AN: Not much to say. Enjoy! -demonicnargles

"Speech"

thought / talking in mind

"Demon speech"

Demon thought / talking in mind

Naruto sat in the clearing in front of the shack. He had taught himself the Shadow Replication Technique, which was surprisingly easy, since he couldn't do the supposedly easier Replication Technique, but this next one was hard.

This village needs to get better security, he mused as he continued reading the scroll. I waltzed right in there and took this scroll without any problem, and I'm not even a genin! Oh well, it worked out for me, so... whatever. Hey, where are my goggles? I must have left them at home when I was getting ready. Whatever...

The Sandaime strolled the halls of the same building Naruto thought needed better security. He walked here every night before he went to bed. It was relaxing. Every night he came for a walk. Every night he counted all 43 scrolls arranged along the walls. 23, 24... It was peaceful here. No one guarded this building because that might arouse suspicion about the allegedly "mundane" scrolls it contained. This way, no one would know of the scroll, scroll 37, he remembered, the scroll of forbidden techniques. 31, 32... No one would bother stealing a scroll of stuff that could be found almost anywhere. And no one knew where it was, except for him and a few others. 36,37...

The Sandaime froze. The scroll was gone. He rushed towards the nearest exit to sound the alarm, when he noticed a pair of goggles lying by the doorway. Naruto, why would you do this? And how did you know which one it was? Or did you...

"You must find Naruto and the scroll, and bring them to me immediately!"

"YES, HOKAGE-SAMA!" the hastily gathered ninja shouted in unison, before sprinting in every direction.

Naruto turned his head toward the rustling of bushes. Mizuki stood about twenty feet behind him. Right on time.

"Hey, Naruto!"

"Mizuki-sensei."

"Here, let me see that scroll."

Naruto stood up the give it to him, when suddenly, he heard another voice.

"Don't give it to him, Naruto!"

Iruka leaped into the cleaing, landing between Mizuki and Naruto.

"What? Why" Naruto managed. Was Iruka one of the ones who wished to hold him back?

"Mizuki was just using you to get that scroll! It is the scroll of Forbidden Techniques!"

"But I... Mizuki?"

An evil grin spread over Mizuki's face. "Indeed. How could anyone like you? Did you really think that I was going to train you? I hate you, and so does everyone else in the village. Even your precious Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka looked about to deny this, but Mizuki continued, "I bet no one bothered to tell you, since it would be against the law. The law that was made when you were born."

"What law? I haven't heard of any law!"

"Of course not! The law goes like this. No one can tell you about the law. And no one can tell you, that the Kyuubi no Kitsune is sealed in you! That's why everyone hates you! The Kyuubi killed over half of the village's population! Everyone lost at least one family member! Iruka lost both of his parents! And everyone can see the proof of the Kyuubi's presence in you, every time they see the whisker marks on your cheeks! Did you really think that any birth mark could be so outrageous? But you bought it! What a loser!"

"You're not getting away with that scroll," Iruka said.

"What? You're going to stop me? Ha! I'll take care of the demon brat, then I'll take care of you!" With that, Mizuki hurled one of his shuriken straight at Naruto, who had moved from behind Iruka to better hear Mizuki.

Naruto knew he couldn't dodge it. He was too shocked by what he just heard to react that quickly to an attack. He closed his eyes, waiting for the pain... the pain that would end all of his pain... the... crunching sound? Naruto opened his eyes. In front of him stood Iruka facing him, with a pained look on his face. Iruka turned to face Mizuki, although he seemed barely able to stand. Then Naruto saw why.

The giant shuriken was imbedded in Iruka's back.

"Don't listen to him... Naruto..." Iruka gasped. "I... don't hate you. You didn't do anything... Now go! Get away before... before..."

"Before what?" Mizuki gloated. "Before I finish you off? You just gave up any chance you had of beating me! Now that scroll is as good as mine!" Mizuki hurled his second giant shuriken at them. Naruto could only stare as it hurtled toward Iruka and him. But Iruka spun around and pushed Naruto out of the way.

Only to be decapitated by the shuriken.

Naruto stared at what used to be his sensei. Iruka had been killed. The only person who had ever cared about him. The only one who ever listened to him. Rage boiled up inside of him. He killed Iruka-sensei!

"To tell the truth, Naruto, I'm feeling generous today. If you'll give me that scroll, I'll let you live. Then I'll be on my way."

"You'll be on your way, all right... TO HELL!" Naruto screamed. He picked up the shuriken that had killed Iruka. He killed Iruka-sensei! "Mass Shadow Replication!" One hundred clones appeared, surrounding Mizuki. Each one held a shuriken.

"This is your last chance!" Mizuki screamed in terror, hoping against hope that the boy would give up.

Maniacal laughter burst from the Narutos.

Mizuki watched in horror as every clone pulled back their shuriken.

"Time to die, Mizuki-sensei."

Mizuki saw only shuriken. And then he saw nothing at all.

Meanwhile, the ninja returned to the Sandaime to report their findings. All except Iruka.

"Where's Iruka?"

"Didn't he go to check north in the forest?"

"Someone go find him!"

Five ninjas sped off to the forest.

The five ninjas were stunned at what they saw. A headless Iruka. A bloody pile of shuriken that hid the remains of a body, if the severed hand was any clue. And there was Naruto, lying on the ground, with a blank look in his eyes, muttering something to himself under his breath. The nins approached the child, uncertain as to whether he had done all this or not. Naruto stood up. One of the nins would later swear that the boy's eyes were lifeless holes that sucked the energy from the air around him. The lead nin gestured for Naruto to follow them. He did, in a stiff, mechanical fashion, that made them wonder if he were a puppet. When Naruto was close enough, they could hear what he was saying.

"He killed Iruka-sensei. He killed Iruka-sensei. He killed Iruka-sensei. He killed Iruka-sensei..."

The Sandaime had prepared himself to give a stern lecture to Naruto, but when he saw him, he couldn't bring himself to say it. After he calmed down, Naruto explained what had happened. Although most of the nins in the room were too used to hating him show any sympathy, they saw the pain that Naruto went through every day. They thought he deserved it. Sarutobi decided that there was no need for punishment, and, though many nins disagreed, no one dared to gainsay the Hokage. Naruto went back to his house and collapsed on the bed.

No one cares about me, thought Naruto. The only person who ever showed any flicker of kindness was Iruka, and now he's gone. I trusted Mizuki, and he used me for his own gain. No one cares.

Naruto drifted into a darkness deeper than sleep.

It was unexpected, but he would accept it however it came. It was like watching someone at the Hokage's desk, running everything, getting up and leaving. No one was in control. Could it be possible? Could he have a moment of freedom from his accursed prison? He took control, and opened the eyes, now his eyes, and saw the ceiling of Naruto's room. He glanced at the bed stand. He was in control. The brat had vanished somehow, at least for the moment. There was no way he would pass up this opportunity.

At last, thought Kyuubi...

End of chapter. Please review!