1560 days

The pure nothingness of unconsciousness peeled away and in the void it left, pain took residence. Naruto laid on the forest floor, unable to move for a while after he woke into pain. His only reprieve came from slipping into a few memories of his shadows and they all had the same ending. This only added misery and anguish to the pain.

Each time they'd had their chakra siphoned and, having not known the significance of it, were weary to fight the pull. Only once it had dawned on them, that it was most likely not the original, did they fight it. He couldn't quite be sure of the number, but it was about 10 that had met their fate from the demon. He couldn't be sure of much as his mind was fragile, like an open sore. The pain was an overbearing companion and his thoughts frequently dipped towards unconsciousness. With difficulty he made a shadow, which took him back to his new residence.

The trip was terrible, though he knew he'd heal eventually. His spine was broken. He was sure of it. He knew the moment of disorientation would become his greatest handy cap, but he was unprepared for the extent to which such a moment could place him in danger. The shadow he'd created, used some of his charka to create another shadow, to tell Yamato a version of what had happened. Knowing there wasn't anything else he could do, he let his mind fall back into unconsciousness.

Shadows

"A shinobi is the shadow, he observes everything and is nothing."

Hooded figures crawled through the city. Conversations that filled in the gaps of everyday life were heard. People still spoke of the puppet maker and the phantom killer. The lack of any news regarding the investigation caused the rumors to expand without bound. The gruesome details of the murder were spoken of in hushed shadows of fear. Speculation as to why the kindly old man was murdered also found the shadows. His dislike for the demon brat was well known and some even bet that the "little monster" was responsible.

"A shinobi treads only over paths within the shadow's embrace."

The ANBU were almost invisible at times and other times making rounds of the village in what seemed like random patterns. He focused his surveillance on the walls of the village and worked on improving his stealth. His skills from his pranking days seemed to pay off, though he was never quite sure whether he was able to avoid detection or they ignored him.

The military police seemed to cover the village in defined areas. A few officers were assigned to each area and most were ninja. He could guess from the gate and balance that most of the members were non – career – ninja clan members from the Hyuga and Inuzuka clans. A few were civilians and were partnered with ninja. There was never a civilian without a ninja. No one was ever able to detect his henge and the ability to change into objects allowed him to overhear anything. He toyed with different objects and found that a floating leaf was a good way to enter a place through the window, and avoid suspicion.

"Shinobi are a village's weapon. They do their mission without question or complaint."

There were several genin teams, performing menial tasks. To his horror he realized that he too would be doing such tasks. He watched every one of them, until he was certain that the Jonin sensei had become aware of him. That was the moment he'd have died, so he'd back off for a time and then sneak back towards them. A few of them had confronted him, and he'd only stood his ground and stated that he was training. Only one took offense, "If I sense you skulking around again, you will receive all the training you'll need." The threat, recognized for what it was, was his cue to choose a new target.

"A shinobi knows only the mission and accomplishes the mission with his life if necessary. There may be a time when your life is spent for the village. If and when this day comes, a shinobi dies the only honorable death there is for one who deals in death and blood."

- "Way of the Shinobi", by Himura Danzo

Original

Pain, hot fire burned through his brain. He tossed and turned and only faintly knew he was not alone as the memories burned into his mind.

Shadows

Taijutsu forms were supposed to be mastered one at a time, but Naruto was never one to follow things by the book. As far as he was concerned, the more forms he trained in, the more versatile a fighter he'd become. This was why he had seven different taijutsu scrolls with him. Groups of 50 were sent to master each one. One would hold the scroll and walk another through each form, making changes until the forms matched way they looked in the scroll exactly. Then the holder of the scroll would walk to the next one and repeat it for a different pose. After a time all of the clones would be holding a pose and the shadow walking around with the scroll would change the form to a different pose. They talked to each other, but wouldn't move. At first the conversations were stunted, awkward, but soon a sense of belonging fell over them and smiles soon accompanied laughter. They talked about the training and what they thought it would be like to have a team. Other people he'd be able to trust. Friends.

Original

Day after day was punctuated with agonizing pain. In those moments between days of his life he was able to feel the Kyuubi's chakra holding back the memories and healing his brain.

Shadows

Seals were awesome. Plain and simple. He could draw objects, within a small radius, into a storage seal, if he knew the right way to write the Kanji. Water, fire, air, and other things. He could even draw chakra into the seal, but that always dissipated into the matrix and he soon, begrudgingly, abandoned the notion of storing chakra, for now. He could make barriers that blocked light, sound, jutsu, or people. He could even key them, to let only his chakra through. The possibilities where endless, but he wanted time space jutsu. The second and the fourth were known for their time – space jutsu and he was determined to inherit their title.

His first thought was to master the storage seal. It was the most basic time – space jutsu and he knew the secret was there. But where did things go, when in a seal? He'd read the theory behind it, but it all seemed to dance around the subject. They gave postulations about other dimensions, and parallel dimensions, but it just make his head hurt. Where was the space the seal created? He was determined to find out, by getting into the seal. Then he could experiment.

For now he would perfect his seals and push to go a little further each time.

Original

Again; the bed, the pain, the place between time, he returned for his momentary torture. Every day ended in this seemingly meaningless torture.

Shadows

"As far as we can tell, Chakra permeates every facet of life. Some believe that chakra is the conscious energy of the universe and we only access a version of it. Chakra does not obey the laws of conservation of energy. It is suspected that, when jutsu are formed, we are using chakra to bend the universe to our will, instead of creating the jutsu itself."

- "On the subject of Chakra", by Sarutobi Hiruzen

Naruto sat in silence; at a park, in the forest, in a tree, on a lake, on buildings, near playgrounds, by training grounds, the hot springs, at a temple…

His thoughts betrayed his attempts to reach out and sense the world. They pulled him back towards himself, his past, his hazy future… his tenant. He felt his chakra flux through the surface of his body, and into the ground. It would only be after he'd received his memories that he'd notice that it was not a waste of time.

Original

He was on a different bed now, and it didn't seem like the memories were in order. The chakra, holding the memories of his shadows, was swirling around in his head, seeking to return. The pain was too much, and he couldn't really think, except to extend some feeling of thankfulness to the Kyuubi.

Shadows

Reading had grown on Naruto. While he still dragged his feet towards the library, once he found a book that wet his appetite for "shinobi awesomeness" he'd lose himself completely. Only one thing could top books, that mixed the fairly – tail – like – stories of great shinobi with practical knowledge of jutsu theory. Seals. Old dusty tomes, that required dictionaries and additional material to understand, soon brought waterfall tears of joy and frustration.

If anyone had been curious about the 30 teenage ninja, quietly discussing and reading seal theory, it was the librarian. She saw the whisker marks, and mirror like smile on their faces and knew it was him. A quick investigation led her to the shadow clone jutsu, but she's never thought anyone would be able to use that jutsu in such a way. Further thinking about it, led her to believe that this couldn't be all of his clones. He wouldn't send all of his clones to do reading at the library. Most would be doing other things to train. The thought dredged up old, paralyzing fears. That, and the fact that he was reading seal theory, of all things. Could it be trying to find a way out of its container?

She banished those thoughts, reminding herself that he was not the fox. But, doubts crept around the edges of her thoughts and, by the end of the day, she knew one thing for certain. She had to talk to someone about this.

Shadow

He stalked Sasuke, who seemed to have taken his warning to heart. While most might not have noticed the way his eyes roamed the surrounding and how his head cocked slightly to give him better vantages, Naruto saw it for what it was. The same healthy paranoia that gripped any seasoned shinobi. After an hour of stalking his prey he gave away his position with a, "Yo." Sasuke saw the green haired boy and dropped to a stance.

"None of that today, just wanted to say hi."

Sasuke's eyes bore into him for a moment longer before he nodded and relaxed.

"Maybe we could hang out for a bit. I've been training non-stop and I read that shinobi should take time to unwind, so they don't get burnt out." Naruto delivered with a small smile.

"What about your teammates?" Sasuke said, giving him a wary look.

"Well, I'm just a shadow clone. Figured I could send one over so at the end of the day I could get to live a nice bit of leisure time with a friend."

"hn." And a nod.

They walked around in comfortable silence for a while, aside from the bows and nods of recognition from the villagers. Sasuke had at first turned away from the villager's respectful greetings, with slightly less than a scowl, until his green haired companion smacked him on the back of his head.

"Be nice, you'll make your clan look bad."

Sasuke stopped to glare at Naruto.

"You're the last true Uchiha, right? So, how you act reflects the entire clan now. Try to give a good impression, at least." Naruto said, eyes almost closed, hands behind his head.

"How else are you going to rebuild your clan? With fan girls?"

Sasuke's eyes widened in horror, "No." Left his lips, barely a whisper.

They walked around and stopped for food. Slowly Sasuke seemed to lighten up and "friend" might not have been an over exaggeration of their relationship. Naruto contemplated exposing himself to the Uchiha, but thought better of it. This would need to be a decision the original makes. When the day had come to a close they'd been sitting by a pond in the Uchiha clan grounds talking about what kind of clan Sasuke wanted his descendants to be like. Naruto has started this by asking him what kind of clan he wanted to make, "It's not often someone gets to remake a clan. What kind of clan are the Uchiha going to be now?"

The sun was setting and Naruto stood, "Seems about time for me to head out. Thanks for hanging out with me. I feel more refreshed already."

Sasuke stood and bowed slightly, "No, I think I should be the one to thank you."

Naruto smiled and held up a fist. Sasuke met the fist with his own, with a smile, and then dispersed the shadow with a punch to the face.

Shadow

"In the village hidden in the leaves, your comrades are the most important assets. Beyond the most powerful jutsu, or carefully laid plans, ninja live and die by their teammates."

- "Who are the ninja hidden in the leaves", The Second Hokage

Ino could be seen through her families shop. The blonde girl greeted everyone who entered with a kind smile, never seen at the academy. Her eyes smiled, in a way that tugged at the corners of his mouth, while she created her flower art. The meticulous placement of flowers and filler pieces amazed him.

He was a dark haired boy, with bright blue eyes and faint whisker marks. He wore something that played at the likeness of Sasuke's usual garb, and smiled genuinely at her warm greeting, in harmony with the soft chime of the door's opening. He told her he was looking for some flowers for his grandmother, and she led him around telling him about all the different flowers and their meanings.

He asked her about her training and was sad find out she hadn't trained at all since graduation. He found himself sickened by the thought.

'How could she take her ninja training so lightly?"

She noticed the look of confusion and disgust on his face and asked, "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" He repeated indignantly. "You think being a ninja is a game? You're going to face missions and people that want to kill you and your teammates. People are going to put their faith in you and their lives will someday depend on your ability as a ninja and you're not training with everything you've got. That's what's wrong."

He dropped the flowers he'd been holding and left the girl in shocked silence. He furiously walked down the street thinking.

'I can't believe I would have been happy to have her on my team. I bet Sakura is doing the same thing. Lounging about, daydreaming about Sasuke saving her from her own duties as a ninja.'

He thought more about Sakura and her fan girl tendencies. His mind wondered over to Lee's teammate Tenten. She was a kunoichi. Not a little girl, pretending to be a ninja.

'I hope I don't get stuck with any of those fan girls.'

He thought about all the girls in his class that had fond over Sasuke and couldn't help the grimace that founded over his face. His henge slipped away as he walked and he noticed Hinata coming out of a pastry shop. He thought about how she was and realized she was one of the few who seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. She always won the girls taijutsu spars and was even nice to him. If he was going to spend the day getting to know a girl in his class it would be her.

"Hey Hinata chan", he called out as he sped up to intercept her.

"N – Naruto", she sputtered out.

"How's it going?" He asked.

Her cheeks lit up and her fingers came together, "I, uh, well, I - I've been training and r – reading over the stuff we c – covered in c – class."

Naruto's smile widened, "That's awesome. I've been training hard too. Are you excited for team assignments?"

Her blush deepened and she looked away, "Y – yes."

His smiled slipped a bit and he became confused by the way she was acting. 'She's kind of awkward', he thought.

"Hinata sama!" A voice carried over to them.

They looked to the source and another Hyuga in white robes was running over. He reached them and looked at Naruto out of the corner of his eye. "Hinata sama, you can't run off without a guard or at least someone to watch over you. And you definitely can't be seen talking with just anyone. You're to be the next leader of our clan and we don't want to start rumors that your friends with people like…" He paused, glancing disdainfully at Naruto again, "that."

Naruto thought for a moment about it. He didn't have the best of reputations and didn't want to get the one nice girl in his class in trouble. The man may have been a civilian, but Naruto didn't want to cause a scene. His face fell and he began to turn away from them.

Suddenly, a fire erupted in Hinata, and she was glaring at the man, "I can talk to whoever I want, and Naruto is definitely the type of person I'd like to be friends with." She took a step forward and pointed a shaking finger at him. "You can go back to the compound and await me there. I'm going to be out with Naruto, and I would appreciate if you had more respect for my friend."

The man recoiled as if stuck and Hinata stormed off grabbing Naruto's hand. He complied rushing to keep up with her and didn't know how to respond. 'She's got a hell of a grip.'

A block later the adrenaline faded from her and the situation hit her suddenly. She glanced at the hand she was holding and Naruto's smiling face and fainted.

His grip on her hand allowed him to keep her from hitting the ground. He pulled her up and briefly thought about taking her back to the guy they'd left or her clan home. He brushed away those thoughts and pulled her over his shoulder.

'The last thing she or I need is to show back up to her clansmen with her unconscious.'

He glanced around to see a few looks for horror from some civilians and jumped up onto the rooftops.

A few minutes later Hinata woke up. She sat up to see she was on top of the Hokage monument and Naruto was a few feet away, looking over the city.

"Thanks for sticking up for me." He said, eyes still looking over the city. "I've never had anyone stick up for me like that. I'm glad we can be friends", he finished glancing over at her.

She blushed and they fell into a comfortable silence for a moment.

"This is my favorite place in the village. I come here when I need to think."

"I – it's a v – very nice place", she answered quietly.

They sat in silence for a while until he stood up. "I should probably get you home. I'm sure the villagers that saw me run off with you have already gotten word to your family. We can hang out another time right?"

She nodded, but remained silent, thinking about how to explain passing out in front of so many people.

They took the streets back and she couldn't help but notice the glares he received as they walked.

Naruto started to feel the embarrassment about the hateful glares and couldn't think of anything to say if she asked about it. He glanced at her to see her reaction and she just smiled kindly at him. He gave her a small smile and felt grateful she was too nice to ask about it.

When they got close to the compound Hinata started looking at him and pushing her fingers together.

'I guess she is just shy', he thought. 'The only time I see girls act like that is when…" And something seemed to click in his mind. He'd slowed to a stop without realizing it, a thoughtful look settling over his face.

"… w – well, I – if you wa – wan – want t – to."

He snapped out of it seeing her blushing face looking away and grimaced, realizing he'd missed something. He put his hand behind his head and smiled widely at her, guessing at the general meaning.

"I would love to hang out, maybe we could get some ramen on a training break tomorrow around noon?"

She beamed at him and they were both startled by a cough. They turned to see an older Hyuga woman standing to the side.

"Hinata sama, I'm sorry to interrupt, but your father has been looking for you."

Hinata's expression grew somber and she nodded to the woman. Naruto, suddenly feeling awkward, took a step back, "See ya tomorrow Hinata chan?"

She nodded and smiled weakly at him.

He waved and jumped up on to a nearby building.

'Maybe things aren't so bad.' He thought smiling to himself. 'I already have a friend

Shadow

A portly boy sat atop the roof of the Akimiki clan home. The despair was palpable about him. Naruto had watched him practice for a while, attempting to expand his fist is mid punch and failing to do so. His fist would always expand too slowly to be effective and he'd slouch for moment in defeat before trying again. He could feel the chakra sluggishly welling up as the expansion activated and it felt painful to watch. When the boy had given up and began stuffing his face it tugged at his heart.

Naruto was in his green haired persona, he normally reserved for his meetings with Sasuke, when he landed on the roof.

"You're chakra is even slower than your punch. It should be like an explosion before your fist would meet the target. Boom!" he shouted punching his fist forward.

Choji's mouth stopped working. He looked at the green haired boy, and then looked around.

"Uhhh, you know about my clan's techniques?"

Naruto frowned at this and placed his fists on his hips. "Well, no, but it's what you're going for, right?"

"Uhhh, I guess." Choji said, his mouth suddenly remembering its purpose.

Naruto smiled a mischievous grin and spoke.

"Maybe you just need the right motivation? What do you think, my little fatty?"

A fire lit in Choji's eyes, "What did you say?"

"Ah, it must be hard to hear over all the crunching. Maybe if you weren't such a fatty you'd be able to.."

Naruto was cut off as Choji he flew at him in a rage.

He jumped outside the boy's reach smiling widely, "Ya gotta be quiker than that fatty."

"I'll show you", Choji shouted.

Naruto spent the rest of his time running around the Akamiki clan ground, dogging over – sized fists. Choji's blood was boiling and the way the green haired boy kept dodging his blows sent him over the edge. Naruto continued his taunting when whenever he sensed the boy's anger was subsiding.

"Oooo, did someone steal your cake, fatty?"

Choji barreled at him attempting the punch, his fist got closer, but he still couldn't get the enlargement to happen at the right time.

Some of the clan members stopped to watch the encounter, and some started cheering him on, when they heard the insults.

When some of the clan members came to his father, wondering if they should interfere, he only stood and left to watch.

Soon his father joined the

Towards the end of the day Choji was sweating profusely, gritting his teeth, refusing to give up. Naruto had just finished another jeer, "Get tired fat boy?" Choji lunged forward with another punch, exploding chakra into arm, and his wagon – sized fist expanded out, catching the boy in middle stride. Naruto smiled softly when he saw the strike was true, too quickly for most of them to catch, and burst into a puff of smoke.

Choji gawked at the cloud of smoke and then at his fist. "I did it", he whispered to himself.

Choji fell back in exhaustion and was caught by his father. "Good job son."

Shadow

Naruto had never played with kids before, and he knew, after today, he might not have the mind to do so any longer. So, it was now or never. He stood knee high again, black hair, brown eyes, in simple clothes. He sprinted into the playground and started unloading handfuls of the cardboard kunai he'd crafted an hour ago. His targets where struck lightly and chaos ensued. Soon kunai were flying in every direction and the sounds of laughter and shouting erupted from the playground.

It only took a few minutes for the joy to seep into his soul. His problems and worries seemed to dissolve in the face of the children's bright shining smiles. After an hour or so there was a lull in the playing, when the mothers started to call their children for lunch. He'd found himself lost for a moment until a smiling woman came to kneel before him. He'd meant to step back away, but found his knees weak from her soft smile.

"Here alone?" she asked.

He tore his eyes away from her, unable to speak. His heart became erratic and her hand folded into his, along with another smaller one. He turned to see a smiling blonde girl next to him.

"You can eat with us." She said cheerily.

Questions came while they ate and the lies came so easily he almost felt guilty. Almost.

After eating they played some more and he showed a little of the tumbling he'd worked on to wow the kids. Soon though, the sun was setting and he noticed the mother, Susan, waiting around. She was looking around and began to walk toward him, no doubt to confront him about his "missing parents". He waved to her and took off down the street at a dead sprint. He refused to look back or to tarnish the day with sadness. He smiled and burst into smoke around the next corner.

Shadow

Naruto browsed the market. He took in the sights and sounds, smiling at everyone. When their eyes met the young black haired ninja they smiled too. A warm kind greeting might come next, and every once in a while an affectionate pat on the head. He looked in every store and met the owner's kind questions, about what he was looking for, with a smile and a non-committal answer. He knew what he was looking for but he was enjoying the ability to browse at his leisure, like everyone else. His walk's determined tone took on a lounging gate and he, for today, was just another villager.

He continued through the market and around to the outer lying shops. There, he found what he was looking for. "Trinkets and gadgets", he read aloud as he stood outside a large shop. He walked in through a thick black curtain and stopped when he saw it, the grappling hook he'd read about, hanging on display. There were other devices he'd seen in cases and hung on the walls, but there, in the center, was the mechanical grappling hook. Naruto walked up to it and pressed his face against the glass.

"Ahh the grappling hook. Not very useful to ninja who can walk up walls and over water. Still, an impressive contraption. Well, the ones that extend and release their grip are." A young voice rang out through the shop but he wasn't able to place it.

"Over here." Came from the corner, and he looked the see some strange looking mask pull up the reveal one of his civilian class mates. He stood perplexed by the boy. In school he'd scored the highest in class tests, but was abysmal in taijutsu and ninjutsu. The pale, black haired boy normally kept to himself and scribbled in his note book. His leather armor was the only thing that would have made you believe he might have been a warrior. With his gauntly limbs and thin face, he was even picked on by some of the girls more than Naruto was. He was at least indifferent to Naruto.

"I'm niijin, Hewitt. My father owns this store and I'm pleased to help you find anything you need. What were you looking for?"

Naruto pointed at the grappling hook, "I read about it and wanted to see how it worked. Maybe you could explain it to me and show me how some of this stuff works. The diagrams and explanations just confused me. I could pay you for your time."

The boy seemed to look questioningly at him. "I don't have time to teach someone, but I can sell you one along with the tools to take it apart. I'm sure if can't figure it out with a book and the device itself, you'd be better off spending your time on something more productive."

Naruto nodded, gave him the money and Hewitt vanished into the back room for a moment. He returned with a bag of tools and another grappling hook. Naruto took the bag, "Thank you. So, what are you working on?"

Hewitt only pulled down his mask, "stuff."

Then he bowed and gestured to the door, "Thank you for your business, ninja san."

Naruto chucked softly and left with his stuff. He went back to his apartment, stopping at the library to grab some books, and set his task. Hours later and he was surrounded by all the pieces of the grappling hook. He attempted to put them back together in pieces from the diagram, but they never seemed to work correctly.

He thought back to the kid that had dismissed him. 'Maybe he was right.'

Shadow

Naruto found Inuzuka Kiba at the training grounds of the Academy. At first it had seemed like he was just chasing after his canine partner, but the fierceness of their pace set it apart for some leisure activity and Naruto was instantly jealous.

"Yo", Naruto said from the edge of the training ground and Kiba tripped over his own feet, skidding into the ground. He growled in pain and looked over to see who'd been able to get so close, while avoiding his enhanced senses.

"Naruto", he said matter – of – fact – ly. Then, noticing the headband, "How'd you get that?" He pointed up to the headband in disbelief.

Naruto repressed a scowl, at forgetting to henge himself, even after being reminded before he left.

He paused looking at Kiba for a moment before deciding to himself. "I was awarded the headband after showing that I had hid my true skills to everyone at the academy. I thought you'd have been one of the few to figure out my deception." Naruto said, cocking his head slightly and raising an eyebrow.

Kiba's initial reaction was to deny the boy's claim, but something told him that it might have been true. Naruto held himself differently and there weren't many people who were able to sneak up on him, at least none close to his age. Then he noticed an odd thing. There was no scent coming from him and that, itself, would be been cause to worry, since there was always a scent.

"Skills like what? Don't tell me you're some kind of genius." Kiba said with a dead pan look.

Naruto smiled softly at one of the only kids his age that would talk to him somewhat nicely. "Stealth, sealing, and other stuff I wish to keep hidden."

"Sealing?" Kiba said walking over to Naruto.

"How about this. I show you a bit about sealing and you tell me a little about your partnership with your dog?" Naruto reached out his hand.

Kiba glanced briefly at his partner, "There are things I can't tell you about how we raise our partners, but I could tell you some things."

Naruto took a step forward, hand still reached out, and spoke "Sounds fair, I'll tell you a little and you tell me a little."

Kiba smiled and gripped his hand, "Cool."

The Naruto suddenly remembered he didn't have any sealing supplies, "And in exchange for buying some supplies I'll create a few seals you can use in battle."

"What kind of seals?"

"Heh, you'll see."

As they walked Kiba told him how the best dogs were paired with ninja and about their life long partnership. Most of the details regarding how they were able to combine jutsu were glossed over, but the actual care and maintenance was thorough.

Soon they had retrieved the materials and, after some grumbling from Kiba about the cost, they were in his house.

Naruto went over the basics of seals, while taking note on a small scroll, and Kiba's thoughts about the boy were destroyed. Naruto had remained quite during their walk, only prompting Kiba to expand on things here and there. Kiba hadn't told him anything that would get him in trouble with his clan, but he did tell him much more than he'd originally planned to. Now Naruto's explanation, while simple, seemed very complex and lost Kiba a few times. Naruto took one scroll and brushed through an explosive seal, while talking about the chakra requirements for a full scroll explosion and why it was normally not sold. Kibba was shocked to find out that Naruto had actually belonged to an almost extinct clan that specialized in seals.

Naruto hung the scroll to dry and pulled a particularly fat scroll out and laid it from one end of the house to the other. He began slowly working his way down from one end, filling it with kanji and spiral symbols, that he said where his clan's symbol. For this seal he was silent and moved much slower than the other. Kiba had started talking to him as he had during the first seal, but this time was ignored. Naruto was silent and slow, stopping every now and then to think and continue. He finished after four hours with sigh, and a "Good enough."

"Good enough?" Kiba said eyebrows scrunched together.

"Well, this was a special seal I'd seen, and was trying to make it as strong as possible. The spacing and kanji have to be perfect for maximum effect, but it gets more and more difficult to keep the spacing right the longer the scroll. Because of its length and the nature of the seal, you'll be able to stop a jutsu half as strong as the chakra you put into it. I suggest you empty your reserves into it every night and when you get to a point when the all of the seals light up as bright as the sun, then you've maxed it out. It's reusable, as long as the jutsu it blocks doesn't overwhelm it. Just don't go telling anyone I made this scroll for you, or that you have it for that matter." Naruto finished still staring at the scroll.

A cough caught his attention and he looked up to see about twelve people in the living room. He stood like a deer in a headlights and feeling numb having exposed his sealing skills to so many people.

'Shit.'

Kiba grabbed him and pulled him into the kitchen and sat him down in front of a table full of food. Naruto thought to refuse but noted the time and realized he'd been with Kiba most of the day and hadn't eaten. By all accounts, he should be starving so he smiled and beamed at all the food.

"Wow, this looks delicious!"

"Dig in Naruto!" Kiba said with a smile.

Naruto ate with gusto, after he tasted the food and couldn't help himself but want to eat. He was lost in thought about what he'd just done and couldn't help but wonder if he'd somehow made his situation worse. After a couple of plates he felt it was excusable to finish and glanced over to see Kiba was gone.

'I seriously have to take my own advice.' He thought getting up to peer into the living room. An amazon of a woman strode out to him and spoke, "Uzumaki Naruto, I'm Kiba's mom, Tsume. It's nice to finally meet you. I didn't know that the Uzumaki blood ran so strongly in you."

Naruto became bashful scratching the back of his head before he remembered that Kiba's mother was the Inazuka clan head. He quickly he dropped his head in a low bow, remembering the book "Hokage, beyond the strength and jutsu."

"Inuzuka sama, you are too kind. Thank you for extending your hospitality."

She barked out a laugh and ruffled his head. "Glad to know that the rumors surrounding you are baseless."

She nodded to the side at a group of clansmen gathered around the scroll and Naruto's heart sank.

"Over there is a portion of our clan's elders. The old bag of bones over there, Kugon, is very familiar with the work of the Uzumaki. He's not a seal maker per – se, but very knowledgeable. He's always purchased the seals and scroll our clan uses and when I saw your explosion scroll I called him over to take a look. An old man in well – worn leather armor was bent over, slowly making his way down the scroll, while a few others whispered around him. He had just reached the end and looked up at her to give a nod and spoke.

"The quality of work suggests a few years of practice, but the seal is solid work. Definitely Uzumaki in origin." He then turned to Naruto to continue, "I assume you used Kiba's blood in the ink?"

Naruto nodded.

"Where did you get this seal design from?"

It seemed all eyes fell on him and he froze in thought, thinking about telling them the truth. That he'd seen part of the design, sketched in a book describing the Uzumaki seals. A few dozen clones later and some intuitive leaps of faith later he'd pieced together what the rest should be, but that might not be what he should tell them. He looked away in uncertainty, and the old man let out a deep chuckle.

"Just like an Uzumaki. Stories of the seals from Uzu remain in our spoken history, even after their near extinction. Never wade into a battle against an Uzumaki that has had time to set up seals. You do your clan justice child."

He gave a small bow along with the others, aside from Tsume, and Kiba placed his hand on his shoulder and smiled widely at him. "Thank you Naruto."

Tsume nodded at him, and added "Don't worry. No one outside the clan will know of this, though we'll will most likely commission your work sometime in the near future. Most people just copy seals handed down from their teachers and very few delve into the field like an Uzumaki. You're right to keep this skill hidden, though walking around with a scent masking seal will draw attention to yourself." This is when a look of realization hit her. And he knew, it was time to go.

Her eyes never left him as he made his leave, with promises to give Kiba a good spar before team assignments. A sinking feeling gripped him as he walked off, letting his eyes wonder to the setting sun. He paused and watched. Slowly he smiled and thought, 'At least it's over, -and it was a good day.'

Shadow

Deep in a residential area Naruto walked aimlessly. A brown haired ninja, with white and brown grab walked around looking at the homes. Seeing people go about their day, he waved and smiled. They sent back their own kind greetings, asking if he was new to the neighborhood, or some other pleasantry. He helped a small girl trying to get her cat from a tree and was bombarded by her affection. He carried the groceries for an old woman back to her place and, despite his protests, stayed for her special stew.

He sat at her kitchen table, next to the kitchen, while she warmed the food.

"So did you just graduate from the academy?" She asked from the kitchen.

"Yeah, in two days I receive my team assignment. I hope I get a nice team."

"Hmmm, I hear that a ninja's first team becomes a sort of second family for them."

Naruto smiled softly at that, "I hope so."

The old woman walked in slowly, her natural hunch accentuated by the weight of the pot. She gave him a questioning look. "What do your parents thing about you becoming a ninja?"

He looked away, unsure of what he should say until the words fell away from his mouth in a soft whisper, "They died when the Kyuubi attacked."

She put down the stew and started walking toward him. He leaned back in his chair wondering about the pained look in her eyes. She kept coming and wrapped him up in a warm embrace. He sat stiffly for a moment unsure of what to do. He was at a loss, he'd never been hugged like this and emotions came surging up so quickly he could do nothing to stop them. His face grew hot, and he clenched his teeth. His head came forward into her shoulder and he cried. His arms slowly found their way around her and he lost all composure. He was so lost in his agony that he'd lost he'd reverted to his normal form without realizing it.

Still in his embrace she spoke, "My son was a ninja, like I was, but I was too old to defend our village even then. I lost him in the attack. The fox stole much from the people of this village and I fear it will be a long time before the pain goes way. At least we have each other. You'll always be welcome to some of my special stew."

"Thanks granny." He spoke finally pulling himself back together.

She leaned back with her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes. The brown eyes were gone, replaced with blue, pain filled eyes. The faint whisker marks, she'd passingly noticed, were now more prominent. She looked up to the blonde hair and it all made sense.

He gave a weak smile to her, a tear slipping through his resolve sliding down a cheek.

She hesitated in the face of the demon. 'Demon?' she thought. 'This is the demon child that we've taken our hate and grief out on? The orphan that was sacrificed to hold the true demon at bay. That's who is in front of me now.' She steeled herself against her prejudice and smiled sadly at him.

"Time to eat."

They ate quietly and Naruto couldn't help but want to keep crying. The warm embrace and hot stew filled him with feelings he'd never felt before. Tears continued to slip sporadically from his eyes, but the old lady didn't comment. She gave him another hug and he left with a bag holding a pot of her stew.

He walked down the street thinking about the old lady. By now, it was late afternoon and the streets were sparse. An old man walking down the road glared harshly at him. He was confused for a moment and glanced into a shop window. 'When?' He thought, and knew as soon as the question had found purchase in his mind he knew the answer.

"Granny", he whispered.

Kyuubi

He kept his from as requested and started to walk around the village. He looked at the humans with barely contained spite, and thought on the looks of hate and disgust that would flash across their faces. He wondered how the boy had been able to retain his love for this place. He'd seen bits and pieces of his life, though was awed to see it for himself.

'Stupid humans, he or I will get you some day.'

At that thought, a bit of a sly smile slid onto his face and he half turned his gaze to the sky. A couple of hours later he found it. A beautiful grass hill sloped to a crest that spread the sky gently over the massive trees that framed that the view.

"Perfect", he said to himself.

He laid back over the crest and gazed at the passing clouds

An hour passed by like the cloud that captured his gaze and Shikamaru's profile invaded the scence. The Kyuubi let out a soothing sigh and glanced at the boy, whom only turned his head slightly to look at him. "How'd you get that head band?"

His lazy eyes held "Naruto" in the silence that slid by.

"This particular place is the best place in the village to look at the sky, are you going to ruin this for me by speaking?"

Shikamaru's head and body slowly squared up with the demon and stared at the blonde for a moment, "Your right, no."

His shoulders slacked and he shuffled over a bit to lay next to Naruto.

The Kyuubi glanced at the boy, to see him staring at the sky. He turned his head back to notice the boy was just outside his peripheral vision.

He grunted his acceptance and they fell into silence.

Hours later Shikamaru, tsk'd "troublesome chores aren't as bad as troublesome mothers." The black haired ninja rose and they spared each other a glance and a nod, before the demon was again alone.

"The only tolerable human I've ever met."

Original

By the time the onslaught of memories finished and his headache fell to tolerable levels Naruto laid in a hospital in the dead of night. It had been years. He was sure of. Tears strode down his face and he stared into the inky darkness. He could faintly feel the hidden ANBU in the corner and smiled thinking over his memories. Then he remembered the Demon shadow, and his face twisted into a scowl. He'd have to hunt him down and he knew that the strange barrier seal was what hid him from his senses before.

He wondered if he could do it again. Another few years between team assignments might be good, but he shuttered at the thought.

'I can't keep doing this. I can barely hold it together right now, and I don't know if I'll be able to deal with another night like this.' His brain throbbed and he closed his eyes tightly.

'We'll see how I feel tomorrow. Maybe I'll just go spar with Kiba and get lunch with Hinata. Yeah, that sounds nice.'

A/N: I wanted to really convey the amount of time that had passed for him and I wasn't quite sure how to do it. I'm still not satisfied with the chapter, but I'm at a loss as to how to make it better. Let me know your thoughts.