AN: Rage is a funny thing. In battle, it is both a boon and bane. It can make you strong beyond your wildest dreams, it can make you feel invulnerable, but in return it robs you of your free will, and more often than naught causes you to do something you would regret. In the modern world, giving in to your rage can never, and I stand by this fully, it can never amount to anything good.

But rage is not useless. It's good for vengeance, and it's good for violence. In other words, it's good for all things considered morally unacceptable or evil.

You can either use your rage to destroy life, or let go of it and repent.

Thanks for a well thought out review Kagami Kamiya, Sloucher94, Ryuujin96 and Dragon of Storms and further thanks to all others who reviewed my story (I wonder about RonnieCutler...)

To Kagami Kamiya: Kurama, the Kyubi in canon is definitely dead, although the reason why is a mystery that will be solved further down the road. Currently, Naruto does not possess a Jinchuriki amount of chakra, because he is not a Jinchuriki, no matter what he, the Council, Jiraiya, the Third Hokage, and the Akatsuki think. But, he possesses, as the unofficial heir to the Uzumaki clan, the characteristic massive amounts of chakra. Just how much internal chakra he has is not revealed yet, but then again he could fall back upon the natural chakra he has in canon. Going on, a 'Kitsune Uprising' is not happening. As the Nine-tailed fox, he's some sort of leader, a father figure (Father Fox) for all the Kitsune. His word is followed on account of the power he possesses. When he was destroyed, his power was dispersed (There are many ways which it could have dispersed, I could use your idea of incorporating the 'killing stone' into my story, or I could be more original and maybe have the remnants of his power spread around the world.), and so the rest of the Kitsune simply ran wild in their rush to fill the sudden power vacuum. There can only ever be one nine-tailed fox, because technically even if there were more it would not be for long - the stronger will always kill the weaker until only one is left. That last paragraph last chapter will be elaborated upon in the future.

Also, I actually played around with the idea of basing the story fully in Japanese mythology and lore, but after all this is an original story, and I would like to watch it grow on its own.

As always, thanks for the review, and I hope to see you express more opinions!

To Sloucher94: Actually, I also hate the idea of Naruto going all Sasuke-like. Also, I'm thinking ways to be writing how Naruto and Hinata grow stronger together. Still playing with the idea of killing Hinata later on though.

Seems quite a number of people wanted the chakra chains!

The entire first part is on Hinata, and it will be the last time you see her for a couple chapters.

Note: Naruto does think of Hinata as a friend, but not a true friend yet simply because she has not proven herself. There's a difference you know.

After the jump!

She was treated as if she were dirt; every Branch member was. It was the natural order of things, and she accepted it. The Hyuga were renown for being among the best combat specialists Konoha had to offer, but Hinata was the exception, and that was never tolerated.

Still, she didn't care about what they thought, those insensitive, ignorant Elders. While a banquet had been held in honor of Hanabi's safe return, Hinata was simply regarded with blank stares and barely concealed disgust.

She closed herself off from them; they did not understand. When she awoke from her unconsciousness that night, alone and cold, the only evidence of her ever having been with Naruto the torn orange jumpsuit she wore, she was devastated.

She had not seen Naruto since, and had thrown herself into learning and becoming as proficient in medical jutsu as she could. She thought Naruto had abandoned her because she was too weak; she cursed the fact that she could not even hold on to her consciousness, wishing with all her heart that she held on, even for just a moment, just to secure a promise to see him again.

That chance was lost, and she could hardly bear it. So she learned, and trained, the image of Naruto's pain-filled face as he lay writhing on the ground motivating her to prove herself once more to the boy she loved. She would become better, just so that she would never have to bear watching him get hurt saving her, and not being able to do anything about it. Hinata wanted to see him again, if only to set things right. She wanted to tell Naruto how she felt.

Word had spread that the village was preparing for war, and the new Hokage had already been announced: Jiraiya The Legendary Sannin, feared throughout the nations as one of the most fearsome warriors to have ever lived. Martial law had been established, and anybody not directly commanded to could no longer roam the streets of Konoha after curfew. Children under the age of sixteen were not allowed to leave their houses without the company of an adult.

So she had to wait, and as she walked in the Hyuga garden on that summer afternoon, she bent down and savored the sweet scent of a sunflower. It was radiant, so very like the face etched in her mind.

-Two Months Later-

From his vantage point at the top of the Hokage Monument, Naruto observed the Leaf Village. It was morning, the first rays of sunlight just peeking out through the clouds; the golden rays illuminated the village, giving it a peaceful and serene appearance.

He was at his usual spot, on top of the stone head of the Yondaime Hokage. A new face had been added to the Monument, hewn into stone with all the finesse of the finest artisans in the Land of Fire; Jiraiya's face watched, with his predecessors, over the village.

'It's not the same without you... Hokage-jiji' Naruto thought sadly. He thought back to all the times the Hokage had come running to his rescue; when he was lying naked in the cold, when he had sustained injuries from the abuse of the villagers, even up till his last moment, when he lay injured on the hard wooden floor of the Hokage's Office.

Naruto barely registered the faint shuffle of feet behind him. Suddenly, he was alarmed - could it be that some ninja were sneaking up to him, intent on harming him, although he was under the protection of the current Hokage?

Whirling around, he came face to face with a young woman. long, untamed black hair framed an appealing opal face; blood-red lips set into a firm line graced her face. Most prominent of all her features was her large crimson eyes, which seemed to be able to peer at Naruto's soul and discern its secrets. She wore the standard issue Chunnin vest, indicating her position in the Konoha Ninja Corps.

"What brings you here, child?" The woman asked. Her voice was lyrical and silky all at the same time, and though she could not have been more than twenty her eyes betrayed her wisdom.

For a moment, Naruto thought this woman of unearthly beauty was a by-product of his imagination, but he quickly filed that idea; her beauty was such that even illusions could not replicate.

Still, the blond never forgot the rules his sensei put down. Never trust anyone but those you truly know, but stand by the trust you give to the very end, even unto death or perceived betrayal.

"Who... are you?" Naruto said tentatively.

"If you must know, my name is Kurenai Yuhi. What is yours, child, and why that forlorn look?" The woman answered.

"I am Naruto Uzumaki." He stated simply, refusing to divulge the reason, however trivial it may seemed, he was there.

A small sliver of recognition passed over Kurenai's face, although she managed to hide it expertly; this was not lost on Naruto.

"Then... do you mind if I sit here? I seem to need to do some brooding of my own." Kurenai said jokingly.

"Suit yourself. And I don't brood."

The situation couldn't get much more awkward than this. Two strangers, sitting side by side, neither uttering a single word, yet seemingly bonded by something intangible. To Naruto's chagrin, tears started to fall, marring her perfect features.

"W-why are you crying?" Naruto inquired.

"I'm mourning." Kurenai stated.

"Mourning who?"

"My team."

Naruto couldn't seem to get anymore out of the woman, but seeing as he, likewise, refused to tell the woman his reasons for being there, he figured it was a fair trade.

"I... have to go. Training, that is."

"You don't have an adult guardian? You must have one accompany you at all times; thats the law you know?" Kurenai said.

"I don't have to worry about that. The Hokage's my guardian."

The woman simply sat there, strangely unsurprised. "Well, I can follow you, it could avoid unnecessary situations along the way."

Perhaps she wants company. She does seem lonely and all.

"Fine, come with me."

Later that day, Naruto learned that the woman, Kurenai, was a genjutsu specialist. Her chakra control was impeccable, something she was required to maintain in order to properly perform her techniques. Her repertoire of abilities revolved around distraction and illusions, and her demonstrations had given Naruto nothing but respect for the art.

Genjutsu was stereotypically seen as a weak alternative to the more straightforward taijutsu and ninjutsu, but the variations and ingenuity with which Kurenai weaved her illusions put most ninjutsu and taijutsu users to shame in Naruto's eyes.

She could send her enemies horrifying nightmares so terrible they would kill themselves to break free, she could seduce enemies into kissing poisonous snakes, and she could even change an entire area's appearance to suit her objectives.

Naruto was interested, and had asked her to teach him a minor genjutsu technique or two. Unfortunately for him, his chakra control, although adequate enough to perform ninjutsu, was not good enough to learn the first techniques of the illusory arts.

Naruto didn't do 'not good enough'. Persistently, he begged the woman, until she relented, giving him a few chakra control exercises and promising to teach him if only he could complete them.

Knowing Naruto, he would probably train till he dropped. That day, he made a new friend, his third, after Hinata and the Third Hokage; whether the friendship would turn out true or not, only time would tell.

-That Same Night-

"So why were you crying?" Naruto asked. Currently he was sitting at his favourite ramen stand with the crimson-eyed woman after a day of practicing chakra exercises to no avail. The exercise involved him standing stock still on water, then by regulating his chakra output he had to move forward or backward at a constant speed. Perfect control had to be maintained at all times; too much chakra and he would blast himself out of the water, too little and he would sink.

"My entire team is dead. My sensei died during the damned Uchiha revolt and my teammates during the Kumo border incident a few days back." She said detachedly.

"... Well, I'm sure he was a great man."

"H-he was the best teacher... and my teammates..." Kurenai was crying now. Naruto felt guilty for pressing the issue, but the curiosity was killing him. It was evident from her reaction this was a sore point.

That night, she downed copious amounts of sake, inebriating herself to the point of collapse. Shaking his head, Naruto left her where she lay.

That is a crucial difference. I may show my anger, but I will never show weakness. I can't afford to.

-At the Hokage's Residence, The Next Day-

Jiraiya knew not what possessed the idiots to commit to such action. Three days before, a group of three Chunnin were sent to patrol Konoha's border when they caught three full elite assault squads hailing from Kumo trespassing along the border. Instead of waiting for reinforcements to arrive, the group of three took on the Jounin assault squads - the outcome was inevitable. Two of the Chunnin had perished before subsequent reinforcements had arrived, pushing the ninja back across the border. When the surviving member was interrogated on the basis for engaging the enemy, the woman stated that they were protecting the Konoha peasants that lived in the area. If they had waited for reinforcements, then the peasants would surely have died and the crops would have been razed.

Damn it! We cannot afford to lose ninja like this. We either sacrifice ninja or innocent men and women. Still, the ninja's lives could have been better spent defending Konoha rather than the collection of poor farmers on the outskirts. We have adequate farmland deeper within the Land of Fire, so saving the measly collection of small settlements and poor farmers was not necessary. Much as I hate to abandon them, it seems to be the only way to conserve resources and weather the hardships ahead.

Time is running out. Kumo is boycotting trade with Konoha, and coupled with the damages incurred by the Uchiha, we lack the money to even meet the trade and military agreements with our allies! Suna has already cut ties with us, and even the Shogun has broken relations with us on account of failure to meet their economic demands. Even worse, the samurai are siding with Kumogakure!

Now, Kumo is likely to commit to one of two courses of action. Either it could attack us directly in the next month or so, or it could whittle the village down, little by little, before launching a full scale invasion with their allies in two or three years time. Judging by the fact that the Raikage is ensuring the loyalty of its allies by practically kidnapping the entire generation of Clan Heirs from Sunagakure and Kirigakure, it must be planning on a joint attack.

It's a wonder that Kumo could kidnap much less confine so many of the Clan Heirs. That the other villages have not succeeded in getting back even one Heir is testament to their prowess. Still, it must be a huge drain on Kumo militarily to ensure such tight security, so they probably would not risk attacking so soon. Instead it will build its forces, keeping its allies in check with threats and the like.

I may have to send a delegation of ambassadors to secure the services of smaller villages like Kusagakure (Village Hidden in the Grass), and perhaps Iwagakure. Despite lingering resentment from the Third Shinobi War, perhaps a tentative agreement can be reached. They are as much enemies with KIumogakure as we are, so they may look favorably on a military alliance.

Perhaps most disturbing of all is the sudden disappearance of all kinds of summons. At first I lost contact with the Toads of Mt. Myoboku, then I received word from Tsunade that the slugs are not answering her summons as well. All over the Shinobi world, people have lost the ability to contact their contracted familiars, and I fear there may be more than meets the eye.

The village is my first concern. I must make preparations.

Jiraiya sighed, contemplating possible courses of action when Naruto crashed in through the window.

"Damn it! What is it now you brat!" Jiraiya roared, angry at the fact that he had lost his train of thought.

"What kind of sensei are you? I've long mastered the C-ranked Wind ninjutsu you gave me, but you still haven't come check on me!" Naruto grumbled.

"Don't give me that lip, boy! The safety of the village is my first concern. I'll come train you when I have the time. If you are so free, go find Gai and run some laps or something!" Jiraiya shouted, raising himself to his full height menacingly. "Or go to the library and find some scrolls to train yourself!"

Picking out a ring of keys from a drawer on the Hokage's desk, Jiraiya said, "Here, these are the keys to the Hokage's library. Go find yourself a scroll. The back rooms are forbidden, do not make myself repeat this. If I find you have ignored my warnings, punishment will be severe."

Knowing full well what the man was capable off when he was angry, Naruto sped out in a huff.

Naruto loved it when he was given free rein in the library. His days were filled with training, and he had hardly enough time to sleep. Sometimes, Jiraiya would be too busy to instruct him, and would allow him to browse for scrolls in the library.

The Hokage's library itself was an extensive collection of every jutsu and technique that Konoha ninja used in battle, and it held every single secret there was to know about the village. Jiraiya had never allowed Naruto to visit the back rooms, however, and he was stuck in the outer sections of the library, where D to A rank ninjutsu and genjutsu could be found. The library was not limited simply to jutsu either. Numerous books documented taijutsu fighting styles, some modern, others ancient. The history of Konoha was interred here as well, in all its painstaking detail, although Naruto never bothered about it.

As he reached the oak doors of the Hokage's library, he took out the keys to unlock the vast collection of books... only to find that it was already unlocked.

Immediately, he was on the alert. Nobody except Jiraiya had access to the library. The doors were protected by powerful seals constructed by some of Konoha's most illustrious seal-masters. But the seals seemed to have been broken, the lock picked; there was an intruder.

Cautiously, Naruto snuck into the library, not willing to risk lighting the candles. Silently, he weaved through the bookshelves, ears straining to pick up any sign of movement.

Nothing. No movement, no sound, not even a chakra presence... it's too quiet...

Nervously, the blond sniffed around. There was a faint odour, as if an unwashed beast had passed by recently. Then he stepped on something wet.

Looking down, Naruto was just able to pick out brown slime on the floor. Disgusting! What the hell is this...

Strangely enough, the trail of slime led straight into the forbidden rooms located right at the opposite end of the library. Should I call Jiraiya-sensei? Maybe I could just take a short peek inside the room...

The boy stalked to the large double-doors that marked the forbidden rooms. The seal was broken as well, and Naruto entered the room. The room was pitch-black. Lighting a small candle by breathing out some fire chakra, he followed the slime to the desk at the middle of the room.

It seems that the trail ends here. What's this...? It looks like someone, or something, took out this document and slobbered all over it. Ewww...

The document read as such:

Start

Konoha Ninja Corps Particulars/Personal Information

Subject: Jiraiya

Affiliation: Sannin, student of the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen/ Clan Affiliation unknown

Konoha Ninja Rank (at present): Invalid due to excommunication

Personal Information: Classified

Personal Relations: Classified

Whereabouts: Unkown

Status: Traitor to Konoha on account of treason and insubordination.

Punishment(s) (if any): Execute on sight. Recommended to not approach alone. S-class security threat.

End

Naruto could barely comprehend what he was reading. Jiraiya, a traitor? Why was he even considered for the position of Hokage then? Deciding to look around more, Naruto looked around, eventually coming across a common leather bound scroll. On it was inked the words: Technique(s) listed within are forbidden practice. Open at your own risk.

Deciding the scroll was of interest, Naruto slipped it into his pocket.

That was when he heard something slobbering behind him. Whirling around, he came face to face with the most hideous creature he had ever seen.

The man, if it could be called a man, wore the unmistakeable Leaf hitai-ate. Unruly white hair cascaded around the thing's face; a mouth took up half of the face, a pale flickering tongue hanging out and leaking brown slime. The eyeballs were rolled back, allowing only the whites of the eyes to be seen, and the man-thing stood on two stumpy legs. It was as if someone had cut off the thighs of the vaguely-human torso, then sewn the legs back from the calf down. The two arms it sported were mockeries of the human equivalent; an uncountable number of fingers adorned each hand, the nails lengthened and sharpened, until the arms vaguely resembled warped, biological versions of a morningstar.

Fighting the urge to vomit, Naruto immediately flashed through his hand seals, yelling with all his might, "Katon: Goukakyuu No Jutsu!"

The flames cascaded around the monster, setting it ablaze, causing it to writhe uncontrollably. A sickening clicking sound emitted from its mouth, but otherwise it did not fall. With uncanny speed it advanced on Naruto, surprising him and singing him with its still-burning skin.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" A roar emitted from the forbidden room's entrance. Naruto turned his head, only to be treated to the sight of an incensed Jiraiya. With a single bound he was at Naruto's side, smashing his fists at the monstrosity, beating blood, pus and various unidentified liquids out of its body.

He did not stop until the monster was a bloody smear on the floor.

Slowly, calmly, Jiraiya straightened, turning to Naruto. "Are you okay?"

"I-im fine."

"Did you see anything else?" Jiraiya asked, his voice strained, as though hoping some dark secret stayed unknown.

"...No I did not. I just got here, then I noticed the forbidden rooms open, so I peeked inside. It attacked me immediately! I swear I didn't see anything!"

Stiffly Jiraiya nodded, obviously unconvinced. "Nothing is to leave this room. Or you die. Immediately."

Face pale with fear, Naruto nodded.

Facial expression softening, Jiraiya added softly, "Go clean up. Meet me in my office tonight. I will give you an explanation."

Without another word, Naruto fled from the room.

Jiraiya turned his attention back to the room, blood smeared all over the floor and spattering the walls.

Orochimaru. He might be adept at hiding his presence from lesser ninja, but I could recognise his work anywhere. The beast was once Mizuki, a Chunnin from the Academy. He has only been missing for a single day, so that means Orochimaru must hiding somewhere in Konoha.

Burying his face in his hands, Jiraiya sighed. How am I going to explain this to Naruto?

-That Night-

Naruto entered the Hokage's Office, noticeably subdued.

"Ahh... Naruto. Please, take a seat." Jiraiya said cordially, motioning for Naruto to sit.

"I'm guessing you must have many questions running within your head. Before I answer them, would you care to report exactly what you saw?" The meaning was clear. This was not a question. Nevertheless, Naruto kept his mouth shut.

"Take it as an order from a superior officer. Now, what did you see?" jiraiya said again, voice deepening dangerously.

Gulping, Naruto answered, "To be honest, I'm not sure what I saw. What I did see was your old Konoha Ninja Corps Registration Document. Care to explain why you are labelled a traitor?" He refrained from mentioning having acquired the Forbidden Scroll.

"I thought as much. Wait a moment, let me put up some privacy seals." At this, Jiraiya set up a sound barrier to prevent the conversation leaving the office.

"What I am about to tell you is an S-class secret. You so much as utter a word about this and I will decapitate you personally. Are you familiar with the Third's students?"

"The only one I am aware of is you."

"Well, there are two others, Tsunade and Orochimaru. Although Tsunade's current whereabouts are unknown to Konoha, I still keep in contact with her. Orochimaru, however, I have not seen for more than a decade."

"What has this got to do with you being a traitor?"

"Everything. The reason why I left Konoha in the first place was to find Orochimaru, my teammate, and persuade him to come home. You are, I take it, unaware of Orochimaru's past misdeeds?" Jiraiya inquired.

"I don't know shit about him." Naruto said curtly.

"... He had been tampering with the genes of children. My sensei, the Third Hokage, had caught Orochimaru dissecting Clan children harboring kekkei genkai, trying to find a way to incorporate those genes into himself. Over time, he became obsessed with making himself invincible, and by extension immortal."

Naruto was at this moment quite lost. "I gather that Orochimaru did something bad, and old man Sarutobi caught him?"

"Not just bad. He was playing with forces nobody understood, and for it killed multitudes of children." Jiraiya said. "For a period of five years children would suddenly up and disappear, not leaving a trace of where they had gone. This continued, and although the Hokage even resorted to using the ANBU and sent ninja search details to investigate the cases of the disappearance, the cause was never found. Often, even the ANBU guarding the children frequently ended up dead. Then the Hokage had enough, and decided to investigate the matter himself. For weeks he searched Konoha, to no avail. That was until he decided to pay a visit to Orochimaru's laboratory."

Jiraiya continued, "That fateful night, sensei had asked me to accompany him on his investigation, and decided to go to Oroshimaru for aid as well. So we went to the only place he could be, in the laboratory located in Konoha's sewers; we caught him dissecting a still-alive and struggling child."

Shuddering at the thought, Naruto said, "I take it he was banished."

"The Hokage banished him, though in hindsight it would have been better to execute him. But the old man couldn't bear to kill one of his students, and so decided to label him a missing-nin. Being the idealistic fool I was in those days, I couldn't comprehend what he had done; I went after him because I wanted to convince him to abandon his path. Even though Sarutobi ordered me to stay in Konoha, I just couldn't abandon my friend."

"So the Hokage labelled you a traitor as well."

"In a way. My insubordination was never revealed. Sarutobi could not bear the fact that two of his greatest students had turned their backs on Konoha, so he hid my papers, forcing me to swear I would never return. I still remember the sadness in his eyes the day I walked out of the village. He told me, 'The choice is yours to make; leave now and never come back; stay, and I will make you Hokage.' Oh how foolish I was! If only I could turn back the wheels of time... I never wanted to become Hokage, so I left, disappointing my sensei and betraying my village." Jiraiya said.

For a moment, the two sat in uncomfortable silence, neither wanting to utter a word.

Then Naruto said, "But you returned, you broke your promise."

Eyes narrowing with pent up rage, Jiraiya suddenly shouted, causing the blond to cringe, "I had no choice! So many people died for this village, if I did not return and become the Hokage I would be compounding my mistake! Don't you understand? Konoha will likely be destroyed by now if I did not become Hokage!"

His anger spent, Jiraiya slumped down on his seat, suddenly feeling very tired. "If Konoha is destroyed, then their sacrifices, it would all have been for nothing... I never intended to betray the village, I just wanted my friend back."

"So did you meet Orochimaru again?"

"I... I did not." Jiraiya said, hesitating imperceptibly.

'He's hiding something, I know it.' Naruto thought.

"That monster you saw, that was Orochimaru's handiwork. I recognise his work, and his smell anywhere. He's somewhere in Konoha, but I promise you Naruto, I will right my wrong. This time, I will kill him." Jiraiya said, his tone hard.

"But yet you broke your promise to protect Konoha before."

Jiraiya had nothing to say to this. "Just... give me a chance, Naruto. We can do this together, we can destroy him. I am ordering you not to divulge this secret for the village's own good. If it is revealed, then unrest making the Uchiha Uprising pale in comparison would shake the village's foundations."

Naruto was a man of his word through and through. That the Hokage had reneged on his word shocked him more than he would like to admit. Still, he believed in forgiveness... to a certain extent.

"I'll help you, as my sensei. What do we have to do?"

His mood lightening considerably, Jiraiya said, "Orochimaru would definitely be using some sort of genjutsu to mask his presence. I'm quite proficient myself, but I have other things to prepare, so we'll need to find somebody we can trust."

"I know just the person." Naruto said smugly.

-Somewhere In Konoha's Sewers-

The stink of snake venom was unmistakeable. A man stood in the chamber, unfazed by the pungent odour that permeated the air; he had shoulder-length ebony hair, his eyes were slitted and his tongue forked. His voice was thick with malice as he pored over a decrepit tome.

"So it's true. The Kyubi is dead."

AN: Read and Review! Next chapter there will be a timeskip, after a conclusion to this situation with Orochimaru. Also, the war with Kumo is coming up!

So, would you like Kurenai to die?

Or maybe Hinata? (not immediately, sometime in the future)

Sorry but I've already decided on Jiraiya.

Anyone you want to die? How do you want them to die? I love writing death scenes so humor me!