Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, just the ideas.

Jiraiya's face was grim, the usual jovialness and frustrating, yet normal pervertedness nonexistent. The wrinkles on the side of his mouth seemed to deepen with each passing second. No longer was he "Gallant Jiraiya", the perverted hermit that mooched off of an orphan's earnings and sacrificed his soul for a glimpse at a woman's body. He was Jiraiya of the Sannin, a hero of the Second Shinobi World War, and a potential Hokage with his ninjutsu and sealing knowledge. And it was at this time that Naruto truly witnessed how old the wandering sage was.

"Naruto…" Except for the birds chirping, the forest was unusually quiet, almost as if they too, knew the significance of Jiraiya's next words. Even the wind relented, dying down and letting Jiraiya's voice carry on, piercing Naruto's ears with his sorrowful revelation. "Sasuke Uchiha is gone. I've gotten word that Orochimaru has taken over his body with that ritual of his."

Not a single sound could be heard as Naruto widened his eyes. There was no loud, brash remark that denounced his sensei's ridiculous claim. There was no "huh" or "dattebayo". There was just silence.

Silence.

Jiraiya sighed. "Listen, kid… There's not a lot of time now. I don't have to spell it out for you but with the Sharingan…" He shook his head. "Orochimaru is more than just an S-rank threat. We're upping your training. Immediately. I've been way too relaxed nowadays…"

Naruto didn't respond, digesting the news as best as he could. His body wouldn't respond, nor would his mouth move. He wanted to punch the stupid old pervert for saying such a ridiculous statement and shout at him to not joke about something like that. But deep inside, Naruto knew. Jiraiya was immature, perverted, and much more, but he was not a sadist that enjoyed twisting words just to see his student squirm. He was telling the truth, and Naruto hated him for that.

Jiraiya could only mournfully look at his godson. It was his fault for being unable to discard his emotions. It was his fault for being unable to kill his best friend when he was revealed to be a traitor. Now, his inability to do such a deed was coming back to haunt him. "C'mon, kid. I'll teach you some new Jutsu. And let me tell you something about those Shadow Clones you use all the time..."

~o~

With a quick, efficient application of chakra, Itachi lit a fire for him and his Akatsuki partner, Kisame. Though the two were battle-hardened shinobi - and thus, could resist temperature drops - it provided a semblance of normalcy for the Uchiha. Back when the stirrings of the Uchiha riot were absent, he would train with his best friend, Shisui Uchiha, out in the wilderness. When they finished bleeding and sweating after sparring, they would unwind and relax. When it was time for cooking, it was Itachi's duty to light the fire while Shisui would sloppily impale the fish on sticks and place them near the flame to cook. It was nostalgic for him to apply chakra in mundane tasks, just like Shisui taught him to.

A soft rustling snapped Itachi out of the rare reminiscing of his memories. His coal-black eyes narrowed. Anyone else would have brushed off such a trivial noise with ease, attributing its source to an animal of some sort.

But he was not just anyone.

He was Itachi Uchiha.

Deftly dipping his hand into his cloak, Itachi pulled out several shurikens, just in time to deflect the ones whistling through the air, threatening to hit him. He jumped back, immediately distancing himself from the unidentified threat.

"Kukukuku~"

Well, it was no longer unidentified.

There was only one being that could ever make such an oily, nauseating noise, and that being was no other than Orochimaru.

But there was something different about the current version he sensed; something that lit up his finely-honed senses like the fieriest of the Katon Jutsus. So when he gazed upon the cold - but ever so wrong -, pale face of his brother, his emotionless visage dropped for the briefest of moments.

Kisame whistled. Somehow disappearing from Itachi's chakra sonar, the blue-skinned man cracked his neck in preparation for a fight. "That's your brother, right, Itachi? At least, that's the face the snake's wearing, isn't it?"

Though his stony expression returned without fail, Itachi internally screamed to the heavens, cursing himself, Konoha, everyone for failing to protect Sasuke. But even then, the pacifist knew it was only his fault for driving his one and only brother to the treacherous slopes of vengeance. It was Itachi Uchiha who delivered Sasuke into the greedy, ever-so-welcoming hands of Orochimaru.

And so on the inside, far from prying eyes, Itachi wept, for it was time for the Kinslayer to live up to his title once more.

~o~

"Sage Mode is dangerous, boy."

Naruto groaned at the pitiful excuse holding him back from learning the art of Sage Mode. Oh sure, Jiraiya-sensei seemed to be overflowing with new Jutsu, teeming with all kinds of techniques that he was all too eager to pass down to Naruto. But whenever he would spar with the old pervert and come close to winning, Sage Art would make itself known to the blonde and crush any hope of beating the esteemed Sannin in combat.

Even after training with weights and pushing himself to near suicide, Naruto could never match the speed and strength that came with Sage Mode. It was the sad truth, but it would take at a few more years of harsh, torturous training for Naruto and several stagnant years for Jiraiya for Naruto to physically match a Sage Mode enhanced Jiraiya.

"Natural energy isn't something that can be bent to your will. You have to become one with nature by blending the natural energy with your chakra." The elderly toad lectured. "And it has to be perfect!" He emphasized this point by smacking his palm on the trunk he was perched on. "Too little natural energy and senjutsu won't work. Too much natural energy and you'll turn to stone forever. Do you understand-"

"Of course I do!" Naruto shouted slamming his fist into an open palm. Fukasaku jerked back, shocked at the sharp sound and the sheer stubbornness of the human in front of him. "But I don't care! I made a promise and I need to keep it. Pervy Sage…" Naruto looked down. "He's taught me a lot this past couple of months but I want- no, I still need to get stronger if I wanna save my friend."

Fukasaku mentally sighed, pitying the young man. His elder pupil was right in saying it was impossible to sway him from his path. It would take much more to dissuade the blonde from the path he was taking now. "Very well. Let us see if you can learn Senjutsu. But if you show any weakness when trying to learn the arts of a Sage, I will send you back to Jiraiya. Honestly, trying to learn Senjutsu at this age…"

Naruto grinned.

~o~

Naruto closed his eyes, doing his best to ignore the events that had unfolded in front of him. The tears streaming down his face, the fires steadily burning through the forest, the smoking craters… Maybe… Maybe if he ignored it for long enough, everything would be normal again. This would all turn out to be some Genjutsu and Sakura would slam her fist down on his head and insult him all the while. Kakashi Sensei would be late as usual and the four of them - along with Sai - would take mission after mission after...

Please

Please…

"Naruto!" The sharp bark of his silver-haired sensei snapped him out of his thoughts, crushing any possibility of all of this being some cruel joke. "Stop dawdling… Orochimaru can come back any second now-" As Kakashi laid on the ground, he coughed up blood, the harsh rasping breaking the eerie silence that hung precariously within the air.

"Why…" Naruto choked on his tears. "I thought… I thought I could save him. But Kakashi-sensei… You and Sakura and Sai… It's all my fault. I'm such a fool…" His shaggy, blonde hair seemed to wilt and lose its luster with every passing second. Hot, salty tears poured down his face, mixing with his blood that bled from his healing injuries.

"If you have the strength to cry…" Kakashi mustered the last dregs of his strength and vitality to speak with his student one last time. "Hurry up and get back to the village. Warn them of Orochimaru's strength. He's become too strong…"

Naruto sniffled, his knees grinding against the pebbles and flecks of dirt underneath. His hands grabbed tightly onto his combat pants, unwilling to brush off any of his tears. "Kakashi-sensei… I'm sorry… I'm sorry for being an idiot. I'm sorry… Please don't die… Please… I don't think I could live without-"

Kakashi's hand gripped onto Naruto's with strength unbefitting of a dying man. "Naruto! Don't speak like that. You should know… A shinobi walks a path of loss and death. The day you entered the Academy, you accepted death as a part of your life… So don't cry… Keep living. Honor your fallen comrades, but don't let our deaths consume you…"

Naruto didn't say a word, only listening to his sensei's last words.

"I'm sorry Naruto…" Kakashi's eyes began to dim as his life began to sputter out. "I was a failure of a man and even more so as a sensei… I made a promise to your father that I would take care of you… But instead, I wallowed in my guilt and shame… I neglected my duties as a sensei…"

"Sensei…" Naruto held onto Kakashi's hand even tighter.

"I can't make it up to you… the list of my mistakes is too long." Kakashi's voice fell to a whisper. "But for my sake… I think…It would make me feel better... if you took my Sharingan as an apology."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Sensei-"

"Stop, Naruto." It was only his unflinching will that kept him alive at this point. "At least this way… a part of me will always be with you. Take my Sharingan… and become a legendary shinobi like you said you would."

Naruto nodded before taking in a deep breath. There was no time to balk at the impromptu operation. Taking the little medical knowledge he possessed, he applied Chakra to lessen the pain of the surgery, to no avail. But Kakashi was one of the elite, the best of the best, and twinges of pain that came with the excavation of the sensory organ were nothing. "Now get out of here!" Kakashi's grip lessened, allowing Naruto to slip free.

Naruto sobbed but he ran, taking one last look at his fallen sensei and casting a mournful gaze at the bisected body of Sakura and the crushed skull of Sai. "I'm trash." He whispered to himself before jumping tree to tree, returning to the safety of Konoha. "No, I'm worse than that... But I swear, I'll kill Orochimaru." His legs flexed and contracted, giving him the explosive strength to propel himself past the trees.

Back at the battlefield, Kakashi let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. With his job finished, he could finally let go and be reunited with his friends and family. The Jonin smiled, satisfied with his last actions. "I will gladly... give my life to welcome the birth of a new legend."

And with that, Sharingan no Kakashi was no more.

~o~

He could feel again.

That was the sole thought that ran through Naruto's mind as he struggled to figure out where he was.

The feeling of his life draining from his innumerable wounds littered throughout his body. The feeling of heat scorching his flesh and the instantaneous cold shock bearing upon him from water. Countless Jutsu raining upon his body before his body could no longer carry on his will.

He had died, that he was certain of.

And yet, he could feel again.

How was that even possible?

The last time he could feel these sensations was back in Konoha. He had died bravely in combat, fighting off…

No!

Naruto shook his head, once again shocking himself with the movement. Now was not the time to be focusing on such thoughts… What has happened has happened. What was done was done. There was no changing the past. And even if there was, he would not be so foolish to spit on the sacrifices he made along the way.

The blood he bled. The pain he suffered.

No, prioritizing what exactly has happened to him should be the first step, then it would be…

Naruto exhaled as the comfortable feeling of the atypical Konoha, green flak jacket draped over his figure finally registered in his brain. The Hitai-ate covered his left eye, preventing him from wasting Chakra. He took in a deep breath before realizing that hundreds of people were staring at him. Looking over rows and rows of tables filled with men and women almost made him feel self-conscious, an emotion he hadn't felt in decades.

Once more, he exhaled, though he did so with much less vigor this time around.

He was surrounded by monsters. The sheer aura given off every single individual was overwhelming, not to mention the various weapons scattered throughout the room next to their respective owners. Swords, axes, bows, hammers… If there was a name, it was present.

But it wasn't the weapons that held his interest. It was the people. Several of them had curiosity plastered on their immaculate faces - though Naruto was no expert in beauty, it was safe to say they all possessed good looks - while others continued their apathetic wall, ceasing any flow of emotion into their facial muscles. Some had donned thin clothing that didn't hinder movement while others were covered with shining armor that looked like it wouldn't budge under severe pressure. So different… They were all so different.

And yet, there was not a shred of doubt in his mind that most - if not all - of them would qualify as a Kage in the shinobi world. Charisma, leadership, power, honesty… Practically all of the entities within this hall, to some degree, were dangerous in their own right. While several oozed strength from their bones and hulking muscles, others constantly assessed their location and dipped their hands to pouches, most likely filled to the brim with weapons.

Before he could say a word, a booming sentence echoed, putting the shinobi on guard.

"Naruto Uzumaki!"

His name was abruptly introduced to the sitting warriors in the hall. Chattering erupted from table to table, as more and more individuals began to stare at him with awe and curiosity.

"Where…" Naruto closed his eyes. "Where am I?"

"Ho? To enter this place as one living beyond the Age of God? You have drawn my interest, mongrel. Do not, however, mistake my curiosity for liking! Like all those who are beneath me, you too, are expected to bow." Before he could ponder the topic further, a smooth voice that demanded every fiber of his attention slithered into his ears, alerting him and warning him to be on guard. Naruto, though he refused to reveal his emotions, was worried. The woman in front of him oozed with power, her body thrumming with…

Was it Chakra? How confusing… Naruto's only visible eye twitched. He was in the presence of plenty of fighters that all possessed an unknown power that held unknown capabilities. Nevertheless, the presences within this hall were all frightening, to say the least.

"Are you perhaps deaf?" The, admittedly, beautiful woman in front of him narrowed her crimson eyes, sitting on top of a levitating throne. "Do you not hear the words of your king, mongrel? I said-"

"I heard them." Naruto interrupted, eliciting various reactions from the spectators. Most shook their heads for what to come, a response that did not go unnoticed by the blonde. "She's arrogant, that's for sure. But her strength is no joke… I should be careful around her… Well… I probably shouldn't have interrupted her then."

Her brow crinkled in anger and her pale face twisted in great fury. "You dare? You dare interrupt your king?" A single golden circle came into existence behind her. "Not only do you refuse to bow before my presence, but you also have the gall to interrupt me? You lowly dog!" She roared and her mysterious powers bent to her will.

From that circle, a gleaming, elegant sword emerged before shooting itself towards the blonde. "A weapon?! Did she materialize a weapon out of nowhere? No… That circle is definitely acting as a medium of sorts… Is it like Kamui?" Regardless of how her powers worked, Naruto wasted no time in dodging the blade. Even if his regenerative powers were a nearly unparalleled factor in Konoha, it would be unwise to tank a hit from a weapon whose properties remained unknown to him. Besides, as a shinobi, his fighting style revolved around dodging everything. Regardless of what the weapon looked like, every ninja was taught to avoid getting hit.

"It's trajectory is pretty linear... I don't think it's aiming specifically for me." Naruto noted before showcasing his reflexes and reaction time. Inhumanly stretching his back, the blade passed straight over Naruto's chest, nearly shaving off strands of his blonde hair before exploding on impact in the wall behind him. A fiery golden cloud of flame drifted over to the standing shinobi, as rocks and dust sifted through the air. "What kind of sword was that?" Naruto murmured, turning back to the site of the explosion. Power seemed to thrum all around that area, even after the sword had been stabbed into the marbled wall.

"Another one defies me..." The woman clenched her hand and slammed it into the arm of her seat. "All you mongrels continue to defy me, even though I stand at the pinnacle of all you floundering specks of scum! How irritating... To defy me not once, but twice? You rabid dogs are so irritatingly stubborn." She propped her hand, laying her cheek on her armored fist as the throne began to float, allowing her to literally look down on the shinobi. "This sight is much more fitting," She muttered, staring down at Naruto.

"She's really arrogant, isn't she? But there's no denying her power." Naruto thought, dropping his hand into his surprisingly full pouch of shuriken. "Who are you?" He ventured cautiously before clutching his head in pain. Images and information he never was aware of began to flood his mind, overflowing his brain with colors and vivid scenes. "Gilgamesh..." He breathed out.

"So the dog has some intelligence after all..." The identified woman scoffed as she sipped from a cup of wine. "Will you bow before my presence, now that you know who I am?"

Naruto stood there silently. "I have bowed to no one in my life..." He began. "And that will remain the case," Naruto smiled. Perhaps it was the old prankster fire that prompted him to say such a thing. Perhaps it was the fact that he was alive once more, and no amount of hate, negativity, or arrogance would diminish that. Perhaps it was his curiosity as to how the King of Heroes would react. Though he didn't understand the reason behind his specific word choice, there was no denying Gilgamesh's anger. "For as long as I live, mongrel!"

The chattering stopped as every single entity in the hall stared at the blonde incredulously. "You dare?" The woman's voice dropped into a whisper as her veins strained against the final layer of her epidermis. Her eyes seemed to glow with the undying rage that only emphasized her crimson eyes. Golden circles blossomed behind her back, all of them shifting their placement to point to the blonde. Tips of various weapons emerged from each and every one of them.

"What the…" He slipped one hand into his shuriken pouch, relieved at finding his weapons intact before realizing how pointless it would be. Unless he poured vast amounts of Chakra into each projectile, it would be foolish to even think of intercepting each and every one of the weapons that threatened to impale him. No, he was better off dodging.

"Such foolishness..." She sneered. "It is evident that I must teach this ruffian some semblance of manners. Know your betters, mongrel!" Gilgamesh fumed, heavily spitting out the word as if to put some kind of claim or copyright on the insult.

Naruto dropped into his fighting stance and held his hand over his headband, pondering whether he should reveal his Sharingan or not. He certainly had confidence in himself, but with that many weapons? It would push him to his limits… Perhaps if he entered Sage Mode or opened a Gate or two, he wouldn't have to resort to his dojutsu.

Whatever his decision would be, he would have to make it quick, as the projectiles glowed with power and threatened to slip loose.

A/N: Now, it's been a while since I watched Naruto so please let me know if I messed up someone's dialogue or character or whatever... Now obviously, this is not canon Naruto. His "canon" personality might show up from time to time, but he's matured. Some of the stuff he had to go through... Well, enough said. In terms of power? You'll find out.

I don't have the best understanding of the characters in Fate, so writing dialogue might be a problem. I don't really know, so we'll just have to see how this fanfic turns out!

Peace out! :)