AN: Revised story, same plot. Noticed alot of confusion in my earlier writings so I'm attempting to fix it. Also keep in mind I'm making Naruto a little older due to me using the "Early Graduation Attempt" Theory so as it shows:

Rookie Nine: 15-16 years

Naruto: 17 years

Team Gai: 17 years


Location: Konohagakure no Sato, Time: 9:30am

It was a day like any other in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and just like any other day; guard-duty topped the list as one of the most boring assignments one had to perform. It was easy work and the pay was acceptable, but ever since a certain troublemaker died a decade ago, the village hadn't been very exciting to say the least.

Unfortunately, the villagers, and a surprisingly large amount of the shinobi forces partied for two days straight, but it switched the joy to sorrow when the Uchiha Massacre occured, with only one member of the clan managing to survive that night. Many, to the present day, blamed the event on the Kyuubi, stating ridiculous things such as it being revenge for destroying its weakened body.

As if.

'Damn, kid. At least you knew how to make things more interesting. I'm so bored, I wouldn't even mind chasing that damn cat.' One of the chunin gate guards thought as he lined up a shot with a paper football that was folded into a perfect triangle.

"Miss it, miss it, miss..." The other chunin guard on duty, kept lowly chanting in order to throw off his comrades concentration while he pressed his thumbs together, and pointed his index fingers upwards to form a goal post; which was meant for the paper triangle to flip through; if successful.

"Would you shut it, Izumo! Just remember our little bargain when I make this shot." the other guard named, Kotetsu barked as he continued to line up his shot. The two had known each other since they were genin and Izumo knew his chanting was one of the things he hated back then, and now.

"Yeah, yeah. As if you'll make it. Just make sure you remember Kotetsu, that if you miss, you have to take Kakashi's Icha-Icha, and burn it." Izumo said with a small smirk, remembering the last person who attempted to do that, and shuddered at remembering what happened to the poor fellow.

The idiot got a kunai to the nuts for his troubles.

Just as Kotetsu was about take his shot, he noticed four figures down the road walking towards the gates, and started to smile. "Well! Looks like we'll have to wait for that now won't we?" He said as he pointed in the direction so his friend was aware of the newcomers.

There was two tall figures, both of them male, if their stature was anything to go by. One looked about six feet tall, give or take a few inches, and had an athletic build that was noticeable through the cloak he wore. The other was a little shorter, five foot-eleven at least.

The final two of the group, both looked to be female. They were both about the same height of five feet-nine inches, which was tall for females. Their matching cloaks kept their clothes concealed and their hoods hung low over their faces, hiding their actual appearances. As the group of four arrived in front of the great wood gates, Izumo took the initiative to speak up.

"Halt! State your names and business within Konoha." He said authoritatively.

In response, without hesitation, the taller of the cloaked male's reached, and tossed him a scroll, but continued to walk forward into the village with the other three in tow as they passed the threshold of the open gates.

"Stop! You haven't been permitted to enter yet." Kotetsu shouted, preparing to apprehend them.

"Kotetsu, it's okay. They can enter, so let them do just that." Izumo stated calmly while his face was frozen in surprise. "Here, look at this." He said in explination, then tossed the scroll to his partner, and waited for his reaction. All he got was a small laugh.

The entire village was in for a rude awakening and life in the Leaf was about to get more interesting.


Location: Hokage Tower, Time: 9:55am

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage, also known as "The Professor" due to his wisdom, knowledge, and leadership of Konoha, was locked in an epic battle and sadly losing to his arch nemesis.

Paperwork.

He stopped to turn and take a look at the portraits of the previous Hokage. As was common for the past several years, sadness and guilt plagued the Hokage's heart as he glanced at the picture of his successor and predecessor; the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

'Minato...Kushina...' He sighed in thought filled loathing. 'I'm sorry I could not protect your son well enough. I only hope that you can forgive this old fool for his wrong doings. At times, I believe this village doesn't deserve what you've done for them.'

He opened one of his drawers and took out a small, framed picture he'd taken with their son over a decade ago. He smiled as he remembered the happiness of that day. But, just as quickly, he frowned as he remembered how the day ended for the young boy. 'I will never forgive those bastards for what they did to you, Naruto. May you rot in hell Fugaku!'

He began silently fuming, causing his killing intent to unconsciously begin leaking out, the more his anger grew. His thoughts went interrupted when a cat masked Anbu woman with long purple hair flowing down her back appeared in a kneel before his desk.

"Pardon my sudden intrusion, Hokage-sama, but you have some important visitors." She said with a light-hearted and pleased tone in her voice, though managed to remain sounding as professional as should be.

Sarutobi eyed the woman for a moment before nodding. "Right, please send them in, Neko-san." The third answered, once again calm, and prepared to see these guests.

'Time to see how much you've really changed, lad'.

However, the Hokage's eyes slightly narrowed when saw four cloaked individuals walk in, followed by four more Anbu operatives. "What is the meaning of this?" he said with more than a little heat in his voice.

"Forgive us, Hokage-sama, but some of us did not feel comfortable with leaving four, unidentified individuals with you." One of the other Anbu answered back while staring only towards the cat masked member. Even with the veiling mask on, everyone could feel the glare that was directed at the purple-haired Anbu.

Hiruzen waved a withered hand dismissively. "Nonsense, I can assure you that they are of no harm to me, nor to anyone else of this village. All of you except Neko are dismissed to return to their regular duties." The Professor replied.

"Sir!," the group answered in unison while giving a mild salute as they turned to walk out of the office, the door clicking shut behind them.

"Neko-san, could you place a privacy jutsu up, please? I feel this conversation will be one of great importance and this office can't stand to continue leaking important facts." She nodded her head and went through a few hand-signs, before she was interrupted.

"No need to, Neko-chan. I have another way." The taller of the cloaked individuals offered as he pulled out a small piece of paper with the kanji for 'privacy' written on it. He placed it against one of the walls and spoke. "Permanent Seal Activation".

The old Hokage watched in mild amazement as the parchment replicated itself to every corner of the room. "This is my gift for you, old man. It is a permanent privacy seal that can be activated whenever you want to without the use of chakra or hand signs. Just say "Seal" to activate, "Release" to deactivate."

He then removed his hood, revealing his facial features. The male showed himself to have long, spikes blonde hair tied into a ponytail that reached just between his shoulder blades.

There were also three whisker marks on each cheek, a trait that he possessed since birth, but were thicker now; giving him an even more feral like appearance. His eyes held a darker blue hue than remembered and to the old Hokage's shock, his pupils were slitted. He instantly calmed down however, when he was given a small smile by one, Naruto Uzumaki.

"Its good to see you again, old man." He said in a calm and smooth tone, the mature resonance surprising the elderly kage as Naruto went to the Cat masked Anbu and gave her a tight hug, nearly engulfing the smaller framed ANBU woman "And, it's good to see you too, Yugao-nee-chan. I missed you so much." he whispered to her, words heavy with emotion.

Yugao said nothing as she returned the hug, and if you looked closely, you would have saw that she was lightly shaking as she held onto him trying her best not to turn into a sobbing mess.

This was breaking all sorts of rules but she didn't care! Her little brother was alive and healthy. Once she clocked out, she was going to go home and have a good cry and then hunt him down and interrogate him on where he been for the last decade and then beat him within a inch of his life for not telling her!

"It's great to see you as well, Naruto-kun." Sarutobi provided with a warm smile. He was happy at this simple show of affection, because now he knew not everything was lost. The boy was back home and the legacy of his father could live on. He could only hope for the last part.

He noticed that the other male removed his hood to show his features. His hair was in much the same blonde spikes as Naruto's, minus the ponytail, as it was shorter and ended just above the shoulder plates of his clothing. His piercing blue eyes were almost the same as Naruto's, but without the slitted pupils.

His eyes were those of a very experienced warrior. One who had seen a lot in his life and likely at a young age. The type of aura around his being gave off a feeling of incredible, latent power, and unwavering confidence. It was amazingly similar to the same aura the Fourth Hokage would give off before he would go into battle.

It may had been him being tired but he thought he saw a flicker of hatred in his eyes. Ah he was imagining it.

He shifted his gaze and was now staring at the two cloaked females whom he had yet to meet. "And who might these two lovely ladies be?" The Professor asked in a polite manner.

"She is my…companion" the shorter blonde answered as he gestured her to slide back the hood. The results showed a stunning, young woman with long brown hair, braided in a ponytail down her back, and two locks of hair going down the front of her shoulders. Her beautiful green eyes showed a deep inner calm, as well as the proper base of a strong woman.

"Good day to you, my name is Aerith Uzumaki. It's a pleasure to meet you Lord Hokage, I've heard many great things from Naruto-kun. Cloud-kun has grown to like you as well since you were one of the few people that cared for Naruto." She said.

"Uzumaki?" the old Hokage practically yelled in surprise before narrowing his eyes.

"That is a story in and of itself that could be told later, as it would take too long to iron out all the details." The young jinchuuriki explained, bringing the attention back to him.

"But, to sum it up, we all decided to have the same name since we are practically family. Plus, my tenant told me about my lineage from my mom's side and I would like to revive the Uzumaki name."

Sarutobi held his benevolent demeanor, but was shellshocked. He wondered how Naruto figured out, what only three other people beside himself knew, about his past. He strongly doubted any of them knew Naruto was even alive, so how was he able to figure out the truth? What he heard next, made his blood run cold, and effectively answered the question that the Hokage was asking himself.

"Being sealed in two containers that were formally the wives of Hokages, the Kyuubi was more then willing to comply on informing me of my heritage." Naruto said then and silence suffocated the room for a few minutes.

"I see...so, you've figured the truth about your parents, Naruto. I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you myself, but I thought it too risky to give you that information until you were able to defend yourself. Your father had many enemies after the last war, if any of them found out he had a son, then your life would of been in constant danger."

"My life was already in constant danger!" He stated coldly, gaining a small flinch from the old Kage, but instantly calmed down. "But, I understand your reason and respect your decision." The saddened expression of the Jinchuriki matched the melancholic cadence with which he spoke.

"It just hurts is all. When I was younger, I always wondered who my parents were. I used to ask myself questions like, 'did they die? Did the leave? Did they...hate me?'. "When the Kyuubi told me who they were; I was relieved, proud, angry, and sad all at once. I never knew them personally, but it hurts to think about them." Naruto admitted with the sigh of someone who had a heavy burden weighting against him.

Everyone could feel the pain he was radiating in that moment. It were as if he had been hiding that pain behind the mask of a hyperactive young boy. To everyone watching him, he was trying desperately to hold it in, but he seemed to be losing that fight. The second cloaked girl walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner.

"I believe he understands how you feel, Otouto and I know he is sorry for not telling you, but as he said; it was for your own well being. If you died, then none of us would be together as we are now." she said in a soothing tone.

He wiped his eyes and gave her his trademark grin. "You're right, I do forgive him. Thanks, Nee-chan".

"Nee-chan?" Sarutobi asked.

The last female removed the hood of her cloak to reveal a girl that looked to be a year or two older than Naruto. Her sunkissed blonde hair was straight and flowed down her back as far as mid-thigh. The hair was gathered and tied in a ponytail wrapped in white bandages part way down its length. She had the same three whisker marks on her cheeks as the younger teen; only less defined, though she possessed the same slitted blue eyes.

If one didn't know Naruto was an only child they would of...WAIT.

"Who are you, really? You have the same features as Naruto-kun, but he's an only child. You couldn't really be brother and sister?" The aged Hokage inquired with an assertive tone.

"Technically, we are related; just by different means Hokage-sama. My former name was, Yugito Nii. I am also a Jinchuriki, just like my otouto."


Flashback: 17 years ago/Location: Kumo Mountain Research Facility

She kept flashing in and out of consciousness, catching the occasional sound of a voice here and there, somehow audible amongst the constant underwater ambience that surrounded her ears. Mostly, what she heard was useless drivel – discussions of what sounded like vital readings that she assumed were hers, measurements, quantities of things, and the like. But on one particular occasion...

She could faintly detect the click and thud of a door closing. She then heard a voice, coming from a slight, pale-skinned man who wore long black hair in a ponytail that she had come to know as Minaka, "Ah, A-sama! How good of you to show up at my lab on such short notice."

Knowing who A was, she brought herself to consciousness as best as she was able, given the sedatives she could feel in her system. Opening her eyes just enough to see, but not enough for anyone not looking to notice, she looked out into the room. She saw Minaka standing next to a figure whom she knew all too well...and hated with a passion. Said figure was a tall man, somewhere between 6 and 7 feet in height. He had an Herculean physique with blond hair and dark skin. He wore the standard Kumo jounin attire, accented with gold bangle bracelets on each of his wrists.

The man was Jounin Commander A, the son of the Sandaime Raikage and Kumo's second in command.

She then heard A speak, "This better be of great importance to Kumo, Minaka, or I will find someone to take your place regardless of whether or not they lack your expertise for creating your test subjects."

Moving just her eyes toward Minaka, she noticed that he paused suddenly at A's warning before returning to the eerie smile she knew he typically wore. She could only assume that Minaka knew the seriousness of A's threat.

"Of course it is!" he responded quickly, "Why would I ask you to come down here aside from the offbeat chance of forfeiting my life? Please note the specimen, here!" said Minaka, pointing towards Yugito, who decided to close her eyes so they would think she was still unconscious, though she kept her ears open and listened intently.

"Your message mentioned this had something to do with the experiment Raikage-sama conducted three years ago after Yugito's Nii's suicide," said A, as he had read the report, but nothing ever came of it to suspect anyone had done anything wrong, and that after the girl's death, they just sealed the Nibi away until they found a better host, "What does this...project...have to do with her?"

"Yes, this has quite a bit to do with Yugito Nii, A-Sama. You see, since you took over after the previous Jounin Commander's death three years ago, you were only given certain pieces of information regarding that whole fiasco. I felt I should inform you of something that was intentionally left out in his report, and requested Raikage-sama to keep it a secret until now when it would be ready," said Minaka confidently.

"You sound quite proud of this little project of yours, Hojo," A observed, "For your sake, it had better be worth it, or you'll be getting acquainted with my Iron Claw," A finished. This was not the first time he had threatened the man, and if things went well it would not be the last.

"Oh, I am quite proud of this test subject, A-sama. Behold, my experiment in all her glory, and the greatness that I have done!" said Minaka. The talking stopped, and Yugito assumed that Minaka was again indicating her to A, who was probably studying her visually.

Her assumption was proved true when she heard A speak up again, "So, then, what's so special about a naked little girl?!" She noticed the disgust in A's tone, and wondered if the giant man had thought that Minaka was a lolicon and a pervert.

"This is not just any ordinary girl, A-sama," Minaka began with confidence once again, "This girl is an artificially-created human, constructed from the DNA samples of Konoha's Yellow Flash and Konoha's Red Habanero, and anchored by the Nibi's seal. It was kept secret until this point to keep the other nations from learning of her on the chance that they would try to infiltrate us to either free the girl or kill her. The girl has been absorbing chakra at an astonishing rate, her power is incredible even without the beast sealed inside of her, and in the years to come, she will be unstoppable."

There was a moment's pause on conversation once again before A responded, in a tone that clearly indicated he was both impressed and skeptical, "We will see, Minaka. We will see."

A few moments later, Yugito again heard the sound of the door closing. What she had heard intrigued her. She didn't know what their plans were for her yet, but she hoped beyond hope that by the time she was let back out, Kumo would allow kunoichi back into their regular shinobi forces.

Nine years later

'Run away! Must escape! I won't let them poke and prod me anymore!' were the only thoughts in the mind of a certain jinchuuriki as she desperately tried to get away from where she was.

Her hopes of being able to survive and serve her country under A, the Yondaime Raikage, had been completely dashed. A and Minaka had given the final verdict; they were going to lock her in the laboratories to do more experimentation on her...

No! There was no way that she would be denied any longer!

She needed to breathe the fresh air she knew was just a wall away. She wanted to smell the trees and flowers that were but a few steps away. She longed for her freedom!

Hardening her gaze, she grimaced bitterly as she rushed past a hallway filled with mirrors. The blue skin and crimson hair, for the first time in her life, looked ugly and disconcerting. That was the proof staring at her right in her face, mocking her that she would never be able to be normal, just like Minaka had said. (AN: Just picture Mystique from X-men)

When she had woken up, all she could hear were the frenzied cries of that insolent whelp. Some miscalculation must have happened on their part, proving quite fortuitous for her, because she felt far stronger than she thought she should. It was as though she was again completely tapped into Nibi's power, but that couldn't be! So then, what had happened?!

It would be a few hours later when the head researcher, a woman named Takami who actually treated Yugito like a human being and made her procedures as painless as possible, had personally come over to apologize to her on the mistake that was made. It turned out that the mistake was not as fortuitous as she had initially believed. Time seemed to come to a standstill when she was informed that she was degrading, and that she would be dying. What was worse was the admission that she only had a few weeks at most to live.

She didn't even know what to feel.

Hatred? For Kumo and what that bastard Raikage did to her? Yes, but that wouldn't change anything, would it?

Despair? For not being able to ever feel that sense of validation as a living person? Maybe...

Anger? For them wanting to still coop her up despite all the damage they've already done?

In the end, it all boiled down to negative emotions, and she didn't like it one bit. She was one of the quieter girls when she was a kunoichi in her previous life, rarely ever speaking up unless she had to. She would constantly be aware of her surroundings, choosing to learn as much as she could by watching and analyzing while remaining inconspicuous like any good ninja should. She would listen attentively to the chatter around her, picking out whatever she could that could help her in any way possible.

Most thought her quietude stemmed from coldness and indifference, the polar opposite of the demon sealed within her, but that was only because they didn't choose to get to know her or watch her more closely. She just didn't see a point in wasting energy over useless matters. After all, why should she show any emotion at all over something that would change nothing? Was she supposed to be happy and greet everyone with enthusiasm just because they were testing her? There were more important things to direct that kind of energy towards.

"Get her!"

"Don't let her escape!"

"Retrieve her at all costs!"

"Send for BOLT!"

She was brought out of her musings by the shouts of orders pertaining to her capture. Her entire body tensed at the mention of the BOLT. If those men intercepted her before she could leave the building, it would all but eliminate any chances she had in escaping this hellhole. She knew how strong they were, and with her current state, she doubted that she would be able to hold them off for any more than ten seconds.

Rushing through the hallways, she desperately tried to make her away towards the back exit as soon as she could. The chunin and jounin rushing behind her and the din that they created only served to heighten the tension within her. Just a few more doors to go and she would be outside in the open air, on open ground, and able to run in any direction she wanted as fast as her legs could carry her!

Kunai and shuriken being fired at her were easily repelled by her more-in-tuned ability over fire. With a wave of her hand, she created a thick fire shield behind her back, easily defending herself against the projectiles, melting all that came into contact with it.

These insolent whelps were of no threat to her and they had to know that. But then, why hadn't they stopped their pursuit? It was then that she suddenly noticed that they had...and something didn't feel right about it! Why, all of a sudden, did they stop now? Unless –

She gasped as she realized she was being directed into a trap. Before she could even continue that line of thought, a nodachi pierced right through her guard, easily penetrating her torso as she was stopped dead in her tracks. A hard hook to the face followed right after she forcefully removed herself from the blade and hot blistering pain rained down her back as another blow caught her right in the middle of her spine.

Not wasting any time to even think about the severity of the injuries she currently had, she used whatever remaining energy she had and aimed it right at the floor beneath her. Adjusting her body position in mid-air, she launched herself right through the glass windows of her prison, before she landed hard onto the rocky, craggy ground of the mountainside.

Fresh, cold air blew against her face even as she felt her conscious slowly fading away. A rush of footsteps surrounded her before arms grabbed hold of her body, attempting to put her into submission, only for her to resist and send miniature balls of blue fire to fend them off. She had to stay conscious, not matter what it took! She wasn't going back! SHE WASN'T GOING BACK!

She could tell that BOLT were watching her on the sidelines, the bloodlust obvious as it permeated through the dark night sky. Only she would know just how mortally injured she was with that stab of the nodachi. It had very narrowly missed her heart; had that been pierced, then it would have been over within seconds. As it was now, it was just her lung, so now her death had been prolonged from seconds to hours, maybe a few days if she was lucky...or unlucky, depending on how one chose to look at it.

She knew what those bastards were thinking. Those men always had a sadistic streak when it came to her. They wanted her to bleed and suffer more before they took her back in.

Such was the cruel nature of BOLT, Kumo's Black Ops.

A familiar female voice suddenly rang through the area, "Alright that's enough! Who gave you orders to manhandle her?! Release her this instant!"

Yugito could see the white-colored hair of Takami through her blurry vision. As she made her way over, she could see that the woman was wearing a lab coat with a black top underneath it. She immediately tried to assume command of the situation as she barked orders for the men to stand down.

'What is she doing here?' Yugito asked herself in confusion while also feeling a surge of relief upon sighting a person that was at least not a hostile.

"But madam," the man holding the struggling Yugito down responded, "this Jinchuuriki is now useless! It's all her fault that the research facility is destroyed! I claim no responsibility to this incident!"

Rage gripped at her as the voice of that man that had ruined her life echoed through the area, "It's much better to lock her up in the laboratories where we use her as a specimen for – "

SLAP!

With one swift move, that obnoxious researcher was sent crashing into the ground, holding his jaw in disbelief as he stared up at the woman, "Y-you, h-how dare y-you!"

What he got in return was an enraged glare from a woman who had lost all patience, "You had better keep your mouth shut if you want to live to see tomorrow, Minaka. Or would you like to find out firsthand whether or not your skin can survive severe acid burns?"

That was enough to intimidate the man and silence him to his sniffles of pain.

Kneeling down, the woman quickly gave a check of her injuries, before motioning for the medical staff to do some emergency treatment, "Hurry and get a stretcher! She's gonna go into shock soon if we don't do something!"

Wondering just why this woman was helping her, the blue girl allowed them their administrations, the pills and injections, but to no avail. She could feel it herself, her life was wasting away.

"Hang in there, kitten. I'm working as fast as I can to help you," was the weaker response of her tenant.

"Leave her be!" A's boisterous voice resonated in her ears as she heard Takami swear under her breath. The Yondaime Raikage strode onto the scene and surveyed the situation with a critical eye. Minaka stood up while nursing his still-stinging cheek and smirked in Takami's direction before turning to A when the big man addressed him.

"Why have you called me over this, Minaka?! Did it not seem important to you that I was in conference with the Daimyo?!" If looks could kill, the man would have died at least a few hundred million times within that last second.

"My apologies, Raikage-sama. Please forgive my stupidity and lack of consideration," Minaka offered in a contrite yet sleazy manner.

He then turned to Takami, "Hahaha, why so serious, Taka-chan? There really is no need to treat her! She's a scrapped project, and seeing how she so wanted to leave the laboratories, I shall grant her that wish!"

With dramatic flair, Minaka turned to the others and announced, "All troops are to return to their normal posts. Medical staff members are to finish their current emergency treatments, nothing more, nothing less! Raikage-sama, if you would, sir, there is still much to discuss about – blergh!"

Before he could even finish his sentence, a reeling kick met his face without hesitation as he was trampled into the ground. Turning a furious glare to his attacker, he saw Takami standing over him.

She yelled at the man she had downed for the second time, "Who the hell told you I would be following those orders?! You just shut up and stay down! Medical staff, you're under my command and will do as I say...or else..." Her eyes glinted dangerously, easily convincing them to carry on with their treatment of the fallen jinchuriki.

"Urgh, that's so mean of you Taka-chan! But that's what I like about you!" The fact that he got up as if no harm was done to him at all was quite impressive...that or he was used to the physical harm administered to him on a daily basis.

"Hojo, I'm warning you..." Cracking her knuckles, Takami stomped towards the most infuriating man she had ever met in her life.

"BOLT," the Raikage's voice interrupted her stride towards the despicable little mad scientist, "please escort Dr. Takami to my office for now."

"What?!" Within seconds, she was restricted by two of the masked men, leaving a stunned expression on her face as she looked at A, "You would go so far as to allow a deteriorating little girl to be sent her death?! Just what kind of sadistic monster are you?!"

"Relax, Kara-chan!" Minaka mockingly assured her, "This is all for the sake of science! Even with the demon sealed in her, her DNA make-up is not holding together. She will be dead soon. It will be a pleasant surprise to see how long she does survive in the harsh environments."

"And just how is this situation a pleasant surprise?!" Yelling, Takami tried her best to wrestle her way out of the grasps of the two BOLT to no avail.

"A little kitten, born different than others, now facing elimination in a world where survival of the fittest is the golden rule of life – imagine the possibilities. What would possibly be her end? Would she end up with her life wasting away, or would she finally find the thing that she was born to seek out?! Ah, the suspense! I cannot take it any longer!"

"You crazy maddening fool! Raikage-sama, Unhand me this instant!"

"Medical Staff," the Raikage asserted, "By my orders, you are to finish your current emergency treatments and leave. We shall not interfere with her desire to escape from us! Guards are to stand down and let the BOLT take charge. Once she steps onto that road, she shall no longer be accepted back in the facilities building! Kill her if she comes near!"

Minaka began laughing manically, "Ahahahaha! This is gonna be great..." as he rubbed his palms together in sick anticipation, only to be interrupted.

The source of the interruption was a series of large explosions that went off all throughout the research facility, drawing the instant attention of the guards and the BOLT. Without a word, the BOLT members rushed off, followed by the other shinobi. Minaka frowned in displeasure at being interrupted halfway through his speech and could only sigh lamely as he finished off his orders in an anticlimactic manner. Takami on the other hand, could only gape at the coincidence of all this. If she was a betting woman, then she would go out on a tangent and say that this was actually planned by someone.

"Come Taka-chan, we must return to the laboratories at once to access the damage!" Without looking back, Minaka was already making his way back into the building.

The white-haired woman hesitated for a few seconds, took one last look at the girl lying on the ground. She ran over to Yugito and whispered softly, "I'm sorry, honey. If you can, please...survive...and live as long and as happily as you can..." she kissed the girl's forehead before rushing off as well. After all, if someone had dared breach their security, she had to make sure none of their secrets were stolen.

The bleeding girl could barely understand what was going on all this time, and only barely managed to retain her consciousness as she felt the treatments coming to an end. By the time she was able to lift her head up, the entire area was rid of people. She was alone, with only the rocky ground for companionship. Knowing something must have happened for this retreat, she wasted no time in continuing her escape.

Due to a lack of strength because of the blood loss, she had to half-crawl, half-drag her body across the ground, before finally, her entire body left the grounds of the research facility. Not even daring to stop for a moment, she braved on, forcing herself to ignore the searing pain with each movement she made.

'I will survive this...' she thought to herself in desperation, 'I must survive this...'

Hours...days...the length of time she'd been crawling was completely lost on her, as time stopped having any real meaning for her. All that mattered to her was that next foot or two that she had to force herself to advance – after all, if she was moving, she was still alive, and where there was life, there was hope...right? A new sound was picked up by her ears – the sound of flowing water. She had to be near a creek or a river! Her clothing was now in tatters after her fights within research facility, and she began to notice that she was also severely dehydrated. Pulling herself with what was left of her strength, she forced herself into a sitting position against a large rock near the river.

'So tired...' she complained to herself resignedly.

Staring blankly at the ground before her, and at the flowing water just a few short yards away, she couldn't even begin to think of what she should do now. Her injuries were severe and though they have been given some treatment, it was hardly enough. Now that she was no longer moving, thoughts of her future beyond the immediate began to plague her mind. She was never going to return to Kumo, but then, where could she go? And what would she do if she ever actually got there? Where would she stay on cold nights like this? How would she even get there, and how was she going to get food for herself before she...died?

Question after question bombarded her already fragile mind as she slowly felt the fatigue creep into her once again. Somehow, she felt like laughing. Just like before, she sat alone on the ground, all by herself, not commenting when everyone else had made friends with each other.

'In the end, I guess Minaka was right...what good am I if I die like this?'

She sat quietly and closed her eyes, 'It's so quiet. I'll just go to sleep...forever...'

The beat of her heart was slowing and she was yawning. Images of the faces she cared for flashed through her mind. Emotions were almost non-existent now – she wasn't sad, or angry, or even disappointed. She was just numb. The fear of never being with her little sister no longer bothered her.

"Wait, Kitten, please!"Yoruichi begged loudly in a tear-filled voice, "Don't give up! Don't let them win! Please don't let it end like this!"

"I'm sorry...Yoruichi..." Yugito answered, not even bothering to keep her conversation on a mental level, "...I just don't...have any more...strength. I can't...keep this up..."

'Why didn't I...do this before? I'll finally be at peace...' she thought to herself, managing a small smile before blacking out, unable to respond to Yoruichi's desperate pleas to stay alert and live.


The first thing she felt upon becoming self-aware once again was pain – agonizing, excruciating pain. It felt like thousands of needles were being stuck and poked into her body. If she could liken what her insides felt like, she would say that her internal organs had been dunked in acid. Every muscle and fiber in her body screamed at her, letting her know just how close to death she had come. This had brought with it a point of curiosity – why was she still alive?

As the pain began to fade into the background, she began to feel other sensations: the feel of a soft bed beneath her frame, the pillows her head was laying against, the warmth she felt and the weight of blankets over her body. Her mind soon became more alert, sharpening as she decided to take stock of her situation. She hadn't opened her eyes yet, not wanting to let whoever was near know she had awakened. First, she ran a swift assessment of her body's condition. She could feel that her regenerative-healing factor was slower than normal, but it was working. Yoruichi was trying to close up the smaller cuts first so that she wouldn't have to replace as much lost blood when she started to address the more serious injuries. More to the point, her cuts and bruises had been bandaged. She couldn't determine the type of cloth used to do the bandaging, but she could feel them wrapped around her torso, which had taken the most damage.

Between the bed and the bandages, Yugito could easily deduce that it probably wasn't a hostile that had brought her to wherever she was and treated her. However, that still told her very little, and just because she wasn't near any enemies didn't mean she was safe.

Where was she? How did she get here? Was she in friendly territory, neutral territory?

Wanting to know a little more about the area around her, while still maintaining some secrecy, she sent a small pulse of chakra out of her body. The chakra acted like a sonar beacon: by constantly pushing a set amount of chakra out of her body at a constant rate, while still keeping herself connected to it, she could 'feel out' her surroundings as the pings of her chakra bouncing off of objects and back to her told her where things were, and also what they were.

To her alarm, she felt a massive chakra source that was only a few yards away from her...and it was slowly closing in on her position. Cracking her eyes just a sliver, she saw a figure that she guessed was male calmly approaching her bed.

When he got close enough to her, she suddenly jumped him and slammed him to the ground. Shortly afterwards, she heard a shattering sound followed by a small splash. Apparently, her current...warden...host...she didn't really know what he was...had brought a bowl of stew over to her, if the ceramic shards and the chunks of meat and vegetables covered in dark brown liquid was any indicator. She turned her attention back to her captor/rescuer, who was staring intently at the five elongated claws protruding from her fingernails. She began to blush when she took in his features – golden blond hair, electric blue eyes, three whisker-like birthmarks on each cheek that she thought gave him an exotic air, and a rich, healthy tan.

He turned his gaze into Yugito's own eyes and kept himself as calm as possible. Yugito was impressed at how he kept his cool, though she certainly wouldn't admit to that right now. She also noticed on her hand and arm that her skin wasn't blue anymore, but a normal tone, albeit with a slightly darker tan than she remembered having before.

"Who the hell are you?! Where have you taken me?!" Yugito demanded.

"Okay, I'll talk. But first," the quickly jabbed her in the side, making the girl cringe and grab her side. His assailant distracted, he quickly swept her over and ended up on top, causing Yugito to gasp out of pain as she was thrown to the ground. Thinking quickly, the boy placed a seal on her and activated it. Yugito immediately felt her body lock up and found herself unable to move a muscle, no matter how much she struggled.

"You bastard!" she hissed.

"Look, I'm sorry, but you need to calm down before you hurt yourself even more. I'm no medic and even after I fixed your DNA make-up, I don't know if those herbs will work on your injuries or not. But to answer your first question, my name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm here to help you," explained the now-identified Naruto.

"Oh, really?! How about you prove it?"

"Fair enough. I was the one who found you leaning against a rock next to a river, half-starved, dehydrated, and on the Shinigami's doorstep. Kyuubi was able to get in contact with Nibi, who was using every possible resource at her disposal just to keep you alive. Through means too long for me to explain, I was able to fill in the holes to your DNA and now you won't have to worry about being a splotch on the side of the road," Yugito seemed to calm down after hearing that. The shock of her not dying was enough to make her completely docile. Seeing that she had calmed down, Naruto released the seal, allowing her to move again. She looked at Naruto, who stared back at her in confusion, making her visage contort into a glare.

"Aren't you going to help me get back into bed?" asked Yugito in a deadpan voice.

"I don't know if I should. After all, you did just try to kill me," countered Naruto.

"Well, what type of wounded ninja is willing to trust someone she doesn't know?" Naruto didn't look all that convinced, "Fine. I swear on my life that I won't make another attempt on yours."

That was somewhat reassuring to him. Nonetheless, Naruto was cautious and on guard as he helped her to the bed she had just leaped out of, keeping a watchful eye for any surprise attacks. He went and got another bowl of stew and placed it on Yugito's lap, helping her sit up as she began to dig in. The two sat there in silence as Yugito ate three more bowls. Once she had eaten as much as she could, she sighed in relief and laid back down, facing the blond.

"You said that your name was Naruto Uzumaki, right? I think I've heard that name before."

"Maybe from Hi no Kuni?" asked Naruto.

Yugito thought for a second before something clicked, "You're the kid that was killed in Konoha, and then the new daimyo punished the entire village for it. We were wondering why the Fire Daimyo was so angry with his hidden village."

"Actually, I was hoping to convince you to come with me..."


Flashback Over

Sarutobi Hiruzen at the moment was showing his experience at keeping a mean poker face, but inwardly his brain was working like a track star on speed, running a million miles a minute trying to comprehend what was in front of him. Reports years ago informed him that she died, although no one knew the cause nor if Kumo had decided upon a second jinchuuriki.

Speaking of jinchuuriki, if this were to get out to the public, then serious harm could come to those around her, or even more serious if she were to retaliate to any of the discrimination that Naruto had received in the past and Kami forbid what would happen in the upcoming future.

To top it off she had many of the same features as Naruto. If you didn't know any better, you would of thought they were twins.

He could already feel the headache that the council was going to give him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Yugito-san. I cannot lie and say that I'm not surprised that I'm in the presence of another Jinchuriki. That is a rare occurrence that I would of never, in all my years of being Hokage, thought I would meet another person with a...tenant in my village. If you don't mind me asking, which of the bijuu do you hold?" He asked politely, not noticing Naruto's eyes slightly narrowing in suspicion.

"You can answer truthfully, Yugi-nee. We'll play along for now." Naruto mentally communicated to Yugito, while she seemed hesitant at first; perfectly playing her part of being wary.

"I am the holder of, Nibi no Nekomata, the two-tailed cat." She said in a calm tone while giving a bow. "Hokage-sama, if it is in your power, I would like join with Naru-otouto in becoming a Konoha shinobi."

"Ah...I don't see any problem with that. I can arrange citizenship, however the part about joining the forces...we changed the minimum age requirement for Genin and added four years to the program. Naruto, I think you'll like to know that you will be back in your graduating class. The both of you will have to take the Genin exams, to be held in one week's time, so long as you prove yourselves capable."

Naruto and Yugito both grinned.

"Also, before he died, your father instated something just in case of any situations with the council wanting to deny your heritage." At this, Naruto raised an eyebrow while everyone else perked up.

"What did he have in mind?" Naruto asked.

"It's a law. It's a special law, for which you have option to approve of. The law states that you and your family that are active ninja, will only answer to the Hokage, and will receive diplomatic immunity because of the crimes committed upon you and due to your political status as the last Uzumaki. In exchange, you and your family will have to stay with the military forces of Konoha for the next seven generations with the same privileges and obligations falling onto them, and can be voided if one side does not meet the requirements."

'Though, Minato was able to pass that off to the Capital, otherwise that last clause wouldn't have been added.' He thought afterwards.

Minato was very thorough when it came to protecting anything of his and he was known for having plans within plans; even when it came to his own son. So, Sarutobi could only hope that the boy would never leave, and would make sure that his loyalties remain with Konoha.

He glanced at the small grin that the other blond man, Cloud he believed and nodded his head "Yea, I think that could work." He heard him say.

Sarutobi nodded, "One last thing, how do you stand towards the village?"

Naruto's facial expression turned ice cold. "I haven't forgotten the treatment and abuse I received, nor will I forgive them for it either. If anything, I'll defend myself and my precious people...and with lethal force if necessary; but only if my party or I are attacked first. I can live in peace as long as I am left alone".

Naruto's words caused Sarutobi to frown, but only a little. The boy had a right to feel as he felt and he couldn't blame him.

"Well...with that said, I believe this reunion has come to an end. I have to finish my paperwork." The last word was spoken with a bad taste in his mouth.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Sarutobi said as he reached into a drawer of his desk and pulled out a small box with a spiral on it. It was a logo that Naruto recognized as the same symbol he always had patched on to his old jumpsuits. He inwardly shuddered at the memory of those hideous outfits he used to call clothes.

Sarutobi opened the box while handing Naruto a set of keys. "Before you move into the Namikaze Estate, it may need to be renovated after seventeen years of not having been lived in. These are the keys to a nice apartment in the Shinobi District that is big enough to accommodate your temporary living arrangements until preparations are complete."

"The rest of the paperwork will consist of your father's will and bank statements. I believe that you should read them now." The Sandaime said with a gentle smile.

The male Jinchuriki looked through the papers with a critical eye for a couple of seconds before deciding open his 'father's' letter to him. He was hesitant to read it, but willed himself forward.

To my sochi, Naruto,

If you are reading this, then I have long since fallen at the day of the Kyuubi no Yoko's attack on Konoha...

'Hiruzen Sarutobi you old teme. I already know the truth.' Naruto thought angrily that the old bastard in front of him trying to give him a fake letter, testing his intelligence. As he looked over the letter, he mentally scoffed as he noticed that there were tear stains on it, which he guessed that his 'father' had been crying when he wrote it. He folded the letter and put it in his pocket and started to unravel the first small scroll left to him. It was his father's will.

An authentic will...

I, Minato Namikaze, Fourth Hokage of Konoha and sole heir of the Namikaze lineage, leave all of my financial earnings and possessions to my wife, Kushina Uzumaki, in the event that I die. If Kushina is unable to take the inheritance due to her death, then everything will be given to any children we may have when they reach the age of fifteen. The inheritance includes:

-$5,783,215,731 in my personal account

-$3,457,986,256 in the personal account of one Naruto Namikaze

-My mountain loft

-All possessions located on the estate grounds, which includes my library and jutsu scrolls which can only be accessed by blood seals. To claim all that has been listed, see the current Hokage and show for authenticity.

Naruto's left eye twitched a few times, but his mind was on standby while his body was on auto pilot while he started to open the second scroll; which turned out to be his mother's will.

I, Kushina Uzumaki, Granddaughter of the late Uzukage of the former Whirlpool Country, and sole survivor of the Uzumaki clan, leave all of my financial earnings and possessions to my husband, Minato Namikaze. In the event that I die, should Minato be unable to take the inheritance due to his death, then everything will be given to any children we may have when they reach the age of fifteen. The inheritance includes:

-$3,456,786,465 in my personal account

-$798,243,543,234 of the former Uzushiogakure no Sato's treasury. This can only be accessed by the blood of the Kyubi's Jinchuriki.

-All the Celestial Weapons of the Uzumaki clan, which are blood sealed at the residence of Minato Namikaze

-My Medical-Ninjutsu, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and sealing scrolls of Uzushiogakure no Sato which are blood seal at the residence of Minato Namikaze

To claim all that has been listed, see the current Hokage and show documentation for authenticity.

Naruto looked at what he had inherited and his eyes went wide as the blood began draining from his face. His body started to shake, followed by the cold sweats, and he actually began to foam at the mouth. He might have just been hearing things, but he thought he heard a low whistle in the back of his mind. It just seemed like too much for him to handle at the moment, and after that short spasm; he just blacked out.

Cloud picked up the scrolls and skimmed them to see what got the young blonde had gotten all worked up about and subsequently let out a low whistle from what his eyes took in. "Well, I guess it does pay to be a Kage. I think I might have to go for the title myself." Cloud said with a joking tone, knowing he would get a reaction out of the younger blonde.

Naruto shot back up and looked Cloud square in his eyes. "You can be a seals master or an assassin all you want, Cloud, but the leadership title will belong to me...to protect those important to me."

"Ahem, like a certain Hyuga," Aeris teased from the back of the group. At that time, a certain lavender eyed girl emitted a mouse like sneeze in her bedroom as she was writing in her diary about a certain blonde boy with whisker marks.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Naruto said, trying to sound nonchalant and indifferent, but was lightly blushing from embarrassment to stay in character. Yugao tried to stifle a giggle while Yugito gave Naruto a questioning look.

"Now what is she talking about, Naruto? Do you have a little girlfriend somewhere and didn't tell me? I thought since we were brother and sister you were suppose to tell me these things?" Yugito said in mock offense.

Naruto's blush got deeper as he turned his head, still trying to hide his embarrassment. "S-She's just a friend that's all". 'But I would of loved to had been more. But that was in the past', he thought.

"Well, I wouldn't mind meeting this 'friend' of yours." The female Jinchuriki said with a Cheshire grin that put Naruto's to shame.

"Actually, you won't have to wait long as you can start attending the academy tomorrow." Sarutobi said, joining in on the torture of his surrogate grandson. Naruto had a look of betrayal on his face as he went two more shades of red. Cloud gave a low chuckle at the situation.

"Release!" Sarutobi yelled to disable the seal and the kanji and seals over the walls disappeared. 'Just like Minato', was all he could think; fascinated with the ease of the seal's functions.

"Well, now that we have that in order, we should call this meeting. I really have to finish up my work and it'll likely take me the rest of the day," amended Sarutobi with a slight headache building as he continued to think about the mountain of paper before him.

"Why not try Kage Bunshins to finish the work quicker? It would cut your work by at least half and you'll remember everything from the clones." Naruto advised as Yugito nodded next to him. The old Hokage's pipe fell out his mouth as he realized the truth in the boy's suggestion.

He slowly got out a slip of paper that his students gave to him years ago. On it was a circle and in the circle, it read, 'Bang head here'.

"Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid," the Hokage said, while hitting his head on the paper on his desk. "So, that's how Minato did it so fast...and he took that secret with him to his grave. MINATO, YOU BASTARD, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!" He screamed to the heavens.

He made the familiar hand signs and...

"Kage Bunshin No Jutsu." Five clones of the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, appeared at the desk and began to split the papers amongst themselves. "Thank you for the ingenious suggestion, my boy. I also have some papers to file for your return and the reestablishing of the Uzumaki clan in the leaf. So, if you'll excuse me." He nodded to Yugao.

"See you soon Naruto-kun, Yugito-chan, Aeris-san, Cloud-san"

"You too, Yugao-nee-chan. And say 'hi' to Hayate for me, if he's not still mad about the helium in his inhaler."

"He still gripes about it every time the Chipmunks movie comes on TV," she said through a fit a giggles before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

"See you later, old man." Naruto said to the Hokage as he and his family walked out of the door.

Sarutobi could do nothing but smile now that the young lad was back. He seemed to be the same boy that left all those years ago, but something was drastically different about him. He had somewhat of a cocky attitude and the aura that he and the young girl had around them; expressed that they were strong as well as skilled.

'Things are going to be much more interesting in the village now'. The third thought, but he would have to muse on that later; for now he had work to catch up on. It was then that he pulled an orange book out from his desk.

"Seal! Yes, I think I could get used to this." He said as a mischievous giggle escaped the old man's mouth.


"Phase one complete. Now on to phase two….I guess shutting the door didn't help after all." Naruto sighed when pretty much everyone in their vicinity looked towards the Hokage Tower, and started to hear the Hokage scream; 'die you little bastards!' followed by psychotic laughter.

Naruto, Cloud, Aeris, and Yugito were walking the streets of Konoha. Everywhere they went, the whispers followed. Children and teens looked on with curiosity, while much of the older generation recognized the young male of the group, and by now they had removed their cloaks off.

Naruto wore a dark blue, sleeveless shirt that accented his well toned abs and chest; showing that he had been through much training. It was a mature form for a fifteen year old to have. A long red cloak was tied around his neck, covering the bottom of his face so only his eyes and the top of his nose were revealed. His dark blue pants were a little baggy, kept at a loose fit, so that his pockets were easier to access for any type of item or scroll he may have been carrying.

Instead of the standard ninja sandals, he wore dark brown boots and a dark brown, fingerless glove on his right hand with a spiral symbol on the backhand of the material. The glove on his left hand looked like the glove on his right, only this one had retractable, gold clawed fingertips that were mostly hidden when not in use. There were also metal braces that went up his forearms and biceps with an unknown language imprinted on it.

Cloud wore a sleeveless jacket with the collar popped up, it was zipped halfway to reveal part of his chest; much to the interest of some female onlookers while their crushes, boyfriends, and or husbands scowled at this. On the jacket was a metal fox head with a hook in its mouth over his left shoulder. He wore the same type of pants and boots as Naruto, except his were black instead of blue. His gloves were also just as Naruto's, lacking the claw addition.

Aeris was wearing a nicely fitted pink dress that accommodated both her skin complexion and her hair. The dress was accompanied with a dark red, bolero jacket and hiking boots. The silver wrist bracers on both wrists gave her attire an added touch.

Yugito wore a dark blue and white short-sleeve with dark blue pants that ended at her ankles. Around her ankles were white bandages like the one worn to keep her hair in a ponytail. A blue sash hung from under the bottom of her shirt with a red spiral and cloud stitched upon its length. She wore dark blue fingerless gloves with the same spiral symbol that was on the sash. Bandaged wrappings also covered both of her forearms, and on her left bicep were two of the same kind of braces that Naruto was wearing.

"The Demon is back!"

"Didn't we kill it a decade ago?"

"Guess we'll have to be thorough this time around."

These were just a few of the many whispers that accompanied the looks of fear, hate, and disgust that Naruto had expected he would get; so he ignored it all. Yugito, though new to the village, had experienced the same circumstances as Naruto from her own 'hometown hell hole', as she called it; so she, too, ignored it, but not as well as her bijuu brother. It took much of Nibi's mental counseling to calm the female jinchuriki and prevent her from turning Konoha into an oversized scratching post.

For now at least...

Cloud, on the other hand, was trying his best to keep his anger in check. He didn't want to cause more problems than there already was. These ignorant villagers didn't understand that Naruto was just a boy, who carried a burden and not the burden itself; yet all they saw was the nine-tailed fox in human form.

These ungrateful bastards! After everything he sacrificed for them to live on!

Slowly, he started to project a small amount of killer intent while trying to suppress his own rage towards this village of bigots. A moment later, he felt a delicate hand entwine into his, bringing him out of his upset thoughts. He looked to Aerith and saw pure concern for him in her eyes.

Cloud hated to have her worry about him, but he knew it was only because she cared for him. He cared for her more than life itself and her presence always managed to bring peace to his heart. The silent conversation they had quickly diminished all the pent up anger and frustration. He decided not to give into his inner darkness, which could lead to bad repercussions.

...For the villagers anyway.

Their moment was brought to a halt when a large crowd formed in front of them. It looked to be about thirty villagers with random weapons such as bats, pitchforks, swords, etc. One, fat villager holding a bat began to boldly walk up to Naruto and decided to grab him by the collar of his shirt.

"You got some damn nerve showing your face and tainting our village with your presence, demon." He spat in anger, but his speech was slightly slurred, and he completely reeked of alcohol. Many of the other villagers in the group loudly agreed with what the fat man said. Chants of, 'kill the demon', and 'die, demon' began coming from the rest of the crowd as they instigated the confrontation.

"Sir," Naruto began patiently. "It is plain to see that you've been drinking and don't have full control over yourself. So, if you wouldn't mind by letting me go...I'll be on my way...please." Naruto finished in a completely calm tone.

"Like hell I will! We're going to send you back to the hell that you came from, like the Yondaime should have all those years ago!" He yelled in his drunken rage, literally spitting in the blonde's face.

Cloud was about to intervene but a slight twitch from Naruto gave him pause.

Naruto didn't even frown. "If you do not let me go...I'm going to take that bat from you and turn you into a living, breathing, lollipop. Now, are you sure you really want to ride this train?" Naruto replied in the same calm tone, a single brow raised in question to reinforce the meaning of his words. Cloud turned his head while Aerith and Yugito looked on with anticipated smirks on both of their faces.

Drunkenly cocky, the fat villager sneered. "Well, choo-choo motherfu-..."


A certain Anbu, Black Ops shinobi was going about his duties. Check the northern perimeter for any problems and maintain the peace in that same area. It was equal to a C-rank mission, but it didn't fit his criteria as something he wanted to do. His latest dream was to teach and lead a Genin squad and watch them grow in to skilled and competent shinobi. Those types of thoughts brought him to think about a certain blonde haired Jinchuriki.

He had been the first to watch over him due to the fact that he was the only one in the village that could help maintain the demon fox's chakra. Unlike many of his colleagues, he knew the truth about the boy, and also realized he wasn't the fox itself.

His captain at the time had wanted to adopt the boy, but the council of 'advisors' had refused the notion. They took it one step further and threatened that if he tried anything, they would strip him of his rank. Ironically, a few days later he quit the Anbu and had himself reinstated as a Jonin; much to the council's irritation.

The fallout cost them a living legend's enrollment in the Anbu. They still told him to stay away and made every Anbu member report him in case he tried to associate with the Kyubi brat. They even went as far as threatening execution and by the time he was cleared by the Sandaime to adopt him, the damage had been done.

Then, that dreadful night on his seventh birthday; the villagers went too far with what they did to the boy. He wanted to save him, but his captain at the time told him that they couldn't interfere, due to orders of the council's advisors. The Hokage was out of the village attending a ceremony in Lightning Country then and was gone with twenty of the Leaf's best Anbu, Jonin, and Chunin; including his former captain, courtesy of the council. He himself was included in the escort so he, the Hokage, and his ex-captain hadn't been able to watch over the boy.

And when they returned...

His thoughts were interrupted when the sound of a loud, incredibly girlish shriek came from somewhere within the Market District. A small smile crept upon his face as he immediately guessed who was responsible for the poor soul that was screaming bloody murder, because he was foolhardy enough to mess with an abused and pissed off seventeen year old, who had the power to utterly destroy them all.

Things were going...just like Tobi predicted.

'Welcome back...Kyuubi Jinchuriki'.