I AM ALIVE!

If you were to ask someone - let's say your co-worker - what the most powerful Hidden Villages in the Nation were, they would probably give you five names.

In no particular order, not to toot anyone's horn, it might go like this: Konoha, Iwa, Suna, Kumo, and Kiri.

Now this answer was something considered textbook, as these five villages were considered to be the main major superpower in the entire nation. Five major villages led by their leader - a Kage - that was responsible for basically everything that goes in and out of the village.

However, just because a Kage was the leader of their respective villages, it did not mean they govern over the nation they were residing in. That honor belonged to the Daimyo, the Lord of the nation, a prominent figure whom the Kage owed allegiance to.

The Daimyo granted the Kage jurisdiction to most, if not all, of their territories and the establishment of a Shinobi Armed Forces to be led under them; as long as the Kage's allegiance remained true and loyal to the royal throne. So far, the system had worked and it had paved the nations to what they were today.

But!

But… it did not mean that learning about all of it would not make things any less boring!

"Uzumaki Naruto!"

The sniggering of his classmates fell on deaf ears, even when it was reinforced by the shout of his name. Said teacher, a rather youthful man who was infamous for his very, very SHORT temper… was trying to reign in every bit of self-restraint he could muster.

The keyword was 'trying'.

The other kids' muffled laughter and noise were not helping his case. Neither did the owner of the name he had previously shouted.

And the owner of the name had a rather… infamous reputation.

Blonde hair, blue eyes, rather short for his age, but the Chunin lecturer knew better than to underestimate this particular student. He was a maelstrom - true to his name - wrapped up in one package. A bane to all academy lecturers and whoever was unlucky enough to clean up after whatever trouble the kid pulled.

But, in his heart of hearts, Iruka knew that he was not a bad kid. He would go so far as to say that he could relate to him. After all, they were both orphans… and the circumstances as to why that was so might not be that different.

It was after a not so gentle shove of an elbow to his gut, courtesy of his ever so helpful deskmate, that he finally woke up from his nap. With what seemed to be dried up saliva trailing down the left corner of his lips, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy used the sleeves of his iconic orange jacket as an attempt to wipe the temptation of sleep off of his system.

However, it proved to be difficult, because in a state what one could say half-asleep; he uttered the words,

"...' fuck am I?"

That was the last straw. It was for two things, at least.

One, the students erupted into full-blown laughter. Most of them did. Those who did not were either shooting looks of disapproval towards the drowsy delinquent or did not care in the least.

And, two, it was the last straw… to the already overflowing pot of boiling water called Iruka's temper.

"THAT'S IT, DETENTION! DETENTION FOR THE WHOLE ASS WEEK FOR YOU!"

Despite his teacher's shouting, his classmates' laughter and the snide comments made his way; Mister Center of Attention himself was not fazed at all. He still adopted the drowsy and half-asleep look that was beginning to become a permanent look on him. But in the midst of all the chaos happening around him, he finally got to clear his head a little and sat back down.

"Not a very smart move there, Naruto."

A pair of half-lidded blue eyes glanced sideways, finding a face they were familiar with. The frowning face of his deskmate, fellow school-time napper, and partner in crime in full view.

"Naturally," Naruto whispered back, attempting, but failing, to hold back a yawn. "Being smart's more of your job."

Naruto did not have to look at his classmate's face to see him rolling his eyes at his comment. "You know what I mean. You're not exactly free this week with all the shit you have to do." was the equally lazy reminder his friend told him.

"Don't you mean 'we'? Why are you singling me out?"

"You ass, unlike you, I am not obligated to attend. And the times I did bother attending was because a certain blonde insisted he needed someone to accompany him while he 'gets his ego rubbed by a bunch of wannabe boy scouts'."

Naruto, now fully awake, had his mouth hung open.

"..."

"..."

"...you're still gonna have to come with me if we're gonna strike a deal with those fuckers, Shikamaru."

"...troublesome blonde bastard."

"Am an orphan, thank you very much."

Much like his sensei standing on the podium in front of the class, Shikamaru could feel the tell-tale signs of a migraine coming. "I better drink an aspirin before the meet. God damn blondes… troublesome."

The reputation he had gathered on the streets was a bit of a headscratcher. On one hand, the villagers wanted nothing to do with him; thinking he was the spawn of a demon that attacked the village twelve years ago, some had even outright accused him of being the demon itself. Mysteriously, however, those who did would always end up missing the day after. Karma, he thought.

On the other hand, they… feared him? It was a different kind of fear than the first one, mind you.

With the first kind, people would act hostile to him; as if he was an Iwa shinobi caught in the Fire Daimyo's bedchambers while he was having an orgy his harem. They would not hesitate to throw him out of their shop, spit at him when he was walking and even initiate violent actions.

No. This second case was not like that at all.

It was more… base. Base, as if, they did it without even being aware of it. They would clam up and divert their looks elsewhere; pretending as if he was not even there and sometimes outright walking away when he was nearby. Granted, people show their dislike for him in a different manner, but he expected to see this reaction coming from civilians…

...and not full-fledged Shinobi.

"Tell me, Shikamaru, am I scary?"

The heir to the Nara Clan paused the task he was doing, which was writing, to look at the very same blonde he was sitting next to during classes. Unlike a few hours ago, the enigmatic delinquent was no longer wearing that hideous and offending… thing he called clothing.

Now, Naruto was wearing a maroon-colored silk yukata with very detailed and intricate stitches depicting cherry blossom trees, the sun, and the moon. He opted to wear it more liberally, with his hands not sleeved in properly inside as it was normally intended; instead, he used the opening on the torso area as a means to let his hands out. The garment itself was kept together by a loosely tied obi, a shade darker to compliment the color of the yukata.

Underneath it all, he wore nothing. Not even an undershirt. His hair, normally kept together in a neat ponytail, was let loose freely like a waterfall of molten gold. His eyelashes, which was uncharacteristically long for a boy, fluttered as the sound of his hums accompanied the stroking motions his fingers made as they sink into the woven gold he called hair.

"..."

"Oi, Shika ya' hear me?"

"No."

Blinking, Naruto shrugged his exposed shoulders. "Oooookaaaaay."

Coughing to his fist, Shikamaru seemed a little too eager to take charge of the conversation. "So, why are you suddenly asking?"

The blonde let out a chorus of hums. "No reason. Just a thought that came up to mind."

Leaning against the paper-thin wall of the room they were in, the young boy with an IQ of over two hundred cast his gaze upwards to the ceiling. "Well, if you're not scary now, you will be in the next thirty minutes."

The long-haired blonde took a moment to pause the brushing of his hair. "Aww, thank you. That's probably the second nicest thing someone has ever said to me today."

Curious, Shikamaru asked, "Really, what's the first one?"

"'Please don't kill me Yoko-sama! You're the most amazing person in Izumo District and not that two-faced hack Shiraishi!'... was the first." A dagger-like smirk formed around the edges of his lips, before becoming completely plastered there as if it was at its rightful place.

Shaking his head, Shikamaru let out a long sigh. "Who did you beat up this time?"

"Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's with that disappointed tone, Shikamaru?"

"Well, obviously, you phrased it in a way that the guy was practically begging for his life, so of course I'd be disappointed if I end up having to pay hush money to keep the police force off our backs."

Giving his most trusted friend a look of mock hurt, Naruto gasped in a manner that would make soap opera actresses green with envy. "I can't believe you'd doubt my completely functioning sense of self-restraint and patience!"

"I don't doubt it." The Nara paused. "You can't doubt what's never there in the first place."

"Bweeeh! Yer' no fun, Shika, the rest would've gone along with my joke. Yer' no fun at all, I say!"

"This coming from a guy whose idea of a joke was to send the decapitated head of his rival's dead horse inside a plastic bag and placed it in the poor soul's bedroom, only for him to see it when he woke up in the morning and then having to be rushed to the ER due to the minor heart-attack he got from the whole thing… I think I'd rather be a boring person, thank you very much."

Grinning, the whisker-like markings on the blonde's cheeks made him uncannily similar to a certain vulpine creature. "It would've been funnier if it had been his son-in-law's head inside that plastic bag… but Hina-chan and Ten-chan warned told me no, so, meh."

Shikamaru questioned his life choices at that very moment. What kind of bad karma had he racked up in his previous life to get involved with a person like Naruto? Or maybe, this was the world's way of getting even with him for being such a lazy ass.

If so, then it's unfair! The entire male in his clan were pretty much lazy asses too, so why did they not have beautiful androgynous blondes with blue eyes for them to deal with?! This was unfair! However, he could not feel entirely cheated. After all…

...he was not the only one answering to the blonde.

At that moment, the sliding room to the spacious tatami-floored living room the two had been lounging in slid open; revealing another kimono dressed individual, though on a more refined and proper manner.

The air in the room shifted instantly. Where previously an air of playfulness reigned, it was replaced by an air of momentary silence and suspense over who could their intruder be.

"E-Excuse me…"

...and that same playful air returned.

"Hina-chan, yo!" The blonde Uzumaki sauntered off to the room's newcomer, dragging this 'Hina-chan' by her smaller hand over to the place where he was sitting before. "Thank you for letting us use your clan grounds to conduct the meeting. We would've done it at Shikamaru's place-"

"Oi, don't talk as if I'm not here."

"-but you know how Yoshino-obaachan gets when we bring those animals with us… she'd thrown a fit!"

The girl he dragged in with him from the door giggled at the tone he used to explain the story of how they were currently using her residence as the place for their upcoming gathering.

"I'm sorry about this, Hinata, I would've done something about it but my mom was in one of those moods, you know?" Shikamaru felt like it was his obligation to apologize on Naruto's behalf. It should not be, right? But seeing as the other boy could care less, he did it anyway.

"T-Think nothing of it, Shikamaru-kun." Hinata softly said, stuttering slightly. She began to ease up, posture visibly unwinding. Looked like some of her clan members were giving her a hard time on the way here.

"Naruto-kun had done a lot for m- for the Hyuuga Clan." She visibly faltered, blushing a little bit more than before. "And we will do anything we can to repay him." In the second part of her sentence, whatever traces of a stuttering and timid girl; too shy to even speak had seemingly disappeared, replaced by a young woman worthy of carrying the Hyuuga name.

This change in demeanor did not go unnoticed by Shikamaru. "Just how far did you go to have the Hyuuga Clan wrapped under your thumb, Naruto…?"

It was probably a question he could have had answered easily… if he was not too afraid of it.

"So, Hina-chan," both Hinata and Shikamaru perked up. Their boss was speaking in his… less playful tone, "everyone present?"

Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Shikamaru and Hinata assumed a seiza sitting position. The previously lax and casual posture Shikamaru adopted had been switched to a more attentive and upright one. Even Hinata's already stern and mannered gestures were multiplied twice fold at the change of register he was speaking in.

Unlike Naruto and Hinata, Shikamaru had opted to wear a slightly less formal, but proper, attire. It consisted of a black long-sleeved undershirt with a sleeveless maroon vest over it and a pair of normal, grey, cargo pants with a few utility pouches stitched into it. The vest came equipped with two breast pockets, a zipper at the front as well as a hood.

"Yuugumo."

Without the slightest hint of hesitation, shame or even doubt; Shikamaru began to disrobe his upper attire. He took off the vest, shirt and even the thin fishnet armor he wore underneath it all.

Inks.

The entirety of his back was covered in ink.

And said ink was placed there rather intricately.

To the common eye, it might just be a fancy tattoo design. A skillfully drawn ink-drawing of a red-white yin-yang symbol, resting on a bed of blooming red spider lilies. Paying closer attention, there were also little details along the base of the design; no doubt painted by a master artist.

Spiders.

Yes.

The spiders, crawling up the beautiful flowers of autumn, making webs of intricacies among the stems and petals…

...that was who Shikamaru was.

"Byakuya."

Even for a person of the fairer gender, she showed no shame nor hesitation to expose a part of herself to him. Why should she? She was in the presence of family, after all. And a family as strong as they were had complete trust among each other.

She, too, was not exempted.

Like Shikamaru, her body was stained in ink. However, hers were of a different motif; carrying a different meaning and message entirely. Her sarashi wrapped torso came loosened, exposing her body in its barest.

Although the front was tempting to lesser men, the back was where all the messages were written. It was as if she was a creature of the sea, for she was covered in a scale-like pattern, colored in platinum and touch of violet. The same red-white yin-yang symbol as the one on Shikamaru's back was present on hers too, but hers rested on a flowering tiger lily; a touch darker in shades of yellow, orange and red.

Hers too carry a hidden detail. Eyes. Pale, white, feline eyes each alined on where her shoulder blades were at. Too beautiful to be intimidating, yet threatening… capable of seeing through anyone and lay them bare for her to see.

...a tiger's eyes.

Yes. She was a tiger. And her eyes, ever so sharp and vigilant, would see through all of her opponents' lies before they could even reach her.

"Hai, Yoko-sama."

Both the Hyuuga heiress and Nara heir responded as one. Their heads bowed low enough to show obedience, respect, and servitude.

A smile slowly formed on his face. His blue eyes glinting in satisfaction, affection as well as pride. He could feel his chest burn even as the night attempted to quench the fire inside with its somber winds.

"I, Uzumaki 'Yoko' Naruto, have a dream." His voice, despite spoken softly and soothingly, reverberated through their very core. "And this dream is our dream."

Power oozed from his very being. Shikamaru was not sure if he was just feeling it, but Hinata; Hinata could both sense and SEE it seeping out of his body.

"Tonight, we will set things in motion that could change our world as we know it today. This dream of ours is grand. So grand is this dream of ours, not even the entire Elemental Nation could ever hope to contain it. I have a dream where people could live with a smile on their faces! I have a dream where all are given the chance to take a shot at what they want! I have a dream of a time where our children, their children, and their children's children could live in a world devoid of hurt, ailments, and suffering!"

Hinata could not stop herself from shivering. She was so close to tearing up, her eyes were starting to hurt.

"However… for our grand dream to come true… we must begin with the smallest step there is." Spreading his arms to his side, causing his top to cascade down; leaving him essentially topless. The blonde-haired boy closed his eyes, his expression not unlike a saint. "And Konoha is that small, minuscule, step."

Slowly opening his eyes, Naruto laid his eyes on his two subordinates. He then brought his right hand close to his chest, curling his thumb, pinky, and ring finger; he then flared a small portion of his chakra.

Instantly, the effect was felt.

Every bird perched on the Hyuuga compound's roofs flew off in a flurry of panic, having felt first-hand of what that power was due to their baser, animal instincts. No doubt the same bodes true for the rest of the people presently living in the compound. Especially to Hinata and Shikamaru.

"Gah!" Hinata could not take it. She had to shield her eyes. The mere sight of him flaring his chakra had caused her to scream in brief pain due to her superior eyesight. She had to use the obi she used to previously tie her kimono with to help shield her eyes from his brilliance.

Even Shikamaru was affected. He was trained in his clan's Kekkei Genkai, the ability to manipulate shadows. He was so used to being in the presence of shadows it began to become some sort of his past-time to rest underneath the shadows of clouds. Yet here he was, exposed to the chakra of a person who could seemingly expel all the shadows the night had to offer.

Just who was Uzumaki Naruto?

They began to feel his overwhelming chakra steadying to a more bearable output, no longer were they forced to shield themselves from his presence. Once they gathered and pieced themselves back together, they were expecting to see a blonde-haired boy in front of them… their leader and friend.

But what greeted them was… still… the same person…? Huh?

Much of his features remained the same. Such as the long blonde hair and blue eyes. But there were changes. That much was obvious. His pupils were no longer round, instead, they were now slits like what a predator would have. If people had mistaken the markings on his face for scars previously, then they would not hesitate to say that those were legitimate whiskers on his cheeks.

He also stood at a taller height. Nothing too serious, but it would offset the rather malnourished impression of him from before. His facial structure changed too. Where it was once more round, now it was more angular; as if someone had just re-sculpted it with their own hands to the visage they were currently seeing.

All in all, it was as if an older version of Naruto had taken his place. But both Shikamaru and Hinata knew that it was not the case.

The person in front of them was still their leader and friend, albeit… different.

The Hyuuga heiress was struggling to not appear rude by openly staring at her friend. It was common knowledge that staring wide-eyed at someone with your mouth hung open, with saliva slightly dripping not to mention, was something considered rude… however, she could not help it.

Maybe a year ago, she would have fainted right there and then on her spot, died, and went to heaven; but her body was made out of tougher stuff now. Instead, she opted to do the very thing she considered shameful exactly three point four seconds ago.

Shikamaru?

"..."

He had no comment.

"You may dress again now, ufufufu." Was it just them, or did his voice sounded different? "Ah, but you don't have to if you want to." No, it was not just them. His voice also changed.

Then, everything clicked. At least it did for Shikamaru.

"Naruto… did you…?" The Nara left the query hanging, unsure of what to say.

Naruto, who was also beginning to clothe himself, merely winked.

"Come. Let us grace ourselves in the presence of sheep."

Let it be known that the duties of a Kage were not simple. If it was, he would not even be sitting behind this Log damned desk. He would be at home spending the remaining few years of his long, eventful life with his grandchildren and children. Simply put, he was too old for this damned job.

Approaching his eighties, life had not been easy on him. He could no longer recall the little things that made him happy when he was younger. No longer could he look out his window, at his village, and not think of all the 'ifs' and 'could haves'.

This might sound normal… after all, what kind of person did not have an ounce of regret in their life? None.

No matter how righteous the man, pure of heart he was, and no matter how kind he may be… he could not avoid bringing his regret to the grave. It was one of the few things their profession would allow them to have.

He thought about it. About finding a successor personally, without the aide of his advisors. He could do it. He was the Hokage, after all, and his words were law. If he chose the Chunin intern working on the front desk downstairs to be the Fifth Hokage right now, no one would be able to say a damn thing about it.

A cynical thought crept up and thought maybe it would be wise to give the position to someone who was completely green and wet behind the ears? Smarter men tend to make the most idiotic mistakes.

He would know.

As of now, he would shelf the thought in the back of his mind. If the world was merciful, which was debatable, he would settle finishing his quota of paperwork for the evening and pray that the same routine would remain true for the morrow. And as he waited for the ink on his parchment to dry, he felt it.

It was like hearing a drop of water breaking the surface of a pond, despite being completely far away and nowhere near said pond. He was able to feel it and he would not doubt if the intern downstairs could do the same.

Then, the feeling vanished. Although it only lasted for a moment, it left a very clear and lasting message.

"...so it has begun..."

From his tower, a wise monkey finally allowed himself to rest.

Somewhere days away from his nest, a lone crow flew back with bloodstained talons.

Underneath the roots of a great tree, the king of rats began mustering his horde; their fangs sharpened and bore.

...and in the streets, a fox began his hunt.

Kept you waiting hu-wait, we did that joke already. Maybe?

Anyway, I'm back. Hooray. I'm sure none of you are interested as to why I've been quiet for the past year or so. I could write a whole page detailing everything, but I'll settle for a short version here.

Long story short: I ran my own business, my brother has a new kid, had to deal with my business's daily quotas and there was thing motivation. It died. My motivation, I mean.

Couldn't be bothered writing and didn't have the drive to… yes, this is as cookie-cutter as it gets, I know, but it's all I got.

Anyway, I'm sure this will keep the lot of you busy for about a week or so before the riot starts happening. Until then, you'll just have to wait.

Also, props to those of you who are sharp enough to get all the things I referenced in this chapter. Don't worry, you'll see a lot later on.

And, yes, that was a Jojo reference.