Chapter one: Darkness embodied! Enter Jack the Ripper.
It was a warm night in Konoha, and all was quiet within the Uchiha district as the streets were mostly empty, save for the occasional patrol that kept an eye out for any would-be troublemakers, most chiefly a certain Naruto Uzumaki who once put itching powder on every Shinobi Headband belonging to the Military Police force's members.
It took hours and numerous baths and a small fortune in anti-itch cream to get rid of that itching sensation and they weren't going to allow him to do it a second time.
One patrol in particular walked down the streets, as they scanned the area. So far, things had been quiet as per usual, save for the occasional passerby or alley cat. But then they took notice of a lone figure standing in the middle of the street, from the overall shape, it appeared to be a man wearing a black trench coat and a top hat.
"Hey buddy. It's getting late. You better go home." One of the Uchiha patrols spoke, hoping it was just some random drunk that had gotten lost. They'd usually clear off after a gentle warning, but this one didn't seem to respond.
"Oi. You listening?" Spoke a second patrolman with a raised eyebrow, his voice being somewhat louder in case this stranger was hard of hearing. The top hat wearing man still didn't respond, much less turn to acknowledge them.
The Uchiha Shinobi tensed up as they circled around the man, getting the feeling that something was dead wrong… and they were right. "Oh Kami! It's… it's…" one of the patrolman stuttered, his voice sticking in his throat upon recognizing the face of one of their own, his body propped up by some wooden stakes to make it appear he was standing, his throat slashed open and his eyes wide in horror before he had expired.
One of the patrolmen fumbled around inside of his pockets to pull out a whistle they would use to sound an alarm… only to feel something sharp stab him from behind and then the sounds of steel cutting through flesh followed by the sounds of bodies hitting ground before he too fell into the dirt as well… and then there was nothing but darkness.
Now standing over them, was a figure dressed in a black trench coat much like the corpse-dummy but the unknown person also wore a black mask that obscured their face. The figure reached out and retrieved the top hat from the Corpse's head before putting it back onto their own and then whispered in a demonic voice "HeRE's JaCkiE."
The top hat wear figure then briskly walked forward, their hands stuck in their pockets. A sinister chuckle came from them, knowing full well that as quiet as it was now… that wouldn't be the case come morning when some of these Uchiha's wake up and find certain clanmates dead in their beds. Now, there was but one more stop to make for the evening. The Clan Head's home.
'Jackie' smirked to themselves as they got ever closer to the Clan Head's home with each and every step, and was very much looking forward to whatever came next since this could only end in blood. Once at the front door's the masked figure gently pushed it open, showing that it was unlocked, almost as if someone was inviting him inside.
With a flick of their wrist, a sharp dagger appeared in their hand as they quietly entered the home of Fugaku Uchiha. There was an eerie silence in the house as the masked figure walked through the hallway, their ears perked up for anything that would give away the location of their target. A soft clinking sound alerted them to a nearby room, prompting them to follow the noise towards a living area where Fugaku himself was sitting on his couch casually stirring some cream in his coffee.
"So… it was you… it was you all along. I had thought you died ages ago, Ripper." Fugaku stated, almost as if he were expecting… someone to arrive on this night.
"No. NoT DeAD. JaCk tHe RipPeR caN neVeR diE. WeRe yOu exPecTinG somEoNE eLse?" Jack asked in an amused tone, earning a small sigh from the Clan Head.
"I was. But I suppose that doesn't matter now. Let's just get this over with, yeah? We both know this can only end one way." Funaki muttered bitterly as he took a long and slow sip of his coffee… and then threw it in Jack's direction who learned to the side, easily avoiding the projectile.
Jack threw a set of throwing knives in the Uchiha's direction but Fugaku dove forward, barely avoiding the knives as they buried themselves into the couch. The Uchiha attempted to perform the Fire Ball Jutsu, but before he could unleash it, Jack had already rushed up to him and delivered a swift jab to his throat, cutting off Fugaku's windpipe.
The Clan head clutched at his throat as he gasped for air as Jack thrust his knee into Fugaku's stomach, making the man double over as the masked man stabbed a pair of knives into his exposed back.
Fugaku snarled as he grabbed at Jack's waist and with all of his strength, threw him over his shoulder, but Jack landed on his feet with cat-like reflexes and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick that sent the Uchiha flying into the nearby wall. Fugaku was briefly stunned by the impact and swiftly threw a Haymaker in Jack's direction, but the masked killer raised a knife up, letting the arm's momentum to impale itself on his dagger and then quickly trapped it in an arm lock… and in one swift jerk, broke Fugaku's arm with a sickening snap and crunch.
Pulling his knife free, Jack thrust it towards Fugaku's heart. In a last ditch attempt to save himself Fugaku raised up his free hand and screamed as the dagger pierced through his open palm, temporarily stopping the lethal blow as he activated his Sharingan.
The Uchiha growled as he tried to put Jack into a Genjutsu as he looked through the eye holes of the mask but his Genjutsu failed instantly… and he could only see into the dark depths of Jack's eyes. They were deep voids full of hate and anger. There was no pity or remorse in Jack's eyes… and now there only seemed to be amusement. "NO Dice, iDioT. Old JAcK is AboVE chEaP tRiCks liKe yoUR ShaRiNgAn." Jack spoke menacingly as he applied more pressure towards the dagger, slowly pushing it towards Fugaku's heart.
The Clan head tried to push it away but Jack was far too strong for him. Inch by inch, the tip of the dagger came ever closer to Fugaku's chest, the blood from his hand dripping down the blade as he fought what was a losing battle. And then at last the tip of the blade pressed into Fugaku's chest and pierced through the skin, followed by tissue and flesh as the blade sank into his chest slowly.
The Clan Head let out a sharp gasp of pain, followed by gurgling as blood filled his mouth. His body twitched a few times, and then finally, he went limp as his head drooped forward, his Sharingan fading into a set of lifeless onyx orbs. Jack let out a sinister chuckle as he slammed an open palm against the exposed handle of the blade with enough force to nail Fugaku's limp form to the wall for all the world to see.
The masked killer took a few moments to admire his own handiwork, much like an artist inspecting a painting he had been working on and felt satisfaction with his work. Jack then reached into his cloak and pulled out a crimson envelope that was kept closed with a black wax seal that depicted the letters 'JTR' on it underlined by a dagger and then tossed the envelope at the deceased Uchiha's feet for the authorities to find.
"YOU BASTARD!" Came the scream of a young boy from behind as Jack looked over his shoulder and saw a mop of black hair in the shape of a duck's butt behind him. Then there was a brief itch in his backside, like a flea bite as the boy in question had buried a Kunai into his right side, somewhere in his lung most likely, not that it really mattered.
"NoT veRy smArT bOyo. FirSt tHinG to kNow aBouT mE, is tHaT Old JaCk caN neVeR diE." Jack spoke, clearly unfazed by his injury as he pulled the kunai out of his back and threw it to the floor between the raven haired boy's feet, making him leap back and then stumble before falling onto his rear end. His eyes wide in shock and fear as he stared up at this murderer.
He was sure he'd gotten him in a vital spot, just like his brother had once showed him on a practice dummy, and the masked bastard didn't even flinch. "Just what the hell are you? Why are you doing this?" The Uchiha boy asked in a terrified voice, he tried to force himself to move, but his body seemed frozen in place from pure terror.
The masked man chuckled, his laughter cold and humorless as he replied "I aM JaCk thE RipPeR. AnD wHy, yOu aSk? No SpeCiaL rEaSon." With that said, the man known as the Ripper casually strolled past Sasuke, almost as if he were walking by and ignoring a piece of trash.
The Uchiha boy listened as he heard the Ripper's footsteps fade out of earshot while his eyes were locked onto the form of his father, tears brimming in the boy's eyes as he whispered to himself "No matter what it takes, no matter what I have to do… I'm going to kill that man. I will take vengeance for what he has done."
He would train harder, get stronger and he would find a way to kill the Ripper. He wouldn't rest until his father and everyone else murdered had been avenged. This was his solemn vow.
The following morning.
This was a dark day for Konoha. A very dark day indeed. Hiruzen knew that it was only a matter of time before some great tragedy befell the village, but nothing of this scale. For some years, Konoha had enjoyed a time of relative peace and calm… but then it all came crashing down inside of a single night. All because of one man that was liken to that of a curse.
The Sandaime sighed to himself as he took a drag from his pipe and continued to listen to Ibiki's report on the situation as the scarred man spoke "... there are one hundred confirmed victims that were found throughout the Uchiha district. The majority of which being members of the Uchiha Military Police Force, a handful of Civilians and of course Fugaku Uchiha their clan head.
Sasuke Uchiha was on his way home and found some bodies in the streets. He rushed to his home and found the Ripper killing his father. Sasuke managed to stab the Ripper from behind and struck a vital area, a kidney or lung, but the Ripper shrugged it off with ease. And then, he vanished into thin air. Just like that. We attempted to run a DNA check on Sasuke's Kunai but the blood sample was contaminated by unknown means making it utterly useless.
Weapons found at the crime scene(s) are consistent with previously recovered specimens from the past belonging to the Ripper, the man was described as wearing a mask, black trench coat, and a top hat, and a letter was found at Fugaku's murder scene left behind by the Ripper. This fits the MO of all previous killings thus we have concluded that this guy is NOT a copycat. He's legit."
At the end of his report, Hiruzen gave a small nod as he turned towards the crowd of the majority of the Shinobi force that are present in Konoha, ranging from Chunin, Jonin and Anbu who had all been gathered here for one purpose… to be alerted of the situation regarding Jack the Ripper and the find this mysterious killer.
The Sandaime spotted Mikoto and Itachi amidst the crowd, the two of them having been in a meeting with him while the killings were going on. It was actually something of a shame that Itachi wasn't there since the prodigy could have caught the Ripper and put him down. Whether the Ripper knew that Itachi wasn't present or had simply gotten lucky with his absence was anyone's guess. But that was beside the point. Hiruzen needed to handle this situation immediately, the rest could be hashed out later.
"Some of you may be quite familiar with the stories and legends of the Ripper. Others from the younger generation, perhaps not so much. For the sake of those who don't know, I shall explain to you the entity that is known as 'Jack the Ripper'.
Jack has been plaguing Konoha since its very foundation, perhaps even before then. The killings were highly sporadic in nature, appearing at almost any time, from days or weeks between kills. At each crime scene, a postcard or letter was left behind by the killer, always marked by 'Jack the Ripper' a name he'd chosen for himself.
For decades the murders continued unhindered. No evidence was ever found, no suspects were ever identified and thus the murders were left unsolved. Then, about fourteen years ago, the killings mysteriously stopped. For months we all waited with bated breath, wondering where and when the Ripper would strike again. But it never happened. The murders stopped as mysteriously as they had started.
For ages we have been puzzling over the identity of the Ripper and why he stopped killing. The most logical conclusions were that Jack possibly died from an illness or accident in his daily life, or that he was arrested and sent to prison for an unrelated crime. However… I now believe that the Ripper had gone into semi-retirement due to old age and spent that time training a protégé to take up his mantle. In short, I do not believe this to be the original Ripper, but regardless, he is still very dangerous.
To all of you, I must advise constant vigilance. Keep your eyes and ears open for anything or anyone of a suspicious nature. And whatever you do, do not underestimate the Ripper. For any reason. He has been the end of countless people, some of them being highly skilled and competent Shinobi. That is all, and I wish you all the best."
When the Sandaime finished speaking, the Shinobi present quickly filed out to carry on with their duties, although Mikoto and Itachi stayed behind. Once everyone was gone, the Uchiha's approached the aged Hokage since there were certain things that needed to be discussed in private. "Mikoto, Itachi. I am very sorry about what happened, I understand you lost a number of friends to the Ripper." The Sandaime spoke in a sympathetic manner.
While Shinobi's were no strangers to death, it was and always will be difficult to deal with the loss of friends and loved ones. Mikoto nodded in thanks as she spoke in an exhausted voice "Thank you. I had hoped that we could save them from Fugaku's toxic ideals… but it seems it wasn't meant to be. But I can't help but wonder why the Ripper targeted our clan specifically."
Hiruzen hummed in thought as he stroked his beard and spoke in an even tone "It is difficult to say what goes through the mind of a killer. Though I suspect that Jack wanted to cripple the police force and at the same time show off both his skills and announce his presence. To which he most definitely succeeded."
Itachi crossed his arms over his chest for a moment, his eyes closed as he seemed to be collecting his thoughts on the past events of both the massacre and the numerous prior killings of the Ripper. From what he remembered, there was always a certain 'brutal efficiency' about the murders. The massive overkill on the bodies suggested deeply seeded rage, but the clean slices suggested unparalleled skill with bladed weaponry.
The most common theory for Jack's high level of skills was that the Ripper was possibly a Shinobi, perhaps Anbu level, or at the very least had Anbu level training. Given the brutal nature of the murders, some believed he may have been a part of the Torture and Interrogation division, but this was all speculation and theories. "Hokage-sama, the letter that was left behind. What was in it?" Itachi asked out of curiosity, hoping that something in the letter could help identify the mysterious killer.
Hiruzen cleared his throat for a moment and then began to speak in an explanatory manner "It is currently being studied by the cryptanalyst division and experts on forensic handwriting. Though if my suspicions about a new Ripper are correct, the hand-writing will be different. But the written words were as follows: Dear Boss, for some years now, your Military Police force has been sitting on their posh little throne, enjoying their power and position, the prestige of their status as a co-founding clan. But we all know that to be a sham, don't we?
Their posturing, grandstanding, and beliefs of 'Uchiha Superiority' irked me very much. So I cut them all open to draw out the poison that was festering within the clan. You're welcome. Your friend, Jack the Ripper. PS: You thought I was gone? No. I never was. The Ripper can never die."
After a few moments of silence the Uchiha Matriarch muttered "I can't tell if he's mocking us or not. And does he mean to imply that he had some knowledge about the coup? Or is this all some kind of red herring?"
At her questions, the Sandaime could only shake his head negatively as he replied "It is currently impossible to say. Unless we finally manage to catch Jack, we have no other leads. At the very least, with Fugaku no longer in the picture and the Police force almost entirely destroyed, this coup plot will come to a screeching halt since Jack cut off the head of the serpent for us."
At this Mikoto nodded as she spoke with a saddened smile "That is true. I shall take full responsibility for the clan and ensure we steer towards a more peaceful and less bigoted mindset."
Itachi then piped in as he placed a comforting hand on his mother's shoulder "I'll do anything I can to help. And if anyone tries to pick up where Fugaku left off, I'll be sure to silence them. Quietly. I don't think anyone would ask questions if we said that any further deaths were the work of the Ripper." Itachi spoke at the end.
Blaming an invisible bogeyman was certainly a convenient excuse should any remaining conspirators get any dumb ideas. In some ways, Jack's recent murder spree produced some good from the carnage, regardless if it was intentional or not. Had the coup taken place, Konoha would have faced a Civil War. And if that had happened the best case scenario would have been the genocide of his clan, and worst case a full-scale Shinobi war.
And with Fugaku and a vast majority of his followers dead, that wasn't going to happen. "Indeed. At any rate, we should proceed with caution now. Especially with the Ripper on the prowl once more. And if he's just as good if not better than the original… then Kami help us all." Hiruzen muttered darkly at the end since the threat of the Ripper loomed over Konoha once again.
One could only shudder to imagine what fiendish thoughts swim around in the mind of such a killer. What affliction of the mind or soul could make a man perform such horrors? What would drive a man to perform such chronic and sustained cruelty? What manner of hatred could be passed on to the next generation? As it has been since the beginning, and it shall be until the killer is finally brought to justice.
Meanwhile. Undisclosed location.
Deep beneath Konoha, somewhere in an underground Cavern, one Danzo Shimura could be seen staring at the front page of the morning newspaper, a nearby torch providing the needed illumination as he read the words 'JACK THE RIPPER RETURNS!'
Something as big as the Uchiha Massacre couldn't have possibly been covered up, and now it was known that Jack was back in business. And now the entirety of Konoha would be gripped in a state of fear. The aging Warhawk had to suppress a little smirk since Fugaku and the Uchiha's had gotten their just desserts.
Danzo placed the newspaper beneath his arm and then walked the torch-lit halls of his underground base of operations. Sometimes he would pass by a room and see his Root Anbu training vigorously for hours on end. In the past, he attempted to create what he initially believed to be 'perfect Shinobi' by mentally conditioning his recruits into becoming devoid of any and all emotion. Back then during wartime it seemed like a good idea, but there were extremely severe drawbacks.
Without any kind of emotion, the first Root Anbu were little more than almost mindless drones. One of the most prominent issues was that they had no concept of fear, and thus no sense of caution or wariness which led them to fall into traps and ambushes that could have easily been avoided. And thus the first batches of Root Ninja died within the first two weeks.
This was a major wakeup call for him so he had to change tactics. Instead of conditioning them to be utterly emotionless, he made it so they could freely turn off select emotions at will so that they would not hesitate at critical moments but still be able to identify potential dangers and make more sound judgments.
However, he needed to expand beyond the typical rank-and-file Root Anbu. He needed something special. He needed to recruit certain subjects with extraordinary skills or abilities. He needed Specialists. The kinds of people that could handle more delicate and/or complex and perhaps even impossible missions.
For years he had been slowly expanding his spy network across the Shinobi Nations, keeping an eye out for potential threats and opportunities. Speaking of threats, it was most fortunate that the Uchiha coup had been quickly crushed. With the bulk of the conspirators and their leader Fugaku dead, peace and stability would return.
As the warhawk mused to himself, he could hear the sounds of opera music playing as he approached ever closer to his destination. After a few more steps, he entered a candlelit chamber filled with numerous daggers, tattoos, katanas and other sharp instruments as a lone figure could be seen brushing the signature trench coat and top hat of the legendary Ripper. "You have truly outdone yourself. On your first major mission no less."
The figure chuckled as he set aside his brush and turned to face the warhawk, his face being that of Naruto Uzumaki who was sporting a rather toothy grin as he replied "Thanks old man. It was quite cathartic to slowly plunge that dagger into Fugaku's heart. Now perhaps Mikoto can live a happier life." The blonde spoke as he picked up a set of knives and began casually juggling them with practiced ease.
Danzo gave a small nod of acknowledgement, not that he really cared about unnecessary details. The job was done and done well, that's what mattered to him. From the time Naruto was born and confirmed to be the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, Danzo knew he was valuable in countless ways.
He was the heir to the Uzumaki clan, the Yondaime Hokage's legacy, and so much more. But those in charge of his care and welfare seemed eager to squander his potential.
Jiraiya, the boy's named Godfather seemed content to let the boy waste away while the Sannin himself spent his time playing with Whores and writing cheap and tasteless pornography. While Hiruzen wanted Naruto to live in relative peace to give him a 'normal childhood. Just how 'normal' a childhood can this boy have with the majority of the village populace bearing a grudge against him and his burden?
Idiots. So he decided to train the boy in the utmost secret in the Shinobi arts, preparing him physically and mentally for the cold and harsh realities of the Shinobi world, something that the Academy would never be able to do given how soft and lazy the teachers were. However, sooner or later, he'd need to attend at least a year in order to officially graduate. Fortunately, this coming year's class would be filled with Clan Heirs.
A good opportunity for him to make certain connections with them to secure potential alliances, and most fortunately, Naruto was already close with a few of them. On another note, young Naruto certainly lived up to the legendary mantle of the Ripper. Danzo himself was one of the very few who knew both the true nature and full history of the Ripper, but such history may be told another day.
Naruto picked up a sewing kit and began to tentatively sew the hole where he had been stabbed, the thread seamlessly closing the fabric shut as Danzo commented "Sasuke managed to injure you, yes? At least, that's what he reported when he was questioned about his encounter with the Ripper. You." The Warhawk stated at the end since he found it unusual that a weak novice like Sasuke could manage to injure a trained killer like Naruto.
The Jinchuuriki scoffed dismissively as he answered "Don't insult me. I sensed his chakra from the second he walked into the compound. I knew that he'd take a shot at me, so I let him. Kind of helps to establish the 'unkillable monster' story for the Ripper. That aside, a simple Kunai is nothing to me." The blonde stated as he pointed to his bare back, showing that he didn't have a mark on him.
"Ah. Uzumaki regeneration. I keep forgetting about that." Danzo muttered, hoping that he wasn't getting senile in his old age. The aging Warhawk then cleared his throat and continued to speak "I trust you'll be joining the Academy very soon?"
"Yeah. If only to satisfy certain conditions and whatnot. I hope you made the needed arrangements for more… favorable teachers." Naruto questioned since he had read up on the Chunin in charge of the class he would soon be joining. Iruka Umino and his partner Mizuki.
Neither of them were truly remarkable in nature, nor had any interesting highlights in their careers. Just a pair of half-baked 'Ninjas' that lasted long enough to weasel their way into a cushy and virtually risk-free job like an Academy teacher or some other clerical job.
The only things of true significance about them, was that Iruka's parents died during the Kyuubi attack and therefore likely held a personal grudge and was biased by default. In Mizuki's case, Danzo's intelligence network confirmed that the Chunin was in communication with Orochimaru, meaning that he was a potential spy or saboteur. He would need to be monitored very closely.
"Yes and no. Iruka will be transferred to handle a different class and will be replaced by a more competent and trustworthy Chunin. Mizuki will have to stay so that you may keep a close watch on him. I suspect that he is either gathering information on the Clan heirs for Orochimaru, or perhaps working to some other goal. Perhaps even both." Danzo explained, earning a slow nod from the whiskered teen as he balanced a knife on his fingertip.
"That'll be fine. I doubt Mizuki will kick up much fuss. At any rate, I have some entrance papers to take care of for now. Be seeing you around." The whiskered teen spoke as he stepped into a dark alcove and vanished out of existence, leaving the warhawk to smirk as he glanced at the clothes of the legendary Ripper.
Even though it was resting on a mannequin… he could almost feel the bloodlust dripping off of it. The air around it being choked with evil intentions. Even after all these years… the hate and anger of the previous Rippers never faded and seemed to have soaked into the very fabric of the Ripper's clothing. Shuddering to himself, Danzo departed to make the needed arrangements for Naruto's Academy teachers. After all… he hated leaving things to chance.
A week later.
Sasuke Uchiha walked alongside his mother, his hands stuffed inside of his pockets as his face seemed to be in a permanent scowl since the death of his father and numerous clan members. For the past week it had been nothing but ceremonies, funerals, well-wishers and sympathizers.
Some would say that he would need more time to recover from his experience with the Ripper, most chiefly his mother. But he didn't need time, he needed power and revenge, he needed to kill Jack the Ripper. No one should do such a thing to his clan and get away with it. He would hunt the bastard down and burn him alive with his Jutsu. He would have revenge.
His mother quietly sighed to herself as she felt uncomfortable with Sasuke attending the Academy so soon, but he was insistent on it and seemed to believe he would be honoring his late father somehow, and she had no choice that to reluctantly comply… for now.
At last, they entered the classroom that her son would be attending for the year, upon entry Sasuke recognized some of the students being Clan heirs like himself since he had met them all at some point or other. There was also numerous Civilian kids that didn't really stand out except for Sakura Haruno, the daughter of Kizashi Haruno who was head of the Civilian Council.
Seemed strange for an ex-Shinobi to head the Civilian council, not that it actually mattered to him. "Mikoto Uchiha, a pleasure to see you as always." Spoke an unfamiliar voice belonging to a boy his age with blonde hair and unusual whisker like birth marking decorating his cheeks.
"Hello Naruto-kun. I'm happy to see you too. I wasn't aware you were in this class." Mikoto replied back sweetly and then the two kissed each other on both of their cheeks which irked Sasuke a bit. It seemed they were quite friendly with each other. Perhaps too friendly.
"Mother… who is this?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow, crossing his arms with an irked expression.
His mother smiled a bit sheepishly and replied back "Ah. Sorry Sasuke-kun. This is Naruto Uzumaki, he is the child of an old friend of mine. I hope you two get along. Naruto, this is my younger son, Sasuke. Please be nice." She spoke at the end in a warning tone, earning a shrug from the blonde.
"You know I don't make false promises Mikoto-chan. If Sasuke wants me to treat him nicely, he has to respond in kind. I'm not gonna fake niceties with douchebags." The whiskered teen spoke in a snide voice, earning a scowl from Mikoto's son.
"You have a problem with me?" Sasuke asked defensively, wondering what this guy's issues were. But his question only seemed to amuse the Uzumaki even more.
"You in particular? Not a thing. Just people in general." The Uzumaki replied in a somewhat cynical voice before turning his attention back to Mikoto as he flashed her a charming smile and spoke to her"Mikoto-chan, I'll be seeing you around."
With that, the blonde turned on his heel and began chatting with a pair of girls off to the side. All the while Sasuke was glaring daggers into the Uzumaki's back. "I don't like that guy." The self-proclaimed Elite muttered angrily, with his mother placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Naruto-kun had a rough upbringing, or perhaps a lack thereof since his parents died during the Kyuubi attack. Just be nice and respectful and he'll return it." Mikoto spoke gently, knowing that Naruto wasn't a bad person. Just jaded.
"You two seemed awfully chummy." He noted with a deep scowl, his words prompting his mother to raise an eyebrow.
"Yes. We have known each other for some time so we're pretty close. Is that a problem?" She asked, her question earning a scoff from her youngest son who sent a glare into the Uzumaki's back. It would seem that a lot of her late husband's personality had rubbed off on Sasuke. They both shared that same sense of 'Uchiha Superiority', and the belief that Uchiha's shouldn't associate with those who are considered 'beneath them'. If need be… she would have to correct her son's behavior in the not-so-distant future.
"You've never once mentioned him." Her son pointed out with a scowl, prompting Mikoto to sigh as she ran a hand through her hair. She could almost feel a headache coming on now as she replied to him "Your father didn't… approve of my relationship with Naruto-kun."
"Must have been a reason for that." Sasuke muttered warily, his mother frowning slightly but chose not to say anything further on the subject and spoke to him "Behave yourself Sasuke-kun. I'll be seeing you later. And Naruto-kun… I trust you to take proper care of my son." With that said, she departed quietly since she had other things to take care of later in the day.
Not long after she'd left, a pair of Chunin appeared, one of which was easily recognized as Hana Inuzuka and the other was a man with silver hair, the two called for everyone to take their seats prompting the students to set themselves down as quickly as possible since the seats were all first-come-first-served. Sasuke took a seat at the front of the class by a window… and sitting next to him was that Naruto guy from before.
"You again." The Uchiha muttered in annoyance as he loosely laced his fingers together. The Uzumaki simply glanced at him with a smirk and responded "Yep. Me again. Get used to it Sasuke. We're gonna be classmates for some time. I heard about what happened to your dear old dad… couldn't have happened to a nicer guy."
Sasuke tensed up, his hands curling into white knuckled fists as he slowly turned his head, glaring hard at the blonde. "What did you just say?" The young Uchiha asked with a low snarl which made the whiskered teen chuckle a bit.
"You heard me. Your dad? He was a crap father, and a crap husband that could never satisfy his wife. At any rate, I just wanted to tell you… your daddy got what he deserved thanks to Old Jack." The blonde spoke with a devilish grin, his words at the end earning a look of horror from the Uchiha… 'Old Jack' was exactly how the Ripper introduced himself.
"YOU!" Sasuke screamed in rage and leapt forward, his vision becoming a deep red as he tackled the Uzumaki to the floor and began trying to squeeze the life out of the Uzumaki but in a flash, was torn away by the Chunin who were shouting for him to stop. "Let me go you bastards! I'm gonna kill that damn…" The Uchiha shouted in protest but his voice died in his throat when he saw that it was Naruto that he had attempted to throttle, but some random Civilian kid who was now gasping and wheezing for air.
The Uchiha's eyes darted about a few moments until he saw the blonde himself, sitting in the far back of the classroom with his arms wrapped around the forms of one Ino Yamanaka and some brown haired girl that he didn't recognize. "What the fuck got into you?" Asked the form of Mizuki as he kept a tight grip on the Uchiha.
The occasional scuffle between students was not uncommon, but Sasuke seemed ready to kill that kid. That certainly wasn't normal at all. The Uchiha could only stammer and mumble incoherently since he wasn't sure what had just happened himself. "If I didn't know any better… Sasuke-san might have PTSD." Spoke the form of Ino Yamanaka as she laced her fingers together.
"If I heard correctly… didn't Sasuke see his father die? Has he gotten proper therapy?" Asked Hinata as she poked her fingertips together. The Heiress' questions prompting the Chunin teachers to exchange glances with each other since they made valid points. PTSD was certainly no joke, and even the most seasoned Shinobi could be crippled by it, and if left untreated it would be even worse.
The most logical course of action would be to send Sasuke home, until he received proper treatment and cleared the needed psych evals, it would be inadvisable to allow him to return to the Academy. Otherwise he might act up again and attack another student. The two Chunin reached a silent agreement with one taking the injured student to the nurses office while the other took the Uchiha to a separate room to call his mother and explain the situation to her.
As the Chunin escorted their respective charges out of the classroom, Naruto smiled quite deviously as he played with Ino's ponytail between his fingers, gave a wink to Hinata and rubbed the shoulder of the brown haired girl next to him. That had actually worked out far better than he hoped. This would certainly be a memorable first day for the Academy.
Once Hana returned, she cleared her throat and explained that today would mostly be orientation and introductions. Once she was done, everyone would go home for the day. Though some students really didn't pay much attention since there was only one thing that they could think about at this time… that Sasuke Uchiha was damaged goods for certain.
Later.
Naruto sighed as he cracked his neck, about two hours of orientation and whatnot was certainly boring. Well… at least he knew how to sleep with his eyes open during lectures and whatnot. Trailing close behind him like a loyal bodyguard, was a certain brunette as they approached a familiar ramen stand.
When they entered inside, the forms of Ayame Ichiraku and her father Teuchi could be seen preparing some ramen… though there didn't seem to be any customers present. "Ah, welcome! They're waiting for you now." Teuchi spoke with a small smile as he gestured towards the back of the humble ramen stand, with both Naruto and his companion nodding as they walked past the father and daughter pair.
"Anything we can get you?" Ayame asked sweetly, with Naruto ordering some Miso Ramen and his faithful companion requesting Salt Ramen. The duo slipped into the back and pushed open a panel revealing a hidden set of stairs. They then descended down the steps until they entered a chamber with an expensive looking table at the center where the forms of Mikoto and Danzo were waiting, the both of them digging into their own respective ramen bowls.
"Ah, Naruto. We were just waiting for you and Yakumo-san." Danzo spoke as he slurped up some noodles as the blonde and Yakumo each took a seat at the table.
"Not a problem. Sasuke has been dealt with. He won't be coming back anytime soon, not without a clean bill of mental health. Yakumo-chan's Genjutsu had him tripping balls." The whiskered teen spoke with a grin, a small smile spreading across the Kurama Heiress' face at the praise.
"It was my pleasure, I'd do anything for you, Naruto-sama." The brunette spoke happily, feeling quite proud at her accomplishment. Since Sasuke refused to listen to his mother about getting therapy, Mikoto requested their assistance in ejecting him from the Academy. Hence the dog and pony show, both Ino and Hinata also played their roles quite well as 'concerned students'.
Mikoto herself was very much relieved and thankful since now Sasuke could no longer try to avoid getting therapy, which would put her mind at ease. "Thank you. Now, I think we should get this meeting underway." Mikoto spoke, earning a series of nods.
Danzo drank some of the broth from his bowl and then spoke in a business-like tone "Agreed. Eliminating the Uchiha coup is a major step to steering this village back on track. But now we have another concern to contend with. The Civilian Council."
Yakumo raised an eyebrow and asked "Why should we concern ourselves over a bunch of bureaucrats?" Her question earned a humorless chuckle from the aging Warhawk as he leaned forward a bit, a creepy little smirk on his face.
"Why indeed? What power could a handful of Civilian Politicians have over people like us? Like Shinobi? Well, if not over us, then certainly over the village." Danzo explained cryptically as he tightened his grip onto his cane prompting Yakumo to tilt her head a bit since she was somewhat confused.
In the background, Ayame appeared with two bowls of ramen and set them in front of her and Naruto before giving a respectful bow and then leaving to provide them with their needed privacy. Naruto broke apart a set of chopsticks and then elaborated the warhawk's statement as he spoke "What old man Danzo means is that the Civilian Council is a major reason for the corruption and stagnation of Konoha. Originally, when the village was founded, the Shodaime wanted a democratic governing body.
Shinobi obviously handled military and security matters, and the Civilians handled commerce, trade, et cetera to give them a sense of purpose and belonging in the community. However… he clearly underestimated exactly how much power he'd given them, or rather potential power. As time went by, and with each new iteration of the Civilian Council, they have become more and more corrupt. Focusing more on using their power and authority to line their own pockets than serve the interests of the Village and its people.
The Shinobi can't do anything about it since the Civilians could claim that the Ninjas are abusing their power and are trampling on their rights or something like that. And in retaliation, the Civilians raise prices or taxes on much needed Shinobi gear and equipment and whatever else a Ninja may need. In other words, they can make things pretty miserable for a Ninja. And the worst of them all is Kizashi Haruno."
The Genjutsu user listened quietly as she ate her ramen, slowly taking in all of this information as she recalled the name of Kizashi. A name that had become almost synonymous with the words 'greed' and 'corrupt'. According to Naruto and Danzo, the man was once a Shinobi back in the previous war. But after the discovery that he was forcing himself on female prisoners to 'interrogate' them, he was immediately stripped of his headband and kicked out of the Shinobi corps.
Supposedly, he called in some favors and spread some bribes around thanks to the loot that he 'confiscated' during his tenure in order to avoid jail time. Not long after, he bounced back after getting into the banking business until he managed to buy his way onto the Civilian Council and eventually became its Head.
"So we're going to kill Kizashi Haruno and his lackeys?" Yakumo asked, earning some chuckles from the others which was coupled with Naruto slurping some ramen while trying to hold in his own laughter.
"A tempting but fruitless prospect. If we kill Kizashi outright, he'll just be replaced by someone else. Someone who may be even more corrupt and greedy than he is. No, we have to dissolve the Civilian Council entirely. Konoha is a Shinobi village first and foremost, and it should be only Shinobi that rule." Danzo spoke, earning some nods from the others.
After all, there was only one universal rule in the entire Shinobi nations that was absolute. Only those who had power, true power, could dictate the course of the world. The Rikudou Sennin did so when he granted humankind the ability to use Chakra. Hashirama Senju did so when he began laying the foundations of Konoha, with other nations emulating him. But somehow or other, either through their own shortsightedness or the machinations of others… their once-noble intentions were corrupted.
"So how do we dissolve a part of Konoha's government?" The Kurama heiress asked as she started to drink some of the broth from her bowl with Naruto doing the same for his own.
"Simple… we force the Sandaime to dissolve it. Legally. In my experience, when faced with a problem you can't fix… it is best to eliminate it entirely." Danzo mentioned since that was perhaps the first lesson that his old mentor had given him so long ago and inspired him to form ROOT. But that was a story for later.
"Since we're here, I'm dying to ask. What is the word on the other eight Jinchuuriki?" Naruto asked, earning a chuckle from both the aging warhawk and Uchiha Matriarch since that would naturally be a concern for the boy, given his own Jinchuuriki status and lineage.
"The Ichibi of Suna is often described as 'unstable' at best due to both his imperfect seal and the Kazekage sending assassins after him every so often. I'd recommend caution when approaching him. The Nibi of Kumo has been sent on an unknown mission, but rumor has it she is becoming increasingly discontent with Kumo and has been treated negatively.
Largely because of its persistent reputation as a 'village of rapists'. No surprise given the breeding programs the Sandaime Raikage approved, which almost resulted in the kidnapping of Hinata and the unfortunate death of Hiashi's twin brother. The Yondaime Raikage has been doing his best to turn things around, but there are still lingering factions that want to continue these programs, those same factions often treat women as little more than breeding stock or tools, especially if they carry bloodlines.
The Sanbi of Kiri is still enforcing his 'Bloodline purge' which is completely opposite of his previous attempts to leave behind Kiri's blood-soaked history. We suspect that he is being influenced by an outside source, but it has been impossible to get near him due to Kiri's instability.
The Yonbi and Gobi of Iwa are currently in the wind, rumor goes that they left Iwa to travel around. As you predicted Naruto-san, Jinchuuriki don't like to be confined. The Rokubi hasn't yet been identified, we suspect that he or she is probably living under the radar, but we'll keep our eyes open.
The Nanabi of Taki isn't treated very favorably by the people there, and their 'leader' is a weak-willed and half-baked Shinobi that can be easily influenced. I believe it would be a simple matter of strong-arming him into giving or selling the Nanabi to us. Out of all of them, I think the Nanabi is the most easily accessible since we know where she is, and it's likely she'll join us willingly with the right incentives.
Finally, the Hachibi of Kumo, Killer Bee is the Yondaime Raikage's brother and the two share a close bond. Although, rumors persist that Bee is becoming restless within Kumo, which might give us an 'in' with him." At the end of Danzo's explanation, Naruto leaned back in his seat and hummed in thought since bringing all nine Jinchuuriki and their respective Bijuu together was one of his biggest goals and was one of the many reasons he donned the mantle of the Ripper.
"Okay then. I'll leave the arrangements to you Danzo. I don't care how you do it, get me the Nanabi. If you need me to, I'll talk to her, one Jinchuuriki to another." Naruto spoke, earning a nod from the aging Warhawk since he would see it done no questions asked.
"Very well then. Naruto-san, you must continue killing as the Ripper to maintain the hype and draw attention away from our activities. I shall begin making arrangements to terminate the Civilian Council and the requisition of the Nanabi. Mikoto, you carry on with your business with the Uchiha' clan and keep us posted. With that said, our meeting should be adjourned." Danzo spoke, and then banged on the table with his cane as though it were a gavel.
They quickly began to leave the area to continue their machinations and carry on with their plans. One way or another… Konoha would be theirs. Power would be taken from the undeserving and earned by those who work and toil for it. Corruption would be stamped out. The false ideals and principles of the Senju's 'peace through harmony' and the Uchiha's 'might makes right' would be burned away and forgotten. That was their goal. That was their purpose. And woe to any who would stand in their way… for Jack the Ripper wasn't just a killer that hid in the shadows.
Old Jack was an idea. Ideas could be made into symbols. And if enough people believe in a symbol… then it can never be destroyed. And Jack the Ripper… can never die.
End chapter one.