I do not own Naruto.

Techniques are translated at the bottom.

A nondescript man approaches a shadowed figure sitting on a gruesome throne of bone. "The Tsuchikageh and Mizukage have both been killed ahead of schedule. Do you want me to advance the rest of the plans to adjust for this discrepancy?"

The shadowed figure replies in a barely human voice, "No. We will change the plans completely. Replace the kages of all our allies with our men. We will have them behave as would be expected until we are ready to strike."

"What do you wish to be done with the Raikage and the Kazekage?"

"See if you can get the Raikage to join us fully, if not then kill him. Have our agents turn the populace against the Kazekage and his siblings. Get the people and daimyo of the Wind country to turn against as much of Sunagakure's government as possible. If his people turn on him the Kazekage will easy fall back into the murderous beast he once was. Do not provoke the people far enough that the revolt just yet, but make sure that the Kazekage knows his people hate him. Now on to other business. How goes efforts to make sure the bijuu don't interfere with my plans?"

As the nondescript man leaves another figure steps out from behind the throne. Remaining within the shadows all that can be seen of the figure is a pair of blazing red eyes with three tomoe circling their irises. "We lost track of the ichibi in the wind country's desert and suspect it has been resealed. Its new container is unknown however. The nibi's trail still eludes us as well. The sanbi through rokubi have been returned to their world either through their own will or by force. All the remaining bijuu are sealed once more."

"Good and has any progress been made in verifying the death of Akatsuki?"

"No. Either they were wiped out so thoroughly nothing remained, or they have gone into hiding once more. The former is suspected since rain country has collapsed back into a civil war in the wake of Akatsuki's vanishing."

"Very well we shall carry on as if the truly are gone, but be on guard in case it is a deception. Now how goes my side project."

As it steps back into the complete darkness behind the throne the figure says, "I shall let the first of what shall be many successes tell you themselves."

Walking into the room is an imposing man carrying a sword almost as large as he is. Alongside him is a masked figure that seems incredibly frail next to the other, but whose eyes hold only pain and madness. The larger figure speaks up in a voice of barely restrained bloodlust, "You plan is the epitome of foolishness. Making an army of defeated enemies to fight someone will never work, particularly when the army has no reason to fight you or your enemy."

"Really? You don't want revenge for your fate? You don't even want to repay the debt you owe me?"

"Debt?! You truly are a fool if you think we are indebted to you because pf this. You took us from that which we had earned, and tormented us until you thought we would serve you. If we were to properly repay you for that debt you would suffer in the most painful ways we can discover. Unfortunately you tinkering did have one result you had intended for and we can't harm you or your subordinates unless they start it. As for the revenge bit, well why should we want revenge when it was our own actions that lead to our fates. If you want loyal lapdogs don't look amongst the denizens of hell, our only loyalties are to ourselves and our own."

"You are most uncooperative. It would seem I need to go to plan B on how to control you two." Before either of the two men can react the figure on the throne launches two kunai which impale each of the men in the neck. "Now don't you feel more cooperative?" Both the men simply stood and stared at the figure on the throne. "I seem to have broken them. Oh well with the exception of control it seems to work perfectly. I suppose I shall just need to bring back those with more hate from now on. Isn't that right Zabuza?" As the figure begins to laugh malevolently the man once known as Momochi Zabuza, Demon of Kirigakure, stands impassively, but with hatred and bloodlust shining in the depths of his eyes.

In a battle-scarred clearing within a deep forest three genin are fighting against an army of air? Standing impassively nearby a heavily bundled figure thinks to himself, 'I wonder if they realized it is just a genjutsu yet? Well since we really need to move on with the training I'll drop it I guess.' The three genin who were before vigorously attacking the air suddenly whirl about looking for enemies. "Your genjutsu detection abilities are lacking. You will practice them in your spare time or I will bring in other Jounin to asist me in your training of that shinobi skill. Your next exercise is to climb trees without using your hands. For today you are to try and figure out this chakra excercise on your own." Watching the three genin start trying to run up trees while muttering under their breath at him caused a small sadistic smile to grow on the figure's hidden face. 'Hmm Naruto's methods for training are far more interesting than the usual ones. Even if they do require far to much talking. I wonder how he and his genin are doing?'
"Okay you three have learned both the tree-climbing and water-walking exercises. Your chakra control should be sufficient for now. However this means we shall be beginning your physical training. How? Well that is simple, you will all wear these weights while training. It is only fifty pounds per genin right now so no complaining. Your first training exercise shall be to run around the wall of Konoha. By this I mean you will stick to said wall with chakra then run around it, and the village, until I say that it is enough. Well stop gaping at me like idiots and get to it before I decide to move on to taijutsu practice." Following the now panicking genin Naruto watched as they began the exercise. 'Well at least with the ban on D-ranked missions there is plenty of time to train. At this rate we'll be ready for a C-ranked mission or two no problem. Maybe if they're good enough I'll enter them into the upcoming exam.'

'I still think you should just give them to me. You could say it was a training accident. With your methods it would be believable at least.'

'Oh? You're speaking to me again? What have I done to deserve this dubious honor?'

'I see you learned some bigger words while I was away.'

'Away? What the hell do you mean away you damn fox? You are supposed to be trapped. There shouldn't be an away for you to go to.'

'Didn't I mention that? With the power the mark transfers to me I can open a doorway to some other planes of existence. Do to my bodiless situation those I can actually go to are rather limited, but those I can go to are some of the more useful ones. What with them being full of hyper-intelligent beings, gods, and what not.'

'They are going to come destroy me for your transgressions or anything like that are they?'

'Probably not, but that isn't important. What is important is that while that last bunch of humans you had the mark consume weren't much they were enough to make your transformation self-sustaining. In little words so you can understand it that means that you don't have to use the mark anymore unless you want to and you will still become a true demon. The bad news is that with the help of some extra-planar beings I was able to figure out exactly what kind of demon you will be.'

'This is bad how?'

'You remember how when I first told you about this you asked if you would become a kitsune, and I said it wasn't likely. Well apparently it was more likely than I thought since…'

'Are you trying to tell me that I am going to become a kitsune in a village were people hate kitsune with an insane fury, and they already hate me due to ignorant suspicion that I may be a kitsune? If that is indeed what you are saying than I will spend the next few centuries growing stronger and finding out ways of unsealing you without either of us dieing. Just so I can make you suffer unspeaking torment for making my dream completely and utterly impossible.'

'Well it's not all bad. You'll have one tail and silvery blue fur so no one will mistake you for me unless they are a complete idiot. Of course at first you won't be able to take a fully human form, actually even your current appearance will likely be more than you can manage until you get a good control over your demonic abilities. With how the villagers and council members are you will likely need to leave Konoha for a few years after the transformation completes, and train your demonic abilities on your own.'

'How long do I have?'

'I would say that for you completing the transformation will take at most two months.'

'So I don't even have time to get my team through the chunin exams? Well I better just make sure that they are ready for those exams within the next two months. If I'm leaving the village for an unknown number of years I'm not leaving anything undone.' Checking on his students Naruto sees his team slowing making its way around the wall. "Nobori! Imei! Hakaiteki! Training is over for today, meet me at the hokage tower tomorrow for your first mission!"

"Hey Baa-chan you got any C-rank missions my team can do?"

"Well I have plenty of C-rank missions, but there aren't any your team can do."

"What?! Why not? Please Baa-chan! If I'm out of the village on a mission I won't be here to bug you after all."

"You really think they can complete a C-rank mission after less than two months of training?"

"Of course they can! They were trained be me after all."

"Whatever. Fine here is an easy mission. Even with you leading it this mission couldn't get screwed up."

"Alright I suppose it will do for a first mission. Now before my team shows up to find out about the mission I have a request. I know that before you were Hokage you had some kind of exemption that let you stay away from the village as long as you wanted yet still be considered a shinobi of Konoha. I also know that Ero-sennin has a similar deal. Within two months or so I'm going to need to leave the village to train my new abilities. This could take years so I would like to request something like that for myself."

Looking into Naruto's eyes in such a way that she seems to be observe his very soul Tsunade asks, "Why can't you train them here, and why could it take years?"

Squirming under her penetrating stare Naruto quickly says, "Well the whole kyuubi-kekkei genkai thing is getting worse. If I don't figure out how to control it I might become a fox myself. I'm already getting more fox like features. It could take years simply because there is no one to instruct me. I will have to figure it out as I go along."

Drawing some sake out from one of the many hiding spaces in the desk Tsunade just begins to drink before she says, "Fine I'll see what I can do, but you better not take too long. You still have to take over this job after all. By the way what took you so long to ask about a mission for your team? You haven't been training them for something like the B or A-rank missions your C-ranks usually turn out to be have you?"

"Well actually yeah I have. After all I'm leading the mission. Won't that increase the chance that it is a B or an A-ranked mission in disguise?"

"Just go. You have a group of merchants to escort."

"With my luck it is a group of merchants that have missing-nin after them or something. Bye Baa-chan!" When Naruto regained consciousness from the empty sake bottle hitting him his team was already there.

"Naruto-sensei did you acquire our mission before you were attacked by a sake bottle or do we have to go retrieve it?"

"I got the mission. We'll need supplies for two weeks or so. We meet up with the merchants at noon by the gate."

"What kind of forces are we likely to have to fight?"

"Most likely bandits, but be prepared to take on a chunin at least. My missions tend to get complicated. Now go prepare."

"Sensei I can understand you want to try a fit in training while on this mission, but why must we wear the weights? Won't they hinder our performance in the event of an enemy attack?"

"Plus they make us so loud."

"I can't get away from my explosive notes before they blow up with these things on!"

"It is training. Yes, but I can pick up the slack. Too bad learn to be quiet with them on. Good you shouldn't use them on this mission anyway since they might damage the merchants or their goods. Now quit complaining and keep alert for any enemies."

One of the merchants approaches Naruto and says, "Are you sure those kids are capable escorts?"

"Of course they are. I trained them myself. As long as no Chunin show up they can handle things. What kind of goods are you carrying anyways?"

"Oh just the usual some food, clothes, weapons, and what not. The Hokage seemed rather worried when she told us who was to be our escort. Is there something we should know about?"

"Oh that well missions just have a habit of going awry on me. Usually when customers say it's a C-ranked mission and I'm assigned it the mission turns out to be far more they we were told, but if you didn't lie to the Hokage then everything should be fine."

"Oh of course. Of course. If I may be so bold. Why do you wear so much clothing?"

"It's for protection."

"Protection. Protection from what exactly?"

"From me." Hearing something in the forest nearby Naruto signals his team to prepare for battle. To the merchant nearby Naruto said, "You should get back to your goods we seem to have company." As the noises from the forest approached Naruto could tell that they were shinobi of average skill and that there was seven or so of them. 'This is going to be messy. I hope my team is ready for this.' Naruto readied himself for battle by placing a kunai in his mouth, drawing Hie, and readying some shuriken.

As they cleared the tree line three of the ninja were taken out by a combination of exploding kunai, a genjutsu to distort depth perception, and a barrage of shuriken from Naruto. Nobori attacked a fourth ninja who managed to hold off the young kenjutsu specialist with a pair of kunai. Imei waited in the shadows and killed the last enemy to leave the trees before going into the forest to look for more enemies. Naruto let the kunai in his mouth fall into his hand as he charged the last two. One died as the kunai was jammed into his lung, and the other was decapitated by Hie. Hakaiteki cast a genjutsu on Nobori's opponent that allowed Nobori to incapacitate him.

"Good work. Now go assist Imei in checking the area for others. Don't get caught, but don't let any get away." As the genin left Naruto approached the incapacitated survivor. Waking him up Naruto began his interrogation. "What was your target?"

"Your interrogation technique needs work."

Removing the covering over his eyes and one hand Naruto grabbed the man by his throat and growled.

Shaking in fear, or maybe just from the chill of Naruto's touch the man began to speak, "We were after the genin. Some guy with really creepy chakra told us to capture the genin and bring them to him."

"How many of you are there, and where did the guy tell you to meet him?"

"No way they'll kill me if I talk!"

"I'll do worse if you don't. Now tell me what I want to know, or you will be begging for death long before I'm through with you."

Looking into Naruto's eyes and seeing the demon within the man's resistance crumbles. "There was about twenty of us in the beginning, we have a trap waiting for the genin in the woods, we were supposed to meet him in the ruins of Otogakure. Now please just let me go."

As the man who was once a shinobi began to weep in terror Naruto hid his eyes and hand once more before he said, "No." As the man tried to flee Naruto killed him with Hie before taking off into the forrest after his genin leaving the merchants to wonder what was going on.

Rushing through the forest Naruto came to a clearing that had been scorched by explosions and fire jutsu. Looking over the bodies in the clearing Naruto was both glad and worried that none of his students were amongst them. Looking around the clearing Naruto found no sign of his students, just three bodies. Looking them over he found nothing to identify them by. Hearing someone coming up behind him Naruto whirled about and got into a ready stance with Hie. "Imei?"

"Hello sensei. The others were captured. I don't know where they were taken. What should we do?"

Being unable to detect a genjutsu Naruto trusted that it was indeed his female student. "I believe I know where they were taken. I will deal with it." Making a handsign Naruto preformed, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Looking over the five clones Naruto began to issue his orders, "You three clones are to disguise yourselves as the genin. Then you four are to go back to the merchants and complete the mission. Imei, you and the last clone are to return to Konoha and tell Hokage-sama what has happened. I'm going after the others. Now lets go!" A moment later the silence of death fell upon the clearing as the living left it.

Naruto caught up with his students and their captors on the edge of Fire Country. "Let the genin go and I might let you leave here alive."

"What are you gonna do about it? You may be a Jounin but you are still outnumbered, and we have hostages."

"I am Uzumaki Nauto and I am never outnumbered. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Creating twenty shadow clones Naruto continues with, "As for the hostage part. Well genin I trained tend to make bad hostages. Especially those two."

"Bunshin Bakuha!"

"If you capture ninja always make sure to bind them in such a way as to prevent the formation of handseals"

As the two genin reappeared next to Naruto he began remove all the excess clothing he had on to hide his powers. "Nobori get Hakaiteki out of here. Head for Konoha. I'll join you when I can."

"Very well sensei."

"Kick some ass!"

The smoke cleared from the clone's explosion and revealed a group of rather pissed off shinobi. "Damnit they got away!"

"Just die." The clone army charged the ninja en masse, but these ninja were apparently the most skilled of the batch yet. Only two enemy ninja died at the hands of the clones before they were all dispersed. As the now overconfident ninja charged Naruto he unleashed his full demonic power for the first time in a battle. The air immediately chilled to near artic temperatures on the battlefield, the ground was coated in a heavy frost, and blades of ice roughly a foot long swirled around Naruto. The charging ninja stopped in their tracks as the full force of Naruto's demonic power hit them. The effects of the immense amount of demonic energy Naruto released was akin to massive amounts of killing intent. All the ninja saw their deaths at the hands of the monster before them, but knew that it was not due to genjutsu or killing intent, but instead it was their own survival instincts showing them what will happen when they attack the creature releasing this inhuman power. None of them however saw how they would truly die. As Naruto stalked towards them their surroundings grew colder and colder. When he was only a few feet away the water in their bodies began to freeze. By the time Naruto walked past them to go to the ruins of Otogakure their bodies had frozen solid from the inside out. "Fools."

As he approached the ruins Naruto felt an overwhelming and familiar chakra. 'This chakra! It can't be!'

A figure detached itself from the shadows and laughed, "Kukuku hello Naruto-kun did you miss me?"

"Orochimaru! How the hell are you still alive?"

"Kabuto implanted some of my remains into his own body. I'm not entirely sure why, but it allowed me another chance. I slowly took over his body. Kabuto found out what I was doing and used my soul transfer jutsu to move into another body before I took his body over and destroyed his soul."

"You should be called the gokiburi-sennin instead of the hebi-sennin with how hard it is to kill you."

"Now, now Naruto-kun is that anyway to treat someone who has brought you news of you friend Sasuke?"

"Stop with the Naruto-kun crap we are enemies! I don't really give a damn about what you've done with the teme's corpse either."

"Corpse? Sasuke-kun is quite alive. Admittedly his wounds were quite severe, but apparently he managed to copy my soul transfer jutsu with those lovely eyes of his when I tried using it on him all those years ago."

"Sasuke-teme is alive?!"

'Kit if you get obsessed over the Uchiha again I will send you to a distant portion of the underworld and never tell you how to change into human form.'

'Can't I at least hunt him down and make sure he stays dead when I kill him again?'

'I'll consider your proposal. For now just kill that hebi-gokiburi-man thing standing before us. Its existence offends me servant.'

"Oi! Gokiburi-teme this time when I kill you, stay dead damnit!"

"Ah but Uzumaki-san I was only here to deliver a message, not to fight. That is their job." Sinking into the Earth Orochimaru escapes just as everything begins to freeze.

"Strange I do not remember you having the ability to manipulate ice from our last fight. It will be quite interesting to see how my ice manipulation compares to another's however."

'That voice, but he's dead!'

In a swirl of mist and ice two figures appear before Naruto. One is slightly crouched with one hand on the blade on his back and the other hand in a half-seal. The other is masked and standing with arms half bent ready to throw the numerous senbon in his hands. "You look almost like a real ninja now kid. You're still no match for a demon like me though."

"How the hell are you two alive again?"

"Orochimaru-san used his jutsu to bring Zabuza-sama and myself back to life for the sole purpose of fighting you. In order to make sure we do so he used another jutsu which forces us to follow his orders. It seems that we must fight once more Naruto-san."

"Unless you have somehow grown stronger while dead you two stand no chance against me. I am sorry your that we must fight as enemies once more, but I will not hesitate to send you back to the afterlife."

"Not be to confident kid. I learned a few things from the other demons in hell. Haku won't hold back this time either."

"Unless you are each as strong as a bijuu you are no threat to me. Haku might recognize this attack." Raising one hand Naruto pointed towards the two resurrected shinobi and called out, "Sensatsu Suishou!" Causing uncountable spikes of ice to form in the air and shoot at them.

Zabuza destroyed the ones aimed at him with his sword while Haku nimbly jumped out of the way. After the attack was dealt with Zabuza performed his Kirigakure no Jutsu to hide Haku and himself from Naruto's sight. Haku used the mist as cover to launch senbon from various angles at Naruto's vitals.

Naruto knocked the senbon away by calling up an icy wind around his body. He then drew Hie and began to chant under his breath.

Zabuza used Naruto's chanting to locate him then he moved in for the kill. Haku prepared to nail all of Naruto's vitals with senbon at once with the aid of his Makyou Hyoushou.

"Let you grasp freeze their blood, let the blade in your pale hands cleave their souls, observe their fate. Mushinoiki!" Just before Zabuza could decapitate him or Haku turned him into a pincushion Naruto finished the chant and unleashed his attack. They turned once dead ninja felt the very air freeze around them from the deadly chill coming off Naruto's blade which was glowing with a pale blue light. They didn't even have time to cry out before Naruto swung his blade, causing a gust of wind to spread outwards from Naruto and destroy all that had frozen. When the wind passed the senbon Haku threw, Zabuza's blade, the ruined buildings nearby, and even Zabuza and Haku themselves had been reduced to tiny ice crystals settling to the ground.

"Rest in peace until the end of time this time Zabuza and Haku. You deserve that at the very least." With that Naruto reigned in his power and started back to Konoha.

From the shadows a figure watched it all. 'Kukuku it seems the vessel has grown considerably stronger since we last met. He might even be a threat to me now. I wonder how Sasuke-kun will take the news the he has been surpassed by the vessel?'

Kage Bunshin no Jutsu - Shadow Clone Technique

Bunshin Bakuha - Shadow Clone Explosion

Sensatsu Suishou - Death by a Thousand Flying Water Needles

Kirigakure no Jutsu - Hidden Mist Technique

Makyou Hyoushou - Demonic Ice Crystal Mirrors

Mushinoiki - Breath of Death ( Literal is "faint breath" or "at death's door". )