The room in the T&I department was quiet, but not the normal quiet that existed in that place. The silence of the damned was more terrifying than the silence of the calm, and this was a calm silence.

Anko stood inside the small briefing room. Today she was being a sensei, a proper teacher. Teaching something she loved to someone who would find it useful. Although she had the other mission at the back of her mind.

She would be better than her old sensei, she would make her student better. She would never abandon him.

Naruto pushed the door open with an expression of annoyance on his face. She smiled. she had read him correctly. He hated doors, even if he wouldn't describe it that way. She could understand why to a degree.

"Darkie-kun, nice of you to make it."

"Yes Anko-sensei."

"Hmm, not sure I prefer that or Anko-chan. Mix them up every so often."

He nodded. Ah well, down to business.

"Right, poison 101. Chemistry."

She hefted a large book onto the table. She had expected this to faze him in some way, to impress him and make him stare. He merely nodded. She realised he hadn't expected it to be easy, he wasn't arrogant like most people who were this good this early in their careers.

"This means you can't just find everything you need to poison someone from animals in nature, although they also make good poisons, a skilled medic will recognise them. Any ideas as to how you create an animal poison they haven't seen?"

"Make a new animal they haven't met before, or a different breed that produces a different toxin."

"Yep. This is actually what I do in my spare time. Anyway, as you don't own a variety of toxic animals yet, chemistry is where you are going to find the answer to all your toxic needs for the moment. What do you know about it?"

"Nothing."

"Excellent. I can teach you my method and hopefully you'll improve it someday. I'm not going to do textbook work here though, you can read in your own time. What I'm going to teach you is how to make them when you have a bit more base knowledge. In the mean time, let's think uses."

"Killing."

"You would think that wouldn't you?"

"Killing is what I do."

"Ok, I will name different target types, and you will tell me how you could kill them using poisons only. I'll judge. Right, high ranking citizen at a banquet, you are to target him only. No unnecessary collateral."

"Infiltrate the kitchens, knock out the food taster and replace him. After tasting food add poison to the food."

"Another way."

"Use a henge to disguise as a waiter, serve him a special bottle of sake which will poison him."

"No. To high of a risk of collateral."

"Use a poison that will only make people who only drink a smaller amount ill?"

"Somewhat acceptable, still suspect. Another."

"Infiltrate the serving staff, soak any implements he might use in toxin and let him use them."

"Ooh, devious. But you're still thinking too directly. How delayed are you going to make this kill? How many parts does the toxin need?"

The session went on for a few hours, with Anko quizzing Naruto on the uses and some of the subtleties of the poison. She had to admit he was quick, and he had imagination to him.

Eventually, she heard the noise. It was faint, but she picked up on it. She kept quizzing.

"Right, jonin level ninja in charge of a small fortification, death needs to be dramatic and painful for her death to unnerve her forces."

"Her?"

"Yes."

"Why painful?"

"Because the screaming upsets people."

"Um."

There it was. He heard it, and for the first time she had seen he had hesitated. In three hours.

"Slow acting poison added to her private stores, assuming she's arrogant enough to have some."

"Fair enough. You hesitated."

"I did. I was thinking."

'And you're lying.'

"Good. Sorry about the background noise, Ibiki has a traitor a few doors down, he likes to play with them."

"Such is the fate of traitors."

'A bit of emoting. This is better.'

"The longest I've heard anyone scream is a full twenty-four hours. Ibiki had a new toy, and they were particularly resilient."

He stayed silent. She looked at him closely. His face had changed slightly. It was a slightly different form of emotionless than before, harder. Like he was remembering something.

"So, have all the kills you've made so far been clean? Or has anyone ever screamed?"

"I'd rather not say."

'So that's a yes. And it's a bad yes. No wonder Ibiki didn't think he could do this. He doesn't like causing pain. His kills are all so quick he doesn't cause any. He has mercy and he doesn't even know it.'

"Oh. If you want to talk about some of them at some time I'd love to hear about them. That is if you can tell little Anko-chan."

She did her best impression of innocence as she said so. She suspected it wouldn't make any difference, but he was showing signs of emotion.

"I will."

"Good, we're just about done for today then."

He left, and Anko cursed the fact he was so damn silent. She couldn't tell if he had sped up as he went. He had taken the book though, but sealed it. That was clever.

He was both a mystery and so easy to see. From his reintroduction into the regular forces, the blank slate he could be had begun to be transformed into a personality. But was it a blank slate?

She walked down the hallway and went into the next room. She removed the tape from the speaker system before crushing it absentmindedly. It had been a cruel trick. It was a betrayal of trust that had been forced up her by the mission. The fact it was a self created mission, but one she had made after a short chat with Ibiki.

She was his friend after all. One of the few she had, and possibly the only one he had. If he needed help, and she was becoming sure he did, it was her place to get it to him.

She checked the time and swore violently. She had somewhere to be. She rushed to one of the storerooms and grabbed the great fabric roll inside.

Time to scare some genin.

He had hit the rooftops some hours back and he had just kept moving. Whatever it was about that noise, it brought it back. He'd never had this in the dark. He'd never had this in the dark.

He moved on instinct, dark to dark, shadow to shadow, cover to cover in a series of smooth fluid leaps and bounds. He ran, ignoring the burning in his legs. He leapt, ignoring the pain.

He embraced it, he embraced anything that wasn't that noise. Anything that wasn't that face that the scream brought back.

Her face was there, locked forever in the scream that he had silenced.

His foot hid a wet patch and he slipped slightly as he leapt from a roof, his trajectory was not going to reach the next rooftop. Sparks flew from the soles of his sandals as he slid down the wall, using enough chakra to keep it steady, but not enough to stop him.

He pushed off the wall and rolled into the alleyway.

Then he heard it again. A scream. A feminine scream. It was close.

He ran down the alleyway towards the noise. The crossbow was in his hands on instinct, his Byakugan was active.

He saw the figures. One was down, backing away down towards him. Another two stood over it, moving slowly towards it.

He fought to keep his emotions in check as he rounded the corner and brought the bow up.

The first standing figure died without looking up. The second looked up in time to eat the bolt through the roof of his mouth.

The prone figure stopped screaming as Naruto ran over. He heard a different noise. A wet choking sound.

He stood over the figure. They looked up as he eclipsed the light and screamed again. He winced at the loud noise until it stopped.

"Are you alright?"

The figure was lying very still. He waved a hand in front of her face, when it became apparent that she was unconscious.

The Byakugan vision revealed her condition to be stable, and he tried to decide what to do next. Well she wasn't going anywhere.

He checked the bodies of the figures he had killed. They were wearing Konoha headbands.

"Oh."

The word echoed silently in the alley as he considered his next move.

He had, without delay, killed two of his shinobi comrades who were in the process of attacking an innocent person. That could be tricky to explain.

He could take the girl to the hospital, which would mean leaving two corpses in an alleyway until he got back, and going into the hospital. That would lead people to ask questions about who he was.

Or he could wait with an unconscious lady and two corpses in an alleyway until somebody turned up. Like an ANBU or another ninja. That would be probably easier to explain, but also have the issue of how long it would take. Then again, he had time.

He quietly piled the two corpses together and stripped them of their equipment. Wasn't like they'd be needing it right?

He hid in the alley, watching over the situation in case anyone came across it. And waited.

Hiruzen rubbed his eyes as the first rays of dawn crept in through the windows of his office. He wasn't normally in this early.

Still, he was awake, and his first problem of the day was already unfolding in front of him.

The ANBU stood behind their prisoner, although he wasn't entirely sure that that was the right word. Prisoner usually meant they had been forced to come. This one seemed oddly keen.

"Talon...what is going on?"

"Well, we have two dead shinobi, a traumatised civilian woman, and this short-ass who refuses to give us anything other than his serial number."

"At least he knows how to be interrogated then."

"Very good Hokage-sama. The two shinobi, Oyuka and Oyuba Hogesuri were both killed by crossbow bolts to the face."

The Hokage looked at Naruto who raised his head to meet the gaze of the older man. The defiance in the eye was there. The look. An attitude.

He remained impassive.

"The kills seem to have happened during the night, and on a routine patrol at about 4 this morning we came across the scene. The woman was unconscious, technically sleeping, and he was waiting in the shadows. To be honest, we didn't see him until he came out."

"What did he do then?"

"He admitted, and I quote, 'I killed them because they were causing the screaming, is she alright? She passed out when I tried to see if she was injured or not.'"

"He said exactly that?"

"Yes."

He resisted the temptation to laugh and bury his head in his hands. His poker face remained true.

"So you brought him here?"

"We took the woman to the hospital to get her checked out, then brought him here. He did admit to killing two Konoha shinobi in cold blood."

"Blood is kept at an internal temperature of 300 degrees Kelvin, it's usually quite warm."

Everyone present stared at Naruto.

"Cold blood implies it has been away from a heat source for a time. It only got to that state after my attack."

The ANBU made a frustrated groaning sound.

"Seriously Hokage-sama, who in the hell is this kid?"

He quietened the man with a wave of his elderly hand.

"Has the woman regained her senses?"

"Hare is with her currently, out of uniform of course. He'll bring us his report when she has."

"And your current hypothesis?"

"Ridiculous."

"Humour me Talon. Humour me at this ungodly hour of the morning."

"The brothers grimly-dead were trying something untoward towards the lady, and our little knight is grubby, black armour shot them both dead from ambush. Oddly enough they seemed to be unarmed."

"Really?"

"Yes Lord Hokage."

"Naruto did you steal all of their equipment?"

The ANBU laughed. Naruto produced a storage scroll he had hidden in his cloak and placed it politely on the desk. They stopped laughing. Hiruzen began to read the contents of the scroll from the characters on the scroll.

"Really?"

"Yes Talon. This looks like the standard kit for shinobi of their quality. In fact."

He placed his hand down gently and brought out some of the equipment. He tested the edge of a kunai with his finger.

"It would appear their maintenance was not as good as I would like to hope. Then again, I recall these two making it through a particularly poor set of the chunin exams and were promoted against my better judgement by some idiots impressed with a poorly controlled fireball."

He tossed the kunai to Talon who caught it by the blade.

"Couldn't cut cheese with this piece of rubbish."

"Couldn't have put it better myself Talon."

"So not the greatest loss we could ever have had I take it?"

"I can think of a few people I'd rather lose."

"I do hope my name is on it sir."

"You never cease to amuse me Talon."

The man straightened, and there was every hint of a beaming smile behind the mask. His companion sighed.

"Good to hear it Hokage-sama."

"So back to your theory?"

"Well then they were armed, but it ends up the same. He steals their equipment then waits, presumably for several hours with two dead bodies and the unconscious lady, then confesses immediately and unequivocally. Is this some kind of elaborate practical joke sir? Is it Gibbon again?"

"No it is not Gibbon. He doesn't get people killed. Or he hasn't yet. Anyway, did you ask your charge what happened?"

"He's as short on words as he is on stature Hokage-sama."

"He said little?"

"A miniscule amount, even under the magnifying glass of my questioning."

"Interesting, well enough small talk Talon, let's see what he has to say on the matter. Shall we hope it isn't a tall tale?"

"Your wordplay is sharp as ever Hokage-sama, but on a serious note we could get nothing out of him. He's either needs a whack around the head or he's shy to the extent he needs help."

"Well Naruto?"

Before he could open his mouth Talon interrupted.

"You know who he is?"

"He's a shinobi under my command Talon. I know all of them. Now be quiet whilst he speaks. Naruto?"

"I was moving along the rooftops when I heard her scream. I went round the corner and killed both at range. When I went to talk to her, she screamed again and passed out. I then waited to be found by anyone who could help."

"Why didn't you take her immediately to the hospital?"

"There were two dead bodies, it would have caused alarm."

Talon nodded.

"He has a point."

"Why didn't you immediately signal for help?"

"I don't like making noise."

Talon chuckled.

"No, come on Hokage-sama he's not for real. He sounds like a kid. He looks like a kid. Come on Gibbon, let's drop that henge. Kai."

Nothing happened. He prodded Naruto.

"Huh. How much did he hire you for then?"

"You talk too much."

The Hokage did his best not to laugh as Talon recoiled.

"You talk too little Shorty."

"Your wit doesn't live up to your name?"

"O ho?"

"Talons are meant to be sharp."

The other ANBU and Hiruzen lost the ability to hold it in.

"Ah, you got destroyed there Talon."

"Shut up Pig, you'll fry for this later."

The ANBU shut up in the presence of his superior.

"Ok, enough of this, it's too early for this kind of mess. Ah. Hare approaches."

The masked man came through the doors quickly and quietly.

"Hare. Report."

"The woman was much happier talking to a doctor thank you very much Talon."

"Hey, I wanted answers now. You've delayed this by at least an hour. Just because she was shivering and covered in blood doesn't mean getting a statement was beyond reason."

The man sighed.

"Anyway, she believed she was about to be raped by the two gentlemen in question until the black shadow saved her. Unfortunately she was so terrified by the shadow she passed out again. She's slightly embarrassed and shaken up, but otherwise fine."

The Hokage steepled his hands and leant back.

"Well then, that seems to wrap everything up. The Hogesuri brothers are not to be added to the monument, and to be disposed off as soon as possible. See to it Talon. Pig. Hare."

They chorused their assent, and moved out, sharing a quick joke as they left. Hare's exasperated sigh was cut off by the Hokage shutting the door.

"Sit down Naruto-kun."

He sat.

"You killed two of my ninja without authority, without permission, and without thought as to the consequences. You did so in the streets of this city, and you did so during a time where security here is somewhat raised by the presence of several foreign shinobi."

Naruto had dropped the hood and stared back at him. The defiance was still in his visible eye. But there was something more.

"I recall warning you about the use of force against your comrades after the incident with Hinata-san."

More silence.

"You killed them without any sort of attempt to capture them Naruto. Whilst their eventual fate might have been the same, you took a big risk."

"I had to stop the screaming."

"But you didn't have to kill to do so."

"I had to stop the screaming."

He looked at the stare. There were the beginnings of tears in his lone, visible eye. Something was definitely wrong.

"You realise I should almost definitely have you thrown into the cells for such actions? That that would be the correct course of action for any other shinobi in your position."

"I did the right thing."

He paused. The defiance was back, strongly now. Naruto held the conviction in his voice.

"You probably did, but you were lucky. I will have to put you on probation though, you will work with teams for the next two months so I can have someone keep an eye on you."

"Hai."

"Is there anything you would like to talk about."

"No."

'He's lying. But I think it's to himself more than me. I'll give him time.'

"You are dismissed. Report at the usual time for your mission."

Naruto disappeared from view faster than usual. Talon came back through the doorway and slammed his hand on the desk.

"I want him for ANBU. Right now. Give him to me and I will mould him into one the best shinobi you could ever have. I will make him better than Dog made me."

"Surprising to see you so demanding Talon."

"He understands, he's been well trained. Who trained him?"

"I have no idea."

"Bullshit."

"Calm yourself Talon. You may be head of ANBU since Dog retired, but speak to me with such a tone again and someone else may take the position. It is odd actually, Dog wants to train him as well."

The ANBU untensed.

"Apologies Hokage-sama. But I've looked as his records. I can see the tell-tell signs of some meddling. Goodness knows I've done a bit of it myself when I induct someone, but even so. He's not even 16 is he?"

"13. And barely."

"Kami. What is he?"

"What I am about to tell you is an S-ranked secret Talon."

"S-ranked?"

"Yes. He was born on the 10th of October."

"But that date 13 years ago...oh. Orphan?"

"Yes. But it's worse."

"I see."

"It's possibly the most stringent bit of covering up I ever did. Silences were bought or...manufactured by black ops."

'I can't take all the credit, Danzo certainly did some of the dirty work. Well most of it. I signed the documents allowing him to. Well gave him permission verbally at least.'

"So that kid. The one who kills. Is in fact a Jinchuuriki?"

"You know the term? Impressive, I know there was a reason I chose you."

"So it wasn't my dashing good looks distracting all the Kunouchi then? I knew it was too good to be true."

"Your humour was a good tertiary reason I assure you Talon."

They chuckled.

"So that's why he's been hidden. Who trained him then?"

"Someone I trust."

"That sounds more sinister than it should be."

"Think nothing more on it."

"I won't."

He knew Talon would follow the order, no matter how informal it was.

"So can I have him? Even with his condition ANBU seems to be the place for him. Plus he has a sense of humour, even if he is a tad weird."

"You're the first to bring it out of him. I think he just saw the word play as another challenge."

"Even so, I can see uses for him. Can you let me take him on a mission?"

"Well, he does need supervision and training at the moment. He currently is only receiving instruction from Anko."

"Outcasts with something in common eh?"

"They formed a connection on a mission, I'm happy if a touch surprised."

"Well that means he should be getting used to poison. He's definitely assassin material."

"He is, I have worries though?"

"His record seems to show his abilities are excellent. What worries could you have?"

"I don't think he's stable Talon. Look at tonight. He acted too much on impulse. He tries to stay several steps ahead and tonight he just shot without thinking. Maybe it was the time restraint, but there is something wrong."

He pulled out a document.

"Mission report from a T&I mission he accompanied. He made 3 kills in that mission, all clean. But he seems to have a problem with screaming. And pain."

"A killer who doesn't like the sound of people in pain? At least he's not a psycho then. That sounds like a human response. He is only thirteen, getting freaked out by the T&I teams at that age is hardly unlikely."

"Something goes deeper than that. He needs therapy. He needs people to talk to, to whom he can talk about anything. He has no-one in that position he can go to easily. He needs medical attention Talon. I'm not sure the ANBU schedule fits him. He's a piece in the puzzle that doesn't fit anywhere."

"I'll see what I can do to help reshape him then. I like him."

"Good luck Talon. Just...try not to introduce him too closely to Gibbon."

"Why ever not?"

"Because he's stealthy enough that it takes me a minute to find him if I want to. Kami help us all if he becomes a prankster."

Under the mask, Talon grinned. Oh he knew what to do with this one.

Edit 18/10/12: Finally got round to fixing Naruto's birth month to the right month (eep). In my defence, April and October and really similar. Right? Please?