Turned out a good bit longer than I had been expecting, but I'm sure you're all glad about that.

As always, thanks goes to ncpfan for his aid.

Let's get these damn curtains out of the way, Ne?

Enjoy the show.

Sai had spent the last two weeks gathering up everyone he could find; Naruto was rather pleased with the results. Twenty-two fully trained Root failures stood at relaxed attention before him. Sai, who had quickly taken on the role of his right hand man and second in command, stood in the same stance just behind him. Mai was currently above them, manning the shop and ensuring they were not interrupted.

Two dozen people were now his to wield as he saw fit, and all because of a seal he knew very little about and he had ducked into a shop to avoid the crowds of Konoha's busy marketplace. Looks like his luck was starting to turn around. Hopefully, this would not be like the other times things had started to look good before crashing down around him.

Purple eyes quickly ran over the figures before them, taking note of the dark black clothing they all wore. It wasn't what he wanted them to be in, but there wasn't much of a choice right now. They all had similar uniforms from their Root training and he didn't currently have the funding to change it.

What he did have the funding for, however, were the masks they now wore. Twenty-two vicious wolves snarled back at him, their visage forever trapped within white porcelain. The masks had not been cheap, wiping out most of his saving and a good chunk that Sai and Mai had managed to accumulate with their little shop, but looking at his forces, he knew it had been worth it.

Shizune usually called him 'Little Thief', but there had been once when she told him how people had compared him to a wolf. For the remainder of that day she had called him 'Wolf Prince'. And she wasn't the only one to liken him and his behavior to a wolf. Both Dog and Yugao-Sensei had brought it up several times, mentioning that most of the ANBU thought the same.

Naruto was fine with that, being called a wolf was actually rather flattering, and now he had himself a pack to further cement the views of those around him. He was a wolf, this was his pack, and they would be legendary.

But the time for that was not now, not when they were still so new, so vulnerable. For now they would stick to the safety of the shadows, growing within the concealing darkness until they were strong enough to stand in the light and under the harsh glare of the sun. It could be months from now, but it could just as easily be years. It mattered little, Naruto had patience enough to see this through to fruition. Even if it took him the next century, his pack would make a mark upon history.

Depending on the whims of the gods, he may even have the opportunity to write some of it.

It had been a very long time since he had last worn something like this. Tattered brown cloth clung tightly around him, rough and dirty. His original cloak had been given to Mikoto when she had fled the village but it was unlikely that anyone would have been able to tell the difference. He wasn't a fan of this cloak, much preferring the one his mysterious godfather had sent him, but that was far too identifying for his current task. Four wolves crouched behind him, blanketed in the darkness of the overhanging roof. Two more were closer to the target and a half dozen of them lay in wait further ahead.

He had not spent much time planning this, to be completely honest. Not nearly as much as he should have considering what he was trying to attempt, but it would have to suffice. This was not nearly important enough to him to warrant such careful and detailed planning, but it was something he needed to do.

If nothing else, this would give him a good idea of his Wolves' ability. He really wasn't someone who could accurately judge their skill, but even he could recognize when someone was good. As it stood, he knew almost nothing about their training save for the fact that it was, supposedly, ANBU level. The thought that he might have a whole pack of Dogs sent a shiver down his spine. It was a terrifyingly exhilarating thought, but he knew that Dog was no average ANBU. No, that man was far above ANBU level, in a class all his own.

It would not surprise him to one day seeing the man wear the Kage hat.

Taking one last look at his wolves, he prepared to make his move only to freeze mid-launch. He had not planned on her being here. It took him a moment to remember that he had originally seen his target visiting that woman. It was a wonder he had forgotten when he had learned most of his more favored choice words by listening to the woman speak. But when he had last met her she seemed to have no recollection of him either, so perhaps it was not so odd that he had forgotten.

She sat down next to the target, both chatting happily, and Naruto found himself with a problem. Not only was she going to make this more difficult, but he had been trying to avoid her for both their sakes. Going after her friend was bound to cause trouble he would rather avoid. He could call it all off easily, losing only the ability to see his forces in action, but was that what he wanted to do?

He could always see how they worked later, this opportunity was nothing and he really gained very little from it aside some good karma. Karma that, he regretfully admitted, he was probably in dire need of if he wanted any hope in his luck not turning completely around yet again.

This was, after all, more for her good than his own. Sure, he may get an ally in her, but the chances were kind of slim. This wasn't the same case as his Wolves, but far closer to the situation Hinata had been in. Of course, his target evidently had friends, which Hinata had sorely lacked. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to call this all off and leave her the way she was. Sure, he had heard about how much she hated it though he still had no idea as to why, but she had friends and a good career going for her. She'd lived with it this long, too, she was most likely perfectly capable of coping with its presence.

So, did he do a good deed and potentially gain an ally, or did he back of and save himself a lot of trouble? Ah, who was he kidding, trouble always seemed to find him, it was best he not try to avoid it. Turning to the Wolves, he beckoned one closer.

"Yes, my lord?" From the voice alone it was a young woman, probably sixteen at the oldest.

"We're sticking to the plan, but there's been a complication." He jerked his head to the table his target was sitting at. His young soldier peered down to the table for a moment before turning back to his face, staring from behind the safety of her mask.

"I understand, we'll keep her from interfering."

Naruto nodded. "See to it you do. Remember, non-lethal and avoid being seen by the populace of Konoha. If she ends up seeing you, so be it, but I would prefer not to be exposed to so many people so soon."

From her crouched position she snapped a fist over her heart.

"By your command, my liege."

Retreating back to her comrades, she relayed his orders, the three others turning from her and giving him a nod to show they understood. If that hadn't been enough, the three gave him the same salute she had and whispered quietly; "We hear and obey, Naruto-Sama."

Satisfied, he turned his attention back to the two women having lunch below them, waiting for the most opportune moment to strike. For the next hour and a half the sun beat down upon them, a world of activity swirling beneath their feet, but Naruto and his Wolves did not move. Cold wind had blown about them, manipulating what few leaves remained in a dance like some master puppeteer. The sharp contrast between the cold air and hot sun had not been pleasant but the two Kunoichi seemed comfortable enough.

At long last, an opportunity presented itself.

They had not moved more than a yard from the outdoor table before Naruto had launched himself off the roof and into the crowd below, ducking and weaving amongst the sea of people as he zeroed in on the two unsuspecting women.

Takeout boxes had been precariously stacked within his targets arms and quickly found their way to the ground as he quite purposely ran into her. He offered no word of apology as he turned to face them, never slowing, the upper half of his face covered by his makeshift cloak. His uncaring frown had turned into an aggravating smirk before he turned away from them and continued on his way as if nothing had happened.

He did not see the fury that crossed the woman's face, or the surprised look that crossed her friend's, but he did hear her outraged cry.

"Hey, that was my food, you little shit! Get the fuck back here!"

He didn't have to look behind him to know she had given chase, the fearful looks on the faces of the people in front of him as they scrambled away said more than enough. However, that didn't mean he didn't look back anyway, shooting her a smug grin and casually flipping her off.

If she wasn't enraged before, she was now.

Through half of Konoha he ran, relying on his smaller size to slip through crowds and around obstacles, making sure she was always close enough to see him. He wouldn't have had to worry about her giving up for with every second he evaded her she grew increasingly infuriated.

They were nearing the training grounds when she had become angry enough to start throwing Kunai. The sharp pieces of metal whizzed past his face at speeds he wasn't entirely comfortable with. He was fast enough to throw off her aim, but he was nowhere near fast enough to catch the flying instruments of shabby death or have any chance of blocking them.

Luckily, she still had enough common sense not to go throwing around Jutsu against an unknown within Konoha's walls. Though rude, it was not illegal to run into someone, nor were they then forced to make amends. It was, however, quite illegal to use Jutsu against civilians. And while she may have suspected him to have been Shinobi-trained she had no real way to tell. It was not a risk she was willing to take.

He was damn fortunate in that regard.

Dodging another Kunai as his feet first hit the grass of the training ground, it was time to act.

Mitarashi Anko never saw it coming.

She cursed in her mind, Anko was far too rash sometimes and was prone to rather violent tendencies. It wouldn't be good if she were to act without thinking and somehow injure the boy that had run into them. The council had it out for her enough, the last thing they needed was for Anko to give the council a legitimate reason to go after her.

That, and there was something strangely familiar about the boy. Hadn't she heard of a young man in such a cloak running about the great village of Konoha? She couldn't quite remember and it was driving her mad as she raced to catch up to the two.

She had just reached the end of the treeline that encircled the training ground when she found a knife to her throat and a hand over her mouth. She was aware of a second presence holding pushing a blade against her right side. She managed to just make out the white mask before her movement was halted by the second presence pulling her head back by her hair, making it far easier for the first assailant to keep his blade to her neck.

Looking down her nose, she could- albeit with some difficulty- make out the cloaked boy being chased by Anko. He had gone straight for the middle of the grounds despite having a better chance to lose the Tokubetsu Jounin in the forests that surrounded it.

It was then that she realized the boy had no intention of escaping his pursuer. No, he was leading her here and Kurenai wasn't in a position to warn her best friend about the danger.

Her fears were confirmed when the young man lifted up his arm, bent at the elbow and fingers splayed. The boy wasn't alone and seeing that the two holding her didn't move in the slightest as he prepared to signal meant there were even more than those holding her captive.

She had to wonder if perhaps the council had finally gotten tired of trying to do things legitimately and had swooped to hiring a group to take care of Anko once and for all.

A fist clenched in the air and her best friend was suddenly on the ground, pinned by five individuals wearing the same black clothing and porcelain wolf masks. A sixth stood next to the boy much like a guard. It would seem as though they had used some rather valuable bait.

She realized as soon as he tossed off his hood, revealing a crown of crimson hair.

'Naruto!'

What was he doing with these people, why were they after Anko? She'd have loved to ask but her captors didn't seem like the chatty type, if the blades they kept to her were any indication. Two more figures emerged then, one from either side of her. So there had been four behind her then, they must have been there the whole time with the sole purpose of keeping her away. They had failed or were unconcerned with her bearing witness to their activities so long as she was unable to interrupt them.

The boy in the middle of the field didn't speak, or at least didn't appear to, as he kneeled down in the grass next to her friend. Almost gently he pulled her clothes from her neck, showing the world the accursed symbol that branded her as the discarded protégée of Orochimaru. There was nothing, save Orochimaru himself, that Mitarashi Anko hated more.

But with a simple touch, it was gone.

"I grant you freedom from your seal, Mitarashi-san. Live well." The voice was soft, but it carried well enough to Kurenai's ears. She couldn't believe what she had witnessed, but there was no denying that the seal had been removed.

The two holding her loosened their grip ever so slightly, removing their blades but keeping her arms secure.

"We suggest you take her home, Yuuhi, she is bound to be confused." With that the four surrounding her disappeared, as did the five atop her best friend. Naruto and his guard stayed only long enough for Kurenai to draw close. Giving her a look devoid of any sort of emotion, he turned his amethyst eyes from her and was whisked away by the masked man by his side.

Falling in the same spot Naruto had so recently occupied, she was quick to examine her friend for any other damage.

"I-is it really gone?" Anko asked. She still lay on the ground, but her head had turned to look at her only real friend, her eyes wide with disbelief but filled with a spark of hope.

"Yeah, it's gone."

A large weight seemed to lift itself from Anko in that moment, but her face quickly turned to a scowl.

"What's wrong?" Kurenai asked, confused. Shouldn't she be jumping for joy right about now?

"How am I supposed to celebrate when that fucker spilled all my Dango?"

With the adrenaline leaving her system and relief flooding her heart, Kurenai couldn't help it.

She threw her head back and laughed.

Anko wasn't amused.

"I want my Dango, damnit!"

Squirming against his bonds did the man no good. He had not been captured by amateurs, but by those who had been trained as weapons for their entire lives. There was no way a rather unskilled Chuunin such as himself was going to be able to escape them, not when he had been enjoying a cushy administration job within Konoha these past few years.

If he got out of this he was going to resume his training immediately.

The metal chair he was tied to squeaked again as he pushed against his ropes once more, drawing the attention of one of his silent guards. The visage of a snarling wolf was more than enough to convince him to sit still.

When the door to the far side of the small metal room he found himself in opened both guards snapped into Konohagakure no Sato's official salute, adopted from the Hi no Kuni they were located within. He was surprised when the person entering was a young boy.

That surprise turned to horror when he identified him.

He had heard that Naruto, formerly Uzumaki Naruto, had declared the Yamanaka heiress and her clan his enemy but he hadn't really believed it. There was talk about going against the boy, but most of it was just nonsense spewed while drinking. Anything that wasn't had been quickly put to a stop to by their clan head, Inoichi. That man wanted to do everything possible from escalating the conflict.

Evidently, his clan's opponent was not of the same mindset.

This was not looking to be a good day to be Yamanaka Kira.

It had been almost a month now since he had become an enemy of the Yamanaka and Naruto was actually rather disappointed. They had done absolutely nothing so far. No move against him, no move to gain allies, nothing.

But that was fine. Their heiress had already shown herself to be weak when it came to her own conviction, but Naruto was not. It may have been a hasty decision, but these people were his enemy now. By the gods, he was going to make them realize that.

And now he had forces of his own to back him up.

Moving to the man bound to the only piece of furniture in the room, Naruto couldn't help but give a vicious grin. It was not a good idea to let the wolf strike first.

He had sent out a letter to the court of Hi no Kuni the day he had first renounced his name and it was just today that he had received a confirmation. His renouncement had been acknowledged by the court, and that meant he didn't have to worry about the Uzumaki name being dragged into this.

He was free to act, and there was nothing to hold him back.

Withdrawing a freshly sharpened kunai from his pouch, Naruto got to work.

He was awoken by a scream that sent him flying out of his bed and thudding down the hallway. Bursting into his daughter's bedroom, Inoichi froze. His daughter had turned on the lamp that rested upon her nightstand and it illuminated clearly what had been done to the wall across from her bed.

'The Wolves prowl beneath the shade of the Great Tree.'

He didn't even need to question whether or not the crimson writing was actually genuine, as a shinobi he knew exactly what it was when he first laid eyes upon it and the smell was unmistakable-

As unmistakable as the long blonde hair that hung down the wall, tied to a kunai that had been quite solidly jammed in.

It was probably what had woken his daughter. Also of note was the fact that dangling from the end of what could only be the hair of a Yamanaka was the scull of a canine. A wolf, if the words written upon his daughter's wall was anything to go on.

He was aware of his wife comforting his daughter and moved towards the curtains dancing in the cool night breeze. The window had not been open earlier, he had made sure it was locked himself when checking on his sleeping daughter before retiring to bed. He had been worried that Naruto might try something and had hoped it would be enough to dissuade the boy.

But he did not know who these 'Wolves' were.

Peering out into the night, he quickly got his answer.

Directly across from him, crouched upon a nearby roof, Naruto stared back at him. Flanking the boy were two figures in wolf masks, both standing on the downward slope of the roof behind him so as to just barely reach the same height as the former Uzumaki.

Cold amethyst eyes gazed at him impassively.

'Your move.' They dared him. This was more than a threat, this was a show of power. Naruto could have very easily taken the life of the Yamanaka heiress, his sworn enemy, but, more than that, he could have taken the life of the clan head's daughter, Inoichi's daughter, his daughter.

The thought filled his heart with dread.

If anything, the boy was being merciful by giving this warning. It was obvious that the lack of action on the part of one of Konoha's clans had displeased him. They were a large group of trained family members and he was, or had been, a single boy, and yet they had not moved against him.

He must have assumed that they thought little of him to ignore the fact that they were enemies, this was his way of reminding them exactly who they were dealing with.

They would not have to be reminded again.

Yes, Inoichi had known he was a threat, but that's why he was trying to avoid instigating anything further. It would seem his efforts had backfired, insulting the prideful creature on the roof across from him and bringing this upon himself.

The boy made no move other than to point towards the gates of the clan compound, where he noticed a group of his clanmates shouting in panic. When he turned back, there was no sight of the boy, nor his wolves.

The clan would need to be made aware.

And he would have to come up with a way to fix this mess.

Unacceptable. Un-Fucking-acceptable.

They thought they could stand against his godson? The godson of Orochimaru? The fools!

Hasty steps thudded down the corridors of his home, passing terrified works and cautious soldiers.

"You two, with me, now!" Without argument, but with a great deal of trepidation, two Oto shinobi fell in line behind their master.

Deeper and deeper they went, until Orochimaru had finally found what he had been looking for. In a room completely dedicated to studying the various clans of Konoha, the snake Sannin made his way to the far wall, where failed experiments were being preserved within special tubes.

Bloated bodies twisted into inhuman shapes cried out in agony at his approach, their minds having been driven to almost nothing by his cruel experiments in an effort to understand the mind powers of the Yamanaka. Taunt, translucent skin did nothing to hide what lay within, veins pulsing with thick black liquid that the Sannin knew for a fact felt like the burning of a thousand suns as it pumped through the flesh.

He hadn't ever found a use for them, until now.

Orochimaru turned to the Oto shinobi behind him, both staring in unconcealed horror at what they were being shown. They had seen a lot working for him, but nothing like this.

Gesturing the bodies that, while deformed, were unmistakably of Yamanaka blood, the pale man gave his orders.

"Take them to Konoha, all of them, and place them all around the Yamanaka compound. I want some nailed to the walls, I want some impaled on spikes in public spaces, I want people to wake up to them in their beds. Let them know that their loved ones have returned and that they'll share the same fate if they think they can go against the godson of Orochimaru of the Sannin."

"Y-yes, Orochimaru-Sama."

Orochimaru went to walk away before he paused, turning to look over his shoulder.

"Cut a few of them open," He commanded, "And fill them with explosive notes."

"I don't want them to ever forget what it means to cross my Crimson Prince."

Kurenai gave a sigh as she followed around her best friend. Well, followed wasn't all that accurate. 'As she was dragged around' was more like it, the Tokubetsu Jounin refusing to release her hand as they searched for the elusive purple-eyed wolf.

Two weeks after she had been released from Orochimaru's Ten no Juin she decided that she probably needed to meet the boy and thank him. She mentioned something about it being the proper thing to do, but Anko was never proper, as her choice in clothing could attest to. But whatever reasons the woman had for wanting to thank the boy so much- easily attributed to how significant this was to her- she had dragged Kurenai along.

Quite literally.

But the Genjutsu mistress had searched for the better part of two years, what made Anko think she was going to find him in just one afternoon?

"Hey, Kakashi!" Anko waved down a dog masked ANBU who lazily dropped down to approach them.

"I'm on duty, Mitarashi, you can't be giving out my name like that."

The woman just shrugged, uncaring.

"You know Naruto, right?"

"I do." He offered no more than that.

"Then where is it he lives?" Even hidden behind his mask, Kurenai could see Kakashi's brow raise questioningly.

"And why exactly do you need to know something like that?"

Instead of answering immediately, Anko proudly pulled her shirt away from her neck, revealing unblemished skin.

"I need to thank the brat for getting rid of it for me." Only Kurenai heard the growl he gave when Anko called the boy a brat.

"If you show him the proper respect as the one who had the capabilities of doing something like that, I'll take you to his apartment."

Kakashi actually knew where he lived? Kurenai nearly smacked herself. Of course he did. As distanced as he had always been, he had always been fond of his Sensei's children. She really should have asked him near the beginning of this mess, but at the same time there was no guarantee that he would have actually given up Naruto's location.

"Deal, now let's go get this over with." Despite trying to sound like this was the last thing she wanted to be doing, it was easy to hear the excitement in the woman's voice.

With a shrug, Kakashi grabbed their shoulders and a moment later they were before a rather plain residence.

"Have fun, you two, I don't do anything I wouldn't." Kakashi paused, "Except little boys, I suppose. I might not do them, but if you really want to show your gratitude…" He trailed off with a shrug, disappearing before the Kunai Kurenai threw at him had a chance to make contact.

"Damn pervert." The red-eyed woman muttered, shaking her head.

Knocking gently on the door, they were surprised when it was opened a moment later by a young girl with long black hair. She seemed just as surprised to see people knocking on the door.

"Naruto!" The girl called back into the apartment, "There are two women here to see you!" She gave Anko a quick once-over before adding, "And I think one of them's a hooker!"

Kurenai had to hold back the fuming woman before she attacked the girl who couldn't be older than twelve.

"I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" There was a muffled response but the girl seemed to hear it well enough, slipping through the doorway and starting down the street.

"Go on in, he'll be with you in a minute." She called back without looking.

Pushing her friend into the residence of her Sensei's son before she had a chance to run after the girl, Kurenai was surprised by how simple and clean it was.

There was a kitchen area, a small table for four, a coffee table, a couch, and a bookcase. She could see no decorations, so stains on the walls, no dirty dishes in the sink, nothing that would make her think a ten year old boy lived here. It was as if he had just moved in that day.

A fuming Anko cheered up as soon as Naruto walked into the room from what Kurenai had to assume was a bedroom. Just what had Naruto and that girl been doing in his bedroom? Kurenai felt her face flush at the implications and Kakashi's parting words.

A purple missile interrupted her less than appropriate thoughts as Anko crashed into the boy, squeezing him tightly to her chest.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She had no idea that Hyuuga Hinata had said the exact same thing when he helped her last month.

"No problem." He managed to grunt out, his face flushing almost as red as his hair as he was pressed into Anko's rather generous bust.

Anko frowned down at him for a moment before an even bigger grin split her face.

"You're the boy who Inoichi was questioning, aren't you?"

"I am, and you're a bit early for that dinner. I still have two years before I graduate."

Anko gave a hearty laugh. "I had almost forgotten about that."

Kurenai shot her a puzzled look and Anko immediately clamped up.

"What are yo-"

"Nothing, absolutely nothing."

Naruto shook his head, looking at a nearby clock. "It's a bit early for dinner, perhaps I could offer the two of you some tea?"

"Sure, why not?" Anko was quick to take a seat at the table. Giving a sigh at her friend's antics, Kurenai turned to Naruto.

"That would be lovely, Naruto." He seemed to think for a moment before he let a confused frown settle on his face.

"I'm sorry, I don't think we've met." He walked up to her and held out his hand. "I'm Naruto of Konoha, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

His close proximity felt like a warm blanket on a winter's night, bringing with it a comfort that made her feel horribly exposed. Tightening down on instincts that screamed at her not to trust this strange being before her, this young man that didn't make her skin crawl but instead sent pleasant shivers down her spine, Kurenai placed her hand within his, fully understanding what he was doing.

He was giving her another chance, willing to start anew as if they had never met before.

There was no way for her to fully express her gratitude to the gods for giving her the chance.

"Yuuhi Kurenai, and the pleasure's all mine." She felt her heart speed up and her cheeks darken as he brushed his hand against his lips.

"If you say so."

Kurenai was sure she would have made a fool of herself if things had lasted any longer. As it was her instincts were going haywire and the last thing she wanted to do was push him away after he had given her a chance to be a part of his life. Luckily, she was here with Anko and Anko was, well, Anko.

"We having some tea or are you two going to be having yourselves a cup of coffee?"

Naruto gave a chuckle before releasing Kurenai's hand and making his way into the kitchen.

"You're quite right, Anko, I'll start it immediately."

As the three sat around his table, talking quietly about any subject that popped into Anko's mind and enjoying cups of hot tea, neither of the women noticed the chakra chains coiled within Naruto's sleeves nor the Wolves hiding in the corners, ready to cut the two of them down the second Naruto gave the signal.

If they were fortunate, they would never know.

The darkness of night covered him, hiding his identity as he slipped into a rather dingy bar that had seen far better days. He moved to the back room and was let in without a word, the man with the face of a wolf closing it behind him and resuming his guard.

There was little in the room, a single table and two chairs. In each corner stood a figure in a wolf mask and the boy across the table from him was flanked by one on each side. He had come alone, hoping to fix this mess, but his clan's greatest enemy did not have much faith in the supposedly peaceful nature of this meeting.

"Naruto." Greeted the head of the Yamanaka, meeting that purple gaze that was far too cold to belong to a boy so young. Then again, no boy that young should have a small army at his disposal. Naruto was no mere boy, he was a very, very dangerous young man and it still amazed Inoichi that the son of Kushina had turned into this. Had he ever met the boy before his mother had left, he probably would have been able to predict something like this. Naruto had a far greater future than most children even dared to dream.

"Yamanaka." Inoichi winced. Not even by his given name, but as if he were just another clanmember.

Sitting down, he intertwined his fingers and gave a sigh.

"Look, let's cut through any bullshit and get right down to it." Naruto raised a brow, but stayed silent. "My family fucked up, big time, trying to take you on. They might not know it, but I do. I thought you'd stop at the first threat, at least for a while, but then you sent the bodies…"

"Bodies?" Naruto seemed genuinely confused.

"Bodies from missing Yamanaka turned back up, mutilated and proudly displayed thoroughout the compound. Some of them were filled with explosive notes."

The former Uzumaki gave a concerned frown. "The only body was that of Yamanaka Kira, who I shaved bald and carved the head of a wolf into his flesh. His limbs were broken by my wolves and we removed his finger and toenails before taking enough of his blood to write upon your heiress's wall. That is all we have done thus far."

"So you don't have any idea who may have done this?"

"No, I have an idea. I simply did not realize they would be so quick to my aid without contacting me."

"An ally of yours then?"

"Something similar, yes."

Inoichi frowned but said no more. Had Naruto done it he would have been quick to claim credit.

"I see, well, that aside, I realize that things are beginning rather dangerous. Even if it wasn't you, the clan thinks you're behind it. Some, wisely, are quite terrified and see how foolish it was to challenge someone who has nothing to hold him back, but the others are simply using this as a reason to take action. It's harder for me to keep my clanmembers under control and you've shown just how seriously you're taking this."

Inoichi gave a deep sigh.

"I know it was my daughter that made things this bad, my clan knows it too and they love her for it. They want revenge for Tatsuki and feel Ino has given them the perfect opportunity."

The Yamanaka head didn't miss how Naruto had flinched when he spoke his sister's name.

"I know you won't back down and there's no chance my clan will. I don't want any bloodshed, but my clan needs to learn when to back down."

"What are you proposing?"

"If you swear to keep things non-lethal, I'm willing to step back and let Ino direct the clan for the duration of this feud."

Naruto stared at him, disbelief written clearly over his face.

"She may have managed to keep the clan afloat in times of peace, but against an enemy? Your clan will be brought to ruin."

"And if this continues, there's a good chance the clan won't survive to see the next Hokage."

Naruto nodded. "A fair point, but I find it hard to believe you'd be willing to let this happen."

"If rebuilding our clan from ruinous ashes is what it takes for my clan to learn, so be it. You're in a far too advantageous position at the moment; we have no real way to fight back. If I let them try, at least they will understand exactly why I wished to avoid this."

The redhead thought for a moment, pondering this, before sighing with a nod. "So be it, Inoichi, I will play along. I did not wish to weaken this great forest anyway. I will fight them, then, from the shadows, and bring them to their knees. Just make sure you are prepared to pick your clan back up."

The two clasped hands in a firm shake and Inoichi turned to leave. Before he could make it fully out the door, however, Naruto's soft voice stopped him.

"She was my first friend, you know. I never meant to hurt her."

Squeezing his eyes shut at the mention of his sister, Inoichi nodded.

"I suspected as much, but thank you. You have put my mind at ease."

"You're a good man Inoichi, I look forward to the day I graduate and can call you my comrade."

Inoichi smiled as left.

"All of us who live beneath the great tree are comrades." He mumbled.

"Even when we're at each other's throats."

Murky water went up to her knees as she sloshed through what she thought to be a sewer. There were only two years to go and her mother had decided it was finally time for her to learn to control the power that was locked within her.

Now if she could only find that stupid fox, she'd punch it straight in the nose and demand that it give her its power. The plan was foolproof.

Coming across a rather large and out of place cage door, she eagerly ran towards it, splashing loudly through brown water. When no fox appeared to greet her, she became rather curious. Her mother had warned her about getting close, but she couldn't even see where it was. Surely it would do no harm to get a bit closer so she could see, right?

Walking all the way up to the cage with confidence that flowed thinker within her than her Uzumaki blood, she still couldn't see the fox. Looking both ways, as if afraid her mother might be watching, she scrambled over the gate.

The inside was nothing like the outside. The outside was empty and plain but this, this was a warzone. Giant pillars of rubble littered the area, surrounded by the murky water she had sloshed through to get here which made them seem like islands. Chunks of wood were scattered about and every so often she could see bits of metal shining in the darkness.

Walking deeper, she eventually heard sobbing. Glad to finally find something of interest, she went towards the sound as quickly as she could, all caution thrown aside.

What she found was not at all what she had been expecting. A woman looking much like Uzumaki Mito was collapsed upon a pile of rubble, small waves of murky water lapping at her tattered dress. Her skin, pale as the moon, clung tightly to a body that was almost withering away. Hair as orange as a sunset was a tangled mess behind her, dirty and uncared for.

When the woman heard her approach her head shot up, red dull red eyes, puffy from crying, darted towards her. "N-Naruto?" The woman helplessly cried, as if desperate for her brother. But wasn't this supposed to be the Kyuubi? How did she know her brother?

"No, I'm his sister, Naruko." Before she knew it, the nine tailed fox was clutching her like a life line.

"Please." Begged the fox. "Oh gods, please, you have to take me to him! You have to bring me back to him!"

"Wha-"

"I'll do anything! Anything at all, just get me to him!"

Naruko didn't know why the fox was so desperate for her brother, but she had heard what the woman had said. An almost wicked smirk grew on the young Uzumaki's face. Her mother was going to be damn shocked when she found out.

"Anything?"

See you all next week for our double-length special.