I do not own Naruto. If I did, then Naruto would have been a hell of a lot better after his three year 'training' trip with Jaraiya.

Last time, on Dragonba- I mean Darkened Light. Naruto and Sasuke managed to get to the tower in the center of the Forest of Death. Opening up the two scrolls and summoning their old mentor Iruka, the pair told him (and later the Hokage) about Orochimaru's return. Concerned about his old teammate, and what he's done to Team 7, Hiruzen unseals the five pronged seal Orochimaru placed on Naruto and summons the council. Meanwhile, Kin Tsuchi finds herself waking up in an interrogation cell. What fate awaits her? Read on to find out.

Konoha holding cell

Kin groggily opens her eyes, before shutting them tightly. She was in a Konoha holding cell, deep under the earth. Here, the light was dim. But Kin was in a special cell designed to soften up prisoners before interrogation. Strategically placed rocks, whose surfaces were polished to a mirror-like shine, made is so that no matter where Kin looked, she was staring at bright points of light. The sound of water dripping reached her ears, accompanied by the sound of a slowly twirling gear. The sounds, both of them irregular, would grate on Kin's nerves and make it difficult to concentrate. The earth and rock underneath her were also irregular, dozens of different textures made it impossible to get comfortable. And the smell… Wet earth mixed with decay and the iron tint of blood. Kin was positive that if they ever served her food, it would likewise offend her taste in some way.

In short, Kin's cell was made to stimulate and aggravate all five of her senses. And while she didn't know it, cells like this also came equipped with chakra suppression seals. After all, it WAS designed to hold ninja. So why was it that Kin could still feel the sweet rush of her chakra through her pathways? Simple. She had been injured, rather badly in fact, during the fight between her team and Team 7. The rudimentary first aid rendered by Tenten wasn't enough to fully heal her, and if her chakra was suppressed it would make healing her for interrogation more difficult.

Therefore, Kin had been dumped in her cell with the belief that she would still be unconscious for a goodly amount of time while the ANBU sprinted to find the on-duty medic. This was where the hellish torture and experimentation Orochimaru had performed on all of his subjects came in handy.

Every ninja in the Village hidden in Sound had a crazy pain tolerance. And if they couldn't get up after Orochimaru's worst, than they were broken down for spare parts. Literally. Ninja in Otogakure quickly learned how to be quick on their recovery time.

Sitting up straight, eyes still tightly shut, Kin reviewed her situation. She was in an interrogation cell, alone, and presumably weaponless. She didn't have her chakra suppressed, but it didn't really do her any good with the large and still slightly bleeding wound on her stomach.

It was the work of mere moments for Kin to get free of her bindings, another legacy of life in Oto, and she began to pat herself down, seeing if there was perhaps anything left on her that she could use to escape. The short answer to that would have been no. Any weapon or tool that Kin had on her had been confiscated when she had been carried in. Even the emergency senbon that Kin kept tucked in the weave of her headband.

Kin stared forlornly at the hunk of metal in her hand. She was surprised that they let her keep it. Then again, it was probably another weapon in their interrogation arsenal. Having the prisoner reflect on the symbol of the place that got them into their current situation.

A few tears gathered in Kin's eyes as she clutched the metal headband tightly, though she refused to release them. She had been doomed from the start. Her earliest memories were of the underground labs and complexes that made up Otogakure. Deserting would have been suicide. Hell, Orochimaru's version of a 'graduation exam' was to hunt down attempted deserters and escaped test subjects. She had been poked and prodded, stabbed and beaten, and worse throughout all of her life. But until now, Kin had held on. The one thing Orochimaru had promised that Kin believed in was that if she could survive, she'd get power. Power to never be among the downtrodden again.

"Some promise of power…" Kin thought angrily. "All it got me is a fucking interrogation cell! I wish… I wish I had a senbon… Or a kunai… Something to pick the lock of this cell and let me escape!"

Unbeknownst to Kin as she made her wish, she unconsciously channeled chakra into her metallic headband. Normally this would mean nothing. Chakra channeled into metal, or any substance really, would just make it stronger. In most cases anyways. In this case though? The metal of Kin's headband began to slowly melt, losing its previous form and adapting itself into the rough shape of a kunai. Of course, Kin didn't notice this until she tried wiping her eyes and came within a centimeter of stabbing her eyes out.

Kin stared blankly at the kunai in her hand. She didn't understand at all all how it could have gotten there. The captured kunoichi carefully tested the mysterious weapon in her hand. Its balance was horrible, so throwing it would be a bad idea. But it was sharp. It was also much thinner than a regular kunai, giving it a similar appearance to an oversized needle.

Kin shook her head roughly before gripping the kunai. She had no idea how this miracle had come her way, but she'd be damned it she screwed it up. Luckily for Kin, the same system of seals that would normally keep the door locked with a chakra code was tied in with the one that suppressed all chakra in the cell. Which meant that all that stood between Kin and freedom was a a large oak door, and a complicated metal lock. The lock, however, was no match for Kin's deft fingers. With an audible 'click', the lock released and the door swung open, much to the surprise of the ANBU medic and two accompanying guards on the other side.

"Of course… Fuck my life…" Kin sighed in defeat, head dropping as her curious kunai slipped out of her grip to land on the floor with a loud 'clang'.

Three hours later, Hokage's office

"So she nearly escaped?" Hiruzen asked casually, examining the strange kunai that Kin had used in her attempt. To most, his voice sounded almost playful like an old grandpa commenting on how the weather was perfect for fishing. But Badger, a long-time member of the ANBU knew the hint of steel that lay behind Hiruzen's faintly amused words. There would be a reckoning if he wasn't answered quickly.

"Yes sir." Badger said tonelessly from his kneeling position on the floor. "We had to disable certain parts of the security in order to make sure that her healing and interrogation would proceed smoothly. It was believed that the severity of the wound would keep her out for awhile. And no guard was posted due to every available ANBU combing Training Ground 44 for additional traces of Orochimaru. However, we have no idea where the kunai came from. I had removed every weapon and tool from her personally. All she had left was the clothing on her back and the headband on her forehead."

"Headband…" Hiruzen mused, setting down the kunai to take a deep puff from his pipe. "Was her headband on her or near her when she tried escaping?"

"Er…" Badger said, stalling for time as he ransacked his memory. "No sir. All that was in the cell was a curious strip of cloth. And she didn't have the headband on her."

"I see." Hiruzen said, taking a deep breath while sitting up straighter. "For your negligence of security, Badger, I hereby remove you as squad captain of Anbu unit #23. You may continue to serve ANBU if you wish to. In addition, you are now the permanent guard of prisoner Kin Tsuchi. She is to NEVER leave your sight. Also, when the interrogations begin, get a blood sample and test it for kekkai genkai. I have a feeling that I know how she got this kunai."

"Hai." Badger said emotionlessly, though his relief was palpable. He had gotten of extremely light, all things considered. A swirl of leaves appeared as if out of nowhere, and when they disappeared so had Badger.

Temporary Hokage's office, Training Ground 44, 9 AM next day

Hiruzen sat in a temporary office set up in the tower in the middle of the Forest of Death. He had decided that since the second stage of the exams was scheduled to continue for another three days, he would keep a closer eye on the exams, and be nearby in case Orochimaru targeted any more of the genin.

"Lord Hokage." Said the kneeling ANBU in front of his desk. "I have arrived with the interrogation results of Kin Tsuchi."

"Already?" Hiruzen asked, an eyebrow raised as he looked up from a random report.

"She was… Surprisingly cooperative. All she had asked was to be moved out of her cell and into a secure room instead." Said the ANBU. "After a short period of rest she told us everything. Evidently, Orochimaru doesn't inspire much loyalty in his subjects."

"Interesting… Continue Parakeet." Hiruzen said, putting down the report in his hands and giving the ANBU his undivided attention.

"Ahem. Kin Tsuchi managed to reveal a number of Orocimaru's minor bases to us, and gave us rough coordinates to what she thinks is either one of his major bases or supply depots. She confirmed our intelligence reports that Orochimaru planned to launch an invasion on Konoha during the third task of the Chunin exams. She knows nothing of why Orochimaru wanted Sasuke Uchiha, only that they were ordered to attack him. She also knows of a number of Orochimaru's experiments, one of which ties in strongly with the medical checkup you ordered." ANBU Parakeet said, somehow getting everything out in a single breath.

Hiruzen smiled. That had been more than he was expecting. A lot more. Clearly, this Kin Tsuchi was intelligent and had gathered all of the information she could to stay one step ahead. It was a shame what would have to be done to her. "This is good news indeed. And what of the medical records? And this little tie-in that you mentioned?"

"It seems that whatever assumptions that led you to asking to perform a blood test were correct. Kin Tsuchi was found to be in possession of the Jiton bloodline." The Anbu reported. He held up the kunai that Kin had apparently made. "Chakra scans reveal some of her chakra still embedded in the metal. It is our current belief, as I'm sure was yours, that Kin Tsuchi made this in her attempt to escape. Later interrogation reveals that she was unaware of the bloodline and was just as confused by the kunai's appearance, making us believe that she awakened her bloodline while in the cell."

"Interesting…" Hiruzen said, toying with the papers on his desk. The Jiton was a rare kekkai genkai, with only five known recorded users. Of the five, the Sandaime and Yondaime Kazekages were the most prominent practitioners. "And what of the experimental tie-in?"

"Well sir…" Parakeet said, now fidgeting in place a little. "It seems that Orochimaru is in possession of cloning technology, though it is apparently imperfect."

"I… See…" Hiruzen said, now deep in thought. Orochimaru with cloning technology was bad. No, it wasn't bad. It was BAD. In his mad quest for immortality and jutsu, Orochimaru had acquired the DNA of some of the most prominent shinobi in history. Hiruzen shuddered at the thought of what Orochimaru could do with that kind of technology. He could unleash an army of Hashiramas and Madaras, make replacements for the worlds daimyos, and even switch out Kages!

"And how does this tie in with Ms. Tsuchi?" Hiruzen asked, rubbing his brow and wishing, far from the first time, that Minato hadn't died so that Hiruzen wouldn't have to deal with this.

"Well sir, according to Kin Tsuchi's testimony, she herself is a clone." Parakeet replied tonelessly.

Hiruzen just thumped his head on his desk, not giving a damn about maintaining appearances. "Perfect, just perfect." Hiruzen thought. "First, Orochimaru discovers cloning. Then, he makes a human being with the Jiton bloodline! It's only a matter of time before-"

"However…" Parakeet continued, trying to act unfazed by his leader's silent breakdown.

"However?" Hiruzen asked, raising his head off of his desk in an attempt to regain his long-lost poise.

"Cloning of any sort would leave markers in the blood. Easily traceable if you know what to look for. It just so happens, our medics knew what to look for." Parakeet said smoothly. "And Kin Tsuchi has no such markers in her blood."

"Truly?" Hiruzen asked, relief spreading through him. "Is it possible then, that she lied about the cloning?"

"No sir." Parakeet denied, shattering Hiruzen's hopes. "It is my belief that she herself was the result of, for lack of a better term, a screw-up. Providing that she was cloned when she was a baby, it's possible that she and the clone were switched in some way. This would give her the belief that she was the clone, despite apparently being the original."

"I see." Hiruzen sighed heavily. "Leave both reports on my desk then. You are dismissed Parakeet."

"Hai." The ANBU replied, placing two scrolls on the desk.

Hiruzen sighed in defeat as he undid the privacy seals that he had put around the temporary office, the ones that prevented people from entering or exiting as well as eavesdropping. The ANBU disappeared in the standard Konoha leaf Shunshin, just as the doors burst open and Naruto walked in.

"Hey old man! I wanted to ask you about- gah!" Naruto got an accidental mouthful of leaves and spent a good minute spitting them out.

Hiruzen chuckled, glad for a bit of levity, chuckled at Naruto's antics, amazed as always by the blond Genin's sense of timing.

"Anyways! Old man! I wanted to ask you about Kin!" Naruto declared, pointing a finger at Hiruzen as he did so.

And now Hiruzen sighed, now amazed at Naruto's keen sense of circumstance.

"It's complicated Naruto." Hiruzen sighed, looking at the blond shinobi mournfully. "You must understand. She's an enemy shinobi who was part of a planned assault on the village. According to law, the most that she can expect is a thorough interrogation and a swift execution."

"What?! But… What?!" Naruto exclaimed, too shocked to speak. "But you can't do that! I mean, I know she attacked us, but she was coerced by that Orochimaru teme! Can't you do something jiji?!"

Again, Hiruzen sighed. Something that was becoming far too commonplace for him. "I can do nothing for her Naruto. I may technically be a dictator, but even I have to obey the laws, lest the village submit to chaos."

"B-But! But you're the Hokage!" Naruto exclaimed. "There has to be some kind of… Of… Special Hokage law or something you can invoke!"

Hiruzen eyed Naruto sadly. "Naruto, there is no law, bylaw, custom, act, or tradition that I can invoke to spare her life. I'm afraid that Kin Tsuchi is to be executed."

Naruto's mind was racing. He didn't know why, maybe it was his heroic nature, or maybe he had the feeling that Kin would be more important to the future than first impressions gave. "W-What about the War Spoils Act of the 2nd great war?" Naruto blurted out, naming the first reasonable thing that popped into his mind from endless conversations with Iruka.

Hiruzen froze and his eyes narrowed at Naruto. "How do you know about that Naruto?" Hiruzen asked calmly, but with an edge in his voice.

Naruto gulped, sweat pouring down his face as he recognized the 'serious tone'. "I-Iruka-sensei and me were talking at Ichiraku's and he was telling me stories about the wars and he mentioned it."

Hiruzen sighed once more, carefully holding his face in his hand. "And I take it that was the only time you ever heard of it?"

Naruto nodded furiously.

"And what did he actually tell you about it?" Hiruzen asked tiredly.

Naruto gulped as he wracked his memory. "S-Something about claiming the lives and properties of ninjas defeated in a wartime situation. You said that Kin's assault counted as a war act! So wouldn't it apply?"

"Naruto…" Hiruzen said, gently massaging his temples. "I have the feeling you don't quite understand this law. Against my better judgement, I should probably explain it to you better. The War Spoils Act was instituted right after the 2nd great war as a way to discourage revenge killings. If, for example, a hostile ninja were to attack you and you not only survived but managed to subdue them in a non-lethal manner you would legally be entitled to all of their possessions, as well as the person themselves. This law was accepted across all of the nations as a form of legal slavery. Many found the practice distasteful though and would give their would-be assassins a clean death. Eventually, the 3rd great war began and no one spared the law any mind so it fell out of the public knowledge. It is also not taught in schools because greedy Genin would then try to subdue enemy ninja, instead of kill them. This would, naturally, lead to increased Genin casualties. Ninja of any village aren't informed of the Act until they reach Chunin, even if the law applies to those of any rank."

"S-So… What you're saying is… If I try to invoke this law to save that sound girl's life…" Naruto began.

"You would, in essence, be binding her to a lifetime of slavery in your service." Hiruzen finished.

Naruto thought about it, really thought about it. Both sides of the equation were horribly wrong. But which one less so? His internal debate raged on for many minutes, until he reached a decision. "Jiji… No… Lord Hokage." Naruto began, his speech turning formal as he looked his surrogate grandfather in the eye. "How do I go about properly invoking this law?"

Hiruzen sighed deeply, and a bit sadly. He knew that Naruto would choose the option that would save the girl's life. He was just that way. "You already invoked the law by stating your intentions to your Kage. Now, you fill out the paperwork and then just pick her up. You will be granted certain things to help keep her in line which will be presented to you upon her retrieval." Hiruzen turned his sad eyes towards Naruto. "Naruto… I'm sorry that this had to be the way to free her. I can't pretend to know your feelings. All I can do is promise to keep the council off of your back. I imagine they won't be happy when they hear about this."

Naruto smiled up at Hiruzen sadly. "Thanks jiji. I-I'm glad that you're allowing this."

Hiruzen chuckled a bit. "It's to save the life of a young woman. I've grown wise enough to see that life is a precious thing indeed, even if I deal in so much bloodshed. Go rest Naruto. I shall have one of my assistants drop the paperwork off for you later today."

The two shared a handshake and a familial hug before parting ways, though Naruto paused in the doorway as Hiruzen let out a parting shot, this one laced with amusement.

"One last thing Naruto, about the War Spoils Act." Hiruzen called out, chuckling. "The other reason that it fell so out of favor was because the amount of paperwork that needed to be filled out was often taller than the shinobi who invoked the act!"

Naruto hung his head and groaned in upcoming misery as Hiruzen allowed the stress of the previous days melt away as he enjoyed his adoptive grandson's suffering.

So this is what it's like being on the other side of the fence... For those of you who have followed/favorited this story and/or me, you would know that it's been almost a year since I last updated. I... Have no excuse. I started on a Fullmetal Alchemist fic, and a lot went into that plus some RL issues. Again, no excuse and I apologize. Anyways, the long-awaited fourth chapter. The War Spoils Act was inspired by NBH by chilord. Read it. Great story, great writer. Clever cogs might have noticed that I've been hinting at a NarutoxTenten relationship. They would be correct. My idea for Kin to be bound to Naruto came out of left field and stuck. To those who may wonder, this will NOT be a harem fic. I love reading them, but writing them sends a shiver down my spine. I've... Said all I really want to I guess. Flamers, I would love to here from you. Those offering honest criticism, I would love to hear from you more. Please read and review. Speaking of, though they're a bit late, here are some review responses.

Melted Flower: Any ideas I use will be my own, but let's just say that we think a bit alike and leave it at that.

GoldenPiggy: This chapter should already explain what I intend to do with Kin. If you have more questions, please privately PM me. As for Inner Sakura, it's been proven in both manga and anime that Sakura has an inner personality. While it seems to have disappeared in Shippuden, it greatly reminds me of multiple personality disorder. Which is what I'm going to go with.

Random Person: Well, it's a longer chapter. Sorry for the wait.

Plasma57: How'd you get into my notes?! (Kidding. But seriously, good guess. Like I said, including Kin was NOT part of my original idea.)

Jutsu List:

Shunshin - Body Flicker technique

Jiton - Not a jutsu. It's a magnetic release bloodline.

One last thing before I sign off. Reviewing previous chapters, I noticed a plot hole in Chapter 2. I fixed it and it's nothing major, but feel free to re-read ot of you want.

LordTicky, out.