Note: Sorry if i just died... I dunno, i just suddenly lost interest in writing this... hmm, I hope I can keep this up!

Normal - narration

Italics - thoughts/voices in one's head

Italics + Bold - jutsus

"Koujiro… Koujiro!" a voice screams right into his ear.

Koujiro rolls around, but suddenly realizes that there was nothing to roll onto, making him fall off the bed.

"Owww… no need to scream right into my ear you know…"

Koujiro looks at the speaker right in front of him. The man was tall, and had long blonde hair which stuck out of his head in an unruly fashion, but seemed to suit him just fine. He wore a white cape which he draped down the red robe which he was wearing, a sign of dignity and position. And this man wasn't just any person of dignity and power; this man was the 4th Hokage, the most powerful ninja of the Hidden Village of the Leaf, the one known as Arashi Narumaru.

"Koujiro… you overslept again. How many times do I have to tell you: don't oversleep! Kakashi's been waiting for you at the appointed place for two hours now."

Koujiro stares right back at the 4th and smiles. "Hehe, if you'll teach me how to use the Rasengan, I promise that I'll never oversleep ever again. Do we have a deal, otoo-san?"

The 4th looks at him and smiles. "Hehe, Koujiro-kun, at most it'll take you a year to fully master the Rasengan, but I don't want to teach that to you just yet; I think you're too young."

"I am NOT too young! I'm already 12, and I can take on most of the chuunin and some jounin here already! I'm strong enough! I know I can learn and master it within a week!" Koujiro complains.

"Koujiro, there's more to being a ninja that being strong. Let me ask you one thing: why do you want to be strong?"

Koujiro suddenly stops for a while and thinks. A few seconds later, he grins. "Because I want to show off my skills! With these skills, I'm sure that everyone in this village will stop hating me for being an outsider and will start admiring me!"

"Kou-kun, is that how much you still hate all those people for disregarding you and not allowing you to become a ninja? Because hate won't do anything… it will only destroy and corrupt you to a point that you may even become an enemy of this village."

"Well, if they'll continue to hate me, then I might as well become an enemy to the village…" Koujiro sees Narumaru's sharp eyes and drops his head down. "Well, I won't become an enemy as long as you're the Hokage, otoo-san."

"Kou-kun, if you continue to hate and detest this village, then you will never be truly strong. Tell me, have you ever wanted to protect something that you would be willing to risk your life for it?"

Koujiro looks at the 4th in wonder. "Umm, no…"

The 4th suddenly looks at Koujiro with his sharp eyes, causing Koujiro to drop his head. "Do you know why I'm so strong, Kou-kun?" the 4th asks.

"Because you worked hard, you gained experience from the war with Iwa, and you were trained by the great Jiraiya?"

"Well, those are part of it… but the main thing is, I'm strong because I'm the Hokage. And the Hokage's primary job is to protect the village, and everyone in it, including you. I want to create a peaceful and harmonious village, a village that won't need to be at odds with the other Hidden Villages, a village that doesn't create loneliness among the people within it.

I want to protect everything in Konoha: it's will, it's people, it's heart… and as long as I am a shinobi of Konoha, I will every bit of my strength and my sould to protect the village which I love."

Koujiro was struck by those words, and he lifts his face up. "Something… to protect, huh? So that is… true strength…"

The 4th looks lovingly at his adopted son. "Anyway, you'd better get going now, Koujiro. You don't want to keep Kakashi waiting any longer than necessary."

"Thank you, father.." Koujiro then bows and starts preparing for his training session with Kakashi.

Koujiro breathes heavily as he leaps from rooftop to rooftop towards the giant rock where the memories of dead ninjas were written.

"Sorry, big brother, but I promised Obito that I would visit his grave everyday… looks like I'll be late for a few more minutes…"

However, upon landing near the site, he notices two figures already standing in front of the memorial stone.

"Big brother! Rin-chan!" he shouts while running towards them.

The two figures suddenly turn around and wave their hands. Koujiro then stops right in front of Kakashi, still panting and apparently out of breath.

"Yo. I thought we were to meet you out at the training grounds two hours ago." Kakashi states.

"Ahh, sorry big brother. I overslept again…"

"That's fine," Rin says with a smile. "By the way, did you come here to visit Obito too?"

Koujiro nods. "Yeah, I visit big brother Obito everyday since he passed away in that mission…"

The whole group suddenly went silent for a few seconds as they remembered Obito.

Kakashi suddenly broke the ice. "Alright, let's go. Rin and I will be going on missions for the next few weeks, so you'll have to practice on your own starting tomorrow. Anyway, I won't be making this an easy day of training for you, so you'd better be ready."

"Heh, no problem!"

Later that night…

"No problem, huh?" Kakashi states jokingly. "You were almost crying with the hardships which you had to go by. Hehe, looks like you'll always be a crybaby, ne, Koujiro-kun?"

Koujiro was lying on the floor, apparently tired and regrettably weak. He could barely lift a finger and he looked dazed.

"I never imagined… that the training would be that hard… two against one… that was so unfair…" Koujiro whines.

"Haha, Koujiro, nothing's ever fair… when you fight, life will almost never be fair, so you had better be prepared for the worst… still, you impressed both of us out there. You were able to get Rin's bell quickly, and I never imagined that I would have to use the Sharingan against you. You've improved a great deal… if you were a ninja and if we were still having that war with the Hidden Stone, you'd probably be a Jounin by now."

"Heh, but it looks like I'm still not much of a match to you, big brother… but I promise you, the next time we meet, I'll be stronger than you… hehehe," Koujiro states while panting.

"We'll see about that, little brother… remember, we're still young, so we still have the potential to grow even stronger… but, I'll be looking forward to the day I get to fight you in a serious battle."

Kakashi turns and looks at Koujiro, but realizes that the boy was already sleeping.

"Koujiro… Koujiro!" a voice screams right into his ear.

Koujiro rolls around, but suddenly realizes that there was nothing to roll under, thus causing him to fall off the bed.

"Owww… you don't have to scream in my ear…"

Koujiro stands up almost immediately, scratching his head in the process.

"Uhh… don't tell me… I overslept again?"

The 4th lightly punches him on the head. "No, no… you didn't oversleep this time. I'll be away today, and there's something important I want you to do. Come with me."

Koujiro follows the 4th as they go to another room. Koujiro's eyes widen in surprise as there, in the middle of the room, was a crib, and in that crib was a blonde baby sleeping quietly.

"Ah! A baby! Did you adopt him too?"

The 4th smiles. "Yes, his parents died while they were on a mission, and since his mother was a teammate of mine when I was a Genin and a close friend, I've decided to take him under my wing, just like you."

Koujiro shakes excitedly. "So, so, what's his name going to be? Arashi… Shinta? Arashi… Nataku? Arashi… Sasuke?"

"Oh, about that… I haven't officially adopted him, so the child will have to stick with his original family name, at least until I formally announce him to be my adopted son."

"Hmm, so what's his name?"

The 4th looks at the baby lovingly. "A new leaf in our village… by the name of Uzumaki."

"He doesn't have a first name yet?" Koujiro asks curiously.

"No… why don't we give him one?" 4th says happily.

"Hmm, first names… Tetsuo, Naraku, Nataku, Sasuke…"

"Uh, scratch those two last ones, Koujiro… I don't want to name him Sasuke or Nataku… hmm, how about Narudamaru? Named after me of course," the 4th states cheerily.

"Hmm, how about… Naru… Naru… Naru…to… Naruto? How does that sound?" Koujiro asks excitedly.

"Uzumaki… Naruto, eh?" the 4th mumbles. "Hmm, yeah, it's a good name. Let's stick with that. We'll call this boy, Uzumaki Naruto, at least until I formally state that I'll be adopting this child. Then we can call him Arashi Naruto."

"Heh, I finally have a brother, eh? This so cool! When he's old for to become an academy student, I'll go and teach him all the stuff he needs to learn to get ahead! Plus, I'll teach him all the jutsus you and big brother Kakashi taught me! Then…" Koujiro rambles excitedly.

"Whoa, whoa, Kou-kun… take it easy. No need to go hysterical on him. I'm sure you'll become a great big brother to Naruto, someone who'll always help him and be there for him when he needs help… but for now, it's your duty to take care of Naruto until I return."

"Yeah! No problem!"

The day wore on, and Koujiro was at a loss of things to do. Lightning flashed outside, and heavy rain destroyed all chances of Koujiro being able to at least open of the windows. Aside from that, he had to cater to every whim the baby had: he had to feed Naruto, play with him constantly, rock him to sleep, change his diaper… he had basically become a slave to the kid, and Koujiro was starting to run out of patience.

"Argh! I can't stand it anymore! I know that it's my solemn duty to take care of this kid, by why the heck does he have to be such a loud screamer and a cryer! Why can't he be like those babies that just cry a little bit, get pleased extremely easily, and then just go to sleep?"

Crying suddenly erupted from the room above.

"Damn… here I go again…"

Koujiro climbed the stairs as slowly as possible, making sure he felt every step and taking as much time as he could.

"Maybe… maybe if I walk really slow, Naruto would run out of steam and stop crying… Argh! It's just so annoying!"

However, just as Koujiro was about to take the last step on the stairs, he suddenly heard the baby stop crying.

"Oh, what a relief! That kid FINALLY stopped crying! Now I'll just check to see if the baby's sleeping again, and if he is, then I get another hour off!"

Koujiro quietly walks towards Naruto's room and opens the door wide. His eyes widen, however, as he sees the empty crib and the wind blowing through the window, flooding the room with water due to the heavy rain.

"Damn it! Naruto!" Koujiro exclaims.

He immediately runs towards the window, sticking his head out into the pouring rain, looking to and fro. He suddenly spots something suspicious on the rooftop opposite the house.

"A ripple… is it genjutsu? Or a chameleon-type ninjutsu? Damn it, who cares, I'll go after it anyways."

Koujiro leaps out the window and goes after the almost invisible ripples which flicker through the air.

"Hmm, now I understand… it's like the chameleon-type jutsu of the Stone nins, except this one didn't even bother to hide the chakra flow throught his clothes… he must be pretty confident in his abilities…"

Koujiro quietly performs a few hand seals. "Chameleon Jutsu!"

Koujiro completely blends himself with his surroundings, careful not to alert the kidnapper of his presence. He then follows closely behind the hidden ninja, who heads towards the Hokage Monument.

"It's dark in here… why the heck did he come here?"

Koujiro shakes off the water from his clothes, still following the unknown ninja closely. The ninja had taken off his chameleon jutsu, and was quickly moving through the dim hallways and passageways inside the monument.

"I can't lose him here… tch, this is all my fault for not paying any attention to Naruto… Yondaime will kill me if I don't get Naruto back… some big brother I am…"

Koujiro quietly follows the man through the hidden passageways and corridors which he never knew existed inside the monument, waiting for the opportune time to strike.

Suddenly, the man stopped in front of a huge stone wall. Koujiro immediately jumped towards the ceiling and clung himself using chakra.

"What is he doing here in the first place? Why did he bring Naruto here?"

The man quickly does a set of hand seals which Koujiro immediately memorizes. "Ninpou: Gates of the Underworld!" the man says softly.

The rock wall suddenly wavered, followed by a ripple which created waves althroughout the wall. The waves reveals a small, dark path, and the man walks through, with Koujiro following closely behind.

"Amazing! Was that genjutsu? Or ninjutsu? Why haven't I ever seen this hallway before?"

They enter a small, circular room full of torches along the walls. The room was lined with rows of bookshelves, and there were a lot of books just sprawled on the floor. Koujiro suddenly notices a tall, silver-haired man sitting and a reading a book with his legs crossed on the table before him. The kidnapper hurries toward the man and lays Naruto on the table.

"Seishurou-sama, do you really think it wise... to do this?"

The silver-haired man reads on, apparently ignoring the unknown ninja.

"This is too much of a risk to take. If the Hokage finds out…"

Seishurou calmly lifts his head. "And if he finds out, then what? He won't be able to stop me… besides, all I'm doing is continuing his work, which he most graciously abandoned because he said it was too dangerous… the 4th is truly a fool, if he had continued this project, then all ninja villages would bow down before the Leaf…"

"But you are one of the 4th's most trusted advisors and friends… why are you doing this?"

"Riou, Riou… you truly do not understand me, do you. I lost faith in my friend the moment he veered away from this project. Besides, I'm sick and tired of seeing his face and talking about stuff like protect the village with my will and crap like that… what he should have done is solidify the Leaf's position among the Hidden Villages by attacking them, and if he had gone with this plan then it would have assured our victory. However, it seems that fate has given me this opportunity to fulfill his past dream, the dream of the Akatsuki…"

"Are you saying that you're jealous of the 4th, Seishurou-sama?"

Seishurou's eyes suddenly narrow, and a murderous glare escapes his eyes. "Hmph, you could say that. That bastard isn't fit to run this village… he'll only make the Hidden Leaf weak because of his concepts about 'peace' and 'unity'. I would have made a far better Hokage."

Seishurou stands up and takes a look at Naruto, who was currently sleeping. He then smiles.

"The contract is now complete then…"

"Seishurou-sama, you will not kill him, will you? Is this not all part of the Kyuubi project?"

"Hehe… the 4th's secret organization, Akatsuki, was supposed to be the Red Dawn which creates hope against the upcoming disaster known as the Kyuubi. We of the Akatsuki were supposed to prepare the new death jutsus which would enable us to seal any youma into death itself, thus destroying its power to reform its soul into this world. However, I have created a jutsu that will awaken ayouma even before it is supposed to come out into this world, as long as the sacrifice is complete."

Seishurou takes his kunai and lays it right next to Naruto. He then performs a long sequence of hand seals. "Kuchiyose Youma Resurrection!"

The whole room suddenly shakes, and writings suddenly appear on the walls and on the floor.

"Riou! Do you understand why I picked this area for the initial summoning?"

"Why?"

"Because… this area was once a sacrificial altar to appease the youmas… however, when the 1st built the Hidden Leaf Village, he created a seal which barred the entry of a youma's body in this site… however, it would not prevent the youma's spirit from the being released."

Riou gulped. "Sacrificial altar?"

"Yes, a sacrificial altar. But don't worry, I won't kill the kid… I'll be killing you."

Riou's eyes widen as a white blur suddenly speeds towards him and immediately cuts right through his throat, muffling the scream which should have come out from his mouth.

"Good night, Uzumaki Riou… too bad you won't be able to see the Cleansing of the Hidden Villages, and me becoming the most powerful kage in all the five countries… but I guess trash like you who willingly gave his own son in return for riches and prestige shouldn't even be a part of those saved once the demon of destruction, Kyuubi, gets released."

Riou's lifeless body falls down on the ground and the pool of blood gushing from his body suddenly seeps into the tiled floor.

Seishurou smiles. "It begins… this child has been given the destiny to become the "Contract"… and the Uzumaki blood will become the pact to release the most powerful youma of all… I can see it now… destruction in every part of the land, and I, standing above all those kages, creating a new world that fits my image…"

Seishurou then moves toward Naruto, picks him up and lays him on the body of Riou. "Let's begin then, shall we?"

He then dips his finger into a small pool of blood and starts writing symbols on and around Naruto. He then performs another long chain of hand seals, causing the symbols and the floor itself to light up. Suddenly, a spirit in the shape of a fox embodies itself above Naruto, and Koujiro's hair all stands up on end.

"Kyuubi… I have the contract, and thus I can now release you even before the prophecied time of your arrival… Wreak your death and destruction onto this pathetic world!"

Seishurou then performs another long chain of hand seals, touching the tip of kunai on the table after the last one. Kyuubi's spririt and chakra mingle with the kunai, and Seishurou calmly takes the kunai and heads toward Naruto.

"The Contract has been made, the summon can now never be undone…" Seishurou says while slashing the right cheek of the baby Naruto in a horizontal manner, causing the Kyuubi's spirit and chakra to seep inside Naruto and into the body underneath him.

"Blood has been given, now flesh become one…" Seishurou slashes the left cheek of Naruto horizontally.

"Shit! I need to stop him!" Koujiro decides, but he couldn't move because of the pure terror that he felt from the size and power of the Kyuubi's chakra.

"Become the host of destruction…" Seishurou creates another slash wound right under the one on Naruto's right cheek.

Koujiro finally gets over his fear, and rushes straight at Seishurou.

"Summoned to destroy every nation…" Seishurou creates another slash wound right under the left one.

"Stop it!" Koujiro screams out loud.

"Oh? Another cockroach? Konoha seems to be infested with little bugs which can't seem to keep their noses out of others' business."

Seishurou faces Koujiro, and laughs out loud.

"Haha, what do we have here? The 4th's little boy, the outcast of Konoha? Do you think that this village will recognize you if you can somehow stop me? Ha ha ha ha! Stop this foolishness! The village will never change the way it looks at you! It will always see you as a traitor and as an enemy! I don't even understand why you try to help this pathetic village out in the first place… you're very existence is an ill omen to them!"

Koujiro stops and stands upright, seemingly in a daze.

"He's right… why AM I trying to help this village? I've tried so hard to belong, and yet no one except father, the old geezer who was former Hokage, the pervert hermit, and big brother Kakashi and Obito and Rin have fully accepted me… this village still looks at me as if I were someone to be killed, to be loathed… many of them just try to put on a good and happy face just because they know I'm the son of the 4th, but I know that deep down inside, they've never really cared for me at all…"

"Hmph, little boy, in the end, you're just an outcast and an enemy to this village, no matter which you way you look at these facts. Now, be a good boy and sit in the corner over there, while I finish my work…"

Koujiro silently stands in deep contemplation, his thoughts racing to and fro. Memories of all those who had once scorned and hated him come to mind, and he curls his hands into fists with anger.

"That's right, boy, hate them… hmm, I must say that seeing how you were capable of following Riou here, you must abound with potential… well then, I'll make sure that you stay by my side as we let the youma, Kyuubi, destroy everything!"

Koujiro suddenly remembers the Fourth's words:

'I want to protect everything in Konoha: it's will, it's people, it's heart… and as long as I am a shinobi of Konoha, I will every bit of my strength and my sould to protect the village which I love.'

Koujiro smiles, and starts performing seals. "Thank you… father. I'm so sorry for doubting you and Konoha… and since I'm just an outcast… I will… I will… make sure that this man will never harm you or this village… this is the most I can do for you, father… I guess this is goodbye…"

Koujiro then finishes the chain of hand seals.

"This jutsu… will end everything!" he screams.

"Hmph, so you would rather die, huh, kid? You do know that you can't defeat me, even if you do use ninjutsu," Seishurou sneers.

"Heh, this isn't ninjutsu, this is… TENJUTSU! Ninpou Nirvana!"

Author's note: Well, that's it! I really hope this chapter wasas enjoyable as my previous ones! Review please!