Youkou Shukuen: Crimson Destiny

Disclaimer: Naruto is a product of Masashi Kishimoto, so I don't own him.
Legend: "": quote, "italic": thought, italic: Japanese word, (): translation/explication, underline: techniques (check the end for invented techniques).

Chapter 5: The return and deceptions

Two years passed by as Konoha regained its former status. The new breeds now filled the pressure created by the loss of shinobis at the invasion. With the return of the chuunin selection exams, many of the genins were now chuunins. Neji and Shino were the first to reach the rank, followed by Lee, Sakura, Kiba and Tenten at the second exam. Ino, Chouji and Hinata were the final three to become chuunins.

However, there was still no sign from Naruto or any information on Sasuke's exact whereabouts. All Sakura knew from Tsunade was that Sasuke was somewhere in the Rice country and Naruto well he is somewhere. She was angry with him since he has yet to send a word to her. She hoped he had a very good reason because or else it was her fist that he was going to meet.

She was now an accomplished medical kunochi under Tsunade and working at the Hospital. She was becoming renown for her potion making and surgical abilities. She was also a secret keeper now, that of Naruto's and Sasuke's. It was one of the advantages of being the apprentice of the Hokage.

Of course she was not expect the bomb she had received about Naruto. Suddenly, everything was starting to make sense, the solitary life and the cold stares from adult. It must have been horrible to learn he had the most feared and hated demon inside of him. She understood now what he was talking about being cursed and stuff. She felt guilty of treating him badly and had promised to make up for it upon his return.

She also knew about Itachi, his crime and why Sasuke is so resolute about his vengeance. After all, one can understand the traumatic effect of the constant nightmare of seeing your own parents getting killed by your idol in front of them selves. She certainly could not live with it and Sasuke certainly needed to end the nightmare to find peace. Although it was clear he was aiming for "rest in peace" rather then "live in peace", or else he would have never gone to Orochimaru. Kakashi was ready to become his personal teacher and he was certainly a better choice then Orochimaru, as he was the only one to know more about the sharingan and its secrets apart Itachi, who's specialty was the famous bloodline. According to Tsunade however Sasuke's action might not have entirely his but the side effects of curse seal. She told Sakura that there was a huge possibility the seal allows Orochimaru to manipulate Sasuke's mind. However, even Sakura was suspicious about that claim, she had a bad feeling that her sensei was trying to hide something, after all she was using the same explication to convince the council, who was pretty angry at her for not putting the death warrant on Sasuke. Either way it was clear that it was up to her and Naruto to help Sasuke make the right decision.

As for the others, Neji and Shino were now part of the ANBU. Lee and Kiba were also in but in the reserve. Hinata was a nurse, Tenten a teacher and Chouji a cook. Of course all this was outside of their regular shinobi duties.

It was a quiet day for Tsunade. The middle of the week usually meant that there was fewer missions to assign which also meant less paper works and this week was no different. It meant however that she would be facing the council about the village's internal politics, which she hated. This is because they could never agree on the same terms and their battles always ended with Tsunade slamming the door at their face.

The current problem was her recent decision to cancel all ANBU activity within Rice country after losing one of her division leaders on an ambush from Orochimaru's CS henchmen thanks to the betrayal from trusted sources within the country. Konoha relied a lot on these sources to collect inside information on Orochimaru, which were not a lot to begin with. His exact location was still unknown, even his hidden village was untraceable. All they knew was that it was somewhere northern section of the country within a heavily protected zone from where none of their shinobi ever managed to return, as the villagers there were loyalist of Orochimaru. After this event it was clear that only the elite jounins had a real chance against these mutated warriors and Tsunade was not ready to sacrifice any.

The ANBU was mainly composed of chuunins trying high-level missions to get promoted faster and although they were the best amongst their ranks, some even near jounin status, they could not handle these CS warriors. Their inhumane and brutal style of fighting had rewritten the history of shinobi warfare. They were reckless and would not even hesitate at voluntary suicide just to kill their opponent. This did not mean that ANBU did not have jounins amongst them they did, but their numbers were low compared to the chuunin and not all were qualified to replace a division leader. They simply did not wish to be responsible a whole section. As for the qualified jounins outside of the squad, they were simply too busy to take the role. So Tsunade was forced to put the whole division into reserve and cancel missions into Rice till a reason could be found for the betrayal.

The council however would not agree with her decision. To them the ANBU were meant for risky business no matter the danger. They also did not care if the division had a new leader or not. They wanted all 5 divisions hunting down Orochimaru and his henchmen. They considered her decision as a sign of weakness. Calling her a softy they even suggested that she let another person direct the ANBU on her behalf, someone who could take tough decision. The idea was nice, but the person they nominated was a person hated by Tsunade. He was a former rival of Sandaime and a war hawk, whose ego was so large that he even tried to create his personal ANBU. Sandaime however shut his plan dry. The reason why Tsunade hated this man, Danzou, along with most of the villagers was because he was also the same one whose action cost Fire country 100 of their shinobis for a small victory in the last Great Shinobi War. So again the meeting ended with Tsunade slamming the door at the face of the council and then she took a quick name on her desk.

When she woke up, she found Jiraiya giving her looks with perverted intentions earning him her fist. She was then surprised that she was not actually dreaming, she had been waiting for Naruto impatiently but even she was convinced that were not due for another five month. After torturing Jiraiya for some time she enquired about Naruto's whereabouts. The battered Sannin revealed that Naruto was in Konoha and that his training was now compete, he had returned for good. The news shocked Tsunade at first but excited her nonetheless.

"I underestimated his determination, that boy ate my jutsus like a leech. He left no stones unturned. It is hard to believe that people considered him dumb in the first place. All he needed was confidence, motivation and a bit of support. Anyway, the two years did good to him, he is more matured and has an idea what he seeks out of Konoha", added Jiraiya.

"I guess this is no real surprise given how fired up he was even before you guys left. You were also renowned on discovering hidden talents. Although I am more interested in knowing much you did teach him?" asked Tsunade.

"He knows everything he must to face his opponents and I made sure to keep those particularly dangerous ones away from him", replied Jiraiya.

"That is good, I was fearing you might go overboard and teach him those terrible life costing fuuinjutsu (sealing jutsu). I think we both agree we do not wish to lose another loved one. So start on the details old man, I want to hear all of it", exclaimed Tsunade.

A blond haired shinobi looked over the village from the top of the Hokage monument. Naruto had finally returned to Konoha, he had grown since his last visit; he was now a 5 foot 9 15 year old, with a well-developed body and rip muscles. His hair was also longer and he had a change of fashion, only his orange pants, black chain mail t-shirt and the Shodai necklace remained. In addition now he had a sleeveless black protection jacket on top of the t-shirt. On top of the jacket was his white sleeveless hooded trench coat. He also changed his headband, which was now black and longer. He also wore shinobi grappling gloves, metal forearm armbands, but his most distinguishing item was the Amenonuhoko (heavenly spear), his new and improved version of his Haapuun (Harpoon), which was now attached on his left armband. Finally, his trench coat had the kanji (Japanese calligraphy) "kisei tenshi" (death angel) on the back.

He currently had his hood on, as he did not wish to be mistaken for Yondaime again. It happened earlier in the day, when he entered the village. An old lady fainted mistaking him for the former Hokage and she was not the only victim as a few others had to same effect. They all thought a ghost had returned. However, all that mattered to him at this moment was Jiraiya's return. He had sent his sensei to the Hokage with a special request.

"Hmm, I cannot believe two years have passed already. This place looks like it hardly changed, well except Tsunade's head over there. Damn, I never realized she had such a big forehead. So are we going to stand here all day?" asked Kyuubi, as the fox approached the teen.

"I thought we agreed that you will not speak in this village. Or do you wish to start another panic? It's already bad enough they take me for dad and will realize that their favorite subject has returned, think what the realization that you are walking among them will do? You better hope Eros-sennin manages to convince the Hokage to let me in ANBU for our sake. Or else, it will be hell working in the village while staying under the radar", replied quietly Naruto.

"Would you stop thinking what the others will think of you? What do you have to fear, you are one of the most lethal shinobis around and you have the backing of six legendary foxes, Jiraiya and myself. Tsunade will definitely accept your request. We both know her problem with the council and the current inner problems in Konoha; it's the best way to use you. So stop this and enjoy the day", barked the fox.

"Okay, I guess you have a point. Since it seems my face scare the villagers to much lets go check out training field", replied Naruto with a smile as he disappeared in the shadows, followed by Kyuubi.

After arriving at the location, they noticed that the field had remained virtually unchanged. So both let their caution to the wind and fooled around. However, their fun was interrupted by the sudden visit of Rock Lee who just had come to train in the location and accidentally caught Kyuubi and Naruto talking. However, before he could assess the situation he was subdued by a genjutsu Naruto put on him as Lee unintentionally looked at Kyuubi Naruto's crimson glairing eyes and instantly fell unconscious.

"Okay, I guess you were right, I better shut up this was way to close. It seems like you used the kitsune sorayume (fox's fabricated dream) on him, a good choice since he might remember us if we do not change his memory a bit", said Kyuubi.

"I already changed his memory, he has no genjutsu resistance remember? He will not remember seeing us talking, but rather training and being accidentally getting knocked out by me. Now we need to create the physical effect", said the teen.

After punching him just hard enough to create the effect, Lee woke after a few minutes with the replaced memory. He was surprised to see Naruto and after realizing that he was not delusional he jumped up and hugged Naruto in excitement when giving his usual greetings. A very uncomfortable moment for Naruto as Lee forgot his own strength a side effect of the genjutsu. Then he grabbed and dragged him as he ran towards the village to find Sakura.

However, Naruto changed his plan upon arriving near the ramen shop and suggested Lee to bring Sakura here so they can both surprise her. Meanwhile, Naruto found Iruka at the shop ordering his delayed lunch and decided to spook him by sneaking on his behind, which he did. Iruka got the scare of his life before realizing it was Naruto, unfortunately the old man sitting next to him did not, and as he fainted thinking he was Yondaime, ruining Naruto's fun.

The night had settled in and there was still no sign of Jiraiya, which was making Naruto lose his calm composure. By this time he was convinced that the old pervert had again walked out on him at the sight of a woman a common practice that Naruto was accustomed too. Iruka had left for work already and Lee had yet to return, which was a good thing, as he did not want be grouchy when he met them again. So he was passing his time by playing marbles with some academy students around the ramen shop. After a while, Kyuubi signaled him as the tall white haired geezer was spotted from afar with a woman whose face was hidden by his big frame. It was enough for Naruto as the teen was looking for vengeance. He asked the kids if they ever seen a "flying curved marble trick shot" and decided to give them an example as he threw a marble towards an unsuspecting Jiraiya.

On the contrary, for once in his life, Jiraiya was actually working for Naruto and woman in question was Tsunade. They were discussing in whisper about Naruto's discussion. Shizune, Sakura and Lee followed them, as the Hokage was touring the village. Lee had failed his surprise to Sakura who by the time he had found her already learned Naruto was in town thanks to Tsunade.

"So let me get this straight again. He wants to join the ANBU, so he can keep his identity secret from the council and the villagers, because he does not want their heated attention. But what is in for me? I mean I am the one risking my neck here. I need some leverage here", whispered Tsunade.

"Well, you get to have the most experienced shinobi on Orochimaru's henchmen, he does have six kills on them you know. Not to mention he also has a lot of allies and a vast information network, which is much better then mine in some locations. We both know how bias and fearful the council have been to him, it is really not a secret and giving that they went as far as to name that bastard Dan…Ouch!" yelled Jiraiya as he received a marble on the forehead and fell unconscious.

"See boys, this is how it is done. Now allow me to get our marble back", smiled Naruto as he disappeared leaving his spectators speechless, while Kyuubi shook his head seeing the boy's approach to the situation.

Shizune, Sakura and Lee immediately jumped in front of the Hokage taking the action as an assassination attempt. Tsunade however was enjoying it, as she saw the attacker and recognized him, but kept herself from laughing to not ruin the fun. It was her lucky day, just when she thought there was no solution to her problem one just flew right her, but she had to play him to have her plot succeed, thus she put her game face to meet the teen. Just like she predicted, he appears behind the unsuspecting Shizune and company, and in front of the fallen Jiraiya.

"Well, well, it seems the great Pimpster just got owned by a marble. Bastard, moron, ingrate, how could I have ever called you my sensei! Wait till the Old Woman hears what a big pervert you are and what a bad influence you have been", yelled Naruto, as he shook by the hair him like a rag doll to Tsunade's great amusement.

"Erm Naruto, I am over here… we were just speaking about you. Thanks for telling me about his bad deeds, I guess you were waiting for an answer, so how about we get to business", said Tsunade after tapping the teen's back, while the others shouted his name.

"Moron, how many times have I told you to keep your temper in check", thought Kyuubi as he approached him.

"Damn, I totally ignored the situation, oh well time to play the ignorant shinobi again. Oh hi, Tsunade obaa-san (grand mother), Shizune onee-chan (big sister), Sakura and Lee, how have you all been? Great I see. Anyway obaa-san I would really like to know about your answer", said the teen, as he asked and interrupted everyone before going back to his main subject.

"I like your proposition, but there are a few slight problems. You lack experience and you have not been in service since you left, not to mention you are still a genin. The others have already reached chuunin status before you", said Tsunade playing her first cards.

"Oh these were your chuunins? Sorry I guess your exams must have been too easy then. Anyway I do not know what you meant by me not being in the village's service but last I recalled I had 4 S rank, 10 A rank and 12 B rank I completed with Jiraiya. So unless this old goof ball forgot to mention it to you or you are trying to set me up for something. Show me the mission record", asked the teen with suspicious eyes.

"Oh silly me, I should have doubted that fool. It is just like him to make his student do his bidding, oh well I will have that fixed by Shizune in a minute. Anyway, it still does not prove how well you can handle on your own. Damn, he is almost caught me that time, this is not suppose to happen I am the one who is suppose to be in control", thought Tsunade.

"She is plotting something…Tell you what, if you are not convinced why do you not give a challenge or mission you wish and if I complete it you let me in the ANBU. Let see what you are up to Mrs. Gambler", added Naruto playing his own card.

"Ah then I guess you will agree on a one on match against a selected warrior of mine then? How about tomorrow evening? Come on Naruto accept it, wait till you see what I have prepared for you. I am getting excited just thinking how much I am going to have fun and then lock you in for a position you cannot refuse", added Tsunade while trying to hide her evil intentions.

"Aha! So that was it, you were planning to watch me in a fight just for your pleasure. Evil Hokage! If you think I am going to reveal any of my new techniques you can dream about it and I am guessing you are also going to try to place me in a higher ranking then I requested, is that no it? You are lucky, I will accept your offer, there is no way I will be going any missions on this village openly. I already fainted over 10 people who thought I was someone else", yelled back Naruto catching her off guard.

"How did you guess? I was certain I made sure to hide my true intentions", asked Tsunade.

"You forgot, Jiraiya is your biggest stalker, he knows you inside out so he warned me of your habits. Besides only a dumbass would fall that trick you tried to play me. The ANBU rule states that any shinobi who has completed an S rank mission is immediately accepted in the squad. That is how Kakashi-san got in the squad when he was young. As for the last part given your current situation we pretty much guessed you would use me higher then the post I am asking. I do not care as long as I get my identity hidden. Now if you will excuse me I got to return this marble to my little friends over there", whispered Naruto at her ears before disappearing again.

"Oh my poor head, what just happened? It was Naruto was it not? That ungrateful student… where the hell is he?" yelled Jiraiya as he saw Tsunade pointing him towards the teen.

"He is over there, but I do not think you will be joining him soon. After all, I will have to extract everything you told him about me. Not to mention to tell me anything I should know about him. Let's go to my favorite bar shall we?" said Tsunade with her mischievous smile, making Jiraiya fear for the worst, as she dragged him to the opposite corner followed by Shizune.

Naruto returned near the kids and returned the marble he had rented. But before he could leave he was tapped on the back. As he turned his head back he realized his second mistake as he saw Sakura giving her a fake smile. Yes, he was about to learn another lesson in his life that is never ignore Haruno Sakura or be prepared to face her wrath, as she unleashed a devastating tekken resshin (disastrous earthquake fist) on him scaring the living hell out the kids and anyone around them. To her great regret Naruto had evaded her valiant effort without a scratch.

"Oh come on! Did you really expect me to get hit by such slow movement? Okay, I am sorry I ignored you, but it was not intentional, I swear. Would you stop it, you are scaring these poor kids", said Naruto as he intercepted both of her fists from causing more devastation.

"You bastard! Tsunade-sama warned me you might become arrogant but even I did not expect by this much. I come here to see you and you ignore me as if I was nothing to you? You have been away for the last two years and you did not even bother to write me a letter and now you do this? I cannot believe you did this to me after all we have been trough, that was UNACCEPTABLE", yelled Sakura as she tried to loosen her self from his grip.

"I am not ignoring you, I just forgot your present at the hotel and I was on my way to get it before meeting you", lied Naruto trying to convince her.

"So you only brought a present for Sakura-chan? What about me?" asked Lee.

"Do not worry Lee, I brought a present for each of you. I just wanted to give Sakura's one first. She is my special teammate you know?" said Naruto with had puppy eyes.

"Oh really, that is so sweet of you. I am sorry I doubted you, Naruto. I just glad to see you, I did not really need your present", flirted Sakura.

"Woman… so easy to manipulate and yet so unpredictable… no wonder Shikamaru found them so troublesome. Oh do not say that, its something I had too after all I was away from you for two years you know? See fox? I told you that I must be the king of fake flirting, hey what are you looking at?" thought Naruto to Kyuubi, while he comforted Sakura.

"Looking at three drunken men getting out of that brothel, they look like those three stooges from Rice that we had intercepted for information a few months ago. I wonder what they are doing here", wondered Kyuubi.

"Yup, they certainly do look like them, I guess it is time to collect some more info", replied Naruto giving his full attention to the three individuals.

"Hey, stop day dreaming Naruto! Anyway, let's walk, your hotel is on the same way as the Hospital, I'll walk you there. Lee-san you coming?" asked Sakura after yelling at Naruto then dragging him along.

"It is okay Sakura-chan, I must start my 500 tours around the village now if I wish to finish before midnight, so I will see you guys tomorrow", said Lee as he disappeared in the crowd.

"It seems your lady is calling. I guess that means I will follow our friends over there while you handle your personal problems", smirked Kyuubi, as he walked towards the three men.

"Okay Lee, see you tomorrow! She is not my lady you damned fox! Just follow them, I will join you later", ordered Naruto, as he let himself get dragged by Sakura.

As they walked towards the hotel, Sakura gave Naruto a resume of the two years he was not in the village. However, an unexpected encounter changed their topic, as Ino walked towards them.

"Hey Sakura, what a surprise to see you here at this hour, I thought you had a shift at the Hospital tonight. It is not like you to be late, oh hello there handsome. What is a sweet good looking hunk doing around this forehead girl? Are you lost? I am one of the best guides in Konoha you know?" flirted Ino with Naruto, as she did not recognized him.

"Ino-pig stop with your seductive punch lines this is only Naruto, he has just returned. I also am not late, Tsunade-sama granted me a break to meet him, I am on my way there now", said an annoyed Sakura, jealous of her best friend's indiscretions.

"Naruto? Wow, you look so hot I barely recognized you. You remember me don't you? I am Yamanaka Ino, teammate of Shikamaru and Chouji. If you are going to work then I guess Naruto is free for the taking. Perfect and here I was wondering who to go on a date with, so Naruto what do you think? Want to spend the night touring the village with me?" asked Ino.

"It would be my pleasure lovely lady", said Naruto with a wink while taking a good look at her bust.

"You PERVERTED PIG! I knew it, just like I feared you have become as lecherous as your sensei", yelled an angry Sakura hitting him with a tekken resshin.

Upon receiving the strike the blond haired shinobi puffed into thin air leaving two confused girls, Sakura was happy at first as she thought she finally caught him off guard but then realized that she had been with one of his clone. Uzumaki Naruto had dumped her with one of his clones and she did not even realize it. While, Ino could not stop laughing and the prank Naruto just played on Sakura that is if it was one.

"Oh that is it that bastard is going to die. Tricking me with one of his kage bunshin (shadow clone) just because he did not wish to spend time with me… when I get my hands on him I am going to tear him into pieces", yelled a frustrated Sakura, while Ino tried to calm her down.

The real Naruto was with Kyuubi following the drunkards, who were part of the Fuuma clan of the Rice country. The three members were known for their illegal slave trading business. Their merchandises were kidnapped young females from the villages located near the border of Fire and Wave country. Last time Naruto had met them they were working for Orochimaru, by selling them their slaves. Orochimaru was using these females as a bargaining chip to recruit nukenins (outlawed ninjas) and he was making great profit, as he was currently a large numbers of these shinobis in his hideouts deep within Rice country. At their last encounter Naruto managed to retrieve some key information from them about Orochimaru's activities and this time he was expecting some more. He waited till they walked at a secluded location before capturing them with Amenonuhoko.

"What the hell? Oh my god, it's HIM. I knew we were going to be in trouble when we saw Jiraiya in Konoha. Now he is going to he is going kill us for sure. Why the hell did you bring us in this village? You doomed us all", cried the first

"Stop whining you loser, he has yet to kill us, so maybe we can compromise with him somehow", yelled the second.

"Hmm, compromises in exchange for your pathetic lives, that sounds fun. Then again there is hardly anything you can compromise with or is there? So how about it stooges want you try your luck? It will have to be really good if you want me to break my old promises and you know I do not like to break my promise", asked Naruto as he appeared near them with his usual smile, which struck fear in the hearts of the three men.

"Yes, we do, please do not use that jutsu of yours on us. We are no longer the people we were we abandoned our old business. We were simply passing by this village and stopped by a brothel, if we knew you were in the vicinity we would not even set our foot a mile from here. We do have some information that might interest you though", pleaded the third.

"Looks like I did not make myself clear. I know already that the only reason you guys quit is because the ANBU from Suna (Sand village) and Konoha were on to your little trafficking and were busting your collaborators at the borders, so before you guys get caught you packed up and ran to hide your cover, so quit lying. You are wasting my time so start talking before your clock stops ticking", yelled back Naruto.

"I guess that was expected. However, we speak the truth when we say we are no longer in Orochimaru's favor list. In fact he is probably looking for a reason to kill us. It is because of this we are not going deep into Rice country. On the other hand, we do know some recent rumors that may help Konoha, which is known to be much gentler then Orochimaru can be ", said the first.

"According to one of our sources, Orochimaru is trying to create some tensions in Suna to gain the support of Iwa (Rock village) to join his alliance with Kumo (Cloud village). The Raikage believes that it will build confidence for their side while put Konoha and its allies to doubt. It is rumored that the plan is also has a hidden goal to boost Iwa council's confidence who may be planning to overthrow the current Tsuchikage, who they consider is too friendly with Konoha. Some say he is targeting the princess of Sand, Kaze no Temari (Temari of the Wind)", added the second.

"Hmm, I see so the old snake is at his chaotic ways again. I guess he really must be feeling confident to plot this coup. Then again one cannot blame him, after all, his current defensive efforts manage to block all ANBU efforts to penetrate his inner stronghold deep into Rice country", pondered Naruto.

"Well we may help you with that however we would need to acquire a certain information first, well more like a competing rival. Since the ANBU closed us from business we do not have the direct access to Kayaba (hayfield village) anymore, where his main trading post is. At best we can only get in up to 10 miles within Rice before getting intercepted by his henchmen or villagers", said the third.

"You see, since our fall, Orochimaru has gained a new and powerful dealer for his female slave imports. The person in question is apparently one of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu (Seven Swordsmen of the Mist), Suzuki Anzai. He has monopoly in Wave country and since the country does not have its own shinobi and has to rely on Water, who does not give a damn about them to take care of him. So he can simply send massive inflows of females to Orochimaru and is now his biggest distributor meaning he was one of those seal amulets that allows him to enter deep into Rice without having to face any threats. If you want to get into Rice he has the key get that and we can show you the safest way into Orochimaru's world", said the second.

"You seem to be forgetting something if I have the key I can simply use Anzai to visit Orochimaru. Meaning your life is worthless, so why bother letting you guys leave?" said Naruto with a smile.

"That may be true, but Anzai is not the type to become an obedient dog, as we might. Plus we still have more news on Rice then Konoha can ever muster. However, how about we make ourselves even more useful to you. We heard rumors about Uchiha Sasuke, however we are risking our necks here, as Orochimaru would kill us if any rumors about his precious pupil is out, so if you wish this info you must promise us to let us live and to not reveal to anyone that we were the supplier of this information. We also ask that you put the ANBU off our back, we are out of business we only wish to live now, having them breathing on our necks would only agitate Oto (sound village) shinobi to kill us. In return, we will tell you what we know and in the future even assist you if you ever wish to visit Rice", replied the first.

"Hmm, an interesting proposition. Okay I will agree to it but only at one condition, you do not reveal any of this information to anyone else not even Konoha ANBU. You guys also better not show up on their radar though, so I suggest hiding in one of the smaller neighboring countries and do not start your old habits or else even the greatest of hiding places wont save you from me. Now speak", said Naruto.

"Alright, we agree with your condition too. From what we know now is that he is personally involved with the slave trading affair. Even thought Orochimaru is getting supplies from Anzai, he knows that his resource can be cut at any time. So he is using the villagers as slaves. The children are taken away from their homes and held hostage on his multiple hideouts where he is secretly training them into his unit and using planning to use the girls as future sex slaves in case his current option is closed. Uchiha Sasuke is in charge of this operation; apparently he is in charge of taking the hostages. Rumors has that he has committed countless acts of brutalities and other crimes to get his work done. He is said to be working somewhere in the northern section. However, that info might be a bit old, since Orochimaru has a habit of switching him from place to place. That is all we know up till now", replied the third.

"Hmm, how can I be sure you guys are not making it up?" interrogated Naruto.

"Oh come on, why would we bother to invent all this to put our lives in stake? It is true that when he had arrived in Rice, Orochimaru was a very profitable ally, but now he even threatens our own clans. The lord has become his lap dog, we cannot rely on him and Orochimaru on his own is too strong for the Fuuma clan, so we are doing the little bits we can to allow his enemies to help us on our quest. However, some of us has been a bit too open and for this Orochimaru has taken their children as hostage. I even heard that they even had to set up an ANBU team for the sake of their children", replied the second.

"It is the same reason we do not wish any info we give you to be leaked, Orochimaru has to many hidden allies and we do not wish to put our families in danger. So as you can see we are in a hard edge", replied the first.

"In other words, you lied in the beginning, you came here because you heard I was here so you came to me since you knew I am one of those who are gunning for the Snake's ass. You were sent by the Fuuma clan as a means of reconciliation for the last incident", added Naruto.

"Yes, we were sent to approach the Hokage as we are the only ones who are out of Orochimaru's reach, but we coward out in the end. After all the chances of her actually believing us is actually slim. Then we got lucky, when we saw Jiraiya-sama with her at the bar and tried to approach them but at the sight of ANBU approaching we bailed", replied the second with some hesistation.

"Okay, now you are just trying to hurt me. Trusting that perverted sennin over me, that is simply evil, but I guess I have been a bit tough on you guys, so I will let it pass. Just remember our agreement now run along before someone else catches you and never set your foot in here. I will find you if I need you", replied Naruto, as he released the three men from the grip of Amenonuhoko.

The three men thanked him and took their leave. After they ran out of his sight, Kyuubi approached Naruto, while another shadow appeared behind him.

"I see you are really getting good at extracting information. You gave those three so much fear last time that they did not resist much before revealing to you everything they know", said Jiraiya, as he revealed himself from the shadows.

"I am glad you have not lost your edge yet Old Man. I should have known to not doubt your spying skills. Although I would not celebrate yet, these rumors can be false they need to be verified first. Still I think I better inform the Kazekage about the assassination attempt on his sister", replied Naruto.

"Don't you mean inform Sabaku no Gaara to be a bit lenient if that assassin happens to be Uchiha Sasuke? You know how he gets when the matter involves his family. So did I guess it right Kyuubi-san?" asked Jiraiya.

"It seems that I am not the only one who can figure out what you are pondering after all. I still wonder why we are trying to hide that fool's crimes. I have a bad feeling that it will comeback and bite us in the ass", added Kyuubi with his usual grin.

"I an not the one who is supporting this plan. Tsunade and I both believe that Naruto should start telling Sakura who the real Sasuke is; she is being setup in a dangerous trap. Even Tsunade has a hard time confronting her enthusiasm, she does not want to break the poor girls heart, but the truth must be told. I know what you are thinking Naruto, but believe it or not it's better telling her now then later. It will hurt, but she will heal faster", said Jiraiya.

"Tell her what? That her Lover boy is a moron who sullied his hands in murder of innocent civilians, that he has been linked to countless act of brutality, which includes enslavement of whole villages? That he forces those people to work as slaves by taking their children as hostage for Orochimaru? Sorry, I cannot do that, if I did that not only will her heart be broken but also the last chances we might have of getting him back. At the moment we do not even know if he is doing it on his own accord or if it is the side effects of the curse seal. Until we do, until there is some hope, I cannot risk it! I refuse to crush her dream like this and I refuse to pull these crimes on his shoulders till these questions are solved", grunted Naruto as he disappeared into the night again.

"There he goes again… I am sure glad I do not have to deal with those everyday. When will he learn that all he is doing is simply is prolonging both of their suffering? Anyway, I will let you handle it, its not like he will listen to me. Now I am regretting I ever learning both of your little secrets. Before I go, here is the key to the Uzumaki Main mansion with its address, give it to him it's what his father wanted. It needs a lot of refurnishing though, the whole sector has been vacant for the last 15 years, but I am sure he has the capital in his bank account for the necessary reparations. Maybe it will give him something else to think about", added Jiraiya tossing the keys to Kyuubi.

"Heh, you have no idea how hard it is to keep up with this guy. If I had known I would have requested Inari (the god) to fetch someone else for his problems. Well I think I will find something to calm his grief. Just remember, even though he has not said anything to not reveal the things you heard to Tsunade. He will tell her when he is more comfortable. See you later", laughed the fox, as he disappeared on his turn followed by Jiraiya who resumed to his favorite pastime.

Kyuubi found Naruto sitting by the waterfalls looking at the starry night for answers. It was a common habit by the teen whenever he felt troubled, as it gave him the needed comfort to rest his mind.

"Looking at the stars again huh? So where is that hot princess you keep dreaming about? Is she coming anytime soon, because I am getting fed up baby sitting you", taunted the Kyuubi as the fox sat down next to him.

"If you are trying to be funny your joke was bad damn fox. It's not a dream but a nightmare and I am starting to believe that are right about it. It must be some delusion my mind is playing with the image of mom. But something does not make sense", said the teen.

"Ah? What might that be? I mean it is not the first time that a person imagined their dream girl at the image of their own mother, in fact it is one of the most common cases. Are you sure you never recollect meeting this girl in your life?" asked Kyuubi.

"First of all, no never. I have never met a long dark haired girl with blue eyes and smelling the iris. Nor did I ever dream of such a girl. In fact, my greatest fear is someone falling for me because I will probably kill her indirectly just mentioning who I am. I am destined to live and die a solitary life protecting this village. Second the thing that makes sense with your explication is the fact that I have been having these nightmares even before you told me how mom looked. So it does not make sense", barked back Naruto.

"That is the only problem? Did you forget that you saw your mom before she passed away? You know even if you were a day old those image stay hidden in your mind. As for your claim of solitary life over my dead body boy! If you are not hooked by twenty I will make sure you accidentally get laid by a girl and be forced to marry her and live the rest of your life with her. Besides, only a girl from this village will freak upon learning that you are my "carrier" and I know you already have no interest in them. I was referring to someone outside of this village", barked back the fox with his trademark evil grin.

"Whatever damn fox, just do not disturb me with girl talks till that date comes, I got better things to do then ponder upon such dumb subjects. Besides there is no woman who can match mom, that kind of person does not exist in this world. Now how about helping me find a solution how to avoid today's 'OMG you are Yondaime's ghost fainting event'. I am really getting sick of it", said the teen.

"I am afraid I cannot help you with that you see you have two problems. First Jiraiya told me to give you these keys. Apparently your father left you the Uzumaki Main mansion along with his fortunes. In fact, since you are the heir of the clan and there are no more survivors apart you and him, you get to have the whole sector for yourself. Imagine that a whole section of Konoha all for yourself to live the solitary life you like. Oh yeah, apparently you need to do some rebuilding since it has become a ghost town. Yup, you are officially screwed even before you attempted to hide your connection with the great Yondaime", snickered the fox while tossing him the keys.

"What the hell? He cannot do that that will only give them further reason to harass me with their 'Yondaime's ghost' crap, not to mention even insult his name, if they find out that I am actually his own son. What are they thinking? I cannot live there", protested the boy.

"Hey the whole village can burn in hell for all I care. They would know about it anyway, the second reason I cannot help you is because your own face betrays you, you two look identical apart that you have whisker scars. Your father wants them to know who you are and so does Jiraiya along with me. You just got to face the reality there is no way will you manage to hide that secret, better you realize it now then later. Besides what the problem, what we want to prevent is them fearing you for being too strong, not your link with Yondaime", answered the fox.

"Bah, I guess you are right, I really have no luck, even my own face betrayed me. I guess I will just count myself lucky that the villagers pride will stop them from revealing their secret about my past heritage. God I cannot imagine the horror that would cause, having a bunch of stupid girls stalking around like they did Sasuke. I think I understand why he used to act like that now", grunted Naruto silently.

"Speaking of the subject of betrayal, I was wondering did you remember to remind that shadow clone of yours to not pull one of Jiraiya's seduction trademarks during his little assignment? You know how well those work on ladies. Last question, when did you start having miss dream girl dreams?" asked the fox.

"Thanks for reminding about it now. Guess we will have to fix that mess tomorrow. As for the last part I believe it started sometime after getting this necklace from Tsunade, but at that time this nightmare was faint, you know like me walking on a plain field then waking up and all. It only got intense after we left Konoha", replied the boy.

As Kyuubi and Naruto kept chatting elsewhere far away in the country of Water another person was looking at the stars when she heard a faint voice calling her.

"Maruyama Kasumi, are you still pondering over the stars again? What will I do with you? You just came out of a difficult mission you must rest", yelled the older girl.

"Oh damn…Coming Lady Keiko", replied the long dark haired girl with blue eyes as she ran back inside her room.

End of chapter 5

Well there you have it people, 16 pages of text. Hope it is enough to please you for now. Got the part two (my version) re-entrance competed, added some more plot, some more drama and even got the romance started. Yes Kasumi is in and I will try to add some more on her in the next chapters. Next chapter, we got Tsunade's challenge, Sakura's vengeance along with a meeting with the rest of the rookie 9 and team Gai and many more stuff. So enjoy this chapter and leave some R&R! Shingen.

New Characters

Maruyama Kasumi: A jounin from Kirigakure (hidden mist village), 15 and a prodigy. She is also the last survivor of the Suishou clan, the same clan Haku came from and the daughter of its leader Suishou Okita the late leader and the most famous of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu (Seven Swordsmen of the Mist). (More to come in the future…)

Muramasa Keiko: The daughter of Muramasa Sanjo a lord from Water country, known for his sword smith skills. She is the best friend of Kasumi and acts like her elder sister.

Suzuki Anzai: One of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu (Seven Swordsmen of the Mist), known for his brutality. (More to come in the future…)

New Techniques & Weapons

Kitsune Sorayume/Fox's Fabricated Dream: A rank genjutsu that puts an opponent to sleep then allows the user to partially erase and replace the opponents mind via a fabricated dream. When the target wakes up he believes the fake memory as his real one. Naruto and Kyuubi can only use this jutsu.

Tekken Resshin/Disastrous Earthquake Fist: C rank ninjutsu that allows the user to unleash devastating punches that creates shattering earthquakes upon contact. It requires the user to be have perfect chakra control to be able to use it.

Amenonuhoko/Heavenly Spear: A shinobi weapon made by Muramasa Sanjo specifically for Naruto. It has the same technology used for the unbreakable swords of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist. The weapon is a larger version of the Haapuun. It has a range of 50m and is an indestructible weapon. A chain replaced the string. It along with the kunai was made out of a mix of titanium and diamond dust (the special ingredient that made the swords that strong). The launcher, which now had a shield pad on top, was made of carbon and diamond dust. It was however stronger then the swords Sanjo had made for the seven swordsman as the tip of the kunai was entirely carved out of diamond, a new technique employed by him which took about a year to make. As before the weapon launches and retracts with Naruto's chakra and can either grab by tying the target down of simply kill by piercing through them.