Phantom of the Leaf

by Hyperguy

A boy born without chakra finds the attention of a certain outsider. Distraught over his lack of ability, the child walks a different path than his twin sister who's shining personality changes anyone she meets. With a different power at his fingertips he must go about removing the tumors that have grown within his village and the shinobi world without forgetting who he once was.

17. Another Defaced

XxXxX

"It's a pleasure to finally see you again, Kazekage. I hope the trip wasn't too rough." Minato said as he leaned back into his seat. Those sharp blue eyes scanned the masked kage next to him in confusion.

"Nothing my men couldn't handle." Minato's eyes narrowed, but otherwise said nothing.

"Where did this scroll come from?" Minato muttered to himself. Blue eyes analyzed the scroll for any traps, but there were none. The scroll was a simple black design with nothing making it stand out. Slowly opening the scroll the Hokage's eyes widened. A single line was written within, but it told him everything he needed to know.

'Beware the snake that hides in the sand.'

"It seems your daughter made it to the final portion of the exam. Impressive." The Kazekage stated.

"She has taken large strides in her training. I couldn't be prouder." Minato responded with a leveled voice. No need to reveal his hand so soon.

"And what of your son? How has he been?"

"Doing well. School has been out for a while, so he's enjoying that."

"Has his training been going smoothly?" This made Minato pause. Why was he so interested in his son?

"What training?"

"Oh please. I've heard of your son's taijutsu ability." Looking over, the Kazekage grinned beneath that mask of his. "Rumors state that he may be even stronger in taijutsu than the genius Hyūga down there."

"…" How did he know that? Yes, Minato knew that his son was a proficient taijutsu user for being a civilian, but he only knew this because Kakashi told him of his spar with Saya over a month ago and his daughter's loud mouth on the topic. Naruto himself has never told him anything. Maybe when this was all over, when the Chunin Exams had passed, he would sit down with his son and really talk to him. Seems like ages since he's just… talked with Naruto. Sure, they'd chat over dinner, or interact in passing, but it's been a long time since they've had a deep discussion. He was so busy being the Hokage, or training Yui, that it feels like he's drifted away from his quite son. "Can't say he's that far along, but he is skilled."

"Interesting…" The Kazekage returned his eyes to the stadium below, making Minato slightly anxious.

XxXxX

"Oh, what a wonderful piece of art this will be! A true exhibition for a very select few!" A masked man laughed aloud as he got to work. "I'm so lucky that I'll be one of its attendants. Still, he does love his dark environments and subtle whispers." Continuing his work, the madman simply shook his head.

"What a fascinating individual…" With that the fuinjutsu master went to work on what was asked of him with a hum of excitement.

XxXxX

Yui knew her opponent was going to be tough. Neji Hyūga was a prodigy from his clan and could beat everyone with his taijutsu, but she's been training for this day. While Yui didn't have much of a plan, Yui was never much of a planner, she did believe in herself and the training she put into beating her opponent.

So, when she first saw Neji enter the arena she was expecting him to turn his nose up to her and be an arrogant prick. What she saw was a more reserved Neji that was slightly on edge. He was still arrogant to be sure, but there was something else there.

"What's gotten into you today?" Yui asked, but was clearly uninterested in what he had to say.

"Shove it you waste of air. Fate has decided that I'll win this day so let's get this over with." Neji stated with a scowl. He got into position as Yui growled back.

"Asshole." Her eyes went up to the Kage's box to see two men sitting there. Her father had an even look upon his features, but she knew he was happy that she was there. Further investigation found her friends scattered throughout shouting words of encouragement, but she couldn't hear them. Where was her brother?

Her eyes continued to scan the audience, but he was nowhere to be found. A slight prick of disappointment crawled up her being until she finally saw him in the back. Happiness overtook her when she gazed upon his aloof position, but this was replaced by confusion when none other than Tenten sat beside him. 'How does Neji's teammate know my brother?'

"Begin!" Genma said before jumping back.

XxXxX

My eyes narrowed when Neji positioned himself across from my sister. It was a short two weeks ago that I fought Neji and its outcome was surprising to say the least. I had wanted to see how far I could push the Hyūga before retreating and letting the Artist capture Neko. Well… there were several more layers than that, but that was the basics of the plan. When Neji laid at my feet, completely at my mercy, I realized that maybe this mark was more powerful than I initially thought. My Dark Sight allowed me to spot his weak point, my Wind Blast allowed me to exploit it, my Blink allowed me to escape a devastating blow, and the strength and speed from my passive abilities allowed me to keep up with the prodigy Hyūga.

I was currently wearing a long sleeve hooded black shirt with my fingerless gloves covering my hands. Simple blue jeans and dark boots rounded out my attire. My position in the stands was at the very back corner next to the railing with the shade covering my being. Leaning back, I relaxed my hands behind my head while propping my feet up on the seat before me.

"Naruto? Is that you?" I glanced over my shoulder to see a flash of pink on the walkway behind me. The hood was down so seeing my blonde hair was easy enough.

"Yo." With a simple wave Tenten sweat dropped.

"You sound like Kakashi when you talk like that."

"…?"

"Why are you all the way back here? Your sister's fighting first!" True to her words there were a few open spaces further below. I shrugged my shoulders and looked back to the match.

"I can see just fine from up here." Tenten didn't move, making me sigh once again. "If you want to sit closer you can. Not going to hurt my feelings." A light thud made me glance over to see the bun-bun girl sitting next to me.

"Nah, would rather sit back here than be crushed between people down there."

"You don't need to lie to me. That is your teammate down there so you should move closer."

"And that's your sister. Besides, I can see just fine too." I grinned at her words.

"Touché." The words spoken between my sister and Neji made my brow furrow. "Is he doing okay? Seems rather agitated."

"He's been like this since the Second Act."

"Where the Phantom and Artist captured and killed the Hyūga matriarch?" Tenten nodded her head in confirmation.

"Neji was the person guarding her the night she was abducted. Since then he's been training himself into the ground." I whistled at that before returning my attention to the match.

"So, he feels responsible for her death. What happened anyway? He tell you anything?"

"Neji never went into detail about what happened that night. Hokage's orders maybe?" Tenten shook her head at the memories over the last few weeks. "What he did say was that he was laid low before the Phantom."

"Isn't he around the same age as us?"

"And I think that's what aggravated Neji so much. It's not just the failure of his mission to protect Niko-sama, but that someone our age so easily dismantled him. From Neji's own mouth: It was like he was toying me the entire time. I never stood a chance."

"Wow." It was the only word that I could say. From my point of view the events that transpired that night occurred completely differently.

"Wow is right. Now we learn that he can use the Hiraishin no Jutsu the entire time? I hate to say it, but I think Neji is right. If the Phantom wanted to kill him that night then he easily could have." Tenten leaned back in her chair mirroring my position.

"At least he's not dead."

"Or that the Phantom spared him."

"Either way he still draws breath. He can train and improve himself." I waved away the distraught mood that had sprouted between us.

"I suppose you're right." At least he's not dead. Whatever made the infamous Phantom choose to spare her teammate, Tenten may never know, but she was thankful that he did.

Returning my attention to the match below I found that my sister was sending wave after wave of Kage Bushin towards Neji. 'Probing his defenses? Smart… is that really my sister down there?' The waves of clones were being dismantled quickly and efficiently by the genius Hyūga, however, meaning that any hope of wearing down Neji would eventually have the opposite effect. 'Neji is reacting rather than being aggressive. Is he trying to create a plan to counter Yui's barrage of Kage Bushin?'

XxXxX

As if on que the Hyūga saw the opening from within the field of clones and pounced. Slipping through several clones with his Byakugan active Neji pierced his fingers into the chest of Yui.

"This is the real you." Neji stated with a grin when he saw the shocked look on Yui's face. "You've been staying in the back while your clones relentlessly attacked me. It's human nature to avoid danger, after all." But his grin faded when Yui burst into smoke. "Wha-?"

"Fūton: Kami Oroshi!" A vortex of wind slammed into Neji's side. Sending him flying through the sea of clones and onto the dirt beyond. Neji tumbled, but soon flipped himself before coming to a halt. His eyes narrowed at the clones before him. There had to be at least twenty Kage Bushin within the arena.

'So, she can use elemental jutsu. Not surprising since she's the Hokage's daughter.' It was a simple jutsu, but with enough chakra that D rank jutsu can make a nasty punch.

"And why would I be scared of getting close to you? If nothing else I would be near the front so I can get my own hit in!" One of the Yui clones, or the real one for all Neji knew, shouted.

"Then why do you hide behind your clones if you're so scared of being hit?" Neji voiced. A growl escaped several of the clone's lips. "Fine then. Let's pick up the pace." With that the genius Hyūga shot into the crowd with much more speed this time. Clones began popping at an increased rate as more and more clones disappeared into clouds of smoke. Neji's eyes narrowed when two final Yui's were left. With a swift double kick the two blondes went soaring across the arena in separate directions. One popping away and the other tumbling across the ground. "Is this your limit? Hiding behind clones and firing off low rank Fūton jutsu? To think that you're the Hokage's daughter. What a disappointment."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Yui exclaimed as she stood up.

"Even with all your training, all your hard word, all of your privilege, you are still destined to lose. Fate has decided that I will be the victor. There is no changing that." Neji's voice was laced with venom as he stared down the blonde.

"And who decides that, huh? You don't know the future. How would you know the outcome of this match?!" Anger overwhelming her, Yui dashed towards Neji. Scoffing at Yui's actions, Neji side stepped the punch aimed at his head. Shooting a knee up, the appendage connected with Yui's ribs. The air rushed out of her lungs, and while she staggered away two fists slammed into her stomach. Launching her away and towards the wall.

"I've seen it with these eyes of mine. Experienced it firsthand. The taste of facing someone so overwhelmingly powerful that I never stood a chance. The same taste you're tasting right now." Neji shook his head as Yui slowly stood. "This is a situation that you cannot control. It is disastrous, but you are here all the same. Now accept it and give up to save yourself from the pain."

"Who are you to spout this nonsense! How do you know that fate rules everything?!"

"Because I've seen it myself! I've seen how this world truly works with my own eyes!" Neji shouted back, making Yui blink in surprise. Calming himself with a few short breaths, Neji shook his head. "I can't expect someone like you to understand." Yui went to object, but was cut off. "Fine then… let me tell you of the Hyūga's dark past."

XxXxX

"Did you know this?" I asked with mild interest to the words Neji spoke. The Hyūga were an interesting clan with their own dark secrets, but to me they were just another mission. Now that it has been completed I maintained no grudge towards them, even if they held one against me.

"Not all of it, but I knew that Neji had a chip on his shoulder regarding the main branch." Tenten responded before sighing. "Never thought it was this deep though."

"That explains why he dislikes Hinata so much. She's part of the reason her father was killed."

"But it wasn't Hinata's fault his father died."

"Never said it was. Just that she was part of the reason." An invisible tug on my shoulder blade sent a clear message to my mind. "I'll be right back. Need to use the restroom." With a nod of her head, I slipped away into the hallway beyond. After several turns and a staircase leading up I found a dark hallway with the only light coming from the bulb above the staircase. Emi walked out of the shadows closest to me and gave me a worried glance. "Nothing to worry about. Remember, you're my last line of defense." With a nod Emi disappeared back into shadows. I allowed my once blue eyes to morph into a glowing purple letting me to see into the black ink that was the shadows. A cloaked man stood at the edge of light and dark. "Is it ready?"

"It is! You have nothing to worry about." I nodded my head in confirmation. However, there was something… off with his voice.

"Everything okay?"

"No. I feel that I'm being used by our employer."

"…?" Isn't that the point of our services? To take on missions for others?

As if reading my mind, the Artist continued. "Not in that sense my little Phantom, or should I say Naruto… Phantom sounds better. No, I feel that Danzō may be rid of me when this is all over. Possibly even you as well."

Now that was an interesting thought. What was Danzō's plan for me after the invasion? He had briefly mentioned what he wanted me to do afterwards, but never went into detail. All I knew was that it involved leaving the village. There was a plan that involved Hinata, but that was discarded when said plans changed.

"In any case we have a mission to complete. We'll worry about our next mission afterwards."

"You already have like ten ideas for our next mission, don't you?" The masked man laughed that maniacal laugh of his. Had he started on our next mission already?

"You have no idea my friend. You have no idea."

XxXxX

Two Konoha Genin took ragged breaths as they stared each other down. Yui wiped a trail of blood from the corner of her mouth as Neji steadied himself from within the carved-out rock beneath him. The audience had grown silent. Not wanting to disturb the two warring Genin as any voice could disrupt the flow of battle. Even the cheers for either side had disappeared.

'Looks like I'll have to pull out the big guns. I wanted to save it for my match with Saya, but I don't have a choice.'

"You're…" Neji breathed out as he caught his breath. Desperately trying to keep his mind focused on the battle before him. "You're nothing compared…"

"Huh?" Yui voiced in confusion.

"You're nothing compared to the Phantom." Neji said to himself, but Yui heard him nonetheless.

"What?" Neji simply slid into position and prepared himself for what would their last jutsu. "I asked you a question!" How did Neji know of the Phantom? Was this a bluff, or did he meet the mysterious figure?

"Then beat me and figure it out." A grin appeared on Neji's face. "But it won't happen. You are destined to lose today." A growl escaped Yui's lips as she made the cross sign. Six clones appeared around her before they charged. "You know that won't work!"

True to his words the clones were quickly dispatched, but when the smoke from their destruction was swept away by the wind Yui was seen holding onto a rapidly spinning blue orb and a clone popping away from her side.

XxXxX

I returned to see my sister breathing deep ragged breaths holding onto a ball of blue chakra in her hand and an equally desperate Neji standing across from her. "What I miss?"

So invested in the match Tenten nearly jumped out of her seat when my words reached her ears. "Don't do that!" I chuckled as I took my seat next to the girl. "They've been trading blows back and forth. Whenever Neji has been able to close the distance between the two he gains the upper hand, but Yui's been keeping her distance with those clones and Fūton jutsu. Nothing above C rank, and only like three separate jutsu, but they've done the job of wearing down Neji."

"She finally figured it out."

"If I'm honest, I'm surprised that she's pushed Neji this far. I thought for sure he was going to win."

"Oh?"

"I know that she's gained training from the Hokage, but after I saw how hard Neji's been training I thought he was going to easily take this thing down."

"Looks like everyone has been training just as hard." Tenten could only nod at my words when my sister dashed forwards while Neji began rotating.

"What is that jutsu Yui's using?"

"A technique my father created. I'm surprised she's this proficient with it." The blue sphere crashed against the defensive jutsu when suddenly a large explosion erupted at the impact zone. "It's over."

"Huh? What do you mean?" I pointed to the side.

"Watch."

XxXxX

Neji stopped his rotation after the attack had been successfully repelled, but then his eyes caught movement through the dust. He couldn't start his rotation fast enough! He tried, truly he did, but when Yui's fist slammed into his face and sent him flying, Neji could honestly say that between his exhaustion and low level of chakra that he had been bested.

Shooting out of the dust, the genius Hyūga slid across the ground until finally coming to a stop on his back. Once the dust had cleared, Yui could be seen standing and panting heavily before them.

"You say that fate decides everything. Well I call bullshit!" Yui said between intakes of air. "If you're so keen on fate 'Mr. Prophet' then how did you not see what would happen today?!" Slowly she walked up to the downed Hyūga. "I'm my own person, by the way! My father helped me, my sensei helped me, my team helped me, but I'm my own person! I'm strong because of the training I put in. Just because people helped me doesn't mean I'm just a shadow of them!" She jabbed a thumb into her chest as she stared down at the Hyūga with intensity. "I'm Yui Namikaze, and I'm going to be the Hokage based on my own merits! My own hard work! Believe it!"

"Winner, Yui Namikaze." Genma said and the crowd erupted into cheers. The princess of Konoha won her match against the prodigy from the famous Hyūga Clan.

XxXxX

"A wonderful match from two promising shinobi." The Kazekage said as he clapped his hands.

"Both certainly have the strength to become Chunin." Minato responded as he looked down at his daughter.

"Not to be rude, but I must say that their mentality needs some work. Including your daughter." Hearing that from him certainly didn't make Minato feel any better, but he was right.

"Neji's problems stem from his issues within the clan, and my daughter has always been a headstrong person. Happy, loyal and kind, but stubborn, shortsighted and loud. Guess that's what makes her unique." Just like your mother. Minato chuckled when an image of Yui's past appeared in his head. "Can you believe she used to be worse?" Of course you do. You were there.

"I'm not surprised, but she'll be able to prove herself further during the next match."

"Agreed. There's still more to see from my daughter that may surprise you."

"We shall see."

XxXxX

Tenten sat stunned at the outcome of the match. A chorus of cheers erupted all around us as my sister turned and waved at the crowd with that goofy smile plastered onto her face. Yui's eyes scanned the stands, her smile only growing at the sight of her friend's cheers. Finally, her gaze fell onto me, with a small wave and a grin my sister beamed before running off the field.

"What a match." Tenten commented from my side. "Based on what I saw from earlier in the exam I thought Neji was going to dismantle Yui."

"Was she that bad?" Tenten gave me a deadpanned look, making me chuckle. "Right, right."

"Her teacher's must have given her some pointers."

"I'm not sure my father helped her much over the last month. If anything, I believe it was Jiraiya who trained her the most."

"Is it because he didn't want to seem favorable to any single Genin?" I nodded my head at her question.

"The only thing he allowed Yui to start learning from his arsenal was the Rasengan. I still can't believe she's able to use in combat."

"It's a powerful jutsu. I wonder what Jiraiya-sama helped her with?"

'Summoning toads, chakra control for both herself and the Kyūbi's, helping with the Rasengan, general planning for this match, and some secret jutsu Yui refuses to tell me.'

"Who knows?" Tenten gave me a suspicious look. I held up my hands in surrender. "Don't look at me. Even if they did tell me I wouldn't know half the stuff they're talking about."

"Right… sometimes I forget you're not a shinobi." I furrowed a brow at the comment, but declined to respond. When medical shinobi carted off the beaten Hyūga, Tenten went to stand. "I'm going to go check on Neji."

"Have fun."

With that I was alone.

'Nothing left to do other than wait.' I propped my feet up and prepared myself to see how strong my generation of shinobi were. Yui's match was interesting, but she eventually won through sheer tenacity. I knew her chakra reserves were massive for someone her age and my sister abused this fact heavily during the match. Whether this was her plan going into the match would be told to me later. 'It looks like the Kage Bushin jutsu was made for you, Yui.'

Kankuro forfeited the match against Shino as to be expected.

Temari barely beat Shikamaru. The Nara was too smart for his own good, but in this case, it was a fine call. Even if I could hear my sister berate him from the contender's box. What was strange was that Shikamaru and Yui could be seen running through the stands afterwards towards several other Jonin.

Then the match we were waiting for arrived. After giving Saya ample time to arrive my father was about to call the match even after postponing said match until the end. They arrived just as Minato went to announce her disqualification. 'I swear my father has a soft spot for that lazy cyclopes…' Kakashi soon joined Yui and the others. The look of distress on her features was easy to see, but Kakashi seemed to wave it off.

"Hmm…"

XxXxX

The trap had been set. All preparations made for the inevitable attack. Konoha knew something was coming. That Orochimaru's plans would begin sometime during the finals of the Chunin Exams. Much to Hiruzen's anxiety the Phantom and the Artist was to be put onto the backburner for now until the threat of the Sanin has passed. The Hyūga clan were enraged, but they knew that if Orochimaru succeeded in whatever he was planning then the village as a whole would suffer. The two A-rank missing-nin would have to wait until the S-rank threat had been dealt with.

Hiruzen watched from the stands as Saya pressured Gaara with her speed and copied taijutsu style. 'Looks like Kakashi's done a marvelous job preparing Saya for her match.' The red headed boy swiftly wrapped himself into a compact ball of sand. Looking over his shoulder towards the back of the stands sat a blonde-haired boy leaned back into his chair.

"You know there's a high chance that your son will be targeted by Orochimaru." Hiruzen stated to the yellow haired kage.

"I know. That's why I want you watch over him. No matter what happens please protect my son." Hiruzen's expression softened. "Keep this mission to yourself."

"Don't worry. Your son will be fine…" Hiruzen shook his head at a nagging thought. "My student is strong… you think you can take him?"

"I'm the Hokage for a reason." But worry was etched across his features. "If it was just the two of us randomly meeting in the woods then yes, however…"

"However?"

"Orochimaru has had a long time to plan this attack. If I knew what he was up to then I would be less worried." Minato sighed and rubbed his temples. "What are his objectives?"

Hiruzen couldn't confidently answer because he was just as lost as his Hokage. All they could do was prepare for the inevitable as best they could.

And prepare they did. Every post had been reinforced. ANBU spread throughout the village to areas they wouldn't normally be stationed during the Chunin Exams. Now all they could do was wait and react.

The sound of a thousand chirping birds came to his ears. Looking back to the match, Saya was dashing towards the sphere of sand with… 'Did Kakashi teach Saya the Chidori?' It certainly looks like it. It was an assassination technique meant for its high speed and piercing power. Coupled with Saya's natural increase in speed the results were expected. The lightning covered hand slipped through the sand defense easily enough, but what followed gave Hiruzen pause. A loud shriek permeated the arena, making everyone blink in surprise.

Hiruzen never got the chance to contemplate what had just happened to the wounded boy when the sand melted away to reveal a bloodied Suna Genin. Light feathers began to dance around them while a smoke bomb exploded in the kage box.

'Genjutsu…' Orochimaru has played his first card.

XxXxX

"So, this was your plan then?" Minato commented to the Kazekage. Smoke shrouded their bodies, but both knew that the other hadn't moved from their seats. After another couple of breaths, the two powerful men leapt from their seats.

"Am I that easy to read, Minato-kun?" Ororchimaru commented as he placed his hand onto the floor. A line of kanji darted away into the smoke before lightning up an array of seals across the roof of the building.

"Easier than normal." Minato replied before pulling out several of his infamous three-pronged kunai. A massive purple barrier was erected around them. "You know that can't stop me from leaving."

"Kukuku. Are you sure?" Orochimaru asked as he threw off the Kazekage's robes. Blue eyes narrowed before trying to activate his jutsu outside the barrier. When nothing happened, Minato looked to Orochimaru in shock. "I've done my homework, Minato-kun. While replicating the jutsu is near impossible, creating a counter is certainly plausible."

"How…?" The blonde-haired leader growled out.

"You know that I can't tell you that." Orochimaru grinned as several shinobi descended around them, but were hampered by the barrier. "Now then. Let us continue, shall we?"

XxXxX

Kakashi knew something was going to happen. Every Leaf shinobi rank Chunin and above was put on high alert during the final portion of the exam. An invasion was assumed, and recently Suna was also expected to join an attack on the village thanks to a certain note left behind.

"Kakashi-sensei! What is going on?!" Of course, Sakura had the chakra control to break out of a genjutsu of this level. Seeing two enemies jumping up the stands towards them, Kakashi intercepted them and quickly dismantled the two Oto ninja. Shoving a kunai into the neck of one and cracking a kick across the other's head, they both crumpled to the ground either knocked out or dead. Sakura's eyes widened in shock at the dead body.

"We're being invaded by a joint force of Oto and Suna shinobi." Kakashi stood in a defensive posture in front of the Genin. Never wavering his eyes from the action before them. "You remember how to break someone out of genjutsu trance?" With a nod of her trembling head, Kakashi continued. "Good. Now wake up Yui and…"

The Jonin's eyes went to the knocked out Genin behind him and a sigh escaped his lips. "Shikamaru, now is not the time to pretend to be knocked out." The Nara flinched at being found out.

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru grumbled as he stood. Sakura began pushing her chakra into Yui as Kakashi continued to scan the battlefield. It was chaos out here. No formal battle line could be made due to the very nature of the terrain. Saya had given chase to Gaara either on orders of Genma, or by some vendetta to prove herself. In either case Kakashi knew that if Gaara were to transform then there was no way Saya would beat the red headed boy on her own. As much as Kakashi would like to follow the Genin, his orders, along with every other Jonin in the stadium, was to protect the citizens here. The Genin on the other hand…

"Wha! Huh?!" Yui was finally jolted away from her dream.

"Now's not the time Yui!" Sakura scolded.

"What are…?" Finally, Yui's eyes traveled out into the stands to find several bodies amongst the sleeping citizens. Said body count was only increasing with each passing moment.

"Yui, I need you to listen to me very carefully. Saya has given chase to Gaara and will need backup. This is your mission. Take Sakura and Shikamaru and support Saya in any way you can." Kakashi's tone left no room for argument. Not that she would at this point in time.

"Hai sensei!" Yui replied.

"Good. Now get a move on my little Genin! Let the adults sort this mess out."

"Wait! What about my brother?! He was in the stands when the attack started!" Kakashi blinked a couple of times before nodding.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure he's taken care of. Now go help Saya." Yui wanted to argue, but knew this was a direct order from her sensei. With a nod the three Genin left the arena in chase of Saya.

"Are you sure they'll be able to handle it?" Gai asked as he appeared next to his rival.

"I wouldn't have sent them if I believed they couldn't." Kakashi swiftly killed an approaching enemy before continuing to scan the stands.

"Looking for Naruto?" Kakashi gave the Green Beast a nod. "Last I saw him he was on the other side of the arena. Hiruzen was in the area so he should be fine."

While this was a slight relief, something was putting the silver haired Jonin on edge, and it was making him uncomfortable. Finally, his eyes saw Hiruzen tear through two Oto shinobi on the other side of the stands before dashing into the darkened hallway beyond.

"I'm going to support Lord Third. Can you handle this area?"

"Go my eternal rival! Might Gai will see to the security of this area!" With that the Green Beast jumped into the fray. With a nod the silver haired Jonin began fighting his way towards the other side of the stands.

XxXxX

Hiruzen swore as he ran through two enemy shinobi to give chase to the three Oto shinobi who managed to grab onto Naruto's sleeping form and drag him away into the hallways beyond. As soon as the genjutsu was placed over the arena, the elder went to secure the blonde twin, but was halted when a group of civilians were targeted. Moving to protect the sleeping civilians, Hiruzen had been successfully distracted for the enemy to abduct the Hokage's son.

Moving through the dimly lit hallways of the arena Hiruzen nearly lost the kidnappers at several points. Now, however, Hiruzen was hot on their tails. He was dashing up some stairs until finally emerging into a darkened hallway with the only light being above the stairwell that he currently occupied. The three men were rushing down the hallway when Hiruzen caught sight of them. An observation window was situated behind him so that people manning the station could see down the now darkened hallway.

"You're not getting away!" This caused the Oto shinobi to freeze.

"Shit…" One of the shinobi said.

"Your boys were supposed to distract him longer than that." The one holding Naruto said to the third man. All three wore the same Oto standard issue uniforms.

"Doesn't matter. We'll take care of this retired old man and cash in the bounty on his head." The third man replied.

"You're right. He's just a washed-up old geezer anyway." The first stated. With their confidence returning, the man holding Naruto threw him to the ground before they turned and prepared to put down an old man.

"Is that what you think…?" Hiruzen said with a grin as two of the men charged.

"It is!" One of the men pulled out two kunai while the other prepared a tanto.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Slamming his hand into the ground with a bit of blood from his bitten thumb, Hiruzen summoned a black staff to his side. While unwieldy in this narrow hallway, Hiruzen was confident in his ability to use the weapon within such terrain.

Jutting the staff forward, it took everything the dual wielding shinobi had to block the staff. Sparks flew and pushing with every ounce of strength the man pulled down the large weapon. His partner jumped onto the weapon and began running along the top towards Hiruzen. The former kage, who was pushing back against the dual wielding opponent, swiftly released the tension and allowed the man to push the end of the staff down, but in doing so Hiruzen bent backwards as a horizontal slash was sent his way by the tanto wielding Oto nin standing atop his weapon. Surprised by the sudden lack of pressure, the dual wielding nin fell forwards. Following his momentum, Hiruzen slammed his foot into the bottom of his side of the staff. This sent his weapon up towards the Oto nin standing on top of the weapon.

Seeing the danger he was in, the tanto wielding nin jumped into the air, but his ally was stumbling forward and was slammed in the back of the neck once the rotation of the staff came his way. He was dead before he even hit the ground.

Seeing the opportunity present, Hiruzen began to running through hand seals. "Kato-!" Hiruzen was forced to stop his jutsu when a kunai covered in lightning slammed through his chest. Another moment passed before the elder disappeared and was replaced with a log.

"Damn…" The final Oto nin cursed as he looked down to the body of his comrade. "We need to get out of-." He never was able to finish before the staff transformed into a monkey and grabbed onto the neck of the tanto wielding shinobi. "What the hell?!"

Growling into the face of the man, the monkey threw the man down the hallway until he came sliding to a halt near his surprised teammate.

"You'll have to excuse my friend here. He doesn't like it when people invade our home, or threaten its people." Hiruzen said as he casually walked up the stairs. As the tanto wielding shinobi regained his breath, the final Oto shinobi stared at the former kage.

"I see… so that's why you summoned the staff. It wasn't a weapon you summoned, but an actual summoning contract you used. Well aint that cleaver of ya…" Pulling out another kunai, the Oto shinobi began swinging it around his finger. Lightning chakra coursed through the weapon, lighting up the hallway in a spinning windmill of death. "But that won't save you now. We have a mission to complete, and you're in the way." Shooting the charged weapon forward at blinding speed Hiruzen barely saw the kunai as it sored through the air towards him, or the single hand seal the Oto nin held up. One charged kunai became two dozen. The only way Hiruzen was able to respond in time was because of his decades of experience. It was based on pure instinct that the former kage was already making the hand seals as the Oto nin was talking.

"Doton: Doryūheki!" As the wall came up the blindingly fast kunai impacted the wall to protect both him and his summon. Still, a few kunai sliced his arm and cheek. The kunai that impacted the chakra enforced wall nearly pierced the rock in several places.

"Those are some fast kunai." Emna said in shock. Hiruzen could only nod his head at that fact. He has never seen someone increase the speed of a kunai to that speed before outside of maybe the Yondaime. Even his throw was so fast that he never caught it until after the kunai was a quarter of the way towards them.

"Tch, well that's annoying." The Oto nin stated before turning to the now standing tanto wielding man. "Let's grab the kid and make a break for-." A spike of chakra from behind the wall washed over them, and on instinct the man began jumping back with two kunai at the ready. The wall that separated Hiruzen from the Oto nin began to fire drill like bullets towards them. Almost immediately the tanto wielding shinobi was skewered on the spot before falling to the ground with holes riddling his body due to his closer proximity to the wall.

Letting loose a low growl, the Oto nin began firing kunai towards the rock bullets that would have landed as fast as he could. 'I'll run out of kunai before that old coot runs out of chakra.' Thinking fast the masked man dove towards Naruto before lifting him up as a shield. Almost immediately the bullets stopped. Breath after heavy breath the man held Naruto up as he peered over the young man's shoulder towards the rock wall. After another tense moment of silence, the wall slid down to reveal Hiruzen and his monkey companion.

"Let the kid go." Hiruzen ordered, the mere booming of his voice and suffocating aura surrounding the former kage was almost too much to bare, but if it effected the Oto nin then he wasn't showing it.

"And why would I discard the only leverage I have?" Hiruzen's eyes narrowed further, but the Oto nin shrugged before placing a kunai under Naruto's neck. "How 'bout we make ourselves a deal."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'll drop the kid and you let me go on my marry little way. How's that sound?" The man grinned beneath his mask. "Not a bad deal, right? Everybody wins."

"And why should I believe you?"

"I hold no love for this 'Sound Village' that Orochimaru created. I'm just a shinobi for hire, and let me tell ya…" He pulled the kunai away from Naruto's neck just a bit, but Hiruzen caught it nonetheless. "My life aint worth whatever Orochimaru was puttin on the table."

"…"

"Look, how bout I give ya a little somethin to spice up the deal. Our contractor has taken a… special interest in the kid here."

"And what interest is that?" Why would Orochimaru be interested in Naruto? He holds no special military value and can't use chakra. Was it because he's the son of the Hokage? That's the most obvious explanation, which meant it probably wasn't the case because of who this concerns.

"How the hell am I supposed to know? You ever try to understand that whack job? His brain is all sorts of scrambled." To that Hiruzen couldn't help but agree. "That's all he ever told us during his crazed monologue bout your kage's kid. Anyway, we have a deal? I'll leave this place and never return and you keep the kid."

"Fine. Drop Naruto and you can go." The man sighed and dropped Naruto to the ground.

"Pleasure doing business with ya…" Of course, both knew what was coming next. Hiruzen went to move just as the Oto nin was about to reach for his pouch, but out of the shadows a ninken emerged and latched onto his forearm.

"If anything were to happen to my son I've… assigned him some extra protection. Keep an eye out for her."

'A ninken?!'

"Get off me you damn mutt!" The Oto nin cried as he struggled with the golden biting into his arm. The two stumbled into the darkened hallway. Hiruzen and Enma could hear sounds of the two struggling with one another until silence reined once again. Not daring to move, the elder simply stared into the darkness ready for anything. That was, until a happy ninken walked out of the darkness. Hiruzen watched as the ninken approached and sat next to the boy she was assigned to protect.

"That was… interesting." Enma commented before turning towards Hiruzen. Said former kage simply chuckled at the situation. "I assume you no longer need my services?"

"Not for the moment. You may return." With a stiff nod the king of the monkey's disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Releasing a long sigh, Hiruzen approached the duo and looked over the two. He could hardly see the boy since it seemed like the barrier between light and dark was drawn onto a painting where on one side there was complete darkness and the other a dim orange light from above the stairs. While Naruto's lower body was illuminated by the bulb, the upper portion of his body was shrouded in darkness. Was the shadows beyond growing more… thick? Certainly not. "Thank you for assisting me my furry friend. I'll take it from here." The ninken only nodded before disappearing into the darkness of the hallway. Hiruzen sighed deeply and shook his head. "Only Minato…"

"Uhg… Jiji?" A shiver ran up the former kage's spine when those words met his ears, but a warm feeling swiftly washed it away. 'Jiji? When was the last time he called me that?'

"That was too close my boy." The powerful man said with a grin as he helped the blonde twin stand. Still, this warm feeling of comfort took over the elder as he looked down at the boy.

"You're right…" Then the boy clasped the elder into a tight hug. "Thank you Jiji! I thought I was dead for sure!"

"Not a problem, Naruto. I would never let anyone harm you."

"…" Naruto seemed to squeeze the elder a little tighter as he buried his face into his black clothing. "Hey… Jiji I just wanted to say thanks… for everything." Then, a shiver ran up his spine once again, but was overwhelmed by the warm comfort of the hallway.

"Not a probl-."

"Watch out Jiji!" Naruto suddenly pushed the elder away from him and into the light. For Hiruzen there was a slight punch to his chest and a sudden rush of adrenaline as he quickly scanned the area.

"Where? What…?" Slowly the pain blossomed from his chest before overtaking his body. His eyes widened in shock as he looked down to examine his body. Blood began soaking his black shirt. Looking back up, the elder was shocked to see purple glowing eyes staring back at him from the darkened hallway. From beneath his long sleeve a blade covered in blood slowly dripped onto the tiled floor. "Naru… to…?"

"Goodbye… Jiji."

XxXxX

Kakashi knew something was wrong the moment he entered the hallway. Dread had overtaken him for the briefest of moments, but it was a telling sign that there was something amiss. With the skill of the most seasoned of Jonin, the silver haired man shot through the hallway. Taking turn after turn until he came upon a stairwell. A feeling pulled him up. Up and up until he was nearing the top. Each rushed step bringing back that original feeling of dread that coursed through his body when he initially entered the sparsely populated inner workings of the arena. Once he breached the top of the stairwell he froze at the sight.

Hiruzen lay… dead on the tiled floor.

Standing above him was the glowing purple eyes of a boy half shrouded in darkness. He was kneeling down and removing the black Konoha headband from the former kage when Kakashi arrived. In his other hand was a blade covered in blood. Once removed the unknown boy stood up and looked to the shocked Jonin.

The two forces stared each other down. For what felt like an eternity the two just stood in opposition of one another until, abruptly, the shrouded boy disappeared in the blink of an eye. Kakashi reached out his senses and felt him in the darkness beyond until even that too disappeared moments later. Silence continued to rein as Kakashi stared at the body of one of Konoha's most powerful shinobi.

"Absolute perfection!" Kakashi swiftly turned and shot a shuriken towards the voice, but his weapon only met reinforced glass and an array of seals upon said glass. Probably further reinforcing the barrier between them. Behind him was the observation booth that was once darkened, but now dimly lit. "What a magnificent performance!"

"Artist…" Kakashi growled out. There would be time to mourn later for his former commander.

"Yes! Do you smell it?! The atmosphere?!" The masked man laughed manically.

"…" Kakashi simply stared at the man with a heated glare. Already going over ways to bypass the seals set up before him.

"I doubted my accomplice, but he turned that dreary old man into something… beautiful. Transcending him into a work of art!"

"You're mad." But the Artist continued as if he never heard the man.

"Such a tone is rarely seen in my line of work, and never done with such mastery!" A sigh escaped his lips as he marveled at the scene. "Wouldn't you agree? You have performed a similar show once before after all." Kakashi went to remark as he prepared to put his plan into action, but the Artist continued. "Nevertheless, it has been an excellent performance. I must leave you now my dear spectator as I have another appointment to prepare for."

With that the light turned off and the Artist disappeared. Kakashi turned once again towards the grizzly scene. Only one question, one word, passed through his mind as his softened eyes met the crimson figure.

'How?'

XxXxX

"Such a gruesome and uncouth form of art." The Artist stated as he looked down upon the village. Pillars of smoke rose across the city with a giant toad fighting a snake of equal size. In the distance a massive racoon made of sand was fighting a replica of the nine tailed fox. A massive translucent purple box sat atop the arena's kage booth housing two kage level shinobi.

"…" We were standing atop the Hokage monument while viewing the scene. I looked to my hand and sighed. A Daimyo and a former Hokage.

"Still, there is one more target that must be dealt with. Are you ready, Phantom?"

With a nod of my head the two of us disappeared back into the chaotic city.

XxXxX

My feet carried me through the deserted Warehouse District. The sounds of war were distant with the invasion not coming to this area due to its strategic insignificance. It was only a matter of time before the invaders were pushed from the village. Konoha may have been severely weakened since the Kyūbi attack some thirteen years ago, but with my father still at the helm, the village has taken great strides to repairing the damage done. This will unfortunately be another setback for the most powerful hidden village.

Slowly opening the door to one of the many warehouses, I disappeared down into the bowels of the underground complex situated beneath the district. Dug out between the sewer system by Danzō's soldiers, it was completely hidden from the rest of the village. A massive bridge, flanked by six feet high red railings, hung over an open portion of darkness below. How far it went was impossible to tell by sight alone but based on my research it reached the very depths of Konoha's old sewers. What stuck out to me was the absence of the two-armed guards by the large door leading into Danzō's inner sanctum. Blue burned to purple, and my assumptions became realized. Two Root ANBU shrouded themselves in the darkness of the vast room. Either hanging below the darkened ceiling or beneath the bridge itself.

All of the other ANBU Root agents were out within the village escorting civilians or sabotaging the invaders backline.

"Is it done?" I fell to a knee quickly and bowed my head. Danzō appeared from the darkness on the other side of the bridge.

"Our mission has been completed without incident, Danzō-sama." I placed the scroll containing my mission report before me without looking up.

"…" We stayed like this for what felt like hours but was truly only moments.

"… Danz-?" I looked up to see the elder staring up to the ceiling above. A single tear ran down his only revealed eye.

"Then my dream, at last, has come to light." My eyes were trained on the elder as his body nearly trembled. "Finally, I can leave the darkness." Danzō tried to compose himself, but his dream was finally coming true after such a large amount of time. The elder's right shoulder began to ache, but he thought nothing of it. "And it's thanks, in part, to you. You have given up so much, but there is always more to give for the safety of the village. Will you accept one final mission. One final sacrifice for the sake of your village, your friends, your sister?"

"Of course, Danzō-sama." The elder smiled, revealing more and more emotion now that he succeeded in his ultimate goal.

"Very good. I knew you would accept this mission so I have already set the wheels in motion. In two weeks' time you will leave the village and be contacted by an agent on the outside. The rest of your mission is detailed in this scroll." Throwing the scroll to me I effortlessly caught it and stashed it away for later viewing.

"Danzō-sama, if I may…" A passing of a confused expression shot across his face, but a curt nod followed soon after. "You have done so much for this village from within the darkness, but I was once told something by a mark of mine. People like you and I… we don't deserve any respect. We knew exactly what we were signing up for, and we both know how we are going to end."

Danzō's single eye narrowed and was immediately put on edge by my words. The ache in his arm becoming more pronounced by the second. "What are you saying?"

"I'll see you in whatever hell we end up in, Danzō-sama." Before the elder could reply his right arm slid off his body. His single eye widened as he glanced down as his bandaged arm fell to the ground. Two tanto blades pierced the back of his chest as the two Root ANBU appeared behind him. Blood shot from the elder's mouth before falling to his knees. In the blink of an eye a blade was rammed through his throat just as chakra began forming within his body. Looking forward Danzō saw two purple glowing eyes staring back at him.

Swiftly removing the blade, I watched as the elder fell forward in a pool of his own blood. The two Root ANBU members stood silently. Staring at their dead commander.

The sound of clapping radiated throughout the room. "Perfection! Not one wasted movement!" The Artist said as he walked onto the bridge from behind me. "Not our longest play, but nonetheless profound. A man at the pinnacle of his accomplishments. So close to the sun, but pulled back down at his moment of perceived victory." With a flick of his wrist the once invisible blue chakra wires that were connected to the two Root ANBU members disappeared and they fell to the ground dead. "You did your research into this act, didn't you?"

My eyes glanced to the bandaged arm then to Danzō's covered eye. "The only way for us to defeat him was to catch him in his moment of victory, and to be as swift and precise as possible." All the nights I snuck into this forsaken place to build up the necessary information to bring him down. It all culminated on this day, at this very moment when Danzō had finally allowed himself to relax.

"Indeed, the Sharingan, even when transplanted as you described, is as troublesome as ever." I handed three scrolls to the masked man, who gave me a curious glance.

"One contains the remaining funds for the mission. The other two are for one final favor I wish to ask of you."

"And what is that my little Phantom?" I turned and looked to the dead elder before me and sighed.

XxXxX

AN: So, I know what many of you are thinking while reading this chapter. 'Why would Naruto kill Hiruzen?' My answer to that is to read between the lines. Remember what Naruto's ultimate goal is here and his willingness to do almost anything to achieve said goal. Also, Naruto had no real love towards the former kage. I alluded to this earlier in the story, but as many of you know I hate directly telling people minor topics that may become crucial later on. For those of you who wanted some massive confrontation between Naruto and Hiruzen, I'm sorry. I never intended for there to be a big clash between the two… for obvious reasons. Same reasoning for Danzō as well. Quick and effective. Using everything he had to complete the mission, including his own identity.

Now let's answer some comments!

Drovka: We've already talked about it a little, but I'll post it here again so everyone knows. At the beginning of the story I said that Naruto would be paired with between 0 and 2 girls. After writing the story and developing it more in later chapters I've concluded how Naruto's pairing is going to work. I don't want to go into too much detail because that would spoil the story, but I didn't want to focus on this aspect of the story more than others.

SolSparda369: I've been alluding to Naruto slowly unlocking the beginning stages of some of the powers within the mark. The more astute of you may have already picked up on a couple of them. I'll leave it at that :). I have a few ideas for Emi that should be interesting.

AtominGod666: Wasn't planning on it being a harem. For more info read my response to Drovka.

Gods-own & Skippersims: Thank you for your kind words!

Tony McKucklz: Interesting theories you got going there! I think you may be mixing up stories, but note that one or two things in there are fairly close to what I wrote already. I have the next… three chapters written out with the groundwork set for the next two arcs after this one. This wasn't going to be the longest story, so some of the future arcs may feel rushed to a degree. Hopefully you all still enjoy them!

To everybody else who reads, but doesn't comment, thank you for reading my story and I hope to see you here next time! My update schedule is random as I don't have very much time to write anymore, but I'm still here! Been looking into starting Lost One again, but I don't have any of my old notes. Might post an update chapter explaining the situation. We'll see.