"What do you know about the Nine Tailed Fox?" Sarutobi asked the whiskered child before him. The office was silent after the question as if the future and the past were crushing the very air. The old man before the boy wore a fierce expression full of pain, determination and the need to tell his young charge of the burden his successor has bestowed upon him. A burden that grown men and women have crumpled under.

"Yondaime-sama killed it. That it destroyed parts of Konoha, but the Yondaime fought and killed it. But he died 'cause of it." Naruto replied with a child's enthusiasm. He idolized the Fourth Hokage. To him, the man could never do wrong. For the entirety of his reign, short as it was, Konoha prospered. He was everything Naruto wanted to be. An orphan turned hero, a symbol of strength, and a legendary figure.

"That is a lie told to keep appearances Naruto-kun. In reality, no-one can kill a biju, which is what the Kyuubi is," Sarutobi answered the question Naruto was about to ask. Yet the child voiced another question.

"If no-one can kill 'em what did he do?" Naruto was scared. Was the Fox still around? Could he come back?

"He used Fuinjutsu Naruto-kun."

"Fuinjutsu? He put the fox in a scroll?" Naruto laughed aloud at the thought of a mountainous fox being sealed into a palm-sized scroll.

"Naruto-kun, he sealed the fox yes, but into something much more capable than a scroll. He sealed inside you." Sarutobi sadly let the first bombshell drop. 'Let us see how you cope Naruto-kun. Are you a shinobi, or a child?'

The laughter slowly died on Naruto's face as he registered the words of the old man. Swiftly, Naruto thought of all the jeers, all the leers, the occasional kick, the loneliness and the pain. Naruto understood finally what the villagers and some of the shinobi corps thought. "They think I am the fox don't they jiji?" He quietly asked the only man to show him kindness. He asked the man who taught him to feed himself, to read, to write, he asked his only caring person. With eyes begging to be wrong, he asked, "But they are wrong right jiji? I'm just Naruto right?"

"Naruto-kun, you are not the fox. The fox is inside you. Fuinjutsu is versatile, but even it cannot change what a thing is. Fuinjutsu is not alchemy. A man cannot be made into a biju, or vice versa." The Third Hokage confidently told his charge.

"I didn't get some of those words jiji, but I think I got it. The fox is inside, but separate?" Naruto tried to simplify the explanation of the Third.

"Essentially correct Naruto-kun." He sighed. He knew he should have spent more time expanding Naruto's vocabulary, but he was already so short on time. He was barely keeping the Council in check, and Danzo was still making moves in the background. Hiruzen knew that giving Naruto the tools to better himself were important, but even more important was his survival. Vocabulary was only a minor sacrifice in his mind for the survival of this young lad.

"Jiji, before you tell me more, why isn't fuinjutsu taught at the academy? It sounds super strong!" Naruto asked a simple, but important question. If fuinjutsu was so strong, that it could hold back the Kyuubi, then why didn't everyone know it?

The black eyes of the wizened Kage sparkled knowingly.' Impressive. You knew that there was more, that there was things being hidden still. You also knew that in order to ensure the seal was safe, you needed more information on fuinjutsu. Good, Naruto-kun. Use everything. Even me.'
"Fuinjutsu is a challenging art. It is also much more dangerous than most other forms of shinobi combat to put into use. The others are simple to understand and their fundamentals are all relativity understood. Taijutsu is the art of self-control. It is based solely on the body of the shinobi. Ninjutsu is the art of environmental influence and control. All ninjutsu effects the surroundings of the shinobi, or uses the elemental manipulation of outside forces to effect oneself. Genjutsu is the art of enemy control. It is the only art that solely effects the enemy via your own chakra. Fuinjutsu on the other hand is the art of channeling forces. It is the only art that allows one to effect more than one thing at a time. Because of this, fuinjutsu has rigid uncompromising rules that govern its use. If the rules are broken, if a mistake is made, the seal will fail. Most likely it will fail in an extraordinary way."

"So fuinjutsu is finicky and dangerous?" Naruto tried to process the lengthy explanation he was just given.

"Extremely so Naruto-kun. My uncle died by accidently making a mistake on a storage scroll matrix. A matrix is the form the seal takes. He made a single line less than perfectly, and it resulted in him sealing a portion of his arm. Medical jutsu couldn't save him because every time chakra was applied to the seal, more of his body was sealed into the scroll. A single, unidentifiable mistake cost him his life in one of the most brutal ways I can imagine." Sarutobi related his tale with the seriousness only a leader could tell his soldier.

"If it's so easy to mess up jiji, I have a single thing to ask. Is the Kyuubi's seal secure?" Naruto meet his leaders eyes not as a child, but as a shinobi of the leaf. He knew that if the answer was no, he would resign immediately, and leave the village. He would run as far as he could and hope that the seal would hold until his home was safe.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the legendary Professor, the man who had lead Konoha through every Shinobi World War, who had seen and battled Biju, jinjuuriki, Kage, and armies both alone and with his village, gazed at his surrogate grandson with intense pride. 'Minato, you would be proud. Your son is blazing with the Will of Fire.'
"The seal is perfectly secure Naruto-kun. The Fourth was the best fuinjutsu utilizer I have ever met. The seal itself is balanced and anchored by ten points. Of those ten, eight points are on your chakra coils themselves, and cannot be damaged even by a Hyuuga's assault. The ninth is anchored to your heart. As long as it beats, that anchor will not release. From what we can tell, there is a delay on its release as well. 9 days from the time your heart stops, the anchor will remain in place there. The tenth and last anchor is set to your will. It is the most important of them. If you release that anchor, as only you can, the beast will be released. The only other way would be tear through the seal, and pull the Kyuubi from the wreckage. The amount of chakra required to do that is astronomical. That is only the bare minimum of what your seal does however. There are many more features, that I couldn't even begin to understand. The Fourth was a genius that is only seen once every century, and his work proves it Naruto-kun." The Professor confessed his ignorance about the sealing arts to the only one who needed to understand that he didn't have the answers.

" There is a but coming Jiji. I know it. Spit it out please." Naruto had listened and watched his leader as he taught about the seal. While it was all accurate, at least Naruto couldn't tell that Hiruzen was lying, he knew that there was more to it. That he elderly Kage wouldn't risk it unless Naruto needed to know something more.

"You are getting more perceptive Naruto-kun. Good. Remember Shinobi Rule number 43. 'Use all resources. Never let information go.' I'm glad I drilled that into your head all these years." Sarutobi smirked at the young man.
"You're skirting the question old man. Now, what do I need to know?" The young genin stood his ground against the stare of arguably the most powerful Kage to ever live.

"Minato, the Fourth, was a genius yes. But even geniuses make mistakes. After years of research, we figured it out. There is something else sealed inside you along with the Kyuubi. That thing is known as a Shade Naruto-kun. And it is quite possibly the most dangerous thing to ever walk this earth." The Hokage revealed.

ShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShaded

Fugaku entered the crime scene with the ease of one with experience. Yet even he couldn't hold back the bile that entered his mouth at the gruesome scene. 'Shisui was wrong' he thought 'this is definitely more than one someone.' In the old house the walls were completely covered in chunks of flesh. It looked as if someone stuck them there deliberately. The floor of the hall was covered in a literal lake of blood, feces and other bodily fluids. But what really made Fugaku's hardened stomach rebel was the ribcage of what was once a child used as a cage to keep the severed head of a woman against the wall.

"I want to know who, what, and why. I want identification of the bodies, and I wanted it yesterday!. Patrol 3, you are to examine the outside. There is no way that no one heard anything even if there were silencing seals on every wall. Patrol 14, I want Inochi here. He may be able to get something from Jane doe over there. Also, someone please figure out how many victims there were! There is enough blood on the floor for at least ten. It seems we have a monster in our village."

ShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShaded

A cloaked figure strolled into a cave nestled deep in the mountains. It had been years since he had let himself go wild, and the man enjoyed it. 'There was nothing quite like the thrill' he mused. But there was something different. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. He was more... more... what was the word? Oh yes efficient. He had become more efficient in his savagery over the years. 'Maybe its natural´ he thought. Then he shrugged. Who cared anyway? He had his fun.

ShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShaded

Kakashi looked at the scroll he received three hours previously, and remembered the conversation he had with the Hokage.

FLASHBACK

'Kakashi-kun, I need you to take a genin team this year.' The old Kage told the jonin.

'For what purpose Hokage-sama? There is only one person I'd like to teach. Just give him to me, and keep the team.' The cyclopoid jonin replied.

'I can't do that. Asuma has shown interest in him as well, as have both Hyuuga and the Uchiha clans. The only option I have is to place him on a team. If I don't, the influence the clans would have is not desirable.'

'I see. That's why you are choosing me over Asuma. He is the current Clan Head of the Sarutobi clan, and it would look bad if you gave him control over any of the other clans.' Kakashi swiftly put the pieces together.

'Correct as usual Kakashi-kun. But there are a few catches. This year, I want to change the way the genin are trained. They are yours Kakashi, but they will also be trained by the other jonin-senseis. It was the only way I could think of to keep all parties happy.' The Professor smiled as he watched the jonin add in his mind the benefits of such a situation.

'They will be incredible. With the four of us, we cover nearly everything. There isn't an aspect of the shinobi life style that we four don't specialize in except fuinjutsu, and I am capable enough to train a genin in it at least. ' Kakashi was astounded. Each of the Jonin sensei specialized in a form of combat. Kakashi was strategic assault, Asuma was frontal tactics, Guy was frontal assault, and Kurenai was support.

'Correct Kakashi. In six months the Chunin exams are in Konoha, and for the first time since the Hyuuga incident, every single village will take part. Given who are in this class, they need to be capable. They need to be the best class to roam this village. Guy's team while six months older, is still too green. Your team will be too forceful, and Asuma's if separated will be extremely vulnerable. Unless we do something, Konoha will look weak on the world's stage.' The Third Hokage explained to his most trusted Jonin his thought process.

'Fine. But I will teach them how I want when I can.' Kakashi demanded.

'Kakashi, I don't care how you train them. I don't care if they can't leave the training ground at the end of the day as long they are able to survive in six months. The Raikage and Oonki will be here, and that is enough of an issue as it is. Especially when Oonki sees him'

'Understood. Minimum level of effectiveness?' Kakashi took out a small notebook to take notes on his orders. In code of course, since one never knew when one maybe murdered for information.

'In six months Kakashi, every single one better be able to take out a chunin. And if they can hold out against a Jonin even better. You also have a secondary mission. This is solely for you however.' Sarutobi tossed him a red scroll. 'I trust Minato, but I sure as hell don't trust whatever is in there. If it gets out, kill it. Under any means necessary.'

'Are you sure about that last part sir? If it can only be killed by..' Kakashi asked.

'Any means Kakashi. Any. Means.'

FLASHBACK OVER

Kakashi fingered the edge of the scroll containing all the information on whatever it was that he was supposed to eliminate if it made an appearance. With a sigh he flicked it open and began to reread its contents for a hundredth time.

ShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShaded

Itachi was hunting. It was his job after all as a Hunter-nin. He was required to eliminate the threats of those who escaped the village. He liked his job as a matter of fact. Solitude suited him, and it had since the Hyuuga incident. He continued to leap between the trees, as his mind went back to the worst night of his life.

He had just come back from patrol around the northern border when his father was pulled aside by another clan member. Itachi remembered his face going white before he dashed out toward the hospital. Itachi followed, prepared to do his duty for the village until he saw him. His little brother. He looked so small on the white cot covered in a black blanket. He knew what that meant. It meant he was gone, that his little brother wouldn't ask him to help him anymore, that he wouldn't get to poke his forehead and call him foolish. Itachi, who had his sharingan on, memorized the entire scene. His father on his knees beside the bed, tears falling on the pale face of his motionless brother.

The next day, he asked for his transfer into the Hunter Division directly from Hokage-sama. His request was swiftly accepted, and he began his new career.

But now, now he was hunting something else. This one seemed to be playing with him, taunting him, and always just out of reach. Every time he sped up the trail went cold. Every time he lost the trail in less than two weeks he would pick it up again. Itachi didn't know what exactly he was hunting, but he knew that whatever it was needed to die.

Itachi followed the trail that headed toward the mountains of the northern Fire Nation.

ShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShadedShaded