not everyday that one witnesses someone miraculously cheat death in such a blatant display.
Seeing the senior medic wishing to report his findings Sarutobi turned to the anxious man while a young female ANBU gently picked up Naruto and wrapped him in a discarded ANBU cloak, cradling him close to her shoulder so that he would be supported. This caused a slight smile to play on the Sandaime's lips as it was an indication that not all those in the village hated and feared the young boy as he turned to regard the medic.
"Hokage-sama, I have checked all of Uzumaki's vitals and his entire body for damage," the man nervously began. "I can't find any sign of his wounds from before, not even a single scar," the man said showing great confusion. "As far as I can tell he is in perfect condition, but I would like to get him back to the hospital to run a few more tests before I can be certain."
Seeing the conviction in the man to follow his oath as a healer, even if he was currently suffering from a major bout of fear and confusion at what he had just witnessed, Sarutobi nodded before issuing orders to that regard.
"I want Naruto under constant guard," he ordered the remaining ANBU. "One of you go and retrieve the matron at the orphanage. Take her to the hospital; she must be worried sick about what is going on. She is the only one allowed in and out to see Naruto other than myself and whoever you can vouch for Kenji," Sarutobi said while glancing at the senior medic who nodded in acknowledgement.
"Another group of you go and inform the council and the shinobi that have gathered that I will address them shortly, as I am sure many have felt the release of chakra here and are contemplating foolish actions without knowing what is actually happening," he began. "Make sure order is maintained as many are liable to panic and start rioting if given half a chance. I don't care if you have to arrest them just make sure the situation is contained."
With a chorus of 'Hai' the ANBU dispersed to accomplish there tasks while Sarutobi turned to regard Kenji who was still standing next to him as the other medics were racing back to the hospital to begin their own assigned tasks. They were hand picked by Kenji so Sarutobi was confident that they would not attempt to harm Naruto.
"There is something else you didn't say before Kenji," the aging Sandaime began. "We are alone now so what ever you have to say right now is between you and me."
Kenji felt himself shake slightly as he let out a breath before he began, "Hokage-sama, I have been a medic for a long time now. I started as one of the last students Tsunade trained before she left and since then I have striven to become as best a healer as I can…."
Sarutobi noticed Kenji pause for a moment and could tell the man was carefully trying to pick his words so as to convey exactly what he was feeling.
"I can say without hesitation," He continued, "that I have seen some horrible sights in my day. I'll even admit that I have seen worse wounds before, as hard as that is to believe. But, I have never seen that degree of wounds on someone still alive!"
The Hokage reached a hand out to steady the now visibly shaking Kenji. To see a medic-nin of Kenji's caliber and experience so disturbed by the initial wounds caused a tinge of fear to form in the elder man's mind.
"I can't tell you what just happened," Kenji began again having gotten hold of his shaking and looking his Hokage in the eye with a stern gaze. "What we witnessed is a medical miracle, but I can't think that it will not be without cost. I wish Tsunade was here as she would be better able to diagnose the situation than myself, but I can tell you this. What we saw just now, was not medically possible and by all rights that kid should be dead."
Hearing the conviction in Kenji's voice and having been witness to the event himself, the Sandaime silently agreed with the assessment. Turning to go and deal with the panic that would almost assuredly be spreading through the village despite the best efforts of the ANBU, he was stopped by one final statement from Kenji.
"I will do what I can to limit the information surrounding this event," Kenji began. "But you must know that those who hate and fear the boy will discover it and seek to use it against him and you. Be careful Hokage-sama, we can't afford to lose you."