Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are the property of Masashi Kishimoto. However, the original characters and plot of this fic belong to me.

Author Notes: Such a quick update, i know. Also, I'm not surprised that a lot of you were confused by the first chapter and i expected as much though everything will slowly become clearer as the story continues. Thanks for the support and this chapter reveals a little bit but nothing major, enjoy.

Chapter 2: Crystal Of Legend

Naruto stared at the huge gates which were the entrance to Iwa. The decorations on the large gates were a pleasant sight for the eye and they always amazed the blonde, "Security is still tight." He looked around, noticing a group of people entering along with him.

He walked up to one of the gate guards who anticipated his approach. The intimidating guard wore a mask covering his face, "Identification." His request was short and simple as Naruto complied by taking off his rucksack and pulling out a document to show him, with which he was met with a nod.

Naruto took back the document and quickly put it away as he entered the large village of shinobi and civilians. "I wonder what I should do first; I should probably head to the hot springs." A tainted smile appeared across his face but was quickly removed when he heard his stomach growl, "I haven't eaten anything since I woke up…" The sound of the rumbling grew louder as he walked into the market, "Yeah, time to eat."

The market was full of people, busy buying necessities or just hanging around to have a good time. Including the various shops, there were a large number of stalls from where you could buy things a lot cheaper than anywhere else. This kind of business trade was illegal everywhere else though it was allowed in Iwa as it helped with commerce and brought tourists to the Hidden Village.

Naruto enjoyed the noise as the encampment was very isolated and he hadn't left it for a really long time. Walking past a few women who caught his attention, he entered a small restaurant which upon further inspection seemed shady and wasn't probably the best place to get something to eat. Naruto shrugged as he made his way over to a small booth in the corner after ordering some food to eat. Taking a place on the surprisingly comfortable seats, he took out a cigarette and lit it with a match before leaning back and beginning to smoke.

The restaurant was very quiet and the sounds from the street outside could be heard through the air. Naruto noted that there were only a few people eating, while most others were talking meaning that it was probably a good place for information. Closing his eyes, he continued smoking silently as he waited for his meal before he could hear the voices of two people in the booth next to his. He put up his foot alongside himself, listening to the conversation.

The first voice could be heard and was deep compared to the other squeakier and calm one. Naruto blew out some smoke as he tried to make out what they could be talking about.

"Are you sure about this rumour?" The deep voice asked the question.

"Yeah, the crystal was found in Wave Country." The excitement could be heard through the squeaky voice as it answered.

A laugh broke out, "Interesting, it's worth enough to buy a small country huh? Maybe we should head there and take it."

The squeaky voiced individual could be heard making a reply, "But if this is the crystal of legend…then we could be getting into something not manageable by our hands."

The laughter stopped and a silence commenced before the deep voice could be heard again, "We'll take the risk. I'm feeling lucky."

Naruto opened his eyes as he saw the waitress place a bowl of steaming ramen in front of him. The blonde took out his cigarette and blew out the rest of his smoke as he could hear some shuffling in the booth next to him.

A large man stood up and looked over at Naruto, "You want to put that cigarette out?"

Naruto looked past him towards the other man who was visibly smaller and thinner, "Yeah, you're stinking up the place."

Naruto placed the cigarette back in his mouth before looking at the blue haired waitress who was perturbed by the sudden confrontation, "Do you mind if I smoke miss?"

The waitress shook her head, "No, it's not against the rules or anything."

Naruto smiled at her before looking at the two individuals, "You heard the lady; it doesn't disturb her so it doesn't bother me."

The larger man could be heard clenching his fist as he spoke in a more threatening tone, "It bothers me."

Naruto took his cigarette and put it out before lighting a new one, "Sometimes it's best to endure little problems."

The waitress, who could see the two men becoming incensed by Naruto's antics, quickly spoke to diffuse the situation, "Please leave, you two have ate and seemed to have finished all other business."

The larger man was about to make a move but was stopped by his smaller friend, "We'll leave. Remember, we have more important things at hand."

Naruto resumed smoking as he saw the two men depart before facing the waitress who was also about to continue her duty. He grabbed her hand causing her to turn towards him, "What's your name?"

The waitress raised an eyebrow, "Why do you want to know?"

Naruto grinned at her, exposing his sharp teeth, "I was wondering whether you were doing anything later or not."

The waitress realised what Naruto meant as she smiled and shook her head, meaning she was free. The blonde laughed as he quickly finished his meal and left some money before setting up a time to meet the woman later on.

Leaving the restaurant, he yawned as the temperature around him slowly increased due to him walking closer to the hot springs. As he approached the entrance, he could see a female attendant. She handed him a towel and smiled, "Just head straight down and you'll see the sign to the men's side."

Naruto put the towel on his shoulder as he looked at where she was pointing, "You changed where you kept the hot springs."

The attendant nodded, "It's been about a year since we did."

Naruto walked inside the area which was covered in steam making it hard to see where exactly he was going. Seeing a door ahead, he entered into the changing room and discarded all his clothes except for the towel which had been given to him by the attendant earlier and a pack of cigarettes.

Tying the towel around his southern region, he walked into the hot springs instantly feeling warmth surround his body. He walked closer to the water, "I'm the only one here…I like it that way."

Before he could take off his towel, a flash appeared across his stomach followed by a black seal. Naruto let out a scream of anguish as the pain engulfed his senses, dropping to his knees and feeling his consciousness fade before he collapsed.

XXXXXXXXXX

At the centre of Iwa was a large building shaped like a dome wherein the Tsuchikage stood calmly, staring outside of his window towards the streets. His hat was placed on the desk letting his red hair fall upon his shoulders. His office was large with numerous chairs around the edge of it and a luxury rug running through the core.

Hearing the entrance to his office open, he shifted his eyes in that direction. A man with a mature face walked inside and closed the door behind him. "Tsuchikage-sama, I have escorted the Konoha shinobi to the hot springs as you requested, though may I ask why such things are necessary?"

The Tsuchikage continued facing away from his advisor as he spoke, "Our relations with Konoha and the Fire Country have been volatile ever since the war. It is fitting to show some hospitality to our guests who are the first Leaf-nin to enter Iwa in 20 years. Wouldn't you agree Tenjou?"

Tenjou nodded, "Yes, it makes sense when you say it like that. It is all to build a trusting companionship."

The Tsuchikage turned around and sat in his seat before folding his legs, "You should clean up your hair; it makes you seem less threatening."

Tenjou ran a hand through his scruffy brown hair, "I have tried but nothing seems to work." Clearing his throat, he resumed, "I have other news that I believe will interest you."

The Tsuchikage pulled out a cloth and began to wipe his hat, "Which is?"

Tenjou straightened the black patch covering his left eye, "Uzumaki Naruto has been sighted wandering in the market."

The Tsuchikage stopped cleaning his hat as he looked at his advisor, "Naruto…"

Tenjou observed his leader's behaviour, "You seem surprised."

The Tsuchikage stood up, a thoughtful expression on his face, "He left the encampment; I didn't expect him to do that." His demeanour changed as he shook his head, "That aside, who did the Hokage send as representatives?"

Tenjou folded his arms as a smirk was across his visage, "They certainly don't disappoint."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Look beyond yourself Naruto; tell me what you see."

Naruto's eyes snapped open, revealing the dark surroundings he was in. He sat up, rubbing his head and becoming aware of exactly where he was. He looked at the shadowy hallways which seemed to continue endlessly. The sound of silent yet menacing breathing entered his ears as he stood up.

He walked towards the sound of the breathing, his feet making a splashing sound each time he connected with the small amount of water covering the floor. Looking in a hallway which was completely covered in darkness and seemed to have no light, he began to walk through it and after a few minutes could see a glimmer of fire.

The Uzumaki shook his head as he arrived at his destination and looked at the ground leading up to a towering cage which was partially contorted. He could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up as his blood began to boil. His eyes shot to the ground as he refused to look up at the cage where a sinister presence slowly made itself visible.

"Isn't this a surprise?" The deep and gruff voice sounded amused. Naruto remained quiet as his anger began to grow, "What's wrong, afraid of looking at me?" The voice began to laugh sickeningly.

Naruto stared at the water on the ground which had a few ripples running through it, "There are things I fear but you're not one of them." Naruto looked up at the demon inhabiting the cage.

Kyuubi licked his teeth as he stared into Naruto's eyes and recognised the crimson ring around his sapphire orbs, "So that's why you held your gaze. Seems like the clock is ticking and you're wishing it went slower." He showed his vicious teeth as he grinned.

Naruto gritted his teeth, "Don't be so confident, I'm close to the final piece of the puzzle."

Kyuubi's chakra began to flare as it struck the cage, "You are merely delaying the inevitable."

Naruto turned around and began walking in the opposite direction, "I promised on his life that I'd kill you…"

Kyuubi laughed menacingly, "Like that will help you."

Naruto stopped walking as he heard the demon fox, "I'll do whatever it takes…" He resumed in the opposite direction of the Kitsune as he closed his eyes and began to concentrate.

He could feel himself being lifted and leaving the domain of his mind. Opening his eyes and seeing that he was back in the hot springs, Naruto rose to his feet and stretched his neck, "Bastard fox…"

Taking off his towel, he entered the hot water and let its heat consume and relax him. His muscles began to loosen up as he picked up the pack of cigarettes and opened them to retrieve his favourite stick of nicotine. He buried himself in the water leaving his arms out on the side, continuing to smoke.

As his temper began to subside, he rested his head backwards and looked at the smoke escape from his cigarette and blend in with the steam. His eyes shifted towards the entrance to the hot spring as he could hear someone trying to open it and eventually succeeding. He watched on as all he could see through the steam was the person's pair of legs which were devoid of any hair. He saw the towel drop on the floor before diverting his eyes back to his cigarette.

He could hear the water splash a little as the other occupant entered it and took a seat across from him. He closed his eyes as he spoke, "Do you shave your legs often?"

He awaited a response and was rewarded with the pleasant sound of a soft voice, "Yes, you don't?"

Naruto grunted as he heard the awkward question, "Of course not."

A silence loomed as the voice once again spoke but this time it seemed a little curious, "You don't find that disgusting?"

Naruto opened his eyes and took out his cigarette, looking across the hot water. He was confused with the posed question as he hadn't shaved during his life and found it odd that other men would, "No, I find that shaving your legs is disgusting."

He was met with a laugh which sounded sweet, "Many would disagree with you."

Naruto listened to the strange voice as he shook his head, "I doubt that." Knowing his next statement would probably insult the person, he made sure his voice was calm, "You know, you sound like a woman."

Naruto stopped smoking as an eerie silence passed and he felt as if he may have done something terrible. He could see the steam slowly clearing, letting him gaze at the person across him. The thought of cherry blossoms drifted through his head as he saw pink hair followed by emerald eyes and the realisation that he was indeed sitting opposite someone of a different gender.

Naruto raised an eyebrow as he looked at the woman who was relatively attractive but what really drew his attention was her pink hair which was something he had never seen on a human before. The Uzumaki became wary as the woman across him twisted her face into an angry expression and rose from the water, "Pervert, I'll rip your eyes out!"

Naruto put up his hands, "There's been a misunderstanding!" He quieted down as the woman exposed all her features to him resulting in an approving look from him, "Nice."

The woman was quick to duck under the water and move backwards before grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her, "I'll show you something nice."

Naruto scratched his head, "Then why'd you put your towel back on?" The woman rose from the water completely wet with the towel sticking to her, "Actually this doesn't look bad either."

Naruto realised that she was about to attack him as he jumped up causing the woman to scream and divert her eyes elsewhere. The blonde quickly grabbed his own towel and wrapped it around himself before making a dash for the fence which separated the men and women's side of the hot springs. He turned around to see the emerald eyed beauty had recovered and was now screaming after him, "I'm going to kick your ass!"

Naruto grabbed the top of the fence and flipped over it, safely landing on the other side, "Not today." He stood up coolly, knowing he wouldn't be followed to the other side of the fence but he could still hear the angry screams of the pink haired woman.

Sighing, he walked forward but stopped as he saw two people standing and looking directly at him. The white haired man wore a mask which Naruto found odd due to where they were while the black haired individual just stared at him nonchalantly. The one with the mask spoke lazily, "You're lucky that you got away without so much of a scratch on you."

Naruto humbly laughed, thinking it was some sort of a compliment, "It was close." Coughing, he nodded in the direction of the exit, "Excuse me." Naruto walked towards the exit but stopped briefly, looking back at the black haired individual due to feeling some sort of familiarity towards him. Shaking his head, he left the hot springs as the man with the mask looked on.

Both the remaining men sat down in the water as the one with white hair scratched his head, "That was interesting."

The black haired individual spoke indifferently, "What was?"

Relaxing himself, the masked man leaned back, "He reminded me of someone."

XXXXXXXXXX

Hideaki sat patiently as he saw the scarlet eyed woman continue her training. Clasping his hands, he pondered on what Naruto's objective was but his train of thought was short lived. His concentration focused solely on Yuka as he saw her once again fall to the ground due to overexerting herself. Standing up, he began to make his way to the woman who was now breathing heavily while resting on the grass below.

"Yuka, I want to ask you a question." Hideaki faced towards the tree a few feet away as he spoke.

Yuka looked up at the old man, "Yes?"

Hideaki let out a heavy breath, "Why are you in the position that you are?"

Yuka was confused by the question before she realised what he meant and answered, "I want to prove that I'm fit to be the leader of this encampment."

Hideaki shook his head, "That's not true."

Yuka seemed perplexed by his comment, "What do you mean?"

Hideaki sighed, "Why do you want to lead these people? What purpose does it serve? What do you hope to accomplish?"

Yuka's expression became downcast as she delved into her memories, "To make sure that a repeat of the past doesn't happen…so everyone here is safe and won't be at such a disadvantage again."

Hideaki smiled, "When you accomplish that, you will have proven that you are fit to lead." The old man faced her with a serious demeanour, "But in order to do that, you must stop thinking that this burden is on your shoulders only because Naruto refused it."

Yuka's eyes showed her insecurity as she listened to his words, "I try not to."

Hideaki walked towards the tree behind her, "This tree provides shade for people…but if it wasn't here then another would grow in its place and do the same job because it is also capable." Looking at the sky and seeing the twinkle of a few stars, Hideaki walked away from the small field and left Yuka with his last words, "The only thing that would set them apart is who came first."

Yuka fell backwards on the grass as she stared at the crimson sky, thinking about what she was told, "But it's hard when only a few people believe you're capable."

XXXXXXXXXX

The moonlight shone through the window, illuminating the hotel room where two bodies lay entangled in the blanket of a moderately sized bed. Opening his eyes, Naruto was met with a fresh fragrance entering his nose. He slowly sat up, being careful not to disturb the blue haired woman lying next to him. After rubbing his eyes and becoming more alert, he got out of the bed. He put the blanket over the naked woman before walking over to a small desk in the corner. Sitting on the chair, he reached into the pockets of the pants which were hanging off the side. Rummaging around for a few moments, he had a bewildered expression on his face when he couldn't find his cigarettes.

Sighing, he slapped his head as he realised he'd left them at the hot springs after the whole fiasco with the pink haired woman. Rubbing his arm and warming it up a little, he picked up his rucksack from the ground and opened it. Taking out one scroll, he placed it on the desk prior to looking back at the woman to find her comfortably asleep. He unfastened the scroll, revealing various notes and drawings of seals as he placed a hand in his hair, '2 years and I still haven't figured out how to complete it. This is my last chance; if it's not there...it's not anywhere.'

Author Notes: Now, a little bit of what's going on has become clear. A lot more questions arise with this chapter and that'll just add to the twists and everything later on. Until next time.