The grey of the overcast afternoon leak through Kabuto's blinds even though he had shuttered them. The way the light bounced through them created ripples of reflection on the floor, veins of grey dancing around like blood from a pouring wound. Or at least, that's what Kabuto saw as he looked down. Perhaps, the way the light pooled on the ground was somewhat of a Rorschach test. He could just as easily see it as tadpoles, or paint, or fireflies, yet he saw blood. Either this was a deep-seated reflection of his current mental state or he was just overthinking things. Leaning back against the soft blankets of his bed, he concurred that it was probably the latter. He tended to overthink when he was bored and he was certainly bored right now. It wasn't the nice, serene kind of boredom either. It was the slow, awaiting boredom when you knew something big was coming up but you also knew that something could not be rushed.

Pratpratprat.

A petite knock on his door drew his gaze. He needed only hear the softness of the motion to realize it was his mother. His mother in the legal sense of course.

"Come in." He said, sounding surprisingly like your average moody teenager.

His mother softly opened the door, peering her head in. Her face was soft, pale skin smooth like the feathers of a swan. Speaking of that paleness, she really was pastel-like in how light she was, her lightened features making the red of her lipstick pop even more. Kabuto understood a great many things about the human mind, but the psychosis of his mother's constant lipstick application had always baffled him. He could understand it if he tried, he was sure, but in truth, the lady did not enter his thoughts a lot.

"Kabuto, y-you're father's home." She said, voice shaky.

It didn't seem as if anything in particular had shaken her. She just sounded sad, and Kabuto felt sad for her. How many years had the arrangement been now and she was still attempting to play house? The pitiful part of him said to play along. After all, what was another few days?

"Thanks, I'll be right down." He said, with a sweet, shut-eyed smile.

His mother smiled back though he had a hard time telling how much was forced and how much was genuine. It seemed too bright for the former and he had little reference for the latter.

He waited for her to leave before the fog of his smile faded into a tepid expression of annoyance. Arching his back to iron out any lingering cramps, he began to walk down to his father's study. His father was a very important diplomat and as such, the house was flush with the fragrance of wealth. Velvet-trimmed curtains and imported furniture rested on spotless floorboards. He had not been particularly impressed the first time he'd walked through it as a child, he barely even recognized its allure the thousandth-time around. Down a fancy spiral staircase, Kabuto found himself face to face with the engraved doors of his fathers' quarters. The wood of its surface had been masterfully singed into intricate patterns, the scorching so deeply embedded that Kabuto couldn't help but flinch upon touching it. It was as if he expected his hand to burn just from contact. Nevertheless, he gripped the handle and swung the door open.

Even with the loud creek of the door, the man sitting inside seemed hardly willing to pay Kankuro as much as a second of eye contact. His "father" was a stout man, short but plump in a way that reminded Kabuto of a stuffed pig. A thick mustache sat upon his upper lip, threads of his natural brown hair beginning to gray into a shiny silver that matched Kabuto's hair. He'd been away on a string of diplomatic meetings in Kiri so Kabuto had not seen him since before the start of the exams. Just taking one look at him, it was clear his hair was beginning to degrade.

"Hello, Kabuto." He said, more focused on the stretch of parchment and the quill in his hand.

"Hello Mr. Yakushi."

The man looked up at him, round eyes slightly irritated.

"You should address me as father at all times, just to make a habit of it if we're ever out in public. I attended a seminar on these psychological matters recently, very interesting stuff- "He began to launch into a ramble.

Kabuto's naturally cocky tongue begged him to mention that his study of the human condition extended far beyond whatever Mr. Yakushi had learnt at his elitist circlejerk parties but the rational part of his brain sent the thought sliding backdown his throat as quick as it came.

"-Anyways, make a habit of using familial pronouns even in situations such as this one. More importantly, how did the exams go?"

A concentrated effort had to be made by Kabuto to keep himself from smirking.

"I'm sure you've heard about Orochimaru's involvement by now?"

"Of course, of course. Did you managed to gleam much about the students involved?"

"Do you mean our ones or the ones from the Sound?"

"Both."

Kabuto rested his thumb under his chin in faux-thought, pretending to think through an answer he'd already known weeks in advance.

"Field work was slow this year, so I had to extract information from higher ups. I made sparce contact with Uzumaki. Dumb as bricks, of course, but he's far more talented than what we had initially pegged him as. Easily one of the stand outs of this year's class."

Mr. Yakushi shrugged.

"And the Uchiha?"

"Seems to be an exceptional ninjutsu talent but that's all I got from him. From my limited interaction with him, he seemed weary of me."

It was as if something very distinctive clicked in Mr. Yakushi's eyes in that moment but whatever it was, he clearly pushed it to the back of his mind for now.

"And the sound ninja? Any good prospects there?"

"Yes, actually, though it's only one out of the three. The mute has raw power but he lacks even the most basic of strategic thinking skills. A liability more than anything. The female seems to be adept in auditory genjutsu, which makes her somewhat interesting, however she seems too feeble physically to cut it. Dosu Kinuta though, seems to be an interesting one. Unique ninjutsu skills, brilliant intellect, hits hard and a quick thinker."

"Downsides?"

"Crippling pyrophobia. That and he's neurotic, neurotic enough to squander some of his intellectual capabilities."

Mr. Yakushi gazed down at his desk, almost as if its smooth wood surface had opened up into a surreal pandoras box. It hadn't, he was just thinking.

"Danzo's bill means he's still in the exams. We'll extract him afterwards. I think Iwa would be a good fit for him if he's as formidable as you claim." He said before turning to Kabuto. "By the way, did you see anyone promising from the other villages?"

Kabuto shook his head.

"No. Only Non-Konoha ones to make it past the second round were Suna royalty and Dosu. Out of the Konoha ones to qualify, they either don't have the edge to work under blacklist conditions or they're too high profile to be effectively recruited."

With that, Mr. Yakushi sighed and placed a tired palm over his eye.

"I swear, pickings get slimmer every year." He said, before snapping himself out of his sadness. "Good work this year Kabuto, as always. I imagine we will be having discussions about moving you up soon though. You've spent too long scouting the exams, especially with the actual returns getting lower by the year. I'll have to talk it over with Hiroto of course but I see big things in your future."

Kabuto smiled, trying his best to make it seem genuine.

"Thank you, father." He said, with a knowing wink.

Mr. Yakushi smiled back but it was an arrogant, controlling smile. To Kabuto, he may as well have spit in his face, as both made him feel just as dirty and both signaled it was time for him leave.

As he walked up the spiral staircase once more, Kabuto thought on that smile. It was decided. He was going to take pleasure in killing the man. Obviously, that was not the main reason. Mr. Yakushi was too much of a loose end to even consider keeping alive but he had been going back and forth over whether he was going to just quickly slit the throat or dig the knife deep into the chest. The latter sounded funner now. Much funner.

So thought Kabuto Yakushi. A boy with a surname that wasn't his, parents who hadn't birthed him and a house he barley knew.

The regal quality of the Hyuga compound halls now seemed much less intimidating to Naruto for some reason. Maybe it was because his focus was completely shot, not only because of the photograph, but because he was putting a great deal of effort into attempting to seem calm as the branch house escorted him to his destination. He may not have been the most socially aware person but Naruto developed enough knowhow that he realized curbing any accumulating interest the branch house could have in that photo would be a wise decision. However, whatever composure he was able to muster on the outside was not a truthful reflection of his inward state. A meeting he'd thought a certain skip was now an unmissable event, seconds moving in the same way hours would to anyone else.

Why the fuck do they have so many corridors?!

High level clans love it.

It's like a newspaper maze game!

So stressed was Naruto that he didn't seem to mind conversing back and forth with Kurama for once. In all fairness, the fox had only managed to gain a presence in his mind thanks to that stress but at that moment, Naruto cared little. He would find even the worse conversationalist in the world a decent distraction right now.

Eventually, the pair made it to a large shoji whose frames were dressed with a deep red coat of paint. Naruto nearly threw the door of its hinges as he walked forward, marching into the room to find a huge, low-to-the-ground dining table sitting in it. What was also sitting was Hiashi Hyuga, who sat upon a fancy embroidered cushion with his lips contorted into what could have been a smile. Standing in front of one of the most powerful people in Konoha, Naruto realistically should have felt a little bit of whiplash from his rude entrance, but he didn't. Instead, he carefully (perhaps uncharacteristically) surveyed the room. A spread of food was laid out in front of him in little bamboo steamers, expertly wrapped dumplings and crispy red pork bleeding into a pleasant aroma that wafted through the room. Nothing looked out of place or dangerous.

Hiashi himself looked calm and warm, almost as if he were Naruto's parent himself instead of just being in a picture with them. However, an almost sixth sense like feeling in Naruto's body told him something was…off. With that, he was able to survey Hiashi with greater detail. The man was indeed smiling at him but it seemed put on, as if physically painted over his true features. There was a subtle manic quality to his eyes as Naruto looked into them, sending a slight jitter running down his spine.

"Ah! Mr. Uzumaki, it's good to see you. Please, take a seat. I understand you're running a busy schedule." He beckoned.

Naruto looked him over one more time, a distinctive frown coming in stark contrast to Hiashi's beaming smile. He had no reason not to comply though, quickly sitting plopping himself down on the opposite end of the dining table. They were both seated on the floor, which was a Senjuist dining custom that had mostly died out during Tobirama's reign. The Hyuga were not one's to shed traditions so easily however. Sitting there, the two could not have looked further apart. Hiashi, neatly groomed and dressed in his formal clan robes, and Naruto, hair frizzed as he shuffled around in his scruffy orange track jacket.

"What do you want?" Naruto said, not even bothering to ask anything as he stuffed his hand in the steamer and snatched out a dumpling.

Hiashi paused for a second, taken aback by his rudeness. He quickly recomposed himself though, grasping a warm white jug and pouring a red, aromatic tea into his cup.

"Rather rude, don't you think Mr. Uzumaki."

Naruto glared at him as his mouth sloshed around chunks of shrimp, ginger and dumpling wrapper. Objectively, it may have been the highest-quality thing he'd ever eaten but he was so unnerved by the whole situation that it tasted like glue all the same.

"You want something. You wouldn't give me all this food if you didn't." He said, bluntly.

"That's correct."

Hiashi seemed to have discarded much of the warmth he was projecting earlier, sensing that Naruto did not seem to be in the mood. However, his smile did not fade significantly.

"How do you know my parents?" Naruto asked.

His voice was completely dead, a far cry from the usual boisterous blabbering that typically leaked from his mouth.

"Well, I'll be up front, we were never really friendly acquaintances. Minato was the Hokage and so we met for business many times."

"How do you know that I know my parents?" Naruto questioned again, seeming more focused on stacking food on his plate than looking at Hiashi.

"Well, Hiruzen would have had to tell you by now, wouldn't he? It would have been irresponsible not to."

"Okay. Why'd you make him give me the picture then? What do you want?"

Hiashi's smile faded into an indented frown. His gaze lingered steely on Naruto for just a few seconds. He'd known the boy to be rather irritating and immature yet here he was, speaking much like a tenured, emotionless shinobi would.

"The picture was just to get your attention. I'm sure you know my daughter Hinata?"

Though Naruto continued to focus on his plate, a visible look of interest coursed through his eyes.

"Yeah, I know her." He replied.

"Well then, you would have also seen her match against Neji during the exams?"

Naruto nodded.

"Obviously, this came as a great humiliation to the main house. Hinata has never been particularly popular with the elders. She's always been seen as something of a joke, an unqualified heiress if you will, and this has not helped remedy her image in the slightest. Even if she'd been a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy, they would be furious. You can only imagine how they reacted to it with the way things are. I'm sure you can picture it well Naruto, an entire group of people despising you for conditions completely outside your control- "

Slam!

Before Hiashi could continue, his words were silenced by the slam of Naruto's hand against the table. A brief fury sizzled through the Uzumaki's features. Hiashi thought he might have seen a current of scarlet sprinkle through the boy's eyes but it was gone so quickly he dismissed it as a trick of the light.

"I think I've asked you what you want like five times now and I still haven't got an answer." Naruto said, not tolerating his attempts at manipulation for a second.

Any attempt to uphold a warmer expression dropped from Hiashi's face. He had not expected quite this much composure from Naruto.

"An arranged marriage. You take Hinata's hand, I secure the nine-tails for the Hyuga clan and satiate the elders. The Hyuga gain more power in Konoha, Hinata remains in my care for the foreseeable future and you are given shelter, food and protection beyond your wildest dreams. This is an easy decision."

Naruto's eyes locked onto Hiashi's, crisp blues flowing over sharp violet. For a second, and only a second, Naruto considered taking the deal. However, his gaze soon became steely in defiance.

"Pass. All you want is the fox, I'm just an accessory so fuck that. You're the head of the whole clan, aren't ya? You shouldn't need me to protect your daughter."

Hearing about Hinata's situation had melted his resolve somewhat, but Naruto would be foolish to sit back and let his life be relegated to Kurama's jinchuriki after that's what he'd tried so hard to shrug off. Besides, he'd spent the whole afternoon unnerved by the branch house's status and Neji's tirade had only worsened it. He'd rather move down to section-two than directly empower any of their bullshit.

Unfortunately, Hiashi did not seem to take his refusal well, manic energy intensifying as his brow furrowed in anger.

"Naruto, please think logically here. They've taken one daughter from me already; I cannot lose the one I have left. Best case scenario, she's ejected into a sister case, her byakugan's deactivated and she's sent to work the fields as a two-tone."

The hurried anger in his tone did little to deter Naruto from his decision. Instead, it emboldened him.

"Hey, don't blame me for your fucked up clan rules! If you're really the leader, just change 'em!"

Now it was Hiashi's turn to slam his fists on the table, lurching up to his full height. Clearly this issue was weighing on his mind, as he found himself getting in a scrap with a teenager.

"Don't you think I would have if I could?! The clan is stagnant, unstable. Decades ago, we were the third most powerful clan in the village. Now? We're the still the third most powerful clan, behind one who died off in shame and another that imploded on themselves! The Hyuga are slaves to our traditions, and while that makes us culturally rich, it means we are stuck shadow boxing with enemies that no longer even exist! Don't you dare tell me to "just change the rules"!"

Even as the powerful leader towered above him, Naruto refused to back down. Instead, he quickly slurped up what was left of the food on his plate and stood up. '

"Well, you better find another option then 'cause I'm not just gonna give my life up so I can sit surrounded by your creepy-ass clanmates. Seriously, I was getting the creeps just standin' around your hallway and you think I'm going to live here?! You guys are fucking bird people!"

That eloquent little gem seemed to wake Hiashi up to exactly what he was dealing with. No matter how composed Naruto appeared to be, he was the same boy who had spent year upon year terrorizing the village with his childish pranks. He cursed himself for even bothering, let alone bickering with someone of such low stature.

"Fine then. Leave. You're not as hopelessly compassionate as I had pegged you for."

Naruto could have turned around and left right there, but a burst of smug adrenaline kept his feet planted upon the ground. It was not everyday you got to trade barbs with a clan head and between the seeds of doubt he had about Yugito Nii and Neji's tirade, there was an intoxicating amount of anti-establishment energy coursing through his system.

"Or maybe I'm just not as hopelessly stupid? You got me in with the picture but you couldn't back it up, could ya'? Jiraiya-Sensei was right, you just wanted to sweet talk me!"

"Oh yes! Of course, Jiraiya had me figured out! Your godfather always was such an inquisitive fellow, wasn't he?"

Hiashi had meant for this to be just a burst of anger, an angered eruption against a man he found consistently annoying. However, unbeknownst to him, he had flipped the tables on Naruto in a major way. In seconds, the boys face had gone from smug and solid to unsure and confused.

"Godfather?" He asked, voice suddenly very quiet.

Hiashi paused for a second, attempting to comprehend why exactly Naruto was confused. When he realized, a sinister smirk spread throughout his features.

"You mean you don't know? Interesting, I'd have thought Hiruzen would have passed that one along. Jiraiya was named your godfather months before you had even been born and yet you stand here at thirteen years of age none the wiser?"

Naruto's mouth opened to speak but the words seemingly refused to leave his throat, eyes wide in surprise. Eventually, he managed to compose himself enough to talk but it was a low, dark whisper.

"You're lying."

"Hell if I am, your own father proudly told me over dinner. Don't believe me? Ask Jiraiya himself. While he's clearly okay with deceit by admission, I doubt he'll have the guts to lie to your face. I'm just stunned Hiruzen never told you."

Naruto's eyes looked as if he had just seen someone be cold-blood murdered in front of him. Hiashi took the chance to drive the knife in deeper.

"And that probably means you never knew about Hatake either."

Naruto's gaze darted up, still shocked.

"What?" He whispered.

"Minato's prized student, one of his closest confidants prior to his death."

There was complete stillness in the room as Naruto stared into space, completely detached to anything around him. However, before Hiashi could even do so much as reach a hand out, he had begun to turn around. His expression had not changed

Without a word, he stumbled over to the sliding door and threw it open, hobbling out to the corridor much like a drunk would. Hiashi could only watch with curiosity.

The moonlight beamed through the lush foliage as Naruto strode forward, expression still the exact same as it had been at the compound. There was no appreciation for his surroundings in his movements, the soles of his feet stomping through the ground with enough force to put little dents in it. He was going to meet Jiraiya. He was going to get everything from Jiraiya. Much of his afternoon had been spent wandering the streets in aimless circles, trying in vain to collect his thoughts into a coherent internal-monologue. His mouth was completely blank while his eyes sat wide, terrified and almost haunted, while his nerves sat heavy on his back like needles. His skin stung, he could barley even feel his legs, but he continued to trudge forward anyway. He needed to find Jiraiya.

Thoughts of Yugito and the tailed beasts were locked in his mind, kept there by revolving memories of Orochimaru and Kurama's voices.

See, jinchuriki are not considered humans in the eyes of these big dictators, they are weapons. Very valuable weapons, but also tradable and breakable like all weapons are

Hiruzen valiantly took her in as an immigrant when she was an impressionable young jinchuriki. Of course, in reality she was political capital to further consolidate Konohas global power.

This is why Hiruzen was so content to keep you oblivious of my existence for all this time. A dumb vessel is that much more valuable than a smart vessel, because there's no threat of the vessel ever becoming more than the weapon it's meant to be.

Ever since those words had been spoken to him, their implications had orbited through the backchannels of his mind. A slow-falling sleep or a sluggish hike around the village could sometimes send them bubbling up but they'd pop without fail. Now, they were wedged to the forefront of his mind, locked in on an endlessly repeating loop. What's worse, was that Kurama now had a clear entry channel into Naruto's mind. However, he was not using it to boast nor berate Naruto. Instead, he was laughing at him. A dark, mocking laugh that echoed through Naruto's skull like the resonance of a concussive blow.

Finally, he managed to break out into the clearing of the training ground where he found Jiraiya waiting. In the dark of the night, his bright white hair shone like a lamppost but Naruto cared little.

"Hey kid, how'd the signing go? Did ya- "

"Are you my godfather?"

Jiraiya had not been prepared for the question at all, let alone how bluntly it had been dropped. With the amount of emotion behind such a big question, it was almost as if Naruto had asked him what his favorite color was. Any cheer radiating off the man faded into the moonlight as his face twisted into a frown.

"Who the hell's telling you tha-Kid, I told you Hiashi was gonna try and get in your-"

For the first time since the meeting with Hiashi, Naruto's expression changed. It was angry. Angrier than it had ever been.

"Answer the fucking question!" He screamed; fury amplified by the hiss of the cold night wind.

His hands were clenched and shaky as were his legs, but his eyes were unblinking, locked onto Jiraiya with a laser-sharp precision he couldn't hope to wriggle away from. Instead, he paused, a look of guilt running over his features before he moved into a shrug.

"Yes. Legally, I am your godfather but- "

There was no room for a but. Naruto just wanted a confirmation.

"No! Don't you dare skim over it just like that! Where the fuck were you?! Thirteen years I suffered through this place. Thirteen years I came home to no family, no friends, NO ONE! I grew up knowing that everyone hated my guts, knowing that no one wanted to be around me and apparently that included my own fucking godfather?! And you never told me! You didn't think it was a big deal?! You didn't think maybe you should've let it slip that you were legally obliged to be around for the last decade of my fucking life and YOU WEREN'T?!"

His voice boomed out through the training ground, shaky and cracking from sheer volume. Tears were beginning to pool from his eyes, spilling down to the ground in currents and yet he refused to blink. He refused to take his eyes of his godfather for even a split-second. Jiraiya wouldn't meet his eye, looking around the area for some way out only for his morality to kick in and tell him there was none. He looked back at Naruto; eyes sorrowful.

"Listen, I know I should have told you when I met you but- "

"Shut the fuck up!" Naruto shouted, almost at random.

This sent a mixture of rage and apologia up Jiraiya's face, the two emotions manifesting in a strained, ugly expression.

"Look kid, I swear to god I wanted to stay with you but I couldn't! Hiruzen had me on an espionage mission, I couldn't make it back home!"

Naruto paused for a second, his features softening just a slight bit. He was still enraged but Hiruzen's name seemed to have absorbed a slight but crucial bit of his fury. Nevertheless, he was not done with Jiraiya.

"And what was so fucking important that you could never come back, not even to visit?!"

Jiraiya looked down at Naruto, expression becoming very serious.

"Look, kid- " He said, slowly and carefully though noticeably tense. "-There are things in this world that you are not ready to learn about- "

That was it. Naruto stomped his foot on the ground in anger, tears streaming down from his eyes like waterfalls.

"Enough with that "you're too young to learn" bullshit! I've been playing kangaroo with a demon for a decade and no one ever thought to tell me! When was I gonna be old enough to learn, huh? When was I gonna learn I was the village bioweapon? Where's that in your guy's little schedule?"

"Listen Naruto, I know you're- "

"FUCK YOU!" Naruto shouted.

That singular phrase was the most hate-filled one Naruto had ever spat in his whole life. It was like he was trying to decapitate Jiraiya with words alone, pure venom spewing from his lips and spilling onto the ground where the green grass turned black from its touch. And he didn't even really mean it. He didn't mean it because through all of this, he realized Jiraiya was not the culprit. He was the messenger.

Without another word, Naruto spun on his heel and darted towards the forest. Jiraiya may have called out to him, he may not have. All Naruto knew was that he didn't make an active attempt to pursue. That suited him just fine. He was done. He was done with the lies, he was done with the village and he was most of all done with Hiruzen Sarutobi. The one who had apparently kept Jiraiya out of the village all this time. The one saw it to inform him of his father yet none of the company his father had kept. The one who had not once ever mentioned the reason why the village had scorned him for his whole life.

Because of this, her life didn't really matter and he had her killed as soon as the Mist put the pressure on, despite the fact that he had treated her like family for as long as she'd lived in the village. Now, does that remind you of anyone?

Recollections of Orochimaru's words boomed through his head as he marched back to his apartment. Kurama was surprisingly quiet at the moment but there was another voice biting at the back of his neck. It was cold and misty, biting like the snap of cold air on skin.

Shinobi are tools.

To Hiruzen Sarutobi, they seemed to be. He was a tool, and unfortunately, he'd only just managed to realize he was sitting in the box.

As he marched into his apartment, there was no hesitation in his actions. He grabbed a pillow and threw it to the ground, skinning it off it's covers. Then he began to walk around the room, gathering any item his brain deemed even slightly useful before tossing them within the depth of the pillow case. So bizarre was the sight of it that it seemed to stir Kurama.

What are you doing, Uzumaki?

Leaving.

He replied mentally. Unfortunately, the concession of verbalization meant he soon found himself within his sepia-stained mindscape, looking up at the fox.

"I applaud you for finally waking up to the information I had been blatantly telling you for god knows who long, but are you claiming you'll leave the village outright?"

Naruto nodded.

"I'm not just gonna sit here and let Old Man Third use me as a fuckin' chess piece." He said.

A small part of him expected Kurama to be at least somewhat impressed, but instead, the best just seemed amused.

"Well, there are many things wrong with that plan. Firstly, I don't know if you've managed to get it through that thick head of yours, but the village is on lockdown as an international terrorist was spotted within its borders. I doubt you would be able to make it out normally, you certainly won't be able to under those conditions."He spat.

Naruto shook his head around, as if the words hadn't phased him.

"Secondly, you don't know the geography of anything out of the capitol, let alone the border or God forbid, another country. You'll probably stumble around aimlessly for a few hours before you find yourself circling back to Ichiraku to stuff your face like a pig. Thirdly, if you somehow are to make it out of Konoha, you would be the most dangerous and also valuable asset in the Shinobi world. Every nation of earth would have their elites globetrotting to reach you, to the point where you may not be able to fend them off even if I was to give you all my power. No one leaves Konoha without an outside link, end of story."

Naruto spat at the water top of the mindscape, scowling at the ground. Kurama just seemed to grin wider, even in his constrained enclosure.

"I also think you may find it difficult to achieve your dream of becoming Hokage when you're classified as a missing-nin. Not to mention your friends. Your wonderful, beautiful, precious friends that you can't help banging on about every fucking day."

Naruto thrashed a hand out at Kurama, glaring up at him with a steely gaze. It took him a few seconds to realize if he really wanted to say what he was about to say but when he did, there was no shakiness in his voice

"Fuck being the Hokage. Seriously, I said I was going to get their acknowledgment? It'll never happen, they hate me, because I'll always be you. Then I said I was going to protect my friends? How am I going to protect them If I can't protect myself? We're all just caught in the crossfire."

For a brief moment, Naruto though he caught a flash of respect in Kurama's eye but if it was there, it was quickly absorbed back into his amused glowering.

"Perhaps you're not as foolish as you let on. Well, I wouldn't go that far, anyone else would have started vocalizing these ideas sooner. I know you had them, I could feel them eating away at you sometimes, but you were scared of them. You ran from them. Where did that bring you? Sitting here, trying to sap any knowledge you can get from me. Pray tell, what will your next move be now that I've informed you running away's not an option."

Naruto thought. Perhaps it was seconds, perhaps it was minutes, but he thought for a significant amount of time. Then, he turned back to Kurama.

"If I'm really Old Man Third's weapon, if he's really been trying to keep me isolated all these years, then I'm untouchable. He's not gonna go through all that work and then off me when I find out, right?"

His fist shout out, clenching in determination.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to his office. And I'm gonna learn the truth about me, Yugito, Jiraiya, Kakashi, the Fourth, my mum and whatever else he's keeping from me."

"And if you're locked up for it?"

"Don't care. I lived my life for thirteen years without knowing why people hated me. I'm not living another day without knowing everything I can!"

He did not even wait for Kurama's response. Instead, he fled back to reality, to his apartment in the dead of the night. Moving softly, he fell and sat on his bed. He did not sleep that night, he just sat there, thinking. He knew it would be pointless. He wouldn't be able to fall into a slumber anyway.

Tomorrow was a big day.