Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, go figure.

Posted: 8/16/08

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed my first chapter. Lots of background and "thinking," I know. I think it's important though, considering how out of character it is that a dangerous ninja would suddenly drop everything to take on a young child. Remember that Blue is nearly twelve years younger than she is when we are introduced to her in canon, and is not quite so jaded and uncaring at this point. This will be an important point with Pain as well.

A few things I want to bring up about the story in general, without giving everything away. First off, the "mysterious identity" seemed fun to me and served to grab some attention from all of you. I hope. It will be resolved by the end of this chapter though, so if it bothered you, don't fret. Also, if you were up to date with the manga like I suggested, the identity should have been glaringly obvious. I just tried to write it without blatantly giving anything away.

I hope you all liked my take on the whole "everyone hates Naruto" situation. I get tired of reading stories that have Naruto being beaten to the edge of death on a near constant basis. That's just not supported by canon at all and, in my opinion, is a poor plot device to force Naruto to "grow up." In my story, Sarutobi and the elders – who also know about Naruto's lineage, they were in on the Uchiha massacre after all – do go out of their way to make sure that Naruto is protected from hostile influences. Obviously there are different ways to go about it, and I think that canon shows us that Naruto's childhood was fairly miserable and unfulfilling. The kid is a natural born ninja genius but graduates at age twelve as the dead last of his class. Then just a few months later he's the strongest genin in the allied nations. Obviously someone dropped the ball with Naruto, and I'm pointing the finger at Sarutobi, despite his good intentions. This will not be a Vengeful!Naruto fic. I think I got him out of Konoha early enough that any animosity he may have will be mostly forgotten by the time he returns.

An important plot point: I didn't make it particularly clear in the first chapter, but right now Pain has not conquered Rain country yet. The first portion of this story will deal with Naruto's childhood, Pain's ascent to power, and the early years of Akatsuki. If you thought this would be a 'skip forward in time so Naruto can show off his amazing powers' story, you were mistaken.

Last thing. I realize that simply asking for reviews isn't really fair to the readers. It's like one of those "make up your own topic" essays that used to drive me nuts since half the time it took to write was spent figuring out a topic. So here's what I especially want from all of you, besides the comments/criticisms on the style and whatnot:

I'd like everyone to come up with a few things you thought I didn't explain well, didn't explain at all that warrant explanations, or simply things you'd like to read about in the future. Since this is going to be my last big author's note, instead of trying to answer your pertinent questions at the beginning or end of the chapter, I'll try my level best to incorporate the information into the chapters themselves.

Examples of good questions:

What happened to Yahiko? Don't worry, I already plan on explaining this, but you get the idea.

Doesn't Akatsuki want to kill Naruto? What's up with that? This will also be addressed in due time.

Example of bad question:

If X fought Y, who would win? If it isn't written in the story as part of the plot it's not worth commenting on. Most of the characters will adhere to their canon power levels.

Now that that's cleared up, let's get on with Chapter 2.

Chapter Title: Carry on Wayward Son by Kansas.

Naruto was scared. He had just chosen to leave the only home he had never known with a perfect stranger for destinations unknown, all for the sake of becoming a strong ninja. He didn't know the first thing about being a ninja.

Aside from the fact that they could apparently jump through the treetops. Really, really fast.

Currently he was holding onto Blue's back for dear life as they screamed through the lush forests that surrounded Konoha. This was further complicated by the fact that he was now wearing her bulky backpack - which by itself was nearly as large as he was. Despite the sheer terror he was experiencing - both due to the uncertainty he felt concerning his future and his precarious position piggy-backing on a ninja who could move faster than he ever thought possible - Naruto was enjoying every moment of his ordeal. Something about it got his blood pumping in such a way that his whole body seemed to be singing to him. Naruto was used to being afraid - especially when the villagers got particularly rowdy – but this was different from the type of fear he was used to experiencing.

It was exhilarating.

Despite the lack of control and relative helplessness he felt, he couldn't stop himself from smiling widely.

He decided right then and there that being able to run like this - free from any obligation and faster than the wind - was worth almost any hardship that becoming a ninja might present him with.

The trip seemed to last hours and yet conclude in seconds. In reality it had taken somewhere in between - around twenty minutes. Blue landed gracefully on the shaded forest floor and bent down to let Naruto slide off. His arms and legs were surprisingly stiff and sore – he hadn't realized how tightly he had been holding onto his older comrade. After stumbling for a minute, Naruto smiled up at the woman. "That was really cool! I'm gonna learn to do that too, right?"

Blue looked around for a moment, checking for threats, before looking at Naruto and returning his smile with a small one of her own. "You'll be learning to do many things, Naruto. Tree jumping is actually a fairly basic skill, but your speed depends on how hard you're willing to train."

"I'm gonna train harder than anyone! Then I'll be the very fastest!"

"I hope you really mean that, Naruto. Like I said earlier, being a ninja isn't a game. But, if you work as hard as you say then you may very well be the fastest of all." Blue gestured for Naruto to take off the pack and set it down. Pulling it open, she removed a small cosmetic case and turned to examine Naruto's face.

"What are you doing?"

"Those markings on your cheeks are too easily recognizable. I'm going to cover them up so that you won't be identified by the patrols."

Naruto scrunched up his face. "You mean I have to wear make-up? Gross! Makeup is for girls."

"Don't be silly Naruto. All good ninjas - men and women - have to learn to disguise themselves for when they go on covert missions. Did you think that a ninja always runs into battle yelling with their headband on for all to see? Even during a ninja battle deception is one of the most important tools a true shinobi can have."

Naruto seemed to think about it for a moment before nodding slightly. "I guess I'll wear the makeup, but I still don't like it."

Blue laughed lightly at this as she leaned down to match the slightly tanned color of Naruto's skin to the foundation in her case. "Even if you could do a Transformation this is still the best way fool those looking for you. Experienced ninja can sense when someone is running that much chakra throughout their body. If we use makeup then only a close inspection will let others know you're hiding who you are. Now hold still for a moment."

Naruto grimaced and closed his eyes as the cream was lightly spread over his cheeks. Blue admired her work and allowed Naruto to see his reflection in the compact mirror. He was surprised how normal he looked without his whisker markings. He didn't like it. It was boring. It wasn't him.

While Blue turned around to put the makeup case away, Naruto reached up to feel the substance on his cheeks but was halted just inches away by a contrite "don't touch" from Blue. He wondered how she had known what he was going to do without even turning around.

"Hey Blue, what's chakra?"

She looked up with a slight frown on her face. She really should have expected this, but the kid had been so quiet as they made their escape from Konoha. Once again he had shown an unusual knack for understanding the gravity of the situation at the time. Now that they were out of immediate danger, though, the kunoichi seemed to be fair game for the inquisitive mind of the boy.

"Well, chakra is an energy that ninjas use to perform special ninja techniques, among other things. Chakra is what lets ninjas do things like tree jumping, for instance." Naruto looked at her in wonder and an idea suddenly hit her. She smiled as she brought her hands in front of her body in a ram seal. "It also lets ninjas do things like this."

From the backpack on the ground countless sheets of blank paper flew and began surrounding Naruto, causing no small amount of panic. They quickly began adhering to his body and garments and after just a moment, seemed to disappear. Stunned, Naruto fell backwards and landed on his rear as he looked at Blue and then at himself. Where previously Naruto had worn a dirty white T-shirt with a large orange spiral on the front, he now wore a dark blue long-sleeved ordeal. His dark shorts were now a lighter khaki color that went along with Blue's own. Strangest of all, a dark blue bandanna now adorned Naruto's head, covering his golden-blond hair in its entirety.

Naruto reached up to feel the top of his head and his new clothes in disbelief. "You scared me Blue! But that was so cool! They don't feel like paper at all. How'd you do that?"

"I just used a little bit of chakra to shape the paper and mold it to your own clothes. The shirt and pants you had on are still there, I just covered them up with clothes of my own design. Now nobody should be able to recognize you even if we're stumbled upon by ninjas." Blue held out a hand and helped Naruto to his feet, then gestured back behind the boy. "Now that we're properly disguised we need to start walking that way towards the road."

"Why don't we just do the tree jumping again? That was really fun!"

"Because, Naruto, if we keep running then the ANBU sent to hunt us down will be able to find a path and try to track us. By simply stopping this close to the village and joining the normal traffic on the roadway they'll likely overshoot us and not bother checking the regular travelers." Her explanation was met by a slow nod. "The people in the village expect you to be taken by shinobi from other countries, and they're right. But," and here she gave Naruto a conspiratorial wink, as though their flight from the village was nothing more than a joke on the ninjas there, "we're going to pretend to be regular people just walking along to the next town. If we do it right, they won't suspect that we're really ninjas in disguise."

Naruto's eyes lit up as the road came into view through the trees. "You mean I'm a ninja now too?"

Blue surveyed the road before signaling for them to turn to the right, heading west. "That's right. You're on a secret mission now aren't you? We have to evade the Konoha hunter patrols."

Naruto gulped at the thought that they were being hunted by trained ninjas, but then realized that Blue didn't seem very scared at all. He schooled his shocked expression and gave himself a small nod. If he was going to be a real ninja like Blue he couldn't afford to be scared even if other ninjas were after him. He wanted to be the best, after all.

"What do I have to do?"

"Well, we have to be careful about what we say when other people are around. We can't let anyone know that we're ninja since we're pretending that we're not. If we pass anyone on the road, just ask questions that don't have to do with being a ninja, alright? If any hunter ninjas come close I'll let you know. The important thing is to act normally around anyone we meet." Blue looked Naruto over again. "We'll have to come up with a cover story in case we run into anyone." She made a show of pondering the situation for a moment, much to Naruto's amusement. "Alright, got it. You're my little brother now, Naruto, and we're going to River Country to visit some friends of our older brother's, ok? If we do meet anyone, just let me do most of the talking. Most people don't expect a four year old to be as smart and talkative as you are." Blue finished with another smile and a nod from Naruto.

They walked in silence for a few minutes until it was broken by a whisper from Naruto. "Can we talk about ninjas right now?" His eyes were darting around comically as if to sense any enemies ready to jump out from the trees and bushes along the roadside.

"We can talk about them all you want when it's just the two of us, like now. What do you want to know?"

"Well, you said that ninjas use chakra earlier, but I don't know what it is really. Do I have chakra?"

Once again, Blue was surprised by the boy's inquisitive mind. He seemed to be asking pertinent questions. While Blue didn't have experience to speak of with children, she found Naruto's focused mind to be a bit of a relief. She didn't know what she would have done if the boy had been as scatterbrained as she had feared. It would have been… awkward, once they reached home.

"Everyone has chakra Naruto. Even plants and animals have it, to a degree. You can think of it as your life's energy. It flows through your body and helps keep you going. Without chakra, you'd die. Most people without ninja training can't feel or use their chakra. That's why one of the first things you're going to learn is how to draw your chakra out so that it can be used for ninja techniques."

Naruto nodded and then shifted back to silence for a minute. After finishing his analysis of Blue's description, he focused on her again. "If all things need their chakra to live, than wouldn't using it for ninja moves make a person die?"

Blue nodded happily to herself. He was very sharp, as she hoped he'd be. "Very good, Naruto. You're absolutely right. If a person used up all of their chakra they would die. That's why ninjas train constantly to learn their limits and to increase their supply of chakra. A person can live without their chakra supply being full, but as they use more and more they will become tired and sluggish until so much is gone that they pass out. If even more is used past that point they can die."

"That's what you meant about good training being important, right?" Blue looked at her companion with a questioning expression. "If I got bad teachers in Konoha, I might get hurt by other ninjas or I might even hurt myself."

Blue looked back at the road ahead and nodded. "That's very true."

"I'm glad you're going to be the one to teach me Blue." Naruto was looking at her meaningfully. "I'm glad you feel like answering my questions. In Konoha no one would talk about the things I wanted to know or they'd just yell at me or try to hit me. I'm glad that's over with, even if being a ninja with you is as dangerous as I think it might be."

"It's good that you trust me Naruto, but be careful who you give your trust to. Once you do you can't take it back, and sometimes when you are betrayed it never stops hurting. Being a ninja means being wise. Don't let anyone get close enough to hurt you unless you are sure that they trust you too."

"Does that mean you don't trust me, Blue?"

"I may be starting to, but it will take a long time before I see you as someone I can fully depend on." Naruto looked a bit saddened by this. "Still, when I said you were my little brother I meant it Naruto, not just for today. I may be your sensei from time to time, but if you prove that I can trust you then you'll be part of my family forever."

"Do you have a big family?"

"No, Naruto. It's very small."

"Then I'll try my best to earn your trust so I can be part of it too."

That night Blue found herself staring into the dying embers of the small campfire outside of her portable, civilian grade, two-person pup tent. The few hours they had left in the day before they pitched camp were spent playing a game Blue had created at the prompting of Naruto. He had wanted to do something that would help in his training as a ninja, so she had called back a few of her origami creations from their search patrols around the two in order to give Naruto targets to look for. Blue tested the boy's eyesight and hearing by setting small white birds in trees and seeing how long it took them to be located. They would occasionally rustle the leaves in order to draw attention to the sides or behind the traveling duo. To say she was impressed would be an understatement. The boy seemed to have a gift for sensing and pointing out her paper artwork. They continued in this manner until the sun began falling below the treetops and they found a small clearing within sight of the road to make a small camp.

Blue had detected a hunter squad pass them by while they were gathering wood for the fire, but the two of them were so obviously civilians that the hunters did not even bother to stop in their urgency. Blue loved the lack of creative thinking shown by most ninjas - both in tactics and in strategy. Most believed that flashy ninjutsu and rigid adherence to orders were all that mattered in their profession. They thought of themselves as soldiers, not as elegant tools used to sow discord and fear amongst their enemies. It was the one trait that more than anything else separated the trash from the great ninjas of the world.

Once the dinner of canned camping rations was eaten the two had sat down at the fire quietly for a time. After the success of the afternoon's "game," Blue decided to test out more of Naruto's basic skills. This time, though, the subject was reading. The boy had to be able to train on his own if no one was available to assist him, and that meant reading scrolls.

In light of this, Naruto and Blue found themselves reading the Bingo Book for another two hours before Naruto turned in for sleep. They had gotten through nearly all of the B-ranked Iwa ninjas listed in the outdated Rain edition that Blue kept on her person before the boy had started yawning uncontrollably. Still, it hadn't been until she suggested he go lay in the tent that he had gotten up and wandered inside. She certainly didn't have any complaints about his dedication after that. Naruto wasn't bad at hiragana or katakana by any stretch - but being so young, he hardly knew any of the kanji at all. Blue made a mental note to work on that with him in the future – preferably as soon as possible.

She realized that recounting the day's events was putting her mind off track.

Quickly she reviewed her choices today. In all honesty she could have easily gotten them to the border without any danger of being caught, but she wasn't in a rush and needed to think for a bit.

Taking Naruto - a jinchuuriki - from Konoha was definitely not a good idea on the surface. They would want him back, and badly. The boy would have to be hidden away for a time – most likely many years. Considering her current lifestyle, however, this wasn't as big of a problem as it first seemed. Blue was used to hiding from unwanted attention and prying eyes.

More pressing was her own situation in regards to training Naruto. She had obligations back home and taking an apprentice was not exactly feasible at the moment. She knew she needed help and support from the only person who she really trusted.

This was the second problem. Pain wouldn't have any inclination to take an apprentice. He was too caught up in their war against Hanzou and his dealings with Madara and Akatsuki. Simply keeping their resistance movement alive required most of Pain's attention - especially when she was out of the country. He hardly had the disposition to put up with a young boy just starting to train towards being a ninja. Then there was the fact that Akatsuki's goal – tentative goal, she reminded herself – was the capture and ultimate killing of all of the world's jinchuurikis in order to harness the power of the bijuus. Pain was busy with recruitment and research for the organization on top of trying to topple a government run by the most feared shinobi in the world. She had to spin this just right if she was to get Pain on her side.

The only way that Naruto would be allowed to train and flourish with them was if he could prove to be a greater asset than the Kyuubi within him. Being the son of Namikaze certainly helped in that regard, but was it enough? Naruto would need to show incredible talent and dedication to both his own training and their cause in order to keep his life. It was a sad reality, but one that Blue accepted. The boy had grown on her in the half day she had spent with him, but she had given nearly twenty years of her life and her best friend to the war against Hanzou. If forced to make a choice, she sadly acknowledged that Naruto could be sacrificed easily for their ambition to succeed.

Even if half the world had to burn, their ambition would succeed.

She'd already made her choice concerning the boy's future, though. Even if he had to die further down the road, she vowed to make his life a bit more meaningful than it had been.

And the boy might be able to save his own life along the way.

Wasn't that the truth of it, though? Only the boy could save himself from his fate as a jinchuuriki. From what she had seen and heard today, he might just pull it off.

That thought was worth a smile. She had been doing that a lot today. Perhaps the boy could help make her life a bit brighter, even as she made his so. She withheld any illusions she might have about his effect on Pain. There was wishful thinking, and then there were pipe dreams. Still, the man deserved more than he got. It hurt her to see him driving himself stir-crazy trying to accomplish more than one man could ever expect to. But that's just how he was. Just how Pain was.

She missed her old friend.

With that melancholy thought, Blue checked her chakra to see if anything sinister was nearby and retired to the small tent as well. She needed sleep if they were to make it out of Fire Country tomorrow comfortably.

Just one more stop between here and home. She hoped that Naruto would overcome his first trial as a shinobi. If he didn't, she honestly didn't know what his fate would be once they reached Rain Country.

Blue awoke the next morning as the sun crested the horizon. Quickly checking their surroundings, she found that they were very much alone in the forest. The road was clear as well – the merchants were still yet to rouse themselves and continue on their journeys. She leaned over to wake Naruto, who was curled up on the opposite side of the small tent. He woke up at her light prodding and blinked his eyes blearily, trying to take in the unfamiliar surroundings. As his eyes found hers, he smiled and sat up.

"Morning Blue."

"Good morning, Naruto. Did you sleep well?"

"Okay, I guess."

"Why don't you head outside so that I can take down the tent?"

Naruto nodded and crawled through the flap at the foot of the tent, followed quietly by Blue. He found a seat on the ground and became lost in the colors of the early morning and the songs of the birds in the trees. What seemed like a moment later, the tent was packed, a quick breakfast was eaten, and the two were ready to go.

"Are we walking again today, Blue?"

"No, we're jumping. We have to be in River Country tonight for some business."

Naruto was silent for a moment. "Ninja business?"

"That's right. After that we'll be heading back to my home." At this, Blue bent down and helped Naruto put the oversized pack on his back and tighten the straps so that it wasn't lost along the way.

"Where do you live, Blue?"

She hoisted the child onto her back and turned her head slightly to look at him over her shoulder. "It's best if I don't tell you until we arrive. We're going to meet some more people and it's important that they not know where we're from. Now hold on tight, but not too tight. We don't want you to get sore too quickly. We'll be jumping for most of the day."

"Okay."

And with that they were flying through the forests of Fire Country once again. The sense of terror that Naruto had experienced the day before had lessened but the thrill was still there. He had to work to keep himself from laughing as they whipped through the branches at inhuman speeds.

Naruto had always wanted to be a ninja because of what he thought the rewards would be. The status and the respect had always appealed to him, having grown up with none of either. Now, Naruto decided, those things weren't nearly as important as he thought they were. He knew now that he could never be anything but a ninja - if only to be able to do this whenever he wanted. He wanted that power - not to lord over others - but to enjoy for himself. Being a ninja wasn't a means to an end, but an end in and of itself. It was a truly liberating feeling.

As the day wore on they continued away from Konoha and towards the border with River Country, taking occasional stops to let Naruto down so that he could stretch his limbs a bit. They stopped for a lunch of preserved food, again, and made good headway for most of the day.

A few hours after lunch they met with their first real obstacle of the journey. Blue broke from their relatively straight course and began in an awkward zigzag, sometimes backtracking and crossing their earlier path. Most unnerving to Naruto, though, was what sounded like an army on his heals - breaking branches and chipping bark - despite being just out of Naruto's sight.

"What's going on?"

"Hunters picked up our trail. I'm losing them now by making false paths. Don't worry, that sound is my doing."

Naruto relaxed a bit at this, not realizing how tense his body had been as it clung to hers. He tensed up once again, however, as he picked up a slight "damn" from the woman before him.

She spoke quickly and quietly, but Naruto hung on every word. "We've run into another patrol, they're going to close on us. Don't panic."

But Naruto nearly did panic as they dove from nearly forty feet in the air towards the forest floor below. Blue swung him off of her back and flung them both into the belly of a hollowed out old tree. She held her finger in front of her lips, signaling quiet and then clasped her hands in front of her as she had done the day before. From beneath her long-sleeved shirt and pants, a flurry of paper erupted and moved to cover the opening to their hiding place, effectively blocking out all light.

Naruto was frightened when he felt a hand grasp his own, but quickly relaxed as he realized it was only Blue. The light squeeze he felt there kept the small part of him that hated the dark from coming to the surface. They stood there for minutes that stretched out for what seemed like forever. Then came voices from just outside their hidden nook.

"Anything?" Naruto felt another reassuring squeeze on his hand.

"Tracks are everywhere, but we haven't caught sight of them yet."

"Good ones then. How many?"

"Hard to say, could be as many as five or six, but they'd all have to be real good to not get spotted at all. Most likely only two or three that split up and started making false trails."

"They're still around here somewhere, must have taken cover when they sensed you two coming east. Can either of you sense anything?"

"No, nothing, but they must be right around here…"

"Bijuu's barbeque?"

"But what about the kid? If these are the guys that nabbed him…"

"The brat's long gone. These are probably just some idiots trying an infiltration. The missive said that outside of a thirty mile perimeter the kid was a lost cause. We're on border patrol. The chances of him coming through here of all places is zero. Where'd they be taking him? River country doesn't have any ninja and Suna's an ally. I hear they're having enough trouble with their own little monster anyways."

"He's right, let's just light up and get this over with."

Naruto was trying to follow their conversation but much of it was confusing. He did, however, get the gist that they were about to be in big trouble. Blue's quick squeeze followed by a withdrawal of her hand only helped to increase his worry. Hot breath on his ear almost made him jump, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Drop the pack and get on my back again. We're leaving it behind. Hold on tight and be quiet." The words were barely a whisper and yet Naruto picked them up and quickly complied.

They stood there for a few minutes in the darkness, their breathing and the growing sounds of crackling flames the only things to focus on. After a time Naruto began to smell the smoke outside faintly even through the paper shield that protected them.

"Don't panic." And Naruto almost did, as what he knew to be a piece of paper flew over his mouth and nose and glued itself there. After only a moment though the paper took on the feel of cloth and Naruto found that he could breathe through it quite easily. "Hold on tightly."

Naruto only had an instant to firm up his grip before he was launched forward on Blue's back straight through the paper shield - which seemed to explode outwards as they passed through it. Naruto was stunned by the sudden blast of boiling air that assaulted his face, hands, and feet where they were exposed to the heat. They had stepped out into a raging inferno. Everything in their sight was alight with red-orange flames that seemed to dance up the trunks of the surrounding trees. If it hadn't been so horrifying, Naruto would have thought it was beautiful.

The paper shield that had protected them had broken up into its component sheets and flew before them, ripping through the flames and blowing them aside before they sped past. Just moments later they had broken through the firestorm and emerged into healthy forest - the paper storm still leading the way.

Naruto gasped as a masked man flew at them through the canopy with a dangerous looking sword in hand. Blue didn't slow down though - she simply glanced at him and the paper storm fluttered to intercept. It was over so quickly that Naruto wasn't even sure what he had seen as they sped by. Just white and red and the rustling of paper.

They were going faster now than they ever had before and Naruto's heart was beating at a speed he was sure he had never felt, even after all of the encounters with the villagers. All he could do was hold on for dear life and trust that Blue knew what she was doing. Considering what had just occurred, Naruto was fairly sure she did.

Two hours later they were across the border and into River Country.

Naruto looked around curiously as he scurried into town alongside Blue, his short legs struggling to keep up with her purposeful strides. The town was similar in style to Konoha – small shops lined the road into the city and people could be seen walking up and down the lanes finishing their late afternoon shopping. Restaurants were beginning to open to accommodate early diners as patrons began to drift in from the streets to grab a quick bite to eat. The sun was just settling below the treetops, casting long shadows throughout the bustling thoroughfare.

Naruto was fascinated by the simple fact that people seemed to ignore him. He received no malicious glances, growls, or impolite comments. No threats were directed his way. Instead he was treated just as other children he had observed in Konoha were treated – he was ignored. And he loved it. There was no need to ponder every action, every glance. He was simply treated as another small child – something beyond the consideration of self-important adults.

"Where are we Blue?" She glanced down and smiled at him again. He was beginning to truly enjoy her small bouts of familiarity. It was something he never knew before.

"We're in the capital of River Country." She looked down at him again and noticed the slight frown on his face. "It's the largest city in the country, where the daimyo holds his court."

Naruto nodded to indicate his understanding. "Is this where you live?"

"No. We'll be leaving after we finish our business in River Country. We have a job to do first here though."

Naruto glanced around at the patrons making their way up and down the road. "Is it a real job?"

Blue looked at him again, surprised that he could keep his wits about him after their conversation even despite his young age. "That's right. It's fairly important and must be completed before we head home."

"Are we going right now?"

"No. We'll have to wait a bit. How about a quick bite to eat first?" Naruto looked around to confirm that he wasn't the center of attention before nodding eagerly.

"What do you like to eat, Naruto?"

"Um, mostly I eat ramen at Ichiraku's or whatever they're serving at the orphanage." Naruto frowned. "That's usually icky though."

Blue gave a slight nod. "Why don't we give yakiniku a try then?" Seeing Naruto's confused look she elaborated. "That's barbequed meat. You get to cook your own. It'll be fun, you'll see."

As it turned out Naruto did enjoy being able to cook his own food, though Blue had to make sure his pieces of meat were cooked long enough. Naruto tended to be rather impatient.

After a meal full of explanations on how to cook meat properly, which eventually extended into the methods of how to catch and prepare animals in the field without becoming ill, Blue paid for the food and led Naruto back onto the now darkened and quiet roadway.

She looked at the fading light in the sky and seemed to nod to herself almost imperceptibly.

"Alright, it's time."

"Time for our mission?"

"That's right Naruto. Now listen carefully. I need you to be quiet no matter what anyone says to you or asks you. I'll be with you the whole time, so just let me do the talking."

Naruto nodded, already intent on maintaining his silence for the sake of the mission.

Blue looked around to take in the now fairly empty street. Most of the shops were closed and though the restaurants were open and full, the traffic of the afternoon had subsided substantially. Seeing that no one was paying them much attention, she pulled Naruto into a deserted alleyway without protest.

She brought her hands together in a few shapes that Naruto found rather odd but had seen ninjas in Konoha make before. Her calf-length pants peeled away to be replaced with a form-fitting skirt that only reached mid-thigh while her shirt morphed into a rather low-cut sleeveless blouse which left a good deal of cleavage exposed. Naruto barely had time to consider the changes to his companion's outfit before his too began to change. Instead of wearing baggy shorts and a loose shirt he found himself in small shorts and a T-shirt that he found entirely too tight. Still, he resolved to keep his silence as Blue was counting on him to complete their first ninja mission together.

Blue bent down and placed her hands on Naruto's shoulders. "Remember Naruto, no matter what happens I need you to be quiet. Don't ever be afraid. I'll be with you the whole time and will protect you with my life, okay?"

Naruto nodded in response and fidgeted slightly in his tight clothing.

"Good. Tonight I'm going to teach you what being a shinobi is all about, Naruto." She squeezed his shoulders in what she thought was a reassuring manner even as she grimaced. "Remember that not everything a ninja does is great or noble."

With that she prodded a slightly confused Naruto out of the alley and began to lead him through the city, twisting and turning in an effort to reach some unknown location. After traveling for what seemed like forever in his uncomfortable clothing, Naruto noticed that the city began to look more and more grimy and dilapidated. Konoha didn't really have any slums since any residents with less than legal inclinations were quickly apprehended and dealt with by the patrolling ninja. Those that couldn't afford to live cleanly in the city generally packed up and left before they were forced to resort to the more seedy occupations.

Naruto was a bit discomforted by his surroundings but hung on to Blue's promise that she would protect him from any harm. Finally they came to a run down, multi-story structure that was just one of many that seemed to tower over the lonely lane that ran before it. Following closely behind Blue, Naruto approached a man standing by a beaten door leading into the building. The man was dressed in clothing that would have once been considered fancy attire but now was too dirty and frayed to be worn out in broad daylight without drawing attention. As they approached Naruto noticed a bright flare of light near the man's face and realized that he was smoking. Naruto hated smokers. They stank far too much for tolerance in his opinion. The only one he could stand was the old man, but that was thanks to the more fragrant pipe weed that he was fond of. Still, he followed Blue up to the man while attempting to keep a blank face despite the pungent fumes being taken in by his nostrils.

The man threw the cigarette to the ground and stomped it out before addressing Blue. "Can I help you, little lady?"

"I certainly hope so," she replied in an alluring voice that Naruto had never heard her use before. It definitely wasn't right for Blue.

"I'm here to offer the boss a little entertainment." She winked at the man and leaned forward a bit, revealing even more cleavage to the now near-drooling man.

"I haven't heard anything about any entertainment tonight lady." The man's voice was shaky and his eyes wouldn't leave Blue's chest, except to glance at Naruto after many moments. "And what is the brat doing here?"

"My master sent us to make sure that your boss was well taken care of tonight. He wasn't sure as to what to send though, so he wanted to make sure his associate enjoyed himself." Naruto noticed that she was still using that sultry voice that seemed so removed from her normally kind yet clipped speech.

The man's face bore a confused expression before taking on a look of pure disgust. "Shit. You must be kidding me lady. That's fucking disgusting." Naruto looked on curiously, not understanding quite what was going on but concentrating on remaining quiet for Blue. "The boss doesn't do that kind of shit. Get the kid outta here."

Blue looked a bit abashed before seemingly regaining her confidence. Naruto was almost sure it was an act. "I doubt you could be so sure of that, but regardless the kid needs to stay with me. I'm responsible for him tonight, after all. I can't just send him off in the dark like this and hope he makes it back, right?" She regained her sultry demeanor before resuming her conversation. "We can come in, right?"

The man glanced at Naruto before his attention moved back to Blue's breasts. "I suppose you can go in." His eyes flitted to Naruto once again with a frown marring his face. "But isn't he a little young for…" He didn't finish before he took on a sick look. "Ugh, I don't care, just get inside."

With that Blue and Naruto entered through the rusty door now held open for them by the disgruntled smoker. The inside of the building was lit almost painfully bright. Compared to the dark street outside it seemed to Naruto as if he had just looked directly into the sun. Still, he followed closely on Blue's heals as she marched determinedly up a flight of stairs to reach the second floor. It led to a corridor branching both left and right. At the end of the left hallway Naruto could make out a small room where a group of men gathered around a table arguing loudly. He thought they were playing cards. Another roughshod man stood in the corridor to the right and straightened as they approached.

Blue walked up to him and smiled seductively. "I'm here to entertain the boss for the evening. The boy is here with me, just in case."

The man looked a bit flustered before regaining his composure and scowling at Naruto. "You go through this door," he gestured behind him, "but the brat stays out here. The boss has got no use for 'im."

"I can't just leave him out here. He's my responsibility. I'd be dead if anything happened to him." She looked at Naruto appraisingly. "He knows what to do. He'll be quiet one way or another."

"Alright, whatever. Just get in there and do your thing. Afterwards I might even have some work for you." He smiled wickedly and Naruto's dislike of the man increased exponentially. Normal people didn't smile like that.

They walked through another grimy door and into a deserted room decorated with a stained rug and a few chairs. They continued through it to a door on the opposite wall. Inside was a larger room with a number of battered pieces of furniture and a few modern appliances scattered about, including a television. On an ugly, brown couch against the wall lay a man with gray hair and a grizzled complexion. Naruto didn't think him fat, per se, but everything on his body seemed to sag even as he sat up on the couch and acknowledged their presence.

"Well hello, my dear. To what do I owe this pleasure?" The man leered disgustingly at Blue as he stood from his seat and began to approach them.

Blue looked at him dispassionately, seeming to study this old and unimpressive character. Her stoic demeanor evaporated as she replied. "I'm here to reward you for your loyal," she spat the word, "devotion to your business partners."

The man stopped his approach as six sheets of paper flew quickly to adhere themselves to the floor, ceiling, and walls of the room. Even more escaped from under Blue's incredibly short skirt to completely cover the door and windows in unbroken sheets of white. Naruto's cursory glance found strange circular symbols imprinted on the paper sheets that were placed on the six surfaces of the room. His attention was drawn back to Blue however as her demeanor seemed to shift to one he had never seen before.

The short skirt and skimpy blouse disappeared in a torrent of paper sheets. After only a few moments the paper settled over her entire body. Instead of pants or skirts or shirts or blouses, Blue now bore an imposing high-collared black cloak decorated with crimson clouds. Her face was impassive and cold, as though she had not a care in the world for this place or the now cowering old man in front of her. "You betrayed us. You sold us out to him."

The kneeling man looked up with a terrified expression on his face. "I didn't! I didn't betray you! I swear it! I… I don't know what you're talking about!"

Blue sneered. "Despite all of your underhandedness you can't even lie to save your life. Our organization has no leaks. Because of you my allies are dead. You should have thought about the consequences before you made a pact with shinobi. You should have thought about the consequences before betraying shinobi."

It was the first time that Naruto had seen Blue really angry, and it scared him. She didn't yell or froth at the mouth like some of the people in Konoha did. She simply looked at the man with such complete loathing that Naruto felt like the man should be screaming from the hate being directed at him. That's when he noticed that the man was trembling and sweating uncontrollably. The old man fell to his hands and knees, yet the trembling persisted.

"Please… please. I didn't have a choice. His men approached me. I, I had to tell the truth. He would have killed me!"

"You're the criminal here, Takahashi. You're the one used to hiding and lying. You're the one with no honor. You should have resisted but you didn't." Blue looked down on his cowering form with contempt. Naruto watched, fascinated, as pristine white paper fluttered yet again out of her right sleeve and formed a wicked-looking blade. "You should have known that if he didn't kill you then we would have."

With that Blue lunged forward and swept her arm-turned-blade across the man's neck – through the man's neck. Naruto watched, fascinated, as the man's body slumped over to the right while his head rolled off to the left. Then the blood started flowing from the now headless corpse in what seemed to Naruto as a nearly endless stream, as if someone was simply pouring blood onto the carpet below the corpse. He turned around, too horrified to look at the scene.

A hand on his shoulder made him jump and he resisted the urge to scream.

"You should look you know." Naruto forced his head to turn and look at Blue, despite her attention still being behind him, supposedly on the gushing corpse. "If you look away from what you fear then your terror of it will only grow." She turned to give him a sad smile. "If you look upon your fear then you will understand it's horror and thus learn to confront it again if you must."

Naruto met her eyes for a moment before slowly turning around to take in the sight of the headless corpse once again. The dark stain on the carpet continued to spread slowly as blood oozed from what was left of the man's neck.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but this is what true shinobi do. We are soldiers trained to end the lives of others."

For the first time since Blue had explained their mission, Naruto spoke. "Why?" Blue put on a curious look. "Why do shinobi kill people?"

Blue remained silent for a moment. "That is something that a shinobi must learn for himself. I did it tonight because this man betrayed my friends and caused them to be killed by my enemies. You must learn to kill for what you believe in if you wish to become a great ninja."

"So you kill to help your friends?"

"Yes, that sounds about right, Naruto."

"I don't have any friends besides you, Blue." Naruto finally tore his eyes away from the dead body to look up at the woman. "I think I would hurt anyone who tried to kill you though. I think I could do that."

Blue let a small smile creep over her face despite the morbid atmosphere. "Remember that reason Naruto. Don't ever forget why you want to be a shinobi. If you do you will become a true monster." Blue raised her arms to be perpendicular to her chest and the paper throughout the room returned to rest inside the sleeves of her cloak. "But if you always remember why, you can be a real hero."

"A hero, Blue?"

"Of course. Just like the Third Hokage back in Konoha. He kills to protect the people of Konoha from those who wish to harm them."

"The old man kills people?"

Blue turned back to the entrance to the chambers. "He's killed more people than you've met in your whole life, Naruto." She looked into his eyes again. "Do you think he is a bad person for that?"

Naruto's eyes were still glued to the bloodied body. "He was always so nice to me. I never thought he would hurt people like that."

"He does what he thinks is best. He works to protect the people he cares about." She put a hand on Naruto's shoulder and turned him away from the body and towards the door they had entered through. "A shinobi's life is never easy, Naruto. Even if you are trying to do your best to protect and help the ones you love, it still hurts a bit. You just have to decide what hurts more."

Naruto looked up at her, seeming even smaller than ever before. Still, his deep blue eyes seemed to convey an understanding that Blue found almost unnerving. She continued on anyways. "Do you think it will hurt more to watch your friends die, or to kill the people who are trying to hurt them?"

Blue leaned down and ruffled Naruto's hair. "It's alright, Naruto. You don't have to make a decision about what you're going to do right now. Just remember that your reason is your most important thing of all. That's what we call a nindo – a ninja code. Each shinobi must find his own and stick to it or else he will have no meaning in his life."

She walked towards the outer door and pushed it open. Even as the doorman turned to look at them, wondering what had gone wrong to end their session so quickly, white sheets burst forth and tore a bloody gash in his throat before the paper storm flew down the hallway and into the card-players' room. Only a few muffled gasps alerted Naruto to the fate of the men seated there. Naruto didn't much care at this point. His shoes were soaked with the doorman's blood and he barely noticed as his tight clothing loosened and returned to the state it was in before their evening excursion. He continued following Blue down the stairs to the exit where they had entered, only to barely witness her throwing open the door and dragging the cigarette smoking guard inside. Her left hand covered his mouth as her right hand reformed into the paper sabre and his throat was neatly sliced through. Naruto glanced at the dying man dispassionately – the blood didn't bother him so much any more.

Blue led him gently out into the street before turning around to the open door. She shifted through a number of hand seals before blowing a huge ball of red flame into the stairwell they had just descended. Very quickly the building began to light up as the unnatural fire spread throughout, concealing the actions committed there in the night.

Naruto watched on in fascination as the building burned. "What was that?"

"That was the fireball technique, Naruto."

"Will I be able to learn that?"

"Most likely."

Naruto stood transfixed by the flaming structure. "Cool."

And with that, Blue grabbed Naruto and sped across the rooftops into the night.

Naruto and Blue stood just inside of the tree line, staring into the murky rainstorm falling not twenty feet in front of them. Despite the ferocity of the downpour there, not a single drop fell upon them. Naruto looked curiously at his companion as if to ask a question, but remained silent. She would give him an answer if she felt it was needed.

"Welcome to Rain Country, Naruto." Still dressed in her black and red cloak she walked forward and stepped into the falling torrents. She turned around to look back at her young companion, who still stood just inside the tree cover. "This is my home, and will be yours, if you want it." She held out her right hand, palm up, to the young boy. "Will you come home with me?"

A small smile graced Naruto's face and continued to grow until it seemed to split his head from ear to ear. "Okay."

The small boy scampered happily out of the trees and stepped into the rain, grasping tightly onto the hand that was held out to him. Even as the rain continued to beat down upon them, the boy's smile never faltered. Together they set out for a safe place. They set out for home.

A man looked up from a rickety desk covered in yellowed scrolls and elaborate notes. His almost perpetually stoic countenance broke for a moment as a small smile threatened to split his severe yet youthful face.

"Welcome back, Konan," the man spoke quietly to himself. His eyes drifted unconsciously to the closed door that led to his small subterranean office despite the still extreme proximity to his closest friend.

The smile melted off of his face as he felt another presence enter his domain. The intruder didn't have a particularly alarming amount of chakra, but it was peculiar. It felt almost… sinister, in a way. Chakra that wasn't human. Nothing good could come from this.

"What have you done, Konan?"