I Don't Own Naruto!

Chained

Story by Kyoka Suigetsu Totsuka

Prologue

The fires died under the heavy rain, laying bare the smoke-torn remains of the Hyūga Estates. The once proud and ancient home of the heirs of the Byakugan rested in cracked and blackened wood and stone, shrouded in a thick haze that carried the odor of burnt flesh. Bright flashes of lightning pierced the darkness and revealed to the horrified crowd a sight of complete desolation. The heavy oak pillars that were rumored to be a gift from the Shodai Hokage, the very same pair that held the ancient, chiseled name of Hyūga were burnt to ash.

Before anyone could step forward, dozens of ANBU Black Ops emerged and surrounded the burned site. The crowd parted with hushed gasps as the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen approached the scene, tailed by dozens of his personal guards. As the masked ANBU dispersed the crowd, several of the Hokage's guard erected a purple barrier around the Hyūga home, ceasing the winds inside and containing the smoke.

"Were there any survivors?"

An ANBU member with a mask of a dog knelt before the Hokage. "There were many, Hokage-sama. After a brief search, it appears that the explosion originated from the Main House Buildings. The blast radius did not quite reach the back edges of the Branch Family housing; there were a few dead patrolmen who were all from the Branch Family, but most of the Branch members only suffered minor wounds." There was a pause before he continued, "But I'm afraid Hyūga Hiashi-sama along with most of the main house were caught in the blast. Only Hyūga Hinata, who was away with her caretaker avoided the catastrophe."

The aged leader closed his eyes and resisted the urge to smoke his pipe before such a scene. "Has she been notified?"

"Yes," replied the ANBU with a lowered head. "Yūhi Kurenai, Hyūga Hinata's caretaker was sent to protect the heiress and to notify her of what happened. We've received confirmation that she is safe and has been taken to the hospital for protection."

The Hokage gave a nod and stared at the smoky remains in silence.

"What should we do next, Hokage-sama?"

"Search the premise for the precise location of the blast. I want to know the cause before sundown. Have a dozen men stationed here at all times and take the witness reports of everyone around as soon as possible. Notify the hospital to report to me as soon as they've finished with the survivors." Sarutobi turned away and lowered his hat. "Find and clean the bodies as well as you can. I expect the funeral service to be organized within the week and a memorial to be built in their honor."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

As his men dispersed, Sarutobi turned to Yamanaka Inoichi, the Head of Interrogation. "As soon as the hospital clears the survivors, I will need you to check each of their minds."

"Hokage-sama, are you suggesting-"

"No, but we must leave no stone unturned. I do not hope that you'll find any nefarious memories, but perhaps you will stumble upon evidence that will clarify the situation." The old man gave a sigh as his eyes grew tired. "A threat that can catch the Hyūga off guard cannot be ignored."

The blonde man bowed, "I'll be on my way, Hokage-sama."

"Inoichi," called the Hokage, halting the man. "Perhaps have Ino visit Hinata in the hospital. The girl needs a friend during these hard times."

Inoichi gave a nod. "Certainly, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage nodded as he turned to leave, "Report to me once you are finished."

"Hokage-sama," Inoichi asked, "Could this be related to recent events?"

"No, there is no indication of that yet. The Council will convene as soon as we have enough information. We can further discuss this then."

"Understood, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi walked until he could no longer smell the burning before he lit his pipe. Ignoring the worried glances of his people around him, he puffed as he looked toward the faces of the predecessors. 'I'm terribly sorry, Hashirama-sama, Tobirama-sensei. Another great clan fell under my rule.'

Yūhi Kurenai placed a soft hand upon Hyūga Hinata's forehead, gently soothing her mind with a small illusion. Instead of a desolate hospital room, she transported Hinata to a grass field trapped under a midsummer's sun, where the leaves danced with howling winds and serenaded songs of peace. The shivering ceased and the whimpering slowed, but still the tears flowed.

Biting down on her lip, the Genjutsu Specialist cradled Hinata against her, holding the small girl close as her own tears threatened to fall.

"Everything will be alright, Hinata." Her gentle words fell on deaf ears. "I promise you."

There was a sudden loud knock on the door. At the silence, the door creaked open, revealing a Dog Masked ANBU member. With a slight bow, he entered the room, mindful of the door and his steps. With no one trailing behind, he reached for his mask. "I'm sorry to bother, Kurenai." Another masked faced was revealed, but this mask only covered the lower half of his face. His silver hair partially covered his scarred, closed left eye as his right revealed his exhaustion. "Hokage-sama sent me to check on the survivors."

"It's okay, Kakashi." Kurenai gently adjusted Hinata against her chest and sat up fully on the bed. "Most of the blast survivors are still unconscious, and the few others have already been questioned. They don't remember seeing anything out of the ordinary, but none of them had their Byakugan activated at the time either." She gave a tired sigh, "We just have to wait until the others wake."

Kakashi approached the bed, "How is she?"

Kurenai shook her head, "Not well." She knew she needn't explain to Kakashi the pain of loss. "She passed out after I told her of what happened and she couldn't stop crying after she woke. The doctor said she is in a state of shock." She blew a few stray strands of hair from Hinata's forehead, "I placed her under a peaceful Genjutsu. Hopefully she will get some rest."

"Do you need some rest?"

"No, not until I find out what happened."

"We won't know for sure until the ANBU finishes their report, but explosions of this magnitude don't happen by accident." Kakashi briefly opened his right eye to reveal his Sharingan, continuing only after confirming Hinata's unconsciousness. "The blast originated from within the compound, right in the middle of Main House. This was a targeted attack on the Hyūga."

"Only a few years since the Uchiha Clan Massacre and now this happens."

"At least in this case we have more than one survivor. Hinata is now the only surviving Main House member. She will be the one all the other Branch House survivors follow." Kakashi sighed, "I can't imagine how the higher-ups will handle this, but we can say for sure that your young student will become the new Hyūga Matriarch very soon."

Kurenai held Hinata tighter, "But she is still too young."

"She will have help." Kakashi smiled at his lifelong friend. "I imagine you will be there for her."

"Emotionally, sure. She needs actual advisors who have actual experience in leading an entire clan. The Hyūga are among the most illustrious families in Konoha; leading the main family will be a task comparable to being Hokage. I can't even imagine the amount of pressure Hinata is about to assume." Kurenai combed her fingers through Hinata's hair. "Hopefully Hokage-sama will be able to help her."

Hinata stirred in her arms.

Kakashi placed his ANBU mask back on. "I'll leave the two of you alone. I'll be close by if you need me." Kurenai nodded and the Dog Mask vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Kurenai-sensei," whispered Hinata as her eyes parted.

Kurenai felt a sting in her heart at the sight of the girl's bloodshot eyes, "I'm right here."

Tears fell once again. Hinata's shoulder shivered as she looked around the room, whimpering as she realized she did not wake from her nightmare. Her voice broke into stutters as Kurenai pulled her close, holding her against her chest and whispering into her ear. The girl cried into Kurenai's shirt, shaking as she muttered her little sister's name.

Kurenai closed her eyes and ran her hands gently along Hinata's back, feeling the girl's breathing slowly calm. "I'm here for you, Hinata. Let it all out."

The tears poured out as her shoulders continued to shake, "Why?" she whispered. "How did this happen?"

"We don't know yet what caused the explosion, but Hokage-sama is personally looking over the investigation. I'm sure they will find out exactly what happened very soon." Hinata's breath hitched as she sobbed. "But what you need to do now is rest. Let your mind be at ease."

Kurenai was about to place her in another Genjutsu, but Hinata shook her head. "No, please, Kurenai-sensei. I need to know. I need to find out what happened."

"You're in no condition to move right now. Also, your safety is currently our main priority. I cannot take any unnecessary risk that may endanger you. Whoever it was that orchestrated that attack could come after you if they found out you survived."

Hinata pulled away from Kurenai's arms and looked up at her. "What about the Branch Members? Where are they now?"

"They are also in this hospital. Most of them only suffered minor injuries, so they are most likely giving their witness reports right now."

"I need to go see them."

"No, Hinata," said Kurenai sternly, "You need to rest and remain in this room. I'm sorry, but you must understand that you are now the last surviving member of the Hyūga Main Branch. Every other Hyūga living have been branded with the Caged Bird Seal. If anything happens to you, the Byakugan could be lost to Konoha forever." The Jōnin held the girl close, "For the sake of the village, you are now our most protected person."

Biting back tears, Hinata nodded silently.

There was a sudden knock on the door.

"Who is it?" asked Kurenai.

"Y-Yamanaka Ino," came a nervous voice. "I'm here to visit Hinata if that's okay."

Kurenai glanced to see Hinata's small nod and nodded back. "Yes, please come in, Yamanaka-san."

The door opened to reveal the young Yamanaka Heiress, her usual luscious blonde hair slick with rain. From her disheveled face and messy clothes, it was obvious she had left home in the middle of the night with haste, the same haste she showed when speeding to Hinata.

"Hinata," Ino managed to whisper as she knelt down next to the hospital bed, struggling to speak. "…I'm here for you."

Hinata reached for her hand and squeezed, "T-Thank you, Ino-chan."

Tear welled in the girls' eyes, "It's going to be okay; we'll all be here for you." Ino sat on the side of the bed, reaching to wrap her arms around Hinata. "We're going to figure everything out."

Slowly, Kurenai stood from the bed, patting both girls' heads. "Yamanaka-san, I'll leave Hinata in your hands for now."

Ino nodded, "I'll be here."

Kurenai nodded and vanished in a blur.

"We've sealed off the area, Shikaku-san."

The Jōnin Commander nodded, silently regarding the heavy rain washing away the many pools of blood staining the street. His fingers twitched, missing the pack of smokes he'd forgotten in his haste, and sighed. He was once again too late and could only stare down at the half a dozen bleeding corpses by his feet, thinking of the six families he must later console.

"But we can't keep everyone in the dark for long. There were a lot of eyewitnesses and word is going to spread. We better deliver a statement before people start making their own theories."

"My wife is already preparing a statement for me." The tired Nara turned to face his assistant, Gengo, the youngest he'd ever had, barely a Chūnin, and wondered if he had any smokes. "Have the bodies brought to the hospital. Send for Yakushi-san. I want her to personally conduct the autopsy and tell her I expect the report by tomorrow afternoon at the latest."

"Do you think this is connected to the other incidents?"

Shikaku sighed, "That much is obvious; I just need to know if there are any differences compared to previous times." He stepped closer to the carnage, looking down at the bodies. "We see the same telltale signs: crazed individual going on a rampage; there are no particular targets, just anyone close to the killer; everyone involved are civilians; it happened right in the middle of the street at night." The Jōnin stood over the one corpse at the center of the pile, "And the killer killing themselves after."

"The killer killed four people before committing suicide this time. It's the least we've seen."

"It matches the pattern." The killer lay dead on the cold, wet ground, still tightly grasping onto the kitchen knife he'd stabbed into his heart, but not before he'd already stabbed himself several times in his stomach, thighs, and through his own eye. "Judging by this man's clothes and weapon of choice, we can assume he's a civilian like the killers of the previous incidents. And just like the previous times, his victims were efficiently killed." Shikaku regarded the four corpses that surrounded the killer's, "These are quick cuts to the jugular, accurate and deadly, far too precise for a civilian."

"And just like the others, he killed himself the most violently."

"Yes," added Shikaku, "His jugular wasn't cut, neither were any other major arteries. All his stab wounds are crude and mindless. He attacked his own stomach first, then his legs, then through his eye. He must have at least stabbed himself over ten times before striking the heart."

Gengo slowly staggered away, rubbing his shaking arm, "Do the ANBU have any leads? This marks seventeen civilian deaths in a month! People will start to panic if this keeps happening."

"They operate with the same information as we do, Gengo. But believe me when I tell you that the ANBU will hardly concern themselves with civilian deaths, not with the Hyūga explosion taking top priority."

"So many deaths in one night," Gengo muttered, "What is happening to our village?"

From behind the heavy rain came the Medical Corp, clad in their white uniforms that will soon run red. "Sorry for the delay, Shikaku-san." The lead medic was panting, no doubt having rush over. "There were more than a few missions completed earlier today and there were a lot of wounds to heal. We came as soon as we could."

The Nara nodded, "It's fine. Everyone here was dead when we arrived."

"I see…"

"The one in the middle is the killer. Take his body to the interrogation center; I'll have Inoichi check his mind before they conduct the autopsy. The other four can go directly to the hospital. Yakushi-san will be there to handle the autopsies personally."

"Hai!"

The Commander turned to Gengo has the medics worked, "Stand guard here until they are finished. Make sure to have everything cleaned up before reopening the area."

"Hai."

Shikaku sighed, "I'm going to report to Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage was well into the third decade of his tenure and fast approaching his fourth. The acclaimed Professor had survived multiple wars, countless assassination attempts, and rampaging Bijuu, but he could scarcely remember feeling as helpless as now. Staring at the ever-watching eyes of his fellow Hokage upon the mountainside, he couldn't help but want to join them in peace. It had been far too long a reign, and he was getting tired.

Dawn approached as sunlight seeped over the horizon – at last the terrible night was over. There had been so many terrible nights as of late, and the Hokage feared more was to come.

"We are ready, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen turned at the voice of his assistant and welcomed the sight of his council. Gathered before him was Nara Shikaku, the Jōnin Commander, Yamanaka Inoichi, Head of Interrogation, Yakushi Nonō, Captain of the Medic Corps, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, both former teammates and current advisers of the Hokage, and Shimura Danzo, the Commander of Root, a subsection of the ANBU Black Ops. While Hiruzen enjoyed some of their company over others, seeing all of them together could only mean catastrophe.

"Report."

Nara Shikaku stood and bowed, "Hai, Hokage-sama." He held the report and spoke, "I will address the less impactful incident first: another killing spree and suicide, marking a death toll of seventeen since this trend began." All were silent as he spoke, mood solemn. "Akin to previous incidents, the attacker was armed with a civilian weapon, in this case a kitchen knife. It happened quick, less than a minute according to most eyewitnesses. The attacker likely brought the knife from his home and attacked the first group of people he saw – according to the ANBU report, he lived just minutes away from the scene. Preliminary analysis revealed that this man's chakra pathways are not developed, proving that he is a civilian, and Yakushi-san's autopsy indicates that all victims died from their stab or slash wounds with no chakra residue. But curiously, as with the previous incidents, these attacks were performed with unusual efficiency. Each slash was quick and through a major artery and every stab avoided bone but struck organs. A civilian shouldn't be able to do such things, much less do them in less than thirty seconds, according to the eyewitnesses."

"Perhaps he was placed under a Genjutsu?" suggested the elder Koharu.

"That is unlikely," answered Yakushi Nonō, "There was no sign of any foreign chakra lingering in the body. A Genjutsu powerful enough to cause a civilian to behave and move in such a way must have left some residue behind."

"But there is no doubt that this is a premeditated attack on Konoha." Inoichi spoke and silenced the room, continuing after seeing Shikaku's nod. "Just like the previous incidents with the previous attackers, this attacker stabbed himself through the eye and into his brain, striking precisely at the hippocampus. This essentially destroys all short-term memory and renders the Interrogation Unit useless when probing the brain. We have some of his older memories, but everything that happened before his death and during the attack has been destroyed."

"Whoever the perpetrator is," added Shikaku, "They are studied in human anatomy and neural biology. How they are manipulating the attacker, we cannot say yet, but they are able to strike at lethal parts of the body with swift efficiency and know exactly which part of the brain to destroy to wipe the evidence." Staring at the stony Hokage, he continued, "It is also possible that these killing sprees are an attempt to divert our eyes from the true motivation behind these attacks. The victims were all killed efficiently and all died quickly and without much suffering, hinting at a possible moral consciousness behind the perpetrator to those who are not his primary target. Their primary target is likely the attacker, evidenced by the gruesome manner of their deaths."

Sarutobi sighed before asking, "Have we found any links between the attackers?"

Inoichi shook his head, "No, Hokage-sama. I have combed through what memory I could but couldn't find any direct connection. Of the five attackers so far, all of them are civilians, but do not know each other and scarcely have any common acquaintances. They do not live close to each other; as a matter of fact, they all live quite spread out from each other. Some of them are decently wealthy – the first attacker, Hiroshi Kengo was the owner of a successful property management company in the Old City District, responsible for quite a large amount of housing management in the district. But our attacker last night, named Arashi Kenta was a simple peddler of traded goods. He operates a small stand near the Main Gate, selling simple traded trinkets or bartered items from other countries. Whether it be social standing or social circle, there is no overlap. It's mostly the same with the other three attackers, with only very sparse connections, such as visiting the same grocer or frequenting similar restaurants."

"It is unlikely that these spree killers are victims of a spree killing themselves, Hokage-sama." Shikaku paused for thought, "It doesn't make sense for the perpetrator to single out these people to die gruesome deaths while giving others painless deaths. If this was a simple killing spree, why not kill everyone the same way? Even if destroying the hippocampus was necessary, why the other numerous stab wounds around the body? No, these are murders of passion, or emotional satisfaction. These men have done something to the perpetrator, and that is what connects them together. Once we've found this connection, we will find our suspect."

"Then we must make haste," order the Hokage, "Inoichi, have half of your men on this case and comb through every remaining detail we have. If there is a connection, it must be somewhere in their minds."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"We must hurry," said Shikaku, "This may just be an opening act."

Elder Homura narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean?"

"Including the killers, the first attack took nine lives, then the second took eight, the third took seven, the fourth took six, and the fifth took five." Hiruzen's eyes widened in realization, "This is a countdown. What will happen when it gets to one?"

"Could there be a connection between this," said Danzo, breaking his silence, "and the Hyūga explosion?"

The room stood still as eyes turned to Shikaku, "Based on the evidence, no." The Jōnin Commander looked to his leader, "But my gut feeling tells me that they are. Something big is moving around us and is getting ready to strike. These killings could just be the opening act, meant to keep us on our toes while the main act is getting ready. The Hyūga…they could just be the sideshow."

Inoichi stood, "This leads us to the second and more…impactful event of last night." He cleared his throat and stood tall, "As of 2am of last night, an explosion detonated inside of the Main House of the Hyūga Estate. Based on the blast radius, it would have taken at least a dozen high-yield paper bombs to cause such an explosion. To have smuggled such a chakra-dense bomb inside the Hyūga Estates while avoiding every Hyūga guard patrolling the area is impossible. The Byakugan would have immediately taken notice of the bomb. For it to be placed inside the main building, the same building as Hyūga Hiashi without being noticed is simply ludicrous."

"Are you suggesting this was an inside job?" asked Danzo, staring with his one eye.

Inoichi glanced at Danzo before turning to the Hokage, "It is possible."

Hiruzen closed his eyes with a sigh.

"While it is too soon to accuse anyone, it is curious that the blast radius was contained within the Main Branch homes within the estate. All of the Main Branch was destroyed and killed, but none of the Branch Homes were touched. Had Hinata not been with her caretaker tonight, she would have died as well. If that had happened, the Branch House would become the ruling Hyūga Clan Head." Inoichi breathed to calm himself, "This is not an accusation; I am pointing out who has the most to gain out of this tragedy."

The room was silent until the Hokage spoke, "How is Hyūga Hinata?"

"She is well, Hokage-sama." Inoichi frowned at the thought of the sweet girl, "Yūhi Kurenai reported that Ino is with her at the hospital. She is awake and grieving, and still in shock. If symptoms worsen, I will try to remove some of her more traumatic memories, but the doctors say she should be alright. ANBU Captain Inu is guarding her room personally and is set to rotate with his team members until further orders."

"Good," muttered Hiruzen, "She must be under strict protection at all times."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"As of tonight, Hyūga Hinata is the Hyūga Clan Head and Matriarch. She is not yet of age and has yet to graduate from the academy, so she will be appointed a guardian." The Hokage looked to the Yamanaka Clan Head, "Inoichi, you've known Hiashi for years and your daughter is friends with Hinata. You are also raising Ino to be a clan head herself, so I see no better person to become Hinata's guardian." All eyes turned to Inoichi, "Will be accept this responsibility."

Inoichi immediately bowed, "Yes, Hokage-sama." The man bit his lip, "I will do my utmost to teach and provide for Hinata."

Hiruzen allowed a small smile to pass, "Thank you, Inoichi. With you and Ino around, I'm optimistic that Hinata will be able to endure this tragedy." The leader rested back against his seat, "As you may know, Yūhi Kurenai has been Hinata's caretaker and teacher for the last few years. Hinata loves Kurenai like a mother or a sister, so I will have her remain as Hinata's caretaker. Please see that you include Kurenai in Hinata's daily routine."

"Of course, Hokage-sama. I'll be sure to do that."

"Very well." The Hokage nodded, "Inoichi, Shikaku, Nonō, return to your posts. I trust the three of you to allocate our resources between these two cases. Have your daily reports sent directly to me by the end of each day and be sure to notify me if there are any sudden developments."

All three stood and bowed, "Hai, Hokage-sama."

As the three left and the only the elder command remained, Hiruzen took out his pipe for a smoke. In silence, he turned to see the faces of the previous Hokage, puffing smoke in thought. All four elders, three were teammates and all were best of friends at one point, but now none of them would even look at each other.

"If I find out that any of you are responsible for any of this," muttered Hiruzen with puffs of smoke, "I will personally execute you myself."

Slowly, Danzo stood, his cane thumping on the ground. "This has nothing to do with me," he muttered softly as he turned to leave.

Koharu and Homura stood to leave as well, "We are all too old for this now."

"You should know, Sarutobi."

The Hokage scoffed, "We've been too old for a long time already."

Nara Shikaku welcomed the sight of his wife, far and away the most terrifying woman in his life. She was strong, demanding, strict, and loud, and he loved her for it. Sitting by the dinner table, Nara Yoshino stared dully at her husband, scowling as he sheepishly sat down for the breakfast she'd prepare for him. The Jōnin Commander was completely powerless before his Chūnin wife.

"Thank you for cooking, dear."

Yoshino shrugged, "I'm used to doing everything around here."

Shikaku gave her a sheepish chuckle, "I love you, honey."

"Here," Yoshino said as she slapped a stack of papers on the table. "Your speech for later. The main speech is on the front page, but prepped answers to most potential questions are on the next few pages. Eat up, you have about an hour to memorize everything."

Shikaku smiled, "You're amazing, honey."

Yoshino sighed before giving her husband a smile, "Be sure not to drink too much coffee today." She left after brushing his shoulder, "I'm going to wake up your lazy son."

The Commander sighed, "He lucky to sleep through such a terrible night."

"Benefit of being a child, Shikaku."

As his wife left his sight, he sighed, "Not for the Hyūga heiress."

Wolfing down his breakfast before a quick change of clothes, Shikaku sped through the streets of Konoha. It was a terrifyingly quiet morning. The vendors were opening their shops to empty streets and there was scarcely a soul in sight. Shikaku was no sensor, but he could safely assume that most people were gathered at the square, waiting for his address.

It was no longer a secret that Konaha had gradually been losing power. The Third Great Shinobi World War had developed some of the greatest ninja Konoha had ever produced, but almost a third of their forces were killed in battle. Konoha's Yellow Flash, the most powerful and feared ninja to come out of Konoha in decades held the peace together with his infamy, but with his death, the scales were off balance. The Third Hokage was powerful, but his prime had long since passed. Konoha rested on the shoulders of a new generation, one that has yet to prove itself.

Uchiha Itachi, one of the most talented members to ever come out of one of the most talented clans, had slaughtered said clan. The loss of the Uchiha Clan was debilitating injury for Konoha. The Uchiha was one of the two noble clan to form Konoha; their infamy and talents were perhaps even greater than the Yondaime Hokage's, but they were also lost. Now with the lost of most of the Hyūga, Konoha was seriously disabled. They were gradually losing every advantage they held over other villages, and it was only a matter of time before they come seeking revenge.

How Shikaku wished his son could continue to enjoy watching clouds and sleeping in, but a kind future doesn't seem likely.

The Jōnin Commander approached Hashirama Square, one of the largest marketplaces in the village and the unofficial announcement gathering point. Some people had already gathered around the makeshift podium that had seen far too much use in the past month. Most people gathered were already wearing black – family mourners, he presumed. The aged Shinobi was no stranger to death among his men, but to see so many civilians mourning was a peculiar sight.

Beyond the families was a large mass of people, all of whom were civilians. There was a lot of chatter, loud and rowdy and heightened – prime for mass panic if not careful. There must have been over a thousand people, all crowding the park and around the small, raised platform, and hardly any Shinobi around. A mere three Chūnin guards surrounded the platform and the crowd was starting to creep in. He wondered where all the ANBU were, but quickly figured that they were all at the Hyūga Estates.

Shikaku landed softly on the platform and turned to face the crowd, silencing the mob with his presence.

"Please, calm down." The Jōnin Commander raised his hands and motioned to the crowd, "I know how everybody must feel, but we must not panic."

A hush fell over the crowd.

"I have no doubt that most people here have heard about what happened yesterday, but I will give an official address to avoid the spread of false speculation." Shikaku paused for a sigh, his fingers desperately twitching for a cigarette. "There were two incidents last night."

A loud murmur broke out, but Shikaku continued.

"There was an explosion in the Hyūga Estates late last night and there were casualties. The ANBU Black Ops were quite to arrive and ensure that all survivors are brough to the hospital for treatment. At the moment I am not allowed to disclose the identities of the deceased as the investigation is ongoing, but I assure you that either I or Hokage-sama will fully disclose the situation once the investigation is over."

Pausing to let the crowd settle into a dull silence, he continued.

"Last night also marks the fifth time of a civilian attack. I won't name the assailant, but one person – a civilian – armed himself with a kitchen knife and attacked the people around him in a crowded street. I regret to inform you that five people, including the attacker have perished."

The sudden silence was deafening.

"We can no longer afford to think of this as an isolated incident and we are committed to allocate more resources to resolve this matter as soon as possible." It was at times like this that Shikaku missed the Uchiha Police Force. They may have been arrogant and isolated but were also efficient and reliable. Uchiha Fugaku would have done a better job than him. "I am sure you all have many questions, but I cannot answer all of them, so I will address some of the pressing concerns."

Shikaku barely managed to look down at the tearstained eyes of the mourning families.

"It does appear that we are dealing with a spree killer that is targeting civilians." He did not pause for the gasp that permeated the crowd. "Every victim had been a civilian with no apparent connection, but all were killed on crowded streets at night. Now, we have no plan to announce a curfew, but we do highly recommend everybody to go directly home after a days' work. Do not linger in the streets at night and travel in trusted packs. If need be or if anyone sees anything suspicious, inform the nearest Shinobi."

He could feel the frustration and fear of the crowd, so he reached for Yoshino's speech.

"I know we are living in troubling times and many of us have lost people we love and care about. The last decade has not been kind to us but let me remind you all that we've been through far worse!" His voice carried over the crowd, "Konohagakure still stands as the most powerful Shinobi Village in the Elemental Nations, and we stand proud as its people! We have lived through three great wars, survived the loss of our leaders, endure the pain of the destruction of our noble clans, and even prevailed a Bijuu attac-"

It was as if everything clicked.

The killings were not sporadic; they all had one connection.

Hiroshi Kengo, a wealthy landlord of the Old City District, neighborhood to many urban condominiums, cheaply built and cheaply sold. He catered to the lower end of the economic spectrum – peddlers, street performers, disabled shinobi, and one Jinchuriki.

Akita Ren, salesmen at the academy bookstore, a menial worker catering for the newest generation of ninja coming out of Konoha, and one Jinchuriki.

Manobu Mikage, a chef working at the Smokey Chimney, a local barbeque house known for its cheap eats and liquor. It was also known for being on Patron's Steet, the one street responsible for filling most if not all of the prison's drunk tank on a given night. Frequent patrons include the local drunks, long time genin, ladies of the night, and if Shikaku was a betting man, one Jinchuriki.

Yoshikawa Yuri, the only female attacker, and a parttime worker at the orphanage. It was the one place that was synonymous with tragedy, filled with remnant of families and broken homes, and four years, it was the home of one Jinchuriki.

Arashi Kenta, the most recent victim, a simple peddler of goods. Shikaku was willing to bet his cigarettes that if Inoichi was to look far enough in the man's mind, he would find Arashi denying service to one young Jinchuriki.

It all made sense now.

"AHHHHHHH!"

A harsh shriek broke the silence and hundreds of people turned to see a sight of horror.

Shikaku was shocked as he saw four people kneeling on the ground, all silently bleeding after slamming their heads into knives they held in their hands, no doubt all embedded deeply in their eyes and into the hippocampus. But there were not finished. All four of them, still kneeling, reeled back, pulling their heads away from the knives, ripping their eyes away from the sockets. To the ever horror of the crowd, they slammed their heads down again and again and again, stabbing and ripping away their faces, like they were bowing and begging.

Shikaku turned to the three chunin around him. "Go stop them!"

But the three of them drew their kunai and fell to their knees.

"Kage Shibari no Jutsu!" Tendrils of shadow whirled around the three silent chunin, holding them in place. "No, come on! Snap out of it!" Shikaku's eyes widened as they started to overpower his jutsu. He watched as they knelt fully on the ground before raising their hands high, as if praying to a god. "No!" All three held a kunai in their hands, and slowly inserted them into their eyes, not stopping until only the handle remained. Blood flowed freely down their faces, reddening their wide, white, happy smile.

"You're too late, Shikaku-san."

Shikaku released his jutsu to find Umino Iruka and Higuchi Mizuki standing behind him. He recognized them both; the two academy teachers that he'd met countless times with his wife and son. Before he could speak or move an inch, both chunin instructors jumped into the crowd at speeds beyond their usual abilities. In the midst of the panicking crowd, they smiled at Shikaku before sticking paper bombs to their foreheads.

"We are all too late."

"NO-"

Shikaku saw the explosion but never heard it, only a loud ringing that quivered his mind. He wished he was blind at that moment, rather that than seeing civilians breaking apart into splinters of flesh and bone, a wave of burning blood painting the air, and a pair of blue eyes staring straight at him.

The Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko, stared deep into Shikaku's soul as he held a kunai to his own eye. With a bright grin, the young child, one the same age as his son, one that shared the same bright eyes as his previous leader and good friend, inserted the kunai into his own eye. Shikaku watched as blood rained down the boy's face, covering his grin red as he fell.

The countdown was down to one.

Uzumaki Naruto was dead.

End of Prologue

I'm so sorry for starting another story, but I feel I need to get this out of my mind. I've been writing so many lovey-dovey stories about families and romance that I burned out. I need a dark and gritty story to counterbalance the love.

This is a reimagined version of my very old story, Genjutsu Legend. I've been pondering this one for a while, so I hope you'll all like it.

To the readers of A Father's Love, this story will help but get back to AFL faster. I've been trying to write the next chapter of AFL for a long time and I've been stuck, so hopefully this will get my mind moving again.

Please leave me a review and let me know what you think! I love you all!