One More Chance

by Chasing Yashiro

This is my second published fic, first published on this platform so I apolgize if theres any formatting errors or something. This is unfinished and I dont plan on finishing but i thought it deserved to be shared. This is a Naruto time travel fix-it AU. I hope you enjoy!

His vision was swarmed with red while his body begged for just a moments rest. The stench of iron and decay invaded his senses, making his stomach churn in disgust.

Tanned fingers wiped the blood from his eyes and he felt a part of him shatter at the silence that took over the clearing. No. There was nothing but a slight howling of the wind and the faint sound of two feet dragging in the mud.

He surveyed the area with a despaired gaze as familiar faces stared up at the sky, eyes glazed over and filled with terror in their last moments. He tried to push past his fear and anguish, ignoring the tears that threatened to spill over and focused on the enemy before him.

Long dark hair swayed in the wind and piercing red eyes bore into his soul, anger rolling off the mans wounded body in waves. They were both wobbling slightly, their injuries too great and energy too low. The end was near.

It came down to hand to hand combat, they weaved around each other in a deadly dance, waiting for the other to slip up. The sound of flesh hitting flesh and ragged breathing seemed to echo around them, replacing the heavy silence.

When the final blow was dealt there was no relief or excitement, only the dull thump of a body meeting the earth in one final embrace. The victor scanned the horizon and felt any hope that remained fade away instantly.

There was nothing, he was all that remained.

Hollow blue eyes searched the piles of human remains, looking for a familiar tuft of silver hair. He passed two bodies that laid hand in hand, their last moments spent sharing their love with one another. He looked away from the blood soaked pink locks and gaping hole in their chest. He ignored the gaunt face and missing eyes of the person next to them.

On and on he walked, through mounds of cadavers, all staring at him with vacant expressions and splattered with crimson. He picked up the pace once spotting that familiar hair, gleaming silver in moonlight.

Dropping to his knees he cradled the body close, hot tears slipping down his cheeks as violent sobs wracked his chest. Slick palms tenderly caressed the pale, cold flesh and he wept for what could've been, wept for every soul lost, for the future that would never come.

As the last tear fell the man said a silent prayer for his fallen comrades and began the long process of digging a mass grave.

His body protested, begged for water, food, rest but he could not rest. Not until they were safe and at peace, he couldn't leave them exposed like this. No. They deserved better than being bared to the elements and left to rot.

Two weeks passed and the sun came up, bathing the barren land in soft gold and bringing warmth to the empty space, though barely visible through the clouds of ash that hung about. No bodies remained, only large red stains that served as a reminder of the many lives lost.

A single figure slumped in front of a grave, marked only by a hitai-ate and a ring. He sat for hours, turning into days looking at nothing but the pile of loose dirt in front of him. His cheeks were puffy, red and tear stained.

Defeated eyes stared unseeing into the destroyed land, his body was pale and sunken in. He waited impatiently, exhausted and grieving he , craving the release of death. What had he to live for now? There was nothing and no one awaiting him and all he wanted, all he needed was to be with his precious people again.

Time passed and his body was close to death, wrought with hunger and dehydration, wounds festering and infected but he didn't feel a thing. The man was empty, merely waiting for his time to come yet it never did.

Right as his eyes closed and he took one last breathe, a deep burning sensation took over his body that forced him to thrash about and release hoarse screams that echoed across the vast nothingness.

He began to feel weightless, as if floating helplessly in the depths of the ocean.

There was nothing around him but an endless black sky. A tingling sensation accompanied the pain he looked down to see his body disintegrate, filling the blank space with glowing yellow orbs.

His entire being was unraveled and bared to the universe, memories replayed in front of him and slowly began to rewind. He watched himself become younger until he was but a baby, helpless and small. A woman with long crimson hair spoke to him with love and kindness he wished he'd heard all those years growing up. A blonde man stared fondly and wished him strength and prosperity.

And then the pain intensified. The space around him twisted and warped and suddenly he was thrown.

He didn't know how long he fell, the concept of time had disappeared and for a moment he thought this was the afterlife. Just as soon as the thought came his body crashed into something that rattled his soul.

And then he woke up.

Panting and trembling in panic he bolted up from where he laid and took in a very familiar room. Empty ramen cups were strewn about the musty place, clothes piled in a corner and a distinct smell of mold lingered in the air. No...no this couldn't be happening.

He hobbled out of bed and raced as quickly as he could to the bathroom and switched on the light, shrieking at his reflection in the mirror. Horrified violet eyes stared back at him, long scarlet hair cascaded down his back and a sun kissed, cherubic face still thick with baby fat was twisted into a horrible grimace. He looked down at tiny, uncalloused hands with a pair of stubby legs to match.

No no no how is this possible?!

"It's possible because I made it so Kit." The deep voice of his closest companion spoke calmly and a warm feeling began to overtake the boys body. "Go sit down, let's talk."

Once seated they began a long night of heavy conversation involving lots of tears and many anxiety attacks. In the early hours before dawn the child could be seen curled into a tight ball, shivering and whimpering in his sleep, his face pinched and cheeks wet.

A day passed, then another and on the morning of the third Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze woke to greet his past with reluctance. Kurama had told him that in the last moments before his death he gathered all their remaining chakra and used a soul transfer ninjutsu from the time of the Sage of Six Paths to return them to Narutos past.

Essentially it took Narutos soul and switched it with his past self from a parallel universe, there was the chance of slight differences but that would be something they'd deal with in the future. Their survival wasn't guaranteed but the Fox was willing to take that chance and his decision paid off.

The only thing that bothered Naruto was that he'd taken his past selves life, he'd never get to grow up and see all the beauty the world had to offer. He would never meet his team and his family and everyone he held close to his heart.

Briefly he wondered if his younger self was just a wayward soul floating around the remnants a of gruesome war. He didn't like that idea at all and it was that idea alone that fueled his panic attacks throughout the night while Kurama could do nothing but comfort him.

During the journey their chakra and Narutos old body had fused together with his younger self, changing him down to his DNA which forced the change in appearance. Though an explanation didn't quell the deep sorrow that was evoked at the sight of his reflection. All he could see was his mother and that only caused him more sorrow as he would spend another lifetime without her.

Memories of the war plagued his mind, exhausting him to his core and sapping any energy he'd gained from his fitful slumber. On one hand this was an opportunity he never could've hoped for, to mend his mistakes and save everyone. Yet somehow the thought of having to relive the last decade of his life was more daunting than exciting.

Part of Naruto resented Kurama for taking away the chance to greet his loved ones in the afterlife. Now he'd have to rebuild all of those bonds and work double time to prevent the hundreds of thousands of deaths. Part of him was so tired and broken, drained of his will to live and optimistic view on life. As it was now he was 10 years old yet felt more ancient than the Sandaime.

Naruto heaved a sigh and managed to make his way to the kitchen on unsteady legs, scrunching his nose at the rancid smell coming from the area. The red head poured and gulped down glasses of water til his stomach felt ready to burst and checked the fridge. Most of the food was spoiled bar an old loaf of bread which he took with him and munched on while making plans in his head.

He would need to train immediately and see what his body retained so he could gauge what work needed to be done physically. He had another two years left at the academy which he didn't like the idea of, seeing all of his loved ones so young was definitely going to hurt. Especially his team.

Anxiety crept through his body at the thought of seeing everyone alive, an icy feeling coiling in his chest and forcing his heart to race. Naruto curled in on himself slightly and began to rock side to side trying to soothe himself, visions of the past playing over and over in his mind.

The boy took a long, deep breath before banishing those pictures from his mind for now and tried to focus on fixing what hasn't yet happened. He had so much time to prevent the war, to stop Madara, to save everyone. He could do it he just needed to plan and prepare.

Clenching his fists and shakily standing on his feet he dressed in a ratty black shirt and a pair of orange shorts, strapped his feet in his sandals and walked out of the apartment without looking back. His first stop was the farthest training ground from the village so he could test his body out and come up with a training regimen. Curious looks and scornful glares were sent his way as the young Naruto walked through the village, he paid them no mind but tuned into the whispers.

"Why does he look like that?"

"Ugh he really is the kyuubi, disgusting creature."

"The demon must have consumed him we should notify the Hokage."

Calmly walking through the streets and deeper into the forest he stopped once surrounded completely by trees, the only noise being the nearby water source and cheery chirping of the birds. Naruto sat on the ground and began to meditate, searching for his chakra to find it flowing normally through his body, which is a good sign.

The red head was about to begin when the thought struck him that if other shinobi were to witness his training then things might become more complicated, after all there's no way the dead last could exhibit jounin level skills without drawing suspicion. He thought back to the training trip with Jiraiaya, the then blonde had taken an interest in the mans work and asked for a basic lesson.

The older man had smiled fondly and ruffled his hair before pulling out a scroll and taking hours to explain the fundamentals of sealing.

"Anything can be done with seals Naruto, the only limit is your imagination. The impossible can be made possible with a brush and some ink, that's why seal masters are rare and feared more than most shinobi." Naruto had never forgotten those words and had prolonged many lives during the war with some particularly genius seal work.

Not that it mattered in the end anyway.

The red head bit his lip and shook away those thoughts, choosing to focus on the now. Not having any sealing supplies the boy drew intricate lines in the dirt with a stick to erect a barrier and began running through some warm up exercises.

He quickly noticed that his 10 year old body was much stronger than it had been in his last timeline. The underdeveloped muscles of his child body screamed from overuse and he'd have to do flexibility training to fully utilize his taijutsu but this was a great place to start. Hours later he left the space charred in some spots, slippery with mud and a few trees scattered throughout.

Narutos body was glistening with sweat and he was panting heavily when he walked into Ichirakus, wincing from soreness as he sat down at the bar. Teuchi nearly had a heart attack at the sudden presence and shuffled over to greet the customer. Taking in the disheveled appearance and atypical behavior he walked up to the boy.

"Naruto I almost didn't recognize you, what happened? Are you alright?" The red head nodded and kept his head down.

"Just a rough couple days old man, no need to worry." Taken aback at the uncharacteristic response he quietly whipped up Narutos favorite and placed it on the counter in front of him with a large glass of water.

"On the house kiddo." He spoke softly and with a kind smile before returning to his work in the back. Murmuring an itadakimasu the boy slowly began to eat, reveling in the rich broth and comforting taste.

He was reminded of all the good memories he'd shared here with his loved ones, with every bite he took another memory was brought to the forefront of his mind. It was overwhelming. The red head fought against the tears threatening to spill out and had to take long, deep breaths to calm himself. Finishing the meal and chugging the glass of water he called out a thank you to Teuchi and disappeared without another word.

The boy wandered aimlessly around the outskirts of the village, mind lost in worrisome thought. Violet eyes snapped to attention when his tenant spoke up.

"Kit you should talk to the old man, he'll know what to do." Kuramas low grumbling voice echoed through his mind.

Naruto was grateful to still have the fox, without his guidance the boy wasn't sure how he would have handled this experience. Contemplating the idea he eventually relented and headed towards the Hokage Tower. Every step closer caused another fear to surface.

What if Jiji doesn't believe me? What if he thinks I'm crazy and throws me in T ? I can't handle being locked away I can't. I can't.

"Seals can be used for many things Naruto, you of all people should know that. He'll believe you if you show him, don't worry. You need an ally right now this isn't something you can bear alone. Imagine how much he can do from his position, you could save his life in a few years." The fox sent a surge of warm chakra through Narutos body, instantly comforting the boy and giving him the reassurance he needed to make it through this meeting.

The old Kage sat at his desk, filling out paperwork and smoking his pipe. He was weary and weathered with time, waiting for the day he would get to retire and live his last days in peace.

The silence was interrupted by a small red headed child walking through his door, the child looked familiar but Hiruzen couldn't figure out why until he glanced at the whisker marks and paled.

"Naruto my boy, what's happened to you?" The boy was gazing at him forlornly, a sad smile adorning his features.

"Jiji I need to tell you something but I can't talk about it, it's...too much. But… I can show you." The boy walked closer to the desk and plucked a sealing brush from its ink pot and began painting an intricate design on his palm.

"Naruto what is this? What are you doing?" He was silenced by sharp purple eyes and presented with a hand that quietly asked permission to touch his own. The old man skeptically agreed and was thrown into an experience that would plague his nightmares for years to come.

Through Narutos eyes he watched the boy grow up past his current age and all the tragic events that followed. Every friendship, every death, every mission, every meal, every achievement and every failure. He witnessed what he had hoped to never see in any lifetime, filled with primal fear while seeing every human being decimated by none other than Madara Uchiha.

The guilt, fear and grief the boy had felt was overwhelming. His last few weeks were unbearable to watch and Hiruzen felt his heart shatter at seeing the ball of sunshine he'd grown to love become so broken. The world warped and he found himself back in the dreary office, facing the boy who had been through so much with watery eyes.

His bones creaked as the withered man rose from his chair to gather the red head into a hug. It was returned and the pair quietly cried into each other's shoulders, leaving tear stains in their clothing. Sarutobi pulled away and held Narutos hands in his own, looking sadly into eyes so reminiscent of Kushinas.

"I'm so sorry for what you've been through my boy, we'll work together to fix this future. If there's anything you need or anything I should do don't ever hesitate to speak with me." He ended with a comforting smile and light grip of the tanned hands.

"Actually Jiji I have a question." The old Kage quirked his brow. "Did my parents ever leave a will or anything behind? I'm not keen on spending the next eight or so years in that hovel of an apartment and I could use some new clothing and supplies." The Hokages wrinkled face pinched in thought and then remembrance, the man scrambled through some files in his desk and pulled one out.

"I can open an account for you and have the money from their will transferred, the estate can't be legally given to you til you're at least a chunin. I can have all of this done by tonight, is there anything else you need?" The red head considered for a moment, fingers grasping his chin in thought.

"You got any pocket money I can borrow til then?" Sarutobi was taken aback at the change in demeanor but chuckled and pulled a small sack that jangled with coins from his desk. "Consider it a gift for all those times I failed you." Naruto accepted the sack with wide, glossy eyes. He hadn't expected the old man to acknowledge his mistakes, not vocally at least.

"Thank you, I hope you have a good day Jiji." he saluted to his Hokage and shunshinned from the office, landing on a roof nearby.

Hiruzen released a heavy sigh and tried to clear his mind so he could continue his paperwork without issue, but immense guilt and shame shadowed his every thought.

Naruto landed in an alley near the shopping district where he placed a henge on himself, waist length hair darkened into a nondescript brown and violet eyes turned a forest green. His skin lightened a bit and he gained a few inches in height, whisker marks nowhere to be seen. The boy wasn't noticed by anyone and easily slipped through the crowd and into the stores to gather what was necessary.

First was the ninja supply store where he saw a young TenTen helping her father stock the shelves, listening intently as he educated her on the items and what they were for. The boy clutched his chest and had to look away before the waterworks returned.

Ignoring the sorrow that gripped his heart he grabbed a basket and began perusing the shelves, admiring all of the shinobi gear. In the end he decided to get two good calligraphy brushes, sealing paper and ink, a few pairs of black ANBU pants and black bandages, black shinobi sandals, a few kimono style tops in various colors, some mesh undergarments and various weapons which he took to the counter.

The shop owner patted TenTen on the head and came to rang him up. The boy stayed silent and nodded in thanks once his purchase was made while waving them good bye. Trying to ignore the incoming spike of anxiety he continued to the grocery store, body trembling slightly.

The brunette picked up some essentials and was on his way out when the cold, frantic feeling crept up and smacked him in the face. The walls were starting to close in on him, panic rising in his chest and the sheer volume of everything becoming too much. He tried to walk quickly without raising suspicion but had to sprint once he felt his heartbeat quicken and vision narrow.

He needed to get away from the noise, the energy, the people. He needed to get home.

Home.

He kept repeating the word to focus his mind on something other than the nauseating panic that roiled in his gut. Sprinting up the stairs and locking the door behind him he let the henge drop and sank to the floor.

Deep breaths Naruto, in...and out...you will be ok. He placed his shaking hands on the floor and traced all the patterns in the rough wood, smelled the stale air with a hint of ramen and felt his pulse begin to slow. The red head rocked himself slowly and breathed in and out, in and out, until he began to drift off, his body succumbing to exhaustion.

In the recesses of his mind Kurama sat contemplating the situation, becoming increasingly more worried for his friend. Sending soothing pulses of chakra to his host he whispered calming words in the hope that it would aid his sleep.

When Naruto awoke on the floor it was dusk and there was barely any light, he crawled the few feet to his bed and hoisted himself up onto it. Pulling the scratchy blanket over himself and curling up he tried and failed at falling back asleep. Despite his trying to ward them off the dark thoughts returned and assaulted him with gory memories. Blood painted the walls and visions of the dead replayed through his mind, the anxiety was tearing at his psyche and he felt his sanity slip just a bit. A mental projector shuffled thorough every death and displayed it proudly before his eyes.

Hinata had been dismembered by a horde of Zetsu, her body parts were found hundreds of feet apart from eachother. Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji all died together, surrounded and swarmed. They fought bravely and carried the InoShikaCho legacy with them into the afterlife. The image of Sai in a pool of his own blood and liquified organs brought bile up Narutos throat.

The boy barely managed to reach the end of the bed to empty his stomach onto the floor and collapsed into a fit of sobs afterwards.

He cried for hours, remembering the rotting corpses, the empty ash filled land that reeked of blood, the despair that clung to the air like his comrades had clung to their lives and cried for the ones he failed to protect. He didn't deserve this second chance. He cried until there was nothing left and then he lay still and emotionless on the hard mattress, staring at the wall with hollow eyes and mind thankfully numb to thought.

Eventually sleep overtook him and Naruto drifted into the the blissful void, grateful for the silence and well needed rest.

He awoke the next morning to an ANBU at his window notifying the red head that he has been summoned by the Hokage. Nodding in affirmation the boy trudged to the bathroom and turned on the shower, avoiding his reflection.

Leaving soiled clothes on the floor he slipped under the warm water and let it run over him for a long time. All he had was a bar of soap so he washed the important areas and let the soothing liquid run over him until it started to chill. Tan hands wrapped scarlet hair in a towel and dried the moisture from his body. He then slipped on the black ANBU pants, taped the ankles, donned a red kimono style top then braided back his hair and slipped on the new black sandals.

Before leaving Naruto cleaned up his mess from the night before then headed to the kitchen where he gulped down some milk and snatched a granola bar. The red head disappeared from his room and reappeared on the roof of the Hokage tower.

Sensing no other presences besides the ANBU on guard the boy walked down the side of the building and leapt into the window, landing gracefully on his feet and pretended not notice the way the Hokage jumped at his presence. He concealed a smirk and stood at attention in front of the desk.

"The funds have been transferred into your new account, this is the identification card that will allow you to access the account and the paperwork in case they give you a hard time. Once you reach chunin the Namikaze-Uzumaki estate will be put into your name and all we'll need to do is sign some paperwork." Taking in all the information a small smile graced Narutos features, this was a good first step into creating a better future for himself in the village which would in turn allow him to help everyone else.

"Thank you Jiji I appreciate your help." The old mans eyes sparkled with warmth and he waved the boy off.

"No need Naruto, this was rightfully yours. Try not to spend it all in one place." Narutos lips quirked at the cliche line and saluted before disappearing in a flash, landing in front of the bank he steeled himself for the annoying encounter that was sure to come.

He entered the building and spent the next hour arguing with the teller about the validity of his ID and rights to the money, after all how could the demon brat accumulate so much out of nowhere?

"My business matters not to you, you're here to do your job and mind your attitude. I'd be happy to bring the Hokage to verify my identity and I'll make sure he knows exactly what nasty things you had to say about me. Your job your choice." He shrugged nonchalantly and glanced at his nails while the teller waged an internal war with herself. Eventually she gained her composure and stepped away from the desk, returning with a thick envelope and a strained smile.

"All is accounted for, thank you for your business and please return again." He shallowly bowed and turned to swiftly exit the suffocating atmosphere.

The sun cocooned him with its heavenly warmth and the boy took a moment to appreciate the peaceful state of the village. Breathing in fresh air he admired the deep blue of the sky and fluffy clouds that seemed to have not a care in the world he placed another henge on himself.

Appearing as the same boy from yesterday he began scouting out apartments in the area, the red head only needed something sturdy and clean til he was able to move into his parents estate.

By dusk Naruto had a lovely, affordable two bedroom near the Uchiha district. Since property value had gone down after the massacre there was no one to disturb his peace, nor did he have to worry about being discovered.

New furniture had been purchased and delivered to his new home and the boy sat on his fluffy new bed, surrounded by new clothes, a couch, a tv and knowing he had a full fridge of food. Returning back in time was terrifying for Naruto but the least he could appreciate was that he would have a better chance at saving everyone if he could care for himself. Snuggling into silky sheets the boy felt his eyes grow heavy and was lulled to sleep by Kuramas soothing chakra and affectionate words.

Tomorrow he would have to return to the academy, and see all of his old friends as much as it would pain him to do so.

The next morning Naruto could be seen leisurely walking around town, his final destination being the academy but in no rush to get there. Violet eyes observed the civilians going about their daily lives, ignoring their comments towards him and sensing but not seeing the ninja tailing him as they always do.

Everything was so tranquil now, it's almost insane to imagine that this village would be flattened and indiscernible in only a few years time, if he couldn't change things that is.

Nearing the academy fear started to bubble up and settle in his stomach, putting his body on high alert and had him dreading the achingly familiar sight that waited in the classroom. The boy shunshinned outside the door and took a deep breath to calm his nerves, then another, and another then slid open the door, feeling all eyes on him. Ignoring the students he eye smiled, reminiscent of a certain ANBU, and greeted Iruka calmly.

"Hello Iruka-Sensei I apologize for being absent the last couple days, I've been feeling a little under the weather." Iruka took in the deceivingly lax posture and noticed that the boy was fidgeting ever so slightly, alert eyes darting around every couple of seconds.

He looks like he's seen hell, what happened to you Naruto?

The brunette felt his anger turn to apprehension and calmly walked towards Naruto, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Take a seat Naruto, we'll talk later. It's good to have you back." The red head managed to force in a tight smile and nervously made his way to the back, seating himself next to Shikamaru.

The dark haired boy sent a skeptical glance his way, taking in the appearance and change in demeanor and filed it away for later use. The former blonde had piqued his interest, what a drag.

Hours later Iruka and Naruto sat side by side at Ichirakus enjoying their meals and sharing no conversation. The brunette voiced his worry once the bowl was emptied.

"What's happened to you Naruto? You seem to be on edge constantly and are completely different from the Naruto I knew a few days ago. Did someone hurt you?" The boys lips twitched downward and eyes swimming with sorrow bore into his own, the chunins heart clenched in worry.

"I don't know Iruka-sensei, the other night I was feeling sick and just woke up like this. I've been having...nightmares lately and I guess they're just taking their toll." Concern was written all over Irukas features.

"What kind of nightmares?" The small boys fists clenched.

"I...don't want to talk about it. I'll be fine." Crimson brows were furrowed in frustration and the brunette decided to take no for an answer and clam up. Whatever was going on with Naruto he obviously didn't want to reveal it and that's ok.

"Just know if you ever need me, I'm here, I'll always listen to you free of judgement." Naruto was silent for a moment before speaking.

"Thank you Sensei, I'll keep that in mind." He finished his bowl in silence and quietly thanked Iruka before vanishing into the streets. The shop owner and teacher shared a look of concern and sighed heavily as there was nothing they could do unless the boy asked.

Narutos body trembled from the brief encounter with Iruka, he didn't know how to talk to anyone or play it cool. How was he supposed to look everyone he loves in the eye and lie to their face? It wasn't in his nature to withhold the truth even if he did become more reserved and quiet over time.

"Kurama I don't know if I can do this, every time I see their faces I feel like I'm going to throw up and cry at the same time. I'm losing my sanity here." The kyuubi hummed.

"Kit try to imagine how you can save them, not how you failed. If you continue to look at your past failures you'll lose sight of yourself and what you can do in the present to prevent those failures. Tearing yourself down will only make it harder to fight when the time comes. You have me, you have the old Hokage, your Sensei and in a few years you'll have all your companions again. You can change everything." Naruto knew Kurama was right, relief began to flood his body and the red head changed course for the training grounds.

Setting up a barrier he started with meditation and in a few minutes black markings formed around his eyes that opened to reveal a deep shade of maroon. Black, slightly translucent fox ears and a fluffy tail sprouted from him and swayed in the wind, not too different from the the early stage beast mode.

During the war Kurama had allowed him to sign the fox contract and with some time he was able to use fox sage mode, all his senses were heightened as sage mode does, he could summon the foxes from Shadow Valley and his stealth was increased tenfold. It was as though his presence completely vanished even though he was still there visually.

Being able to slip through enemies undetected was incredibly useful during the war and what allowed him to save his comrades many times.

Standing up and sliding into an open stance he began his sage katas. The katas were focused on guarding and deflecting, using swift calculated movements that minimized damage on his person and allowed him to use his opponents strength against them.

A few clones poofed into existence and began to attack their summoner, each using a different style that the original had learned over the years. Once the clones were taken down he summoned a few of his battle foxes which gave him a much harder time. Naruto enjoyed the distraction and bonding time with his summons, they all had easy going personality types and were great listeners.

They'd spent many nights cuddling their summoner and his comrades when the wind was too cold, fire too small and injuries much too painful.

By the time the sun was setting the group sat panting on the ground, exhausted yet fulfilled, staring up at the sky as it shifted through yellows, pinks and purples. Once bright stars dotted the navy sky they bowed to their summoner and returned home, leaving him alone with his exhaustion. Naruto laid for a few hours longer, admiring the beauty above and listening to the sounds of life all around him.

He felt hopeful for the first time since he returned, enjoying the fact that he could preserve all of this and felt his fears fade as determination took hold.

"I'm gonna do it Kurama, I'll save them, all of them." The fox sent a pulse of chakra and whispered to his Kit before going back to sleep.

"I know you will Naruto, if anyone can it's you."

The next couple years at the academy were long and torturous, everyday he was faced with ghosts of his past. Everyday he struggled to push the image of their bodies away from his mind, though it became easier with time.

By graduation he became chummy with Shikamaru, Kiba, Chouji, Hinata and even started cracking Sasukes guarded heart. Sakura and Ino would take time as they were still head over heels for the raven. Shino had always been quiet and rarely expressive, even in his time, but they shared a few heart to hearts and Naruto gifted him with a rare beetle in a gesture of friendship.

Four years had passed and it was the day of the exams, the classroom was vibrating with excited energy as every student was determined to pass. Iruka and Mizuki entered the classroom and gave an encouraging speech, clapping their hands and wishing them all good luck they began the written portion.

Naruto easily answered all the questions, almost laughing at the ease with which he completed it compared to the first time around and studied his future teammates as they finished theirs.

The next part was the physical exam, they were to spar against Mizuki for as long as possible until they won, forfeited or were defeated. Of course no one had expected to actually win and they all put up a good fight, until Naruto stepped up.

He lowered himself into a defensive stance and waited for the gray haired chunin to make his move, which he did. The red head flipped over the chunin and sent a powerful kick to his back, pushing the man down and surprising the crowd. Mizuki pulled himself up and immediately had to defend as Naruto sent a flurry of swift jabs and sweeping kicks.

Barely able to block as it was, Mizuki was unprepared for the foot that connected with his chest and the knee to his back that threw him into the dirt. The back of his neck was grabbed and a smooth voice spoke with a promise of pain.

"Concede." The chunin began to thrash but the grip on his neck tightened. "Concede or I will knock you out." The man clenched his jaw as anger flooded through his veins, he took a few moments to push past his ego and admitted defeat. The crowd cheered for Naruto and a few, including Sasuke, gazed at him with admiration.

The kunai/shuriken throwing went without error, the clan heirs and top of the class doing well in their scores and the civilians not so much but everyone got at least 5/10.

Last was the ninjutsu portion, each student was called into the other room and Naruto being one of the last patiently waited his turn. Watching the ones return with a headband and the ones that failed slinking out the back door he was reminded of his last exam before becoming a Genin.

The hateful glares and snide comments as he sat alone on the swing. The embarrassment of failing for a third time overwhelming his mind and almost convincing him to give up his ninja dream. How was he to know that his chakra stores would never allow him to create a regular bunshin? No one had ever bothered to pay attention let alone educate him.

The red head was snapped out of his musing when his name was called, walking with confidence and ignoring the whispers of his inevitable failure he stood in front of Mizuki and Iruka.

"All right Naruto let's start with the henge." Red hair shortened and turned yellow, his height grew and body became more muscled and the two chunin gasped as they were face to face with the fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. The resemblance was striking even though Naruto was much younger and had slightly different features.

Wiping away their shock they asked him to substitute himself, he complied and switched places with Mizuki and back again.

"Good now the bunshin" Pink lips were pulled into a smirk as Naruto noticed Mizukis triumphant grin, which was replaced with an open mouth and intense glare when 10 kagebunshin stood next to their boss. All 11 Narutos stood arms crossed and had feral grins plastered on their faces, all staring straight at the gray haired chunin, sending a chill up his spine. Iruka clapped for the red head and praised his progress.

"Congratulations Naruto Uzumaki you're an official genin of the leaf!" The boy picked a black hitai-ate from the table, bowed to his sensei, and disappeared out the door and into the classroom. The symbol of their village was displayed proudly on his neck and all conversation stopped once the class noticed it, whispers started again once he took a seat.

"How did he pass?"

"You think he cheated?"

"My mama said he's a demon and shouldn't be a ninja, they should have failed him." Not hearing a word the ginger removed the sealing supplies from his arm and began experimenting with new ideas, only coming back to attention when Iruka started naming the teams.

"Team 7 consists of Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno *cue squeal, and Naruto Uzumaki." Locking eyes with Sasuke they nodded at eachother. Sasuke would be saved this time, Naruto would make sure of it. The Uchiha was already so different compared to the one he'd known so long ago.

Once the teams were all announced Iruka bid them good luck in their ninja careers and left them to be picked up by their senseis. One by one each team was picked up leaving team 7 bored and alone. Naruto began painting a seal on the floor, then placed the eraser above the door before taking his seat, ignoring Sakuras shrill questions, and waited for the magic to happen.

An hour later the door slid open and Narutos breath caught in his throat as silver hair peaked through, a single eye staring straight at him. The man looked unimpressed when the eraser dropped on his head until he put single foot inside the doorway which triggered an explosion of chalk dust that clung to the jounin no matter how much he tried to shake it off.

The lone eye glared at the innocent looking red head who only placed his chin in hand and turned towards the window whistling. The jounin clucked his tongue.

"My first impression is...I hate you. Meet me on the roof in 5." The trio began their ascent towards the roof and took their seats on the benches parallel to their sensei.

"Now that we're all here let's start with introductions." Seeing the confusing look in Sakuras eyes he spared the poor girl some embarrassment and began his own.

"I'll go first, I'm Kakashi Hatake, my likes? Mmmm I won't be telling you that. My dislikes? I have some. My dreams for the future are none of your business." The pinkette and raven sweat dropped while the red head had a wistful look painting his delicate features. Hmm that's odd, the man thought and looked at Sakura to continue.

The introductions went about the way you'd think they would, though Sasukes was a tad less broody, until Naruto.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, I like training, plants, ramen, foxes, protecting my precious people and peace. My dislikes are those who can't tell a kunai from a scroll, liars and traitorous bastards. My dreams for the future are to protect my precious people, find peace and help those in need." Kakashi looked at him oddly, the file on the boy had suggested he was loud mouthed, ramen obsessive and dreamed of becoming Hokage. This was a composed person who had attainable goals and admirable dreams.

Sasuke looked at the ginger confused. Traitorous bastards?

Sakura was a bit impressed with the introduction and began to see the boy in a new light, even if part of her still focused on the idiocy he exhibited years before. Kakashi gave them all an eye smile.

"Well now that that's over with you guys can meet me at training ground 7 tomorrow at oh...let's say 6am. Then we'll commence your genin exam." Sakura and Sasukes eyes widened while Naruto suppressed a giggle, the jounin felt disappointed with the lack of reaction from the boy.

"Sensei we already had our genin exam why would we take it again?" The eye smile returned and the man wagged a finger at them.

"You haven't yet become genin, you were merely deemed fit to become genin. Oh and don't eat anything in the morning, ja ne!" The pair looked outraged but before they could retort the man disappeared from view. They turned to look at Naruto and found him missing as well, when the hell did he leave?

Sneaky bastards they thought while trudging down the long staircase from whence they came.

Meanwhile Naruto was scouting out the place he knew Mizuki would be in a few hours time, using clones to set up traps and hiding in a tree collecting nature energy. When the moon was high in the sky maroon eyes snapped open at the sound of labored breathing and the barely noticeable rustle of grass under quick feet. A head of gray hair shone in the moonlight and disappeared under the foliage.

Soon after a cracking sound resounded through the grounds moments later, followed by a pained screech. Naruto jumped down and began to slowly circle Mizuki who watched him with poorly concealed fear. The man clutched his ankle and took heavy breaths through clenched teeth.

"What did you do to me kyuubi brat?" He hissed out with as much venom as he could muster. The boy stared with cold eyes and slowly tilted his head to the side.

"Nothing you didn't deserve." The chunin grunted in frustration.

"You know what I mean! Tell me!" A grin crept onto Narutos features, any sign of anger dissipated and was replaced with fear. The man scrambled backwards, abandoning the forbidden scroll in favor of his life. Naruto took a step forward.

"I stopped the circulation in your ankle, eventually it will spread up your leg and well...I assume you can comprehend what will happen next." Mizuki began to hyperventilate, pupils blown wide and lips parted in a silent scream. He was frozen, his vision began to darken and the pain crept slowly up his leg to the knee.

"No...no no please I'm sorry I'll do anything please!" The boy..no the monster took slow, steady steps towards the man. Now that he was closer Mizuki could see enlarged canines gleaming in the soft light, death was coming for him.

"Now now we wouldn't want to spoil all the fun so early, we've only just started you don't want to leave the party do you?" The chunin blanched and started to pull himself to his feet, hopping on one foot he tried to flee the scene as fast as possible.

Keyword: tried.

Behind him a low voice began to laugh, just a light giggle, which turned into fits of ear splitting laughter. Adrenaline was coursing through the mans veins and boosting his speed, testing the weight on his foot he couldn't feel a thing, but it held up. He began sprint limping through the forest and for a second the man held hope that he would escape, he'd rather die alone than be slaughtered by that monster.

Yet his hopes were dashed once again when the ground came up to meet his face, pain blooming through his back, causing him to cry out, before it disappeared completely. In fact he now couldn't feel anything at all. Pushing himself up onto his arms he could hear his spinal cord chafing against itself, the broken vertebrae making a dull grating noise that echoed in his ears.

His heart beat wildly in his chest, threatening to break out of his ribcage. The man rolled onto his back and gasped at the immense pressure that pushed against his organs. A shadow stood over him and glowing eyes glared down, stripping him bare and locking him in place.

"I...I please just...just kill me. Get it over with...please I can't live like this!" The boy bent down, grin still plastered on his cherubic face. His eyes narrowed and lips closed into a smirk.

"I like you begging, it's a sweet melody to my ears. What do you know of fear Mizuki? What do you know of death? Tell me." Paralyzed in terror the man could only lay with his mouth gaping like a fish as if the words were on the tip of his tongue. Eyes bloodshot and wide the chunin took one last breath before a kunai was jabbed through his throat.

Then another through his right eye, then the left, the only sound being the sickening gurgle of Mizuki choking on his own blood, eventually succumbing to the cold embrace of death.

Naruto watched him die, memorizing every moment and feeling some sort of justice for what could have happened had he gotten away with the scroll. What he would have done to himself or Iruka had the boy not been prepared. He felt no remorse, he felt nothing but disgust for the gray haired nobody.

Sealing the body and slinging the forbidden scroll over his back the boy shunshinned into the Hokages office, leaving both scrolls in the care of the old man, saluting him and saying nothing, before flashing away onto the Hokage mountain.

There he sat for many hours watching the night go on, listening to the distant sounds of life scattered all around, feeling the wind caress his hair and heard it whisper to him. Calling him.

As if in a trance he stood from his spot and walked to the edge, at this point Kurama stirred and watched in horror as the boy fell over the edge, falling headfirst into the abyss below.

"Kit Kit Kit! Stop please don't do this!" He shrieked into their shared mindscape, sending his chakra to cover the boy so he could have a chance at surviving the fall. The fox closed his eyes as the ground began to near, preparing for impact, but nothing happened. A few moments later he opened one eye and saw through his host that Naruto had landed softly on the ground in a wide stance, completely unharmed.

Letting go of a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding his relief turned to rage. "Naruto why the fuck would you do that?! Why not even tell me about it?! Scared me to death you damn brat!" The red head chuckled and appeared in the mindscape.

"I'm sorry Kurama I needed to see if the seals on my sandals would work." Nervously scratching the back of his head he continued. "I also had to snap out of that empty feeling, it was starting to scare me." Kuramas ear twitched in confusion.

"How so Kit?" The boy walked over and sank into his fur.

"I felt nothing when I took Mizukis life, killing isn't new I'm a trained and seasoned killer but I've always felt something during it. For him it was nothing, like I was watching from far away or it wasn't me doing it." The fox wrapped one of his tails around the boy in a comforting gesture.

"You've been through a lot Naruto, in your original timeline he tried to kill you and Iruka. That was the first time anyone had ever gotten so close to taking your life and that tends to stick with mortals. You're hurting and fragile right now, don't worry about what needed to be done or how you should have felt. In my opinion he deserved worse, had he been given the chance he would have given you tenfold what was given to him." The boy sighed and was silent for a minute before he answered.

"As usual you're right, do you hide all that wisdom under your fat ego Kura?" A joyful laugh resounded through the mindscape as Naruto was thrown across the space by one of the foxes tails.

"Remind me to never help you again you ungrateful rat." Giggling freely the red head flashed onto the foxes neck, hugging as much as he could with his whole body.

"I love you Kurama I'm sorry for being such an ass, please forgive me?" The ancient fox grumbled and laid his head down.

"Yea yea I love you too kid now go get some rest you have to be awake in about three hours."

Naruto opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by trees and endless dark, taking one last look at the sky he flashed into his apartment and didn't even bother to take off his sandals, just face planted onto his bed, instantly falling into a deep sleep.

It was 6am on the dot and two thirds of Team 7 were present at the training ground, eyes half closed and stomachs grumbling.

A couple hundred feet away in a tall tree sat the silver haired jounin who seemed engrossed in a bright orange book. The mans attention was drawn away once a third presence made itself known at the training ground, cloaking his chakra the man shunshinned into the tree the trio sat under so he could eavesdrop.

The red head offered two bento to the raven and pinkette, which they eyed with suspicion.

"You guys can't expect to go against a jounin with empty stomachs so eat. Now." They hesitantly accepted but once the first bite was eaten it took only a minute to empty the boxes.

Moaning through bites they nodded gratefully towards their teammate who waved away their thanks while sending a smirk into the tree, grinning once he felt the brief spike of chakra.

The three sat conversing idly while waiting for their sensei who sat a few feet away, the man had to admit the bond they were already starting to form was impressive. That wasn't to say they were all best friends, Sakura still fawned over Sasuke, Sasuke was still unbelievably closed off and Naruto...Naruto just seemed happy to be there.

There was an unidentifiable look in his eyes that suggested he felt safe, his body language was relaxed and open and he looked as if he was remembering something. Kakashi wondered what had happened to the goofeball prankster that terrorized the village years ago and replaced him with this suave, genius shinobi.

Curiosity piqued the jounin decided to make his presence known by jumping from the tree and landing behind the pinkette who promptly tried to bash his kneecaps.

"Damn lazy sensei you were here the whole time?!" Sasuke Hn'd in agreement and Naruto giggled. Kakashi eye smiled and waved a hand dismissively.

"Maaa well I had to analyze my team and gather some information about you all, any shinobi worth his salt knows the importance of intelligence gathering." The trio shared an apprehensive look but conceded as it was a good explanation, even if it was total bullshit.

The jounin pulled out a clock from kami knows where as well as two bells and began his speech.

"Seeing as it's about 8am you have about one hour to complete your mission. That mission being the retrieval of these two bells by any means, the two who get the bells will become genin and the one who doesn't will be sent back to the academy. Come at me with the intent to kill, you have four hours starting...now!" Immediately they all scattered and so began the hunt.

Naruto began seeking out his teammates starting with Sakura, he shunshinned behind her and ducked as she spun around and blindly slashed a kunai where he would've been.

"Sakura we need to work together with Sasuke, come on let's find him." She turned up her nose at him.

"No way moron me and Sasuke are gonna get the bells and pass, sorry but you'll just have to try again next year." The boy rubbed his whiskered cheeks in annoyance, come on Sakura please use your head.

"Think about it, have you ever seen a 2 man genin team? Why would he pit us against eachother when the point of a team is teamwork?" He patiently waited for the dots to connect and sighed in relief as she let out a quiet

"Ooohhhhhh that makes sense." Her cheeks were bright red and she was berating herself for not seeing through that, she was supposed to be the most intelligent in her class but here she was getting outsmarted by the class clown. The red head silently gestured for her to follow him, presumably going to track down Sasuke. Unfortunately they found Sasuke engaged in combat with Kakashi...and losing.

The raven was one second away from being dragged underground when there was a red flash and Sasuke found himself being cradled in strong arms a hundred feet away from his previous spot. Two hands were stuck out of the ground where his feet had just been and he watched In fascination as their sensei dug himself out of the ground.

"Now there's a surprise." The jounin stood casually but even they could see his muscles tensed and ready for a fight.

"Let go of me dobe I'm going to get those bells." Naruto lowered him to his feet and stood at his side.

"If you're going to fight we're going to help you, even if we all fail we're in this together." Sakura ran out from behind the trees and stood proudly at Sasukes side.

"That's right Sasuke-kun and think about it, we have a better chance of beating him together than separately." The raven considered for a moment and discovered that they were right, he considered himself far above those in his age group but was he really strong enough to beat one of the strongest shinobi in the village? He almost face palmed at the insanity of his previous thoughts.

Meanwhile Kakashi was flabbergasted, taking in the three of them standing together, ready to take him on he had a vision. He saw them years in the future, stronger than the Sannin, feared more than the past Hokage combined and conquerors of nations. At that moment he knew that whatever may come he had one of the best group of genin candidates in the villages history, instead of congratulating them though, he dropped into a fighting stance and beckoned them closer with a finger.

The field was vibrating with energy, the tension suffocating but the fight had just begun. Kakashi blinked and then the trio was upon him, Sasuke blew a fireball in his face while Sakura ducked low and stabbed at his calves with a kunai that he narrowly avoided. The pair engaged him in armed taijutsu and while he wasn't pressed his attention was just focused enough to where he didn't have time to think about the missing member.

Sakura flew over his head and sent a sloppy kick towards his neck, the jounin extended his arm to grab hold of the leg that almost knocked him out but was assaulted by blistering heat at his chest. Locking his fingers around Sakuras ankle he threw her towards Sasuke who was forced to catch his teammate.

Ignoring his charred vest the man turned his attention towards the fast approaching projectile, leaping to the side the red blur barely missed him but his safety was short lived as all at once he was attacked in three separate places. Sasuke had a fireball aimed straight for his stomach, Sakura was behind him with a kunai a hairs breadth away from his shoulder, and Naruto...where was Naruto?!

He was just here?!

Slender hands appeared from below and buried the man to his chin, he would've been able to dig himself out but before he could fully emerge there were three kunai pointed at his neck. Thinking fast he did a kawarimi and appeared a few feet away, just in time for the alarm to go off.

"I have to say that was the most interesting test I've ever had, sadly I have to fail you as you haven't gotten the bells." Two smirks were sent his way and there was a light chime from behind. His dark eye turned wide and connected with triumphant purple, the boy stood in a slouched pose similar to his own, bells in one hand and Kakashis Icha Icha in the other, wild red hair blowing in the breeze.

"It's kind of cute that you really thought yourself the victor Kakashi sensei." The man was silent for a few moments, taking in the situation before giving the red head an eye smile.

"Well well this certainly has been an entertaining morning." Turning on his heel he snatched his book away and used the other hand to gesture for them to follow. They stopped in front of a large black stone engraved with many names and the jounin began speaking in a soft tone.

"This is the memorial stone, it has the name of every shinobi who died protecting the village, including many people I held dear to my heart. As a shinobi you're trained to put the village and mission above all else, I say different. In the ninja world those who break the rules are scum, that is true, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum. Live by this code, fight by this code, die by this code. In missions you're all eachother has, never break each others trust or leave one another behind." Three determined faces stared back at him and he felt pride swell in his chest. They all bowed respectfully and spoke as one.

"We won't let you down Kakashi Sensei." He had the beginnings of a team this world had never seen before, he just knew they would achieve amazing things.

"Alright my precious baby genin let's get some food as a treat for the completion of your exam." He clapped his hands together and led the way towards Yakiniku Q, the most famous bbq place in Konoha. Once seated they ordered their food and spent the wait conversing and getting to know each other. Naruto watched the interactions with so much joy in his heart, speaking with his team and being in their company again set his determination in stone.

If there was anyone he would fight for its them.

His eyes drifted to Kakashi and had a flashback of the first night they got together, the older man had shown him the memory through his perspective many times and it was something they relived often during the war. They would spend any free time lost in each other's memories, feeling safe and loved for those few moments.

The two were sparring in a secluded training ground, trading blows that were aimed to kill. They were littered with cuts, bruises, burns and were both panting heavily, exhaustion evident.

"You know Sensei you can give up anytime, I won't hold it against you." Said Sensei snorted and pushed sweaty bangs from his face.

"You wish I would, I'm not about to lose this bet." The blonde smirked. "And you think I want to? Bring it on Kashi-jiji." Kakashis brow furrowed and he crouched down, channeling lightning through his chakra conductive kunai.

Naruto slid into the first stance of his sage kata, popping his last clone and feeling the rush of nature energy flow through him. He only had a minute to use sage mode as he was on his last legs, Kakashi was in the same boat so this last clash was what mattered most.

A single leaf blew through the field between them and then they moved. Kakashi aimed for the jugular but Naruto ducked down and elbowed the man in his side. The jounin retaliated by swinging one kunai down and aiming the other at the blondes stomach. One managed to prick Narutos shoulder which was all he needed, sending a quick current of lighting through the blade a cry was heard through the field as Naruto felt his entire arm go numb.

The blonde held the jounins hand in place and swung his leg up, kicking the older man who was thrown back a few feet, knocking the wind out of him.

Barely back on his feet suddenly a huge gust of wind tore through the field, causing many micro cuts to open all over his body, and then he felt himself falling backwards. The strength was already beginning to leave his limbs and he had to accept defeat. Before the ground could catch him though a strong hand wrapped around his waist and something sharp pricked at his neck.

Dark gray met sky blue and in that moment Kakashi felt like there was nothing else more beautiful than Naruto Uzumaki. He then realized there was kunai at his throat and the blonde was talking to him.

"Hmmm...what?" A smiled stretched across the younger mans features. Was Naruto always this angelic?

"Do you concede?" Ah right, the bet.

"I don't really have a choice now do I? Without you holding me I'd be a puddle in the grass by now." Naruto threw the kunai haphazardly into the grass and the free hand quite literally swept Kakashi off his feet.

Being carried bridal style by his own student wasn't something he ever pictured happening but he noticed, with a faint blush tinting his cheeks, that he didn't mind all that much. Kami he hoped they didn't run into Gai, the man would never let him live it down, going on about sharing the flames of youth and what not.

Luckily for him the scenery changed faster than he could blink and he found himself being placed on a large, soft bed. The blonde shuffled about the room grabbing towels and fresh clothing, directing Kakashi to the bathroom and leaving just as fast as they arrived to begin making a meal for them.

The shower was rough, all the man could picture was what Naruto would look like in there with him, the feel of his soft skin and toned body, those lips claiming him and only him.

Where had these feelings came from? That was his student, sure he was older now but still...it just felt...wrong. Teachers aren't supposed to crush on their students and Naruto was too good for him anyway. He was the beloved Hero, the Prince of the nations. What would he want with an emotionally stunted, traumatized old man? He didn't even know how the blonde felt about him so he packed away his feelings and finished his shower and dressed so he could meet the other in the kitchen.

They placed dishes on table and sat down to eat, Kakashi thanked his companion for the meal and they dug in. Seconds later his food was gone and mask back in place, ignoring the heavy stare coming from the other occupant in the room. Once the table was cleared and dishes cleaned the blonde left to shower while Kakashi waited on the couch, shifting nervously for a reason he couldn't quite place.

Soon enough the jounin found himself being called to the bedroom where Naruto was laying on the bed and silently patting the spot next to him, a slightly mischievous smile dancing on his lips when he saw Kakashis flushed cheeks. They laid in silence for a while enjoying the presence of one another before one of them spoke.

"How do you feel about me Sensei?" Oh straight to the point.

"Well you're probably the best student I've ever had, the kindest person I've ever known, I really...admire you." The blonde hmmd and laid on his side to face the older man, fingers lifting to trace the sharp jawline and contours of his face, ghosting over the scar around his eye and resting on his cheek.

Kakashi laid his hand over the others and sighed in contentment, their eyes met once more and suddenly everything else disappeared. There was no worry, no threat, no sadness or grief, there was only them and nothing more.

"I...I think I love you Kakashi, I think I have for a long time. I didn't...I couldn't put that on you since I was so young..I was disgusted with myself." He looked away but was drawn back in with a strong hand cupping his cheek.

"You are the most beautiful person I've ever met, I can't confess my love because if I'm being honest I didn't realize my feelings until today. Now it makes so much sense why I've been so protective over you, I can't believe I hadn't noticed before. Trust me you aren't alone in feeling disgusted, part of me hates myself for even considering having feelings for someone so much younger. I don't think people will accept us, Tsunade would bash my skull in if she found out." Narutos heart sank, he was finally able to confess and was shot down.

"It's alright...I get it. I'm...I'm sorry for bringing it u-" he was interrupted by a worried Kakashi.

"No no I'm not saying I don't want to be with you, I'm just worried about ruining the reputation you worked so hard for. The village adores you and I don't want to take that away." The blonde huffed in annoyance.

"For one of the smartest shinobi in the village you're pretty dense Hatake. You really think I care more about the opinion of civilians than the love of my life?" Well when you put it like that...

"I guess not, does that mean I get to start calling you my boyfriend?" He received a smack on the chest and a laugh that sounded like tinkling bells, beautiful. Then those pools drew him back in.

"You're welcome to anything I have to offer, I'm yours Kakashi." The older mans heart leapt in his chest, taking a moment to calm his nerves he peeled the mask from his face, breathing in the scent of the blonde and feeling warmth flow throughout his body.

He smelled of spring breeze, sun warmed flowers and a hint of sweet citrus.

Plump pink lips parted in awe and soft eyes roamed all over the lower half of his face, as if trying to memorize every detail. "I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful person in my life...thank you Kakashi." Narutos cheeks were glowing pink, cornflower eyes glittering with adoration. The older man found himself shaking his head.

"It's a small price to pay for your affection." His sharingan spun wildly in time with his heartbeat and trailed down to land on delicate lips, without thinking his hand moved to grip the others chin while the other laid on the small of the blondes back. They both leaned in and felt a spark as their lips met, melting together they moaned into the kiss.

Energy crackled in the air and for a short while time stopped just for them. They pulled apart and Naruto looked at the jounin with a foxy smile.

"I know what I want you to do since you lost the bet." The jounin felt a shiver run down his spine, he licked his lips and spoke nervously.

"And what would that be?" Kakashi was pulled in for one more kiss then found himself staring into twinkling pools of blue.

"Stay with me tonight, and every night after." Mirth filled the single dark eye and the older man chuckled for a second, tracing his thumb over the youngers jaw.

"That I can do but you'll have to forgive me for breaking that promise while on missions." The blonde snuggled into his chest.

"Deal."

Naruto was shaken out of the memory to find his team, including sensei, staring at him with worried looks. He blushed heavily and averted his gaze, it was so odd looking at a memory through Kakashis eyes, especially when this one had no recollection of that event.

His heart clenched a little at the loss of his partner, it would take years to build up that bond again and there was no guarantee this Kakashi would want anything to do with him in that way. Naruto mentally berated himself for getting stuck in those negative thoughts again.

No this wasn't the time, he needed to focus on the now and work on rebuilding those ties, that's why he's here. The red head relaxed a bit when Kuramas chakra banished the anxiety and eased his heartache.

"Thank you Kura..." a soft grumble was heard from the fox.

"Don't mention it Kit." He slowly worked his way back into the conversation and soon enough was joking and laughing with his team while enjoying some delicious food.

That night he went to bed grinning ear to ear, so grateful that Kurama gave him this second chance to make things right and see his precious people again.

Soon enough Team 7 stood at the gates of Konoha, about to embark on the dreaded Wave mission. They had spent the last couple months training heavily with Naruto giving his team as many pointers as they would accept, Sasuke a little more begrudgingly than Sakura.

The pair had at least doubled their strength compared to the first time around and the red head was incredibly proud and hopeful for the future. They'd spent at least three nights a week at Narutos apartment, cooking together, sleeping together and growing used to each others presences.

After completing an obscene amount of D ranks the old man was persuaded into giving them the mission, assured that things would be handled without issue. This time no one would be dying, not if Naruto could help it.

The genins long hair was tied in a bun and away from his face, he suggested Sakura do the same so her vision wouldn't be impaired nor would the enemy be able to use it against her. She agreed and thanked him for the suggestion, something that had became a daily occurrence. Her and Sasuke both had matured so much in such a short time and had exchanged their pride for humility.

Once the drunken bridge builder arrived the group took their first steps outside of the village. Kakashi stood at the front giving the red head a nice view of his behind, not that he would mention it, Sasuke in the rear and the remaining two flanking the older man.

Half the day passed before the puddle came into view, Naruto signaled to his teammates that danger was ahead, one of the things they learned over the last few months was KSL which had come in handy during the Tora missions. They all removed weapons from their pouch and tensed their muscles, prepared for combat.

Even though he was expecting it, the sight of Kakashi being torn apart was still jarring for the boy and he had to prick himself with a kunai to stay focused.

Sending the protect signal the raven and pinkette stood back, weapons drawn and guarding the client while the ginger went head to head with the Demon Brothers. They threw their heads back in laughter, grinning at the boy cockily.

"Oh look at this Meizu a child has come to rescue. You know kid it's a pity about your sensei he looked like a good ride, you three will have to suffice. We'll have a fun time breaking you in." Naruto felt his eye twitch and dropped into an offensive stance.

Ducking low he ran at high speed towiards them with rage oozing from every pore. Coating his hands in chakra as a barrier he bare fisted the chains and pulled their users towards him. Once they were in range he yanked the chains down and jumped up, stretching out his legs into a split and bringing his heels down atop their heads.

The pair stumbled back and tried to release their gauntlets but were a second too late as they were pulled closer once more, the red head lifted a leg high in the air and when it came back down a wind blade was sent hurdling towards the brothers who had no other escape. One was fast enough to remove the gauntlet but cried out as his brothers body dropped into the dust, the upper and lower halves separated.

Blinking back tears the nin rushed the boy, throwing caution to the wind in his blind rage. Said boy returned every attack with emotionless eyes, only angering the brother further. Soon Naruto grew bored and while leaning to the side to dodge an attack threw his palm forward and blasted the man into a nearby tree where he laid barely conscious.

From his hiding spot Kakashi watched with great interest, his student seemed way too accustomed to killing, it was almost unnerving. Where had this abrupt change come from?

The jounin only stepped in to interfere once the red head pulled out a sealing kit and drew something he couldn't recognize. Shunshinning to boys side and ignoring the cries from the other students present, he inquired about the seal.

"It's an interrogation seal, it breaks down their mind and records their recent memories which I can receive once they either die or release it willingly. Something tells me this one won't break." A few minutes later a blood curdling scream echoed through the surrounding brush and the demon brother began to thrash about, foam spitting from his mouth and blood dripping from his nose, eyes and ears.

The boy severed their heads and sealed them away in a scroll while the two genin guarding Tazuna looked away from the gruesome sight, the memory of the last few minutes burned into their minds forever. Tazuna felt the liquor churn in his stomach and had to swallow the bile that burned in his throat.

Naruto absorbed the memories stored in the seal, reviewed them and then held out his hand to Kakashi who took it with a curious look in his eye. Weeks ago the ginger had tattooed the memory seal onto his palm so he could easily transfer memories when necessary instead of having to draw a seal, he was glad to have it on hand.

The jounin saw flashes of a large mansion filled with gaudy decor, a portly man named Gato who hired the brothers to kill Tazuna and a rouge nin named Zabuza along with his unnamed accomplice. Locking eyes with Tazuna the jounin gave his signature eye smile that sent chills up the elders spine.

"Tazuna here neglected to inform us of the bounty on his head and the band of hired rouges sent to claim it." Dropping to his knees and bowing down to Kakashi the old drunk confessed his woes and pleaded forgiveness for his sins, stating that money was tight and they couldn't have afforded the price of an A rank escort mission. Sasuke glared at the pathetic man, angered by the situation they'd found themselves in.

"So you thought a team of unseasoned genin would be able to deal with your problem? All you did was endanger us and yourself, if we were any other team we could be in an entirely different situation right now." Reddening with shame the man bowed his head further.

"My deepest apologies to all of you, I was so desperate for help I hadn't even considered the consequences." Sakura snorted.

"And after you called us all useless brats acting like we aren't worthy to guard you in the first place. Being honest costs a civilian like you nothing, I'm sure Lord Hokage would have been able to work out an alternate payment method if you had just told him the real issue." The ground below Tazuna was spotted with tears, the man trying his best to conceal his guilt and fear.

"I know...I can never expect your forgiveness but please, please help us our village will perish if Gato stays in power. We need you...please..." the trio shared a few looks, having a silent conversation before Naruto spoke up.

"I say we do it Kakashi sensei, so far our biggest obstacle is the rouge nin Zabuza and company, Gato should be a cinch." The jounin seemed to consider for a moment.

"Mmm no. I won't be putting you all against two potential A Rank nin on your first mission outside the village. Abandon the client and return to Konoha." Hands in pockets the man began walking, assuming his team would follow but was surprised to see them all standing around Tazuna in a protective stance. Naruto stepped up.

"On behalf of all of us we respectfully decline Sensei, you told us to never abandon our comrades." The silver haired jounin clucked his tongue in annoyance.

"He's not a comrade Naruto, we could all easily die today should more nin be sent our way." They didn't budge.

"True but he needs our help, I'll never abandon someone who needs me. That's part of my nindo and you can't change our minds, we'll go without you if we have to." The jounin quirked an eyebrow.

"You would betray your village and Kage for a client who lied and put you in danger?" The three nodded and spoke in unison.

"Yes." Kakashi felt his chest swell with immense pride for his students, eye smiling at them he walked back in their direction.

"Let's go then we don't want to lose any more daylight than we already have." Returning to their original positions the group continued down the path as if nothing had happened.

Two days had passed since then with no issue, on the third day nothing had happened until a little after midday. The group was nearing Nami no Kuni when things began to feel off but no one could place why, except Naruto.

Without any warning a large zanpakuto flew through the air and would have separated Tazunas head from his body had Naruto not caught it. A tall, tanned man who was presumably Zabuza Momochi appeared from between the trees, sporting an irate expression, at least what they could see of his face that wasn't covered.

This time around the red head could faintly feel Hakus presence, the boys chakra was swirling with worry for his master and anticipation at the fight soon to come. His attention was drawn back to the missing nin when a gruff voice yelled in his direction.

"Oi Gaki! You got a death wish?" Violet eyes lazily slid over to make eye contact with the nin, a dangerous smile beginning to form on his lips. He stuck the zanpakuto in the dirt and casually leaned onto it, resting his hands and chin on the hilt.

"Well that depends, are you offering to grant said wish?" Zabuza let out a bark of laughter that grated against the nerves of a few present.

"I think something could be arranged if you're offering yourself up as the first candidate." The two shared a look of amusement while the other parties seemed confused at the odd interaction.

Lifting the sword with one arm the red head got into a low stance, holding the blade behind him and beckoning the missing nin with the other. Zabuza grinned underneath his bandages.

This kid has guts, if nothing else this should be entertaining.

In a burst of speed he disappeared and reappeared a few feet away from the genin, aiming to shatter the brats kneecaps with a powerful kick. Instead of connecting with flesh he felt a strong hand crush his foot and saw the world spin as he was slammed onto his back..hard.

Feeling the air leave his body for a second the man almost wasn't able to roll away from his own blade that was seconds away from splitting open his skull. Not one to go down without a fight he flew through hands signs and the area began to flood with mist. Hiding a handful of water clones the nin set his sights on the crimson haired brat who was waiting patiently, lips twisted in a playful smile.

Sasuke and Sakura stood on either side of Tazuna doing their best to contribute to this battle and protect the client, bodies vibrating from adrenaline. Kakashi ordered them to stay put while he backed up Naruto, lifting his headband to reveal a blood red eye with three tomoe twirling around the pupil lazily.

Sasuke gasped at the sight and froze momentarily, memories flooding to the forefront of his mind while his heart beat almost painfully against his ribcage. The world came back into focus as a hand shook his shoulder and the raven met his teammates worried expression with watery eyes.

"Whatever has you lost in your thoughts you need to pack it away Sasuke, our job is to protect the client until Sensei and Naruto return." The boy dabbed at his eyes and clenched the handle of his kunai a little tighter to ground himself. They nodded at each other and turned on their heels just in time to cross blades with the water clones.

Back on the battlefield Zabuza was rapidly losing patience and composure, the kid deflected his every attack with ease while barely breaking a sweat. He felt extremely vulnerable and out of his depth.

Gesturing to Haku for back up a flurry of senbon flew through the trees, some managing to embed themselves in the Konoha duo. Most though were thrown right back as the red head sent a strong gust of wind towards the two rouge nin who dodged at the last minute walking away with only a few pricks. They ducked again as the hefty sword cut through the air and buried a foot deep into the tree behind them.

"You can take your scrap metal back it's too bulky for my taste." Ignoring the insult Zabuza yanked Kubikiribocho from the tree and turned with Haku to face their opponents, not feeling confident about the next clash.

Distant sounds of a struggle made its way to the jounin and genin who shared a concerned look, they'd have to finish this fast. The hair on the back of their necks stood up and the pair jumped towards the lake nearby to avoid a barrage of senbon and sizable water dragon, their enemies closing in on them to engage in armed taijutsu.

Naruto deflected an attack while subconsciously taking another step back which turned out to be a fatal mistake, water began to twist up his leg and before he knew it found himself encased in a dome that pushed against his body from all sides, effectively immobilizing him.

Fuck I can't believe I got caught in this damn thing!

Cursing his foolishness the red head began to think of ways out, his sealing ink and paper wouldn't work in here and the seals on his body weren't useful in this situation, he had to stay still and conserve his oxygen so Kakashi had plenty of time to sort this out. He had no choice but to rely on his sensei.

Outside of the water prison Haku was keeping the silver haired jounin on his toes, not allowing him to take any steps closer to Zabuza. They needed to complete their mission and it was obvious that there was no chance of them beating these guys a second time, the water prison was the rouge nins trump card and they wouldn't get away with it again.

Kakashi on the other hand was panicking, Naruto was strong, that much was true, but he couldn't hold his breath forever and he had no access to seals or jutsu. The jounin took a deep breathe and relaxed all of his limbs, clearing his mind and focusing on the masked nin in front of him.

I'm coming for you Naruto just wait.

His single crimson eye glowed thorough the mist, causing Haku to shiver and begin a series of hand signs.

Inside the prison the red head had about 30% less oxygen and approximately 5 more minutes until he would begin to lose consciousness. If only he had kept the interrogation seal on him, it was essentially a memory seal with complex defense mechanisms, storage components and a self destruct function. Wait...

The rest of Team 7 stood panting and bloodied, they had taken down the water clones but it exhausted them. Sasuke still had chakra enough for a single jutsu but Sakura was barely standing, they fought well but five clones of an A ranked rogue nin was too much for them. Dragging Tazuna along they followed the sound of grunts and labored breathing to find a frightening sight.

Kakashi was surrounded by what looked like mirrors made of ice, trying to avoid senbon that were sent in waves. Sakura and Sasuke gasped when they saw Naruto trapped in the prison and without thinking the latter of the two sprinted towards the water in a desperate attempt to rescue his teammate.

Before he could get close a boot buried into his side and sent him skidding across the surface. He stood again on trembling legs and coughed up blood into his palm, feeling the energy leave his limbs and vision darken.

No! You can't stop now, you have to save Sensei, you have to save Naruto, they need you!

Sasukes eyes began to burn and fury tore through him, he wouldn't let anyone die this time, he wouldn't sit there idly and let someone take away the little he had left.

As if in slow motion he looked over to see a Zabuza clone sneaking up on Sakura and Sensei become a human hedgehog, his legs began to move of their own accord, muscles protesting from overuse. Sprinting across the lake the raven jumped over Sakura and delivered a crushing axe kick to the clones head, forcing it to disperse.

His eyes began to itch, the slow burn intensifying and draining him of the last of his chakra, leaving him spent and useless. The raven began to fall but before his body hit the ground a shockwave blew through the area, sending waves of water onto the shore. The dirt welcomed him with open arms and the world turned black.

Sensei...Naruto...I'm sorry...

Naruto was running out of time, he began collecting nature energy about two minutes ago and was nearing the amount it took to complete sage mode. Despite the water pushing against his body he remained calm and patient, feeling the transformation start to take over and the familiar energy humming through his chakra coils.

Maroon eyes snapped open and he placed his hands and feet against the dome, concentrating energy at the exit points and blasting it outwards. The pressure inside the prison increased exponentially for a split second before the entire thing burst. Air filled his strained lungs and he choked for a moment, righting himself and taking stock of the situation.

Kakashi was on one knee, surrounded by Hakus Demonic Ice Mirrors and was in the same position Sasuke had found himself in the original timeline. The boy could see how frantic yet exhausted his sensei was, no doubt concerned for the safety of his students. Sakura was bent over shaking an unconscious Sasuke while Tazuna stood stiffly behind her.

The red head turned his attention to the pest who stood between him and his team. Leaving no room for preparation or conversation he flashed in front of the man and wrapped strong fingers around his throat, instantly bruising the tan flesh and nearly snapping the mans spinal cord.

Callused hands slapped against him wildly in a panic-stricken attempt to get free, eyes bulging from their sockets the stench of fear permeating the air. The genin plunged five fingers into the rogue nins stomach, feeling around for something before twisting them in a clockwise motion.

The nins body convulsed briefly before going completely still. Naruto dragged him by an ankle towards the shore where he dropped the unconscious man in the mud and flashed to the ice mirrors, placing a hand against them and sending a rush of chakra that shattered them instantly. Hakus cracked mask crumbled away and astonishment tugged at his delicate features.

Flashing behind the brunette Naruto put him in a chokehold, dragging the nin to the shore and throwing him at his master. Forgetting about the Konoha shinobi and his own injuries completely, pale fingers tenderly brushed the mans bruised neck, feeling for a pulse.

"He's not dead but I locked his chakra, I promise you if you come for my team again I will show no mercy. I suggest you take your master and get as far away from here as possible, forget Gato and forget your mission, if I see you again I will break your fucking necks and feed you to my summons." He didn't want to kill them but his minor slip up had almost cost himself and his whole team their lives, and if they came again he wouldn't hesitate to bury them.

Their lives were up to them he just hoped they made the smart choice.

Wide brown eyes glanced up at him one more time and the boy silently nodded before the pair was gone, leaving Naruto to face another failure. He knelt next to Kakashi and felt his throat close up, trying to choke back a sob.

The man was covered in senbon and blood coated every visible area of his body. Shallow breaths were all that indicated the man was alive, he would be out of commission just as long as he was last time.

All because you couldn't protect them.

Naruto bit his lip and wiped a few stray tears before beginning to pull the senbon out one by one, once they were all extracted he hoisted the man over his shoulder as gently as possible and made his way over to the rest of the team. Sakuras eyes glistened with fresh tears as she looked up at Naruto.

"Naruto I don't know what happened to Sasuke! His eyes turned red and he started moving incredibly fast and then he just...I don't know he just dropped!" So Sasuke unlocked the sharingan early this time, that'll be helpful. He smiled comfortingly at the pinkette.

Don't worry Sakura he unlocked the Sharingan, it's the Uchiha clans doujutsu. Since it was the first time he used it and was most likely already close to exhaustion it was overwhelming for his body. With some rest he'll be good as new." Relief took over and the girl seemed to relax, grateful that Sasuke would survive.

The red head placed a hand to the ground and a large poof revealed a 6 foot tall black fox with 5 tails swishing behind it, the fox bowed towards the boy.

"Naruto-sama it's been a while how can I assist you?" Naruto smiled in greeting and gestured towards the fallen genin and the jounin over his shoulder.

"Hello Kambe my comrades need transportation to the village nearby and I'd like them to be moved with as little jostling as possible." The fox settled on the ground allowing his master to place the unconscious bodies atop his back, the group began to travel as fast as possible to Nami no Kuni once they were secured.

Instead of taking the boat this time around Naruto carried Tazuna across the lake via water walking with Sakura and and Kambe flanking him. Once they were safe at shore the great fox patrolled the area, ensuring his masters safety then returned to Shadow Valley.

The red head unsealed his emergency kit and had Sakura help him in disinfecting their bodies so that he could begin healing their external wounds, they worked in silence but upon seeing the green glow of medical jutsu and witnessing the wounds close she couldn't hold her tongue.

"Naruto how do you know so much? A couple years ago you came to school looking and acting different and today I've seen you kill without batting an eye, fighting two A ranked missing nin and use medical jutsu. That shouldn't be possible for a genin, let alone a genin fresh out of the academy." The red head winced and bit his lip, ignoring the question for a moment to come up with a believable answer.

Sometimes he wished Sakura wasn't so observational, though it's not like he'd really tried hiding his strength, it would do him no good to hold back. Their enemies wouldn't hesitate to kill them given the chance.

"I was really lonely growing up, you know the village hated me so I had a lot of free time due to being shunned. I used to sneak into the shinobi library and read books on chakra theory, medical jutsu, sealing, any topic you could think of. I trained a lot on my own and learned everything through trial and error." She took in the information with a critical gaze and spent a few minutes processing before asking more questions.

"What happened to your hair and your eyes? And you never told me why killing doesn't seem to bother you." Kurama huffed in annoyance from their shared mindscape.

"That Haruno brat needs to mind her own business." The boy chuckled at him and moved his hands to begin working on Sasuke.

"I don't know what happened to me, one day I felt really sick and feverish, the next I woke up looking like this and had to spend a few days recovering from whatever happened. As for the killing I've lived in the bad part of town my whole life, I've seen more than a few murders in the back alley and was subject to some harsh beatings around the Kyuubi festival." It felt wrong to lie to her, there were small truths laced throughout the explanation but it was mostly bullshit. Sakura seemed to be satisfied with the answer for now though which relieved some of the tension.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, it must've been horrifying." Her emerald eyes looked glossy and her face was pinched in what he assumed was pity. He shook is head and gave a wobbly smile.

"It's no big deal, In some ways it's made me who I am today. If I hadn't seen and done the things I have then who knows where I'd be, or where team 7 would be ya know?" Sakura looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding.

"That's true, we've learned a lot from you and I'm a little scared to think of what could've happened today had you not been with us." Naruto said nothing, just looked at her knowingly.

You have no idea.

The genin had just finished with Sasuke when Tazuna, Tsunami and Inari came out to check on them. Violet eyes softened at the sight of them, remembering the last time he'd seen their faces. Tsunami spoke first.

"Shinobi san I've prepared dinner and a room for you all if you'd be comfortable coming inside." The boy nodded in thanks.

"That would be lovely thank you, Sakura can you carry Sasuke? I'll handle Sensei." The girl struggled with the dead weight at first but gained her footing and managed to carry the raven upstairs and place him safely on the laid out futon. Once the pair were safely resting the other two joined the family downstairs for dinner, they thanked the woman for the food and dug in, stomachs rumbling in appreciation.

"Shinobi san are you here to save us?" The innocent look Inari gave the pair made their hearts ache for the boy.

"Yes, we'll do everything we can to ensure the safety of this village. That includes taking down Gato, don't worry." A mix of emotion clouded the young boys face and he seemed at a loss for words. He thanked his mother for the meal and silently went to his room while Tsunami watched him go with a mournful expression.

"I'm sorry about him, his father was killed years ago by Gato and he's been struggling since. I don't think he can imagine anyone freeing us from this...hell." Eyes downcast she sighed and rubbed her forehead in stress.

Sakura reached across the table and held the woman's hand, smiling at her with as much reassurance as she could muster.

"We can do it, we're here to protect this village til the completion of the bridge. Plenty of time to sort out the power imbalance, this guy next to me is probably the best genin our village has seen in decades, if not us I know he's capable. Put your faith in us Tsunami san." Naruto felt a swell of emotion, his Sakura didn't recognize his capabilities for a while, too focused on winning Sasukes affection.

The red head thought back on how much this Team 7 had grown in such a short time compared to his original timeline. They were months ahead in their training and were about the level of Team Gai, one step closer to passing the Sannin.

"That's right Tsunami san please rest easy, you're safe in our care." The woman looked up at them with a faint spark of hope coloring her previously saddened expression. A faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, showing the relief she felt.

"Thank you so much for coming despite the danger, you don't know how much this means to us." She whispered, eyes becoming glossy with tears.

Trust me, I do.

The genin helped clear the table and clean the dishes before heading upstairs to join their team. They went to bed with determination for the days to come, they would protect these people at any cost and bring peace to their village.

Sasuke woke up the next day and joined the duo in their training, they pushed themselves to their limits and made huge progress under Narutos tutelage. From sun up to sun down for the next week they took no breaks except for meals, Tsunami cared for Kakashi during the day and the genin protected him at night, all placing their futons in a circle around the man.

The red head placed protection and detection seals around the village so that if an outsider managed to breach the barrier the team could intercept them before any damage could be done.

A week and a half after they arrived Kakashi was up and walking, the only sign of his previous injury was tight muscles and minor bruises. He watched his team train while lounging on the grass, soaking up the sunlight and pretending to read his Icha Icha.

They had come so far in such a short time and had a unique bond that Kakashi had never seen in a genin team. Under Narutos care they had sharpened up their individual skills as well as practicing group combos that complemented each other's style. They showed focus and determination, especially Sasuke.

The boy had begun to bloom with his team, laughing and joking with them while also showing fierce protective traits. He seemed at ease with the other two, like he didn't need any walls to keep them away and for the first time in years the raven was an open book.

Naruto pushed him to be better, gave him someone to look up to who wouldn't shove his superiority in his face. They shared a friendly rivalry and developing brotherhood.

Sakura had shed her fan girl facade and showed immense intellect and willpower, able to think on her feet and corral her teammates when they stepped out of line. Naruto had suggested she research medical ninjutsu and given her a few scrolls on the basics. Her perfect chakra control and sponge like mind allowed her to excel in the field and she was already proficient in healing minor wounds.

The jounin was curious about the red headed mystery boy, not too long ago he was all goofy smiles, pranks and loud mouthed proclaims of becoming Hokage. What could have possibly turned him into the calm headed, Intelligent and easily jounin level Shinobi he was now?

Something didn't feel right, there was some piece to this puzzle that Kakashi was missing and he had a feeling the boy wouldn't supply the knowledge for him. Narrowing his eyes he vowed to speak with the Sandaime once they returned.

Naruto was beginning to spiral into anxiety, he couldn't decide if they should storm Gatos mansion and take care of business personally or wait for the inevitable confrontation.

On one hand the civilian builders on the bridge were at risk if they waited for Gato to come but there was a chance that there was higher security at the mansion, the boy doubted any Shinobi would stand a chance against their team but the fear had embedded itself in his mind. Should they take the risk and catch the cat early or play mouse and lure it out?

He scrubbed his eyes in frustration, it shouldn't be this hard there were plenty of bigger obstacles in their future and he needed to calm down. Realistically he could do this mission by himself, no need to involve the team who could prove to be an obstacle. Nothing against them they were plenty strong especially after the last two weeks or so, they just didn't have the experience to complete an assassination.

This would most likely be a gruesome affair and he didn't want Sakura and Sasuke to be exposed to that just yet, they had plenty of time to gain experience in that field. He nodded to himself, coming to the conclusion that he would leave tonight and assassinate their target but first he would have to tell Kakashi.

The red head left his two teammates to their respective exercises and nervously took a seat next to his sensei, taking a deep breathe he just dove into it.

"Kakashi sensei I-"

"-you want to infiltrate Gatos mansion, presumably tonight?" Violet eyes blinked in surprise.

"Well...yes..." not knowing what else to say he trailed off.

"And do you plan on bringing your teammates and I along for the ride?" The jounin nose was buried in the little orange book and his tone was casual but held an underlying edge to it.

"No Sensei, I don't want to expose them to a mission like this quite yet. They have plenty of time to train and gain experience, I want them to have that time to gain confidence so that when they feel ready there's no hesitation." The silver haired man hummed to himself.

"I'll have to agree with you on that I think they could handle a fight were they confronted but I don't think they're mentally strong enough to kill unprovoked. One condition though, I'd like you to share with me how you've progressed this far, unaided, in such a short time."

Well that's the million Ryo question isn't it?

"Lots of time to research and practice sensei." He received an arched brow and stern look in return.

"Is that so?" The red head nodded, anxiety increasing under that piercing gaze. The jounin sighed in defeat.

"Maaa well I don't think you'll stay just because I asked you to so I'll go with you. Make sure them two can't leave the house though, if they find us gone I don't believe they'll sit and wait." Naruto agreed and the pair of them began to plan the mission, leaving no gaps or room for failure.

That night Naruto and Kakashi laid down with the rest of the team, pretending to slow their breathing and effectively fooling the other two into thinking they were asleep.

Once the raven and pinkette were breathing shallow, steady breaths the pair shared a look and shunshinned outside of the house where the red head began placing containment seals on every side of the structure.

They quickly changed into all black attire and for extra measure placed porcelain masks over their faces to hide their identity should they pass anyone on the way or coming back. The masks had henge seals carved into them that changed their hair color, Naruto thought it was a good extra measure since they both had pretty recognizable hair colors.

The pair took off at high speed and ran west across Nami no Kuni, passing the village and the lake and going deep into the thick forest until they saw the bright lights of the luxurious mansion in the distance.

The shorter companion who wore a fox mask with red, orange and black markings held up his hand in a gesture for his partner to stop. He tested the fence for any seals that could alert the enemy and found none, though there were traces of chakra around the property.

The duo proceeded with caution and leapt through the trees until they were about 100 meters away from the mansion. They took note of the armed guards, two on each side of the building and one shinobi joined every pair. The Konoha pair signed at eachother and decided to split up to take down them all at the same time so no one could cause a fuss.

Naruto took the back and left side while Kakashi took the front and right side. The genin donning the fox mask shunshinned behind the shinobi and slit his throat, quickly doing the same for the armed guards with no slip ups. He felt three presences vanish on the other side and hurried towards the last trio, just in time to take out the second shinobi who was about to investigate the missing presences.

The armed guards shouted at eachother and tried to run away but were silenced with kunai through their throats as well as one through the heart for good measure. The two masked nin met at the front door and entered, luckily there was no one in the foyer.

Oddly enough they sensed about 50 presences under the mansion and about five upstairs, they figured Gato would be among the five so they took to the stairs careful to be as silent as possible.

On the way up Naruto handed his companion a seal that would erase his presence completely, signing that it would be useful later.

Now invisible to their opponents they stopped outside the door that stood between them and Gato, readied themselves and shunshinned into the room.

Inside they found Gato sitting at a large desk that stretched across most of the wall, two people were kneeling on the floor in front of the man, very bruised and dripping blood from various wounds on their bodies. Two powerful shinobi stood on each side of the door, a closer look showed small blood splatters dotting their knuckles.

"You two proved even more useless than I thought, you're so weak you couldn't even take down a team of brats and two old men?" Kakashi bristled at the insult but forgot that in favor of recognizing the two shinobi on the ground. Zabuza and the previously masked nin were gritting their teeth and shaking from the pain coursing through their bodies, the insults only adding to their injury.

"Seeing as you, Zabuza, are completely useless as a ninja now I'll have to throw you into the basements with all the other rats. And you Haku will be gifted to my business partner, that pretty face and tight body will finally be put to good use." Gato let out a lecherous laugh that left the occupants of the room feeling disgusted.

The rotund man lit a cigar and smoke began to spread around the room, permeating the air with a horrid stench. The pair kneeling on the floor looked as though they were ready to fight or flee, their muscles were tense and twitching and their eyes were wide and staring straight at the ground.

Gato gestured for the guards to take them away and the burly men lifted the pair to their feet but found themselves stumbling back as two heads slammed into their noses.

Haku and Zabuza delivered a few sloppy blows that only seemed to irritate the guards, they tried to escape through the door but their movements were sluggish from pain and exhaustion. One guard knocked Zabuza out with a kick to the jaw and Haku followed soon after with a broken arm and large black bruise blooming on the side of his face.

The guards bent over to pick up the bodies but were intercepted by a sharp pain twisting their insides. They grunted as blood poured from their wounds, staining the polar bear skin rug below. Frantically searching for the source of the wounds the pair found nothing, not even a sound.

Blood began to spirt from their chests, followed by the neck, and then their skulls were shattered on the ground. The men twitched for a few seconds then relaxed completely, the smell of urine and blood mixing with the cigar smoke to make a nauseating combination.

Gato stood from his chair and made a dash for the door, hoping whatever killed his guards would take mercy on him.

"Whoever you are I have money, who's your employer?! I'll double..no triple your pay!" A finger trailed up his spine and he spun around, backing into the door.

A gloved hand caressed the fat folds of the mans neck before gripping his jaw, the fingers began to put immense pressure on the bones which started to crack. Soon enough the man was screaming incoherently and clutching his shattered jawbone while his eyes frantically searched the room.

Two hands clapped against the mans ears, discombobulating him and putting a blurry filter over his vision. The stout man began to hyperventilate and blindly lash out at his attackers. Two feet stomped his kneecaps, forcing Gato to scream out and drop onto his belly.

Once there a hand gripped his hair and bent his head back, nearly separating his spinal chord in the process. Small, beady eyes opened to meet a breathtaking kaleidoscope of purple. Plump lips pulled back to reveal sharp canines bared in a threatening grin and the mans heart skipped a beat...or four. He tried to speak through his broken jaw.

"Whdo awre ylou?! Pwleash lefme gooo!" Hot breath ghosted against the shell of his ear, causing him to shudder, and a silky voice whispered to him.

"We're your designated grim reapers, here only to collect the bounty you put on your own head." A strangled cry escaped the man and he pleaded once more.

"Nwooo um sworly pwleeesh!!! Ah clant dlie heeew!" An angel swathed in red took over his field of view, sneering at him and cackling in his face. He leaned over and cooed at Gato who flinched away.

"Awww but we came here just for you, it's poor manners to treat your guests like this you know. And I thought we were just getting to know eachother so well." The boy wiped a fake tear dramatically before sighing and shrugging his shoulders.

"Wolf I think it's time for us to take our leave, though I do wish we could bring a souvenir." Gato whimpered as a dark chuckle came from right behind him.

"I can think of a good souvenir to remember this night by." A hand covered the flabby mans large mouth as he was rolled into his back.

The tip of a blade was dragged slowly down his chest, just hard enough to break skin and Gato began to flail his limbs in a futile attempt to escape as quick hands undid his belt and the button of his slacks. Moments later a bloodcurdling wail could be heard echoing through the mansion, it seemed to last hours.

"Shut him up Sensei" sharp eyes laced with revulsion stared impassively as Gatos neck was split open, blood pouring from the wound and soaking his silk shirt.

This was nothing new to Kakashi he'd been in scenarios similar to this and worse during his time in ANBU but he'd never seen a genin be so ruthless. Just another missing piece of the ever evolving puzzle that was his student.

The pair beheaded the three offenders then gathered the unconscious bodies of Haku and Zabuza before exiting the room to investigate the "rats" below the property.

They found a room that reeked of a mixture of bodily fluids and decay. A pile of corpses lay in one corner and the group of 50 or so people huddled as far away from them as possible. Every face was gaunt and pasty, skin drawn tightly across their bones and eyes that took Naruto into the past.

He saw the loneliness and despair he felt during and after the war, when there was nothing left but agony, sorrow and solitude. The boy clutched his chest and swallowed the cry that threatened to escape him, he had to stay strong for these people.

They needed him.

The duo removed their masks and raised their arms in a placating gesture to show they meant no harm.

Hello we've come to rescue you all, does anyone need assistance standing?" Most of the hands were raised and the group tentatively stood on legs that looked ready to collapse. Naruto and Kakashi walked slowly towards them so they didn't frighten anyone and one by one shunshinned them all onto the lawn.

After about 20 minutes the grass was littered with people who all looked at the sky as if they hadn't seen it in their entire lives, judging by the age of some it was entirely possible that they were born in captivity.

The Konoha duo pillaged the house for any valuables and then moved the crowd further towards the gate so they could burn down that retched place. As it turned out every single person had been kidnapped from Nami no Kuni over a period of 20 or so years, many more had been sold or gifted as presents to Gatos business partners.

It left a sour taste in the pairs mouths and a weight in their stomach that wouldn't disappear.

They knew of situations like this but had never seen the aftermath first hand, not even during the war. The memory would haunt their dreams for months to come.

Naruto spent the rest of the night drawing a large scale teleportation seal on the ground so they wouldn't have to make 26 trips to and from the village. By dawn a flash of light and loud crack resounded through the area, barely heard over the still burning mansion.

It broke Narutos heart to see them all so lost, for some they had homes to return to and families who celebrated their return but many had been kept in captivity for so long that they had nothing left for them but a vacant house and haunted memories.

The boy and his sensei had redistributed the wealth amongst the town people, leaving a small fraction for Haku and Zabuza. Once the bridge was completed the town would flourish once more but it would take so much time for these people to heal. There was nothing more the duo could do except help finish the bridge.

After Naruto transported the still unconscious bodies of the missing nin to their temporary location and unlocked Zabuzas chakra the pair plodded back towards Tazunas home with heavy hearts and strained limbs, ready to dive into their pillows.

The red head disengaged the seals and opened the door to a chaotic household, every occupant was pacing the worn floors and appeared to be in various states of worry and anger. Sasuke and Sakura buried their fists into the pairs stomach, forcing them to double over while they received a verbal beat down.

"You absolute fools! Where have you been? How could you lock us in here without notifying us of where you went?!" Sasuke nodded furiously in agreement, arms crossed and looking very much like a petulant child.

"And for that matter what happened to abandoning your comrades?! What if someone had attacked us or the village while you were gone?!" Naruto interjected at the last part.

"Well actually I placed seals on the house and around the village so you were never in any danger." The enraged genin raised their fists once more, ready to release their fury.

"Ok ok! We're sorry alright? We needed to deal with Gato before he dealt with us and we wanted to spare you from that scenario." Kakashi added his own point as well.

"You guys are rightfully angry, we understand and are sorry for putting you in that situation but I promise you didn't want to be there." They both winced and averted their eyes as they remembered the foul smell of the basement and hollow eyes of its occupants. The genin groaned in frustration.

"It's not about taking us with you it's that you locked us all in here with no explanation why!" Ah...that's fair...in all of their planning they hadn't considered the situation from the other side.

They had assumed the raven and pinkette would've followed them but now that they really thought about it how would they have even known where to start? They hadn't seen the memory from the Demon Brother nor were they trained in sensing chakra trails. Naruto and Kakashi face palmed, they were so so stupid.

"You're right, we're sorry, this shouldn't have happened and we have no excuse. It'll never happen again we promise." The genin seemed satisfied for now but still held an edge of animosity and walked out the door to start their training. They really needed to work off this negative energy.

The remaining two sighed in relief and made their way upstairs, ignoring the hostile looks coming from the resident civilians.

It was midday when they woke, stretching their muscles and taking a few minutes to become fully alert. Naruto called the shower first leaving a crabby Kakashi behind who spent a minute grumbling to himself about bossy brats.

An hour later they were showered, dressed, fed and in the midst of warming up to train when they were greeted by their teammates.

"Naruto, Sensei, we're glad you're safe and prevented Gato from causing more distress to this village." The red head brought up a hand to awkwardly scratch his cheek and their sensei tucked his hands in his pockets and gave an eye smile.

"We're sorry for not being honest and abandoning our comrades." They all shook up to prove they held no ill will and split up to train and guard the bridge from unlikely trespassers.

Another two weeks passed and the bridge was completed, the team had packed their things and were about to leave when they were stopped by the townspeople. Tazuna approached the red head holding a bottle of liquor.

"We wanted to have you christen the bridge for us seeing as we named it after you and all." The boy cocked his head pretending to be ignorant.

"What did you name it?" Tazuna handed over the bottle with a proud grin.

"The Great Naruto Bridge!" It still touched his heart to have a bridge named in recognition of him, he would be sure to visit more often than he did last time. He smashed the bottle over the rail causing the crowd to erupt in cheers. They said all their goodbyes once more and the Konoha shinobi began their long trek towards home.

The journey was uneventful but it took less time as they could move at full speed without a civilian slowing them down. Izumo and Kotetsu greeted the team at the gates and were left confused when the only answer they got to how the mission went was four hands waving at them in dismissal.

"One would think the genin would have more respect for their superiors." Izumo sniffed with a pouty expression. Kotetsu hmmed in agreement and the two sat down with arms crossed, looking like children who were denied candy.

Explaining to the Hokage how the mission had gone from a C rank escort mission to an S class assassination and escort mission had not been fun. The old Kage looked ready to keel over at the idea of losing one of his best jounin as well as the most promising genin team to graduate this year.

"What matters is you have all survived and completed your mission and then some, you'll be compensated for an S rank and we will never speak of this again. Everyone but Naruto is dismissed." The silver haired jounin moved his lone eye between the two parties suspiciously before shrugging and exiting with the rest of the group.

The aged man rubbed his temples in an attempt to relieve himself of a growing headache and gestured for the ANBU in the room to disperse.

"I thought you had this under control, that's why I let you take the mission in the first place." The red head stiffened and tried to defend himself.

"No Naruto, I understand that things ended up alright but it could easily have not. I wouldn't have sent you out there knowing how things happened last time if you hadn't assured me that no harm would come to anyone." The boy bit his lip and looked down ashamed, he had been trying not to think about his failure since things ended up working out but he knew the old man was right.

"My sincerest apologies Lord Hokage, I will accept any punishment and will make sure to never knowingly put my team members or myself in danger again." A heavy sigh resounded through the office.

"My boy I won't be punishing you, I just don't want to see any of you hurt if it can be prevented. As it is now your team will be restricted to D rank missions only, at least til after the chunin exams. You're dismissed." Naruto internally groaned but said nothing as he bowed to his Kage and shunshinned outside of the room.

Hiruzen lit up his pipe and took a long draw, contemplating the months to come. Would he even live to see the next year? He hoped so since Naruto had managed to save two people thus far and hopefully he could be the third. The man wanted to be able to go out on his own terms knowing the village would be taken care of in his absence but for now he had no choice but to put his faith in the red headed boy.

Said red headed boy was kicking rocks down the streets of Konoha with a disappointed expression on his face. The team had been pretty pissed to find out they were stuck with D ranks for the next couple months and Naruto carried the weight of their annoyance as it was his fault.

Not that they blamed him but he knew it was his slip up that put them all in danger when the fight should've been quick and easy.

The thoughts in his head only spiraled further down, leading him to a very dark place. Kurama became worried when the boy started muttering to himself about some very disturbing things, like how the world might have been better off without him ever existing in the first place. All he did was bring failure, pain and annoyance to those around him so why wouldn't they be better off without him there?

"Kit you need to stop blaming yourself, without you none of these people would exist. You have another chance to change your mistakes and no matter what that old fool has to say you already saved two people. Kakashi is healed, Sasuke has that wretched Sharigan and those two nin are alive, stop blaming yourself for a minor slip up that didn't actually impact anyone."

Naruto knew he was right but couldn't lift the dark cloud that had settled over his mind. All he could think of was the piles of cadavers spread across a vast field of ash, the piercing red eyes that froze his body in place and the unshakable feeling that it was all inevitable.

Destined to happen and there wasn't a single thing he could do.

Logically Naruto knew they had years to prepare and he was more than capable of taking down Madara before the war could even get close to starting, but his guilt and anxiety was winning the battle against logic.

The boy walked slowly, hands in his pockets towards no where in particular. Trees began to fill his vision as well as tall grass and a few white deer that stopped to examine him as he walked past.

An hour later he was laid up in a bed of flowers admiring the expanse of vibrant color that decorated the sky. Trying to keep dark thoughts away was harder than he thought but after a while it didn't matter, for right now he didn't have any responsibility and could just exist.

A lanky form walked over and silently laid at his side, neither saying a word for some time nor feeling the need to. The quiet companionship was nice, it was just what the boy needed.

He was so tired of words and questions and trying to give answers that weren't complete lies. His head was too full of thoughts and fears and plans and bad memories, it was driving him mad.

The figure said nothing still and Naruto was grateful.

Shades of purple and pink turned to deep navy, the stars came out to play for the night and the world faded away. It was just these two and the raw beauty of the universe and they were ok with that.

Once one of them was called by a distant voice there was a huff and a voice murmured to no one in particular.

"That woman is such a drag." A hand was held out to Naruto and he decided to take it, standing on his two feet and making eye contact with one of his closest friends, an almost invisible smile lifting at the corners of his lips.

"Take care of yourself Naruto, just know that if you ever need to talk you know where I live. Don't hesitate to stop by."

I could never talk to anyone about what's going on in my head, Jiji would throw me into the Yamanaka den within the first couple sentences. The boy thought bitterly to himself, if Hiruzen didn't understand why would Shikamaru?

Instead of voicing those thoughts he settled on a nod and wave before disappearing into the night, leaving a worried Shikamaru behind him who sighed to himself.

"That troublesome kid is gonna be the death of me, I just hope he's alright." Then a loud voice screeched his name.

"I'm coming dammit give me a minute!" Ugh. What a drag.

The next two months passed with Team 7 making leaps and bounds in their training, at this point they had definitely surpassed Team Gai in terms of raw power. Naruto helped Sasuke come to terms with his anger and began coaxing him in the direction of considering the situation with Itachi.

"What do you mean?" The raven demanded, Sharingan blazing at hearing his brothers name. The red head sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I mean it's suspicious that he would leave you alive and then tell you that you don't have enough 'hatred' to kill him yet. If he truly didn't love you why would he leave you alive and then pit you against himself. Why would he want to die by your hand if you meant nothing to him?" Sasuke remained silent for the rest of the day, seemingly lost in thought. Naruto pushed away anyone who tried to disturb the Uchiha, he needed to come to his own conclusions on his own time.

Sakura had begun spending most of her time in the hospital to get practice in the medical field. She was seen studying in her spare time and preparing for her nursing exams in six months, it was the first step towards becoming a certified medic nin and the pinkette was determined to reach that goal within the next couple of years.

Naruto placed weight seals at her ankles and wrists with her permission of course. Since she only had about two days a week to focus on physical training he figured that this was something that would help her progress physically while not needing to force herself to cut back on studying.

Already the pinkettes speed had skyrocketed and her muscles had become even more defined. It was so satisfying to flex in the mirror at night, she felt like a real kunoichi now.

Naruto had been mostly doing body maintenance and experimenting with seals. He had already made a counter seal for Orochimarus curse mark should the red head fail to subdue him and Sasuke be so unfortunate to receive it. No way would Sasuke be getting away with leaving the village a second time.

Naruto had tattooed various seals over his body that would serve many purposes in the future, for example there were gravity seals on his wrists and ankles so he could reach peak physical condition as fast as possible, chakra storage seals so if anything were to happen he would have a reserve of chakra to tap into and a chakra converter seal which would give him equal access to elemental jutsu.

Sasuke was willing to throw hands with him for that one and the red head could understand where the raven was coming from but the seal would probably kill the kid.

It would essentially tap into your chakra coils and allow you to redesign your entire chakra system. That alone would put most veteran ninja in bed for a month and leave them in immense pain while their coils rebooted.

Naruto got off with three days and a slightly unbearable burn but he was not willing to put Sasuke in danger just so he could have access to every element, his Sharingan would aid him in learning as many Jutsu as he needed.

Learning just took patience that the Uchiha didn't have so it became an everyday argument until Kakashi stepped in and told Sasuke what's what.

"I can personally say with confidence that the Sharingan will allow you to use any jutsu that you copy, you just have to practice until it becomes natural. Don't get angry with your teammate because he wants to protect you from your own hubris, don't think yourself above death just because you can't look past your own desires." Twin Sharingan glared at him but nothing was said as the boy stomped away to deal with his emotions, only to return later with an apology.

Naruto gratefully accepted and promised to let Sasuke copy some of his elemental jutsu, they shook on it and left it at that.

Kakashi had informed them that they were to take part in the Chunin Exams in about a weeks time and to spend the next week training into the dirt, including Sakura. She wasn't allowed any medical time much to her chagrin. It was now the day before and Naruto found himself face to face with his old friend Gaara.

The boy was so small and he didn't know what was worse, the image of his Gaara with a mangled body and missing spine or the Gaara in front of him on the verge of insanity.

He decided that both were equally saddening in their own way but the former could be prevented so he didn't put any more thought into it. The sand genin pointed at him in a semi accusatory way.

I'm Gaara of the Sand, you...what is your name?" Apprehensive teal met indifferent violet.

"Naruto Uzumaki." The boy seemed to consider for a moment.

"Mother says she knows you...how?" Naruto tilted his head to the side in thought before answering with a shrug of his shoulders.

"I know her brother." Most of the genin present scratched their head in confusion but Gaara seemed to find solace in that answer.

"I'll be seeing you Naruto Uzumaki, we will fight soon." The red head waved at the retreating Suna nin.

"I'm sure we will Gaara." His team along with the academy students stared at him, prompting him to answer their silent question. Sakura stepped up looking annoyed when her teammate said nothing.

"What was that? Do you know him?" The red head rubbed his chin.

"Yes that's Gaara we just met, you were there." The group sweatdropped then Sasuke stepped up.

"Who's mother? And who's her brother?" Naruto squinted his eyes and looked towards the clouds as if they held the answer.

"Mother is his mom and I know her brother." They tried to tackle the boy but he danced around their attack then took off running through the streets, a group of angry genin and academy students hot on his heels.

Once he turned a corner and found they hadn't caught up he took the chance to escape permanently. As soon as they rounded the corner they caught a glimpse of a red flash then nothing, groaning in defeat the group split and went about their business.

The next time they saw Naruto was outside the Academy building where they would be taking their first exam.

Sakura and Sasuke glowered at him with a promise of interrogation when possible, not that he could blame them for being upset. The trio had gotten pretty close since becoming a genin team and for Naruto to blatantly deflect important questions was concerning to them.

Didn't mean he was going to spill his jinchuriki status on their request though. Someday soon he would take the time to explain it but they didn't need to worry about it right now, what they needed to do was focus on passing these exams.

"One of these days we'll sit down and talk about it but this is something really private about me that I don't like to talk about and am technically not supposed to. It's not that I don't trust you guys this just isn't the setting I wanted to discuss something so personal, ok?" Their eyes softened and both nodded in affirmation.

"All right let's get the first stage over with." They walked in step with eachother up the tower, past all the genin crowded around the disguised Izumo and Kotetsu, and stopped outside the exam room on the next floor where Kakashi raised a hand to greet them.

"Yo! As expected you guys made it past the unofficial first test." He ruffled their hair one after the other and gave them a genuine smile that pulled at the edges of his mask.

"I'm so proud of my cute little genin! Now get on in there kiddos and try to see underneath the underneath." With that tip the man vanished in a swirl of leaves. They all snorted and gave each other an exasperated look.

"Sensei can be so weird sometimes.." Naruto and Sasuke hummed in agreement before they all entered the exam room. A bunch of murderous glares greeted them and they ignored it in favor of making their way towards the middle row, taking seats next to each other.

Soon the rest of the Konoha 12 noisily made their entrance and balked at the hostile atmosphere, their gazes locked on Team 7 and they made their way towards the silent trio. Kiba greeted them first.

"Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura good to see you guys! We all weren't sure if you'd be here." They raised a brow in unison while Sasuke answered for them.

"And why would that be?" The Konoha ninja seemed to be taken aback by their collected expressions and dismissive attitude.

"Well you got Naruto on your team for one and we seen you guys doing only D ranks since you became genin. We've all done a few C ranks by now." The boy shrugged as if his answer made any sense, he had partially expected the red head to react to his jab but was disappointed and a little put off that he got no reaction at all.

Sakura answered this time in a hushed voice, a little defensive on behalf of her team.

"It's funny that you would insinuate that having Naruto on our team would hinder our capabilities when he got higher marks than you on the genin exam. Also our first C rank turned S rank and Hokage sama gave us D rank duty for not abandoning the mission." Kiba stood frozen as a blush crept up to his cheeks in embarrassment, the others became incredibly excited about the second half of that sentence.

A loud voice made its way through the crowd and a boy wearing a green spandex bodysuit with an eerily familiar bowl cut stood before them.

"Have you truly been on an S Rank mission?!" They nodded. "Amazing! Gai sensei said your team was youthful beyond compare but to survive an ANBU level threat is truly admirable!"

Had the boy not been shouting their business to the rest of the room Team 7 might have been flattered, as it was though they began to radiate malicious energy. Naruto chose to speak this time.

"It's very lovely to meet you Lee, and everyone else it's good to see you doing so well but this is not the place you want to be boasting our personal information at such a volume. There are prying ears all around and it would be best to keep your cards close to your chest." Before anyone could comment an older boy approached the group and spoke in a deceptively kind tone.

"Your friend is right, it wouldn't do well for you to speak too openly in this room. These ninja are all your competition and will use anything they can against you." The group looked thoughtful. Shikamaru gave the boy a measured look, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"And who would you be?" The mystery boy pushed up his glasses and smiled serenely.

"My name is Kabuto Yakushi, I've been a genin of the leaf for a few years now, this will be my 5th try at the exams." Kiba crinkled up his nose and laughed at the silver haired boy.

"You must be a trash shinobi then, why bother trying if you always fail?" Kabuto smiled abashedly, a sweat drop appearing on his brow.

"You might be right about that, but after competing so many times you pick up a lot of information." The boy held up a deck of cards, gaining the attention of a few in the room.

"These are ninja info cards, I have knowledge on every chunin hopeful in this room, though the amount of information varies person to person." Surprisingly Gaara spoke, even his siblings looked astounded that their brother cared enough to ask the foreign shinobi for information.

"What do you have on Naruto Uzumaki?" Kabuto pulled out the card he was looking for and began to read out loud.

"Naruto Uzumaki: Age 12, Strength stats-" he suddenly went silent and held a hand on his throat, face slowly turning a bright red.

"I don't think you want to be revealing that information, for your own safety." Slim fingers snatched the card away and tucked it in his pouch.

Gaara looked at him with a promise of death while Kabuto gulped on air. He was about to say something when the door opened to reveal a tall man wearing a trenchcoat and bandana. Once facing the genin they had a full view of the gnarly scars that adorned the mans hard features.

"If you aren't seated I suggest you find one now or get the hell out!" The genin scrambled to find a chair and waited silently for further instruction.

"My name is Ibiki Morino, head of T here in Konoha and I'll be the first proctor for this exam. We will start with a written test, it will be nine questions and the tenth will be withheld til later. If you get caught cheating three times your team will be disqualified, we have chunin placed around the room who will be watching your every move so don't try to pull anything funny. Are there any questions?" No one raised a hand or spoke up so the man continued.

"You have one hour...you may begin." The hour passed quickly with many teams being disqualified, Team 7 had no issues as Naruto provided all the answers Sakura couldn't.

Sasuke used his Sharingan to copy their answers and the trio had finished in about 10 minutes which left Ibiki feeling slightly impressed.

Well well Kakashi you may have a budding team of monsters on your hands.

A few more teams were disqualified and so came the final test. "Before we start the tenth question I would like to inform you all of an important condition. Should you choose to answer the question but get it wrong you will never be allowed to take the chunin exams again." He paused to let complaints circle around then continued.

"However if you would rather not take the question and leave now you will be allowed to take the exams next year, your team will be required to leave with you. Raise your hand and the chunin will document your withdrawal. You have ten minutes to make your choice." The man sat back with smug satisfaction as one by one teams began to leave the room, some kids sobbed and asked forgiveness from their teammates who wanted to stay and many decided to leave as a group.

Naruto sent Sasuke and Sakura a stern look that suggested them to have faith, they nodded back and the trio sat there having a stare down with Ibiki. The scarred man was trying not to burst out into a fit of cackles, these kids were so entertaining not to mention intelligent. He stared and they stared back, a deep fire burning in their eyes. The 10 minutes had passed quickly and a good dozen or so groups remained, Ibiki stood with a wide grin on his face.

"For those who were brave enough to stay I'd like to congratulate you on passing the first stage of your chunin exams you-" At that moment a woman flew through the window, landing in a flashy pose while a banner waved behind her that read 'The second stage: Forest of Death. Proctor? The sexy and beautiful Mitarashi Anko!' A few genin in the crowd had to cover their nosebleeds while Ibiki just looked tired and ashamed.

"You're early again Anko." She pouted but didn't let it get her down.

"Whatever follow me brats, if you aren't at the meeting point in 15 minutes you're disqualified!" Many made a rush for the doors while Team 7 and a few others dove out the window to follow Anko, leaving an amused Ibiki behind.

The Scrolls had been received, waivers signed and instructions given. Teams waited at their assigned gate and once they opened everyone rushed in with no hesitation, determined to retrieve their missing scroll and make it to the tower first.

Team 7 had no issue obtaining their needed scroll, a Kumo team offered theirs up after being beaten nearly to death by the ruthless genin. Naruto was making it his mission to avoid Orochimaru by leading them through a different path than last time, it likely wouldn't stop the snake but it wouldn't hurt to try.

They were nearing the edge of the forest when the boys hopes were dashed, Orochimaru appeared wearing his Kusa skin and started babbling about nonsense that the trio just didn't care to hear. Naruto signaled danger three times, conveying that this was a big threat. His team nodded and slid into their fighting stances, waiting for the "Kusa" nin to make his move, and he did.

He disappeared then popped up right behind the trio, grinning like an absolute lunatic while aiming a kick at Sasukes head. The raven ducked and slung his arms around the leg and used the momentum of the kick to swing up both legs into the nins face, then used said face as a springboard to launch himself away from harm.

Sakura sprinted towards the disguised Sannin and hopped over the punch aimed at her chest. She grabbed the mans hair and flipped him onto the ground, forcing his mask to tear. It was a sort of horrifying sight, more so than last time if the red head was being honest.

Most of the scalp was torn off, leaving a dark curtain of hair and frayed flesh hanging down the mans back. Skin still clung to the lower half of the mans face but sharp golden eyes with snakelike slits were boring into their souls, purple markings on display which must have triggered something in the minds of Narutos teammates.

"You're the rogue Sannin, mad scientist Orochimaru." Sakura spat on the ground like the mans name was poison in her mouth. A chilling laugh escaped the mans lips, sounding equal parts insane and joyful.

"Oh you're all so clever, come and entertain me some more." Sasuke blew a stream of fire towards the man who smirked and jumped to the side only to be thrown to the ground as it crumbled below him. He managed to kawarimi at the last second to avoid what would have been a devastating blow, the Uzumaki child and Uchiha had combined fire and wind attacks in an effective combination.

Orochimaru blasted off the branch he was perched on and opened his mouth, allowing Kusanagi to launch itself straight towards the pink haired girls back. A frown tugged at his features when the Uzumaki boy gripped the sword with one hand and shattered it a few seconds later. The man retreated and unsheathed kusanagi from himself to examine the blade, it was indeed shattered, chunks missing and cracked up to the hilt.

He turned his attention on the brat with red hair, now interested in what power he held. Maroon eyes with black markings not too dissimilar from his own stared back with fierce intensity, combined with the crimson outline of foxears and twitching tail made for a rather unsettling sight. The man gave the red head a calculating gaze.

"Boy how are you trained in the sage arts?" He got no answers only a crushing foot to the shin that he had to admit didn't feel too pleasant. Before he could defend or attack a kunai forced itself into his ribcage accompanied by a boot to the neck and slash at his Achilles heel. It took a lot of strength to push the genin away and shed his old skin, that one wasn't going to last him much longer.

Two of the genin were repulsed and he reveled in their disgust but that whiskered brat always seemed to disappoint him in the best ways. It looked as though he had seen this transformation a thousand times before though Orochimaru was sure he'd never met the child. The boy summoned 10 clones who vanished into the forest leaving the Sannin wondering what he was planning.

"Calling for help? Sad to say I don't think they'll have time to salvage your bodies once I have what I'm after." Sasuke then spoke without thinking.

"Anything you can give Naruto can give you double." Oh was that so? Guess he'd just have to find out for himself.

The two began a clash that echoed throughout the forest, alerting other teams to run for the hills while signaling the higher ups that something was amiss. The snake fought hard, he had no choice but to, the boy was giving as much as he was getting if not more.

Every punch Orochimaru dished out was returned with a kick to the stomach or jab to the sides, he slung jutsu at the boy to gauge his ability to react and counterattack and wasn't disappointed.

The boy was precise in his use of seals as well as incredibly creative, he had used jutsu from every element which shouldn't be possible at his age unless he had the rinnegan, which he didn't. Other than his seemingly vast knowledge of combat and jutsu the boy fought like a war veteran, like someone who had been running from death for many years.

His movements were fluid and graceful yet incredibly precise, his eyes were sharp and focused, never leaving their target or dropping his guard. The sannin had already gone through fifteen skins but he couldn't bring himself to feel any fear, only intense intrigue focused at the enigmatic boy who fought him so fiercely.

He is the body I've been looking for, should I mark him or will his allegiance to the village drive him further from me?

There is also the matter of taming the tailed beast within him but Orochimaru was never one to back down from a challenge.

It would drain me but I could mark them both, one is bound to succumb to the dark call of the curse.

Minutes passed while the Sannin was lost in thought before coming to his conclusion. It would be both he decided, though getting there would be hard. He fought with the boy for what felt like hours and Orochimaru had to admit he was having fun.

The Sannin was pushed to his limit and it was taking its toll on him, but the same could be said for the Uzumaki.

When the pink haired girl was separated from the team the Sannin made his move, neck stretching out and fangs bared he latched onto the red headed boys shoulder, feeling him shudder and cry out in pain.

The blood on his lips tasted powerful.

He cackled as the Uchiha recklessly threw himself at the mercy of a Sannin, blind to the consequences and so full of rage on behalf of his teammate. He had never expected the same mark to be placed on the opposite shoulder than his teammate, nor the excruciating pain that burned thorough his body and overwhelmed his mind to the point of unconsciousness.

Orochimaru stood back and admired his handy work, satisfied with the results he bid the devastated pink haired girl one last frightening grin and took his leave. One of them would come to him, he just needed to be patient and if he was lucky both would throw themselves at his feet.

The man moved swiftly through the forest, feeling content with the previous events and wasn't paying too much attention to his surroundings which turned out to be a mistake.

Pale features pinched in confusion when he was frozen mid stride, a large golden seal began to spread outwards from his foot and created a 10 foot wide circle. This was complicated sealing that would have taken years to create and Orochimaru grit his teeth in frustration which turned to genuine fear as he felt his chakra coils burn. They seemed to be shrinking, draining the little energy he had left from his limbs.

A sharp burning pain exploded in his gut and the man double over, a strangled cry spilling from his lips. The pain swirled around becoming more intense until it shrank, leaving a dull ache behind. His body felt heavy and sore, eyelids beginning to droop and before the man could take another step forward his legs gave out and he dropped into the grass.

As his vision began to darken a pair of footsteps came into view.

Team 7 was not having a good time.

Sasuke laid unconscious, Sakura was nursing her wounds while watching over Sasuke and Naruto was fighting exhaustion while berating himself for failing again. The only thing he found comfort in was that Orochimaru had fallen right into his trap and wouldn't be terrorizing anyone in the future.

His chakra was irreversibly locked and the man would never be able to use it again. No matter how many bodies he transfers into, no matter how many seals he tries to use, his status as a Sannin and shinobi is null and void.

Naruto thinks it's better than just outright killing him, stopping his plans dead in their tracks and preventing him from ever completing his goals is it's own kind of special torture. The man deserved every second of agony the rest of his life would be.

The red head couldn't remove their seals safely until they were at the tower and had time to recover. They still had days left so as long as they got there today there would be no issues. Naruto summoned Kambe and laid Sasuke over the foxes back.

"Why is it that every time I'm summoned this ningen is injured and asleep?" The boy had to suppress a chuckle at the foxes exasperation.

"Be nice Kambe he's been marked with a curse seal, it's incredibly taxing on the body. I'm barely staying awake myself, the pain is extraordinary." Red eyes zeroed in on the mark and a feral growl escaped the summons.

"That wretch never gives up does he?" Naruto shook his head in answer and the group dashed through the trees, making their way to the tower as fast as possible.

Once there Naruto had one of the ANBU guards deliver his report to the Hokage and Team 7 settled into their room to begin the sealing. Naruto had to control his breathing and intensely concentrate on drawing the seal over the curse mark, the pain in his shoulder was impossibly distracting.

It took over two hours to remove the mark when glowing lines blinded the two conscious genin before settling into pale flesh. The curse mark below was barely noticeable beneath the bright white lines of the fresh seal. Naruto felt the drain on his chakra immediately and had to stay awake out of sheer will power.

A few minutes passed and the raven bolted up, lips parted in a silent scream and Sharingan blazing. He locked eyes with his teammates and relaxed, feeling his shoulder where the curse mark was replaced by an intricate seal who's lines were imbedded into the tender skin. He looked at his teammate.

"You removed it?" The red head nodded, voice quiet and scratchy.

"It would have poisoned your mind and body, I couldn't leave you like that." The raven seemed lost for a moment before voicing his thoughts.

"While I was asleep I saw Orochimaru, he was talking to me. Telling me he could offer me the power to defeat Itachi. I told him I didn't want his help and he told me I would soon enough, that he was the only one who could give the power I needed." Naruto and Sakura held the boys hands comfortingly.

"He's a liar, he would have taught you a lot but at a price. He would have corrupted you, taught you everything then stolen your body. He doesn't want to help you, he just sees you as a tool to help himself reach his goals." The Uchiha stared at the ground before meeting his teammates soft gaze.

"How do you know that? How do you know any of the things you've taught us? I've tried to make sense of it but I can't and I can't trust you if you don't tell us." Black and green bore into violet and the red head found himself squirming. What should he tell them? Not the truth that's for sure. They waited patiently for his answer, knowing they had plenty of time to talk it out.

"You know how the village was attacked 12 years ago by the Kyuubi?" They nodded in confusion.

"No one could defeat it, it's not dead. They had to seal it inside a baby and that baby was me...that's why the village hates me, that's why I've been alone. A few years ago I met the fox and we bonded through anger and loneliness, he taught me a lot. Helped me unlock my chakra and practice control, guided me through meditation to achieve sage mode after letting me sign the fox contract. He gave me everything I've learned up until now as well as the books I studied in the library, I couldn't tell you any of this because it's a confidential village secret. No one is supposed to talk about it and you certainly can't tell anyone else. I only assumed Orochimarus intentions because I know sealing and that seal is dangerous. Based on who he is as a person and his past actions it only makes sense that he would try to use us. Anyone who attacks genin like that isn't to be trusted."

They were wide eyed and awed, equal parts shocked at the news and angry at the village for treating their friend like a demon for something he couldn't control, as well as making his life miserable all those years. He didn't deserve that. Their expressions turned solemn and they gathered their teammate into a tight hug.

"We're so sorry Naruto, it must have been so lonely and we treated you like a joke." Sakuras eyes watered as she spoke, Sasuke felt the broken part of him call out to the other boy.

"We're not going to abandon you. Thank you for telling us." Naruto melted into their embrace and felt so relieved at their acceptance.

Things were already changing for the better and his team was proof of that, they hadn't developed a bond like this til the war and by then it was too late. He would make sure they were prepared for the trials to come.

The next couple days went by quickly with Team 7 training in their room and conversing in depth about each other. It was surprising to Sasuke and Sakura how much they actually had in common, on the surface they all seemed so different, almost too different.

In reality they were all kind, intelligent, driven shinobi with a love for cooking, plants, reading and a heavy dislike for ignorance. They agreed that knowledge was a shinobis best skill and ignorance was their greatest weakness. No amount of skill could beat your opponent if they already knew everything you were capable of.

Once Narutos chakra was replenished he removed the curse mark on his shoulder and joked with Sasuke about how they had matching tattoos, to which the boy responded with a blush and a "shut up dobe".

They went into the semi finals feeling secure within themselves and their team, no hesitation nor doubt. The matches had gone about the same as they had in Narutos timeline except when Sakura dominated the match between her and Ino.

Interestingly enough Kabuto hadn't shown up, the boy seemingly vanished leaving his teammates behind who were graciously allowed to continue to the preliminaries, only to be defeated after the first match. The final matchups were announced and everyone was congratulated before being informed that the finals would take place at the arena in one month and to spend that time preparing.

Kakashi and his genin disappeared right after the Hokages speech, making their way to their training ground they discussed their fights and their opponents for next month, determined to rise ranks as a group.

Two weeks later Sasuke was in the middle of training with Kakashi, Sakura with ANBU captain Neko and Naruto with Jiraiaya.

At first the red head had been nervous about seeing the man, after all Jiraiaya had been the first of his precious people to die. He was worried that he'd break down upon seeing the man and arouse suspicion. Everything turned out just fine though as Naruto had found the man in the same place as last time and giggled at the familiar sight.

This time around he knocked him over the head, causing him to fall over and glare at the boy. He then jumped to his feet and pointed at the red head in accusation.

"You got some balls to assault the Great Tode Sage Jiraiaya, you're lucky I don't report you to your Hokage Gaki!" He received a blank look and dismissive snort in return.

"You got some balls spying on unsuspecting women Ero-Sennin, you're lucky I don't throw you over the wall." The two stared each other down, neither backing off until Jiraiaya actually analyzed the kids features.

"Naruto?" Whiskered cheeks stretched to reveal a fanged smile.

"At your service Jiraiaya of the Sannin." The older man let out a bark of laughter, crossing his arms and gazing at his god son in amusement.

"You've grown kid, you make it to the finals?" Naruto mirrored his pose and nodded. "You bet I did old man and I'm gonna win too." Jiraiaya huffed at the insult but laid his arm over the red heads shoulders and began to walk down the street.

"You know if you need some training before the competition I'll take you on a little trip, teach you something new to astound them with. I've left my god son alone too long, I want to see what kind of man you've grown to be." The boy smiled knowingly and agreed, they left a few hours later.

With a month now passed Team 7 met up the day before the finals to catch up and have some lunch at Yakiniku Q.

The atmosphere was lighthearted and they enjoyed seeing each other after what felt like ages, comparing their growth and boasting about their individual training. All three argued about who had the best sensei and in the end they had to put the conversation to rest, none of them would back down.

They finished their lunch and went to spar for the rest of the day after visiting Rock Lee in the hospital, the boy was recovering well and seemed overjoyed to have company. The trio brought him some food from the restaurant and stayed to watch a few movies with the energetic genin.

He looked torn between tears and excitement which made everyone a little emotional as they could imagine how awful it would feel to be told recovery might not be possible. Especially for someone who was so passionate about being a shinobi. Yet his team was patient and kind and Naruto once again found himself in awe at the growing differences between this time and his original timeline.

With every day that passed he had more faith in this future and less apprehension about the events to come. He believed wholeheartedly that he could change things for the better and save everyone with help from the Konoha 12. They wouldn't fail this time.

The trio walked into the arena with confidence and seated themselves amongst the other genin, wishing their fellow Konoha shinobi good luck. Most noted the absence of any Suna nin, besides the competing genin and their sensei, as well as the Kazekage who was rumored to have come to watch the matches.

I wonder what the status of the invasion is, only time will tell I suppose.

Naruto launched from his seat and did a flying somersault through the air, landing lightly on the dirt below when his name was called. Neji made his way down the stairs and stood to face his opponent. Hayate, still alive and breathing, greeted the pair and stated the rules before jumping back to let them begin.

Neji seemed to be waiting for him to make the first move but Naruto just stood, hands in pockets, a defiant look in his violet eyes. The Hyuga sprinted towards his adversary and sent a series of jabs aimed to block the others tenketsu points, each of them was knocked out of the way as the Uzumaki deflected the attacks.

They continued back and forth for a few minutes before Naruto jumped back and flashed through hand signs that summoned a large ball of air, entrapping the brunette and creating a suction around the boy that didn't allow any oxygen through. His struggle was visible and a minute had passed when Neji found himself slipping through the air, dropping to a knee as the weight of the fall jolted through his legs.

The boy desperately gulped air while barely managing to block the incoming punch and following kick but sadly couldn't keep up with the others speed. His only saving grace was managing to block a few tenketsu points along the way.

The red head appeared behind the brunette and swiped the back of his knees causing him to fall backwards, right into a forceful kick that reverberated through his entire body. It knocked the air right out of him and threw his body across the arena.

The Hyuga was barely able to catch his breath when he had to roll out of the way to a avoid a boot to the nose, putting distance between him and his opponent once managing to get to his feet. 10 clones appeared around the arena yet stayed put, allowing the original to resume combat and effectively distract the brunette.

Neji put up a good fight Naruto would give him that, but there was no way he would be winning this match. He should have thought before beating the snot out of his cousin and projecting his trauma onto her.

Deflecting the barrage of attacks was all Neji could manage and without even realizing had backed himself into a trap. A golden seal spread out underneath him, locking him in place before winding up his limbs and wrapping around his body like a chain, leaving only his legs free.

His mind hadn't even come up with a countermeasure when his head was smashed into the ground, fingers closing around his neck, violet eyes staring through his soul. A ball made of pure chakra swirled violently a foot away from his face. A velvety voice made its way to his ears through the shock.

"Do you give up?" Nejis pride didn't want to let him but he had no other option unless he wanted his skull to be obliterated.

"I do." The boy looked away in defeat, shame burning his cheeks.

Narutos cold demeanor did a 180 and the seal disappeared, a hand appeared in the boys vision and he took it gratefully. Hot breath tickled his ear and a low voice spoke words he never thought he'd hear.

"Come visit me after the finals and I'll remove your caged bird seal, all you have to do is apologize to Hinata." Neji could only blink in astonishment, barely managing to nod in answer. The crowd roared in approval and excitement which only grew at the announcement of the fight between Temari and Sakura.

Taking a page from her teammates book she gracefully dropped from the edge of the arena and cracked the ground with her landing. Temari floated down lazily on her fan and turned her nose up at Sakura, like she was an ant beneath her shoe. The pinkette cracked her fingers and joints while emitting a low, dangerous laugh that promised destruction.

Naruto and Sasuke felt a shiver run down their backs, they had been on the receiving end of that laugh more than a few times, none of which ended without injury.

"This should be good, Sakura needs an outlet for her anger issues that isn't us." Sasuke hn'd in agreement and his pale lips pulled into a smile, anticipating the slaughter to come.

Hayate started the match and jumped back just in time to avoid a pink blur that surely would have trampled over him. Temari used her fan to send multiple wind blades towards the girl who smirked and dropped backwards onto the ground, effectively avoiding them all.

She rushed towards the blond who instinctively blocked what she thought would be a punch to the chest, only to be blasted into the wall. Her head swam with pain but she focused on where she had been moments ago, mouth dropping at the wide crater the Konoha girl had created.

Temari decided she would keep her distance and floated towards the other side of the arena, sending a flurry of wind jutsu once she landed. Green eyes narrowed as she calculated the reach of the jutsu and twisted midair around the attacks that would have torn her to shreads. The crowd ooh'd and Sakura blushed at the sound of her teammates cheering her on. She clenched her fists and nodded towards them, a determined grin twisting her features.

Temari sent a jutsu to push the girl away but watched as a lithe body launched into the sky and landed right in front of her. She used her fan to block the incoming punch but was thrown into the wall yet again when the fist went right through and connected with her gut.

The blond gagged on her own blood and removed herself from the cracked stone, folding up her fan and preparing for the onslaught of limbs. She slid away from the kick aimed at her solar plexus and swung the fan into the other girls stomach, sending her flying away. Sadly the girl righted herself midair and landed silently in the dirt, a feral glint in her eye.

One second she was standing still, the next she was mere feet away, then the ground exploded and a large rock smashed into Temaris face before she could even fully register the situation. Pain bloomed in her side and the Suna girl found herself soaring through the air once again, landing hard on the ground and taking a moment too long to get her bearings.

She was lifted by her shirt and thrown towards the middle of the arena where a boot was placed on her back with just enough pressure to keep her down. Sakura dropped to the ground to straddle the other girl, slipping muscled arms under the blondes armpits and hands joining together behind her neck. Temari flailed wildly and grunted at the strain on her body, not wanting to give up but coming to the conclusion she had lost.

"I give up now get off me you little bitch!" The weight disappeared and the blonde breathed heavily, wincing at the numerous injuries. She slapped away the hand that was offered and stormed out of the arena, ignoring the boos she received and the cheers aimed at her opponent.

Sakura raised her fists triumphantly, eliciting more noise from the crowd and began walking up the wall to greet her ecstatic teammates who gathered her into a hug and patted her on the back.

"Sheesh you're scary Sakura remind me to never get on your bad side, I'd hate to become the next victim of those fists." She smiled a little too sweetly at the intended compliment which set Naruto on edge.

"You did good Sakura I'm proud to call you my teammate." She patted Sasuke on the head in thanks and sprawled out on the bench, letting out a long sigh and taking a swig from her water bottle.

"You better whoop that kids ass Sasuke, don't make our team look bad." The raven and red head exchanged looks at her bold words and brazen tone, where had their sweet Sakura-chan gone?

Naruto shook up with the Uchiha and gave him a reassuring smile once the boys name was called. Sasuke strolled down the wall, looking bored yet excited at the same time and met cool teal eyes. When Hayate called the fight sand began to fly in long tendrils towards the Uchiha who jumped up and directed chakra to his feet.

He pulled out two chakra conductive kunai and ran along the length of twisting sand while channeling lighting into the blades. As expected the sand came up to block the blow but it was momentarily frozen by electricity which began to crack the exterior.

Sasuke glimpsed a shocked look before pale features were engulfed in sand.

Gaara was not afraid of this shinobi, he had killed many who were more experienced but something about this one was off. He couldn't place it but mother was shrieking in his mind, demanding blood and fueling his desire to kill. Chakra hummed through the air as the sand dome shook and slowly began to crack, it glowed briefly before falling apart completely.

The Konoha nin slashed at him with fire blazing in one hand and lightning sparking in the other. Every cut sent a jolt of pain through him and severed another thread that held his sanity together. He managed to block some of the blows with his sand but too many hit their mark and suddenly Gaara felt very small.

The Ichibi loomed over him, laughing maniacally and sending a bolt of fear up his spine. The last thing he saw before everything went dark was his hands coated in blood and a searing pain ravaging his body.

This time around there was no explosion in the Kage box, no Orochimaru, no genjutsu and no attack of the Sand Village. This time it was just Gaara losing his shit and unleashing a tailed beast on the poor, unsuspecting Konoha residents.

Naruto immediately flashed down and removed Sasuke from the splatter zone and instructed his team to escort everyone to safety. Kakashi gripped his arm tightly, a pained look in his eyes which the red head softened at.

"Trust me Kakashi-sensei, you need to protect Jiji and the civilians from harm. Let me stop this before someone dies." The man reluctantly let go and furrowed his brow in frustration.

"Protect your village, protect your Kage, but I swear to Kami if you don't survive this I'll resurrect you myself just to chew you out. Go." The jounin disappeared leaving the red head to his own devices.

He flashed onto Shukakus head and transported them into the forest a mile away, immediately feeling the drain on his chakra. It was more than what was expected but he did just teleport an entire tailed beast.

Pulling a sealing brush from his sleeve he rapidly began the process of drawing a tailed beast chakra suppression seal. Elegant loops and strokes combining into a large pattern that spiraled outwards into jagged spikes. The brush disappeared and tan hands were placed over the seal, pumping dangerous amounts of chakra into the markings until it glowed a blinding purple.

A shockwave abruptly tore through the trees and shook the buildings nearby and Naruto felt the form beneath him begin to shrink.

Piles of sand littered the grass and on top laid the frail body of the Ichibi Jinchuriki, dazed and slowly coming to consciousness. He didn't flounder about or try to escape he simply stared into a deep purple abyss with an unreadable emotion clouding his teal eyes. Neither spoke for a while, simply enjoying the silence and light breeze that swept through the area. A single tear trailed down the shorter boys cheek.

"I'm tired Naruto Uzumaki, so very tired." His companion hummed in agreement before laying down in the sand.

"Me too Gaara, I've thought of giving up many times but I get up everyday and live for my precious people." The Suna nin seemed perplexed by the idea of anyone being worth living for.

"I...don't know what that feels like. No one has ever shown me love or kindness without a price. I..." Cutting himself off he pursed his lips in thought while Naruto waited, a patient smile gracing his features. "I don't think I know what love feels like. But I wish more than anything that someone had taken the time to know me and care for me the way your friends do, I feel so lost." More tears came and the boys breathing stuttered, chest heaving with emotion.

Gaara felt like a flood gate had opened and all his pain, loneliness, fear and yearning had returned full force. Strong arms cradled his body and rocked him slowly, a warm blanket of chakra wrapping around him and seeping deep into his bones.

For the first time in a long time he felt safe, safe to cry, safe to feel, safe from the cruel world that did nothing but scorn him. Deft fingers carded through his hair and traced slow patterns into his skin, easing all of the mental agony that reaped his fragile mind.

"I understand exactly how you feel, I was alone for a long time, much longer than I could explain. I lost everyone I loved just as things had started to come together and now I'm trying to pick up the broken pieces." Gaara stilled beneath him and broke the hold to make eye contact. His lip trembled, expression uncharacteristically vulnerable.

"We are destined as jinchuriki to be hated by our villages but despite that you still found love. How can I forge bonds like what you have?" A warm hand squeezed his fingers and a blinding smile caused Gaaras heart to leap.

"You already have those bonds, you just need to nurture them and show trust and kindness. Your siblings love you they're just afraid of your unpredictability. Shukaku has always been a stubborn, loud mouthed brat with no common sense, I can tweak your seal and reinforce the barrier between you two. At some point you will have to work in harmony and become partners in a sense but right now you need to heal and he will only drag you farther down." Relief washed over the smaller boy and his features relaxed as an invisible weight was lifted from him.

A genuine smile graced dainty features and formerly tense shoulders softened in repose. "I would like that very much, I've been craving a good nights sleep for so many years."

Naruto agreed to perform the sealing tomorrow so there was plenty of time replenish his chakra and the two walked hand in hand towards the village. Both of their teams seemed wonderstruck at seeing the pair so close and joyful compared to an hour ago.

Luckily the damage was minimal, the trees surrounding the area took the brunt of the beating. Kakashi and Baki traded slightly amused yet exasperated looks and guided their students towards the Hokages office where the situation could be discussed further.

"You want to release the Ichibi and contain him with a new seal?"

"Hai Hokage sama." The Hokages wrinkles seemed to deepen and he rubbed his forehead in stress, taking an impossibly long drag from him pipe.

"You realize how dangerous this is to yourself, his body and the village?" Violet eyes never strayed from their target.

"Hai Hokage sama." The old Kage deflated in his chair.

"You might as well go get Tsunade now, at this rate your antics are going to give me a heart attack. I could only be so lucky to be reprieved of this burdensome job." Most of the shinobi present choked on a gasp at the Hokages loose tongue, they'd rarely seen the man acting so informal. His calm and collected mask shattered to pieces leaving a tired, moody grandpa in its absence. Naruto giggled at the mans dramatics.

"Oh you are so theatrical Jiji, have faith in your future successor!" His giggle turned into a cackle as a paperweight was chucked at his head.

"Fine, do what you want just don't act like a fool and get us all killed! Now get the hell out before I have a stroke." Silence filled the now empty room and Hiruzen was tempted to bash his head on the desk to calm the sea of thought and worry that threatened to drag him beneath its depths.

Of course he had faith in Naruto but the habitual spontaneity and the boys penchant for throwing caution to the wind was slightly maddening. The older man felt like he was five steps behind every move that was made and was merely along for the ride, at this point Naruto might as well be the Hokage since he seemed to be the only one equipped to handle the villages future.

Hiruzen scratched his beard, considering the possibilities of that notion, before letting out a dismissive snort.

No one would allow it even if he did have my approval and support, his time will come.

Within the next week Nejis caged bird seal was removed after Hinata received a genuine apology, the Ichibi was resealed using a version similar to Narutos own seal and the finals were completed.

All three team members of Team 7 were promoted as well as Shikamaru, Kankuro and Shino who all showed intellect, skill and composure during the heat of battle.

Rock Lee was finally able to leave the hospital and could be seen speedily wheeling around the village, followed by a large green blur, in an attempt rebuild the lost muscle in his arms.

The Suna nin had just left when Naruto was summoned to the Hokages office, he barreled through the window and rolled all the way over to the front of the desk where he rose and stood at attention.

"You summoned me Jiji?" The old man dipped his head while taking a puff from the lit pipe, he then gestured towards the other visible occupant in the room.

"Heya Ero Sennin, what's going on old man?" He asked innocently as if he wasn't vibrating from the excitement of seeing Tsunade again. Hiruzen gave the boy an amused look before answering.

"Well as you know I'll be wanting to retire soon so I figured now would be as good a time as any to have you retrieve Tsunade." Jiraiaya watched the two converse with a curious expression before giving Hiruzen a pointed look.

"Why is Naruto privy to the actions of the Hokage in the first place? Shouldn't things like this be discussed with Shikaku, the council or even myself first?" The elder gestured for the red head to answer, enjoying seeing the boy scramble for an excuse. He received a scathing glare in return and watched as the boy fell silent, as if considering what to reveal.

"Should I just tell him Kurama?" The foxes ear twitched in annoyance at the situation, eventually they would've had to disclose their information to someone besides the Hokage but they'd hoped it wouldn't be so soon. At least until Tsunade was inducted.

"I don't think you have a choice Kit, your godfather excels in information gathering. It wouldn't have taken him long to find out once he noticed something was off, that is if he hasn't noticed while you were training." Naruto sighed heavily and mentally prepared for any kind of reaction from the Toad Sage.

He walked over and locked hands with Jiraiaya, watching as his eyes turned foggy and facial features smooth out. A few minutes later the man jerked away as if he'd been burned and stared at his god son in horror.

Grief, anger, despair, shame, fear and a myriad other emotions flashed across his face before settling on sadness. He wordlessly gathered the boy into a hug and nearly broke down when it was tightly returned.

"I've missed you so much Ero Sennin." Now he did break down.

The weight of those memories almost made him gag and the thought of them belonging to his young god son was unbearable. At the same time it made so much sense as to why the boy was far above his peers in the ninja arts, as well as the hardened look in his eyes and guarded body language. He pulled away and wiped the wetness from his cheeks, giving the red head a weak smile.

"Well I'm glad you're here now, together we can set plans in motion to prevent your past from becoming our future. Your parents would be so proud of you." Violet eyes watered heavily and the boy had to dab at them to avoid having a mental breakdown right then and there.

"I know, I miss them. When I first came back I couldn't even look at myself because all I saw was mom." The two elders frowned, their hearts reaching out to the boy. Jiraiaya ruffled the loose red strands in affection.

"That's a good thing, she's a beautiful woman and you should be proud to have such strong Uzumaki features. You're a perfect combination of both Minato and Kushina, the living embodiment of their legacy." Naruto blushed and the corners of his mouth turned up, he supposed his god father was right though he hadn't ever looked at it like that before.

"Thanks Ero Sennin...I'll do my best to honor them and fulfill their requests in this lifetime. I hope they're watching over us." The Hokage chuckled warmly.

"I have a feeling they are." The red head nodded and returned to the situation at hand.

"So the mission is to retrieve Tsunade, what's the time limit?" The old Kage passed the boy a mission scroll with all the details and said one last thing before dismissing the duo.

"If possible I'd like you to check up on Orochimaru and see what he's planning in the shadows. He may not have access to his chakra but I wouldn't put it past him to try and find a loophole, he's never been one to roll over and give up that easy." His tone was serious and the two shinobi faced him with resolve, ready to protect and serve their village by any means necessary.

Naruto packed for the mission and sought out his teammates and sensei to inform them of his departure. The two chunin wished him good luck and warned him to be safe while his sensei seemed lost in his own mind.

The red head poked him in the chest, drawing his attention, and frowned at the unreadable look in the mans eyes. It looked like he was torn between worry, indifference and anger but with Kakashi it was hard to tell. Especially this one.

"You okay sensei?" A gloved hand patted his head and moved down to rest on his shoulder, eyes curved up into an eye smile though it looked incredibly fake.

"Don't worry about me Naruto, take care of yourself and try not to get into any unnecessary trouble while you're away. I'll treat you to Ichirakus when you return." The boy narrowed his eyes and pouted a bit at the deflective answer, why couldn't Kakashi ever just say what's going on in his head?

Then again he wouldn't be Kakashi if he wore his heart on his sleeve. Without even thinking he reached up to caress the mans cheek, tenderly tracing the edge of the mask, eyes filled with longing. Soon after his mind caught up with his actions and he flinched away, ignoring the wide eyed expression on his Senseis face.

He bid his team one last farewell and bolted for the gate, leaving an even more confused Kakashi behind.

Naruto and Jiraiya had found Tsunade in the same place as last time, drinking her memories away in a crowded bar. Her and Shizune were conversing quietly at the table and hadn't noticed either of the Shinobi approaching them until they slid into the booth.

Tsunade scowled at the small red headed boy at her side which turned to fury once she locked eyes with Jiraiaya.

"If you're here to bring me back to the village the answer is no, take the kid and get the hell out." The toad sage snorted in disgust.

"That kid is the legacy of the fourth Hokage and the only reason he's here is because he's too young to replace Sensei right now." Brown eyes blinked in surprise then sparkled in hilarity, her pigtails swayed as she threw her head back in laughter. Downing her shot and hissing at the burn she turned her attention on the boy.

"So this bean sprout is Minatos son? I'm sure he's strong for a genin but I guarantee he's far from Hokage material." Instead of taking the bait Naruto poured himself a shot and knocked it back, looking at her impassively.

"Would you bet on that?" Interest piqued she leaned towards the boy, a devilish glint in her eyes.

"What are the terms?" He smiled serenely at her, betraying none of his thoughts.

"One on one combat, all techniques allowed, winner by knockout or surrender. If I win you come to Konoha and take over as Hokage, if you win I'll do anything you want no limits." The Sannin grinned and poured them both a shot, handing one to him they clinked glasses and reveled in the fire that clawed at their throats. Tsunade wiped her lips and held out her hand to the boy.

"You got yourself a deal gaki."

Naruto should've expected Tsunade to be late, no doubt she spent most of the night getting hammered and was sporting a massive hangover right now. That didn't quell his impatience with the woman though.

He and Jiraiaya sat in meditative poses in the open field, collecting nature energy and calming their bodies for the fight to come. Jiraiaya wouldn't be fighting, hopefully, but the red head had a feeling a certain snake was slinking around the area. Possibly having made contact with the slug Sannin already.

Their ears honed in on the muffled sound of two sets of footsteps carding through the grass. Tsunades chakra was teeming with arrogance while Shizunes was distressed, no doubt concerned about the outcome of the battle.

The pairs met up in the center of the field, Shizune and Jiraiaya stepped to the side while Naruto and Tsunade jumped back to prepare. They dropped into their stances and waited for a signal to start, a few seconds later a strong wind swept through the field and they vanished.

The Sannin had to admit very early on that this boy was extraordinarily powerful. His blows felt like a ton of rocks to the chest, his jutsu seemed to be of his own making as well as the multitude of seals that assaulted her at every turn.

Her body ached from the strain and various injuries peppered her body from head to toe, the boy wasn't without injury but he certainly wasn't slowing down. If anything his speed and precision only increased with every hit he received. Suddenly she regretted drinking so much the night before and sleeping so little. Her cockiness had come back to bite her in the ass.

Stars exploded across her vision as a sharp pain encased her skull, throwing off her balance. Closing her eyes and feeling the energy shift around the area she leaned back to avoid a boot that would've rattled her ribcage and grasped the leg.

Holding her opponent in place she swung her own leg upwards and to the side, connecting with the boys jaw. A grunt was all that was heard and the boys energy disappeared completely. Sensing nothing brown eyes snapped open and scanned the clearing, the only people there were a smirking Jiraiaya and stunned Shizune.

She felt pain twist in her gut and heard the air rushing past as she was blown backwards, body skidding to a stop in the grass. Out of instinct she rolled to the side and managed to avoid what could've been the blow that knocked her out. Sadly the effort was futile.

Her body locked up and limbs refused to obey her commands, the more she struggled the less control she had. The red headed boy appeared out of nowhere and stared down at her with that same eerily tranquil expression.

"Will you surrender and come to Konoha with us Tsunade sama?" She glowered at him with flaming honey eyes and used the last of her control to spit in his face. Two gasps were heard to the side but she didn't look away, just stared into an endless violet sea.

He dabbed away the saliva with one of his long sleeves and pulled a brush from the other. Cool ink was brushed across her chest, forehead, stomach and both feet. Tsunade began feel dread claw its way through her chest, it bubbled in the back of her throat and she had to suppress the urge to scream and squirm.

"You're going to experience a lot of pain and it won't stop until you surrender." Her heart sped up.

"Why don't you just knock me out?!" He seemed to consider for a moment before answering.

"I could do that, but I want you to admit defeat. To be a Kage you need to acknowledge your faults and accept when you've made an irreparable mistake. You need to let your pride go. All I need is for you to surrender and we can avoid this whole situation." Her face burned with anger and embarrassment.

"I don't want to be a Kage! I don't want to go back to that pathetic village, all I would do is tear it down and bring more suffering to those people!" The boy peered down at her curiously, agitation slightly creasing his brow.

"I think you're just scared. You'd be a great Hokage but you're selfish and need to stop putting your problems first and accept reality for what it is. You can't change the past but you can create a better future for yourself and those around you. All you need is a little courage and a helping hand." Tsunade felt those words penetrate deep into her soul, forcing her to confront all the heartbreak, loneliness, sorrow and anger that ate at her psyche day after day.

She fought against the hot tears that burnt her eyes and lost, allowing them to spill over. She released all the emotions that had been suffocating her and cried for every loss that tore another piece from her fractured mind.

The sannin hadn't even noticed the restraints on her body loosen until warm hands grasped hers and lifted her into a sitting position. Kind violet met soft brown and Tsunade felt a ginormous weight lift from her shoulders.

The red head tentatively pulled her into a hug and she melted, not knowing how much she needed it until now. This brat really had a way of worming his way into your heart.

"I'll come with you." Her voice was rough but the sincerity was unmistakable.

"I'm glad, I didn't want to have to force you into coming. The village needs you right now and even if I could I wouldn't take the hat, I have a lot that needs to be done until then." The blonde ignored the subject for now, if she was to be Hokage then he'd have to divulge the information at some point.

He pulled a seal from the sleeves of his shirt and silently asked for permission to place it on her abdomen, skeptically she complied. Once activated chakra funneled into her coils and the injuries disappeared without a trace as though they'd never been there. The Sannin noted that her body felt better than it had in years, movement was less stiff, skin more supple and hydrated and her mind felt sharp.

"It's what I call a recovery seal. It takes nature energy and converts it into normal chakra to replenish your spent coils and creates a sort of super vitamin that gives your body a huge boost. Like a soldier pill but without the inevitable crash." Her eyes widened at the possibilities something like that could be used for.

"My first order of business as Hokage will be to implement that in every hospital and emergency pack of all registered Konoha shinobi. That's genius gaki." He grinned bashfully while scratching the back of his head while she smiled fondly, already becoming attached to the boy.

Please let this one live, if anyone deserves this it's him.

She removed her grandfathers necklace and clasped it around the blushing boys neck.

"That's my grandfathers, the first Hokage. Take care of it kid." Ruffling his wild crimson hair and looping her arm in his they walked towards the flabbergasted pair watching on the sidelines.

"Let's grab some food and get the hell out of here."

The atmosphere at the table was warm and the conversation flowed easily until Jiraiaya decided to voice his thoughts.

"Did Orochimaru happen to speak with you anytime recently?" Tsunade gave them a quizzical look, taking a long gulp of beer.

"That he did, came through about a week ago whining about having his chakra blocked by a genin." She raised a single eyebrow and looked pointedly at Naruto who smirked.

"What was I do Tsunade sama? He attacked me and my poor defenseless genin team I couldn't just let him get away with it." The blondes eyes sparkled in amusement and she shook her head, huffing out a laugh.

"Sure gaki, anyway he pleaded for my help and offered some very offensive things in reward. As it was though I couldn't help him even if I wanted to, I'm a healer not a sealer." Naruto snorted and chugged the rest of his beer, the pair on the side listened intently at his next words.

"He'll never find anyone who can remove that seal, there isn't a single seal master alive who can decipher it and create a counter seal, except me. No offense Ero-Sennin." The older man chuckled and waved away the comment.

"None taken I'm good but not that good." The group fell silent and Naruto took a moment think up his next question.

"Did he happen to mention where he would go next?" Tsunades brow creased in thought. "Not anywhere in particular, I told him no medic would be able to remove it so I assume he's either going to search for a seal master or study seals himself." The red head giggled into his sleeve at the idea and dropped his voice just above a whisper.

"Even if he managed to make a counter seal no one can bypass the identification barrier. It's infused with a mix of my chakra and nature energy and will only release on my command." He sat back with a smug look dancing across his features, surveying the impressed looks from his companions. Jiraiaya burst out laughing while slapping a hand on the table.

"Serves the bastard right for all the twisted shit he put the village through, he deserves more than what you've given him." The trio silently agreed, Orochimaru got off easy. They finished their meals and few more beers before hitting the road, Naruto having footed the bill as an inauguration gift for his future Hokage.

A stranger watched their departure from the shadows, a sour expression tainting their features. He payed his tab and slipped out the door, disappearing into the bustling crowd.

This definitely complicates things.

The group were all greeted warmly once arriving at the village and within the next month Tsunade had become the Godaime Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. In that month Naruto revealed his past to her, earning yet another hug and teary eyed look.

He sent clones every day to train with the rest of the Konoha 12, instructing them in techniques he thought would suit them as well as guiding them towards the direction they went in his time. The four teams and their senseis would meet up to have group training and individual spars, quickly catching up to their former selves in terms of raw power, and eat together afterwards enjoying each others company until late into the night.

It made Narutos heart swell to see all of them so close already, they were an unstoppable force when working together and a loving family off the battlefield. He was so proud of each and every one of them and it broke his heart to see their wilted faces when he informed that he would be away on a four year training trip, alone. His team jumped on him immediately, sensei included.

"Naruto you can't just travel and train alone, why isn't Jiraiaya going with you? What if something happens?!" Sasukes voice was rough and frustrated, hands moving about frantically. Sakura glared at him, arms crossed disapprovingly yet remained silent. Which was arguably worse than her yelling.

"I'm meeting with a sensei along my journey, I also have a very important mission to carry out on behalf of the Village. Try not to worry too much you all need to focus on honing your skills and gaining experience." The rest of the teams and their jounin senseis traded concerned glances, clearly upset at the news.

Kakashis eye twitched and he disappeared in a swirl of leaves, reappearing in the Hokages office a second later. Slamming his hands on the desk he glowered at the blonde Kage, radiating hostility.

"You approved Naruto to go on a four year trip by himself?! What the fuck is wrong with you? He's 12 years old Tsunade he's not ready to travel the world by himself, what if he gets captured?! What if he gets killed in the middle of nowhere and we never get to see him again?! What if-" The ancient wood cracked, a loud snap echoing around the empty room while blazing brown eyes burned holes into the jounins charcoal one.

"Stand down Hatake, you forget your place!" Her voice was loud enough to rattle his eardrums and send goosebumps across the pale skin of his arms. Kakashis eye widened and he let out a shaky breath, removed his hands and bowed to his Kage. She sat down and entwined her fingers, placing her chin on them and stared at the jounin.

"As I'm sure you're aware Naruto is far above jounin level, it's not my place to disclose why and I won't until he chooses to confide in you. What I can tell you is that he's going to be doing a lot more than just training, he's going to be executing a mission that only he is capable of, for the benefit of his village. All you can do is have faith in your student and wait for his return, I will not be pulling him from this mission. I will not force him to stay in the village knowing how vital his success is to not only Konoha but the entire world. You will do well to never speak to your Hokage the way you just did, you will not try to talk Naruto out of his mission and you will not pester him for answers. Have I made myself clear?" His eye drooped in defeat, brows furrowed and fist clenching hard enough to draw blood.

"Hai Hokage sama." He grit out and vanished from the room leaving Tsunade to sigh in aggravation and pour herself another cup of sake.

These kids are going to be the death of me.

Naruto sagged against the door, holding his head in his hands and feeling conflicted. Everyone was angry and worried about his departure and had no problem badgering him all day about it, it was incredibly draining.

Maybe they would understand more if they had all the information he did, maybe they wouldn't be so worried about his safety. Then again knowing them if they knew the truth they'd try to leave with him.

No it's better to keep them in the dark til it's all over with, they won't ever have to witness the horrors of war. Their lungs would never burn from the ash coated air and they would never be reduced to cannibalism as their only source of nourishment. They would be loved and safe, Naruto would make sure of it.

"You're doing the right thing Kit, they're only angry because they're scared for you. You've become precious to them and anger is the only way they can communicate their emotions right now." A single tear rolled down the boys whiskered cheek, followed by another and soon enough he was a blubbering mess. He knew Kurama was right but...

"It's your fault" A mixture of emotions raged inside of him and it was all too much, he let out a choked scream and tugged at his hair.

"They'll all die because of you" Panic coursed through his veins and he couldn't push it down, liquid ice gripped at his chest and settled into his stomach, forcing bile up his throat.

"It's inevitable Naruto Uzumaki, you're destined to lose everything and everyone." His breathing quickened and heart rate skyrocketed, forcing his eyes wide open and his teeth to grind together, nearly cracking from the pressure.

Blood pooled on the floor in front of him, the nauseating stench of decay pervaded the air and heavy footsteps walked closer, causing Naruto to whimper in fear. Two large feet stopped in front of him, sending slight ripples through the puddle. Eyes blown wide from fear looked upwards slowly, lingering on plump lips that were pulled into a mocking grin.

A blood curdling shriek tore itself from his throat and he blacked out completely once landing on glowing red eyes. His body slumped lifelessly to the ground and distantly a voice shouted, calling out his name.

Naruto felt the darkness pull him in and let all of his worries fade as exhaustion took over.

Kakashi had apparently fucked up. Big time. The jounin had slipped past the defenses in his students apartment and was waiting in his room so he could talk to the boy before he left. The door clicked shut and the slight rustle of someone sliding down the wood reached Kakashis ears.

He stood and was going to greet the boy when he heard stuttered breaths and heavy sobs, followed by a scream. Walking out of the room slowly so the boy wouldn't be startled he crept up to him, reaching down to comfort his student but flinched away when the red head whimpered at his presence.

Terror filled violet eyes stared up at him for a moment stopping the jounin in his tracks. The boy looked so scared yet heartbroken at the same time and Kakashi wondered just what the chunin had been through that caused such a violent panic attack.

His thoughts were halted as a nerve grating scream erupted from the boy before he passed out cold on the floor. The jounin immediately knelt down and ran his hand soothingly along the red locks and called out to the unconscious boy.

"Naruto! Hey Naruto can you hear me? Naruto please I'm sorry!" The man was on high alert and immediately scooped him up and placed him delicately on the bed, pacing about the room for a few minutes before taking a seat to watch over his student.

Kakashi knew a panic attack when he saw one, he'd just never seen a reaction so terrifying. It made his blood run cold and mind race thinking about what or who could've hurt the boy to have him react like this.

There were so many things about Naruto that just didn't make sense. The boy was 12 and already a ruthless killer, much like Kakashi himself had been except there had never been reports of the boy having killed before. Never a report of all the supposed training he'd done in secret. Never a single whisper of the boy ever having mental health issues this extreme.

There had been a few reports of the civilians beating the boy but something in the jounins gut was telling him that wasn't it. Something about Naruto was off and he needed to figure out what, none of this made sense and he couldn't rest easy until he had some kind of closure.

Naruto woke up to the sound of furious tapping on the floor, he groaned at the headache pounding on his skull and turned his attention towards the source of the sound.

"Kakashi sensei?" The man was staring straight at him with an unreadable emotion clouding his lone eye.

"We need to talk." The boys mind became alert at those words while his expression turned guarded and suspicious. He nodded for the man to continue.

Running a hand through wild silver strands Kakashi sighed heavily, trying to find the right words to start with. "What really happened to you in the last two years? You've become a completely different person and your reaction to my presence last night confirms that something serious occurred, though I can't figure out what. There's never been a report of a significant event happening to you and it wasn't a gradual change either, you did a complete 180 overnight. What happened?"

Naruto averted his gaze and fidgeted in apparent anxiety, chewing on his lip absentmindedly. He spoke so quietly Kakashi almost didn't hear it.

"I can't tell you, I'm sorry I just can't." The jounin threw his hands up in frustration, eye narrowing at the boys words.

"Why the hell not? I can help you Naruto you just have to let me know what's going on." The red heads sorrow filled eyes and hollow expression hurt Kakashi more than the silence. "Will you ever tell me?" The boy nodded in affirmation.

"After everything is safe, it would hurt too much to show you right now." The man had to suppress a groan at the enigmatic answer. This must be how other people feel talking to me.

"When are you leaving?" The boy thought for a moment, absentmindedly scratching his head.

"Tonight, I want to spend one last day with everyone before I head out. I'm going to miss you all more than I can explain but I'll be back. I promise." The jounin nodded and decided to hang around the place while the red head got ready.

A heavy weight had settled on his chest and the man found himself unable to sit still, restlessly walking circles around the room while lost in thought. If Naruto was leaving tonight he had to put on a brave face and make the most of this last day, even if he wanted to forbid the boy from leaving the village.

This wasn't his choice to make and he could only hope that Minato and Kushina would protect their son from afar.

The pair walked out of the building an hour later and began the hunt for the rest of the Konoha 12.

Naruto was about ready to cry again, the sight of some of his most precious people all gathered to bid him one final farewell was a kunai straight to the heart. His team looked heartbroken as though already mourning the loss of their teammate, especially Sasuke.

The raven had always had a fantastic poker face but the red head could see the signs of anxiety and deep sadness in the boys onyx eyes.

Sakuras emerald eyes seemed dull and lifeless, heavy dark bags showing how exhausted she was.

Kakashi had receded to the dark corners of his mind, lone eye looking into the distance and posture stiff as a board.

Everyone hugged him tightly and gave their individual speeches about safety and wishing him well on his journey, he promised to return safely and gave one last gleaming smile before darting into the trees.

The group stood in silence for a few minutes until their friends presence vanished completely and dispersed to go about their night, heads hanging low. Gai watched with an expression of worried interest as Kakashi stayed standing in front of the gate, book tucked in his pouch and eyes trained on the forest.

Sasuke would be the first to admit he missed Naruto.

Since the red heads departure six months ago the Uchiha had thrown himself into training and missions with the remaining Team 7 members, coming home too drained to think at all let alone worry about his friend.

Kakashi had introduced him to Gekko Hayate two months in and since that day the raven had practiced kenjutsu day in and day out, focusing solely on sharpening his skills with a blade.

It filled him with a sense of purpose, a missing piece of him he hadn't realized was missing. It felt like an extension of himself and after four months the rest of the Konoha 12 had started making jokes about him dating his katana. If Sasuke was being honest he loved his sword more than most other things in life.

It was there for him when he'd wake up screaming in the middle of the night, unable to fall back asleep. It would listen to his woes and aid him in redirecting his abundance of negative energy. It stayed faithfully by his side and never strayed from sight, it was the one thing Sasuke could always rely on.

There were nights where he would toss and turn, being tormented by nightmares of the massacre or on rare occasions seeing Naruto die in one way or another.

He'd come to accept the deaths of his family and Itachis hand in it, after a lot of reflection he'd come to the conclusion that there was more to the story than what was told to everyone. Naruto had once told him that there's always more to a situation than what is presented on the surface, in Kakashis words 'look underneath the underneath'.

He'd told him that no one who loved someone the way Itachi loved Sasuke would commit an act of treason as heinous as that. At least not without a reason.

Itachi had always been secretive and quiet, he had also always been kind and never one to act irrationally. Always the voice of reason and the first to de-escalate an unnecessary fight. Itachi would never have killed anyone unless it was in self defense or required for a mission, let alone his entire clan.

Whatever had happened Sasuke would find out, one way or another he would get to the bottom of this and if it turned out Itachi was in fact guilty then Sasuke would take his life.

What he wouldn't do is fight a losing battle within himself, he wouldn't succumb to the anger that clawed at his psyche. He wouldn't take the path that would only lead him to misery. The Uchiha didn't need revenge, they needed justice.

Konoha was cast in a soft orange light as the last remnants of sunlight disappeared over the horizon and the raven took a minute to admire the beauty of the village.

The village they all fought for, the village Naruto left to protect, the village that held a multitude of secrets. His dark eyes roamed across the roofs, landing on the Hokage tower and narrowed in suspicion.

The raven entered the building, greeting Sakura and Kakashi as he took a seat at their usual table. Every Friday they ate at Yakiniku Q to continue their team tradition and every Saturday they ate at Ichiraku in memory of Naruto. The routine was comforting for all of them, it brought them closer together and gave them something to look forward to at the end of the week.

Sasuke noticed how simply drained they both looked, dark circles and tired, red rimmed eyes looked at back him with faux interest.

When did this happen?

The concern must have showed on his face if their wilted expressions had anything to say about it. The pair averted their eyes awkwardly and Kakashi cleared his throat, signaling he had something to say.

Normally the conversation would include a summary of the week, mild banter and trading theories about what their missing team member was up to. Today though Kakashi had an announcement for them.

"I've got some proposals for you two, Lady Tsunade has asked that you be trained individually for the next two or so years and presented a few potential Senseis. For Sakura the Hokage has offered to take you under her wing and teach you medical ninjutsu, Anko Mitarashi for poisons and stealth and ANBU Cat for kenjutsu and assassination techniques. You can choose to work with all of them for a limited period or just one if that's what you'd like." The girls face lit up in excitement at the idea and she squealed in delight.

"Do I have time to think on this sensei?" He nodded and eye smiled fondly at her before turning towards Sasuke.

"You have the option to train with me for the next couple of years or continue with Gekko Hayate." The Uchiha nodded at the options and automatically knew he'd train both.

If he was ever going to match Naruto in strength or dismantle the secrets of the Massacre then he would need as much help as they were willing to give. He'd need to expand his repertoire of jutsu and practice til his bones cracked.

Kakashi sensed the determination and smiled fondly, ruffling the boys hair and chuckling at the exasperated look he recorded in return.

"It seems you've already made your decision but still, take your time to think about it, what I said to Sakura applies to you too. You can choose to train under both of us if that's what you so desire, take a day or two and consider your options." Sasuke nodded and munched on some fresh meat from the grill, clearly spaced out in thought.

On the way home Sasuke was rounding a corner, lost in thought, and swore he glimpsed a streak of red disappear down an alley.

Naruto!

He ran after it but once turning down the street, discovered there was nothing there. The boy rubbed his eyes and chalked it up to lack of sleep and wishful thinking. He greeted the empty compound with a tired expression and walked straight to his house, kicking off his shoes in the genkan and shuffling straight into bed.

He didn't feel like bathing or changing, just wanted to fall asleep and forget about that familiar shade of red.

Sakura felt like she was handling things better than the other two members of Team 7. Once Naruto left she had thrown herself into her medical studies, the first 6 months passing by as if it were a month.

By now she'd become a certified nurse and spent all of her waking hours at the hospital, replacing her grief with knowledge and experience. She'd caught Tsunades eye when she had a stroke of genius while being faced with a poisoned patient, having recognized the rare toxin in his bloodstream and created a remedy that saved the mans life.

Just after that encounter she was presented with the option to be trained by three separate masters and if she was being honest the decision was incredibly hard to make.

In the end she chose to work with Tsunade and Anko, she wasn't all too interested in learning kenjutsu or assassination techniques. She was mainly medical and taijutsu oriented, being a frontline medic like Tsunade required her skills to be equally balanced and splitting her attention into too many fields could effect her performance on the battlefield.

So far her training with both was going great, she'd learned so much in the last year and being so busy really helped keep her focus away from Naruto. The first six months was impossibly hard for all of them, they knew their teammate was strong and capable yet they couldn't help but be distressed by his absence.

A genin traveling the lands by himself on a classified mission was unheard of, it had never happened before. Even Kakashi sensei had been promoted to ANBU before taking on dangerous missions and even then he never went alone for four years.

As much as they hated to admit it, it felt like they were just biding their time, waiting for the inevitable devastating news. The group tried to have faith in their red headed friend but more often than not the worry overrode the hope.

As the next six months passed by though the pain of their temporary loss had lessened. Tsunade assured them she was receiving regular updates in his progress and they had yet to be called in and informed of anything gone awry. It just became easier to focus on their training and less on their teammate.

Even if something happened there was nothing they could do, worry would only hinder their physical training and mental capabilities so they soldiered on, working themselves into the ground and silently cheering on their friend.

Sakura was another six months away from becoming a registered field medic, Sasuke was training to be inducted into ANBU and Kakashi had returned to the special forces as ANBU Captain Dog. They were all putting in their best effort in the hopes that one day their team would become united once more, they just had to be patient.

Kakashi wasn't doing so well. He put on a brave face for his students and completed his missions with little to no issue but inside he was crumbling.

The missions were taking their toll, zapping away his energy and numbing his mind to the point where he just felt like a zombie. Just moving on instinct and going with the motions. He was proud of his students, especially the wayward mystery child, but he felt empty.

Part of him had grown so attached to his little red headed genin, he'd recognized a part of himself in the boy and genuinely thought of him as his little brother.

To know the only person who he considered family was out on his own, exposed to the cruel world of shinobi was devastating for him. He'd finally gotten close to his team and let down his guard enough to care and then they were snatched away without a second thought.

Kakashi thought part of him deserved to stew in his misery, after all he was the friend killer. He'd let down every person who waltzed into his life and maybe it was for the best that the red head wasn't there to burn with him.

Minato had trusted him to care for his son and he'd failed for so many years, pushed the boy to the back of his mind and pretended there was nothing he could've done. The boy had grown up so fast and there was still no explanation as to why, Kakashi had failed him time after time.

Now he was gone and the man wasn't sure he'd come back, he had only himself to blame. Naruto deserved better than him anyway. All the ANBU could do is observe from the shadows where he belonged and hope that his little brother would return alive and safe.

Kakashi was now returning from a month long mission, walking through the gates battered and bruised but only focused on reaching the Hokage to give his report. On the way he was spotted by Gai who said nothing and accompanied him on his walk, which Kakashi was grateful for.

He didn't have the energy to converse or unpack all his emotions. He just wanted to give his report, receive a new mission and go to sleep until he had to leave. The man gave him a look akin to commiseration and watched helplessly as his best friend walked up the side of the building without saying a word.

The jounin sighed in defeat and shuffled away, features sagging from worry. Once nearing the window the sound of two voices coming from the Hokages office reached Kakashis ears, one of them sounding incredibly familiar.

He's not supposed to be back for another two years!

The ANBU leapt through the window and gasped at the sight of his former student, a few inches taller and looking much older than 14.

His long red hair had various braids laced throughout and a small charm hung off each one. A pair of red Uzushio spirals dangled from his ears and he could see the edges of a tattoo peaking out from the collar of his black and red kimono. The ANBU didn't miss the katana tied to the boys waist either, he found himself wondering just how much progress the chunin had made in the last couple of years.

Sharp violet eyes softened at his presence and a delicate smile graced his students features, Kakashi had been so engrossed in Narutos appearance that he missed the greeting that was sent his way.

"Hmmm…what?" The smile faltered just a bit and for a second he thought the boy might cry. The look disappeared just as fast as it had come though and was replaced with a light smirk.

"Maybe if you weren't so busy ogling your student you'd know what I was saying." The ANBU felt his face heat up and despaired upon the realization that he didn't have his book to hide behind.

"Maaa well I don't think you can blame me Naruto I haven't seen you in a few years, you've grown a lot." That smirk widened but the boy was interrupted before he could retort.

"Watch it Hatake, he's 14." The man cocked his head to the side in confusion, what did him being 14 have to do with anything? It's not like he was hitting on his student he was just surprised at how much he'd grown.

"I don't know what you're insinuating Lady Hokage but I was merely observing the growth of my dear student. Apologies if it came off as perverted." She narrowed her eyes at him but didn't press the issue, though Kakashi swore he saw a flicker of disappointment flash in Narutos eyes.

He climbed through the window and stood awkwardly, not knowing what to do since he'd interrupted a meeting. Tsunade sighed and gestured for him to give his report, he nodded gratefully and moved to stand in front of the desk.

"The mission was completed successfully, I had to engage two enemy shinobi of unknown origins before reaching the target. I received no further resistance and have only sustained minor injury. I have collected both their bodies and the body of Higurashi into these scrolls. That is all Hokage-sama." Tsunade collected the scrolls with a nod.

"You're dismissed." Kakashi looked between his student and his Kage and couldn't decide whether he should protest or not. He didn't want to incur the wrath of the sannin but also desperately needed to talk with Naruto. Before anything else could be said though the red head poked him in the chest, giggling slightly.

"I'll meet you outside Kakashi-sensei." The ANBU nodded, feeling content with that answer and leapt back out the window, landing lightly on the ground below. The time passed quickly and soon enough the red head stood beside him once more and began walking to nowhere in particular.

"I'm sure you have questions, out with it." The older man thought for a moment.

"For one why are you back now?" Naruto looked at him with a confused expression.

"I'm only in town to give a progress report, I've come around every couple months this is just the first time someone has seen me." For some reason Kakashi felt a bit sad at hearing that, he'd hoped his students mission had just ended early and he'd finally returned home.

"Can you tell me the truth yet?" Violet eyes shifted towards the sky, an indiscernible expression lurking in their depths.

"Not yet, you'll look at me differently. You're not ready to see it." The ANBU audibly groaned at the, frankly, nonsensical answer. He felt irritation start to bubble inside him and had to choke it down, he didn't want to ruin the only time he'd have with Naruto for the next couple of years.

"I just want you to know that you've become very…precious to me, you're like the brother I never had and I'm glad you're safe." Naruto seemed to deflate at his statement, which in turn made Kakashi even more confused.

Wasn't that supposed to be a good thing? Did he say something wrong? The red head bit his lip and spoke quietly.

"You're precious to me too. Just trust me to come home safe and tell Sasuke and Sakura I miss them. Tell them to keep training, I can't be the second coming of the Sannin all by myself."

Somehow Kakashi doubted that, at 12 years old Naruto had been arguably stronger than Kakashi himself. By 20 he could surpass every shinobi in existence if that was his goal and the silver haired ANBU would gladly serve at his side along with the rest of Team 7.

Instead of saying any of that he told his student that he would pass on the information and watched him vanish with the wind.

Naruto was a little rattled by his encounter with Kakashi, he hadn't expected to run into anyone at that time of night, least of all his Sensei who looked so happy to see him.

"He misses you the most you know. Ever since you left he's been doing back to back missions and tearing himself apart." The red head frowned and rubbed at his whiskers in stress.

"I miss him too. More than anyone else and nothing hurts more than loving him and knowing he doesn't feel the same." Tsunade felt her heart reach out to the boy, he'd lost so much already and knowing that he may never have his love returned must be shattering.

"He can't love you the way you love him right now, you're too young. You have the rest of your life to be with him but you know that the world and all it's inhabitants takes precedence over your love life." He hung his head low and acknowledged that her words were true, no matter how much it hurt to do so. She stood from her desk and pulled him into a hug before looking into his eyes.

"Take care of yourself these next couple of years, plan ahead and keep your mind focused. You know what needs to be done and I firmly believe you have to power to do it. If you need back up let us know. I love you gaki." He chuckled and pulled in her for another hug.

"Love you too granny." She smacked him upside the head but her fond expression didn't change.

"Yea yea now go talk to your husband." He blushed heavily and ignored her smug expression in favor of jumping out the window.

Another year and a half had passed since that night and Naruto had begun making his way through the Akatsuki ranks. He'd already taken down Sasori, Kakuzu, Hidan, Deidara and was working on separating Kisame and Itachi.

His plan was to take out the shinobi he knew couldn't be swayed, carefully reason with those he knew could but not before talking to Itachi. He preferred to have the Uchiha on his side rather than having to fight him and his partner at one time. It would also help to reveal himself to Itachi and persuade the elder Uchiha brother to return to Konoha and rekindle his relationship with Sasuke.

Luckily he hadn't even had to go after the pair, they came right to his door step.

"Ah Itachi, Kisame, lovely to see you. Can we possibly take this somewhere more discreet?" The Uchiha arched an elegant brow and glanced at his partner who burst out laughing.

The raven shrugged and turned to walk down the hallway but was stopped by a hand on his sleeve. Kisame made a startled noise and the pair had no time to question the red head before they found themselves standing in the middle of a remote forest. Itachi was even more surprised when the boy looked into his eyes, showing his complete trust in the rogue nin. Naruto kept his body language open and as non threatening as possible, he really didn't want to have to fight these guys.

"Look I'm sure you've noticed your members going missing right?" The cloaked pair nodded. "That would be my doing and should you decide to fight me just know you will perish. As it is I don't wish to fight, I will give you, Kisame, the option to leave Akatsuki and move on with your life. Itachi and I have a lot to talk about that doesn't concern you in the slightest."

The mist shinobi normally would've looked at a kid that size and laughed in his face before killing him on spot. This one was different. No one except the remaining Akatsuki members knew about the disappearances of the others. No bodies had been turned in for a reward and unless someone was carefully watching the actions of said members then they wouldn't even notice their absence.

Kisame felt in his gut that this boy would make good on that promise and chose to follow his intuition. Stripping himself of his cloak and handing it to Itachi to burn the nin saluted the pair and leapt into the trees.

The Uchiha watched the man go, sharingan spinning lazily and ensuring he had left the area before facing the red head. He nodded and gestured for the boy to speak.

"I plan on taking down the Akatsuki, one member in particular. You might know him as Tobi right now. I will be speaking with Konan and Pein, hopefully have them on my side for the fight in the future. I'd like you to be there at my side and should you decline then I will heavily suggest you return to Konoha." Itachis brow furrowed yet said nothing, Naruto took his silence as him waiting for the red head to continue.

"Sasuke loves you, I think he's well on his way to learning the truth about the massacre. Return to him and show him the truth, stop giving him reasons to hate you. He deserves to be loved by his only remaining family not cast aside and forced down a path of revenge. You deserve to die knowing you were loved and I won't accept any less. He will find out eventually so it will mean a lot more coming from you than classified files." The raven was silent for a few minutes, watching the birds fly free, weaving through the clouds and trees.

He hadn't ever considered telling Sasuke, he'd planned for nothing else except his own death by his little brothers hand. Itachi was content with the idea of Sasuke being the last person he saw before succumbing to the cold clutches of the death. Curious red met resolute violet and Itachi thought that maybe the red head was right.

"When did you come from?" The boys tanned features pinched downward into a frown.

"My past, your future. I can show you if that's what you want." The Uchiha shook his head.

"No I believe you, there are no signs of deceit in your body language and you know too much about this time for not having witnessed any of it. What is your plan?" Naruto cocked his head to the side in thought.

"Speak with Konan and Nagato first, I need their help to take down Tobi. If we play our cards right this whole mess can be avoided without bloodshed, we just need to be careful in every step we take, there's no room for error or hesitation." Itachi nodded and considered the situation for a moment, taking in all the information that was given.

"I will speak with Konan and Pein, at the very least I will have them agree to meet you. I assume you have a way of communicating your past memories?" The red head hmmd in affirmation and held out his hand with the tattooed seal.

"Good. I will talk to them today, meet me back here tomorrow at the same time." The pair shook hands in agreement and scattered to resume their respective tasks.

The next day at the same place, same time found the kyuubi jinchuriki, the rogue Uchiha and the two Ame missing nin. Konan and Pein had been extremely suspicious at first but after seeing the boys undoubtedly real memories they changed their mind.

The group discussed the mystery nin called Tobi, now revealed to be Obito Uchiha who was fulfilling his Masters plan called the Eye of the Moon. The idea was to project the Infinite Tsukuyomi onto the Moon and trap the entire world in a genjutsu where they would live their greatest dreams at the price of their own free will.

"True peace can never be achieved as long as humans exist. We are all unique beings with conflicting values and ideas, there will always be war, always be death. But there will also always be love and kindness, the light cannot exist without the dark and in a way that's what makes humans so beautiful. Our ability to love and thrive even during conflict, that's what I want to protect. Despite the ugliness of this world there's still beauty to be found and we will never experience true happiness until we find it for ourselves." The trio smiled at the deceivingly young boy in admiration, his optimism and wisdom even after experiencing so much horror was inspiring.

It made them hopeful for their futures and brought light to the dark crevices of their wounded minds. They decided that yes, they would put their faith in Naruto Uzumaki and aid him in his journey to liberate the world from the incoming destruction. Pein spoke up on behalf of the group, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"We will help you Naruto, is there anything else we need to know to prepare for the upcoming battle?" The boy scratched his chin for a moment while sifting through his memories for any important details he'd skipped out on.

"Ah yes! Zetsu. In the simplest explanation white zetsu is imbued with the will of Madara Uchiha, Obitos master. Black zetsu, his other half, was created by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. Neither are strong fighters but they've played a huge roll in shinobi history dating back to the time of the Sage of Six Paths. They can easily be sealed away but to get through to Obito we need to get rid of Zetsu. Obito will resist in anyway possible and we need to incapacitate him and not let the fight drag on. He has the Mangekyō sharingan which allows him to use Kamui to teleport and turn intangible, the only drawback being that he can't be intangible and teleport at the same time. We need to perfectly time our attacks to effectively immobilize him." The three cloaked nin shared an apprehensive look at the idea of such a daunting task but had faith that their time traveling friend would be well prepared for the battle.

"Any other questions?" They shook their heads and stood to say their good byes. "I'll be sending clones to update you on the plan and we'll meet here in two weeks to go over the final preparations. Do not give anything away, if Obito suspects you then things will become complicated and any one of us could be attacked. Do not speak of this unless it's to me. Nothing has changed, do you understand?" The trio nodded with renewed resolve and dispersed from the area.

Naruto let down the privacy barrier and decided to visit Konoha to update Tsunade on his progress.

Sasuke had finally found it. The proof he needed to clear Itachi of his crime was hiding in his house the entire time. The young Uchiha had taken the plunge and gone thorough the clan archives and his fathers personal study and found evidence of a coup.

They were planning on turning against the village for their treatment after the Kyuubi attack and had briefly written that their secret may have been leaked. Itachi had become more withdrawn as the day of the massacre grew closer and Sasuke knew in his heart that he was ordered to kill them. There was no way the Hokage could have just let them launch an attack and so took preemptive measures to protect the village.

Sasuke doubted the Sandaime would have made that decision on his own though, there had to be someone in the shadows who pulled the strings. Once Sasuke became an official member of the ANBU black ops he'd used his clearance to gain access to classified files.

The massacre wasn't among them but there were minor reports of a small faction of Shinobi that served under the council member Danzo Shimura. A few written concerns about missing clansmen, an offhand comment about a group called ROOT and one report about Danzo being involved in "suspicious activity" near the Uchiha district.

They were all buried deep in the filing cabinets and had seemingly been dismissed by the Sandaime. Sasuke wondered if the man had been willfully ignorant to Danzos scheming or simply didn't believe there was enough evidence to condemn him.

Either way the Uchiha would be brought to justice and Sasuke would personally deliver the final blow to the treacherous elder.

The Godaime Hokage was on her second bottle of the night and she knew no matter how much she drank that her anxiety would still remain. Naruto had come and told her about his plan for the final clash with Obito and the woman had been on edge since.

She knew that something bad was going to happen, whether it was to Naruto himself or related to the aftermath of the battle she didn't know.

She downed another cup and nearly choked when a loud knock echoed throughout the empty room.

"Come in." She said and hid the bottle quickly, hoping it wasn't Shizune here to take her precious sake. Instead she was surprised to see Sasuke Uchiha, his posture was stiff and a cloud of anger hung about him that increased her anxiety tenfold.

"What is it Uchiha?" The boys lips twisted and he glared at the floor before unsealing a pile of books and papers from a storage scroll. He placed them on the desk and returned back to his position.

"I've found evidence that clears my brothers name, he was ordered to execute my clan and I have an idea of who gave the order." The Godaime blanched and hesitantly began reading through the papers, her expression darkening after every sentence. The blonde waved away the ANBU in the room and activated the privacy barrier.

After reading the journal of Fugaku Uchiha she grabbed the bottle from the side of her desk and chugged it all in one go. None of this had been in Narutos memories, if it had she hadn't noticed or filed it away as unimportant.

Dammit old man what was going through your head?!

"This is a considerable amount of evidence that supports your theory but this isn't concrete proof that it was planned." She held up a hand when the boy turned red and began to protest.

"I believe you, don't think otherwise, but you're missing proof that the Massacre was ordered and by whom. Until we have written proof that Itachi was ordered to assassinate the clan then we can't blindly accuse anyone who could've had a part in it. I assume you know as well I that Councilman Shimura is behind this?" Sasuke nodded as his frown deepened.

"I'm sure of it, Itachi had become distant and my father wrote that he'd recently been promoted before the Massacre. I know it's Danzo." Tsunades lips were pressed tightly together in a thin line and she looked sharply at the Uchiha.

"I cannot do anything from my end, if I confront Danzo then he will deflect and tighten his defenses. He needs to be taken care of in secret by someone close to him, this person must not arouse suspicion and handle the job swiftly and without error." Comprehension donned the boys features after meeting her pointed gaze. He straightened and bowed to the Godaime.

"Hai Hokage sama, I only need a week." She resealed the evidence and handed it back to Sasuke.

"Hide that as best as you can, do not speak of this meeting, do not act differently. This is a classified, off the books mission and must be handled with the utmost care, do not disappoint me Sasuke." The boy smiled almost imperceptibly and saluted his Hokage before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

Tsunade heaved a long sigh and pulled another bottle from the desk, uncorking it and downing a quarter of the contents. She massaged her temples and rested her forehead against the desk.

"I swear this village is going to be the death of me."

Naruto had been in the middle of tattooing his finger tips when the sound of a light knock reached his ears. Cursing the visitors bad timing he laid down the brush and shuffled towards the door.

"Yea yea I hear you gimme a second!" Two curious red eyes met his own disgruntled violet before traveling down to the slightly irritated, ink covered finger tips. The man raised a brow in silent question to which Naruto replied by waving him into the room and pointing at the couch.

"What?" The slightest trace of humor danced in Itachis eyes but Naruto ignored it in favor of resuming the delicate process of fuuinjutsu tattooing.

"What are you doing?" The red head scowled at the older man, eyes narrowing in confusion.

"Are you blind or just stupid?" The Uchiha snorted and took a moment to rephrase his question.

"Approaching blind I suppose but what I meant was, what are you tattooing on yourself?" The younger boys cheeks reddened in slight embarrassment, he had forgotten about the effects of long term Mangekyo use.

You insensitive dick!

"These seals are for chakra absorption and transferral, they can be used for medical purposes like healing a teammate on the battlefield. They're also incredibly useful as an offensive technique, for example I can absorb an enemy nins chakra straight from their body and kill them on the spot or just give them chakra exhaustion and knock them out." Naruto tried to hide the smug grin that crept up on him at seeing Itachis raised brows and shocked expression but failed spectacularly.

The Uchiha had rarely shown emotion other than disinterest in his past and he had to admit that it was nice being recognized by a natural genius.

"Is it possible to absorb jutsu with these seals?" The red head didn't respond for a moment while he finished the last stroke on his left hand.

"With this seal alone? No. But as I have elemental conversion seals on my body It's possible for me. It would require intense focus on my part though, at the moment of impact on my fingertips I'd have to funnel the chakra into the correct elemental coil. If I just absorb it without a sort of filter it will shock the other coils and cause me immense pain. So while it's possible it's kind of annoying to have to worry about during combat." Itachi didn't speak for a few minutes, mentally sorting through the information and formulating some questions for the boy.

Naruto paid him no mind and began the tedious process of tattooing his non dominant hand while the raven watched in fascination.

"I've never seen a common looking brush used for permanent sealing." The red head smirked and answered with pride.

"It's not a normal brush." He paused for dramatic effect and giggled at the Uchihas blank expression.

"The bristles are a bunch of tiny, flexible needles that when dipped in sealing ink and imbued with chakra create perfect brush strokes in the skin. I had it custom made in the land of iron a year or two back. The process is less painful and more efficient than the traditional way." Itachi himself has never gotten a tattoo in the traditional way but he'd seen the elders of his clan grit their teeth while it looked like someone hammered ink into their skin with a needle. It wasn't something he'd ever looked forward to getting.

"What other seals do you have on your body?" The red head hummed and stuck out his tongue in concentration.

"Very chatty today aren't we Itachi?" The raven hn'd dismissively which made Naruto smile fondly.

"I have many seals that allow me to use chakra in abstract ways. Elemental conversion, gravity manipulation, Chakra storage, Sun and Moon manipulation, protection barriers, suppression seals honestly I could keep going on. My whole body is basically covered by now." Itachis lips formed a perfect O and it seemed as though his eyebrows has disappeared into his hairline. Naruto waved his hand, gesturing for the man to ask the questions that were no doubt running through his mind.

"I'm most intrigued by the idea of Sun and Moon manipulation, can you…elaborate?" The red head nodded while finishing a stroke and put down the brush.

"I can't actually move the sun or moon, I manipulate the visual traits and physical energy of the two in defensive, passive or offensive ways. For example I can use the sunlight during the day to blind opponents, store it in my body as a sort of energy boost or aid nature in its growth. I can't use Mokoton or anything it's more like strengthening nature's defenses and helping the plants flourish. Moon manipulation is much like the Nara clan jutsu, I can manipulate shadows in a different kind of way. Instead of using them to paralyze an opponent I can use them to boost attacks with weapons. I can make a shadow cloak which is great for stealth and reconnaissance and if I absorb moon energy my mind becomes calm and sharp. It's great for strategy and keeping a level head during night battles when our vision is at its weakest. Any other questions." Itachis eyes were sparkling in admiration and his lips quirked up in a soft smile.

Naruto felt his cheeks heat up after noting that the elder Uchiha was actually quite pretty when he wasn't mimicking a blank canvas. He coughed and turned his attention to the last couple of fingers.

"You mentioned gravity manipulation, I'm intrigued by that as well." Naruto dipped the brush in ink, glancing briefly at the man and resumed his work.

"Once you train with gravity seals at a high enough level you start become, in a sense, immune to gravity. You can decrease and increase your gravitational force at will which, as you can probably assume, is incredibly useful in battle. I can't fly or anything like that but my body is resistant to gravity so I don't get pulled back down to earth as fast as I would normally ya know what I mean?" Naruto put down the brush and appreciated the intricate patterns on his finger tips, nearly jumping out of his skin when he realized Itachi had moved right next to him sometime during his explanation. He glared at the man who chuckled at his reaction.

"No need to be so frightened Naruto-kun I was merely appraising your work. I had assumed you were aware of my proximity, my mistake for overestimating your abilities." The boy pointed his finger at the raven accusingly, feeling his entire body heat up at the jab.

"Don't patronize me Uchiha! I'll put you in a time suspension seal and throw you into the Uzushio whirlpools!" For the first time in his life Naruto heard Itachi laugh, it was carefree and beautiful in a surprisingly soft way. The blush returned.

"I'm sure you'd make good on that promise so I'll leave you be for now. I do have a question though, if you don't mind." The red head raised a brow and nodded, urging him to continue.

"Is it possible for any of these seals to be placed on me?" Deep purple eyes scanned his body and the Uchiha had to admit he felt a bit exposed under that piercing stare.

"No, nothing I have on me is suitable for non jinchuriki. However I can make custom seals to balance out your strengths and weaknesses." The Uchiha gestured for him to continue so Naruto took his seat back on the couch and pulled out a sheet of paper and a calligraphy brush.

"I can create a seal that will allow you to constantly take in nature energy and use it to repair the damage you take from using the Mangekyo." As the red head spoke he drew each part of the seal and explained every little detail while Itachi stayed silently at attention by his side.

"This last part is what holds it all together, it will be coded to your chakra signature and act as the filter that incorporates nature energy into your chakra network. These little dashes are stabilizers that keep the flow steady so you don't accidentally overwhelm your body and these little loops are similar to my Sun and Moon manipulation. It draws on the life force of every living thing nearby and uses it to regenerate your damaged cells. It's only a minuscule amount, not enough to weaken anyone or anything." The Uchiha had become deathly silent, his eyes were downcast and his lips were pressed into a thin line. When he spoke his voice sounded small and broken.

"I don't deserve that, I deserve to suffer. I just want to be able to help Sasuke before I die." Narutos heart clenched and he held Itachis hand in his own.

"You do, I know you blame yourself for the Massacre but you wouldn't have done it if it hadn't been ordered. You aren't the monster you want Sasuke to believe you are and you don't need to repent for what you've done, it'll only break Sasuke more. Give yourself another chance, if you really want to make things right then stay by his side and remind him how loved he is, help him to become the strong shinobi we both know he can be. Danzo will be taken care of in time, he won't survive the next year." The ravens lip wobbled a bit and Naruto internally freaked out, he wouldn't know how to comfort the man if he started crying.

To prevent that he flicked the mans pale forehead and smiled at the glare he received. So much like Sasuke, he noted in surprise.

"Don't beat yourself up too much Itachi, I'm here to save our future and that includes keeping you alive. If you love Sasuke you'll stay and come back to Konoha." Thin fingers grasped his own and squeezed hard, he squeezed back and realized this was probably the closest to a hug Itachi could get.

"Alright I'll come back once we finish the Obito mission, if that's the best way to make it up to Sasuke then I'll do it." Naruto beamed at him and the Uchiha couldn't help but smile back.

Their attention turned to the door as a presence appeared just outside the barrier. Three sharp knocks followed by a single quiet knock signified that an ANBU had come to deliver something. The red head opened the door to reveal ANBU Sparrow who bowed and handed over the scroll, looking at him curiously before vanishing from the premises.

Naruto eyed the scroll which had been stamped with a seal that opened only to his or Tsunades chakra, he felt a sense of foreboding wash over him and decided to get it over with. Unrolling the scroll he read the brief message and sighed heavily, pinching the space between his eyebrows to alleviate the approaching headache. He looked into the scarlett eyes that gazed at him in worry and frowned, taking a moment to consider his next words.

"It seems like Sasuke is already a few steps ahead of us, he's discovered enough evidence that proves your innocence and has already been plotting Danzōs assassination. However he can't execute the mission alone, Danzo has barriers around the entire perimeter of the house that only Jiraiya or myself can break. I assume Sasuke asked for me personally since he hasn't seen me in almost four years." Itachi fell silent again, confused as to what that had to do with him.

"You'll be coming back to Konoha with me and help Sasuke kill Danzo." Naruto would admit the Uchiha had a great poker face but the emotions flitting across his features were all too obvious to the red head.

"No room for negotiation we'll only be there a night and we'll come straight back, pack anything you need we're leaving in 20 minutes." The raven nodded, looking paler than usual and disappeared from the room while Naruto packed a bunch of scrolls into his arm.

Itachi returned five minutes later without his Akatsuki cloak and with a few scrolls strapped to his pants. The red head scanned his appearance and gestured for him to come closer, the man obliged but his steps were wary.

"Wear this mask, I don't want any nin spotting you and running off to spread the word. We need to keep you a secret til Obito is either dead or on our side." The raven nodded and donned the white Fox mask while Naruto nodded in approval.

"Now I'm going to put your hair in a high bun, your hair color and length is easily recognizable especially to higher ranking ninja." Itachi nodded again and turned around to allow the red head access to his hair.

Once the bun was secured and mask tightly in place, they shared a look of determination while Naruto grasped the mans hand and flashed them outside the gates of Konoha.

Sasuke had been watching the ROOT agent Torune Aburame for the last couple of days, memorizing his schedule and cataloguing the boys actions and reactions for future use. The plan was to take out Torune and replace him for a day or two before ending Danzo.

There's no way the old Warhawk would trust Sasuke to be alone with him for an extended period of time without raising suspicion. The boy would have to infiltrate the mans home and end him as soon as possible, no room for mistakes or poor planning.

The agent had a unique way of speaking that had been hard to pick up on at first but once he analyzed the boy for a whole shift using his sharingan it became too easy. Torune had a slow yet clipped way of speaking, as did most Aburame. His sentences were short and straight to the point, no conversation or personal perspective on the situation, just facts.

Other root agents had a casual way of speaking that sounded like forced conversation, it was like they were playing a role and reciting their lines in a robotic tone. Sasuke didn't know which was creepier and tried not to think about what Danzo had put them through to become so blank and emotionless.

The raven watched the masked shinobi switch shifts, eight guards replacing the five that had been outside and five replacing the three that had been inside. It was 10pm and right on time according to Sasukes gathered knowledge. This time around though he noticed something different that hadn't stood out before.

As each nin entered the house they touched the doorway and through his sharingan Sasuke could see a small burst of chakra where their palms had been placed. As the last nin entered a series of intricate seals spread out from their hand and curled around the edge of the doorway, trailing outwards around the walls of the house and meeting at the peak of the roof.

Sasuke felt his stomach turn and frustration draw his eye brows together, this was going to complicate the entire plan. He leapt off the rooftop and sprinted towards the Hokage Tower, stopping for no one as he raced through the halls and barely managed to compose himself before knocking on the door.

Tsunade took in his sour expression and darkened aura and poured herself another cup of sake for the headache that was soon to come. She waved away the ANBU and activated the privacy seals before meeting his fierce gaze.

"Report." The Uchiha clenched his fist and took a deep breathe before explaining his behavior.

"Danzō has seals placed around the perimeter of his home that I'm sure are only bypassed by the Chakra signatures of his ROOT, himself or a seal master. I can't go in without someone there to disable the seals and I can't do the job anywhere else. It has to be at night, it has to be when he's at his most vulnerable point and right now that's impossible for everyone except two people." Tsuande groaned in annoyance, already knowing where this conversation was going. She poured another cup, almost laughing at the sense of deja vu that washed over her. Why did all her meetings with the Uchiha end like this?

"What do you propose we do?" His eye twitched and he took another deep breath.

"I need the help of one of the two seal masters employed by Konoha, preferably Naruto. In fact I'd like to request that Naruto take temporary leave from his mission and help me carry out mine, it will only take one night." Sasuke watched his Hokages expression become stern but didn't back down, he needed his teammate to complete this mission and he needed to complete the mission for his entire family as well as his sanity.

The blonde was quiet for what seemed like an eternity, her eyes focused on a corner in the room and she had a deep crease in her brow. With every minute Sasuke felt his hope dwindle bit by bit and tried to focus on a counter argument for anything she could've said yet was silent at her words.

"You will have one night and one night only, Naruto is very close to completing his mission and will act as your back up. You will carry out the assassination and will not rely on him for anything other than breaching the security barrier and will be held accountable for any injury he sustains. His health in the coming month is more important than anyone else in existence so do not let him get injured, do not let him fight anyone and do not fail your mission and put yourself or him in danger. If he gets seriously injured or kami forbid killed you will be dishonorably discharged and never serve your village again. Are we clear?" For once Sasuke found himself at a loss for words, there was a million questions running through his mind yet he knew that she would answer none of them.

He managed to nod and let the confusion show on his face which she softened at. The raven silently watched as his Kage released the privacy barrier and summoned one of her ANBU.

"At your service Lady Hokage." She wrote a brief letter and sealed the scroll with her chakra before handing it to the masked shinobi along with a small scrap of paper.

"Deliver this to Naruto, he will be at that location. Tell him it's urgent and his services will only be required for one day." The nin burned the paper after reading it and bowed to his kage, vanishing a moment later with no other words.

"You're free to go Sasuke I will call you in when Naruto arrives." The raven bowed and shunshinned to his old teams training ground where he leaned against a familiar tree. A small smile pulled at the corners of his lips at the thought of seeing his best friend again and for a short while he lost himself in the memories of his genin team.

He wondered what Naruto was hiding, what he'd been hiding all these years. Why he looked at everyone like they'd burned him. Why he was one of the strongest shinobi in the village after just graduating from the academy. Why he flinched at the slightest touch and why only the Hokage seemed to know the answer to all those questions.

Something about Naruto was off, part of Sasuke didn't want to trust him at all and had considered completely pushing the red head away. Most of him though just wanted to give his friend a hug and tell him it would be ok. That he'd love him no matter what and would never hurt him.

He never really told Naruto how precious he was to him and when the boy had left Sasuke beat himself up for months because of it. The red head could have died without ever knowing and that thought nearly drove Sasuke mad.

Naruto had saved him, he'd pulled him from the depths of his own anger and showed him that vulnerability is ok. That there's more to life than vengeance and darkness. Without him the Uchiha knew that he would've succumbed to Orochimarus influence and that was almost as terrifying as losing his friend.

If there was anyone he loved besides Itachi it would be Naruto. Team 7 as a whole had become the family he'd never hoped to have again. He treasured them all but none more so than the enigmatic, ruby haired boy who'd given him hope and drove him harder than anyone else had.

Naruto had pushed Sasuke to be his best self, not an angry avenger just the dorky, reserved guy that he was. He was just Sasuke and it had been so long since he could just be Sasuke. The only sad part is that Kakashi and Sakura wouldn't be there but according to Tsuande they'd have their brother back very soon.

Once he returned their team would become unstoppable.

Tsunade eyed the two boys in front of her with great suspicion, especially the dark haired, Fox masked nin. Their body language was tense yet maintained as easy air of grace that spoke of many years of training. The little bit of exposed flesh was ghostly pale and once seeing the deep red glow coming from the eyeholes in the mask she knew who it was.

"Good to have you back Itachi, I wasn't aware you'd be tagging along for this mission. Care to explain Naruto?" Said boy laced his hands together behind his head and looked sideways at Itachi who shrugged.

"Itachi and I happened to be speaking about Danzo at the moment Sparrow arrived. I decided to bring him with and allow both brothers some closure, it's the least we can give them after everything that's happened." Tsunade smirked which confused both nin present.

"You sure you don't want the hat kid? Already making executive decisions without the approval of your Hokage is pretty ballsy." The red head laughed and put up a peace sign.

"No way Baa-chan I have no interest in becoming Hokage anymore. I'm totally cool to be a jounin or ANBU for the rest of my days." Her face fell at his answer but she ignored it and steered the conversation onto the more serious matter.

"Shame. Moving on you both are here to aid Panther on an undocumented, SSS rank assassination mission. You both are only to provide easier access into the house and to the target, Panther will be doing all the work. If you get injured then Panther will be punished." Naruto felt Itachi tense up next to him and grimaced at the Godaime.

"That's pretty harsh Baa-chan, you know I'll be healed in time no matter what happens. To assume Itachi can't handle himself against some young ROOT agents is a bit insulting as well. If we're injured it means we failed not Sasuke, so don't punish him at all regardless of the outcome." Tsunade rolled her eyes at his wry expression and leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling as if it would solve all her problems.

"Whatever do what you want Naruto just be cautious and don't die or let either of them die. Got it?" The red head grinned and Itachi admired the way his long red lashes fluttered against those tanned cheeks. He thought that Naruto was quite beautiful in such a relaxed yet chaotic way. The Uchiha quickly turned away his head as his companion spoke.

"Hear ya loud and clear Baaaa-chaaan~ don't worry about us kay?" The woman noted how the boys emotions seemed to ping pong back and forth during the course of one conversation. He was especially excitable today which she concluded was due to the elder Uchihas presence.

How interesting I wonder if there's anything there, I can't imagine the brat having romantic feelings for anyone other than Kakashi. Eh maybe I'm just overthinking.

"Naruto if you have an extra mask I'd like you to put it on right now. I'll summon Panther." The crimson haired boy nodded and pulled out a black version of the mask that Itachi wore. She thought it suited him, even more so once his hair was pulled up into a tight ponytail.

The Godaime pressed two fingers to the tattoo on her left arm and sent a burst of chakra into it, calling the ANBU closest to the tower. Neko bowed at her Kages side and asked what was needed of her.

"I'm in need of panthers company Neko, be discreet." The ANBU nodded and vanished from the room without a trace, returning a minute later with Panther in tow. Her gaze lingered on the dark haired, masked person but obeyed her Kage and vacated the room.

"Panther, Tengoku and Kukan you're all tasked with this this classified task that, if failed, will result in a precarious situation between the Council and your positions in the Village. Are you all prepared for this mission and what it entails?" They bowed in unison with a hand across their hearts.

"Hai Hokage-sama!" She felt the corners of her mouth quirk up in pride.

"You have 4 hours, do not fail me." The trio disappeared from the room leaving a heavy silence in their wake.

Tsunade took a long swig from her bottle and sent a prayer out into the universe, asking for the safe return of the three masked nin.

The two Uchiha brothers were told to wait nearby til all the outside guards were taken care of. Two pair of sharingan watched in interest as the eight presences disappeared within seconds of each other.

Their eyes zigzagged back and forth, following Narutos corpse trail until his presence stopped on the roof. The pair shunshinned atop the building and landed silently next to him, waiting on his next orders. They both noticed how natural it was to follow him, how they had actually looked to him for guidance instinctually.

"I'm going to disable and remove the barrier, come in when you see the seal at the door glow purple. I'll meet you in Danzos room." The brothers shared a concerned look but didn't question the red head, only shunshinned outside the door and began waiting for their cue.

Naruto sat down and pulled out a sealing case with a brush and a few ink pots. He deftly painted bold lines that all wove together to create what looked like an intricate three-point shuriken. Before activating it he created a handful of clones that began painting seals around the edges of the house.

Once they were finished he channeled his chakra into the seal, watching it glow purple and flicker before fading completely. The red head felt his comrades racing through the house, easily smothering the five presences placed in various locations. He flashed into the room and swiped a thumb across his throat, activating the invisibility seal that was inked into the soft flesh.

He felt the foot that was racing towards his skull and decided now was as good a time as any to try out his new design. Tan, slender fingers wrapped around the elders ankle and flashed gold for a short moment.

Naruto felt the skin beneath his palms shrivel and heard the soft crunch of the bones beneath grind together. Danzo grunted in pain, face twitching as he held his injured foot up and balanced his weight between the other foot and his cane.

The red head flashed in front of the man but immediately had to jump as what looked like two saws flew towards his neck. Danzo caught them once they missed their target and pivoted on one leg to throw them once more, one managing to catch Narutos thigh in the process.

Gloved fingers touched the wound and returned covered in blood while empty violet eyes watched on impassively. Danzo felt a chill run down his spine and immediately jumped away from the boy, trying to avoid the oppressive aura that oozed from his small frame.

The elder heard a loud buzzing sound fill the room and watched in horror as golden seals snaked their way around the corners of his walls, eventually curling up his legs and stopping at his waist. The man felt a part of him burn as two familiar presences entered the room, their blood red eyes glaring menacingly from the doorway.

He realized he still had full range of motion on his upper half and flew through a hand seals at a nearly unreadable pace. Right as he finished them and placed a palm out to attack a warm hand grasped his own and Danzo panicked. A strangled cry was pulled out of him as an intensely sharp pain spread up his arm to the shoulder.

"I don't recommend moving." The elder snarled at the Kukan masked shinobi who giggled at the mans outburst. The other two nin stepped forward and drew their respective blades, placing them at their targets neck.

"Everything I've done is for the good of Konoha, you're all traitors and will die here as traitors." The trio shared a look and laughed in the mans face.

"Sure old man, whatever eases your conscience." The elder shinobi spat at the nin who only burst into a fit of childlike laughter.

Itachi bent down and grabbed Danzo by his hair, lifting his head and forcing their eyes to lock. The man went limp while his limbs twitched furiously, eyes frantically moving side to side. Unheard cries gurgled in the back of his throat as two long blades pierced his chest, puncturing his lungs and heart on impact.

The seals on his legs spread up to his neck and tightened, looking as though they were burning into the mans skin.

"I told you not to move, your struggling is only creating more pain for you." A guttural scream rang in their ears as the seal began to sink into the mans flesh, cutting into every part of his body and forcing him into shock. A wet gasp rattled his lungs and a few moments later his entire body went limp.

The room was disturbingly silent for a few seconds before four black symbols erupted from the mans body, creating a small dome about five feet wide around. The shadows began to shrink and form a sphere around Danzo, Sasuke and Itachi while Naruto raced into action.

He flashed forward and placed a hand on each of the brothers shoulders, transporting them safely away from the sphere. The red head landed right before the dome closed and had his back to turned to Danzo when an excruciating pain exploded in his side.

He hissed and swayed on his feet, feeling the destroyed organs throb at his every move. The black sphere dissolved into nothingness along with Danzos body leaving a heavily bleeding Naruto in the arms of the Uchiha siblings.

Sasuke froze at the sight of his friend so frail and vulnerable, could only watch helplessly as Naruto fell towards the floor. He tried to force his body to move but was met with resistance each time and once able to move he was already too late.

The red head fell into strong arms that cradled him with surprising delicacy while worried eyes roamed his body in search of the injury. Itachi swiftly hooked his arms under the boys legs and leapt for the window, hoping Sasuke was on his heels.

"We need to get him to the hospital, it doesn't look life threatening especially for him but we need to make sure." Sasuke nodded, unable to speak and flickered into the hospital to warn the nurses of the approaching shinobi.

Realistically it was only about twenty seconds but waiting for Itachi felt like hours, his only thought was that Naruto had better survive.

Once the boy was on a gurney and being taken to the back the remaining pair decided to wait for Tsunade, no doubt she'd hear about this and turn up soon. Thirty nerve wracking minutes later she stormed into the building and glared at the pair with the intensity of a thousand suns.

Her eyes promised a long lecture later on and they prayed everything went well for all of their sakes. Hours later she returned looking grim but not despaired which they figured was a good sign.

"He's fine, already halfway to perfect condition and lucid enough to hold a conversation. Danzo used a wind jutsu of his own creation to create bullets that tore apart Narutos stomach and intestines. It's all back in place now and like I said he's already healing but he'll be sore the next day or two." Sasuke sighed in relief and thanked the Hokage before racing to his friends room.

He held his breath while rounding the corner and released it once laying eyes on the conscious form of his missing teammate. Those deep violet eyes looked into his own, lighting up in acknowledgment and seeming to greet him without words.

The Uchiha felt light and bubbly for the first time in years, and he couldn't help the wide smile that stretched across his normally stoic features. Naruto held out his arms and grinned at the boy who hesitantly returned the hug.

"I missed you Sasuke." Said boy smacked his companions shoulder but chuckled nonetheless.

"Yea I missed you too Dobe, hard not to." He pulled away from the hug and admired the way Narutos face glowed slightly pink, wondering if that was because of him.

That captivating stare locked on to something behind him and Sasuke turned to see his brother standing at the corner of the wall near the door. He looked between the two and felt something odd settle in his chest, something he didn't like the feel of.

"Glad to see you awake and relatively healthy Naruto-kun." The red head flashed two peace signs at the elder Uchiha who's eyes twinkled affectionately at the action. Sasukes eyes narrowed as he tried to ignore the ugly feeling gripping his heart.

"You ok Sasuke?" Apparently he hadn't hid his emotions well enough.

"Yes..well no I think I need sleep…but yea." Naruto wilted like a kicked puppy after hearing the obvious lie but chose to pat the empty space next to him.

"I'm only going to be here about eight more hours so let's spend that time together." The Uchiha felt happiness fogging up his brain again and began to strip the armor from himself.

Once the comfortable under layers were all that remained he curled up on the bed at Narutos side. They both ignored the smell of sweat and death, and Sasuke immediately felt sleep pull at the edges of his conscious.

The boy at his side stroked his slightly tangled hair with delicate fingers, sending tingles running down his scalp and eliciting a contented sigh from raven. He missed the feeling of Naruto playing with his hair and the pure bliss that he felt being with his whole team.

The indescribable emptiness they all felt when the team was broken up showed in every one of their faces. There were deep frown lines and heavy eye bags adorning each of their features which had begun to worry all the shinobi closest to them. It felt so good to finally be in each others company again and the Uchiha couldn't possibly ask for anything more.

Naruto was mirroring Sasukes thoughts in his own mind, incredibly grateful for this short moment with his closest friend. He'd missed Sasuke and Kakashi more than anyone else, even Jiraiaya.

Soon enough he'd be home for good and they could all focus on the future without having Madara breathing down their necks. It was a stimulating thought to say the least. For now though he tried to push all thoughts of the future aside and enjoy this brief healing period with his best friend.

Itachi hadn't known where to go so he just laid in the visitors chair, curled up in an awkward position. He felt a little disappointed that he hadn't gotten to really talk to Sasuke at all.

They'd acknowledged each other and had a silent rapport that felt easy and comfortable but had no time to hash out all their feelings and truly make up with each other. He kept reassuring himself that they'd have time soon and he just had to be patient.

If he hadn't been persuaded to come back then he would've waited much longer to be honest with his brother. He didn't like that thought and was incredibly grateful for the second chance he'd been awarded on Narutos behalf. He realized at some point that he'd already begun to see the boy as a leader.

Many people have already realized it yet the red head seemed so adamant about denying the position.

The Uchiha wondered why that would be. Why would someone want to deny the highest honor that can be bestowed upon you in the shinobi world? He was so obviously fit for the position yet refused to give the village his eternal protection and guidance. As far as Itachi heard the boy came from the future to save it, to save everyone but won't truly pledge himself to the village.

So many questions he had to ask but couldn't since Sasuke was in the room. The raven sighed and curled in on himself more, breathing slowly and allowing exhaustion to overcome his racing thoughts.

The next morning Sasuke woke to a beautiful sight, one that made his heart stutter and beat hard against his chest. Naruto was laying on his uninjured side, knees slightly bent with an arm slung across Sasukes waist. His slender, sun kissed face was relaxed and the raven noticed that his features were dainty and incredibly doll like.

Those long crimson strands were splayed across the pillow and framed the boys serene expression. Sasuke felt his cheeks heat up and had the sudden urge to get closer to his companion.

He struggled against it, not wanting to touch Naruto without consent in case he triggered the boys shinobi instincts. Instead his hand traveled to the long scarlet locks and began stroking them softly, enjoying the silky texture and citrusy scent that tickled his nose.

His gaze traveled back towards Narutos face but froze once he caught sight of those dark purple eyes, slightly glazed over but attention very much on him. Sasuke didn't say anything and neither did the boy in front of him, they just stared at each other in silence.

The tension was almost oppressive and Sasuke found himself growing restless, wanting more than anything to know what was going on in the red heads mind. Long fingers reached up to card through his dark hair, tugging slightly on the ends while his large eyes roamed over Sasukes features.

"Good morning Sasuke, you look preoccupied what's on your mind?" Sasuke blushed but decided to just honest instead of trying to play it off.

"Just admiring you, can't I do that?" The red head seemed speechless at the answer and didn't reply for a few seconds.

"I suppose you can, I'm flattered that you think I'm worthy of admiration." The Uchiha rolled his eyes and lightly smacked his friends arm.

"Don't act humble, we both know you're more worthy of admiration than even Lady Tsunade." Naruto snickered while someone cleared their throat behind him. Sasuke looked up into eyes so similar to his own and realized he'd forgotten all about Itachi.

"I wouldn't let her catch you saying that. Naruto do you mind?" The red head sat up and stretched quickly, testing out his body function and assessing his pain level. A minute later he stood from the bed and stretched his legs before opening the window and swinging out of it.

Sasuke looked worried for a moment but Itachi laughed it off and assured his brother that Naruto would be fine. Neither knew how to start the conversation so they sat quietly for a while, waiting for the other to speak up.

"I'm sorry." Itachis eyes widened and he raised a brow in question.

"Why would you ever need to apologize?" The younger brothers face fell.

"I'm sorry you had to be alone for so long and that I hated you. I'm sorry for everything you've went through that I couldn't be there for. I've missed you Nii-san." The elder Uchiha gave a wobbly smile and poked Sasukes forehead.

"I missed you as well Otōto, I'm proud of you for discovering the truth on your own time. I'm sorry for misleading you for so long and leaving you alone." They smiled at each other, overjoyed from the reunion and tentatively pulled the other into a hug. Their eyes stung from unshed tears that were eventually allowed to flow free and the brothers released all their built up emotions.

They spent the next hour talking about their pent up thoughts, their lives and some more…personal things.

"Itachi do you like Naruto." The elder brother didn't seem too surprised by the question and answered easily.

"Of course I like him, he's a great person." Sasuke looked at him suspiciously.

"Do you..like like him?" That threw Itachi off guard, causing him to freeze for a moment.

"Not that I'm aware of, I think he's a very attractive person but I'm not trying to get with him. Do you like like him?" The younger brother looked away and gave a weak shrug.

"I don't know. I think I'm in the same place as you, maybe I just feel protective over him since we're so close." Itachi hummed in agreement and they sat in silence til their red headed friend returned with three take out bowls of ramen which he passed around.

"Here you go, after this meal Itachi and I have to leave so we can take our time to finish." The brothers agreed and the trio ate their meals slowly, savoring all the flavors and enjoying the brief respite from the stress that's been plaguing their minds and bodies.

Sasuke watched from the gates as Naruto and Itachi sprinted through the trees, getting farther and farther away from the village with every passing second. His heart ached and his mind felt ready to fracture from the constant worrisome thoughts that ran rampant around his head.

He didn't think anything good was going to come from whatever battle his brothers were preparing for, he knew deep in his bones that something was wrong. Tears of frustration welled up and his throat burned from suppressing the scream that begged to be released.

He didn't want to lose either of them yet there was nothing he could do to protect them. In fact he was sure he'd only get in the way even if he was allowed to join them. He felt so powerless and weak, almost as useless as he had felt the night of the massacre.

As their presences vanished from his radar Sasuke decided to go train and hopefully rid himself of the overwhelming emotions that ate at his psyche. He couldn't linger on this, it would only hinder himself and any team he took missions with. These thoughts and feelings had no place in ANBU. All he could do is wait and have faith that his loved ones would return, mourning them before their deaths would be disrespectful.

They would return, that was the only thought he allowed himself.

Something was off. As the minutes passed by dread began to coil in the pits of Naruto and Itachis stomachs. Konan and Pein were late to their meeting. It had been twenty minutes since they were all supposed to meet up and discuss the battle plan yet the pair never showed up.

The forest around them was silent and the air was thick and stifling. Naruto met Itachis perturbed gaze with a reassuring nod, conveying that no matter what happened he would be protected. The red head settled into a meditative pose on the forest floor, gesturing for his companion to do the same.

Itachis face only became more confused when Naruto held out his hands which he hesitantly took into his own. He found himself instantly transported to somewhere he'd never seen before though he wished he had.

As far as one could see there were fields full of golden grass and flowers of every color hidden among them. In the distance there were ginormous Sakura trees that he had almost mistaken for mountains and all around he could see foxes of all sizes frolicking in the grass. He marveled at the vibrant colors spread across the sky as they were lit up by the last dregs of sunlight.

This place is so peaceful.

Itachi noted the abundance of nature energy that caressed his body and made him feel more energized than he'd been in years. He felt warm and safe yet powerful, almost unstoppable. He wondered if this is what it felt like to be a Sage.

The raven looked over to find his friend stroking a large white fox and seemingly immersed in a conversation with it. He wasn't aware there was a Fox summoning contract, let alone that Naruto was the summoner.