AUTHOR'S NOTE:Hey guys I'm happy to present this newest chapter to you, it proving to be extremely difficult for me. I wrote two other totally different chapters and both of them just didn't seem to do it for me so I started on this one and liked the end result. I'm hoping to catch up steam for my other story, someone reviewed it today and it sparked my interest but I'm still having difficulties coming up with material for it. I like a lot of the idea's you guys came up with, some were especially very intriguing. I hope the next chapter comes faster and keep up those reviews; I would be lying if I said your continued interest isn't a big motivator haha. Enjoy.

PAIRING'S NOTE: For all of you curious about pairings, I am not certain as of yet. I will however confirm possibilities:

No Yaoi (sorry)

I am not ruling out a Harem; however do not get your hopes up.

Sakura is always a possibility, so I don't want you die hard NaruXSaku fans who read this to be immediately not interested after the first chapter (Although obviously I'm sure you can tell the chances are dim at best).

Tsunade is a definite no, but I'm not saying older women are out of the question.

Female Kyuubi is always a possibility.

That's all I can confirm as of now, but there is a reason why I didn't list the pairings. Although there a many fan fics I will purposely only read knowing who the main guy/girl is going to be with at the end, when I know in advance I catch myself consciously skipping over dialogue between other possible choices because I know its not on the script for them to be together and kind of "rush" to get to the goods, not getting the real value of reading the story for what it is. Maybe I'm the only person who does this and if so I guess fing crazy. Anyway I hope my very vague pairing's info didn't piss a lot of you off more then help haha.

On with the story!

Chapter 5

The masked hunter nin looked over his village covered in the moon's vast glow, his senses assaulted by all the familiar smells and sights. He jumped from the roof he had stood on, landing silently to the sandy road below. The night was filled with the sound of chirping insects and the wind sailing though the grass and trees around him, almost as if calming the blonde Shinobi. He reached under his mask running his fingers over the dark scar he inflicted those years ago, feeling the pain pulsating it from it like some sickening heart beat.

Flashback

It was almost 2 months since he left the village, he had been on the trail of a random missing nin he had chosen in his bingo book and was certain he would find him at any time. At first he missed the village after leaving it without barely saying goodbye but as time went on he was beginning to enjoy being alone, to him it was peaceful. He stood up in a tree looking over the area until he spotted smoke in the distance rising over the tree line. He cautiously approached the immediate area until he was within a few hundred feet from what appeared to be a camp fire. He drew a kunai and snuck closer trying to see if the missing nin was indeed the camp's occupant. He stopped after getting within a few yards; he could see an old bald man curled up next to the fire breathing softly in what appeared to be a deep sleep. He then tip toed very slowly within a few feet of said old man, leaning down peering at the old man's face.

"I know your there young man" the voice caused Naruto to jump back in the air, dropping the kunai at his feet. The old man slowly opened his eyes, briefly eyeing the kunai that fell before him.

"So you're here for my bounty huh?" he said in a flat tone. The blonde just stared at the man in front of him as he sat up on his knees, looking back at him. The man looked like he was in his late 50's. He wore a plain white kimono with a black sash with ninja sandals, though his clothing looked quite weathered from who knows how much traveling he had done.

"You aren't the first of the many hunter nin I've silenced over the years, what makes you think you can take my head?" the older man stood to his feet, waiting for his would be attacker's response. The masked nin shrugged, looking down at the fire watching the flames crackle and dance.

"It's a win win situation for me" the boy said after a long silence. The old man stood baffled, truly confused by the statement.

"What exactly do you mean by that? If I kill you how exactly is that winning?" he stared at the boy like he was some sort of special needs ninja.

"Inside me is sealed the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and as long as I live it lives. When I die it will die. If I defeat you tonight there will be one less missing nin and I can continue down the list, but if I die, then Kyuubi will be dead and there will be no chance of him being freed to murder and pillage this land ever again." He paused grabbing another kunai getting into a fighting stance.

"So you see, I have nothing to lose" the old man stared at him dumbfounded. The hunter-nin's argument was compelling; however he was leaving out one detail.

"What about your dreams? And your friends and the people you care about? I'm sure there is someone out there, someone you love" the boy visibly flinched at the mention of the word love as it left the old man's lips. Another silence claimed the night as he watched the boy in the fire's light.

The blonde readied himself again "I'm done talking, if your going to fight then get ready, one thing is for certain and that is one of us is not leaving here alive" the boy walked slowly in his battle stance towards the geezer. Before he knew it the old man flashed in front of him, grabbing the hand that held the kunai twisting it out of his hand and punching him square in the face with other, knocking him flat on his back. The blonde flipped backwards on his hands to his feet but again was knocked back down to the ground, this time with a kick.

'The speed and damage the old man is inflicting has to be over Jounin, maybe even close to Hokage level!' The boy thought as he pushed himself to his knees. Again the man appeared before him, this time grabbing him by the neck, lifting him off the ground as it feet dangled for something to touch. With his free arm he pulled out a katana from behind his back the blonde had failed to notice, positioning it so he could stab it through his heart.

"It's strange, but I almost feel like your letting me do this to you…but no matter, I want to see your face before I end your existence" he flicked his katana into the side of the hunter nin mask, knocking it away with ease. The old man shuddered.

He dropped the boy to the ground, staring at him like he wasn't real. The boy's face was for lack of a better word "defeated", staring in front of him as if he was focusing on something in the distance.

"You really don't care do you?" the boy looked up momentarily, locking eyes with his target, but made no acknowledgement towards him. After a few minutes the missing nin sheaved his katana to his back, taking a step forward towards the boy. The blonde finally looked up, a questioningly look plaguing his features.

"Aren't you going to kill me?" The man shook his head helping the boy to his feet. He took a step back staring the boy in the eyes.

"You're not like the others, I can tell just by looking in your eyes. Why are you doing this?" After a brief moment the boy explained how he had almost lost control of the demon inside seeing the woman he loved with all his heart cheating on him with his best friend, telling him how since that day the demon's thirst for blood began making him become mentally unstable. After almost an hour of telling his story they both stood there in silence, the old man seemingly letting the words sink in.

"What is your name?" he asked him, watching the boy reach down picking up his mask, staring at the ground.

"Uzumaki Naruto" he looked up at the missing nin.

"And you are?"

The geezer scrunched his wrinkled face, making an odd smile.

"Toroshi Kanaye"

The man paused after saying his name, smirking at the boy.

"Wait you came after me without even knowing my name? What kind of hunter nin are you?"

The boy's usual ball of energy anger surfaced suddenly, waving his fist at him.

"HEY IM NEW AT THIS GIVE ME A BREAK!" he then stopped suddenly.

"What do we do now?" At that moment he remembered the only reason he was alive was because the old man had decided not to kill him…yet. He cringed momentarily getting prepared for him to attack but ceased when he saw the man smile again.

"I'm not really a missing nin. Me and my clan were banished and hunted down when we refused to collaborate in an attempt to destroy a smaller allied village. Because of that, I am now the last remaining member of my clan." His face took on a somber tone as he stared down at the ground

"I know how you feel, I'm the only person left in my clan, I don't even know who my parents were" the blonde's face mirroring the other's.

"Why didn't go to another village and join them in order to protect yourself from the hunter nins?" the old man raised his head, chuckling on the inside at the concern in the boy's voice.

"I'm assuming you didn't read the bounty that is on my head as well, take out your bingo book" the blonde did as he was told, flipping back to the page where he saw the man's face. His reaction was unique to say the least.

"WHAT! You could build your own hidden village with that much money!" the old man nodded in response.

"That's why I couldn't go to another village, you can't trust anyone with that much money hanging over your head, and to be honest I don't think I could resist it either" the blonde put the bingo book back in his pouch, looking up at the sky.

"I have been running from hunter nins for almost 20 years now, waiting to find the right person to pass on my clan's techniques before I leave this world. I was beginning to think I wouldn't find him until tonight" the boy eyed him confused, scratching his head. The man put his hand on his shoulder, looking the boy in the eyes with a genuine smile.

"I'm choosing you to carry on my clan's legacy" the hunter nin's eyes widened to the size of saucers and then receded back to normal. Suddenly the blonde shinobi's eyes lost their light, the sadness seeping back into his features once again.

"What makes you think I'm worthy?" Kanaye saw his mood change, realizing maybe it was a bit much for him to take in without revealing his reasons.

"I can see the pain in your eyes, the sorrow that has gripped your heart and squeezed it shut. It's that pain that we have in common, the feelings that bind you into the man you are" the blonde nodded very slightly.

"I can also see the good in you, the purity of one who lives his life for others and not for himself. You are a man who only seeks power to protect his precious people, a man who cannot be tainted by the lust for power. I know that in your heart you will not use what I teach you for evil" the man squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. The boy looked up at him trying to smile as best he could back at him. Kanaye was pleased to see him cheer up, he knew he had made the right choice.

"Then that's settled then. Follow me, I'll take you to my hidden home" the man turned from him walking towards the dense trees that surrounded them. The blonde followed suit walking next to him.

"By the way, if your so good at evading hunter nins, how did I find you so easily?" the old man looked down at him with a mocking smile.

"Who said I didn't know you were there? And for that matter, who said that maybe for the last two weeks I've been purposely leading you towards my home" the boy looked back at him shocked 'so he had this planned from the beginning'. There they walked, together in the pale moon light. A master with his new apprentice.

END FLASHBACK

He gripped the hilt of his katana as the memories of the old man he had befriended barraged his mind, his head swimming in anguish as the scene played in his head of the last time he was with him, the last time his grand father figure was of this world. He quickly suppressed his emotions, pushing them away like the rest of his twisted memories, the scar seemingly radiating pain as the process took place. And before he knew it he had sealed them away, the intense pain settling to a tolerable level from his ragged scar.

Something caught the corner of his eye after he had recovered moments later, a small figure huddling in an ally right next to him. Taking a few steps he entered the ally getting a better look at what appeared to be a child. It was a young girl no older then 4 or 5 with filthy black hair going down to her mid back, obvious the girl had probably not bathed in a long time. He looked down seeing she was bare foot, the light blue kimono she wore almost reduced to rags covered in grime. The girl was shivering from the cold air, looking down at the ground with her knees in her chest. The blonde hunter nin took a loud step, making his presence known to her. She looked up at him with her tired brown eyes, staring at the masked person before her with a look of pleading mixed with fear. He realized that perhaps wearing the very mask that was usually reserved for his victim's last images of this world was not good for trying to comfort a complete stranger, that being a young child. He then took it off slowly revealing his face. Wordlessly they stared into each other's eyes in silence, both keeping a piercing gaze locked on one another. The blonde Shinobi felt his stomach lurch as her eyes told him her life's struggle.

'Her eyes are the same as mine' he concluded sadly. It took all his will power when he was her age to keep him from losing grip on his emotions having been openly scorned by the villagers, but to see this girl in the same pitiful state was almost too much to bear. He knelt down in front of her, sickened when he realized she was frightfully scared that he the proximity of his presence. He then put on the best smile he could muster for the troubled child.

"Hello little one, I'm not going to hurt you or do anything bad, I'm here to help." She looked up seeing his smile and visibly calmed down. He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a nutrient bar and ripped the top open, holding it front of her. She eyed the food in his hand that was held before her, almost as if she was considering whether or not if it was real. After a moment's hesitation she speedily snatched it from him, eating it like a starved dog. The blonde winced seeing how hungry she must have been, and waited while she finished. He pulled out his canteen from his back belt pouch and handed it over which she eagerly took, drinking the entire contents.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, it's a pleasure to meet you" she looked up at him blankly, holding her knees in front her once again.

"Can you tell me your name?" he said slowly as she continued to stare at him with the same vacant expression. After a few more minutes he decided until she was comfortable enough to talk with him and was ready he would wait. He took off his jacket and lightly draped it over her shoulders; although she flinched he was happy to see her shivering beginning to recede.

"I would like take you to the hospital and get you patched up and get some hot food in ya" He stood up to his feet, reaching down with an open hand. She still seemed a bit uneasy with this new found caring from the blonde stranger.

"I promise I'll keep you safe"

He allowed a genuine smile to take his features; he wasn't going to let this girl suffer the same rough childhood he had to endure. It was now his personal mission to make her truly smile and be happy, the things he faked all those years ago in order to not let the village know they had won. She took his hand and he pulled her up, in quick motion carrying her bridal style. Although she seemed uncomfortable at first, she slowly huddled into his chest, laying her head against his heart and drifting into a deep slumber. He adjusted her for a moment so he could put his mask on and then jumped on the nearest roof, making his silent advance to the hospital.

Before long he was in the hospital's lobby talking to a young nurse he ran into upon entering. After a brief exchange he handed the girl over and followed the nurse to a vacant room and sat outside waiting till she was finished getting her cleaned up and changed. He noticed the hospital was relatively quiet at the time looking around seeing only a few people on staff. It was not his first visit to the hospital nor probably his last, but the same feeling of dread crept up his spine at being in the one place he loathed. After almost thirty minutes the nurse came out, motioning him to join her for a chat.

"I'm happy to say that she is in stable condition, although she has suffered from a bad case of malnutrition and the beginning stages of pneumonia. To be honest if she had come here a week later we may not have been able to reverse the damage." The blonde chakra flared from the sad facts, he would definitely find out why she was all alone on the street if he had to beat it out of someone.

"I found her alone in an alley next to the main gates; I have no idea if she has parents or even a home." The nurse nodded.

"Can I see her?" he said politely. She motioned him to follow her and they walked into the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. There in the middle of the room she lied on the hospital bed covered by a sea of blankets. He could see a few tiny tubes connected to her arms, probably pumping nutrients and other medicines to help her he concluded. Her face and hair were no longer matted with grime and filth making her appear to be like an almost completely different person. He walked next to her bed, watching her chest rise and fall with every breath; she looked truly peaceful as it seemed to calm the blonde as well just looking at the child. He reached up removing his mask, attaching it to his belt firmly to his side. The young nurse saw his face and almost audibly gasped. His eyes had a similar shadowing around them like the sand's Kazekage, he scrunched them naturally as he looked bleary eyed at the sleeping girl below. He looked back at the nurse, pausing momentarily seeing the look on her face.

"It's ok, my eye's naturally always look like this. I have trouble sleeping" she smiled understanding and he then continued.

"Can I stay here for a while?" she looked back at him recovering from her surprised expression.

"Yes that's fine. It would probably be better if she sees someone familiar when she wakes up. I would give it a day or two and she will be ready to leave." He nodded in response.

She bowed lightly and headed for the door. She turned around half way through the doorway.

"Would you like something to help you sleep?" the hunter nin looked up from the girl and smiled lightly, his exhaustion almost getting the best of him.

"I wish it were that easy, but thanks anyway" with that she nodded and closed to the door behind her. He turned to the corner of the room and grabbed a chair and pulled it next to the bed, positioning it towards the top. He reached down and pulled the sheaf of his katana from his waist band, adjusting it so he held it with one hand over his shoulder. And there he watched intently, over time becoming hypnotized by the beeping of the machines and the quiet sound of her breath.

Early that morning a certain pink haired medic nin was on her way to her way to work, walking quietly through the morning mist. She had prepared for today just like any other day, doing her usual schedule of getting cleaned up and dressed for the new day. She paused when she reached the hospital, reminiscing the events that caused her blonde teammate to leave.

Ever since Naruto had left the village things were not quite the same with her and the rookie nine plus team Gai. At first no one knew why the blonde had left. When they asked the Hokage she responded saying he was having severe issues with his teammates and that it was up them to ask them whether or not they wanted to know the whole truth. Sasuke avoided the question like the plague; his rep was already bad to begin with after betraying the village and he didn't need more dirt on him. Sakura resisted as well at first saying it was none of their business but after a while finally cracked, revealing the truth to their friends. Ino of course was mad that she lost her battle for Sasuke, but was also furious at how her best friend did it behind Naruto's back. The rest of the blonde's friends agreed that they were both completely and utterly disgusting for doing what they did to their loud mouthed friend, but knew in their heart that he would be mad if they held a grudge against the guilty parties. After a few months things returned back to normal between them although Hinata would no longer acknowledge Sakura's presence, ignoring her publicly if she was ever around her. Ironically Sakura began to lose interest in Sasuke, and after a month she broke things off saying that she had made one of the biggest mistakes of her life. Sasuke would never be capable of truly loving someone she had discovered, always letting his goal of killing his brother cloud his every waking thought. And from that day on she remained single, the guilt of allowing her self to be seduced by her old lust for the brooding Uchiha taking its toll.

She walked through the doors of the hospital, spotting the previous night's nurse shift leader and getting the current patient medical updates and to relive her. After fifteen minutes or so the pink haired medic nin was up to date with all the necessary information. The nurse thanked her for her relief and began to walk out the doors but stopped suddenly turning back around.

"Oh I almost forgot, about five hours ago a tall hunter nin came in with a sick child that he found on the street. Could you go check up on them first to see if she's doing ok? The man was very nice but looked extremely tired and it would be good if he could get some sleep, he's been there by her side since they arrived."

Sakura nodded waving good bye and flipped open her patients list from her metal note book, spotting the girl's room number. She headed over there looking through the windows at the other patients briefly making sure things were fine on her way. After a few minutes she reached the room listed where she would be staying. She reached for the handle preparing to open the door, not knowing that unlike most days, this day would prove to be far from ordinary.

Author's Ending Notes: I know I'm a teme about leaving a cliff hanger, but I couldn't think of a way to end this nicely, sorry haha.

Also Toroshi came off the top of my head so if it means something stupid my bad haha.